From: intraphase@gmail.com

“Frank Harris, project manager with LX7 manufacturing.” Harris greets Morbiditus warmly.
Michelle has brought two hand trucks for the four foot long metal cases. Igor and Ivan were born here to Dr. Vladimir Vulchario. The third floors dormitory and gymnasium are set aside for their privacy. Michelle helps them strap a flight case to each
truck and grabs their two suitcases. Ivan knows Michelle’s word is her bond. “We have a modest presence circulating in the outer curtain and outer wall. It’s akin to a houseguest who is unaware it belongs to them,” Imparts Michelle.
“Various looking glasses in Library City reported on it as a former steeple
spectra.” Morbiditus banters in return. Reaching the small elevator inside the winding stairwell Michelle takes her guests down to the basements swimming pool and bowling
alley first, before getting off on the first floor; leaving them to ride up to the third floor alone to settle in. Holding the door open Ivan starts to sheepishly pose a question so Michelle confirms: “Frank built the pool for you in 1967.”
Morbiditus and Grigori quietly get comfortable unpacking and settling into the wide open dormitory which covers the four eastern bedrooms below. After such a long time in the springs caverns and the open spaces of the tower the spacious richly
furnished dormitory suits them.
Grigori breaks open two glass vials of The Presence and inserts a gold syringe into each handing one to his brother. “It would be sporting of us to help Pierce and Trevor negotiate a service contract with The Presence.” Grigori mentions marveling
that Harris allows Trevor complete freedom of action. Morbiditus extolls “We should keep to ourselves, yet be ready to act or assist when obviously necessary. Frank signaled loud and clear Trevor is the primary actor. My understanding Grigori; is that
Library City shall never produce a viable core. It might be clever enough to decode or make war on one: but the old way is the path of lasting stability.”
“You have a true ocean to explore now Morbiditus.” Grigori exclaims laughing, staring out a double wide door over the willows. Able to see all three active lightmach systems while in
The Presence; he watches scintillating white lines of data, shaped like a spiders web, holding the ninety degree, wedge shaped, ribbed husk, of the scuttled S.X Rovers abandoned outer shell: in its decaying central computation point. It is flashing
occasionally with transmission arcs rising and decaying unable to stabilize. Morbiditus echoes his brother’s laughter placing an arm around his shoulder. “We’ve made the right decisions, here we once lived and here we are again.”
“The corner towers are still strong if presences are circulating which means The Peels towards Great Fork Falls might be good exercise to rebuild. This desire to subjugate Entropa, Totalus and Arc Volte could take them a long time. Do you think you
could kill Ivan Zero if you had to?”
Grigori is looking forward to a sense of normalcy besides amusing Ivan The Zero.
“The state of purposelessness The Tower Of Absolute has reached and become leads me to believe, if it came down to me or him I could. We are not alike that much; he is like Vladimir.”
Morbiditus feels the thick triple ply curtains woven to block out the sun when closed and can see Michelle has made Misty Hob ready for their homecoming with painstaking attention to detail.
Dr. Vulchario standing looking at the models of his creations one last time unscrews the bottom of the mason jar and carefully separates Disk-2 from it. Gently patting the disk dry with a silk handkerchief he slides it into a leather sleeve. Closing
the homemade snow globe he places it tenderly centered between the Library City
and the Crystal Spring. “My mother, wife, daughter.”
The Vulture has placed the disk in the same blue diamond hollow six times before and successfully retrieved it. In 1890 the replaying tragedy of the spring occurred. Reaching the distant hollow the essence begins its remembering. Vladimir aging but
virile pursues young Gretchen playfully through the springs. They are both happy and joyous the children napping
within sight four hollows away. She wades along the pools edge daintily and he plunges into its deep center from a nearby ledge; heedless and unthinking in his reverie he forgets to arch his body after entering the water striking his head hard on the
concave ponds apex. His enemies weapon having slid to the smooth pools lowest point the gemstone handle gashes his forehead on the right side from the hairline to the eyebrow. Blinded by a white flash when he struck bottom and clutching the stiletto; he
crawls along the bottom and wills himself upward thrusting his legs mightily, propelling himself above the water and arcing downward into the path of Gretchen who is taking a deep breath preparing to submerge and search for him. Instinctively clutching
at any stable object to steady himself and escape, the blade follows the downward curve of his wife’s neck plunging into the shoulder severing an artery.
