THE WORLD OF THE RANAROTH

He emerged from the darkness into the light. Let the author introduce to you the slightly inept figure that stands before you. He is about to do something amazing. His name is Rell Thornscar, he goes by other names but for the purpose of this exercise it’s as good as any other. He is our storyteller and he will tell your story. He is nothing special. Where he came from is unimportant, where he is going is home. He arrived at his apartment, the pass key already in his hand. He inserted the small hard plastic device into a slot, pressed a few keys and heard a whirring noise. This was all to familiar to Rell. Then a click and the door opened and he walked in. Home at last he thought.

“Good eveining Rell,” a sonorous voice greeted him. Rell grunted but ignored the slightly mechanical female voice and dropped the bag onto the work surface in his kitchen. He removed a few inconsequential items, scrumpled up bags, a screwed up sheet of blue wipe and tossed them into the waste. He moved the bag into the hallway and dropped it, removing a tapering cylindrical blue plastic bottle and placed it onto the draining board. He rinsed it out and l;eft it there. He then went towards the door of his sleep quarter and opened the door.He started to remove his jacket, jumper and other work clothes and prepare to have another exciting weekend. So wrapped up in his thoughts as well as putting on his loafing wear he did not at first notice the device that was lying on his bed…..

Rell Thornscar’s world is not our world. He resides in the future. Tomorrow, next week, next centuary is unimportant or to be more precise unspecified. He works as a dealer in information and detail editor. These roles are somewhat fuzzy to describe accurately however he operates on instructions and lists and as he liked to phrase it “things to get one.” They were not orders. He functions this way.

All around his sleeping space were books. Old fashioned perhaps but he rather enjoyed nostalgia it helped him enormously in this work and elsewhere. Although Rell is unsure of the outside world, he does not suffer from agrophobia. He would classify himself as a minefield of useless information and trivia. The books were reference material for the most part consisting of dictionaries, encyclopedias, catalogues and….

A wry smile crept across his face

….lists.

It was then that he glanced round and noticed the device.

It was a moment of discovery.

“Insert pithy quote here”
-        Jan Keunemund

“Welcome Rell Thornscar,” said a male voice.

Rell turned and saw an image….or what he thought was an image. It looked for all the world like some kind of cloak, perhaps thermoptic In nature. It shimmered like liquid.
“Who are you?” asked Rell.
“I am…or was Jan Keunemund. Welcome to ViewSpace.”
Before I could ask another question the image became an androgynous multi-coloured figure. “I am a guide if you like. I appear as a virtual interactive projection.”
“Huh ?” Rell mused.
The figure smiled.
“I do not regret leaving the device I constructed for you and indeed if it were my choice I would have explained al of this in person to you but that is not possible. Now that I am gone there is merely analysis, comment, debate, speculation and the fabulous formless darkness into which your light will shine. Everything else is merely background noise, learn to filter it out. I was once a student of Gamalfax, he entrusted them to me and now someone else must take care of them. Why you?”
The figure paused for breath. It was obvious to Rell that this was some form of recorded message. Rell hoped he’d get some answer soon, although they would probably not be the ones he anticipated or expected.
“To say the least,” muttered Rell. He lit up another smoke and realised he wasn’t actually holding th e device, it was plugged into a dock with connecting speakers. Rell waited for the figure to continue the message.
Rell studied the device and then suddenly he knew what it was,

It was a sonic device that would wake up an interpolated environment and alter it with a mood rolodex.

He lazed back on his bed and studied the sonic device. He wondered if the figure would tell him what the heck  a mood rolodex as. The device was outrageous. It had a yellow circuit board design, tywo large red glowing eyes complete with eyelids and seven vertical transparent green rods all inlaid onto a sleek milled aluminium thin rectangular body.

“Why should you be asked to take on this responsibility. I believe that there is a time for enlightenment, wisdom and the truth and a time for getting the job done. They require patience, direction, determination and strength and in order to care for them one must be both priest and warrior in equal measure. In recent times I have become more priest that warrior. Perhaps now it is time for someone who is more warrior than priest. You fight not against powers and principalities but against chaos and despair. The future is all around you waiting in domains of revelation to burst forth into domains of revelation. No one knows the shape of those domains or indeed which roads it will take you. Good luck. You’ll need it. Serve them reasonably, protect them fairly and uphold their laws with honour and the rest will attend to itself.

The image shimmered and vanished.
Rell stood there dumbfounded.

“Hey what’s going on?” asked the voice in his head. The voice belonged to Spikes. Spikes was Rell’s white cat and he looked down at it. Spikes has been meowing, fussing and pawing all over his sleep space.

“Oh Spikes!” Rell sighed, “And just when I had this place tidy.”

Someone Jan Keunemund could trust. Rell cogitated for a moment then walked across the room. He flumped up some pillows, jammed then against the wall and lazed back once more on his bed. He reached to the green coloured cotton table cover and picked up another brown tube, lit it and exhaled the smoke.

Rell looked back to Spikes.

“Wait a minute did you say something?”
“Uh yeah…I asked what’s going on”
“Let’s find out shall we.”
Rell looked up to a row of black folder and mused scanning along the spines with large red numbers on each one. He pulled one off and opened it.

The folder was labelled “10. Companion” on the outside.

Rell read out loud. “Folder 10. Spikes” He looked at the cat and then said “Ohh this should be interesting.” He raised his eyebrows and continued reading. “Guru, is already in the apartment when the device is found.” Rell paused then muttered “Well that’s a no brainer. Ohh, then it says transformed.” Rell continued to read. “Zen, then a quotation. Your species requires a visual reference point, this is your reference point.” Rell paused.
“You don’t say,” Spikes replied sarcastically.
“Via telepathy,” Rell continued to read. “An archaic saying. Wisdom must be gathered it cannot be given. Sound like something out of Blakes Seven.”
The device which had been all this time set on random changed moods. After all it did have 10,500 or so to play with although Jan Keunemund wasn’t to know it already had music on it when she ‘borrowed’ it while Rell was not around. She returned it of course leaving only the message embedded within it. Once the device was found it would activate the molecular transformation and all hopefully without Rell knowing. Gamalfax had added the mood rolodex which interacted with the songs.

Spikes looked at Rell then jumped up onto the bed clawed some and settled down. Instinctively Rell produced a Kibble Biscuit™ Spikes favourite snack.

“Thanks,” said Spikes and chewed on it.
“Uhh…it says white creature, partially a spiritual and virtual entity. Negotiator, information source, friender.” Rell stopped, reached out and stroked Spikes. “Of course.” Rell turned back to the folder and continued. “Independent but loyal to individual Custodian. They are chosen and they are not your own species.” Rell raised another eyebrow. “Another no brainer. And lastly can communicate with the Custodian via telepathy and vice-versa.”
“So what’s a custodian ?” Spikes asked.

Rell lounged back and Spikes crept onto his lap. He picked up a black remote and played with the mood rolodex as he languished smoking and drinking wondering if something appropriate would come up next. It would do eventually, all it had to do was start correctly.

He patted Spikes and the cat moved across the bed. It lept into the air from the bed and landedon the psychedelic carpet. Spikes fur hackled almost as if frozen, then a moment later a white panther turned to look at Rell.

Rell chuckled. “Now your just showing off.”
“Yes,” replied Spikes “but you get my point.”
Rell got up. “So I guess we don’t have to eat then.”
“No, although your mind is full of inconsistencies.”
“Remember Spikes we’re In ViewSpace. Like Gamalfax said. There are no inconsistencies in here only out there.”
What a combination. No wonder Jan Keunemund chose Rell.
The man in black, the boy in the bubble. Rell chuckled at that thought.
“That’s not funny,” Spikes replied.

The mood changed to Jethro Tull. Minstrel in the Gallery. Well thought Rell, Jan did say “Here comes the minstrel man, lute and guitar in his hand.”

Moirai said “Don’t worry cos I’ll always be there for you.”

Rell put his finger against her lips. “Much as I like your voice, I know.” Then removed his finger and kissed her. He knew he’d eventually succumb to her charm. He always did. Not that it was an unpleasant sensation.

“Oh one other thing,” Rell looked to Spikes. “It says you can’t change into human form. If you’d been canine then probably but your limited to feline type animals and creatures.”

So THAT’S what ‘horse’ means. Rell thought. “It said white creature, then specified cat and horse. Dog isn’t mentioned.”
“Could I shapechange into one ?”
“Alas no, however I can so what’s the point ?”

He stood up with his arms extended and whirled round. “Gamalfaz is a genius. Think about it. Jan Keunemund modified it from something I had in a previous life. He asked me how many times I had been born.”

Rell sat down again and chuckled.

The device was so basic it was unbelievable, yet at the same time it appeared to be from some far flung future time or dimension it too was unbelievable.

It made Moirai’s companion very happy. It had repaired the defect it was experiencing as it knew the device would. Gamalfax was a genius since the device would never run out of moods despite the fact there were only 10,439 of them to begin with. The mood rolodex he’d installed did the trick.

“You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill you stay in wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes”
-        Morpheus, “The Matrix”
 
“I bet your thinking ‘Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill’,” Spikes said. “Me too,” and seemingly laughed. “I say let’s have a little fun at their expense.”
“Hold on…..” Rell said.
Spikes huffed and sighed.
“Well….maybe in our off hours.”
Rell lazed back after absorbing sufficient for now.

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
-        Dr. Carl Sagan

Since the first day that man stared up at the sky and saw other worlds, there have been no more haunting questions than these. Who are we. What do we want. Why are we here, Where are we going, Who do we serve and Who do we trust. What will we find out there. Will there be other creatures and will they be like us. Will they be hostile or friendly. It Is left to you to find out.

It was the only way. Jan Keunemund knew how Rell worked and so she left him the device. Rell admired the way Gamalfax had added his own elements without destroying the overall aesthetic of the device.It wasn’t evidence that his environment was totally devoid of anything. Rell knew that his environment was not a void after all.

ViewSpace as Gamalfax had pointed out to him was indeed everywhere and yet at the same time nowhere. Gamalfax’s shabby appearance was to be expected. Fixers were not exactly fashion models.

“Wow….wow….wow…..unbelievable.”
-        Kate Bush

Rell collapsed onto the bed. Clothing no longer mattered since he could create anything he desired. He had just done something amazing. He had discovered the bag lady for one. She was a reclusive mime and Rell had different experiences with her than with Moirai.

T’Parim was like a playground….almost. The message had mentioned something about a grand entrance and falling through a hole in the sky certainly qualified as one.

Now back in ViewSpace he could aquire most of the information on it. The rest, as Jan said, would attend to itself.
He paused for a moment. He looked to Spikes in panther form who was content to lick his paw and occasionally yawn.
“Ok Spikes let’s see what we have on Jan Keunemund shall we ?”
Spikes smiled showing a single glistening canine.
“Rell looked. “Ok here we go.” He put down a small pile of Kibble Biscuits™ Spikes chowed one down in a flash.
“You’ll get fat eating too many of those but I know you like them.

