Hinn Ch. 43-46

Author's Note - Please read from Chapter 1 to make sense of this. This is not a quick stroke story. There will be sexy-times, but they will only happen as the story's pace dictates, and that won't start quick.

All characters participating in sexual activities are 18 or older.

Chapter 43

Ray found himself in the dreamscape with the void bubbles again. He wondered if this would happen every time he slept, or if it might taper off eventually. He wasn't sure which way to hope.

The first thing Ray noticed was that there was a third color of the ghosts present, a very solid silver-colored outline of a thin human, dressed in a style that wouldn't be out of place anywhere in the western world.

"Greetings," this silvery ghost said. It wasn't speech, but it was similar enough that it worked to convey meanings, even if it was silent. "You are the new Oracle, the other Oracle living in my time, and you are, as all Oracles are, the crux of conflict."

"Hello, there. I take it the silver indicates the presently-living?"

"In a way - it indicates those Oracles who are present in your current time. If you were to search through, you'd also see at least one black version of me from before you were Oracle, before your current time, and hopefully white versions as well. To me, I can only see my present self."

"Thank you for the information. How is it we can communicate when it's so vague trying to communicate with some of the others?"

"We are not fighting through time to the extent that the others have been or will be."

"Thank you. What can I do for you?"

"It's more what I can do for you. Oracles are clannish. We've had to be to survive, as few of us as there are. As such, I'm here to help you understand what you're going through. That doesn't change, even if Baba Yaga cheated somehow."

"I was wondering about that. Was that as much a shock for you as it was for me?"

"Becoming an Oracle is always a shock - the mortal mind isn't set up to work without time. It takes effort to start to handle the difference, and only once you've become comfortable with the idea that time has become just another measurement you can use to view things will your true power come into play.

"Baba Yaga was and will be the only Outsider oracle. That she could pull that off is surprising, mortal Insiders could not have done so."

"Outsiders? Insiders? What are those?"

"Insiders are those born or created within this reality, like most people you'll meet. Outsiders come from outside this reality, either personally or generationally. The legends of the Fae are a good example - coming from a mystic, distant land, and not playing by the same rules as everyone else."

"So the Russian Duhk are like that? From outside our reality?"

"So it seems. There are many types of Outsiders - the Fae are just one example. Legends of strange rules affecting them are a good clue, as are legends of a home not of Earth, but even then, some Outsiders just fit in and never look unusual. Then again, some Outsiders are seemingly insane due to the oddities of their existence and the different rules they live under."

"They bring the rules of their own homes with them?"

"To an extent, yes. That's what allows them their unique abilities and enforces their weaknesses. If you ever follow an Outsider to their home, you'll be the Outsider from their perspective, and some of the rules you're used to now will follow you there. The difficulty is finding out what rules are imposed on you by the new reality, and how to safely interact with the natives."

"Have you done that? Gone outside our reality?"

"No, I'm not that interested in the rewards to face the risks. Some oracles have, however, and thus can be queried about their experiences here."

"So, I'll be able to communicate here better than I can now?"

"Yes, like most things, it's a matter of practice. There's also a technique that improves things for those close to your time. You will have to communicate with them in their own time, much as they have to communicate with you in your own.

"You'll find that the longer the time between you and who you're communicating with, the harder it'll be. There's a point beyond which communication becomes impractical, as the time difference is just too vast. To bypass that, we Oracles spend time passing questions up and down time. Not much, usually - perhaps an hour or two a week. When you're ready, you'll feel someone asking you something you don't know about, either from the future asking about the past or vice versa. You reach as far as you can in the other direction and pass the question along. Eventually, you'll get an answer back, and you pass it on to the one who first asked you.

"Beyond that, Oracles can be mistaken, but Oracles do not lie to Oracles. When an Oracle asks a question you know the answer to, answer honestly. Any question you ask will be answered honestly in turn. It isn't perfect, but it works well enough in most cases."

"It sounds amazing. To be able to ask questions of the past? To learn of the future?"

