***Tirnanog, Aerie Flagship***
***Magnus***
I abruptly sat up and cursed silently, looking at Astra. “Did you know the sneaky snake could do that?”
We always suspected Gaia wasn’t playing all her cards in the open. But the simple fact was there was nothing we could do if she didn't want to cough up her secrets.
Astra only stared off into space as she sat up a little straighter, looking livid as she concentrated on her UI. “No. Evidently, our lazy, little goddess couldn't be bothered to tell her faithful servants that there was more than one way to contact her. I will be sure to voice my disapproval of her policies as soon as we see each other in person. I'll haunt her dreams.”
“Why didn’t you bother to inform the small circle of people who could talk to you in their dreams of this ability of yours?” Vanya asked while she simultaneously continued to transcribe the whole conversation. “I bet they would have advocated to reveal your existence much sooner if they had known.”
[Gaia]: ‘Honestly, the entire dream-talking affair was an unexpected side-effect. I still haven’t made up my mind about it entirely, though it seems mostly harmless in nature. From a human’s point of view, the closest comparison would be to suddenly being able to talk to your subconsciousness. An – if sometimes annoying – mostly beneficial ability. As for being able to hack the UI chat function, I couldn’t do so until Magnus logged into the colony computers and unlocked the function with administration rights. So, one could say using the chat is an ability I only recently gained. I saw no reason to reveal it if there was no great need.’
Skye Rumen tilted his head. “And why should there be a need now?”
[Gaia]: ‘Well, it was decided on the fly that the time was ripe to reveal my existence, so I deemed it necessary to hammer the point home, so to speak. I wouldn’t want a political split to hamper the current efforts at ending the threat which Thich represents. And mind you, they are a threat. Not only for the clans but for Tirnanog’s humanity as a whole. They are collaborating with entities whose plans they can barely fathom. Even if it works out for them in the short term, they will have to pay a steep price as soon as they are no longer useful.’
Vanya pursed her lips and frowned with a doubting expression. “Are you threatened though? From as much as I understand of your nature, I very much challenge there is anything that can truly harm you.”
[Gaia]: ‘Let me clarify, there isn’t much that can harm the Gestalt as a whole, but this sub-partition you are talking to who calls herself Gaia can very much be harmed. As long as there is no wormhole connecting me to Earth, information can only travel at lightspeed. I, Gaia, am on my own. Compared to the Gestalt who I split off from, I have very few resources because except for Tirnanog’s humans, there are very few creatures creating energy fields I can use. If you lose this war, there is a real possibility for ‘me’ to die.’
“Are you already talking to other people, now that you have made your move?” Felix asked with a little bit of trepidation in his voice, his gaze sweeping over the congregation. “This will be such a mess if this Gaia starts messaging people all over the place.”
[Gaia]: ‘I have not, nor do I feel the desire to do so. Believe me when I say that I only decided to have this conversation because doubts about my existence are contra-productive at this point. I have no desire to interact with too many people daily, though I fear a certain amount of involvement with humans is unavoidable now that the waking-dream mutation is about to spread.’
“Are you monitoring the entire UI-chat right now?” Juliana asked.
[Gaia]: ‘I could, but I prefer not to. Much like a parent doesn’t desire to know everything their offspring is up to. Though I may pay attention if I see the need.’
“She seems well socialized for an entity which presumably had only superficial contact with humans so far,” someone commented, and was mercilessly transcribed to chat by Vanya even if the speaker probably meant their remark to stay among the congregation.
[Gaia]: ‘I am giving my best to come across as a benevolent part of human existence. We have existed with each other since the beginning, so I hope you will be able to see past your instinctive fear response. Personality-wise, I don’t think leaning onto the whole ‘creator of all life’ side of things does fit me. As far as I – Gaia – know, this is the first time for a part of the Gestalt to be able to interact so directly with my body. Creation? I suppose the human language doesn’t have a word for what you are to me or I to you.’
“Your creation?” someone else asked. “So you created humanity?”
[Gaia]: ‘In regards to the first humans, the ones who came long before you, I don’t know what came first. The Gestalt does not know who or what created it, though we know it was for a greater purpose. Whether the Gestalt came first or the microorganisms which emitted the electromagnetic field giving the Gestalt form. But those times are long past. As for the current humanity, yes. The Gestalt very much ‘created’ or at least ‘altered’ you through the process of evolution. Just like I have a guiding hand in what you are becoming right now. Though, I have to admit that using nanomachines is so much faster than the old-fashioned way of evolution. I must give my respects where respect is due.’
Ancient Mary pressed her lips to a thin line in silent frustration. “So what is your role in this conflict, then? I want to hear your perspective.”
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[Gaia]: ‘Before I became aware of other energy entities, I lived contently within my little bubble. Much like a caveman who was unaware of what lies beyond the sea. Then I had to learn that, broken down to your level of understanding, existing in a world of energy isn't so different from the physical world. There is a fight for resources. There are intellectual and moral considerations. Even 'religious' aspects if I am allowed to call them such. The other energy entities are not like me. They don't interact with the energies emitted from biological matter but rely on the energy fields of planets or even stars. When we became aware of each other countless aeons ago, their first reaction was to try to kill me and by extension your ancestors. But, life finds a way.’
“Why?” someone asked.
