The big underground dome was alive with scuttling, whispering and an
underlying alchemy of excitement and anxiety. The dome doubled as a shelter
and a laboratory and for the past 54 years the 4 Shee professors were
creating different lifeforms and studying mutations. Now, half a lifetime's
work had accumulated into this moment, the moment where the first complex
being would see the light of day.
Four hunching figures, dressed in clinical white coats were studying the egg in the middle of the theatre table with intense concentration. Dr. Dunnefisk , who was in charge of Physical Build, had constructed the egg out of edible fibreglass - this was now rocking slightly from side to side. Then suddenly, a single crack appeared on the surface and after a few seconds a tiny fist reached out of the egg. Little crackling sounds echoed in the laboratory, almost overwhelmed by the other machines, who were clicking and bleeping as usual, oblivious to what point in history was being made there.
Dr. Atriscemy, who was a brilliant but nervous Shee, tried to calm the tremor in his hands by grabbing hold of the table. What if he had not constructed the bronchioli or colon correctly..... The other Shee would never forgive him .. His train of thought was interrupted by gasps from the others. His head turned to the table. A tiny little baby animal was sitting upright, rather unsteadily , it's honey- brown fur still slightly wet from the inside of the egg. He had big blue inquisitive eyes and a naked face and hands, whereas the rest of him was covered in a velvety fur. "Beh" a voice as tiny as the animal it came from piped up. Dr. Atriscemy sighed of relief at seeing the little chest heaving up and down slightly.
The Shee had never been able to show or feel much emotion until now, they were just not born that way , but now they congratulated each other cheerily, every one of them proud and filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Dr. Dunnefisk walked over to his colleague Dr. Netalisys and shook his hand. "Now just to see if the reflexes are as good as the looks" he said rather amused. Dr. Netalisys looked pretty much like the other 3 Shee, tall, with long pale blue faces, and slender, almost bony hands , except this Shee had an unmistakeable cold stare and equally cold heart that he directed to anyone who dared question his scholarly ways.
The neurosurgeon had thought himself superior over the others a number of times, and never failed to let his colleagues' mistakes go by unnoticed. He shot back rather sarcastically: "The reflexes are perfect, but is his body? Look at this!" He paced over to the little animal, plucked it up and held it upside down from it's tail. Indeed, the tail was there, but the coccyx and spine were grown together, the result being that the tail could not move, but just stuck out like a twig from behind the animal. Dunnefisk's hands were clenched into a fist under the table. Netalisys' hawkeyes had seen it too. Morphex was going to give him trouble about this.
Professor Morphex , the project leader , was laying back on an office chair next to the big Creator Computer. Waves of satisfaction were rippling over him and an absent smile crossed his face. He had done it. He had done it! The fruit of endless frustration, countless mistakes and sleepless nights was sitting curiously on the table in the middle of the humid laboratory. He closed his eyes as the memories began to seep back. 70 years ago on the planet of Midgard his seniors in Section A-65 had laughed at his idea of creating a complex being, one able to think, feel and perform complicated actions. He had been so persistent in his aims that he had secretly allocated a closet to his research - while individual research was forbidden. He had always been different than his shallow peers. Well, he had just finished a prototype outline for the creature when they discovered him.
He and 3 other Shee were banned from Midgard for eternity. Shee were immortal so finding a dwelling could take thousands of years. Eventually they discovered another disk-shaped world, Albia. It was very similar to Midgard, except for much more resources and a richer variety of plant and animal life. Finding it was relatively uninhabited, they landed. They built a laboratory underground ; science was all they ever knew , no family, hobbies , or friends, only work. This new creation was fresh. Like a new morning..morn.. "NORN!!!" He yelled and jumped up suddenly. The other doctors were startled by this outburst. "We'll call it a norn! It's perfect! My fellow Shee, the race Norn , has just been created. Have you written that down Dunnefisk?" "Yes, Professor." He walked over to the Norn, looked at it for a moment then said : "We'll call this little norn Ron, it means first in Shee language."
And so began the first chapter of the Norn...
Four hunching figures, dressed in clinical white coats were studying the egg in the middle of the theatre table with intense concentration. Dr. Dunnefisk , who was in charge of Physical Build, had constructed the egg out of edible fibreglass - this was now rocking slightly from side to side. Then suddenly, a single crack appeared on the surface and after a few seconds a tiny fist reached out of the egg. Little crackling sounds echoed in the laboratory, almost overwhelmed by the other machines, who were clicking and bleeping as usual, oblivious to what point in history was being made there.
Dr. Atriscemy, who was a brilliant but nervous Shee, tried to calm the tremor in his hands by grabbing hold of the table. What if he had not constructed the bronchioli or colon correctly..... The other Shee would never forgive him .. His train of thought was interrupted by gasps from the others. His head turned to the table. A tiny little baby animal was sitting upright, rather unsteadily , it's honey- brown fur still slightly wet from the inside of the egg. He had big blue inquisitive eyes and a naked face and hands, whereas the rest of him was covered in a velvety fur. "Beh" a voice as tiny as the animal it came from piped up. Dr. Atriscemy sighed of relief at seeing the little chest heaving up and down slightly.
The Shee had never been able to show or feel much emotion until now, they were just not born that way , but now they congratulated each other cheerily, every one of them proud and filled with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Dr. Dunnefisk walked over to his colleague Dr. Netalisys and shook his hand. "Now just to see if the reflexes are as good as the looks" he said rather amused. Dr. Netalisys looked pretty much like the other 3 Shee, tall, with long pale blue faces, and slender, almost bony hands , except this Shee had an unmistakeable cold stare and equally cold heart that he directed to anyone who dared question his scholarly ways.
The neurosurgeon had thought himself superior over the others a number of times, and never failed to let his colleagues' mistakes go by unnoticed. He shot back rather sarcastically: "The reflexes are perfect, but is his body? Look at this!" He paced over to the little animal, plucked it up and held it upside down from it's tail. Indeed, the tail was there, but the coccyx and spine were grown together, the result being that the tail could not move, but just stuck out like a twig from behind the animal. Dunnefisk's hands were clenched into a fist under the table. Netalisys' hawkeyes had seen it too. Morphex was going to give him trouble about this.
Professor Morphex , the project leader , was laying back on an office chair next to the big Creator Computer. Waves of satisfaction were rippling over him and an absent smile crossed his face. He had done it. He had done it! The fruit of endless frustration, countless mistakes and sleepless nights was sitting curiously on the table in the middle of the humid laboratory. He closed his eyes as the memories began to seep back. 70 years ago on the planet of Midgard his seniors in Section A-65 had laughed at his idea of creating a complex being, one able to think, feel and perform complicated actions. He had been so persistent in his aims that he had secretly allocated a closet to his research - while individual research was forbidden. He had always been different than his shallow peers. Well, he had just finished a prototype outline for the creature when they discovered him.
He and 3 other Shee were banned from Midgard for eternity. Shee were immortal so finding a dwelling could take thousands of years. Eventually they discovered another disk-shaped world, Albia. It was very similar to Midgard, except for much more resources and a richer variety of plant and animal life. Finding it was relatively uninhabited, they landed. They built a laboratory underground ; science was all they ever knew , no family, hobbies , or friends, only work. This new creation was fresh. Like a new morning..morn.. "NORN!!!" He yelled and jumped up suddenly. The other doctors were startled by this outburst. "We'll call it a norn! It's perfect! My fellow Shee, the race Norn , has just been created. Have you written that down Dunnefisk?" "Yes, Professor." He walked over to the Norn, looked at it for a moment then said : "We'll call this little norn Ron, it means first in Shee language."
And so began the first chapter of the Norn...