{"id":916,"date":"2022-08-23T00:48:30","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T00:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=916"},"modified":"2023-11-29T20:18:31","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T20:18:31","slug":"the-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=916","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"_3d-flip-book  fb3d-fullscreen-mode full-size\" data-id=\"1381\" data-mode=\"fullscreen\" data-title=\"false\" data-template=\"short-white-book-view\" data-lightbox=\"dark-shadow\" data-urlparam=\"fb3d-page\" data-page-n=\"0\" data-pdf=\"\" data-tax=\"null\" data-thumbnail=\"\" data-cols=\"3\" data-book-template=\"default\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA = window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA || [];window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA.push('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');window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE && window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE.render();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Haunting Origins<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Thirteen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty Lewis woke up to a cleaner room and an active, but quiet, Eve shuffling things around. She knew the instant he was awake and knelt by his bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMorning,\u201d she whispered. \u201cYour friend is still asleep.\u201d Eve was wearing rust-red robes now, with her slender arms uncovered and a poncho that fell down her front like a large, square bib. The closest thing to which Pretty could compare her outfit was a half-dress half-sleeveless tee shirt. Her hair was in a neat braid that curled into a ball on the back of her head. She looked nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBlink?\u201d Pretty said, surprised and slightly embarrassed at his much deeper voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI put his glasses over there; he fell asleep with them on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m amazed I fell asleep at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you came from less than a thousand feet of elevation, you\u2019re going to need some water. I think we\u2019re close to eight thousand feet.\u201d She rolled her eyes as she corrected herself. \u201cThat\u2019s what the altimeter says. You need to drink a lot of water and don\u2019t make a habit of running up flights of stairs or rock-climbing because you might pass out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay\u2026\u201d Pretty said. He felt fine and breathing was easy. Then he quietly stood up and found that he was wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink was laying on the top bunk now nearly face-to-face with the standing Pretty. He was pulling wet breaths through his mouth and his reddened nose was running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhere\u2019s that other girl that was going to be in here?\u201d Pretty said to Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s out right now. She doesn\u2019t need to spend every second in here after all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGuess not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve put a large beat-up plastic cup filled with water in his hand. \u201cThis is your first of two. Drink them both now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll of it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you need to pee right now?\u201d Eve asked, folding her arms like a mom. Once her arms were braced against her chest, it showed just how much her warm-looking robes were deemphasizing the shape of her body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d Pretty said, paying attention to his peripherals but maintaining perfect eye-contact. <em>She can read my thoughts, fuck. WEINER, WEINER, WEINER, PINK ELEPHANTS.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve appeared to take no notice as she answered: \u201cBecause you\u2019re dehydrated. Drink until you need to pee and thank me later. Does your throat hurt at all?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Leader shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHeadache?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another headshake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut you felt a little light-headed standing up, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah. And hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll eat, don\u2019t worry. You seem to be adjusting well.\u201d She smiled, patted him on the shoulder, and then pulled him into a hug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty allowed it, but wondered why she did it. \u201cWhat\u2019s this for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re appreciated and wanted. You can live and we don\u2019t have any expectations of you right now. Just sit and watch. It must have been hard having to jump all by yourself,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the first part of her little speech, he felt a pang of something so unfamiliar he didn\u2019t know if it was bad or good. Pretty made a strange face and broke the hug. \u201cThat\u2019s a bit of a weird thing to say; what is <em>that<\/em> supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve had a quiet, unsurprised and understanding face as she said: \u201cYou don\u2019t have to try to impress us; drink water and stay healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo you can feed me to a novis later?\u201d Pretty said dryly. It was strange to hear something like that leave his mouth as a serious and realistic comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t happen frequently, but it does happen. If it means anything to you, I don\u2019t think you\u2019ll get fed to the novis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, that means the world to me, thanks,\u201d Pretty said. One way to drive girls nuts was to be sarcastic and rude to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink took in a large sigh, but he stayed asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty took a look at the Pilot and then asked Eve, \u201cCan the Shepherd hear everything that happens in this room?