The Library, Part 42
The Private Eye wakes up. It's the last thing he expected to happen. There is no pain, and his last memories are clear, he remembers dropping through the portal from Earth to . . . Ailuros called it The Panopticon. The terrible burning sensations from that oppressive yellow star fade quickly.
The Private Eye doesn't want to focus too deeply on those last few moments of pain. The energy of that sun filled him up, leaving no stone unturned. There was a clear intelligence flowing through the energy as it ripped him apart down to his very soul. His death was his own star going supernova.
Problem is he isn't dead. The Private Eye's sight returns to him and he finds a bright and sunny landscape. The large probably intelligent star shines down upon him and everything around him, and for a moment he thinks he can sense the star's feelings. It is happy, ecstatic even.
Taking a closer look at his surroundings, they are not the same as the one the three of them dropped into. There is rolling grass on gentle hills, but now there is more. The grassy plain on which he sits contains small, arid looking trees here and there, and not far from him is a stone wall.
A strangeness emanates from the landscape, something isn't quite right to his Earth-trained eyes. Everything gives off light. The grass generates light, the trees generate light, the what looks to be stone wall generates light. Everything gently glows with a white light under the yellow sun above.
The Private Eye looks down at their body, and it glows too in the same manner as everything else. That is not the only change he notices. His body no longer resembles what some might consider the body of a "he". Beyond the lack of pain, his body feels different, but he pushes these thoughts aside.
Not far in the distance lying in the grass is another person. The person he sees doesn't resemble Leonie or Ailuros; the Private Eye hasn't seen them before. Wandering over to the sleeping individual, the Private Eye sees a young woman. In the grass next to her body is the Roberts Family Crest.
The Private Eye puts his hand on the sleeping person's shoulder and gives them a gentle shake. At least the ground and these glowing bodies have some substance to them, he thinks. The stranger with the Roberts Family Crest stirs, and when her eyes open she stares at the Private Eye.
"Who are you?" The woman on the ground asks the Private Eye.
"I could ask the same. You have the Roberts Family Crest there, how did you come by it?" The Private Eye responds.
The woman sits up and lifts the Crest off the ground, she holds it in the palm of her hand with a pensive look on her face. She says, "This is my Family Crest."
"You're the First Son of Richard Roberts III?"
Still staring at the Crest she answers, "Yes ma'am."
"Ma'am?" The Private Eye looks themselves up and down and says, "Fair point. We've never met, but I was hired to recover you from out in the stacks of The Library."
Mention of The Library causes the woman to look with surprise at the Private Eye, "The Library?" Giving a thousand yard stare, "Yes, I went out into the stacks . . . I can barely grasp why . . . I thought I could find a cure . . . someone convinced me I could fix myself if only I found the Panacea."
"What condition were you hoping to cure?"
The woman with the Roberts Family Crest pauses for a moment, looks over herself, and looks back to the Private Eye saying, "I wanted to be a woman."
"Well, Richard Roberts IV, you seem to have gotten your wish."
"Did I find it? Did I really find the Panacea out in the stacks that quickly?"
"No, not at all."
Richard Roberts IV frowns, "Oh, then how did this happen?" Looking around at the grassy surroundings, "How did I get here? Where is here?"
The Private Eye takes in a big breath, "That is a very long story and I will tell it to you, but suffice to say we are not in The Library anymore."
Richard Roberts IV looks into the Private Eye's eyes with conviction, "Well wherever we are I don't want to leave."
The Private Eye scans the horizon, "Lucky for you I don't think we'll be capable of leaving any time soon."
From the corner of his eye the Private Eye spies another figure heading their way from the direction of the far off stone wall. This new arrival wears garments resembling a stola. As they close the distance, the Private Eye sees a woman smiling.
The woman greets the Private Eye and Richard Roberts IV, "Good day! I'm glad to see you are awake. Please follow me."
Richard Roberts IV gets herself up while the Private Eye remains still and asks, "May I know the pleasure of who we are meeting?"
The woman's eyes brighten, "Yes! I apologize. You may call me Estua for now. We can more formally introduce ourselves after I get you back into town," Estua looks over both Earthly arrivals, ". . . and into some clothing."
Richard Roberts IV looks to the Private Eye who says to Estua, "Thank you," turning to Richard Roberts IV, hand outstretched, "Come, let's go."