Rell reached once again for the folders. The green glowing lines gave away the fact that they were only virtual. “Hmmm,” muttered Rell. “Let’s see. Moves the environment to ViewSpace.” He stopped. “I got that part. Oh look it says that Jan appears as a virtual interactive projection which morphs into familiar tropes.” Rell looked at Spikes.

“Like ‘red shirt’ for example,” the cat asked.
“Yep.” Rell continued. “Known as Knight of the Rainbow in T’Parim, Son of E’Aro in Krosa and Harlequin in Maciss. The trickster. Talks in riddles and never gives a straight answer.”
The panther shimmered it’s visual disruption field arced with spinning DNA strands.
“You can say that again,” and meowed.
Rell looked up. “I didn’t write this stuff you know. Some dude called Tyran Songweaver did.” Rell stopped, the looked at Spikes bemused.
“You gotta be kidding me right. That’s the lamest fantasy name imaginable, but since this has stuff like minstrel, music and jesters it’s probably appropriate. Lets see what else Tyran writes about our beloved Jan Keunemund shall we.”
Rell cogitated on the text before him. “Provides the identity device or library computer access and retrieval system with an embedded recorded message. Warped sense of humour.”
Rell smirked and snorted. “Oh look has a code of conduct. So he breaks into my apartment me this device. Talk about no paddle, I want to know where the creek is. And where were you all this time ?”
“So we’re already in a parallel or pocket universe,” said Spikes. “an unspecified domain of subspace.”

“We’ve come a long way baby.”
-        Fat Boy Slim

“Does not have a shoot first ask questions later mentality,” Rell continued.

Well, Rell mused, Neither do I
“These are instructions not orders. Act on your own initiative.”
“It’s not exactly detailed is it.” Spikes muttered.
“I guess not but it helps.”

Gamalfax was right when he told Rell that the device would fill in the blanks but he never mentioned Spikes, although from Rell’s perspective if he had changed then why not Spikes to. It made sense and Spikes was happy enough to be independent but loyal and not just for Kibble Biscuits™ either.

“The rain exploded with a mighty crash as we fell into the sun.”
-        Paul McCartney, “Band on the Run”

“It’s so easy to see that love can set you free,” said Moirai, “and you are everything I ever imagined and more.”

“I am….or was Jan Keunemund.”
-        Jan Keunemund

Somewhere in the void the jester had her last laugh before she joined the void and vanished as if in a magician’s trick, except this was no legerdemain or illusion. Jan let go and succumbed to the void knowing she’d got Rell to Gamalfax and left T’Parim with a new guardian and this time no one would have to be nailed to a cross.

Had the planet killer known The World of the Ranaroth was shielded it probably would not have made the slightest bit of difference because Gamalfax was already disassembling it. When he had finished it would join the rest of the oddments that Gamalfax had collected. If it had hit the shield it would have been instantly vaporised by a crystal shell that surrounded the World of the Ranroth within T’Parim.

T’Parim was Gamalfax’s back door from ViewSpace. It was located on a rocky outcropping along a dangerous broken road. The chances of anything actually reaching T’Parim were astronomical, however Rell knew that one in a million chances happen every day somewhere on the road network.

“You are the user and the tool.”
-        Gamalfax

Rell scowled at Moiri. She had after all invited him in.

“You know that’s what Gamalfaxsaid about you. Your name is Moiria and you’re a native waiting for someone to fall through a hole in the sky correct ?” Rell was direct and to the point. He didn’t have time to play guessing games since up until he found the device he was not a mind reader.
“Correct. Let the adventure begin,” she replied and held out her hand. “Take it.”
She yanked him out of the pile of hay. Although he could have sworn she had caught him in her arms only moments ago in front of a group of natives clustered around a fire. He managed to stand.
“That’s exactly what you did do. And you are….” She trailed  off then stopped. “Need I say more.” She winked and he observed her figure. A silhouette in the light of the entranceway.
She walked forward.

Rell stood infront of a door with a glass panel. On the door was a plate that read “SEWING 101” and “MISS HENNESSY.” He opened the door and walked into the classroom. It was full of girls. They were laughing and giggling. Suddenly they all stopped and stood up in unison, turned and looked at the boy.

“Come in and take a seat,” said Miss Hennessy. All the eyes watched him, mouths open in shock as he walked across to a desk. Attached to the desk was a sewing machine and around the walls of the room rolls of material and containers full of scraps, cotton, needles and other sewing paraphernalia. He sat down at the empty desk, second from the front and opened the lid of the desk. Inside was a garment with a frilly lace edge badly attached. It seemed like all the girls were pointing at him, laughing, mocking him.
“All right girls settle down.” The room fell silent and they all sat down and resumed their work.
He raised his hand.
“Yes Rell,” Miss Hennessy said.
“Miss. Couldn’t I make something for boys ?”
All the girls in the classroom burst out laughing except for one. Her name is Moiria and Rell will learn more of her wisdom later.
“He’s right miss,” she said.
The laughter stopped. Miss Hennessy scowled at the girls.
“You should all be ashamed of yourselves, except for Moirai. Rell has a point.” Miss Hennessy turned her attention to me. “Alright Rell, choose some material and make your garment.
Rell stood up and sureveyed the rolls of material scattered along the walls. They all seemed very girly, mostly flowery patterns. He wanted something more appropriate. There in the corner was a roll of black leather seemingly untouched.
“This will do nicely,” he said.
He ran his fingers across the surface of the roll of material then instantly transformed it into a pair of figure hugging trousers.
“Even a girl could pull these off,” he grinned. Moirai giggled. A bell rung and all the girls stood up.
“Alright girls, that’s all for today,” said Miss Hennessey.
They all madly rushed for the door and left the room in a semi-orderly fashion. Jostling, poking, scowling with only the one “Hey watch it” until they were all gone except for Moiri.
“They have no idea what it’s like,” she said.
“About what ?”
“Come on, I’ll show you.” She took my hand and we walked out of the classroom.

I could still not understand this place. It was too chaotic. Too weird. It didn’t make sense.

Gamalfax had told him that without the device nothing would make sense here and he was right. Sewing classes. Someone had a twisted idea of what reality was.

"What do you think ?” she asked.
“About what ?”
“My companion.”
Rell grimaced. “Then you don’t know ?”
“Know what ?”
“Do you want this polite or straight up ?” asked Rell.
“Straight up as always,” she replied.

"You are the one that makes me feel so real.”
-        Moirai to Rell

Rell moved across the sleep space towards the device and turned it on. Spikes was curled up ina spot in the corner amongst a small mound of material Moirai had found for him. Spikes liked this spot. Beside him was a bowl of liquid and next to that another full of Kibble Biscuits™

“Let us be together. Let’s pretend that we are free.”
-        Jon Anderson, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Her private space was a building. From the outside it looked for all the world like a white castle. It was situated on a high point overlooking a bronze age environment or at least what to her was. It stands out like a sore thumb in the World of the Ranaroth. It was the Citadel of Paldos and to her the Wrld of the Ranaroth was perfect, one might even say fairy tale. Somewhere close in the marshes of Tealham lived Izan Itheras, the last Green Lord. Moirai’s fairy tale castle was architecturally impossible, but to her it was perfect.

“Rell Thornscar is coming,” said Jan Keunemund. Jan turned to Moirai. “Here.” She pointed out into the landscape, grunted then looked upwards with her eyes and mutterd Why me ?
Moirai was at this moment staring across her fantasy and it was alive. “To him this place won’t make sense. You must help him.” Jan paused. “Oh why green and red for colours….oh well fire and nature it is.”
Moirai’s gaze did not waver from the setting. Twin suns, an M31a red supergiant named Zeoran, the other named Shimeron. Zeoran was glowing as it slowly descended below the horizon.It would take another 6 days for it to become obscured below the horizon. In a moment Shimeron would spend one day travelling across the surface of Zeoran.
“He will fall through a hole in the sky.” Jan’s projection shimmered. Moirai never turned or even acknowledged the message merely concentrating, a tear ran down her cheek. Jan reached out and touched something floating in the air before her. Jan  had thoughts: Not the fair maiden that’s for sure, more like a plane Jane and femme fatalle to boot. Jan continued. “This place is an unspecified point in the past to him. He will help bring it to life.”
“It’s not a dead world,” Moirai replied emphatically as she watched the appearance of Shimeron.
“No it’s only sleeping and that’s because it is malfunctioning. Only Rell can make it work again. I gave him a device that would help. You are feisty, unsure yet strong. A biologist, healer, comforter yet always with the questions. You’ve been all these things without really knowing about them. Nature is the law and he has been told to uphold your laws with honour. In a multi-functional environment you and he can only perform one function at a time.
Moirai knew that her companion was broken, the evidence conclusive that things down below were not as they seemed.
“Your father will come shortly. You should go with him and wait for Rell.”
“How will I know ?”
Jan looked into the landscape. “You companion of course. She pulled out a phial, pointing to it’s compatriot lying on Moriai’s dressing table. “Make sure he takes this as it will help him. After that I’m afraid its up to you.”
The image shimmered and vanished.

Dark clouds crept across the landscape. Moirai watched them. An arc of lightning came down behind the hills in the distance and thunder rolled across the landscape as large spots of rain appeared. The bright spark of the newly risen Shimeron flickering. By the time she managed to get inside her hair was wet. She grabbed a towel and waited, vigorously drying her hair with the towel.

A voice came from beyond the door. “Are you decent ?”
“Yes,” she replied.
In walked Livek her father and she skipped over to him and embraced him. “Oh father I’m so glad you are here.”
“I hope you found your answers.”
She smiled. As village mystic it was up to her to guide the people. This time she would have help, she pressed ther fingers together, breathed and hoped he would arrive soon.
“The celebration is about to start. Come. The Rising of Shimeron.”

Although Moiri had attended and experienced many of them before she felt it important to attend this one. Moirai prepared to step into the circle. She calmy walked forward and let go of Livek’s hand stepping into the illuminated circle.

“Do you hear me or do you merely listen ?” she spoke clearly for all to hear. The crackling of wet logs in fires nearby punctuated the silence. “Do you understand ?” There were so few left now, all that was left of this place.
“His name is Rell Thornscar. Treat him as you would your brother.”
“My brother is an idiot,” came a voice from the darkness.
Suddenly there was a bang from above and all eyes turned skywards. Directly above Moirai a figure descended, although it was more like falling. She held out her arms and the figure fell into them.
“Your brother just fell from the sky Jakeem.”
Jakeem fell silent.

In a flash she was elsewhere. A field with a haystack wherein she lay the unconscious figure.