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe can hear everything that happens on the <em>Stone Compass<\/em>,\u201d said Eve. \u201cBut his actual vision and perception is shorter. I\u2019ve seen through his eyes a few times and only when he is asleep or meditating or isn\u2019t focusing on a certain spot will you go unheard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDo you know when you\u2019re heard since you\u2019re a prophet?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d said Eve while she broke eye contact. It was clearly a lie as she put a finger to her lips and then said. \u201cI wish, because then I\u2019d feel a little more safe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty thought, <em>Can the Shepherd hear us now? Is he listening to us?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve looked at him, nodded, and said, \u201cBut he\u2019ll show you how it works later, I\u2019m sure. It isn\u2019t often that he has someone to show the <em>Compass<\/em> to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf he can\u2019t listen to this room\u201d <em>in theory<\/em>, he thought \u201cis there anything else that his stick can do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJump between worlds into that tube system you came from. What you did, but with an Axiom Staff or a real rift, it\u2019s different. Mirrors can only jump to other mirrors which means they can\u2019t jump to Veldur. But with a regular rift, those can move you to Veldur or any of the other rifts on another world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow did he get it in the first place?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019m going to go into that story, maybe Blink should be awake. The Shepherd would like you both to hear this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty gave Blink a few small pushes and Blink flipped onto his back, causing the whole bunk bed to creak and he kicked the ceiling which made a hollow <em>thwammm<\/em>. The Pilot was took in a deep breath as Pretty and Eve stood in surprise waiting for his next move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty started laughing. \u201cYou always wake up like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhere am I? Who are you?\u201d Blink was looking at Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s Eve, Blink,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink eased into a seated position. \u201cI remember now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy\u2019d you flip out?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink answered instantly. \u201cJeffery used to wake me up gentle and then he would grab both of my shoulders and body-slam me into the bed, unless I kicked up at him before he could. I thought that was what was happening. Where are my glasses?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty took in those words as Eve handed Blink his glasses. <em>Jeffery.<\/em> <em>That son of a bitch.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat time is it? And are we still on that floating rock?\u201d Blink asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah, we\u2019re still here. I don\u2019t know what time it is. Do you even have time since everything is always moving around?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo, we don\u2019t have a set time like they used to before the Rise because all of our landmasses don\u2019t stay in one place. We just know mealtimes and the shift rotation for the minders which happen at nearly the same time each day. The Shepherd used to say when that was, but now I make the call so he has less to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty had a bizarre thought, but he shook it away because it was just wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKind of,\u201d Eve answered the question he didn\u2019t ask. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, your mind is just too easy to hear because you don\u2019t know how to shift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re like the Shepherd\u2019s wife in a way?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom what I know about wives, yes; I guess you could say I am. I help him out with things he is working on and I can work on my own things as well. I calculate where other landmasses are, where we are, and the best way to get to those other landmasses. And what time of year it is and what elevation we are at to make sure everyone is staying healthy. I\u2019m teaching someone else some of these skills as well so I don\u2019t have to do all of them myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to take you on a tour of the <em>Compass<\/em> and let you know what goes on here before you decide what you\u2019re going to do with your lives.\u201d Eve watched as Blink eased himself down the ladder and put on his shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019m honest, it doesn\u2019t feel like we have much of a choice. At least, the Shepherd made it sound like it was up to him,\u201d Pretty said as he sat on the bed and put on his own shoes which were neatly laid right next to his bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll cross that bridge when we get to it,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>She doesn\u2019t realize how creepy that sounds, does she?<\/em> Pretty thought and instantly remembered she could read his thoughts. \u201cOr how creepy it is that you read my mind, huh?\u201d He sneered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve sighed tiredly and said brightly, \u201cReady to see the <em>Compass<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSure,\u201d Blink said, though he was actually quite hungry and thirsty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve said to Blink: \u201cI\u2019ll need you to drink these two large glasses of water first and then we\u2019ll eat the first meal. Everyone else has already eaten and started today\u2019s chores, but after you two eat, we\u2019ll start the tour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink actually smiled and they did just that. After a meal of dried fruits and some smoked meats (which they were told was choice food), they drank another half-cup of water and walked outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was sunny, but the breeze made it feel chillier. Eve looked right in her element in those interesting robes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy don\u2019t you wear a coat?