Destiny's Serendipity

Episode Five: Richard the Observer

A Thriller - Romance - Transgender Serial

By Jo Dora Webster

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Will Bart's investigation of Regalia's mysteries bridge the gap to the region beyond the barrier and save all on their planet?

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Bart's heart raced as he recognized the voice emanating from Alenace - it was a woman's. Through some technological feat, she had managed to hack into the android's communication systems. The garment slipped from his trembling fingers as Alenace's optical sensors flickered between red and their usual blue, suggesting a temporary override of its systems.

"I have precious little time," The woman's voice continued through the android, "but I needed you to know that the artifacts you've found - they're real. They're ours. Keep searching, keep documenting. We're closer than ever to bridging our worlds."

Before Bart could respond, Alenace's sensors returned to their normal blue, and the android resumed its standard patrol routine as if nothing had happened.

The encounter with the woman's message through Alenace ignited a fire in Bart that drove him to intensify his research. For weeks, he spent every free moment in the caves, documenting strange markings and collecting artifacts that seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy.

Bart managed the time to have a secret meeting between himself and Richard with Richard's father listening. With a hushed voice and in secret, he swore both Richard and his father to secrecy, concerning the data that Bart had collected in the caves. At long last, they had a name to go for the mysterious region on the other side of the barrier, 'Decretia.' Bart was too high profile, so he had to trust Richard to extend his research without Bart's help.

Armed with the new research from Bart, Richard had new zeal as he served his Observer apprenticeship with his father. The pre-dawn chill crept through Richard's woolen sweater as he methodically checked the instruments laid out on his workbench. Each brass device, polished to a soft gleam, had its purpose in measuring the subtle variations of the barrier that separated their world from Decretia. His father's voice echoed from their workshop's entrance, "Time waits for no observer, son."

Richard smiled, his fingers trailing over the curved glass of their most precious tool - the ethereal resonance detector. Unlike the crude instruments used by the general populace, this delicate device could measure the smallest fluctuations in the barrier's strength. He carefully packed it into its velvet-lined case, nestling it between layers of protective padding.

"Coming, Father," he called back, gathering his notebook and pencils. The leather-bound journal was already half-filled with observations, sketches, and measurements from their previous flights. Each page contained secrets that few in their world could comprehend - the true nature of the barrier, its weaknesses, and the life that thrived beneath it.

Their airship waited in the private hangar, its sleek form barely visible in the dim light. The vessel was unlike any other, designed specifically for their work as observers. Its hull was covered in specialized materials that allowed them to fly closer to the barrier than anyone else dared. The cockpit, with its array of gauges and levers, was Richard's second home.

"Did you check the ethereal dampeners?" his father asked, already going through his own pre-flight checklist.

"Yes, and I've recalibrated them after yesterday's readings showed those unusual spikes near the eastern quadrant," Richard replied, securing his equipment in the observation bay. He paused, remembering the strange patterns they'd detected. "Father, do you think those fluctuations might be related to what Bart discovered?"

His father's expression remained neutral, but Richard caught the slight tension in his shoulders. "We observe, Richard. That's our role. Let others interpret what it means." The words were familiar - their family's motto for generations. Yet lately, Richard had begun to question whether observation alone was enough.

The morning light was starting to paint the sky in pale blue and pink as they completed their preparations. Another day of watching, measuring, and recording was about to begin. But Richard couldn't shake the feeling that today might be different. Something in the air, in the way the instruments had been behaving lately, suggested change was coming.

The pre-flight sequence was a dance Richard knew by heart. His father took the pilot's seat while Richard settled into the observer's station, his hands moving automatically across the control panel. The familiar hum of the ethereal engines filled the cabin as they powered up, a sound distinct from the crude steam engines that powered most airships.

"Dampeners at sixty percent," Richard called out, watching the delicate needle on the gauge settle into position. "Barrier sensitivity readings are normal." He adjusted a brass dial, fine-tuning their protective field. The technology that allowed them to fly so close to the barrier was a closely guarded secret, passed down through generations of observers.

Their airship lifted smoothly from the hangar, rising into the morning sky with barely a sound. Unlike the noisy commercial vessels that plied the lower altitudes, their craft were designed for stealth and precision. The hull's special coating absorbed both light and sound, making them nearly invisible to casual observers below.

"Watch the eastern approach today," his father instructed, banking the ship gently toward the rising sun. "Those fluctuations you noticed yesterday need closer study." His weathered hands moved across the controls with practiced ease, making minute adjustments to their course.

Richard activated the array of specialized sensors, each one designed to measure different aspects of the barrier. The ethereal resonance detector hummed to life, its crystal core glowing with a soft blue light. He began recording the baseline readings in his journal, noting the time and atmospheric conditions.

"Approaching optimal observation altitude," his father announced. "Initiating barrier proximity protocols." The ship's engines shifted tone, adapting to the increasing ethereal pressure. Richard felt the familiar tingling sensation that came from flying this close to the barrier, like static electricity dancing across his skin.

Through the observation windows, Richard could see the barrier's surface shimmering like heat waves rising from the summer pavement. Most people saw only a vague distortion in the air, but years of training had taught him to recognize its subtle patterns and variations. Today, the usual ripples seemed different somehow - more agitated, as if responding to some unseen force.

"Father, look at these readings," Richard said, pointing to a particularly unusual pattern on one of the gauges. "The barrier's resonance frequency is shifting. I've never seen it behave quite like this before."

His father nodded grimly, his expression thoughtful. "Record everything, Richard. Every detail matters." The unspoken question hung between them: what were they really witnessing?

At maximum observation altitude, the world below took on an otherworldly quality. The barrier stretched out beneath their airship like a vast, undulating sea of translucent silk, its surface catching and refracting the morning light in ways that defied description. Richard adjusted his specialized goggles, enhancing his ability to perceive the subtle variations in the barrier's structure.

