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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Teens
- Theme: Science Fiction
- Subject: Novels
- Published: 05/17/2022
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DEAR EARTH
THE DRAVEN DASH LETTERS
BY
DONALD HARRY ROBERTS
VOLUME ONE
LETTER ONE
From: Draven Dash.
This is like a message in a bottle except I didn’t have a bottle, just this one-way transponder, because I am not permitted to receive any communications from earth since I am a convicted murderer and was given a choice of death or volunteering for this voyage into space. I was given this single use, one-way transponder to send a message back to earth if I happened to find a planet capable of supporting human life.
I have and let me tell you know you are going to wish a million times over I didn’t.
Sometime over the last twenty years I flipped. Meaning. I think I am insane with visions of revenge. You see. It was not me who killed all those people, which I am sure you figured out once you launched me into space and the killing continued. For that I can never forgive you.
I rocketed across our solar system for eleven years. Then one day my little vessel was sucked into this enormous swirling mass and within a few days I was a long way from earth in a part of the galaxy that no one from earth has ever seen, not even through your massive telescopes.
Then I spent another nine years out here exploring a vast new reality and for a while did not feel so bad about my fate, at least not until my food, water and air supply began to run out. In desperation I began a serious search for an earth like planet and as you can see found one, which by the way I had to crash land on because you good folks did not think to teach me how to land this thing. I guess you figured I’d never get this far. Well, I did and survived the crash. But it gets better. For me, not you.
The ship and everything on it with a few exceptions was destroyed. I survived because...well I am not sure how. I put on one the space suits and just as the ship was about to smash into the ground I hit the pilot eject button which apparently blew me free of the crash. I do not have any memory of what happened between ejection and waking up sometime later, pleased that I had no broken bones or serious lacerations. Just a bump on the old noggin that left me with a headache for a few days. It probably would have been a lot worse without the helmet.
I managed to recover a few days’ supply of rations and water and a carton of cigarettes. Thanks for that anyway. Then I went exploring. Oh yah. I forgot. The planet I crashed on is amazingly like earth.
I walked for days this way and that discovering plenty of clear clean water streams and natural edibles much better than the survival rations. But then after nearly two weeks I found something incredibly exciting. Indigenous, intelligent inhabitants with an amazing method of communicating. Thought waves that come to mind in visions inside the mind. They have a spoken language as well, though not in a way any Earther could use. And, to clarify, they have no resemblance to humans whatsoever.
They are about 6 inches long, glow in the dark in several different colours and appear like a cross between a lobster and a scorpion, deadly tail included. The male and female differ only in the shades of colour and for a point of note the young are white until their version of puberty which takes up to 25 years. Between the age of 18 or so and 25 they serve in the Guard, which I will explain about later and engage in higher education, much more advanced than anything on earth.
Male and female are completely equal here and, though the female lays the eggs the male cares for the infants until they are about eight years of age. Then they are sent to their version of an academy of early education.
I learned all this in our first days of communication, and they learned about me and that I was in fact innocent of the atrocities I was accused of back home on earth. And, for the record, when I first began this letter it was with threats of vengeance on my mind. These peaceable folks have since convinced me that I should not dwell on your poor judgment and forgive you. So, I do, forgive you.
I have chosen a place among these wonderful creatures. I have joined the Guard, an army that battles against the threat of Oronacks, winged beasts that prey on the Illil, my benefactors and friends. The Illil are a symbiotic being that can join with a variety of hosts. Primarily they unite with another winged creature that take up the ongoing battle again the Oronacks.
Oronacks and the Belinarn are about equal in stature and are about the size of a raven. They travel in small flocks and it is a sight to see when they meet in sky in battle. I have developed a very powerful slingshot that shoots stones the size of golf balls and is proving very effective against our enemy. If I don’t kill the beast immediately I at least break a wing, bringing it down and... well...dispatching it when I find where it fell.
I guess I have said all I wish to except I will not ever be returning to earth, for several reasons, even though I have learned it is possible and quite a simple matter to do so. I have allowed an Illil to join with me and have discovered some most delightful things about the relationship, one that few on earth have ever known.
Goodbye and farewell and many thanks for sending me here. I hope you earthlings never achieve the ability to travel out this far in the galaxy. It would really ruin my day.
Draven Dash
LETTER TWO
Dear Earth
From
Draven Dash.
My hosts have decided that they wish for me to keep in contact with earth and have afforded me a method of doing so. A virtual message in a bottle which you will receive through a private listening station that will transmit my communications to the proper authorities. Her name is, I should restate, her contact name is Silver Elf, how cute. My hosts have contacted her, and she understands the circumstances of this exercise. The Illil have made it impossible for you to trace my letters back to their origins. I suppose this will be my Pioneers logbook.
The Illil have constructed a vehicle for me that allows flight with just a thought. It is made of a flexible, clear, metallic substance, light in nature, eight feet in length and 4 wide. It is only a quarter inch thick but practically indestructible. In fact, I have found nothing capable of harming this material. It allows me to take my fight against the Oronacks to the sky and they have developed a much better weapon which shoots pellets of light from an instrument to suite the shape of my hand. A handgun, for the lack of a better description.
I have just returned from a tour of duty on the borders of Illilantia. With my new weapon and a shield, I constructed of the same material my flyer is made of the Oronack are a minor irritation and I lead an armada of Belinarn defenders. This last tour has sent the invaders packing and news has already come to us that the Oronack have abandoned many of their border outposts. I am to be awarded a citation for my services to the Illil.
During my rest period I have plans, with permission, to explore this incredible planet, both with my flyer and a-foot.
I have not had a single sick day since I arrived here. There is something about the atmosphere of the planet that is curing...so I am told, and I believe it.
Though there is an ongoing conflict between the Illil and Oronack there is never violence in the community of Illil in which I live. I have learned that this is but one Colony of many. I have been asked to consider in going helping these other Colonies with their plight against the Oronack. I have no reason to refuse and won’t. These are my friends, and family.
I am human, that will never change...I think, though the Illil are contemplating the matter of changing my genetics. They are accomplished geneticists of which I may describe at another time. My point is, even though I am human, with my symbiont firmly in place and our joining becoming even more complete I do not miss my own kind. I have the extra pleasure of walking about, carrying child Illil on my body. It has become a local amusement. I go for a walk with my little infants at least twice a day, unless of course I am away, fighting Oronack or exploring.
Last night I was visited by one of the chief Illil, Ool, and the Commander of the Belinarn. The Commander, whose name is LOQ, has learned to speak my language. It is nice to converse on occasion in the spoken word, but in this case, we kept to mind talk, which is quicker and clearer.
Belinarn spies have learned that the Oronack are planning an invasion, not to wipe out their food supply but to get rid of the two-legged demon that has murdered so many Oronack. That of course would be me. I could be in trouble if they come in force.
I have been given the choice to go and find a safe haven or, if I so choose, return to earth. I will accept neither offer. I have had a long conversation with LOQ, in the spoken word and we have agreed that it would prove devastating to the Illil if I were to leave. The Oronack would surely take out their vengeance on my friends, short of annihilating them. I have made plans for a counter strike...or should I call it a pre-emptive surgical strike that may avoid an outright war. It must happen soon. The Oronack are poised for their attack.
I crept from the borders of Ililantia in the dead of night. Even here flying beasts do not go about at night. My plan was not to kill as many Oronack as possible. That would be a fool’s mission. There are simply too many, well thousands...tens of thousands. My goal was to capture the leader of the local flight who was planning the attack. They number around 600. Once captured I will return to Illilantia and hold him for ransom. Apparently the Oronack will not sacrifice their own, especially their leaders. It was a daring escapade indeed.
I had never seen an Oronack community. I was surprised to find a grove of trees with several nests in each tree. It had not occurred to me until I was in sight of the community that it would be a guess which tree I would find the Commander. But something very helpful came of it.
I climbed the first tree I came to and what did I find. Eggs. Two brownish green eggs and I asked my symbiont if they would work as well as taking the commander. It turned out it was better, so I collected a dozen.
It was not easy getting home without breaking any of the eggs. If I had broken just one it would have meant all-out war. But as soon as it was lights, out I sent a message to the Oronack of my deed and my intentions. I received a reply within the hour. It was not entirely what I expected but my symbiont advised me there would be a long and arduous negotiation period and a good deal of feather ruffling which translates to sword rattling.
Well my Dearest earth. That’s all for now. I hope you get this communiqué in good time. It should take about a week to reach Silver Elf.
Sincerely
Draven Dash
LETTER THREE
DEAR EARTH
DRAVEN DASH HERE.
Well, things in my end of the galaxy are moving on just about the way you might expect. Last week my symbiont, whom I have named Luther, and I went exploring. We, or I, depending how you understand the situation set off on foot after flying to the edge of the community we inhabit. I rolled up the flying carpet thing and tucked it away like a sleeping bag tied to my backpack. Luther doesn’t quite understand the concept of exploring but he’ll figure it out soon enough, I’m sure.
We struck out in what appears to be north.
We hadn’t gone a dozen Ks when I came upon a village of seven stone huts with mud rooves. For a second I expected to find bipedal occupants but that was not at all the case. The creatures that inhabited the village looked a little like grasshoppers only they had heads like spiders, four legs to walk on four arms with three fingers and a half dozen snake like tentacles.
When I first saw them, they scared the beejeepers out of me, but Luther calm me down by explaining that these beasts called lugwortins were quite amiable and preferred worms and slugs to feed on.
It wasn’t long before we were all mind chatting and sharing stuff that new friends tend to share. They hissed at the fact that you people had accused me wrongly and punished me, but as we spent more time, were glad I had come to their planet. Notice I have not told you their name for this world and that was on purpose. They are not ready for the general human condition.
Interestingly the Lugwortins’ cook their food. They steam it, spice it and are quite delicate in their eating habits.
One name Flug is joining us on our exploration.
Flug proved to be a grand companion with an incredible sense of alien humour, about earthlings. Yes, they know all about us and our civilizations, current and over the last 50,000 years. They witnessed our real first world war between two Neanderthal clans who fought over a pool of water, killing most of both clans. The fifteen or so claimed the water but less than a month later had to move on to find more water because the pool dried up. How dumb and typical of our kind. No foresight or insight, just brute stupidness. They find me refreshingly different.
We came to a desert after 3 days trekking through a jungle like area. That night there were three full moons, one green, one blue and one purple. I found it beautiful and intriguing but Flug spent the entire night chanting, a rather pretty little jingle that kind of floated on the night air and drifted up toward the moons. Luther called it the simply, The Ritual of the Three Moons. An event that happens once every 37 years, their years. I have not calculated the earth years involved. Flug was ready and willing to move on the next morning.
I called the new landscape a desert, which is essentially correct but unlike the earth version this one is not quite as torrid and deadly. The sand is silver, and the dunes are monstrous, waves of Everest proportion. There are oasis’s everywhere that offer plenty of food and water and each one has its own inhabitants. Cloak critters with furry spider like legs, two legs that are and they walk upright, but believe me I doubt the parts I haven’t seen are very human like. They have reptilian tongues. I can’t say they are friendly or aggressive. We are ignored.
Sixteen days out. We came upon a flock of Oronacks who might have attacked us but recognized the Oronack killer and fled. That would be me. Luther explained these were a different clan than the others but equally nasty if given the opportunity. I noticed they were somewhat larger.
We were coming to the end of the silver desert and Luther was beginning to desire a homeward direction. He had be so accommodating that I turned back for home on a slightly meandering course so as to not cover the same ground I’d just explore.
Flug chose to stay with us.
One night, on one of those rare occasions Luther extracted himself from my brain stem and went off on his own. It happens only every few weeks and I have no idea where he goes or does. All I know is that it is lonely without him and I feel empty, and intellectually primitive. These creatures are so much advanced than us. Even though they do not utilize their technological knowledge it is impressive. The council is still debating whether or not to allow me to use the knowledge. I am not sure I even want to. It’s just human nature to explore.
The way back was much the same as the way out, so I did not discover much else. Flug stayed with us all the way home and remained in the community for almost a week after. Then he left for home. I hope we meet up again, but it would not be too soon. The Oronacks had regrouped and were planning another invasion. I began to contemplate how to stop them a second time. I have a feeling it will not be as simple or easy as the last time. I may have to use my host’s technology this time round.
Well Mother Earth. That is about it for now. I hope you folks are finding some moments of peace, but my heart has great doubt and little hope that will ever happen. The next time I write might not be for some time. There is much to do, and my hosts are coming into a time in their existence that is going to keep me away from personal things. This time has nothing to do with the Oronacks but everything to do with their brand of evolution.
Be well if you can and if you can’t die bravely in your wars.
Draven.
LETTER FOUR
Dear Silver Elf
Well, here I am again, this time talking directly to Silver Elf. At least I hope so.
I have sent on a picture my symbiont has projected from our mind to a virtual image directly on to this device. It’s all technology but it might seem more like magic to you folks.
Anyway, things are going to change here on Draven’s World. Oh, yah I forgot. Since my hosts don’t have a name as such for their world, I have decided to name it after myself since I, the first human pioneer to a new world discovered it.
But like I said, things are going to change here since winter is coming and my hosts are about to migrate to a warmer region since they cannot tolerate the cold.
Winter here, as much, as I can calculate, lasts about twelve years. Their winter community has been in use for one thousand generations, however long that is because their life span is indeterminate in human years. Kind of like you Silver Elf, a very long time. Forever it may seem to humans. A nice and interesting point about that. As long as Luther remains a part of me, I shall live pretty much as I am now for eons. I have invited him to remain as long as he lives.
I should stress that he can leave for short periods like at mating time or for certain rituals that my body might not, and probably could not tolerate.
We are leaving for the winter community within the week with the help of the Lugwortins who must vacate the north as well though they go on much further than we will.
Interestingly, though in many ways my hosts are far more advanced their natural state of mobility, precisely, being able to carry things, is extremely limited. The Lugwortins will move all the equipment The Ilil have created. And for the record, the Lugwortins did the actual physical part of creating the machines.
The Belinarn who have Llil symbionts will join the migration, but the others remain here to protect the northern community from the Oronack. The Llil do not transport their eggs or larvae but bury then deep in the earth where they will remain for twelve years. The larvae will emerge adults. How wonderful that will be to witness.
What a curious and wonderful world this is.
I basically just follow Luther’s instructions and happily do some of the lifting and packing. They have agreed, to my thankfulness, to use their flying carpet contraptions to help carry everything. The Lugwortins are much pleased with my suggestion as well since they will now only be required to load the flying machines and guide them. I am surprised that sometimes the simplest things to me are their most complicated issues. Is that similar to the guy or gal who is a super intellectual but can’t figure out how to tie their shoelaces.
But I suppose in the long run that’s here nor there, the Llil have managed without my intervention for umpteen dozens of eons before I got here.
At this time, the Llil are vulnerable and the Oronack are gathering for one last assault. I will be rejoining the Guard to defend my hosts as they begin their migration south.
As much as I am disgusted with my own species, I am beginning to find the Oronack even more so. I have seen many Llil corpses uneaten and simply left to rot or be eaten by the occasional scavenger. That says to me the Oronack kill my hosts indiscriminately and possibly for sport. I am beginning to wonder if war and various other violent activity is universal. If it is, I can see little hope for the concept of peace ever rooting anywhere.
It makes me sad to think that when humankind does reach out into space and finds other intelligent beings war is inevitable. I am asking myself if it’s worth my protecting this world by being silent. My other thought is stuff that James Bond Movies are made out of. World domination schemes. What if I were to unite all the species here on Draven’s World in readiness for the onslaught of conquerors yet to come.
Anyway. We are preparing to leave the northern community. The Oronack are going to get their collective asses kick because I came up with a plan, once again only this time I the enemy are going to pay a dear price for attacking my friends.
Luther is questioning my plan, which is normal. The Llil are not use to aggressive defense or counter assault. Fortunately, the Belinarn understand the need to use violence to fight violence, that peaceful means is little more than a wishful resolve when it comes to the Oronacks. I think it possible the two may be related, in the same way Simians may be related to humans.
I have used llil Technology to create a wide beam weapon based on Taser technology but without the wires and powerful enough to kill, not just stun the enemy. The only drawback is each charge will only allow three shots, so I have to change power cells often and quickly. I hope one shot will bring down several Oronack at once. They do tend to attack in groups.
As I prepared for battle Luther said to me. “The Llil have survived thousands of generations without your weapons or your help.”
“Maybe, but how many have paid the price so the few may live. You have offered sacrifices of thousands to appease the blood hunger of the Oronack. This must end.
The Oronack will not get to our eggs and larvae. That is always how we have survived in the past.”
Only because the Belinarn protect them and many of them die in the process. I intend to put an end to all that and a finish to the Oronack if they persist and refuse to find other ways to feed themselves.
The pilgrimage south has begun. I have seen the swarm of Oronack in the distant skies and the Belinarn have joined with the Llils. I plan to lead a surgical strike into the heart of the enemy swarm with hope of causing as much damage as possible. I wish The Belinarn had the digits to use my weapon. This whole affair would be over in minutes.
Eight flights of Belinarn have created a defense line above the columns of Llil. I can feel the tension like a wave of electricity wafting through the air. I was appalled to discover how slowly the Llil proceeded. It never occurred to me they could not run, but they are incapable of any motion faster than their normal meanderings.
I don’t know what happened, but Luther seems to have come to understand the horror of what the Oronack represent. Maybe he could see my deepest thoughts as I imagined the Llil dying by the hundred, most left to rot where they were slaughtered. Suddenly he was urging me to go forth and “Kill them, Kill them all before they kill all of us.”
I climbed aboard my flying machine and headed into the swarm of Oronack cutting a swath through their numbers with my weapon and watching their corpses plummet to the ground.
I could not understand why, with such powerful resistance the Oronack would not retreat. But then Luther’s thoughts reached into that part of my mind. “It is their nature. They do not have the intelligence to retire even when they are being defeated. And, until you they did not know defeat. They knew only that a few of their own perished so to most could feed. The Belinarn were never really much of a threat.”
The Oronack swarm is gone. Every single creature has been killed. There are other flocks but this one will never feed on the Llil again. In all we lost only a dozen Belinarn and their symbionts and 4 Llil on the ground that fell behind and became open prey. I went back to bury them so they would not simply freeze in the oncoming winter. I suppose that really didn’t make sense to my hosts, but they have not truly begun to understand my human way and compassions and to tell the truth neither do I sometimes. What does it matter if the dead rot on the surface or underground? I guess I will leave that debate to philosophers.
Well, my dear Silver Elf, my time is up once again. I will contact you again as soon as I can once we are settled in the southern community. From the visions I have pick up from Luther it is a paradise.
Draven Dash
Space Pioneer on Planet Draven’s World.
LETTER FIVE
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf.
We are taking a brief break from our journey at the halfway mark. The Llil have not rested for more than an hour at a time during the first half of the migration and now need to sleep, except for Luther who rests when I do. I do not have their stamina even with my symbiont. Because they move at a very slow pace I can rest for a few hours. Every day.
I have taken to scouting out the way ahead, though it seems unnecessary for I have found nothing to interfere with the journey.
I think I do it because the Llil move so slowly I find it difficult to hold back so I go on and rest while they catch up.
Also, because they move so slow, we can almost feel the northern temperatures dropping and chasing us south. I wish I could convince them to use their technology to
make the trip safer and quicker but they insist on tradition.
I suppose I am not one to pass judgement seeing that much of what we do, humans I mean, is all about traditions and sticking to them. I am staying close by while they sleep, just in case old enemies show up
Luther has taught me so much as we become more in one with each other. This morning I managed to levitate, though it took a lot out of me. He says it will get easier as my body adapts, and my skills increase. He also told me something that I find most enlightening and intriguing.
The Llil have not always existed in their current form. Once they were quadrupeds, much the same size as they are now. In those most ancient days, they explored the galaxy and on occasion visited earth. It seems that their may be a few Llil still there, and they will have transformed. Luther suspects they inhabit human bodies as he does mine and the hosts are quite aware of their presence.
I wonder if maybe some of our magicians, witches and warlocks are the host bodies. Well, I guess that is a little fantastical to consider. But you never know. We now know for certain we are not alone in the galaxy, thanks to me.
Anyway. Life is good here, but I have to admit I miss earth in some ways. Not the ways that got me sent here, but the good stuff like art and music, movies, and the theatre, all the things I enjoyed when I was still there...happy.
This morning I went for a little walk about while the Llil were sleeping. I discovered another intelligent life form of the rooted family. These were a variety of flower in appearance and looked a little like tulips. They get fed by attendants, as they call them. We call them bees, though these servant-like creatures are more like a bee and hummingbird cross. The
flowers who call themselves Avas are very friendly and look forward to a visit from the Llil before moving on southward.
