User blog:Pollux83/Beyond Light and Darkness, Chapter 9

Chapter Overview

9 Experiments



I must have had an attack of madness when I had that idea. We exchanged components, changed runes and spells. Most of the time nothing happened, another time the sphere glowed dangerously or exhaled a strange energy field. After some of our experiments, we installed a safety mechanism, because I did not want a second hole in the ceiling. We recorded everything carefully to recognize any pattern, but so far without success. This went on for months.



At home, Lara was expecting our second child. I did not have much spare time, but I spent most of those moments with Lara and Eleana. The little girl grew so incredibly fast and I could not get enough of her laughter. Meanwhile Kais's wedding was imminent. The two were really a beautiful couple and I wish them all the all the luck in the world. When he asked me to become his best man, I had almost said no because I always had a lot to do in the laboratory. Sometimes I was a real idiot. 

On the day of Kai's wedding, I took a day off. The others would not blow up the lab. That day, I was the one who had to calm Kai. He was just as nervous as I was back then. After I had led him to the altar, the ceremony began. I still remember the happy face Kai had. The two were a truly beautiful couple. I handed Kai the rings. The priest spoke the words and declared the two to husband and wife.



There followed a great celebration with all our friends and family. Even Eleana had her fun, at least until she was completely exhausted. Then Lara and I went home, while the party went on. We had left the party just in time, because a few soldiers, who do not want to be mentioned in more detail, had drunk too many and caused quiet a chaos. In the city they still talked about it weeks later. 



On the next day the daily routine continued. The lab was still standing. A new experiment, another failure. Everything as usual.



After weeks of work something extraordinary happened. Worker: "Experiment number 127. Are all ready?" Mareus: "We're ready. Activate the machine." The machine started to work. Energy flowed through the components. Everything was normal, except ... Scientist: "Ehm? Should that be so?" Mage: "I do not think so." We could not believe what we saw. Instead of a usual green sphere, this time a small black sphere formed. The longer I looked at the sphere, the worse my feeling was. Mareus: "Shut down. Immediately ... switch off."

I became more nervous from second to the next.



<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">The device was turned off, but the sphere made no effort to dissolve. It only got slowly smaller. Mareus: "OK. Log all observations and make a note that these settings are never used again." I had a very bad idea of what we had just collected. It was not the desired result, but it was at least something different.

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">After countless further experiments we had at least a rough idea of what we were doing. It was time for more selective work.

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">After many more failures, it was time. A tiny white light illuminated the lab. It radiated pure purity. The sight was breathtaking. Some scientists even came tears. We had made it. We had collected "Holy Energy", even though it was only tiny amounts. Mareus: "OK, calm down. You know what you have to do. And when we're done, we celebrate!" Everyone cheered loudly before they went back to work.

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">The news of our success spread throughout the castle ... and, of course, throughout the city. I was absolutely sure, that all should keep absolute secrecy, but that did not matter to me at that moment. I reported to the king. He was visibly proud and I was happy that I had not disappointed him and his trust in me.

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">In the meantime, in the city they prepared the biggest celebration I had ever seen. The whole city celebrated the whole night. Lara and I could not stay so long, after all, someone had to put Eleana to bed.

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">In the following weeks we tried to increase the efficiency of the device, but without success. The little light simply did not grow. I thought to find a solution, but I found none.

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">No one else was in the laboratory except me. I had been staring at the device for hours. This little white light was hypnotizing, but I had no idea how we could enlarge it. Then Kai entered the lab. "Hey, there you are. I've been looking for you everywhere. What are you doing here at this time?" Still slightly in trance: "Uh what? Already so late? "I tuched my face, because I was really tired. "I must have completely forgotten the time. But that light leaves me no peace." "It has not gotten any bigger yet?" "No, it simply does not grow and I slowly go out of ideas."

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">Kai looked at the light. "I do not have any idea too, but it glows really nice." "You said it." We stared at the light.

