Lost Data and Invisible Buildings

This episode shares a letter from Vi about her trip to one of the oldest spiral galaxies in this universe. She discusses her trip to one of the worlds there, and her plans to capture Chester. But, we don’t get to hear everything. We lost contact with Vi sometime during this mission. Did she give us enough details to know what happened?

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Transcript

The Star Jelly Files

Episode Twelve 

Lost Data and Invisible Buildings

Hello everyone, and welcome back to this week’s episode of the Star Jelly Files. Last week we heard from Opal about how she got to the gate of dragons, and how she kind of saved Hum and Bert. What we really learned from her letter I think is that Fall’s daughter, Tempest, is working with Chester. Which is in many ways surprising. Many of us are questioning the true reason she would choose to help him when he destroyed her planet, and most of those that lived there. Tempest and her father are some of the few left from that world, and it is stunning to think that she would abandon him and instead take the road she has. So astonishing in fact that I, and other beacons, don’t believe her. We think there is much more going on than we currently understand. But that problem, believe it or not, is not the biggest concern that I have this week to share with you. Since the last time we talked we have discovered further damage on one of the outer worlds of this universe, and I have lost communication with Vi and her team after that discovery. The letter I am sharing with you this week is the last letter I received from Vi about her journey to a world within a spiral galaxy that sits at the edge of this universe. 

This galaxy does not have a name on Earth, but we call it the quiet galaxy. It gained this reputation because the many planets that reside there, and the galactic council that represents those worlds, decided that they did not want contact with the rest of the universe. They chose to mask their own signals from everyone else, and asked us to help ensure that no-one visits without their permission. This is not uncommon to see with a single planet, but it was strange to hear a request of this type from an entire galaxy. They made this request for a myriad of reasons. The one that stands out as most important now is that they wanted to stay out of the chaos that the rest of the universe has on a daily bases. Mostly caused by the birth and development of younger planets. Their galaxy is much older than most, and contains worlds that have been around longer by millennia than those that are usually at the forefront of universal news. The beings that live on those planets prefer peace and quiet and to concentrate on their own projects. Their own development of their worlds. 

Their lives for the most part are peaceful. So, we only hear from them when they need help or want to offer advice for what they are observing happening beyond their boarders. We often welcome their advice. Since they have been around for so long they have seen more than most and can offer history lessons and perspectives that can make things easier for other worlds that are still learning, or just starting to explore. I also like it when they choose to get involved. I think they have a great many insights to offer that can easily become lost if they let that happen. Just because they have evolved beyond having corporal bodies, and they spend most of their time working on mental and spiritual endeavors, doesn’t mean they don’t have good ideas about space travel and the like. They had been quiet for a few centuries before we heard from them most recently. We received a message from them a few Earth month’s ago because they had heard the rumors about Clara, and in turn her brand of chaos, returning. They wanted to meet to discuss their concerns and an offer they had to help the beacons if needed. I had corresponded with them asking how they would like to meet, but never heard back. So when Vi and her team left Bert’s house and came to me to request my support for their hunt for Chester, I sent them on a different path. The spiral galaxy was the first place I sent her. 

This letter from Vi, her final correspondence before contact was severed, was from her visit to a planet within this spiral galaxy. It is about her investigation into our loss of contact with them. This letter arrived to me in a jelly jar made of red paper thin glass, and was written on sheets of holographic plastic. Before we begin, one last thing. This transmission is incomplete. Either someone removed pages from her letter, or she chose not to include them.