“Wake up.”
Rell felt water on his face.
“You are safe here. Your coming was foretold. I have been waiting….” She trailed off.
“Uh huh….waiting for someone to fall through a hole in the sky right ?”
Rell dusted himself down after being hauled out of the hay by her. He then looked at the castle.
“That your place ?”
“Yes that’s where I live.”
Rell turned and looked at her then raised an eyebrow.
“Oh the rising of Shimeron.” She pointed to the sky to the bright white spit on the giant red truncated disc. “and behind Zeoran.”
“It looks…..” Rell paused. “uhhh….ok. A bit fancy mind.”
Moirai laughed.
“So, if you caught me how come I ended up in a haystack ?”
Moirai laughed. “I told the festival goers to treat you like their brother and me as your wife.”
“Hold up. You told them we were married ?”
“Not in so many words, no.” She thrust forward the phial she’d picked up from her dresser earlier. “You must take this Rell.”
Rell took the phial, examined it on the palm of his hand then without even thinking about it watched as it shrivelled up and was absorbed into him.
“Oh, that’s better,” Rell said.

“Step into the abyss and let go.”
-        Jan Keunemund / Gamalfax

Moirai turned to Rell.

“Would you like to have physical intimacy with me ?”
“You’re her.”
She was the girl in the schoolroom but how.
“You fell through a hole in the sky and I rescued you.
“Your very direct.”
“Yes and I will continue to ask until you say yes. Come into me. You are my love, I am your play, I am your love and you are my play.”
A figure walked towards them calling Moirai’s name. She turned. “That’s my father,” she said. “Although he isn’t my biological parent.” The man eventually came close enough to embrace Moirai in a hug.
“A hug is a wonderful gift,” Rell said.
“How so ?” the figure asked.
“Because one size fits all.”
Her father then kissed Moirai on the cheek and let her go. He approached Rell and held out his hand.
“I am Livek and this is my daughter Moirai. You speak strangely yet I understand you.”
I grasped his hand and we shook.
“Uhh, yeas we met at the festival.”
“You are most welcome. All that we have we will be glad to share with you.”
“That will not be necessary but thank you for the offer.”
“Many of our youth have tried to pursue my daughter, all were unsuccessful. You must have done something extraordinary to captivate her heart so quickly.”
“Father,” she sighed. “Not now. Can’t you see he’s confused enough already. I will take him to my place and care for him and we’ll hear no more about that.”
Livek stepped aside. “As you wish daughter.” She walked away but before Rell could follow Livek put ahand on his shoulder. He spoke in a hushed voice. “She normally gets what she wants, don’t fight her.”
Moirai grabbed Rell’s hand.
“Don’t mind father. He’s just trying to protect me even though he knows I can look after myself.”
“That’s what fathers are for.”

He looked around.

“So this yours then ?”
“My companion, yes.”
“Interesting.”
“It doesn’t make sense to you does it.”
“Uh no not really, however falling through a hole in the sky is not something I would recommend repeating.”
“Your journey was hard but necessary, however it may be too late.”
“Too late for what ?”
“My companion,” she stopped. Her lip quivered. “My companion is dying.”
“There is always hope.”
“In the village the females get to choose their husbands. Could you be the one I’ve been looking for since you are nothing like I imagined.”
“The truth never is,” Rell replied.
I looked up into the sky. “So you’re an astronomer then ?”
“Oh yes. I have a telescope at home and I have been watching and waiting for your arrival.”
She pointed. “The red one is Zeolan and it takes Shimeron ninety days to orbit her. The smaller oe is Shimeron and we orbit that one every 365 days.”
“I had a dream of a music machine that was pumping out a pretty tune,” Moirai said.
“When ?”
“The night before Shimeron rose. The message told me you would be coming.”
“Message ? What message ?”
“The one from Jan Keunemund.”
Rell performed the well known facepalm routine, although this gesture was unknown to Moirai.
“Gaijaina,” Rell used Gamalfax’s rude word.
Moirai laughed. “Yes she was. She told me that fighters make bad husbands.”
“Well I’m no fighter,” replied Rell.
“Then again I do not expect you to follow me around or jump every time I clap my hands.”
Rell snapped to attention, saluted her and said “No ma’am.”
“Anyway you wouldn’t jump for me because you are a warrior and you are looking for a hard headed woman who will take you for yourself.”
She stopped at an expanse of water.
I turned to see…..myself only different. Much younger than I remembered.
“So the natives will see me like this ?”
“For now yes. Eventually you will be able to make them see what you want tm to, like I do.”
“Try not to change it too much,” she said.
“I cannot guarantee that since I do not know how the mood rolodex will affect it.”
“Well someone has to show you how this place works, and how you work.” She flashed me a smile and ran the tip of her tongue across her lips.

The assembled villagers fidgeted. Some in the darkness trod on a duck. They shuffled in silence as Moirai emerged into the firelight.naked.
“He is the one I have chosen.”
The villagers gasped, ohhed, ahhed and made general grumbling sounds,”
“It is our law. The female chooses her mate.”
She grasped Rell hard and pulled him into the firelight.
“He will serve you reasonably, protect you fairly and uphold our laws with honour. The rest will attend to itself.” Her forceful voice was crystal clear and the villagers understood.
They all cheered and surged forward All around were tables piled high with food.
Moirai pointed to a grey slimy dish. “Marsh fish. I prepared it for them.”
Rell looked at the assortment of food.
Moirai’s thoughts were in his head. Oh, you don’t need to eat anything.
The villagers themselves were already tucking in and celebrating.

“The Festival of Shimeron is always like this,” she said. “A joyous occasion for gathering, feasting and general drunkenness. The occasional altercation arises but these are soon settled. Basically a big party.” Moirai extended her hand.

“Come with me. Let’s leave them to enjoy themselves. I have to take you somewhere where we can talk undisturbed.”

She climbed up the path that led to her castle. Spikes was there in front of him a few paces padding upwards until he came to the door then stopped.

They reached the building, this time it was more appropriate to the bronze age surroundings. A rectangular thatched roof dwelling. She held aside the heavy leather drape that covered a wooden door and swung it inwards.
“Come inside my hut,” she gestured with her right arm.
Spikes padded inwards, his panther form illuminated by flickering oil lamps within. Spikes padded away into the darkness and gave Rell the all clear signal.
Rell entered into the dwelling and near the centre he turned.
She stood in the doorway. A silhouette in the light.
She walked forward.

“It’s always more fun to share with everyone.”
-        Jack Johnson

Outside Livek pulled at the heavy leather drape and let it fall across the doorway and walked back down the hill towards the village. At the bottom of the path, turned and smiled.

I hope you know what your doing daughter, he mused.
Somewhere in the darkness a wolf howl came to haunt the village briefly before being carried away on the breeze.
Inside the hut the shadow of a naked female flicked across the walls.
A sonorous noise floated across the celebrating villagers and the sky was full of streaks. Asteroids and comets danced across the night sky. Tomorrow Moirai would walk out of her castle into a new world.

The World of the Ranaroth.

< ----- >

She walked forward into the light. Where she had come from is unimportant. Where she is now is her safe place, her comfort zone. No one would disturb her in here.

Spikes padded back towards the exit after making a circuit of the dwelling space towards the naked figure that stood before Rell bathed in the yellow light of the hanging oil lamps inside. Spikes turned his head back and looked at Rell. I’ll be outside if you need me.
So you think sewing classes for boys is normal ? Your environment makes no sense whatsoever. It is malfunctioning and I have ome to repair it.”
“I know. Don’t change it too much.”
“It might, however, take some time.”
“Take all the time you need.”
Moirai came towards him, his eyes couldn’t stop looking at her naked chest. After all he was….a boy and she was….a girl.
“You didn’t see me in the middle of a group of villagers telling them you were the one I’ve chosen ?”
“Uhh, no.”
She led him through a door and onto a long balcony which was outrageously castellated. Rell looked at the World of the Ranaroth.
“Well,” he said, “it’s definitely missing something. You say you had a dream ?”
“Yes. A music machine.”
Rell pulled out the device that was still tucked into the pocket of his long black leather trenchcoat.
“You mean this one ?”
“Careful with that. I asked you not to change it too much. This is my home after all.”
I turned. “Alright Moiria, I’ll be careful but you already know it’s for the best. Your companion is dying and the only thing that can cure it is music. Unfortunately the mood rolodex is set to random so finding something appropriate may take some time. It’ll work, trust me.”
Implicitly,” she replied.

“This journey has ended another begins. Now it is time to rest.”
-        Lorien, Babylon 5

█          THE MOOD ROLODEX SPRANG TO LIFE        █

“Ahh there we go,” said Rell.

The effect of the music made Moirai’s companion very happy.
Moirai turned and planted a firm kiss on his cheel leaving a perfect imprint of her red lips on Rell’s cheek.
“It’s perfect.”
They both gazed at Shimeron. Nine hundred years had passed since Zeoran had been in this position. At least that’s how long it was for the village. With Shimeron’s rising the first edge of Zeoran would rise up from the horizon engulfing the pale blue light.
Moirai gestured towards the night sky. “You can read what they say on some nights.”
Her castle had an opulent ballroom of course. All hanging crystal chandelier, some of which tinkled. There were the obligatory polished and tiled floor, and lo and behold a spotlight illuminating a black piano.
Rell strode towards it and sat down on the stool facing the piano. He opened the lid gently. Gold letters: STEINWAY. Rell wondered if Moirai was ready for Keith Jarrett.Instead he decided to play “A Song for Guy” by Elton John perfectly. After that Rell decided to be bold and launched into a flawless rendition of the Coda from the 1973 Bremen concert.
As Rell played the figures all around were listening intently. Rell always played at the festivals now. The acoustics of the World of the Ranaroth were perfect. The villagers never suspected that Rell wasn’t actually playing, merely letting the mood rolodex do its stuff.”
Moirai walked past Rell, the lights flickering across her naked form and lay down in a pile of furs.
Raquel Welch, One Million Years BC
Another one of domains of subspace Rell and Moirai visited.

“Knock knock knocking on heaven’s door.”
-        Bob Dylan

“You know I haven’t been with anyone before right ?” Moirai said to him.

“No….”
This was no princess boudoir. A bronze age hut with central heating and bathing facilities. Only Rell noticed their inconsistencies. It was primitive yet futuristic.
“No one will disturb us in here.” She said. “Take all the time you like.”
Rell knew that he would succumb to her charm eventually. The mood rolodex would see to that. He didn’t mind it anymore.
“The festival went alright I thought.”
“Me too. The return of Zeoran once more, after nine hundred years.”
“Seems like only yesterday to me.”

“It’s the mad man singing down the alley.”
-        The Jayhawks

Her fingers toyed with Spikes ear. He growled contentedly nuzzling up to her bare breasts.

“You like me Spikes.” She said. Spikes moved to the centre of the bronze age hut before changing into panther form and padded towards the door. Rell swung the door open to allow Spikes to go out. Spikes waited until Rell had closed the door the padded a few feet forward. Spikes observed Livek shambling down the path towards the sparking lights of the Night City. Spikes padded round the doorway for a moment then settled down. All clear. Spikes thought. Thank you and goodnight Rell replied.
Spikes would watch and wait until Rell needed him again.

█          THE MOOD ROLODEX SPRANG TO LIFE        █

“Ahh there we go,” said a hunched figure. A gnarled hand, almost mummified picked up the device that Rell had put down onto the table. The hunched figure reached across the metal fold-up table. The table had lumpy black objets on it that Rell could not identify.

