Felicity Finds Family:
4/Project That Needs *Tweaking*

From Erin's One April Morning Multiverse
Into Sasha's Shared Universe

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

Who will answer the telepathic shout by Felicity for a teacher?

I was very disappointed as I settled in bed from the lack of immediate response to my message for a teacher. But I did not let that deter me from sleeping, since I had a more important mission to perform. Fate had promised me a new family and I was challenged to find them. I had found Mother but I felt there were others. As I fell asleep, I had the feeling that I was missing something pretty obvious.

I woke with a start to discover a woman’s arm draped about my waist and I felt her body pressing against mine as she spooned with me. I turned around and found it was Hanna who was in bed with me. She reached with her arms and clasp me about my neck and delivered a kiss on my cheek. I waited for the magic to take hold of me and for me to start morphing into a eight year old girl. However as I realized that I wasn’t going to change, I found my voice.

”Hanna! What are you doing in my bed? Why did you kiss me? Why didn’t I change?”

”Felicity, you are my sister from another mother, a metaphysical one instead of the physical. You were so disappointed that your psi blast did not yield results that I had to come to your bed and comfort you, my sister. Oh you can thank me later for absorbing that psi blast so that only I heard it. You’ve given me quite a headache, sister dear.”

”Oh Hanna, I’m so sorry for causing you such a headache. I was so frustrated that calling out into the ether was the only thing I could think of. You are implying that I should have been wary of who might have answered my call?”

”Yes, sister, you should indeed and we will speak of those things later. I kissed you both as a sign of my love for you and to prove to you that you are already use magic, that is Techno Magic."

"What is Techno Magic?"

"Techno Magic is the most basic form of Magic, where science has become so advanced that applied science seems like Magic."

"Seems like Magic?"

"Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic."

"Arthur C Clarke""

A flash of lightening filled the room prior to my saying the great author and scientist's name and a deafening clap of thunder deafened me with it's roar for a moment. The lightening lit up the exterior of the back of the mansion so that the terracotta brick walkway lined with roses was visible bright as day from the back of the hotel to the Indian Summer Folly. The small enclosed room made of windows resembled a gazebo with the covered patios on all sides. Beyond was the little lake where she wondered now what might call it home. Intuition had me focus on the Folly as day turned back into night.

"Exactly. A difference which makes no difference is no difference. You've come to the point when your mathematics and science can describe what really happens when magic is performed so you have the capability of carrying out each step based on science and math to do a magic 'trick'. See?"

"I'm beginning to understand. So where did the term "Techno mage" come from? Is it the magic that you first practiced in the beginning?"

"Actually it has no basis in fact as far as I can tell. I never practiced any magic that basic. I was able to view entertainment while I was trapped in the tree. I got it from the Babylon 5 / Crusade fiction universe. I never had to get so basic even when I was a young one. To my people, we have gifts that allow us to not have to start from scratch to do what we do. Even though I never practiced the first form of Magic does not mean that I don't understand it. It's just so basic that we skip past actually doing magic that way even when we begin. But we know how the first magic works since everything that has come after is built upon that foundation. Does that help?"

"A little. So my ability to use science and math is great enough to do things thought miracles and thus magic even though I know that there is a logical order dictated by Science and Math to make what is thought of as a miracle to happen. Since that is the same process behind what any magic user does then I'm a magic user too. So you haven't had someone who used magic at the most basic level in a very long time. Is that why you had to make up a name for what I can do with science and math?"

"Exactly. I couldn't call you by the name of any of the other groups of magic users. You are the first of your kind and deserve a new name for the group you are destined to form. I feel that its a valid term to call someone who has just discovered the science and math and has the energy to perform the first acts that have commonly been called magic. You use Technology to do real magic."

"How is that different from Dryad magic or Faerie majick or any other sort of magic?"

"Using Technology doing things step by step according to a formula is the most basic form of magic. All magic is done using the same science and math but the skills, experience, type of creature and flair makes the use of magic seem different. Faerie majick uses the same principles but they may use a different formula or skill set shortcuts and practice to make it seem like it is something different but it is really the same."

