The man known to the KNF as "Bo" turned to Captain Nebotuda, and smiled. "Seiji-san, I know what I saw. That Rogue was indeed on my HUD. I saw him. I believe he just chose not to see us. I fear our reputation proceeds us."
Nebotuda shook his head. "Bo-san, these new "Native" Rogues would have no interest in us, even if they knew about our clandestine trips to buy deuterium. And we were broadcasting openly in the clear. He had every opportunity.."
"Perhaps we should clandestinely put a reward on our own heads, Seiji-san. It would certainly be nice to see a bit of action on these boring runs. Either that, or 2 gigawatt strobes on our vessels so we can be located from two systems away.
"Come, gentlemen, After you have refreshed yourselves, we can go pay our respects at the Memorial on deLuna Plaza. The Ambassador's ghost should know that we are still carrying the fight in her absence."
Rick finished his breakfast, turned to Reggie: "Reggie, my old friend, I am seriously concerned about Fnordie. Every morning he disappears for the whole day, and then he returns in the evening to his favourite couch in the bar to sleep. He barely moves and doesn't react to any my attempts to communicate. Normally I would wait for him, but I have some business that needs to be taken care of and I am not sure if he's capable of flying in space. I am starting to be helpless."
Reggie replied: "He needs time. His encounter with the Doctor and then the extermination of the deLuna family must have left deep scars. I suggest you take care of your business and leave our little boy here with me and let us both deal with our sufferings. You can pay me a visit later, and if Fnordie's condition amends, then you can both continue your way together again. Ah, and by the way, there was a SirEx courier yesterday and delivered your new Large Train. He was making some funny comments about backordering another ship when you destroy this one."
Rick laughed and said: "Yeah, hope they give me a discount next time. Reggie, thanks for everything. And await me back soon.", he shook Reggies hand, glanced in his eyes for a moment, grabbed what was left of his things, and leaved the Veranda.
***
Fnordie was watching the sunrise, as he used to do every day for some time now. As usually, tears appeared in his eyes. The three obelisks were silently standing on a place that used to be a lovely mountain. Their three narrow shadows were converging towards the horizon. Each of them representing a human being that he once cared for. Fnordie just sat in the middle of the great circle and let the time flow.
Fnordie had sensed two things as he lay morosely on the Plaza. First, he could tell that Rick was aboard a shuttle, headed for his new ship in orbit. Fnordie knew that Rick was very concerned for their old F-unit, Kitty; and was determined to find out what had happened to her. Fnordie was not sad about Rick's leaving. He needed to think about his own life as well.
He was also aware of the group of men climbing up from the newly plowed fields onto the small central Plaza. Two of the men were very familiar to him. The other two men seemed to be acquaintances of his human friend, Fiona; who had done something Fnordie did not understand. Canines did not take their own lives. This was one of the mysteries he wishised to learn about. He hoped that it would help him understand these strange humans better.
Fnordie lay quietly as the four men approached and stood silently near the Obelisks.
*Fnordie, these two men are Kusaran friends of Fiona's from.. before.. ,* he caught a thought from Reggie, who was standing a bit to the rear. *They have come to pay "respects" to the deLuna family. Will you be alright, Fnordie?*
Fnordie looked at Reggie with his sad brown eyes. *Fnordie not alright now. Fnordie must ask Pops questions about what happened here. Tell Fnordie when we can "talk"?*
*When Mal and his companions have left for Kusari, Fnordie. I promise we will discuss what happened. Perhaps we can help each other understand, and heal.*
Malaclypse was talking with the two Kusaran men, and gesturing to the south. "We've found several islands to the south that have arid, high-desert climates. We should be able to find enough small saplings to complete the entire circumference and the four paths. Scutter and Kingpin have volunteered for that project. They seem to have a keen interest in juniper trees."
"Bo-san, I can understand that the trees will complete a pattern, but of what other use are they?" asked Captain Nebotuda.
"Ah," responded "Bo". "The double row around the circumference will provide a windbreak for the crops, as well as limiting access to the central plaza to the pathways from the cardinal points. Those paths will also be demarcated by a double row of trees. One day, they will be large enough to provide a shady arborial approach to the plaza.
"Of course," continued Mal, "the berries from the trees are a prime ingredient for Reggie's favorite toddy. We hope to have a distillery completed in time for the first harvest of the berries."
