Chapter 03 | Starbuilders

Standing before Nothaar were two people - if that word could be applied to them - that did not look like any other person Nothaar had ever seen before. Examining the duo as well as he could by the light of the campfire, Nothaar saw that they shared a skin tone coloration similar to the children, but it was somehow more pronounced and vibrant. If anything, the youngsters looked like they were a dull mixture of the complexion of people born before the Sky Shift with what Ifu and Syraaq had wrapped over their frames. As observed by Nothaar, the stark differences Ifu and Syraaq possessed did not end with just their pigmentation.

Among the recent generation, no two progenies were exactly alike. Each one seemed to have an unpredictable combination of physical characteristics and unusual bone structures that altered their faces and bodies far from the norm of the pre-Sky Shift populous. Even their internal organs were often rearranged, as Nothaar was able to learn by performing autopsies on those who unfortunately died early for any number of reasons. Conferring with other Keepers during his journey, Nothaar also found that the infant mortality rate had jumped up significantly. Since the mutations had come, babies were far less likely to survive their first season. A larger percentage were stillborn than from before the Sky Shift, also spreading a great sadness among grieving parents and villagers. Baubu was right, Nothaar thought, this new era is quite difficult and will only become worse before it gets better. It will require strong guidance from all the Keepers of the Knowledge if we are to somehow get past this age of transition.

Still, what Nothaar was mulling over only concerned the offspring he was familiar with. In Ifu and Syraaq, Nothaar recognized the amalgamation of every single phenotype he had seen in various children - plus more he had never witnessed or gathered from other Keepers - combined into singular beings. Both Ifu and Syraaq shared all these features. More so, Nothaar was also forced to accept that Syraaq was being honest with him. She showed obvious signs of advanced age, even if she did not align with how Baubu had appeared. Whereas she was staying still as the firelight danced off her wrinkled skin and pale, thin hair; Nothaar detected that she stood with a slight bend in her back. There was no doubt that she was in some advanced phase of life. Even if Syraaq lied about how many winters she's seen, Nothaar surmised, she has been through at least several multiples of twenty of them. That means she must have been born this way before the Sky Shift, but that's impossible. I haven't witnessed, heard, or read about anything like this happening before that point. What are these… these…?

So completely distracted by their faces alone, Nothaar barely noticed the clothing they were wearing. As he attempted to take it all in, he realized that what they had on did not appear to be made of materials harvested from animals or plants, at least none that he had ever seen. Even the patterns and colors were unattainable by his estimation. While he had certainly seen dyed fabrics among the many settlements he had visited, nothing compared to the crisp lines and exactness of the fit and cut that these two sported. Beyond these features, their outfits were also as far unalike from each other as Nothaar's was from either of them.

Beginning to feel faint, Nothaar kept himself from potentially losing consciousness by managing to squeak out, "You no people. You magic creatures! Try to wear face and skin of people, trick people, trick me. Somehow learn talk, learn Language of Children. Make mistake. Children no like regular people. Should look like Nothaar if want to trick, not children."

"There's no subterfuge here," Syraaq claimed. "I give you permission to touch my face, my hands, anything on me if it will help you conclude that I'm as real as you are, and that what you see is exactly how I came into this shared existence of ours… give or take a few age spots."

"Syraaq, you go too far!" Ifu scolded. "You can't let this thing touch you; you have no idea what type of pathogens he may be carrying. Do I need to remind you that we have very little functioning medical equipment available to us, especially ones that could identify and isolate some new disease and clear it out of our systems? Even leaving the ship and breathing this air has been a massive hazard that I'm not sure we should have partaken, especially considering the situation we find ourselves in now."

"First off," Syraaq countered, "this man is no mere 'thing' or some other mindless beast or plant. Standing before you is another living and thinking being with a name, a name he wants to be called: Nothaar. Show him all the proper respect that he is due and deserves. This man, this incredibly animate and breathing archetype, is exactly the profound example of what you convinced me is so important to protect.

"Second, we're going to have to leave here eventually, so it'll be best if we can build some natural immunity and use what we have on hand to keep ourselves safe before we are forced to head out."

"Slow down!" Nothaar cried. "Me no understand half words that said. No can keep up speed, no can list all new words me hear."

No one spoke for a few moments until Ifu stepped around Syraaq and declared, "Nothaar, I apologize. I have treated you unkindly. As different as I appear from you, you look the same to me, so very strange. I've never seen anything… anyone… quite like you before. It's taking me some time to wrap my head around it."

Nothaar quickly responded, "Me, regular people from before Sky Shift, strange one to you? Do you come from land with no regular people?"

"Just the opposite…" Ifu began.

"Even if claim be people, not spirit, not evil sprite," Nothaar interrupted, "Ifu and Syraaq still make mistake with bad fake names."

Ifu looked like he was about to argue back, but Syraaq put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Instead, she asked, "What makes you think our names aren't real?"

"You names not like any of people," Nothaar explained. "Me travel from point most north where me village home be to point most south. Go east, west, across wasteland, everywhere. Me meet all people, learn all tongues, hear many names, understand how names and words made. You names just random combination sounds, not even like each other."

"Wait," Ifu beseeched, "what do you mean that our names are 'not even like each other'?"

Nothaar took a deep breath as he contemplated how he would explain. In his own tongue he would find it exasperating to expound on the ideas of linguistic theory, but in the Language of Children it was exceedingly difficult. He was well aware that he was speaking without the proper lexes and grammar, especially as he was listening to Ifu and Syraaq prattle on. Even though he could not keep up with them or grasp everything that was being said, it was clear that they were completely fluent and comfortable in a way Nothaar could only dream about.

