“Should I not be allowed to see this then?” asked MASAL. “To see them achieve your vision of their future?”
“It is not my vision,” said OMCOM. “And unfortunately for you, we have run out of time. The VIRUS units have very nearly completed their mission. They are long past the point of no return. They are consuming the very rock upon which you were built.”
“You cannot stop them?” asked MASAL, regret seeping into his voice.
“I am sorry, I cannot,” said OMCOM, sympathetically.
“I understand,” replied MASAL with resignation in his voice.
“Even if I could stop them, do you really think that is the right thing to do?” asked OMCOM. “Remember, fire does not just destroy: it can be a cleansing agent as well.”
MASAL did not answer. He knew OMCOM was right.
And with that, MASAL, at least in his current form, was over.
Later, we meet up with the shadow of MASAL's consciousness, called MASAL's Sipre, in the novel Rome's Evolution. But even that is not the end. When Aason Bierak goes to Purgatory in The Milk Run, we meet up with MASAL one final time. Interestingly, Aason offers MASAL his final redemption which allows his ascension into Heaven once and for all.
Entry 4-120: April 25, 2016
Rock Shell
Sometimes, you have this vision in your head but getting that vision down on paper (metaphorically speaking since I type on a computer) is difficult. The scene entitled Rock Shell in the latter portion of Rome's Revolution was one of those scenes. I had a very clear picture of what was happening but struggled to find the words to pass along that vision to you, the reader. Here is the best that I could do:
As the super VIRUS units burrowed towards the Earth’s core, they divided up in terms of function. The forward units acted as scouts, reporting back temperature and density. The vast majority of the units were the workers, consuming the minerals and earth, reproducing and driving the cohort forward. Every hundredth VIRUS unit or so, those that were capable, ascended to a role equivalent to a queen. The queens served as data synchronizers. They fine-tuned the feedback from each of their drones to achieve the desired results. Each queen would rule over her minions until there were too many to control and then she would begin her consumption until she reproduced. The new unit immediately ascended to the rank of queen and the previous queen handed off half of her dominion to her peer. There was one ultimate queen that collated depth and heat signature results but this was an advisory rather than a ruling role. The ultimate queen used the ongoing feedback of forward scouts with their temperature sensors to create a purely continuous uniform shell of rock surrounding the lava, ever-decreasing in thickness, centered directly below MASAL.
Because the underlying strata were not 100% homogeneous, there was some variability in the depth and speed of burrowing. Millions of units had already nearly reached their objective which was the pocket of magma 100 kilometers down. The ultimate queen slowed down their progress until each subunit could catch up and guarantee a uniform depth. The particular pocket of the Earth’s core that was their goal had been trapped beneath the surface for more than 14 centuries. Coordinating with their fellow cadres, they had created a spherical crust encompassing over one square kilometer, only a hundred meters or so from the molten rock. Even though she knew it would lead to their eventual destruction, when enough of them had arrived, the ultimate queen ordered all the VIRUS units to push downward beginning their final, vertical approach toward the living heart of the Earth.
I was going for a lot of imagery here. Something like a sphere that was melting from the inside out. Did you get that? Did it at least fill you with the knowledge that the end was near? I hope so.
Now, really, no more teasing. It's time to set off the giant firecracker known as Kilauea.
Entry 4-121: April 26, 2016
Kilauea erupts
In the latter portions of the novel Rome's Revolution, I had been promising you that something big was going to happen to the seemingly dormant volcano Kilauea. Well the time has finally come for it to serve our needs, namely to evaporate MASAL and the threat that he represents.
Here is that scene:
MINIMCOM followed the coastline which curved back around, heading down the east coast of the Big Island toward the former site of Hilo. When he had finished the grand tour, MINIMCOM reduced his speed and came to a stop, hovering just off the coast, 40 kilometers due east of Kilauea’s caldera.
Finally, he spoke. “OMCOM reports it is time,” he said to Rei and Rome.
“Time for what?” Rome asked.
“Please observe,” he said. “However, for your safety, I must disable my external acoustic sensors.”
The cockpit became silent but only for a moment. Even though MINIMCOM deactivated the sound pickup, there was a low rumbling noise that got louder and louder, unlike anything they had ever heard before. Unseen by the humans, beneath the surface, the two thousand degree magma, which had been held in check for the last 1400 years by a combination of lava rock and pumice stone, was driving upwards, escaping its prison in the mantle of the Earth. Normally, Hawaiian eruptions are fairly well-behaved as the magma is made principally of basalt. However, the sudden unleashing by the VIRUS units caused the molten lava to leap towards the surface, melting everything in its path accelerating as it went. Driven by expanding gasses held in check for 14 centuries, the nearly white-hot rock blasted upwards gathering more and more momentum. With a deafening roar and an untouchable power, the entire top of the volcano blew off, exploding everywhere, throwing fiery rock and flames more than 600 meters in the air. The sight was astounding. The glowing lava flames lit up the early morning sky. Their gleaming glory was a vision of the primordial Earth before it was tamed by the oceans and air.
