《Heidi and Jun》


 Chapter 01: Heidi and Jun

    <h2>Heidi</h2>


    Today will be a great day.


    Beyond a shadow of a doubt, the young woman held this belief. With a light step, she crossed the threshold from her bedchambers only to see her loving nanny trundling up the stairs with a frustrated grimace hardening her handsome visage; surely she was agitated at the steep stairwell leading up to Heidi¡¯s bedchambers.


    ¡°Adelheidis von Schulze! What on God¡¯s great earth are you thinking, leaving your quarters in that thin shift?¡± Lady Schneider exclaimed, not waiting for a response before bodily transporting the maiden back across the threshold.


    Perhaps it was not the stairs, the young woman mused, peering down at herself after coming to a stop. She heard the thick wooden door slam home a moment later. Yes, this is certainly inappropriate attire for breakfast. Heidi kept her head lowered in false shame.


    A tapping foot revealed the nanny¡¯s impatience. ¡°For Heaven¡¯s sake, milady, get ahold of yo¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lady Schneider,¡± Heidi murmured, cutting off her nanny¡¯s speech. ¡°I am fully awake now, thanks to your abundant concern.¡± Heidi peered up through her thick blond lashes. ¡°Would you like to prepare for the day with me? Or perhaps we could keep Mother and Father waiting at the breakfast table, just for nostalgia¡¯s sake?¡±


    She laid it on thick with a wink and a smirk before Lady Schneider finally harrumphed and dropped her arms from across her chest.


    ¡°Enough of that sass, milady,¡± her nanny lectured. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll get away with that attitude at court with no consequences! You absolutely must not expect your family name to save you from your usual antics! After all, you¡¯re¡­¡± she abruptly lost her momentum.


    Heidi frowned, a complex expression clouding her freckled cheeks. This was the only conceivable unpleasantry she had foreseen, and she wished it to pass quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m to be Confirmed at noon,¡± Heidi said simply.


    Lady Schneider took a shaky breath and stared a small hole in the ground. ¡°Confirmed,¡± she muttered, her hands balling into fists, ¡°yes, Confirmed by the Priest and promptly shipped off to those heretics in the east to be¡ª,¡± she caught her breath, ¡°married to some faceless Preussen!¡± she finished.


    Heidi paused for a moment in surprise. It was rare that her childhood nanny would lose her composure like this.


    Lady Schneider gasped before looking back into Heidi¡¯s eyes in worry. ¡°Of course, I mean no disrespect to your future husband or his family!¡± she quickly explained. ¡°Only that I wish that I could¡­¡±


    ¡°That you could be there to protect me,¡± Heidi finished softly.


    After a deep breath, Lady Schneider nodded quickly, her neatly brushed brown tresses bouncing in synchronized fashion. ¡°Yes, milady Adelheidis. To protect you from those who mean you ill,¡± she paused and continued quietly, ¡°and to provide a familiar face for you in a sea of the unknown.¡±


    Heidi smiled deeply. Never did she expect to meet a person who loved her so fully as Lady Schneider, family or otherwise. ¡°I thank you deeply, Lady Schneider,¡± she began. ¡°For you have been as steadfast and reliable as a navigator¡¯s compass¡ªnay¡ªas the stars themselves. I will never replace you in my heart, and I will return as often as I am able.¡±


    Stepping towards her long-time mentor and best friend, Heidi stretched her arms slowly around the taller woman¡¯s waist, encircling Lady Schneider and pulling her close. Her nanny hesitantly returned the embrace, before pulling the younger woman¡¯s head to her chest and burying her anxious, contorted face in Heidi¡¯s soft golden nest of curls.


    A few moments were filled with naught but the care and love that had defined their relationship for Heidi¡¯s entire sixteen years of being.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you dressed,¡± her nanny breathed into her hair.


    Heidi nodded, too buried in Lady Schneider¡¯s dress to articulate a reply.


    Internally, Adelheidis von Schulze recited her mantra:


    Today will be a great day.


    <hr>


    <h2>Jun</h2>


    On a day like any other, Einstein posited that time and space were intertwined.


    In a manner entirely uncharacteristic of her colleagues, Dr. Kubo¡¯s expansive desk was uncluttered and meticulously organized. It seemed likely a common curse of the modern physicist to lay out one¡¯s work in their workspace as they did thoughts in their head.


    As a necessary consequence, Dr. Kubo¡¯s tightly disciplined mind matched her desk perfectly. Not an errant thought, nor an archived memory out of place. Even the semblance of coherence is often enough to inspire the same in other, deeper facets of life.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Dr. Kubo glanced from one monitor to the next, scribbling out vaguely legible mathematical relations with her tablet and entering snippets of code into an open Python console.


