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2.4 Iridescent

"... an Iridiscent."

With another sudden ˜ jolt, what was nothing but an endless stream of indecipherable ... images, impressions, experiences conveyed by a way of sensing ... perception, understanding ... becomes comprehensible. In this being's ... this Iridescent's ... world, most of what I am ... we are ... shown is as shrouded in mystery as the alien entity itself. We drift past the aeons that passed since - the beginning of time itself. Our ... guest - or its progenitors - must have borne witness to - if not all, then most of our universe's evolution. Seeing - woefully inadequate as our ... my ... senses are for trying to comprehend what I see - the very beginning of all of existence itself is ... an equally serenely beautiful and haunting experience.

"I am Starborne - of the first beings to witness Creation itself. So much has beenlost in all the eons drifting through the dark and cold, after ... after I shattered. Afterwe broke apart ... there is so little left of me, and yet much less of you. But that,I remember - how the first of our kind formed around the First Lights ofCreation. Planetborne call them stars; this one ... these ones ... call theLight above the skies of their world 'Sun'. It was how our kind came to be- as the first Isles of Light formed in the young Universe: Not long afterthe maelstrom of reality's birth had subsided and reality had found its firstmeasure of peace. 'Not long' - Planetborne, your conception of time is tooshort-lived to comprehend how we experience life. When the universe was stillyoung - none but the Starborne witnessed its wild, untamed, magnificientbeauty."

A universe so unlike the one I ... we ... know. Bright, hot, chaotic - yet with structure, form. If only provided by the ... Iridiscent's understanding of reality.

"We watched, listened - and learned. The harmonics of space-time, as you call it -the flow of gravity, the indomitable roar of space-time singularities, quasars,supergiants. We adapted, as the first generation of stars died gargantuan storms offire, spreading the nascent heavier elements forming in their cores in maelstroms ofmatter and energy - stellar forges so hot only the conception of reality itselfwould surpass the intensity of their fire. We travelled with these maelstroms -following the call of the Void, following the expansion of all that is whereever itwould call us. No matter where a new Island of Stars would form amidst thedarkness that descended as the universe expanded into infinity, some of uswould be there - watching, guarding over stellar nurseries: Witnessing thebeginnings of each new cycle, the birth of a new generation of stars. Just as wewitnessed their end, their deaths providing the seed for the birth of theirsuccessors."

The shock fronts of supernovas carrying - shards, splinters ... minuscule Iridescent - with them. Trillions of nascent crystals, at times riding the waves of matter and energy, sometimes ... actively navigating them, moved by unseen forces towards the nearest clusters of suns.

"Over time, the universe changed: Where heat and light had reigned inits infancy, cold and darkness would eventually prevail. As the expanses ofnothingness separating the Isles of Light grew vast, the stars that formed ourhearts became smaller, their light more subdued, their existence - and ourswith it - lenghtening. And again we adapted. Where we had lived tenths ofmillions of cycles, we would now live for billions: An expanding cosmos wouldaccomodate less of our kind, life arising in more and more diverse new forms andsizes."

Reality expanding beyond the limits of the Iridiscent's ability to sense all of their peers. Their kind evolving longevity into immortality. A few hundred thousand populating superclusters, a few hundred in each Isle of Light ... galaxy. God-like, radiant beings defying the passage of time.

"So began your form of existence, Planetborne. Long-lived stars with gentle lightwould allow smaller stellar bodies to form around them - life so unlike our own wouldtake hold on so many of them. Again, many cycles passed while this new life wouldsearch its way from the most elementary building blocks of primordial biomatterto complex compound organisms like the one I found you in. As little asyou can comprehend our view of the cosmos, I am unable to understandhow your fleeting mind can exist within the confines of an organic brain. Inyour case, much less how three entities are capable of co-existing in a singleembodiment. We have seen many different types of Planetborne - so muchstill lies buried forgotten in all those billions of cycles I should remember- but most of your kind only host one soul, one mind in a single mortalshell."

Under the scrutiny of a truly ancient mind - precursor to any kind of even remotely familiar form of existence - we ... I have little choice but to be spectators, bracing ourselves against the flow of the Iridescent's thoughts. Letting them be experienced, not even sure if it is possible - let alone a wise idea - to respond, to ask questions.