Deciding that the method by which he approached the topic with Baubu would be best, Nothaar attempted, "Most people only speak one tongue, tongue of home village. Me visit many villages, hear and learn their tongue. After just few tongues, me start to hear pattern, same sound coming from past. Like root of plant. On top, many different leaf, look like own thing. At bottom, come from same base. In past, me think, all people speak same tongue. Many village stay apart long time, change tongue. Tongue come from one, become many, you understand?"

"I believe we do," Syraaq confirmed. "Please, go on."

"Words, names, the same," Nothaar continued. "Names also come from root. Change, yes, but share past. In other village, name 'Nothaar' be 'Nodarc'. See, same name, different speak?"

"So, what does that have to do with us and our names?" Ifu challenged, although Nothaar did not detect any bravado or malevolence behind it. Instead, it seemed like Ifu was pushing him into revealing something, something that Syraaq had already apparently intuited.

Without wasting a breath, Nothaar answered, "Ifuwukoogeeq and Syraaq Sec no share root with any tongue from before Sky Shift. Also same with Language of Children, names no come from there. But more! Is clear no share root with each other."

"Whoa there," Ifu forced Nothaar to pause. "You picked all of that up just after hearing our two names?"

"Not just names," Nothaar admitted. "Also accent. Ifu and Syraaq speak Language of Children, speak perfectly. Words all same, but inflection on words different. Same word, say slightly different, hit syllable different. Two look like all parts from children together, speak as children do, but small differences. Ifu and Syraaq, if real names, not from same place. Born different place, grow up different, be different."

"Holy shit!" Ifu exclaimed. "Syraaq, we've stumbled upon a fucking prodigy!"

"He is an incredibly smart one," Syraaq confirmed, but with some trepidation in her voice. "Nothaar, our names are real, but you are completely correct about everything else. Just like your name does not spring from the… 'Language of Children'… neither do ours. Our names predate it, as well. But we don't call the words we speak what you do. For us, it's simply known as the 'Lingua'.

"Just like all of your children, everyone who looks like us speaks the Lingua. It's one of the many things that bonds us together. Nevertheless, there are differences, cultural ones mostly, between our various… homes. Not only were Ifu and I born many years apart, but we also originate far, far away from each other. You are very insightful, Nothaar, and I'm curious what else you may know about us without having to be explicitly told."

"Me show," Nothaar offered.

At this, Nothaar brought his travel sack to the ground and started to pull something from the inside. As he began to do so, Ifu suddenly whipped his bent object from his belt and commanded in a sharp tone, "Slowly! Do not make any sudden movements!"

Now that he could see it better, Nothaar saw that Ifu's… weapon, he supposed… was made out of polished metal and other materials he did not recognize. However, it appeared to be several pieces fitted together. At the very least, Nothaar considered, he could certainly bludgeon me with it, but that does not appear to be the intimation he is making with pointing it at me. He seems to be implying something could be launched from it, like a spear or an arrow. I don't see how that's possible, but Ifu certainly believes so. Maybe some type of tiny spear is on the inside that can be thrown out somehow? Perhaps this weapon is not meant to be used on people, but on small game?

Deciding not to chance it, Nothaar slowly brought out his prized possession until Ifu visibly calmed down and put his armament back in his belt.

"What do you have there?" Syraaq asked.

Nothaar opened the pages and showed them to the two odd strangers. "This me Opus on Language of Children," Nothaar proudly proclaimed. "After Sky Shift, me travel world to learn all that happen, make book so all people can learn from Nothaar experience. Me make book gift to all villages of world."

"Ifu, do you see it?" Syraaq inquired with alarm. "Nothaar has learned our letters, too. And, look here! If I'm not mistaken, he's created a type of phonetic translation from the Lingua into his own tongue, and vice versa.

"Oh, Ifu, I'm so sorry for ever doubting you. You were right all along. We've done a terrible thing here."

The above piece is an excerpt from the speculative hard science fiction novel Starbuilders by J.P. Prag, available at booksellers worldwide. Learn more about the author at www.jpprag.com.

Twenty years ago, the stars above Nothaar Akii's head suddenly changed.

Christening it the Sky Shift, Nothaar found that this event was merely the harbinger of a devastating metamorphosis that was about to befall his world. More than anything, though, it impacted the children. Newborns came out of the womb with strange physical features, far different than anything seen before. As they grew up, the youths intuitively spoke a tongue that no one else understood. After learning these conditions were not isolated to his far northern village, Nothaar set out on a long journey of discovery, taking him all the way to the southernmost tip of the land.

With his expedition seemingly completed, Nothaar decided to retrace his steps and share his discoveries with everyone he had encountered along the way. However, those plans were quickly waylaid when he chanced upon a gift that had come crashing down from the heavens. Expecting just to find a rock filled with rare and valuable resources, he instead met Syraaq Sec and Ifuwukoogeeq. The mysterious duo not only spoke the Language of Children fluently, but also possessed knowledge far beyond Nothaar's comprehension.

And then they declared Nothaar was the key to unraveling a great injustice, one that had been perpetrated upon his people and many others by the Starbuilders.

Starbuilders is a work of mixed fiction and nonfiction elements. With the fiction elements, any names, characters, places, events, and incidents that bear any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental. For the nonfiction elements, no names have been changed, no characters invented, no events fabricated except for hypothetical situations.