Curtain Fall Chapter 24

The next day carried on in much the same way as the visit to the market. At Adra’s insistence, Turi continued her showing the Tarneeran people in their everyday lives. Carol came along, with great eagerness this time, to be by Adra and to increase her exposure to conversational Tarneeran, Together, the three exposed Adrasteia to many more aspects of the Tarneeran society.

One area of society that Adra was especially interested in were professions and industries that the males figured in prominently. Areas where the telekinesis of the men were used.

Mining, and manufacturing were prime examples. She was able to see teams of men as they, using strange assemblages of crystals, pulled minerals and ores straight out of the earth. Even minerals that might be rare in the geology of this area could be pulled and concentrated for later use.

As before, Adra drew the tradesmen in and convinced them to explain what and how they worked. Adra even persuaded the men to let her handle their crystal tools. While she was very careful not to display her own telekinetic abilities she was able to handle and get a feel for this wondrous technology that was alien to humanity.

As she felt the way these crystals affected how her psychic power manifested she realized it wasn’t that different in how the gem she’d inadvertently created outside worked. These “tools” apparently filtered and shaped how n’dmi me’a manifested. Each tool was tailored for a specific resulting effect.

“Turi”, Adra asked as they were taking a meal after the day’s visits, “much of your technology seems focused around these crystals. I’ve seen them everywhere: the men seem to use them to enhance their telekinesis. With them they can pull minerals, even refined ore, from the ground without digging! We saw another group aiding them in heating and handling molten glass in that glass workshop. Yet another group used them to lift and move incredibly heavy pallets. Your physicians use them in medical work. Even my bedroom has crystals imbedded in the walls to provide privacy! How are these designed and made?”
Turi nodded, “Yes, Leuthil samna moota is perhaps the highest of our arts/sciences. Through it we extend ourselves so that we may build or accomplish most anything. Do you wish to learn more about it?” Sensing Adra’s blossoming excitement she assured her that she would introduce her to the palace’s Mistress of Artificing, the Atara en' hyanda ar' kwayuln, that very afternoon.

“Now be careful,” Turi cautioned as Carol, Adrasteia and she stood before a closed door in the palace, “Aditi is an, um, unusual and often prickly woman. Please be respectful!”

Carol snorted and offered up, “Heh, you should be used to unusual and prickly through me already honey!” Hearing this Adra, joined in the laughter and agreed far to readily for Carol’s comfort until she felt the her teasing emotions and look.

Turi had led Adrasteia to this wing in the palace in an effort to introduce her to the city’s Mistress of Artificing. With a nervous smile she knocked on the door.

“Go away! I’m in the middle of something!”, a gruff and gravelly voice called back through the door. Then a loud curse was heard and feet stomped angrily to the other side. The door was wrenched open to the sharp exclaimation of, “WHAT?!? What is so important that you distract me from my work and make me waste my efforts?!?”

A quite zaftig woman of middle age stood staring angrily at the three that stood before her. She wore clothes that seemed not quite suited to her shape, with one sleeve rolled up higher than the other. Her hair had been pulled into a bun half hazardly revealing a mildly attractive (if perhaps missing beautiful) face made harsher by a look that easily communicated that her distractors would regret their actions.

Turi stiffened and winced as if she were a school girl about to yelled at by a principal, “Please forgive me Aditi, I apologize for causing a delay in your work. It’s just that our honored guest-“

Aditi harrumphed and cut her off, “Honored Guests? I don’t have time to deal with those entitled High Mothers from Beleyaavan or Retnalpas!” She turned away dismissively and barked, “Just go away and let them torment someone else with their self-importance!”
Adrasteia watched the dismissal with amazement as she sensed the strange woman already pushing this interruption out of her mind. She could feel the disdain Aditi was projecting about the Mothers and it resonated with her own opinions at least about Kadrapraba. She couldn’t help but let slip a little snicker as she watched the woman, who reminded her of almost a sitcom-like grumpy professor, stalking away.

