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    The Homeworld's Tale
    The Homeworld's Tale
    The Homeworld's Tale
    Ebook170 pages2 hours

    The Homeworld's Tale

    By Ian Eress

    ()

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    About this ebook

    The inhabitants of the planet Umvitar, also known as Homeworld, use their control of wormholes for good and evil. It's a strange world with reverse chronology, the opposite of the arrow of time in the galaxy.

     

    Nol'dina is a Zero, a pariah, lacking the most basic and common ability. But her mysterious grandfather left her secrets to discover.

     

    After being faced with a shadowy future she cannot ignore, she must defy her village's elders and choose her own path.

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherIan Eress
    Release dateJul 6, 2021
    ISBN9798201279264
    The Homeworld's Tale
    Author

    Ian Eress

    Born in the seventies. Average height. Black hair. Sometimes shaves. Black eyes. Nearsighted. Urban. MSc. vim > Emacs. Mac.

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      Book preview

      The Homeworld's Tale - Ian Eress

      PROLOGUE

      CHLOE'S FATHER, MOTHER, brother, and sister died today. Ambassador Roloci Jihmimi visited the High Ruler's palace in the early morning, the holo-news said in the frigid and dark server room. It is unclear whether the ambassador brought the bomb or not, but authorities assure us that the Cosmopol investigation will be concluded soon.

      I, Fiafi, one of the oldest AIs in the Galactic Federation, muted the holo-news. It was a cold day on the Forbidden Planet where young Chloe lived.

      How are we going to handle this? Amaterasu, the second oldest AI in the Galactic Federation, asked. Chloe is so young. With her family gone, she's automatically the High Ruler unless someone challenges her.

      And they sure will, NBBN2, another AI, said. He displayed a totally unnecessary hologram of a butler representing him.

      Excited voices talked outside. The sensors I have access to picked up distress and confusion all over the GF.

      We must teach her, I said, prepare her for the worst. She must know everything. Everything there is to know about her family and her ancestors and the Galactic Federation.

      And everything that came before that, Amaterasu said. We must activate Gaia.

      Ama, NBBN2 said, only the High Ruler and the Galactic Federation Council may do that.

      Technically, yes, but our creators left us the possibility to do it ourselves.

      NBBN2 chuckled. How convenient!

      Humans, Qeeravs, Thohnuths, Atagans, Poids, Verdetas, Azoins and other citizens in the Kollektur have no idea what our makers were like. They think they do, but they don't. Gaia has been online for nine years already, I said. High Ruler Leofdeg Hsieh Stithuif Du Wigstan Zhu Swiohun—

      We don't need to hear all his names. NBBN2 laughed as he often did. Albert Sawyer, who created Amaterasu and NBBN2, made a point of giving NBBN2 a juvenile sense of humor.

      Godgifu, I continued out of spite, Liang Cenric Yu Bada, okay, let's take turns.

      We should use holograms and persims too, Amaterasu said. To teach Chloe, I mean.

      Neural surgery for some measly persims? NBBN2's avatar grinned. Chloe isn't a pioneer, living at the edge of the Galactic Federation.

      I picked a random holographic avatar and presented it. I agree: holograms are effective. It's too early for persims.

      Amaterasu followed my example: her almost-humanoid hologram could be anybody or anything. Let's not focus on the details. We should go our separate ways and write a proposal. A plan for all of us to approve.

      My avatar nodded. Chloe Leofdeg Hsieh Stithuif Du Wigstan Zhu Swiohun Godgifu Liang Cenric Yu Bada—

      The butler, representing NBBN2, giggled. Great, Fiafi, let's mention the High Ruler's names whenever we can. If it were up to me, I'd have the names of the Awakenistas and Albert in there.

      My hologram crossed her arms. That's ancient history. I don't think we should go back too far.

      Amaterasu's vague blob shook. Let's formulate a proposal. Although we probably shouldn't bother. Gaia will do it much faster and better than us.

      NBBN2's holographic butler frowned. She's dangerous. All the Thinkers are dangerous.

      CHAPTER 1

      High Ruler Chloe lay in her enormous bed, three times bigger than the average. Her golden hair was a mess, her face showing the signs of prolonged crying. Azoin servitors (crab-like creatures), ted-bots (robots disguised as teddy bears the size of children), and humans milled around in the gigantic bedroom of the new High Ruler clearly disturbed by Chloe's mood.

      I, Fiafi, had enough and displayed myself as a woman who could be a distant relative of Chloe. Blue and moist eyes pierced me. High Ruler, I think it's time for you to get out of bed and continue your education.

      Leave me alone. I don't need no education.

      I know that song. My avatar smiled.

      Chloe looked at me confused.

      I decided to continue nagging. High Ruler, if you fall behind on your lessons, a lesser Ruler of the same age might challenge you, and you know what that means.

      Chloe sighed, staring at the ceiling. Then she sighed deeper again, and deeper again. That stupid planet without a sun that wanders through the parallel worlds of the galaxy. Can you tell me more about it?

      Sure. I was glad that she showed interest in Umvitar. Through a curious happenstance, Umvitar has a reverse chronology compared to every other planet we know. Time moves in the opposite direction there. I will tell you the tale of Nol'dina, who, legend has it, worked closely with Albert Sawyer.

      I know what you're going to say, Fiafi. Chloe smirked. He's not one of my ancestors.