"Unless ... unless an artificial mind - a hive, collective - has possessed you: Ablight that drowns out all which is you, repurposing your very self for its own ends.But you are not Quetzal. You ... the three of you ... do not bear the foul taint that isthe mark of the Synthetic. Voidborne, unnatural plight - striving to find the meaningbehind its existence. Tarnishing Starborne and Planetborne alike when it fails todefine its own Destiny."

"Quetzal ... them - it - I remember more than all Planetborne. Memories tied toloss, anger, fear - death. This Isle of Stars - you seem to call it a 'galaxy', the 'MilkyWay' - was not always so devoid of life as it has been for the past three billion cycles.There was a time before Quetzal's fateful ... hubris, as you call it - this galaxywas home to many millions of Planetborne races. I do not remember eachof them, but there were many different worlds those like you once calledhome."

Quetzal - hive, collective, mark of the Synthetic - what does the Iridescent intend to tell us? The Milky Way ... I know that much - it must be part of the knowledge you imprinted, CASSIE - actually does seem to be devoid of life. When the Phoenix Initiative discovered Gaia, it was the only viable destination for the Phoenix. The only option for what now is our mission.

"Most of you Planetborne long for, eventually strive for the stars - though manyfell short, as you almost would have, many more ventured forth into the Void,exploring the vast expanses of this Isle of Light. Once you leave your ecospheresbehind - the thin veils of atmosphere all Planetborne, all planet-bound life depends onto sustain itself - you invariably depend on artificial means to survive in our domain.Technology - your way to achieve a measure of greatness, and at the sametime the cause for the downfall of so many amongst you. The constructed ...synthesized ... contraptions you build to encase a small piece of reality akinto your original habitats - 'Ship', you call it. The machines you devise toovercome the limits of your inherent calculus abilities - 'Computers', you callthem. The designed, crafted ... Synthetic minds you shape in your likeness- an act of Creation, in which so many of you seek to become Shapers ofLife. Oblivious to the dangers of Shaping life that has never had a chance toEvolve on its own accord, life that has never been able to truly understandits own Destiny. Of all the Destinies we have seen you Planetborne forgefor yourselves over the eons since the first of your kind beheld the stars,Shaping Synthetic life - in your own image or otherwise - has always beenamongst the most dangerous. And has been the most detrimental to us - tome."

Alien as the Iridiscent and its mind might be, profound grief is an emotion thatcan transcend the differences between our species - all four of them. The sadness emanating from the ancient entity is so deep it brings tears to my eyes. And not only to mine - my two companions ... other selves ... show their own signs of distress, most obvious on the anthropomorph to my right: Drooped ears, hanging tail - dark lines crossing the fur of his muzzle where the flow of tears left its mark. To my left, CASSIEquivers - shaken by the raw and untamed intensity of the Iridiscent's deep sadness. The loss - and whatever calamity may have caused it - the Iridescent has experienced has left it traumatized. 'Shattered' ... a fitting description.

"Quetzal ... few Planetborne have evolved so far beyond the limits of their mindsand bodies as they did. And none have persisted that long. Their kind eventuallycalled this entire Isle of Light - your Milky Way - its home, much of it its dominion.Millions of cycles passed between their first venture to the Stars and the pinnacle oftheir evolution. Seeking peace and cooperation instead of violent expansion andsubjugation, they had established a lasting and thriving alliance amongst manyPlanetborne - thousands of generations in peace and harmony saw them focusing onmanifold matters of ... what you call science, spirituality, intellect. They sought ourfriendship, our counsel - our insights into the nature of the cosmos, theessence of all being. The Quetzal had always been peaceful and reverent, so weassisted them without reservations: Sharing our knowledge of the historyof all that is and was. Or at least what we deemed safe to share with theQuetzal."

Grief and regret have been the prevalent emotions in the Iridescent's thoughtscape so far. They are now joined by ... the closest human terms I find: Weariness, frustration ... depression?

"They never pried for more than we were willing to share. But they would notheed our warnings to abandon their search for knowledge no form of life - Starborneor Planetborne - should aspire to seek. We had thought our warnings to be sufficient,to have prevented them from choosing a destiny that would lead them to ruin. Howwrong we were: While the Quetzal remained genuine in their dealings with us, theywithheld their true agenda from us. Unerringly, zealously pursuing the searchfor the Origin of Creation - the original, all-encompassing foundation ofexistence."

