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 Kiyama (Book Excerpt)by Diana Kemp-Jones The Alternate Universe of Diana Kemp-Jones Page 3 of 6 The softly glowing walls merged into the radiant orbs, their soothing warmth caressing my bare skin. A seamless compartment in the base of the chrysalis swung open to reveal a neat pile of clothing. I approached and peered at beautiful robes splashed with dazzling autumn colors of bronze, topaz, copper and vermilion. The supple, gauzy fabric slipped through my hands with a silken touch, the interwoven gold thread glinting in the mellow light. A pile of jewelry and pair of supple leather sandals lay beneath. I dressed quickly. My hands skillfully draped the robes around my body, leaving one shoulder bare. The gossamer fabric hugged my shapely figure, the colors radiant against my midnight skin. I suppressed a gasp as I reached for a lovely amber necklace; its stones aglow like raw honey. My fingers worked the clasp as though familiar with such jewelry. Gold hoops pierced my ears, their delicate weight comforting. The sandals gripped my feet like loving hands as I laced them around my ankles. My reflection greeted me from the walls. I stared at the regal vision I had become and felt a childlike wonderment infuse me. I danced and pirouetted, for moments lost in the hypnotic motion of my body. Soft laughter issued from my lips, the sound strange in my ears. I experimented with this new sound until I remembered where I was. Recalling what the voice had told me earlier, I asked curiously, "You said I had a brother and sister." My steps were silent as I padded across the vast Omoro chronicle, examining my surroundings with a keen eye. "Where are they? Can you tell me more about us?" Silence prompted me to walk toward the watchful faces in the tanks. My movements dragged as I approached, my outstretched hands not quite reaching the translucent walls. Inscrutable eyes revealed nothing from liquid depths. Voices whispered and receded. I strained to listen and pushed ahead, the muscles in my arms trembling from the effort. With each step, the resistance increased until I inexplicably found myself back by the chrysalis. I glanced around in consternation. "Why do you push me away? I only want to understand" "Patience, Kanuwe," said a resonant male voice. "You will understand in time. But first there are journeys you must make and lessons you must learn about your people." "But what are these journeys? You've told me nothing so far." The warmth of his words infused me. "Consider these dream journeys preparation for the final odyssey awaiting you." "You're speaking in riddles," I complained as I stepped determinedly toward the wall. "For all I know, this is only a dream." Images flooded my mind before I could react. The wall melted from my fingers as I merged into the incandescent glow of the orbs. Brilliance enveloped me in a cocoon of buoyancy, my cry of surprise lost to cottonwool silence. As the brightness gradually faded, I found myself adrift in the infinite embrace of the universe. My voice failed me as I spun through its eternal heart, my fingertips merging with the essence of stars. Awed by a beauty I could not even have imagined, I sailed past ethereal veils of nebulae, churning cores of newborn worlds and the death throes of bloated red suns. Quasars flashed a celestial Morse code. Distant galactic smudges harkened of fathomless distance, the glittering swathe of the Milky Way a diamond tiara upon my head. Tears sprung from my eyes as I glimpsed a multitude of life. It was everywhere, from the most insignificant molecular life on seething, gaseous giants to the vast schools of multigenerational cityships traversing the galaxy. Overwhelmed by the diversity and fecundity of the universe, I almost failed to notice an approaching solar system comprising three planets. Something about the twin white stars was familiar, as was the ruddy planet looming between its two smaller counterparts. A name formed on my lips In the span of a moment, I found myself on solid ground. I stood before a sprawling veld basking in the heat of twin white stars. A glowering mountain range soared to the east, craggy granite peaks spewing ashen plumes of smoke. Aromatic, lavender hued thickets and gnarled, flat-topped trees dotted the stark landscape. Vast herds of animals migrated toward a glistening silver lake, lumbering giants at ease with the small and agile. I tasted the salty damp sheen on my skin and breathed the earthy tang of fresh dung on sun-baked dust. Heatwaves shimmied across the horizon like endless caravans. A faint staccato beat drifted on the parched air above the distant trumpeting of animals. I recognized the drumming, though I still had no idea of its significance. It drew me toward the nearby lake that shimmered like quicksilver. My feet scuffed dry puffs as I walked. Scarlet waterfowl bobbed on the water's crystalline surface. They took off en masse at my approach. Their great, billowing wings fluttered in unison, the sound reminiscent of a thousand flapping umbrellas. In a moment, the living cloud vanished into the blazing horizon. A breath of welcome coolness caressed my cheek as I approached the lake. I knelt by the translucent water lapping against the narrow shore and gazed curiously at my reflection. The mirror image returned my soft smile, my limpid eyes crinkling with delight. Reaching into the water with tentative fingers, I watched as ripples distorted my reflection. Distant voices rose above the rhythmic drumbeat. I rose and squinted against the relentless sunlight. Beyond the lake's western shore sprawled a low, sloping commune of lustrous beaten metal. Cultivated land surrounded it; the verdant green a stark contrast to the sunbaked terrain beyond. A rocky promontory rose nearby like a solitary island. Copyright© 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Diana Kemp-Jones, sffworld.com. All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the author. |
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