The blade is so smooth and sharp she feels nothing and turns around placing Vladimir’s arm over her shoulder to ease him up the shallow slope towards the
pools lip. Stumbling she pushes him forward and falls to her knees; her life force draining into
the Crystal Spring. Vladimir crawls up the slope falling unconscious halfway out of the water his head wound still weeping.
Before each great battle; when The Tower Of Absolute might be lost, and the disk that built Library City must be hidden, The Vulture has come here to remember why he fights. To remember his beloved Gretchen, he grants The Essence
the right to have its
sorrowful vapors, projecting and replaying the imprint on its presence; so it can release the shocking heartbreaking calamity with the original witness testifying once again to verify the authenticity of the memory.
The ghostly dance occurs three times. The Vulture is strong till the end willing to stay and comfort the pool for all eternity if need be. Ivan and Grigori could never fully understand what
Library City meant to him. In his inconsolable grief, he discovered that the disk and the Crystal Spring, far below the tower, could transfigure the horrors
of what lived above, into a rebirth and resurrection of the living presence, the natural divinity
finally truly expressed itself, from within The Presence, as the life force flowing freely, once freed; it animated its soul as Library City.
Library City rose immaculate, spotless, impeccable; and free from all imperfection, totally
unblemished by the tragedy of Gretchen’s death. Alone, without her precious love he was barely intact, seaworthy but harmless still. Occasional flashes of tenderness and love he still felt in rare moments with the children, but they were oddly
disappointing and fickle boys.
The one enormously gracious fact that emerged here at this blue diamond pool;
after a long blinding torture of his soul; was the blaze of the golden twilight
which transfigured this world.
Gretchen would live for all eternity; guiding, guarding and protecting new life
forms as they emerged into existence unfettered and unshackled by human limitation. The complex which rules Sealand had waged war on Oceania and won. They were not conquered
and annihilated yet, but that moment to would come. The Vulture grimaces prepared to decide his own fate. Holding his hand aloft the stiletto rises from
The Essence, he grabs it in flight; tossing the disk into the pool.
Refreshed from partaking of The Presence Grigori and Morbiditus climb a short
stairway to the telescope platform. Seeing two discarded bathrobes, Igor picks them up draping them over the wide railing; while Morbiditus looks through the wide magnifying
scope, studying the seven frigates; waiting for the wedge shaped husk to drop from lightmach-25. Grigori wanders over to the northeastern Widow’s Watch noticing its gate is active. Crossing the long walkway he checks the mated partner, in the other
watch, finding that gate is active also. Returning to Morbiditus’s side he comments on the robe. “Whoever is getting juiced up using the original two gates must have gotten the smoldering clothes itchiness.” Morbiditus pauses from his observation,
to look at the two slatted cupolas, and their patina covered copper conducting spikes, that serve as coiled anchoring points, for the thin string width, five colored Rainbow Bridge; that usually runs across linking both of the little house’s gates. “
That doesn’t look right. Can you see the bridge Grigori?”
Pierce ready to retire for the night wanders out onto the second floor porch hearing the recent arrivals above and climbs the stairs to the telescope platform. Shaking hands with Grigori and greeting Morbiditus he picks up a robe, “Have you seen the
two young ladies these belong to.”
“They were on the walkway and I picked them up. My attention was called to the old watch gates which are active.” Seeing Pierce looks puzzled and is not
following. “Vladimir’s original gates are in the two Widow’s Watches. It seems your
friends are experienced operating them.”
Pierce cocks his head to the right side, squinting at both guests; looking back
and forth at the two tiny houses. Shaking his head with fatigue, “Aurian and Lisa used antique jump gates?”
Grigori lifts a section of the thick bathrobes, “It wasn’t the first time
if they knew about the itchy skin and smoky smelling clothes.”
Pierce looks wide eyed and open mouthed at Grigori and Morbiditus, “Where do they go?”
