2:00

a lifting film that forms between oil

2:02

and water where they meet. A

2:05

bright iridescent sky shines

2:08

above, glimmering with

2:10

harsh prismatic light. There

2:12

is no sun, just

2:16

brilliant sky. And

2:18

jagged white crystals large

2:20

and small float

2:23

among monolithic clouds like weightless

2:25

shards of broken glass. A

2:28

limitless expanse above, the

2:31

on, an endless

2:33

ocean below. The

2:35

fold, are the

2:37

on and the fold actually

2:40

endless? No

2:42

one knows, not yet.

2:46

There, floating half submerged in a

2:48

liquid fold around Red Desert World,

2:52

a spherical planetoid rolling slowly,

2:54

glacially in the sea. We

2:57

realize this might be hard to imagine.

2:59

Picture a pumpkin or something, a drift

3:02

in a tranquil ocean, bobbing

3:04

gently, half submerged, half exposed,

3:06

turning slowly. But this

3:09

pumpkin is an entire desert world,

3:11

and this ocean is made of

3:13

impossible liquid darkness. See?

3:15

You're doing great. Welcome to

3:17

the cosmos. We

3:20

fly fast, soaring over the

3:22

fold, traveling miles every moment.

3:25

Down, down we go, diving

3:28

into that ocean of inky

3:30

fog. It's

3:33

not actually liquid at all. It

3:35

almost feels like nothing. We dip

3:37

just below the surface, toward the

3:40

submerged underside of the planetoid. There,

3:42

shrouded in darkness. Let's

3:44

take a closer look. Let the

3:46

gravity pull you in. On

3:48

the surface of the planetoid, dimly

3:50

visible in the darkness, a

3:53

spectacular desert landscape. We

3:56

fly past red stone arches

3:58

looming suddenly out of the

4:00

shadow. criminal, crimson canyons, the

4:03

glimmer of civilization, romance, train

4:05

tracks, farms, little terroons, vibrant

4:07

plant life, outlandish succulents and

4:09

neon lichens spilling everywhere, flickering

4:12

and pulsing with multicolored bioluminescence,

4:15

a surreal alien desert

4:17

of vermillion crags and

4:19

cliffs and critters and

4:21

cacti, and there, a

4:24

stunning redstone mountain, on

4:27

and around which there's sprawls,

4:30

a city. We're

4:36

inside a hat shop, opened

4:39

for business about six minutes ago. It's

4:41

dark, it's early, it's getting

4:44

close to unrise. It's

4:46

quiet and calm in here, it

4:48

smells like juniper, like felt. The

4:51

air is still and warm, wafting

4:54

with a suspended, foggy darkness

4:57

that hangs around us, a

5:00

shadowy haze. The

5:02

door opens, the first customer of the

5:05

day steps inside. A

5:07

cloaked figure, quiet and

5:10

slight, dressed head to

5:12

toe in a long black cape, carrying

5:15

a modest, dingy suitcase in one

5:17

hand. They look peaceful,

5:20

unbothered, eyes half-litted. They

5:23

seem serene, but

5:26

aware. They

5:28

glide slowly between hat

5:30

displays, placidly examining

5:32

headwear. Hello, can I

5:34

help you find anything? This

5:36

is Sohelia, the hat maker, asking this from behind

5:39

a table where she's sewing

5:41

a feathered fascinator by the gently pulsing

5:43

light of a fold-safe lamp. I've

5:45

got a 25% off sale on flat caps right now. I

5:50

need to buy a hat. The

5:52

visitor whispers. What

5:54

was that? I need to buy a hat.

5:57

They say, again, maybe one person.

6:00

louder. The

6:15

figure turns their slow, lidded

6:17

gaze to Sohelia. This

6:22

traveler has never seen an

6:24

unrise before. Today will be

6:26

their very first, and they're told

6:28

it's going to be bright and it's going to be...

6:31

well, it's something you need a big hat for.

6:33

So they say simply, it needs

6:35

to be big. Oh,

6:37

of course. Well, come, step right over

6:40

here, my dear. We've got several choices

6:42

on offer. The dark figure

6:44

glides quietly across the room,

6:47

eyes turning between top hats,

6:49

bowler hats, flat caps, to

6:51

some large, broad-brimmed articles that

6:53

Sohelia here is indicating. How

6:55

about this one, darling? She

6:57

says, picking out the biggest,

6:59

shadiest hat she has in

7:01

her inventory. The broadest-brimmed. Sohelia's

7:04

practiced hands lift it off of

7:07

the mannequin and pop it instantly

7:09

onto the newcomer's head. They

7:12

put down their suitcase and step in

7:14

front of a mirror. They

7:16

stare at their reflection, emotionlessly,

7:18

as though looking at a

7:20

stranger. How does that feel?