“Well,” said the figure. “You’ve come to the right place because this device was built by a jack ass.” And I should know. Memory engrams,” then laughed.
He reached out with his other hand. A shimmering liquid of metal formed into a hand in front of me.
“I’m Gamalfax. I’m a tech and I’m here to help. Why else would my favourite student send you to me.”
“Uhh….why ?”
“Because Jan Keunemund wouldn’t trust her equipment to anyone else but me Rell.”
“Now what this thing needs is a bastard power core.” He said sounding for a moment like Gene Hunt.
He then extended a finger from the gnarled and mummified hand…Davros style, possibly Doctor Strangelove with a touch of Ernst Stavro Blofelt. Gamalfax could technically be classified as a mad scientist. Actually Galafax is more like a repair man. The fibger scratched his chin. “Ahh yes, there it is, “then let out a weirdly pirate style laugh. He picked up a small transparent tube with a swirling green centre made up of thousands of balls of light. The tube was capped either end by brushed aluminium connectors and two deep blue transparent circuit boards. Gamalfax held the device close to Rell’s eyes, then pulled it away again. “This here is your basic power core right. It draws energy from the surrounding environment automatically.” He plugged It into the other device.
“There you go,” he said.
Gamalfax turned to Rell.
“Do you want it or not ?”
“Yes. If you can provide some basic information In answer to basic questions.”
“I’ll try my best. Ask away.”
“Jan Keunemund mentioned she was a student of yours. What can you tell me about this device. Anything would help.”
Gamalfax turned to Rell. “Ok, it is a sonic device that wakes up interpolated environments and alters them with a mood rolodex.”
“Uhh..yeah I kind of gathered that already. What’s an interpolated environment ?”
“Hmmm. Well you got the embedded message since you are here. And Jan Keunemund built it. Jan was a jester alright, funny in a perverse way, you just have to understand how they operate. I give Jan credit she was efficient but she was also a Gaijaina. I just made the best of a bodge job. I gace it an infinite power source now it will never run out.”

“You will have everything you need when you get there….mostly.”
-        Jan Keunemund

“A…gaijaina ?” Rell asked.

“Never mind, “ he said and waved his hand. “It’s a really rude word on some distant world. Never did quite find out what it meant exactly. It roughly translated to Motherless something-or-other, you get the jist.” And chuckled.
Indeed Rell waa beginning to get the jist.

“So anyway the device. It allows you to connect to any network you encounter automatically and anonymously. It will break and decipher any known encryption code. It can store an unlimited amount of information remotely and access any database.”

“What about books ?”
Gamalfax played with the device for a moment. “Library access, retrieval and storage links to every book ever published so not an issue. Wait a minute what’s this ?”
Gamalfax thrust the device towards Rell. Spinning In front of Rell’s eyes were two white musical notes on a grey background.
“That must be the music I had installed on it, “Rell replied.
“How is that possible ?”
“Well, “Rell explained, “I have memories of portable media storage devices being commonplace.”
“Oh yes, ha ha,” Gamalfa laughed. “She modified that you know. Sneaky.” He sighed. “It’s like this. I installed a mood rolodex in preparation for your arrival in T’Parim and it seems it has interacted with the music stored on the device.”

“Do you remember where you came from before here ?”

Rell shrugged. “Not really.”
“Memory loss was to be expected. This device will help you fill in the blanks. You see ViewSpace is not interpreted, there are no grey areas here.” Gamalfax pointed towards the swirling portal. “Through there, now that’s a horse of a different wheelbase. If you didn’t have this device nothing there would make sense. At least now you have the capacity to cope with it to a degree. That and the fact it’s no longer a matter of choice anymore. Sorry Rell those are the breaks especially from her.”

“I have many things to show you.”
-        Jan Keunemund / Gamalfax

A point of light emerged from the device followed by a rainbow of colours and then a dancing arcing electrical energy sparking and surging filling the room. Rell moved slowly round. As he turned icons appeared and disappeared. He reached out trying to touch one.

His hand was suddenly pulled away.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you unless of course you know what that button does.”
Glowing red text flared up in front of Rell.

PLEASE DO NOT PUSH THIS BUTTON AGAIN

“You gotta be kidding right ?”

Gamalfax winked at Rell. “Who me ?” He smirked and waved his hand and the text disappeared in a fls=ash of dissolving pixels.
“It was a joke, you know Techs have a sense of humour too. I read some of the books stored on the device you know. I extracted a ton of ideas from them, just wanted to see If that one worked.”
He provided another thin sleek rectangular device and opened it like a book and pointed to a large rectangular screen.
“See this screen here, stupidly large and all it does is display a system failure warning and lights up. Who dreams up this stuff ? No don’t answer that just remember there’s a sucker born every minute but you’re not one of them.”
“Each of the ten thousand or so tracks represents a different sonic vibration effect. These vibration affect T’Parin, Maciss and Krosa in different ways. How those effects  are manifested I do not know. That’s the beauty of the mood rolodex. You can store as much or as little information o it as you choose. It’s a portable information storage and retrieval system or am I repeating myself ?”
“Uh yes, I already figured that part out. So I enter T’Parim and activate it. Then what ?”
Gamalfax turned to Rell.
“How often have you been born ?”
“Once I hope”
“How would you like to be transformed ?”
“Into what exactly ?”
“Into someone Jan Keunemund could trust. Besides which Jan Keunemund was my pupil. And you recognised it instantly. You were meant to find it or how else do you think you got here ?”
“So, tech, fixer, scavenger….like something out of an Andrei Tarkovsky movie.”
Gamalfax laughed.
“You have much to learn it seems. Born once yes. However I have the blueprints for the Custodians. And no you did not have to give up part of your humanity to become one.” That’s why you have fragmentary memories of a previous existence. The access between your short erm and long term memory is sloppy at best. You forget and it’s like a dream, an echo. However I have modified the device so it will act as your long term memory. Also as a safety precaution I accessed your entire memory and downloaded it onto this device.”
Gamalfax paused. “You saw the giant green brain right ?”

Rell had indeed seen a floating green brain . It was about 5 feet around and floating in a cylinder full of liquid. “That’s an Irrikon, although those in Maciss refer to him as E’Aron. The Irrikon are not aware of the human species. They didn’t even know I was one once. Oh yes, I came from somewhere called Japan in another reality. What remains of my humanity is still alive and I have accepted the changes since I had little choice. Look they nature of your species is not known outside a small sphere of influence. The Irrikon are hyper-intelligent beings but they are not the Divine Maker. The fact that they can create starships merely by clicking their fingers…if they actually had digits to do that mind, is immaterial. The trouble is they abandoned construction of this facility and left a single Irrikon behind before Doomsday. Oh yeah of course you missed that. That was a real war. I wouldn’t even want to describe the horrors that I saw, the wandering mindless creations the Ranaroth used. The Irrikon asked me to stay behind with the last remaining Irrikon and create the Custodians. Jan Keunemund wanted you because your nature makes you independent of the system. You are the random factor. Your species has the ability to create groups which makes you a very dangerous species but perfect for this task.”

Rell’s imagined environment was nothing like T’Parim. Rell’s imagined environment was a desert-like landscape that stretched from horizon to horizon, flat, featureless and no landmarks except for distant jagged shapes on the horizon. Despite these facts it did have life and Rell could actually appreciate it’s inconsistencies, flaws and beauty. The imaginary landscape stretched unwavering into a shimmering horizon. The immediate vicinity seemed lifeless but there were insects and plant lfe especially since the odd tumbleweed would skitter it’s way across the landscape. A lizard would creep out of the shadow to bask in the heat, a scorpion moved in the distance, somewhere else a rattlesnake. Bluffs and peaks were scattered across the distant landscape.

ViewSpace as Gamalfax had already pointed out did not need interpretation, not that Rell knew exactly what every piece of equipment that lay on Gamalfax’s metal fold-up table did precisely.

Gamalfax turned to Rell. “Look the device doesn’t work In ViewSpace, hence the Please Don’t Push This Button Again. Don’t hurt your brain trying to figure out how it works that’s my department.”

“There is a time for enlightenment, wisdom and the truth and a time for getting the job done.”
-        Jan Keunemund

“I just fix, build and design things. How they are used is none of my concern. They are tools nothing more. Ethics doesn’t enter into it for me anymore.”

Rell patted him on the back. “That’s why I like you Gee. Believe it or not I actually understand you.”
Gamalfax turned, reached into the socket of his eye and unplugged it, thrust it towards Rell waving it around in a mock frantic manner. Then he leaned forward.
“You sure you’re all there ?”
Rell laughed. “Most of me is on that device of yours remember.”
Gamalfax smiled back. “True enough. That’s why you have to take it. You are the user and the tool and now you have the abilities but since your long term memory is stored on here you only have your short term memory to rely on. Like I said already this device will help fill in the blanks. I’ve also uploaded a map of ViewSpace onto it."

The symbols flashed before Rell’s eyes. It was like a typewriter keyboard only it was two dimensional and made from green lines. There were a whole host of other symbols so that if Rell reached out like before and touched one of then it would light up and above writing he could read and understand. The writing would tell him what the symbol meant. He was no longer the person sat in a box of the Chinese Room Theory staring at a wall of undefined symbols. In front of him was a book divided in half by a thick line on each page. Symbols In tabulated form were printed on each page. To his right down a chute would appear a piece of paper with symbols on it. He would compare the symbols on the left hand part of the page run his finger across to the other set of symbols then select the same ones from the wall and post them through a slot on his left.

Gamalfax flashed a wide spectrum band of green light towards Rell and the familiar hunched figure put a hand on his shoulder. He pointed out of view screen towards the portal. “When you go through there it will make your arrival so much easier. Trust me.”

“The last time you said that I ended up being caught by a naked girl.

“Could have been worse. Well not really since you’d have survived even if you’d fallen from five thousand feet. Happens to everyone on the first time. Now you have the traveller falling through the sky is unnecessary unless you really want to.”

Rell stood once more on Moirai’s balcony. This time it was a sensible brick wall with a balustrade high enough and sturdy enough for him to lean on. The twin suns plodded their way across the sky day by day.

“What else can you tell me about these Custodians“ asked Moiri, glancing across to Spikes who had reverted to his familiar pet cat form.
“Well we are the Custodians. As far as I can tell there is you, Zak from the Baathek Occupation the bag lady from the Night City and Gamalfax and me makes five. The Custodians have no formal miliraty structure, that’s probably because other than your inhabitants everything else operates automatically. And if your wondering what would happen if the automation stops then don’t. You’d hurt your brain trying to figure out how it works and that’s Gamalfax’s department.” Rell paused for a moment.
“We also do not need to eat, sleep or rest while we are in T’Parim, however Custodians should treat ViewSpace as home. We have a number of abilities.
Moirai reached for the bookcase. A hairy armheld out a a large leather-bound tome. Shetoo it from the hairy ape-like hand and opened it and browsed through the information silently.

