The Evolutionary Void

From the switchback road high in the foothills, Salrana looked out across the Iguru plain, not understanding what she was seeing. But then many things were puzzling her this day.

Someone coughed behind her. She turned nervously. “Edeard!” she cried, for it was he … but different, older. There was no mistaking that shy hopeful smile, however. Try as she might, she couldn’t sense him with farsight, and he wasn’t five yards away. Nor did she have a third hand anymore. “What’s happened?” she implored.

Edeard glanced down at the small boy whose hand he was holding. The boy looked back up adoringly. There were several shared features on their faces.

“Edeard!” she implored. She thought she might cry.

“This is so hard,” he said. “I know. I have undergone this myself, but if you ever trusted me then, please believe you are all right. Nothing is going to harm you.”

She took a tentative step toward him. “Where are we? Where’s Makkathran? Was there an earthquake?” She turned back to stare at the terrible devastation that had befallen the Iguru plain. The farms and orchards and vineyards had vanished, wiped out by a smoldering desert of gray rock that extended out to the shoreline. But stranger than that were the ships. At least that was what she thought they were, for what else could they be? Twelve metal monsters lying around the edge of the destruction, though to imagine anything of such a size flying was impossible.

“We are home,” Edeard said. “Though it is not home, not truly, not anymore. Makkathran is gone. But nobody died. They all lived, Salrana; they lived such amazing lives. And now we have a chance to live our life. Together.”

“Us?” she asked, still hopelessly confused.

“Well, actually, the three of us.” He ruffled the boy’s head. “This is Burlal, my grandson.”

“Grandson? Edeard, please, I don’t understand.”

“I know. Perhaps I was wrong to do this, for the Lady knows it is a very selfish act. But sometimes to do what’s right-”

“-you have to do what’s wrong.”

“Yes. You have just finished your training in Ufford Hospital, haven’t you?”

“I was due to leave tomorrow, but I woke up here.” She frowned. “No, I arrived here somehow. Edeard, do I dream this?”

He took her hand, which made her ridiculously grateful. But then the touch of him had always done that, and she’d missed him terribly these long months away from Makkathran.

“We are no longer dreams, my love. We are as genuine as can be. And out here, in this time, I chose you over everyone. I chose the you from now because you are still the real you. My brother taught me that trick.”

“What brother?”

He laughed. “There is so much to explain, and I’m not sure how to begin. I never told you, did I, that I had dreams? Every night of my life I dreamed of life outside the Void. Well, that’s where those ships have come from. Outside, where the universe goes on forever.”

“Like Rah and the Lady?”

“Yes. Just like them. And the three of us are going on one of those ships. It’s going to fly away, fly out of here. We’re going to live out there, Salrana, out among the stars.”

She gri

Edeard’s arm went around her shoulder, and it felt fantastic. For so many years now she had waited for such a sincere open gesture. Then she saw a tall, strangely dressed man coming down the road. He was wearing some kind of skirt with a colorful square pattern on it and a bright scarlet waistcoat. Slim, curving lines of silver and gold light shone through his thick brown hair.

He stopped in front of them, looked them up and down, and promptly gri

“I know you,” Edeard said in amusement. “You’re the Lionwalker. You were in charge of my brother’s science station when first we dreamed of each other.”

“Aye, that I was. Good morning to you, Waterwalker. And young Salrana, of course. And I think you must be Burlal. Am I right?”

The boy gave a cautious nod, clinging tighter to Edeard’s leg.

“Well, congratulations and then some. Waterwalker, that was quite a sight. I’ve just spent the night up on top of the mountain where the air’s clearest. Didn’t want to miss anything. After all, it’s not every day you get to see an entire universe evolve, is it?”

“My first time, as well,” Edeard told him.

“Aye, well, it’s over now.” Lionwalker Eyre gave Salrana a roguish smile. “It’s nice for an old romantic like me to see you two back together.” A finger wagged at Edeard. “Don’t you go messing it up again, lad.”

“I won’t,” Edeard said quietly.

“Well, I’d best be off. I expect you two have a lot to talk about.” He started walking briskly down the road.

“Wait,” Edeard called after him. “Where are you going?”

“Onward,” the Lionwalker replied with a wave. “Always onward.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PETER F. HAMILTON is the author of numerous novels, including The Temporal Void, The Dreaming Void, Judas Unchained, Pandora’s Star, Fallen Dragon, and the acclaimed epic Night’s Dawn trilogy (The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, and The Naked God). He lives with his family in England.

The Evolutionary Void is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.