7:24

Fine. They don't

7:26

seem... well, who knows? They don't really seem to feel

7:28

much of any way about that hat. It seems to

7:30

work. They look fine. They

7:32

look cool. Well, if that'll do the trick, I'll

7:34

get that rung up for ya. Will you need

7:36

a box? No. Say

7:40

again, sorry. The figure

7:42

shakes their head, almost imperceptibly, whispering

7:44

some more. No, books.

7:47

Alrighty then, Sohelia says, struggling to

7:49

keep the rapport fresh and lively

7:52

and casual. Are you here for

7:54

the big day? Yes.

8:00

Wow. Hmm. Well,

8:03

there's no reason to sustain this

8:05

business transaction any longer than necessary.

8:08

Sohelia is noodling with her cash

8:10

register here. Sohelia would perhaps

8:12

like the visitor to leave. The

8:14

visitor would perhaps like to leave as well. They have some

8:16

business to attend to. There's a meeting they have to get

8:18

to. It would be best overall for the scene if

8:20

the visitor were to leave now. Interchange takes

8:23

place. An exchange of a small

8:25

amount of money for a... Large

8:27

amount of hat. That business ain't

8:29

it great. And

8:31

with that transaction concluded,

8:34

Sohelia whips a receipt

8:36

into the stranger's hand or in the

8:38

direction of the stranger's hand. Would

8:41

you care for paper receipt?

8:44

The stranger is clearly about to say no, as they

8:46

have been saying to most things this morning so far

8:48

already. But they pause instead

8:50

and, to the surprise of Sohelia,

8:52

into the surprise of all of us here listening,

8:55

says instead, in fact... All

8:58

right. Wow. Wow. Innovative. What

9:01

will they do next? What shocking

9:03

decision will they make? And the

9:06

caped, hatted figure takes possession of

9:08

the bill of sale from Sohelia,

9:10

and with a sort of limp

9:13

gesture, says for the first time, Thank

9:16

you very much. And with

9:18

that, they turn in a swooping fashion

9:20

and begin to quietly, mysteriously

9:22

glide toward the door. Enjoy

9:25

the celebration. Sohelia bids them

9:27

farewell. And hold on to that

9:29

receipt. That date will go down in history,

9:31

mock my words. And with

9:34

a detached nod to Sohelia,

9:36

the figure's black gloved hand

9:38

grasps the door knob, and

9:40

they exit the shop. Out

9:43

into the city they go. A

9:45

bustling scene of progress and industry

9:47

and human endeavor surrounding them in

9:49

this pre-dawn hour, as they

9:52

exit the hat shop onto the main street, a

9:54

busy avenue winding up the spine of the city's

9:56

hill. A tight formation

9:59

of fold merciful. The holes

10:01

soar by overhead, hurrying to

10:03

descend out of the fog's

10:05

shrouded night, and more in

10:07

the nearby shipyard before on-rise.

10:10

The caped traveler is on the

10:12

move up Main Street. Suitcase

10:14

in one hand, hat on head.

10:17

It is quite a hat. Stunning. Stylish.

10:21

And they are of rather short stature, which is

10:23

making them look even smaller in comparison to the

10:25

large hat. They take in

10:27

every detail of the city scene,

10:29

with that detached, lidded, slightly weird

10:33

gaze. Allies and boulevards

10:36

sprawling around them as they walk,

10:38

thronging crowds surging up and down

10:40

the main drag. It's a busy

10:42

morning here in the city today.

10:46

In the dark, gently pulsating

10:48

lamp posts cast their fluctuating

10:50

glow onto all the chaotic

10:52

procession of traffic, various

10:54

bocular vehicles, beasts of

10:56

burden, zippy little personal scooters.

10:59

Street vendors are setting up their

11:01

stands and hawking their wares. Chevron-shaped

11:04

trinkets on chains, commemorative

11:07

spoons, and sizzling skewers

11:09

of meat and cactus.

11:12

This place, not so very long

11:15

ago, just a little rough-and-tumble frontier

11:17

town, is now a

11:19

bustling metropolis to rival any of

11:21

the most famous cities in the

11:23

cosmos. Stationary Hill.

