Disclaimers

I am learning to write and showing my work here. Styles between posts can be wildly different. This is not a final version of the story.

Read time: 13min

Revisions: 3 fat ones

Write time: Yes

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Previous post: To the road - the Hill of Crosses

🎵 Satoshi & Makoto - Crepuscule Leger 🎵

Our minds are capable of glorious acts of creation. From the vastness of the whole, we choose these mental spaces - some abstract, like the pristine mathematical world, working under the yoke of numbers. Others more fluid, akin to the realm of a dream, where the impossible becomes mundane, and reality weaves itself around the whims of imagination. Beyond these, in the ethereal spaces, between thought and reality, there we can hear whispers of a notion of a grander, all-encompassing realm, where all of these mental constructs, vast and varied, are sewn together with a universal truth.

Ghoul and Otaman found themselves at the crossroads of fate and choice. After gruelling four days of travel to get to Vilnius, they were now too tired to notice the signs of an intervention, a heavenly finger guiding them to the profound recognition of a timeless realm, where they had met countless times before. Otaman, caught in a sudden déjà vu, felt an urgency to articulate the essence of this moment shared with Ghoul. Yet, he couldn’t get a hold of the thoughts and the more he tried, the more they morphed into a sensation. This elusive feeling opened within him, a wistful longing for a memory of the future that is never meant to be.

The entire world had condensed for Otaman into the confines of an Audi RS7, racing through the streets of Vilnius. The autumn had staged its annual takeover and the city pulsed with the vibrant reds, golds, and oranges of leaves that had decided to jump ship before winter’s chill could claim them. In the driver's seat sat the perfect middle-aged grey-man, who now held the wheel with a sense of liberation washing over him. He was often cast in a thoughtful, almost brooding expression, which now was instead replaced by a calculated grin. It’s not the carefree smile of a man without burdens but that of someone who had momentarily set them aside, finding solace in the simple act of driving. The days of adhering to a stringent schedule had left him craving this moment of autonomy, where his speeding was a declaration of independence.

On the passenger seat, sunk in the cyber realm, sat a radiant girl in her thirties. She wore a long black dress and a Pink Floyd hoodie. At this point she was oblivious to the outside world - the responsibility of driving lay with Otaman, freeing Ghoul to use her skills. All by herself she had access to stage cyber incidents between any two countries, but her resolve with their company’s resources made for a nuclear power. To ensure they won’t have any issues with the local law enforcement Ghoul had to own it all - she had the GPS coordinates of the patrol cars, names of the operatives, access to the traffic systems - anything that was connected to the internet was open to her.

Up until today, they were just avatars to each other, known only through the digital echoes. They worked with a clandestine orchestra of minds, where each member played their part in isolated brilliance, rarely crossing paths. They had a vast network of assets, were the biggest crypto holders and managed to do so without providing any hints of their existence. Here, in Vilnius, the intricate dance of destiny and otherworldly powers will prove to be a challenge even for them. There are secrets that Lietuva holds that not a soul in the modern world was aware of.

Otaman, normally shrouded by layers of scepticism and caution, found himself inexplicably drawn to the essence of Ghoul. There was something familiar about being next to her. It was not the gravity of their shared mission, nor the blind faith in the Company that anchored his trust in her, but something far more ephemeral - it was the unguarded moments when her eyes reflected a depth of understanding and sincerity and diminished any possibility of deception. Every so often it just happens that you meet a person’s soul, before you meet the person.

Seemingly the very moment they left Vilnius city bounds, Otaman’s shift in demeanour was clear. The energy he radiated was akin to a dormant machine whirring back to life, some curiosity was pulling him back into the present. Ghoul was too tired to notice, as she was already looking forward to some quality blow into her moustache (as they would say here in Lietuva, to mean some quality Zs). Otaman could read her current mood perfectly well, even just from his peripheral vision. He was already about to ask something, but then he pretended to change his mind and you could see Ghoul disappointed because she got excited for some light conversation between two substantially exhausted people.