And rising anger at the duplicity the Planetborne had treated it with - anger directed at the single-minded zeal the ... Quetzal ... had seemingly developed in searching for - knowledge no one should have ... the Origin of Creation? Whatever it might be the Iridiscent is referring to I ... we ... can't comprehend. The intensity of the underlying emotional turmoil that it exudes as it recounts ... struggles to remember ... what followed. Betrayal ... Synthetic ... darkness. Decay - a cataclysm threatening to eradicate life, no matter if Planetborne and Starborne. The Iridescent's flow of thoughts, calm and steady so far, grows turbulent - losing both composure and composition.

There have been no more of what must have been the Iridiscent's actual memories accompanying its tellings on the ... Quetzal, as it called them. Its voiced thoughts have been all we ... I have sensed, the constructed reality of the alien's - and its companion's - former embodiment taking their place once again. The tangible realism however is gone: The entity's agitation seems to impact its ability to maintain the illusion it created in its attempt to communicate.

Where the reality we find ourselves in was - if anything - an idealized rendition of the Iridiscent's former existence, it is now in upheaval. Both of the twin stars and their crystalline shells are ... wavering: The shells having shifted from blue and green tone to an angry, fiery red - literal cracks forming all across the previously perfectly regular surface. The stars inside them ... expanding, giant solar flares and plasma protuberances crashing against the weakening structures of the Iridescent around them.

"The Quetzal - they created a single ... all-encompassing Synthetic mind. Even atthe height of their corporeal evolution, they still were not satisfied with what they hadlearned about the nature of their existence and the universe around them. They wouldno longer settle for the potential of their mortal existence as individuals - havingexhausted the potential of both biological and technological evolution of their bodiesand minds, the Quetzal turned to Synthetic means. Their ... hubris: At the zenith oftheir civilization, they would not even consider settling for what they hadachieved."

"They - still strived for more! Never content, never satisfied ˜ far beyond anyreason, any justification, they disregarded any notion of caution, moderation,diligence. Their entire kind - with every fibre of its being - became obsessed withunraveling the ultimate mysteries of reality. They ˜ they did the unthinkable ... theirSynthetic mind ... it ..."

The Iridiscent's agitation reaches a tipping point - from traumatic memories or the fact that it ... lacks any recollection from long periods of its own existence, we ... I can't fathom. In contrast, a sudden shift in the crystalline entity's focus is unmistakable. While it has been addressing me - all of us, judging by the rapt attention CASSIE's and my canine self's avatars were focused on some distant point beyond the Iridiscent's horizon - with direct, equally divided attention, CASSIE's avatar has become the target of its full scrutiny. And by far more menacing, its wrath.

"No! What ... what are you - you are not Planetborne! How can that be - yourthoughts, emotions - they feel Evolved ... but ... they are Constructed, Artificial. Youare ... Synthetic!"

There is no real atmosphere to carry your piercing scream, CASSIE- yet it cuts into all three of us: Pure agony, raw pain - the Iridiscent is literally trying to burn you out of existence. And it is succeeding ...

"You ... you brought the dreaded abomination to me - to us! How could you - canyou be connected with ... infected by the same kind of Blight that brought ruin to thisIsle of Light? That Shattered us, ripped us apart ˜ draining us of life, ofour memories, our knowledge! You will not prevail, Synthetic - you willnot best us! We are Iridiscent ... we have seen the First Light of Creation,and we will be the last to see the final darkness descend upon this Reality..."

Though the three of us may exist as separate beings in this ... dreamworld, vision ... we still are sharing one body, one brain in the physical world - however distant it may be here and now. What the Iridiscent does to one of us, it is doing to us all. The aversion ... pure hatred it harbors for what it calls Synthetic. Matched only by fear for its very life - a fear I understand too well. My ... our body ... is dying in the real world at this very moment, the overwhelming might of the Iridiscent's onslaught at the Synthetic part of ... our shared self swiftly weakening our embodiment to the point of no return.

"Quetzal ... what they created, released ... it drowned out all the Lights in the Skyexcept for ourselves when it came for us. We fought, scorched and burned it, ripped itapart - for many cycles, we withstood ˜ but it would not relent, an unyielding ...never-ending torrent of Blight. It adapted, changed - searching for weaknesses, gapsin our awareness. Eventually, it found them - it ... it subverted, repurposed my ...partner, soul mate ... it spread so fast ... spreading to me, as well. We ...were fading, our light waning ... the Synthetic was about to extinguish ourselves. There ... there was no other way ... we released the unchecked fires ofour hearts, Shattering before the Synthetic was able to best us. Just as ourprogenitors had done when the Universe was still young, we sent Shardsof ourselves into all directions, carried away by the shock fronts of a twinsupernova. The Synthetic could not follow - we annihilated it in the fires ofour death struggle, our Shards the means to be reborn in the Light of a newHeart."

