Temporal Flux Unstable!
Nov 28, 2022 20:04:38 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Nov 28, 2022 20:04:38 GMT -5
"Temporal flux unstable! Abort Abort!" the computer had been intoning emotionlessly forever now it
seemed, but the two blue uniformed silver haired men at the control console paid it no mind. Stopping the
machine before it completed its interdimensional integration sequencing as protocol demanded would have
been fatal to the denizens of any realm they might enter, and that was unthinkable.
At normal velocities interdimesional and time travel had proven to be smooth and soundless and the
visual displays if not fascinating, at the least were a pleasant amber crystal translucence which boded no ill.
But now the machine’s hexagonal portal glared like an eye of a demon with a menacing, grotesque,
kaleidoscopic, unpredictable gyrations which told them clearly that the computer was right. They were
careening through the dimensional brane flux erratically, dipping in an out of eons and ages slipping
through centuries in an abominable velocity that refused to respond to the controls.
Finally, the horrendous pace slowed spontaneously to several centuries per hour and the
Tran dimensional crossing at just two,. The hexagonal portal was still erratically displaying gross abnormal
patterns, but the lesser velocities permitted them a long needed rest from the ordeal that had tested their
skills for the last hour. They were both swathed in a cold perspiration complexions sallow as if all blood
had been drawn from their skin by morbid fear of impending death. A far cry from the confidence that was
the trademark and that was expected from of inter-dimensional inter-temporal pilots but none had ever faced
such an eventuality before.
At the far corner impassive throughout the whole phenomenon, a creature from one of those other
realms, an alternate universe, one who had paid to have itself transferred back as all transdimensionals
did, sat observing impassively.
‘What seems to be the conundrum?” It finally uttered calmly via its translator which hung by a golden
chain around its grey red spotted, thin snake-like neck. Turning reluctantly toward his tentacled non-human
passenger the vehicle’s pilot a human responded.
‘We managed to slow the machine down but if we bring it to a full stop anywhere along the continuum we
run the risk of obliterating life in the region.”
“Scan and probe!” the creature rasped.
“ I’m sorry but our present velocity prohibits a prior scan of the destination as protocol requires and prior
scanning is essential to integration.”
The creature remained motionlessly silent for a moment as if in a quandary. Then it spoke once more.
Which was unusual since interdimensionals of its species had proven persistently and stubbornly laconic
and secretive about their thoughts and feelings,
“And what do you propose to do?”
“Well, we propose to slow the vessel down until we can probe ahead before we stop the ship as protocol
demands!”
“And if unable?” the creature gurgled as it‘s translator punctuated every slowly-enunciated sound with a
static.
“If we are unable what do you propose we do?” the silver-haired blue uniformed human asked the creature
whose skin was now running the color spectrum gamut from a pale yellow to a livid purple and back to pale
yellow again followed by a slight tremor of its gelatinous body.
“I propose we bring it to a stop.”
“And the populations we might obliterate?” the other human said.
“There might not be any. The majority of space is uninhabited and the vast majority of dimensions even
more so.” It leaned its bell-shaped torso back against its custom modulated seat as if to savor the
triumphant inevitability of its logic.
“That might have been true as you say. But at the rate we’re moving who knows the regions that we are
barreling through? .”
“So you are unwilling to gamble to save your own lives?”
“We are very willing to gamble that way.”
“Ah yes. You mean your puny wars where you slaughtered millions. So could a few more deaths
possibly mean to you?”
“They mean a great deal to us.”
The creature moaned audibly as if in great turmoil. Then it slowly leaned forward in its seat, pale green
eyes momentarily shifting to scarlet then to a placid gray and spoke again.. Every word now seemed to be
followed by a rasping sound of metal on metal which the humans couldn’t tell whether it was the translator
or part of its alien grammar.
“You would die for creatures you have no idea exist or not?” it said through the vertical slit that they
assumed was its mouth.
“If necessary yes!”
“Protocol?”
“No conscience!”
“But what could such creatures be to us, to you for you to feel this way?” at that question the vessel
shuddered and the creature held on to its seat with all four tentacles, concave mouth agape, and lidless
eyes aghast in anticipation of death.. The human thought deep and long searching for an answer to the alien
question.
Then finally making the potential harmful eye contact he had been warned about and had avoided all along
the saffron skinned human spoke.
“They could be what one great teacher once taught and as it is written in one of our holy books.
They could be our neighbor” Then with a placid smile which the creature found incomprehensible, the
human turned to his control console tapped the flickering console lights with his fingers in the required
configurations causing a holographic pulsating octahedral prism to take form and hover before him..
Shutting his eyes tightly he concentrated and it began to pulsate in synchrony with increasingly erratic
hexagonal display on the vessel’s bulkhead.