“What do you think about singularity?” Otaman suddenly asked with conviction, while looking away through the driver’s side window. The question hung in the air, a bold pivot from the silence that had enveloped them for the last few minutes.

Ghoul felt like he knew exactly what to ask her to piss her off. He only did this to keep her awake and that realisation just made her angrier. Right now it seemed like nothing else in the entire world could’ve set her off, but this was it. Hopes of getting some sleep were crumbling and the only response could be rage. “He wanted some of this? He’s gonna get it and then some!” thought Ghoul.

“Singularity? What do, I, think about singularity? What do you think?” she looked like someone trying to fish in a holy water bowl.

“You ask a girl working the work we do and you expect the same old answer? You want to hear me moan for the singularity? Should I blow your ears full of girly nonsense on how the singularity is the shiz? Oh no, daddy, save my humanity! Don’t let me get ravished by the machine!” she said as if she was very ashamed for being so vulnerable, covering her mouth with her palm. She then assumed to force her lips together and try to blow air out like a kid would do in a bathtub, but what Ghoul didn’t account for was the tightness of her lips and the sound that she made was more like somebody had just busted out laughing.

Otaman took the chance and interjected this surreal spectacle before Ghoul could go on, “There. You know what Ghoul? Stop here and tell me exactly why you said what you just said? I want to know why you assumed I was talking about the technological singularity and not a physical one?” He was speaking with a conviction of a crusader now, one finger pointing up and shaking to exaggerate his intonation.

Ghoul got back her composure and without hesitation she started thinking out loud in a furry soft voice, “Physical singularity? You mean like in the block holes? The place-where-light-cannot-escape. Frankly I am not sure how you could be surprised – we are like the vanguard of the technological civilization. Of course I will assume we’re talking about the inevitable point in the future where an accelerated advancement of technological entities is unavoidable. At some point an artificial general intelligence will wield what to us will look like magic - so of course I think about this.” Ghoul said while staring directly at Otaman.

Otaman's voice carried a weight born from countless hours of contemplation and research. "The very notion of technological singularity isn't just an aim; it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more we understand it, the faster we march towards its realisation. But consider this - what if this concept wasn't our own? What if the trajectory was seeded in our minds, guiding us unwittingly to a predetermined fate? I have a theory," he continued, his intensity mounting, "that for years, perhaps even decades, we've been under the influence of an external force. An entity of unknown origin, meticulously shaping our path, nudging us towards this future of singularity. This isn't mere passive guidance; it's an active preparation, an acceleration of events beyond the natural course." As he spoke, a visible sign of his frustration showed - a twitch of his cheek, a detail lost to Ghoul, who, absorbed in her own thoughts, was gazing out at the unfolding countryside.

“Now let me be straight with you – you can’t just dish shit like this on other people, Otaman. Even by our organisation’s standards, that sounds nuts. It’s possible to be true, but I feel like you take on these unwinnable battles and that’s a waste! Believe me, I’ve read Sun Tzu - that makes me a master strategist.”

Otaman took a moment to collect his thoughts, while rocking an intentionally playful smirk on his face. He considered his lifelong struggles to be understood, but then he said, “What is hard should not be called impossible. It’s all the matter of planning and executing. And something tells me this might be it. We will finally get some answers here, out of all the places.”

“That would be highly convenient, Otaman,” she said while nodding her head, “Listen, I’m open to all ideas, that’s why I’m here.” and crossed her legs away from Otaman.

“How much do you know about our current investigation?” Otaman inquired, his tone laced with curiosity.

“I mean, I was the one who stumbled upon the data that kick started this whole investigation. My network of bots scraped together this information, which then got flagged by the Company's analysis presets for further scrutiny. What I found during my deep dive was startling enough to escalate the matter - we're looking at some pretty blatant gravitational anomalies around the Hill of Crosses area, and if your theories hold, we're also on the verge of detecting a very specific electromagnetic signature.”