"So if my life is actually as long as it might be, in time might I discover some shortcuts and new formula?"

"With experience things can be done much quicker, shortcuts can be taken or the formula redone so that the same thing is accomplished more easily using skills that have been learned to do things more efficiently. You won't be able to duplicate casting majick like a Faerie since part of their ability to cast is a result of their faerie existence."

"So all magic has to accomplish the same purpose, but how it is done varies with the experience and skill of the user. So the different ways Magic is manifested, come from the group which performs it, and their strengths and weaknesses?"

"Exactly and since you have the power to do what it takes to perform the most basic form of magic, you are a magic null to all who practice magic in all of its forms. The origin of magic is the same even to those who have forgotten how it started. “

I guess that in that moment I decided that I had to accept what Hanna was telling me. She made it clear that what I had already been doing made me a magic user. It was all a bit overwhelming not only being able to do the things that I had only daydreamed about as a thought experiment but also what the consequences might be for doing so. Even if I got all the math right and got the exchange balanced and worked out how to deal with the different laws of physics mixing 100% right, I may still be dinged by some greater power for transgressing the law of obscurity. I guess I'd have to deal with my misgivings and act responsibly with the gift I had been given.

”Goodness, are you sure? Of course you are since me being magic null is the proof . I’m just a mathematician who has learned a few things which I applied from manipulating things another way. What am I missing?”

”Your reasoning which you voiced to Lynn was correct. You do have the power to go and reach between elements of the Multiverse. What you must learn is to both be able to predict and account for the results of each action. Since the foundation of your magic thus far is mathematics, it is through math that you must determine how to make the right choices to perform what you wish. It will begin with trial and error and hopefully you will make wise choices in how to proceed so that the results will be bearable.”

”I guess that’s why I need a teacher. Not to actually do it. I know the mathematics of tapping into the Multiverse by observing them at work with my Cosmeg and Electron taps. I need to have someone advise me if I have fully considered an action before I take it. And also guide me so that I can see the pattern in my trial and error tries. I must discover the mathematics for choosing the correct universe to exchange with so the result can be lived with. What about the laws of physics from different universes?”

"You are correct that the laws of physics are different for each aspect of the Multiverse. When matter is exchanged with another aspect the laws of that aspect intrude on our universe and vice versa. So even if you pick the right universe so the exchange will be wanted by both sides, the unintended consequence of the laws mixing may cause something that in technical terms is called an "Ooops". Perhaps since you have the tools of the most basic abilities to do magic, you might be able to see the signs of when an exchange with another aspect of the Multiverse has occurred."

The wind picked that moment to force the shutters which had been closed around the half hexagon of windows which surrounded the window seat to fly open. Another flash of lightening illuminated the folly as though it were the source of something supernatural happening. The ionized air allowed me to feel alive and invigorated even as the small hairs on the back of my arm stood on end. The brilliant light vanished as soon as it had appeared plunging the world back into darkness. I got up and checked the windows and found that one had come open which I closed then I secured the latches on the shutters this time hoping they would stay shut. The battering of the window panes by the rain increased as though the wind was driving them straight off the lake and assaulting the side of the hotel. I had never seen such a violent storm arise so suddenly and I wondered what was behind its sudden appearance. I hoped it would not get any worse.

"This is getting more and more complicated, Hanna. I really am going to need a teacher!"

”The Universe has declared that the Observer, as Teacher to you, is no more. You are born into a new family, which only part is physical, the greater whole is metaphysical. The task you had faith in the Observer to perform, you may expect from me, and I am the teacher which you seek.”

” Hanna, I’m so sorry that I overlooked the obvious and I’m really glad for you to be my teacher and my sister from another mother. But the magic that you use, the one I detected from Room 1, and what I used from the Observer seems so different from the science that I use now. Are they really the same?”

”You know the axiom from Arthur C Clarke. And now for the corollary, All Magic, however far removed from its origin is based in science.”

”I’m not familiar with the corollary.”