Incomplete Letter from Vi about her trip to the spiral galaxy

Dear Astra, 

Here is my recap of our mission to the furthest galaxy, and to the central planet there. We decided on arrival that we would visit the oldest world first since that is where their galactic council resides, and we thought they would be able to give us the most information. Fall, Linc, and I traveled together in my ship. Yes, I still fly the old thing it still works after all. Just because it looks like the old fashioned saucer ships that every world used to make, a silver disk with blue strips of light encasing the windows, does not mean it isn’t still a sensible mode of transportation. Plus it is fast. We made it to the quiet galaxy within a few galactic days. It still looks the same. As we approached it we could see the pink and gold spirals of the galaxy’s exterior, and the many fluorescent colored stars that reside there. Per protocol we waited at the edge of the galaxy for their security patrol to meet us there. They never showed up. We waited for a day to ensure we tried every mode or communication with any of their worlds beyond their galactic council. Seeing if we could get in touch with anyone that might give us some answers. We heard nothing in response. Not a single response to every question we posed, and every request we sent for an escort into their galaxy. That is not to say that there we not signals coming in from their worlds. We could still receive and listen to their media signals. We could see that they were still performing and sending media to each other and within each world. It was just that we were being ignored. 

I made the decision to fly in to the galaxy anyway, and make our way to the central planet. As it turns out no-one stopped us. As we flew through their stars, and past a myriad of worlds, no security patrols intercepted us. No-one questioned us. We were seen. We flew past a great many transport and civilian vessels that either ignored us or stopped to watch us, but no-one would talk to us. This may sound like good news. It may sound like they were simply letting us pass because they knew who we were, and wanted us to get to our destination quickly. For this galaxy through, this behavior is very out of character. We should have been intercepted by patrol ships that work to keep the galaxy safe. In the absence of patrol ships, it would be more common for a cargo or civilian ship to at least reach out to us and ask if we needed help, or if we were lost. They are curious worlds in that sector of space. Never ones to ignore an opportunity to learn. Since we were being ignored there were two conclusion I felt like were possible. The first was that they had all been instructed to ignore us by someone. Possible, but unlikely to work. They may have a galactic council, but each world in that sector of space has free will to make their own decision. At least one world should have confronted us. The second conclusion that I felt I could make is that something had scared them. I thought that was the most likely, and we had a good idea what that something might be. We decided to ignore all of our onlookers, and speed our way to our destination. 

When we arrived at the central planet, I was slightly taken aback by the sight we found. The planet itself looked unchanged. It sat in space as a glittering red and gold orb. The red land, made of a metallic sand, shimmered against the sky, and the gold color of their water created oceans and rivers across its surface. But there was a new addition. Sitting along the horizon of the planet was a number of green and gold large rectangular ships. They were the ships of the galactic patrol, but they were not doing anything. They simply sat at the edge of the world staring at as. Again, the lights were on in the ships, we could even see a handful of beings looking out the windows at us, but no attempt at communication was successful. Again, we decided the best course of action was to simply keep going and see if they tried to stop us. 

The didn’t, so we proceeded to the surface of the planet. We docked our ship at the nearest space dock, and took their long elevator system down to the surface of their world. The elevator system is not what most worlds normally picture as an elevator, but instead large anti gravity triangular platforms that one could ride through the air currents and down to land. It was not a journey for the faint of heart. The platforms feel like you are riding down a giant slide with no railings. For the inhabitants of that galaxy, who were used to traveling on wisps of energy and air the ride was probably no big deal. Although their architects did not take into account what it might feel like to those of us who live in a more physical form. Regardless, we made it to the surface without any fuss. No-one fell off although link looked a little sick.  

There was no-one on the planet side of the space port when we landed. The tall rainbow holographic pillars that made up the building, and large desert expanse of glittering red sand, were all that greeted us. I could see the almost translucent buildings that sat in the distance. They are a little difficult to describe. I don’t know if human eyes would be able to see them. You can see that a structure is there. Can see the walls, and floor, and roofs. Can see the glitter of the rainbow holographic glass they are made of. But you can also see through them, can see the landscape of red sand and golden rivers twisting around them. It is like the buildings are there, but not there at the same time. The only thing that grounds the buildings in that environment is the light from inside them. A soft blue and white glow that spills around the edges of the buildings and out onto the sand. I could also see the tall wispy figures of the beings that live and work in those buildings moving from room to room. They have a humanoid shape, but they are also see through to an extent. Existing more as a refraction of light and mist than an actual solid form. 