11:27

The first, biggest, and depending

11:29

on who you ask, best

11:32

city on midst. Strange

11:35

cacti sprout from crevices

11:37

between dusty paving stones.

11:40

Odd grasshopper things

11:42

sprawing in the word as

11:45

the camped figure moves quietly by.

11:47

People everywhere on the go,

11:50

voices murmuring excitedly, anticipation high,

11:52

for... Launch

11:56

Day. Launch Day. So

11:58

says the banner, going up. being pulled

12:01

taut over the street by a few

12:03

fellers struggling with ropes and pulleys. Launch

12:06

day. Two big words

12:08

in dramatic letters set

12:10

against a chevron-shaped sigil. There's

12:13

that sigil again. Chevron's everywhere today. What does

12:15

it all mean? In addition

12:17

to countless folks who live right here

12:19

on Midst, there are also people

12:21

from all over the cosmos. Visitors

12:25

from cities high in the on,

12:27

barren, deep in the fold, quite

12:29

a few of the latter exhibiting unique

12:32

properties. A carpenter covered

12:35

in opalescent scars. A sailor

12:37

bouncing along five feet in the air

12:39

with every step. A woman whose left

12:41

leg is an entire nother man. They

12:43

both wave at the Cape Traveler in

12:45

passing. Howdy. Howdy. Happy

12:48

launch day. The Cape Traveler nods to the

12:50

woman and her leg in passing. The

12:52

city itself is shot through with

12:55

elements of uncanny surrealism as well.

12:57

It's not just the people. Not

13:00

all buildings here look quite... How

13:02

shall we say this? Normal? Exactly.

13:04

What is normal here? Here,

13:08

a hotel with strangely

13:10

fractal-like windows. There,

13:13

shining in the lamplight, an

13:15

entire street made of porcelain.

13:18

Here, a narrow creek, water

13:21

suspended in mid-air, burbling

13:24

weightlessly above wooden trellises winding

13:26

down the main street, winding

13:28

down the spine of

13:31

the desert hill. All kinds of

13:33

weird stuff like this, just existing.

13:36

All may be a little unusual for

13:38

you, but not unusual to anyone here

13:41

on Midst. Unless they're from the un

13:43

and they've never seen fold-related stuff before. All

13:46

these features, all these unusual

13:48

spectacles, that's just how things have

13:50

been here for quite a while. These

13:52

things happen in the

13:55

fold sometimes. Here, just

13:57

off of the main drag, stands the

14:00

and several colonnades

14:02

encircling a lush, bioluminescent

14:05

park. Standing

14:08

starkly there, against the fluorescence

14:10

of a cop's vibrant mushrooms,

14:13

a cluster of three black-cloaked

14:17

mothers with tall,

14:19

horned mantis-like headdresses. Their

14:23

hands are gloved, their

14:25

faces veiled, and they're chatting

14:27

quietly with each other. The

14:30

caped traveler approaches, and one of

14:32

those dark entities standing there in

14:34

the park, his

14:36

horns, wide and flat,

14:39

kind of like a hammerhead

14:41

shark, looks up

14:43

from his conversation at the

14:45

approaching traveler. I

14:47

see you have obtained a giant hat.

14:50

It gives you a certain distinction.

14:53

He turns to his shrouded compatriots

14:55

and continues. The granddaughter

14:58

here has just arrived from

15:00

our deep synobium, and

15:02

I must take them now to check in at the

15:04

ship. I may not see

15:06

either of you before we launch, so

15:08

I wish to thank you all for

15:11

your contributions to the expedition. Mother

15:13

Miss Apprehension, Mother Calamity,

15:16

I will see you when we return. Please

15:19

give my best to the grandmother. See

15:22

people in the street turn abruptly

15:25

to watch this exchange, because holy

15:27

cow, that person is loud. He's

15:29

just got one of those voices that carries.

15:32

Farewell, Mother Artifice, murmurs one of

15:34

the other mothers. It's kind of hard to tell

15:36

which one. Then to the suitcase

15:38

carrying new arrival. May you reach

15:41

your realization with clarity, granddaughter, that

15:43

we may meet again as mothers all.

