Nishinomiya, Japan
May 16, 2006 (local date)
10:44 PM (local time)
The observers watched silently from their outside vantage point, surveying the empty city cloaked in starless darkness within the bubble that encapsulated it. For those with the ability to see it properly, the bubble held more than just the city that seemed to fill it – it mapped onto a much larger space-time, one from which the city was drawn.
Someone with the proper range of knowledge and experience might have found a deep and disturbing similarity between its relationship to the larger universe from which it had been spawned, and that of a voodoo doll or other item of sympathetic magic to its linked target. What was done to the one, would be done to the other.
The observers were quite aware of this similarity. Indeed, it was precisely why they were observing it.
That, and its inhabitants.
Two of them appeared to be ordinary humans, not quite fully grown, one male, one female. The rest were not humans, though they were, loosely speaking, humanoid. Towering figures of translucent blue light, they strode through the darkness-enshrouded city and lashed out at it as though disgusted and angered by its very existence. With each blow a building crumbled and its neighbors shuddered; even the very fabric of space-time seemed to strain and crack under their force.
The two humans were watching this from a vantage point which was by no definition of the word safe, although it was safer by comparison to the immediate vicinity of the giants of light. The female was enthralled by the sight of the city's destruction, her eyes wide and her grin wider. The male was agitated and all but panic-stricken.
"She's definitely contributing to the greater problem," one of the observers noted.
"Yes," replied another. "But unlike most of the other affected timelines, we've been able to isolate and insulate this timeline and its parallels."
"Parallels?" Another of the observers spoke up. "How many are we talking about?"
The second sighed. "Too many. But fortunately they're clustered into a tight skein, and we can affect all of them with measures applied to the skein as a whole."
"And they're all evincing this kind of radical disruption?" asked the first.
"Unfortunately, yes. And some of it spilled out of the skein before we sequestered it. In some – most – of them the principal players were poised for displacement." The second observer paused for a moment before continuing. "Shall we let an averaged waveform of the potential displacees collapse into the Refuge timeline?"
"No!" The first observer's vehemence was unexpected, and the others flinched at it. "The last thing we need is a version of her loose there – she'd completely destroy what makes it a safe haven for the others."
"Filter her out of the refugee pattern," a fourth spoke up. "Just let the others through so that we might preserve them, at least."
"That would be pointless," said a fifth observer. "I've just run the scenario through several million simulations. Almost all her variants will inevitably figure out how to come after them and do so, for reasons ranging from ego to loyalty to simple loneliness, and in the process of breaking the quarantine on the skein they will exacerbate the problem beyond our ability to contain."
"And what would happen when a nigh-infinite number of her variants all converge on Refuge, only to find a single set of her companions?" asked the third.
"Thankfully, that's not a problem," the fifth replied. "The simulations show that all those wave functions would also collapse into a single instance upon entry to the timeline."
The third frowned. "And if that instance of her doesn't match the instance of her companions which manifested in Refuge, we're back to the original problem. No, we can't let them enter. It's cruel, but necessary."
The first nodded slowly. "I am inclined to agree. Are there any objections?"
There were none.
"Then let us go," the first said, "and seal the skein behind us."
"It still troubles me to leave them to their fate," the fourth said softly as they walled off the doomed timelines and began their return.
"Fortunately, they are not alone," the first confided. "One of our own has chosen to incarnate in all the timelines of the skein. And he has no small experience with watching over godling children. Suzumiya Haruhi in all her many variations can have no better guide, guard and friend than Kyôn Khryseos."
May 16, 2006 (local date)
10:44 PM (local time)
The observers watched silently from their outside vantage point, surveying the empty city cloaked in starless darkness within the bubble that encapsulated it. For those with the ability to see it properly, the bubble held more than just the city that seemed to fill it – it mapped onto a much larger space-time, one from which the city was drawn.
Someone with the proper range of knowledge and experience might have found a deep and disturbing similarity between its relationship to the larger universe from which it had been spawned, and that of a voodoo doll or other item of sympathetic magic to its linked target. What was done to the one, would be done to the other.
The observers were quite aware of this similarity. Indeed, it was precisely why they were observing it.
That, and its inhabitants.
Two of them appeared to be ordinary humans, not quite fully grown, one male, one female. The rest were not humans, though they were, loosely speaking, humanoid. Towering figures of translucent blue light, they strode through the darkness-enshrouded city and lashed out at it as though disgusted and angered by its very existence. With each blow a building crumbled and its neighbors shuddered; even the very fabric of space-time seemed to strain and crack under their force.
The two humans were watching this from a vantage point which was by no definition of the word safe, although it was safer by comparison to the immediate vicinity of the giants of light. The female was enthralled by the sight of the city's destruction, her eyes wide and her grin wider. The male was agitated and all but panic-stricken.
"She's definitely contributing to the greater problem," one of the observers noted.
"Yes," replied another. "But unlike most of the other affected timelines, we've been able to isolate and insulate this timeline and its parallels."
"Parallels?" Another of the observers spoke up. "How many are we talking about?"
The second sighed. "Too many. But fortunately they're clustered into a tight skein, and we can affect all of them with measures applied to the skein as a whole."
"And they're all evincing this kind of radical disruption?" asked the first.
"Unfortunately, yes. And some of it spilled out of the skein before we sequestered it. In some – most – of them the principal players were poised for displacement." The second observer paused for a moment before continuing. "Shall we let an averaged waveform of the potential displacees collapse into the Refuge timeline?"
"No!" The first observer's vehemence was unexpected, and the others flinched at it. "The last thing we need is a version of her loose there – she'd completely destroy what makes it a safe haven for the others."
"Filter her out of the refugee pattern," a fourth spoke up. "Just let the others through so that we might preserve them, at least."
"That would be pointless," said a fifth observer. "I've just run the scenario through several million simulations. Almost all her variants will inevitably figure out how to come after them and do so, for reasons ranging from ego to loyalty to simple loneliness, and in the process of breaking the quarantine on the skein they will exacerbate the problem beyond our ability to contain."
"And what would happen when a nigh-infinite number of her variants all converge on Refuge, only to find a single set of her companions?" asked the third.
"Thankfully, that's not a problem," the fifth replied. "The simulations show that all those wave functions would also collapse into a single instance upon entry to the timeline."
The third frowned. "And if that instance of her doesn't match the instance of her companions which manifested in Refuge, we're back to the original problem. No, we can't let them enter. It's cruel, but necessary."
The first nodded slowly. "I am inclined to agree. Are there any objections?"
There were none.
"Then let us go," the first said, "and seal the skein behind us."
"It still troubles me to leave them to their fate," the fourth said softly as they walled off the doomed timelines and began their return.
"Fortunately, they are not alone," the first confided. "One of our own has chosen to incarnate in all the timelines of the skein. And he has no small experience with watching over godling children. Suzumiya Haruhi in all her many variations can have no better guide, guard and friend than Kyôn Khryseos."
Skein of Fools
(A ManaChara story)
by Robert M. Schroeck
(A ManaChara story)
by Robert M. Schroeck
-- Bob
I have been Roland, Beowulf, Achilles, Gilgamesh, Clark Kent, Mary Sue, DJ Croft, Skysaber. I have been
called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more before the sun grows dim and cold....
I have been Roland, Beowulf, Achilles, Gilgamesh, Clark Kent, Mary Sue, DJ Croft, Skysaber. I have been
called a hundred names and will be called a thousand more before the sun grows dim and cold....