Temporal Flux
Dec 5, 2022 6:06:05 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Dec 5, 2022 6:06:05 GMT -5
Temporal Flux
"Dimesional flux unstable! Abort Abort!" the computer had been entoning emotionlessly forever 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 accidentally enter, and that was unthinkable.
At normal velocities, inter-dimensional 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 with a menacing, grotesque, kaleidoscopic, unpredictable gyrations which indicated that the computer was right. They were indeed careening through the dimensional branes flux erratically, dipping in in and out like a stone skips through water at an abominable velocity that refused to respond to the controls.
Finally, the horrendous pace slowed spontaneously to several dimensions per hour. 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 severely tested their skills. Both men were swathed in a cold perspiration complexions sallow, as if all blood had been drawn from their skin by morbid fear of impending death.
At the far corner of the vehicle, sitting silently throughout the entire ordeal, a creature from one of those other realms, an alternate universe, and one who had paid a fortune to have itself transferred back to its home world, as all trans-dimensionals did, had been observing the struggle impassively.
“What seems to be the conundrum?” it finally uttered calmly via its translator which hung by a titanium chain around its grey red-spotted, snake-like neck. Turning reluctantly toward his tentacled non-human passenger, the vehicle’s human captain, responded.
"We managed to reduce velocities. But if we bring it to a full stop anywhere along this unfamiliar continuum, then we run the risk of obliterating all life in the region.”
“Scan and probe!” the creature rasped impatiently.
“I’m sorry, but our present undetermined trajectory prohibits a prior scan of the destination as protocol requires and prior scanning is essential to safe interdimensional re-integration.”
The creature remained motionlessly silent for a moment as if in a deep quandary. Then it spoke once more. This was unusual since inter-dimensionals of its species had proven persistently and stubbornly laconic and secretive concerning their thoughts and feelings.
“And what do you propose to do?” it uttered.
“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 and it's translator punctuated every slowly-enunciated sound with a prolonged 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 moist gelatinous body.
“I propose we bring it to a stop,” it snorted.
“And the populations we might obliterate?” the other human pilot said.
“Risk acceptable. "the creature intoned emotionlessly.
"The majority of space is uninhabited and the vast majority of dimensions even more so.”
It slowly leaned its bell-shaped torso back against its custom-self-modulating seat as if to savor the triumphant inevitability of its logic.
“That might have been feasible at normal velocity, as you say, "the captain responded, " but at the rate we’re moving, who knows the regions that we are barreling through? Life is precious and we have no right to take it in that irresponsible way.”
“So you are unwilling to gamble to preserve your own lives?”
“We are very willing to gamble that way for the right reasons.”
“Ah! Yes! You mean your puny wars where you slaughtered each other by the millions. So what could a few more deaths possibly mean to you humans?”
“They mean a great deal to us.”
The creature moaned audibly as if struggling against a great unbearable, turmoil. Then it slowly leaned forward in its seat, ivory white irises momentarily shifting to scarlet then to a placid gray, and spoke again. Every word it enunciated was followed by a rasping grating sound of metal on corrugated 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 signify to us, or to you for you to emotion in such a way?”
At that question the vessel shuddered and the creature held on to its seat with all four tentacles, concave mouth agape, and large plate-sized 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 blue 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.