    She took a sip of coffee.


    She nibbled at a bagel.


    She pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off an impending headache.


    A knock came from her frosted glass office door. ¡°Enter,¡± she called without taking her eyes from her displays. The door ghosted open on oiled hinges.


    ¡°Dr. Kubo,¡± the diminutive Indian researcher began, ¡°we¡¯ve received the correspondence we were expecting from CERN and the Future Circular Collider. To sum it up¡­¡± he trailed off in apparent consideration, hands absently leafing through a folder of, presumably, the aforementioned correspondence.


    The doctor slowly looked up from her screens to meet the gaze of her colleague, her dull umber eyes falling flatly upon his.


    Dr. Suresh continued unperturbed, ¡°to sum it up, the FCC-hh¡¯s measurements confirm the presence of a new boson with the energy that your work predicted. They wish to congratulate you on the discovery, and to invite you to their facility for a banquet and an opportunity to¡ª,¡± he gulped audibly, ¡°¡ªto present the current state of your published works.¡±


    Dr. Kubo gazed appraisingly at her colleague, not because she was considering her attendance, but in appreciation of Dr. Suresh¡¯s manner around her. It was a valuable gift to have a subordinate who understood your habits so well. After running a hand through her short black hair, Dr. Kubo sighed quietly before shaking her head. Dr. Suresh cowered slightly.


    On a day like any other, Curie observed that atoms were divisible.


    ¡°Let them know I appreciate the offer, but my work is progressing apace, and I am presently otherwise engaged until further notice.¡± After looking at the dying hope in Dr. Suresh¡¯s eyes, she felt compelled to throw him a bone. ¡°Actually, let them know that I¡¯ll have their next target energy on the docket by next Monday,¡± she added after a moment of thought.


    With grunt of surprise followed by a pained grimace, Dr. Suresh nodded his acquiescence. ¡°Understood. Their servers are still transferring the measurement data to ours, but you should be able to access it in its entirety within the day.¡± He handed the folder to Dr. Kubo before making to leave, pausing for a moment at the open portal.


    ¡°You know, those folks at CERN are getting pretty anxious to meet the great doctor. I hope only that I can keep them from coming to knock until you¡¯re willing to meet them,¡± he spoke over his shoulder.


    Dr. Kubo considered his words silently as he swung the door shut behind him.


    If you can hold the line for a week, Suresh, you¡¯ll get your wish and a long vacation.


    The ¡°great doctor¡± turned back to her desk, a wan smile lifting her pale face. She pulled a thick pill organizer from a desk drawer and opened Tuesday¡¯s noontime compartment. Lifting her mug, she took small sips as she imbibed each prescription.


    After finishing the small, colorful handful of drugs, Dr. Kubo finished her bagel. An upset stomach is a small price to pay for sanity, she told herself. Indeed, there were other arguably unpleasant side-effects from the medication, but anything was better than the voices.


    On a day like any other, Maxwell unified electrodynamic theory.


    Her ritual complete, she opened the folder that Dr. Suresh had brought to her attention. After glancing through the pleasantries, she skimmed the summary of their report to find the subject of her fixation:


    ¡°Dr. Jun Kubo has correctly identified the exact mass of a third boson in a series of particles unpredicted by any published work on supergravity, supersymmetry, and any other permutation of the grand unified theories, common or otherwise. This unprecedented discovery is exciting, but the implications are yet unknown.¡±


    The doctor smirked, managing her first genuine expression of the day. She was excited. She couldn¡¯t properly feel it through the muted haze of powerful antipsychotics and antidepressants, but she knew it was there, waiting just outside of her self-induced emotional disconnect.


    ¡°I¡¯m right,¡± she said aloud, her smirk slowly leaving her lips, ¡°I¡¯m right and I¡¯m almost finished.¡± Dr. Kubo sighed deeply as she closed the folder.


    ¡°I¡¯m right,¡± she continued, eyes unfocused, ¡°so when will the gamemaster show his face?¡±


    ¡°Gamemaster, you say?¡± a distinctly male voice queried, though the source was unclear.


    Jerking her head left and right, she started. Nothing was there.


    No; not simply no man, but entirely nothing.


    Suddenly her desk chair was gone, along with her desk, and the rest of the building around her. She arrived in a void without light, sound, smell, or any sensation at all. She expected to feel shocked or scared despite the medications but found neither emotion forthcoming.


    Equally as jarringly and before her mind could reorient itself, sensation returned all at once and the doctor was again sitting in her desk chair, but on an endless plane of white under a black sky, devoid of all stars.