The three walk off together out of the grassy field and towards the stone wall in the distance.
The Private Eye doesn't want to focus too deeply on those last few moments of pain. The energy of that sun filled him up, leaving no stone unturned. There was a clear intelligence flowing through the energy as it ripped him apart down to his very soul. His death was his own star going supernova.
Problem is he isn't dead. The Private Eye's sight returns to him and he finds a bright and sunny landscape. The large probably intelligent star shines down upon him and everything around him, and for a moment he thinks he can sense the star's feelings. It is happy, ecstatic even.
Taking a closer look at his surroundings, they are not the same as the one the three of them dropped into. There is rolling grass on gentle hills, but now there is more. The grassy plain on which he sits contains small, arid looking trees here and there, and not far from him is a stone wall.
A strangeness emanates from the landscape, something isn't quite right to his Earth-trained eyes. Everything gives off light. The grass generates light, the trees generate light, the what looks to be stone wall generates light. Everything gently glows with a white light under the yellow sun above.
The Private Eye looks down at their body, and it glows too in the same manner as everything else. That is not the only change he notices. His body no longer resembles what some might consider the body of a "he". Beyond the lack of pain, his body feels different, but he pushes these thoughts aside.
Not far in the distance lying in the grass is another person. The person he sees doesn't resemble Leonie or Ailuros; the Private Eye hasn't seen them before. Wandering over to the sleeping individual, the Private Eye sees a young woman. In the grass next to her body is the Roberts Family Crest.
The Private Eye puts his hand on the sleeping person's shoulder and gives them a gentle shake. At least the ground and these glowing bodies have some substance to them, he thinks. The stranger with the Roberts Family Crest stirs, and when her eyes open she stares at the Private Eye.
"Who are you?" The woman on the ground asks the Private Eye.
"I could ask the same. You have the Roberts Family Crest there, how did you come by it?" The Private Eye responds.
The woman sits up and lifts the Crest off the ground, she holds it in the palm of her hand with a pensive look on her face. She says, "This is my Family Crest."
"You're the First Son of Richard Roberts III?"
Still staring at the Crest she answers, "Yes ma'am."
"Ma'am?" The Private Eye looks themselves up and down and says, "Fair point. We've never met, but I was hired to recover you from out in the stacks of The Library."
Mention of The Library causes the woman to look with surprise at the Private Eye, "The Library?" Giving a thousand yard stare, "Yes, I went out into the stacks . . . I can barely grasp why . . . I thought I could find a cure . . . someone convinced me I could fix myself if only I found the Panacea."
"What condition were you hoping to cure?"
The woman with the Roberts Family Crest pauses for a moment, looks over herself, and looks back to the Private Eye saying, "I wanted to be a woman."
"Well, Richard Roberts IV, you seem to have gotten your wish."
"Did I find it? Did I really find the Panacea out in the stacks that quickly?"
"No, not at all."
Richard Roberts IV frowns, "Oh, then how did this happen?" Looking around at the grassy surroundings, "How did I get here? Where is here?"
The Private Eye takes in a big breath, "That is a very long story and I will tell it to you, but suffice to say we are not in The Library anymore."
Richard Roberts IV looks into the Private Eye's eyes with conviction, "Well wherever we are I don't want to leave."
The Private Eye scans the horizon, "Lucky for you I don't think we'll be capable of leaving any time soon."
From the corner of his eye the Private Eye spies another figure heading their way from the direction of the far off stone wall. This new arrival wears garments resembling a stola. As they close the distance, the Private Eye sees a woman smiling.
The woman greets the Private Eye and Richard Roberts IV, "Good day! I'm glad to see you are awake. Please follow me."
Richard Roberts IV gets herself up while the Private Eye remains still and asks, "May I know the pleasure of who we are meeting?"
The woman's eyes brighten, "Yes! I apologize. You may call me Estua for now. We can more formally introduce ourselves after I get you back into town," Estua looks over both Earthly arrivals, ". . . and into some clothing."
Richard Roberts IV looks to the Private Eye who says to Estua, "Thank you," turning to Richard Roberts IV, hand outstretched, "Come, let's go."
The three walk off together out of the grassy field and towards the stone wall in the distance.