CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE – DEBRIEF
Dwarg immediately fluxed within the Aura – he was back at last. Other Whisps acknowledged its presence, without emotion or ceremony, as if it was nothing really special.
After eleven Human years of absence, Dwarg was pleased to be able to flux and flutter again. He did bring with him a smattering of Human emotions and concepts, so where normally he would be just plain satisfied with his return, he was instead, happy, elated and pleased. He zoomed from the Aura limit back to and around the planet. He realized that with his knowledge gained during his quest, he would still have the memories of the Human Aggie and her environment. Of all the Whisps, Dwarg had the clearest and most functional understanding of the universe. “Henceforth I am not an it, I am Dwarg and I am something, I am an individual and I have knowledge of worlds and planes outside the Aura. The Humans are not as we know them. There are reasons why we and the now continue to exist. We must plan and evolve like the Humans or the Aura will destruct.” Try as he may, he did not get any serious arousal from the Whisps.
He discussed all manner of experiences, situations and stories with Slig, who had incessantly looked for Dwarg on the planet, but to no avail. Slig had an inkling of current events with Human technology but had no idea of the advancements they had made in the last few Human years to the now. Human progress was not an accident – other influences upon them saw it so. “Slig, I have seen evidence of other Auras, other creatures not of our world – some have entered Humans and altered their state of existence and evolution. I have witnessed the aftermath of one such being – this was a virus trapped in a Human of no consequence – a forward travelling virus. Had that Human not been in a defective state before the infection, the Human may well have been directed to an existence of arranging our destruction. It is not the Humans alone who are to blame for the Swirl Chaos; it is the entry of extra-Aura travellers and aliens who are directing them.”
Slig suspected the existence of other levels beyond the Aura. Its constant warnings and ideas aroused nothing of consequence within the Whisp community. The average Whisp did not want to know of such things – Swirl Chaos was just a thing that was now acknowledged – it was caused by the Humans, the whys and wherefores were of no concern – the idea of other worlds beyond the Aura limit was simply not accepted. Whisps did adopt certain Human concepts such as time and time lines but in general they were just content to flux and flutter within the Aura. They lived in the now and nothing else really mattered. Dwarg could see how and why Slig had become so isolated and frustrated.
Dwarg revealed his plan to Slig. “We need to make a barrier, a fence or a net or some system of filter around our Aura to prevent incursions from the outer limits. As yet, the Humans have no such protection and are preoccupied with altering climatic conditions and the destruction of viruses from within.”
“I have left some guidelines and solutions with my Human host to follow this path but Whisps must also be activated to ensure that the protection will be comprehensive and effective.”
“Slig, I will need your help to convince the body to accept a purely Human trait – one that led them on the path of their rapid evolvement. That trait is to develop curiosity, it is to question, it is to ask how, when, where and why. This is what set them apart from other organisms on the planet.”
“Human emotions”, replied Slig, “another unfathomable mystery I could never conquer.”
“I’ve experienced some, although it’s all complex and embedded in their hereditary composition. For a Whisp to accurately map Human emotions would be a quest unto itself. The Swirl Chaos is endemic to a Whisp and my plan would be to use this as a key for arousal of curiosity.”
Slig thought this was a possibility; after all, Dwarg’s and its own exploits had the initial agreement of the body to study and solve the problem of the Swirl Chaos – even though now, the other Whisps considered their efforts useless. ”So how do you propose to do this Dwarg?”
“Ah ha, I have already made you curious Slig.” Slig rotated and vibrated – this was the nearest thing to a laugh out loud that a Whisp could do. “On earth, I found a message. I told you about the forward travelling virus within a Human. It guided the Human to make an arrangement of smudges and marks – he had made a representation of a Swirl Chaos. When I saw it, I nearly killed my host with vibrations. I then found out that the message was created many Human years before the first Great Chaos so it was not made by any Whisp, indeed it was an alien with foresight of the time forward of the now. This led me to the understanding that the Aura had been visited by other intruders. I believe that Humans have been infected, guided and had their evolvement accelerated by viruses not of this world. That’s not to say that all are a threat to us, however at some point, an invader may enter the Aura and destroy all things.”
“Slig, I also believe that given the opportunity, extra-Aura invaders (or their guided Humans) may attack Whisps.”
“Perhaps my original plan for the eradication of Humans should be re-considered.”
