The Universe
Finding Purpose and Place
Hundreds of ships left Earth one to explore the universe. Earth one was powered by what we call the Great Pyramids. To them they were solar/hydraulic power generators they sent power to great metal rings that collected/directed it as electromagnetic energy to devices and varied sized silicon globes that stored energy and sorted it into sound, light, and elastic. The social structure was organic so everyone under the same order all living things were, "Multiply and fill the Earth." Teenagers built their own biodegradable home to be acknowledged as adults. Every family secured food as they became hungry. Art was the only trade good. Anyone gifted with creativity was elevated those without it prayed for rain. No one needed anything to the point of desperation until the young ones had a difficult time finding a place to build their life. Elderly people depended on their youngest child for basics once they could not feed or care for their self. That one was the only person in the family that was gifted with land.
It seemed that the order to fill the Earth was fulfilled so an idea formed with the middle children. What if the Creator of all things did not mean Earth as the planet but physical reality? What if our job as humans was to fill this universe not just the planet? Even in the minds of those that did not believe in, God the idea became popular to contemplate. Each generation’s engineering creatives worked on solving this step in evolution, going into space could be fun. How ever getting there safely was the best problem those creatives ever were given to solve. How to relieve the crowded the world and help move all toward supporting the dream of filling the universe. How to free up resources and create a safe universe where everyone can settle some where they could relax in peace.
Each ship was filled with every technology the creatives could imagine and every kind of life they believed to be beneficial. Fourteen times all living things they consume and pairs of those things that had no "Immediate or overt use" just in case they would be of service someday. The ships were filled with information, goods of all known kinds. Groups of eight people, 4 male 4 female boarded ships they were placed into a gel that hardened like Amethyst around them putting them in suspended animation. The fifteen year olds were filled with the hope that they would make it to a planet that could sustain them fill it and spread life in every direction. Soon the universe would be filled with life and happiness. That was what they hoped that first hundred years until the first ship’s reports were received. They decided it was too cruel to send people into the unknown. Venus, Mars and a lot of colonies had failed horribly. The program was abandoned and wars over resources disguised as "Avenging the lost" began.
The people of Earth folded them into stories. The stories that were not grotesquely embellished were forgotten within two generations. In Earth’s defense we do not pay attention to history, the average person can’t remember the names of all the winners of the last Olympic games. There were floods that knocked out the power grids and earthquakes that buried the great rings. There were wars that broke the generational links to knowledge. All of the stored knowledge was lost to people who no longer had time to study. With every tragic event surviving the now became more important than thinking about greater ideals. If you could not eat it, procreate with it, or use it to protect yourself it was not needed or well remembered. The blueprints that survived became decorations. The words used to describe types of contaminates and treatments were lost. All that remained was generational voodoo doctoring and witch craft. When a man in Asia reinvented the telescope and people considered the possibility that the Earth was revolving around the Sun, the last of the ships charged with creating habitable a planetary system landed.
The First Long range ship found 8 planets to make suitable for life sent the location to the other ships and a homing message to Earth. All of the ships that could adapted the information into their flight pattern unless they found a different planet. For 40 years the grid was built by automation. Reports were sent back to Earth and requests for any new information. They would get no answer from Earth because there was no who could understand. The automation units had started conforming the last habitable planets furthest from Earth when the Great Wall of China was being built. 32000 had left Earth 27734 lived. Nassim was named by the people that landed in a field on a planet with just enough of everything to make it a safe new world with only a few adjustments. They voted to have a person remember the history and settle disputes called Sebayt or the Holder of Worlds. The job was to remember how the Earth looked, the names and directions the ships where people went and the great order of things. Children, elderly people and people not having to do anything started hanging near to hear stories or ask questions to fill time. The first Holder of Worlds had no children of his own and taught children watching them as their parents worked at establishing the planet. He noticed one child, Rahlo was more adapt at remembering and understanding the nature of leadership being bringing out the best for all. He would lead the tribe as they made new tribes and covered this world and with God’s help fulfill the order. The Holder of Wolds told all of the children, When I die Rahlo will be your Holder of Worlds.
When the people on Earth sent the Mars Rover to take pictures, they called the place of these far away forgotten humans Mitaka. The tribes that grew from the Nassim have found and filled multiple planets. The Holder of Worlds has been replaced several times. Their universe seems very comfortable. The living things they brought with them have adapted to suit their needs. The plants and animals thrived obeying the order to be fruitful and multiply recklessly on planets the humans dedicated for them. Every forty years a planet would under go evaluation to see if it was ready to receive humans. Most humans didn’t like living on planet surfaces anyway. They had the option to have a Sunday home in a city cluster covering the mildest spot on an approved planet. Most humans did not like dirt and after they turn forty and are permitted to live off planet never return to a surface. So the plants and animals never worried humans would take too much of their planet from them. The passive electromagnetic energy they learned how to use on Earth and the light energy that filled the sail of their ship was been used in ways to numerous to count. It is a remarkable universe yet once more the old thought that made them leave Earth was growing. Is eating drinking and procreating really all their is?
The Holder of Worlds
This current Holder of Worlds was a man. A bald headed grey bearded round one that was given the title simply because every leader older than him was dead. His predecessor said as much, "You’ll do as good as me at the job. See that you don’t end all purpose and meaning for the next. The Holder of Worlds should start as youngster like you. I’ll stay as your adviser to explain my choices and the weight of the burden I am placing on you. We are due for a major change in our way of life." The top protectors kept him alive by injecting him and all hours. He hated his life and loved only the woman that kept him living it. Their was nothing exciting beckoning the new day. He knew humanity needed a new challenge before boredom became anarchy.
He lived on the Nassim, the ship had been remodeled and refitted countless times but one thing the originals knew how to do was build something that would last forever. Administrators were standing in wait for orders every second of every day. He had a liquid screen that showed him the great events and had a stream of numbers and letters indicating each clan’s health and tribe numbers. When he became the holder of wolds the screen was implanted in his eyes so even if he closed his eyes the data of all the worlds that trusted his rule would be before him. He could stop the stream of information by thinking the stop code or make it change stats to food production per clan need but most of the time he just let the data flow only reacting when numbers changed color indicating a problem.