Aditi, for her part, apparently felt Adrasteia’s humor that was shining past Turi’s shock and chagrin and she stopped and turned to look back. “Wait a minute. You aren’t some of their toady servants calling on me are you?” She focused on Adrasteia and tried, unsuccessfully, to pin her with a look. “Alright, who are you and why are you wasting my time?”

Adrasteia’s snickers grew into outright laughter, in spite of a cautioning touch by Carol, which she quickly tried to stifle under her hands. She brought herself under control and still with laughter in her eyes, she lowered her hands and smiled widely. “Please forgive me mother, I’m not laughing at you but at your eagerness to puncture the egos of the mighty. Let me say hello. Good afternoon Aditi, I am Adrasteia and I am so excited to meet you! Turi told me how brilliant you were; a true mistress of the arts! I’ve told her how amazing I find your sciences and she said that if there was anyone who could shine some light on it for me, you would be the one!”

Upon hearing Adrasteia’s name it was then Aditi’s turn for her run through a gamut of emotions: recognition, fear, shock and surprise; then calculating consideration. Her eyes narrowed and she responded, “Lady Adrasteia? This is quite unexpected!” She stepped towards Adrasteia with cautious respect. “Laying the flattery on a bit thick aren’t you?”

Adrasteia shook her head earnestly even while her eyes continued to sparkle with humor, “No mother, I’m only reflecting what has been told to me. I was told you are one of the great minds of your field.” She thrust her hands forward to gently take hold of the more mature woman’s hands.

Aditi felt the force of Adrasteia’s sincerity and pleasure at the meeting and found her attitude softening in spite of herself. ‘Maybe this strange being isn’t quite the boogie monster the rumors paint her as...’, she thought.
“Well!”, she forced herself to say gruffly, “Now that you’ve made me waste much of my efforts, for today I suppose I might as well spend a little time talking with you...” Aditi then proceeded to give Adrasteia a basic introduction to the art of gem design. She first explained that the stones did little of themselves; rather they shaped and focused the mental energy pushed through them. This refinement could have the apparent affect of increasing the perceived power of the effect but it was in fact more reflective of precision. Just as the brute force of a hand striking a barrier might slightly deform or dent it, these gems or “n’dmi cam“ could refine and focus the energy into a spear point that could easily pierce the barrier. Should more brute energy than a single individual be needed for a task, these constructs could be made to seamlessly merge n’dmi me'a from others. With this ability to shape, and combine their mental powers they could potentially create tools for almost any use. All that was needed to use the n’dmi cam was enough energy of the correct flavor.

In this way artisans had created n’dmi cam that allowed the men to use their telekinesis to lift, move, shape large objects. In the glass foundry Adrasteia had visited, for example, these tools allowed the men to manifest their abilities as heat to melt the glass and fire the glory holes. It allowed them to manipulate and shape the glass with more precision than simply working by hand alone would allow.
The “art” that Aditi did was in the designing, shaping and setting the matrixes that were worked into the tools. It took skill and experience fix the patterns in a raw gem. It also took a deep understanding of the proposed purpose of the effect desired. It was this aspect of Aditi’s calling where the science and artistry truly was central.

She went onto describe how she would first interview and discuss with individuals who would be intimately involved with the prospective tool’s use, then she would research the science surrounding the purpose. With regards to the glass foundry for example she explored the nature and behavior of molten glass so that she might discern more efficient ways to manipulate it. In this way she could very specifically tailor the desired effects with the minimum use of power.

Adrasteia had been following with rapt attention while Aditi lectured. As she began to slow down, Adrasteia ventured a request, “Thank you so much for speaking with me mother Aditi, you make this come alive! What you do feels like a sort of blend of human professions. Humans have “engineers” who design tools. There are many types that specialize in the materials used. Mechanical, chemical, electrical and more. It seems like your work on the tools can be tailored into any of those fields. I myself was an engineer at one time... Might I see you fashion something small?”