"Look there," his father pointed, guiding Richard's attention to a particular spot where the barrier appeared thinner. "The density readings are dropping in that sector." Through their vessel's specially treated windows, they could see Decretia below, a patchwork of buildings and streets that seemed both familiar and alien at the same time.

Richard focused his instruments on the area, carefully documenting the measurements. "The barrier's only sixty percent as thick here compared to the standard readings," he noted, sketching the phenomenon in his journal. The people of Decretia moved about their daily lives below, unaware of being observed. Their forms appeared slightly distorted by the barrier, like viewing fish through rippling water.

The unique perspective their altitude provided revealed patterns in Decretian life that would be impossible to discern from ground level. Richard watched as groups of people moved through the streets in what appeared to be organized formations, their movements suggesting some sort of ritual or social custom unknown in his world. He noted how the architecture below seemed to follow spiral patterns, unlike the rigid grid systems of his own city.

"The energy signatures are strongest here," Richard murmured, adjusting the ethereal resonance detector. The device's crystals pulsed with an intense blue glow, indicating unprecedented levels of barrier activity. "It's almost as if the barrier is... breathing." The observation made his father look up sharply from the controls.

Through his enhanced goggles, Richard could make out details that would be invisible to normal observers - the way certain buildings seemed to shimmer with their own energy, how paths of force flowed through the city like invisible rivers. Most fascinating were the spots where the barrier appeared to thin naturally, creating what Richard had begun to think of as potential crossing points.

"Remember, son," his father said softly, noting Richard's intense focus, "we observe to understand, not to interfere." But Richard couldn't help wondering if understanding might sometimes require more than passive observation, especially now that he knew about Bart's discoveries. The barrier's secrets seemed to be calling to him, begging to be understood in ways that went beyond mere documentation.

Richard's pencil moved swiftly across the pages of his journal, capturing the intricate details of life below. His father maintained their holding pattern, keeping the airship steady as they documented the morning's phenomena. The observation bay's specialized instruments hummed softly, each one recording different aspects of the barrier's behavior.

"The energy patterns are shifting again," Richard noted, adjusting the ethereal resonance detector's sensitivity. Below, he could see a group of Decretians gathering in what appeared to be a market square. Their movements followed precise patterns that seemed to ripple through the barrier itself, creating subtle distortions in its fabric. "The barrier responds to their presence, Father. It's almost like a dance."

His father nodded, making a minor adjustment to their position. "Keep your distance readings steady. Remember what happened to Observer Chen when he flew too close." The warning was unnecessary - Richard knew all too well the stories of observers who had pushed their luck too far. The barrier might appear permeable from this height, but its dangers were very real.

Through his specialized goggles, Richard studied the architectural details of Decretia's buildings. Unlike the steam-powered mechanisms of his world, their technology seemed to operate on principles he was only beginning to understand. He sketched quick diagrams of what appeared to be energy conduits running between structures, noting how they pulsed with a rhythm that matched the barrier's fluctuations.

"The rose patterns we've been tracking are more prevalent today," Richard observed, marking the locations on his map. These recurring symbols had caught his attention weeks ago, appearing in everything from building decorations to the clothing worn by certain Decretians. They seemed to hold some significance he couldn't quite grasp.

His father leaned over to examine the readings. "Maintain your objectivity, Richard. Documentation without interpretation - that's our way." But Richard could hear the curiosity in his father's voice, matching his own growing fascination with the patterns emerging from their observations.

The morning light had strengthened now, making the barrier shimmer like mother-of-pearl. Richard adjusted his instruments to compensate for the changing conditions, noting how the increased solar radiation affected the barrier's transparency. His measurements showed something unprecedented - microscopic tears in the barrier's fabric, appearing and healing themselves in rhythmic cycles.

"Father," he said carefully, "I believe these readings might explain how Bart..." He let the sentence trail off, knowing he was treading dangerous ground. Their role as observers came with strict protocols about sharing information, even between themselves.

Richard turned back to his instruments, his fingers drumming absently on the brass casing as he wrestled with his conscience. The evidence was mounting with the artifacts' true purpose, and now these anomalous readings suggested something unprecedented was occurring at the barrier's edge. He knew he should maintain his observer's distance, but the weight of his secret knowledge pressed against his professional detachment. After several minutes of internal debate, he carefully filed the readings away in his locked drawer, choosing once again to keep his suspicions to himself.

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across Richard's workshop when Bart and George arrived, carrying their mysterious bundle wrapped in oilcloth. Richard had been expecting them, having noticed their approach from his window while organizing the morning's observation notes. The familiar creak of the workshop's door announced their entry.

"We've brought something you need to see," Bart said without preamble, carefully unwrapping the artifacts on Richard's workbench. The items caught the light streaming through the high windows, their surfaces showing signs of age and wear that spoke of their Decretian origin. George stood slightly back, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern.

Richard adjusted his desk lamp, illuminating the objects more clearly. His trained eye immediately recognized subtle patterns in their construction that matched his morning observations.  The tortoise-shell tool lay there, its surface etched with familiar rose patterns that seemed to pulse faintly in the lamplight. Besides that, the cone-shaped garment's fabric showed weaving techniques he'd documented from his aerial observations.

As Richard reached for his magnifying glass, the tortoise shell began to emit a low hum. The rose patterns etched into its surface started to glow with an intense blue light, matching the exact frequency he'd recorded in his morning readings. But before he could warn Bart and George, the artifact levitated off the workbench, spinning slowly in the air as symbols none of them had ever seen before projected onto the workshop walls. Through the window behind them, the barrier flared with an answering light.