Chronicles of an age of Darkness
 
Volume 13 Era
 
The Voice and the Ventigern
 
by
Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

PROLOGUE

The Voice inhabited the southern hemisphere of Bera Shambala and the Ventigern inhabited the western-northern hemisphere of Olo Malan.
 
Olo Malan, every fourth year, due to an ageold gravity belt put in place by an old Nexus governor, suffered a change in poles to mainly west by east, but sometimes north-west by south-east, the craziest of years according to scholars of Chi Ash Lan.  Thus the four yearly 'Deep Freeze' of the cold west, with snow and ice everywhere,was sometimes altered by the graces of the Ventigern, which all Chi Ash Lan schoolchildren revered, the mythical force of spirit which gave occasional grace periods of warmer weather for the renowned cold west's reputation.  The Ventigern was nothing more than a faulty electrical circuit a lazy Nexus programmer overlooked while preoccupied with some CGI of rather buxom ladies in quite scantily dressed clothing.  The mistake had long gone overlooked.
 
The Voice, on  the other hand, was the power of Oracle all Southern Bera Shambalans knew and feared.  A mechanical series of speakers raised throughout points on the primary southern continent, around which communities had long since arisen.  They were nothing more than speaking modules for Nexus purposes to ultimately harvest employees From Bera Shambala, brute workers needed throughout the Nexus's sprawling civilizations for menial tasks, one of the core imperatives behind the original formation of Bera Shambala by the Alpha-WURM.  Yet now, Bera Shambala long ago abandoned by the Nexus for such purposes as far more trouble than worth, the voice simply operated every century as a series of communications in some strange tongue, lasting four days, no single Bera Shambalan having a single clue as to the meaning of.
 
Togura Loupaan had heard of the voice, so, travelling to the southern continent of Bera Shambala, the member of both the wordguild and the warsmiths, stood there on judgement day, as it were, armed with his mother's impressive wordguild training, ready to decipher the mysterious messages at there centennial celebration.  He waited, surrounded by other Bera Shambalan's, and when the voice started speaking, he wrote down, with the mastery of letters, as best he could, the complex communications of the voice.  And. the four days completed, he returned home, sat with his mother, and the wordguild took an interest in the case personally.  One word shone home.  Nexus.  And, after much deliberation by various wordguild upper hierarchical chiefs, they concluded that the term 'Graznog di Vidaris Summatraka' did approximately translate in the ancient tongues to 'Assemble on Mt Victory', Bera Shambala's highest mountain, never before scaled to completeness by any known manchild - or womanchild for that matter.
 
'Then it is settled,' said Vortag Tanumber, hierarchical elder in the Wordguild.  'We shall climb the unclimbable.  And we shall hire the bravest souls in all of Bera Shambala to do the business for us.'
'Or the most insane,' muttered Togura Loupaan, knowing the treachery of such a proposed climb.
'And we have our first volunteer, don't we Togura Loupaan?'
The room clapped Togura's selection, and his parent's, proudly looking upon their chosen son, could barely have noticed, midst the celebrations, the long scowl which had appeared on a very annoyed looking Togura Loupaan's face.
'Great,' he said sarcastically to himself.  'An early climb to death.'  But the assembled only cheered all the more.

The day of the climb came, and Togura had been fitted up by the bravest of Bera Shambala mountaineers. He was skilled from youth in general climbing ways, and took to the task, with pride, but fear. He knew he was a dead man. The nanny goat which came his way, and bit his shin didn't phase him. The eagle which swooped and pecked his forehead didn't phase him. The swarm of wasps who descended, stung him several times, leaving nasty bites, didn't phase him. But when he reached a point were, coming over a crag, a river of lava stood between him and the peak, he was starting to get a little ticked off. He found a narrow place, decided you only lived once, and jumped. He checked himself a few moments later – pinched his skin – decided he was still alive, and proceded. He made the peak. At the top there was a hollow of a volcano. Predictable. Inside the hollow were old machines. Strange shapes. He descended, looking at them. They had wheels, and what appeared to be a carriage of sorts, but no place to connect horses that he could tell. Some other strange power must be responsible to make them function. He looked around for a while. There were doors inside the volcano hollow, but every time he tried one there seemed no way of opening them. They were too hard, and made of metal. No, at this point there was nothing more he could do than go home, report his tale, and leave it to the elders. But he had a sketch notebook with him and that afternoon, eating his lunch, the eagle swooping at him again, he drew some pictures of the strange metallic objects and the doorways, something at least to show for his adventure. The following morning he started his descent, cleared the lava stream again, and made his way down. There were still some gathered, though most had left. He showed the pictures, and they discussed, and a decision would be made of what to do next, but for now that was the end of the matter. So Togura returned home, got on with his life, and left the matter be in the hands of those responsible. But he thought about what he'd seen on Mt Victory and, thinking it over, one day soon, armed with some cutting instruments of sorts to break through the doors, he would return, and see just what secrets the mountain held.