Aditi was pleased to have an attentive student and agreed. She proceeded to explain she would make a very simple item. First she described a Memory stone to which Adrasteia exclaimed, “Oh I’ve heard of those! They are things that the young first work on when their powers first blossom aren’t they?” Aditi nodded and picked up a small crystal. Calling for Adrasteia to attend closely, she encouraged her to slip into Aditi’s perceptions lightly.

With utmost care, Adrasteia ever so gently let her awareness touch. At once she felt a powerful intellect framed in the mode of a teacher. She then followed the woman’s concentration as it turned to the stone. In the stone she slowly became aware of uncountable numbers of lines of stress in the stone. All roughly aligned (as is the nature of crystal structures) but also seemingly nascent? It was as if there was a random blankness just waiting to be organized. With a shock she realized it felt a little like the chaotic potential she’d felt outside. It wasn’t the really the same, more like an echo of that potential. Then she watched as Aditi reached out and pressed the memory of when she’d been acclaimed as the Artifice Mother of the palace. In this memory she could feel the pride and accomplishment Aditi had felt at the time along with seeing an image of Anarra handing a small plaque to her.

Now complete, Aditi handed the stone to Adrasteia and said, “Feel it. Keep it as a gift.” Adrasteia thanked her sincerely.

Suspecting that they’d stayed long enough, Adrasteia offered up a final question: would any crystal suffice or were there only special minerals that held that nascent blankness? Aditi blinked when she heard Adrasteia’s description of the unused crystal. ‘What an odd way to see it!’, she thought to herself. She smiled and responded that yes for minor works, any crystal would work. For crystals expected to hold or channel larger amounts of energy, however, only denser and more pure and regular crystal lattices would work. Crystals that were flawed would not channel the energy efficiently enough and destructive resonances would build; eventually destroying the artifice.

As Adrasteia and her two companions left, Aditi pressed a small clutch of blank stones into her hand. “For you to play with!”, Aditi said with a smile as she closed her door.

Adrasteia’s eyes widened and she murmured her thanks as she left and returned to her private chambers for a brief rest before a late meal. With a great sigh she fell on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Can I be excused now, teacher?”, she said in a weary and childlike voice, “My brain is full...”

Carol looked at her and chuckled. She walked to the bed and sat as well so that she might caress her lover, “Poor baby. The last few days have been pretty crazy haven’t they?”

“You said it!” She then began to look pensive. “Oh Carol, I don’t know what I’m doing here. They treat me like I’m a piece of dynamite; not that I can blame them. I speak to these people and think I’m doing ok and then they spring something totally unexpected. These people are both so familiar and just so strange at the same time.” Adra focused on her lover, “They even keep trying to draw me into governmental decisions, or at least discussions!”

Carol looked at Adra a moment and then reminded her, “Well... To the Mothers, at least, you are the first non-Tarneeran they’ve met who has powers. You look like them and can speak their language like a native so that likely unconsciously misleads most everyone else into thinking you are one of them.” With a slightly frustrated look she added, “How did you do that anyway? I’m trying my hardest and I can barely speak it?” She then shook her head and continued on topic, “From what we’ve seen, your abilities could make you their equal, even superior, as this caste like society seems to use mental prowess as a main measure. Is it any surprise that your understanding of humanity would be of interest to them? That your input might be valuable?”

“But I’m not some royal. I feel like I’m just a doofus!”, Adra whined, “A nerd who likes D&D! I don’t feel important.”

Carol laughed throatily while she continued gently caressing her, “Maybe once you were that. But now? You are soooo much more now. You’ve grown my love. Your spirit and heart has grown so that it pulls people to you.” She leaned down and deposited the lightest of kisses at her lover’s lips, and at hearing the the smallest exclamation of pleasure from Adra, she continued. “You’ve become my little goddess.”

She then noted. “Frankly you’re be coming a goddess to more than just me. You still feel something from those back home don’t you?”