Then as he had expected there was a high-pitched gurgling scream followed by the staccato snapping of
bones. Then he felt the thick alien’s tentacles wrap themselves sinuously around his body, observed as one
tentacle made its way tentatively toward the control panel. Then as expected the vessel momentarily
shuddered before vanishing from all possible existences as he had willed it to do .
seemed, but the two blue uniformed silver haired men at the control console paid it no mind. Stopping the
machine before it completed its interdimensional integration sequencing as protocol demanded would have
been fatal to the denizens of any realm they might enter, and that was unthinkable.
At normal velocities interdimesional and time travel had proven to be smooth and soundless and the
visual displays if not fascinating, at the least were a pleasant amber crystal translucence which boded no ill.
But now the machine’s hexagonal portal glared like an eye of a demon with a menacing, grotesque,
kaleidoscopic, unpredictable gyrations which told them clearly that the computer was right. They were
careening through the dimensional brane flux erratically, dipping in an out of eons and ages slipping
through centuries in an abominable velocity that refused to respond to the controls.
Finally, the horrendous pace slowed spontaneously to several centuries per hour and the
Tran dimensional crossing at just two,. The hexagonal portal was still erratically displaying gross abnormal
patterns, but the lesser velocities permitted them a long needed rest from the ordeal that had tested their
skills for the last hour. They were both swathed in a cold perspiration complexions sallow as if all blood
had been drawn from their skin by morbid fear of impending death. A far cry from the confidence that was
the trademark and that was expected from of inter-dimensional inter-temporal pilots but none had ever faced
such an eventuality before.
At the far corner impassive throughout the whole phenomenon, a creature from one of those other
realms, an alternate universe, one who had paid to have itself transferred back as all transdimensionals
did, sat observing impassively.
‘What seems to be the conundrum?” It finally uttered calmly via its translator which hung by a golden
chain around its grey red spotted, thin snake-like neck. Turning reluctantly toward his tentacled non-human
passenger the vehicle’s pilot a human responded.
‘We managed to slow the machine down but if we bring it to a full stop anywhere along the continuum we
run the risk of obliterating life in the region.”
“Scan and probe!” the creature rasped.
“ I’m sorry but our present velocity prohibits a prior scan of the destination as protocol requires and prior
scanning is essential to integration.”
The creature remained motionlessly silent for a moment as if in a quandary. Then it spoke once more.
Which was unusual since interdimensionals of its species had proven persistently and stubbornly laconic
and secretive about their thoughts and feelings,
“And what do you propose to do?”
“Well, we propose to slow the vessel down until we can probe ahead before we stop the ship as protocol
demands!”
“And if unable?” the creature gurgled as it‘s translator punctuated every slowly-enunciated sound with a
static.
“If we are unable what do you propose we do?” the silver-haired blue uniformed human asked the creature
whose skin was now running the color spectrum gamut from a pale yellow to a livid purple and back to pale
yellow again followed by a slight tremor of its gelatinous body.
“I propose we bring it to a stop.”
“And the populations we might obliterate?” the other human said.
“There might not be any. The majority of space is uninhabited and the vast majority of dimensions even
more so.” It leaned its bell-shaped torso back against its custom modulated seat as if to savor the
triumphant inevitability of its logic.
“That might have been true as you say. But at the rate we’re moving who knows the regions that we are
barreling through? .”
“So you are unwilling to gamble to save your own lives?”
“We are very willing to gamble that way.”
“Ah yes. You mean your puny wars where you slaughtered millions. So could a few more deaths
possibly mean to you?”
“They mean a great deal to us.”
The creature moaned audibly as if in great turmoil. Then it slowly leaned forward in its seat, pale green
eyes momentarily shifting to scarlet then to a placid gray and spoke again.. Every word now seemed to be
followed by a rasping sound of metal on metal which the humans couldn’t tell whether it was the translator
or part of its alien grammar.
“You would die for creatures you have no idea exist or not?” it said through the vertical slit that they
assumed was its mouth.
“If necessary yes!”
“Protocol?”
“No conscience!”
“But what could such creatures be to us, to you for you to feel this way?” at that question the vessel
shuddered and the creature held on to its seat with all four tentacles, concave mouth agape, and lidless
eyes aghast in anticipation of death.. The human thought deep and long searching for an answer to the alien
question.
Then finally making the potential harmful eye contact he had been warned about and had avoided all along
the saffron skinned human spoke.
“They could be what one great teacher once taught and as it is written in one of our holy books.
They could be our neighbor” Then with a placid smile which the creature found incomprehensible, the
human turned to his control console tapped the flickering console lights with his fingers in the required
configurations causing a holographic pulsating octahedral prism to take form and hover before him..
Shutting his eyes tightly he concentrated and it began to pulsate in synchrony with increasingly erratic
hexagonal display on the vessel’s bulkhead.
Then as he had expected there was a high-pitched gurgling scream followed by the staccato snapping of
bones. Then he felt the thick alien’s tentacles wrap themselves sinuously around his body, observed as one
tentacle made its way tentatively toward the control panel. Then as expected the vessel momentarily
shuddered before vanishing from all possible existences as he had willed it to do .