According to Luther we will be moving on in a few hours. After everyone wakes up, visits the Avas and enjoys a feast.
Another thing I miss about earth is the spoken word. Everyone hears uses mind talk. The only time I hear a voice is when I talk to myself or sing. I don’t sing much around my hosts. They find the noise appalling. They don’t seem to have any understanding of musical tones.
Wow. What a festival. The Llil entertained the Avas with a coordinated body colour show that lit up the night. And the Avas did a sweeping, waving dance on their long stems. The mind chatter was deafening and for the first time I heard these creatures do something that sounded like laughter though that is a very lame description. Joy would be closer.
The attendants put on a flying show which was totally amazing.
Hundreds flying in formation in synchronized aerobatics. I could actually see in my mind how they communicated each move.
We have set off again at their dull, slow but relentless pace and I am about to go ahead. I am told we will be going through a canyon that is many days long. I suspect it is, by my standard of travel no more than a day or so.
Apparently, it can be a little dangerous because of falling rocks and dust swirls. Some will not make it through I am told, but I am going ahead to do something that might change that. If I can cause those rocks to fall before the Llil get there maybe fewer will perish. I don’t think I will be able to save everyone. I can not fix all the slides and falls.
Well. That’s about it for now. The next time I write we shall be in the southern community. It takes several days to get settled in I am told.
I saw something in the air that has me concerned. It was a beast of huge proportions, even for me and it had bat like wings. When I mentioned this to Luther, I could feel him cringe, but I could not get him to talk about them. I will scout ahead, well armed and go find out for myself. If they are dangerous, I shall also determine how to protect my friends.
I Bid You Ado
Draven.
LETTER SIX
My Dearest Silver Elf
My apologies for not writing for so long, but something incredible occurred that took me off on an adventure of an extra-ordinary nature.
First I must tell you about the southern community, which in itself is imagination boggling.
The community is in fact a huge and elaborate structure as magnificent as any medieval castle on earth. I tried to count the rooms more than once but failed miserably because of their sheer numbers. But that is not all. There is a population here of a bipedal nature, though not at all human, into which Llil merge with, much like Luther merges with me.
I cannot really say I understand the reasoning behind the merging because the hosts for this symbiotic union are rather simple and mundane. They are not an advance species and technology is reduced to that indicative of our pre-industrial age.
I might also point out that only half the Llil unite with these creatures, which I have discovered is the younger generation. There are two generations of Llil existing at one time. Someday I will try to explain how that all works but for now I am bent on relating my most recent observations and adventures.
Luther and I have become...how can I put it? Out of place being that we are unchanged. For the most part we live apart from the community, which, according to Luther is something a Llil has never done. What he is observing through my eyes is as weird, wonderful, and strange as it is to me. Luther is a member of the younger generation.
But that my dear is only the surface of this new discover here on Draven’s World.
Once the younger generation was all tucked away in their symbionts the older generation began to disappear, which was a mystery to both of us until one day I went for a stroll in a nearby wood.
Most of the older generation was gone. Curiosity sent me searching for them and indeed I found them. They were hanging from tree branches in Cocoons, like caterpillars do when they are mutating into moths and butterflies. I could feel Luther’s astonishment. He actually did not know any of this happened. Until I came along he joined the others in their mundane state of existence during which time I believe the Llil are dormant. Their hosts are merely vehicles that maintain them in that state.
About three kilometers from the community is a huge grove, maybe big enough to call a forest, of trees with leaves shaped much like Dutch Elm but are multi-coloured ranging mostly from pale pink to fire-engine red, with the occasional brown thrown in for contrast.
Now here’s the thing. Hanging among the leaves fixed to the most tender branches were the older generation and many had already begun the transformation.
Luther and I decided to camp out in a hut I built in order to watch this phenomenon occur.
Day by day we watched them develop and to be honest I have never seen anything so spectacular.
The days worked their way into weeks and finally 3 full months, which would have made the entire process 4 months in the making. Then at dawn one glorious, brilliant morning with a red sun and two silver moons fully in the sky the cocoons began breaking open.
I was totally dumbstruck by the phenomenon and Luther had a moment of enlightenment never realized by any Llil....ever.
The creatures that emerged had translucent, blue bodies born through the air on silver wings. They looked in fact very much like winged unicorns about the size of a Blue Jay. There were thousands upon thousands of them, half the Llil population, which I guestimate at 20, 000.
In the light of the day they seemed to glow, which made the entire experience even more spectacular. Interestingly, though they flew about for a bit the first ones out took up perches on the thicker bows of the trees where they could stand, having hooves and not taloned feet. It only took a minute to understand that they were waiting for the entire flock to emerge, but when they were all hatched the entire flock rose from the trees, circled twice, and went in an enormous wave southward.
“Where are they going?” I spouted.
“I do not know. This is as new to me as ii is to you Draven Dash.”
“Would you like to know?”
“So much has happened that is beyond the conscious knowledge of any Llil I feel it is imperative that I learn who we really are. This could well be an orchestration of nature in the evolution of our kind and you are not here by chance. It could be that you were brought to us by fate so that I might see the world ahead.”
“Maybe, but it could just be a phenomenal coincidence.”
We returned to the Castle to find our mundane counterparts going about their day to day lives that could have been medieval earth except that these bipeds looked more like black Ants with two arms and two legs, no third set of appendages. And yes, the castle operated much like an ant colony. Their method of communication was a clicking sound made by their mandibles. It reminded me a little of Morse Code separated by shrills and shrieks.
As soon as we returned we began preparing to set out in search of the winged unicorns. We did not want to much time to pass and hoped they would need to stop and rest.
We loaded up two flyting carpets with food and supplies and employed a third for our own use.
Seven hours after the great exodus of the winged unicorn we were in pursuit with hopes of being capable of catching up, but I will tell you now, not far from the Southern community we came to a vast expanse of water over which the flying carpets would not fly. We also came to a village.
Well Silver Elf I am afraid I have used up all my space for this time round. I will send another letter soon describing our adventure upon the sea and after, in search of the Winged Unicorns.
Til Then, be well.
LETTER SEVEN
Dear Earth.
Greetings Silver Elf
I realize it has been ages since last I wrote, but circumstances made impossible to write sooner. Our voyage upon the sea was something of a tremendous adventure and to describe it will take several letters given that each time I communicate I only have limited space.
As I mentioned in my last letter, we came to the sea and discovered our flying carpets became inert. We also came upon a village inhabited by the most curious and delightful creatures I or any other human could imagine. No imagination on earth could have conceived such a wonderful entity. Luther had heard of them in stories but until that moment they lived in the annals of Llil mythology. I found it odd that such advanced creatures as the Llil would embrace myths.
Be that as it may, they do and that brought Luther and I to a closer understanding and relationship. Luther was no longer far above me on the evolutionary climb to complete enlightenment.
They are an aquatic creature, blue, pinkish white in colour, with long bodies, long, fish like heads and long reptilian tails. They grow and shed scales as needed, particularly when they hunt in the sea for food. The scales are of course for their protection and silver in colour.
They have four appendages, all exactly the same and can be used as legs while crawling about on all fours arms and legs while standing upright.
I call their physical communication Flickering, a kind of sign language using their sword like tongues, eyes, if which the have four, on stalks, and the tail. I have not been
able to grasp it, however like all intelligent creatures on Draven’s World they are adept at telepathic communication.
There is one other aspect of their appearance that is a clever invention of evolutionary necessity, but I will bring that up at the appropriate time. I will tell you they sport a set of wings not unlike dragonflies on earth, but they can only fly short distances and use them only in cases of emergency escapes when confronted by an assailant. I have learned that every species on this world is predatorial as well as being prey. It is the systems way of controlling populations, which I so foolishly interfered with on one occasion, which I will not do again. Thankfully, the interference caused only a temporary in balance. Our hosts whose species name is Ka preyed upon the smaller sea
Creatures, primarily crustaceans but also a very earth like fish resembling bluefish. The Ka are preyed upon by larger sea beasts resembling a shark alligator hybrid that are amphibious. They are solitary hunters and are numerous. I had an encounter with one three days after arriving in the village. I ran like hell and climbed up a huge rock. These beasts can not climb.
There are seven Ka villages stretching along the beach like terrain of the coastline. Each village is distanced from the others by seventy-seven lengths by Ka reckoning. I have estimated that distance to be forty-nine kilometers. I must point out that many of my assumptions are based on Llil calculations which are not necessarily the same as other planetary species but will do for our communications in these letters. The villages are about a day apart for a good hiker.
The Ka presented me with a feast of bluefish, crustaceans, and seaweed. They eat raw. I apologized for not being able to conform and proceeded to cook my meal an adventure that had my hosts utterly mesmerised, but when they tasted it, they immediately spat it out. Fortunately, they understood the species differences and accepted my way of consumption.
The village I was in was called IdmaKa. There is no translation. Its population is nine hundred and ninety-nine and had been that way for umpteen thousands of years.
When I first arrived, they were quite put aback. They recognized my species right off and were not very pleased with my presence. However, it only took a minute to detect the presence of Luther who quickly explain my, his and our circumstances and though it took another few hours for the Ka to digest the information, discuss it and vote on it they accepted Luther, me and us and officially welcome us. They were pleased that we could communicate without the interpretations of Luther, though some of my thought visions took some deciphering. Luckily for me most species on the planet had the same visuthought communications.
On my fourth day in the village, I saw two Ka get taken by a Thoog, the hybrid beast. It disgusted me but I stayed out of it. I had learned my lesson. The Ka raised their arms to the sky and made a cooing sound. I mimicked them realising the essence of the gesture. I lasted only a few seconds then life went on.
Every night with the sunset the Ka went to their sand huts. Luther explained that they cold not tolerate the coolness of the night, so I guessed they were cold-blooded creatures. I soon discovered that the night air on the coast was quite cold, like autumn in the mid northern hemisphere of earth, though it seemed not to affect the flora in any adverse way. Some flowers actually bloomed. Starlights, they are called. They glow silver-blue in the moon light.
“Each evening I would make a small fire to sleep by, under my lean to, a structure which fascinated the Ka until they became accustomed to it. They never got use to the fire, an element they did not use and did not like.
Ka do not have boats, being themselves amphibious. They have lungs and gills and as promised they have another physical feature that serves them when skimming along the surface of the water. It is a retractable fin which acts like a sail. It looks very much like a masted jib.
I explained to Luther that I needed a boat, preferably with a powered drive. He understood completely and before long I had a vision in my mind for exactly what I needed and instructions how to build it. But there was a drawback. The components I required were not available in the village. So, I had to content myself with the simplest of all floating craft. A canoe like device with a simple mast and triangular sail.
I made the vessel from Thoog bones and hide, which the Ka were amazed with, but saw no practical use for themselves though they thought it might be a fun diversion sometime. I do not know if they ever utilized the toy.
I took me nearly a month to build a vessel large and stable enough to handle the rolling waters of the sea.
My hosts provided me with pouches of fresh water, salted sea food, which to them was a delicacy but for me it served as a preservative, a term that took some time to get them to comprehend. I smoked everything else.
Luther was a little apprehensive about going out on the sea. It did not surprise me since he had never done so, but I assure him I had had a considerable amount of experience back on earth. I also explained that after weeks of observation this exoplanetary sea was about the same, wind is wind, water is water, storms are storms and waves are waves. I managed to sooth his concerns some-what but I could still feel his tension so took to keeping my thoughts calm and positive.
The Ka gave me some idea of the sea and its expanse to limit of their knowledge which went as far as the reefs, just over the horizon., an ambiguous bit of information but with visuthought it was a little more clear. Just over the horizon to them meant when the hunters were beyond sight from the village.
On the day we were going to make our departure a storm rose out of the sea that brought breaking wave crashing into the shore. I say the day, but it was actually an hour before dawn when the tide should have been going out. Of course, our send off would have been an unobserved one because the Ka would still be sleeping at that hour. They were surprized that we were still there when they awoke but with the storm still raging, they understood.
Sea storms come at any time, usually from the south and though this one seemed violent some were much worse. The real point was, we were missing the ebbtide, so our departure was delayed another day and the storm raged on well into the
morning. I took the time to enjoy what might be my last hours land side for some time. No Ka had ever seen land beyond the Reef, the border of their community just beyond the horizon.
Well, my space and time for this letter is up and I must give in to technology, which I am beginning to understand how it works and plan to expand its capabilities. Til then, after I have finished my exploration of Draven’s World, these shore entries will have to suffice.
Be Well Silver Elf and I hope Earth is and its humans are growing less rude and crude. The Indigenous folks of this world are certainly expanding my enlightenment.
Draven.
LETTER EIGHT
My Dearest Silver
My deepest apologies for taking so long to write again, but I assure you there is a very good reason for this delay.
As you know we were about to start out on a sea voyage when last I wrote, and so we did after the storm subsided, with no fanfare. The Ka were still in sleep mode.
I/we had enough supplies for an earth month. I should point out that sea food was on the menu since the Ka provided most of our supplies. Luther is actually quite unconcerned what I ingest since he benefits from it no matter what I eat.
I might also add that I have gain some interesting talents that would seem like magic to you but are actually quite unmagical and merely a manipulation of chemicals in our bodies mixed to create a specific reaction. Luther tells me that some day I may even be capable of flight without the use of machines.
Any way, all that is sub-plotish so on with the voyage.
We set sail with the next tide; a tide that enabled us much better than the wind. I carried us seaward for nearly nine hours. Only when it reversed was the wind better suited.
For two days life got sorely uneventful, boring in fact to the point of distraction. Then, on the third
morning the sky was suddenly blotted out by enormous purple, pink, deep grey, and green clouds, which sent upon the sea shards of lightning of such colours I would need an entire letter to describe.
I must get Luther to allow me to send photos. In this case a picture would be worth a thousand words or more.
Next it began to rain, or rather drizzle and a wind of some strength began to race. Fortunately, it happened to be blowing in the direction we were heading so it proved useful.
The storm never got to a point of raging, but it did keep me on the edge of my seat and my fingers gripped to the tiller.
Said I to Luther in a moment of weariness. “One might think that the skills I have been gaining would include the manipulation of weather or something.”
“Not weather. Weather is a combination of elements; however, you are capable of manipulating those elements, in this case air.” Luther advised.
“You could have told me that before.” I snarled.
“You could have asked. These things are natural to me and do not cross my mind as essential information.” Luther replied.
I let it not wanting to initiate an argument at that moment.
“However.” He continued. “If you manipulate the air element here and now it will have its effects elsewhere and possibly at another time. Use the talent cautiously.
I decided to ride out the storm and by morning we were sailing under fair conditions. Now we were four days out and all around us was nothing but rolling sea. I did however find a clue about the winged unicorns we were following.
We found one downed in the sea but still alive. Then we found several more which launched me into a bit of a dilemma. “Should I rescue them.”
Starting a war and rescuing actual have their similarities. Both change the natural flow of natural development and control.
The answer came to me, fortunately, from the winged unicorn, which called itself a Brail, through the usual means of communication. Thought imaging.
The storm had driven them down and they were unable to gain flight again from the surface of the water. Apparently, the storm was in itself unusual, heavier, and out of season.
I was then pressed to determine if another force had caused this phenomenon or nature itself had turned an odd page on itself.
My compassion won over and I decided to save the beasts by helping them regain flight by picking them up and tossing them in the air.
And it worked.
There were nearly a hundred of them though I was informed more had been taken by sea predators, and for a moment it occurred to me that this may have been a natural sequence of life.
Nonetheless, what was done now was done and hard to believe it would change things dramatically, which it did not I am pleased to say and even more pleased to say this act of compassion later proved to be a boon when a boon was needed.
The Brail stayed with us for some time but then flew on out of sight. I supposed our mere five nauts was a little slow. They often had to circle for us to keep up.
Many times, I had seen shadows of huge beasts deep beneath us, but none had come near the surface. Smaller beasts of an aquatic nature but not of a fishy nature had surfaced, eyed the boat
then went on their way. It made me understand that all creatures on this planet had some sort of higher intelligence, even if some of it seemed even more barbaric to me than the human condition. Nothing tried to eat me, which was a bonus because to be honest if something had tried it probably would have succeeded.
Twenty-one days in all passed before I sited land. “I took to being humourously inventive calling out, LAND HO to the wind. I suppose during the voyage there came to me a sense of isolation at sometime or other but with Luther ever constant in my thoughts I never felt alone or lonely.
I sailed west along the coastline looking for a place to land amid the towering rock faces that cut down into the sea.
Another day passed until at last I found a break in the sheer, black rock wall. It was little more than a cut that opened into a small cove with a sand beach about sixty feet wide. I only managed a glance before I turned landward and started for the narrow crack in the wall, hoping my steering skills would suffice for a safe passing in.
Happily, the last yards of my voyage were successful and a ran my little skiff aground on the beach, 6o feet wide and twenty feet deep, inhabited by several varieties of crab –like creatures and an animal feeding on them that I can describe as a cross between a scorpion, armadillo, and ant eater...standing up right with thick canine hind legs and three fingered forearms armed with sharp, hooked claws.
Fortunately, these Grulls, with the usual intelligent communication skills as most others on the planet called themselves, had no interest in me as a meal. They ate the crabs and nothing else. I think it was yet another example of balance in this most exquisite and wondrous world. I am glad I learned early to try and not interfere with that balance.
And so, my time is up again, but there was enough to describe my sea voyage.
I will write again as soon as possible to tell you about the next leg of my journey in search of the creatures I now know as Brail.
Be Well Silver Elf
Your most distant correspondent.
Draven Dash.
PS. I sure do miss hamburgers and pizza sometimes.
LETTER NINE
My dear Silver Elf.
Forgive me for not writing of late. In defense of my tardiness I must say it has been an exciting three months.
As you recall I had just landed on a sandy beach inhabited by crab like creatures and the Grull who fed on them. My skiff of course became useless for the moment, but I decided to store it safely in case I needed it on a return trip, though some distant sense suggested that I would conti9nue life here going forward.
My association with my symbiont Luther has evolved. More often than not our minds work as one though we still are able to converse as individuals. As importantly I am changing. Most notably my skin which has Chameleoned from pinkish to bluish in tone.
I cannot fly per se, but I can levitate and swim in the air. I have experimented with this but have discovered I am better off walking since the airways here are busy and a little dangerous for amateurs. I am however glad that this ability presented itself because it would have meant I would have had to climb out of the little grotto of sand. These cliffs are sheer and some 3 to 5 hundred feet high. I could have climbed it, but the risk was not worth it since the discovery of levitation. I had a feast of crab like creatures, raw.
I levitated to the height of the cliffs and settled onto the meadows that expanded endlessly into the south. But this was not a green world. It was shades of purple from the most gentle of violet to almost black. The grass, more like silk than grass waved in the cool moist breeze. But most exciting to my eyes and mind were the creatures grazing upon the meadow.
They were long and football shaped, with slender tails, fanned at the end, long necks, and huge heads after the fashion of Rhinos but considerably wider with mammoth like fur.
Most intriguing about them was, they had no legs. They floated on the air like balloons filled with helium and they controlled their movements forward and back with their tails and up and down with…well…I guess it could be called ballast.
These creatures had a vague adaptation of image transference. That is to say they could identify their species as Mulgan and that they had no other ambition than to graze and reproduce, which was accomplished by gender transition. For most of their lives they are male but changed to female for five years at the age of 75 in order to produce. They would remain in this state while they birthed and nurtured the next generation. Then they died, all perishing at once. I could only see about 30 but across the meadows there were other herds numbering 3000 total. The whole concept of their cycle was incredible, and nothing hunted them.
My journey seemed to that point always take me south and whenever I considered diverting to east or west Luther would dissuade me from doing so. When I argued he would reply, “You can explore those directions another time. For now, stay focused, we are still in search of my kin.” And so on to the south I continued.
The meadow lands seemed to stretch on forever at first and I encountered a ton of small creatures scurrying through the long grass. Most of them scattered at my approach but there was one that stood its ground until I decided to give it a wide girth. It was a translucent beast that reminded me of nothing I had ever seen on earth with the possible exception of a neon dust bunny.
In the middle of the day the horizon grew bit by bit into a tree line. As I drew nearer to it I realized the trees were the border of a forest and not one of the trees had green leaves. Luther called them Silver Raks, a tree of Douglas Fir proportions sharing its limbs with both coniferous and deciduous foliage. When I arrived in the late afternoon I decided to make camp choosing not to delve into the forest in the dark. One never knows the terrain of a forest or what manner of beast you might encounter, no matter what planet you are on.