Chapter One

'Turbulus Factor M4#4,' said the Robot.

'What does that mean?' inquired Togura Loupaan.

'Reference Transport Unit M4#4,' replied the Robot.

'I do not understand you stupid machine,' said Togura.

'Follow me biped unit,' replied the Robot. The robot started travelling on its wheels. Togura followed. He came to a door – a large door. Symbols were on it which looked familiar. Old language, he sort of knew.

'Turbulus Factor M4#4 is inside,' said the Robot. He made a whirring noise and the door opened. Inside was a square cubicle unit of a room with a Seat on a stand.

'Sit on the seat,' said the Robot. Togura did so. 'When you are ready to return sit on the seat at the other end, and it will automatically sense your DNA and as you are the traveller you will be automatically returned here.'

'What is this other world called?' asked Togura.

'Olo Malan,' replied the Robot. 'It is classified as a sister planet to this one.'

Togura sat down. Suddenly the image changed and he was in night – space above. The stars were rushing by. Suddenly he was finished, and was in another seat. No, it was the same seat on examination. The door opened in front of him. He ventured out. It was a similar location. He climbed up the mountain, and looked outwards into this new world. It had its own character, but was similar. It was a planet of life. The air was fresh as well. He looked, and looked up at the sun. It was a similar thing. He returned to the seat, and was in space again, then back with the Robot.

'That is how Nexus travel is often conducted,' said the Robot.

Togura returned home. The elders consulted. Olo Malan would now be visited. Plans were under way.

Chapter Two

'We access the Universal World Ring system,' said the Robot.

'And what does that mean?' asked Jen Skan Putilkun.

'The Universal World Ring system is an organised circuit of the Nexus to Transverse worlds. It connects through Universal Doorways to other realities.'

'Gibberish,' replied Jen Skan Putilkin. But one by one the elders of Bera Shambala sat in the seat and followed the instructions of Togura Loupaan who directed them. Druldruguser Dragonfart, who was assembled, a friend of Togura from conversations revolving around harlotry in a dingy tavern of Troldok City, pushed in ahead of various, and said, 'Send me Toggie'.

'If you wish,' replied Togura.

An hour later an Assembly of a dozen people were in the Chomba Pass in Summer in Northern Tameran. The Robot was by them, and had been silent for a few minutes, whirring, despite them asking him many questions. Suddenly he spoke, 'Ventigern X49 needs repairing,' and he started moving off, headed vaguely southwards.

'Where is the machine going?' asked Jen Skan Putilkin.

'I don't know. We follow him I guess,' said Togura. They followed the Robot down the mountain and soon encountered a host of men. These were the Bragmen of Chomba Pass, surrounding an Ancient Nexus Facility. They were in a commotion as the Robot had entered their beloved building, and was at a Control deck, connected, making strange whirring noises.

'We speak Shambalese,' said Jen Skan Putilkin to a Bragmen.

'If that's what you want to call it,' replied the Bragmen, giving them a funny look. In the machinations of the Nexus, language conformit to a standard system was commonplace amongst their created worlds.

'What is the Robot doing?'

'We do not know,' replied the Bragman. 'But it is most distressing.'

'We will stay and wait for it,' said Jen. 'Before we return home.'

'And where are you from?' asked a Bragman.

'Bera Shambala,' said Jen Skan Putilkin.

'Oh. The 666 fellow will be fascinated when he finds out. He's usually up here this time of the year trying to get in.'

Whatever that meant was lost on Jen Skan Putilkin, but the Bragmen soon enough brought them food, and they settled down to watch the Robot, as it did its computations, introducing themselves to this new world they knew next to nothing about.

Chapter Three

Finally the robot spoke after a few hours. 'Officially I will require human assistance. The Nexus is prepared to contract for Servicemen Assistants.'

The Bragmen stared at the Robot. The assembled of Bera Shambala stared at the Robot. 'What's the pay?' asked Druldruguser, ever ready for employment. Being a Shitman the only way was up.

'17,000 per standard Olo Malan Annum in Nexus Credits,' replied the Robot.

'How can we spend these credits?' asked Druldruguser.

'You will be officially registered as Nexus Servicemen Assistants. The Nexus will be contacted and a ship eventually dispatched to allow you Nexus Interactivity Rights.'

'Fascinating. Sign me up,' said Druldruguser. 'You too Togura.'

'Send the rest home, first,' said Jen Skan Putilkin to the Robot. 'We 3 will be at your disposal.'

'Agreement is Verified. Darren Douay, Togura Loupaan and Jen Skan Putilkin will be hence employed into the Nexu and accompany me to the Cold West to attempt repairs to Ventigern X49.'

And so the Robot did some final whirs, and returned with the Bera Shambalans to the upper part of the hill, were they were placed in the transport chair and one by one returned home.