Adra tensed a bit guiltily, “Yes! They’ve become like a background in my mind! At first I could only hear them and see them when I was at the pool. Now it’s like a background whisper in my mind. I didn’t say anything because I was afraid you’d be scared or think I was crazy. How, how did you know?”

Carol chuckled darkly. “You didn’t think I notice when at night we snuggle? You sometimes ‘check out’, like something calls to you and you go and answer it!” She paused a bit and leaned over to kiss her again, “I can feel you step out honey.”

“You don’t mind?”, said in a very small voice.

“How could I mind?”, Carol responded with tenderness, “You feel those who call to you in need. With your heart, how could you not want to help them?” Carol then lay down with Adra and caressed her lovingly. “As these Tarneeran people say, we are bonded, you and I. I’ve said it before, you are stuck with me.”

Adra sighed again, this time; this time in with relief as if a weight had lifted. “I love you so much, Carol! You know that right?”

Carol’s laughter was full throated, “Oh shut up! Let me just fuck you!” She paused a bit an added, “Just don’t make us hit the ceiling again...” With that Adra broke out laughing herself and the two women fell into each other’s arms.

‘I suppose this means we’ll miss dinner!’, Adra thought for only a second before Carol’s lips drove all thoughts but her lover from Adra’s mind...

Kadrapraba sat on a private veranda as she digested the latest gossip of the day from her daughter. Charu had related that Adrasteia had been continuing her tours around the city and had finished the day with a meeting with Anarra’s high artificer. Kadrapraba wondered how she would ever manage to find a way to exert influence on this whirlwind. How had a supposedly non-Tarneeran, so wormed her way into the minds of the people? For one who professed no ambition, she’d seemingly gone out of her way to draw attention of the elite and commons alike! It was reported she’d been seen gifting healing for no reason; all while this alien had been throwing herself into learning as much about Tarneeran life as possible. She’d even begun looking into the high arts! Everywhere she went, she was accompanied by both her lover and the sister of Anarra, Turi. Her lover was even more baffling! Where had this, Carol, come from? Her soldiers had told her of the attacks on the boat holding the returning Tarneerans. Carol had been riddled with human bullets and lost to the river; yet somehow she’d re-appeared completely healthy as Adrasteia had awakened from her coma! While she’d obviously been changed by the Ripping, and no longer looked strictly human, she’d been shot in the chest dozens of times by the human rifles with blood spraying. How could she survive that?

To add a final complication, there was Anarra’s sister. Clearly Turi had begun subconsciously to link the alien inhabiting Asha’s body and the daughter herself. Kadrapraba didn’t believe that Turi would be able to see the wider interests of her people if they were ultimately to threaten Adrasteia now.

Kadrapraba set aside her concerns of Turi’s bias aside for the moment as she considered more carefully her primary concern. How to deal with Adrasteia. Based on what shed learned over the past days, she realized that more direct moves on her might be problematic. Reports on what had happened when she thought Carol had been killed led her to believe she could not directly attempt to use Carol as a lever safely. Should she attempt to coerce behavior by threat to Carol, she would only find Adrasteia as an implacable enemy. The fact that she somehow nearly killed much of the palace guard by herself in a rage in just a few moments suggested a potential telekinetic level of power that defied understanding. Likewise she’d shown tremendous power mentally when she’d casually shrugged of Kadrapraba’s attempt to force her submission. While she was confident that she, a High Mother, was ultimately stronger and could prevail in a contest, she’d heard rumors that Adrasteia’s mind was fundamentally different; even more so than human minds. No, that, along with the propensity for violence in human historical records suggested that direct confrontation was unlikely to be the smart path.