1.  ABSORB & RENDER.  These two are together because they are effectively two sides of the same ability.  ABSORB:  The Custodian's suit can scan items the Custodian touches. The Custodian can also absorb items - they become a part of him. This is restricted to non organic objects. Wood, bone or flesh (for example) cannot be absorbed.  Also this ability is not "automatic" - so a Custodian can scan an item without absorbing it. Items absorbed shrivel up and vanish. The item absorbed is then broken down into its constituent elements within the Custodian's body for use another time. RENDER: The effect is the reversal of Absorb. The Custodian can create any non organic object (weapons, coins, gems, jewellery etc) from his own body mass. They appear out of thin air ("as if by magic"). You can absorb up to 2 times your own body mass. A word of caution regarding RENDER.  Please take into account the economy of the realm you are entering. Do not create wily nilly vast quantities of rare or expensive items (gold, gems, jewellery and so on).  Discretion is the better part of valour.

2. GHOST - The Custodian has the ability to become insubstantial. Whilst ghosted the Custodian is impervious to physical harm. This is different to VANISH which is effectively a cloaking device. Anyone who has the ability to see the invisible will detect you if you are cloaked but not if you are ghosted.

3. CHANGE - A Custodian has shape changing abilities. The Custodian can change his shape into any creature up to 3 times (up or down) their own body mass. Most Custodian's encountered will be in human form. Why? Why is a soap bubble round?  Because it is the most energy efficient configuration. Thus human form is the most energy efficient configuration for a Custodian.

4. TRAVEL - The Custodian can into any space/time/dimension using a small gold coin called a Traveller.

Moirai stopped reading at this point although it seemed like there was much more information contained in the tome she could come back to it at a later date. She reached out the book into thin air and the ape-like hand grabbed it and pulled it away into the shadows.

“You know, Moirai said, “Gamalfax never told you specifically what the mood rolodex did.”
“Not really no, but so long as it works I’m not complaining.”
“Neither am I,” she replied.

Gamlafax was the fixer. Rell had once thought he was a movie character. No wonder Rell had picked Stalker since Gamalfax was also a scrounger. He was also a boffin, architect, designer and geologist amongst other talents seemingly all rolled into one. Gamalfax had referred to many times and to many places as being “wretched hives of scum and villainy and although T’Parim did have it’s darker corners and seedy back alleys Gamalfax always meant that particular insult to mean The Knight City.

“You’ll never find a more….” And off he’d go sweraring and cursing in twenty, thirty different alien languages.
“But Gee, you got your fusion generator from there.”
“Oh well then it can’t be that bad after all,” he replied and chuckled.

“I wouldn’t trust my equipment to anyone else.”
-        Jan Keunemund referring to Gamalfax

“File: 3214-B. The Sidetrack. Baby. Opps,” said Rell. “That’s not what I want.” He turned to Spikes. The figure of Moirai lay in the bed next to him sleeping. He was sat I the edge of it so as not to disturb her slumber too much working through some information. The cild spun round giggling then flung her foot upwards, grabbed it and pulled her leg straight up. Her billowing blue garment wafted to a halt.

“Look father,” she said.
Rell looked at her. “Yes dear, now shush your mother is resting.”
She scowled at Rell then raised one eyebrow at him, hurumphed and returned to tickling Spikes belly.
Moirai’’s hand slid around his neck and shoulder then down his chest.
“She wasn’t being a nuicance,” she asked.
“No, I guess.”
Moirai raised up out of the bed.
“Come here.”
The child ran towards her. “Oh mother you are awake.” Then they embraced one another. Moirai stood up clutching the child in her arms. “Now Saophron be a good girl and go help your brother.”
She scowled again as Moirai put her down.
“But he’s with the smelly man,” she grumbled.
Rell and Moirai looked at each other almost wearily and both smiled.
“Your uncle Gamalfax may be many things but smelly he is not,” Rell said.
“He does so.” Saophron crossed her arms across her chest huffily and tapped her foot. Rell looked at Moirai once more and said “Ok, I’ll take care of this.”

It wasn’t Gamalfax’s fault. Children just were not his bag. Live ones that is. Adults and programmed adult sized constructs he could deal with and Saophron was a girl to boot. Gamalfax shuddered then left his workshop. He made his way along the road network until he came to a house. He opened the door and walked in.

He was suddenly engulfed by arms and legs. “Gerrof me you tike,” he protested in vain.
“Aww Uncle,” the boy said disappointedly.
“Well if it ain’t Steel.” Gamalfax relaxed and let the boy cling to him as he went searching for Rell. Steel was Gamlafax’s favourite and turning out to be quite the little fixer despite taking mostly after his mother. Gamalfax had decided that he would teach the boy everything he knew which suited Rell and Moirai just fine.
“Where’s your dad eh ?” he asked the boy.
“They’re in the main room.”

Gamalfax entered the main room. Saophron was dancing. Rell and Moirai were exchanging glances.

“Ok you two break it up,” said Gamalfax in his most mock jest voice.
Steel released his grip, his arms came away from around Gamalfax and dropped to the floor.
Another blur and more arms and legs. This time he held her by her abdomen at arms length.
“So I smell do I ?” he retorted to the girl. He then drew her towards him and embraced her gently and patted her on the back.
“Well so do you but it’s much nicer.” Saophron kissed him on the cheek. “And I love you too uncle,” she said.
He let her down to the ground.
She tugged at his sleeve. “Come see what father has.”
“Alright Saophron.” He walked over to Rell. “So, what you got there,” he said to no one in particular.

Rell knew now that that Custodians and ViewSpace was safe. It was small but it was a start. He stood on a ten foot circle of green light clutching a metal signpost. The residual blue energy lines and distortions faded. Most of the time he didn’t observe them only occasionally would he watch since they were random every time.

“And the tide rushes in and washes my castles away.”
-        Ray Thomas

Out of the darkness a ghostly white figure approached. The figure spoke.

Moirai is the greatest ally you have. Her depths of courage are unmatched. Look to her for wisdom and fire in equal measure. From time to time you will make mistakes, they are inevitable. At times you may find yourself far away from ViewSpace and uncertain but ViewSpace is always there. It is not a place it is wherever the road network takes you. As you ccontinue on your journey you will loose and you will gain. The process is painful but often necessary. Life is change and they must find their own road even if it is not your own. Things will work out. The road network is never easy to navigate but it was not meant to be. Always fight for what you believe in. Never start a fight but always finish it.”

The image shimmered and vanished. Rell let go of the metal signpost and the green circle melted away. There before him the familiar road to home and to her.

Bereserkers are interstellar quasi-sentient self-replicating killing machines programmed to eliminate any life-form they encounter anywhere in the universe, millenia after the war they were created to wage had ended in the death of the two ancient civilisatiuons. Berserkers are terryfying not only becasue they are they convincingly deadly, and chillingly able to learn from their mistakes, but because they were so profoundly hard-wired to obey their ancient mission that no argument can stay them.
-        Fred Saberhagen

The image shimmered and vanished. Rell let go of the signpost and the green circle melted away. There before him the familiar road to home and to her.

< ----- >

Rell and Moirai sat on the bench holding hands.
Glowing green letters solidified and started to write: LOCATION: LYNCOME VALE (WATERY BOTTOM VIADUCT)” Spikes spoke the lines directly into Rell’s brain.
In a moment the valley would be filled with smoke and noise. A railway locomotive was coming up the 180 degree turn at an incline of 1 in 55. Clouds of white smoke obscured it for a moment but the shrill whistle gave it’s position away as it surged into the valley from Devonshire tunnel. A flurry of box-pox wheels, drive shafts and the sound of metal against metal. It moved across Lyncome Vale to a regular clackety-clack pulling along carriages.
A freeze frame of this moment would reveal a white spikey object, it would chase the moving object.
Four pairs of architecturally ornate, slender catenary poles that were quite in keeping with the surroundings were placed alongside the embankment that straddled the valley. Thin taught wires were suspended  between the pairs and in such a way that they could provide power to a pantograph.. It whooshed across Watery Bottom Viaduct and plunged into Combe Down Tunnel on the other side.
“Which one was that ?” Moiriai asked.
Rell glanced down at the image of the smoke drifting up into the sky. Then moved his finger across the image.
“Uh the down Pines, left Bath at ten fourty five this morning.”
“Which engine was working it today ?”
“Uhh, well lets see.” Rell touched a button then said “Roll that back a few frames will you ?”
The image shifted, a green streamlined locomotive came into sharp focus along with a whiteish blob. Rell zoomed onto the locomotive’s cab where upon was a neatly painted white numbers. 21C11 and below that 35011. Rell zomed out.
“General Steam Navigation,” he said, “and Spikes of course.”
“Naturally. He likes to chase those things. Is that one usual ?”
“For today yes.”
The were stood in a position to overlook Bath Green Park station. To the left and some way forward was the engine sheds. Rows of rails and engines were being readied, a mixture of steam and diesel powered engines. Further to the left two sleek rectangular building. The immediate vicinity was festooned with similar catenaries and wires. More rows of engines, this time buzzing with electricity, pantographs stuck In the air. Wagons laden with good and empty carriages were being shunted and moved around in a coordinated fashion. Cranes and maintenance vehicles also occupied the depot area. There were coal pens and electrical substations.

“The Ranaroth created the world. I created the Guardians. I also built ViewSpace from scratch,” said Gamalfax. There’s just the five of us now that Jan Keunemund is dead. You lacked two necessary ingredients, so now you are an unranked harlequin. I just sit here and build stuff.”
“So if I bring you say a description of a light drive unit, or an illut=stration, technical specification, bluebrint you can build it ?”
“Indeed I can,” he replied.
“I only have one reference to ViewSpace.
“What does it say ?”

< ----- >

Mister Smelly happily obliges Saophron as her uncle, although not related to her Gamalfax was already part of Rell and Moirai’s family.

●          Analysis

                        ●          Comment
                          ●          Debate
                          ●          Speculation
                        ●          IF – THEN – ELSE
                          ●          SELECT – FROM – WHERE

“Remember Rell, these are instructions not orders. Act on your own initiative. Whatvever it is is’s merely background noise, learn it filter it out.”
-        Jan Keunemund

“Why do humans ask questions to which there are no definitive answers ?.”
-        Gamalfax

“We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented, it’s as simple as that.”
-        Christoff, “The Truman Show”

“So,” said Gamalfax, “what you got there ?”

Rell showed Gamalfax the image.
“Nice. I particularly like the fjords,” he said.
The whole house erupted in laughter.
“Archaic locomotive, steam powered. I like it. Retro. Go for it.”
Rell turned to Moirai. “Should you tell him or shall I ?”
Moirai nodded.
“Saophron come here and show your uncle Gee what you found.”
Gamalfax turned to look at Saophron. “I’m impressed,” he said earnestly.
“Thanks Mister Smelly,” she replied.
Gamalfax studied the data for a while then knelt down. “Young lady, you require a flux capacitor.” Steel nudged Gamalfax. “Hey, no fair.” The =n he hurumphed.”You can let my sister have it.”
Gamalfax trust a hand into the folds of clothing and brought out a small shiney twinkling object and thrust it towards Saophron.
“Happy birthday Saophron,” he saud.
“Thank you uncle.” Saophron took the item from him then curtied a little.
“Well Mister Smelly is very happy to have obliged.” He replied.

