ARC OF THE IMMORTALS Book 2
Time Rifts 45 — Scenarios/Played Out
The Least Worst of Bad Choices
TW: Two heinous acts of violence, and a kidnapping/holding a person against his will.
Recap TR43 Time/Mine Fields: The Atlantis-Sub 1 space tug is beset with two “time spheres”. One time sphere runs slow time and the second runs a fast run-time. The Second Mate emerges from the accelerated — “time sphere” as an old man. He collapses and dies of old age.
Reypat, COS warns of an imminent invasion of the time spheres. The two Gypsums are planning something. As Captain Tommalar prepares for the worst, a flash of light/change in pressure creates a barrier that keeps the thousands of time spheres on the ship’s hull.
The Atlantis-Sub 1 is transported inside the port sphere above the Lingam Egg. But the second tug is not in the starboard sphere. It is drifting toward the Mu-2 in the alternate dimension.
The parts, once piled in the main healing chamber are gone. However, some parts are stuck on the top of the chamber. Telepathy appears nullified on the Mu-1.
The time spheres, attached to the hull, negate thrusters and the ion drive. Ko-Ak, Chief of the Navigators observes a counterclockwise rotation of the ship moving “down” toward large spinning time spheres.
Current Episode:
The First Splice† (see end of chapter 42)
Two Gypsins gathered around the Lingam Egg at the bottom of the sphere. Each had almond-shaped heads adorned with colorful garments.
The taller one, Rasis beamed thoughts to the other:
Bring him here.
Jac Kritos? Orus via thought.
Yes.
The Lingam Egg pulsed light and Jac appeared.
“In answer to your previous question, I am not a god,” Jac told the two Gypsums. [See Chapter 43 beginning of the “Current Episode”]
“You have god-like powers, though. Do not deny this,” Rasis stated.
“First, the powers are not mine. There is the context of the Arc that concentrates abilities that are in flow. Without the Arc it’s highly unlikely these powers would be available to me,” Jac said impatient and added:
“Why have you brought me here, What do you want?” Jac was irritable.
“An exchange?”
“I’m listening…”
Rasis mapped out the Gypsum plan, and Ourus filled in the fine points.
“Let us use the simplistic terminology and call it the ‘Demonstration’.” Rasis stated with unequivocal superiority.
“No,” Jac stated. “And here’s why — ”
Ourus flipped three switches. A beam shot from his third eye and encased Jac in a murky light.
Rasis nodded to Ourus.
“Do you think this puny god-like humanoid will break free?” Rasis asked Ourus.
“It is a trap that traps,” Ourus stated and beamed. “You know — the more he acts or even thinks the more the trap traps him.”
“Of course, I know that,” Rasis boomed. “How do we access the God-Jac’s powers?” Rasis asked in an even tone.
“Bring him out of the trap that traps into the ordinary trap. Do you see?” Ourus stated rhetorically.
“And it is simpler this way,” Rasis laughed.
The Kurtz Control Complex
“Drink? I’m having scotch,” Kurtz said.
“I will pass. Must keep a clear head,” Tau* said. He tapped one finger on the side of his head.
“That’s quite an adventure you had skipping through the time spheres,” Kurtz stated.
“You read the transcripts of my debrief?” Tau said with a thin smile.
“Don’t be daft, I observed in real-time,” Kurtz said.
“I thought, you used your powers as an Antarian to ‘see’. As a — ”
Kurtz pulled out a Colt-45 and shot Tau three times in the chest as he spoke.
“You don’t listen, Tau. I told you never to utter words about my origin, ever. This is the third time. The third time your forced me to shoot you.”
The Second Splice
Jac, complete our agreement.
No, Jac thought back. He partitioned his physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies into two forms. One on the innermost side and the other on the outside.
Rasis and Ourus looked at all the options. They nodded to each other.