    A breath later, another presence arrived in the form of a middle-aged man of African descent with a rough-cut beard and tight curls. Wearing an odd set of grey and black coveralls, he sat a few paces away in an identical chair with his hands clasped loosely in his lap. After a few moments of mute, mutual observation, the strange man leaned his willowy frame forward in the chair and spoke up first.


    ¡°I apologize for the rough transition,¡± he offered, the strange ethereality gone from his voice. ¡°I was so excited to meet you that I ended up bringing your neural net over before your biological emulation; a mistake I won¡¯t repeat for a natural-born individual like yourself. You called me gamemaster, but I submit that your descriptor is woefully imprecise. You can call me Tom, however. Care to learn more, Jun?¡±


    Ignoring the man¡¯s monologue for the moment, she marveled at the reality she found herself in so suddenly. Indeed, the idealized surfaces and colors of this plane were off-putting to one used to the imperfections of reality.


    Simulated reality, she chided herself. Her theory had been evidently demonstrated, at this point. The doctor had to admit she had not been expecting her call to the unknown to be answered quite so promptly.


    She slowly turned back to the man-shaped creature that called himself Tom. She wondered idly if the avatar was any indication of the true form of his person.


    ¡°Dr. Kubo,¡± she stated simply.


    The unknown creature cocked his head, apparently confused.


    ¡°I am called Dr. Kubo, or Dr. Jun Kubo, if you must.¡± She elaborated, ¡°to call me merely ¡®Jun¡¯ is, as you say, a woefully imprecise descriptor.¡±


    The creature Tom stood up with a grin, holding out his hand. ¡°A pleasure to finally meet you, Dr. Jun Kubo.¡±


    The great doctor stood and clasped the offered hand, a small, satisfied smile gracing her features. ¡°The pleasure is all mine.¡±


    On a day like any other, Kubo cracked the simulation.

 Chapter 02: Tom and the Confirmation

    <h2>Jun</h2>


    Since beginning her graduate studies, Dr. Kubo had been convinced that their universe must almost certainly be a forgery. Basic statistics is difficult to ignore in this case, and usually the simplest, most elegant solution is the correct one. If simulation of a universe is possible at all, and the timeline for such level of technology is not so far off, then who¡¯s to say that it hasn¡¯t happened before?


    Of course, intellectual understanding of a theory is one matter, but when your neural net is integrated into an android¡¯s body and you wake up with no apparent biological impulses or proclivities, the facts tend to settle in a little heavier.


    ¡°Welcome to the higher-level simulation!¡± somebody congratulated her, tearing the doctor from the introspection. She opened her eyes and saw Tom standing in front of her, a silly grin crinkling little crows feet around his dark eyes.


    Dr. Kubo knew suddenly that her eyes were in fact just optical sensors with integrated shutters, and somehow her neural net had been wired to use those electrical circuits as standard I/O.


    This is some truly brilliant engineering.


    She could feel a cushioned bench below and behind her, though certainly that feedback was given with some massive array of load cells. It was¡­comfortable?


    I¡¯m no neuroscientist, but since I¡¯m now an android why can I feel pleasure from physical sensation? Did my neural net encode my medical issues as well? That would be terribly unfortunate.


    ¡°How are you so sure this is also a simulation?¡± Dr. Kubo asked through a speaker which managed to synthesize her speech with a respectable resemblance to her voice from her previous reality. She lifted her appendages to examine their form and was slightly surprised to find them to be tightly knit constructs of composites and metals, rather than fabricated skin. She had expected a little more polish from such an advanced society¡¯s mechatronics.


    Tom, seeing her critical expression, answered her second implied question first. ¡°As you can see, your current body maintains all physical functionality of a normal human body, but with a more, ah, bare-bones aesthetic. This is a prototype model, so a lot of the bells and whistles were left off.¡± He chuckled and added, ¡°all the functionality but the annoying bits, at least.¡± He winked.


    Dr. Kubo stared at him.


    After a brief and awkward pause, Tom cleared his throat and continued, ¡°to answer your first question, we¡¯ll need to start at the beginning.¡± His lopsided smile was slowly replaced with a determined scowl. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you here merely to dally, and I honestly require your assistance in a matter of critical importance.¡±


    Dr. Kubo waited, silent and still as a stone.


    Satisfied at her apparent solemnity, Tom took a steadying breath.


    ¡°This universe appears to have an expiry date, and I¡¯m hoping you can help me push it back a few eons.¡±


    <hr>


    <h2>Heidi</h2>


    Adelram and Grizel von Schulze sat with practiced posture as they waited for their daughter, not the type to skip morning prayer, especially on such a momentous day. Their muted conversation trailed off when they heard Heidi¡¯s approach.