\u201d Blink said as he put his hands in his coat pockets and bunched his shoulders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not that cold,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe to you.\u201d Blink shivered. \u201cIt\u2019s as cold as your mom out here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty held out his hand in front of Blink whose face lit up and he slapped it. Nobody had done that for him before and he had always wanted someone to offer him a hand to slap after a smart comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is the Back Deck,\u201d Eve explained with a small smile. There were a couple of wooden, severely weather-beaten tables which had been sanded again and refinished. \u201cIt\u2019s a popular hangout spot and Home Base when we\u2019re playing any outdoor games like Hide-and-Seek-Tag.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty\u2019s eyes nearly fell out as they opened wide. \u201cWe play that in Winton! We even call it the same exact thing!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow about that?\u201d Eve said with that motherly voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty said nothing after that and let Eve continue with the tour. Before them was a field of different mansions: Brick ones, black ones, a cube-looking one, some that seemed to have carried some dirt with them because their foundations weren\u2019t completely flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe <em>Compass<\/em> is several hundred feet deep and reinforced with metal wraps so that it stay together quite well. It has to be deep because many of the mansions have basements that grow into the ground when they leave or return,\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow do the novis know where to go when they\u2019re traveling?\u201d Pretty asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s part of their instinct,\u201d Eve said. \u201cThey have a keen sense of smell\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Damn right they do,<\/em> Pretty thought<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cand with their smell they can find fraisers in other places, usually other worlds. They find the unsuspecting ones in dreams and then they travel. They\u2019re experts at finding a proper place for the mansion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During those few sentences of explanation, the blood drained from Pretty\u2019s face. These novis could have been the ones that came to Mariah in her dream. From firsthand experience, Pretty knew Eve was telling the truth: The novis come in dreams, they set up shop, and launch an attack on unsuspecting fraisers. \u201cOh, shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat?\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBlink, what if that\u2019s why the novis killed all those teenagers in the Bushkill Massacre? They didn\u2019t eat the bodies because they just needed the fraise? Teenagers would have been young enough\u2026 ugh, that\u2019s horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink shrugged. \u201cIt makes sense.\u201d He didn\u2019t know how to react.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve was watching Pretty and Blink closely now. Pretty let out a large breath of air and looked like he needed a moment to collect himself. Eve let him have it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow do the mansions move, anyway?\u201d Blink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty missed most of what she said as strange thoughts swam in and out of his head. Eve had answered with: \u201cThey usually have mirrors with them in the mansions. Mirrors can\u2019t travel to Veldur, only to other worlds if a novis is using it to travel, otherwise they probably would have gone extinct or all be living in zoos or something similar. The mansions fold up until they\u2019re eventually gone; mansion-travel is different because it isn\u2019t a jump which is how humans travel between worlds. Unless you know how to move around on an \u2018interdimensional vehicle\u2019 as the Shepherd calls it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo they need a mirror to move?\u201d Blink said. \u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor the most part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo if we broke the mirror, does that mean that mansion can\u2019t move anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnless they had another mirror or a natural reserve of acrylium in the house, or the novis were able to find an acrylium reserve, yes, they would be stranded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s acrylium?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s something that allows you to make jumps between universes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike some kind of drink?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve seemed thoughtful about that question. \u201cMaybe it has been made into a drink; I\u2019m not sure. But I\u2019ve only seen or heard about it in powder form. It\u2019s like a mineral I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLike a rock?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As they walked, they passed mansions which Pretty and Blink side-eyed and stayed close to Eve. These buildings were too quiet for the beast within. Like a gift-wrapped time-bomb they stood all pretty, all gentle, holding those grinning novis who were waiting for the countdown to end so they could unleash their hellish presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re from different time periods. Most of them were built in the 1900s so some are over one-hundred years old. Sometimes if I get close enough I can know some of the history behind it or where it went and how much it traveled. It\u2019s rather difficult though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow can you live on this ship?