Ourus entered Jac’s body. He forced Jac’s second chakra wide open. The force opened the third emergency bridge on the Mu-1. Moments later it extended, cutting through the time bubbles. Attached to the Mu’s hull forward to the outer edge of the centrifuge, it extended into open space far beyond the bow.
Done, ready for transport. Ourus thought to Rasis.
They transported themselves, the Lingam Egg, and Jac to the Emergency Bridge.
The Lingam Egg opened, including Mu-1 and Mu-2, in one space. In effect, they merged the two dimensions.
Where is that laughing? Ourus and Rasis thought.
It’s me, Jac. You did not consider that the Time Spheres would exist by merging the two dimensions.
Three minutes later the Time Spheres crushed the merged Mu.
Jac floated outside the arc. It snapped in two.
He thought — Well of Souls. The crushed vessel with all abroad, and dead transported to the Well.
A reset, Jac thought.
The Third Splice
The Lingam Egg pulsed light and Jac appeared.
“Do you have the answer?” Rasis asked.
“I am not a god,” Jac told the two Gypsums. [See Chapter 43 beginning of the “Current Episode”]
“You have god-like powers, though. Do not deny this,” Rasis stated.
“First, the powers are not mine. There is the context of the Arc that concentrates abilities that are in flow. Without the Arc it’s highly unlikely these powers would be available to me,” Jac said impatient and added:
“Why have you brought me here, What do you want?” Jac was irritable.
Ourus laid out the plan including The Demonstration. Jac did not agree.
“Explain,” Rasis ordered.
“Linear time is a tricky thing. There are too many variables for your plan to succeed,” Jac was firm in his resolve to reveal the truth.
“What variables would you remove?” Ourus asked.
They argued back and forth — Ourus and Jac.
“I will eliminate one variable now,” Rasis pronounced. He reached out with his will and ceased Jac’s life. Jac’s body dropped to the deck lifeless.
That was your first mistake. Now your plan is doomed. A voice filled their heads.
“Who was that?” they both asked aloud.
Idiots, it is me — Jac. You have made me infinitely more powerful.
The Thirty-Third Splice
“Do you have the answer?” Rasis asked.
“I am not a god,” Jac told the two Gypsums. [See Chapter 43 beginning of the “Current Episode”]
“You have god-like powers, though. Do not deny this,” Rasis stated.
“First, the powers are not mine. There is the context of the Arc that concentrates abilities that are in flow. Without the Arc it’s highly unlikely these powers would be available to me,” Jac said impatient and added:
“Why have you brought me here, What do you want?” Jac was irritable.
Ourus laid out the plan including The Demonstration.
“Agreed,” Jac said. “Send me back to Touzdae,” Jac commanded.
“You will not go back until you complete the plan,” Ourus said.
Jac dissociated.
Jac opened a hatch at the very bottom of the starboard sphere. He dropped down into a nondescript space — off-white and filled with clouds.
“Your download told me that you might be here,” Jac paused and waited.
A few moments passed.
Tu Mai appeared.
There is not much time. See if you can expand a bit more and slow the rate of time to one-third of its current acceleration. I know you can do this. There is not much time. Tu Mai’s thoughts appeared as words and images in Jac’s head.
† A splice with regards to time loops are an addition to the loop that repeats. Think of a splice as a graft onto a tree. An arborist may take a mature fruit bearing branch off one tree and splice it into another tree to accelerate it’s growth. The splice is where the time loop repeats on the tree of time.
* Tau — is an Entu Monk who appeared near the beginning of Book 2 Time Rifts as the Monk who had gone crazy at the Obz Time Rift Station. He later rescued the duplicate Touzdae (or Touzdae-2). She was being held for having stabbed Jac in the chest. He escorted her to the Central Astrocartography Sphere to do battle with Jac. Tau was a consultant aboard Atlantis Sub -1 in TR41 All Stop. He escaped outside the tug in an EE-Suit without a helmet into the time spheres.
next chapter:
Control
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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.]
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