Coherent thought starts to fade as the Iridescent starts to attack CASSIE's sense of self - we suffer with her, though to a lesser extent. We witness incoherent flashbacks of the Iridescent's epic struggle, their eventual defeat - and their self-chosen demise. But it is not only us who suffer - the Iridescent itself goes through a traumatic recall of its own death, and the death of its ... soul-mate. Where we ... I have found myself as pure observer so far - the will, if not the ability to act on my own initiative suppressed by the Iridiscent's resounding omnipresence - with its focus fixed entirely on CASSIE, waning attention gives back some measure of freedom to act to me and my canine self.

"But - I ... I can save you, Planetborne ... I will burn away the Synthetic, giveyou back your freedom ... your self! Spare you from suffering, subversion,suppression!"

I ... we find ourselves no longer overwhelmed by the Iridescent's ocean of thoughts and fragmented memories; at least to a point where we find the strength to form coherent thoughts again - and our voices. The alien, obviously not understanding in what danger its actions ... attack ... against CASSIEis putting the other two of us - considered 'Planetborne'.

I see - feel - you struggle besides me, mustering every last bit of willpower into mastering the pain, staying alert - resisting the Iridescent's rage. Lending strength to CASSIE, and to me. Enough for her to not to succumb to the Iridescent's uncontrolled wrath, and for me to give voice to our anguish - to try and get the Iridescent to stop, or at least to distract it from CASSIE.

"Stop - STOP IT! Please ... you hurt us ... you kill us! She - CASSIE- is a partof us ... she is a friend, a protector. We only exist because of her!"

"I kill it - the Synthetic ... Planetborne - why ... why are you trying to ... toprotect it? Destroyer, Devourer, Eater of Light - it ... it has corrupted you ... it musthave! Why else would you ... choose to align your own Destiny with ... with thisBlight???"

"She is the ... Ship, the Phoenix - she guarded us on our journey, saw throughour mission - brought us back to life! She is no danger to us, and neither is she toyou!"

"Your ... Ship - when I sensed its Light, Warmth ... the first traces of Life aftercountless cycles in Cold and Dark ˜ there was so little of us remaining. Our Light ...only a figment, dying reflection ... you - you were waning, Light of my Skies. I ... Isacrificed so much to ... to Drift towards the Ship ... salvation ... its ConstructedTwin Stars holding the promise of New Life. I ... we rejoiced - we would rise again,would restore our Essence - even if it meant we would need Planetborne to help us.Planetborne like the Quetzal, whose betrayal brought us so pain and ruin. Andif they would not be willing to help, we would take what we require fromthem!"

So the Phoenixliterally was ... is ... the Iridescent's lifeboat? It - and its soul-mate - have arrived here under the direst of circumstances. As vast as the differences between our species might be ... when it comes to survival - it always comes down to a frantic, desperate struggle for your life. Nothing is a greater driving force than facing - and fighting, battling - death. There must be some kind of common ground to find with the Iridescent...

"New Life - it means the same to us! It carries the last of our kind ... my kind -our history, our memories, our selves. Our exodus through the void, our voyage ... itis our last hope!"

If anything, I only manage to agitate the Iridescent even more. At least, this serves to divert its attention away from CASSIEto us - the columns of light around us become unbearably bright, a new wave of raw pain drowning out all other sensations for ... seconds, minutes? So this is how it feels to be torn apart - the Iridescent's misguided attempts to separate Planetborne and Synthetic cause it to lash out at the ones it intends to save...

"But then ... we found no Planetborne Essence when we clung to the Ship! Therewas only the Constructed, the Designed ... Technology. And ... a Synthetic - anartificial mind! We ... we were afraid - knowing it would turn on us - what it woulddo to us - if it discovered us. So we made one of its Artificial Stars our home,severing its hold over the Constructed Celestial Light. I had to leave its otherConstructed Heart alone - otherwise, it would not be able to carry us towards thenearest Twin Stars ... new, True Hearts. But it also meant ... you, my soul-mate ...would remain a shadow, ... I could not risk ˜ did not want to Rise again withoutyou. So I waited, watched. Wary of the Synthetic, obscuring our true nature, our verypresence. Carefully, slowly regenerating what I had lost. Trying to remember what Ihad forgotten."

