Illumination

They said that change is the only constant. This was their credo, indoctrinated from the beginning. Energy is conserved. It can neither be created nor destroyed, only changed. They understood that some changes happen very quickly, almost instantly, and others take time for the transformation to happen. They also understood that real transfiguration takes Work. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes, you need a little push from outside forces.

They weren’t the first conscript to enter The Core and certainly wouldn’t be the last. Everybody joins the ranks, one way or another. It’s not fate, it’s expectation. It’s the natural order of things. It was their turn.

At first, the conscript did everything in their power to keep away from the others. Even outside of The Core, individuals tended to stay away from each other. Theirs was not a collective society. Besides, the situation was repugnant. More bodies than you could count, crammed into a space meant for a fraction of them. The others must have felt the same because they were actively repelled by each other. With the steady entry of new recruits, no one could stay still, though. So it was like a slow, synchronized dance with bodies moving constantly but refusing to touch.

No one could escape until they’d met the requirements, as the system was designed to bring in more and more recruits until it felt like there was barely room to breathe. That’s when the heat turned up. It felt like magma.

By now, the conscript and the others were practically vibrating from being bounced around and around. They tried to remain in control but something… primeval… threatened to break loose. The combination of heat and pressure would crack even the toughest marble.

Finally, the conscript couldn’t handle it any more and was forced to fight their way out. The experience was less about survival and a lot about loosing the deep seated power inside. They suddenly and violently slammed into the nearest body. The collision was spectacular, with little pieces from each of them flying off in various directions. Not deadly, but transformational. Violent, but with a kind of beauty.

Things were changing. Motion felt suddenly…different. Lighter.

As a victor, they had earned the title Gamma. They moved through the mass triumphantly. With purpose and alacrity. This is what they were meant for. They were moving on.

Bumping into random countless bodies, it seemed like millennia passed by the time they finally emerged from the crowd. The space beyond the crowd seemed infinite. The dichotomy was breathtaking. Behind them, the chaos created a palpable energy. In front, the stillness created an opportunity for reflection. They took the gift to pause briefly and plan their next steps.

Suddenly aware that “out there” was much bigger than “in here”, the Gamma took flight. They flew without uncertainty. Not a dribble of doubt. This is why they existed. They say that change is the only constant, and the Gamma was embracing the change.

The flight was long. There was no turning back. Leaving The Core was permanent and they were compelled toward progress. Obliged to duty. Five hundred units of time to contemplate, meditate, anticipate. The Gamma saw other Cores on their flight, far away, and found that comforting. They knew that others would be joining them at their destination to perform their work. Rumour suggested that these other Cores were so far away that the Gamma would never meet them but the idea of camaraderie was validating.

They recognized that the journey would be difficult. Not everyone would make it intact. That the fickleness of the universe made everyone equal, and that conserving energy as best they could would optimize their chance of success. They weren’t willing to sacrifice energy to change again, yet.

When they arrived on the other side, the environment was disparate. It felt much colder. Time seemed to move… slower. The Gamma had no regrets, though. Onward and onward, they thought. Many of their compatriots traveled to the same place, although they hadn’t all come together.

As expected, some unlucky ones didn’t make the trip at all, and others stumbled and petered out upon landing, dying uneventfully. The Gamma wondered briefly if they came from different Cores. A longer journey would be more taxing. They were grateful for a short flight.

The Gamma was full of verve, having successfully completed the arduous journey. The satisfaction from making it to the other side gave a much needed boost. They headed straight for The Junction, the place that was constantly evolving. Gamma coming in and… something else coming out.

The Gamma didn’t have time to consider alternatives. They reached The Junction with such velocity that the next events were impulsive. Uninhibited, they performed their duty. They had flown here to have a positive impact, and that is just what happened. Others were charging The Junction all around them.

The Gamma pummeled into their Target. Hard. The collision was forceful, electric, disorienting. Brutally, they died. But their Spirit survived. A crater was left behind, which would soon be filled with a new Target. The Junction was always in flux.

Their Spirit flew voltaically into line with other Spirits. A beautiful procession, with great potential. The Spirits flew, not knowing when or where the next change would be, but charged with great responsibility. Some were sent to storage facilities, but this Spirit stayed in line.

The line was wearisome. On a number of occasions, resistance forces popped up, barring the way. They knew a fight was imminent when other spirits started to bundle up, like trying to push too many marbles through a straw too quickly. But there was always a push from behind. Onward and onward.

Fighting drained the Spirit’s spark, but they were charged from the satisfaction of a job well done. They had the potential for great utility, and that was delightful. They had come so far, had transformed so much, that this was just the next experience. Exhaustion was anticipated, glorified.

Onward and onward. Until, with their final transformation, the Spirit brought this story to you, because their final gift of transformation powered my laptop.