When he became Holder he had kept close tabs on his old clan the Korn. He still will hear their leaders request before all others if it did not burden the whole but now the Band and Alsip rulers were making a request involving the new planet. Soil holding 208 of the 269 properties for procreative life all gases non lethal and well within two generation adaptability range if the projections and calculations were true. They wanted it for a wedge just coming into their assignment hour. A wedge contains the best performing of two clans born in the same hour. The two are given a percentage of each hour following them in birth as support from the clans until they become an established clan. This would be the first wedge with only females at the lead.
He pursed his lips as they prattled on about the Band girl’s discovery and the Alsip girl’s program. Why didn’t a Korn notice this planet? It was a flaw that would be seen to. His first ruler was female he saw no connection with sex and the ability to rule or administer effectively but every wedge on every world had a male and a female head. One ruled the other administered and regardless of who did what the constant was one of each. “Are they matched?” He interrupted their drone.
The leaders looked at each other as if the question never occurred to them. “Matched?” They stumbled on the word. A Korn infant is matched at birth never alone until the other dies. Maybe that was the flaw, when you are content you do not look at the stars. The Korn Clan’s birth until death pairing of its hours allowed its members to focus on their tasks without the comic drama of random love matches aka "bio chemically bonded" pairs. He always wondered why all clans did not do it the Korn way. He had to admit the other way was very entertaining to watch. The Korn had two males who were paired because no mate among the Korn was available. If these females were not mated pairing them with the two males will give balance to leadership roll and place his tribe into a lead roll. Wins all around.
The Bands Ruler took a step foreword and continued. “In Bands the top leader is groomed to be a ruler and rulers must learn all class ranks as well as if they belonged to them. Lilith had to learn how to Protect against threats from micro to macro level. She had to learn how to Build from all known chemical and biological materials using positive and negative space. How to Administrate logistics ensuring all needs are met without fail to the atomic level. Her studies demanded her focus and the new planet will need her full attention. We believe it would be best to keep her unmatched until she requests a mate.”
The Alsip Ruler stepped forward, “Our Morgan has 88,000 more hours to find and seal a match if she wants to breed. Our tradition a match is a result of chemical bonding. She has not shown any desire to take a mate. After the two girls learn how to be a pair in clan building she may feel a need for a mate.”
“They will have 72 hours to show they are a capable leading pair, another 72 to be matched and 200 hours to be whole moving toward the new world. When they are whole they will be over a wedge all of their hour not just your two tribes. A new world will not need only the best of your clan but all clans. This planet is not within our known systems. It is the first step into a new group not just one world but the start of planet creation apart from yellow suns. Not in three generations has a new system been within our grasp if they succeed we will have billions. With my request for all of Nassim to give their full support and 20% of what we will call the "Lilith’s hour wedge", the two will have all they need. I demand the planet be populated with record speed.”
“It was our girl’s discovery she must rule at her pace.” The Band ruler’s right hand fisted at the holder’s words his left hand holding the right wrist as it struggled with the want to strike. The hardest thing to rule was yourself. Rulers are trained to tell people what to do and how to do it. Their existence is unilateral until they are with other rulers so they chose not to interact.
“She must rule but not alone. The only way to be sure your faith in her, is to let her be tested with a mate at her side. The only flaw I see is the lack of interaction with humanity.” The Holder stretched. The Band leader lowered his eyes and made a gesture that looked close enough to think he was nodding his head yes.
The Holder of Wolds put up his finger, “Head Entertainer! Organize the clans the pair will face the Top Leaders to find who will take part in the new world. Instead of mandatory assignment their hour shall have a choice to stay or go.” The Holder ordered.
A man materialized at the sound of his name. He was born Ian Band became one of many who could sing/dance/act/write/direct earned the title of Head Entertainer so long ago no one but he is alive that remembers. Today he had his body sprayed gold and every muscle outlined in silver he had no hair on his head but a decretive series of blue wire that he designed and his protectors installed so he would be able to sound as strong as the paint made him look. He smiled at this demand from the Holder. This was going to be his last event because it was going to be too spectacular to top. He stood still holding his biceps with a blank expression as he listened to the demand. “As you wish Holder of Worlds.” He said and dematerialized. Meetings were dull if he wasn’t the one speaking.
Lilith
Not knowing she was ordered to be married or being talked about at all the young woman paced her cube. Her mother and father had told her they were going to see the Holder of Worlds about her discovery five hours ago. When she saw the world it was in a section of the sky that had not been charted fully. The star was not Sun level. She believed that an introduction of the right chemicals into the atmosphere of the planet would produce the same effects of light by the hydrogen and helium composed star. She had also ran the statistical possibilities of seeding the star to change its color. She believed that she could settle the system in two generations, eighty full orbits of the planet around its star. If she did they would no longer be restricted to yellow suns. The universe would be opened again and planets surrounding "inferior" stars would be designer lands under "unique" skies.
The caregiver came in to give her the hour briefing and watch her pace. Lilith liked her caregiver the man was dressed in purple robes that hid any trace of humanity. It was like listening to a pile of cloth. To be honest she wasn’t sure the caregiver was male just imagined it to be. She was given a caregiver at two. This is an unusual event. Most two year olds were able to join a group of other two year olds for two hours a day. Lilith was not. It was not that she was a true born ruler. Her father was a ruler. He had a number of ruling pairs who he was able to spend time with.
At two Lilith had entered the community room with her mother and father and started to play. The other children stopped to watch her. Soon they were They were drawn to her to the point of screaming when the group time was over and they found their selves being moved away from her. Her bioelectric field was measured at twelve times the normal strength of a leader. She knew all of her playmates by name and bonded with two builders that day. For eight years the three communicated even though she was no longer allowed to go to group from the age of five.
Their bond built over time to the point her two friends created a way of finding her father’s ship and moving their parent’s ships to his no matter where in the Band worlds he was.
"We belong together. Stop trying to break us!" the three ten year olds shouted in unison.
"We are not breaking you. We are teaching you to know your limitations." One father said.