Rell was alright until Moirai came into his system. "Once in a lifetime, twice in your dreams. You have an infinite number of hopes, wishes and dreams to play with." said Moirai. Their physical union moments before was primative with music. "I know but there are so many which one do I choose ?" Rell asked. "That’s what the mood rolodex does Rell." Moirai replies, a smile flickering across her lips.....

“He will be around in day or night time.”
-        Skip Bifferty, “The Man in Black”

The planet was constructed by the Ranaroth. In fact the Ranaroth constructed many worlds. Infinity is big. Human beings thought that sending out probes to nearby planets was a long way but that was a merely a grain of sand on a beach compared to infinity. Infinity was the Ranaroth’s tool and unfortunately that tool was no longer functioning. It had been sealed away as a biological strand of DNA and had been implanted onto the planet named after them. The World of the Ranaroth.

The cosmic random factor, a technical specification for solar system and world building were all the Ranaroth needed. They simply tore apart the planes of raw law and raw chaos. Once the pocket universe was created they could link each one up with a Master Gate. At some point after the opening of the Master Gate the Ranaroth asked the Irrikon battle cruiser to destroy it by sending it into oblivion with a bolt of super heated and super condensed stellar matter that was fired from a gun four and a half light years long.
That would be how a dry analysis would have you believe. It’s mostly true of course but the writer omits most of the juicier elements such as when the Master Gate was activated there followed a war so terrible that the standard literary myths and legends gloss over it. Rell Thornscar however knew the truth.

The universe began with a  word, but which came first the word or the thought behind the word?. You can't create language without thought, and you can't conceive a thought without language. So which created the other and thus created the universe.
- Lorien, Babylon 5

Ancient lores gathered from sources in the Black Library would tell Rell the following flowery story.

There is the fabulous formless darkness in which all things are situated. For there to be something there must also be nothing. Yet the conundrum is that nothing but nothing can easily be defined. What can separate myth and legend from truth especially when written it is corrupted in translation? Thus is the language made simple to make clear the extent of the truth put forward. No book exists from which I copy or extract what I write. It comes from simply looking and observing all of that which can be seen. I do not wish to name myself or my race so that no later reader may be swayed. How am I able to know these events such that I could write them? It is known by seeing around corners and through walls of stone to that which lies beyond the fields we know. This was before the time of man when his world was limited to what he could reach on foot or horseback. Now, as then, men were content to stay within the fields we know, listening to the tales of the restless ones who travelled and brought back visions of strange places and stranger times. I tell of that which lies beyond the fields we know, that which is known but not necessarily believed. The vast cosmos that is the fabulous, formless darkness wherein all things lie are the two planes of which I tell. They are two of the many short twigs in the giant haystack of the cosmos. This particular cosmos is but one haystack, for there are many haystacks in many fields and no one knows how many short straws make up the haystacks. These two which I describe are twins, back to back but opposing. One twin is the plane of ultimate law, of rigidity and always stable. Never shifting and bound by all laws mundane or otherwise. It is the plane of pure truth and honesty, no crime is committed for none are known. This plane's twin is that of ultimate chaos - that of randomness and always unstable. Always moving and shifting as if constantly under the influence of an earthquake. No laws bind it, it is never the same; a swirling mass. Turning, spinning, catherine wheeling, forever changing, there's no beginning. Speeding through a charcoal sky. The Ranaroth knew these twins well as they lay side by side yet never quite touching. They were experimenters; world builders. So they pulled apart these strange bedfellows. Slowly they separated the twins from their cohabitation of eternity to form, to gel, to fragment. As they were separated so did cosmic forces cause mighty ruptures to appear on the inner surfaces of the twins who bled as if from deep wounds cut into them. Dust and matter bled from them. It streamed out, spewing forth to bridge the gap that now formed as they separated attempting to claw back each other. Matter bled from both sides, great vaporous trails of cosmic matter streaming into the gap that was formed, as if into some great cosmic mixing bowl. The Ranaroth watched the separation of the twins, aloof and distant, for they watched other twins separating, supervising their forms and shapes as easily as one may manipulate soft clay. The energy bleeding from the twins filled the void, an amalgam of energy and matter intermingled. But the Ranaroth were disturbed to find that certain elements were missing. Into the intermingling of energy and matter that poured forth from the wounds, they added the element of magic. A potent dust that would generate presdigitations and conjurations. So the forms were mixed and consolidated into the elemental planes of air, earth, fire and water. The planes of light and dark, the ethereal plane, the astral plane and finally the mundane or prime material plane from which was formed the planet. Around this sphere of influence the Ranaroth constructed the "Loop of Heaven." The Loop contained the mundane sphere and the plane of ice as well as the para-elemental planes. The Loop was to be home of the Ranaroth and when completed was the start of the First Age. The Loop is a ring or flat torus with an inner edge facing and surrounding the mundane plane but with no outer edge. When the world was formed the Ranaroth constructed gates or portals by which they would travel from plane to plane. The first type of gate the Ranaroth constructed allowed them to travel from the mundane plane to the pane of fire, or from the astral plane to the plane of light and so on. The second type of gate they built allowed them to travel to any plane they desired from the Loop and back. The third and final gate they built was upon the Loop of Heaven itself. This was called the Master Gate and allowed Ranaroth to travel from loop to loop. Thus they could travel from world to world. This situation existed for so long that no time period could adequately describe the length of it. But soon that was all to change with the coming of the Immortals.

When the Immortals arrived on the World of the Ranaroth their only way in was through the Master Gate. When the Immortals entered the World of the Ranaroth they were unaware that the great loop they had encountered was inhabited. The Immortals observed a great structure upon the Loop and assumed it to be a city of a long vanished civilisation. It was to their surprise that, when upon closer inspection, they found the Loop to be inhabited. They were about to leave when the Ranaroth were surprised to see visitors. The Ranaroth allowed the Immortals to observe the formation of the world as it coalesced into a solid globe and all manner of life grew up and died upon that small fleck of rock in space. Some Immortals wished to move on, some wished to stay. The Ranaroth told the Immortals that they wished to populate the planet with mortal beings of their own image. The Immortals realised that if the Ranaroth did so, the mortal beings would require deities to worship, and as there were those Immortals who were content to stay they decided to settle upon the Loop of Heaven at the behest of the Ranaroth. Unknown to the Ranaroth, the Immortals brought with them the seed of the Tree of Life. One of the Immortals planted this seed, not knowing that once it grew the Ranaroth would be in great danger. These events, though, were not to happen for many millennia. The first beings the Ranaroth created were the mortals. Those of the human species. The immortals intermingled their own life forms, the Sindarin and the Khuzdul onto the world. The Sindarin and the Khuzdul retained the immortality of their creators, however they were vulnerable to the cold iron wielded by mortal men. They were also susceptible to the diseases carried by the mortal men, and thus they could and did die. The Sindarin and Khuzdul would develop the creative arts: the craft of the smith, music and most importantly the art of magic. Humans would also develop these skills in time, and with much patience. However the Ranaroth knew that the human kind were easily led astray and would turn their attentions to warfare and other activities. Once the Immortals had settled upon the Loop they were welcomed as equals by the Ranaroth. So the First Age began. An age of contentment between the Ranaroth and the Immortals. New visitors arrived on upon the world. They were kin to the Immortals and known to them as The Green Lords. The Ranaroth did not know of them but welcomed them as equals also.

As the Green Lords began to settle upon the Loop of Heaven the Immortals became increasingly agitated towards those among them who attempted to usurp prime positions upon the Loop of Heaven. The Immortals began to fight amongst themselves. As many more Immortals arrived upon the world of the Ranaroth through the Master Gate, there were those among the new arrivals who envied those who had taken up prime positions on the edge of the Loop. Others were content to settle upon a new world. Those who arrived feeling that they deserved a position rightful to their stature argued with those who had already settled. These were minor altercations and were often resolved without bloodshed or disturbance to the world. Some, however, took up arms to gain better positions for themselves. The Ranaroth were undisturbed by these petty feuds, leaving the Immortals to sort out the problems for themselves. It was only as greater numbers of Immortals arrived that the feuds became more frequent and often had violent endings. Soon those Immortals who had been there the longest and had fought against those who wanted to usurp their positions on the Loop were becoming restless and agitated due to the increasing influx of bickering and violent Immortals from other realms. They decided to increase the strength of their positions by constructing great impenetrable citadels upon the Loop. The Immortals asked the Ranaroth if this construction would interfere with anything the Ranaroth were attempting, but the Ranaroth were content for the time being to allow the Immortals to do whatever they liked upon the Loop. The Ranaroth thanked the Immortals for asking permission but made it clear that they were considered as equals and did not need to ask for permission of them for any purpose. The Immortals thanked the Ranaroth and began construction of their fortresses. When new influxes of Immortals came through the Master Gate to find the prime positions already occupied and citadels had been constructed, they deemed this unacceptable and they stirred the fires of the Immortals who were still arriving and those who had recently arrived but had settled for lesser positions on the Loop. The Immortals who were unhappiest took up arms against those who had constructed the fortresses and citadels along the edge of the Loop. Thus the great war started with Immortal turning against Immortal in an ever increasing state of disillusionment. Those inside the citadels and fortresses were relatively safe although it is not known if any fell into enemy hands. The Ranaroth became disturbed by the squabbling of the Immortals and tried to interpose. The Immortals in their anger turned against the Ranaroth