15:45

Yes, well said, Mother Miss

15:48

Apprehension. Booms, Mother Artifice, hammerheaded

15:50

mantle nodding. And with

15:53

that, he turns away, sweeping up his

15:55

smaller cloaked companion in stride with him,

15:57

and they make their way together towards

16:00

a streetcar stop nearby. How were

16:02

your travels? Did you have a

16:04

good journey? You seem to

16:06

be doing well for someone who has never

16:08

traveled very much before. And

16:11

traveling light, I would add. And

16:13

traveling alone. The granddaughter blinks

16:15

slowly under the broad brim of their

16:18

hat. The streetcar is approaching

16:20

sort of like a double-decker bus. But

16:22

with legs. Lots of them. You know

16:25

how these things are. It clatters slowly

16:27

up the street approaching as mother-artifice and

16:29

the granddaughter stand waiting. My

16:32

journey from the deep snow-beaming was

16:35

quite long and slow.

16:38

It's a bit difficult to make out what you're

16:40

saying in this boisterous atmosphere. Let us take

16:43

our seats on the top of the streetcar

16:45

where it may be easier to converse. And

16:48

to gain a pleasant view of the surroundings.

16:50

What a great idea. The streetcar clatters to

16:52

a stop here at the intersection of the

16:54

main street and this

16:56

porcelain-like side road. The mood

16:58

aboard the streetcar is strangely

17:01

party-like for the early hour. It's

17:04

both a form of public transit and also on

17:06

this particular morning kind of like a

17:09

tour bus. To your left you'll see

17:11

the street of porcelain. One of the

17:13

vestiges of the famous moonfall terror that

17:15

affected the city 30 traversals ago. Ooh.

17:19

The streetcar, clearly packed full

17:21

of tourists, mostly not

17:23

locals, gasp appropriately. Mother

17:25

artifice and the granddaughter together take a

17:27

seat on the upper deck of the double-decker streetcar.

17:31

Despite the lack of room, the other passengers readily

17:34

make space for them without being asked. The

17:36

granddaughter holding their suitcase gingerly in their hands,

17:38

tilting their head to give some freedom of

17:41

movement to their extremely wide brim, which they

17:43

keep banging on things. They

17:46

are accustomed to such headgear. This

17:48

is new. It's sort of

17:50

like a built-in personal space bubble, which

17:52

is an unexpected perk. The

17:55

streetcar lurches into motion, winding its

17:57

way up Stationary Hills main drain.

18:00

buildings press in close around the street

18:02

car as it makes its way along,

18:05

winding beneath an elevated train track. The

18:07

street level is barely the beginning of

18:09

the Stationery Hill experience. The

18:12

city continues up, above, building

18:14

on itself bit by bit.

18:16

A medley of shops and

18:18

restaurants and homes all stacked

18:20

on top of each other,

18:22

jockeying for room, crooked

18:24

roofs intersecting chimneys and balconies

18:27

and windows and fire escape

18:29

stairs, squeezed in wherever they'll

18:32

fit, creating a chaotic makeshift

18:34

skyline. Redstone and

18:36

shingles and cactus fiber paneling,

18:39

vine-covered bricks, a

18:41

teetering verticality of patchwork facades,

18:44

a harmonious mismatch of architectural styles

18:46

from all over the cosmos, combining

18:49

to create something uniquely

18:51

stationarian. A city

18:53

built atop an older town,

18:56

built atop an even older village. A

18:59

desert frontier settlement become

19:01

a desert frontier metropolis.

19:04

To your right you can see the

19:06

fractal district, houses repeating the same floor

19:08

plan over and over again, turned just

19:11

by notches. Mother artifice,

19:13

ignoring the tour guide, turns back to

19:15

the granddaughter. It is

19:17

fortuitous that you became granddaughter when

19:19

you did, and that out

19:22

of all the mothers in our

19:24

order, you would be assigned to

19:26

me to supervise the completion of

19:28

your tutelage during this very singular

19:31

happening. Artifice gestures broadly to the

19:33

city, to all the pre-launch activity,

19:35

to the excited hustle and bustle

19:37

around them. This is all

19:40

pretty unusual. No granddaughter

19:42

in the history of our order

19:45

has had the opportunity to conclude

19:47

their training, meet their realization, and

19:49

become a mother while crewing an

19:52

expedition to the limits of the

19:54

cosmos. I certainly

19:56

did not. When I was granddaughter

19:58

long ago myself, I

20:00

was sitting in my room

20:02

at the synobium, where I

20:04

had consumed supper twenty minutes

20:06

previously and then while taking

20:08

my mid-afternoon ease in my

20:10

tranquil chambers, realization transpired abruptly.