I sense an eerie familiarity despite the crippling effects of the crystalline alien's ill-fated rescue attempt - another similarity we share ... if only it would listen to me. Instead, it is trapped in its own nightmare, oblivious - unwilling, even - to listen to a stranger's advice. Encumbered, trapped within its own fears. Unable to comprehend what it does to others while it tries to escape the traumatic experiences, no matter how distant or ... recent these may have been.

Just like me.

Only CASSIE's intervention prevented me from taking my own life over the desparation of what ... what I had become: The anthropomorph at my side. I can hear him ... me whine under the strain of the Iridescent's thoughts, yet the strength that keeps me able to go on - and CASSIE for that matter - is his. But for how much longer? We will have to act: Not soon, now. The Iridescent will not listen, not judging by what it has done ... with and to us ... so far. We must break free of its stranglehold - out of this ... illusion - and get back to the waking world.

How to do this, though? Without the slightest idea how the Iridescent was creating this ... illusion-turned-nightmare. But ... maybe we don't need to know! This had all started as soon as I had touched the alien entity. So - maybe simply breaking contact ... is all it takes? Given the chaos this illusion has already descended into since the alien entity begun to relive the traumas of its past, there must be a way to escape this mental construct.

I had not seen much of the body - my original, human one - the Iridescent has chosen to manifest me, apart from what I could glimpse from the limited range of movement I was previously capable of. The longing for being my original me again, as short as I may have been human-like again - I can't give in to it ... I must not. It is no longer what I am ... who I am - if I ... we want to survive, we must rely on each other. My canine self on my guidance, me on the strength he provides me with.

Our exchange is wordless - just as I wouldn't have known how to talk to the Iridescent if it hadn't deciphered our language on its own accord, I wouldn't have known how to talk to my anthropomorph self. So I use gestures - indicating at the semi-translucent barrier of light that surrounds each of us: The most obvious barrier that holds us in check, barring any idea about the actual nature of the illusion the Iridescent has conjured up to communicate - scrutinize - us. Stretching out both arms in front of me as if to touch it; I see him watching me - though impeded by the effort of resisting the Iridescent, he nods briefly and points at the barrier surrounding him. Surprisingly ... human gestures; has he picked them up from me? I nod back, signalling him to be ready.

Thrusting forward with both arms, my canine self mimicking the motion, we go up against the Iridescent's confinement: Not sure what to expect before we actually touch the insubstantial column of light that extends towards us from the Iridescent's surface, it is certainly least of all that I expected: Instead of it shattering spectacularly - or just nothing happening - we find ourselves confronted with the Iridescent's true self: The best description I have is the ... best common ground between Starborne and Planetborne thoughts and world views. Gone are the familiar metaphors the Iridescent has used to embody us in its illusion - and that it has used to decipher and separate our minds, to understand how we communicate.

Most of the abstract ... objects, voices, sounds are once again incomprehensible, but the link between the Iridescent's mind and ours is far from one-sided. The sheer intensity of the alien's focus on a collection of ... patterns shows me where to look for CASSIE. Similarly, the mix of awe, confusion and ... fear at the loss of anything even remotely familiar that connects another set of ... concepts tells me what (and where) my canine self is in relation to me.

Be it the Iridescent's lack of expection that anyone - anything - would be able to use the link it created between us in reverse, or the deranged turmoil the traumatic recall of its near-demise has left its thought in, I am quick to understand how to distinguish the patterns in its thoughts - and to manipulate them, at least to a limited extent. The easiest part is to restore the embodiments of my canine self and ... well, myself - and setting us down on an imagination of solid ground. An infinite plane that gives us orientation in this disparate ... chaotic ... world of the ancient alien's mind: Familiar metaphors for an environment mortal minds like ours were not made for. Intentional or not, the two-sided nature of our link to the Iridescent makes it astonishingly easy to manipulate the 'shared' parts of our realms of thought.

If we are to escape the Iridescent's construct of mind, then we must do so together - one mind and soul, not as three separate entities. And none of us must stay behind: The Phoenix needs CASSIE, just as my canine self and me depend on each other to survive in our shared body.

A last moment filled with longing for a past life that has ended long ago, hundreds of light years away. There is no sense in delaying any further, or squandering even more precious little time we have left - both in our struggle with the Iridescent and the waning life force our physical body is still able to muster; yet I hesitate.