I cleared a small area on the edge of the forest, constructed a stone fire circle and built a small warming camp fire for it was cool there once the sun set. For the first time in ages I felt a little displaced and home-sick. Not that I wanted at this point to return to earth but I missed sitting around the campfire with friends singing old folkish campfire songs. Then as I nestled into the warm of the fire I began to hum a tune and the words soon followed. “Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda.” I only got in a few bars when Luther cried out. “Stop that infernal noise.”
The forest had sounds. Some were intriguing, there were a few that were quite delightful and of course as all forests do there were some that were a little un-nerving, but nothing encroached upon my camp.
When first light came I rendered the fire inactive and safe then took my first step into an amazing world of sites, scenes, and adventure beneath the canopy of multi coloured broad-leaves and pink, blue and yellow coniferous needles. The hue of the forest floor was an odd experience of brightness and at time, depending on the angle I viewed it the array of colours was somewhat kaleidoscopic, confusing at times but delightful at others and eventually my vision adjusted to the variations.
One must remember, a forest is a forest and every forest has its version of under-growth and this one was no different. In fact, the under-growth here, though differing from earth somewhat had its similarities, such as bushed with sharp needles and bramble like clots that seemed almost to grow up around and ensnare you. Several times I escaped only because I was able to levitate myself out of the snare.
And of course, there was the wild life, a mix of delights and horrors but there was one in particular that caused me severe heart palpitations, and a situation I narrowly escaped., a story I must save until next letter since my time on this transmission wave nears its end.
So, my dearest Silver Elf I must sign off, but I assure you I will transmit again in a day or two now that I am settle for a while and have time to spare.
I must tell you that there are many changes occurring within me and of late I have felt something expanding is happening. Why just the other night I saw earth, as big as one would see it from its moon. At first I thought it was just a dream or hallucination but then I realized my vision has changed and I can see far into the galaxy as though viewing it through a telescope of enormous proportions.
Be Well
Draven Dash
LETTER TEN
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
As forests go this one started out to be just another forest, despite its incredible colour array and for the first day I thought it was going to be a dull experience.
Not.
The truth is I came upon a place that totally astonished me because it was the only thing on this world that reminded me of a direct resemblance to earth.
I was walking along mindless of my surroundings, wondering if these letters I send are actually reaching earth when something clipped me on the shoulder. I looked up abruptly and saw there in the trees, tree houses, just like the kind we built as kids only much better and somewhat more elaborate.
I swear my dear. The people inhabiting these magnificent hanging abodes had the most beautiful silver eyes and hair the colour of our moon. Their skin was silver-blue though some were spotted down the spine.
They wore single piece garment made of a green and grey mottled material and there was definitely a gender difference. What got me was their ease at my appearance. It was like they knew what I was, but they were still curious and as I entered their domain they gathered round me chattering excitedly in their music voices.
As it turned out, after a few moments of being examined I began receiving thought images and it was not exactly me they were interested in. It was the symbiotic union between Luther and me.
These wonderful beings were not elves. I don’t recall elves ever being described as having wings, which these people had, though well hidden when not in use. In all the time I spent with my new friends I only saw them use their wings once and that was for a ritual dance they performed for me, well, more for Luther I think. But they did not entirely ignore ‘Luther’s Host and honoured me by treating me with respect and kindness but letting me know I was an alien in their world and welcomed only because a llil had befriended me, which was good enough for me.
As you may have noticed I have not named my new friends. That is because it is very long and impossible to transcribe into reading material and anything shorter would be an act of unforgivable disrespect.
These wonderful people did not eat, in any way we humans would consider eating. If there is any correlating analogy I would say they nourished themselves in a like manner to humming birds. I noticed that they never fed together and disliked being observed when they did. I asked Luther about this, but he chose not to answer. So, I let it go.
I spent three days among these strange and intriguing people then continued on my way. The visit was mostly for Luther’s benefit.
It seems the further south I travelled the more I transformed. Though I am still shaped like any other human being I am become more liquid. I can only explain it in an abstract manner. Imagine if you will those a lava lamp with a shell that holds its shape but with an interior that is ever in motion and changing shape and never seeming to gather in the same configuration twice. My skin is now nearly transparent and my innards, when not fully clothed can be seen clearly, though as I said, continuously changing shape. My brain does not seem to have been effected…. yet.
I am beginning to seriously wonder what is to become of me and Luther seems to know no more than me. However, he has indicated that he too is changing and has more of a sense of me, himself, and us and how we are all becoming one in the same. I know I am sounding a little obsessive about this matter, but I think Silver Elf you can understand; at least I hope you can.
By the way, I was looking at the night sky last evening and I saw earth and for a very brief spark of a thought I am sure I saw you. Everything about me is expanding.
I have come to the edge of the forest. What I am about to describe is going to sound impossible unless you can completely open your mind.
As I stepped from the canopy of the forest I found myself standing on a platform of pure light roughly in the shape of an observation deck on a ship only instead of looking out at the sea I could see our entire galaxy in a holographic image and if I concentrated I could focus on any point of light expand it and delight in what I found and believe me what I have seen is beyond any description I can make you understand.
“We must go on.” Luther urged so I stepped off the platform half expecting to fall but my foot landed on something solid and before me expanded a scape of monolithic stones planted it seemed in freshly manicure lawns with flower gardens at the base of each monolith.
My heart raced with anticipation. What wondrous place was I entering now? This world is….
The monoliths, I discovered as I drew closer to them had etching on each one, not dissimilar to hieroglyphs. I found myself wishing I could read them, and it seems they are beyond Luther’s ken as well. I have decided to take some time to try and make sense of the etchings, because I did recognize one. Infinity.
I forgot to mention. There are hundreds of these stones. All about ten feet in height and obelisk shaped.
Is the sign for infinite universal or at least galactic?
Sorry. I find myself rambling and it is getting more difficult to keep focused on these communiqués. Also, I find creating them is becoming more of a challenge with each one. Using words to form sentences and paragraphs and chapters seems so small a way to communicate. By small I mean inefficient when my entire experience here could have been communicated in a single thought. Humans have a long way to travel before truly becoming enlightened. I am not sure they ever will. I wonder if my journey to enlightenment a fast forward to what humanity is will accomplish over the eons ahead.
I must go now. I am ensnared by these monoliths and the more I become embroiled in them the more I seem to understand and the further I become distanced from my humanity. I think I am no longer human, but I do not know what I have become. At times, my body seems to deform. I appeared once to myself as an amoeba and it made sense.
I do not know how much longer I can continue our correspondence especially not knowing for certain that I am actually reaching you. This all seems so insignificant, so small, and minute.
But I shall attempt to continue. For your sake and I suppose for mankind’s sake.
Til Next Time Draven.
LETTER ELEVEN
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf.
By the time you get this communiqué I will have experienced many more changes in my mind and body. I do not know what I am becoming but I am no longer completely human, yet I still retain a human shape most of the time. Oft times I transform into shapeless blobs that remind me of the globs in a lava lamp. Do you remember lava lamps. Why would such a useless ridiculous item of humanity flood my mid. That’s all I can see in my mind.
Ah. Gone now.
I have learned the meaning of the monoliths and it is utterly astonishing what I have learned. It is not something I would even dare share with humanity. All I will say is that we got it all wrong, we meaning the modern version of humanity. A few of our most ancient ancestors had at least an inkling of the truth but even they were a little off course.
I am still in my mother galaxy, which gives me a sense of still belonging somewhere. I discovered what became of those little flying creatures I have been chasing. My only consideration in telling you is, would mankind believe what I have learned so all I will say is in a vague sense of the understanding, there is a spirit world from which we come and to where we return. But I beg of you. Do not take that as the answer to all out spiritual solutions. This idea is but one facet of an enormous…infinite crystal effect.
There is no longer a distinct division between Luther and myself, physically, though our thoughts have not completely merged in the sense that we are one. However, his and my thoughts intermingle and combine. I think though if I were to stop clinging to a need to communicate with you Silver Elf, these two minds would soon merge into one. But as things are I still have a need to tell you things.
I have read all the monoliths and my understanding of the galaxy, its connection to other galaxies and to the universe, the multi-verse, nano-verse, and the concept of infinity which in the end are all the same, existing all at once but there is an end to infinity. Infinity is only for the limited minds of corporeal beings. Somewhere out there exists another infinite reality, a reality within a reality with in…..
My mind aches. I fear this limited organ will burst with insanity if I force it not to expand beyond what it is. If I do that I do not know if I can communicate with you anymore.
I have, as I alluded to, come to the end of the monoliths where I have discovered yet another expanse, one I can only describe as a kaleidoscope approached by a rainbow bridge. Rising out of the plane of the kaleidoscope I see a mountain that with a certain twist of the eye could appear as a castle. It is there that I/we are making for next. Luther is excited and seems to understand something about it. He calls it Agranora, a place of pure existence. Maybe there we will find ourselves one. But he says also, the light tricks on our eyes and this castle, this Agranora is yet far off.
We must cross the bridge first and according to my symbiont many adventures await us. For now, we are lingering among the monoliths though I do not know why. Luther seems to be waiting for something. As for me I am experiencing my last days on earth as an observer. I am being shown the truth. So now I can tell you what actually happen that caused me to be sent to the stars, a convicted killer.
It would be funny if it had not been so horrifying at the time and in this state of my existence it manifests itself as being absolutely ridiculous.
The fact is. I did kill that man. Not by choice but in an effort to defend myself. All I did was push him to the side to divert the trajectory of the bullet he was shooting at me. The gun flew in one direction and he in another, straight over the rail of the bridge into the ice bound water of the river below. He crashed through the ice. A shard of the ice went straight through his heart then melted but the coroner decided it was a knife wound.
Thus, the charge of murder. By the way. I was being mugged for the grand sum of twelve dollars in my wallet. And all I was doing was going for a pleasant walk in a light snow fall on a calm dreamy night.
Anyway, that is history, funny, ugly, or horrifying, chose for yourself. The point is, it is done and cannot be reversed and at this stage I really would not want a reversal. This time in my existence is something that belongs to me and that I doubt any other human being has witnessed. I would, nor could ever experience anything on earth or as a completely corporeal being. I think maybe a very few have experienced a vague version of this by being able to truly capture the essence of transcendental meditation or the lower form of that being the ability to astral travel which is a in truth only a local phenomenon that can expand only the limits of human imagination which in itself is limited, not by nature but by suppression.
I am afraid my dearest Silver Elf I must end this communiqué a little early. Something incredible is happening to me which is yet beyond explanation. If I am still capable I will send along at least one more letter to describe the journey over the rainbow bridge.
If I am not capable please remember that humanity is but a stopover for the spirit that exists within your physical being and death seems to be nothing more than a state of transition that is unique to humans or at least to mortal beings.
Draven/Luther/?
LETTER TWELVE
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
We have just retired from the plane of monoliths and have stepped foot upon the rainbow bridge that approaches the Kaleidoscope fields. We can no longer see the distant mountain palace but in our path to each side of the glowing stone work of the bridge I spy many towers and steeples. I can only imagine what lies ahead but there is something more immediate that is transfiguring.
It is, or seems to me, the most simple and natural thing, but I think to the uninspired human imagination it would prove impossible to understand. Thus, I shall describe it in the most simple form I can manage.
It has everything to do with the amalgamation of sight, mind and thought. What that means is they are occur together as one which opens an entirely different scope of perception. All that exists is real, but on a different scale of reality, like a ghost caught in the mundane world I should think.
But like I said, this simplest of essays to describe what my mind is expanding to is a mere fraction of the reality. I can see the entire galaxy in a glance or focus on a single stone in the bridge and it all manifests in three dimensional images. But in saying that, my mind is no longer a confined organ inside the scull of a mortal man, human man.
I am not, yet I am, Draven Dash. I am also Luther, but I am not. And we are both yet neither like an egg white and the yellow yoke mixed and blended, still individuals yet one. As I said it is very complicated and I have explained it in so simple a form it has lost much of its intent and intensity.
As I/we stepped on to the bridge there was a great display of light over the bridge and kaleidoscope field similar to the aurora borealis but infinitely more spectacular and brilliant and the colours reach far beyond the spectrum of the human eye. How inefficient the human eye is compared to the eye of the mind.
My body, though still with some semblance of human shape has become translucent and I am most certain in not too long a time I will become but a swirl of colour that I can control, and I believe I will be able, at some time in the future be able to change my shape. I also believe that time and distance and space will mean little to me, existing in a field of, oh my what word would you understand, ah yes, a fold in existence and a warp field with the ability to be everywhere at once.
How small our human bodies are, and the limit of our mortal existence is barely worth mention in the vastness of this endless…dare I call it, endless true concept of infinite.
Beyond all that there is the consciousness that beyond even my expanded mind that speaks, to the whole of existence that even I have yet the ability to understand. Yet I do know that this galaxy has its independent consciousness, and the universe it floats in has another and the universe is part of something far, far bigger than itself and it alone, for the moment can understand the voice, the silent voice of a far greater entity.
But how can I expect you my dear Silver Elf to understand any of this when even I with an enlightened knowledge can only grasp it like a new born grasps the words of the mother.
Sound is an interesting phenomenon and more difficult to explain than mind-imaging. In a sense, sound does not exist, or if it starts out as sound it is rendered through what one might describe as an audio inverter, roughly explained by suggesting the transitionary device to change ac to dc current. How crude I have described this, but the actual explanation is beyond the limited human brain. Yet having said that the human mind is capable of such expansion once it is released from the confines of the human brain/scull.
Imagine if you can the sound of a bell as an image. Alas, I am sure you are struggling with the concept so I will not press on with such matters.
I must here correct the matter of The Rainbow Bridge. Though it is an arc, it is both massive and minute, broad and narrow, visible, and invisible and most of all it is not of a singular nature. Sometimes I can see the stone road and the cottages, castles, spires, and towers. At another angle I see swirls and shards of multi-coloured lightning and then I can see creatures of such shapes and sizes even my expanded, enlightened mind is mystified. I cannot imagine what my human sight would have seen or how my mortal mind would have perceive such entities.
That all said it remains a bridge of endless colour and hue and brightness. Luther is lost in a state of awe, which effects me since our minds are no longer complete individual and are approaching complete union.
We are waiting for a time before moving forward so that our minds have time to complete the union. Being even slightly misaligned cause a blurring effect. It will also help in understanding the nature of this magnificent strangest of all worlds. When we are one I will then understand what Luther meant when he said the mountain castle we spy in the greatest distant of our minds eye is farther away than we can imagine. I will also be prepared for the adventures that apparently await us as we venture over this most peculiar rainbow bridge.
Most interestingly I no longer need food. I am sustained much like a battery charged by a solar panel. I can feel the energy entering my being and when it is sustain it ceases.
Well my dearest Silver Elf. This will be my last communiqué until we cross over the bridge. If and when I contact you again I am most certain it will be in a much different mode than this limited electronic devices. I doubt I will even be capable of using this archaic thing.
So, for now I bid you ado and can say only, watch for me in ways that only your imagination can conceive.
Draven Dash/Luther.
DEAR EARTH
THE DRAVEN DASH LETTERS
VOLUME 2
THE 13TH CONTINUUM
LETTER ONE
DEAR EARTH
My Dearest Silver Elf
I have no idea how long it has been since last I communicated with you. My transmissions will be of a less technological method. I am now capable of communicating directly with your computer, however crude it might be. Thoughttrans is also instantaneous so I can transmit at any time, even without interruption if I am not otherwise thoughtfully engaged.
I must apologize for my description of what lay ahead of Luther and I. I called it a bridge, which was how I saw it through my entirely human eyes. The truth is it was a thing as I can only describe as a white hole.
I thought of course I was stepping onto a bridge when I took that first step but quickly discovered that it was hole made of white nothingness until it expanded into an otherworldly expanse/dimension where I think humans were not entirely considered in its construction though there were some things conducent to human requirement simply by chance. Nothing I saw that was alive and seemingly intelligent reminded me of anything on earth real or imagined save maybe microscopic creatures magnified a million or so times. Even then the resemblance was vague.
The other quandary to consider is time and distance. I am not sure how much time has lapsed since I took that first step and Luther has no suggestions to offer. Also, for all either of us knows we aren’t even in earth’s universe anymore, but Luther has a sense that we may have entered the centre of our galaxy which is possible I suppose but I always thought that was a black hole.
I have called this place the 13th Continuum. Someday I may try and explain why but for now I shall defer to relating my experiences here.
I must suggest strongly that you open your mind wide because there are aspects of my adventures here that are beyond bizarre.
Like I explained, there is no such thing as a human here, not even me, nor have I taken on Luther’s sluggish appearance, or even a combination of both. The closest I can come to describing my appearance would be to suggest you imagine a varying translucent ink blotch that takes whatever form is necessary at any given moment. This may sound as if I have gone over the edge and that might be a correct analogy. I have gone over the edge of human realities.
Our first encounter in this oddity of existence was with a Glunff, a highly intelligent creature with a physical appearance that might be a small version of a pulsar. We soared across space together for some time, a pulsar, and an ink blotch in the form if a twelve legged spider. As we conversed I discovered that though the Glunff was highly intelligent and amazingly enlightened, it was a child. Human’s concept of time does not work out here by the way. My internal ticker wound down long before we came through the white hole.
Glunff is it’s species and its name. They do not need individual names. They identify each other by their electromagnetic signature. It seems all creatures do so here, including Luther and myself.
It is a funny thing existing without breathing or having a solid form and ingesting energy for sustenance or needing a place of residence. Though there are some who live in cities and are surface bound, but I have not seen a single round planet. Most habitat bodies are more like huge asteroids. But like I said you don’t need air to breath in this realm. The cities are odd things mostly just carved into the rock and the surfacers, though intelligent are more like ants building colonies though they don’t look like ants. I cannot think of any earthy thing to compare then too except a biological version of an old steam shovel. They have squarish bodies held up by a dozen legs shaped like alligator legs They have long necks that come to wide powerful jaws that chew away at the rock which the devour. And they sing while they burrow out their cities, part of which is made from the rock they devour then drop out their back end which id soft and pliable for a short time during which time builders mould it into walls.
There are seven suns in this realm. Most are red dwarfs but there is a blue on and a pink one. This makes for a super highway system of solar winds which most space dwellers make use of to travel about. They can move about without the wind of course, like fish in the water but the wind is much faster. But the curious thing about this is, they never seem to have a reason for going from one place to another. They just go, and I have fallen into the habit though at least I do a great deal of observing.
Luther finds the whole thing completely pointless and has issued a desire to move on. Unfortunately, I have not seen anywhere to move on to.
It seems that no matter where one goes in the galaxy, universe or multi-verse conflict always plays a part. That of course lends to the unfortunate reality that intelligence does not equal enlightenment. Not long ago I heard that three species were about to engage in a territorial war which is really stupid because there are no real borders to fight over.
I have no desire to get involved and have chosen to embark on a new solar wind direction veering away from the conflict. I think if mankind ever gets out here they will fit in perfectly. Nonsenses seems to be a universal affliction.
I saw an eddy that reminded me of a microscopic view of a blood stream. This has made me venture into a whole new realm of contemplation, which I will speak of in my next communication.
Until then I bid you Be Well Silver Elf.
LETTER TWO
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
Out here in this state of existence I can feel the universe or maybe it is better said I can feel something universal. There is a connection in this streaming place that is not as infinite as we are led to believe. In fact, though there may be other facets or universes this one seems to have boundaries though I can only sense a confining…vibration.
I will someday find the edge but in the meantime I have designated myself as an explorer in a strange and intriguing space. I may be experiencing what an ant feels like scratching out a life on earth. I wonder if the ant is aware of the eminences of its world.
I must tell you Silver Elf that I feel you in this manner of communication and have just realized I am reaching into more than your device but into your mind as well. I will try to keep this intrusion to a minimum since I am sure it must be disturbing for to your mundane humanness.
I, we, I am never sure how I should refer to the symbiotic union of Luther and I. We are indeed one in many aspects. What effects one effects the other. Yet we remain of two minds but working in unison. Luther tries to explain it but as yet my still ever present human smallness cannot comprehend. Maybe as we go on I will become enlightened in this matter.
We have come upon a curiosity that is perplexing to us both, but we are examining it from separate perspectives.
It is a solid entity of enormous proportions at least ten times that of my ink blob self. It is triangular with long waving tendrils on two of its points and a small, independent triangle on the third. Since it moved in the direction of the smaller triangle I have assumed that was the front of the creature a point and the only point Luther and I agreed on.
To me it was translucent and what appeared to be organs were visible while Luther believed it was opaque and that which I believed to be organs were to him markings. How could we both be right…or wrong. Illusions.
It travelled for a time in the direction in which the smaller triangle pointed. Then it reversed and followed its own path back, exactly the same distance. Then it spun several times stopping so that the small triangle was pointing in the opposite direction and then just hovered there, waving in the solar wind.