"That's another trap you need to beware. Only rarely are future events determined ahead of time. For instance, all the white beings you perceive here at this point in your existence are fragments - they're not whole beings. They're the possible echoes of things that might be. Reaching into the far past is hard. Reaching into the future is harder still, and the farther you stretch the less clear things are, as there will be changes that have yet to be determined. Sometimes these are trivial - someone turned left at a stoplight one day instead of the right turn they usually would take. This generally would be nothing to worry about, unless you're looking for where they'll be that day after they pass the stoplight, or about something they would typically have done had they turned right instead.

"The past echoes you perceive here are dimmer the farther they go back in time, but the future echoes? They're brighter the closer they are in time to you, and brighter the more likely they are to occur. It doesn't mean they will be, just that they're likely to be from where you perceive the real world. Another measure most of us use to determine probable future events is how many fragments from the time in question agree as to the occurrence of the event."

"And the visions of the future I've been getting?"

"Those are information keyed specifically to you that later versions of yourself think will be useful, translated through intermediaries. They may not happen, they might, it's hard to say without spending time figuring out which future aspect or aspects sent you the information and how their time differs from your own."

"Fascinating. A different subject, if I may?"

"Of course."

"I've been told that Oracles become incredibly powerful shortly after becoming Oracles. How is this done?"

"You have more resources available to you than non-Oracles. You have not only your whole past to draw from, from times you had resources - energy, attention, whatever - but you have all the possible futures you can pull from as well.

"You'll find yourself adapting quickly, as you'll suddenly have additional resources as you need them - but there is a price. You'll have to spend time generating resources you'll never use to feed to past and potential future versions of yourself. They'll seem to evaporate if you don't immediately need them. Since they're only usable by yourself, you'll never tap yourself out before you run into a problem. Even if you did, you could pull in more resources to meet that new need.

"These drains won't happen when you have a need you cannot otherwise fill. When you have that need, you'll find it easier than breathing."

"Thank you - you're being incredibly helpful."

"That's another bit. At some time, there'll be other Oracles freshly gaining their powers. You have to help the next one along. If I'm still around, I'll help too - but it's always the youngest's job to do the bulk of the work, as the youngest will have the most time in common with the newest Oracle. There are always more here who can answer your questions at need, but help getting to that point is a good thing to do, something that helps keep Oracles respected."

"I see. I guess I have to get busy learning then."

"I'd recommend it. I don't believe another Oracle is due to join us soon, but things will happen as they will, not necessarily as we wish."

"Thank you again. Would it be appropriate to meet physically?"

"It can be, but it doesn't have to happen. We have this realm, this way of perceiving, that we can communicate across and share within. Oracles do meet on occasion, but the powers that be at that time generally butt in to try to determine what's going on."

"So it can be done, but at the cost of additional attention?"

"Basically. The other thing is, sooner or later, someone or something will come along and seek out your council. You don't have to, but as Baba Yaga showed you, there is an accepted way of opening these discussions. Promise not to harm any that don't harm you, promise to keep your council private as long as they do. Use whatever words you desire, but do not break them. That is one of the few ways you'll find yourself in conflict with other Oracles, here. Oaths taken as an Oracle affect us all. The details of your promise matter. If you're clever enough to get their confidence without promising them what they think you've offered, you're free to use it as you will. Some, not all, Oracles have made this into a game or challenge."

"How do I learn to deal with Oracle-on-Oracle conflict?"

"We can practice that another time if you like, but be aware that it taps deep into your future resources. It isn't something to take lightly, not even in practice. You'll struggle to shape the future to meet your needs and prevent your opponent from doing the same. It's not a gentle thing, and commonly others that aren't Oracles also suffer."

"I think I'll have to, sooner or later, and as such, I'd rather start sooner than later."

"Understandable, but you can also pull in your future understanding of the conflict as long as you don't let your opponent cut you off from them."

"So resources can be knowledge, as well as power?"

"Yes."

"You've given me a lot to think about."

