Urth's Orphans - Chp. 1: Revelations (Gorum and Major)

[DadsAngry]

Major:

Timidly Major replies "My name is Major. I am not a mutant. This metal arm...doesn't make me unpure does it?" He looks at his arm. "If I was to return to my village I would be cast out; feared for the difference. Is it the same here?"

[Grognardsw]

Teralyina looked sympathetically at Major. “It is okay Major. You are not impure. We will not shun you. We of lost Urth must stay together. We are all we have left, if these Ancient Ones are to be believed.”

Others gathered about, nodding in consent. “They say we will come to learn of this place,” a red-haired man named Kogan said. “To live among the humans, the metal men, and the mutants they call aliens.”

“The heavens are our world now?” questioned a short black-haired girl called Leytana.

Meanwhile, across the room, Gorum spoke with his fellow gibbons and monkies. He learned they came from various tribes in the north, as well as far east beyond the Great Lake. Like Gorum, they were saved or taken up before the disasters fell upon the wounded lands.

After an hour, Major and the humans and Gorum and the monkies were brought to their living quarters. They were luxuriant compared to their previous home dwellings.



“Rest my friends,” said Mister Hamilton. “You have had a long day filled with change and wonders that challenge mind and body. Sleep well. Tomorrow you will learn more about Starhaven, the worlds of the Plurality, and options for joining the greater society.”

[Mant72]

Gorum speaks with Major alone later that evening.

“Major, we have been through many trials together, and there is trust and friendship between us. I am uncertain about our new surroundings. This place is strange... unnatural. I miss the open air, the sound of birds, and the wind in the trees. Can we truly trust these metal men and their intentions? I have no real reason not to trust. They have shown us nothing but kindness, yet I remain cautious. What say you?”

[DadsAngry]

Major:

"I agree Gorum. This place makes me feel uneasy. It's all too clean and sterile. Let us be cautious."

[Grognardsw]

The mutant gibbon monkey and Urthman human shared their concerns before retiring to bed. Their rooms were opposite each other in the corridor. The beds were the most comfortable they have ever lied down upon. There were no moon and stars in the sky, no sounds of the night, no breezes bearing the smells of forest and plain. Just an unnatural silence and scentless air.

It took Gorum some time to go to sleep. It had been such a momentous day, starting with their harrowing infiltration into Zardoz' compound, the battle of the Twelve Tribes, penetration into the giant stone head, the explosions of the Urth and the deadly lava. Then salvation, saved by the flying city, thrust into a new world that was part of an immense "galaxy" comprising the "universe." It made the monkey's head spin. Finally he drifted off to sleep.

That night Major dreamt strange visions. He was in a different place, with different clothes, with a woman who felt familiar and also a little brown-haired boy. They were playing in a field, happy together. Mist rolled in and he lost sight of them. When it cleared, Jack was in the wounded lands of the ill Urth. Mutant toddlers scrambled toward him, and in the distance Mother suckled humans at her many nipples.

A gentle ringing sound woke Major. "Good morning, it is time to wake up. Good morning, it is time to wake up." the voice came from somewhere in the room.

[DadsAngry]

Major:

Major scabbles out of bed looking for the source of the voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

[Mant72]

Startled by the disembodied voice, Gorum jumps to his feet, crouches, and prepares to defend himself.

[Grognardsw]

In their respective rooms, Major and Gorum looked suspiciously about for the invader. They saw nothing. Was this a mental attack? Many were the psychic dangers on Urth; why would here be any different?

The voice spoke again, and man and monkey realized it was coming from a grill in the side of the wall. It was too small for someone to hide behind.

The black glass screen that was in the wall suddenly came to life with an image of Mister Hamilton.

“Good morning! I hope you had a restful sleep,” said Mister. “Today we will begin your education and assimilation into Starhaven society. After you refresh for the day, please exit your room and follow the blue light path to the Knowledge Center.”

The screen returned to its black state.

[Mant72]

Gorum taps the glass with his finger and sniffs the screen where Mister Hamilton’s visage once was. “More strange magics,” he mutters to himself.

He grooms his fur and strolls out into the hallway, looking for the blue light path that Mister Hamilton spoke of.

[Grognardsw]

Gorum waited for Major in the hallway outside his room, but perhaps the Urthman was sleeping late, caught up in dreams.

The mutant monkey walked down corridors following a blue lighted line in the wall.



He occasionally passed people, mostly human but also some of the metal variety. They were all friendly, nodding their head or saying what he guessed was "hello" if he understood their language.



The blue light ended at a doorway which slid open by itself as Gorum approached. The gibbon peered in...

"Welcome, come in!" said a human woman, smiling and motioning the monkey in. She wore a fist-sized cube on a necklace that Gorum recognized Mister Hamilton used to enable speech to be understood. "You must be Gorum. We were expecting you."



"Did you have a human friend who was suppose to be with you, a Mr. Major?"