Suddenly it shot off in the direction of the small triangle which opened up like a whales mouth and consumed a cluster of small asteroids.
When it finished ingesting the rocky meal it began to glow and expand until it blew into a thousand fragment, fragments that had triangular bodies, a smaller triangular head and two wiggling tendrils at the back.
Then the most frightening thing occurred. The offspring turned on their regenerator and devoured it. The Mother did nothing to defend itself. When the mother was devoured the sibling, creatures turned on one another and devoured each other until there remained only one. The survivor grew to the size of its progenerator then the entire sequence started all over again.
As I have alluded to, time is a nonthing so I cannot tell you it took minutes, hours or days for the creature coursed through its cycle. And to be honest it doesn’t matter out here.
We moved on toward a red globe from which shards of blue, green, and white lightning shot out from its equatorial region. The shards travelled but a short distance before expanding into a ball of fire and dissipating. Seconds later we were struck by a shock wave that sent us looping across the void into a completely new region of space. Dead space where it seemed we were the only, rather, I was the only object. But it was not a nothingness. There was a vibration that tickled my ink blotch shape and made me feel like I needed to urinate, but this body did not seem to have any device to do so. More importantly it caused Luther to cry out. It was a startled cry.
“What?” I asked.
“We are inside something. Something huge and it is not happy. I sense its discomfort. It sent me a message that startled me because it was saw loud and raw with anger.”
“Can you communicate? Can you tell it we didn’t come here by our own volition?” I asked anxiously as the uncomfortable sensation was beginning to make me feel like I was going to explode.
“Yes. I can communicate with it. Just give me a moment.”
A moment Luther said. It was the first indication of time I had come across in this oddity of space. But the moment seemed endless until it was over then it seemed like no time had passed at all.
Then suddenly the vibration stopped, and I instantly felt normal, as in I no longer felt like I was going to explode or need to take a leak.
Once again we were embraced by seemingly empty space. Luther said in a thoughtful but unrevealing comment. “We should leave. Go in any direction you choose but leave here as quickly as possible.” He refused to give me further explanation and fell silent until I changed the subject. Which I did but only with great reluctance and then only when another intrigue over shadowed it.
I know I harp a little on this, but time is a thing that exists here only in a vague memory tucked away in the back of my mind. So, we travelled until we came to what turned out to be the border of the empty space, a thin membrane like substance that gave easily to our passing through but gave us a jolt that left me bebaffled. I know bebaffled is not a word, but I take license to make words up as I require them to describe things I have no other description for.
The world of stars opened before me/us as we emerged from that empty region of space I will refer to again later which I have dubbed a conscience of empty vibration.
A short distance away I spied something familiar and quickly made my way toward it. An object that, like myself, did not seem to belong here and most curiously appeared to share something with me. A place of origin.
I will tell you all about it in my next communiqué. Until then my dearest Silver Elf I bid you farewell.
PS. I can’t help but wonder if you are there or merely a figment of my hope that you are. If ever you find a way to respond please do so. I would hate to think my letters are being devoured by empty space or just become a part of the noise of the universe/ multi-verse or whatever this place of existence is.
TTFN
LETTER THREE
My Dearest Silver Elf.
I must admit I wish I knew your real name. These letters would seem so much more real and dare I say, intimate. But it is what it is and so I must endure what I have rather than have nothing at all.
As I mentioned in my previous letter, such as these are letters…I spied something in this strange reach of space that was familiar, though archaic even for earth. I suspect it came through the same wormhole I did, even before me experience.
It was launched September 5th, 1977. Now here it is, a hundred years later way out here in the 13th Continuum looking none the worse for wear but non functional. I decided to take a closer look but as I drew nearer I was hit with something I can only describe as a repel force. It knocked me back several kilometers.
Luther was unconscious which meant for the first time in…well…what seems like forever I was on my own, alone. It was frightening. More than that I could feel his essence losing grip and my human self was beginning to reform. I realized it was Luther who made it possible for me to exist out here and who maintained the form I was in. I felt that if I became completely human I would die.
My legs, though still translucent began to form before Luther regained consciousness and I returned wholly to my ink blotch form. It seems he is no worse for wear from his experience though he says the shock wave seemed to have a consciousness. But when I tried to get him to explain it more he simply said. “Just a vague consciousness but far greater than anything I have encountered. It seems to want control of the device.”
The device. I believe it is/was Voyager 1 that disappeared about 2055. I suspect that’s when it went through the worm hole. It causes me to wonder if Voyager 2 is out here somewhere as well. But what would a greater consciousness want with a 20th century low tech device.
I tried again to approach the device, slowly. This time it did not trash me with a shock wave but moved away at the same rate of speed I approached it.
Quite suddenly and forcefully Luther told me to back off or something terrible would happen. The consciousness was showing distress to the intrusion. I told Luther to try and communicate with the consciousness and a second later my mind was filled with such a chaos I thought I would go insane.
Luther stepped in and created a buffer and that set me on a journey of the mind so incredible I was in awe.
The consciousness was that of the void which turns out not to be a void after all. It is a living thing and was preparing to procreate. I tried to trans-thought my question concerning Voyager 1 but at first there was no response. Then much to my alarm the creature I inhabited announced it was using the device to locate Earth. I wasn’t getting any malicious notions from the creature but something of that size could destroy earth in a nano second.
Fortunately, the consciousness let it be known that it had not discovered earth’s location and was losing interest. Then we were dismissed and had no further contact with the creature. And oddly it was not long until we came to an aperture that would allow us to leave the unvoid. And we did. Quickly.
We drifted away from the entity at speeds that staggered my mind and soon we could see the whole of it. It appeared to be a cell of some sort with a translucent outer layer and a gelatin mass within filled with countless anomalies some of which were dark, others light and of variable colours and some which glittered like stars. I am certain human scientists could spend a life time researching the creature, as long as they did not get too close. It is intelligent in an instinctive way endowed with a higher intelligence as well, possibly beyond any human capacity.
And so, we drifted until I managed to find a stream of transient energy and literally went with the flow. Oh yes. My form though still inkish turned an odd shade of blue and I discovered I could change my shape voluntarily. So, I did and transformed myself into a great blue dragon.
If I may I should like to divert from my sojourn as a space faring gypsy and speak of my initial experience soaring about in the shape of a dragon, a form I have decided to keep for some time.
Having chosen this configuration, I soon discovered I do not require an energy stream to travel. I am able to create my own stream with my wings and it is incredible, more so at first because I was able to turn and loop and roll and with a little practice, fly backward. There was a moment that I totally understood Richard Bach’s, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. In another moment I could feel the sensation of water flight through the mind of a Manta Ray.
For the first time since our union I have felt a sense of joy in Luther that has never quite surfaced openly. He is by all description, reserved.
In my dragon form I have reached a velocity that caused the stars to trail like a pin light in the dark. It is my understanding that this indicates faster than light velocity. I managed that speed for several minutes without tiring. I will take another test flight into the FTLS another time but right now I have come along something quite interesting. It seems I have entered into a small system with a sun similar to earths with three exoplanets and each planet has three moons. I must explore for that is what I have ultimately become and through these communiqués with you Silver Elf I have begun recording my discoveries.
I end this letter with a reiteration of my growing desire to hear from you and to say again I feel a certain intimacy growing between us. I hope it is not one sided.
I am excited to explore this new system and cannot wait to share what I find.
Until next letter.
Draven Dash, Dragon Extraordinaire.
LETTER FOUR
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
Oh, how can I begin this ultra-amazing facet of my exploration here in the far reaches of the universe. I suppose I should tell you first that the name of this quaint little solar system is Iyanu. Sorry. No translation available. It is inhabited by three species of creatures all capable of travel among their perspective home worlds. It seems they have developed a loose symbiotic trading relationship and they have become dependent on one another. This keeps conflicts to a minimum though they do occur.
They are all the same distance from their sun which is about 400,000 miles and they are 400,000 miles from each other. Their space ships can travel at about 40,000 miles per hour and I am glad to say they do have a chronemic system much like earth.
In contradiction to their interplanetary travel technology their weapons are archaic and most used for ceremonial purposes. I suspect that the lack of weapons development comes from their peaceful and civilized arrangement. It helps that they have never developed concepts like money, politic or religion. Imagine a civilization without god or gods and a history that has been accurately recorded. Imagine all three being equal and they were always aware of each other’s existence. They began with space travel and for the sake of clarity they are not indigenous to this system. They came from another system, a binary star that was destroyed by powers unknown. They apparently travelled in three ship to Iyanu and found worlds for each to adapt to, and over the course of q thousand millennia found ways to adapt to each other’s world so that now they all have the same environment. The only thing that really makes them the least bit different is their individual appearances.
They call themselves Iyani despite their physical differences. Iyani Coba, Iyani Araf, and Iyani Dolo.
They share a common group, Insectoid (my word for them). Iyani Coba Are six legged and beetle like. The Araf are Antish and the Dolo are a six legged insect most resembling the earthly walking stick.
The air on each of the planets is the same, too thin for humans but in my ink blotch form I have little need for air since I do not breathe.
I communicate with them in the way everyone out here communicates. Telepathically to phrase it simply but it is a little more complicated than that. I offered them an image of my human self, my ink blotch self and my dragon form and advised them of Luther’s presence. I also explain thoroughly that I was not there to do harm or disrupt their lives. I only wanted to meet them as an explorer.
The response I received was intriguing, a little provocative leaning toward a dare. I am a sucker for a dare.
They invited me in, and my sense of self preservation put images of Hansel and Gretel being invited into the witch’s house. Needless to say, I pondered the invitation for some time and consulted Luther on the matter.
I asked which planet I should visit. For a long time, there was no answer, so I asked again. Luther advised me suddenly to say no more. He was sensing a wave of alarm at my insistence and at his configuration, which if you recall is of an insect nature/slug. They had never seen a Slug type creature. Luther explained he was not an insect, which served only to confuse the Lyani. So, in the end the silence grew longer.
Quite suddenly we were surrounded by Lyani spaceships, three that created a triangle. They quickly created a sphere of energy to enclose or imprison us. And there we lingered for time on end it seemed.
Twice small metallic spherical objects exited the ships, circled around the dragon me the returned. No doubt they were probes. Then the sphere filled with an ear shattering noise which surprised me since we were in open space, but I quickly realized the energy globe had an atmosphere.
Final, grown thin on patience I sent out a message then roared like a dragon and seared the air with a blue/white flame.
The energy globe fell away immediately, and the three ships retreated.
“I will leave if you wish.” I signaled but received no response so I decided to get on my way before curiosity got me in trouble I couldn’t get out of.
As I turned to leave a single mind reached out to me. “Please stay. We need your help. A great enemy comes our way that is too powerful for us to fight and will enslave us.”
So, it was all a test to see what I would be capable of and a dangerous chance for them to take.
“We have technology but not strong enough to withstand an assault from the Mokshak.”
I had to wonder what they expected me to do but I did not ask. I knew the answer. The only thing I had to do is decide if I wanted to sacrifice myself for them.
Fortunately, it never happened. I mean I did not have to put up a fight. Mokshak is singular and though it is large it is not ferocious. In fact, one fire blast from my dragon maw turned it back. I had to wonder why the Lyani feared the beast if they had their energy sphere.
I thought the Lyani would be thankful that I turned their enemy away without a great battle, but it did not turn out that way. They were angry that I did not destroy it and accused me of being in league with the Mokshak. To make matters worse I became more of a threat than their old enemy and they banished me from their space. Part of me wanted to give then a blast of fire but I decided they were too pitiful a creature to harm. But a few weeks later I discovered I was wrong. They weren’t pitiful at all. They were ferocious beasts destroying anything weaker than themselves that happened to get caught in their energy sphere.
I must admit I was tempted to go back and burn them, but I didn’t. I did not want to lower myself to their barbarism, but I did put out a thought wave for all travelers to avoid that region of space.
And so, I moved on to explore the deeper regions of the 13 Continuum and my next adventure was much more enlightening and pleasant. I even got to be my human self for a while.
Til My next letter Silver Elf. Be well.
LETTER FIVE
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
I must say my dear Silver Elf that when I was first given the option of being mankind’s guinea-pig space explorer I thought of it as a death sentence. Then it became an exile. Now I wish I could thank them for sending me out here, even if they later discovered I was innocent. May there is a force far beyond human ken that guided me along this magnificent path across or is it through or around the universe, if indeed it is but a universe and not a multi-verse.
As things stand now I doubt I would ever choose to go back. Out here I have discovered that my ink blotch is only a base from which, with just a thought I can transform into any shape I wish.
A short while ago I manipulated the blotch into a Bald Eagle and soared over mountain ranges of a gypsy planet that leapfrogs from one sun to another in a huge circuit around the Verse. That is what I call all space now. The Verse and this is the 13th Continuum.
I have come to realize there could be dozens, thousands, or an infinite number of continuums within an infinite number of spacial expanses. Even in current state of existence, unless I am immortal I will never be able to explore all, but I will see more of it than any human will…ever.
But for the moment I would like to tell you of one very special place that is so much like earth it was like being home, with one exception. It was not inhabited by humans though I did for my time there chose to take human form to walk among the indigenous people of Jan Hax.
The people of Jan Hax are beyond the concept of beautiful, which is a state I have no word for other than awesome.
Imagine if you can a Portuguese Man o War with wings like a humming bird floating in mid water with the sunlight reaching into the depths creating a halo about the head.
They are a gentle creature that feed like bees, or humming birds with long tubes extending from somewhere under their domes and the sing in a way that sounds like Celtic harps and when they sing together it is beyond perfection. What makes their singing most exciting is they can bring on rain or sunshine, storms, and such calms it makes one wonder if there is anything more soothing in the Verse. I certainly could not name a sing thing better.
Three times a day groups gather to address the sun, at sun rise, mid day and at sunset when they sing again but with an entirely different tone and more like Alphen horns rather than harps. The very best of our music makers could learn a great deal from these magnificent creatures. All humans could gain so much just by listening.
I descended into this world as a dragon but when I landed, I felt such a need to feel human again, at least for a while so I changed my form to what it was on earth.
They call themselves Yahshini. When my form changed from dragon to human they looked upon me in awe as I did when I saw them. We met in thought images and I told them of my journey, and they wondered at me and of the world beyond their scope but gave no indication that they wished to explore beyond the confines of their planet. I found the content for their own world refreshing and could not help contemplate why humans are never content with their own world.
Something odd happened to me as I marveled at the Yahshini. I no longer considered myself human, at least not completely and while I was in human form I actually felt uncomfortable. But I remained that way so my hosts could examine the physical attributes of a bipedal creature with such limited means of locomotion.
I breathed. I walked. I ran. I swam. I ate fruit that looked like oranges but tasted like nothing I had tasted before, and it invigorated me. Though I was enjoying the moment I soon began wishing for my ink blotch or eagle and especially the dragon so as soon as the Yahshini were finished examining my human form I quick transformed into a great blue dragon again which astonished my hosts. Not the dragon, the transformation and suddenly I was of even greater interest to them. I think though they were a little afraid of the dragon, especially when I blew fire and roared, so I limited those aspects to once each and the Yahshini were pleased.
I still marvel at the common communication that I have found out here. Thoughts do not have borders of understanding though some visions take some getting used to.
Jan Hax, as I alluded to earlier, is much like earth with its land masses and seas, ice cap poles and deserts, vast forests, and an abundance of wild life I would need an entire month to describe but I shall say only that none of the creatures I have seen look earthly and some make our most ferocious beasts look tame. The Yahshini avoid many of them because, well, food is food for some.
Yahshini people live in the open and do not seek shelter from the rain. In fact, they need the rain, especially the natural rains.
One of the most amazing things about them is their joy at being struck by lightning. I was not aware of their ability to defend themselves with electrical charges if they were caught up with a hunting beast. They give the animal a dashing shock, but never once did I see them kill.
I touched one accidently and felt the surge of power. It startled me but did me no harm and I found after that I was able to take their form with all their attributes. In doing so I decided to live among them for a time and really discover who they are. In the end I remained in the Yahshini form for two hundred sun cycles. How long that is in human terms is not calculable.
And now my dearest Silver Elf I shall sign off for at this moment I am weary and would like to rest. Yes. Even in my Ink Blotch form I need rest. All creatures everywhere need rest it seems, though most do not seem to spend as much time at it as humans. We are so imperfect.
So til next time Be Well.
LETTER SIX
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
I have been experimenting with my ability to change form. Whatever form I take on Luther and I keep our minds, but we enjoy all the attributes of that form. So far my favourites are the big blue dragon and the Yahshini forms.
I came to be a bridge again and after a long contemplation and discussion with Luther have determined that we had come to an exit point, so to speak, out of the 13th continuum. This gave me cause for concern. I was not ready to give up my ability to transform myself into whatever I chose to be, especially the dragon because that creature was able to cross vast reaches of space very fast.
After some time, I decide to test the bridge and see what would happen. It was an absolutely incredible experience the moment my dragon foot touched the rainbow arch of the bridge. For a moment I could see the expanse of what everything was I had seen or done since leaving earth including being drawn into the centre of the Milkyway Galaxy and sent careening across the scape of the universe and discovering that there are countless galaxies within countless universes, and each had their own signature and configuration. I understood as well that the 13th continuum was not responsible for my transformation into an Ink Blotch. It is the natural evolution of the journey I am on and that this change is but one of many if I continue into the scape of exploration. I also sensed again a greater consciousness that still I am unable to connect but have come to believe I shall one day evolve enough to comprehend what or who it is.
When things settled down I understood what I was seeing, rather, I understood where I was. I shall call it The Nexus. I fathomed it was like being on the interior of a crystal with uncountable facets looking out and each facet representing a world. Luther had his own version of what we were experiencing but essential it all came to one focus. We were in the centre of something too vast for our infant minds to comprehend. We also agree that we should set out to begin exploring each facet. But we did not set out immediately for there was a point of focus in what seemed to be the centre of the Nexus. I opened my wings and set off toward it and though I endeavoured to achieve great speed the journey went on for a time upon another time. I put it that way because; though I had some concept of time within myself, the vaster perception of time was still beyond our comprehension. A minute could seem like a day, a day could be but a minute or forever.
At last the object that drew me in began to expand. It was erratic in shape and changed continuously. The colour varied as well though remained in the blue and red spectrums and sometimes it sparkled as though there were stars within it.
I anticipated something huge as I drew near and for a moment it was, but then it seemed to collapse and form into something equal to my dragon size and as I came close upon it became a mirror image of myself, maybe a doppelganger because it did not mimic my movements.
And then we hovered in the vast openness of the Nexus, studying one another until at last my Doppel spoke in a voice unique to itself.
“Earthman. Why are you here? It is much too soon for your kind to come exploring Aukra.”
“It’s a long story.” I replied realizing in the moment that I had a voice and I was speaking in my earthly language. Where is Aukra?”
“It is here and there and everywhere that the mind can reach.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Aukra.”
Oddly, I got it.
“Are you all there is?” I asked.
“No. I am but one part of all that is.” Aukra responded in a tone that suggested he or she or it could not comprehend why I would ask such a question, so I defined myself.
I/humans even in the billions on our world are small, molecular compared to the Aukra and have no concept of anything beyond our tiny sphere of existence.”
Aukra nodded but said nothing as he digested the information.
Suddenly we were human sitting in a Victorian era, personal library in to wing backed chairs sipping brandy and smoking cigars. It was utterly insane, and I was beginning now to question my sanity until Aukra said, “Even the All is not infinite for it exist within another expanse greater than the sum total of everything connected to this place you have named the Nexus.”
“The Great Consciousness I have experienced that is in itself infinite.” I replied.
“That is as good a perception as any.” Aukra answered but this time with thought transference and we were once again two dragons face to face in the expanse of the Nexus.
“Is it all in the mind?” I asked.
Aukra offered me the equivalent of a shrug and said. “The mind is finite.” A response I did not get then, nor did I get it for a very long time.
I blinked and my Doppelganger condensed into a glimmering orb about the size of softball and there it hovered and would not speak with me again. But as I retreated with the question, “What Now?” on my mind Aukra answered. “Explore the facets of your Nexus Draven Dash. You will come to expand your knowledge of your world, other worlds and even the Aukra in time.”
“But what is time out here?”
“It is All, and it is nothing. It is and it is not. It expands and it cycles and draws in on itself and ever creates its own paradox.”
“Gee thanks. That helps.” I replied sarcastically and I am sure I heard Aukra chuckle.
In the end my dear Silver Elf. I did move forward and began exploring the facets of the Nexus in what I knew now to be the realm of Aukra.
Til next time Be well and look for my thoughts when they come and are least anticipated.