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe all eat well if that\u2019s what you\u2019re wondering. And the Shepherd makes sure we stay healthy and doesn\u2019t mistreat us,\u201d Eve said as she gathered a small clump of her noticeably worn, but well-kept robes to make sure she didn\u2019t trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDepends on what you mean by \u2018mistreat\u2019,\u201d Pretty muttered. \u201cOr \u2018healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Shepherd was a clinical psychologist. He helped people with troubled minds and knows how our minds work quite well. He knows what\u2019s best for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe could also have just lied about his background.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe, but it\u2019s unlikely. He said he graduated from the University of Arizona with a Master\u2019s Degree that he had to write a paper about anyway. He thought he only had to write a thesis if he were aiming for a PhD, which means a doctorate or an eight-year degree-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know what it means. Anyone ever tell you that you mansplain?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t,\u201d Blink said and Pretty only looked at him sharply for a second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat does \u2018mansplain\u2019 mean?\u201d Eve said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt means you over-explain things with details that other people probably already know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t care; I will start from the beginning with any explanation to make sure everyone is up to speed. If you\u2019re insulted by the fact that I\u2019m taking the time to explain at a conceptual level, that\u2019s a personal problem. I want the conversation to be easy to follow and I want to ensure that I\u2019m understood. I do that with everyone, even the Shepherd.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnyway, I believe he\u2019s telling the truth. Regardless of what you think, he knows how to keep us healthy and knows what we should be eating. When we can, we make our own candy. There are several fraisers here who know how machines work and we\u2019ve kept our little Honda generators running so that we have electricity for part of the building, lights, and other small rechargeable things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome days we have a good wind and are on our way to where we want to go and haven\u2019t hit any gravity spots or whirlpools that will slow us down and we just play all day and relax.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy do you want to stay here? Why wouldn\u2019t you want to leave and see the world?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve took a deep breath. \u201cI don\u2019t know what life was like before the Rise, but it sounds wonderful. Not many fraisers are able to live a quiet life in a village or off of a fraiser farm and stay away from the cavaliers or other dangers like monsters. When you\u2019re here, Pretty, you don\u2019t have to worry about being chased and killed.\u201d Eve adjusted the grip on her robes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou said the Shepherd feeds kids to the novis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNot all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2019<em>Not all the time\u2019<\/em>, is that supposed to make it better somehow?! This bastard feeds kids like ME and BLINK to monsters! Holy fuck, I can\u2019t believe this is actually real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve sighed again and dropped her gaze as she walked. Then she stopped and faced the two Astronomers. \u201cLife\u2019s hard, right? Can we agree on that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink swallowed and the fear in his eyes said \u2018yes.\u2019 Pretty nodded, but his face never changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy life before this was terrible, can you believe that? It was <em>worse<\/em> than the fate that I have now; the impending death that I\u2019m counting down to is better than life elsewhere. Maybe you\u2019ve never been raped before, maybe you don\u2019t know the feeling of relief from danger even for a sure amount of time.\u201d Here, Eve\u2019s eyes were bunching up with water and she swallowed her emotions back before continuing. \u201cMaybe you don\u2019t know the thrill of overcoming an irrational fear or overcoming the fear of death? Of all the people who wish their lives were different, ask any fraiser on this whole planet if they wanted a different life and they would say \u2018yes\u2019. Offer them a life on this ship and they will accept, even knowing that just before they lose their fraise in their teen years, they are guaranteed to be sold a slave or to be fed to a monster. We love the Shepherd because of his protection and are grateful for the life he gives us. Maybe you\u2019re unaware, but life and survival are cousins, not twins. Their relation is far from parallel; in fact it\u2019s pretty detached. Life and living is the goal and maybe survival is a support system to life at times, but life is not survival. The next time you try to tell me freedom at the price of survival is equivalent to living, make sure you\u2019ve lived in the wilderness on your own or in a cage for a year and watch yourself choke on the words if you\u2019re still alive.