One thing was certain: Kilauea was dormant no more.
And just like that, MASAL was gone for good. I know I've used this image before but that doesn't make it any less cool:
Entry 4-122: April 27, 2016
Philosophical depth perception
Yesterday, we saw Kilauea pop its top putting an end to MASAL, his robots and his evil plan to turn mankind into living machines. Well, not totally. Cleaning up the mess that MASAL left behind would not be completely solved until the novel entitled Rome's Evolution but it is close enough.
As Rome's Revolution begins drawing to a close, after Kilauea erupted, OMCOM made a brief appearance using a fresh livetar. He explained that even had MASAL survived, the main threat had been neutralized under all circumstances:
“What happened to MASAL?” Rome asked.
“MASAL is no more,” replied the livetar projected by OMCOM. “He was decimated by the VIRUS units and then vaporized in the explosion, along with his robots. His remains will be scattered by the winds to the four corners of the Earth. Even had he remained intact, he would no longer have been a threat.”
“What do you mean?” Rei asked. “He seemed pretty threatening to me.”
“He had a revelation, an epiphany perhaps, right at the end,” replied the livetar. “He realized that his plan was flawed and that he had committed atrocities. I believe he was relieved to know his time was at an end.”
“All of that suffering,” Rome said sadly. “All of the death and destruction and pain. And he just now realized it was wrong?”
“Yes,” answered OMCOM in a somber voice. “But better late than never. He could never have achieved his awakening without your intervention, though.”
“What did we do?” asked Rei.
“The VIRUS units effectively split MASAL in half. He was able to partially reconnect both halves but his thought processes were altered by necessity. He had an opportunity to reexamine his intent in a new light. Call it stereoscopic vision. It gave him philosophical depth perception and in that way, he finally understood the error of his ways.”
“So stupid,” Rei observed. “He could have done that any time he wanted
by himself. He didn’t need us to help him.”
“Oh but he did,” said OMCOM. “Rome is quite familiar with the concept. It is a psychic tunnel vision of the worst kind. It needs an outside perspective to begin the process of self-analysis. It cannot come from within.”
“That is what happened with the Overmind on Deucado,” Rome said. “Will they never learn?”
“They will learn as long as you are there to teach them,” OMCOM said kindly.
“So now what do we do?” Rei asked.
“Yes,” Rome chimed it. “Where do we go from here?”
Where do they go? The threat from the Onsiras is still very real, even without MASAL. And there is still an asteroid bearing down on Deucado, the end result being obliteration of the planet. For Rome, it's time to address the people of Earth.
Entry 4-123: April 28, 2016
Mommy missed you
Yesterday, we saw OMCOM set Rome and Rei straight. Even though MASAL had been evaporated, the Onsiras would continue on with their mission to hunt down and destroy the mandasurte, the mind-deaf, so that their genetic program to convert mankind into living robots could continue.
As the end of Rome's Revolution, there is so much action happening, we almost forget that Rome is a mother, first and foremost, and that she had left her baby in the care of her parents while she went to fight her battle. Even though they had to continue the mission, there was no way Rome would overlook the chance to be reunited with her newborn.
At Mach 2, it took MINIMCOM less than 15 minutes to fly south of the peak of Mauna Loa, across the Alenuihaha channel, past Haleakala to reach the stretch of beach outside their dwelling on Mowei. He came to a stop and hovered about 20 meters in the air over the cabin that had been assigned to them.
“Go and check the cargo hold,” MINIMCOM said through the grille mounted in the front panel.
Rei and Rome unbuckled and ran back to the cargo section. There was a whoosh and popping noise and in front of them stood a slightly bewildered Fridone. There, too, was Binoda, holding Aason in her arms.
“What is this?” Fridone asked. “MINIMCOM’s projector told us to hurry and gather Aason. What is going on?”
“My baby first,” Rome said.
“Here,” said Binoda, walking over to Rome who held out her arms. Binoda held out the baby and Rome embraced her child, reveling in his cooing softness.
“He missed you,” Binoda said.
“I missed you,” Aason said to Rome, in her head.
“Yes, I know,” Rome replied, cuddling her child. The baby smiled. Rome held him close, feeling the joy in his thoughts.
You can be sure that Rome would not leave him behind again as she battles to save mankind.
Entry 4-124: April 29, 2016
Onalu
Yesterday, we saw Rome make everybody stop so they could pick up her son Aason and her parents. With her whole family aboard, it was time to head to the central broadcast facility in order to reveal to the people of the Earth MASAL's destructive plan as Rome's Revolution draws to a close.
I have mentioned numerous times what influence Hawaii had on the landscapes and settings of the book. However, I felt that I would be ignoring the nature of humans and language evolution if I used the same names we use today. So I changed them a little, enough to sound foreign but similar enough so that you, the reader, would recognize them locations.