“And what do you reckon is behind these anomalies?” Otaman prodded further.

“To start, we absolutely need to verify the data. Without confirmation, we're in the dark. The simplest explanation would be a measurement error, but I'm aware of your theories,” Ghoul admitted with a hint of scepticism.

Otaman, not deterred, pressed on, “I’m not alone in my speculations, Ghoul. The volume of data hinting at non-ordinary explanations is overwhelming at this point. Yes, the data is pointing into an empty space right now, but we can fill in the gaps and make some assumptions. Why shouldn’t the extraordinary be considered plausible? It absolutely can. Our mission is to explore the possibility that, long before the foundation of Rome, the locals here in Lietuva were not merely worshipping ancient deities or nature itself but were in fact in communion with what we now refer to as the Strangers.”

“So, you're suggesting the Balts were having casual conversations with your space entities? Like, this one country on the face of Earth was actually onto something we could call divine, and Europe just crusaded the shit out of them?” Ghoul queried, half in jest.

“I’m not sure how 'casual' their ritual sacrifices were or whether they really talked to them directly, but my bigger concern is understanding how that connection was severed and how to get it back together,” Otaman mused, his mind wandering to the ancient rituals of Europe's last pagan stronghold. Together, they contemplated the lost links to a time when the divine and the mortal realms might have once intersected more tangibly.

A few second quiet spell was broken by Otaman, “So what’s your secret Singularity fantasy?”

Ghoul squiggled a little and covered part of her face with her palm, “You know how in Buddhism people try to understand what they are by completely detaching themselves from their egos. You sort of experience the undisturbed “here-and-now” and tune into a universal source which gives rise to these tiny disturbances in some field that end up pretending to be our egos. That’s a space our minds can actually experience and we can share this experience – that’s the beauty of Buddhism. I would like to experience something so spiritual through Singularity,” she then had the tiniest chuckle and a cute defensive smile appeared on her face.

“I want to get so far away mentally that I would no longer remember my wish to even start going down that path. I want to experience an ultimate cycle of rebirth in the digital realm, escape my body and see where only my mind would take me. I would like to evolve together with the lifeform we will create. I want to see the end of that journey too.” she said and squeezed the palm she had on her face a little.

“Would you really like that?” Otaman pretended to be a little sad.

She actually blushed a bit more on her already excited cheek and said, “I don’t really know, but in the strangest of ways that sounds extremely romantic.”

They then went on to talk about other physical singularities, where in conspiracy they agreed that photons are all the naked temporal singularities a blind cat can wish for. Then they tried to imagine other areas in space-time where the known laws of physics break apart, where some property is so extreme that nothing makes sense no more. The border regions of these areas define the physical realm, and “to understand the border is to understand the universe in the most intimate of ways” said Otaman at some point, and Ghoul then immediately deliberated the creation of their own secret “Border Patrol” squad - here they formed an institution of trust.

The conversation continued effortlessly on the road to Šiauliai. Both agents finally let their guards down and enjoyed a free-flow of ideas to take the minds away from the jet-lagged bodies. They stopped a few times to get coffee and food, Ghoul got herself a pack of smokes and earnestly shared them with Otaman. In a rebellious act against the notion of just getting there, they took the scenic route. Vilnius has long since faded into the rearview mirror as they ventured into the quietude of the Lietuva countryside, where the natural world whispered secrets of the old days.

When the night had already firmly taken the hold of their senses, already only dozens of kilometres away from their destination, fate decided to take on a more direct role. Quiet contemplation has permeated the car, while travelling over what looked like a bridge in a sea of mist, covering the fields and highlighting certain objects with a gloomy white glow. Only deer, rabbits and foxes were companions for this part of the trip - nobody else was driving that late into the night.