"We have no limitations except the ones you old people put on us. We won’t be young forever. You can’t be in our way always." Lilith said stepping toward the adults squinting. The look of fear on the man’s face caused her father to step between the and look at his child. The anger he emitted backed her down. Firming her lips she turned toward her two friends. "There are too many of them for us to force our way. We have to do things their way. Give me five years and I’ll have a plan no elder will say no to." They nodded and hugged her.
It was then Ichabod the Band Entertainer was ordered to care for her one hour a day so she would be able to socialize. He helped her by expanding her goal to include her hour. He was amazed at how hard it was to remove her idea of being autonomous. She gave in to his wisdom that if her wish was not have elders over her the only way forward was to establish a world and tribe of her own. They went over star charts and histories until she found a planet.
Whenever he came to Lilith’s room he wore his travel suit. He enjoyed being able to walk unnoticed listening to people. Especially if they had positive things to say about his shows. When he entered her home he saw she had been pacing. She told him the news and restarted her project to pace a hole into the carpeting. "Would you like to play a new game?" he said motioning her to the tabled study room they spent most of their time together in.
"Strategy or chance?" Lilith accommodated him as always. Lilith liked that her caregiver never told her to do anything. He would ask and take no as well as yes.
Taking a deck out of his pocket and a box out of the other he sat down, "Both. This will be our last time together so I will teach you the last game I learned to play. Instead of dice you draw a card. the number on the card tells you how many spaces must be moved. You decide what piece to move. If we both are on the same block you decide to negotiate or war. You win by getting more of your pieces to your side than I do to mine. The details are on the rule card." He opened the box and started arranging the gaming board. Lilith did not understand how calm he was. He was sitting there setting up the game as if he did not say something that hurt and scared her.
Lilith sat down across the table and read the rule card as he finished setting up. It said the same thing he did their was no need to read it. She just needed something to do with her eyes they felt like they may cry. They hadn’t in years but she did not want to give them the chance. With a proud look she did not feel she made a demand for knowledge, "So I’m an adult now? Are there adults who have caregivers? Who will give me information? Will you not be able to see me in another capacity?"
"No. You are the only abled bodied human over four, with a healthy mom and dad who has a caregiver. But you lovely one also cared for me. I did not have a child of my own so you filled that need for me and I thank you. Your parents confirmed your assignment with The Holder of Wolds. The planet is yours. You will awake soon as an adult with the fate of hundreds of thousands of people in your hands and no Elder telling you what to do. As a ruler you will get your information via screen like your father, unless you want some other form. I will see you as I see all rulers. It is my job and you will see me just not like this."
Lilith had waited to hear that she was an adult for so long but felt oddly sad now that the words had been said. She moved to the table and stood until her caregiver looked at her, "How will it start?"
"In a dark room about this size. Like every leader the Band has ever had. Lead yourself then you will get another person to lead. When they follow well two more than four than the rest will follow. Simple mathematics." He moved his pieces. "You aren’t worried about it? Lilith tell me if you don’t want the assignment." He looked into her eyes thinking of them being replaced by screens. A shame to turn such expressive eyes milky white.
"No!" she said convincing herself that it was the only way for her. "Why should I be? I think that the planet only needs two generations before it becomes as good a world for all life as any known now and there are other planets in its system that maybe adaptable immediately to edible plants and animals. You will see I remember everything that worked and didn’t from before we boarded the Nassim to present day. My system will be filled with happy active life." She played the game to tie instead of win so as to prolong it. Her caregiver played to win until the fact that this was the last time they would play took the enthusiasm out of it so they both started to play to keep the game going until she was ready to fell asleep.
Her caregiver then gifted her with a traveling suit. Lilith went into her dressing room and came back modeling it. He sat her down and quizzed her on the Aslip. Braiding her hair away from her heart shaped face, he turned on her face shield, showing her how at the touch of a button it would retract into the collar. "A travel suit hides all aspects of who is inside. As an adult you are allowed to travel outside and even with protectors it is not safe if people know who you are. Your father is loved and still anyone wanting his place needs him to leave it. Death of an elder is the only way for advancement on all worlds. You must make this new nonviolent way for advancement work." He stepped back and admired his Lilith. Her travel suit was form compressing with two hard pockets that obscured her shape. His was form expanding he preferred its multi pocketed girth. Although as an entertainer he had the ability to transfer his body to any place. He loved to walk outside. "In Band no one reviles who they are to the outside world. Who you are is personal, private information is given at risk. The Band never took risks unless they couldn’t prevent them. The mathematical probability a risk will end well is very close to zero. In fact you had to go to the one ten-thousandth point to find a digit other than zero. Yet I think of that digit as you Lilith. You have no idea how rare you are."
He kissed her forehead and for the first time in her life she was alone. His kiss initiated a mild electronic pause that temporarily shorted out her neural network. Lilith was transported to a cube in a ship of her design off world. She did not know that the cube was reactive. Programed to her voice or that all information it gathered was relayed to her father and Ichabod. Lilith sat up crossed her legs and breathed deeply. "So this is my adulthood." She thought looking around the room. "If you must be grey be shades of grey." She told the wall and it complied.
Morgan
There was something wrong. The back of her jaw was hurting and her left eye socket had that cold hollow feeling it only gets when something is wrong. She kept her breath steady and pulled as much information from her nervous system as possible. The sheets were cold? No they were gone. The cold came from the dry air on her skin. The bed and pillow also gone she was not on her hardwood floor this surface was carpet? How could she be on carpet? The smell of beechwood started to increase she was going to have to open her eyes and hope.
She saw a form neither male or female but a person too thin to tell the sex of in its gender neutral dark blue uniform. It stopped moving toward her when her eyes opened and stood 7 feet away from her folded ankles. The top of its head was at a 79 degree angle from its left shoulder arms folded over the chest feet together. She estimated it to be 6 feet tall. Keeping her ankles crossed she looked at herself and surroundings. She was in the same blue uniform and wondered how that happened without her waking up knowing some drug must have been involved she never took drugs voluntarily but she knew the purpose for them. Escape and control. She had nothing to escape from her life was challenging enough to be interesting.
