The Fold Ship - part 3
Posted on Mon Aug 10th, 2020 @ 2:27pm by Lieutenant Alekela illm Meaho'ōla
818 words; about a 4 minute read
“Computer open log The Fold Ship”
[Log is open]
It was early when I was awoken and urged to do my morning ablutions and dress. The morning was bright and clear and walk from the hospital wing of the great guild house to main building of Warraquim was refreshing. Though it also felt odd to be walking the dress of a student again.
The main building was old, and the stairs showed in their grey stone the passage of many footsteps being worn and smoothed in the middle. Everyone knew that these steps would lead to the uppermost tower of the guild house and the Guild Mother's offices and quarters.
It was seldom that someone like me would be summoned to that literally lofty office. At the top of the stairs was a wide area with a dark wood desk surrounded by artwork both ancient and recent. A woman sat behind the desk looked up and nodded.
"Please wait, you will be called."
I noted that there was no place other than the stairs or floor to sit and she thus stood awaiting. It seemed a long time, but finally the woman at the desk said: "You may enter."
I went to the dark wooden doors intricately carved and polished. The knobs were shiny having been worn smooth by countless hands. Opening the doors revealed a large room, with wide balcony through arches. There were windows in those arches but they had been pulled open revealing the ocean and day. A warm breeze stirred through the room as I entered.
"Close the doors Alekela and come attend me on the balcony." Came the voice of the Guild Mother. I did as I was told and went out to the balcony. I made the customary long curtsey and she waved me to stand quickly with the wave of one wrinkled hand.
"Do you remember the words?" She asked. “The words on the wall?”
"We hide the past in order to preserve the future." I recited.
“And you found an artifact did you not?” She asked.
“Yes Guld Mother,” I answered and then quickly added, “of Warraquim. You called it a…:
"A Fold Ship." The Guild Mother said abruptly cutting me off. "What you saw is called a Fold Ship."
The Guild Mother nodded her head up and down slowly and yet it seemed a slight smile touched her stern lips then asked, “Do you know what such a thing is?”
“No Guild Mother of Warraquim,” I answered but the question must have just been on my lips though I did not say it out loud.
The Guild Mother reached for a napkin and dabbed two corners with a bit of juice and held it out the balcony.
“Imagine that you wish to travel from here to there, but instead of islands in the ocean sea, they are the stars in the sky. Unfathomable distances, distances that it takes years of light traveling to cover. You would need lifetimes to travel like that.”
She then wrinkled the napkin so that the two points were now much closer to each other. “Now if you warp the distance, then it takes much less time to travel those distances. However,” she straightened the napkin out again and then folded it such that the two points touched. “If you fold the space, then it is like taking a step and you go here to another place, another star in the blink of an eye. That is what a Fold Ship could do. It is said that is how we traveled the stars many many generations ago.”
I stared at the folded napkin. To go from here to there with the space of a thought. We knew the ships that came and the that they warped the space, but this, this made them look like a person walking compared to flying.
“Why?” I asked still staring at the napkin. “Why? We could have….”
Again, the Guild Mother cut me off. “Because of reasons you will come to know. Reasons that few on this world completely know. Thus you will spend time with the Wussuru House.”
"The Wussuru House? They are a secluded religious house!"
"As I said a good place for contemplation and,” and that enigmatic smile, “perhaps enlightenment. You will leave within the hour. I suggest you prepare for your journey.”
The Wussuru House was another minor Guild House located far and into the mountains almost to the point that we could not tolerate the cold anymore.
“But…”
“Your Guild House has been informed, this House and the Council have agreed upon it and your house has accepted. Now best to get going, you have less than an hour and the road is long.”
I was stunned but there was nothing to do about it but comply for the moment and do a hasty curtsy and leave.
“Computer please close log”
[Log is closed]
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