[Mant72]

Gorum remains alert, his senses on edge due to the barrage of new sights, smells, and sounds.

“Yes, I am called Gorum. My friend, Major, should be joining us soon. Who might you be?”

[DadsAngry]

Major:

"Hello?" Major says as he presses his face up to the small metal grating. "Are you alright in there?" He tries his best to look inside but it's dark. "My name is Major...Aaah!" he exclaims with surprise as the black wall comes to life. Out of breath, he says nothing to Mister and just stares until the image disappears. After Major scratches his greasy oily hair. "What does he mean refresh for the day?" He goes back to the grate pressing his lips to the small openings and shouts "what does refresh for the day mean?" He turns and places his ear to the grate waiting for a reply but none comes. He looks around his room for a few minutes still confused at where he is and exits through the door. Outside of his room, he looks up and down the corridor. "Hmm, blue light. I guess I should follow it," which he does.

[Grognardsw]

“My name is Mrs. Le Guin,” the dark-haired woman in the white dress said to Gorum. “I’m here to help you through the education process. We will apply a combination of hypnosis and indoctrinos injections. You will attain a basic knowledge of current society and its workings that will enable you to function as a contributing member. How you do so of course is up to you.”

The mutant monkey didn’t understand many of Mrs. Le Guin’s words, but she seemed sincere and helpful.

“Come sit.”

She directed Gorum to a chair at the console. She proceeded to place a helmet on his head with wires and pins on it.

The door opened and Major stepped in.

[DadsAngry]

Major:

As Major enters through the door and views Gorum. "Gorum!" he shouts. "What are you doing to him?" as he rushes to his friend's side.

[Mant72]

Gorum is fidgety and nervous but eventually eased by Mrs. Le Guin’s gentle demeanor. ”If they wanted me dead, they could have seen to it already. I hope no hands of darkness are at play here,” he thinks to himself.

“Major!” Gorum calls out as his friend rushes in. “All is well...I think...”

[Grognardsw]

Major was greeted by a blond woman with a clipboard as he entered the chamber.



"Good morning, Mr. Major," she said as the Urthman rushed by her.

The human had visions of their Zardoz confinement flash through his mind. Major saw that Gorum was not tied down to the chair and seemed to be in good health.

Gorum felt the helmet on his head. There was a slight humming. Wires ran from it to the machine near him. The brunette woman adjusted some controls. Gorum felt a tingling in his skull. "This will take a few hours," commented the brunette.

"Mr. Major, I am here to help you through the education process," said the blond woman. "We will apply a combination of hypnosis and indoctrinos injections. You will attain a basic knowledge of current society and its workings that will enable you to function as a contributing member. Please take a seat.”

[DadsAngry]

Major:

Major calms down a bit as he gets reassurance from Gorum. He takes a seat in his chair and turns to the attendant "what are hypnosis and indoctrinos injections?"

[Grognardsw]

As Gorum's silence seemed acceptance, the mutant monkey underwent the education process with the helmet on his head.

Major was more inquisitive with his questions.

"Hypnosis and indoctrinos injections are techniques to impart knowledge and information in an accelerated fashion," answered the woman. She sensed the primitive Urthman did not understand many of these terms. "It's like going to school, but all the lessons are injected into your mind." Still a look of bafflement. "Think of the tales your village elders told around the campfire. The hypnosis is opening your ears and minds to all the tales of Starhaven, and indoctrinos injections are the telling of those stories in a way that you will remember them all."

She placed the helmet on Major's head.

[DadsAngry]

Major:

"Your ways are as strange as your speech. If you had wished us harm you would have done so by now. I will allow you to proceed." Major settles in his chair and doesn't fight the attendant.

[Grognardsw]

Gorum felt a torrent of sensation in his brain.



He knew.

Major's mind veered though a valley of knowledge and insight.



It stopped. Wasn't this to take several hours?

"You're done," said the blond.

It had been several hours. Major and Gorum were astounded at the time, and the knowledge they now possessed.

"You now have a basic understanding of current society, its culture and techology," said Ms. Le Guin. "With this foundation, you become a functioning member of Starhaven or any community you seek beyond our city."

The Urthman and mutant monkey understood now the order of things, that Starhaven was a city ship among the stars in a galaxy full of worlds collectively called the Plurality. While they have lost their own home world there now lay before them a panoply of worlds and opportunity.

"Major, the brainization process destabilized quarantined memories within your subconscious cortex," advised Ms. LeGuin. "I do not know how or why these were repressed. I have sent a report to Mr. Hamilton, who can provide more detail."

Amazingly Major vaguely understood what she was talking about. Did this explain those elusive dreams, memory of which he could barely grasp?

"More specialized knowledge can be acquired depending on desired vocation," continued Ms. Le Guin. "Mr. Hamilton and Xavimon the mandroid will further brief you. Please follow the purple lighted line to their conference room."