Reggie now spoke to the men. "The other plans I have for the central Plaza should be completed within a few months. The materials will take some time to acquire, as they come from all over Sirius; but Kate has already contributed her talents to the design. The negotiations with Rheinland's Chancellor will be the stickiest to complete; but with a large enough blank check for Rheinland's Treasury, I think he can be persuaded.
"And Bo's incredible discovery will be incorporated as the final touch. The exploration and mining will be an interesting process; but we're determined to make it happen, gentlemen. I think you and the Kusari people will be very pleased with the final result."
Fnordie knew of the projects for the deLuna Plaza from sharing the thoughts of Mal and Reggie. He could tell that the project was very important to them. Someday, he hoped to understand why.
Forwarding a copy of my last communication to Chancellor Reinhardt. Keeping fingers crossed. Mal.
-----------------------
Message to: Chancellor Reinhardt
Comm ID: Malaclypse
Sir,
Please forgive my lapse of memory. I have had dealings with Admiral Krieg before, and mixed up his name with yours.
And it is just "Malaclypse", or Mal to my associates.
Sir, we can cover this via your channel here if it will not interfere with your tactical communications.
Here is what I have been tasked to acquire. We require 23 large granite stones. The stones in question are 1 meter in length, by 0.5 meters in width, by 0.25 meters in depth.
Here is the difficult part, Chancellor. These stones are currently embedded in the walls of a prison cell on New Berlin. The prison cell once held Dr. Alexander M. deLuna. When acquired and polished, these slabs will be made into benches, which will be spaced around the deLuna Memorial Plaza on Gran Canaria.
Dr deLuna eventually escaped from his cell. But, the stigma of his imprisonment by a previous Rheinland regime still remains. Dr. deLuna was forced by that regime to conduct research for them. His entire family, save one person, was killed in order to ensure his compliance in that nefarious research.
By dismantling his cell, and placing the stones of the cell within the Plaza, we hope to call attention to his unjust imprisonment; as well as make belated amends to the Dr.'s family, the last members of which were recently killed in an unfortunate incident at Ambassador deLuna's Villa.
We will of course bear any costs involved with removing the granite stones, and reconstructing the cell if it is still needed for political prisoners or criminal elements. However, we feel it might be an equally fitting gesture on your part to leave Dr. deLuna's cell open to the light of day, and hopefully, to the light of Reason.
i am still docked at New Berlin, and will remain here awaiting your response. If favorable, I will also wait until the stones are available, and transport them personally back to Port Canaria.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.
Respectfully,
Malaclypse 666
Former friend and wingmate of FdL
Two old friends sat silently on the Veranda Incognita's true "veranda", idly toying with their drinks, and contemplating the view across the Veranda's front courtyard.
Beyond the outer wall, at 4 kilometers distance, the new Uli Rouge Plantation could just be seen in the distance. Occassional clouds of dust indicated the presence of the agri-bots, continuing the planting and tending of the four new fields. The plantings, the rows, were tangential to the central plaza; forming rainbow-patterns in each of the four quadrants. The overall result was that of expanding concentric circles, interrupted only by the pathways leading from each of the cardinal directions.
Scutter and Kingpin were still down among the southern islands of Gran Canaria, picking out the juniiper saplings which would line both sides of the four pathways, as well as encircling the entire plantation; making yet another double delineation around the fields.
Finally, Mal broke the morose silence. "Reggie, the 23 slabs from Dr. deLuna's cell should be ready at the mason's soon. The high gloss polishing is almost completed. They'll be out to set the base stones for the benches tomorrow. Are you sure you'd rather not complete the Labyrinth before the benches are placed?"
"I'm almost finished, Mal. I went with a simpler design. I'll be using an ancient 5-circuit pattern, which will complement the cruciform pattern of the fields. Here's a rough drawing:
[attachmentid=2620]
"The polished beach stones from the Kusaran planets have a lot of nice energy, and the colors are amazing. They were perfect for marking the labyrinth's path. I also brought back enough of that incredible white sand from Honshu to cover the pathway between the stones."
"Then we're on schedule, my old friend. The entire design will strengthen and resonate with the new Obelisks. I'm very close to finding the ones with the correct vibratory frequencies. Being inside that bugger is almost too much for the Pineal, though. At times, I feel as if I've imbibed some of that ancient Shaman DMT or something. And I must stake our claim and submit all the paperwork to patent the Discovery.
"You know, Pops, after all the time I spent in that bloody Baffin system, planning where to put Bora Bora as the home for the Free State, and discovering those incredible terraforming nomad-variant "Squishies"; it's incredible that I missed that little moonlet."