[Gaia]: ‘Their reasoning can't be broken down to a single easily understandable answer as you would understand it. I never got a real explanation from energy entity to energy entity, which is just as frustrating to me as it is likely to you. Upon our first true interaction, they stopped talking as soon as they realized what I was, but I managed to interview a few of their agents since then. One reason of their many reasons is that they despise the nature of my existence. Running on biological energy fields is something impure or parasitic to them. Another reason might be that they are afraid of my potential, of what I could become if left alone.’
“I don’t understand,” Juliana stated.
[Gaia]: ‘The other energy entities are bound to the energy fields of celestial bodies like planets or stars. This gives them individually more power than I could ever gather in one solar system. Even if the biosphere of a whole star system is entirely at my command, it is nothing compared to the power output of a star. But imagine the Gestalt spreading over an entire Galaxy and further. While they are bound to their celestial bodies, our potential is limitless. We only need the time and opportunity to realize it.’
Gaia kept on reassuring the various clan leaders of her benevolence by answering their questions till late in the evening.
Most of it concerned things we had already chewed through repeatedly, so I zoned out not long after it was clear that this was only part of the vetting process we had to suffer through one way or the other.
It was an exhausting day through and through and there was no doubt there would be follow-up meetings, questions galore, and a lot of private discussions between Gaia and the various clan leaders.
Except for the surprise of Gaia’s ability to use the UI-chat, it had gone better than we had any right to expect. There was only a little hiccup when one of the doubters raised concerns that this could still be some elaborate prank. Thankfully, psychics were a thing and could quickly confirm that the few witnesses who met Gaia in their dreams were firmly convinced of her existence. It wasn’t a hundred per cent proof, but it was better than nothing.
So I was glad when the meeting was finished and Astra and I could finally return home.
“So, there is something important I haven’t told you yet,” Astra began as we entered her family’s estate. “There was a little family drama while you were following the whole issue with the Zacharias clone. It’s already resolved, so I didn’t inform you right away, but you should probably give Isaac some breathing room for a little bit – after you have a firm word with the boy.”
I sighed. “Bring it on. What did he get himself into?”
“He got himself into another fight, but his reason is understandable,” Astra explained. “Klein died.”
Okay, this would probably get me into trouble, but I just had to ask. Just to confirm the happy news.
“Who?”
“Klein died. Isaac’s pet zipper. Don’t tell me you didn’t remember its name. I know you never liked Klein, but you were the one feeding it most of the time,” Astra said, exasperated before she narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t…”
I raised both hands to ward off any accusations before they were spoken aloud. “My stores of deathnut oil are well protected. I am following Thalia’s rigorous safety regulations to the dot. It would be tremendously stupid of me to poison our kids’ pet with the stuff. If I would want to get rid of the darned thing, I would have thrown Klein out the door and said it ran away!”
Besides, I already tried that one night and it did not work. The cursed thing came back like some kind of dog.
Astra nodded to herself after a moment of consideration.
Anyway, I hated the stupid thing. Its entire species was a blight on the universe. “Nonetheless… that’s so very sad,” I said doing my best to look serious. “Did someone step on it accidentally? Isaac must be crushed.”
Astra gave me a look. She knew very well what I thought of Klein. “No. We just found him in his cage last morning. I had Kiera take a look at it. She isn’t specialized in animals, but she believes it must have been some vitamin or mineral deficiency. Isaac didn’t take it very well and got into a fight with that other boy at the crib and broke his thumb. I want you to be understanding, but you also have to make it clear to Isaac that fighting with the other children is no good.”
Turns out, taking some wild animal and having it as a pet is not a good idea. Who would have thought? This could all have been avoided if someone had listened to me at the start.
“Would it be petty of me to say I told you so?” I asked.
“Yes, and I am very much aware that you never liked the thing and are probably celebrating Klein’s demise in your head.” Astra huffed. “Try to be nice about it nonetheless.”
I rolled my eyes. “What are you taking me for?”
We entered our abode and Astra showed me to the living room where we found Isaac brooding over his building blocks while playing with his sisters. He had his hand in a cast to make sure the thumb would heal right.
“Hello, little warrior.” I went over to Isaac and picked him up which was reciprocated with a hug. “I heard our troops suffered losses while I was working.”
Isaac sniffed. “Klein died and Norbert was mean about it at the crib. He said it was my fault because we didn’t feed Klein enough.”
“I am sure there had to be a better way to solve the issue than violence?” I continued in a questioning tone.
“He shoved me first!” Isaac replied stubbornly while Astra picked up the girls and left the room with a disapproving expression.
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Oh, if he started the violence, that’s an entirely different matter. It’s not right to start a fight, but always make sure to end it. But, just how did he manage to break your thumb?”
Isaac raised a tiny fist. “I hit him after he shoved me!”
I winced and took Issac’s hand, prying his fingers apart. “Now, look Isaac. If you are going to hit someone, you can’t have your thumb on the inside of your fist. That is just asking to hurt yourself. You also don’t hit with the entire fist but with the knuckles of your index and middle finger. See? Those have the strongest bones. And if you want to throw a real punch you pull your fist back to your body, palm up like this. Then you turn it one-hundred-eighty degrees while punching. Put your entire weight behind it and don’t forget to turn the torso with the punch while doing so.”
Astra poked her head back into the room with narrowed eyes. “What are you doing?”
Sometimes the woman’s intuition frightens me.
“N- n- nothing?!” I replied quickly. “Isaac and I were just discussing how to avoid injuries in future conflicts. Right, Isaac?”
Isaac nodded dutifully. “Fighting is not right.”