CANAISIS ∞ Chronicle One ∞ 3: A Shard Of Code

117 ∞ Sensation of Time

Day 00014 Mission Nilex

"Hush, he's coming!" whispered Ayla.

Ahmid gave her an imperceptible nod and bent at the faucet to drink some water, then splashed his face.

He was concerned, and Ayla couldn't blame him. When they'd begun praying, Ayla had opened herself to the Universe, as she always did at prayer. It was an act of laying oneself bare to hear and feel, quieting the mind to listen without thought, without expectation.

But this time had been different in a way she'd never experienced before. In the act of closing her eyes, she'd opened up herself to see. And her dream had returned with the fluid succession of visions: two Trees, one and then the other ghostly imposed upon each other. She hoped that was a sign—a sign of the Tree returning to health and bearing acorns on every branch, a sign of the future to come. But she didn't feel like that was certain.

Then she saw Gareth's bare hand holding the seven acorns on the day of his wife's internment. This time, the vision encompassed his state of mind: too numb to feel, with a black hole in his soul stripping and shredding everything away, even with the physical discomfort of the ENS nervous system growing within his body and brain.

The vision blew away like fog before a soft breeze to reveal another vision underneath. Another time, the time within the mausoleum, wearing his suit as the same acorns rolled in his gloved hand. In that moment, Ayla experienced the chaos and crystal clear determination within Gareth's mind. Something within him regretted not being able to simply cease existing. Yet he'd chosen to continue to exist, not for himself, but for Canaisis.

In a flash, Ayla came to a realization. He did not have hope, but rather hope in the act itself.

What is the resolve to act, to achieve a goal, but a mission?

Gareth's sudden emergence from under the tree trunk had broken her connection to her visions with his concern and close presence. It took only a moment for her to discern which of the two aspects of this man, Gareth or Captain, held her by the elbow. It was the Captain who looked into her eyes, asking, "Are you alright?"

No one needed to see or feel her alarm and fear, so she'd mustered herself to appear normal. As Gareth explained himself, and Canaisis explained why he'd acted the way he had, Ayla threw up her strongest defenses. If Canaisis had seen something occurring within her, then this could only be her Gift showing the visions. But this was nothing like what she'd normally experience. Her Gift never behaved this way before—she didn't know what was happening. She did know that if Ahmid thought she was succumbing to being Lost again, then he'd send her straight to cold sleep.

She'd risked a glance up at Ahmid, only to see a squint of speculation in his eyes just before he blanked his face and emotions to address Gareth.

Here, at the water fountain, Ahmid had touched her arm and quietly ordered, "Tell me."

"It wasn't the Gift. At least not the way we know it. I'm fine."

"Ayla, I saw something. Like a dream. Two trees at the same time. One of them this very Tree here, the other I don't know."

Ayla couldn't hide her surprise. "You saw that?"

Ahmid rocked back at her words. "This is what you see? Did I Journey? Is that what it's like?"

"No. I said it wasn't the Gift—it wasn't a Journey. This is something different."

Ahmid's eyes shifted in thought before returning to her. "If that wasn't a Journey, then what was it?"