Sophia - Explanations 1

Her hand hovered over the book, wanting to pick it up, but annoyed by it as well. She gave a sharp laugh and opened it to reveal a neat, looping hand, in dark purple ink, filling the first pages.

Greetings traveler.

You are likely wondering where you are and how you got here. You have been carefully selected because you have shown intelligence, curiosity, and ability in your daily life. You have been brought here by means both magical and technological to take part in maintaining the Balance in the Multi-Verse. I am sorry, however, the only way to return to your point of origin is by your own discovery of its location.

I wish I had time to give you all the information you will need for this task, however, the knowledge would fill a library and take life times to impart. Such a library is one of the many rooms available to you inside this magical construct which will be your home. This construct is large, comprising over 70 rooms, although some are merely connecting items. But I digress. To save you a bit of confusion, there are only four truly important areas. These are the Library, the Throne Room, the Core Systems, and the Interface.

You may reach the Library by descending the stairway to your courtyard and taking the first door on your right. When you enter the library, ask Kyira, the librarian, for the suggested first volumes. There are five of them, titled as follows: Magical Theory; Gate Theory; Gods, Goddesses, and the rest; Hut Concepts; and A Quick History of the World. They are not nearly enough to tell you all that is happening, but they will give you a fighting chance at knowing what to ask. The realms are vast and we are but one among the multitudes. It is not possible to be all places at all times. The slice of the realms you experience will be different than the ones I have seen. Take heart that your contributions will always effect those around you and may change the very fabric of the realms you touch.

Kyira has agreed to stay in the Hut to assist you in finding other volumes that might be of assistance. I would take it as a great kindness if you treat her with respect. If you do not, she is under no obligation to remain and you will need to find items in the library for yourself, rather than being able to ask her for them.

The Throne Room is the main control center for this construct. From here you can move the Hut through space and time to the areas needing your attention. The recommended reading list will give you some idea about what this means. This room is accessed by descending your stairwell to the first landing, entering the sitting room, and taking the door to your left.

The Core Systems are accessed through a hidden door behind the rear head to the right of your throne. This is the heart of the Hut, providing the ability to move through time and space and the power required to keep the Hut alive.

The Interface is the exit to the Real-Space Realms and is the only way in or out of the Hut. The door at the end of the Throne Room leads to the interface room.

You should have found a key with this notebook. This Master Key will grant you access to everything within this construct. The key has many features to help you figure out its various functions and uses.

Once again, I apologize for not being able to provide you with more assistance in this initial transition, however, events are unfolding far more quickly than I expected and I must rush to meet them. The last advice I can give is watch everything and pay attention to anything you hear. Sometimes the smallest statement carries the biggest impact. Good luck and be careful.

Irena

She stared at the book, then flung it down on the bed. "Like that's supposed to help?" she yelled. "Thanks so very much!"

"You know where the library is and that you have a librarian to talk to as well. It wasn't totally useless," Tyana's voice answered from the air around her.

"But it didn't tell me who Irena is or what I'm wanted for. What does she want? And how can she expect me to help her after she has kidnapped me? What if I say no?"

"That is your choice, of course. Truly, Irena wishes she could have written more, but there really was no time. She felt that spoon feeding you information would not be fair, it wouldn't prepare you for times when you would know more about a situation than she would and then you would have to act for yourself. Still, I shouldn't tell you more, but I am here and she is not. There is a war on, not the usual kind with two groups of beings lined up to fight each other. This war is a battle between the hard polarities of the multi-verse, between law and chaos, order and anarchy, freedom and oppression, between all the opposites that balance to produce the multi-verse. Forget what you may have been taught by a religion or even a secular teacher, if any polarity wins this war, the multi-verse will collapse. Only with the balancing of all these oppositions can life exist, let alone thrive."

"And this means what for me?"

"We need your help in restoring the balance between these polarities. It means going out into the various worlds of the multi-verse and opposing any strong polarity. You should pull down systems of order where they are destroying free action, add stability to chaos, add order where anarchy prevails. In short, try to shift any out of balance system toward a more neutral, centered position. It won't be easy to determine and it will be harder to accomplish, but I do not exaggerate when I tell you the fate of many depends on you."

"Oh please, you expect me to believe any of this?" Sophia asked as she pushed herself up to sit on the bed.

"What was the focus of the 'game' you were writing?"

"Uh, maintain..the....balance......save......Oh Fuck."

"And you find it so hard to believe when it becomes real?"

"It was safer as a game. I put in my hours, collect my pay, and watch it go live. Then keep the actors pointing the players at the goals. I Hate being a Player Character. I really prefer to create the scenarios."

"And life happens when we are making other plans." Tyana faded back into view. "Outside this construct, this Hut, lies a world that is not your own. Walk among its populace and observe. See what is happening and decide if you can help. At the very least, you need to know this Hut is damaged. You will have to find a way to repair it if you want to return to your home. Kyira and I will help you as much as we can."

"So, library first then?"

"I would recommend it. Talk to Kyira, look over the reading list, then decide what your first step will be."