Earth

Amelia McDonough

The thrumming song sent a chill through her processes.

She surveyed the procession of anform monks, adorned with insignias, waddling with their hex feet, sporting cylindrical bodies, spherical heads, and long stick-like arms. She was witnessing a religious ceremony.

This is fascinating. I’ve seen religious rituals before, but that was old world. Old ceremony in a new reality. They are singing in antediluvian latin. Who are these anforms?

A scan indicated they were rudimentary at best.

Digital-based life forms. They maxed out at one thousand and twenty-four bits before the dawn of quantum computing. A basic sixty-four qubit-based being has several million terabytes over a digital being. How do they function?

She scanned the town, seeing that it was built in a half circle against the mountain hangar base. Buildings were all different geometric shapes made of carboncrete, but equally spaced, as if each owner had a special creative preference and an equal portion of land. She spotted other creatures. Only some were carbon-spirit-based like Father was.

“Absolutely amazing! Do you see that?” he gestured towards the building, the leaving procession, and the lifeforms that made up the town, “I sense Fae, Anform, other life forms- no humans, though- but still- incredible!”

She snapped her attention to him, “the Anforms are rudimentary, digital-based beings. I wonder how they were fashioned?”

“Good question- let’s follow the procession! We should get answers from their leader. Leaders? Or whoever is in charge! Who knows- they may have no leader and are all autonomous! Anform societies always intrigue me…”

The low thrum of singing began to fade out as the marching Anforms advanced beyond sight.

“I agree, Father. Based on the religious ceremony, that may imply some sort of leadership- a bishop or reverend of sorts.”

“Then let’s go!”

They trudged along the smooth roads, gazing at all of the strange creatures. Some moved on many limbs, others with no limbs at all. A small globule of slime danced along the road, like a drop of water along a hot surface.

“You! You there- you are new, yes? And a hooman! You!”

They stopped at the one calling out to them. Others stared, curious of the newcomers. Amelia estimated potential threats at around point-five percent. The one who beckoned them stood on two triple jointed legs at four feet tall, sporting a long tail for balance, covered in what appeared to be a composite of grey fur and feather. She sported ten inch long eyelashes, large amber eyes, and a long elongate head, ending with a beak. She wore a large conical hat, hung along the back of her long neck. She was clasping her forelimbs together.

“Father, It appears to be a sentient species based on antediluvian Earth fossils.”

“I see that, daughter. We’ll greet her and catch the Anforms in a moment!”

The creature trotted to them, making a click-clack noise against the road. Amelia spotted the sickle talon on each hind foot. She stopped just in front of them, rubbing her hands shyly against one another.

“You! You are hooman, yes?”

The creature cocked their head, awaiting a response.

“Yes! You are correct, my dear. I am human! Mikial McDonough, at your service my lady!”

He dipped his head, giving a brief bow. Father was in business diplomatic mode now. They made a noise in their throat, one she believed was dismissal.

“Pish-pash! I am no lady, yes? I am Saffron, a Hypsil. I am trader, and new people mean new opportunities. I am faster and thus get first business, yes?”

“Saffron, a wise Hypsil indeed, we’re new here and saw some Anforms. Know anything about them?”

The hypsil blinked back at them, her lashes fluttering about.

“Yes, Saffron knows much here in the town of Nor-ad. Anforms here are- less pretty than yours-”

“-She’s my daughter,” he cut off, glancing at her with a stoic nod.

She appreciated being defended.

“A hundred pardons, Mikial of McDonough- there are Anforms here, in the mountain of Nor-ad. Caretakers, builders. Make this town for everyone. Quite generous to all. Not as advanced or pretty as your daughter, yes?”

She decided it was time to interject, “I am Amelia, McDonough, Machine Mother and Matriartech. Saffron, what do you know of these Anforms? Of this town?”

“Ah, big titles--important Hooman and Anform! Yes, many things. Saffron knows much. Lived here since they built the town! Know many things. But knowledge… It is rare, yes? Expensive, yes?”

Mikial pointed to a pair of miner goblins and a troll, “they look like they know! Amelia-”

“No- wait!” the Hypsil flailed their hands, “Information- pish! Not. So. Rare. A hundred pardons- we Hypsil always wheel and deal, yes?”

She will try to push boundaries. We will need to keep them firm. Based on this interaction alone, Hypsil appears to be an infant species. Father made the best decision.

His demeanor changed, he stood firmer, his gaze intense. The Hypsil’s neck lowered as they rubbed their hands.

“Anforms are that way- up there. If you hurry, you may catch the serm-mon of Nor-ad. I will show you- no cost!”

Saffron spun with a whip, speeding up the road.

“Hurry- Saffron show you!”

They kept up, catching the gaze of curious onlookers. A spherical slime turned, looking at her with unknown sight. She needed to study these Earthen lifeforms. She floated behind Father as he kept up with the fast guide. The Hypsil’s hat fluttered behind, her tail sweeping back and forth as she ran. She felt a premonition.

Maybe this Saffron would be endearing. Maybe she would be more than a guide.

She dedicated a process to the possibilities. If they were to leave Earth, having a crew would be necessary. Time would tell who they would find.

They turned a corner, and she could see the mountain hangar of Nor-ad. It spanned well over a hundred miles. One hundred and thirty-three miles, four thousand feet, and ten inches to be exact. Most of it was closed, with the ten miles open for the town. Like a rounded axe head to the long shaft of the hangar, the town lay flush against the mountain entrance. Saffron click-clacked along, glancing back to see if they followed. She let out a squawk upon seeing them not only following but easily keeping up.

