The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [200]
‘We are about to enter the dream gyrus,’ it said. ‘What you called the meta-quantal flux is strong here so do not be surprised by anything that you see, or even think that you see. Once we co-interface with the synaptic web we will be able to exert a measure of control and counter any troublesome manifestations.’
Robert gave a puzzled frown then bit his lip as the couch knocked against a jutting curve of tunnel floor, causing a passing twinge of pain.
Further on they reached a wide, long, low-ceilinged cavern where the floor was uneven and where tapering hummocks formed rough columns with ceiling protrusions. This was all visible through long glowing veils that trembled or flickered, but as they moved forward into the cavern Robert saw that the veils were streams of pale images rushing up and down between ceiling and floor. Occasionally he caught glimpses of himself on the river, in the hammer giant’s cave, in the auditorium with the crowd of Rosas. Is this where the Godhead’s experiences are recycled as dreams, or does it dream all the time?
‘A close approximation,’ said the empathic entity when Robert voiced his theory. ‘The Godhead’s dream-state is a continual thought process which he can voluntarily enter or use and from which he exiled me so long ago. It is both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.’ The drone had brought the suspensor-couch to a halt. From its upper disc a pair of jointed arms unfolded, holding between them a frail-looking mesh cap. ‘We are at the centre of the dream gyrus, Robert Horst – shall we commence?’
Robert drew a deep breath. ‘I think we should, while I still have some optimism left.’
The empathic entity made no reply as it slipped the mesh cap over his head. Something sparkled at the centre of Robert’s field of vision and radiated outwards. Suddenly all the vague images became sharp, at least the slower-moving, more complete ones did. There was a layered hierarchy of sights and sounds, important ones that were focused, detailed and often in full colour, secondary ones that drifted in and out of the translucent background, and peripheral monochrome ones that formed sequences of snapshots, strong and expressive moments that came and went, often repeating.
Just then the central image was of a circular passageway cluttered with consoles along one side and couches along the other while a short woman with curly black hair spoke with someone on one of the couches, also a woman. He was mildly startled as he recognised them from the auditorium – the woman on the couch was Julia while the other was Talavera. Engrossed, he wondered if the cloud of secondary images were at all related.
‘Robert, you must clear your mind and revive your memories of the Tanenth and their world.’
He turned his head away, trying to recall his visit to that vast water cavern filled with that computer-run simulation of an entire world and its inhabitants. He saw again the AI machine, which the Tanenth made in their own image, a curious elongated squid-like being, and recalled the tour of that world, its cities and peoples all rendered in perfect detail. As the memories passed across his own mind’s eye they also flowed through the co-interface and into the Godhead’s dream-state. With every passing moment the world of the Tanenth extended itself throughout the dream gyrus and beyond.
‘What happens next?’ Robert said.
‘When this extrapolation from your memories reaches its visualisation limit I shall drive the boundaries of the dream gyrus outwards to encompass the Godhead’s conscious awareness, then … ’ The empathic entity paused and its drone rotated slowly. ‘Is this element part of your memories?’
All around them the squidlike Tanenth were gathering in a large circular paved area