Дэвид Уоллес - Island of Fog and Death

Peri huffed impatiently. “Preservation? From what? Or who? What is this risk that you talk about?”

Guanyin’s smile faded into a frown. “I regret that I must exercise care in what I tell you today, because we must stay within our grey area. Too much information poses a risk to your continued existence. Suffice it to say, as you have discovered, humankind is not alone in the universe. Humanity is broadcasting the presence of intelligent life on this planet at an exponentially increasing rate. Such broadcasts are becoming detectable even in the higher dimensions. Not every intelligent species is altruistic.” She fell silent.

“That’s all I get?” asked Peri, frowning right back at her.

“For now,” replied Guanyin.

“Okay. That thing on Anifail, that’s certainly not altruistic, is it, and frankly it’s kicking our ar – our backsides. If you have so many human names, then you must have intervened in the past, like a lot . Can you intervene now? I could use some help.”

The ethereal smile returned. “In the past I was authorised to stop and reverse the activities of an ancient being who formed your planet around – well, let us just call it a machine. While waiting for its plans to mature, it amused itself by playing the part of a malevolent and vengeful god. In fact, it played at being many gods, manipulating many of Earth’s tribes. Once it was neutralised and imprisoned, my authority to act was ended.

“ This is your help, Peri. You have several enhanced capabilities at varying stages of development. I am going to make some changes to accelerate development and better equip you to deal with the Devourer and with… whatever comes next. Remember, I cannot intervene against it, but I can speed your development so that you can.”

“The Devourer? That’s what you call the creature? Quite an apt name, because when you yanked me out, it was busy devouring me . When you drop me back in, it’ll finish the job.”

“Yes it will,” said Guanyin with a look of deep regret. “And I am sorry that it will be exceedingly painful for you as it does so.”

“What? That’s your idea of help?”

“Bear with the pain, it will quickly be over. I will use the liberated matter, combined with more of what Gustavus calls ‘exotic matter’, to reconstruct you. The enhanced capabilities are fuelled by exotic matter, but your body secretes it quite slowly. Too slowly. I thought you would have ample time to grow into your powers, but I now see that you will not.”

“Oh,” Peri said, surprised, though she realised she should not be. “You know Gus and Tash?”

Guanyin looked equally surprised. “Of course I do. Gustavus is the latest in a succession of custodians of the imprisoned being I mentioned. The exotic matter I will need is the dog.”

Peri’s eyes were wide in shock. “Whoa! You’re telling me Tash was a malevolent god? And you’re going to tear him apart to rebuild me?”

“The being is imprisoned within an exotic matter construct projected from the collar around his neck. I cannot destroy the being. He will remain imprisoned within an exotic matter shell. Only now, he will be imprisoned within you, Peri.”

“Me?” Peri’s voice was faint.

Guanyin fixed her eyes on Peri’s. “This is important, Peri. Your newly emerged and matured capabilities will suffice to avoid being killed by the Devourer. But you will not be able to kill it. It can be imprisoned.”

“How?” asked Peri. “What do I have to imprison it?”

“Grey areas again,” replied Guanyin. “Think about it, Peri. You will have what you need nearby.”

“Bloody marvellous!” said Peri, bitterly. “I have no idea how to fight it, but even if I do, I can’t kill it, I just have to imprison it, and I have no clue how to do that . Is that supposed to help? Really?”

“Energy is depleting,” said Guanyin. “This interaction must end soon. You have all the clues you need, save one. There is a question you have not yet asked.”

“There are many questions I want to ask,” said Peri. “Which one – ah, wait, it’s obvious. I need to know about these enhanced capabilities you’re going to all this trouble for me to develop. What will I be able to do that I can’t do already?”

“Very little,” said Guanyin, infuriatingly. But before Peri could snap at her, she continued. “But your strength will be greater, and you will have better control. You already have remarkable capabilities for a human. You have exceptional powers of recall. Most human scientists believe that ‘eidetic memory’ or ‘photographic memory’ does not really exist, though some people have remarkable memories. You, uniquely, have a genuine photographic memory, though you may not have realised how exceptional you are. You also have exceptional proprioception, a trait sometimes referred to as kinaesthesia. Have you come across these terms?”

“Yes,” said Peri, thoughtfully. “Some teachers at school said I seemed to be kinaesthetic, and I would make either a brilliant gymnast or a dancer. My grandmother wanted me to take ballet classes, but I – er, let’s just say I declined. I wasn’t very nice about it, as I recall.”

“We both know that you recall it perfectly,” replied Guanyin. “You know how rude and hurtful you were.”

“Ah, yes, I should have guessed that you’ve been keeping an eye on me.”

“You have a perfect sense of movement and positioning of your entire body. This is important.”

“Well, if I wanted to dance with a Devourer, I suppose,” Peri said sourly.

“Think back. Your military companions commented on your accuracy when using a pistol instinctively rather than consciously. Your proprioceptive abilities go far beyond that. Next. The key to unlocking a huge number of scientific achievements is an understanding of the time dimensions. Humanity lacks the necessary understanding.”

“So do I,” Peri interjected.

“Yes. But you have some control over the time dimension of conventional spacetime. You can manipulate the flow of time to some extent. You have already done so more than once.”

“I can? Really? I have?”

“Yes,” said Guanyin. “Hongfeng Road, Shanghai. Instinctively, you used two aspects of time manipulation. How did you know the young boy was in danger? And how did you reach him so quickly? There have been more recent examples of short-term precognition.”

“Precognition?” said Peri. “I guess I have some kind of heightened sense of danger. But isn’t time unidirectional? How can anyone experience the future and then come back to make use of the knowledge?”

“How is unimportant. You may as well ask, ‘How do I control my digestive system?’ It is enough that it works. Your precognitive sense operates over a very short interval. You can see the possible futures a second or so ahead, and identify high threats, in time to take action.”

“I can’t get my head round that,” said Peri. “If I see the future, but then act so as to change it, that’s meddling with the law of cause and effect. Isn’t it?”

“I repeat…”

“How is unimportant.”

“Yes,” said Guanyin. “Now, the other aspect is the ability to slow down or speed up the rate at which time flows relative to yourself. Do you see how useful this would be?”

“I think so,” said Peri. “Since time and motion are related…”

“Good,” Guanyin interrupted. “We have only moments left.”

“But how do I make it work?”

“Use a metaphor. Picture something that represents time passing, something you can manipulate, and will it to be manipulated. Your capability will do the rest.”

The white light began to grow dim, and Guanyin sighed. “Energy depletion is upon us. I am sorry, but this is going to be exceptionally painful.”