Kadrapraba worked to the conclusion that if Adrasteia couldn’t be removed or directly pressured, efforts would need to be made by more indirect methods. The most elegant solution seemed with the humans themselves. She’d confirmed that there will still a small number of humans under some level of control. If she could arrange for the humans to attack Adrasteia and Carol somehow, and if the lover were injured or killed Adrasteia would likely attack and turn on them! Should that happen she was confident the other High Mothers could be made to respond supportively to Adrasteia, and they would gain an unimaginably powerful ally against humans. This all meant that she would have to maneuver the Mothers into bringing Adrasteia and the Humans together in a volatile situation where a tool could be induced to attack. Yes she would do this and Adrasteia in her rage would kill the tool as she became the enemy of the humans. The problem, as Kadrapraba saw it, was how to maneuver this scene. She couldn’t suggest something like a meeting herself since she’d thus far been too strident in her appeals for isolationism. Even using reverse psychology would be too obvious. No, the idea of a meeting would have to arise seemingly from one of the other Mother’s ideas...

Excerpt from the White House Security Counsel meeting #1277@A399347:

VP Summers: Yes sir, I’ve been able to convince Senator Howard to trap the Fallen Relocation and Protection Act in committee. If there is another catastrophe like Chicago I don’t think he’ll continue to be able to, though. People are scared, and angry sir of what truly dangerous Fallen can do.
POTUS Sturmann: Do we have a clear understanding of what happened?
SEC JUST Connors: It appears that the radical ecology group, The League of Earth’s Protection, was able to enlist one of the truly powered Fallen to their cause. This Fallen apparently has an instinctual/biological understanding of psychotropics and is able to create them by a simple act of will. While usually limited to touch, he somehow figured out a way of making it into an aerosol. They then demanded the closing of several companies that were known to have been responsible for the creation of a number of superfund sites. When ignored the “Bender” as the Fallen named himself proceeded to release prepared canisters of an aerosolized psychotropic at rush hour that dramatically boosted aggression while eliminating inhibitions. Quite a few canisters were found in key rail stations The result was not unlike that episode in the original Star Trek show, “Return of the Archeons”. A significant portion of the Chicagoan population was exposed and went violently insane for about twelve hours. Beatings, vandalism, looting sex/rape, even murder, was common. Estimates suggest over one hundred-sixty thousand citizens were affected. Material damages range in excess of 1.2 billion dollars.
SEC INTERIOR Bonny: My God...
POTUS Sturmann: What of the League?
DIR FBI Richter: The league is in disarray and remaining members are in hiding. When it became known that the League of Earth’s Protection was responsible known leaders and even general members members were attacked by vigilante mobs and torn apart; literally in two cases. Bender is still at large.
POTUS Sturmann: I assume his capture is a top priority?
DIR FBI Richter: Yes sir.
POTUS Sturmann: Very well. What’s next?
COS Tindle: What is the status with the Tarneerans today?
SEC DEF Spears: Still no response from them, Oscar; since the attacks on the river they have been completely uncommunicative. They’ve shut their barrier up tight and ignore any of our attempts to gain their attention.
COS Tindle: What about what happened in that palace?
SEC DEF Spears: Strangely little more has been seen. After the battle, little that we can recognize has changed, save for an increase in armed patrols around the barrier. The society as a whole seems to be moving on without any obvious change.
COS Tindle: Can you venture an analysis?
SEC STATE Pennon: As it seems that Asha was involved and victorious in that palace grounds conflict, perhaps we were witness to some sort of palace coup? The fact that Asha originally denied to us any relationship with the Tarneerans and yet we were assured that she not only was Tarneeran but even of the royal house suggests the possibility that she had fled her people because of a political conflict. The “retrieving” Tarneeran’s insistence on their need to bring her back might have reflected one faction’s desire to bring her back for political gain/punishment?
POTUS Sturmann: Our relations with Asha were shaky at best. If she has taken control of Terielen I don’t count that as a particularly good omen. It is very good that Director Feber will shortly be arriving on site, however. He seems to be the only individual that she has shown any willingness to work with. What is his ETA?
SEC DEF Spears: Reports suggest that in spite the tropical storm, of he should arrive on base within 18 hours.
SEC STATE Pennon: Once he has settled in, I think he should again try to initiate contact. With him in command of the base, we might have a better chance at restoring the communications we’d begun.
POTUS Sturmann: Excellent.