Dreams of Continuity
1950 FC (Fluxian Calendar) – 2025 CE (Common Era)
The sun hadn’t yet crept over the horizon, but the world was awash with a pale, silvery light, hinting at the dawn that was to come. Zael stirred, the echoes of a dream clinging to him, a sensation unfamiliar in his Fluxian existence.
In the dream, he was standing in a vast, open field. Golden wheat stretched as far as the eye could see, dancing and whispering secrets in the gentle wind. There was warmth, not just from the sun overhead but a profound, internal warmth that radiated from a figure standing a few paces ahead of him—a woman with kind, familiar eyes and a gentle smile.
“Mother,” he whispered, though he had no concept of the term in his waking life. This was not the standard Fluxian acknowledgment of a predecessor; this was a deep, primal bond. He remembered her laughter, her voice singing lullabies, and the feeling of security when she held him.
“Come, Zael,” she beckoned, reaching out a hand. But as he tried to move closer, the scene shifted.
Suddenly, he found himself on a rocky shore, the roaring sea crashing against jagged cliffs. His mother was nowhere in sight. In her place was a vast expanse of time and memories, memories that didn’t just belong to a previous arrangement of particles but to him, to Zael. Memories of love, of loss, of joy, and of sorrow. They were HIS memories, and he felt an overwhelming surge of emotion, something he’d never experienced as a Fluxian.
The roar of the waves grew louder, threatening to sweep him away, but amidst the chaos, he heard his mother’s voice, faint but clear. “Remember, Zael. Remember who you are.”
And then, with a jolt, he awoke.
His living chamber was silent, the familiar hum of the city outside filtering through. But Zael was changed. He wasn’t just a Fluxian—some transient collection of particles. He had a past, a continuity. He had… a self.
The weight of realization hit him like a tidal wave: he was experiencing a continuous self, something that hadn’t been felt for centuries. This wasn’t just the present Zael—this was the same Zael from the dream, from moments ago, from his past.
Collision with Reality
Panic set in. The quiet hum of his living chamber, which was elegantly decorated with soft luminous patterns reminiscent of old Byzantium artistry, felt oppressive. Zael could see out into the city through the translucent walls of his high-rise abode, the lights of Luminara shimmering in the distance. But right now, he felt trapped, enclosed. He needed to escape, to breathe.
He dashed to the exit panel, and with a thought, the door slid open in response to his heightened emotional state. He raced down the corridors, his footfalls echoing in the metallic passageways that melded modern technology with ways of the past.
Emerging from the building, the sprawling city opened up before him. The streets, paved with materials that emitted a soft glow, illuminated the pathways. Luminous trees, bio-engineered for both beauty and function, lined the boulevards. It was a city that harmoniously blended its past with its future.
In his frantic rush, Zael found himself in a familiar location – Taksim Square, an iconic central square still retained from times past, now bustling with Fluxians going about their activities. The old monuments and structures had been preserved, but now they shimmered with luminescent touches, marrying history with the present.
His eyes darted around, trying to find something familiar, something constant. In his frenzied state, he grabbed a fellow Fluxian by the arm, almost shouting, “Don’t you see? We’re not just fleeting arrangements! We’re continuous!” The Fluxian, taken aback, stared with confusion evident in his gaze.
Whispers started. Murmurs of concern. More Fluxians gathered around, their forms shimmering in the ambient light of the square, trying to make sense of Zael’s erratic behavior.
“He’s malfunctioning,” one said.
“No, he’s… expressing,” another countered, a tone of wonder in her voice.
Soon, authoritative figures arrived, their presence calming yet assertive. “Sir, please come with us. We’re here to help,” one of them coaxed.
Zael recalled whispers among Fluxians about the Harmonic Realignment Center. It was rare for one to be taken there — only those who posed a significant divergence from the norm were ever escorted to its calming chambers. It was said to be a place of healing, but Zael couldn’t shake the feeling that ‘healing’ might mean losing the emotions he had just discovered.
An Observer’s Intrigue
Dr. Lira Lytton was no stranger to the peculiarities of Fluxians. As a leading psychologist in Luminara, she had witnessed countless expressions and variations of their state of being. But today, standing at one corner of Taksim Square with a light refreshment in her hand, she saw something quite different.
The commotion was hard to miss. A tall Fluxian with sharp features, whom she could swear she had met before, burst into the square. His eyes, wide with emotion, seemed to contain a depth and urgency unfamiliar to her people. His words echoed loudly, reverberating in her ears: “We’re not just fleeting arrangements! We’re continuous!”
A smile curved Dr. Lira’s lips. Not because of the man’s evident distress, but because of the sheer novelty of his statement. And the more she looked at him, the more she remembered. Yes, she had met him. He was Zael, an experienced seaman who had tales of distant shores and uncharted territories. After his long voyages, he had returned to Luminara, working as a historian. Their brief interactions always left an impression; his tales were so vibrant, so full of life. Seeing him like this, so raw and emotional, stirred something deep within her.
As the Harmony Enforcers arrived, she saw him being escorted away. Approaching a Harmony Enforcer, she inquired, “Excuse me, but where are you taking him?”
“To the Harmonic Realignment Center, ma’am. He’s a bit… disoriented. We’re going to help him.”
“He’s not a prisoner then?”
“No, ma’am. We just want to ensure he’s alright.”
Nodding, Dr. Lira made a mental note. Perhaps it was time to meet Zael again, this time under very different circumstances.
Into Captivity
Dr. Lira watched from a distance, her mind racing with questions and possibilities. But for Zael, the world around him began to blur. As they escorted him away, his gaze met Dr. Lira’s from the crowd. The same Dr. Lira he had met before, whose luminous eyes always held a twinkle of curiosity. Their shared history flashed before him, and he felt a pang of recognition.