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">"Before I forget. Lara sends me." "I know." "You're supposed to come home." "I know." "What's up with that thing? What is the problem?" "The sphere will not grow." "I see that." "OK. If you really want to know. We somehow managed to switch the machine to holy energy without really knowing how it works. We really tried a lot, but the sphere does not get bigger. We know that you can change the size of the sphere. It has worked with spiritual energy. Because of that we were almost blown up." "Are you talking about this bright ray coming out of your lab?" "This was just one of the unexpected results, and one of the more harmless. The device there somehow collects the energy from the environment and concentrates it to this sphere. If anything is wrong, then too much energy is collected and the sphere becomes unstable. Or nothing happens."

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">Kai thought for a moment. "Have you ever thought that this is already the maximum and there is no more of your holy energy here?" "Yes. And I do not like the idea. That would mean that everything was in vain." "And what if you would use the device in a different place where there is more sacred energy?" "I've already thought about that, but the amount of energy needed to combat the corruption would not even come together in the holiest halls of the Order. The only suitable place I can think of is the heaven. There the device would probably immediately explode because of the energy amount. But down here? No chance."

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">Kai sat down to me and we thought together as we continued to look at the white light. "And the device can really only collect energy from the environment?" "Yes why?" "It's a pity. I mean, angels must be full of holy energy. Or not?" "Probably yes." "Too bad you can not just take it." "Extract energy from a living creature costs much more power. The machine there mimics only a living thing." Kai looked at me. "What?"

<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">"Magic basic knowledge. Each person automatically collects spiritual energy from the environment. Women more than men. Why is not important. By the way, you can touch the sphere without problems. It's relatively harmless." "Relatively?" "The energy is too small to be dangerous. But if you do it with the larger green spheres, then you are really flashed afterwards." "Tell me, did you do that more often?" He looked at me questioningly. "Yes, a few times. Why?" "For no reason." "The effect wears off after a few hours. As long as the effect last you feel like you could uproot trees." "Did you want to use the holy energy like that? Someone touches the sphere and conjures it? " "No idea. Looking back, the whole action was quite naive."

<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">"You've always been so impulsive. As soon as you had an idea, you were already gone." "The good old times."

<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">Kai smiled. "The good thing about you is that you come up with a solution after that. You'll find a solution." "That would be great. At the moment I listen to every suggestion, no matter how nonsense it is." "Even me?" "Of course. Maybe you have an idea which these geniuses have not come up with." "That sounds annoyed." "Sometimes they have driven me half mad. Kai, you should know that intelligence does not protect against stupidity."

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">Kai had to giggle at my words. "I also have not a solution, but have you ever thought of storing the energy and maybe concentrating it?" I was speechless. Kai had actually said something new. I slowly turned my head and looked at Kai. "Please repeat that." "What? Storing the energy and concentrate it?" "Yes, that's it. Say it again." "OK." I somehow scared him. "I thought that if you can not increase the amount of energy, just save it. Like you'd catch rain with buckets to fill a barrel."

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">I grabbed Kai with both hands. "Kai, you're a genius. And I mean that honestly." "Thank you." He was a bit confused. Or terrified. Or both. "Can you give it me in writing? Th en I can barg with it in the barracks." And he could still joke. "Now I just need to find something that can save holy energy." "You mean something like the crystals in the lanterns?" "Crystals?" "Well, the crystals in the street lanterns. You already know. Some lanterns still have these expensive crystals, which absorb the sunlight during the day and then return it at night. These things are really handy. Maintenance-free and brighter than oil lamps."

<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">"Of course! The Cry stals! Why did not I get it myself? Sometimes you cannot see the wood for the trees . I have to go." I stormed past Kai and quickly went to the library. "Hey Mareus! Where do you want to go now? Wait for me!"

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<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">Energy, crystals, storage. Somewhere I had read it before. I just did not know exactly where. I rummaged through the shelves of the library in search of the right book. "No. That's not right too. I know it must be there. No, damn it. This should not stand here. Maybe over there. ... " Kai stood next to me, slowly worried about me. "Uhm, Mareus? What exactly are you looking for? " I was so in my mind, I did not even hear him. "No no no. Mmm, it's not. " I wildly flicked through the books. "Damn, where was the book? Maybe there." "Mareus, are you all right?" I continued to search. "That's it! " I was full of joy.

<p align="LEFT" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; line-height: 150%">"What is it?" "The solution Kai. I found it."