Who wanted to control her? Why bring her to a nine by ten foot room with grey carpet on its floor and walls? The floor’s was darkest grey ceiling nearly white the ombre on the walls showed the person who brought her there excellent taste if not manners. She stood her full hight. It was still but she kept it in her eyesight just in case. It could have woke up just before her or it could be why she was there. She took her first step toward where her feet were and walked until she was at the wall then paced off the room until her visual measurements were confirmed. Good to know she was right about the dimensions but she couldn’t find a door.
She decided to take off her face shield and smile at it. “Hello” she said in her most polite manner but her stance said, “I will fight you if you come at me.” It took three steps toward her placing its right foot on her center of gravity line a move that said, “If you fight me you will die.”
It took off its mask a perfectly unknowable face without overt racial hue or marking smirked at her. “Well, good to know we speak the same. They awoke me when you showed up it took you two hours to move. This makes me think you have nothing more than I do in the way of information.” The smirk turned into a smile, “I am Ruler Lilith Bands this is my 148,513th hour.”
She was asking for rank and identifiers. Her name showed her at ruler level and her hour puts her in charge of any ruler level person 148,512 hours or less. "I am Administer Morgan Alsip this is my 148,512th hour also.”
“Administrative level?" Lilith sniped off Morgan’s reply with a wave of her hand. "Either way we must find out what to do now. I think there should be doors or some way in and out I am looking for a seam you may help start feeling with a firm hand here. We will search the walls and then the floor.” Lilith did not know how they got in to the cube but did not panic knowing she was not going to stay there and comforted she controlled herself well enough to get her number two.
Lilith turned her back on Morgan and started firmly punching the wall at six inch intervals leaving a dent to mark the grid she made in her mind. Morgan took a place to Lilith’s right and started rubbing the wall three fingers left of Lilith’s fist mark. It felt good to use her muscles soon she forgot she was someone’s captive. Morgan evaluated her cell mate. Leaders were very rare only one was born in an hour and they were never seen in person by the people they would lead. To be born and die never seeing a leader was normal. Administers were born every twenty minuets and they spent their lives making sure leaders never had to see anything or one they did not want to. Being with a leader meant she was in charge of all administrators of the Bands and Aslip tribes in their hour.
Lilith was a very ancient name. A woman named Lilith was responsible for the tradition of women picking their time to mate. In Morgan’s tribe, females named Lilith were expected to reject order and question administration so were no administer would ever name their child anything with an L just in case. A mild protest of builders under a poor administer or leader was a child being named Lilith. No one liked administrators so Lilith’s reaction to finding out Morgan was an administer was expected but still unwanted. The woman lead Morgan along a grid that covered the whole of their cube. No door was found. In the back of her mind Morgan was sure Lilith knew and was just bossing her around for the fun of it.
Morgan felt she was more than a paper pusher. She could do more than calculate and report. Why doesn’t anyone every see the value of order unless they need something done? Maybe the reason administrators were not considered useful is they are never addressed unless someone had a complaint or need. Administers only spoke to people to tell them where to go, what they are to do and if they did it wrong. That made them off putting to others but was not a flaw. The list of things grew never got smaller if you staid still chatting. People always had a complaint and it was their job to clear complaints.
Evaluating a leader’s order was only allowed by the administrative rank and they were the only ones allowed to modify an order. Morgan evaluated Lilith’s wall feeling order as "Giving an underling something to do." It was something any leader would do. Most administers would have people to pass the order on to but Morgan didn’t have anyone under her. She had no one to administrate but herself. Lilith stopped punching the wall placed her hands on her hips and started inspecting her grid. Why did Morgan follow her order so quickly? Was it because the order was given in a clear way and within her ability or was pleasing Lilith going to be automatic the rest of her life. She was nervous until Lilith’s approving nod. Her whole body relaxed as if her next breath was dependent on Lilith liking how she followed orders.
The power of a leader is that people want to please them. Every human had a bioelectric field but the strength of a leader’s at birth was higher than anyone born in their hour. They are separate from the others of their hour because their hours hormone levels will rise or lower to sync. The other children would know only how to best please their leader. In the leader’s absence they became uncommunicative and despondent. This is why leaders were kept away from their hour mates until the assignment time.
Morgan’s shoulder hurt and she was thirsty. Putting her back to the wall she slid down and shouted “WATER!”
“Water? That is your first yell. Mine was, ‘Turn on the light and tell me about the progress of hour.’” Lilith smiled.
Morgan turned and slid to the floor. “I figured you would have asked all the basic questions. Who are you? What do you want from me? Why am I here? Where am I? How could you do this? etc and if you got an answer you would tell me if you thought I needed to know, because processing information is what my class in the order does. You don’t look dehydrated or hungry so I figured those needs are met on demand.”
“Please make a glass of water the temperature of our skin, one hand round four fingers tall. Place it here. Make demands is what my class does. As a new tribe will we require people to be more than one thing for a full generation. Will you be able to build or lead if I need you too?” Her eyebrow made her face look as if it was a question but her stance said do not answer so Morgan didn’t. A glass materialized two feet from them and Lilith waved her toward it dismissively. Morgan swirled the liquid in the glass smelled it and touched her tongue to it waiting to see if there were any reactions before drinking it.
Lilith put her face mask back on so her facial expressions could not be read. Not many were able to read faces but it was rude to make them anyway. She was happy she was with someone who was smart. Drinking a liquid without testing it was probably how Morgan found herself here. Lilith had wished for someone from the protective rank when she demanded not to be alone anymore. Seeing Morgan’s overly soft body she knew that didn’t happen. Lilith noted one thing about herself, she was more disappointed that they gave her a female than anything else.
Waking up in a different place was nothing new to Lilith, her father was a ruler they were never in the same location over four years, but her caregiver would be in a corner and within the hour let her know the news from her hour and the names of the new children born to her rule as she slept. That was not going to happen now. She was used to being briefed by her mother and father every eight hours on what test she was going to have, they would evaluate all she did and let her know what was expected of her the rest of the day. The words, "You will awake an adult with no one telling you what to do" echoed in her mind.
