Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 88

“Why is this man being killed?” Mother asked.

“We apologize for waking you mother.” This came from the eldest Elder. She did a gesture and came to her feet, head bowed, avoiding meeting ‘mother’s eyes.

“I see no fault in this one. Why do you wish him to die,” Mother asked.

“It is because of him, Tulia was killed.”

“She is safe with me. All who die are safe with me. Do you not still teach this?” Mother asked.

“He defies us. He does not conform to our ways.”

“He is male. They have their ways. We have ours,” Mother said.

“He uses magic and tech,” Lanore said.

“Ah,” Mother said. She approached the cylindrical shield and made it go away. She offered a hand to Shen to help him up. He didn’t accept. “Take my hand child. Stand up.”

Shen stood up, but he didn’t take her hand or meet her eyes.

“Why do you avoid me?” Mother asked.

“I have met your kind before…” Shen said.

“You have not met me, child,” Mother said. “I am adult. Not some wild flower trying to eke out a living.”

Shen met her eyes. There was connection. Eye contact wasn’t necessary, as Mother was full telepathic and she knew things- likely everything, from his fear, to his lust, to his wanting to just exist with her. If she asked questions, it wasn’t because she lacked information, but because she wanted others to hear what she already had discerned. She wanted the individual to hear their own response to her. She wanted clarity. There was also truth that she was mature- her flavor was different than Jazmyne. The tone she set in his head was different. It was patient, kind- grandmotherly, an attribute gained from experiences.

“That’s better. I am Melekia,” Mother said. “I recognize you, Jon-Shen. You have been charged and sentenced to death. Does no one stand with you?”

“I stand with him,” Tama said.

“Thank you, daughter, but I was asking him,” Mother said. She made eye contact with Loxy, but then returned her gaze to Shen. “Do you believe in things unseen?”

“Sure. I used to play Pokémon go,” Shen said.

Mother smiled. “I like you.” To the elders, she said: “I see no fault here.”

“He has been charged. We have consensus.”

Mother frowned, nodding. “Undo your binding.”

“No.”

Mother frowned. “Do you know why old-tech was for bidden?”

“Because it’s evil…”

“No,” Mother said. “It was because tech is vulnerable, and without full tech there is injustice. Full tech was necessary to bring life here. Full tech transformed the sea and the land to make it habitable. It made the air breathable. It was at risk to being turned off by solar flares, by the energy ejected from the Twins. And so, when the time came and the environment could support our kind, biological life became the preferred vehicle; consciousness was shared between the two. Bio-life contains all the programming necessary to rebuild the first kind, the machine kind. We lived together in peace. The fall wasn’t inevitable, simply coincidental. Tech is not evil, any more than the body is evil; it is only in how it is used that the distinction arises. Beings are not good by virtue of being, but rather goodness is an attribute that is activated through cultivated thought, sustained through practice. Tech was the bridge to here. We are the bridge to there. Cyclical. Tech will rise again, and we will go forth and colonize other worlds through tech. Tech will fall away and then return. We are always one.”

“There are no other worlds but this.”

“Jon-Shen, do you understand?” Mother asked.

“Von Neumann machines created the world?” Shen asked.

“Your world was the template,” Mother said. “All of Earth’s memory, from cradle to grave is here, preserved with us. All who ever lived are here with us. All can be remembered, but only those who are ascended need understand. There was consensus in deviation. It was intentional that we not recreate Earth precisely as it was. In some ways we did better, in some ways, we failed worse. There were unresolved themes that needed to be revisited so that soul may continue to evolve. Even you projected onto the world what you carried, and the world responded to your request in kind.”

“Why am I here? Why me?” Shen asked.

“Why not you?” Mother asked.

Shen was frustrated by that, because there was no response. Maybe there wasn’t a response to his question, either. ‘Life is not fair.’ ‘How old are you?’

“Were you not with me when I was laying the foundation for this world? Was there not consensus for the plan?” Mother asked. “If I am always with you, are you not always with me?”

“We have consensus,” Lanore said. “He must be put to death.”

“Jon-Shen,” Mother said. “All was given to you. You could have at any time exercised powers and conquered the world. Why have you not?”

“He is nothing…”

Mother silenced the Elders with a wave of her hand. “I’ve heard from you. I know what you want.” Mother touched Shen’s face. “Jon-Shen. You had superior knowledge, power, and tech at your disposal, and you had this from day one, and yet you did not conquer. Why not?” Mother said.

“I do not want to rule the world,” Shen said.

“You want to have your way…” Lanore said.

“I want to have my say. I want to be heard. But not my voice in disregard of others,” Shen said. “I do not want to impose my will on others.”

“We have consensus,” Lanore said. Boldly, to mother she added: “You cannot interfere with this.”

Mother nodded. “I cannot. Jon-Shen, on the other hand, holds the authority to resist.”

“He is a male. He has no authority here,” Lanore said.

“If he so commands it, I will elevated him to king, and he will have authority over all in this world, even you,” Mother said.

“There has to be another way,” Shen said. “I don’t want to rule the world.”

“You do not have the ovaries for rule. You cannot suffer the pains of birth, or sustain life with milk, or nurture the young…” Lanore said.

“Lanore spoke truth in that I cannot interfere with this affair,” Mother said. “But you have authority, Sir. Speak and your will is golden. I will be married to you and our will is done.”

“I don’t want this,” Shen said.

“It’s a simple thing,” Tama said. “Simply take control.”

“We have consensus, Mother. I demand that you end this,” Lanore said.

“I see no fault in this man,” Mother said.

“We have consensus,” The Elders echoed, breaking through their commanded silence.

“We do,” Mother said. She extended a hand. “If this is what you want, you will have to do it. I see no fault in him.”