The Green Lords, who had only recently settled upon the Loop were asked by the Ranaroth to negotiate for peace. However, other Green Lords were approached by Immortals and asked for assistance. The Green Lords, being neutral, did not wish to become embroiled in a situation that was not of their doing decided to leave the World of the Ranaroth, never to appear again. Although many modern scholars have noted how many fables tell of shades passing through lands leaving plant life with blood red sap in their wake and that these shades are indeed the Green Lords passing from the World of the Ranaroth not through space but through time. The war that raged between the Immortals and the Ranaroth was spectacular in power. Each side using magics of great potency causing explosions that shook the very fabric of the universe. The Ranaroth began to make creatures to help them in their fight against the Immortals and thus the Greater and Lesser Creations were formed. How the Ranaroth constructed such creatures is not known, but it included powerful magics that are unknown today. The last known of these, a creation called a Tarasque is said to be chained to "the roots of the world" by The Order of the White Ring.
The Order of the White Ring sprang up after the Ranaroth had vanished but before the creations were vanquished. It was set up to try and maintain some form of peace between the remaining Immortals, who by now had plenty of room on the edge of the Loop.
What type of creation the Tarasque was is not known but it seems likely that is was either a weak Greater Creation or a powerful Lesser Creation. The Tarrasque was an awesome beast of destructive power that was at least fifty feet tall. It had two great horns on its head and a jaw full of fangs. Fortunately the Tarrasque roamed the land for only short periods of time.
One of the members of The Order of the White Ring defied them, cause strife and was banished. His name was Alok Karn K'Thir and he set up The Order of the Black Ring to oppose them. He set out to release the Tarrasque from its imprisonment and bring about the Anathema. It is not known if he succeeded.
Other creations of the Ranaroth still survive in high mountain peaks. They are the winged fire drakes or wyrms, known to mortal men as dragons. These were very weak forms of Lesser Creations. The Ranaroth used these creations against the Immortals hoping to turn the tide of the battle. The Ranaroth were forced to create these beings because war was going on against them. During this time the Ranaroth sent great fortresses and armies through time to act as last outposts. The Immortals also sent citadels of their own into distant futures. As war raged, the Tree of Life grew and with it the Immortals strength. The Immortals gained strength from the Tree of Life, but it adversely affected the Ranaroth who were unaccustomed to the planes of Good and Evil. The magics that were used by both sides scarred and damaged the Loop, but did not disrupt its structure. Immortals first used the magics to counter the attacks of the Creations that the Ranaroth had made. Some of these Creations were destroyed, some sunk into the depths of the world, others were banished from the World of the Ranaroth through the Master Gate. The Ranaroth continued to construct these creatures in the hope that the Immortals would weaken. The Ranaroth transferred magical castings upon these creatures and many Immortals were banished for the world, or, like the creations, sunk into the depths of the world. Throughout this war the seed that had been planted grew into a small sapling, but it had not grown enough to affect the Ranaroth. The time when the Tree of Life began to blossom and flower was a time of great fluxes in the power of the Ranaroth. The Ranaroth did not know the cause of this flux in their power and continued to be otherwise engaged in the restraint of the warring Immortals. Some Immortals captured the creations of the Ranaroth and tried their own experimentation into creating similar beings. Their first attempts were crude and ineffective. Some Immortals used a different tactic by examining the workings of the Creations they found a crucial weakness in their construction. The Ranaroth had not considered the effect of the creatures being used against them and had made them without the power of thought. They were, in effect, mindless automaton, merely acting on instinctive instructions given to them by the Ranaroth. The Immortals took these Creations and subverted them by implanting memories that the Ranaroth had captured and enslaved their kind and that the Creations should rebel and take up arms against the Ranaroth. Many Immortals died as a result of spells being miscast, consuming themselves in their own pools of magical power. The Creations were easily swayed by the immortals because they were mindless. Those that succeeded in swaying the Creations caused them to take up arms against the Ranaroth. By now the war had raged for an immeasurable length of time. The Tree of Life was now fully grown and as a consequence the power of the Ranaroth was slowly waning. Their reservoirs of power were slowly drained by the Tree of Life and as the power of the Ranaroth waned, so did their hold over the Creations and their ability to create more. Whether it was this factor, or the Tree of Life that caused the downfall of the Ranaroth is not known. As the Ranaroth knew only raw law and raw chaos, the Tree of Life brought with it two new factors. The roots of the Tree of Life had become the roots of ultimate evil, and the canopy the heights of ultimate good. The Ranaroth were unaccustomed to the concepts of good and evil and the war was going badly against them, especially since they found their power was slowly being sapped from them. However, the Ranaroth knew that they only way for the Immortals to gain access to the world was through the Master Gate, when the war reached its climax they broke the Master Gate. Whether the Ranaroth were vanquished or departed is not known for sure. In Sindarin legend it is stated that the Ranaroth were "carried away on the wings of E'Aron" In the language of the Sindarin and Khuzdul the name Irrikon was corrupted to E'Aron, thus the Sindarin and Khuzdul believe that the Ranaroth escaped with the aid of the Irrikon. With the breaking of the Master Gate, the World of the Ranaroth was sealed forever both from within and from outside sources. Nothing could get in and nothing could escape. Alternate worlds and universes could still be reached through the Major Gates however and the planes were still accessible through the Minor Gates. When the Immortals realised they were trapped, they were left with many Creations still left roaming free eager to settle scores with the Immortals who had twisted them so. The Immortals took pains to eradicate the Creations by chaining some to "the roots of the world." Most, however, were destroyed by the Immortals. It is known, however, that a greater being gained access to the World of the Ranaroth through an unstable natural phenomenon. This did not occur until the time of the Cabal, the time of the Second Age.
The Second Age was a the beginning of the Age of Man. Men and Immortal creatures alike developed the art of magic and grew strong. When the first pools of power were tapped, mages and cleric from all sides joined forces and formed the Cabal. The cabal assembled all the powerful mages and sell casters that were present. They used their powerful magics to view the World of the Ranaroth in a great magical mirror. They did not view the world as it was but how it would be in the dim and distant future. The Cabal looked long and hard at the images in the mirror and saw that mankind were slowly destroying the world with no care for the animal or plant life that stood in their way. As the last of the animals were slaughtered to extinction and the last forests felled the Cabal could see the death throes of the planet. he Cabal knew the world was dying. Soon mankind would turn against one another as the Immortals once had and used weapons of great power that they destroyed themselves and the planet, leaving it a lifeless husk in space. When the Cabal had viewed their vision of the future for the world they decided to approach the Immortals who had remained hidden during the great conflict and who had now assumed the status of deities amongst the mortal creatures. The Immortals allowed the Cabal to visit them upon the Loop and for the first time the Cabal could look upon the Loop and see the scars of war that had been left on the Loop. They saw many citadels of the Immortals upon the Loop. They also saw the after effects of the war, the great disruption that had been caused upon the Loop. Only one large structure rent asunder. This was the Master Gate. The Cabal told the Immortals of their findings and allowed the Immortals to view their findings. The Immortals were saddened by the images but they also felt a sense of guilt and responsibility that it had been members of their own kind who had caused the great war that had just passed. The Immortals vowed that such events should never occur again, not only to protect themselves but to as a legacy to Ranaroth who had constructed the planet in the first place. The Cabal and the Immortals formed a pact that, from then on certain technological developments would be forbidden The Immortals selected from themselves those who were best able to attune themselves to the detection of the technologies the Cabal suggested be forbidden. These were the police force, known by many and various names - Knights of the Rainbow, Sons of E'Aron, Rangers. If they detected any such advances, the person or persons concerned would suffer some infortune death and any notes and working models would be destroyed. The Cabal drew up the list in conjunction with the Immortals. The list the Cabal drew up still survives. The list was written by the leader of the High Council of the Cabal at the time. The document states:

We, the Cabal, in conjunction with the greater beings (Immortals), do oath that no man nor beast who dwells upon the World of the Ranaroth shall be allowed to create, invent or cause to become made any advancements in technology, which we call inventions, in the following areas.
These areas shall henceforth be deemed "forbidden technology"
The first being the invention of any form of printing technique or moveable type press
The second being the invention of gunpowder or any weapon that uses or might be adapted to use explosive decompression
The third being the invention of mechanically generated electricity.
The fourth being the invention of the internal combustion engine, the invention of steam powered machines is however allowed.
The fifth being the invention of punched cards.
There will be no exceptions to this list and it shall not be subject to interpretation by either the Cabal or the Immortals.
Inventions shall be studied carefully by both the Cabal and the Immortals by the use of field operatives. Those that do not impose upon the above areas shall be allowed to proceed.
Those that do shall be terminated by the intervention of the attuned deity through the field operative.

"The keeper of the games is calling you
The keeper of the games sees what you do
The keeper of the games knows what you’re doing
When you don’t know yourself”
-        Sagittarius, “The Keeper of the Games”, Present Tense

The way Gamalfax would tell it would be an entirely different matter. Gamalfax coughed. Saophron and Steel sat crossed legged on small cushions. Moirai and Rell were sat in the shadows just watching. Moirai rubbing her pregnancy bump with her hand. “Now children,” Gamalfax began. “Let me tell you about the Custodians.” Steel clapped his hands. “Oh yes please uncle Gee,” he said excitedly. Saophron shushed him and Steel scowled at her.

Before the days of the "proper" Custodian there were the fixers, like me. I was a technician aboard an E'Aron vessel - though I had always called them Irrikon. They were ship builders - they created them by mere thoughts. These ships were big. The smallest ship they built was the Battle cruiser - 4 and a half light years long - basically a gun with a flight deck attached to the top of it. Anyway they used these ships to patrol the universe - somewhat akin to police. However their ships required stellar matter to power them and the Irrikon could not create suns.They searched the universe for a race that could create suns and they found the Ranaroth. World builders. When they discovered the Ranaroth they had just completed the building of a world. They were approached and welcomed as equals by the Ranaroth (which was nice) and heavy discussions ensued. Well it gets a bit hazy then because I was working like the proverbial dog. Being chief engineer on an Irrikon ship was a tough life - auto repair systems to repair, bots to maintain and so on. From what I could tell there was some kind of war raging between the Ranaroth and some other bunch of whatnots - anyway the ship I was on wasn't finished yet - we were just putting the final touches to all the bits and bobs that needed to be fitted. Anyway this war was going bad for the Ranaroth as far as I could tell because the Irrikon offered to transport them to their home world so they could create stellar matter to power the ships. It seemed like they had accepted the offer and soon enough a mother ship arrived. Now a mother ship - that's a rare sight - hen's teeth one might say - I mean the Irrikon don't do things by half - these mother ships carried .... well something in the region of 1000 star cannons. Star Cannons? Oh well the Battle cruiser has a single star cannon - it's the primary weapon, the big 4.5 light years long thing under us. It fires super condensed stellar matter - not exactly healthy to enemy ships or planets. You may think the Death Star was deadly but that's just a bee sting compared to a star cannon. Anyway I digress. The mother ship is a phenomenal vessel - it's about 512 light years long - I mean this thing can carry whole star systems in its smallest cargo hold. Anyway on the World of the Ranaroth the Irrikon had built a citadel as a base of operations - where they were known as E'Aron, probably because the locals could not pronounce Irrikon. Anyway at the end of this war the irrikon had to abandon this citadel, and this unfinished ship in orbit around the planet. They and the Ranaroth took off in the Mother ship - presumably to the home world. I was left behind. So what does that have to do with Custodians ? Well you see I had to tell the story above so you'd get the idea as to how we got stuck here. Originally the Ranaroth could move from plane to plane and place to place through gates (like star gates). They lived on the Loop of Heaven which was like a flat torus (disc) with an inner edge but no outer edge - freaky I know, but that's immortals for you. Anyway on the Loop of Heaven was the Master Gate - the gate that allowed access from anywhere in time or space to the world. Before they left the Ranaroth broke the Master Gate thus sealing the world forever both from within and without inside an impenetrable crystal shell. I tried the star cannon on it - pfft - nothing - just absorbed the impact. I don't know what they made that out of. So where was I...rambling...yes....but back to the story. Way back when I was introduced to the Irrikon I was living on a machine planet - all mine - I'd built it from every scrap of technology I could lay my hands on. I'd built my own one man all-purpose ship - the Aleste - and even created semi-intelligent robots for company. Anyway the Irrikon must have found my planet looking for whatever - they saw potential and made me an offer I couldn't refuse - work for them - repair their ships and so on. They took my planet into the hanger bay of their battle cruiser and off we went. The Irrikon were trying to make an army - not a clone army mind you - more like an elite police force who could settle on planets and maintain law and order. Well I cogitated over this and told them I could do it. Initially I created a suit for humanoids to wear as and when necessary - it could be taken off. But this proved somewhat unreliable as I soon discovered that the device was being used not only by those handpicked by the Irrikon but by others unsuited to take the device - it would take control of them instead of the other way round. Eventually the Irrikon had to destroy all the devices - they were most efficient at that. So we had to try another method - and I came up with the Custodians.The suit I constructed would become an integral part of the person who wore it - it could never be taken off. Anyway when we arrived at the World of the Ranaroth, the Irrikon had recruited about 50 or so humanoid creatures and I had trained them in the use of the suit and the powers. The Custodians needed some kind of base of operation - the ship wasn't the right place for dimensional travellers - so in a fold of space a small haven was constructed - a small island called ViewpSpace - from where the Custodians could get to anywhere they liked. I also constructed portals - similar to the Ranaroth's portals. There were three major portals: Maciss - giving access to the universe of Horror; Krossa - giving access to the universe of science fiction and T'Parim - giving access to the universe of Fantasy. There were other smaller portals located on the island giving access to specific time zones and/or places. However I'd built these gates prior to the destruction of the Master Gate, and I used T'Parim as the access to the World of the Ranaroth.A group of the Ranaroth, called The Cabal approached me regarding these Harlequin and told me that they required a "secret" police force for their planet to protect it against certain forbidden technologies (as they put it). They provided me with list and I implemented the necessary changes in design and construction required to fit into their parameters, They were well pleased and I assigned about a dozen of them to patrol the planet. Obviously when the war broke out it was like ... well...not like hell...worse. Anyway as a precaution I evacuated them all to the mother ship, except for one still on board the battle cruiser who had yet to receive the suit and myself of course. Obviously when the mother ship left I was miffed to put it lightly. They just upped and left with no warning - I didn't know where they were going, and I've never seen them again to this day. Anyway like I said the thing about the star gate was that the Ranaroth had broken it and well I wasn't about to go about repairing it (even if I could) because they'd done that for a damn good reason. However, because of the way I'd made the Rangers we could use a traveller to journey through both dimension and time.I mentioned before about Ranger Space and the portal - luckily (or maybe by accident) T'Parim's access gate was on a small rock outcropping at the end of a "broken" road - so it would never be easy to reach the gate. Anyway after the Ranaroth broke the Master Gate I returned to Ranger Space to see if I could get back to the world - I could - there was a gate the Ranaroth had been unaware of. This needed to be protected at all costs - and who better to do that than a Custodian.