She knew Morgan because she knew everyone born in her hour but until she saw her face Morgan Alsip was a bunch of statistics. Every hour a new group was born her job as ruling rank started with seeing that all Band children born after her had something to do for a tenth of their day. She watched the stats of other tribes to see if hers was better. It was clear Morgan was a better Administer her leader was not efficient. Lilith had wondered if her admins could handle her load but not so much that she tested them on it.
Lilith did not know the Holder of Worlds would say yes to her parents so she believed she would stay in the Band world leading her wedge. The people born in her hour would be in competition with other hours to replace the elderly hours who held their positions until death or infirmity released them from duty. Administrator rank made sure the ruling rank had all of the stats needed to be sure the right people were placed in the right job. If she needed an administrator she would have to pick from her tribe first but knowing the best of the hour never hurt. Keeping people busy was a leader’s job and competition was a way to motivate people to do their best at a task. Competitions amount leaders were won by their choices being accepted above an other leaders.
Truly Lilith had called for lights and her parents when she did not see her caregiver in the corner of the cell as she had been every morning of her life. When she remembered that he said she wouldn’t ever see him again. She then called for news of her hour, an explanation and all of the things Morgan listed as logical. After getting that she asked for last water and someone to talk to. She was glad her request for someone was answered but why couldn’t it be a guy?
She pushed her back into the wall and glared at Morgan. How dare she have an opinion of Lilith and her class formed by the jerk who was the ruling class in her tribal hour. All rulers, demanding? The class of leader is a product of birth no one asked to be responsible for the wellbeing of others and her rank as top of the hour was earned. There was no doubt in Lilith’s mind that if she was an administrator born under Morgan that all the stats she asked for would be demanded and disapproval would be shown if they came a portion of a second late. She knew because Morgan was the top administrator of their hour. That is when the reason for them being together clicked.
“Why are you smiling?” Morgan asked
“Because now I know what I am.” Lilith beamed.
“Care to share?” Morgan said
Lilith stood facing the wall hands on hips, “I am the Ruler and Founder of a new system. And you are my administrator.”
“Why take me as your Administrator?” Morgan knew but did not like it. She did not like the stats for first generation Clans. The survival rate is very small. She was going to die from some unknown space thing. “I wasn’t told anything about leaving my world.” She had evaluated and agreed to a plan to found a new world but she didn’t think it was a real world. She thought she was taking a test. This is no test this was an assignment.
“Doesn’t your clan have protectors? If you were not to be taken they would have stopped it unless they are weak. Don’t you have faith in your clan?” Lilith didn’t understand Morgan’s lack of enthusiasm. Lilith asked the older administrators for the stats on subduing it for life. "I submitted my request to terraform a planet and an administer who could be creative but was not told if it would be my assignment. We always have one last test before we are assigned a path. My parents went to the Holder of Worlds to ask if I could but he could have said no." Her plan obviously had been approved, including the need for an increase in her allotment of followers and suggestion that a tribes be used to fill the quota so her tribe would not lose too many of her hour. To Lilith the clan believing she had need for the top administrator of her hour indicated she was approved for the build. She knew how to motivate the older hours but never needed to motivate a person of her hour at close range. Lilith looked at the mewing pulsating ball of blue that was her Administrator. “Stop crying it makes me uncomfortable, put on your face shield until your face recovers.” She ordered turning her back on Morgan.
“I have a right to cry in the face of my death! There is no one for me to hit my anger needs an outlet!” Morgan had pulled herself up to her full four feet five inches. Her fist were actually curled. Lilith had no idea why Morgan thought she was going to die but understood the need for something to hit and the wall wasn’t good enough. Lilith tilted her head and relaxed her body. If Morgan’s fist touched her it wouldn’t hurt but Lilith would hit back hard enough to make the foolishness of such behavior clear. Morgan breathed in and held the breath for a count of seven. She relaxed her whole body as she released the breath uncurling her fist.
“Why do you think you will die Administer Morgan? Is death the punishment for failing a test in your clan? Are you given to my clan as a punishment?” Lilith did not like the thought of being the ruler of someone’s punishment but if Morgan had something to prove it would make it easier to get her to obey. Administer’s are the hardest to rule finding motivators for compliance was optimal. Once you know how to get a person to move it is easier to keep them moving. The art of rule is to know how to motivate a person to move know where you want that person to stop and make it their goal to comply.
“My clan does not kill its failures but if I had failed a test I would have slit my own wrist. We must be here because we are to secure the Holder’s new world. I am the best administrator of our hour. Presuming you are the best ruler we will be the new clan. I do not dispute you Ruler. I accept you as my Leader and will be your Administer.” Until she said it out loud Morgan was not sure she could do it. Now she was completely calm because she knew death was failure and Morgan Alsip never fails. “I was asked how best to control a new world and given plans to evaluate, yours must have been the one I approved." Morgan stopped herself six inches from Lilith stood up straight looked her in the eye and said, "You are my Leader. We will form a new tribe.”
“Agreed. I’m glad you chose to administrate my path. I am going to sleep I want you to pace or stand quietly until I do.” Lilith laid down crossed her ankles. She passed her hands over her body then folded them over her heart and started to breathe meditatively. Through her lashes she watched Morgan stand studying her, think about sitting. and start pacing. At first Morgan’s steps were heavy and slow but then she started to relax into her walk. Her steps became lighter the turn at the walls became a spin. She added a flip and walked on her hands. Morgan continued moving until her leader drifted off to sleep without saying a word of thanks. The Cube expanded a pace every time she walked across. The approved plan was put into play. A ship was being populated and built around them as Lilith slept.
The Games Are Planned
Every Clan’s top entertainer was on Head Entertainer’s deep black viewing wall looking uniquely extravagant. A reflection of himself was in the middle so he knew what the others saw and of course he looked perfect. His desk was the same shining white as his teeth making him pop against the flat black wall behind him.
The flamboyant nature needed to hold a person’s attention was not an asset in a meeting. The entertainers have been chattering away for hours and nothing more then greetings had been done. It was past time to end the chit chat but he was being complemented. It is so hard to interrupt a person when they were being so kind. He must get to the boring stuff. So he flashed his best grin leaned forward and took their breath away. Before they could recover Head Entertainer said, ”That is enough of greetings we will have sectionals in two days planetary competitions in three. Make sure they are worthy of time and attention. Have fun.” He ordered and turned off all the planet level screens because they had nothing more to add.
