Microstory 2453: Threshold

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A liminal space is an empty place of transition, such as a hallway or a stairwell. The keypoint is that it’s empty, devoid of life...except for you. This invokes a sense of unease, suggestive of not simply being alone in the room that you happen to be in, but in the world, or even all of time. It is quiet and creepy, and behind every corner could be a lurking threat. It’s hard to decide if such a threat even would be worse, however, or if you wish something would be there just so something would happen to break up the emptiness. Just so you wouldn’t be alone anymore. That is the idea behind a dome simply called Threshold. It’s nothing but liminal space. Any empty room you come across will just lead to a closet, another hallway, or another empty room. You will occasionally come across a small white bucket on a table that’s missing a leg, or a stain on the carpet in the vague shape of a man. While it is generally quiet, random unplaceable noises will sound off somewhere nearby, like a creak, or a chirp. When you walk over to investigate, you won’t find anything, except maybe a surprise mirror, which could give you life-affirming jumpscare. I’ve been through this one a lot, because I revel in the disquiet. I see it as an opportunity for introspection and self-reflection, if there’s a difference. I should wander around and give a think on that. There are some water stations for safety, but no other supplies. You go in with a dayfruit grower-slash hygiene station combo cart, and a cot, but that’s it. Whenever you’re ready to leave, you can activate an exit beacon. A bot will come to retrieve you and lead you out through the nearest locked trapdoor. That’s the only time you’ll see someone else, and once you press that button, you gotta go. If you’re wondering if it’s even possible for multiple people to visit Threshold, and not run into each other once in a while, I assure you that not only is it possible, it may be impossible for two to cross paths. There is plenty of room here. Like the terminal, the outer shell of the liminal space complex takes up just about the entire volume of the dome, which—I looked it up—is 149 thousand cubic kilometers, or 149 billion megalitres. With over 13,800 floors, you’re not gonna run into anyone else. They make sure to keep us separated, and while I can’t be sure, I believe the locked doors I run into occasionally would lead to other people’s areas. Thresholders, as we like to call ourselves, have been discussing the possibilities on the message boards, but Castlebourne gives you very little information. Obviously part of the experience. Normally I wouldn’t discourage someone from visiting a dome. My reviews are usually pretty upbeat and favorable, but it takes a strong stomach to even cross one threshold once you’re inside, let alone a series of them. I don’t know for sure that there aren’t any monsters hiding in dark corners. I only know that I’ve never seen any before. But I do hear those noises, and I don’t know what’s making them.

Microstory 2071: Wake Up Clean

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I just reread my post from last week, and realized that I didn’t really tell you anything about myself, since I started going on and on about how the cosmos really works. So let’s do that now, but you still don’t have to read it. I was born in central Kansas, and moved around a lot in my youth. I suppose I moved around a lot as an adult too. I was a quiet kid, and people hated that about me. Have you ever had to deal with someone yelling in your ear incessantly? It’s like that, except I don’t make any noise, and I guess some people perceive that as just as irritating? My incessant silence: it doesn’t hurt your ears, but it hurts your heart, because you have an incessant need for attention, and if you’re around someone who doesn’t give it to you, it feels like dying. I spent many years pretending to be a regular person, and many years afterwards unraveling most of that so that I could become my true self. Then I started to develop my idea of what my best self would be, and tried to work towards that.

Here are a few random facts about me. I’m left-handed. I once knew a guy who was legit mad at me for wearing my watch on my right wrist. I may be left-handed because I was born with an extra finger on my right hand, which jacked up the joints. All of my fingers are crooked, and my hands hurt literally all the time, especially when I use them, which is why it’s so great that I’m a writer, because it doesn’t require the use of hands. I like baby rhinos, and hate pandas. On principle—but not in practical terms—I don’t believe in war, national borders, money, poverty, the inherent value of work, or religion. I think sex work should be legal, and recreational drugs should be illegal. I would rather lose a competition than win it, because it will always be more important to other people, and I don’t want them to feel bad.