Dear Earth, The Draven Dash Letters(Donald Harry Roberts)
DEAR EARTH
THE DRAVEN DASH LETTERS
BY
DONALD HARRY ROBERTS
VOLUME ONE
LETTER ONE
From: Draven Dash.
This is like a message in a bottle except I didn’t have a bottle, just this one-way transponder, because I am not permitted to receive any communications from earth since I am a convicted murderer and was given a choice of death or volunteering for this voyage into space. I was given this single use, one-way transponder to send a message back to earth if I happened to find a planet capable of supporting human life.
I have and let me tell you know you are going to wish a million times over I didn’t.
Sometime over the last twenty years I flipped. Meaning. I think I am insane with visions of revenge. You see. It was not me who killed all those people, which I am sure you figured out once you launched me into space and the killing continued. For that I can never forgive you.
I rocketed across our solar system for eleven years. Then one day my little vessel was sucked into this enormous swirling mass and within a few days I was a long way from earth in a part of the galaxy that no one from earth has ever seen, not even through your massive telescopes.
Then I spent another nine years out here exploring a vast new reality and for a while did not feel so bad about my fate, at least not until my food, water and air supply began to run out. In desperation I began a serious search for an earth like planet and as you can see found one, which by the way I had to crash land on because you good folks did not think to teach me how to land this thing. I guess you figured I’d never get this far. Well, I did and survived the crash. But it gets better. For me, not you.
The ship and everything on it with a few exceptions was destroyed. I survived because...well I am not sure how. I put on one the space suits and just as the ship was about to smash into the ground I hit the pilot eject button which apparently blew me free of the crash. I do not have any memory of what happened between ejection and waking up sometime later, pleased that I had no broken bones or serious lacerations. Just a bump on the old noggin that left me with a headache for a few days. It probably would have been a lot worse without the helmet.
I managed to recover a few days’ supply of rations and water and a carton of cigarettes. Thanks for that anyway. Then I went exploring. Oh yah. I forgot. The planet I crashed on is amazingly like earth.
I walked for days this way and that discovering plenty of clear clean water streams and natural edibles much better than the survival rations. But then after nearly two weeks I found something incredibly exciting. Indigenous, intelligent inhabitants with an amazing method of communicating. Thought waves that come to mind in visions inside the mind. They have a spoken language as well, though not in a way any Earther could use. And, to clarify, they have no resemblance to humans whatsoever.
They are about 6 inches long, glow in the dark in several different colours and appear like a cross between a lobster and a scorpion, deadly tail included. The male and female differ only in the shades of colour and for a point of note the young are white until their version of puberty which takes up to 25 years. Between the age of 18 or so and 25 they serve in the Guard, which I will explain about later and engage in higher education, much more advanced than anything on earth.
Male and female are completely equal here and, though the female lays the eggs the male cares for the infants until they are about eight years of age. Then they are sent to their version of an academy of early education.
I learned all this in our first days of communication, and they learned about me and that I was in fact innocent of the atrocities I was accused of back home on earth. And, for the record, when I first began this letter it was with threats of vengeance on my mind. These peaceable folks have since convinced me that I should not dwell on your poor judgment and forgive you. So, I do, forgive you.
I have chosen a place among these wonderful creatures. I have joined the Guard, an army that battles against the threat of Oronacks, winged beasts that prey on the Illil, my benefactors and friends. The Illil are a symbiotic being that can join with a variety of hosts. Primarily they unite with another winged creature that take up the ongoing battle again the Oronacks.
Oronacks and the Belinarn are about equal in stature and are about the size of a raven. They travel in small flocks and it is a sight to see when they meet in sky in battle. I have developed a very powerful slingshot that shoots stones the size of golf balls and is proving very effective against our enemy. If I don’t kill the beast immediately I at least break a wing, bringing it down and... well...dispatching it when I find where it fell.
I guess I have said all I wish to except I will not ever be returning to earth, for several reasons, even though I have learned it is possible and quite a simple matter to do so. I have allowed an Illil to join with me and have discovered some most delightful things about the relationship, one that few on earth have ever known.
Goodbye and farewell and many thanks for sending me here. I hope you earthlings never achieve the ability to travel out this far in the galaxy. It would really ruin my day.
Draven Dash
LETTER TWO
Dear Earth
From
Draven Dash.
My hosts have decided that they wish for me to keep in contact with earth and have afforded me a method of doing so. A virtual message in a bottle which you will receive through a private listening station that will transmit my communications to the proper authorities. Her name is, I should restate, her contact name is Silver Elf, how cute. My hosts have contacted her, and she understands the circumstances of this exercise. The Illil have made it impossible for you to trace my letters back to their origins. I suppose this will be my Pioneers logbook.
The Illil have constructed a vehicle for me that allows flight with just a thought. It is made of a flexible, clear, metallic substance, light in nature, eight feet in length and 4 wide. It is only a quarter inch thick but practically indestructible. In fact, I have found nothing capable of harming this material. It allows me to take my fight against the Oronacks to the sky and they have developed a much better weapon which shoots pellets of light from an instrument to suite the shape of my hand. A handgun, for the lack of a better description.
I have just returned from a tour of duty on the borders of Illilantia. With my new weapon and a shield, I constructed of the same material my flyer is made of the Oronack are a minor irritation and I lead an armada of Belinarn defenders. This last tour has sent the invaders packing and news has already come to us that the Oronack have abandoned many of their border outposts. I am to be awarded a citation for my services to the Illil.
During my rest period I have plans, with permission, to explore this incredible planet, both with my flyer and a-foot.
I have not had a single sick day since I arrived here. There is something about the atmosphere of the planet that is curing...so I am told, and I believe it.
Though there is an ongoing conflict between the Illil and Oronack there is never violence in the community of Illil in which I live. I have learned that this is but one Colony of many. I have been asked to consider in going helping these other Colonies with their plight against the Oronack. I have no reason to refuse and won’t. These are my friends, and family.
I am human, that will never change...I think, though the Illil are contemplating the matter of changing my genetics. They are accomplished geneticists of which I may describe at another time. My point is, even though I am human, with my symbiont firmly in place and our joining becoming even more complete I do not miss my own kind. I have the extra pleasure of walking about, carrying child Illil on my body. It has become a local amusement. I go for a walk with my little infants at least twice a day, unless of course I am away, fighting Oronack or exploring.
Last night I was visited by one of the chief Illil, Ool, and the Commander of the Belinarn. The Commander, whose name is LOQ, has learned to speak my language. It is nice to converse on occasion in the spoken word, but in this case, we kept to mind talk, which is quicker and clearer.
Belinarn spies have learned that the Oronack are planning an invasion, not to wipe out their food supply but to get rid of the two-legged demon that has murdered so many Oronack. That of course would be me. I could be in trouble if they come in force.
I have been given the choice to go and find a safe haven or, if I so choose, return to earth. I will accept neither offer. I have had a long conversation with LOQ, in the spoken word and we have agreed that it would prove devastating to the Illil if I were to leave. The Oronack would surely take out their vengeance on my friends, short of annihilating them. I have made plans for a counter strike...or should I call it a pre-emptive surgical strike that may avoid an outright war. It must happen soon. The Oronack are poised for their attack.
I crept from the borders of Ililantia in the dead of night. Even here flying beasts do not go about at night. My plan was not to kill as many Oronack as possible. That would be a fool’s mission. There are simply too many, well thousands...tens of thousands. My goal was to capture the leader of the local flight who was planning the attack. They number around 600. Once captured I will return to Illilantia and hold him for ransom. Apparently the Oronack will not sacrifice their own, especially their leaders. It was a daring escapade indeed.
I had never seen an Oronack community. I was surprised to find a grove of trees with several nests in each tree. It had not occurred to me until I was in sight of the community that it would be a guess which tree I would find the Commander. But something very helpful came of it.
I climbed the first tree I came to and what did I find. Eggs. Two brownish green eggs and I asked my symbiont if they would work as well as taking the commander. It turned out it was better, so I collected a dozen.
It was not easy getting home without breaking any of the eggs. If I had broken just one it would have meant all-out war. But as soon as it was lights, out I sent a message to the Oronack of my deed and my intentions. I received a reply within the hour. It was not entirely what I expected but my symbiont advised me there would be a long and arduous negotiation period and a good deal of feather ruffling which translates to sword rattling.
Well my Dearest earth. That’s all for now. I hope you get this communiqué in good time. It should take about a week to reach Silver Elf.
Sincerely
Draven Dash
LETTER THREE
DEAR EARTH
DRAVEN DASH HERE.
Well, things in my end of the galaxy are moving on just about the way you might expect. Last week my symbiont, whom I have named Luther, and I went exploring. We, or I, depending how you understand the situation set off on foot after flying to the edge of the community we inhabit. I rolled up the flying carpet thing and tucked it away like a sleeping bag tied to my backpack. Luther doesn’t quite understand the concept of exploring but he’ll figure it out soon enough, I’m sure.
We struck out in what appears to be north.
We hadn’t gone a dozen Ks when I came upon a village of seven stone huts with mud rooves. For a second I expected to find bipedal occupants but that was not at all the case. The creatures that inhabited the village looked a little like grasshoppers only they had heads like spiders, four legs to walk on four arms with three fingers and a half dozen snake like tentacles.
When I first saw them, they scared the beejeepers out of me, but Luther calm me down by explaining that these beasts called lugwortins were quite amiable and preferred worms and slugs to feed on.
It wasn’t long before we were all mind chatting and sharing stuff that new friends tend to share. They hissed at the fact that you people had accused me wrongly and punished me, but as we spent more time, were glad I had come to their planet. Notice I have not told you their name for this world and that was on purpose. They are not ready for the general human condition.
Interestingly the Lugwortins’ cook their food. They steam it, spice it and are quite delicate in their eating habits.
One name Flug is joining us on our exploration.
Flug proved to be a grand companion with an incredible sense of alien humour, about earthlings. Yes, they know all about us and our civilizations, current and over the last 50,000 years. They witnessed our real first world war between two Neanderthal clans who fought over a pool of water, killing most of both clans. The fifteen or so claimed the water but less than a month later had to move on to find more water because the pool dried up. How dumb and typical of our kind. No foresight or insight, just brute stupidness. They find me refreshingly different.
We came to a desert after 3 days trekking through a jungle like area. That night there were three full moons, one green, one blue and one purple. I found it beautiful and intriguing but Flug spent the entire night chanting, a rather pretty little jingle that kind of floated on the night air and drifted up toward the moons. Luther called it the simply, The Ritual of the Three Moons. An event that happens once every 37 years, their years. I have not calculated the earth years involved. Flug was ready and willing to move on the next morning.
I called the new landscape a desert, which is essentially correct but unlike the earth version this one is not quite as torrid and deadly. The sand is silver, and the dunes are monstrous, waves of Everest proportion. There are oasis’s everywhere that offer plenty of food and water and each one has its own inhabitants. Cloak critters with furry spider like legs, two legs that are and they walk upright, but believe me I doubt the parts I haven’t seen are very human like. They have reptilian tongues. I can’t say they are friendly or aggressive. We are ignored.
Sixteen days out. We came upon a flock of Oronacks who might have attacked us but recognized the Oronack killer and fled. That would be me. Luther explained these were a different clan than the others but equally nasty if given the opportunity. I noticed they were somewhat larger.
We were coming to the end of the silver desert and Luther was beginning to desire a homeward direction. He had be so accommodating that I turned back for home on a slightly meandering course so as to not cover the same ground I’d just explore.
Flug chose to stay with us.
One night, on one of those rare occasions Luther extracted himself from my brain stem and went off on his own. It happens only every few weeks and I have no idea where he goes or does. All I know is that it is lonely without him and I feel empty, and intellectually primitive. These creatures are so much advanced than us. Even though they do not utilize their technological knowledge it is impressive. The council is still debating whether or not to allow me to use the knowledge. I am not sure I even want to. It’s just human nature to explore.
The way back was much the same as the way out, so I did not discover much else. Flug stayed with us all the way home and remained in the community for almost a week after. Then he left for home. I hope we meet up again, but it would not be too soon. The Oronacks had regrouped and were planning another invasion. I began to contemplate how to stop them a second time. I have a feeling it will not be as simple or easy as the last time. I may have to use my host’s technology this time round.
Well Mother Earth. That is about it for now. I hope you folks are finding some moments of peace, but my heart has great doubt and little hope that will ever happen. The next time I write might not be for some time. There is much to do, and my hosts are coming into a time in their existence that is going to keep me away from personal things. This time has nothing to do with the Oronacks but everything to do with their brand of evolution.
Be well if you can and if you can’t die bravely in your wars.
Draven.
LETTER FOUR
Dear Silver Elf
Well, here I am again, this time talking directly to Silver Elf. At least I hope so.
I have sent on a picture my symbiont has projected from our mind to a virtual image directly on to this device. It’s all technology but it might seem more like magic to you folks.
Anyway, things are going to change here on Draven’s World. Oh, yah I forgot. Since my hosts don’t have a name as such for their world, I have decided to name it after myself since I, the first human pioneer to a new world discovered it.
But like I said, things are going to change here since winter is coming and my hosts are about to migrate to a warmer region since they cannot tolerate the cold.
Winter here, as much, as I can calculate, lasts about twelve years. Their winter community has been in use for one thousand generations, however long that is because their life span is indeterminate in human years. Kind of like you Silver Elf, a very long time. Forever it may seem to humans. A nice and interesting point about that. As long as Luther remains a part of me, I shall live pretty much as I am now for eons. I have invited him to remain as long as he lives.
I should stress that he can leave for short periods like at mating time or for certain rituals that my body might not, and probably could not tolerate.
We are leaving for the winter community within the week with the help of the Lugwortins who must vacate the north as well though they go on much further than we will.
Interestingly, though in many ways my hosts are far more advanced their natural state of mobility, precisely, being able to carry things, is extremely limited. The Lugwortins will move all the equipment The Ilil have created. And for the record, the Lugwortins did the actual physical part of creating the machines.
The Belinarn who have Llil symbionts will join the migration, but the others remain here to protect the northern community from the Oronack. The Llil do not transport their eggs or larvae but bury then deep in the earth where they will remain for twelve years. The larvae will emerge adults. How wonderful that will be to witness.
What a curious and wonderful world this is.
I basically just follow Luther’s instructions and happily do some of the lifting and packing. They have agreed, to my thankfulness, to use their flying carpet contraptions to help carry everything. The Lugwortins are much pleased with my suggestion as well since they will now only be required to load the flying machines and guide them. I am surprised that sometimes the simplest things to me are their most complicated issues. Is that similar to the guy or gal who is a super intellectual but can’t figure out how to tie their shoelaces.
But I suppose in the long run that’s here nor there, the Llil have managed without my intervention for umpteen dozens of eons before I got here.
At this time, the Llil are vulnerable and the Oronack are gathering for one last assault. I will be rejoining the Guard to defend my hosts as they begin their migration south.
As much as I am disgusted with my own species, I am beginning to find the Oronack even more so. I have seen many Llil corpses uneaten and simply left to rot or be eaten by the occasional scavenger. That says to me the Oronack kill my hosts indiscriminately and possibly for sport. I am beginning to wonder if war and various other violent activity is universal. If it is, I can see little hope for the concept of peace ever rooting anywhere.
It makes me sad to think that when humankind does reach out into space and finds other intelligent beings war is inevitable. I am asking myself if it’s worth my protecting this world by being silent. My other thought is stuff that James Bond Movies are made out of. World domination schemes. What if I were to unite all the species here on Draven’s World in readiness for the onslaught of conquerors yet to come.
Anyway. We are preparing to leave the northern community. The Oronack are going to get their collective asses kick because I came up with a plan, once again only this time I the enemy are going to pay a dear price for attacking my friends.
Luther is questioning my plan, which is normal. The Llil are not use to aggressive defense or counter assault. Fortunately, the Belinarn understand the need to use violence to fight violence, that peaceful means is little more than a wishful resolve when it comes to the Oronacks. I think it possible the two may be related, in the same way Simians may be related to humans.
I have used llil Technology to create a wide beam weapon based on Taser technology but without the wires and powerful enough to kill, not just stun the enemy. The only drawback is each charge will only allow three shots, so I have to change power cells often and quickly. I hope one shot will bring down several Oronack at once. They do tend to attack in groups.
As I prepared for battle Luther said to me. “The Llil have survived thousands of generations without your weapons or your help.”
“Maybe, but how many have paid the price so the few may live. You have offered sacrifices of thousands to appease the blood hunger of the Oronack. This must end.
The Oronack will not get to our eggs and larvae. That is always how we have survived in the past.”
Only because the Belinarn protect them and many of them die in the process. I intend to put an end to all that and a finish to the Oronack if they persist and refuse to find other ways to feed themselves.
The pilgrimage south has begun. I have seen the swarm of Oronack in the distant skies and the Belinarn have joined with the Llils. I plan to lead a surgical strike into the heart of the enemy swarm with hope of causing as much damage as possible. I wish The Belinarn had the digits to use my weapon. This whole affair would be over in minutes.
Eight flights of Belinarn have created a defense line above the columns of Llil. I can feel the tension like a wave of electricity wafting through the air. I was appalled to discover how slowly the Llil proceeded. It never occurred to me they could not run, but they are incapable of any motion faster than their normal meanderings.
I don’t know what happened, but Luther seems to have come to understand the horror of what the Oronack represent. Maybe he could see my deepest thoughts as I imagined the Llil dying by the hundred, most left to rot where they were slaughtered. Suddenly he was urging me to go forth and “Kill them, Kill them all before they kill all of us.”
I climbed aboard my flying machine and headed into the swarm of Oronack cutting a swath through their numbers with my weapon and watching their corpses plummet to the ground.
I could not understand why, with such powerful resistance the Oronack would not retreat. But then Luther’s thoughts reached into that part of my mind. “It is their nature. They do not have the intelligence to retire even when they are being defeated. And, until you they did not know defeat. They knew only that a few of their own perished so to most could feed. The Belinarn were never really much of a threat.”
The Oronack swarm is gone. Every single creature has been killed. There are other flocks but this one will never feed on the Llil again. In all we lost only a dozen Belinarn and their symbionts and 4 Llil on the ground that fell behind and became open prey. I went back to bury them so they would not simply freeze in the oncoming winter. I suppose that really didn’t make sense to my hosts, but they have not truly begun to understand my human way and compassions and to tell the truth neither do I sometimes. What does it matter if the dead rot on the surface or underground? I guess I will leave that debate to philosophers.
Well, my dear Silver Elf, my time is up once again. I will contact you again as soon as I can once we are settled in the southern community. From the visions I have pick up from Luther it is a paradise.
Draven Dash
Space Pioneer on Planet Draven’s World.
LETTER FIVE
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf.
We are taking a brief break from our journey at the halfway mark. The Llil have not rested for more than an hour at a time during the first half of the migration and now need to sleep, except for Luther who rests when I do. I do not have their stamina even with my symbiont. Because they move at a very slow pace I can rest for a few hours. Every day.
I have taken to scouting out the way ahead, though it seems unnecessary for I have found nothing to interfere with the journey.
I think I do it because the Llil move so slowly I find it difficult to hold back so I go on and rest while they catch up.
Also, because they move so slow, we can almost feel the northern temperatures dropping and chasing us south. I wish I could convince them to use their technology to
make the trip safer and quicker but they insist on tradition.
I suppose I am not one to pass judgement seeing that much of what we do, humans I mean, is all about traditions and sticking to them. I am staying close by while they sleep, just in case old enemies show up
Luther has taught me so much as we become more in one with each other. This morning I managed to levitate, though it took a lot out of me. He says it will get easier as my body adapts, and my skills increase. He also told me something that I find most enlightening and intriguing.
The Llil have not always existed in their current form. Once they were quadrupeds, much the same size as they are now. In those most ancient days, they explored the galaxy and on occasion visited earth. It seems that their may be a few Llil still there, and they will have transformed. Luther suspects they inhabit human bodies as he does mine and the hosts are quite aware of their presence.
I wonder if maybe some of our magicians, witches and warlocks are the host bodies. Well, I guess that is a little fantastical to consider. But you never know. We now know for certain we are not alone in the galaxy, thanks to me.
Anyway. Life is good here, but I have to admit I miss earth in some ways. Not the ways that got me sent here, but the good stuff like art and music, movies, and the theatre, all the things I enjoyed when I was still there...happy.
This morning I went for a little walk about while the Llil were sleeping. I discovered another intelligent life form of the rooted family. These were a variety of flower in appearance and looked a little like tulips. They get fed by attendants, as they call them. We call them bees, though these servant-like creatures are more like a bee and hummingbird cross. The
flowers who call themselves Avas are very friendly and look forward to a visit from the Llil before moving on southward.