\u201d Eve turned on her heel and left the two Astronomers behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink wasn\u2019t sure he understood everything that was said, but he knew for sure that Eve had a life that was likely worse than his. He had a newfound respect and started following her again, though she seemed like she\u2019d rather be left alone now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty shoved his hands into his jean pockets and took in a few deep and sad breaths, blaming the altitude for his shortness of breath. How much easier and simpler would life have been if the Astronomers just let themselves get eaten on that Dark Night? <em>Go pound salt<\/em>, is what Myles\u2019s dad used to say when someone was bothering him. Without saying it, Eve just told Pretty to go and pound a whole sea\u2019s worth of salt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few seconds of thought, Pretty finally walked after Eve and Blink who had stopped and waited for him to catch up. Then they kept walking, but now in silence until they reached the end of the <em>Stone Compass<\/em> where two flagpoles were fixed directly into the rock and two comically large flags flapped in a flowing partnered dance with the wind. One of the flags was completely white and the other was totally green emblazoned with the image of a stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Amber Staff, Auric, on that flag. The white means we\u2019re a merchant ship which usually means we\u2019re armed, which is true. We have hangars and a few guns for emergencies, but usually all it takes is a few hangars to whisk over to another boat and drop some explosives which we are running low on, but others don\u2019t know that,\u201d Eve said and gave a strange glance to the Astronomers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty wrinkled his brow. <em>Low on explosives. Is that supposed to mean something?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cJust down those stairs is a small lookout on the back of the compass. It\u2019s protected from the wind, so someone or someones may be down there already.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They walked down the stone steps until they could hear their feet and shuffled to the railing. There was a bench against the wall away from the railing and on the bench were two fraisers: Sandy and another one with a better head of hair, a quiet complexion, but loud blazing eyes. \u201cHi, you guys,\u201d Sandy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHi, Sandy. Hi, Anna,\u201d Eve said. \u201cMeet Pretty and Blink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI remember them from yesterday,\u201d Sandy said. \u201cHi again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pretty nodded without a word as he was realizing just how high up they were. He put his back against the stone as far from the railing as possible. \u201cShit. That\u2019s pretty fuckin\u2019 high up, huh?\u201d Blink seemed fine, the little bastard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNothing to worry about,\u201d Eve said. \u201cEven if you fall, we have hangars at the bottom of the boat who will see you fall and catch you before you hit the water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh that\u2019s comforting and doesn\u2019t make it any scarier.\u201d Pretty hadn\u2019t moved from his position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blink kept his footing from the side and peeked over the ledge and then moved away from it. \u201cThat\u2019s pretty far down, but when you look, it doesn\u2019t seem as far. It\u2019s just water down there. It\u2019s like being on a boat on the ocean in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat doesn\u2019t make me feel any better, Blink. I just want to be home right now. <em>Fuck<\/em>, why did you take us here, Eve?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t realize you were so scared of heights. And as a prophet I can\u2019t lie and say I\u2019m not enjoying this to an extent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Fuck youuuuu<\/em>, Pretty thought and remembered simultaneously that she heard that with her invasive prophesying mind. <em>Fuck you againnnnn<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If Eve did hear it, her poker face was incredible. Maybe she learned how to pretend not to hear with years of practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can leave here; there is one more thing I\u2019d like to show you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf it\u2019s anything like this, you can count me out,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s considerably less scary and is indoors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGood.\u201d Pretty never looked over the Ledge and scooted his way to the stairs. They walked across the <em>Compass<\/em> back to the resort. Pretty recognized the same flags flying on top of the ski resort: One all-white and another green one with the stick on it. There was another one, considerably smaller, red with a yellow cross in the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s that red and yellow flag mean?\u201d Blink said, walking right next to Eve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt means \u2018don\u2019t pass in front of me\u2019 if we were a boat on the ocean. Here it means we\u2019re planning on docking and we go first if someone is trying to dock in front of us at Stablefield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou still use boat flags? That\u2019s pretty cool,\u201d Pretty said, hoping this question would be the starting of their forgetting his previous behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd flag signals.\u201d Eve nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They were once again in the Great Room, but instead of taking a right towards Eve\u2019s room, they went left to a part of the resort they hadn\u2019t been yet. Eve brought them into a larger room with a low ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Shepherd said this used to be a gift shop which is why you can see through the windows. Now we all use it as a quiet room and a library.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The library part was obvious: There were books on shelves which were bolted to the walls and had bungee cords across each of the shelf units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo keep the books from falling out when this thing rocks?\u201d Pretty plucked one of the stretchy cords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve nodded. \u201cBooks aren\u2019t allowed outside of this room unless you\u2019ve been given special permission from the Shepherd or myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI guess they\u2019re pretty hard to come by these days, huh?\u201d Pretty said, still not quite realizing they were so far into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes. But what I wanted to show you in here are these.