"And you said that the original discoverer just passed it by, even knowing about the mass/density anomaly?" mused Reggie.
"Aye, he did. And, the idiot sold us all rights for a bloody song! Pity he didn't do a bit of spelunking. He'd be the richest man in Sirius right now. But then, who would have imagined that that nondescript ball would turn out to be an immense hollow geode, literally packed with huge perfect quartz crystals!"
"Well, I don't care about the riches. It is just the synchronicity of the discovery which seems so... fitting. And the fact that you were able to find the three colors we needed; rose quartz for Fiona's heart, Indigo for little Sylvia's ajna/pineal, and clear quartz for Jessica's root chakra."
"I've got V-MAX and F.U. II running spectrals on the Plaza. No wonder our region attracts so much weirdness, Reg. Shaking mountain sat on the strongest Vortex on this bloody planet. Do you really think that if we find the right crystals that the obelisks will attune the vortex energies?"
"From everything I've read, Mal, yes. It depends on the exact placement of the three obelisks in relation to the other features; but I think that the results will be astounding in more ways than one."
"If it all works as planned, Reg, and the result is as hoped, will you promise me something?"
"Umm.. what's that."
"That you will get your arse out of this fookin' Veranda, and start to live again?"
Reggie was silent for a long time. He grew a great shuddering breath, and looked his old friend in the eyes. "Yes. I think I can do that. The grief and the guilt have lessened somewhat. I will see to it that the Plaza is my final farewell to dear Fiona. And, she would want me to continue living as well."
The stone Obelisks had been replaced with the huge rose, indigo, and clear quartz crystals from the center of the small Baffin moonlet. During the replacement, the ground at the center of the plaza had been excavated to a depth of two meters; and, pure white salt from the Blue Lagoon had been compacted around the crystals as they were placed in the correct triangular alignment. The salt would purify the crystals, and would also serve to channel the energies from Gran Canarias planetary grid up from the powerful vortex and through the crystals.
The entire Uli Rouge plantation had been designed to amplify and focus the energies which would be drawn and unleashed in a short time: The verdant crops in concentric rings; the cruciform pathways leading to the central plaza; the 23 granite benches around the labyrinth; the labyrinth itself; and finally, the three huge crystal Obelisks.
Fnordie had come to Reggie and Mal with some disturbing news. The little dogs amazing pineal had determined what was causing Reggies strange recurring dreams of the deLuna family, trapped in some closed dimension, along with two powerful and opposite forces.
Fnordie believed that the strange cube which had enclosed shaking mountain just before its destruction had somehow prevented the souls of Fiona, Sylvia, and Jessica from ascending to the next level of their evolution in the Cosmic hierarchy. Malaclypses new-found serpent powers had confirmed this while he was in deep meditation. Whether EgrezyHais, the Doctor, had been consciously seeking this result; or whether it had just been the metadeitys dumb luck, was not certain.
What was certain to Fnordie and Mal, and eventually to Reggie, was that the spirits of the unfortunate family must be freed from the clutches of both Hais and Eris, and allowed to continue their journeys.
And now was the time. The alignment of the twin Canarian suns and the planetary bodies of the system was optimal to reinforce the dodecahedral grid of Gran Canaria itself. If their plan, and the design that had risen from their minds, was to work; then now was the time to try.
Fnordie led the way into the small space at the very center of the Plaza. The triangle formed by the three Obelisks was 1.618034 meters on a side, the Fibonacci number found in the Golden Mean, the sacred number of all Nature. Fnordie sat in the vertex of the triangle delineated by Jessicas clear quartz obelisk; Malaclypse knelt directly in from the indigo obelisk of his prot?g? and fellow ELF Epopt, Sylvia; and Reggie slowly joined them, kneeling with his back towards the rose quartz obelisk which represented the heart chakra of his beloved Fiona.
The odd trio joined hands with paws, and began to center themselves; raising their own serpent energies to the task at hand. There would be no chant. No special magical incantation. Each of them would focus on their memories of the three women; on the strange enclosed grey area where Fnordie had seen them trapped; and, on channeling their love and caring into the three huge obelisks.
Silence covered the Plaza and the three beings therein. As they grounded themselves, and began the process of raising the serpent energies to the level of their heart chakras; three distinct pure tones could be heard as the crystals began to resonate. The tones rose in volume, combining into a pure trio of beautiful sound.