'Should be a fascinating adventure,' said Druldruguser.

'I long to find out more about this world,' said Jen Skan Putilkin.

'I will be doing Deep Scans for a Diagnostic of Nexus Facilities on this world first,' said the Robot. 'We will travel in a few weeks in the timing of Olo Malan.'

'Better make ourselves comfortable,' said Druldruguser.

'Indeed,' replied Togura. A brave new world of adventure indeed.

Chapter Four

'It's strange,' said the Bragman. 'Every 4 years the feeling changes in the world. The temperatures are different for a while. It happens every 4 years. In the Ravlish lands of the Cold West it gets frozen for a while.'

'That is where we are going soon,' said Jen Skan Putilkin. 'To fix the Ventigern.'

'Whatever that is I can not possibly imagine,' said the Bragman. 'But this machine seems to know what it is about. It is the ancient knowledge inside this Robot, as it calls itself. The knowledge from the Nexxium.'

'Nexus,' said Jen Skan Putilkin. 'We are connected to them likewise. They do not visit much, but there are towers here and there on Bera Shambala which the ancient philosophers say the Nexus visit every century. I am waiting for that, to this day. It is coming soon enough.'

'Mysteries of life,' replied the Bragman.

Togura sat up and farted a bit, before returning to his sitting position against the wall of the Nexus facility, and glared at the Robot. It was still doing its diagnostic, which it replied was under way when questioned. They did not know what a diagnostic was. It sounded potentially worrisome.

'Want to play some cards tomorrow?' Druldruguser asked. 'I bought a set,' he said, holding up a set of Bera Shambalan playing cards.

'Sure,' replied Togura. 'I'd like to be back home, you know. But I have to see this world. It's my youth. I need an adventure.'

'Why I'm here. And to see what the Nexus can offer me. They really contact us, I'll be off to explore the universe. See what is out beyond the stars.'

'That's a dream, I would imagine,' replied Togura. 'I doubt the Nexus will ever bother showing up.'

'The robot seems to think so,' said Darren.

'I know,' said Togura. 'I'm not sure my faith should be in a machine, but it's gotten me to this world, so I'll take my chances.'

'I'm going to sleep,' said Darren, and went outside to lie down in front of the fireplace of the Bragmen. Togura and then Jen soon came and joined him. As they looked up at the stars Jen commented that they were all different, which brought murmurs of agreement from the other two. Strange new stars, strange new world. What other things would they see when they departed soon enough to fix the mysterious Ventigern?

Chapter Five

The following day there was a commotion in the Bragmen camp. The one from South Tameran had returned, and was asking questions about the visitors he had spied around the Nexus facility. Traditionally they had warded off Jonty Bearhugger from the facility, not wishing to make their secret knowledges known to others, despite the protestations he had access to a facility in his own town on the coast of south Tameran. Under the new circumstances the Bragmen decided to relent on their traditional way of dealing with Jonty Bearhugger and allowed him to speak with their new guests.

'Jonty,' said Jonty.

'Jen Skan Putilkin. This is Darren Douay also known as Druldruguser Dragonfart.'

'Only to my accomplices,' said Druldruguser.

'I'm Togura Loupaan,' said Togura.

'Funny. That's a name that is used in Sung. You hear it from time to time.'

'We are from Bera Shambala. Accessed to this world of Olo Malan by an cosmic ring.'

Jonty was silent. 'Did you say Bera Shambala? You are from the hidden heaven?' The man seemed excited.

'Why would you know?' asked Jen Skan Putilkin.

'It is part of my quest for knowledge. I have travelled this world seeking understandings of the mysteries of the hidden heaven. At last I have my answers.'

'I'm afraid,' said Darren Douay. 'That even the philosophers of Troldok District can not help you. We are named in honour of the hidden heaven but, alike you, we know not of what it really is. Some say it is the heart of what all is made from. The source of our being. Others say there are grand creators which fashioned this universe, and they remain distant. Perhaps the Nexus knows more knowledge, but we do not.'

Jonty sat down next to the now simmering fireplace. 'Then tell me what you can. I must know. I am part of a community which prizes power and the logic of man. But we only know reason as the answers to life's meaning. I seek a better reply.'

'You have religion on this planet,' said Jen. 'Take your answers with them.'

'Bah. They do not satisfy. Lost in magic and myth,' replied Jonty. 'I need better answers.'

'Then we will answer as best we can.'

They went on to explain the world they were from and that they were visitors who would return soon enough, after a transaction with a robot of the Nexus had occurred and they had repaired a machine known as the Ventigern.

'Then I will join you, and you can tell me of your world,' said Jonty.

And so Jonty joined the party, not officially contracted immediately, but upon being informed, the robot said it would take extra contractual duties into consideration depending on the ultimate state of the Ventigern. And thereupon was an agreement reached.