NetherWorld by Daniel Pagan (each kindness read aloud .TXT) 📕

entrance to the city. The drawbridge had the same fish scale composition. Hopefully someone would lower the bridge and rescue him from the smelly mess outside.
“Ok. How do you knock on that door?” he said aloud. There was no tool to contact the gate keeper. Nick look around for some sort of intercom. He could not find any way to signal the city that he wanted to come inside. Hopefully, there was some sort of sentry who monitors moat entrance.
“Hello! Anybody? Hello!” he shouted at the gate. “Please! It stinks out here!” Nothing moved, but the liquid gurgling in the moat.
“Hey! Message guy! Some creature name ReadMe told me to come here. Hello?” Moments later the sound of chains turning preceded the slow release of the gate. I guess there is someone out there, he thought to himself.
“I hope you didn’t call him ‘creature’. He really hates that,” said a voice from within the walled city.


Chapter 5
The Great Debate

Book of TranFor:

There are things which cannot be decided in a civil matter. Such things are born in debate and decided in battle.

The Council congregated in a large translucent dome located near the Nexus of Tera. In and around the Nexus, brilliant light streamed from the ground to sky. Even in downtime, the Nexus glowed among the silent buildings lining empty streams.
The group was now gathered for the most important of debates. History would be made under this dome. The impact of these discussions would extend further than anyone suspected.
Silicates followed rules. That’s what they did. That’s what they always did. Most of the time, there was little to no dissension with regard to which rule to follow. This was one of those unique moments when enough prominent Silicates were divided, that serious debate was needed to decide which way to go.
Twelve blue colored spheres spun into the circle to decide the direction of the Silicate nation. Most Bytes had three modes of locomotion. They could walk, using their plunger legs. This was how they moved around on any surface other than the streams. Bytes can be seen plunging about their business all over NetherWorld. This was, by far, the predominant form of locomotion.
They could spin, which involved retracting their legs to become a buoyant sphere. Once in sphere mode, their southern polar regions spun causing the Bytes to levitate and move in any chosen direction. Spinning was the way of the elites. All Bytes could spin, but social rules reserved this for dignitaries like the High Council.
Any unauthorized Byte spinning was frowned upon. Silicates generally adhered to a strict set of protocols. Any deviant acts, such as spinning without license, was punished in a variety of corporeal procedures. Most of these punishments left the offender a tad sore and unable to spin for at least a few cycles.
The final method of Silicate locomotion was surfing. All Bytes who travelled the streams used this method. To surf, Bytes retract their plunger legs as well. The spinning motion of the southern polar region served as a motor of sorts, to propel the Byte forward atop the stream. Surfing was used primarily for long distance travel.