The three participants held the energies at the heart level for a moment, listening as the vibrations grew in clarity and volume. Then, Fnordie signaled them to move the energies upwards, through the throat, the ajna, and finally to the crown chakra. All of their Will and Intent was now focused on their love for the three women, and on the one task of freeing them from the dimension they were trapped in.
The three huge crystal Obelisks now began to glow, as their own component atoms were vibrated by the energies of the three participants and the planetary vortex below them. The rose, indigo, and clear light from the obelisks grew brighter and brighter as the kundalini energies rose in the operant beings.
Finally, Fnordie transmitted two words to his companions, IAO EVOE!; and the three raised their energies to the chakra situated directly above their heads.
The three crystals now radiated their intense hues upwards and slightly inwards, where the three beams of energy converged into a luminous column of light and love. The incandescent column of energies then shot directly upwards in a fountain of light, the power of which had not been known since the ancient rites had been suppressed and lost on ancient Terra.
Fnordie transmitted again: AGAPE! Reggie and Mal joined him in projecting their own serpent energies upwards into the fountain. The column of light seemed to grow brighter yet, and solidify into one great spear of energy, which suddenly shot outwards into the Void, and then rapidly dissipated.
Mal and Reggie both sighed, and wilted sideways onto the pure salt of the Plaza. Fnordie seemed disoriented for a moment; but his ears were perked up, as if he was listening to something off in the distance. Suddenly, Fnordie leaped up and began to run around the two men, barking excitedly.
*Its done! They are free!*
The two old friends raised themselves up slowly, looked at each other, and then embraced. Mixed tears of loss, grief, and of joy streamed down their faces.
Finally, Malaclypse whispered into Reggies ear. And you are free too, my old friend.
Aye. said Reggie. And the official Commemoration will be anticlimactic after this, but lets clean up the Veranda and get those bloody invitations out! Our guests need not know what transpired here tonight; but now we can share our memories of the deLuna family without remorse. I can feel it. Fiona is indeed free.
You are hereby invited to attend the formal dedication of
The deLuna Family Memorial Plaza
Uli Rouge Plantation.
4km NE of Port Canaria, Gran Canaria
Friday, 06.29.16AS, 2300 UT
The ceremony will be brief. Anyone wishing to pay respects is asked to RSVPM a draft of hir remarks here for scheduling purposes.
Following the ceremony, you may tour the Plantations fields using the Circle and Cross pathways; or you may choose to walk the Labyrinth leading to the deLuna Obelisks.
Note: You may touch the obelisks; but due to resonant eddies from a recent Vortexual event,
you are cautioned that possible mind-altering/enhancing effects may be experienced.
It is recommended that you avail yourself of the Kallisti Gold smudge sticks provided,
to calm and purify your mind and body before touching the residually charged crystals.
Your heart proceeds at its own peril..
A cleansing and recharge of the pertinent Chakra can be a highly emotional experience.
An Open House at Veranda Incognita will follow.
-----------------------
No, folks.
We never learn.
We will continue to hold parties and invite guests.
We will continue to praise Goddess and balance the Chao in Hir Name.
We will continue to love Life, and laugh at Death.
And we will expect you to buy tickets to the
14th Annual Port Canaria Dung Festival in July,
when the dung is ripe.
It was a crisp, clear morning at Port Canaria. The weather portended to be perfect for the dedication this evening. Reggie and Mal sat on the veranda, gingerly sipping at steaming mugs of coffee. Reggie seemed lost in thought, behind a cloud of tobacco smoke from the pipe hed had crafted in Honshu those many months ago.
Problems, Pops? Id guess youre in a bit of a quandary over your dedication speech tonight..
Indeed, Mal. There is so much to be shared about Dr. deLuna and his unfortunate family; but I fear that doing so will negate the positive message I would hope to leave with our attendees tonight. I would like to focus on the positive aspects of their lives. I want the Plaza to be a memorial to the peace that Fiona sought, rather than the atrocities she and her family endured.
Pops, you knew Fiona as well or better than anyone in Sirius. You were privy to her hopes and fears. She kept much of herself a secret from the rest of her associates; but she shared her visions and dreams with you. Try to pass those dreams on to our guests.
Reggie smiled wanly. Oh, she had glorious dreams, Mal. After the attack by Dr. Artifice and the Ska Ralla she tended to be more introverted and cautious in talking about them; but they were still there.
