The Star Whorl (The Totality Cycles Book 1) (14 page)

     Kreceno’Tiv felt a thick,
slimy numbness move through his chest and settle in his gut. He could not think
of a single thing to say, but fortunately, they arrived at their domicives.

Whorl Forty One

     Kreceno’Tiv’s friends could
not stop talking about the things they had seen in the Observis, though they
did so in the privacy of Pavtala Ralili’Bax’s domicive.

     “It was incredible!”
Thy-Lerefo’Gol still enthused, several turns later, projecting glyph-images of
what he remembered. “I still can’t get some of those creatures out of my head!”

     “It was terrifying,” Thynnu Tikati’Pas
averred, shuddering at his images and flicking her vuu’erio at them. Her
elytra-pace clacked in slight agitation. “I still don’t want to think that such
things exist below us! And only the light of the Guhan Sun to stave them off!”

     “What keeps the
air-predators from getting this high?” Ropali Galici’Bel asked, looking around.
“We have not had one come to the landforms here at the Junction in recorded
herstory. Surely one would reach this high?”

     Pavtala Ralili’Bax looked
around as if she were about to share a dangerous secret.

     “It is – some say that the
herstorical records imply that – that the Malkia did something to the glyph of
Gu’Anin,” she said in a low voice, “something that made the mid and upper
reaches of the World-Trees inviolate to the air-predators.”

     They looked around, and then
Ro-Becilo’Ran burst into laughter. “That’s ridiculous! No one has that kind of
Nil’Gu’ua ability! There must be some other explanation.”

     “I’m just telling you what
the Herstorians surmise,” Pavtala Ralili’Bax said, making a noncommittal
gesture.

     “Well, where are you taking
us this turn?” Thynnu Tikati’Pas asked, her eyes shining.

     Pavtala Ralili’Bax laughed,
gesturing a negative. “Oh ha, no, no, I do not share out my treasures so
wantonly! They must be spread out, properly savored, discussed until they make
no sense anymore, or else we will over-consume on them and become bored, and
find ourselves back in the line to the
Bustani!
Plus, there is more
imaging, more fantastical things to see, down among the Roots. We spent
five-turns down there, and came near to getting eaten many a time!”

     “Well, then, don’t keep us
clapping our ‘paces, bring on the horrors of the Roots!” Ropali Galici’Bel
said, leaning forward eagerly.

Whorl Forty Two

     Pavtala Ralili’Bax was fun,
endlessly inventive. During the term-break a third of the way through, she kept
them well entertained. She had unusual ideas, and led them all over An’Siija,
and indeed the entire landform of Segela Miridum, while actively avoiding the
lines at the
Bustani
or the packed gregaris parks of Algna Suprum
.
She somehow got into the Totality cuisine library of glyphs and they spent a
few merry turns disgusting and delighting themselves with exotic feasts in
deserted places that the populace did not frequent anymore. She led them to the
hanging Mji’Hives that resided on ancient Foliants, speaking knowledgeably
about the herstories of each, bringing to life the tribulations of the people
who had first built the domicives there, and they gazed down at the misty
depths below, imagining all the dangers that their antecedents had fled, up
into the protective arms of the World-Trees. They even trekked to an Air-Gulf
Mji’Hive, adrenaline surging as they translated over the almost unimaginably
wide spaces between World-Trees to a city located in the middle, supported by
glyph-Ways alone. Being out under the Guhan Sun, and with no supporting Trunk
below, had been nerve-wrangling, and Ropali Galici’Bel had hung onto
Ro-Becilo’Ran the entire way. And though these same activities were open to
almost everyone, it was Pavtala Ralili’Bax’s knowledge and running commentary
that made it new and interesting, and held off the ennui. The diversions also
kept him distracted from his dilemma over the Occupation and Service
Initiative, and what could be done about it.

     Then she deemed it time to return
to the Observis. This time, Pavtala Ralili’Bax took them up to the Crown, where
the legendary Malkia had made their lofty domicives, higher than any other
group had dared venture. There, the Mji’Hives were sealed against the virtual
airlessness of the altitude.

     Kreceno’Tiv made himself
comfortable in her domicive’s Observis. She snuggled against him once more, not
gloming at him, but just a warm, comforting presence at his side. Their friends
did the same, all avid with anticipation.