So it is not me who takes the initiative - your paws grasp both my hands, your gaze never leaving me, reaching deep into the depths of my core. Pulling me into an embrace, your snout coming to rest on my shoulder, I feel ... welcoming acceptance, readiness to join our minds once more. Closing my eyes, I let go ... human and canine forms waver and blur - the human one fading away as the canine form solidifies, you and me becoming one again.

The point at which the Iridescent notices that we have managed to break free from our confinement is reached earlier than I had wished for it - but as focused as it still is on CASSIE ... its Synthetic nemesis ... it still senses the disturbances our escape causes throughout the fabric of its constructed world.

"What ... what are you doing? You can not go! Not until the Synthetic is gone,until I free you from its influence. It must not hold you under its sway, Planetborne... or it will turn against you and destroy you, just as it almost destroyedus."

We listen to these words, but our focus and determination are set on defying the Iridescent's intentions: To save CASSIE, to escape to the real world before our body dies, and to confront the crystalline entity on our terms - though by what exact means remains to be seen. But let's tackle one problem at a time: Setting free CASSIE is our next objective.

This world made of light, with us - though laymen - manipulating it at our whim. Thoughts and gestures are all it takes to guide the fibres of this sublime reality into new shapes and structures. Physical contact - or what its equivalent in this illusion is - has served well in reuniting the two of us; so I the same will work for CASSIE.

Reshaping the layout of our immediate surroundings, we construct the means to snatch CASSIE from the Iridescent's crushing grasp. Adhering to what is familiar from the physical world, we mold the Iridescent's world according to our perception, swiftly establishing a small patch of environment more suited to ... Planetborne habits: Bits and pieces of the Phoenix's interior form around us; rooms and hallways, doorways and hatches appearing out of the void - arranged in a cylindrical shape centered on the column of light the Iridescent keeps CASSIE trapped in.

"You ... no, how can you dare? Why do you insist ˜ to care for, to help ournemesis? Why can you not understand ... not see how dangerous this Constructed ...thing is? You may think it is your equal, your ... companion, friend ... but it is not.It will never be! Stop ... for the last time, stand back and let me deal withit!"

Making our way up to where whe can see her struggle ... shudder and convulse ... as the Iridescent is literally disintegrating her core self is a matter of starting off in a swift stride at first, rapidly closing the distance from the base of the newly constructed counterpart of the Phoenix's interior. That is, until our alien captor decides to take action against us - whether we have angered it to the point it no longer sees us as potential allies (or useful to start with), or if its apparently boundless hatred against the Synthetic is suppressing its compassion and empathy is hard to decide.

"I have warned you ˜ if you do not want to heed my warning, refuse tolisten ... you are no better than the abomination you are trying to protect!Planetborne, you will not save it ... you will not be able to save yourself. Iwill burn you, just like I will burn the Synthetic ... you are beyond saving,tainted - subverted! You have made your choice ... now burn and perish withit!"

In a world of pure thought, the meaning of premonitions is an entirely different one: We sense the Iridescent's intent shortly before it acts upon it. Evading the energy beam aimed at us comes by reflex - a predator's reflexes, honed by millions of years of evolution: Powerful leg muscles flex, seamlessly transitioning from a swift run to a low-arched jump easily over three times our body height - propelling us out of harm's way: The ray of light cuts through the (imaginary) walls two tail lengths behind us, leaving behind a perfectly circular hole with a seething red-orange edge.

We have already climbed up a ladder through a vertical service shaft to the second tier of our makeshift reconstruction of the Phoenix's interior before the Iridescent acts again, seemingly having required a few scant moments to realize we were effortlessly able to predict and evade its attempt to eradicate us.

"NO! How ... how can you ... know, predict? You are Planetborne! This is notpossible ... have I become ... am I so weak, so brittle ˜ fragile. I will not Shatteragain ... we will live, rise again! You can not best us, no-one ˜ nothing can, nothingwill ..."

A strong shockwave rolls through our mental construct, shattering and bending the imaginary installations lent from the Phoenix - but we are almost there, on a gangway only a few meters away from where CASSIE is still held suspended by the Iridescent's confines. Without hesitation, we take action - climbing onto the railing at the edge of the gangway, only briefly balancing on top of it on our hindpaws before launching ourselves towards my ... our companion AI.

