A twist of the fabric pulled into a living world, green and ancient. Through churning seas of molten onyx fell the Dream. A potential opened and revealed the Key, tear in hand. But another of twisting change encroached and threatened to merge its reality to an impossible alternative.
Fleeing back into the chaotic tunnel of worlds real and unreal, marking universes with each footprint, destroying planets with a glance, and birthing others with a breath.
A ripping shudder and the Key moved, lurching painfully across the void to a frozen world. And before a web could be spun, it leapt again, further, into a crevice of chance.
Through the keyhole spun the Intent.
The shimmering metal panel illuminated with amber lights. A detection sensor signalled two identical readings. Aphorus squinted at them carefully, noting the frequencies. Laying a hand on the lensing controls, he brought the two quivering lines together.
The wavelengths vibrated violently as the lens forced them closer. Mingling, they became entangled, twisting their realities together. Then they became one. A single reading snapped into being.
"That's it. 8.571," muttered Aphorus to himself, scribbling the final readings down. Suddenly there was a horrible jumping feeling, as though the floor was dropping out from below him. He lost his balance and tumbled to the floor. The smell of welded metal crossed his face.
Looking wildly about, he saw a strange light coming from the Vorticial Synchronotron. Unsteadily he stood, bracing himself on the now red lit panel. Staring at the crescent shaped receptacle, Aphorus suddenly broke into a run. What was once the collision chamber was now nothing but a hole, a gaping hole out of this reality into somewhere else.
"No, no! Divert the power!" screamed Aphorus.
As he reached the machine, holding out a hand to stop himself from crashing into it, he saw a shape emerge from the core of the thing. It was a wiggling tentacled mass, quivering with intent. Small pleasant eyes looked up from that mass, a little mouth of sorts smiled at him. Gazing down at it in shock, he flipped the main interrupt switch.
The dark hole shuddered and screamed shut, pulling the bizarre thing back down into it. In a blink it was gone.
Shaking with fear and relief, Aphorus sunk to the ground, underlining his last reading with difficulty.
"We've done it. We've finally done it."
The sun blazed brightly in the midday sky, yet the winds cut coldly into Joxx's fur. They had flown through the night without rest. Anchent was becoming weary, gliding as often as was possible given the strong currents of the turbulent morning. The land below was speckled with small lakes and sparse forest.
A signal pierced the howl of the wind. Joxx activated his headset, gripping the saddle with his short tentacles while his hands fumbled for the controls. "Yes? What did you find?" yelled Joxx.
"Good afternoon, Joxx. We haven't found any cause for the river disappearance nor the forest appearance," reported Joxx's contact. "However, we have confirmed that the trees are old."
Joxx's tentacles tensed. "Old? They were moved there from someplace else?"
"No, the ground is undisturbed. The root systems are well established. We have no explanation," the contact said.
"How old?" asked Joxx.
"Hundreds of years, some may be a thousand," came the static filled reply.
Only the whine of the wind commented on that communication. Joxx stared ahead, dumbstruck. The comm rattled unsteadily.
"You still there Joxx?"
"Yes," answered Joxx absent-mindedly. "Sorry."
"Are you still going to continue?"
"Obviously," Joxx stated solemnly.
"We wish you safety then. Get back to us soon, Joxx," called the contact, and disconnected with a chirp.
"Pick up the pace Anchent."
The beast sighed and raised its wings, lunging heavily through the sky on into the horizon.
Up into charted realms,
Small gardeners mining.
Escape buried with fallen shell,
Gone with a Blzzzrt.
A klaxon blared loudly on the control panel. The altimeter showed impact was imminent, there was no time to pull up. None of the safety systems were functioning, and the thrusters were disabled. Suddenly, the ejection system activated, and jammed. With an annoyed slap, the pilot silenced the alarm and shut the system down.
"Wow, that's loud," yelled Anieka to herself. She leant down to inspect the ejection system, wrench in hand. "Why didn't you deploy this time, eh? If we weren't already landed I'd have a very sore neck right about now." She whacked a piston beneath the seat which caused it to slowly descend lower into the cockpit.
"Well, at least the altimeter works. Zero meters currently," she noted, examining the control console upside-down.
Grabbing some components from her toolkit, she reached down into the wheel housing, fumbling for an access panel. Another alarm began to sound, chirping insistently.
Raising her eyes over the edge of the vehicle, she noted which meter was issuing the noise. It was the relative temporal monitor. She let out an exasperated sigh.
"I really wish I had built that part myself," she muttered, then ducked her head back behind the tire.
"Would you accept this marvellously fine orange in exchange for your entire kingdom?" asked the Gentleman of the Mushroom.
"No I would not, my dear Sir, for what would I want of an orange when I already have plenty of purple unused?" replied the Mushroom.
"Would you accept this extremely rare blue diamond in exchange for your entire kingdom?" asked the Gentleman of the Mushroom.
"No I would not, my dear Sir, not for a million diamonds of every colour of the rainbow," replied the Mushroom.
"Would you accept this hand crafted statuette made by the last member of the lost Undari Tribe in exchange for your entire kingdom?" asked the Gentleman of the Mushroom.
"No I would not, my dear Sir, as there is no fitting place in all the lands to display such a cultural relic," replied the Mushroom.
"Would you accept this one and only golden dragon egg in exchange for your entire kingdom?" asked the Gentleman of the Mushroom.
"No I would not, my dear Sir, for there are already plenty of sharp pinecones for knights to slay," replied the Mushroom.
"Is there anything I may offer you in exchange for your kingdom?" asked the Gentleman of the Mushroom.
"Nothing," replied the Mushroom.
A spark of cleverness stirred in the man's heart. With a smile he asked once more, "Then would you accept Nothing in exchange for your entire kingdom?"
Thinking carefully, the large Mushroom smirked and answered, "Yes, yes I would my dear Sir." The Gentleman's smile broadened, his heart feeling triumphant.
"I am greatly pleased to conclude this exchange," said the Gentleman with a bow. "I now present you with Nothing."
The Mushroom giggled happily and nodded, accepting it.
"Now, where may I find your kingdom?" inquired the Gentleman.
"It is nowhere," said the Mushroom. "I have no subjects, no dukes, no princesses, nor queen. No castle, no peasants, nor workers to be seen. I am my own kingdom, where I am it is. So a place it is not, but a person it is! For you have given nothing and in exchange gotten me!"
"Look both ways before crossing the street, Wonu!" called a fretting mother.
Smiling, the little rolling snail waved back and set out along the road to the city. It loomed before him like a towering stone. Rows upon rows of mushroom stalks, with countless dozens of others of his people working inside them. The wondrous technology and culture that filled that place always awed him. Excitement stirred in his heart.
Today was an important day for him, as it was his coming of age. He had been looking forward to this day for his entire life, three long years. Finally he would get to learn what it was to be an adult!
He looked up into the sky, full of hope for the future. What great things will tomorrow bring?