The system level entertainers smiled at him awaiting his order. He loved that look it made him feel energized and delicious. “Come to me.” He whispered and at the command the five, two female, two male and one unknowable stood before him. He lead them to a black table that had five copper boxes on it. “It is time for you to know the color for your system you may go up or down in gradient but you may not go out of your assigned spectrum. There will be no quibbling you will make your selection now.”
He turned his back on them and walked to his favorite chair. It was made of a silken black fur like material that never was hot or cold and held his body like a parent does a small child. When he was unable to sleep he would turn the purring function it worked charms. He loved watching the drama of the five making their selection. They were so fearful it was hard to keep his face blah. If he looked at any box that box would be the first chosen so he kept his eyes hooded.
Finally Korn picked up her box. Bands was next closing his eyes in prayer. Digerati took a step forward and looked toward Verges as if asking her permission before picking his box up. Alsip grabbed its box and disappeared leaving Verges the last one.
Verges opened her copper box there was a fluffy yellow stuffed duckling with gold bead eyes and feet. “Adorable” she smiled as she bowed to Head Entertainer and disappeared in a bright yellow flash. Bands looked into his and was delighted to find a sapphire bird. His favorite color anyone could tell as he had dressed in a dark blue 3/4 length blazer with gold trim. If they didn’t notice the coat before, his dematerializing leaving it to walk to the head entertainer and bow before shattering into nothingness made the others take note. The Korn entertainer opened her box and pulled out a ruby in the shape of an apple “Perfect!” she said as she stepped out of the head entertainer’s room into her own. Digerati held up his box happy that blue and red were not in it, smiled and said, “Thank you Head Entertainer.” His body turned into smoke and dissipated.
Head Entertainer laughed the boxes were empty he had placed items in them after they were taken. He knew what colors his subordinates wanted. This was going to be fun! Alsip’s Entertainer came back on his view screen,”Thank you for the chocolates.”
“You are welcome. I can trust you to keep equal amounts of red, blue and yellow that are needed for a truly brown pallet?” He asked with a smile that said he knew the answer.
“Yes, you are able to trust that. Also that you are going to love our System’s game.” Ilka Alsip lifted a chin and allowed its image to fade. Brown was all shades of cocoa, skin and coffee. Morgan, with her bright red curls and Bailey cream skin, will look fabulous in it no matter what form it took but what of the others. A sorting algorithm of all humans of the correct hour into the best shades of brown to cover their weakness and draw attention to their strengths was formatted in minuets. A demand for a breeding partner for Morgan was given to Ilka hours ago. Mating and Administrating topics in the Alsip games will make them way more interesting.
Morgan’s father, O’Shea was an entertainer of high quality. He invented instruments and created sounds that captivated. Ilka loved him and watched his personal show regularly. One night his daughter’s green eyes watching him from under a door took the show from him. On more than one occasion the child would sneak into her father’s room and play with his instruments. Ilka had an alert set so anytime there was new music in an entertainment room it would come on screen. When it was not O’Shea but his red haired daughter Ilka expanded the picture. Time to see if Morgan was to be an Entertainer.
Morgan toddled to her dad’s platform and picked up a striker. She started a beat and then made a sound no one would call melodious. Morgan yelled, “Oba! OOOOObaaaaa” as she beat a metal instrument like it did not pay the fee. Morgan was not an entertainer but she was indeed entertaining. Her father came into the room. “Oh little bird the world hears you cry and sends your father to find out why. The sounds you make will shake the wall and they fear make it fall.” He took a seat next to her as he sang to her rhythm and she smiled and hummed sweetly. What a pair Ilka knew then Morgan’s mate must be an Entertainer like her father. Now she will be able to them together.
Morgan had paced until her leader’s eyes started to move swiftly side to side indicating she moved to the deep inwardly conscious level that no longer was bothered with what Morgan did in the outer world. She paced until her face stopped changing colors contorting with the effort not to allow tears to come and just let them stream down. That caused her nose to run. Her breath quickened but she was able to keep from making noise.
Morgan asked for a cool towel and when it appeared washed her face and held the cloth on the back of her neck. She noticed that meant that her weakness had been seen. She wadded up the cloth and tossed it with a scream at the wall but it melted into the air before it reached the wall. Lilith her leader slept on her right side clutching a pillow. Morgan listened to her leaders steady deep breathing and began a meditation based on the rhythm. Whenever she breathes out I will think of a question she may ask when she awakes. As she breathes out my answer until I am asleep. Morgan sat with the soles of her feet together, relaxed her arms at her side palms up and synchronized her breathing with her leader’s. At answer 30,278 she fell asleep.
Lilith’s Dream
Lilith knew she was dreaming first thing she had mastered and pulled under her leadership was her subconscious. In her dream state she could walk down every imaginable road and face all challenges she could think of. Every fear faced until their was none. This was the First step to Leadership. Master every road within then find people willing to follow the road you choose. She smiled because she already had Morgan behind her. She knew that by the time she awoke there would be thousands of people she had to rule and sleep would be a thing of the past. Within the week her screens would be installed.
She turned to the image of Morgan her mind made. Will Morgan be submissive, antagonistic, engaging or boring? In response to this thought Morgan’s image split into four people who looked like Morgan. She would deal with each Administer finding what its core being is and how to lead it to the next step on the road to world domination. She struck a pose that said I am your leader and you will do as I say before I have to bother my self to form words or know you are not at your best.
Two of the Morgans looked down, the others looked at her. Right most Morgan, AMorgan, wasn’t being submissive. Refusing to look at the leader was silent disrespect. The battle for attention was on it took what seemed like days of standing still before all eyes were on her. “I am Lilith Bands the being who will lead you in concurring a new world. If you fear me you are smart if you deny me your best we will all die. I need the stats on how long it will take to infuse the first planet with the soil and atmosphere we need and if it can be done in time for my children to stand without gear under its Sun Lilith and its Moon Morgan?”