“No, the viruses will still come into the Aura regardless – they will simply seek other hosts. I believe we need to screen and filter – and the Whisps must be made to realize this. The Humans are not yet capable of such undertakings themselves.”
Thus Dwarg and Slig formed a bond – a bond that saw more grouping among Whisps, and gradually quite a number of them joined the flux. One problem Dwarg came upon was that he had no idea of the “population” of the Whisps in the Aura – there had never been a count – there had never been a reason for a count – apart from timelines, they never had a use for numbers.
“This use of numbers, Dwarg, tell me again about the number, zero.”
“The Humans commence the numbers at zero, then comes one, then two, then three, then these other numbers in order following.”
“But you say zero is nothing, how is this so? Surely nothing cannot be a thing? If it is no thing, it does not exist, so zero must not exist.”
“The Humans use zero as a start point. It is neutral. Numbers also go below zero, they become negative numbers.”
“Why not commence numbers with the number one? – at least it is a something.”
“Well there are portions and fractions of the number one, before number one becomes a whole number one – a positive number one.”
“And the Human emotion you call humor, is that what you are using now Dwarg?”
“No, these numbers are very important and we must all learn them.”
“So Dwarg, what lies directly between negative one and positive one?”
“Very good Slig, that would be zero.”
“So that would be nothing?”
“Slig, let me tell you about a Human emotion called temper, I have listed it as an emotion under the heading of Human Affection.”
“Dwarg, you tried to explain about this thing called a vacuum. You say there is nothing in it.”
“I can see what you are trying to do Slig. Yes, but having said that, there really cannot ever be a true vacuum – the Humans have proved that. Even in the black expanses of the planes far from the Aura, nowhere will one find a true vacuum, there will always be an atom or two around. Humans have tried, but could never make one.”
“So there is no such thing – nothing – that is a vacuum, a true vacuum?”
“No, er, Yes.”
“So we are discussing nothing? Zero? And ah yes, naught.”
Quite often, Dwarg would flux around the planet until his vibrations slowed. He knew that his individuality had been substantially enhanced by the experiences and emotions of the Humans - this was the only reason he could think of for his sudden departures from the groupings with Slig.
Apart from occasional frustrations with the provision of knowledge to others, Dwarg settled back into the existence that was one of being a Whisp again.
He would always have some shadow, some invisible connection to his host, the Human Aggie Kellor. Regardless of the reaction of the g
roup Whisps, he considered his task had been completed to his own satisfaction. Convincing Whisps to begin any initiative for their own defence was - (and to keep Slig happy) – close to zero.
“Some of the land near the top of the planet has exploded” reported a fluxing Whisp, “clumps are already reaching close to the Aura boundary.”
“Slig, we should examine this. Should any of the matter reach or go through the outer limits, they may provide vehicles for foreign viruses trying to enter the Aura.” Both fluxed to the area the Humans had named Iceland. “This has happened before Slig, when I was in the physical, although this eruption is more powerful.”
They made their way to the extreme outer-limits and stayed for, in Human terms, about six months, waiting to see if any matter would reach that far. They returned without seeing any stray material that close, however they did notice that ash and other material was still floated within the Aura, a great distance away from the point of the explosion. “Dwarg, what could we have done, should we have seen this debris reach the boundary?”
“Between us, not much really – but we need to somehow repel this matter. Another thing we have to consider is the screening of extra-Aura material entering and falling to the planet. It was on the Earth that I learned of the vast amount of stuff that enters regularly, and has so, for times well before the now.”
As you put it Dwarg, we are a form of anti-matter – a negative number on your counting system. We are in the same world as the physical yet separated by one atom. How could we possibly affect anything in the positive?”
“I think I have found a way Slig, but it requires the cooperation of the body group and take great effort.”
He explained how he had guided some Humans as to the construction and use of neutron pulsating systems which would be used all over the planet. Emissions of the neutral phatets would be harvested by the Whisps by means of effertanious attraction. Much like spiders construct their homes on the earth, the Whisps would build a huge web - a network just inside the Aura boundary. The phatets would serve as an efficient barrier for the repulsing of any foreign matter. The Humans would have to take suitable action to prevent large meteors and machine scraps allowing infections or viruses to be deposited on the Earth’s surface.
“Upon your counting, how many Human years from the now, will your plan come about?”
“Six Human years – and I will have to return to the physical.”
“Dwarg, is that six from the number one, or from the non-existent number zero?”
“Sliggles, you are a damn pecker-head.”
“Please explain?”