Reality Artisans

A tall, androgynous being wrapped in flowing garments of mercurial fabric appears on screens and brain implant interfaces across the galaxy. Their face is concealed in mirrored crystal, only their yellow glowing eyes shine out from slits in the mask. Their voice is magnified through microscopic smart dust particles in the air.

“Welcome honored guests to season 6 of Voice Between Worlds. I am your host, Zephryial Vox. As you know, the once-in-a-century meeting of the greatest minds in the Milky Way galaxy, the Ecliptic Convocation, is fast approaching. Dignitaries, world leaders, and movers and shakers have been hand-selected by the host of the event, Oblivara Holdings Incorporated, to the summit that will shape the next one hundred years. This event will take place in just seven solars.

“This event is always hosted inside of a pocket universe which is created by one lucky reality artisan. This artisan is chosen through a rigorous competition that is televised and streamed on this show only, with yours truly. If you’ve been orbiting in darkspace for the last century, I’ll remind you that reality artisans are those higher dimensional beings from the Gossamer Spiral who can bend both space and time to their whims. However, only the most expert of these are able to create their own curated realms. These immersive experiences transport guests to small temporary universes and are particularly popular with the wealthy elite. The Ecliptic Convocation holds so much of the galaxy’s population in its thrall that this show was all but forced to be born,” Zephryial says. “You know what I always say: give the people what they want!”

After some tittering by the live studio audience, they continue, “I would be remiss if I did not mention our previous winner, Lieutenant Orrivim, who has been working for Oblivara Holdings since winning. Here is a recap of his contest entry, “The Hourglass Cathedral.”

A recording of the event plays, showing guests entering the universe by trickling down amongst grains of sand into an hourglass so vast that a large cathedral fits squarely inside. The cathedral itself is made of sand glowing with starlight, and the structure constantly reshapes itself. Arches collapse and towers form, rising and dissolving seemingly at random. Pockets of sand occasionally drift upward in anti-gravity sub-pockets, a tricky addition mastered by Orrivim. Time in The Hourglass Cathedral does not move at one uniform pace. Instead, moments of importance slow into crystalline stillness – when guests share a toast, champagne bubbles float up and hang suspended in midair, shimmering like constellations. Conversely, ill-timed or negative moments speed by. The video ends.

“Over the past century, Orrivim created many pocket universes for Oblivara, but now it is onward towards fresh orbits,” Zephryial says, pausing for dramatic effect. “This year’s competition is between two rising stars who are so different, one wonders if they were raised in the same universe, let alone the same galaxy. The first contestant is a self-professed perfectionist. She is known for creating subtle yet hauntingly unforgettable worlds. Please welcome Soryn Vey!” Soryn steps onto the stage, waving at the crowd. She sits in a chair where she will be able to watch the judging take place.

“So, Soryn, tell us a little about your admission.”

Soryn adjusts her tentacles to better sit in the wide chair. “My entry is called Evershade. It is a quiet world where memories can linger forever,” Soryn says and the crowd claps. “Since the Convocation brings together some particularly long-lived species, many of the attendees already know each other. Despite the unfathomable size of the galaxy, it is, as they say, a small world. So, I decided to play with this concept in the Evershade. When guests interact, some of their memories together will play in a transparent backdrop, essentially creating a highlight reel of their relationship. If no connection yet exists, one of two things can occur. Each person can either choose a memory to share, or they can allow the system AI to pull a memory to present. This memory is chosen based on a complicated algorithm that integrates more than 200 separate personality metrics, so it is highly reliable. It is designed to show the person’s core values. Now, the guests on the receiving end of these memories won’t be privy to which of those options their counterpart chose, so it will lend some mystery to the encounters,” Soryn explains.

Zephryial addresses the audience, “In the context of this show, ‘mystery’ is code for press coverage and press coverage is synonymous with money, baby! Did Soryn have this in mind when she generated the Evershade, knowing that Oblivara loves this kind of money-making speculation?”

Soryn tries to contest this, but Zephryial talks over her, “We may never know, but the concept is phenomenal and that is why she made it this far on Voice Between Worlds! Will she manage to grasp this year’s illustrious prizes – a one-hundred-year contract with Oblivara Holdings and the honor of hosting the Ecliptic Convocation?”

As the applause dies down, Zephryial waves their hand towards backstage. ”And now for the competition, the twins Thalen and Theryn Thoreux. That’s a mouthful!” The twins enter and sit next to Soryn who nods politely at them.

“Their specialty should come as no surprise... duality! Refined and gaudy, bright and subdued, cutting edge and completely cringe! Please explain your entry,” Zephryial says seriously.

The solemn twin, Thalen, clears his throat and says, “Our submission is titled “The Mirror Feast”. When guests arrive, they are split – not into groups, but into mirror versions of themselves who will then get to live in two realities simultaneously. In this way, the guests will get to experience two very different meals concurrently. One half of the universe oozes refined minimalistic elegance while the other half is all about opulence to the point of being almost gauche.”

