The Fire and the Storm - Metric Pro Edition: Fiction, Dragons, Elves, Unicorns, Magic (76 page)

“If our presentation gave you a deeper understanding of us and the way we conduct warfare, then it served its purpose.  And after all, what we’ll be doing in void warfare is the same as what we did in the last war, really.  The primary weapons were Translocation, massive Linking of all our fighters, and concentration of power from the many to the most capable.  That’s what we’ll be doing in the void, the only difference being that we’ll be doing it in vessels.  We have spells that allow us to survive and work and fight in the void without suits or machines or vessels, but it’s not worth it to do that constantly, even for us. 

“Now we’re working on the beginnings of coordinating our efforts.  As I said, we can assist your people with Translocation and Movement of your attack vessels and suit fighters.  We’d also like to work with you on increasing your people’s ability at concentrating your power.  We’d like to see if we can teach you our newer methods of spell-casting, including spells to draw power from others, automated spells, and self-powered spells.  As I said, I understand why you use magic through machines as you do, but we assume that our star provides you with ample raw magic power of the kind your people use.  So as long as you’re here, you might as well take full advantage of it, though that may imply some fairly drastic changes to your methods.

“I’m sure your better magic users are capable of Translocation, Linking, Pull and Draw spells, Movement, Flight, and Shielding, as well as some kinds of purely magical attack.  They may need to learn some of the spells, but I’m sure they’re inherently capable of casting them.  That gets them up to where we were in the last war.

“As to what we’re capable of know, we won’t really know that until the time-bubbles open.  Most of our world’s best researchers and engineers are in them.  The newer techniques that we here use, being more advanced psionics, automated spells, and more intense and advanced training techniques, we developed most of that in the time-bubble.  Including ending death by aging and giving magic use to all our citizens.  Then, when we left the time-bubble and gained access to all the minds and resources out in the world, and began integrating what we’d developed with the outer world, we experienced another sudden and drastic burst of discovery and achievement.  We expect a similar pattern of advancement when all the other time-bubbles open, and of far greater magnitude.

“I’m sure you know that my father has discovered how to become a god, and that he’ll do so after the bubbles open, and give the gift of divinity to many others as well.  And I’m sure you know that we four have gained almost all the abilities of gods, while remaining mortal.  Our new Healing techniques and Work spells are already making a huge difference in our world.  We’re not sure we can teach you these newer techniques, but we’re ready to share them with your leaders, and we hope you’ll be able to utilize them.

“Right now, the three tasks of preparing our world for the war, and of making tactical and strategic plans for it, and of coordinating our plans with you of The Triax, are all vastly complicated by the fact that everything on Kellaran and everything about the Kellarani are all changing faster than ever in our history, and the pace of change is still accelerating.  Our world is only recently united for the first time, it’s being rebuilt as a fortress, and vastly improved new techniques for doing almost everything are being introduced every day.  It’s difficult to make plans when we have almost no idea what we’ll be capable of even two months from now.

“Still, we must begin with a complete exchange of information, reflecting our respective capabilities as they stand now.  We need to know each other’s military structures completely, how many personnel they have, what equipment and capabilities they have, how they’re organized and commanded.  We need to supply each other with every spell and engineering technique that we have.  We’ll have to free up a lot of researchers to go through it all and decide on what each of us can use of the other’s techniques, then we’ll have to integrate it all.

“The area of expertise that your people have that we lack is obviously tactics and strategy in void warfare.  As I’ve said, things will be different in this war because of the new techniques that we’re introducing, so a lot of what you’ve learned of void strategy and tactics might not apply, but the rest of it will be crucial, we’re certain of that.  We know that no new techniques can completely replace the fundamentals of warfare in the void that your people have developed over your millennia of fighting in it.  You’ve shown us what your generals know so well from hard experience that they take it for granted, and it’s very important, but so is what your sergeants know, so to speak.  And since it’s impossible to predict which of the hard-won lessons you’ve learned will be crucial and which will be irrelevant, we recognize the necessity of learning your entire body of knowledge in the subject.