Mal also smiled. I can attest that her daughter Sylvia shared Fionas dreams, Reg. That glorious child knew more about faith and love than all of us combined! I will miss her greatly. Jessica was a somewhat unknown factor; possibly due to being a clone of Fionas aunt; but I sensed that she also had a pure heart.
But will these people understand such intangibles as faith and love and purity, Mal? It seems that the Sector is caught up in a vicious cycle of conflict, death, and greed. Will one single word I say tonight have the least effect on people or events?
Possibly not, old friend. Not one other person has even requested to speak tonight. We may be on that Plaza alone, with our memories. But I do know this: The Chao cannot continue to spin in balance without the qualities which those women embodied. We Discordians and TAZers, primate, cyber sentient, and canine, know that. We will continue to do all within our power to preserve their memories and ideals.
Reggie looked down at his pipe, which had gone out during their conversation. Spoken like a true Episkopos of Eris, Mal. Perhaps I will go meditate for a bit, and seek some inspiration from that old Hag one more time. Knowing Her, shell have volumes to say on the matter.
A small and subdued crowd had gathered at the deLuna Memorial Plaza. The four large granite benches near the south-facing entrance to the Labyrinth had filled, as had a row of chairs behind the large stone slabs. Less than two dozen people had cared enough to come in person, or send a representative.
Reggie looked over the small gathering again, and saw a few familiar faces. The newly promoted leader of the Kusari Naval Forces was present; as were some of Fionas other associates and fellow pilots from Kusari. Rick Deckard had taken time from his busy trade enterprise to attend. He sat slouched over, petting the pooch huddled between his knees. Other faces he had never seen before; but from their uniforms and fancy dress, he assumed that they were leaders of some Faction or other from across Sirius.
Reginald Asmodeus Waverly sighed inwardly. Malaclypse had been right. Madame Fiona Harmony deLuna, Ambassador to Kusari, had been understood and appreciated by very few people; and loved by even fewer.
So be it. Reggie was standing near the entrance to the Labyrinth. He pivoted on his feet and looked down the four cardinal pathways leading through the plantation fields to the Plaza. It appeared there were a few latecomers approaching the Plaza. He would give them a few more minutes before beginning the brief ceremony.
His friend and partner Malaclypse caught his eye from behind the rows of benches and chairs, and gave him an encouraging smile. Soon enough, and they could all relax over a julip, or tonic, and say to each other the things that a formal speech could only hint at.
It was time. Reggie took a deep breath, and turned to face the assembled guests.
Ladies and Gentlemen. Citizens and Freepersons of Sirius. Thank you all for coming. On behalf of the Temporary Autonomous Zoners, I would like to welcome you to the formal dedication of the deLuna Memorial Plaza.
For those of you who may not know, this Plaza, and the surrounding plantation, was once a mountain. Atop that mountain sat the Uli Rouge villa, the summer home of Ambassador Fiona H. deLuna, my good friend.
Not long ago, after the first formal dinner party at that Villa, a tragic event occurred. Madame deLuna, her Aunt Jessica deLuna, and her daughter Sylvia deLuna were killed in an explosion that also destroyed the entire mountain. We received a transmission just before the event that seems to indicate that Madame deLuna initiated that event herself.
To this day, we can only guess at the possible reasons Madame deLuna may have done this incredible thing. Many theories have been advanced about her reasons, but no one knows for sure. We hope to someday shed light on those reasons.
Whatever the cause, we are here this evening to honor these three wonderful women. This Plaza, and the Obelisks you see before you will stand in perpetuity to their memory. The very benches you sit on came from the Rheinland prison cell where Madame deLunas grandfather was kept. The stones and sand of the Labyrinth came from their beloved Kusari.
If you find in your hearts a yearning for peace; if you believe that Love can conquer fear and hate; if you have been touched at all by the beauty and purity of Fiona, Sylvia and Jessica deLuna; then you are welcome here at any time to reflect and pay your respects. If you do not have those feelings and beliefs, then I think you will find this an unpleasant place, and will probably not return. This entire area is very sensitive to what you hold in your hearts, ladies and gentlemen. It is charged with the spirit and energies of those we memorialize.
I hereby declare the deLuna Family Memorial Plaza to be a gift to all of Sirius. It is a gift you will either grow to love, or hate. That is your choice. Choose wisely.
If anyone else would like to make a brief comment, please come forward. If not, you are now free to tour the Plaza and Uli Rouge Plantation, and pay your respects. Following that, refreshments and conversation await you across the way at Veranda Incognita.
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