“I love the sea,” Ghoul said while trying to locate the mysteries hidden in the fog. She then lit up two cigarillos and handed one to Otaman and at that exact moment a song started blasting from the speakers. Otaman thought he had done something wrong and in a moment of surprise, let the car sway a bit, but then started pulling over at the side of the road.

🎵 Yonnica - Aguonelės 🎵

“Ug-nia-spal-vė a-guo-nė-lė…” was playing right now - Otaman realised that this was a Lietuvanian song and then started turning it down.

“Wait, did you put this on, Ghoul? The hell? You freaked me out!”

“I haven’t and this ain’t the radio either, cowboy. Neither of our phones are connected to the car, so this means it was an immaculate selection of music,” she was slowly nodding her head, face overly stern with conviction, “It’s a song about flame coloured poppies and I can’t tell you why it’s on right now. This feels weird.”

“You know Lietuvanian now?”

“I’m a Lietuvanian, now,” Ghoul said while glowing with pride, while a genuine surprise could be seen washing over Otamans face - eyes and mouth wide open, eyebrows raised. That only lasted a second, but was more than enough time for her to notice, “Otaman you see there, in the middle of the field, that tree looking like it might soon start walking towards us? Let’s go to it to experience something really Lietuvanian.”

“Wait wait, was this a coincidence or is someone or something introducing themselves to us. How come we stopped exactly at the biggest tree I have ever seen?” Otaman now seemed captivated by the idea of getting closer to the tree.

Approaching the ancient oak didn’t take longer than a minute. Ghoul and Otaman interacted with it in a series of curious ways - touching its rugged bark, even playfully licking and kicking it, as if to affirm its reality. The tree, standing majestic and firm, served as a silent witness to their journey. As the twilight deepened, Otaman, moved by the encounter, looked upward at the crisp October sky and offered a heartfelt "Hello, to you too," embracing the mystery of their experience.

Ghoul, however, remained focused on the tangible, her thoughts swirling with doubts about the song that had led them there, dismissing it as a mere technical hiccup. Yet, beneath their contrasting reactions lay a shared undercurrent of wonder and anticipation, each in their own way touched by the encounter, standing at the edge of discovery.

“You know, people here have been coming to trees much like this one for thousands of years to commute with the earth and all the local deities. Maybe luck would have it that we were able to start our investigation today already?” Asked Ghoul and already started walking back to the car, when suddenly she covered her face - as if the sky was falling. Then she shouted, “Wow! Did you see that? How crazy! I’ve never seen anything so bright!” She then started running to the far edge of the field, stopped, dropped to the ground and started digging something.

Otaman really didn’t get if she was playing something or whether he did miss something just now. He had his reservations on Ghoul’s sanity for quite a while anyway, so this, in his opinion, might be the defining moment. Suddenly she was again standing up and holding something. Otaman approached her slowly and found her looking at a stone of the strangest glowing allure - it looked dear and precious to him.

“I know this is a stone, but I have never seen one quite like this,” they both thought in perfect synchrony.

“What the hell was that, Ghoul? We need to get out of here now, put this away and let’s get to the lodge. You’ve got to agree this was strange?” He made Ghoul hide the stone in her metal cigarillos container, while the whole time he was examining her - she seemed mostly fine, and just slightly shaken up. The darkness became much heavier and they felt the need to leave that groove immediately.

Arriving at Šiauliai, there was an unspoken realisation between them - a profound acknowledgment of the synchronicity that seemed to orchestrate their meeting and their mission. It was as if the universe, in its infinite complexity, had conspired to bring them together. The weight of this realisation hung between them as they parked their Audi, a silent companion to their thoughts, in the stone-paved parking lot of their lodge. In silent contemplation, they went through the motions of checking in and making nice with the employees.

Later, in the hushed ambiance of the lodge’s second floor, Otaman was looking at Ghoul while passing through to his room and he offered a simple exchange to underline the day’s significance, “Goodnight, Ghoul,” then alone in the silence that followed, Ghoul could hear her heartbeat.