“Our gods have already exchanged much of what they know with yours.  Now it is time for our mortals to do the same.

“This is so much work that we strongly suggest that the majority of it be done in a new round of time-bubbles, beginning a few weeks after the present ones open.

“At the same time, we have to work with what we have now, and what we know now.  Properly preparing our militaries to work together should take a lot longer than we have available to do it, so we have to get started on it now, and modify things as we go along when we introduce new methods that we’ve developed or learned from each other.  Not only are we pressed for time to get as much done as possible before our planned date for attacking the demons, I also think it’s irresponsible to completely disregard the possibility that the demons will find a way to attack us before then.

“This immediate work of exchanging information and beginning military integration will be done tomorrow, at the meeting of The Assembly of The Just Alliance, between your leaders and ours.

“I think we’ve accomplished much of value here today.  Before we bring this meeting to an end, we propose that we try to Link with you.  Our researches show that psionics are fundamentally the same among all races that use them, no matter the source of their power.  After all, we first became aware of you when Zarkog found you far out in the void with the Psionic Distant Listener.  If we can Link with you, we should be able to teach you a great deal of what we know about magic, and learn a great deal of what you know, in a reasonably short time.”

“Among us, only The Transformed, whom you would call gods, use what you would refer to as Linking.” First Mauve interjected.  “Our mortals do use a technique that is functionally similar to your Speaking spell.  It is useful for communication in the void, but of little use for the direct transfer of knowledge and skills that you are suggesting.

“I suggest that you Link with me.  I will teach what I learn to my people.”

“We have found that direct contact between the minds of gods and mortals is almost always harmful to the mortals involved.”
Falgaroth pointed out. 
“From that, it is reasonable to assume that psionic Linking between these mortal minds and yours may also be harmful to them.  The possibility that they will be overwhelmed seems particularly likely considering that you are Triax Goddess of Knowledge, and the third-eldest among your pantheon.”

“Perhaps that is so.” First Mauve agreed.  “But we of the Transformed often share thoughts quite deeply with our mortal kin, without causing them harm, and I will endeavor to ensure that no harm comes to these Kellarani.”

“I’d still like to try Linking with a mortal Triax first.” Six stated.  “It does seem a safer start, and if we’re successful in teaching mortal Triax to Link, we’ll increase your people’s capability a lot more than by just Linking and sharing with you.”

“Whether or not we’re successful at Linking with your mortals, I want to try Linking with you after that.” Fire suddenly stated to First Mauve.

“That seems sensible.” she agreed.

Second Brighter Orange moved back, and another Triax took the pre-eminent position in the habitat sphere.

She gave a ripple, and spoke.  “I greet you.  I am Fifth Aquamarine.  Of us here in this globe, I am most skilled at what you term ‘psionics’, and third most skilled at the manipulation of magic energy.  I choose to attempt to engage in mind communication with you.”

“Excellent.” Six nodded.  “Only I will attempt to communicate with you.  My family are Linked with me, but not with you, so you won’t perceive them, and they won’t perceive you, except that they’ll perceive me as I perceive you.  Hopefully.  I hope that’s not confusing.”

“It is not.” Fifth Aquamarine responded.   “I will similarly be in contact with First Mauve during this experiment, and you will not perceive her.  You should begin.”

“All right.” Six nodded again.  “Here goes.  Hmm.  It’s easy to sense your psionic emanations. But so far it’s like hearing a meaningless noise.  I’ll need a minute to try to make sense of it.”

Everyone waited patiently for fourteen minutes.  By that time Six was grimacing in concentration, eyes tightly closed, sweat beading on his brow as he paced up and down on the beach to relieve his tense irritation.

Finally Fire gave him a playful punch on the shoulder as he went by.  “Hey.  We might as well admit it.  We can’t do this.  Their senses, their perception of reality, their thinking, it’s all too different.  Too… alien.  Reading Glup was a lot easier than this, and even he seems almost normal by comparison.  This is just noise.”