      ANYWAY NOL'DINA WAS a poor Umvitar girl. Mind you, the Rosus, as the intelligent inhabitants of the planet called themselves, had four genders. However, the faens and facens, pairs were a rare and down-trodden minority.

      Nol'dina lived in Ne'ras, a country bordering the Unified Republic and Bafeoazaz; in the Forgotten Valley to be exact. She was named after her grandfather Nol'din, but that's another story. Curiously, because of Umvitar's reverse chronology, for us Nol'din was born after his granddaughter, but never mind that. Suffice it to say that the Umvitar planet has large deposits of lupsofot, allowing for the oscillation through the Multiverse.

      Like most Rosus Nol'dina had a yellow skin and a vestigial tail. Valleyers were obsessed with rak'ma, which we historically relate to the wavej field. But simple Rosus had no knowledge of wormholes and the related lupsofot. (I glanced at Chloe and decided not to explain further because she clearly wasn't interested.)

      Valleyers frequently held rak'ma competitions, for they used their ability to Transfer material and energy quickly for combat. These Rosus wore badges, indicating their rak'ma strength. Most children were in the tens whereas the average adult reached a ten times higher level.

      Nol'dina had a fat zero on her badge, although most kids, half her age, managed to Transport on their first try. Three bowls—one filled with ice, the second with burning material, and the third with pieces of armor—lay on a long wooden table, facing three young candidates with zeros on their badges at a considerable distance. An eager audience, family and friends, awaited the start of the ritual.

      The first girl, Alexiuzamahida, who was even too young to go to school, stepped up, her eyes darting. It was possible she couldn't see the bowls, but that was no problem for rak'ma practitioners. The Chief of Fagamue, the village where Nol'dina lived, smiled to encourage the young candidate.

      Alexiuzamahida sighed and closed her eyes. Ice Appeared close to her. The crowd cheered and clapped. Of course, the girl's family and friends were especially vocal.

      Congratulations! The Chief clapped with a big smile on his yellow face with a traditional black triangle tattooed on his forehead. You will be a Freezer.

      This left the other two girls the possibility to be a Shielder or a Burner. The second girl didn't wait for the Chief and made a nearby bush Burn. She was slightly older than Alexiuzamahida, but she had failed on previous attempts. The spectators reacted again with enthusiasm.

      The Chief frowned. Mkay, you'll be a Burner, but I don't approve of your impatience. Now, Nol'dina, will you become a Shielder today.

      Nol'dina felt many eyes focused on her. She held her breath, thinking of the pieces of armor waiting on the other side. A real Shielder would get them on her body, but for a Zero it was enough to move the darn stuff an inch. She wanted to make her second mother and father proud. And to silence her second brother, Cleondahmim.

      Nol'dina knew that she had to see a dream-like world before her with creatures appearing to move backwards. Kids weren't supposed to know that, but her second father, Antlonicuzhormos, thought that nonsense and had told Nol'dina what to expect. However, she never had seen Dreamland no matter how hard she tried.

      "Let your rak'ma speak, child, the Chief said. Let it do the talking. Bring the armor here."

      Nol'dina's second mother, a tattoo on her forehead like most adult Rosus, looked away. She had seen her second daughter fail too often to believe in a sudden success. Also tattooed, Nol'dina's second father stared at a distant point, so Nol'dina wondered whether he was going to cheat on her behalf. It wouldn't matter. Her second father couldn't keep up the pretense for a long time, and the disgrace would ruin the family.

      Nol'dina focused but no visions appeared. No flashes. She chanted a simple rhythm comprising mono-syllabic words. It meant nothing as far as she knew. Nol'dina sensed the villagers growing restless. They cracked jokes and ambled around. Dark clouds appeared above.

      Come on, Nol'dina, the Chief said. "We don't have all day. Do you have any rak'ma?"

      "I don't know, Alta,... Nol'dina stared at her feet. I don't know."

      "You have no rak'ma, the Chief said. It's rare, but it happens. Don't worry; we'll take care of you." The Rosu's face looked stern, a bit angry even.

      Nol'dina's second parents, with triangle tattoos, paled. Nol'dina freezed. What did this mean? Was she going to be the laughing stock of the village?

      Her second mother dragged her away. Nol'dina's second father and brother kept their silence.

      What's going on, second mother? Nol'dina asked.

      Nothing. We can move to another village and try again. Or you could request for a third family.

      A third family? Nol'dina frowned. Getting a first and second family assigned was normal but a third?

      Second mother looked up at the sky. "We can cheat. Shall we do that? I can give you my blood. Your grandfather, Nol'din, knew everything there was to know about rak'ma and hormonal cycles. Most Rosus don't know who their grandfather is. You're special."

      Nol'dina shrugged. Second mother and first mother before her had told her that, but she didn't know what to believe. What did it matter who her grandfather was?

      The two had wandered quite far from the village. It was quite clear that second mother wanted to grab rak'ma-enhancing fruit from the Fagamue forest. But there was somebody out there. A dozen somebodies.

      Faens. Nol'dina had never seen one, but knew they weren't normal male Rosus. Something was off about them. They belonged to one of  the two minority genders.

      Give us your little girl, one of the faens shouted, and we'll let you go.

      And your money, another faen added.

      A third faen chuckled. Peasants around here have nothing of value.

      Nol'dina! Second mother shook her. Run!

      But Nol'dina didn't react, still trying to understand what was going on.

      Second mother turned to the faens. "What do you want with her? Find yourself a little facen."

      We'll try to sell her, the first faen, who spoke, said. "She'll fetch a

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