SoulStone

everittdmickey (73)in #fiction • 7 years ago (edited)

#94: Existential Moment

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Shelby was working in his new shop and hadn’t noticed the rainy summer so much since they’d roofed the island. When the land grabbers had closed the factory the built up hatred for the system had pissed him off. He sought revenge. In looking for it he spent much of his time helping Elvira explore the SoulStone. He was looking for human useable tech to allow them to be independent from the Grabber Society.

“Master” Elvira said in a small timid voice.

“Yes dear” he said “what’s wrong?”

“I just realized something I already knew. It brought itself to my attention in such a way that I can’t ignore it.” She said

“ Whut? Go ahead, you can tell me.” He replied.

“I’m not exactly human.” she whispered.

Shelby was tempted to make a joke but something about here voiced told him that would be a bad idea. Instead he said tenderly “Does it bother you?”

“Kinda sorta...yeah....sometimes. If I think about it. Usually I don’t think about it. .”

“Well don’t think about it then. Don’t let it bother you.” Shelby said “I don’t think about being ‘not entirely ape.’ That’s what I am, or was rather. Now we’re something else. The way I look at it, you and I are the hi-performance model of human. We got extra horsepower now. Perhaps we’re TransHuman?”

“Oh. That makes me feel better. I just discovered something. Two somethings actually. ” she whispered.“I was thinking that I was just a jumped up user-interface. I guess I’m not...huh?”

“You’re certainly not. Don’t let that bother you.” Shelby soothed her. “In a manner of speaking so am I. I’m just a program running on a squishy computer.”

“You say the sweetest things. Master” She said.

“What was it you found?” he asked.

“The Dragon.” she said. “It’s still here. Kinda”

Shelby was very still for a moment. “That is interesting. What do you mean by that?”

“I’m not exactly sure how to describe it.” Elvira said “It’s like it’s there but it’s not there. It’s as if it’s sleeping maybe. I’ve only sensed it twice. I felt the dragon when I was born. Then it faded. I don’t know if you felt it?

“Now that you mention it....No. I mean yes. I had a bad dream about a dragon. And a SkyCastle, what ever that is. I’d forgot about it until now. ” Shelby replied “If you recall I wasn’t tracking too well?”

“That’s true. You were a mess. It took me years to repair your mind.” She agreed. “When Chad became a Mage I felt the dragon presence again.”

“Does it seem hostile?” Shelby asked.

Elvira didn’t answer right away. Shelby could sense that she was thinking hard. Finally she said. “Not.....really. At first it seemed very attentive, critical and judgmental. Then it became protective... and proud. Happy even. As if Chad had been evaluated, processed and the result had not been found wanting. I sensed pride, as if it considered Chad it’s child.”

“That’s good.” Shelby was more relieved than he would have imagined. “I really wouldn’t want to be found wanting.”

“Meddle not in the affairs of Dragons” Elvira whispered “because thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”

For the briefest of instants they sensed the presence of ...other. It seemed amused. They could feel the rumble of it’s laughter. Then it went away.

“Did you feel that?” Shelby asked quietly.

“Yesssssss” Elvira whispered.

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The Next Episode will be
#95: The Library…
The Previous Episode was
#93: Dragon on Patrol…
the First episode was
#1 : Prologue
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