< ----- >

The solar system that contained the World of the Ranaroth had two suns. The first was a super massive red giant named Zeroan. It was a smidgin under 2 million miles in diameter and it’s surface temperature was somewhere in the region of 3,000 degrees Kelvin. A million miles away at a distance of some 6 astronomical units was the second sun named Shiimeron. It’s surface temperature was in the region of 5,000 degrees Kelvin. Shimeron took approximately 900 years to orbit Zeoran. Around Shimeron orbited the World of the Ranaroth. It’s technical specifications were somewhat erratic. Compared to the planet Earth it was a giant, being 36,750 miles in diameter. It had a mass of 2.031, a gravity of 1.3 and orbits Shimeron once every 365 days and rotates on it’s axis once every 24 hours. These last two statistics were altered from their original values In order to suit a humanoid population. The planet had a 20 degree axial tilt, the atmosphere was a standard oxygen/nitrogen mix and the planet’s stellar luminosity was 18.77. It was the fiddly bits like these that Gamalfax enjoyed adding. Besides which the Ranaroth asked him to. He sometimes ignored the calculations and picked a value at random just for fun. The planet had surface temperatures ranging from -100 degrees tp 250 degrees centigrade. Gamalfax had changed the length of day and night from 4.575 to earth standard. Every planet Gamalfax did had those two attributes since it was a reminder of a world now long since returned to the cosmos. It was his signature. The Ranaroth had asked Gamalfax to construct a world between the planes of raw law and raw chaos because Gamalfax had built his own from scratch. Gamalfax had merely shown the Ranaroth his World Builders Handbook with all the necessary calculations within. The Ranaroth agreed and were content for Gamalfax to fill the domains of subspace with a random solar system each. 57% of the World of the Ranaroth was covered with hydrographic features, it had 11 techtonic plates, 7 major continents, 4 minor continents, 4 major islands and 80 volcanoes.

As far as physical details it was completed. It would be up to the inhabitants to fill In the blanks.

Rell Thornscar would use diagrams to illustrate how the World of the Ranaroth was created. The pulling apart of the planes of raw law and raw chaos, Gamalfax creating a solar system, the creation of stellar matter by the E’Aron. Rell always thought it more enigmatic to refer to the Irrikon as the E’Aron. The Ranaroth then created the Loop of Heaven, a disc with an inner edge but no outer edge. In the hole lay the World of the Ranaroth. The Ranaroth then created the Master Gate to link each domain of subspace to one another. The arrival of the immortals who settled on the inner edge. The planting of the Seed of Life which would grow into a huge tree with its Roots of Ultimate Evil and Canopy of Ultimate Good. Since the Ranaroth knew only law and chaos they considered the arrival of these two factors unnecessary and attempted to remove them. They almost succeeded until the Immortals subverted the mindless entities the Ranaroth had created and turned them against their creators. The Armageddon was narrowly avoided when one Ranaroth asked one Irrikon to destroy the Master Gate even knowing that it would seal this particular domain of subspace. One lone Ranaroth and one lone Irrikon stayed behind, the rest were evacuated on board an Irrikon mother ship that had been called to the rescue. The Ranaroth were carried away on the wings of E’Aron and the Master Gate was vapourised.

Everything else is interpolated.

Rell looked up from the hay. “Sorry about that,” he said.
“No apology necessary.”

In order to understand how Rell sees Moiria’s companion, the interpolated environment Ranaroth it is necessary to see through his eyes.

“If only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes.”
-        Roy Batty, “Blade Runner”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75077089@N00/7098321903/in/photostream

1.  The Alpha Wave Analyser.

 This visual unit of the Custodian's mask serves the purpose of analysing the Custodian's alpha wave.

2.  Main Visual Unit

The Custodian's link to the outside world and the mask.

A.  Visual Disruption Field Status Indicator - status of the VDF

B.  Speed Indicator - how fast the Custodian is travelling
C.  Scanner
D.  Bio-scanner - checks the Custodian's body for damage
E.  Energy
F.  Aura
G.  Weapon Status
H.  Magnified Image - view up to 20km away

3. Spectrum.  This screen allows the Custodian to manually select a light spectrum to view the outside world.  The mask normally selects the optimum spectrum, but on occasion the Custodian will select one better suited to a specific task.  There are a number of options available:

IR - Infra Red, UV - Ultraviolet, "sun" - daylight (aka sun visor); "rock" - mineral scan; "moon" - image enhancer; "clouds" - mist vision (for fog &c).

Since Rell’s alpha waves generated the images they were composite, interpolated. That is to say a combination of real and imagined perceptions of a bronze age world, at least initially. The World of the Ranaroth is the companion of Moirai in the same was that Spikes is the companion of Rell. It is a combination of the past, the present and the future. This is why it is confusing to Rell and doesn’t make sense. It took Rell some considerable time to adjust to these new ideas and despite the inconsistencies that were presented to him it worked. Or at least it did now. He could see it as ViewSpace – roads and gates that lead to points past, present and future.

To aid in navigation Gamalfax had provided Rell with a map and a traveller. Although REll did not need to smoke he did, probably a memory from his humanity. Gamalafax fashioned the traveller as a milled brass object that weighed 130 grams or 4 ounces. It had symbols engraved on both sides. On one side was a triangle with circles as the points. The engraved lines were filled with red filigree. On the other side was a symbol representeing the interpolated environment. If Rell flipped the lid a flame would appear with which he could light his smokes. It would also summon the circle and signpost allowing Rell and Moirai to travel to any of the domains of subspace.

By human standards Zak was a horrible and distorted figure. Crowds of other similar beings were moving around the space, some sat at tables. Zak thrust forward a container at Rell.
“Laxy Juice if I remember correctly,” the figure said.
“Quite correct,” Rell replied and although it wasn’t strictly necessary Rell took the container and drank the foul smelling sludgy liquid.
“How can Zak help ?”
“I take it everything is ready ?”
“Oh yes we have the Zamoglot ready and waiting.”
“Good. I knew I could count on you Zak.”
The figure almost smiled.

Zak had been Rell’s first contact when he came to the Baathek Occupation. The Baathek had come from another domain of subspace and considered everything else here “the enemy” despite the fact that the so called enemy were exactly the same as the Baathek. The place wasn’t pleasant and they only met in public. As Zak had said to Rell “the best place to hide from prying eyes is amongst the masses.” Although technically the domain was under strict lockdown Rell had arrived just in time to prevent a summary execution. Zak was an enemy or so the Baathek claimed. Not that the Baathek required or needed such trivialities as evidence or proof. Rell had known about Zak’s predicament before hand. The rescue had gone mostly to plan and except for a few hairy moments with Baathek neural scanners he had managed to secure a valuable ally. Zak was, he had been told by Gamalfax, a “typical Custodian trooper. A gropo. Ground pounder.” It was just that Zak was heavily outnumbered. To everyone else Zak was a Baathek, except Zak knew the truth. The fight to hold the occupation back had been long and he was only one trooper. It would go on but both Rell and Zak knew the Baathek didn’t belong in this particular domain of subspace and they were attempting to close one of the threads that connected this one with that of the Baathek’s own. When one thread was cut another would appear elsewhere and the search would continue. Zak had at his disposal the Zamoglot, a small Baathek attack craft. The authorities were none the wiser because as far as the Baathek were concerned Zak was just another executed traitor and not worth a second thought again. A few losses were to be expected. The rebel forces were tenacious and as far as the Baathek were concerned they were “the enemy.” Zak had realised the fact that the rebels and the Baathek were indeed one and the same species. Now he needed a contact who could be trusted, someone who was not Baathek but could fake it.

“Look Rell,” said Gamalfax, “there are five Custodians. You, Moirai and me here.” Gamalfax took out the parchment map and spread it across the object strewn metal fold-up table. Gamalfax cleared a space on it, a few of the objects tumbled off the edge of it and tumbled into the darkness. His finger moved across the map.
“2025 AD The Knight City. That would be the bag lady, the down and out homeless guy or the tramp. A mime.” He moved his finger to another part of the map. “Baathek Occupation here is Zak, he’s a trooper. Your basic grunt I’m agraid.” Gamalfax moved his finger to T’Parim. “Moirai you know, the avatar. She’s your basic pleasure model. Me the fixer and you.”

●          Unranked (ranged, priest, warrior)

                          ●          Trooper (soldier, tank)
                        ●          Mime (bag lady, tramp, reclusive and quiet)
                        ●          Avatar (healer, basic pleasure model, magic user)
                        ●          Tech (mechanical, repair, locks, keys, tricks and traps)