According to Luther we will be moving on in a few hours. After everyone wakes up, visits the Avas and enjoys a feast.
Another thing I miss about earth is the spoken word. Everyone hears uses mind talk. The only time I hear a voice is when I talk to myself or sing. I don’t sing much around my hosts. They find the noise appalling. They don’t seem to have any understanding of musical tones.
Wow. What a festival. The Llil entertained the Avas with a coordinated body colour show that lit up the night. And the Avas did a sweeping, waving dance on their long stems. The mind chatter was deafening and for the first time I heard these creatures do something that sounded like laughter though that is a very lame description. Joy would be closer.
The attendants put on a flying show which was totally amazing.
Hundreds flying in formation in synchronized aerobatics. I could actually see in my mind how they communicated each move.
We have set off again at their dull, slow but relentless pace and I am about to go ahead. I am told we will be going through a canyon that is many days long. I suspect it is, by my standard of travel no more than a day or so.
Apparently, it can be a little dangerous because of falling rocks and dust swirls. Some will not make it through I am told, but I am going ahead to do something that might change that. If I can cause those rocks to fall before the Llil get there maybe fewer will perish. I don’t think I will be able to save everyone. I can not fix all the slides and falls.
Well. That’s about it for now. The next time I write we shall be in the southern community. It takes several days to get settled in I am told.
I saw something in the air that has me concerned. It was a beast of huge proportions, even for me and it had bat like wings. When I mentioned this to Luther, I could feel him cringe, but I could not get him to talk about them. I will scout ahead, well armed and go find out for myself. If they are dangerous, I shall also determine how to protect my friends.
I Bid You Ado
Draven.
LETTER SIX
My Dearest Silver Elf
My apologies for not writing for so long, but something incredible occurred that took me off on an adventure of an extra-ordinary nature.
First I must tell you about the southern community, which in itself is imagination boggling.
The community is in fact a huge and elaborate structure as magnificent as any medieval castle on earth. I tried to count the rooms more than once but failed miserably because of their sheer numbers. But that is not all. There is a population here of a bipedal nature, though not at all human, into which Llil merge with, much like Luther merges with me.
I cannot really say I understand the reasoning behind the merging because the hosts for this symbiotic union are rather simple and mundane. They are not an advance species and technology is reduced to that indicative of our pre-industrial age.
I might also point out that only half the Llil unite with these creatures, which I have discovered is the younger generation. There are two generations of Llil existing at one time. Someday I will try to explain how that all works but for now I am bent on relating my most recent observations and adventures.
Luther and I have become...how can I put it? Out of place being that we are unchanged. For the most part we live apart from the community, which, according to Luther is something a Llil has never done. What he is observing through my eyes is as weird, wonderful, and strange as it is to me. Luther is a member of the younger generation.
But that my dear is only the surface of this new discover here on Draven’s World.
Once the younger generation was all tucked away in their symbionts the older generation began to disappear, which was a mystery to both of us until one day I went for a stroll in a nearby wood.
Most of the older generation was gone. Curiosity sent me searching for them and indeed I found them. They were hanging from tree branches in Cocoons, like caterpillars do when they are mutating into moths and butterflies. I could feel Luther’s astonishment. He actually did not know any of this happened. Until I came along he joined the others in their mundane state of existence during which time I believe the Llil are dormant. Their hosts are merely vehicles that maintain them in that state.
About three kilometers from the community is a huge grove, maybe big enough to call a forest, of trees with leaves shaped much like Dutch Elm but are multi-coloured ranging mostly from pale pink to fire-engine red, with the occasional brown thrown in for contrast.
Now here’s the thing. Hanging among the leaves fixed to the most tender branches were the older generation and many had already begun the transformation.
Luther and I decided to camp out in a hut I built in order to watch this phenomenon occur.
Day by day we watched them develop and to be honest I have never seen anything so spectacular.
The days worked their way into weeks and finally 3 full months, which would have made the entire process 4 months in the making. Then at dawn one glorious, brilliant morning with a red sun and two silver moons fully in the sky the cocoons began breaking open.
I was totally dumbstruck by the phenomenon and Luther had a moment of enlightenment never realized by any Llil....ever.
The creatures that emerged had translucent, blue bodies born through the air on silver wings. They looked in fact very much like winged unicorns about the size of a Blue Jay. There were thousands upon thousands of them, half the Llil population, which I guestimate at 20, 000.
In the light of the day they seemed to glow, which made the entire experience even more spectacular. Interestingly, though they flew about for a bit the first ones out took up perches on the thicker bows of the trees where they could stand, having hooves and not taloned feet. It only took a minute to understand that they were waiting for the entire flock to emerge, but when they were all hatched the entire flock rose from the trees, circled twice, and went in an enormous wave southward.
“Where are they going?” I spouted.
“I do not know. This is as new to me as ii is to you Draven Dash.”
“Would you like to know?”
“So much has happened that is beyond the conscious knowledge of any Llil I feel it is imperative that I learn who we really are. This could well be an orchestration of nature in the evolution of our kind and you are not here by chance. It could be that you were brought to us by fate so that I might see the world ahead.”
“Maybe, but it could just be a phenomenal coincidence.”
We returned to the Castle to find our mundane counterparts going about their day to day lives that could have been medieval earth except that these bipeds looked more like black Ants with two arms and two legs, no third set of appendages. And yes, the castle operated much like an ant colony. Their method of communication was a clicking sound made by their mandibles. It reminded me a little of Morse Code separated by shrills and shrieks.
As soon as we returned we began preparing to set out in search of the winged unicorns. We did not want to much time to pass and hoped they would need to stop and rest.
We loaded up two flyting carpets with food and supplies and employed a third for our own use.
Seven hours after the great exodus of the winged unicorn we were in pursuit with hopes of being capable of catching up, but I will tell you now, not far from the Southern community we came to a vast expanse of water over which the flying carpets would not fly. We also came to a village.
Well Silver Elf I am afraid I have used up all my space for this time round. I will send another letter soon describing our adventure upon the sea and after, in search of the Winged Unicorns.
Til Then, be well.
LETTER SEVEN
Dear Earth.
Greetings Silver Elf
I realize it has been ages since last I wrote, but circumstances made impossible to write sooner. Our voyage upon the sea was something of a tremendous adventure and to describe it will take several letters given that each time I communicate I only have limited space.
As I mentioned in my last letter, we came to the sea and discovered our flying carpets became inert. We also came upon a village inhabited by the most curious and delightful creatures I or any other human could imagine. No imagination on earth could have conceived such a wonderful entity. Luther had heard of them in stories but until that moment they lived in the annals of Llil mythology. I found it odd that such advanced creatures as the Llil would embrace myths.
Be that as it may, they do and that brought Luther and I to a closer understanding and relationship. Luther was no longer far above me on the evolutionary climb to complete enlightenment.
They are an aquatic creature, blue, pinkish white in colour, with long bodies, long, fish like heads and long reptilian tails. They grow and shed scales as needed, particularly when they hunt in the sea for food. The scales are of course for their protection and silver in colour.
They have four appendages, all exactly the same and can be used as legs while crawling about on all fours arms and legs while standing upright.
I call their physical communication Flickering, a kind of sign language using their sword like tongues, eyes, if which the have four, on stalks, and the tail. I have not been
able to grasp it, however like all intelligent creatures on Draven’s World they are adept at telepathic communication.
There is one other aspect of their appearance that is a clever invention of evolutionary necessity, but I will bring that up at the appropriate time. I will tell you they sport a set of wings not unlike dragonflies on earth, but they can only fly short distances and use them only in cases of emergency escapes when confronted by an assailant. I have learned that every species on this world is predatorial as well as being prey. It is the systems way of controlling populations, which I so foolishly interfered with on one occasion, which I will not do again. Thankfully, the interference caused only a temporary in balance. Our hosts whose species name is Ka preyed upon the smaller sea
Creatures, primarily crustaceans but also a very earth like fish resembling bluefish. The Ka are preyed upon by larger sea beasts resembling a shark alligator hybrid that are amphibious. They are solitary hunters and are numerous. I had an encounter with one three days after arriving in the village. I ran like hell and climbed up a huge rock. These beasts can not climb.
There are seven Ka villages stretching along the beach like terrain of the coastline. Each village is distanced from the others by seventy-seven lengths by Ka reckoning. I have estimated that distance to be forty-nine kilometers. I must point out that many of my assumptions are based on Llil calculations which are not necessarily the same as other planetary species but will do for our communications in these letters. The villages are about a day apart for a good hiker.
The Ka presented me with a feast of bluefish, crustaceans, and seaweed. They eat raw. I apologized for not being able to conform and proceeded to cook my meal an adventure that had my hosts utterly mesmerised, but when they tasted it, they immediately spat it out. Fortunately, they understood the species differences and accepted my way of consumption.
The village I was in was called IdmaKa. There is no translation. Its population is nine hundred and ninety-nine and had been that way for umpteen thousands of years.
When I first arrived, they were quite put aback. They recognized my species right off and were not very pleased with my presence. However, it only took a minute to detect the presence of Luther who quickly explain my, his and our circumstances and though it took another few hours for the Ka to digest the information, discuss it and vote on it they accepted Luther, me and us and officially welcome us. They were pleased that we could communicate without the interpretations of Luther, though some of my thought visions took some deciphering. Luckily for me most species on the planet had the same visuthought communications.
On my fourth day in the village, I saw two Ka get taken by a Thoog, the hybrid beast. It disgusted me but I stayed out of it. I had learned my lesson. The Ka raised their arms to the sky and made a cooing sound. I mimicked them realising the essence of the gesture. I lasted only a few seconds then life went on.
Every night with the sunset the Ka went to their sand huts. Luther explained that they cold not tolerate the coolness of the night, so I guessed they were cold-blooded creatures. I soon discovered that the night air on the coast was quite cold, like autumn in the mid northern hemisphere of earth, though it seemed not to affect the flora in any adverse way. Some flowers actually bloomed. Starlights, they are called. They glow silver-blue in the moon light.
“Each evening I would make a small fire to sleep by, under my lean to, a structure which fascinated the Ka until they became accustomed to it. They never got use to the fire, an element they did not use and did not like.
Ka do not have boats, being themselves amphibious. They have lungs and gills and as promised they have another physical feature that serves them when skimming along the surface of the water. It is a retractable fin which acts like a sail. It looks very much like a masted jib.
I explained to Luther that I needed a boat, preferably with a powered drive. He understood completely and before long I had a vision in my mind for exactly what I needed and instructions how to build it. But there was a drawback. The components I required were not available in the village. So, I had to content myself with the simplest of all floating craft. A canoe like device with a simple mast and triangular sail.
I made the vessel from Thoog bones and hide, which the Ka were amazed with, but saw no practical use for themselves though they thought it might be a fun diversion sometime. I do not know if they ever utilized the toy.
I took me nearly a month to build a vessel large and stable enough to handle the rolling waters of the sea.
My hosts provided me with pouches of fresh water, salted sea food, which to them was a delicacy but for me it served as a preservative, a term that took some time to get them to comprehend. I smoked everything else.
Luther was a little apprehensive about going out on the sea. It did not surprise me since he had never done so, but I assure him I had had a considerable amount of experience back on earth. I also explained that after weeks of observation this exoplanetary sea was about the same, wind is wind, water is water, storms are storms and waves are waves. I managed to sooth his concerns some-what but I could still feel his tension so took to keeping my thoughts calm and positive.
The Ka gave me some idea of the sea and its expanse to limit of their knowledge which went as far as the reefs, just over the horizon., an ambiguous bit of information but with visuthought it was a little more clear. Just over the horizon to them meant when the hunters were beyond sight from the village.
On the day we were going to make our departure a storm rose out of the sea that brought breaking wave crashing into the shore. I say the day, but it was actually an hour before dawn when the tide should have been going out. Of course, our send off would have been an unobserved one because the Ka would still be sleeping at that hour. They were surprized that we were still there when they awoke but with the storm still raging, they understood.
Sea storms come at any time, usually from the south and though this one seemed violent some were much worse. The real point was, we were missing the ebbtide, so our departure was delayed another day and the storm raged on well into the
morning. I took the time to enjoy what might be my last hours land side for some time. No Ka had ever seen land beyond the Reef, the border of their community just beyond the horizon.
Well, my space and time for this letter is up and I must give in to technology, which I am beginning to understand how it works and plan to expand its capabilities. Til then, after I have finished my exploration of Draven’s World, these shore entries will have to suffice.
Be Well Silver Elf and I hope Earth is and its humans are growing less rude and crude. The Indigenous folks of this world are certainly expanding my enlightenment.
Draven.
LETTER EIGHT
My Dearest Silver
My deepest apologies for taking so long to write again, but I assure you there is a very good reason for this delay.
As you know we were about to start out on a sea voyage when last I wrote, and so we did after the storm subsided, with no fanfare. The Ka were still in sleep mode.
I/we had enough supplies for an earth month. I should point out that sea food was on the menu since the Ka provided most of our supplies. Luther is actually quite unconcerned what I ingest since he benefits from it no matter what I eat.
I might also add that I have gain some interesting talents that would seem like magic to you but are actually quite unmagical and merely a manipulation of chemicals in our bodies mixed to create a specific reaction. Luther tells me that some day I may even be capable of flight without the use of machines.
Any way, all that is sub-plotish so on with the voyage.
We set sail with the next tide; a tide that enabled us much better than the wind. I carried us seaward for nearly nine hours. Only when it reversed was the wind better suited.
For two days life got sorely uneventful, boring in fact to the point of distraction. Then, on the third
morning the sky was suddenly blotted out by enormous purple, pink, deep grey, and green clouds, which sent upon the sea shards of lightning of such colours I would need an entire letter to describe.
I must get Luther to allow me to send photos. In this case a picture would be worth a thousand words or more.
Next it began to rain, or rather drizzle and a wind of some strength began to race. Fortunately, it happened to be blowing in the direction we were heading so it proved useful.
The storm never got to a point of raging, but it did keep me on the edge of my seat and my fingers gripped to the tiller.
Said I to Luther in a moment of weariness. “One might think that the skills I have been gaining would include the manipulation of weather or something.”
“Not weather. Weather is a combination of elements; however, you are capable of manipulating those elements, in this case air.” Luther advised.
“You could have told me that before.” I snarled.
“You could have asked. These things are natural to me and do not cross my mind as essential information.” Luther replied.
I let it not wanting to initiate an argument at that moment.
“However.” He continued. “If you manipulate the air element here and now it will have its effects elsewhere and possibly at another time. Use the talent cautiously.
I decided to ride out the storm and by morning we were sailing under fair conditions. Now we were four days out and all around us was nothing but rolling sea. I did however find a clue about the winged unicorns we were following.
We found one downed in the sea but still alive. Then we found several more which launched me into a bit of a dilemma. “Should I rescue them.”
Starting a war and rescuing actual have their similarities. Both change the natural flow of natural development and control.
The answer came to me, fortunately, from the winged unicorn, which called itself a Brail, through the usual means of communication. Thought imaging.
The storm had driven them down and they were unable to gain flight again from the surface of the water. Apparently, the storm was in itself unusual, heavier, and out of season.
I was then pressed to determine if another force had caused this phenomenon or nature itself had turned an odd page on itself.
My compassion won over and I decided to save the beasts by helping them regain flight by picking them up and tossing them in the air.
And it worked.
There were nearly a hundred of them though I was informed more had been taken by sea predators, and for a moment it occurred to me that this may have been a natural sequence of life.
Nonetheless, what was done now was done and hard to believe it would change things dramatically, which it did not I am pleased to say and even more pleased to say this act of compassion later proved to be a boon when a boon was needed.
The Brail stayed with us for some time but then flew on out of sight. I supposed our mere five nauts was a little slow. They often had to circle for us to keep up.
Many times, I had seen shadows of huge beasts deep beneath us, but none had come near the surface. Smaller beasts of an aquatic nature but not of a fishy nature had surfaced, eyed the boat
then went on their way. It made me understand that all creatures on this planet had some sort of higher intelligence, even if some of it seemed even more barbaric to me than the human condition. Nothing tried to eat me, which was a bonus because to be honest if something had tried it probably would have succeeded.
Twenty-one days in all passed before I sited land. “I took to being humourously inventive calling out, LAND HO to the wind. I suppose during the voyage there came to me a sense of isolation at sometime or other but with Luther ever constant in my thoughts I never felt alone or lonely.
I sailed west along the coastline looking for a place to land amid the towering rock faces that cut down into the sea.
Another day passed until at last I found a break in the sheer, black rock wall. It was little more than a cut that opened into a small cove with a sand beach about sixty feet wide. I only managed a glance before I turned landward and started for the narrow crack in the wall, hoping my steering skills would suffice for a safe passing in.
Happily, the last yards of my voyage were successful and a ran my little skiff aground on the beach, 6o feet wide and twenty feet deep, inhabited by several varieties of crab –like creatures and an animal feeding on them that I can describe as a cross between a scorpion, armadillo, and ant eater...standing up right with thick canine hind legs and three fingered forearms armed with sharp, hooked claws.
Fortunately, these Grulls, with the usual intelligent communication skills as most others on the planet called themselves, had no interest in me as a meal. They ate the crabs and nothing else. I think it was yet another example of balance in this most exquisite and wondrous world. I am glad I learned early to try and not interfere with that balance.
And so, my time is up again, but there was enough to describe my sea voyage.
I will write again as soon as possible to tell you about the next leg of my journey in search of the creatures I now know as Brail.
Be Well Silver Elf
Your most distant correspondent.
Draven Dash.
PS. I sure do miss hamburgers and pizza sometimes.
LETTER NINE
My dear Silver Elf.
Forgive me for not writing of late. In defense of my tardiness I must say it has been an exciting three months.
As you recall I had just landed on a sandy beach inhabited by crab like creatures and the Grull who fed on them. My skiff of course became useless for the moment, but I decided to store it safely in case I needed it on a return trip, though some distant sense suggested that I would conti9nue life here going forward.
My association with my symbiont Luther has evolved. More often than not our minds work as one though we still are able to converse as individuals. As importantly I am changing. Most notably my skin which has Chameleoned from pinkish to bluish in tone.
I cannot fly per se, but I can levitate and swim in the air. I have experimented with this but have discovered I am better off walking since the airways here are busy and a little dangerous for amateurs. I am however glad that this ability presented itself because it would have meant I would have had to climb out of the little grotto of sand. These cliffs are sheer and some 3 to 5 hundred feet high. I could have climbed it, but the risk was not worth it since the discovery of levitation. I had a feast of crab like creatures, raw.
I levitated to the height of the cliffs and settled onto the meadows that expanded endlessly into the south. But this was not a green world. It was shades of purple from the most gentle of violet to almost black. The grass, more like silk than grass waved in the cool moist breeze. But most exciting to my eyes and mind were the creatures grazing upon the meadow.
They were long and football shaped, with slender tails, fanned at the end, long necks, and huge heads after the fashion of Rhinos but considerably wider with mammoth like fur.
Most intriguing about them was, they had no legs. They floated on the air like balloons filled with helium and they controlled their movements forward and back with their tails and up and down with…well…I guess it could be called ballast.
These creatures had a vague adaptation of image transference. That is to say they could identify their species as Mulgan and that they had no other ambition than to graze and reproduce, which was accomplished by gender transition. For most of their lives they are male but changed to female for five years at the age of 75 in order to produce. They would remain in this state while they birthed and nurtured the next generation. Then they died, all perishing at once. I could only see about 30 but across the meadows there were other herds numbering 3000 total. The whole concept of their cycle was incredible, and nothing hunted them.
My journey seemed to that point always take me south and whenever I considered diverting to east or west Luther would dissuade me from doing so. When I argued he would reply, “You can explore those directions another time. For now, stay focused, we are still in search of my kin.” And so on to the south I continued.
The meadow lands seemed to stretch on forever at first and I encountered a ton of small creatures scurrying through the long grass. Most of them scattered at my approach but there was one that stood its ground until I decided to give it a wide girth. It was a translucent beast that reminded me of nothing I had ever seen on earth with the possible exception of a neon dust bunny.
In the middle of the day the horizon grew bit by bit into a tree line. As I drew nearer to it I realized the trees were the border of a forest and not one of the trees had green leaves. Luther called them Silver Raks, a tree of Douglas Fir proportions sharing its limbs with both coniferous and deciduous foliage. When I arrived in the late afternoon I decided to make camp choosing not to delve into the forest in the dark. One never knows the terrain of a forest or what manner of beast you might encounter, no matter what planet you are on.
