What Side Didn’t Know – A1,C8. The power of programming logic

Still feeling unwell upon learning that the concept of water simply didn’t exist, I resolved myself to power through it for the time being.  I also wondered what latitude we were at. It seemed that the days must be quite long, since both when we went to sleep, and when we woke, the sunlight was out.

This, however, was but a distraction.  For what, someone may ask? I can only answer that this is a distraction from the needle.  What needle?  I’m glad you asked.  From the needle that is used to inscribe the runes on our body.

Why a needle?  I asked that too.  The miniscule punctures in the skin cause a substance found in the blood to form clots where the punctures happen.  When small enough and close enough, it causes some sort of crystallization of the rune’s power or dye or something in the blood.  Neither Mika nor I understand completely, only that creating the “Tattoo” in the shape as described causes it to function as desired.  Not only that, but the healing process also extends surface nerves into the runes themselves, allowing control of them once a person has learned how to identify them mentally on his or her skin.

“So, if I understand this correctly…  You can effectively do the following:

One…    Provide power

Two…    Turn the power on or off upon thought

Three…    Provide manifestation or removal of mechanical energy to the environment

for example: cause molecules to move with a certain vector, like when you used wind to rocket me up into the tree

Four…    Provide manifestation or removal of electromagnetic energy to the environment, like heating something up, or using destructive interference to remove it

Right?  That… Is amazing…”

Mika is looking at me with giant question marks over her head and with a furrowed brow.  “No… Have you been listening at all?” She is also frowning.

“Yes, yes, i know these have specific functions, but they are so varied and flexible, and have multiple other functions, that you can effectively do anything, right?”  Maybe this isn’t the right approach. I’m feeling like maybe this is like my previous life, as a programmer, where i tell people programs can do anything. There was a strong belief that programs can only do specific things, and humans would never be replaced… Until they were in nearly every job.

“NO, they do these things.”  Mika was getting pretty upset, and I understood where she was coming from.  I was effectively telling her, my teacher, that she didn’t know what she was teaching.

“Okay, okay.  Sorry, I’ll… Just make the things I need.  If I set up a pattern, can you inscribe it on me?”  Maybe my hands are much better in this life, I haven’t tested them much, but in my past life, i couldn’t draw a straight line for the life of me.  And… that’s a needle. There is no way i’m stabbing myself without seriously injuring myself. I Hate needles.

“Uh, yeah…”  She used a meek tone and began fiddling with her hair in response.  Clearly, yet again, a misunderstanding, but I wasn’t going to mind that right now.  After all, I get to develop magic and use it, it’s awesome, and I’m unreasonably excited.

Thinking about what else we need to do, I asked, what I thought was a very important question.  “When are we going to be made an offering? Is there anything else we needed to do before then? It seemed like learning runes was the primary one.”

“Well,”  looking away from me, Mika seemed to be thinking about something.  “We don’t have much time. Your stamina is pretty extreme. I think maybe they will be coming to get us for the offering in the very near future.  I wish we would have slept more.” I’m not sure what she’s talking about since it still hasn’t gotten dark out even once. To be fair though, I am getting pretty tired again.  “But the main thing was the Runes. I just hope we have enough time in purgatory to learn what we need for ascension. I think we should take the next while off and sleep until then, and conserve our stamina.  I’m worried about being this tired when the time comes.”

I totally understood those words, and they completely worry me.  “Okay, since I don’t know how this works, but we should rest, and maybe do one inscription on me before the event?”  I’m stabbing in the dark here.

“That should work.”  She nods, and gets in the bed.  Again I am amazed at her ability to literally fall asleep within seconds.

Thinking, I arrange some runes together.  We had made about 20 copies of each rune written on bark, to think through their placement.  This was so I could implement something I felt was useful. Thinking about it seriously, I put my past life to work.  I was very close to getting exactly what I wanted, after spending a long time puzzling it out, I commandeered nearly all of the runes we had made, and even added a few more, just to get my design properly spelled out.

I’m not sure when I passed out, but it must have been after I completed my masterpiece, because I felt a great sense of accomplishment and peace.  I again remember waking up briefly to a warm sensation, then feeling very comfortable, and falling back asleep.

A bit to my surprise, I woke up in the bed.

Author’s Note:

Thanks for the support!  I am in your care!

I’m looking for someone to artist a banner for my story.  It’s a bit in the future, (but already written) – but I want someone to draw me a banner with a Dryad on it.  I can paypal $30-$50 USD commission (more if you can prove its worth it…) if someone is interested.  Hit me up on discord for details (and maybe a sneak peak of the chapter this character arrives in).  Please don’t come with a finished product, I want input.  Also, please have samples to show of other works you’ve done.

Editor: DungeonPalmz