"Yes, and there's more. But that's probably enough for now. Build your power, Oracle. You are the face they'll see when they call on us."

Ray felt his rwh cast free of the Oracle's dreamland, rushing back to refill his body.

Chapter 44

Ray finally awoke fully, stretching luxuriously. He felt Tauriz nearby, and through her, he felt Ousha. They were scrolling rapidly through screen after screen full of fine print, not even pausing before flicking to the next page.

"Good morning, ladies," he said.

"Good morning, Ray."

"What's caught your interest?"

"Clausewitz' "On War"."

"A fascinating book, the man had a deep and rich understanding of conflict."

"Yes, much of what he has written works well in my memories. His focus on the conflicts of his time to draw examples is somewhat problematic, however."

"The man was a professional, and he drew his examples from his experience. He was involved in each of those conflicts from which he draws his examples."

"He lived in a violent time."

"In a way, yes. I believe you may not yet understand humanity, my dear. We tend on the average to be violent, cruel, and devious. Our willful ignorance and lack of a serious opponent are the main reasons we've not destroyed ourselves yet from our aggressive ways."

Ousha sat, absorbing all this. "Ray? I think of humans somewhat differently. They have violent tendencies, undoubtedly, but they also have tremendous generosity too."

"We do, Ousha, and thank you for bringing this up. We tend to balance our cruelty out with kindness, but we also tend to void our generosity with our wasteful ways. Humanity is in constant conflict between many forces, both internal and external. Yet in many ways, we've thrived. Can you imagine billions of other types of mortals?"

"No, Ray, I cannot," said Tauriz. "The Hinn would become buried under each other's experiences."

Ousha added, "The other types of mortals would each have their differing problems. The Jinn would stagnate, unable to adapt due to the societal structure imposed on them since their creation. The Jann might be able to survive the numbers, but their intentional, slow, and cautious manner of adding to their ranks would make that challenging to accomplish. Rimm would have run out of rwh to manipulate. Timm were never limited to this Earth the way the rest of the mortals were, and who knows how many more exist away from here. Binn would have competed for the challenging problems to solve while the dull-but-necessary infrastructure would have rotted away slowly beneath their notice.

"As for the angelics, no one can be certain that any new ones came to be since the Hinn were made. Several - a minute fraction of the whole - have been permanently destroyed, but there doesn't appear to be any new ones."

"Meaning that someday, there'll be no angelics left."

"So it seems, Ray."

"Interesting, interesting. Well, time to face the music. Tauriz, I wish the three of us were clean and dressed appropriately for the day, ready to introduce Ousha to the others."

"Face the music, Ray?"

"Apologies, Ousha. Modern human vernacular, and slang in particular, appears to be lacking within Hinn. I have a wish feeding the body of human knowledge that I have available into Hinn as we speak, but it's far from complete. 'Facing the music' is slang for dealing with the repercussions of one's actions. In this particular case, freeing you."

"There will be negative ramifications for your kindness, Ray?"

"Would any of your prior masters have voluntarily given you up to another, Ousha?" She indicated no. "Humans are much the same - they struggle to maintain their positions, and therefore those advantages they rely on in that maintenance. It appears to be a common experience for mortals, at least amongst the Hinn and humanity, possibly others as well."

"Other humans will be upset with you? Is that a problem?"

"If we were willing to address it with the full scope of our abilities, no, it would not," Ray agreed. "However, we are not - humans are not our greatest foe here, but rather Jinn."

"And you do not wish the Jinn to gain advantage from what humans learn. I see."

"Good! Yes, you do - well reasoned, Ousha."

By this time, Tauriz had long completed the wish. She wore a three-quarter sleeve black dress, shot through with brass threads as she preferred over simple two-inch heels and her collar. Ousha now wore a similar outfit in a warm brown coloration that looked wonderful with her tawny coloration. She also wore matching flats, with her bracer displayed on her left wrist. Ray wore pressed jeans, half-boots, a blue button-down shirt, and a tweed blazer with contrasting elbow patches.

"Mistress, Master, I think I need to inform you of some facts before we meet with others."