”You will discover the math behind the corollary, in your studies. It is unwise to change the language used in your magic to the one which someone else uses. To understand the more advanced topics of magic, you must have a more advanced understanding of math in order to be able to describe the more advanced topics that form the basics of conjuring magic. Simply you need to learn more advanced math than what you already know to go further successfully. And you will find that the universe has provided such a teacher to you, here”

”She’s called Meredith Zvezda, and she teaches at the college her great grandfather founded. Is Meredith the person that you spoke about?”

”Yes, she knows the math speech that you must learn to fully describe the challenge of magic. Once you have correctly asked the question, knowing the language of math will help you understand the answer.”

”So she will help me with the doing by using the math speak that I started with and you will advise me when something is not a good idea to follow through with for starters and perhaps more if I ever learn the basics?”

”That is correct, Felicity. There is much about this journey for you which is dangerous. But it is more dangerous since you are becoming the first of your kind, a techno mage. In order to save your life, you were given the key to unlimited power. The universe owed you a debt so she allowed The Observer to give you the means to connect to aspects of the Multiverse in the technology which you understand.“

”But I may have discovered it myself eventually in my human existence. They only sped up the process since the danger came before I had a chance to discover it.”

”In fact you did discover it, otherwise you would not have understood the math to repeat the process. What they gave you was time outside of space-time in order to accomplish it . You have become a power unto yourself, the first of your kind of this generation. The old techno-mages became wizards which either died or transcended. Unlike the Universe which have the Observer and I have my queen, you have no one to impose limits upon your actions. “

”How is having freedom, bad?”

”There do exists forces you would call goddesses, which enforce a certain amount of order in the Multiverse. You would do well to escape their notice, since the result of such an encounter could be dire for you. In view of this there is a basic law which states that all magic done should be beneath the notice of any but a relative few. Do you remember what happened when you saved the world from the nuclear explosion?

”I expected a ticker tape parade but instead only a relative few in the Agency and Government leaders knew what we had done. It was like a conspiracy that the world at large never knew what happened. It worked the same way when we acted as the Chosen”

”Even if you all were not governed by the will of The Observer, the powers that be would have acted to cover up your deeds so that another more powerful force should take notice and action against both you and those above you. As your teacher I shall let you know if anything is out of line but there is no limiting force to prevent you from running into the wrath of the goddesses. It is a great burden that is placed upon you both to learn and also not to transgress the limit of being noticed by many. The other reason to lay low is to escape the notice of those who have been free spirits like yourself but transgressed and were imposed slavery to pay for their deeds. Such a one might seek to use your unlimited power to break their bond and unleash a new chaos on the world.”

”Thank you for being my teacher, Hanna. I did not realize till now just how much I need the right person to help me learn until now.”

”I hope that you will be able to keep away from the other magic entities at April Morning until you know enough to keep anything from becoming noticeable. It will be you who are now a free agent which will receive the greater effect since they already have limits upon them.”

”I will Hanna, and no more shouts into the ethos for me. I’m happy being underneath notice and hope to stay that way.”

”And I need to be beneath notice as well in this world where picture, video and the means to share them with the entire world is within the reach of so many, especially here. I believe that we should formalize our relationship as sisters, in this family. As you are finding family and The Observer has already arranged cover for that, I am able to use that cover as well. So how do you feel about sharing your bed with your sister and teacher till winter?”

”I’d love to share the bed and room with you, Sis. So what shall we do about getting you adopted into the family?”

”I took the liberty to adding myself to the adoption that Lynn is doing toward you by producing documents to establish myself as Hanna Archer. I’ve also added a little family resemblance to my appearance.”

“So I suppose I can just whisper in your ear, like tonight, rather than draw attention using any type of telepathy?”

”That would be a good plan, Sis. I’ll need to spend the light taking care of my tree and grove. Perhaps my presence there could be explained by Lynn providing funds for me to be hired as a gardener for the Grandmother Grove. The evenings and nights I would spend mostly here with our family.

”I guess I’ll call the concierge to add you to our suite here officially. As efficient as she is, I’m guessing that she will have already anticipated this and have the arrangements ready to implement. All I’ll have to do new is to arrange for your position as gardener.”

The conversation continued through the night between us mostly focusing on my becoming familiar with the life story that she would share with others. Neither one of us really seemed to need sleep but we knew that Lynn needed her beauty sleep. Finally she stirred so Hanna and I went in to talk with her.

