PERSONALISED AD

This. This is you. This is your mind.

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SYMMETRY

Jason woke up early. Across the stars, many millions of miles away, Jason woke up early.

Jason brushed his teeth. Across the stars, many millions of miles away, Jason brushed his teeth.

Jason drove to work. Across the stars, millions of miles away, Jason drove to work.

Jason sat down at his computer. Across the stars, Jason sat down at his computer.

Jason noticed a blip in the observatory’s feed. Jason noticed a blip in the observatory’s feed.

Jason interpolated the data. Jason interpolated the data.

Jason recovered a sound. Jason recovered another sound, then another and another. Jason put the sounds together. The sound was faint and grainy but certainly a tune. Jason recognised the tune, a radio jingle from three years ago. A song from Earth coming from the stars.

Across the stars, many millions of miles away, Jason recognised the jingle too.

Jason reported his findings. Jason continued his research. Jason chaired a global council on the discovery. Jason advised governments. Jason oversaw probe launches. Jason watched every probe fail, always halfway to the target star.

Jason volunteered for the first manned flight. Jason was launched into space. Jason flew across the stars.

Jason detected an incoming anomaly, on course to collide with him. Jason altered his trajectory. The anomaly altered its trajectory in the same direction. Jason moved the other way. The anomaly moved to copy him. Jason couldn’t avoid collision. The anomaly wouldn’t avoid collision. Jason couldn’t slow his craft. The anomaly didn’t slow down.

Jason braced for impact. Jason braced for impact.

ANAX

EVERGEN

The sub-sentient organeral evergen (also known as origen rock or black stone) is the common name for a group of antimodulous materials with a transpacial connection to the anax.

A solid, smooth surface and opaque black hue give evergen a superficial resemblance to obsidian, hence nicknames such as cosmidian and mind glass. The common name, evergen, however, derives from the city-state of Evernia where its multitudinous properties were first studied and the stone was originally hunted and mined before more copious deposits were discovered in other regions of Oros.

Evergen is the primary structural material in the cosmoponic towers found across the lattice and although the substance is not limited to these locations it is often identified in its highest concentrations proximal to these towers. Evergen is thus found contained in floating stones (a vital component in early flight craft and eventually interplanetary travel), the “webber” sentinels of some regions and in the limbs of sytons.

Given its innumerable properties, evergen has a number of practical uses. The earliest known usage of evergen is in the weapons of the warrior sages. Evergen will often crystalise into long, needle-like fibres that, after careful extraction, can be fashioned into the hidden inner blade of a truthseeker’s quarterstaff. Even unsharpened, the blade is painful to the touch and displays a metallic rigidity, strength and lightness that make it ideal for sword construction.

Evergen has been observed to alter its state, size, density and even gravitational influence. The causes of these changes have yet to be identified. Although the substance may vary its properties of its own volition, warrior sages, through years of training, can appear to align their will with that of the stone much as a rider trains a horse or a hunter trains a hound. Once mastered, sages can then make use of evergen’s most complex and unusual of properties, ‘phasing’.

Under certain conditions, black stone can alter the space within the material itself. When this occurs, the substance takes on an ethereal quality, seemingly disappearing, passing through any object it is in contact with and then reforming in a solid state on the other side. A master sage in full control of their weapon can make use of this quality in sword combat. Thus, when highly skilled opponents duel, their swords can appear to briefly flick in and out of existence. A solid blade, swung towards its enemy, may dematerialise, pass through the sword braced to stop it, through cloth, skin and flesh only to reform once deep within the opponent's heart. For this reason, the sages’ quarterstaff contains two blades, since dual-sword combat is essential; every blocking stroke requires another blade behind it, should the enemy’s sword pass through the first.

Ingestion of evergen can prove fatal, however--

ANAX