Here are a few random facts about you: if you’re a smoker, you’re an idiot, and a bad person. It doesn’t matter what you’ve accomplished, or what your IQ is. Only a total moron would poison themselves on purpose, and only an asshole would do it in a way that potentially causes harm to others. No matter how you die, as long as it’s not an accident or something, the smoke will either cause your death, or exacerbate it. It will never help you, nor remain neutral. There’s no logical reason for it. Some people like you, and some don’t. No one is hated by all. The human body is beautiful, and you shouldn’t be afraid of it. The toilet paper goes over the top, ‘cause gravity. Some of your food contains bug parts. It’s fine.

Here’s some random advice. Find your strength in school, and focus on that. Work half as hard at the things you struggle with. You’re never gonna be as good at them as you are with your best subject, and normal people don’t need to be good at everything to succeed. If you struggle with a subject for years on end, while doing fine in others, that’s your worst subject, and it’s never going to change. Smart people don’t suddenly become that way in adulthood after being unintelligent before. Some jobs require you to be committed and driven. Most of them, however, come with bosses that aren’t paying enough attention to you to reward good behavior. Your number one job in life is to find happiness, not build profit for your company. Never forget that every company needs you more than you need it. You could survive naked in the woods with nothing but your wits. Without labor and customers, a company doesn’t exist. Life is all that matters.

Shower before bed, so your bed is clean, and you wake up clean. Wash your hands. Clean everything else too. Let your children get dirty to build up their immune system.

Microstory 1987: First Date

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Myka: You’re just having water? Forgive me, it’s not a big deal, but are you sober?

Leonard: I gave it up a while ago. A friend of mine taught me how to have fun without. But I’m not judging, you go ahead with whatever you ordered.

Myka: I...just ordered water too. Did you not hear me?

Leonard: Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just really nervous.

Myka: We’ve shared a meal before. Many times.

Leonard: I know, but this is different. We’re calling it a date.

Myka: Would you feel more comfortable if we didn’t?

Leonard: No. I don’t wanna feel comfortable, I wanna be with you. *embarrassed* That’s..not what I meant.

Myka: *smiling* I get it.

Leonard: So, did you see, we got that second satellite up and running.

Myka: I did, that’s pretty cool.

Leonard: Yeah, I told them the Ochivari pretty much can’t come from space, because too many of them have to die to open a portal that big, but it should be fine.

Myka: *whispering* Should we be quieter?

Leonard: Oh, you’re right. Um...locusts often die when they swarm from too high up, because of the, uh, pressure change, so you’re better off looking for them lower down.

Myka: Is that true about locusts?

Leonard: *laughing* I don’t know, probably not.

Myka: We probably shouldn’t talk about work.

Leonard: No, no, you’re right. There must be something else we can talk about *awkward silence until the food comes* How’s your spaghetti?

Myka: Regretfully messy. Not the best food for a date.

Leonard: No, I like the way you eat it. It’s cute.

Myka: *smiling awkwardly*

Leonard: Oh my God, all we have to talk about is work, or spaghetti.

Myka: That can’t be true. We’re just off to a slow start, but we’ll make it work. What about your childhood? I don’t know much about how you grew up.

Leonard: No, you first. You lived around here when you were a kid, right?

Myka: Well, not around here. This area was way too fancy for us. I never thought of us as poor, but that’s what we were. My grandparents were super rich; all four of them. When my parents got married, they decided they wanted to do everything on their own, so they cut themselves off from family money. I always resented them for that, because it meant that I had to struggle too. It wasn’t until I was locked up that I started to appreciate their decision. Money and greed corrupt; I get that now, ya know?

Leonard: I know, I’ve seen it. I have a much older brother; I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned him. He was extremely smart. The government recruited him after he graduated from college at age seventeen. At some point, he went private, and turned into the biggest jackass I’ve ever met. I basically looked at everything he did, and tried to do the opposite growing up.

Myka: Fascinating. Tell me about your first job. It wasn’t as a parole officer, was it?