     The view again showed from the
observation transport rising above the Algna Suprum landmass, but this time it
continued to ascend. The sub-Trunks of the World-Tree could be seen in the
far-off distance, still huge even at the edges of the landforms at the limit of
vision. Between the sub-Trunks was an almost blindingly blue sky, with clouds
that were fluffy-looking. Coming from above were the Great-Falls, torrential
waters from the upper landforms high overhead, originating from the
storm-level. These falls were the main source of water for the Trunk-Junction
landforms where the bulk of the population of the World-Tree now lived. The
other source was the Tree itself, which released water and nectar in open depressions,
making sweet, shallow seas in the landforms. The Great-Falls made their own
bodies of water, but these were turbulent, and outlet through their own
via-Ways, to fall to the next lower levels.

     There was a time-cut, and
then they were looking at a place where those huge sub-Trunks were coming
together again, or else Limbs from the sub-Trunks had reached inward to intersect.
There, more landforms had been grown, like Algna and Segela and Bolsho, and
they passed through a via-Way of each and saw the abandoned Mji’Hives that
populated them.

     “This is Cartus Yllum. These
Hives were where the Sentinel-males were encamped,” Pavtala Ralili’Bax said into
the quiet of the projection, indicating the lowest of the landforms that had
been made from the substance of the Limbs. From this bottom level the
Great-Falls emerged, but they did not originate at this level. “The domicives
were very utilitarian, very austere. They are said to be in suspension below
Bolsho Undum, now, and have been since the Unification.”

     The landform fell away as
the view from the transport continued rise. After the expected time-cut, they
came to the next, rising up through the via-Way, and what unfolded before them
was nothing less than what could be considered paradise.

     “This is Relis Sorum,”
Pavtala Ralili’Bax said, and there was a strange quaver to her voice. “Here,
the male consorts of the Malkia, and the female mfanya-drones lived, and the
Malkia came down to take their pleasure.”

     It was obvious that the
Hives and constructs on the landform were meant purely for pleasure, for the
catering to the excesses of a few by those around them. Kreceno’Tiv felt a
strange jolt as he watched the projection of the play-area of the ancient
Malkia. Everywhere were pleasure fountains and baths, lounges, the instruments
of amusement and pleasure, and in a few disturbing areas, torture. There were
Great-Falls here, too, coming from above and proceeding through via-Ways down
below. These Falls were especially violent, thundering down with white froth
their entire lengths. But they did not seem to affect the ancient pleasure and
recreation palacives of the vanquished Malkia that populated the entire
landform.

    
Had I been born then, I
could have been condemned to be here,
he thought, and the notion curled
vile and green in his belly.
A mating-slave, practically without will,
subject to the whims of whichever Malkia took attraction to me. By the Ancient
Hives!

     “This is just – awful!”
Ropali Galici’Bel said, gesturing distress. “Men and women both, slaves to the
Malkia! I am
so
grateful that we do not live in those times!”

     Kreceno’Tiv found himself
concurring. Just as he, if Ropali Galici’Bel had been born in those long ago
turns, she would have likely been a drone, if not a mindless breeder of drones,
whose only purpose was to serve the Malkia.
Just how
were
the Malkia
overthrown?
he wondered, unable to look away.
They had absolute control.
What could undo that?
He decided he would have to research the Unification,
or perhaps take a lecture on it in Tertius, if it was offered.

     The observation transport
obviously made a detailed study of the Relis landform, but Pavtala Ralili’Bax
had cut the imaging to edit it out, guessing correctly that this analysis of
their inglorious past would be more upsetting than entertaining. When the
imaging resumed, the view was ascending again, and passed through a weeping
via-Way. The landform above was drenched, ravaged by torrential rains, clouds
roiling and spewing lightning and shaking with thunder, and pouring forth
violent surges of water, almost solid sheets of downpour. The entire level was
practically covered in one churning ocean of turbulent foam and mist. The view
shook and became distorted, until someone obviously stabilized the glyph of the
transport, modifying it so that the hard rain diverted around it.