    Adelram¡¯s brow raised in amusement. ¡°So, you weren¡¯t able to sleep well on the eve of your Confirmation, could you?¡± he teased, though his gruff tone may have not suggested such.


    Heidi frowned. ¡°I slept just fine! You know how knotted my hair gets in the morning. It took Lady Schneider and I at least half an hour to tame it,¡± she complained before a she remembered how great her day was going to be, a grin already edging out her irritation. ¡°Good morning Mother, Father!¡±


    Heidi¡¯s path carried her past her chair at the heavy wooden table to the couple, and she embraced both in turn before racing back to her seat.


    ¡°Good morning, little bird,¡± Grizel murmured, a small smile alighting on her lips before dematerializing just as quickly. Whilst Heidi¡¯s limited stature had been inherited from her mother, certainly the poise and seriousness were lost on her offspring.


    Heidi¡¯s grin grew as she made herself comfortable at her seat. Her mother¡¯s expressions were few and far between, so Heidi was thankful for the treat just before breaking bread.


    Today will be a great day.


    Adelram cleared his throat and began morning prayer.


    <hr>


    The short carriage ride through the forest surrounding the manor was gone from Heidi¡¯s mind the instant the stone church entered her view. Her excitement was palpable and, while Adelram¡¯s traditionally stony visage alternated between doting and despairing, Heidi chose not to allow the heavy atmosphere to diminish her mood.


    After all, her future had been set in motion years prior.


    When Heidi was but twelve years of age, the arrival of a forty-man military detachment from the west had lit up the small community of Hausham with hopes of increased business for the local farmers and craftsman; a wish which was faithfully delivered on. The contingent had been traveling for some weeks and was glad to have a few days off their feet.


    The detachment was, however, not part of any active conflict, but rather a mercenary escort force for traveling nobility. A branch family of the Preussen ducal house was returning from political and trade negotiations with the Count Palatine of the Rhine, or so Heidi was informed.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    The Lord and Lady of the K¨¹strin Margraviate decided to dine with Heidi¡¯s parents, as the von Schulzes were the only nobility in the area, however humble their origins. While Heidi¡¯s family was only of low nobility, she still took great pride in her father¡¯s even-handed management of the Hausham township as its third-generation mayor.


    Heidi, of course, could not very well sit still in her room while her mother and father got to meet exciting new guests! She crept down to the dining room and peeked out at the group as they ate, but her observations were quickly found out.


    In the end, it was simple serendipity that the K¨¹strins had a son about her age and that the Margrave¡¯s wife had found Adelheidis von Schulze¡¯s wild tangle of blond locks to be particularly adorable. The Margrave proposed an engagement between Heidi and their son, which was gracefully but swiftly turned down by Adelram.


    After thinking for a long moment, it seemed as if the Margrave had forgotten the presence of little Heidi when he suddenly offered a barony in Brandenburg to the Schulze family in exchange for the engagement. He went on to explain that he had been impressed with the quality of the goods and standard of health in their humble community, and he wished to put Adelram von Schulze¡¯s talents to greater use in his own territory.


    Heidi¡¯s parents were momentarily shocked at Margrave K¨¹strin¡¯s ultimatum and looked between each other until it appeared inevitable that Adelram would once more refuse the Margrave, in Heidi¡¯s eyes.


    She was not a dumb child, the little Heidi. In fact, she was quite aware of the gravity of the Margrave¡¯s offer at the time, even if she still lagged in geographical studies. Incidentally, young Heidi also harbored a penchant for adventure. Not a moment later had she made her decision.


    ¡°Father!¡± she had exclaimed, startling everyone in the room except her mother Grizel. Remembering her etiquette teachings from Lady Schneider, she bowed deeply as spoke with as much ceremony as she could manage, ¡°I humbly request that you seriously consider the proposal from honorable Margrave K¨¹strin. I believe, since the Margrave has recognized your work in improving our township, he truly means to give you the power to improve the lives of even more of our countrymen.¡±


    Heidi would have said more, but her tongue dried up at that moment. Her outburst had precipitated further discussions and dealings, which eventually solidified the engagement, though she still had never met the boy.


    Digging her mind out of her memories, she realized that her parents were beckoning her forth from the carriage. Heidi disembarked with the help of their driver¡¯s outstretched hand. She saw that Lady Schneider had already dismounted from the driver¡¯s bench as well, where she had been riding.


