Episode 20: Tasks and Talks

Aurelia waited for Deni to go to sleep before starting her next text. This one was a series of short stories. Thank Minicha, too. This person could spell, but it was still hard to follow. It was bad enough that she relented and went to bed.

She smiled as she slept. On the plus side, at least she wasn't gonna sleep on the table.

When she revisited the story in the morning, it wasn't much better. And it wasn't like Aurelia was uneducated, either. She attended an elite girls' boarding school with an extensive curriculum. All of the greenhorns would drown. Maza would manage, but she wouldn't be happy. Aurelia certainly wasn't.

One particular story was especially baffling. The fourth dimension was a complex topic. It was abstract and "Terrasect" and "Time dilation" might as well have been made-up words. People couldn't perceive the fourth dimension. It was a dimension of time and space, a concept of theory and math. People could slip in and out of it, experience time differently, and move in seemingly impossible ways. It was fascinating but frustratingly opaque. She did know that a two-dimensional being would see a three-dimensional object as a cross-section or a shadow, Something incomplete. That could be how they saw the fourth dimension. How thrilling and daunting. Was there anything she could gain from a third read?

Deni rubbed his eyes as he came into the Kitchen. "Morning."

"Morning." Rel put aside her text. "How did you sleep?"

He yawned. "I think I had a dream, but I can't remember."

"Was it good or bad?"

Her brother shrugged. "Like I said, can't recall."

She smiled and walked over to the stove. "How about some tea and toast?"

"I guess."

As she cooked, Aurelia thought about what she'd learned. Some of the stories were about alternate realities and timelines—universes where events had played out differently. Others explored themes of quantum mechanics, showing how seemingly random events could lead to huge changes. And still others focused on the nature of consciousness and its relationship to time and space. All in all, it was mind-bending stuff, but Aurelia found herself eager for more.

She served Deni his breakfast and sat down across from him at the kitchen table. "So, what are your plans for today?"

Her brother took a bite of toast. "I dunno. Maybe play some video games or something."

Rel nodded. "Sounds fun. Just don't spend all day on your terminal."

"I won't!"

Deni talked his big sister's ear off until Keith walked in, yawning.

"Morning," he said as he finished yawning.

Rel blinked. "Did you pull an all-nighter too?"

He nodded. "Kind of behind on some of my tasks."

Rel frowned. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard. If you need help, just ask."

Keith rubbed his neck. "I know. Thanks for the offer. I appreciate it, but this is something I have to do myself. Also, do you even know how to code?"

Rel crossed her arms and puffed her chest.

My dad happens to be a programmer.

Deni nodded and laughed. "Dad's probably a lot better than you will ever be!"

"Deni..."

Aurelia shook her head. "I'm sure you have a lot more practical knowledge than I do, but I can make a few simple programs."

Keith furrowed his eyebrows. "If I'm being honest, I'm sorta surprised your mom married him."

Rel chuckled. "There are people who think it's because of our uncle. Mom met Dad because Uncle would work with him sometimes."

"The king worked with your dad?"

"No." she frowned. "They had a younger brother who liked coding and robots and other techy things. He probably wanted to become a programmer."

Rel frowned. "Well, Uncle was more so job shadowing. He never got to be a formal programmer. He went missing when he was seventeen. Uncle was never found, and Castin had to take Grandpa home, because his heart couldn't take it."

Keith blinked. "How is that possible? I thought they had cameras everywhere by then, didn't they?"

"I don't know. Uncle was a special child, so there were things he struggled with despite his age."

Deni scowled. "Don't talk about Uncle like he was an alien!"

"I wasn't trying to. Keith doesn't know, so I had to explain things for him to understand better. That said, Uncle got misled by someone. The official story says it was a kid he befriended called Cecil."

"Misled? How was that even possible?"

"Like I said, Uncle wasn't like typical teens. He was as naive as a little boy."

Deni hummed. "Mama might get mad if she heard you."

"It wasn't his fault, but he did have some bad cards in his hand." Aurelia sighed. "It's a sad story. Mom doesn't like to talk about it much."

Keith said, "It's tough losing someone, especially like that."

Deni nodded. "Yeah, but we can't change the past."

Aurelia smiled at her brother's wisdom. "Exactly. We just have to do our best with what we've got now."

Keith stretched. "Well, I better get back to my tasks. Thanks for the chat, guys."

"Wait," Rel said. "Breakfast."

Keith scratched the back of his head and chuckled weakly. "Right, that's why I came here in the first place."

Rel sighed. "What do you want? We need to eat, too."

Keith sat down at the table, still looking a bit sheepish. "I'm not that hungry, actually. I'll just have something quick and light."

Rel nodded and got to work preparing breakfast. As she moved around the kitchen, her thoughts drifted back to the complex stories she had been reading. She couldn't help but feel that there was some hidden meaning or pattern she was missing.

"Here you go," she said, placing a plate and a cup in front of Keith.

"Thanks, Rel. You're a lifesaver," he said, taking a sip of coffee.

The morning continued with light conversation, and after breakfast, Keith headed back to his tasks, leaving Rel and Deni alone in the kitchen.

Deni stared at her screen.

Rel wondered if he understood any of it.

"Sis, are dimensions real?"

She blinked, unsure what to say.

Deni yanked on his sister's sleeve. "Enough reading, let's go!"

She blinked. "Where?"

"To train, duh! You promised me if I behaved! A promise must be kept. Noblesse and all that."

Rel chuckled. "I wonder if Sis got it from you..."