I cleared a small area on the edge of the forest, constructed a stone fire circle and built a small warming camp fire for it was cool there once the sun set. For the first time in ages I felt a little displaced and home-sick. Not that I wanted at this point to return to earth but I missed sitting around the campfire with friends singing old folkish campfire songs. Then as I nestled into the warm of the fire I began to hum a tune and the words soon followed. “Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda.” I only got in a few bars when Luther cried out. “Stop that infernal noise.”
The forest had sounds. Some were intriguing, there were a few that were quite delightful and of course as all forests do there were some that were a little un-nerving, but nothing encroached upon my camp.
When first light came I rendered the fire inactive and safe then took my first step into an amazing world of sites, scenes, and adventure beneath the canopy of multi coloured broad-leaves and pink, blue and yellow coniferous needles. The hue of the forest floor was an odd experience of brightness and at time, depending on the angle I viewed it the array of colours was somewhat kaleidoscopic, confusing at times but delightful at others and eventually my vision adjusted to the variations.
One must remember, a forest is a forest and every forest has its version of under-growth and this one was no different. In fact, the under-growth here, though differing from earth somewhat had its similarities, such as bushed with sharp needles and bramble like clots that seemed almost to grow up around and ensnare you. Several times I escaped only because I was able to levitate myself out of the snare.
And of course, there was the wild life, a mix of delights and horrors but there was one in particular that caused me severe heart palpitations, and a situation I narrowly escaped., a story I must save until next letter since my time on this transmission wave nears its end.
So, my dearest Silver Elf I must sign off, but I assure you I will transmit again in a day or two now that I am settle for a while and have time to spare.
I must tell you that there are many changes occurring within me and of late I have felt something expanding is happening. Why just the other night I saw earth, as big as one would see it from its moon. At first I thought it was just a dream or hallucination but then I realized my vision has changed and I can see far into the galaxy as though viewing it through a telescope of enormous proportions.
Be Well
Draven Dash
LETTER TEN
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
As forests go this one started out to be just another forest, despite its incredible colour array and for the first day I thought it was going to be a dull experience.
Not.
The truth is I came upon a place that totally astonished me because it was the only thing on this world that reminded me of a direct resemblance to earth.
I was walking along mindless of my surroundings, wondering if these letters I send are actually reaching earth when something clipped me on the shoulder. I looked up abruptly and saw there in the trees, tree houses, just like the kind we built as kids only much better and somewhat more elaborate.
I swear my dear. The people inhabiting these magnificent hanging abodes had the most beautiful silver eyes and hair the colour of our moon. Their skin was silver-blue though some were spotted down the spine.
They wore single piece garment made of a green and grey mottled material and there was definitely a gender difference. What got me was their ease at my appearance. It was like they knew what I was, but they were still curious and as I entered their domain they gathered round me chattering excitedly in their music voices.
As it turned out, after a few moments of being examined I began receiving thought images and it was not exactly me they were interested in. It was the symbiotic union between Luther and me.
These wonderful beings were not elves. I don’t recall elves ever being described as having wings, which these people had, though well hidden when not in use. In all the time I spent with my new friends I only saw them use their wings once and that was for a ritual dance they performed for me, well, more for Luther I think. But they did not entirely ignore ‘Luther’s Host and honoured me by treating me with respect and kindness but letting me know I was an alien in their world and welcomed only because a llil had befriended me, which was good enough for me.
As you may have noticed I have not named my new friends. That is because it is very long and impossible to transcribe into reading material and anything shorter would be an act of unforgivable disrespect.
These wonderful people did not eat, in any way we humans would consider eating. If there is any correlating analogy I would say they nourished themselves in a like manner to humming birds. I noticed that they never fed together and disliked being observed when they did. I asked Luther about this, but he chose not to answer. So, I let it go.
I spent three days among these strange and intriguing people then continued on my way. The visit was mostly for Luther’s benefit.
It seems the further south I travelled the more I transformed. Though I am still shaped like any other human being I am become more liquid. I can only explain it in an abstract manner. Imagine if you will those a lava lamp with a shell that holds its shape but with an interior that is ever in motion and changing shape and never seeming to gather in the same configuration twice. My skin is now nearly transparent and my innards, when not fully clothed can be seen clearly, though as I said, continuously changing shape. My brain does not seem to have been effected…. yet.
I am beginning to seriously wonder what is to become of me and Luther seems to know no more than me. However, he has indicated that he too is changing and has more of a sense of me, himself, and us and how we are all becoming one in the same. I know I am sounding a little obsessive about this matter, but I think Silver Elf you can understand; at least I hope you can.
By the way, I was looking at the night sky last evening and I saw earth and for a very brief spark of a thought I am sure I saw you. Everything about me is expanding.
I have come to the edge of the forest. What I am about to describe is going to sound impossible unless you can completely open your mind.
As I stepped from the canopy of the forest I found myself standing on a platform of pure light roughly in the shape of an observation deck on a ship only instead of looking out at the sea I could see our entire galaxy in a holographic image and if I concentrated I could focus on any point of light expand it and delight in what I found and believe me what I have seen is beyond any description I can make you understand.
“We must go on.” Luther urged so I stepped off the platform half expecting to fall but my foot landed on something solid and before me expanded a scape of monolithic stones planted it seemed in freshly manicure lawns with flower gardens at the base of each monolith.
My heart raced with anticipation. What wondrous place was I entering now? This world is….
The monoliths, I discovered as I drew closer to them had etching on each one, not dissimilar to hieroglyphs. I found myself wishing I could read them, and it seems they are beyond Luther’s ken as well. I have decided to take some time to try and make sense of the etchings, because I did recognize one. Infinity.
I forgot to mention. There are hundreds of these stones. All about ten feet in height and obelisk shaped.
Is the sign for infinite universal or at least galactic?
Sorry. I find myself rambling and it is getting more difficult to keep focused on these communiqués. Also, I find creating them is becoming more of a challenge with each one. Using words to form sentences and paragraphs and chapters seems so small a way to communicate. By small I mean inefficient when my entire experience here could have been communicated in a single thought. Humans have a long way to travel before truly becoming enlightened. I am not sure they ever will. I wonder if my journey to enlightenment a fast forward to what humanity is will accomplish over the eons ahead.
I must go now. I am ensnared by these monoliths and the more I become embroiled in them the more I seem to understand and the further I become distanced from my humanity. I think I am no longer human, but I do not know what I have become. At times, my body seems to deform. I appeared once to myself as an amoeba and it made sense.
I do not know how much longer I can continue our correspondence especially not knowing for certain that I am actually reaching you. This all seems so insignificant, so small, and minute.
But I shall attempt to continue. For your sake and I suppose for mankind’s sake.
Til Next Time Draven.
LETTER ELEVEN
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf.
By the time you get this communiqué I will have experienced many more changes in my mind and body. I do not know what I am becoming but I am no longer completely human, yet I still retain a human shape most of the time. Oft times I transform into shapeless blobs that remind me of the globs in a lava lamp. Do you remember lava lamps. Why would such a useless ridiculous item of humanity flood my mid. That’s all I can see in my mind.
Ah. Gone now.
I have learned the meaning of the monoliths and it is utterly astonishing what I have learned. It is not something I would even dare share with humanity. All I will say is that we got it all wrong, we meaning the modern version of humanity. A few of our most ancient ancestors had at least an inkling of the truth but even they were a little off course.
I am still in my mother galaxy, which gives me a sense of still belonging somewhere. I discovered what became of those little flying creatures I have been chasing. My only consideration in telling you is, would mankind believe what I have learned so all I will say is in a vague sense of the understanding, there is a spirit world from which we come and to where we return. But I beg of you. Do not take that as the answer to all out spiritual solutions. This idea is but one facet of an enormous…infinite crystal effect.
There is no longer a distinct division between Luther and myself, physically, though our thoughts have not completely merged in the sense that we are one. However, his and my thoughts intermingle and combine. I think though if I were to stop clinging to a need to communicate with you Silver Elf, these two minds would soon merge into one. But as things are I still have a need to tell you things.
I have read all the monoliths and my understanding of the galaxy, its connection to other galaxies and to the universe, the multi-verse, nano-verse, and the concept of infinity which in the end are all the same, existing all at once but there is an end to infinity. Infinity is only for the limited minds of corporeal beings. Somewhere out there exists another infinite reality, a reality within a reality with in…..
My mind aches. I fear this limited organ will burst with insanity if I force it not to expand beyond what it is. If I do that I do not know if I can communicate with you anymore.
I have, as I alluded to, come to the end of the monoliths where I have discovered yet another expanse, one I can only describe as a kaleidoscope approached by a rainbow bridge. Rising out of the plane of the kaleidoscope I see a mountain that with a certain twist of the eye could appear as a castle. It is there that I/we are making for next. Luther is excited and seems to understand something about it. He calls it Agranora, a place of pure existence. Maybe there we will find ourselves one. But he says also, the light tricks on our eyes and this castle, this Agranora is yet far off.
We must cross the bridge first and according to my symbiont many adventures await us. For now, we are lingering among the monoliths though I do not know why. Luther seems to be waiting for something. As for me I am experiencing my last days on earth as an observer. I am being shown the truth. So now I can tell you what actually happen that caused me to be sent to the stars, a convicted killer.
It would be funny if it had not been so horrifying at the time and in this state of my existence it manifests itself as being absolutely ridiculous.
The fact is. I did kill that man. Not by choice but in an effort to defend myself. All I did was push him to the side to divert the trajectory of the bullet he was shooting at me. The gun flew in one direction and he in another, straight over the rail of the bridge into the ice bound water of the river below. He crashed through the ice. A shard of the ice went straight through his heart then melted but the coroner decided it was a knife wound.
Thus, the charge of murder. By the way. I was being mugged for the grand sum of twelve dollars in my wallet. And all I was doing was going for a pleasant walk in a light snow fall on a calm dreamy night.
Anyway, that is history, funny, ugly, or horrifying, chose for yourself. The point is, it is done and cannot be reversed and at this stage I really would not want a reversal. This time in my existence is something that belongs to me and that I doubt any other human being has witnessed. I would, nor could ever experience anything on earth or as a completely corporeal being. I think maybe a very few have experienced a vague version of this by being able to truly capture the essence of transcendental meditation or the lower form of that being the ability to astral travel which is a in truth only a local phenomenon that can expand only the limits of human imagination which in itself is limited, not by nature but by suppression.
I am afraid my dearest Silver Elf I must end this communiqué a little early. Something incredible is happening to me which is yet beyond explanation. If I am still capable I will send along at least one more letter to describe the journey over the rainbow bridge.
If I am not capable please remember that humanity is but a stopover for the spirit that exists within your physical being and death seems to be nothing more than a state of transition that is unique to humans or at least to mortal beings.
Draven/Luther/?
LETTER TWELVE
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
We have just retired from the plane of monoliths and have stepped foot upon the rainbow bridge that approaches the Kaleidoscope fields. We can no longer see the distant mountain palace but in our path to each side of the glowing stone work of the bridge I spy many towers and steeples. I can only imagine what lies ahead but there is something more immediate that is transfiguring.
It is, or seems to me, the most simple and natural thing, but I think to the uninspired human imagination it would prove impossible to understand. Thus, I shall describe it in the most simple form I can manage.
It has everything to do with the amalgamation of sight, mind and thought. What that means is they are occur together as one which opens an entirely different scope of perception. All that exists is real, but on a different scale of reality, like a ghost caught in the mundane world I should think.
But like I said, this simplest of essays to describe what my mind is expanding to is a mere fraction of the reality. I can see the entire galaxy in a glance or focus on a single stone in the bridge and it all manifests in three dimensional images. But in saying that, my mind is no longer a confined organ inside the scull of a mortal man, human man.
I am not, yet I am, Draven Dash. I am also Luther, but I am not. And we are both yet neither like an egg white and the yellow yoke mixed and blended, still individuals yet one. As I said it is very complicated and I have explained it in so simple a form it has lost much of its intent and intensity.
As I/we stepped on to the bridge there was a great display of light over the bridge and kaleidoscope field similar to the aurora borealis but infinitely more spectacular and brilliant and the colours reach far beyond the spectrum of the human eye. How inefficient the human eye is compared to the eye of the mind.
My body, though still with some semblance of human shape has become translucent and I am most certain in not too long a time I will become but a swirl of colour that I can control, and I believe I will be able, at some time in the future be able to change my shape. I also believe that time and distance and space will mean little to me, existing in a field of, oh my what word would you understand, ah yes, a fold in existence and a warp field with the ability to be everywhere at once.
How small our human bodies are, and the limit of our mortal existence is barely worth mention in the vastness of this endless…dare I call it, endless true concept of infinite.
Beyond all that there is the consciousness that beyond even my expanded mind that speaks, to the whole of existence that even I have yet the ability to understand. Yet I do know that this galaxy has its independent consciousness, and the universe it floats in has another and the universe is part of something far, far bigger than itself and it alone, for the moment can understand the voice, the silent voice of a far greater entity.
But how can I expect you my dear Silver Elf to understand any of this when even I with an enlightened knowledge can only grasp it like a new born grasps the words of the mother.
Sound is an interesting phenomenon and more difficult to explain than mind-imaging. In a sense, sound does not exist, or if it starts out as sound it is rendered through what one might describe as an audio inverter, roughly explained by suggesting the transitionary device to change ac to dc current. How crude I have described this, but the actual explanation is beyond the limited human brain. Yet having said that the human mind is capable of such expansion once it is released from the confines of the human brain/scull.
Imagine if you can the sound of a bell as an image. Alas, I am sure you are struggling with the concept so I will not press on with such matters.
I must here correct the matter of The Rainbow Bridge. Though it is an arc, it is both massive and minute, broad and narrow, visible, and invisible and most of all it is not of a singular nature. Sometimes I can see the stone road and the cottages, castles, spires, and towers. At another angle I see swirls and shards of multi-coloured lightning and then I can see creatures of such shapes and sizes even my expanded, enlightened mind is mystified. I cannot imagine what my human sight would have seen or how my mortal mind would have perceive such entities.
That all said it remains a bridge of endless colour and hue and brightness. Luther is lost in a state of awe, which effects me since our minds are no longer complete individual and are approaching complete union.
We are waiting for a time before moving forward so that our minds have time to complete the union. Being even slightly misaligned cause a blurring effect. It will also help in understanding the nature of this magnificent strangest of all worlds. When we are one I will then understand what Luther meant when he said the mountain castle we spy in the greatest distant of our minds eye is farther away than we can imagine. I will also be prepared for the adventures that apparently await us as we venture over this most peculiar rainbow bridge.
Most interestingly I no longer need food. I am sustained much like a battery charged by a solar panel. I can feel the energy entering my being and when it is sustain it ceases.
Well my dearest Silver Elf. This will be my last communiqué until we cross over the bridge. If and when I contact you again I am most certain it will be in a much different mode than this limited electronic devices. I doubt I will even be capable of using this archaic thing.
So, for now I bid you ado and can say only, watch for me in ways that only your imagination can conceive.
Draven Dash/Luther.
DEAR EARTH
THE DRAVEN DASH LETTERS
VOLUME 2
THE 13TH CONTINUUM
LETTER ONE
DEAR EARTH
My Dearest Silver Elf
I have no idea how long it has been since last I communicated with you. My transmissions will be of a less technological method. I am now capable of communicating directly with your computer, however crude it might be. Thoughttrans is also instantaneous so I can transmit at any time, even without interruption if I am not otherwise thoughtfully engaged.
I must apologize for my description of what lay ahead of Luther and I. I called it a bridge, which was how I saw it through my entirely human eyes. The truth is it was a thing as I can only describe as a white hole.
I thought of course I was stepping onto a bridge when I took that first step but quickly discovered that it was hole made of white nothingness until it expanded into an otherworldly expanse/dimension where I think humans were not entirely considered in its construction though there were some things conducent to human requirement simply by chance. Nothing I saw that was alive and seemingly intelligent reminded me of anything on earth real or imagined save maybe microscopic creatures magnified a million or so times. Even then the resemblance was vague.
The other quandary to consider is time and distance. I am not sure how much time has lapsed since I took that first step and Luther has no suggestions to offer. Also, for all either of us knows we aren’t even in earth’s universe anymore, but Luther has a sense that we may have entered the centre of our galaxy which is possible I suppose but I always thought that was a black hole.
I have called this place the 13th Continuum. Someday I may try and explain why but for now I shall defer to relating my experiences here.
I must suggest strongly that you open your mind wide because there are aspects of my adventures here that are beyond bizarre.
Like I explained, there is no such thing as a human here, not even me, nor have I taken on Luther’s sluggish appearance, or even a combination of both. The closest I can come to describing my appearance would be to suggest you imagine a varying translucent ink blotch that takes whatever form is necessary at any given moment. This may sound as if I have gone over the edge and that might be a correct analogy. I have gone over the edge of human realities.
Our first encounter in this oddity of existence was with a Glunff, a highly intelligent creature with a physical appearance that might be a small version of a pulsar. We soared across space together for some time, a pulsar, and an ink blotch in the form if a twelve legged spider. As we conversed I discovered that though the Glunff was highly intelligent and amazingly enlightened, it was a child. Human’s concept of time does not work out here by the way. My internal ticker wound down long before we came through the white hole.
Glunff is it’s species and its name. They do not need individual names. They identify each other by their electromagnetic signature. It seems all creatures do so here, including Luther and myself.
It is a funny thing existing without breathing or having a solid form and ingesting energy for sustenance or needing a place of residence. Though there are some who live in cities and are surface bound, but I have not seen a single round planet. Most habitat bodies are more like huge asteroids. But like I said you don’t need air to breath in this realm. The cities are odd things mostly just carved into the rock and the surfacers, though intelligent are more like ants building colonies though they don’t look like ants. I cannot think of any earthy thing to compare then too except a biological version of an old steam shovel. They have squarish bodies held up by a dozen legs shaped like alligator legs They have long necks that come to wide powerful jaws that chew away at the rock which the devour. And they sing while they burrow out their cities, part of which is made from the rock they devour then drop out their back end which id soft and pliable for a short time during which time builders mould it into walls.
There are seven suns in this realm. Most are red dwarfs but there is a blue on and a pink one. This makes for a super highway system of solar winds which most space dwellers make use of to travel about. They can move about without the wind of course, like fish in the water but the wind is much faster. But the curious thing about this is, they never seem to have a reason for going from one place to another. They just go, and I have fallen into the habit though at least I do a great deal of observing.
Luther finds the whole thing completely pointless and has issued a desire to move on. Unfortunately, I have not seen anywhere to move on to.
It seems that no matter where one goes in the galaxy, universe or multi-verse conflict always plays a part. That of course lends to the unfortunate reality that intelligence does not equal enlightenment. Not long ago I heard that three species were about to engage in a territorial war which is really stupid because there are no real borders to fight over.
I have no desire to get involved and have chosen to embark on a new solar wind direction veering away from the conflict. I think if mankind ever gets out here they will fit in perfectly. Nonsenses seems to be a universal affliction.
I saw an eddy that reminded me of a microscopic view of a blood stream. This has made me venture into a whole new realm of contemplation, which I will speak of in my next communication.
Until then I bid you Be Well Silver Elf.
LETTER TWO
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
Out here in this state of existence I can feel the universe or maybe it is better said I can feel something universal. There is a connection in this streaming place that is not as infinite as we are led to believe. In fact, though there may be other facets or universes this one seems to have boundaries though I can only sense a confining…vibration.
I will someday find the edge but in the meantime I have designated myself as an explorer in a strange and intriguing space. I may be experiencing what an ant feels like scratching out a life on earth. I wonder if the ant is aware of the eminences of its world.
I must tell you Silver Elf that I feel you in this manner of communication and have just realized I am reaching into more than your device but into your mind as well. I will try to keep this intrusion to a minimum since I am sure it must be disturbing for to your mundane humanness.
I, we, I am never sure how I should refer to the symbiotic union of Luther and I. We are indeed one in many aspects. What effects one effects the other. Yet we remain of two minds but working in unison. Luther tries to explain it but as yet my still ever present human smallness cannot comprehend. Maybe as we go on I will become enlightened in this matter.
We have come upon a curiosity that is perplexing to us both, but we are examining it from separate perspectives.
It is a solid entity of enormous proportions at least ten times that of my ink blob self. It is triangular with long waving tendrils on two of its points and a small, independent triangle on the third. Since it moved in the direction of the smaller triangle I have assumed that was the front of the creature a point and the only point Luther and I agreed on.
To me it was translucent and what appeared to be organs were visible while Luther believed it was opaque and that which I believed to be organs were to him markings. How could we both be right…or wrong. Illusions.
It travelled for a time in the direction in which the smaller triangle pointed. Then it reversed and followed its own path back, exactly the same distance. Then it spun several times stopping so that the small triangle was pointing in the opposite direction and then just hovered there, waving in the solar wind.