The Advancement of Mateo Matic: Year 132,398

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Okay, now they really are back. Mateo and Danica were finally sent to the right version of the Constant in the right reality, though not at the right time. They’re 70,000 years late, for no apparent reason. A lot changed in that time, but not that much if you only look at the full duration, and don’t include time in stasis. The daughter of a different verion of Tamerlane Pryce, Abigail is here, having appeared in the time machine when they were expecting Mateo and Danica instead. Possession of the Omega Gyroscope automatically passed down to Bhulan, which probably doesn’t really affect Mateo, because he doesn’t know where it is, or how to use it, and everyone else seems to agree that he can’t be trusted anyway. No one on the dream team knows what they’re going to do about all this, so the four of them move off to have a private meeting. Meanwhile, Mateo is left with Cheyenne and Abigail.

“So...” he begins awkwardly. “How have you been?”

“Her, or me?” Cheyenne questions.

“Both.”

“We’ve never met,” she replies.

“Neither have we,” Abigail says for herself.

“Well...best not to say anything, I guess. We’ll just sit here quietly.”

“Sit where?” Cheyenne asks.

“Right here. I don’t think the bigwigs want us to wander off alone.”

“No,” Cheyenne laughs. “I mean, where are we? What is this place? Who are you? How do I get home?”

“We’re in the Constant, on a pre-Earth planet called Theia. This facility was built to one day provide respite to time travelers. It was created so far back in the past, because that would make it harder for someone to prevent it from ever existing. I’m Mateo Matic. That is Abigail Siskin. Those people are my cousin, Danica Matic, her father, Asier Mendoza, Bhulan Cargill, and her father, Tamerlane Pryce.”

“He’s not my father,” Abigail contends.

“Right, he’s the father of someone who looks exactly like her, and Danica isn’t really my cousin, but she looks exactly like her too. How you get home is hopefully something they’re all discussing.”

“I understand Time Travel 101,” Cheyenne insists. You don’t have to baby me.”

“You misunderstand,” Mateo begins. “My explanation is not meant to condescend to you. It’s because I did not spend much time in your world, and I am not familiar with what you and your people know, and do not know.”

“I see.”

They return to the uncomfortable silence, Mateo musing at how comically common it is for random people to just show up. Yeah, they’re time travelers, but this is so ridiculous. Cheyenne’s origins were always mysterious, so it’s not totally surprising that she has something to do with this. Abigail is way out of left field, though. Or maybe not, since her father is here. Well, he’s her once-father, so still. Who else is coming?

While Mateo is listing the most likelies in his head, the braintrust returns to announce that Danica was reminded of how things were when Bhulan and Tamerlane first showed up, and how she had to treat them like normal guests. “You can all stay.”

The Advancement of Mateo Matic: July 15, 2398

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Marie is sitting on the cot, face pressed up against the glass, not in a longing sort of way, but just because she’s bored. This isn’t the first time she’s been locked up, and if she survives, it won’t be the last. The other three are doing their own thing, but they seem just as bored.

“How long have we been here?” Kivi asks.

“At least a day,” Heath answers, just guessing.

“Are they gonna torture us, or something, or is this the torture?” There is nothing in this glass cell but eight cots, one toilet, partially covered, a sink with an extension to approximate a shower, and holes for ventilation. Under the sink is a stack of these dense granola squares for them to eat at their leisure.

They haven’t seen a single soul since they woke up here yesterday. The light is dim, and they can’t see the outside. They get the sense that this thing was built in the center of a warehouse, but it’s so dark that they can’t be certain of the scope. Surely someone is watching them on monitors somewhere, but they don’t actually see the cameras. There is no sound. Not even the light fixtures give off that familiar hum you normally wouldn’t be able to get out of your head when everything else is this silent. For now, the only noises they hear are the ones they make.

“Don’t give them any ideas,” Marie tells her, pulling her face from the wall for a minute. “They’re always listening,” she whispers.

“You don’t know that,” Heath says. “Look around. I don’t see anywhere for anybody to slip food to us. Hell, one of these bars holding the glass together is probably a door, but we don’t know which. All we have may be all we ever will. This may not be a jail cell at all, but a coffin.”

“Don’t be so morbid,” Marie urges. “They brought us here for a reason.”