20:13

The mother turns his black veiled

20:15

face to peer closely at the

20:17

granddaughter beside him on the trolley.

20:19

The horned countenance looms in the

20:22

foggy dimness of the morning. Many

20:25

unknowns await you, as they await

20:27

us all on this journey. But

20:30

your expedition really lies within.

20:33

Are you ready? Yes, the

20:36

granddaughter whispers without hesitation. I

20:38

am. Then the final

20:40

test awaits you. You must employ

20:43

all you have learned in your

20:45

years as a daughter before. Now,

20:47

as granddaughter, it is your singular

20:50

purpose to remain receptive to realization.

20:53

When realization occurs, your

20:55

narrow experience will collapse fundamentally

20:58

into an ineffable realness of

21:00

being. Realization

21:02

is coming, and when

21:05

it reveals itself to you, you

21:07

must recognize it and you must

21:09

embrace it. It will

21:12

not be subtle or unclear. The

21:14

granddaughter listens calmly, eyes lidded,

21:17

tranquilly receptive as the trolley

21:19

crawls up the city street.

21:22

I am ready. I am

21:24

going to be watchful always. Mother

21:27

artifice nods approvingly. You

21:29

must be. Do not

21:31

turn away when realization appears before

21:33

you, as it soon in time

21:35

shall do. Do not

21:37

fear going beyond. Go there,

21:40

and do not turn back when

21:42

the opportunity presents itself. I

21:44

would hate to see you falter and

21:46

learn the grave consequences for failure. But

21:49

I'm sure you'll do just great. You're

21:51

going to make an excellent mother. The

21:53

granddaughter's ears are ringing with the sound

21:55

of mother artifice's voice. And with the

21:57

dinging sound of the trolley as it comes.

30:00

leading to today. A

30:03

melodious horn in the street behind them

30:06

announces the arrival of a carriage. Pedestrians

30:09

parting, moving aside, making way. And

30:12

rolling up alongside them is

30:14

a magnificent carriage made

30:17

of ebony coral adorned with

30:19

a united barony's crest, piled

30:21

high with matching luggage strapped

30:23

down, drawn by

30:25

four bioluminescent beasts that

30:27

seem to be a cross between

30:30

reindeer and those really ornamental

30:32

sea slugs. It attracts a

30:35

lot of attention, a lot of people stare, a lot of

30:37

people boggle. There's a squeal

30:39

from inside the curtain window of

30:41

the carriage. Oh, stop here, stop

30:43

here please. The carriage comes to

30:45

stop the sea slug reindeer coming

30:47

up short, eye stalks turning, antlers

30:49

turning. The door bursts open and

30:52

in a froth of lace and

30:54

silk and petticoats a pretty young

30:56

woman spills out, wearing a dress

30:58

with a short but voluminous skirt

31:00

that kind of makes her look

31:02

something like jellyfish. Her

31:04

skin is of a mint green color,

31:07

her hair a cotton candy pink. Well

31:09

it's a little bit hard to tell exactly what

31:11

color her hair is because in the darkness of

31:13

the fold it's pulsing with

31:15

variable patterns of multicolored light glowing

31:18

down the strands of hair like

31:20

fiber optic cable. It

31:22

also floats and wafts in the gentle breeze

31:25

of the fold almost as if she were

31:27

underwater. Freckles across her face

31:29

and arms also flicker gently with

31:31

that same pretty light. She

31:34

takes them all in with eyes of that same

31:36

luminous pink color as her hair. Oh

31:38

my gosh, are you Professor Vought and

31:40

Mother Artifice? Hello, what's your

31:43

name she says bustling over to the granddaughter.

31:46

With the hair, the dress, the bioluminescence,

31:48

the overall effect is a bit like

31:50

the fairy tale princess of a magical

31:53

underwater kingdom, which isn't that

31:55

far off the mark from the actual truth.

31:57

The granddaughter is unflappably chill as usual, but

31:59

is this just a twin? Just a little

32:01

flicker of surprise? It's not every day you

32:03

meet a magical underwater princess. The young woman

32:05

turns behind and waves the carriage on. Oh,

32:08

just take it up to the top of

32:10

the hill, please. I'll meet you up there.

32:12

I'm going to walk the rest of the

32:14

way. I'll let you stay in the carriage.

32:16

Be good. There's

32:18

a brief glimpse of some luxurious yellow

32:21

fur as the newcomer carefully closes the

32:23

door on some little critter she has

32:25

in there. Uh, pet?

