Fang Xiang

This is both a work of science fiction and an exploration of the meaning of life, love, literature and art. Brainpower is no longer the main ingredient for being human in this far distant future world.  Spirituality, physical balance, and diligence all come together as integrity for Chen Mu, the Card Apprentice.  The cards which Chen Mu masters in his own scrappy way, distill all the powers of the cosmos –  human and nonhuman –  into something that is not a book, not technology, and neither art nor magic, but is these and more.  Learn about these strange cards, which can embody everything you might imagine for the future of technology, but also a future beyond technology which promotes the best, and sometimes the worst, from mankind’s past.

The Card Apprentice

"I know the Night of the Cross!" the bar-browed man said lightly.

He hadn't said much, but Chen Mu was immediately certain of his counterpart's identity. "You are a card artisan of the Night of the Cross?"

"Yes!" The bar-browed man flashed a look of excitement. "You were using breath control, weren't you?" Without realizing it, he'd used the honorific form of "you."

"No." Chen Mu shook his head. Seeing the bar-browed man flash a look of disappointment, he added, "But, it came from the method of breath control."

The bar-browed man then got excited. "Do you know how to do breath control?"

"Might I ask where you learned breath control?" The bar-browed man was having a hard time containing his excitement as he very carefully asked. It was hard to believe such a cold and ruthless fellow would use such a cautious tone. It was clear the question was very important to him. Perhaps it actually reflected a firm belief for the bar-browed man.

The Rescue