“What reason?” Kivi questions.

“If I knew that...” Marie begins, going back to the glass. She stops in the middle of the sentence when she realizes that there is no way to finish it. It doesn’t matter what she knows, and doesn’t. There are no actions to take in here besides sleeping, eating, cleaning, and wasting. Her guess is as good as Kivi’s

“Does this have anything to do with A—”

Marie quickly turns from the glass again. “Shh!” Kivi was about to drop Amir’s name, which she shouldn’t, in case he has nothing to do with it. Or they, rather since there are two Amir Hussains. Swapping them, and freeing them both to different places, was their only choice. They knew it would cause problems, but they didn’t think these people would take it this far. The second Amir was so interested in getting out of Birket that he gleefully accepted the risk. Marie is glad that Leona isn’t here, but she could have helped. For one, she probably would have already figured out who these people truly are, and how to get out of here, and in two weeks, she would be running the joint.

“Sorry,” Kivi says. “I’m just hungry.”

“Go ahead, and have another square,” Marie suggests.

“I can’t, we have to ration it.”

“No, we don’t,” Heath insists. “It’s fine. I was just being dramatic.”

“Yes, we do, and no, it’s not, and no, you weren’t,” the fourth prisoner says.

Microstory 953: Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris

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I don’t know everything there is to know about Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris, and do not have time to research them, but I encourage you to do so. As far as politicians go, they’re two of the good ones. They fight for the rights of underprivileged and disenfranchised. They are persistent and unrelenting, and I am grateful that there are still some people in the government that want to actually make things better, instead of going back to the way things were. I have a few people on this list, but there are so many more that aren’t on here. Some individuals belong within a category of people I admire, and though I didn’t just want this to be a list of people I like, I did want to single out a few who stick out the most. To do otherwise would require a level of care and consideration I can’t commit to, since I still have a full-time job. These two deserve recognition for their efforts on the inside of a society that does not want them to succeed. They’ve had to work harder than any man, and prove themselves worthy to a degree no one should be expected to exemplify. As a woman of color, Harris has had to work even harder just to be accepted, and she’s still disregarded by so many. I was so moved by one of the speeches they each respectively gave. Of course, these aren’t the only things these two have said, but they’re the speeches that caused me personally to take notice. We all remember the nevertheless, she persisted meme, which was a classic case of an offense being co-opted by the targets as a point of pride. Yes, Warren persisted, because women have too long been silenced, and that’s exactly what they need to do. They have an intrinsic right to be heard, and anyone who doesn’t agree with that needs to try their own hand at silence. Harris’ outrage at the farce that was the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings was one of the most dazzling interviews I’ve seen. Her poise in the face of such insolence showed just how unfit for the position he really is, and though everyone’s efforts to stop his appointment failed, at least the public has all the facts. Without Harris, and others like her, we would be stuck under the burden of ignorance. I’m impressed by these two ladies, and their contemporaries, and will continue to support them despite the twisted opposition from the libertarian right. I went so far as to name a fictional spaceship in one of my stories The Elizabeth Warren, and I intend to name one after Kamala Harris as soon as the need arises. We need more people like them, and I hope their actions have inspired young political warriors to one day take up the fight for truth, if they haven’t already.

Microstory 729: Credos, Convention Four: Cordiality

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The boy lifted his foot from the canister, fearful of letting it touch the ground, but ultimately finding it to be safe. The brilliant sparkle of the magic water remained intact. He placed his other foot in the fourth canister, and watched the story. There was another boy, on a far away world , who was different than most others. Everyone around him complained that he was too quiet, as if their lives were somehow not complete without his spoken words. They urged him to be more active, to participate in conversations. But these conversations did not interest him, and he could not understand how anyone appreciated them. For they were not real conversations. They did not stimulate the mind, nor solve a problem, nor help someone get through a terrible situation. They were, quite literally, meaningless. They would speak of the weather, as if any of them had any valuable insight into the matter. They would talk of...well, mostly the weather. They apparently had few other ideas for conversation. They were uncomfortable with silence, and would have to fill it with something, be it ever prosaic.

