Horse Punk

Magazine cover for Thomas' short article.

Bringing into existence the Buld Reality, the universe as we know it, was not easy. As part of that complex Reality Change, Trysta went back 10,000 years into our past to the ancient city of Phasi.

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The story of Trysta's final trip through time has (so far) been told to the world in fragmentary parts. If the Overseers don't mind, more details are on the way.

Horse Punk
Trysta's departure from the 20th century and her arrival in the past is documented in Horse Punk, as told by Trysta's son, Thomas. {UPDATE: the website where Horse Punk originally appeared is defunct, so I'm reproducing the text of that short story here.}

___Horse Punk___

Trysta was ready to travel into her past one last time. She was eager to get on with her pursuit through time of Ekcolir, but still having trouble with the idea of abandoning her children and grandchildren in the Primitive. However, she had viewed the future and seen that Syon would eventually complete the time loop and return to the 20th century, so she was not really being a bad mother.

For one last moment she allowed herself to marvel at how it was all working out. By completing this one final trip through time she had/would bring into existence the Buld Reality and make possible both her second life as Syon and her second family with Deomede as the father of her second brood, the one that would achieve Gohrlay's great plan for liberating Humanity from the pek.

To business. Now Trysta was examining herself and trying to imagine how she would appear to the Phasians. She'd discussed this matter with her son, Thomas and he'd suggested a clever plan of attack -a way to shock the Phasians and quickly win their respect.

Grean was watching Trysta primping and trying to be patient. Finally Grean stifled a yawn and said, "You know, if anything goes wrong in Phasi then we can simply try again."

Trysta did not even try to control her competitive nature and her desire to get this right the first time. Although Grean was not sharing any details about the fate of Ekcolir on his mission into the past, Trysta knew that she would not be sent off on her own mission if things had not gone well for Ekcolir. The Phasians themselves were "living proof" of Ekcolir's success, even if they had all died 10,000 years ago.

Life. Death. Just a matter of perspective.

Trysta wanted to be efficient. It was a source of pride among time travelers, those who were tasked with bringing into existence new Realities, to trigger Reality Changes with a single Touch, a single alteration to the old timeline. Trysta wanted no re-dos.

And really, given her technological advantages over the Phasians, her mastery of the nanites that she carried inside her body (and, in fact, now wore as her costume), it was silly to worry that anything might go wrong on her mission into the past. She muttered one of her favorite 20th century phrases to Grean, "A walk in the park."

Grean chuckled, "You're going to be about seven thousand years too early for a park."

Trysta felt a small shudder at that thought. She was a creature of civilization, heading back through time to the very dawn of human civilization on Earth. Would her Asterothrope instincts and training as a time travel Technician serve her adequately among the Phasians?

Trysta looked into Grean's eyes and took comfort in the thought that Grean would be watching to make sure that all went well on this mission. Trysta and Grean had started out at war, but they had grown quite close over their many long years together as collaborators, planning the future of Humanity. Now, almost certainly, this was their last minute together. Trysta reached out her hand to Grean and they briefly shared the Kac'hin-style hand clasp.

Then, one last time, Trysta glanced at the settings for the Hierion Tube that would take her 10,000 years into the past. She would appear in Noah's lodge exactly one day after thons last planning meeting with Grean.

Grean had done the preparations for Trysta's mission, coordinating with the Preland who had been/would be recorded in history as Noah. Noah was there in the past, expecting Trysta.

Finally, Trysta stepped from the Hierion Domain into the Tube and her next step landed her on Earth, some 10,000 years before First Contact. Trysta ignored the shift in temperature and odors and commanded her optical nanites to let all the dim light of Noah's lodge reach her eyes. There he was: Noah the Preland. Of course, he looked like a human of the Primitive.

Noah said, "Greetings," in the local dialect, but also established a direct link to her mind. Using nanite-assisted telepathy, Noah asked: Are you ready to go?

Trysta wanted to practice her nanite-assisted speech, so she replied verbally, "Yes, let us be on our way, but I do have one suggestion."

Noah led the way outside and they set off towards Phasi. The Sea could be seen glistening in the distance and the afternoon sun was at their backs. Trysta said, "I want you to be my horse."

Noah stopped walking and glared at Trysta. "A horse?" Noah voiced incredulity. "These people eat horses."

Trysta shrugged, "I know that. If you insist, you could adopt the appearance of a unicorn or a cherub or possibly a dragon, but the point is to make a quick impression on the Phasians."

Noah complained, "I don’t have a nanite template for horseback riding."

Trysta lifted a finger and sent a small swarm of nanites across to Noah's body. "Now you do."

Noah's thought leaked across to Trysta: I despise this sort of last minute improvising. Still, Noah smoothly shifted from human form and adopted the shape of a horse. Trysta leapt up on Noah's back and they set off again towards Phasi.

Trysta began singing a song about the golden-haired children of Ekcolir, timed nicely to Noah's hoof beats....

Golden children of Phasi
Creators of the gods
Witness to the Flood
Oh, my dear lovelies!
Make the Final Reality
_____________

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I've previously blogged about the Phasian Intervention. The main objective of Trysta's mission into the past is to establish on Earth a teleportation terminal that will facilitate the work of additional Interventionist agents.

Noah
When Trysta arrives in ancient Phasi, she works with a Preland who we know as Noah, of biblical fame. Noah helps Trysta impress the people of Phasi by serving as Trysta's mount. Noah can make use of advanced nanites to morph and take on any convenient physical form.

Trysta times her arrival at Phasi to occur just before a dramatic rise in the level of the Black Sea. Noah makes such a fuss about the impending flood that the name "Noah" is forever linked in myth and lore to the Flood.

Ivory
The other published story about Trysta's last time travel mission is The Phasian Knot by Ivory Fersoni. Ivory tried to constrain her enthusiasm for the topic by writing The Phasian Knot in the format of a scientific journal article.

Thomas: the rest of the story
The image to the left is the cover for Thomas' more complete telling of Trysta's adventures during her final time travel mission.

Related Reading: Trysta's further adventures in the far past
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Related item. I spent some time searching the interwebs for illustrations of nanite-mediated morphing.

see also

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The Exode Trilogy is full of artificial lifeforms that can morph their bodies by rearranging their nanite components

Take a look at this animation: "Under Her Skin" by CrinitusArt.

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