“Hanna, you and Felicity look like sisters now. What’s new?”

”We decided that it would be simpler to explain Hanna’s presence here if she were part of the family. She could share my room and my bed. If it is okay with you, I’d like her to be my sister and your daughter, Momma?”

”Of course, Hanna can be my daughter! Welcome to the family, Hanna!”

The three of us wrapped up together in a group hug. It felt so good to be held by my mom and sis. It almost made up for the loss of that other lifetime. It seemed that everything would come together just as I had been promised. Still I wondered how I could actually cope with the situation. Job of bible fame lost everything including his family yet at the end he was restored double what he had lost. Still I wondered if the joy of his new life could ever make up for the loss of everything that he had been subjected to. Job was tested and it seemed really lame that it was all over a kind of bet. I wondered if I were being tested now and would I live up to expectations? The only way I had to now express my appreciation to what those who I had lost had given me was to live this life to the fullest. In spite of what was best, that's what I intended to do. I would cry tears of joy in their place as they might have wanted me to do.

”Thank you, Lynn. It seems natural for what bond we already have to be close. I’ve also agreed to help Felicity understand the rules of magic. “

”How is this going to work??

”I made myself Hanna Archer and slipped myself in on Felicity’s adoption papers.. I guess the next step is for you all to contact Miss Tarquin and make me another resident in this suite?”

”Momma, I’d like for Hanna to have a cover to take care of her tree and garden. Could we make an endowment so that Hanna could be hired as gardener to take care of the grandmother grove?"

”Okay Felicity, go ahead and make the arrangements with Miss Tarquin. Hanna, looks like you have a job and that our family, living here, just got a little larger.”

I called Miss Tarquin right then . I was so excited to have this become a reality. I was surprised that she answered on the first ring even at that early hour. Perhaps the storm during the night had disturbed her sleep or else she might be always an early riser and up at this hour. I only paused a moment when she greeted me on the phone to get to what I had to say.

”Good Morning Mrs. Tarquin. I’d like to add another resident to our suite. My sister, Hanna Archer.”

”Of course, Miss Archer. I’ll take care of that. Is there anything else?”

” Yes, We’d like to endow a salary for a gardener to take care of the Grandmother Tree Garden to make sure that the area is properly preserved now that it is growing again. We’d also like it if Hanna Archer was the person selected for the job initially.”

”Of course , Miss Archer. And the report came back favorable so the enhancements will be installed that Mrs. Dumfries had authorized. When I get the papers drawn up, I’ll send them up for signature. Trust me to take care of all the details.”

"Thank you, Miss Tarquin, good bye”

”Thank you, Felicity for taking care of that. I'm not liking how this weather is still all stormy. I had such a shopping trip planned but the only good thing about weather like this is to sleep in."

"It seems like that entity in the basement has stirred up things with poor choices in using magic, Mom."

"What have we got living in the basement, Hanna? A weather witch?"

"Officially, I was only told about Simon in one room and Nader in the other, when I was given the tour to see which room I liked. I guess one of them might have had a girlfriend move in since then, Momma."

"Not a weather witch, Mom. Something much worse. A Djinni. This one must really like his new master since he's being careless about the side effects that he's causing. Felicity and I were discussing that mixing the laws of physics between universes can cause an "Oooops" such as what we're feeling now."

Well regardless of the cause, It's not a day that I would enjoy getting out in. It’s still early so I guess I’m going to sleep in."

”I believe that I will go back to bed as well. Coming Hanna?”

”Dawn is when my work begins! I have a project that needs a little ‘Tweaking’. Have a good day!”

As I left to crawl back into my nice warm bed, I saw Hanna, who looked beautiful and lavishly attired without a hair out of place, head towards the door to our suite. I wondered exactly what might be that project that needed "Tweaking" might be. As for me the only thing that came to mind was a djinni who was mucking up the place with "Ooopsies" and had turned our wonderful April spring day into a stormy mess. As determined as Hanna looked leaving, I was sure glad that her purposeful gaze was not directed in my direction.