Page 25 of The Space Traveller's Lover
Looking around, she feels dwarfed by the vastness of the glistening hexagonal platform and the six pairs of rising pillars at each of its sides. Rising high off the floor, she sees that each set of pillars converges into gaping archways, each framing a dark beckoning entrance. She looks up, following the golden tapering edges, until her eyes are stuck on the hexagonal skylight at the very top of the dome’s zenith. She reckons this must be the centre of the enormous compound, the point of no return for her, and this thought unsettles her.
She looks back at Rothwen, her concerned expression asking a thousand questions, but she only manages to say timidly, “Is this the end of our journey?”
“It’s only the beginning, Shaillah, the very beginning,” Rothwen states as he starts walking towards one of the high archways directly in front of him. “There’s so much for you to see and learn.”
Rothwen grabs her hand and makes her walk towards the foggy entrance. Once inside, a greyish glow softly lights up the space around her, but she cannot see any walls or borders. It’s as if she is standing on an eerie floating cloud.
“You will learn how to navigate these corridors. It doesn’t matter which one you enter, they all interconnect and lead to any of our chambers. Think about your destination and the space-tunnel will take you,” he explains.
She was sure they weren’t moving, but soon she finds herself standing in the middle of a purple-lit room. She sees Rothwen walking towards what she thinks is the back wall. But as she follows him and stands beside him, she jolts backwards as the tips of her boots bend over the edge of the floor. She loses any sense of space or direction while looking into the infinite dark void in front of her; even the purple glow suddenly stops at the sharp boundary.
Before she can even organise her thoughts, a whirl of fine particles starts to fill the impenetrable blackness, shining through a fast-thickening fog, all flashing in a constant rhythm. She struggles to recognise the emerging shapes within the flickering haze. But suddenly, the crisp three-dimensional sight of towering, jagged structures comes into sharp focus.
The intricate height-defying constructions rise and intersect over long chains of rocky islands, sometimes forming bridges, sometimes forming tall needle-like towers, scattering across a swirling crimson ocean.
“Do you like our world?” Rothwen asks.
But Shaillah can hardly speak. She is so spellbound by the meandering, elaborate buildings that she doesn’t notice Rothwen pushing her forwards until the whole setting completely encircles them.
“We are now inside the quasi-reality chamber. You may feel a bit dizzy, but it will soon pass.”
Shaillah tries to figure out precisely where she is. It’s as though the grid of geometrically shaped columns and sinuous sculptures has wholly engulfed her, and suddenly, she finds herself floating inside the very place she thought was a mere imaging projection.Am I inside a hologram?she asks herself.
“We come here when we want to feel close to home. I want you to experience how it feels like, to help you understand who you are. And Iwant you to meet our most revered High Counsellor, Zula-Or. She cares about you very much.”
Shaillah keeps gazing at him with her eyes wide open while he continues talking, unabated.
“Of course, she lives far away—on our beautiful planet Rom-Enjie. But we can reach her—right there.” He leads her in between the voluptuous buildings, gliding through intricately decorated pearl-encrusted columns.
She watches the inhabitants strolling in all directions, sometimes flying off towards the sky. They all share similar body shapes and features as if they were all part of the same family, donning elegant bodysuits made of shiny, silvery fabrics. They seem utterly unaware of Rothwen’s and Shaillah’s presence even if they pass close by. Rothwen explains that only when invoking the virtual tunnelling inside the quasi-world can they contact the entangled space-time frame’s residents.
As they leave behind the heavily built areas, they enter a greener landscape filled with exuberant spiky vegetation growing on the smooth hills’ backdrop. Soon, Rothwen heads towards a conspicuously tall spiral-shaped tower.
“This is Zula-Or’s favourite retreat. She wants you to see it,” Rothwen explains as they land in front of the imposing helical structure. Rothwen touches the blinking circle of light on the smooth white wall, causing a packet of rippling waves to spread outwards on its surface, its wobbly area progressively turning into a spotless mirror.
Shaillah smiles at the vivid reflection of herself appearing in front of her. She inspects her long silver hair, bright purple pupils, deep red lips, and smooth rosy skin.
“Fascinating!” she marvels, admiring the graceful, confident young girl looking directly at her.
“Walk through this virtual gateway. You will find Zula-Or at the other end.” Rothwen rushes his words as he pushes her forwards against the giant mirror.
She hardly has time to react as her whole body passes through the quivering surface. As a piercing cold sensation numbs her skin, she suddenly finds herself at the centre of a warm cavernous vault.
“Welcome home, Shaillah!” A honeyed voice greets her as she discerns an elegant spritely figure walking towards her.
The elegant woman is wearing a long flowing white tunic embroidered in tiny red crystals; an elaborate crown of red glassy petals sits tightly over her head. As she walks, the stunning pink diamond hanging on her chest catches Shaillah’s attention. Swirling from its gilded necklace, the beautiful stone incessantly sparkles through its flower-shaped golden mount.
“Zula-Or proudly welcomes you,” the woman says as she opens up her arms. “I feel so privileged, my dear child.”
Shaillah stays motionless, intently looking at Zula-Or, marvelling at her radiant, graceful presence and attire. The lady’s supple and firm complexion shows a smooth pale skin; her long eyelashes and thin eyebrows frame a sharp gaze from her blue almond-shaped eyes, giving her a smart truthful aura. The curly tips of her thick braided white hair almost touch the glossy floor.
“Come, Shaillah, come. I want to show you our special place.” Zula-Or warmly smiles while holding Shaillah’s hand and guiding her into the widening corridor.
As they stroll deep into the spacious half-lit room, Shaillah can feel the lady’s radiant skin through her palms, energising her body. They tread over a downward spiral of floating steps, their path illuminated by rainbow-coloured crystal chandeliers. As they reach the bottom, they walk through the rows of flowering bushes lining up the shores of a central shimmering lagoon. The bright shrubberies’ vivid reflections blend onto the undulant waters, forming random flashing strokes as if a mysterious artist was busily conjuring a final masterpiece on an animated canvas.
The iridescent garden stretches far and wide—as far as the eye can see—packed with bulbous, spiky bushes covered in a multitude of colourful crystalline blossoms.So many flowers; it’s a wonder the stems don’t break, Shaillah thinks.
“Of course, these are not flowers as you know them. They are fast-growing precious gems,” Zula-Or explains as they both stop by the gleaming lakeshore.