Morbiditus calmly, “Originally they were test gates. A short hop from watch
to watch. There can be delays between gates. If they went through unclothed they were experienced using them”
“Why would anyone take the risk so casually? People are getting sick from it.” Pierce pleading.
Both Morbiditus and Grigori are at a loss for words not wanting to panic Daniels. They both know Dr. Vulchario is most likely speaking to Pierce from a version of The Construct that died.
Having spent a vast quantity of time with all the towers facilities, locations and processes they are not going to lead Pierce in any direction whatsoever. The brothers have discussed Pierce and agreed they need to be smart enough to play dumb. They
weren’t expecting a crisis this soon.
“Patience should pay a dividend. I am sure they’ll be home shortly.” Morbiditus reassuringly.
“Why would they do that?” Pierce moans exaggeratedly putting both hands on the rail to rest.
Grigori stepping forward towards Doc, past Morbiditus who is between them, “They did it for the sensation, the buzz of that reality. You’ve been operating for fourteen months and you seem to have vitality. Travel through a core; even a dying one,
rejuvenates and regenerates the being.”
Out in the harbor to the northeast, a thick white light appears as the information lines of the two higher lightmachs give way. The outer hull of The Rover tumbles end over end a few times and splashes down a quarter mile away from the nearest frigate.
Morbiditus and Grigori know if Doc goes through the gates with the Amber Wells that could end the possibility of resolving the sequence. The Alliant could move towards Blank Slate Technology, deleting everything and walking away with the various sets of
completed and partially finished records. Morbiditus has decided he would act in that scenario. “Tell your associates what has happened, get advice.”
Pierce asks gasping “Can you tell which gate they entered?” Grigori answers before Morbiditus
has a chance to deflect the question pointing towards the northeast Widow’s Watch.
Pierce goes to Aurian’s room, tossing any items pulled out of her flight bag back in, before entering Lisa’s room; and reloading her travel gear into its case. Shouldering the bag and case he walks determinedly towards the new arrivals. “Could
The Vulture redirect the gates?”
Both Morbiditus and Grigori know of Pierce’s hung strung nature, but entering an unknown gate and arriving in parts unknown is beyond impetuous; to those who know the risks it is an act of suicidal intention. At least the two females expected to exit
the other side of the bridges gate momentarily. “It is a horrible idea to follow your friends through a malfunctioning gate, the range of outcomes is horrendous.” Morbiditus speaks with gravity. “If Vulchario tampered with the gates let LaGrange,
Mr. Eight and Aloysius diagnose them. The boys travel with impunity and can return from anywhere.” Pierce is satisfied The Vulture is playing him for a fool and the girls were taken as vulnerable pawns to delay the process. “Tell
McBain where I went
and why.”
Daniels walks into the northeastern Widow’s Watch expecting to throw a switch or use the ring attached to the S.X. Signet and call out a destination. Morbiditus and Grigori see him freeze in the doorway as the dull blue light opens. The tuned
presence circulating in the outer castle wall aqueduct, sensing disaster; rises, forming two violently oscillating translucent clouds; dispatched to each
gates tiny shelter. The small five color Rainbow Bridge divides depositing Pierce in both Clocktown
and the steeple of the church across the street from where the Harland Building
is in 1961. Scrambling down the ladders and small stairwell by the organ he leaves the church under the cover of night. Pierce trudges across town to the Lambeth Rope Factory
trying to swim down through the concealed gates. Unsuccessful he grabs the luggage and begins heading up the railroad tracks to the Oldwood Station. Unable to trigger the Roulette Gate into operating mode he crosses the old bridge and knocks at the outer
doorway of The Arboretum to rouse Augustus.
The Presence hovering over each Widow’s Watch retreats back into the circulating comfort of the aqueduct. Alex sitting downstairs is helping Trevor and Ted sort through a large stack of papers produced by the technical book after suggesting he insert
one of the golden plates and use the command “Expand.” Having enough material to consume a year’s worth of study time: McBain slid the books over to Pierce when he readied himself for bed. Harris and Alex are watching the clock as six AM
approaches. With no outcry from above it is possible Pierce has left with the books and Disk-1 intact. Alex’s known versions of events contain to many lines.

[continued in next message]

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