“Well, these pocket universes both sound fascinating, but we won’t know who will win until our trio of judges takes a walk through each world. And speaking of our judges, let’s introduce them now! In reverse order of seniority, we have “The Guest’s Voice” judge, Lyra Quendral. As a Calyth from one of Xorb’s moons, her species only lives around 20,000 solars so this is her first and last time as a judge. She will mainly focus on practical issues such as temperature regulation, practicality, comfort, and accessibility. Although all three judges are given the same judging criteria, everyone knows that they play favorites depending on their own personal predilections. Welcome Lyra!”

Lyra, a diminutive blonde with a stick-bug like body enters, smiling widely.

“Let’s meet our next judge who should look familiar to you as this is her 3rd consecutive Voice Between Worlds, the ArchSeer Calyros of the Living Nebula! Calyros is a spiritual and mystical authority which is deeply important to Oblivara, and the Ecliptic Convocation is known to have deep symbolic resonance, whatever that means!” While being introduced, the ArchSeer floats onto the stage and hovers stoically near Lyra.

Zephryial now becomes visibly excited, and their yellow eyes shine brighter through their mask. “Finally, our last judge is a two-time winner of the Galaxy’s Hottest Celestial Icon award and the CEO of Oblivara Holdings! He is well known for his quirky twirling of antique fountain pens. He is corporate elegance wrapped up in cosmic authority, please put your hands, tentacles, and other extremities together for Mr. Drevan Solvane!” The CEO enters; his pen gripped in an iron fist. He gives a curt wave which results in a staggering amount of applause.

Zephryial mimes fainting. As they act out a staggering recovery, they notice the judges have already wandered towards the pocket universes. “Phew, wait! Okay, it seems the judges are very serious about their task and they’re getting right to it!”

The three judges enter Soryn Vey’s Evershade, which lies in the dark puddle, by hopping in as though it is deep water. The Evershade generates three fluffy clouds that catch and gently float them to the ground below. The world is cast in perpetual twilight; a deep indigo skyline fades into a smokey horizon. Pale constellations shimmer faintly in the sky, winking in and out of existence. There is no obvious light source, but instead there is a diffused glow that comes from nowhere and everywhere.

The CEO walks ahead of the other two. He is always impeccably dressed, but today he has outdone himself in a tailored garment woven from liquid obsidian with lapels that catch the dim light like frozen starlight. His skin has the sheen of marble kissed with frost, and his eyes are metallic like polished coins.

The other judges walk behind him at a respectful distance. This is the first time they have met, and a private memory plays in the clouds above them. Whether the memory is generated by the AI or chosen by the ArchSeer, the Guest’s Voice judge, Lyra, will never know. The memory shows her the ArchSeer in her youth. Calyros once came from nothing, a forgotten child on the brink of starvation, in a distant time, in a distant land. Lyra feels warmed to the ArchSeer in a way that she wasn’t before, having only heard rumors of her arrogance. She makes a mental note to give satisfactory marks in the “emotional resonance” category.

The trio walks through rolling meadows of tall silver grass that glimmer with starlight. It is softer than silk, and CEO twirls his iridescent pen briefly as pleasure zaps down his arm from where it brushes against the blades. In the distance, forests of dark trees stand like sentinels, their orange and white leaves glowing like lanterns.

Lyra gestures towards them, “There is something rather ominous about them, don’t you agree, Calyros?”

Instead of answering, the ArchSeer raises her palm, a pink cloud descending until she can float smoothly onto it. Smoke billows out from under her long cloak as the cloud wizzes away. The others follow, their own cloud taxis carrying them towards the horizon.

The forest air is wrapped in velvet silence. A shifting mist curls on the ground, not unlike the peculiar smoke that keeps the ArchSeer afloat. Mr. Solvane steps smoothly from his cloud, his pen safely back in his coat pocket. As he walks towards a copse of dark trees, he notices a pool of swirling liquid nearby beckoning him closer. As he approaches, he sees that the depths reflect not the world around him, but his own inner thoughts.

‘That’s the last thing I need’, he thinks and turns swiftly away and back towards the blackened trees. He feels curiously drawn to them. He sees now that they are made of umbralith, a volcanic glass-like mineral which swallows light. It is like looking into a black hole.

The ArchSeer steps beside him. “It draws you in, for it knows the shape of your hunger. Fortune is only the surface root… below, greater longings wait.”

Mr. Solvane turns his mercury-eyes on the ArchSeer, “Still speaking in riddles I see, Calyros.”

Before she can respond, the clouds overhead cast a memory of the last time they’d spoken.

“I implore you to see reason, Drevan,” Calyros says, some decades ago.

“This is the most reasonable thing, to me,” Drevan insists in a way that suggests that is the end of the conversation.

“You cannot become a God, Drevan!”

Drevan snarls, his eyes glinting dangerously. “If Orrivim won’t do it, then I’ll get an artisan who will.”

Calyros dares to place a hand on his shoulder and says, “She’s not coming back. Even if you somehow manage to create this sick fantasy world, it won’t be her! It would be an illusion!”

The memory fades as the present-day Drevan stalks away, clearly furious.

In the studio, the universe's creator stares on in horror.