     “This is Dorus Pallum, the
storm-level,” Pavtala Ralili’Bax said. Then she fell silent and pressed close
to him, and he held her, as they vicariously experienced the raging storm-level
of the World-Tree in silence, the sounds of the imaging muted. She made no
commentary, the storm-level needing no explanation. In fact, she tucked her
vuu’erio tennae away, and her wing-nets buzzed, making her elytra-pace vibrate
against his arm.

    
But she experienced it
directly, if she went on this expedition also,
he thought, a little
bewildered that it should still affect her so. Perhaps the images recalled the
memory a little too vividly? He did not object, however, glad for the excuse to
embrace her tightly. And when the transport finally broke free of the weather
systems, and resumed its serene travel upward, she did not draw away. And he
did not slacken his hold.

Whorl Forty Three

     “And here we have Aguila
Ascendum, the landform of the Malkia,” Pavtala Ralili’Bax breathed after the
next time-cut, as if the storm-level had physically taxed her. The fiery blue
of the sky between the landform horizons disappeared to black, and stars, hard
and constant, showed. The underside of the Ascendum had no Guhan Sun-form, for
the storm-level did not really need the light to mark light-turn from dark, and
the Ascendum was so much higher that it practically did not occlude the true
Guhan Sun that much from the Dorus Pallum level. The topmost landform was also
the smallest, for it did not need to support the massive populations of the
lower levels. Here, there were curious, pale pillars coming from the Aguila
Ascendum, and Kreceno’Tiv realized with a start that they were columns of water
being drawn
up
from the storm-level to service the upper-most level.
Whatever glyph-construct that drew the water upward also kept it from freezing
as it rose through the thin, rarified atmosphere.

     “The Hives of the Malkia
here on Aguila Ascendum are sealed,” Pavtala Ralili’Bax said, taking up her
narrative, “because the air is so thin up here. And they had to induce normal
gravity by use of the gravity glyph – we’re still studying how they did it.
Here, they had their abodes, and the nursery-crèches, where the drones tended
their babies. The girls were given the World-Tree nectar, that would help them
ascend to become Malkia, and the boys were sent down to the Relis Sorum level.
They were given some considerations, but not many.”

     The transport came to rest
among the enclosed Hives. There the imaging ended.

     Thynnu Tikati’Pas sat up,
and wiped at her eyes. “Well, I guess it can’t all be creepy, scary, mindless
monsters,” she said, untucking her vuu’erio tennae. “At the top, were monsters,
but fully mindful of what they were doing. Horrors above, and horrors below. By
the Hives, Ralili!”

     Pavtala Ralili’Bax made a
meaningful gesture, half-contrite. “I know it was a little upsetting, but at
least it wasn’t boring,” she said. “We must be mindful of the past, or...” she
did not finish the idiom.

     “Oh ha, it’s later than I
realized,” Ro-Becilo’Ran said, holding out a hand to Ropali Galici’Bel.
“Friends, we must go. Find some more adventures for us, Ralili!”

     “We have to go, too,” Thynnu
Tikati’Pas said, standing and pulling her pre-mate’s arms around her shoulders
when he stood behind her. He willingly wrapped himself around her, and they
gestured a pleasant parting.

Whorl Forty Four

     Kreceno’Tiv did not leave
with the rest, wanting to spend a little time with just Pavtala Ralili’Bax
herself. Her parents had long since retreated to their suite, leaving the
younger people to their amusements.

     “Would you object if I
stayed a while longer?” he asked. She smiled warmly at his request to stay, and
agreed readily.

     “Yes, if you promise not to
be too courteous,” she teased, glyph-conjuring a large meal.

     “Not too courteous?” he
asked ingenuously, gesturing confusion as they ate.

     “Yes,” she laughed, tilting
her head. “If you’re too courteous, you might not kiss me later. But enough of
that, come, let me show you around.” And with that she led him through the
various suites of her domicive, which was much more modest that his famiya’s,
but seemed more welcoming, more homey. Then they ended up in her suite,
snuggled on a lounge together.

     “I can see why you haven’t
given into the despair,” he said, his nerves jangling at her closeness. Though
she had not glomed him, her mention of kissing had set his wing-nets to
buzzing. She had pushed him down onto the reclining lounge, then crawled up
between his legs and lain on him, as if it were the most expected thing to do.
When he put his arms around her, she had just sighed and relaxed against him,
comfortable, her head resting on his sternum.