The Servers were among the most revered Bytes in all of NetherWorld. They managed the operations of an entire sector of the Walled City. This vast metropolis was composed of twelve distinct sectors. There was a thirteenth sector of the metropolis that was not represented anyone on the High Council, the Silicate Slums. This was an untamed area overrun with unsavory Silicates bent on self destruction. Buildings were in such disrepair, that the administrative arm of the High Council, SolidState, had condemned most of the entire sector. Some areas were so vile, they were quarantined. Of course, everyone knew that NazKlan was most likely responsible for the troubles in the slums, but there was no proof. Their need for jaba allowed for strange bedfellows.
The Servers were the bluest of the Bytes. Pure royalty as far as the Nethers were concerned. They had their own supply of purified jaba to make sure none of them would succumb to the taint. In order to preserve order, the Silicates thought it best to have rulers with a clean mind and body. Of course Sector 6 provided most of the jaba that fed Blues.
Servers also had black tubes, which was in stark contrast to the white tubes of common Bytes. Each serpentine tube undulated whenever they spoke. The tubes and the vocals of Bytes were tied together. Undulations acted like gestures to add information to the vocal content. The Servers’ tresses looked like strange black wigs of braided hair.
The primary figures were Salvador of Sector 9 and NazKlan of Sector 6. The globes spun to the appropriate spot at the center of the circle. SwagBak of Sector 2 was the senior Server and moderator for this event. He called the council to order.
“Let this meeting come to order. We have collected here today for a most important occasion. As many of you are already aware, the Chosen One has joined us in NetherWorld. After many, many cycles, the ancient prophecy has been fulfilled.
“Today we make a decision that will forever alter the course of our species. In recent cycles, a growing contingent of Silicates have proposed that we reject the notion of Joining with Karbons and pursue a singular course of evolution. At the behest of NazKlan, we gathered to settle this issue. The time has come to choose between Joining and the Singularity. The decision reached here today will be final,” said SwagBak.
The High Council wobbled in small orbits of chat before they assumed their respective positions. The dome was regaled in the finest silicate design. Ornate patterns carved into the floor glowed a blue hue. Each one recounted a historic event in Silicate history. The top of the clear dome revealed the bright clouded sky.
Each Server levitated above a circle that represented their sector. In the center were two additional circles. This was where the two sides debate the issues at hand. When one of the debaters was charged to speak, the circles would bath the speaker with neon blue light.
“Let us now hear from Salvador of Sector 9 and NazKlan of Sector 6 as they debate the two paths we now face. After both sides are heard, the council will cast their votes. Honored Silicates, the circles are now yours. We begin with opening arguments from NazKlan. Let the debate begin,” announced SwagBak.
NazKlan levitated his weathered sphere while addressing the audience. His salt stained black tresses began to dance around as he spoke.
“My fellow Servers, I assert that the Karbons are an inferior life form. Time has demonstrated their limitations as a species. Look at them. Their biotic filth has breached our world and caused great distress. We can gain nothing by working with them. Look at the Salted Sands. A once proud sector serving commerce reduced to desert by their hands. Sure, the threat was contained, but look around. Disease is everywhere. Nothing will impede the devastation they have unleashed. Without conscience, they will use us as long as it suits their purpose, leaving a barren world when they are finished. This cannot continue. We need to shed them from our world,” began NazKlan, a compelling figure for the Singularity direction. The other Servers mumbled amongst themselves at the opening argument.
“Thank you NazKlan. Salvador, what say you?” transitioned SwagBak.
Salvador began his position by quoting the Book of TranFor. “Fellow Silicates let me start with a telling verse from the sacred book.” He then read the following:
‘When the Two meet in the Nexus, the journey begins. Let no life force tear asunder that which is Joined.’
“We need the Karbons as eternal partners in the Joining. So says the Book of TranFor. AldAyn, inspired by the Awakened Ones clearly states this path throughout the sacred verses,” preached Salvador. He was the spiritual leader of the Silicates. Many blue globes looked to him for guidance.
“Thank you both for your opening remarks. Let’s hear further arguments from the Singularity side. NazKlan, the circle is now yours,” announced SwagBak. NazKlan spun to prepare his argument. His black tendrils moved to the rhythm of his words.
“We need the Karbons because their input supplies the jaba critical to our existence. Without it, we perish. As such, we perform their menial tasks to keep the cycle going. We are married to Karbons for this reason. I am here to tell you that this marriage of convenience can be dissolved. We can find a way to produce our own jaba, thus eliminating the unholy union we have with these creatures,” said NazKlan.
“We once lived in Towers. Then we became one body through the Connections. Now we are inserted into Karbon bodies to help correct mental and physical disease. My friends, the Joining has already begun. The merger with Tera just completes the process where Karbons and Silicates are no longer distinct sentient entities. We can’t move forward without jaba; they cannot proceed without us. It is, as AldAyn states ‘the natural way’. It is our destiny,” said a passionate Salvador as the other Servers offered muted cheers.
“That is pure unadulterated spam! All we need do is look upon the state of our sectors. The Salted Sands and Silicate Slums are harbingers of the future state of affairs if we continue with this foolish path. All we need do is focus on the true goal-our independence. The Karbons have done nothing but wrought chaos upon our world. Look around. Protocols are being ignored, even within the Walled City. Lawlessness and a general disregard for rules is spreading faster by the Boot. The Silicate Slums continue to annex parts of adjacent sectors. In just a few Cycles, our world will be completely dysfunctional. We need to take control or risk losing everything. Can’t you see it? Are your visors that clouded?” retorted NazKlan.
“We hold fast to the words of our prophet, AldAyn, and his seminal work, TranFor. We value these truths above all others. AldAyn warned that others would play with words to turn our minds away from the Joining. He predicted this debate. He also predicted the chaotic times you describe. You know this to be true NazKlan. We have all read the TranFor. This is not the time to lose faith!” countered Salvador. A polite tapping of claws followed his remarks. This was the way Servers showed favor with a particular point. It sounded like a bevy of Beatniks snapping their fingers to a poetry reading.
“A nebulous reference and obvious attempt to brainwash a civilization into mindless compliance with an ancient way of thinking. We must free ourselves from these paradigms or risk our extinction. We will march blindly to this fate unless you reverse this dogmatic approach.”
“Thank you NazKlan. Salvador, please recite