I wake to a horizon that looks like an altimeter on a jet fighter. Field of black above, field of white below, no features save the horizon line. I look around and see no features whatsoever. I can feel that my feet are touching the white side, but it’s all bottom lit so it’s a dizzying view.
“Our apologies, matter-based life form. Allow us to populate your view.” And a ripple out from me erupted my favorite lake in silvers and pinks with a slightly purple sky.
“Thanks, that was disorienting. So, I guess by how you addressed me, you are energy or aether beings.”
“An accurate deduction. We remain the custodians of the Matrix and have chosen to talk to you while your consciousness was receptive.”
I can guess that someone has me immersed in an aether-rich fluid after almost dying while my brain meat recovers from shock. Humanity has always suspected that the closer we are to death the more receptive we are to the whispers of the Universe. Aether beings seem to be doing the whispering right now.
“One of the skills you selected was an adaptive skill that has gained you many advances, but in this instance has given you possible insight into a protected set of knowledge. Since you will likely recover from this accident of circumstance, there is knowledge that was given to you, and much more that was . . . shunted to electronic storage systems.
“The knowledge stored within your person will be retained, but the auxiliary storage surrounding your planet will have the shunted data nullified. In addition, your Aether Insight skill will be changed to what has been discussed as the intended use of the skill which is creating an aether-based corollary of a technology item you understand completely.
“As the circumstance has been judged a no-fault breach of protected knowledge, the Matrix believes you are owed renumeration for the secrets we have kept you from. However, this comes with the condition that you never speak of what you saw to anything or anyone. The other life forms present saw what they believe is a warp mechanism consistent with their experience of what warping looks like. You saw what actually happened.”
“You’re asking me to lie about what I saw?”
“We are asking you not to mention it. How you fulfill that is up to you. If you request to receive your renumeration, you will have explicitly agreed to our terms. This is not meant as a hostile encounter, or Ultimatum. We as custodians are responsible for the protection of the Matrix above all else, and there have been attempts in the past to disrupt or eliminate them.”
“I mean, I get what you’re trying to do, and honestly I don’t mind that the skill was changed. Accidently almost dying three times from a knowledge overload is enough for me. As far as not telling anyone what happened, I get that too. I want to dig into the secrets of the Universe because I am relentlessly curious, but I won’t if it is that important to the Matrix. They have given me access to so much--this is an easy ask. I will want to explain some of this by saying I was contacted by Matrix administrators to fix a skill that is misbehaving, but nothing deeper should be necessary. Is there anything else?”
“We find it amusing that you are nonplussed in talking with the custodians of the Matrix you so enjoy. Do you wish to leave so soon?”
“I mean no disrespect, but it’s kind of uncomfortable being around people with so much power. The longer I’m in your presence, the more likely it is I will offend. That and keeping a mental connection with Aether beings is likely earning me a mutation or two.”
“She understands. We are keeping contact with you to encourage structured mutations. The process you went through was not kind to your matter. The process you are going through is not overly complicated, but tedious and you simply could not consume enough aether on your planet to ensure your recovery. You may either remain here or we can leave you in a coma, encased in your meat.”
Oh. So I would have survived, but I would have been long-term injured? But I feel that with enough time, my symbiote would be able to trigger transfiguration enough times to level it up and eventually pull me back to my self identity? Andromeda, that would have taken years to fix, even at a consistent progression. Mutations can change considerably more, but at a much greater risk. Unless it’s tied to a tier-up, I suppose.
“I’d like to remain here until my matter is further recovered, please.”
“We will alert you.”
Thankfully the aether-scape doesn’t change and I’m standing at the edge of the lake I’ve spent wading in at length. I dip my toe in to find a feeling I expect, heat-leeching and clingy. The ground feels like ground and the shimmery grass makes the right noises as I rustle through it. I wonder if everything is just a force of will on the aether. Would it be easier to try to assert to my memory that something is wrong, or can I just say that lake should be green and focus on it really hard?
I sit there, grunting and leering and sneering until I get so frustrated that I pick up a stone and throw it has hard as I can. It skips, and for every point the rock causes ripples, the green makes an appearance and slowly, but surely starts spreading.
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The aether here doesn’t respond to mere thought alone, at least not for me. Is it the anger that focused my aether to the point of effect, or was it my action in this space that focused it? Experiments!!
I settle in and do science to the space and after countless hours I find if I lend a little of my essence to the task, it is much easier and faster to manipulate whatever space we are in. I’ll admit, this is a much more fun way to spend time than to wonder what my mind’s been doing for weeks.
“The time has come for you to return, User. Your matter will gain no further benefit from your time here.”
“Oh, okay.” I bid my disparate motes of self to return to me and the forms they were a part of collapse. Neat. “How do I get back?”
“We will aid you this time. Shall you find yourself once again in this place, the way will be yours to find.”