32:28

Or turning back to the others with a

32:30

bright, elated smile. Hi, hi,

32:32

I'm sorry, I'm so excited if you can't

32:35

tell. I'm Cleophie Gilmoth. I'm the envoy from

32:37

the barony of Ebon Reef, but it's not

32:39

so formal when you say it like that.

32:41

I can't believe the day is finally here.

32:44

What a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cleophie

32:46

Gilmoth. Please just call me Cleo. Cleo, a

32:48

pleasure, Merlin says. The pleasure is all mine.

32:50

You would not believe how long it takes

32:53

to get here from Ebon Reef. I had

32:55

to set out months in advance and I

32:57

still barely made it in time. Isn't it

33:00

funny how excited I am to get off

33:02

one ship just to get straight onto another?

33:05

But you can't really compare the ship to

33:07

a regular old folk merciful now, can you?

33:10

I've been having dreams about the ship for

33:12

months. Can we walk together? Would that be

33:14

okay? Absolutely. They

33:16

stroll towards the top of the

33:19

town, the dimness here in the

33:21

early pre-dawn darkness, the liquid inky

33:23

fog clinging to the top of

33:25

the town as they ascend. They

33:28

pass by a cool, classy,

33:30

mysterious edifice painted glossy black,

33:32

its twisting, surreal architecture making

33:34

it look like something out

33:36

of a dream. Fluctuating,

33:39

fold-safe lanterns in rich

33:41

jewel tones decorate the

33:44

facade. Stained glass

33:46

swirls in large ornate

33:48

windows like melted wax

33:51

that solidify mid-drip. Composed

33:53

of beautiful gilt letters that reflect

33:56

all the hues of these multicolored

33:58

lamps, a sign proclaims. claims,

34:01

sasquias. An illuminated

34:03

apostrophe flickers on and off. That's

34:06

a great spot, Merlin says

34:08

emphatically. Much beloved by the

34:10

locals. Best cocktails I've ever

34:12

tasted, plus live music. It's

34:14

a pity we don't have time to stop in right now. Cleo

34:17

sighs yearningly, eyeing it as they

34:20

walk by. It seems

34:22

like the kind of place that

34:24

would normally be closed at this

34:26

hour. It's clearly a nighttime place.

34:28

A place for romantic dates and

34:30

moody late-night hangouts and cool shows.

34:33

But now, in all the excitement

34:35

of launch day, it is open

34:38

like everything else. The windows glow

34:40

invitingly, and strains of sultry jazz

34:42

can be heard from within. Whatever

34:44

launch day is, it seems to

34:47

have brought together people from all

34:49

walks of life. From all over

34:51

the cosmos, collaborating together on this

34:54

great, momentous, historical effort. People here

34:56

in the streets whispering, pointing, pointing

34:59

to Merlin, pointing to Mother

35:01

Artifice, pointing to Cleophie. None

35:04

of them specifically pointed to the granddaughter, though.

35:06

Murmured whispers, is it them? Are

35:09

they part of the crew? Cleophie

35:11

is babbling excitedly, so I've

35:13

never actually been to the on before?

35:17

I guess I'm technically still not in the

35:19

on, but you know, it's getting close. Neither

35:21

has the granddaughter, for that matter. Oh really?

35:23

Oh my gosh, that makes me

35:25

feel so much better. To have like an

35:27

un-buddy? We can be un-buddies. Cleophie links her

35:29

arm through the granddaughter's caped elbow, chummily. The

35:31

granddaughter's eyes momentarily flickering, going a tiny bit

35:33

wider than usual, then back to being very

35:35

normal and very chill. I brought a pair

35:37

of unglasses, but I can let you borrow

35:39

them if you want. I kind of want

35:41

to see it for the first time without

35:44

any... you know, I just want to see

35:46

it the way it really is. Even if it's

35:48

too bright for me. Well you haven't got long to

35:51

wait. Oh my gosh. Here it comes. Let's

35:53

say we can catch it here from the top of the

35:55

hill for those of you who are as yet unfamiliar with the

35:57

phenomenon. Oh, I was so afraid I was going to be

35:59

late. You know, it's really coming up soon.