“This is a grievous error in my artisanship,” Soryn Vey cries. “I must not have accounted properly for the intensity of certain… uh, animosities…”

The host places their hand on Soryn’s shoulder. “Now, now, it isn’t a death sentence, dear. You still have seven solars until the Convocation to fix any kind of glaring mistakes.”

But to Soryn, it feels like certain doom.

The judges meander to other parts of the Evershade. Then they make notes, allocate points in each judgement category, and finally they hail a cloud taxi and exit through a hole in the sky.

Calyros and Lyra murmur to each other after exiting, but Drevan is already walking towards the next contest entry, inspecting the edges of the pocket universe which glow in every color of the visible spectrum, plus in UV.

“He’s not wasting any time, is he? The Mirror Feast is up next, and based on the exterior alone, I think it will be a sharp contrast to Evershade,” Zephryial says.

Mr. Solvane adjusts his suit jacket, twirls his pen once, and steps into the glimmering abyss without looking back to see if the others are following. He appears suddenly upon an endless mirror in a cloudless blue sky. His reflection walks below him as he approaches the only structure in sight, a stone archway. Quiet pops behind him signal that the other judges have entered the universe.

Meanwhile, Thalen and Theryn Thoreux watch the judging unfold, nervous energy pulsating between them.

When Drevan walks through the archway, he finds that his reflection does not do the same. He no longer has a reflection at all, yet he feels as though he is living two different versions of the same moment. He is still himself, and yet, he is also his reflection. The two Drevans move in opposite directions, and it takes him a moment to adjust to the feeling. He doesn’t like it, but he wonders if he can use this method to increase his employee’s efficiency. He makes a mental note.

He crests a small hill, which allows him to see this half of the world. This part is blindingly bright with bursts of color and cascading auroras. The guest tables are circular and white with piles of gemstones as glittering centerpieces. Honey-thick florals permeate the room on a breeze. Somewhat absurdly, a cascading river of lava flows between the tables.

The ArchSeer approaches with Lyra in tow. They converge on the source of the lava river; a majestic waterfall shaped like an active volcano.

Lyra leans in and says, “At least it doesn’t give off heat. I read about that awful accident with that bachelor party.”

The ArchSeer raises an eyebrow but is saved from replying when plates of food suddenly appear on the tables around them. The food is exotic and colorful, with whole arms of grilled octopus, moon petal dumplings, and an assortment of nebula fruits. Jewel-tone glasses of honeyed liquor sit out in small goblets. The ArchSeer takes a sip of the fizzing drink and hiccups, colorful bubbles coming out of her ears. Lyra laughs and takes a drink of a different one, her face turning violet. They grin at each other. Drevan frowns, pockets his pen, and slides his hands into his pockets.

The live-audience groans alongside Theryn Thoreux.

“That has to hurt,” Zephryial says unnecessarily.

Meanwhile, the reflections of the three judges make their way through a very different dining hall. This one is painted in muted greys and dusky pastels. The lighting is dim, and the music is equally so. There is no ceiling, only the stars pulled supernaturally close. Bare marble surrounds them, and Drevan visibly perks up.

A pool of pure moonlight lights up the room, flowing through a river similar to its lava counterpart. Dishes appear on the muted tables, though they are vastly different from the other half of the pocket universe. There are drift-leaf salads with floating clusters of weightless greens, marinated roasts with bioluminescent peppers, and dark colored sorbet in black goblets.

Drevan scoops up a delicate bite of the dark desert with a tiny crystalline spoon. “Hmm, mineral sorbet. An odd choice,” he says ambiguously, yet his pen goes into a frenzy.

The live studio audience viscerally reacts to this.

The judges finish wandering through this half The Mirror Feast, mentally tabulate their results, and exit through the archway they came, gathering their reflections as they go.

“Well, there you have it folks! It is Evershade verses The Mirror Feast for this season’s Voice Between Worlds. If you will now please use your interfaces to enter your vote, we will tabulate the People’s Choice Vote before our trio of judges make their final decision. Although there is no prize for the People’s Choice Vote, the winning contestant will always know that they have the people’s heart,” Zephryial says dramatically.

After a brief intermission, the show starts again.

“Welcome back and thank you for your vote submissions. The final count has been tallied for the People’s Choice Vote. Beating out the competition, Soryn Vey cinches the win with 60% of the votes in her favor. In a small additional poll, people stated that they hoped to see CEO Solvane get angry again, because it was hot as hell. Ok, they only polled me for that one, I admit it!”

The audience laughs, and the host continues, “And now, what you’ve all been waiting for, the one that counts: the Judge’s Vote! CEO Solvane of Oblivara has voted for twins Thalen and Theryn Thoreux with their submission, The Mirror Feast. The ArchSeer Calyros has voted in favor of Ms. Soryn Vey’s Evershade. This brings this competition to a tie. Quick factoid, 83% of all seasons of Voice Between Worlds have resulted in a tie with two judges votes in. Okay, I’ll stop stalling,” Zephryial jokes. “The Guest’s Voice has cast her vote for… Soryn Vey! Soryn Vey is the winning reality artisan of Voice Between Worlds season 6! Let’s give her a round of applause and perhaps some condolences. It seems that she’s going to need to find a way to get back on Mr. Solvane’s good side!”