Chapter 5 – Splendid Gold and Jade

How splendid Jade was!
Yes, she met me near the flowered garden
Our paths side by side as we walked the road of knowledge
She bowed to me and said I was very clever

How strong Gold was!
Yes, she met me in the crowded lunchtime halls while it snowed outside
Side by side we talked of the universe's hidden truths
She bowed to me and said I was insightful

How magnificent were Jade and Gold!
Yes, they met on the south slopes of the hill near where they lived
Side by side they chased the hours away watching the clouds
They bowed to each other and said "that was good"

A.D. 2305

"Keep eating like that and you're going to get fat," said Samsara. "I mean it."

Jinling laughed. "I'm already pudgy. How much worse can it get?"

Before Samsara could scold her again, Jinling took another chocolate out of a box on her bed and popped it in her mouth. Although the box was nearly empty, another one, still sealed in plastic, sat underneath it.

"Another?" Samsara scowled in disgust. "Really, Jinling, you're going to blow up like a balloon, and then you'll have to roll everywhere you go. Do you want that?"

Jinling stuck her tongue in the general direction of her friend and reached for another chocolate. Before she ate her candy, she paused to wipe a sugary brown stain off of her bedspread.

"You're just too much," said Samsara.

"Who cares how I look?" said Jinling.

"Will people remember your work if they don't remember your face?" Samsara poked Jinling's nose with her index finger.

"I'm not going to be posting photos of myself in the journals, you know," said Jinling. "I'm a scientist, not a model."

"Keep eating like that and you won't have any choice," said Samsara.

Jinling giggled and turned back to her work: a notebook filled with sketches, calculations, notes, and, embarrassingly, a few doodles. All of the contents except for the doodles had to do with her primary research project in applied temporal mathematics. (The doodles were mostly kittens with firearms attacking ugly looking dogs—Jinling left no doubt that she was a cat person.) Although some of the notes were the sorts of things anyone could find in a temporal mathematics textbook at the postgraduate level, many were the original brainchild of Jinling Lan and Samsara Ashtear. Some of the older original ideas had even appeared in their Ph.D. theses.

Both had passed their examinations with highest honors, and both had vigorously pursued their research careers since finishing up. Their extension of Balthasar's work helped them become the most famous pair of innovative collaborators in the field. What interested Jinling now, though, was the unpublished work.

"I thought of a name," Jinling said.

"And you haven't told me yet?" said Samsara. "I'm shocked."

"This time it's for real," said Jinling. "I know what I'll call it."

"Are you going to tell me, or are you going to beat around the bush?" said Samsara.

"It's Golden Days," said Jinling. "That's final, too."

"I'll bet," said Samsara. "You've changed it how many times so far?"

"I told you," said Jinling, "it's final this time. And this one sound like a proper name for a boat."

"I believe you," said Samsara. "Sure. Just like last time."

Jinling popped another chocolate into her mouth.

"Why that, though?" said Samsara.

"It's the result of how many years of hard work?" Jinling spoke with her mouth stuffed "Those were our golden days. Still are, I suppose."

Samsara sighed. "Better than Epoch 2, at least."

XXX

Beyond Time

Pain and Passion did not return to haunt Chrono on his journey through Jinling Caverns. Neither did Disenchantment.

For a while, Chrono encountered no signs of life at all. He prowled around in complete silence. Were it not for the ball of light floating over his head, he would have been in complete darkness, as well, and at times even it flickered off for short periods. If it even didn't come back on, Chrono figured he was as good as dead, if he wasn't already.

About an hour passed in the same way before anything of note happened, but then Chrono saw something that piqued his interest: during one of the periods in which his light ball went dark, Chrono found that he was not in complete darkness. The rock face ahead of him glowed blue. It was a very faint blue, but it was there. It was something other than pitch darkness, if he wasn't imagining it. Although it very easily could have been a trick of his brain or a side effect of his eyes not having time to adjust to the darkness, Chrono preferred to take what shred of hope he could and hold onto it for all it was worth.

At first, it wasn't worth much. As Chrono made his way deeper and deeper into the cave, he convinced himself that he really did see a light besides his own, but he couldn't quite confirm it. It took five or six sightings for him to notice that it was really there and it was growing brighter as he moved.

Disenchantment? Chrono thought. Is she still alive?

A few turns later, Chrono found the light brighter still, and even better, he heard a sound to go with it.

Footsteps! So it's certainly someone, but is it Disenchantment?

The footsteps grew fainter with time, as if their owner were moving away. Chrono made his best guess as to the direction of their source and attempted to follow them, but as he did, they sped up. The other person must have been running.

To get away from me? Chrono wondered. Probably not that demon, then.

Chrono took off as fast as he could in attempt to catch up. Before long, he found himself staring at the back of a girl who looked nothing at all like Disenchantment.

"Wait up!" he shouted at the girl. "I mean you no harm, miss."

The girl ground to a halt and turned around. "You do not?"

"No," said Chrono. "I'm just lost here."

"As am I," said the girl.

Great. She won't be helping me get out, then.

"Completely lost?" said Chrono.

"Mostly lost," said the girl. "If you are completely lost, then you might want to follow me, as I have a greater chance of escaping than someone completely lost."

She talks like Lucca. Looks a bit like her, too, but shorter. Right hair, though. Looks more human than Disenchantment.

"I'm glad for any help you can give me," said Chrono. "And we're probably safer if we stick together. My name's Chrono, by the way."

"I am happy to meet you, Chrono," the girl said. "I am Coppelia. Please allow me to be of service."