\u201d Eve turned her back to them and faced the whiteboards on the walls and rolling whiteboard near them. They were covered with some kind of math far beyond the Astronomers\u2019 understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhiteboards.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese are for locating where we are in relation to other boats,\u201d Eve said with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. \u201cOkay, you can sit down right over here.\u201d She pointed to the only open chair, a lawn chair, and realized there weren\u2019t enough for the two of them. \u201cOh, uh, one second.\u201d She whisked over to the two folded chairs in the corner and forced one of them open. She <em>clack<\/em>ed it open and laid it neatly next to the first, patting it with a grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Astronomers sat down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve stood in front of the whiteboards and folded her hands together with a sigh. \u201cOkay, so there are a bunch of huge landmasses that are all floating around. That means it\u2019s pretty hard to know where they are since everyone is always moving, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boys nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA few years after the Rise there was a group of smart people who figured out the best use of boats and minders and all of that who also knew how \u2018radio towers\u2019 worked. Do you know what those are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boys nodded. \u201cMostly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRadio towers send out a signal and based off of the strength of that signal, we can detect how far away it is. On the <em>Compass<\/em> we have two antennas, one on the front and one on the back, and we are always receiving signals from different landmasses. That means we can triangulate those locations just based off of how far away they are and set a course for them. Do you know what \u2018triangulate\u2019 means?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNah. None of that makes sense to us, but it sounds pretty amazing that you could figure that much out with the technology that you have,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTriangulate,\u201d Eve started, \u201cmeans that we pick up a signal from two different landmasses, see that there are two different values from each of them, and over a short period of time we can pinpoint where these landmasses are just based off of that small movement. Cool huh?\u201d She finished that sentence with another excited breath and a grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI still don\u2019t get it,\u201d Blink said, scratching his head, \u201cbut at least we know where this big floating boat is going. All this looks so complicated and we only just started learning algebra.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI skipped a year in math, so some of this makes sense. A lot of the adding and some of the graphs on the whiteboards, but I don\u2019t know how it works,\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve said, \u201cWe know which landmasses are which because of the different frequencies they beam. They\u2019re designated, like radio stations, and since there isn\u2019t anything blocking the signal and there\u2019s just open air between us, the signal can reach hundreds of miles, and those are the landmasses we care about anyway. It\u2019s interesting though, because sometimes we\u2019ll land at a landmass and when we leave we won\u2019t see it for a couple years or so. The Shepherd has a route, however. He\u2019s a genius when it comes to trade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou mean, trading kids?\u201d Pretty said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve lost her smile and said, \u201cThat\u2019s all I really wanted to share from this room; that\u2019s how we know where we\u2019re going and that we\u2019re less than a day away, though you can\u2019t see the landmass yet. Lunch is soon; you can meet with and talk to more of the fraisers on the <em>Compass<\/em> and see what they think about living here if you\u2019re still apprehensive, Mr. Lewis. In the meantime, feel free to stay in my room and rest. I\u2019ll bring you some more water. The Shepherd will likely speak to you soon to see how you\u2019re coming along. I\u2019ll show you the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The three left the room and returned down the hallway to Eve\u2019s large room. She opened some of the blinds to lighten the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eve paused. \u201cOh, look, Harriet left us a pitcher of water. That was thoughtful.\u201d There was a plastic, lidded, one-gallon pitcher and four metal cups lined up, all with differently-colored hairbands around their necks to tell them apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce each of you drink a full cup of water, I\u2019ll go and see where the Shepherd is and I\u2019ll come back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have to drink the water?\u201d Blink said. \u201cEven if we\u2019re full?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes,\u201d Eve answered as she poured them each a cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The boys drank slowly and reluctantly and, as promised, Eve first nodded with a motherly smile and left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Haunting Origins Chapter Thirteen Pretty Lewis woke up to a cleaner room and an active, but quiet, Eve shuffling things around. She knew the instant he was awake and knelt by his bed. \u201cMorning,\u201d she whispered. \u201cYour friend is still asleep.\u201d Eve was wearing rust-red robes now, with her slender arms uncovered and a poncho &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=916\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fraiser"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=916"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1383,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/916\/revisions\/1383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}