Beginning of
CHAPTER ONE
“It may be that the old astrologers had the truth exactly reversed, when they believed that the stars controlled the destinies of men. The time may come when men control the destinies of stars.”
Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
THE HUM
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The sound of Inbetween in nonspace is something more ‘perceived’ than heard. Like tonal notes deep and just out of earshot, felt and translated to every atom. Some describe it like standing on top of a giant machine. Nial, the petite, waiflike Afsa inhabiting the Inbetween at that moment, was in fact, as usual, humming along in its head with the sound, harmonically.
Unlike most Jumpers, Nial found the great mysterious hum familiar and comforting.
It was an occupational hazard for Arisan Galaxian Engineers traveling the Inbetween. Jumpers wrestled with terror, decaying time, no air, no senses, direction null. Only their own heartbeat, and the mysterious “hum” to keep them from suspecting they're dead. For most first year engineers, it was overwhelming and after a few jumps, most opted out of the program.
For Nial it was filled with fond memories of Jumps suspended in its Father’s strong arms, his gentle intelligent soft voice humming harmonics. When Nial was Inbetween it felt nearest its beloved father’s presence.
The slim Afsa shifted incrementally within the field. No big movements in transfer. It prepared for the two minute end “push”.
The last two minutes of suspension were always intense, Everyone, including Nial, had to fight unreasonable panic and terror,another anomaly of Inbetween, those last two minutes evoked strong feelings similar to sensations of drowning or strangling.
Jump Space Mechanics explained it as the pressures of the “movement” of matter suspended, from positive atom push to the negative atom draw. This was used to create a “path” where no path should be. Like threading a “hole” through Nonspace and drawing the person through.
Nial concentrated on the phrases Father had taught it, a mediation to patiently endure the last few minutes of Inbetween.
Unlike most Jumpers, Nial found the great mysterious hum familiar and comforting.
It was an occupational hazard for Arisan Galaxian Engineers traveling the Inbetween. Jumpers wrestled with terror, decaying time, no air, no senses, direction null. Only their own heartbeat, and the mysterious “hum” to keep them from suspecting they're dead. For most first year engineers, it was overwhelming and after a few jumps, most opted out of the program.
For Nial it was filled with fond memories of Jumps suspended in its Father’s strong arms, his gentle intelligent soft voice humming harmonics. When Nial was Inbetween it felt nearest its beloved father’s presence.
The slim Afsa shifted incrementally within the field. No big movements in transfer. It prepared for the two minute end “push”.
The last two minutes of suspension were always intense, Everyone, including Nial, had to fight unreasonable panic and terror,another anomaly of Inbetween, those last two minutes evoked strong feelings similar to sensations of drowning or strangling.
Jump Space Mechanics explained it as the pressures of the “movement” of matter suspended, from positive atom push to the negative atom draw. This was used to create a “path” where no path should be. Like threading a “hole” through Nonspace and drawing the person through.
Nial concentrated on the phrases Father had taught it, a mediation to patiently endure the last few minutes of Inbetween.
“Toh - Meadows of red flowers.”
“Shan - Sunlight on a mountain lake.”
“Che - The face of a loved one bright and true.”
Stop. No. Not Phija’s face, Father’s face. Nial fought the niggling distraction and started again.
“Din - An orange cat stretches in the sun.”
“Pah - A bluebird alights from a branch.”
Then- suddenly, with deity-like prominence; light, and sound from the subspace station interjected itself back into the Afsa’s existence.
Nial started violently shaking as the stasis field passed from Inbetween to subspace.
It occasionally happened, no one knew why. The Afsa was thankful for the ‘cool down’ of subspace to try and quell the reaction prior to materializing on the Jump Station of Terius Four.
It rubbed its arms trying to shake off the ‘shivs’ as it was called.
It rubbed its arms trying to shake off the ‘shivs’ as it was called.
The Jump Station control room and Guardian slowly materialized into view. The Guardian brought the panel slider down and looked up, nodding up at Nial, inspecting.
The Afsa stepped down off the platform, and presented its wrist with the Planar apparatus to the Guardian waiting by the platform, he held a device to open the apparatus, then he removed it from the thin wrist, noting the still shaking hand.
He nodded deeply to the Afsa Ministry officer in respect, and saluted the Ministry salute, an arm sideways across the chest.
"Welcome to Terius Four Dane Nial."
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