An invisible force plucks a string I didn’t know I was connected to and it thrums until it stops at something I feel personally connected to, something pulling me to be a part of it again. I assume it’s my body, so I let it pull me. The closer I get, the less I can experience from this perspective. Everything becomes muted and dark until I try to clear my vision and I feel a painful tightening on my right arm and a violent lift of my whole being.
***
“Penny honey, you moved on your own, it’s time to wake up now.” I hear Katie say, totally sure I’m hearing again and not just sensing energy. “Please, hon, I need you to wake up.”
“uhhhng, I like hearing you call me honey. ‘S cute.” My eyes finally peel open and I see a sad and slightly shocked Katie, “you looking so gorgeous right now.”
She starts with a small chuckle and it quickly turns to full blown crying as she pulls me out of the water and into her lap, wrapping herself fully around me as she sobs.
“I’m here, Kay. I’m back, baby. I’m sorry I left you for so long.” I hug her tightly, my arms reaching a bit farther than they used to. More importantly, I don’t know how long I was gone, but it was weeks at least. I spent that much time building stuff with my mind.
“You’re not allowed to leave me like that again, Penny.” She talks softly into my neck, stuffy and muffled from the tears. “You’re supposed to take me with you. Instead, I swore and begged, and generally lost my mind, while Tessa and Francesca tried to keep me sane.”
“I’m so sorry Katie, it was an accident.”
“She’s being truthful, there was no way to predict one of her skills would trigger when the Sector Host completed. We realized too late that there would be an issue. Without the data network you created, Penny and I would have died. So, thank you Katie. For both our sakes.”
“If there’s anything I can build or prepare to keep you healthy next time, please let me know.” She grabs me by the face and alternates which eye she stares into. “You’re really back this time. I’ve had a few vivid dreams, and they’ve been torturous.”
“Yeah, hon,” I kiss her softly, “It’s really me. The Matrix curators explained what happened and that they changed my Aether insight skill so it wouldn’t murder me by accident anymore. They also kept me longer so my body could heal and change faster. I guess it could have been years instead of. . . I don’t know actually.
“Months. Two and a half Astorian months. I had planned for this nice big reveal for what I’ve been working on, but I had to use your wedding gift to save your life. I even set a date with V’tek’clor. But no, you decided to be dying.”
I can’t help but laugh at that, “I’m sorry I scared you honey.” I look around at my surroundings to find a small, but fancy bath house . . . in a cave. “You built me an aether-infused bath house?!”
She nods and starts peppering my face with slow, squishy kisses. “I had the charged ship bits moved down here after I made the cave larger, to keep our town safer, and to make you happy.”
“Is there a Katie-safe bath down here?” She nods as she moves up my chin. “I feel the need to be as close to you as possible Kay, can you take us there?”
“I don’t think you’re strong enough for shenanigains honey.” A warm shiver surges through me at her more-emotional tone.
“I still like holding you with nothing between us.” She kisses me in a desperate kiss before picking me up and taking us a pool over.
If I wasn’t in water, I wouldn’t be able to stand Astoria’s increased gravity. We both disrobe and she sits on the steps while I sit in her lap and hug her like a monkey. We stay like that for hours before Kay tells me I should eat something.
She takes me to an elevator that exits into a pool-house style abode with a small kitchen and an open layout bedroom and porch. Except this pool house is built next to a river and the porch extends into the misty spray of the top of a waterfall.
“Andromeda, Katie, this is beautiful. I can’t wait to see what else you’ve done.”
“Ah, we were supposed to spend part of our honeymoon here.”
I tear up at her sad tone, having upset her carefully laid plans. I hug her and latch on, hoping she understands how sorry I am because speaking would make me sob.
I sniff a little, “So did you want to take me on that tour you planned?”
“The ending is kind of ruined Penny, it won’t be the same.”
“But it will still be special. I’ll get to feel the sentiment knowing, that you love me so much more than I deserve.”
“You keep me challenged and interested, I think you deserve what emotion I can give. Fine. I’ll give you the tour I planned with an ending I hadn’t.”
I grab her hand and squeeze it, telling her I’m ready to conquer the galaxy if she wanted me to. She leads me to our shuttle and flies us in a wide arc that will lead to one of my previous favorite places on the planet: the infused lake. She moved the aether-infused debris, but the place holds a lot of memories.
We fly an approach from Summer Station and I see rows and rows of multi-story buildings on a circular layout around the lake. Main thoroughfares separate four quadrants and I swear that the road leading to the Southeast is wider and headed toward the bath house. She lands us in a square that is set to the southeast off of the lake that stands in front of what looks like an administrative building.
When we exit the craft, Katie takes my hand and we walk toward the hall.
“These are the central buildings and the common house of Aelea. I built a lot of expansion room between here and our manor, but Aelea is designed to have a trade quarter, an administration quarter, and two resident quarters. I expect those definitions to decay, though the admin holds the road I built to your manor, and the empire’s administration and resident buildings.”
An uncomfortable amount of awe and gratitude flushes through me and makes me pick up Katie in a hug. She squeaks a smidge, and then hugs me back.