Again, even though we could see them, and tried to get their attention. They ignored us. So we moved forward. We all took on the forms that they would recognize us in. Fall changed into his original form. A ball of purple and blue electricity that hovered slightly above the ground. Well at least on this world since there were no clouds in the sky he could jump between.

Linc manifested into the form he usually uses when he visits other worlds. A mishmash of all the pieces of him he wants to display from lives he has lived. He had bright golden eyes, and was a tall luminescent rounded figure made of soft purple light. He was wearing a bright red t-shirt and bell bottom jeans upon his body, old welding goggles on top of his forehead, he had iridescent silver scales on his arms, and wild black hair atop his head. He was both a physical form and not physical all at once. 

I took on the fully physical form they would recognize me in from my most recent communications with them. I had gray eyes, silver spots that ran up and down the blue skin of my arms, and orange feather hair. I was wearing the space suit I usually do. A short sleeved jump suit made of soft yellow fabric.

All three of us stood out as not belonging on that world which I thought could play in to or against our advantage depending on how our day went.  But at least they would recognize us.

As we made our way down the path that lead to the galactic council building, my feet continually sunk deep into the red sand which slowed my progress considerably. Unlike Linc and Fall I was not floating above the ground. During other visits we were provided with transportation, and I finally understood why. The sand was so deep that if I didn’t keep moving I was likely to continue to sink. Each step required that I forcibly pull myself out of the suction the sand was creating. Several times Fall or Line had to stop to rescue me and keep us moving forward. 

Despite the challenge of actually walking to the center of their city we made it with no other problems. Although, by the time we had gotten there I was thoroughly getting worried. I had a few friends on this world, and to not hear from them, even though I had not heard from anyone else, was very out of place. If nothing else, if something was wrong, they would have tried to warn me. Or I thought they would have. 

The council building looked just like all of the other building on the planet, except for the blue emblem that sat over its doorway. A grouping of twenty triangles overlapping each other. Each representing a sector of their galaxy, and the representative from those areas that serves on their galactic council. I pushed open the door. The holographic glass felt cool to the touch despite the warmth of the planet. And we walked into the council chambers. Well, chamber may be too fancy of a word. The building is one large room with no furniture except for bowl shaped chairs that encircle the room. From inside you can see the rest of the outside landscape clearly except for the slight shimmer of the walls. 

The council was waiting for us. All twenty were seated, or a better word might be floating, within their seats. They all turned to look at us as we arrived, and they had already set aside three chairs for us. They had been expecting us after all. Even though they had not met us at the boarder. I thought in that moment that it was either a huge showing of trust that they let us visit unescorted, or they had a larger plan at play.  You may be wondering how a being with no eyes or physical form can look at us. Well, a better way to say it might be that we felt their attention focus on us. We could feel them thinking about us, and to us through telepathic communication. No-one said anything specific beyond a quiet welcome. 

With little fuss we took our seats. They were large, five feet tall by five feet wide, and too big for any of our physical forms, but we managed. I could have sworn some of the council members I had known for years were trying not to laugh at me as I scrambled up onto my chair with effort. In the past I had taken my non physical form when visiting council, so it was the first time many of them had seen me as I was currently structured. 

We all sat and stared at each other for a few minutes. I was under the impression that they were having an internal conversation without and about us. I decided to interrupt it. I decided to do so in two ways. By speaking out loud, something uncommon on their world, and telepathically. I said hello, reintroduced myself, Linc, and Fall, and told them we were there because they had stopped communicating with you Astra. Because we were concerned they had been harmed by Clara and Chester. 