The boy was completely fine with silence, and was content to sit in it without saying a single word. He would mostly only speak when spoken to, and would keep his responses short and concise. His family would tell him, “that the people around you are engaging in small talk, does not mean they do not have more important thoughts as well, or that they are somehow intellectually stunted.” But he did not believe this. How could anyone knowingly appear to be so trivial? That is a paradox. Anyone aware of this in themselves would immediately alter their behavior. But if they could do that, they were not truly trivial in the first place, were they? No, that they choose to say nothing while never ceasing is irrational, but not in a good way. And the boy was not going to give into the pressure to fit in. But then the boy grew up, and like many others, had to go and seek gainful employment. Before anyone would hire him, they first had to speak with him in an interview, and though he was fully qualified, he would always fail this task. They wanted to ask him about his experience and education, yes, but they also wanted to be dumb and unproductive. That was somehow enjoyable to them. And so the young man sought advice from his parents once more. “I am sorry that I did not listen to you. I did not learn how to fit in. I don’t understand small talk, and now I fear it is too late. What am I to say to these people who are responsible for my livelihood?” And his family smiled upon him and said simply, “fake it”. And so he did, and he found this to be easy, for it turns out the people really were as mindless as he believed. It was easy to trick them. All he had to do...was be cordial, and they would think he genuinely cared about their thoughts on the weather.

Microstory 620: Silence of the Blasphemers

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If there’s one complaint any Lightseer can have about our great galaxy of Fostea, it’s that there are some things we would just like to change. I know, that’s vague, but our faith has a few stipulations for our way of life that make it a little difficult to be around people who do not share it. Not everyone knows about, wants to understand, or can truly appreciate the glory in The Light. We have an evangelical side of us that goes out to the stars and spreads the Word to others, but we must restrain ourselves, for being too aggressive could go against other people’s rights to be as they choose. This patience can be arduous for some of our kind, which is why not ever one of us is an evangelical. There are those, however, who do not share our level of tolerance and respect. We call these the blasphemers. Not only are these people not Lightseers, but they actively work against our practices, and try to destroy our way of life. The Book of Light discusses often the dangers of dealing with blasphemers, for they bring only darkness. It teaches us that light is more powerful than dark, but also that this does not mean it requires no effort. Like the fragile flower, light must be nurtured, fed, and protected. One of the most well-known quotes from the Book of Light says, there will always be more darkness in the universe than light, but light is the only one of the two that moves...that moves others...that truly is. Darkness...is nothing. It’s important to remember these truths whenever you’re having a crisis of faith; when you doubt your beliefs, be it on your own, or by someone else’s harmful words. It is not you who should change; it is the blasphemers. They are the ones who need be silenced. Lucky for us, this very thing was foretold in the taikon passages.

After Eido Ivanka was covertly removed from the segregated Anter star system, she was taken back to Istamas so that she could recover from not having lived in civilized society for however long it was. Even after a medical examination, a shower, and some real food, Ivanka never spoke a word. But she kept pointing to a tablet that was lying on the counter. Once she got her hands on it, she navigated to the galactic map, and presented the others in the room with the coordinates to one of the worst places in Fostea. On the edge of the galaxy is a star system with a planet called Castanea Beta. It follows Fostean law, and practices Fostean traditions, but it is the furthest from Lightseed a place could possibly be. This is where a group of atheists live, but not just any atheists; they’re also wildly outspoken against Lightseed. It’s unclear exactly what their motives are, but they are one of the most dangerous threats to our faith. As far as we know, they have not successfully recruited a Lightseer to their heathen ways, but not for lack of trying. Unfortunately for them, their days of blaspheming our religion are over. A ship transported Eido Ivanka to Castanea Beta immediately upon request, and it was there that they witnessed a real-life miracle. With no apparent technological advancement, Ivanka held out her arms and literally silenced the blasphemers. Try as they may, they are to this day physically incapable of uttering so much as a cough. And with this miraculous act, Ivanka’s own voice returned. The first thing she said was, “let us move on to the next one.”