ARC OF THE IMMORTALS Book 2

Time Rifts-26: Two Struggles

two dimensions

[a scene of violence]

Recap from TR 25: Touzdae in a Land of Light: Touzdae and Hannah are in Shambhalla. She finds another Hannah meditating under a miniature tree. Hannah-Two admits she is a duplicate but is her own person. Touzdae enters a small transport sphere and the man inside is a complete person. He communicates to Touzdae telepathically and does not use words. He uses complete thoughtforms. He is taking her to the Llamas to find access to the Mu that Jac is on.

Kurtz works with a tech to draw Touzdae into darkness so he can make dark duplicates of her. The plan is unformed.

Jac escapes from the netting. When encountering Captain Tommalar he realizes it’s not him and Tommalar dissolves. Jac is transported to the area around the sphere. He travels back to a populated area of the ship. Jac hears the Captain talking about the faster-than-light drive not working. He asks about the Gypsums.

Touzdae returns to DKr. Vishop Malley’s lab. Malley asks what she last remembered. Flying to see the llama and a feeling of dread, Touzdae reports.

Current episode:

Jac went to his quarters. Exhausted he fell onto the bed clothed and went to sleep.

DKr. Malley had another idea for sending Touzdae home to Jac.

“But it’s of high risk and dangerous for you, your mind and body. But it could work. I used it many years ago to get here from where Jac is,” Malley said.

“Why didn’t you return?” Touzdae asked.

“For two reasons. One is here they gave me space for a laboratory. In the other world, I was one of the simple means passengers. More importantly, I nearly killed myself trying to get back to your world. I was in hospital for months. My mind had to be rebuilt.”

“I thought you were an Antarian,” Touzdae said.

“No. I was born a Mu on Terra a very long time ago. I did live on Antarian Prime for a time and then on Theta before returning to the Mu spaceship in your reality. But this is a story for another time. I need to review the risks for you going back. Yes?”

Touzdae nodded in the affirmative and said, “Yes!”

Jac dreamt. He dreamt of navigating the Fish alone onto Gata before the accident. It was the first time. Part of him steered the ship away from Port Minnow and crash-landed on the far sandy shore of the planetoid. The shear was intense. He leveled off and applied braking thrusters on full. He set his sights on the miles of beach in zero atmosphere.

He was sitting in the helm seat raised up into the observation bubble. He relied on a line of sight. The instruments fluctuated — out-of-control. He used emergency braking thrusters. The ship’s keel craved a groove unto the sand. It was a deep gash. Jac was thrown into unconsciousness as crash gel deployed. He awoke, the ship leaning to port on her side. His suit had morphed around him.

“Nez, report.” He noticed his breath and heartbeat. Heartbeat fast and slowing, breath slowing too. “Nez?” No response. Power had switched to auxiliary. He found Nez’s heartbeat. It was steady. She was unconscious. And from the screens even in low power showed a recycling vector of four hours to reboot. Oxygen levels were in the green. He brought his exo suit back into its deployment bay on the front and back of his body. Internal gravity was off. He glanced outside. The guywires had released and held the ship on the beach. He released the lock on the chair and it made a slow descent to the deck.

Magnetic boots on. He left a message for Nez. And disembarked in an EV ship from the cargo bay.

Touzdae per the docktor’s instruction went to one of the many gyms. DKr. Malley’s words echoed in her mind.

“You are in excellent physical conditioning. This technique requires that you be at your peak so I recommend treadmill, and weights in any of the gyms on board. For three days three times each day.”

Jac awoke for a few seconds after six hours and fell back to sleep.

He was running away from himself — from Pursuer-Jac in the gateway to all dimensions. From the place of instantaneous manifestations. He felt Touzdae’s frustrations with both Pursuer-Jac holding Jac inside himself. Touzdae entered them both and pulled out. Her love brought the two Jac’s together as one.∞

Reunited with himself he stepped out of that dream into dreamtime. He climbed down through a hole in spacetime and dangled into another reality below. When he dropped into it the spacetime hole was above him on the ceiling.

He was on Phorae’s Space Station. Touzdae was sleeping soundly on the bed. He disrobed and climbed into bed with her. Sleep came, for Jac as she woke and nuzzled into his warm musky scent. They both drifted off.

Touzdae woke in the morning on the day of preparation for cross-over with DKr. Malley.

“Jac, is that you?” She looked across the room. Jac was in a chair, his breath rasping, as if injured.

She woke again and looked to where he was sitting. Nothing.

“Dreamtime?” She wondered.

The location changed. She was sitting up next to Jac. He was prone, asleep. “I miss you Jac, I hope to be with you soon. Please stay and wait for me to arrive. You know the place. Near the pride of lions.”

As he sat up in bed next to her the dreamtime the setting changed.

“Where are we?” Jac asked. Touzdae looked at him.

“Have I crossed?” she asked.

“No, we’re in dreamtime in our cabin aboard the Fish,” Jac said remembering the place.

She broke her gaze from him and looked aft. She saw a distant nebula through the transom — astern.

“I miss you Touzdae. I will wait for you at the end of the corridor — yes not far from the lions.”

They woke but in the two separate dimensions.

Touzdae presented herself at Docktor Malley’s lab at the appointed hour.

“Come in, come in,” he grinned sheepishly. Touzdae entered and they sat at a table in the center of his lab. “I want to tell you that my real name is Pakaiyo. When I boarded the Mu those days long ago I needed an acceptable name. I chose Malley. Vishop was added after I recovered from my failed crossover. If you encounter Ko or Shisla in your travels tell them Pakaiyo says ‘Greetings.’”

Touzdae nodded and said, “I will.”

Pakaiyo explained about the substances he would inject into her body. “They are ancient. The base is ennead root. Bahya root, and the zing flower seeds promote the journey.

“I have seen that you have learned to bilocate and transport your entire body to other places. This injection will help you to do that. Overcome the barrier between dimensions. I have laid out special clothing. Rub salve into your skin and scalp. Don the clothing.”

She completed the prep. He opened a chamber similar to a sarcophagus. He helped her inside. He gave her the injection.

Jac and a small support team waited in the disputed territory.

A figure was deposited from a tunnel of dark and light. It was Touzdae; he sensed her. She came running up and threw her hands around his neck. They kissed.

“Let me look at you,” he said as she stepped back.

She took a curved blade and stabbed him in his chest.

the next chapter:

previous chapter:

∞ This note refers to the full story (above) — I also recommend starting at Pursuit: 20 / Showdown, Part 2. In the meantime a fuller explanation:

Contents:

Thank you for joining me in the adventures that span lifetimes and worlds. Blessings, Passion, and Grace on your journey. May whatever your looking for — find you.

[This is a fictional story. Like all fiction, elements of truth are present.]

(If you do NOT wish to be tagged, let me know, and I’ll tag you not):

Alison Hollingsead | Rebecca Romanelli | Joseph Lieungh | Dr Mehmet Yildiz | Kris Bedenian | Alberto García 🚀🚀🚀 | Blaine Coleman | DL Nemeril | Rip Parker | Annelise Lords | Barbara Murray | K. Pearson Bradley | Libby Shively McAvoy