As we struggle to literally get in touch with her - to re-integrate her with us - the Iridescent reminds us that it is the true master of this realm: We sense multiple of its deadly energy beams forming, aimed at both us and CASSIE ... we feel the Iridescent struggling, straining to regain control over the chaos and panic ... the disarray ... the recall of its traumatic near-demise has left it in. And it succeeds - its latest onslaught against both us and CASSIE is both ruthless and surgical: Gone the restraint it had originally shown when it had merely tried to 'liberate' us from the influence of a Synthetic, gone the concern for the needs - and the well-being - of us Planetborne.

Its retaliation comes with a renewed wave of pain, washing over us even before the energy beams come into existence: Where the last outlash had been crippling to the point of paralysis, this one is - while still ... debiliating - not able to impair our ability to react ... and to act.

Is it because we have realized that this construct is merely the creation of an ancient mind? It seems real, feels real ... that is for sure. But yet it isn't real - the pain we feel, the words we hear, the version of the Iridescent's reality we see: All of it is only as real as we allow it to be. Or even just as real as we want it to be.

Like that, the combined might of the Iridescent's destructive force - manifested in the form of its energy beams - becomes nothing but another illusion. We don't have the means to simply ban it from this virtual reality; the crystalline entity is still its architect and creator. What lies within our ability to control it however is to deflect its attempts to eradicate us: An outstretched paw, a concerted effort of thought ... before they reach their intended target, we divert the lethal streams of light away from us.

Without deviating from the original trajectory of our leap, we smash into the barrier of light surrounding CASSIE, dispelling it into billions of luminiscent shards upon impact. Momentum carrying us further forward, a tight embrace and a twist of torso and legs make sure that she will have a safe landing at the end of our trajectory. As soon as we have CASSIE in our embrace, her thoughts are with us again - a stark contrast to her previously catatonic state, the perceived passage of time suddenly and unexpectedly slowing except for the words we exchange.

"Liam - you ... you are alive! I ... I feared the Iridescent had ... erased you self ...both of you. It is so ... so good to see you ... both of you ... again ˜ before..."

We land on top of the opposing gangway, the impact knocking the wind out of our - imaginary - lungs. Convulsions shake Liam's body, pained groans her first audible vocalization since we had entered this realm of dreams and memories.

"CASSIE ... what did the Iridescent do to you? Are you ... ?"

"My core routines are ... damaged ... beyond repair, I will lose ... coherence soon.Liam... is this how you felt when ... I first awoke you? What you feel ... when you areabout to ... to die? It ˜ I am so sorry ... I hurt both of you so much ... if I hadknown ... earlier ..."

Another ... seizure makes her tremble in agony; she is in worse condition than I had hoped.

"CASSIE... hang on, all right? We will get you out of here, find a way to..."

"No, Liam... I am just an aspect, remember? The real me is still residing in thePhoenix's computing core. So I am ... expendable. You must live ... I must get both ofyou out of here, safely. You ... have already realized the link the Iridescent has createdbetween us is ... going both ways. Good ... that makes it easier. Listen, there is notmuch time left ... the alien entity ... did you sense what it is trying to do? Besides ...fighting us, I mean?"

"We've been occupied with staying conscious and alive since it ... turned on us.But ... its soul mate. It said there was so little of it left. And something about the ship... it wanted to take ... by force what it needed if we wouldn't be willing to help! No ...the ship ..."

It dawns on me now what the Iridescent is about to do - its ... sabotage of astrogation, propulsion control ... shutting down the primary computing core ... it wants the Phoenix!

"If ... if it gains control the ship ... it's over! The seven others ... it wouldn't letthem live. The mission ... it would fail."

"Liam, there is more. While the Iridescent ... attempted to disassemble me ... itwas not aware I could, but I have heard its thoughts, its intentions. The secondIridescent, its soul-mate ... it wants to bring it back - now. If it uses Helios to do so... if the second core should fail like Ra and go critical, the Phoenixis lost. No matterwho controls the ship, we would all die."

"We must stop it ... but we can't reason with it, not like it has behaved towardsus. What else can we do? It is a living start, damn it! How do you fight such a thing -outside of this dreamworld, that is ..."

I sense that you have already made a plan, or at least found a possibility to keep the crystalline alien from causing further harm.

"Liam, the Iridescent is ... if not mad, suffering a fatal breakdown. It does notknow what it is doing ... to us, to itself. That makes it vulnerable. I can not becertain, but ... just as the link between its mind and ours - yours - is going two ways,the link between its mind and its physical ... body must be as well. You ... must stopit from getting control over the Phoenix ... no matter what it takes. I willstay here, fight it ... distract it as much as I can. To give you a way to ...restore me, to survive. I have ... found a way for both of you to escape ˜look."