36:01

I'm getting ghost bombs all over my body

36:04

and indeed the bioluminescence covering

36:06

Cleophee's skin seems to flicker and

36:08

speed up almost in time with

36:10

her excitement. A large

36:12

crowd is gathering here towards the top

36:14

of the hill. Our comrades now approaching

36:17

the very pinnacle, the very summit of

36:19

the desert hill upon which the city

36:21

stands. Everyone here is

36:23

waiting. Everyone here is restless. Everybody looking up,

36:26

up into the dark foggy night.

36:30

Above, there's something up

36:32

there, something they cannot yet see,

36:35

something everyone is waiting for.

36:38

Cleo breathes in sharply. Is it

36:41

just me or is the fold starting to feel a

36:43

little bit weird? Like thinner?

36:46

Is that normal? And it is

36:48

not just Cleo who feels it. The

36:51

group comes to a stop here towards the very

36:53

top of the town, just in

36:55

time for day. The

36:58

night-like darkness, the humid haze of

37:00

the fold here in Stationery Hill

37:02

is beginning to thin. And

37:05

then, just like that, it's

37:08

not dark anymore. With

37:10

glaring abruptness, the night

37:13

is gone. Instant

37:15

on light. A

37:18

bright, not quite white light.

37:21

Radiating, unpresently, glaringly

37:23

from the cosmic reaches

37:25

above, as a

37:27

vast curtain of unearthly

37:30

liquid fog darkness glides

37:32

back from the city.

37:35

As it does every morning. Brilliant

37:38

bright colors, a sail

37:40

the assembled crowd, eye

37:43

watering in their vividness, pastel

37:45

and neon hues of

37:47

Vermilion County standing out

37:50

against the distant horizon.

37:52

Striations of gold, hazel,

37:54

bright blue, beaming forth from

37:56

metamorphic pillars and arches of

37:58

desert sandstone. As the

38:01

fold withdraws, it exposes the

38:03

tip of the eponymous hill,

38:05

like the stem of an

38:07

orange rising from a pool

38:09

of ink, crested by

38:11

a huge lattice tower. Kinda like

38:13

a huge radio mast, if you're

38:16

looking for a real-world comparison. From

38:19

which a long cable stretches

38:21

off into the retreating darkness

38:23

of the fold, anchored

38:26

to another islet somewhere in

38:28

its depths. A

38:30

very unusual tree grows

38:32

beside the tower, made

38:35

of clear glass, hollow

38:38

and shiny, as though a

38:40

row of pneumatic tubes once got the idea

38:42

to merge together and become a living plant.

38:45

In fact, that's exactly what happened. Funny

38:48

story about that, maybe some other time. Its

38:50

sparkling branches entwine through the latticework

38:52

of the tower, festooned with berries

38:55

of black and white. Scenic

38:58

as all this may be, this

39:00

isn't even what we're here to

39:03

look at. The vista

39:05

here at the top of Stationery

39:07

Hill doesn't hold a

39:09

candle to what looms above.

39:18

The swelling murmur rises from

39:20

everyone. This is

39:22

what launch day is all about. This is

39:25

what everyone has come to Stationery

39:27

Hill to see. Cleofeet

39:29

gasps into light. The

39:33

granddaughter's spaced-out gaze gets

39:35

a little less spaced out,

39:38

a little more astonished, just a

39:40

little. Even Merlin grins at

39:42

the arresting beauty of it. It never

39:45

gets old. Hovering,

39:48

suspended silently above the city,

39:50

moored in dry dock at

39:52

the apex of the tower,

39:54

hangs a towering black crystal

39:56

shard. Its surface is a

39:59

little more a

40:01

mirror-like prism, refracting the

40:03

bright landscape and teeming

40:05

city in its darkly

40:07

reflective depths. A

40:10

huge obsidian arrowhead, looming

40:13

on high above Stationery

40:15

Hill like an angular,

40:18

chevron-shaped iridescent crescent moon,

40:21

its knife-like prow aimed

40:23

toward the horizon, toward

40:25

the unknown, ready

40:27

to fly. The

40:31

ship. The

40:33

granddaughter shivers. Cleophae

40:36

boggles, blinking away tears, squinting

40:39

through the glare of the unlight. Truly

40:42

a singular spectacle, yells Mother

40:45

Artifice. Merlin gestures

40:48

grandly to the hanging

40:50

shard. Ah, a perfect

40:52

day to test the limits of reality,

40:54

wouldn't you agree? Thanks

41:15

for listening. You can catch UnEnded every Wednesday right here

41:17

on Apple Podcasts. If

41:25

you're looking to dive deeper into

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