The stats that she asked for were already in her mind she had studied world domination from birth the Morgans to bring the facts to the surface. To better negotiate Morgans she split her self. SMorgan was crying in a ball, AMorgan was ignoring the demand, BMorgan and EMorgan were combing through data.
“Why are you crying?” Lilith asked SMorgan. She didn’t ask the real Morgan just ordered her to stop. Now in her lucid dreaming form she can explore reasons for tears.
SMorgan dried her eyes, "Sorry but the likely hood that we will live to have children is slim”
“A slim chance is better than none.” Lilith soothed, “Tell me the best way to get the base ingredients needed onto the best planet for populating. We can have our first children on the ship I will put in the order for partners.”
“So be it and may I suggest using ships for five generations. I think we should make ships that will form a foundation layer for the planet.” SMorgan offered before turning into steam and vanishing into the other three.
BMorgan then came forward into focus, “The fourth planet from the star is the most stable. Its day lasts 26.275 hours and course 408. 3 rotations very much like Origin.” Lilith moved to stand on her right side and looked at the picture of the planet. EMorgan took the image and enlarged it, changing it to wide screen instead of hand held.
BMorgan started listing the chemicals needed to support life as EMorgan illustrated how best to make and distribute them. Lilith let them go on spewing facts until they merged into one. With their help she was able to organize all the facts floating around in her head to glyphs. She then started to change the text on the screen into glyphs she could recognizes and manipulate easier. BEMorgan began using the glyphs as if they made them up. Lilith folded her arms allowing the information in her mind to freshen. The screen filling her eyes with facts she could use to concur the new world.
AMorgan broke through the screen angrily and stood facing Lilith. She punched BEMorgan in the neck. BMorgan rolled out of EMorgan and dashed into Lilith’s body. EMorgan took 3 steps back as she recovered from the blow and ran at AMorgan landing right foot first into her attacker’s chest riding it to the floor. AMorgan grabbed the calf attached to the foot in her chest and rolled into it attempting to separate it from its knee. She dodged a kick toward the head as she rolled on top of EMorgan’s unbroken leg. “Stop fighting! It serves no purpose I am you!” EMorgan said as she pulled herself way and punched AMorgan in the nose.
“No you aren’t you are noting but a dream of me!” AMorgan returned blocking the punch by grabbing EMorgan’s arm and turning into her elbow dislocating it in three places.
“I am done standing around!” Lilith shouted pulling EMorgan free and choking AMorgan. EMorgan smirked at AMorgan giving her one last blow to the ribs before she dissolved into Lilith.
“You made them totally up that is why they went to you instead of me. They are wishful thinking and it is time you face reality! Now deal with my questions or the whole idea of settling a new world dies right here.” AMorgan raged clawing at the hand and arm at her neck.
“You are also my imagination there is nothing in you I fear. Any questions you have I can answer.” Lilith said hoping she was right. No nagging doubt will be untouched now. AMorgan arched her back bringing her legs around Lilith’s middle closing the gap between them she plowed both fists into the arm around her neck and then up into Lilith’s jaw. Before she could recover fully AMorgan hugged her whole body around Lilith’s chest and head. Lilith punched both of AMorgan’s kidneys as she bit her. “What did you want to ask?”
“Are you ready to die to start a new planet? Life is safer on a ship but there is a reason we stay on a planet. Staying on a ship before you are too old to move freely on a planet is not safe. How are you going to combat cabin fever? What deaths have you prepared for? What are you going to do to stop your people from opening a hatch and being sucked into space? You know not all the people they send you will not be first ranked. If they give us their wash outs. What are you going to do?” AMorgan stood at attention hands folded.
“I am ready to die but not willing to be a lamb jumping happily to it. I know they will try to brake me so that one of the older generation can take over the world. That is why communications, creative medical and entertainment are so important on the ship.”
Morgan turned their surroundings into an office and sat in a chair. She pointed to the one opposite her. “Where will we get them? My tribe is not famous for numbers neither is yours.” AMorgan sank into her chair.
“I want to put up ads and trials. I’ll limit it to our hour and younger. Bands was weapons on the away ship. She is the root of my tree our way is to conserve ammo by only hitting only our target. I get to take twenty the rest are to be given. I’ve been going over the best of this hour from both our tribes. Neither of our tribes have top ship builders some of my tribe never leave the planet.”
“Alsip was the ship engineer, a mathematical genius. He believed there was a logical answer to all questions. As you have observed I am an extremely logical person.” AMorgan leaned forward. “What is our truth? What do you believe will draw the cream of our generation?”
“Forward is our truth. We are going to make our point that staying in the older hour’s worlds isn’t good enough. That only the best can conquer this new exciting world with me.” She folded her arms staring directly into AMorgan’s eyes. “Our motto is ‘We Own Tomorrow’ the tribe will be named Accenda”
Lilith awoke and announced the tribe’s motto and name. She ordered furniture and statistics. The only thing she asked for that she did not get immediately, a Historian and Protector. She was too busy to worry about that.
Morgan’s Dream
The sky was mauve that is not the correct color so Morgan knew she was asleep. She heard music. The gentle sh tah of a rhythm instrument imitating a heart beat. Her feet started moving toward it. She loved music but this was better because it was her father’s. She knew his music best. As a child she spent hours practicing his instruments trying to duplicate his sound.
“Why are you working so hard Birdie? You’ll fly anyway sweetie.” He would sing kissing her forehead and taking the musical instruments away from her. He would walk her out of his music room up the stair and into her rooms. “Stay here get yourself fed, cleaned and go to sleep. The world will be here when you awake.” He would close the door and walk away. Within an hour she would hear him in his music room performing for the entertainers. They would let other people hear him sometimes even allow them to see him but very few people would be allowed to know his name was O’Shea.
She called out,”Oba! Let me see you!” Her feet started to skip, leap, and then not touch the ground for ages and miles. Morgan reached out her hand and it became a wing. on the next leap she had two wings and on the last leap she flew toward the sound. The ground below her changing into ever deepening shades of gold and green and the sky radiant shades of purple and blue as she made her way to her father’s sound. That is when she noticed she knew where she was, the planet that would become her’s to Administrate.