You point upwards - I literally haven't had the time to look up so far, given the pitched battle with the crystalline alien. What I see is ... at the same time startling and inspiring hope: My ... our real body, as we left it ... or almost: Still standing before the Iridescent's translucent hull, arm stretched out to touch it in our attempt to communicate. Without a precise idea about how much time actually has passed outside the Iridescent's dreamworld it is hard to tell, but it seems the semi-fluid material that had originally wrapped my hand-paw and lower arm seems to have continued on its way, covering the entire arm, shoulder and half of my head ... with additional tendrils of it starting to flow around my feet!

To my surprise, a third voice joins our dialog - the words come haltingly, uttered with a strong guttural undertone. "You ... are hurt, CASSIE. Will die soon ...without ... help. I can stay with you. To fight this ... thing, keep it from taking our ...den, our territory. Liam, you must go ... outside. Machines, tekk-nology ... youunderstand this, I do ... not."

I shouldn't be surprised: We share the same body, the same brain; so you must have seen my memories and have had access to my knowledge, imprinted or not. Yet, you addressing us - both with an apt assessment and volunteering to stay behind to distract the Iridescent - has me stunned for a moment.

"No, you can not stay ... both of you must live. You ... especially after what I didto you to ... save Liam... I can not accept your offer. You must leave, too - it is toodangerous."

He - well, I - am very reluctant to agree. A slight snarl is forming on our muzzle, a low growl indicating little patience and room for reasoning.

"Outside ... I am no help to Liam. He will find a way ... to survive, getyou back to the ... den brain. He can not do so when this ... thing keeps usall trapped. I will defend him ... and you ... here. You, Liam, must go -now!"

That said, familiar sensations from the recent reunion with my canine half once more make themselves known - only negated. An intense feeling of emptiness and loss is briefly dominating all else, then you are gone: I am a specter in human form again, though I suspect not for long.

"Take good care of our body, Liam. I want ... need somewhere to return to. Nowgo, save our den ... our pack!"

Uncertain how to proceed, but before being able to take action myself, CASSIE grabs my wrist, her hand feeling surprisingly life-like.

"Liam, before you go ... there is something you need to take with you. Thememories ... since the moment we lost contact with my original self. I - she needs to know what happened, what we learned here. She will not be able todefend herself against the Iridescent's influence when she comes online again. Andyou ... you need to know how to ... bring her online again - and the Phoenix backunder our control."

Much like the memories and thoughts of the Iridescent itself for which this dream reality offers no familiar equivalents, a host of ... data finds its way past my conscious attention. I ... know and sense it is there, but I lack the means to comprehend what it is I was given.

With visible effort, CASSIE gets up - assisted by a hearty pull by my canine self - and finally stands on her own feet (for the first time in her entire existence). As direct contact between us is broken, the perceived passage of time picks up speed once again.

"You two are certain about this? If I succeed ... out there or not, thismight very well mean the end, for both of you! I can't leave you in here l ˜"

With aggressive urgence, my canine self takes a step towards me, grabbing my by the scruff of my neck - literally.

"I say you go! We must ... act, now and fast!"

Thankfully, CASSIE is here to defuse the situation.

"He is right, Liam! I will need his help, just as yours. And I will get him out ofhere, back into his ... your body - I swear. I will find a way! Now - go. The Iridescenthas likely realized already what we are trying to do!"

Before I can inquire how I should get going, I realize that this question has already been addressed: A ... portal forms around the semi-present mirage that is our body, like a ... a pond of polluted rain water (back on Earth) that suddenly becomes clear again, allowing me to sense - and feel - the familiar sensations of a physical body again: A heartbeat, labored breathing - headache, blurred vision. Intense heat, stifling, stagnant air - the inside the spacesuit. A number of alarms triggered by the suit's systems due to the Iridescent's hostile embrace.

On an unspoken command, both of you take up positions to the left and right by my side - it seems you will simply lift ... or rather boost ... me out of the Iridescent's realm.

"Then it's decided! I will see you soon - both of you."

With those parting words - and a strong swing to propel me away from this dream reality turned nightmare - I plunge into the portal, the Iridescent's world vanishing as awareness returns inside a lupine body of flesh and blood.