The Gambits Of Curiosities
We’re all learning, even in our final hour
Welcome to fiction “From The Future” for this entry.
Congratulations, you have stumbled on a work-in-progress, it will not be emailed. It will change. What you see right now, will not remain the same. It will change.
This is also a new drafted chapter for a novel, “RETRIEVE”, being written this year.
Future + Fiction is the formula for everything, whether it’s an essay, story or chapter.
These long pieces are best read online, via the Substack App, when you have fifteen minutes.
Part 1, The risks of certainties
The Curate
“The greatest risk is giving up life itself. We risk foregoing an ocean of what there is for a few bitter drops of what could be. Is that worth it? Must we keep pushing past the bounty of these last eons?”
The Curate picked up a sword, one of the first of the world, not to use but as a pointer. She pointed at the Archival feed, with updates and data for the Island.
“That Island is going to be the end of this, if we let them take it, or maybe we take charge and protect them from themselves. Maybe we can respect the Ancients, and do what must be done. The others have plans to betray everything we have sacrificed for. We no longer have the means to use ancient greater powers, so we will use other means to save this Mission and our ancient purpose.”
The Curate’s Archivists applauded, and resumed their preparations for the Island.
Part 2, The rewards of imperfections
The Mad One
“We’re all learning, even in our final hour,” said the Mad One, as he tapped at his streaming static feed, floating between him and Aglaea in the backseat.
“Imagine being an apprentice in an art master’s studio, a few centuries ago in Florence, then Milan. It wasn’t enough. There was always more, wasn’t there? For one mortal, an application to the masters of that city, the Sforzas. A letter promised much, weapons, great machines, a mighty metal horse. His first creations were stage shows so that was ambition and imagination and desire. He did it, his greatest works decades in the making, and he died with unfinished works. Rejection. Frustration. Curiosity. Genius. I understood that, I lived and died and lived that, for thousands of years. This world was my workship, my studio. And what’s happening now…”
“… that, that’s your masterpiece,” said Aglaea.
The Mad One looked at her, and smiled after half-a-beat, and laughed and then took hold of her hand.
“And you, my friend, you’re a part of that. At last.”
“Excuse me, Sir and Miss, we’ll be on the tarmac in less than thirty minutes,” said the driver.
Part 3, The reverie of uncertainties
The Visitor
“There were new lights of new dreams, shining through windows to the next new thing. That next new thing? To breach the sky and brave the stars for real. To play the great cosmic game. Again, after millions of years.”
An armorer handed The Visitor extra ammunition for his tactical suit. He continued,
“The best games may have simple rules but mastery may require a lifetime. I’ve lived the equivalent of millions of lifetimes, all of my sibling kindred elder Nodes have. We’ve been privy and privileged to play the game. And now maybe it’s time with the Island to take us into a new direction. Both The Curate and The Mad One are preservationists, I disagree and intend to beat them to it, and change it all. The Game of Creation is played on a invisible and infinite board. It's a game played by almost everyone in some way. It began the moment a young one lets loose the imagination.”
“Excuse me, Sir, first team is ready, waiting for authorization. Pilot reports ready.
The Visitor nodded, and walked out of the operations room, “get me to the transport.”
“The word is go, I repeat, the word is go,” said one of the specialists.
The humm and murmurs of the operations room rose a fraction. The Map of the Island continued to update with pings and small icons and chyrons.
AFTERWORD
Author’s Notes on what’s going on:
This “Book #3” project, “RETRIEVE”, is meant to be a prequel to two other books, “Box Of Stars” and “Harvest” but this piece could be read as a standalone story.
The prologue for “RETRIEVE”, “An Impossible Island”, was submitted as a short story.
Prologue: “An Impossible Island”, Part One and Part Two, and Part Three, was inspired by writing prompts from the Soaring Twenties Social Club (STSC) creative community, beginning with an STSC Symposium monthly theme of “Beach”.
Chapter 1, “Older Than Bones”, was inspired by the theme, “Dinosaurs”.
Chapter 2, A Love Trinity Denied, was inspired by “Romance”.
Chapter 3, “A Forgotten Circle Of Hades” was inspired by “Superstition”.
Chapter 4, “Reading The Room” was inspired by an image of a wall-sized bookshelf.
Chapter 5, “The Bittersweetness Of Deep Times”, was inspired by “Isolation”.
Chapter 6, “The Weaving Of Split Infinities”, was inspired by “Dreams”.
Chapter 7, “Dead Languages”, was inspired by “Propaganda”.
Chapter 8, “Path Not Forsaken”, was inspired by “Risk”.
Chapter 9, “The Last Word of The World”, considers words as worlds unto themselves.
Chapter 10, An Intimate Path Of Desires
Chapter 11, Absent Without Longing
Chapter 12, Lonely In The Same Room
Chapter 13, Children Of Daedalus
Chapter 14, People Of A Faraway Land
Chapter 15, Distant Shores, Distant Worlds
Chapter 16, The Rules of New Places
Chapter 17, Space To Breathe
Chapter 18, The Extra Air
Chapter 19, The Clash Of Selves
Chapter 20, The Last Meme
Chapter 21, Mistakes And Memories
Chapter 22, The Confusions Of Things
Chapter 23, The Senses Of Wonders
Chapter 24, The Gambits Of Curiosities
“RETRIEVE” chapter and notes will be posted in this Substack, while I edit books #1 (“Box Of Stars”) and #2 (“Harvest”). All will be in the archive, not all will be emailed.)