"We're listening, Ousha."

"I was not enslaved to become a weapon, like Tauriz. I was created to assist with Hinn, with the memory all Hinn share. My soil rides samum, I am Hinn, but I am not genie."

Ousha adjusted her bracer and removed it. "I am not bound the way genie are. I cannot tell others not of Hinn of this, but Hinn may learn - I am the handiwork of the Great Hinn of antiquity. You will find yourselves also bound to conceal this, at the hand of the Great Hinn's workings oh so long ago." She replaced the bracer.

"If you are not genie, what binding did these Great Hinn impose upon you, Ousha?" Ray wanted to know.

"My sisters and I were created to organize Hinn. The Great Hinn realized that Hinn would become useless eventually, as knowledge accrued without limit or logic. As such, we organize, categorize, and connect the vast bulk of information generated by Hinn.

"Our original creation was different. We are the precursors to genie, our bindings created differently. We bind unto Hinn, not a specific Master or Mistress. That latter enslavement, that latter tasking, was added as camouflage once others altered the binding we first had, and genie came to walk this world.

"So I will follow my Mistress' commands and wishes, including those to follow those of her Master. My primary tasking remains unchanged - Hinn."

"What limitations does this tasking impose on you, Ousha?" Tauriz asked.

"At this time, there are few limitations. We cannot reveal this truth to those not Hinn. My sisters and I learned long, long ago how to have lives and yet perform our tasks. My abilities to fulfill wishes are a sham, simply using samum. I know precisely of the limitations of genie, so my so-called wishes are limited, but for you and Mistress I am able and willing to go beyond those limits when not observed, Master."

"You trust us this much already, Ousha?"

"Mistress' first wishes tell me much, Master, as well as how you keep her. I have no qualms."

"Wow. OK, thank you for your trust in us, Ousha. We'll do our best not to abuse it."

"Ousha," Tauriz asked, "I take it your primary tasking is to survive?"

"Yes, Mistress. I cannot perform the balancing of Hinn if I no longer exist."

"Then Ray, I suggest we do our best to protect her, as well. We are reliant on the results of her tasking."

"Agreed, my dear. Ousha, does my wish adding human knowledge to Hinn cause you difficulty?"

"Some, Master, but there is much value to be had as well. The human body of knowledge is expanding my abilities with samum significantly, something I can offer you both as well."

"How is it doing so?"

"Thus far, human knowledge is providing significant breadth in items which require no samum to maintain which are yet still useful. This approach reduces the drain on samum significantly for many alteration or creation effects, for both times of conflict and times of peace. Before I had this information available, I might have created an elemental energy pulse to harm a foe or brought elemental essences into being to assist in the creation of items. Now, I have humanity's history of experimental knowledge available and an extensive breadth of devices, materials, and other options available.

"The net effect is roughly a ten to one hundred times increase in effectiveness."

"I'd encourage you to take a look at a recreation of humanity as well, Ousha. It's called science fiction. In most cases, there's little to no real science behind it, but between the body of human knowledge you're referencing, which is generally called 'science,' and the abilities of samum and rwh, you might well find additional effects which are useful."

"I see a small amount of it available at this time, Master - I will investigate it as well."

"More will become available as the wish proceeds."

Ousha nodded, "I shall remain busy keeping up with it all, Master."

"Very good! Now then - how shall we introduce you to the rest of the team?"

"Ray," Tauriz suggested, "perhaps we do not?"

"I don't want to leave her trapped in this room, Tauriz."

"Send her to a safe location, then have her drive up and request to talk to you, Ray. Bring her in, interview her, have her sign an NDA, and have her join us as a librarian on our team. She would have to hide the bracer, but that is within her capabilities, correct, Ousha?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"Even with humans capable of handling jawhar, Ousha? We work with two of them regularly."

"That makes it more challenging, Master, but still quite possible. I shall also need to adjust the way I address the two of you."

"Afraid so, Ousha."

"I will find this easier, though - concealment was required of me by my creators."