All of their attentions refocused on us, specifically me, and the head council member began to speak. It had been along time since I had last had a conversation with them, but their voice felt familiar floating into my mind. They are ancient beings as well. We had had known each other for a very long time. 

We talked for a long time. Starting with why they had cut off their conversation with you Astra. To keep it simple and to the point, they think you knew about Clara and Chester longer then you were letting on, and that you may be working with them. They think the only way that this could be happening again is because you waited too long to take action and feel guilty,  or you are actively helping them. They wanted to do more research into what is actually happening before continuing to work with you. It is not that they don’t want to work with you, but that they need to be sure about what is actually going on since this problem has been happening for so long now. They didn’t feel like they could reach out to the rest of us, because we could be knowingly helping you. So they stalled. As they researched, and as they thought, they came up with their own plan of action to follow before working with you again. They would capture Chester themselves and question him. After all he was not the powerful one all those years ago, It was Clara, and he was working alone now. Also, they were much older than him. Had better technologies than him. They figured they could handle him on their own. 

So, they set their trap. They left their guard down, and told all of their worlds to let him pass without trouble if he did arrive. They leaked a communication out into the reaches of space about a new scientific discovery they had developed hoping to lure him in. They would let him fly right to the council meeting room. Pretend to welcome him, and then question him. What they did not expect was for us to show up first. By the time we had gotten to their front door, Chester’s ship was about a day away from their galaxy. They decided then to ask us to join them in their efforts. They would have us join their council meeting and explain what they had done. 

We listened to their plans, listened to their reasoning, and asked our questions. For the most part, outside of believing that you were involved Astra, we thought their plan made sense. Why not capture Chester and simply question him. We outnumbered him, and we knew where he was going to be. We agreed to help them. They certainly knew their limits and had been around long enough to know how to protect themselves. We did not see any harm in allowing the plan to move forward. 

We spent the rest of the day making plans, and preparing for as many outcomes as we thought might come up. We have plans for how to keep his ship from leaving, how to prevent other ships from following him into the galaxy, and plans to prevent him from stealing any technology. All of the planets in this galaxy have been secured, and are prepared to help if we need anything. 

Linc is with the council helping them prepare to confront Chester. Fall, and I are now sitting in my ship waiting for Chester to arrive. We are sitting close to the boarder of the galaxy. We hope to follow him to the central planet. We will block him from leaving with the help of the galactic patrol if needed. That being said, the council and us all agree that we do not want to be violent. If it comes to it we will let him leave and we will follow him so that he does not stop at any world and cause harm. Our hope is to talk to him. Nothing more. As I told Bert, we need to understand if it was Chester or Clara who were really in charge and what part he really played. I do not believe Clara’s story. I do not believe Chester was the one who caused all that damage years ago. He was too mild mannered. He had no training. Did he steal technology and knowledge before we knew of him, yes. My question is did he really jump from that to destroying worlds in the process. My other question that I did not share with the council is what is their real goal. They have spent so long trying their best to stay out of chaos, why are the choosing to be actively involved now? We think it is best to observe them too. Thats the other reason we decided to help.

I can see Chester’s ship on our sensors now. We are preparing to follow him. Something does not look right. There is another…

That is where Vi’s letter ends to me. I have others out looking to see if we can find more information about our loss of contact with Vi. I am confident they will find out what happened. I am not confident that they will actually find the missing correspondence or Vi and her team. I think it is more likely they will find more strings of the story we have been following that might help to complete more of the picture that is coming together about Chester, and now Tempest. Tune in next week for another episode of the Star Jelly Files. 

Thank you for listening to this episode of the Star Jelly Files podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode and that you are having a great day. The Star Jelly Files is written, produced, voice acted, and created by me, Elizabeth Hamblett. If you would like to support the podcast and gain access to bonus content check out my Patreon at www.patreon.com/starjellyfiles. If you would like to learn more about the podcast or visit our merch store check us out at www.starjellyfiles.com The links are also in the description.

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