Chapter Five

"Chapter Four" 

The Orrityga was still linked to Amyrll and a part of their attention was observing what was going on following their departure. They were also exploring. Landseer's connection to Amyrll as he read her memories had facilitated the Orrityga putting a part of their attention into Landseer's mind. As far as they could tell, he was unaware of this. They were finding the possibilities quite fascinating.

The Vrrall were nonplussed by the disappearance of two of their number, and the shock threatened to disrupt the shared communion of those remaining.

“The Fortuna and the Simshinian are lost.”

Landseer held the Vrrall together and correctly surmised that the Orrityga was demonstrating his Construct for Fortuna. He quashed a suggestion to try and search for the missing Vrrall using Stendhall's dimension travel construct pointing out that they had no idea where to search and that there could be an infinite number of alternative dimensions, presenting an impossible task.

“We cannot know how long they will be gone, but we shall make best use of the time by examining the alien that is called Sophia. We must take every opportunity to learn more about their dimension and evaluate their threat potential. We will attempt to enter her consciousness. Amyrll, we will modify the relevant targeting sequences of the Reality Distillation Unit and you will enter Sophia's mind.”

Amyrll was alarmed. Her abandonment in the alien dimension had left her with no illusions about how the Vrrall regarded her. She was expendable. Nevertheless to disobey Landseer was unthinkable, so she began to make the necessary changed to the sequences.

Sophia watched and listened. She saw one of the Vrrall change to look like her and then follow the Orrityga into the Inner Construct, which shortly afterwards vanished. She felt a wave of nausea swell across her whole body, she was abandoned. Her misery increased greatly as she heard Landseer's instructions to Amyrll. Helplessly she watched as Landseer and Amyrll manipulating the multi-dimensional reality tuner.

Landseer was a genius at sequence editing. It was an activity he greatly enjoyed, and it did not take him long with Amyrll's assistance to have a revised sequence ready for Amyrll to invoke.

Sophia watched as Amyrll was connected to the multi-dimensional reality tuner and steeled herself to try and fight whatever was about to happen. What did happen was astonishing.

Amyrll evoked the Vrrall relaxing sequence and then the new targeting sequence. At first it seemed to be working perfectly, she seemed to experience Sophia's locked state and to see herself as Sophia must see her. Then, impossibly, she saw the Orrityga standing next to her besides the RDU. In their hands they held a large cardboard sheet, somehow she knew it was cardboard.

On the cardboard was a message. Sophia/Amyrll read together,

“Hello Sophia. Remember that Bob Dylan thing with the cards? Always wanted to do that.”

The Orrityga dropped a card revealing the next message.

“Anyway, the Lock thing they have used on you. I know how it works.”

Sophia watched as they tucked more cards under his arm and walked over to her. Reaching into a pocket they produced a smaller card, which they held up for her to see. How were they here? The card was a Rider-Waite tarot card 'The Devil'. Sophia looked at it and then at the Orrityga, trying to convey that she didn't understand. Then she realised, she did understand. The chains were loose, the figures only think they are chained, it is their own perceptions that keep them trapped.

Amyrll was trying to understand too, she was confused and was also trying to free herself from the link to Sophia so that she could alert Landseer. For the moment she had forgotten that he was monitoring her invasion of Sophia's mind.

The Orrityga stepped back, and held up another card message.

“Knew you'd get it. Why not introduce yourself to Amyrll. We will be back soon.”

Then they waved the cards and vanished.

Sophia relaxed. Though she now knew she could now move any time she wanted, she chose not to so as not to alert the Vrrall. Somehow she knew the Orrityga was in control of this situation. Being in considerable more than two places at once was normal for them.

“Hello Amyrll.” she thought. Closing her eyes she tried a little experiment and summoned her own Inner Construct. It formed around her. Within it she walked to a high backed leather chair and sat. She looked across to Amyrll. Within the Construct she had separated Amyrll from herself, though they remained linked and static to Landseer's observations.

“Let's get more comfortable.” Sophia motioned to a chair opposite that was the twin of her own. Her Construct was an accurate representation of the library in her favourite house in Venice. Reflected sunlight rippled across plaster walls and leather bound volumes in bookcases of gnarled oak.

Amyrll sank into the chair, unsure as to what was happening. She realised that this was a different construct, but not how it had appeared or how she was both connected to and separate from Sophia. Was Landseer aware of what was happening, she wondered.

“How was the Orrityga here?” Amyrll asked.

“I have absolutely no idea.” Sophie was not about to give Amyrll any information that would get back to the Vrrall, and besides she was only guessing how he had managed to appear. She wondered about the cards thing, whether it was just their odd sense of humour or if there had been some reason they didn't speak. No doubt she would find out in due course.

“Now,” Sophia continued, “why don't you tell me all about how you came to be in the Orrityga's Kepler node?”
Whilst one part of the Orrityga's multiple consciousness was assuring itself that the real Sophia was relatively safe they were also still in the Inner Construct with Fortuna and Simshinian.

“To return to my question. To what end is Sophia detained?” They picked up a piece of paper, which immediately began scrolling text. It was describing what was beyond the Inner Construct in the present dimension.

Fortuna considered and opted for “A hostage to ensure our safety.” which was a partial truth. “I am surprised that you are not racing back to free her.” Now that her initial ploy had failed Fortuna wanted to return to her own dimension where she could combine her efforts with the other members of the Vrrall.

The Orrityga looked up from the paper and said “Oh Sophia is alright. Besides we only just got here. Don't you want to see what's out there?” they enquired, gesturing to the door.

Fortuna was surprised. All available information, (extracted from Amyrll), indicated that the Orrityga and Sophia were mated. That the Orrityga was so casual about her imprisonment was strange and somewhat disturbing. Why was it so confident?

Without waiting for any response the Orrityga was striding towards the door.

The Orrityga had followed the link from Amyrll to Landseer, and put this to good use. Landseer was unaware that his attention had been misdirected. Having observed Amyrll's injection into Sophia's consciousness, he had been subsequently been subtly guided to indulge in his own private obsessions. This had allowed the Orrityga opportunity to communicate with Sophia, and Landseer did not see either the Orrityga or their cards. They had not spoken to Sophia as vibration was key to the involuntary communication links between them. Speech would have drawn Landseer's attention to what was happening.

When he did next check on Amyrll, Landseer was shocked to discover that she was in an alien synthetic, talking to Sophia.

Sophia looked up and greeted him.

“Hello Landseer. Do have a seat. Amyrll was just telling me all about Stendhall and his experiments.”

Landseer attempted to re-evoke Lock, and Sophia frowned.

“That is both rude and futile, and it simply won't work any more.”

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