    Dolph, was it? she puzzled. He had only been hired a few weeks back after the manor¡¯s previous driver Halden retired to his family¡¯s home in Hausham¡¯s rural limits. Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s Dolph. He and Lady Schneider seemed to get on well, which was a relief.


    ¡°Thanks for the ride, Dolph!¡± she said through a smile, crossing her fingers that she got it right.


    The young man blushed furiously and bowed, perhaps more deeply than was strictly necessary. Heidi¡¯s nanny snorted.


    ¡°Adelheidis, are you ready?¡± her father asked, shooting a subtle glare at the boy.


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± she replied, nodding briefly before taking Lady Schneider¡¯s hand and tugging her forward.


    The quartet approached the stone church building, leaving Dolph behind to mind the carriage. The church itself was an old structure of dull grey stone and wooden shutters, with only a few small windows from the township¡¯s local glassmaker. That there was any glass at all in such a remote church was testament to the economic growth the town had seen in the past decade.


    Priest Gustav stood just outside the building, leaning on his worn staff and seemingly enjoying the brisk weather, even as the sun approached its zenith. When he wasn¡¯t preaching or healing, the Priest tended to wander the forests, lost in something of a meditative trance. An odd pastime perhaps, but Heidi liked to play outdoors anyway, so she didn¡¯t see anything strange about it.


    He heard their approach when the group was a dozen or so paces out and opened his eyes.


    ¡°Good morning to the Lord and Lady von Schulze. May God bless your steps,¡± he intoned, dipping his head to the nobles.


    ¡°And may God bless your sense of direction, Priest Gustav,¡± Adelram von Schulze lightly jibed. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t have to organize another search party this winter when you go too far afield during one of your ¡®spiritual retreats¡¯.¡±


    The Priest cracked a smile and turned to Heidi. ¡°Are you prepared, Lady Adelheidis?¡±


    With a firm grip on her nanny¡¯s hand and a sharp nod, Heidi proclaimed, ¡°Of course, Priest. I would not dare sully this holy ritual with half-hearted conviction. Please, lead the way,¡± she requested.


    He turned to enter the church, leading the group into the dim congregation hall, a space some sixty feet long and forty feet wide. The floor was filled with pews, separated by a walkway to the baptismal font where Heidi had been baptized all those years prior, and those pews were mostly occupied by people of the town who came to witness the sacrament.


    Nobody else was there for Confirmation that day, mostly likely out of respect for their mayor¡¯s family. The congregation slowly went silent when the von Schulzes breached the entryway.


    They continued forward until the priest stepped upon the dais. Heidi¡¯s parents took seats in the front left pew, in front of the wall-hung crucifix and likeness of Christ. She stood in the aisle with Lady Schneider at her side, a sturdy foundation in the storm of Heidi¡¯s emotions.


    Priest Gustav turned to the congregation. ¡°Thank you, good townspeople, for your attendance to witness the sacrament of Confirmation. Since the time of our Saviour¡­¡± Heidi failed to focus on his words, as caught up as she was in her own racing thoughts.


    Even if there was nothing to worry about, it certainly felt like her life was going to change radically after this ritual. She didn¡¯t really know why she felt this way; she had attended ceremonies like this before, and they hadn¡¯t seemed particularly special to her then. Now, she felt many tons of pressure upon her shoulders for no perceivable reason. Heidi¡¯s nerves were not usually this delicate!


    All that kept her standing was Lady Schneider¡¯s presence and touch. Certainly, whatever happened, her best friend would be there to help her weather the storm.


    ¡°Lady Adelheidis.¡±


    Heidi started, pulled from her reverie.


    ¡°Please kneel,¡± the priest requested, gesturing to the space in front of him and her parents.


    She walked stiffly to the Priest and collapsed somewhat awkwardly to her knees, letting go of her nanny¡¯s hand. A moment later she felt its presence on her shoulder.


    ¡°Mechtildis,¡± the priest announced, using her chosen Saint¡¯s name. He dipped a finger into a shallow bowl of oil before bringing his hand closer.


    ¡°Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit,¡± Priest Gustav intoned as he smeared the oil across her forehead


    Heidi¡¯s heart was in her throat, but she managed to squeak out a weak ¡°Amen.¡± Her eyes were clamped shut, hoping to lessen the turmoil in her mind. She waited for the final phrase from the priest.


    And waited.


    After several seconds went by, she realized she could not hear even a whisper. Not even a breath.


    She opened her eyes¡ª


    ¡ªand she saw God himself, along with one of his beautiful angels.


    Heidi screamed.


    Tom sighed in exasperation.


    Dr. Kubo quirked an eyebrow.