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Prayer and the Pendulum

Look and remember. Vigilantly look
In the very depths of blue heaven
Into Infinity, where people pray.
And speak, scream, beg for a miracle.
Answer? What do you hear in response?
Sky - not for you. You are no longer there.
(Karl Jay Shapiro. "Geographic Lecture to the Exiles')

Wandering Cathedral is slowly approaching the Gates, leading to Mother Earth ... Slowly and carefully, as if he's afraid to break the greatness of the sacred place with his presence. Iridescent magnificent anomalies deter the airborne navigation and communication, however the ship was constructed with all the possible protections from interference, built by the best minds of New Eden. But all of this, apparently, did not matter to Last Earthling in his monastic garb, standing on the bridge of the ship.

"Blackout - 99.995 percent of the source," whispered the voice of Aura: "Change 0.001%. Delta - one hour eleven minutes."

The Goner Father prayed, using his beads of Chief Arhivarium. His eyes staring at a glowing funnel... It seemed that now it will happen, he thought. Elevating frantic prayer, he would stand there for hours, many days before the giant screens, without food nor water, and only when this state endured too long Aura, programmed to care for the monks, would grant him "mercy" and save him from exhaustion.

"Change of status 'Antitsipator', Father," Aura whispered again.

"Again leads me astray?" the monk smiled. "Okay, I will take a walk."

The Council's cool corridors were empty and clean. Leaning on his staff, he walked into a room with a smell of ozone and a low rumble from the bosonic amplifier. Scientist Ex Machina, who collected it with the industrial capacity of the Goner Temple, called the unprecedented machine in the room "Antitsipator." Collected with the help of ancient drawings of Goner Father, and almost without realizing what it was and which purpose it served.
It was majestic, octahedron, hanging in the center of the hall, and under it there lay a gigantic image of the known universe. The Goner Father walked between galaxies, picked up a stick and a pulsating purple ball and peered into the depths of the constellations...

"We are waiting for you, Nathan."

A cold wave passed over his body. He dropped his stick and stood silently, not to scare... the voice? He did not. Near him emerged another purple sphere. More and more... Like fireballs in an angry thunderstorm during a cold summer, they silently circled around the monk. They - the galaxies and constellations, pulsars and black holes, wormholes and nebulae. At the "Antitsipatora" it became chilly, the octahedron seemed to be freezing him.

"Yes," he said quietly. And vapor escaped from his mouth.

Purple balloons - universal building blocks - began to play it, which then were blown into the distance, like a thin silk scarf whirling easy by a playful wind.

"The power in your device is not long enough for broadcast. Distance is too large, almost infinite. You have to improve it. Hear us, Nathan."

Then the walls were gone. The Octahedron disappeared... Purple balls grew and connected, absorbed in a uniform glow. In front of him there was a funnel. The Gateway, but only visible in a certain other, hitherto unknown spectrum. The Goner Father wanted to close his eyes, but he realized that he allready had clenched his eyelids shut tight.

... Click... Flash...

"Father, are you okay?" Aura murmured, seemingly in his ear.

The Monk was still standing in the center of the room, named "Antitsipator." Galaxies smoothly sailed past his face, seemingly waiting until someone could touch his hand to them, or to reach a ...

His staff was on the floor, in a halo of soft purple glow. At the end or it the Holy Father saw slowly emerging Blessed earthen tablets.

I am a goner
Somebody catch my breath
X 2

I wanna be now
By you
X 2

I am a goner
Somebody catch my breath
X 2

I wanna be now
By you
X 2