Zael’s world went dark as he was led away, but the burning realization remained, and so did the image of Dr. Lira, a beacon in his tumultuous mind.
As Zael is led, the grip of the Harmony Enforcers on his arms feels unjust and alien. “Why are you doing this to me?” he demands, his voice quaking with a mix of fear and indignation.
One of the Harmony Enforcers, a tall Fluxian with a calm demeanor, replies, “It’s not about wrongdoing. Your particle arrangement seems… unstable. We’re here to help ensure harmony for you and others.”
Zael’s heart pounds in his chest. “But I feel. Don’t you understand? I am! You can’t just… take me away like this!”
To the gathering crowd of Fluxians, Zael’s outburst is an anomaly, a fascinating divergence from the norm.
Another Harmony Enforcer speaks up, a gentle tone in her voice. “We only wish to understand, and if possible, assist. You are not being punished.”
Zael’s mind races. Every instinct tells him to run, to break free, but he’s also aware that the Fluxians genuinely don’t mean harm. They simply don’t comprehend the profound shift he’s experiencing. And so, surrounded by those who want to help but can’t understand, Zael feels more alone than ever.
Upon arrival at the Harmonic Realignment Center, Zael is ushered into a spacious chamber, its design ethereal, almost soothing. The walls emanate a soft glow, and ambient harmonies hum gently. Everything is meant to calm, to heal, to restore balance.
As the door closes behind him, the sensation of solitude engulfs him, amplifying the weight of his new feelings. He moves to a sitting position, his fingers absently tracing the flowing patterns on the chamber floor. He can’t help but recall fragments of his dream – the vivid landscapes, the profound sense of love from his mother, and that haunting lullaby.
With the weight of emotions pressing down on him, a primal urge bubbles to the surface: the urge to flee, to escape. For a moment, he contemplates it. The walls seem permeable, and with his knowledge of Fluxian architecture, he could potentially manipulate them. But to what end? Where would he go in a world where everyone is attuned to harmony? And more pressingly, would escaping mean that he would lose this newfound depth of feeling, this tenuous connection to a “past”?
He recalls the serene eyes of Dr. Lira, their brief but profound exchange. She seemed genuinely concerned, even intrigued by his state. He realizes she might be the key to understanding his situation. Running now would be futile. But the fear, the vulnerability, that sense of wanting to preserve this newfound ‘self’ wages a silent war with his ingrained desire for equilibrium and unity.
Then a thought strikes him, alien and disconcerting: If the Harmony Enforcers or the specialists at HRC could “fix” him, would that mean his death? Not in the literal sense, as Fluxians don’t perceive death as humans do, but would this vibrant spectrum of emotions, this connection to a deeper self, be snuffed out?
Restless, he paces the chamber, trying to reconcile his internal turmoil. As time drifts, he begins to understand the dualities wrestling within him: logic vs emotion, Fluxian unity vs individual desire, and the age-old human battle of fear vs hope.
And as he grapples with these polarities, Zael becomes a living testament to the ageless complexity of existence – a Fluxian experiencing the depth of humanity’s emotional landscape.
The unsettling quiet of the chamber, punctuated only by the soft hum of harmonies, gives Zael space to contemplate his predicament. He remains where he is, not because of a sudden lack of drive or courage, but because he genuinely doesn’t know where he would flee to. The vast Fluxian metropolis outside is a testament to harmonious existence. Where could a Fluxian experiencing such a profound disturbance even hide?
But in the depth of his reflections, a glimmer of hope emerges: patience. He realizes he can’t make any hasty decisions. The logical part of his Fluxian nature, combined with this newfound human instinct, tells him to bide his time. To wait and understand more of what’s happening to him, and perhaps find a way to protect this fragile, nascent sense of self.
The chamber, designed for contemplation and realignment, serves its purpose, albeit in a different way for Zael. While he doesn’t want to lose his newfound emotions and connections, he understands the value of patience and strategy. This duality – the balance between urgency and restraint – becomes his first lesson in navigating his new existence.
An Echo of Deviation
Golden light streamed in through tall windows, illuminating Dr. Lira’s sleek office that overlooks the city’s skyline. This room was an evident manifestation of her fascination with the delicate equilibrium between antiquity and advancement. Amidst the floating holographic displays showing various biological and psychological patterns, ancient manuscripts lay juxtaposed against state-of-the-art analytical machines. Scrolls coexisted harmoniously next to luminous projections, and time-worn tomes shared shelf space with the most recent of findings.
As she sat at her desk, her fingers tapped a rhythmic pattern, reflecting on the scene she had just witnessed: Zael’s poignant outburst, the emotion in his eyes — a depth she hadn’t seen in a Fluxian in… ever.
Her radiant hair neatly pulled back into a bun and glasses delicately perched at the tip of her nose, Dr. Lira was the epitome of the balance her surroundings portrayed. She was that bridge between Fluxian history and its potential future, embodying the essence of their philosophy. The ancient, intricately engraved ring she wore was a testament to this, rumored to be an heirloom passed down through countless generations, linking her to the profound wisdom of the ages.
Recollections of Dr. Selan, a specialist in Fluxian harmonic realignment, came to her. Selan had attended to Fluxians who exhibited momentary disturbances in their harmonies, yet none paralleled the intensity Zael had displayed. With a blend of intrigue and concern, she initiated a communication to Selan, narrating the incident and expressing her aspiration to collaborate on this unique case. In her heart, she believed that their combined expertise could perhaps unearth the roots of Zael’s anomaly, potentially unlocking groundbreaking insights into the Fluxian psyche.
Unbeknownst to her, this simple act, spurred by genuine curiosity and compassion, was about to catalyze a sequence of events destined to reshape the very fabric of their world.
