Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 63

The Dragon was large and described a full circle, eating its own tail. The largest gate was easily 50 feet in diameter. The dial home device was in the center of the Dragon, unreachable without going through one of the gates. They stood, wearily considering the structure. The dial home device, if that’s what it was, held all 64 stones. They were arranged in a particular way that suggested family groups. One quadrant, a four by four grid of sixty four stones contained writing that reminded Shen of an arrangement of Fermions, but only because three had large V-letter couple with the smaller symbol for electron, muon, and tau. Inside the dragon perimeter, the floor was comprised hexagon tiles; outside dragon body penetrated earth. Hexagons appeared to be gold and silver.

“It’s a trap,” Shen said. Of course, no one got his reference or that he was going for humans.

“Maybe,” Torny said. “Or a puzzle.”

“It’s a trap. But a very specific kind of trap. Why would anyone make such a large gate?” Erico asked.

“Aesthetics,” Arne said.

“Giant heads,” Erico complained. “Giant gates.”

“Don’t say it,” Orton said.

“Lights on!” Erico said. “Why else would there be stories of vores if they didn’t exist?”

“Because men fantasize of being eaten,” Yaffa said.

“Eat me,” Orton said.

“Thank you for validating me,” Yaffa said. “But no.”

“There are more small gates than tall gates,” Torny said.

“Big enough for goats,” Arne said.

“Or hounds of war,” Uffe said.

“The big gate would pass a Kraken,” Orton said.

His peers scowled him into silence.

“Release the Kraken,” Shen said, dramatically.

They turned their anger to Shen.

“Do you want us all to die?” Yaffa asked.

“Be careful what you speak, brother,” Arne said. He turned back to the gate. “Words have power.”

“They do,” Shen agreed pointing. TL blocked his hand from touching the gate. “Not reaching, just pointing. Up, charm, top, down, strange, bottom, photon, gluon, weak force Z, weak force w, tau…”

“Yeah, I get it,” TL said. “It’s that, but not that. More like the flavors are mixed…”

“Your alchemy words make no sense,” Torny said.

“Mixing flavors, like peanut butter and chocolate,” Shen said. “Damn it, I want candy now.”

TL sang “I know a girl who's tough but sweet-She's so fine, she can't be beat-She's got everything that I desire-Sets the summer sun on fire.” And then she and Shen both sang the chorus, “I want candy.” Their friends looked at them strangely.

“Our humor is lost on our friends,” TL said.

“If I had done that, you would said I wasn’t funny,” Shen said.

“That’s because you’re the straight man, I am the comedian,” TL said.

“You’re Hawkeye and I am Burns?” Shen asked.

“Oh! You’re not Burns. You’re more like Trapper,” TL said.

“Is there a point to this dialogue?” Arne asked.

“Probably not,” TL said. “Shen, try some magic.”

Shen frowned at her. TL encouraged him with a kiss. He reached into his bag and pulled out a box of cracker-jack. He frowned and threw the box over his shoulder.

“Don’t litter,” TL corrected.

Orton recovered the box, curious. While he opened the box and smelled the contents, TL opened her hand and manifested a scout orb. They all stood back to let her do her magic. She piloted the orb through a gate. It went through an arch and came out the other side. Shen laughed. “That’s why you’re not getting a good scan.”

“Maybe,” TL said. She tried leaning left or right. “But the light diffraction from the inner chamber is perfect.”

“Is it an illusion?” Torny asked.

TL shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Maybe it won’t allow tech to go through, but people,” Shen said.

“I’ll go,” Orton said.

“No, you won’t,” Torny said.

“I am the most expendable. It should be me,” Orton said. He tried popcorn. “This is surprisingly good.”

“Jon, if you give them that crap, we’re going to have to provide toothbrushes,” TL said.

“I didn’t give it to him,” Shen said. He waved for the box back.