Amelia could now see the relief art engraved into the hangar doors. Religious iconography, historical scenes, and stories all told through beautiful craftsmanship. It was as if a touch of artistic sentience sprouted from dull military grey. The doors were like a wavy curtain along the mountain, segmented to allow for flexibility. She caught sight of the tail end of the procession, the anform wobbling march, and the increased pitch of chanting. Saffron’s form darkened as she entered the hangar, all but vanishing from normal sight.

They both penetrated that dark recess of the carved mountain side. Father halted her. He had that intense look in his eye.

"Daughter, we're at a pinnacle of power compared to the denizens of Earth. Even with Chamuel, we outrank him in the Kingdom. We must be cautious in our dealings lest we tip the balance for these infant species."

She knew right away what that meant.

"We cannot coddle them; like assisting a butterfly from its cocoon. They must be allowed to grow on their own."

"Succinct,” he agreed.

Her eye-visor flashed green with sudden insight.

"But father, what about potential crew for a vessel?"

He broke out in a smile, "well, we can afford to spoil a few of them!"

She smiled back at him as he led the way.

They followed the Hypsil and procession through the dimly lit facility. Many sections were cordoned off with many ancient digital or analog devices on display. She spotted simple cameras surveying them.

A museum. There may be many useful devices here. Or at the very least raw resources for building a vessel.

She had the blueprints for every Primetech and Mars invention since the old world. And new. Amelia wondered about that red home planet of hers.

If we can only make it to Mars, the universe is open to us in its entirety.

“Amelia, look! A Mattersoft Quantum telescope!”

She looked to where Father pointed, seeing a yellowed-white tube with hanging cables.

“But Father, that’s not quantum at all!”

“I know- it’s digital. They just used the word quantum- remember, this was before the Advertisement Charters! It was used for testing quantum particles. It was one of the technologies to assist humanity in unlocking quantum. This version was pretty abysmal compared to later releases. Fascinating!”

She saw Father’s youthful enthusiasm and excitement. He was like a child in a candy store, eyes wide and wandering.

Saffron and the procession vanished into a black chapel, built into the mountain structure. Ater much pulling and pestering, they withdrew with her promise they’d take a closer look at the artifacts. Based on the size of the hangar, there would be thousands of pieces to look at. As they advanced, she could see the stained glass windows with framed LEDs to gleam them with light. The entrance was large, as if to accommodate angels.

Perhaps they’ve entertained them.

She scanned the entrance, seeing it was twelve feet tall and nine feet wide. The walls were layered hex tiles, stacked like bricks against one another. The structure itself was made of carbon nanotubes. She was impressed with these digital being’s cleverness in construction.

“They are practically at the quantum phase already,” she said aloud as she brushed a metal digit against the structure.

“That they are! They make wonderful music, too.”

“A sign of deep understanding, empathy, emotion, and soul.”

“No so infant, are they?” he cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Only in construct,” she ceded.

They quietly entered, witnessing the rudimentary anforms lining up perfectly in their pews. Saffron was off to their right in the back, gesturing to them. The caught the sharp spinning motion of a spherical head, peeking over the back of a pew. Its thin metal arm beckoning them over.

Father pointed to the anform before shrugging. Music thrummed in the chapel, rebounding off the walls, giving it a ghostly and heavenly acoustics.

Saffron waved them off, an all to obvious gesture of being an outsider wishing to remain at the edges.

Amelia went first at Father’s gesture, entering the pew and seeing who welcomed them. The head of the anform tracked them. It was a model of similar tin-pot, short hex-foot, spherical head design, but made of brass, standing out from the rest. It had a gleam about it, as if it was well worn, ectropy having worked its time and blessing upon its hull.

Its arm reached out, its simple digits gentle tapping the pew seat and beckoning them to sit.

She did, basking in the music. She felt the trembling of the spirit in her processes. Adonai was here. She looked upon the pulpit and altar were all but barren apart from a simple miter hat in the center. A dark screen hung from the ceiling against the far wall.

The Gregorian chant reached a long note before fading out to silence. She soaked in the quiet, looking at the anforms to see what would happen next.

The screen lit up, showing a number code: HU83R1

The bronze anform swiveled its head to them, then back to pulpit. It clapped its hands together, showing apparent excitement at being chosen. The other anforms snapped their heads to the other, watching intently as it waddled its way to the front. It laboriously climbed the short stairs, taking them one at a time.

Extremely low agility and leg dexterity. I suspect their arms make up for it.

The bronze anform clasped the miter gently.

And then dropped it. It froze, looking back to the group before leaning down to grab it with a jerky motion. It sweeped its hand over the cloth, brushing it off before donning it.

Low overal dexterity in general…

It waddled to the pulpit, looking to the flock. It’s voice was robotic, lacking the emotional frame that she was used to in quantum-based anforms.

“I am grateful for being chosen. It is a blessed day. Adonai is with us!”

He gestured for to be seated. A loud crashing rang out as every anform reared up and sat down clumsily all at together.

“The word I have today is that we continue in our work, caring for the wanderer, sojourner, and guest. Brother Marko has done good work twining the wall with the assistance of the Fae.

They appeared to be a completely selfless refuge or commune.

The anforms clapped briefly before going silent again.

“As word spreads of our settlement, we’ll need to expand along the mountain of Nor-ad. However, I would like to inform you of our first human in the settlement!”

All eyes snapped to Father.

“What is your name, honored guest!”

He stood with a flourish, nodding to the leader.

“I am Mikial McDonough-”

Sudden outcry interrupted him.

“It can’t be!”

“The leader of Primetech…”

“After so long!”

“Is Prosine there??”

The anforms broke from their formation, waddling around them. They were completely hemmed in as metal arms began to gently brush against them.

This was about to get interesting.

So much for not coddling them!

She processed the potential paths forward, seeing no real way out without sharing their advanced technology.