Echoes of a Fractured World

Part 1

Your eyes are drawn to the three-and-a-half-foot-tall illuminating spectacle of light. Her glow envelopes you, as does her warmth. Nomi is a young girl with hair that changes colors with her mood. She has intelligence and creativity beyond measure, an endless curiosity, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Her abilities to manipulate matter and energy allow her to shape and mold the universe, create new worlds, and bend the laws of physics to her will.

Nomi stood in the Cosmic Atrium, the heart of the Celestial Lab at the Cosmic Archive Laboratory and Library Institute, better known throughout the Cosmos as CALLI. The Atrium was an astonishing, enormous circular room filled with glowing orbs of knowledge that floated freely around. In this grand expanse, the air carried a light, ethereal fragrance reminiscent of distant nebulae and starlit skies, a scent that holds the mysteries of the universe.

Nomi went straight to her Quantum Research Station, a place she cherished. She enjoyed her work, and it was important to her. Uniquely hers, her QRS was equipped with customized equipment, including her beloved Universe Spyglass. This latest marvel in Infini-Magni-Scope technology rested on an obsidian pedestal, its crystalline lens beckoning with an otherworldly allure. As Nomi peered into her spyglass, the electrifying colors of a newly forming star burst forth, with it a symphony of cosmic sounds — faint whispers and deep hums that resonated with the pulse of celestial creation.

Nomi leaned forward. Her eyes intently fixed on the data from the newly forming star, which filled the screen. The Universe Spyglass is attuned to the subtlest cosmic phenomena, converting auditory and visual observations and translating them into divine data for Nomi to examine.

Nomi fine-tuned the focus of her spyglass on the newly forming star again. She was picking up on a series of irregular spikes. She furrowed her brow and double-checked the data points. Nomi was puzzled by the readings. A newly forming star typically produces a beautiful rhythmic pattern. Instead, she saw an unusual, chaotic pattern, causing colors to flicker all over the screen.

Nomi recognized she was looking at electromagnetic interferences. EMIs could result from several possibilities — from natural stellar phenomena to more unsettling cosmic disruptions. But such high levels of disturbance Nomi witnessed with the newly forming star are rare. If the levels continued to climb, a profound cosmic shift was about to happen.

She was usually excited when her experiments produced puzzles for her to solve. But there was something different about this which unsettled her. Nomi respected that the universe still held mysteries, even for a divine being as knowledgeable as herself. But her goal was to understand everything she could — the more she understood, the more connected she felt to her creation.

Nomi’s relentless pacing etched a groove in the floor in front of her Quantum Research Station. She’d been there for a while before her twin brother, Nyx, appeared before her. He came to work on his experiments when he noticed Nomi’s flaming orange hair and wanted to see what was bothering his twin. He caused his light to shine so brightly and his presence to be felt so strongly that it jolted her.

Nomi pulled away from her spyglass the cool crystal of it felt comforting in her hand. “You startled me. But I’m glad you are here. Look at the data coming in from the new star forming in the Andromeda sector, just beyond the reach of the Helix Nebula’s spiraling tendrils.”

“What’s going on, Nomi? It’s not like you not to pick up on my vibes — it’s one of the reasons you are so good at playing Hide and Seek,” said Nyx.

Nomi pointed to the screens with the EMI readings. “Woah!” Nyx exclaimed. “That’s coming from the newly forming star — are we sure it’s a star forming?”

“I’m not sure where the EMI origin is actually. Nomi admitted. “There seem to be increasing levels in more than just that area. I am running a full universe scan, but that will take some time.

“Have you looked at the planets? Could it be coming from one of the planets?” Nyx rubbed his chin as he stared at the data.

“I have and –” Nomi hesitated. “Earth is showing a faster rate of increase than the other planets.”

Nyx could hear the concern in her voice. “Nomi, let’s take a closer look. Pull up your image screens.” He commanded. He stood in the center of the room, watching as Nomi swiftly pulled up the visuals on the Quantum Infinity Frame. The Quantum Infinity Frame wasn’t just a tool for viewing. Its interface allows Nomi to interact with her Spyglass data gathers. She can upload and download vast streams of cosmic information and share it with others. The frames’ quantum capabilities ensure the data handling is high-speed and precise.

Nomi didn’t like when Nyx barked commands, but she, too, was eager to get a closer look at what was happening on Earth. Visions of giant mechanisms cutting away huge trees — picking them up like toothpicks, delimbing them, and stacking them in seconds. Nyx approached the screen, his mouth agape. The twins stood in stunned silence.

Nomi turned the knob. Another image filled the screen. This was of violent warfare. The acrid smell of smoke and the sharp tang of metal seemed to waft through the air. Another turn revealed more conflict, the sounds of distant artillery echoing in their ears. A third turn brought images of massive hurricanes and devasting floods, the scent of rain-soaked earth and the roar of raging waters filling the room. She turned the knob again. Their gaze fell upon the Earth’s surface, where giant machines clawed voraciously at the land. Their steel jaws opened wide, biting into the earth with ruthless efficiency, tearing away layers of soil and rock to reveal the hidden minerals beneath.

Nomi’s heart ached. The sight was a brutal assault on the senses. These minerals were the Earth’s precious gifts, formed over eons, and were being ripped away with an insatiable greed. The machines were thunderous in their roar and relentless excavation. Nyx could feel Nomi’s deep sense of loss.

To be continued…

After completing my Introduction to Fiction course online through GrubStreet, I ventured into the realm of speculative fiction for the first time. The short story you’ve just read is the result of this exciting exploration. As a huge fan of speculative fiction, crafting this story was both a challenge and a delight.

Thank you for taking the time to read my work. I greatly appreciate your thoughts and comments, as they are invaluable to my growth as a writer in this fascinating genre.

I created and own all the rights to Nomi’s Odyssey — Echoes of a Fractured World and all the artwork, Xine Segalas. These were drawn in Procreate and picked from my portfolio to complement the story.