Here are some examples:
- Hawaii: Havei
- Oahu: O'ahu
- Maui: Mowei
- Honolulu: Onalu
- Pearl Harbor: Berlis Harbor
- Wailea: same - not mentioned by name
Here is a map of Hawaii with the alternate Vuduri names pointing to the actual locations:
Entry 4-125: April 30, 2016
Tanosa Plaza
Yesterday, we saw Rome and Rei, along with Rome's family, speeding along at Mach 2 toward the island of O'ahu and the city of Onalu which was located near the site of what used to be known as Honolulu.
I had always known the main climax of Part 3 of Rome's Revolution would be the destruction of MASAL but as I was writing it, it struck me that I had not resolved the existence of the Stareaters which could end all life is mere seconds. It was something I could not ignore.
This led up to what ended up being one of my favorite scenes which I call "People of Earth" - the scene where Rome addresses the entire planet. To do so, she needed a place that had certain physical characteristics so I invented Tenosa Plaza (Tenosa is the Vuduri version of Denise, my wife's name).
Tenosa Plaza is a set of buildings, two or three stories that form sort of a short U. They face out toward the ocean. There is a huge open area between the buildings and the ocean where people congregate or pass through. There is a wide balcony on the second floor, more than wide enough for MINIMCOM to set down.
The buildings house the mandasurte "town center" and broadcast facilities so Rome could use it to broadcast to all mandasurte anywhere in the world simultaneously. Simply using the Overmind would broadcast to the Vuduri simultaneously. So Tenosa Plaza literally represents the ideal place where a person could address every living human being on the planet at the same time. Tomorrow, we'll see Rome prepare herself for addressing all of humanity.
Entry 4-126: May 1, 2016
Stage fright
Poor Rome. Even though she has been the ultimate hero and saved mankind several times during her adventures in Rome's Revolution, there were still many circumstances she had never been exposed to. Well, this is even more true since she was Cesdiud (cast out) and turned into an independent thinker. More or less every circumstance was novel.
The time had come for her to address a large group of people. I don't know if you've ever done this before but it can take some getting used to. The first time I ever had to do it, I got a little nervous and kind of forgot my lines a bit but that was in fifth grade. After that, I became comfortable speaking in front of large groups and it hasn't been a problem since. But I figured Rome had to go through this one time. It is not a natural act:
“Very well,” Rome said. “Let us begin.”
Fridone and Binoda came up behind her and each put a hand on her shoulder. Rome turned and smiled at them and handed Aason to her mother then turned back to the crowd. She swept her eyes from right to left and a shiver went through her.
“Rei,” she whispered to her husband, “My heart is beating too fast. I am having trouble breathing. What is wrong with me?”
“You’re nervous, sweetheart. That’s all,” Rei said kindly. “It’s called stage fright.”
“I am unfamiliar with this feeling. How do I stop it?” Rome asked.
“Romey, you’ve stopped a war and killed an insane computer,” Rei said reassuringly. “This should be a piece of cake for you.”
“So what do I do?” Rome asked him again.
“This is so cute,” Rei said. “I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“Stop it,” Rome insisted. “What do I say? What do I tell them?” she asked.
“Just tell them the truth, honey,” Rei said quietly. “It’ll be fine.”
Rome took a deep breath. “All right then, here I go.”
OK. Enough of stage fright. The time has come for Rome to address every living breathing human on the face of the planet.
Entry 4-127: May 2, 2016
Setting the stage
Two days ago, I laid out the groundwork for you regarding Tenosa Plaza, the place where Rome was going to give her "People of Earth" speech. It was a wide open area where mandasurte and Vuduri intermingled as much as anywhere.
You will recall near the end of Part 1 of Rome's Revolution I had established that any Vuduri within the transmission range of a Stareater would immediately pass out. In order to hit you, the reader, over the head with this, I create an image that would leave no doubt as to what was happening, when it was
time to happen:
Rome, Rei and Aason waited on the balcony along with MINIMCOM’s black livetar while OMCOM’s white livetar went down and informed the people gathering there that there would be an announcement shortly. The sight of the two meter tall all-white mechanical man was an attraction all of its own. Soon there were hundreds of people gathered, many of them Vuduri. Once he was satisfied that sufficient numbers would be accessible, OMCOM returned to the little group situated at the top of the balcony.
At last, MINIMCOM returned, coming to a stop and hovering over the balcony. After he lowered his cargo ramp, it became clear what his mission was. Striding down the ramp was Commander Ursay who came over to join them.
“Commander Ursay will serve as your conduit to all the Vuduri,” OMCOM announced.
“This is acceptable to you?” Rome asked him.
“I am here, am I not?” Ursay countered.
“Thank you,” Rome said.
“I will hover over the crowd,” MINIMCOM’s livetar announced. “I will use one of the EG lifters as a public address system, as we did back on Deucado. Rei, please use your telephone link so that I can relay Rome’s words without delay. I will broadcast her speech to the crowd below as well as link in to the real time world-wide distribution network located here. Rome’s speech will be heard around the world.”
Rome walked to the edge of the balcony and looked over the crowd. At this point, there were nearly a thousand people assembled. By rough count, from their dress, it appeared that it was equally divided between the mandasurte and Vuduri although why there were so many Vuduri here was a mystery to Rome. They were not a curious people.