“I agree.” Fifth Aquamarine stated with a ripple.  “During much of that time, I was attempting to communicate with you as you were attempting to communicate with me.  It was extremely disconcerting, and futile.”

“Step aside brother, you’re spent.” Fire chuckled as she stood from the sitting log and approached First Mauve.  She stopped and gave a quick military bow.  “Goddess of Knowledge, let’s think together, shall we?”

“Yes.” First Mauve simply responded.  Half a minute passed before she communicated psionicly. 
“All right.  I can communicate with you in this manner, by imitating your Speaking spell.  Or I can communicate with you in
this
manner, which is the equivalent method used by mortal Triax.  But in both cases, we are dependent on the Translation spell devised by the gods of both our peoples, including myself.  It translates our primary inherent methods of communication, those being your spoken words, and our modulation of an energy field you would refer to as the lodestone effect that is generated by the bodies of mortal Triax.  Therefore, due to the limitations of the Translation, this communication is no more complete than speaking with sound.

“As I observed during your brother’s attempt to Link with Fifth Aquamarine, he was attempting to devise a method that translates the thoughts and awareness of mortal Triax who communicate in The Unified Code and mortal humanoid Kellarani who communicate in Trade Common.  This is a very complex problem and we cannot solve it yet.  I am not surprised at our failure, since the simple Translation of surface thoughts that we are using now required the concentration of many gods of both pantheons for many hours to devise, and it requires our active and ongoing participation to maintain its use among mortals of both worlds.  None-the-less, your recent record of achievement is impressive, so this attempt was wisely made.  I was prepared to be surprised.”

“I have her.” Mark suddenly said through gritted teeth from where he still sat on the log.  He pointed at First Purple without turning his head or opening his eyes.  “With a lot of help, I’ve truly contacted her mind.  I don’t know why it’s a bit easier with her, but it is.  And that bit just barely makes it possible.  I haven’t sent anything over the Link yet, and I don’t understand anything I’m getting from her.  Like the kids said, it’s just noise in all your senses.”

He slowly and carefully turned his head and opened his eyes facing First Purple, Triax Goddess of Flight.  “I’d like to try to give you a thought.  To set it into your mind.  It’s a pretty little purple mountain flower that’s almost the same color as you, called a givnia.  It seems an appropriate choice.  You should get my memory of one I picked once; the sight of it, the scent, the feel of it in my hand.  May I?”

“You may.” First Purple replied.

Mark nodded and closed his eyes again.

A moment later First Purple cringed, it seemed, and demanded; “Take it out take it out take it out take it out…!!!” over and over until Mark managed to directly reverse what he’d done.

First Purple promptly disappeared.

“Our apologies for socially inappropriate behavior.” First Mauve said with a bow.

“Is she all right?” Mark inquired.

“She is unharmed but upset.  Perhaps you should have given her a thought that is less alien to us.  The sight of the night sky, perhaps.

“Still, I was observing closely, as were Quewanak, Falgaroth, Visinniria, and Amirgath.  Our pantheons will examine what you have done today with concentration.  Possibly we can build on what you did.”

“How do you gods communicate with them?” Mark asked the Kellarani gods who were observing.  “With the Triax gods, that is?  And have any of you tried to Link with a mortal Triax?”

“I am not capable of explaining to a mortal how we communicate with the gods of The Triax.” Amirgath stated.  “As you have discovered, one way to reach divinity is with accelerating increases in power and understanding.  As a mortal, you lack the understanding.  Of course, you can find out at any time, can’t you?

“And no, none of us have attempted to Link with any mortal Triax.  Considering that almost every mortal Kellarani who has joined with even the smallest part of the mind of any god has been driven irrevocably insane by the experience, we had not considered risking such harm to our new allies.

“You still like to think that becoming a god is merely to become a more powerful spell caster.  Your children think that they have gained almost all of the abilities of the gods.  When you achieve Ascension, you will find out how wrong you all are about these things.  As Visinniria here said to you on the occasion when we met, there is no more similarity between a god and a mortal than there is between you and a pine tree.”