Suddenly it shot off in the direction of the small triangle which opened up like a whales mouth and consumed a cluster of small asteroids.
When it finished ingesting the rocky meal it began to glow and expand until it blew into a thousand fragment, fragments that had triangular bodies, a smaller triangular head and two wiggling tendrils at the back.
Then the most frightening thing occurred. The offspring turned on their regenerator and devoured it. The Mother did nothing to defend itself. When the mother was devoured the sibling, creatures turned on one another and devoured each other until there remained only one. The survivor grew to the size of its progenerator then the entire sequence started all over again.
As I have alluded to, time is a nonthing so I cannot tell you it took minutes, hours or days for the creature coursed through its cycle. And to be honest it doesn’t matter out here.
We moved on toward a red globe from which shards of blue, green, and white lightning shot out from its equatorial region. The shards travelled but a short distance before expanding into a ball of fire and dissipating. Seconds later we were struck by a shock wave that sent us looping across the void into a completely new region of space. Dead space where it seemed we were the only, rather, I was the only object. But it was not a nothingness. There was a vibration that tickled my ink blotch shape and made me feel like I needed to urinate, but this body did not seem to have any device to do so. More importantly it caused Luther to cry out. It was a startled cry.
“What?” I asked.
“We are inside something. Something huge and it is not happy. I sense its discomfort. It sent me a message that startled me because it was saw loud and raw with anger.”
“Can you communicate? Can you tell it we didn’t come here by our own volition?” I asked anxiously as the uncomfortable sensation was beginning to make me feel like I was going to explode.
“Yes. I can communicate with it. Just give me a moment.”
A moment Luther said. It was the first indication of time I had come across in this oddity of space. But the moment seemed endless until it was over then it seemed like no time had passed at all.
Then suddenly the vibration stopped, and I instantly felt normal, as in I no longer felt like I was going to explode or need to take a leak.
Once again we were embraced by seemingly empty space. Luther said in a thoughtful but unrevealing comment. “We should leave. Go in any direction you choose but leave here as quickly as possible.” He refused to give me further explanation and fell silent until I changed the subject. Which I did but only with great reluctance and then only when another intrigue over shadowed it.
I know I harp a little on this, but time is a thing that exists here only in a vague memory tucked away in the back of my mind. So, we travelled until we came to what turned out to be the border of the empty space, a thin membrane like substance that gave easily to our passing through but gave us a jolt that left me bebaffled. I know bebaffled is not a word, but I take license to make words up as I require them to describe things I have no other description for.
The world of stars opened before me/us as we emerged from that empty region of space I will refer to again later which I have dubbed a conscience of empty vibration.
A short distance away I spied something familiar and quickly made my way toward it. An object that, like myself, did not seem to belong here and most curiously appeared to share something with me. A place of origin.
I will tell you all about it in my next communiqué. Until then my dearest Silver Elf I bid you farewell.
PS. I can’t help but wonder if you are there or merely a figment of my hope that you are. If ever you find a way to respond please do so. I would hate to think my letters are being devoured by empty space or just become a part of the noise of the universe/ multi-verse or whatever this place of existence is.
TTFN
LETTER THREE
My Dearest Silver Elf.
I must admit I wish I knew your real name. These letters would seem so much more real and dare I say, intimate. But it is what it is and so I must endure what I have rather than have nothing at all.
As I mentioned in my previous letter, such as these are letters…I spied something in this strange reach of space that was familiar, though archaic even for earth. I suspect it came through the same wormhole I did, even before me experience.
It was launched September 5th, 1977. Now here it is, a hundred years later way out here in the 13th Continuum looking none the worse for wear but non functional. I decided to take a closer look but as I drew nearer I was hit with something I can only describe as a repel force. It knocked me back several kilometers.
Luther was unconscious which meant for the first time in…well…what seems like forever I was on my own, alone. It was frightening. More than that I could feel his essence losing grip and my human self was beginning to reform. I realized it was Luther who made it possible for me to exist out here and who maintained the form I was in. I felt that if I became completely human I would die.
My legs, though still translucent began to form before Luther regained consciousness and I returned wholly to my ink blotch form. It seems he is no worse for wear from his experience though he says the shock wave seemed to have a consciousness. But when I tried to get him to explain it more he simply said. “Just a vague consciousness but far greater than anything I have encountered. It seems to want control of the device.”
The device. I believe it is/was Voyager 1 that disappeared about 2055. I suspect that’s when it went through the worm hole. It causes me to wonder if Voyager 2 is out here somewhere as well. But what would a greater consciousness want with a 20th century low tech device.
I tried again to approach the device, slowly. This time it did not trash me with a shock wave but moved away at the same rate of speed I approached it.
Quite suddenly and forcefully Luther told me to back off or something terrible would happen. The consciousness was showing distress to the intrusion. I told Luther to try and communicate with the consciousness and a second later my mind was filled with such a chaos I thought I would go insane.
Luther stepped in and created a buffer and that set me on a journey of the mind so incredible I was in awe.
The consciousness was that of the void which turns out not to be a void after all. It is a living thing and was preparing to procreate. I tried to trans-thought my question concerning Voyager 1 but at first there was no response. Then much to my alarm the creature I inhabited announced it was using the device to locate Earth. I wasn’t getting any malicious notions from the creature but something of that size could destroy earth in a nano second.
Fortunately, the consciousness let it be known that it had not discovered earth’s location and was losing interest. Then we were dismissed and had no further contact with the creature. And oddly it was not long until we came to an aperture that would allow us to leave the unvoid. And we did. Quickly.
We drifted away from the entity at speeds that staggered my mind and soon we could see the whole of it. It appeared to be a cell of some sort with a translucent outer layer and a gelatin mass within filled with countless anomalies some of which were dark, others light and of variable colours and some which glittered like stars. I am certain human scientists could spend a life time researching the creature, as long as they did not get too close. It is intelligent in an instinctive way endowed with a higher intelligence as well, possibly beyond any human capacity.
And so, we drifted until I managed to find a stream of transient energy and literally went with the flow. Oh yes. My form though still inkish turned an odd shade of blue and I discovered I could change my shape voluntarily. So, I did and transformed myself into a great blue dragon.
If I may I should like to divert from my sojourn as a space faring gypsy and speak of my initial experience soaring about in the shape of a dragon, a form I have decided to keep for some time.
Having chosen this configuration, I soon discovered I do not require an energy stream to travel. I am able to create my own stream with my wings and it is incredible, more so at first because I was able to turn and loop and roll and with a little practice, fly backward. There was a moment that I totally understood Richard Bach’s, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. In another moment I could feel the sensation of water flight through the mind of a Manta Ray.
For the first time since our union I have felt a sense of joy in Luther that has never quite surfaced openly. He is by all description, reserved.
In my dragon form I have reached a velocity that caused the stars to trail like a pin light in the dark. It is my understanding that this indicates faster than light velocity. I managed that speed for several minutes without tiring. I will take another test flight into the FTLS another time but right now I have come along something quite interesting. It seems I have entered into a small system with a sun similar to earths with three exoplanets and each planet has three moons. I must explore for that is what I have ultimately become and through these communiqués with you Silver Elf I have begun recording my discoveries.
I end this letter with a reiteration of my growing desire to hear from you and to say again I feel a certain intimacy growing between us. I hope it is not one sided.
I am excited to explore this new system and cannot wait to share what I find.
Until next letter.
Draven Dash, Dragon Extraordinaire.
LETTER FOUR
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
Oh, how can I begin this ultra-amazing facet of my exploration here in the far reaches of the universe. I suppose I should tell you first that the name of this quaint little solar system is Iyanu. Sorry. No translation available. It is inhabited by three species of creatures all capable of travel among their perspective home worlds. It seems they have developed a loose symbiotic trading relationship and they have become dependent on one another. This keeps conflicts to a minimum though they do occur.
They are all the same distance from their sun which is about 400,000 miles and they are 400,000 miles from each other. Their space ships can travel at about 40,000 miles per hour and I am glad to say they do have a chronemic system much like earth.
In contradiction to their interplanetary travel technology their weapons are archaic and most used for ceremonial purposes. I suspect that the lack of weapons development comes from their peaceful and civilized arrangement. It helps that they have never developed concepts like money, politic or religion. Imagine a civilization without god or gods and a history that has been accurately recorded. Imagine all three being equal and they were always aware of each other’s existence. They began with space travel and for the sake of clarity they are not indigenous to this system. They came from another system, a binary star that was destroyed by powers unknown. They apparently travelled in three ship to Iyanu and found worlds for each to adapt to, and over the course of q thousand millennia found ways to adapt to each other’s world so that now they all have the same environment. The only thing that really makes them the least bit different is their individual appearances.
They call themselves Iyani despite their physical differences. Iyani Coba, Iyani Araf, and Iyani Dolo.
They share a common group, Insectoid (my word for them). Iyani Coba Are six legged and beetle like. The Araf are Antish and the Dolo are a six legged insect most resembling the earthly walking stick.
The air on each of the planets is the same, too thin for humans but in my ink blotch form I have little need for air since I do not breathe.
I communicate with them in the way everyone out here communicates. Telepathically to phrase it simply but it is a little more complicated than that. I offered them an image of my human self, my ink blotch self and my dragon form and advised them of Luther’s presence. I also explain thoroughly that I was not there to do harm or disrupt their lives. I only wanted to meet them as an explorer.
The response I received was intriguing, a little provocative leaning toward a dare. I am a sucker for a dare.
They invited me in, and my sense of self preservation put images of Hansel and Gretel being invited into the witch’s house. Needless to say, I pondered the invitation for some time and consulted Luther on the matter.
I asked which planet I should visit. For a long time, there was no answer, so I asked again. Luther advised me suddenly to say no more. He was sensing a wave of alarm at my insistence and at his configuration, which if you recall is of an insect nature/slug. They had never seen a Slug type creature. Luther explained he was not an insect, which served only to confuse the Lyani. So, in the end the silence grew longer.
Quite suddenly we were surrounded by Lyani spaceships, three that created a triangle. They quickly created a sphere of energy to enclose or imprison us. And there we lingered for time on end it seemed.
Twice small metallic spherical objects exited the ships, circled around the dragon me the returned. No doubt they were probes. Then the sphere filled with an ear shattering noise which surprised me since we were in open space, but I quickly realized the energy globe had an atmosphere.
Final, grown thin on patience I sent out a message then roared like a dragon and seared the air with a blue/white flame.
The energy globe fell away immediately, and the three ships retreated.
“I will leave if you wish.” I signaled but received no response so I decided to get on my way before curiosity got me in trouble I couldn’t get out of.
As I turned to leave a single mind reached out to me. “Please stay. We need your help. A great enemy comes our way that is too powerful for us to fight and will enslave us.”
So, it was all a test to see what I would be capable of and a dangerous chance for them to take.
“We have technology but not strong enough to withstand an assault from the Mokshak.”
I had to wonder what they expected me to do but I did not ask. I knew the answer. The only thing I had to do is decide if I wanted to sacrifice myself for them.
Fortunately, it never happened. I mean I did not have to put up a fight. Mokshak is singular and though it is large it is not ferocious. In fact, one fire blast from my dragon maw turned it back. I had to wonder why the Lyani feared the beast if they had their energy sphere.
I thought the Lyani would be thankful that I turned their enemy away without a great battle, but it did not turn out that way. They were angry that I did not destroy it and accused me of being in league with the Mokshak. To make matters worse I became more of a threat than their old enemy and they banished me from their space. Part of me wanted to give then a blast of fire but I decided they were too pitiful a creature to harm. But a few weeks later I discovered I was wrong. They weren’t pitiful at all. They were ferocious beasts destroying anything weaker than themselves that happened to get caught in their energy sphere.
I must admit I was tempted to go back and burn them, but I didn’t. I did not want to lower myself to their barbarism, but I did put out a thought wave for all travelers to avoid that region of space.
And so, I moved on to explore the deeper regions of the 13 Continuum and my next adventure was much more enlightening and pleasant. I even got to be my human self for a while.
Til My next letter Silver Elf. Be well.
LETTER FIVE
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
I must say my dear Silver Elf that when I was first given the option of being mankind’s guinea-pig space explorer I thought of it as a death sentence. Then it became an exile. Now I wish I could thank them for sending me out here, even if they later discovered I was innocent. May there is a force far beyond human ken that guided me along this magnificent path across or is it through or around the universe, if indeed it is but a universe and not a multi-verse.
As things stand now I doubt I would ever choose to go back. Out here I have discovered that my ink blotch is only a base from which, with just a thought I can transform into any shape I wish.
A short while ago I manipulated the blotch into a Bald Eagle and soared over mountain ranges of a gypsy planet that leapfrogs from one sun to another in a huge circuit around the Verse. That is what I call all space now. The Verse and this is the 13th Continuum.
I have come to realize there could be dozens, thousands, or an infinite number of continuums within an infinite number of spacial expanses. Even in current state of existence, unless I am immortal I will never be able to explore all, but I will see more of it than any human will…ever.
But for the moment I would like to tell you of one very special place that is so much like earth it was like being home, with one exception. It was not inhabited by humans though I did for my time there chose to take human form to walk among the indigenous people of Jan Hax.
The people of Jan Hax are beyond the concept of beautiful, which is a state I have no word for other than awesome.
Imagine if you can a Portuguese Man o War with wings like a humming bird floating in mid water with the sunlight reaching into the depths creating a halo about the head.
They are a gentle creature that feed like bees, or humming birds with long tubes extending from somewhere under their domes and the sing in a way that sounds like Celtic harps and when they sing together it is beyond perfection. What makes their singing most exciting is they can bring on rain or sunshine, storms, and such calms it makes one wonder if there is anything more soothing in the Verse. I certainly could not name a sing thing better.
Three times a day groups gather to address the sun, at sun rise, mid day and at sunset when they sing again but with an entirely different tone and more like Alphen horns rather than harps. The very best of our music makers could learn a great deal from these magnificent creatures. All humans could gain so much just by listening.
I descended into this world as a dragon but when I landed, I felt such a need to feel human again, at least for a while so I changed my form to what it was on earth.
They call themselves Yahshini. When my form changed from dragon to human they looked upon me in awe as I did when I saw them. We met in thought images and I told them of my journey, and they wondered at me and of the world beyond their scope but gave no indication that they wished to explore beyond the confines of their planet. I found the content for their own world refreshing and could not help contemplate why humans are never content with their own world.
Something odd happened to me as I marveled at the Yahshini. I no longer considered myself human, at least not completely and while I was in human form I actually felt uncomfortable. But I remained that way so my hosts could examine the physical attributes of a bipedal creature with such limited means of locomotion.
I breathed. I walked. I ran. I swam. I ate fruit that looked like oranges but tasted like nothing I had tasted before, and it invigorated me. Though I was enjoying the moment I soon began wishing for my ink blotch or eagle and especially the dragon so as soon as the Yahshini were finished examining my human form I quick transformed into a great blue dragon again which astonished my hosts. Not the dragon, the transformation and suddenly I was of even greater interest to them. I think though they were a little afraid of the dragon, especially when I blew fire and roared, so I limited those aspects to once each and the Yahshini were pleased.
I still marvel at the common communication that I have found out here. Thoughts do not have borders of understanding though some visions take some getting used to.
Jan Hax, as I alluded to earlier, is much like earth with its land masses and seas, ice cap poles and deserts, vast forests, and an abundance of wild life I would need an entire month to describe but I shall say only that none of the creatures I have seen look earthly and some make our most ferocious beasts look tame. The Yahshini avoid many of them because, well, food is food for some.
Yahshini people live in the open and do not seek shelter from the rain. In fact, they need the rain, especially the natural rains.
One of the most amazing things about them is their joy at being struck by lightning. I was not aware of their ability to defend themselves with electrical charges if they were caught up with a hunting beast. They give the animal a dashing shock, but never once did I see them kill.
I touched one accidently and felt the surge of power. It startled me but did me no harm and I found after that I was able to take their form with all their attributes. In doing so I decided to live among them for a time and really discover who they are. In the end I remained in the Yahshini form for two hundred sun cycles. How long that is in human terms is not calculable.
And now my dearest Silver Elf I shall sign off for at this moment I am weary and would like to rest. Yes. Even in my Ink Blotch form I need rest. All creatures everywhere need rest it seems, though most do not seem to spend as much time at it as humans. We are so imperfect.
So til next time Be Well.
LETTER SIX
Dear Earth
My Dearest Silver Elf
I have been experimenting with my ability to change form. Whatever form I take on Luther and I keep our minds, but we enjoy all the attributes of that form. So far my favourites are the big blue dragon and the Yahshini forms.
I came to be a bridge again and after a long contemplation and discussion with Luther have determined that we had come to an exit point, so to speak, out of the 13th continuum. This gave me cause for concern. I was not ready to give up my ability to transform myself into whatever I chose to be, especially the dragon because that creature was able to cross vast reaches of space very fast.
After some time, I decide to test the bridge and see what would happen. It was an absolutely incredible experience the moment my dragon foot touched the rainbow arch of the bridge. For a moment I could see the expanse of what everything was I had seen or done since leaving earth including being drawn into the centre of the Milkyway Galaxy and sent careening across the scape of the universe and discovering that there are countless galaxies within countless universes, and each had their own signature and configuration. I understood as well that the 13th continuum was not responsible for my transformation into an Ink Blotch. It is the natural evolution of the journey I am on and that this change is but one of many if I continue into the scape of exploration. I also sensed again a greater consciousness that still I am unable to connect but have come to believe I shall one day evolve enough to comprehend what or who it is.
When things settled down I understood what I was seeing, rather, I understood where I was. I shall call it The Nexus. I fathomed it was like being on the interior of a crystal with uncountable facets looking out and each facet representing a world. Luther had his own version of what we were experiencing but essential it all came to one focus. We were in the centre of something too vast for our infant minds to comprehend. We also agree that we should set out to begin exploring each facet. But we did not set out immediately for there was a point of focus in what seemed to be the centre of the Nexus. I opened my wings and set off toward it and though I endeavoured to achieve great speed the journey went on for a time upon another time. I put it that way because; though I had some concept of time within myself, the vaster perception of time was still beyond our comprehension. A minute could seem like a day, a day could be but a minute or forever.
At last the object that drew me in began to expand. It was erratic in shape and changed continuously. The colour varied as well though remained in the blue and red spectrums and sometimes it sparkled as though there were stars within it.
I anticipated something huge as I drew near and for a moment it was, but then it seemed to collapse and form into something equal to my dragon size and as I came close upon it became a mirror image of myself, maybe a doppelganger because it did not mimic my movements.
And then we hovered in the vast openness of the Nexus, studying one another until at last my Doppel spoke in a voice unique to itself.
“Earthman. Why are you here? It is much too soon for your kind to come exploring Aukra.”
“It’s a long story.” I replied realizing in the moment that I had a voice and I was speaking in my earthly language. Where is Aukra?”
“It is here and there and everywhere that the mind can reach.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Aukra.”
Oddly, I got it.
“Are you all there is?” I asked.
“No. I am but one part of all that is.” Aukra responded in a tone that suggested he or she or it could not comprehend why I would ask such a question, so I defined myself.
I/humans even in the billions on our world are small, molecular compared to the Aukra and have no concept of anything beyond our tiny sphere of existence.”
Aukra nodded but said nothing as he digested the information.
Suddenly we were human sitting in a Victorian era, personal library in to wing backed chairs sipping brandy and smoking cigars. It was utterly insane, and I was beginning now to question my sanity until Aukra said, “Even the All is not infinite for it exist within another expanse greater than the sum total of everything connected to this place you have named the Nexus.”
“The Great Consciousness I have experienced that is in itself infinite.” I replied.
“That is as good a perception as any.” Aukra answered but this time with thought transference and we were once again two dragons face to face in the expanse of the Nexus.
“Is it all in the mind?” I asked.
Aukra offered me the equivalent of a shrug and said. “The mind is finite.” A response I did not get then, nor did I get it for a very long time.
I blinked and my Doppelganger condensed into a glimmering orb about the size of softball and there it hovered and would not speak with me again. But as I retreated with the question, “What Now?” on my mind Aukra answered. “Explore the facets of your Nexus Draven Dash. You will come to expand your knowledge of your world, other worlds and even the Aukra in time.”
“But what is time out here?”
“It is All, and it is nothing. It is and it is not. It expands and it cycles and draws in on itself and ever creates its own paradox.”
“Gee thanks. That helps.” I replied sarcastically and I am sure I heard Aukra chuckle.
In the end my dear Silver Elf. I did move forward and began exploring the facets of the Nexus in what I knew now to be the realm of Aukra.
Til next time Be well and look for my thoughts when they come and are least anticipated.
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