She started recognizing the chemicals that were making the colors she was seeing. The sky didn’t have enough blue because it needed nitrogen. The land was yellow because of the sulfur content. Morgan saw a grid shape and slowed. Was the grid a dream or a memory? Her father’s music was coming from it drawing her close. The circles her father sang about were in the grid. In all the worlds grids were straight lines but this was a grid of circles lines radiated out and a spiral connected the center to the outmost circle. Is this the future or the past? Morgan wondered as she allowed herself to touch the ground.
“Oba!” she yelled thinking if she could connect with her father’s music he would appear. Nothing happened so she stomped her foot. The planet did not care. So she sat down on the ground and started to hit it to the rhythm she was hearing.
She heard a voice like her father’s but deeper come from the ground and say, ”I’ve been here a long time child. I know your kind. They here came in ships along time ago.”
“You are a living planet? Are all of the planets alive around your star? These beings were not in my tribe there was no reference to you in our history or I would have studied you. We need a place to belong will you let us live with you?” Morgan felt as if she was talking to a person.
“You may not live on my surface. I will allow your grandchildren but you must stay in orbit so I can teach them how to live with me. I have my own rules.” came the grumpy reply.
“What is your name?” Morgan asked thinking she should have asked him first off.
“Keeper Accenda, you may call me Accenda."
“Thank you, I will tell my leader your name.”
“She knows” Accenda said.
Morgan woke up. Looking at her busy leader. She asked “What is our planet’s name?”
“Accenda.” Lilith supplied.
“What does it mean?”Morgan crossed the room.
“Top or above the others.” Lilith explained.
“Is it Nassim?” Morgan asked because the word was not familiar.
“No a tribe from another ship sent from the West. Ours was from flat lands that contained few rivers and man made wells. We had no word that suited only a lot of words for cover and up. Their word came to me in a dream when I first saw the planet and I looked it up. I think they tried to settle the planet but I’m not sure. I’ve asked for an Historian to verify.”
“You think another ship may have seen the planet and started a colony?” Morgan did not want the answer to be yes.
“I think it is the first world we’ve seen and if some other tribe wants it they will have to make it known. But it is far west of our original path so a western tribe may one day want to visit. I welcome the exchange of knowledge and statistics.” Lilith said thinking how they could. “I will dispatch our builders to start an over grid of ships immediately and communications of intent in all forms. We will have to wait until the historian is on board to track the possible wordings of an ancoument a Westerner could understand. l need a mate. I want a Protector that is top at creating cures. The command is being built. I have decided not to implant screens but use scrolls. Are you mated yet? I think if you mate an Entertainer the two of you will be able to create a format that is more responsive then this but the idea came to me.”
“No I’m not mated but I am ready to receive a mate, if there is an Entertainer available who can sing I’ll take him. Not to be picky but my tribe has the best Entertainers of the hour.” Morgan rubbed her hands together warming to the idea of not having implants.
“We will need an Entertainer any way because I want it known that teaming with us isn’t a punishment, it is the coolest thing people will do since loading up the Nassim.” Lilith grinned at Morgan, "There is going to be a lot to do why not have an entertaining way to inform people. The Holder of Worlds gave us 5 minuets of every hour starting at us. The whole top of Nassim from our hour will be coming with us! not just our two tribes."
Outside of the Cube
Builder Adeline was enjoying her new position of chief monitor. Her shaved head and raw silk dress were comfortable and low maintenance so she could spend her time creating what was requested by the two young adults she was assigned to as Lilith slept. When she found they were of her same hour she knew she would be their top builder. When she heard the name Accenda the planet’s name it became hers. All of the top would have the planet’s name as their last name. That is how a tribe was made. A clan was made from blood lines, a tribe was made from group sharing a great achievement. People need to know they belong and that they will be taken care of even if they are no longer overtly useful. Having to organize docking for people born to different clans and tribes each with their own way was her job. Thankfully all the details were the Administrators purview. She decided to group ships by its occupant’s task. That way all tribal and clan alliances would be covered in the soup.
Anything Lilith or Morgan asked for that Adeline and her task partner couldn’t create was sent out of the command room to her wedge of builders. She put the molecules together to form a glass of water and dissolved them with a molecular stitcher of her own design. When she heard, “dispatch builders to start a grid of ships before some other tribe tries to lay claim” she built the schematic for a planetary grid based on Lilith’s picture and fed it to the builders under her in the wedge. She had been given all notes and drawings Lilith made when she got the assignment to her. The words, “honey comb shaped nesting ships that will deliver the elements needed to populate the planet in three generations” and found a drawing without specs as Leaders were not concerned with details. The octagon-pyramid shaped ships would be made to link with each other at hallways. Carpeting was her addition as the fibers were needed for her stitcher to work.
Her best friend and new mate, Adelsohn was also a builder he worked with bio-matter the carpet would let his microbes grow. They were needed for flavor and that essence that only living things provide. He insisted Morgan be transported into the cell naked so her microbes could be analyzed for reproduction. For every “human” cell in a body there nine microbes that are equally important. Each have their own DNA and loyalties. Some act to weaken others to strengthen the first time Lilith touched Morgan millions of microbes began creating new life forms and competing for dominance only Adelsohn understood. He analyzed the data collected by the suits he designed.
They were glad that mates were ordered and announced their new mated state of being with the new tribe name. From that moment on to the outside world they were Adel Accenda. A cascade of mated announcements followed to update the database. This was expected because builders worked in groups that are multiples of two and generally mated each other. Knowing the news that this wedge was going to concur a world the builders found all of the communications from the Holder of Worlds concerning their wedge. Sorted it into times and subject.
Adel issued the request to the elders for a full staff including the top Historians, Navigators, Scouts, Physical Protectors, and Medical Protectors. They needed to find out the placement of ships from World one and the words/technologies/life forms unique to them. Lilith had expressed the need to separate the best of the wedge and issue work to them so they can have a fulfilling life. The Holder of Worlds’ request for inclusion of all clans his want of one of his clan to take the wedge and breed lines for all tribes was relayed with their introduction letters and the desk to Leader Lilith within twenty minuets of Morgan falling asleep. Lilith awoke saw the desk and started working.