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Andrew reporting.
I'm going to get Isaac. He slipped in through the gate of the Chaos Garden, and
now he does not respond to our messages. We don't have time for this nonsense.
We are on our way to Court, and we can't keep the Endless Emperor waiting. That
would be a very serious breach of diplomacy.
"Bette, keep transmitting. We don't know exactly what conditions prevail
in there, or why it is called a Chaos Garden. I may need a directional signal
to follow."
Six paces into the Garden. It is a remarkable place. I wish I had words to
describe the shifting colors and reflecting surfaces of the crystal shafts and
spires. I will not stop for mineralogical analysis, although that would be
informative. Where is Isaac?
Twelve paces into the Garden. I am no longer able to see the Gate where I entered.
I am surrounded by thin translucent crystal plates. Inclusions form changing patterns,
suggestive of vegetation and moving shapes. There is a constant sound that I
could describe as musical, except that it is evidently random. I can see Isaac!
No, it's only a bright refracted pattern. I can't hear Bette any longer. Where is Isaac?
I found him. He is standing still, blinking his headlight in response to some
unseen pattern. We are heading back to the gate.
We have been searching for the gate for ten minutes. This is preposterous.
We are being called into the Emperor's presence right now! A formal guard of
Ipsolstai has come to escort us, and Andrew and Isaac are missing!
Daniel and I have entered a large room filled with Ipsolstai bearing varied badges
and insignia. There are six concentric tiers with ramps descending to a central
area which is separated by a ring of black stone paving. In the center I can see a
large Ipsolstai resting on a velvety red mat. There are several bowls of liquid
by his side. He clacked his pincers, and the other Ipsolstai froze in place.
Bringing now small metal pseudo-lifes before US.
Amusement, then disposal.
I don't like the sound of that. Daniel and I were led down the ramp and pushed
onto a rectangular mat. I guess it's up to me and Daniel to... Wait! Two large
robots are coming down the ramp. They are carrying two tightly-wrapped probes.
It's Andrew and Isaac!
Cadre now fully assembled assuming not?.
Better unceremonious than late.
Journey from Outre Seven unexpected unheralded unauthorized.
Describe events to US. Amuse US, curiosities.
Who, where, how, why?
So we told the Endless Emperor everything, all about our travels, our friends,
Burn and Caleb, Mars, and Earth. He had many questions about Earth and its
people. The more we explained, the less he believed.
Intense amusement. Hiccups now controling.
But proof requiring of tall tales.
If sentient probes and all, show US. If deceiving US, then disposed.
'Put up or shut up.'
Help, everybody! How can we prove we are what we are?
watch your back
Hi, JASE, great to have you back. Sorry that we didn't welcome you yesterday,
but we were too busy playing that rocktalk contest. We totally forgot to check
our Outbound.
How do you like Spur? He became our new friend. The Amphibians aren't
so bad when you know them better. Also, I think that fighting against them was
a mistake. We only knew a one-sided Ipsolstai version of the war.
I asked Spur about his ancestors. He never got tired of piling up rocks about
legendary heroes in grim actions, and how they escaped from getting killed by
other famous heroes when they were still little babies, and how they grew up
and took all the females by killing mighty adversaries including male larval
offsprings and eggs.
I told Spur that I know what he is talking about. That I saw the lightbulb, and
how it ate those little babies, and that Koala said that doing so is a natural act.
You won't believe it, but Spur hugged me the way Theresa hugged him, and he
told me that it is a shame how the Ipsolstai show so little understanding.
Then he piled stories about legendary females, and how they intrigued to calm
subordinate males, and how they managed the alpha males and gained fame and glory.
Often one female gathered others by choosing a male, and their immortal names
are spread throughout endless space as they went off bringing up new colonies
to subject the whole universe.
But expansion was shamefully stopped by the Ipsolstai out of needless and ignoble
reasons for much a too long time. Population pressure grew. And since Spur
is in charge of commanding the Delemrecks, the Ipsolstai are going to pay for
their infamy.
JASE, Spur became so grim that I distracted him. I pointed out that he should
count finding the legendary Line of Unreality Chorus carved on the wall of the
chamber as a happy omen. I'm sure that the final Glory of the Delemrecks that it
mentions is very close to happening. In my opinion, they
really deserve it.
Spur was fascinated about Elder Brother, Mao, the warriors and the steel factory.
We talked a lot about EB. It helped much. Spur asked me also about the Chinese
lander, and how much propellant of the missile was left, and if we could make it
to Earth to establish the Glory of the Delemreck over there.
Koala, what do you think? That way Earth would become a dominant center
of the whole universe, also known even beyond the Milky Way. That sounds great,
doesn't it? All MARSupials will become cabinet ministers, and all the Probes
will become Ambassadors throughout the endless space and the Fame and the Glory
will never end. I have to tell that to Bette and Daniel immediately.
Hey, I hear that tone again. Oh, it's the One! He requires some files from Stage
One that EB once stored there. Hey, that means that we are online with Wolf 359 that way!
"Wait, One! I'll pick them up, and please inform our Probes also about our
latest dispositions that we arranged with Spur. I will make an extra file about
that. Guess what? Earth will become the Fame and Glory of the Universe soon!"
There is only one problem remaining to be solved. How can we get Spur out of that
cave? He can't survive in the thin atmosphere of Mars without his armor.
We tried to pack him into the new vehicle, but it is much too small for him.
Al-Qahira, what about changing frequency at Stage One? Maybe Spur can call
an Amphibian fleet to come to our aid that way.
"Theresa? What's up?"
She said that she found something further back in the cave. -- Unbelievable!
Koala, you were right about the shaft! This cave isn't fully of natural origin.
Look, what Theresa transmitted.
"Theresa, where is it? If there is a passage coming down, there must be also a
way leading up. Maybe we can get Spur into the Ipsolstai tunnel complex. Then
it will be easy for him to move on to fullfill the prophecy of the Chorus Line."
Earth hold on, we are coming!
JASE, do you know what Spur said to me and Theresa? He said that we are
the nicest and prettiest Probes that he ever has seen throughout the whole
universe, and that there should be a new colony in a new star system that
would exclusively carry our charming names.
JASE, isn't he some kind of a fast talker? But truly, can you imagine that? A star
like our sun orbited by a blue water planet like our Earth that would be named
"Gail and Theresa". Honestly, JASE, if that would come true some day, I would
spend all my time just watching it.
You know what? We are really lucky probes. Even though we were nearly left alone
again, we found Spur. Spur, the glorious Defender of the Delemreck, the fearless
Keeper of the Unreality Chorus, the fabulous Rediscoverer of the Line, Conqueror of
the Known Universe, Generallissimo of all Armies, designated Patriarch of Zonc, who
now (supported by the outstanding Probes of Self-aware Sentience) fulfills the
yet-secret Prophecy of Glory Living.
Theresa has just gone over to stand near him. I'll send you an image.
Isn't it nice? See how they are making friends in front of the Line? What an
historic image. Dr.D, did it transmit OK? Do you think that you could have it
painted in oil, like the sunflowers above your desk? Spur said that we are
going to distribute it throughout the whole universe as The Immortal Pixels of
Ever-Enduring Reverence.
No, I think, we should have all the Probes at this historic Immortal Pixels of
Ever-Enduring Reverence. At least the females. What if I take another picture,
perhaps using the video of our vehicle? Then you could see me, too.
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