Learning to Love Time Loops Without Going Insane

Once Cal finished the first week of this loop, he broke the news to his father that he needed to spend the next several years in Guyana, at the least, and that it was also best if he went alone. He already talked to Ethel about watching Bug. Stan wasn’t happy about the potential of losing his son, but in the end he gave in.

“Thanks, Dad. I’m glad you trust me this much.”

“I probably say this every time, but I have no idea how to raise a kid who is potentially hundreds of years older than me.”

“Don’t feel bad. I have no idea how to raise me either.”

*

It took them several months to arrange the passport and documentation needed for Cal to take this trip solo, but as soon as he arrived, he found Albert waiting in his room for him.

“It’s best we head out quickly. Once you vanish, there will be a giant search for you. We’d rather you are secure in the caverns before that occurs.”

“Okay. Do you have any idea what it takes to fuse a core, or whatever it was Ralth said?”

“Not a clue. From what he’s said, basically, no one native to this planet has accomplished that.”

“Woohoo, more firsts for me then.”

Following Albert, it only took them three days to make their way to the river and then down into the caverns below. Cal decided Andy was no longer in charge of mapping.

“Hey Albert, have you ever used a computer?”

“Yes, I’m an active participant on some forums. I just love to talk about X-Files. Why?”

“Oh, you’re just the new map guy, that’s all.”

“I like maps.”

“Perfect, buddy, perfect.”

“Cal, you made it!” Ralth shouted as he walked into the chamber.

“Sure did, so what comes first?”

“That depends on what you mean by first, tonight we eat, tomorrow you begin, but if you wish, I can explain how you are likely to spend your next several months.”

“Yes, please do.”

“You have to find a way to communicate with the energy within you. Basically, you need to learn its name. As I said, these pools would eventually mature into a guiding spirit; the energy within you is the essence of that spirit and you need their partnership in order to properly fuse a core with them.”

“Am I stuck with just the stone spirit, or could I add something from the electricity well to my core?” Cal was curious about the implications of the word partnership. Did this mean he was turning his body into a home for magical creatures, or was it something more metaphysical, closer to how future Andy seems to reside outside the normal universe now?

“I was going to suggest you do that. As far as I know, there is no limit to the number of spirits that can work together, but from a practical standpoint most people don’t have the time needed to form the level of bonds needed to properly harness their energy. You on the other hand…” Ralth trailed off.

“I, on the other hand, have infinite time to repeat over and over until I become a master wizard, doomed forever to listen to Andy’s rants about magic.”

“Yep.”

“So, how do I talk to them?”

“No idea, it’s different for everyone. It’s like trying to fall asleep when you know you need to but just can’t seem to until it just happens.”

“Great, just great, so tomorrow I start by smacking my head into a rock until I pass out.”

“I would suggest bathing in the mana well first, and then you can try that, uh, more direct approach to manifesting your stone spirit, I suppose.”

‘“Alright, first I want another Ralth meal and a good night of sleep.” Cal wondered just how far he was willing to go for real magic. Could he just spend these loops scouring the world, or even beyond, for every mana well he could? Was that fair to future Andy?

*

Cal had been floating in the mana well for the last three hours. It had been an interesting experience so far. Initially, he had felt tiny tingles, like a weak static shock on his toes. This slowly progressed into a feeling of static clinging along his entire body, and he could now hear a gentle hum in the air around his ears. Ralth had told him not to expect anything quite as drastic as what happened with the stone mana pool. It turned out that being pulled into another reality was extremely abnormal when it came to these pools, some byproduct of the Gryalth meddling with them.

Suddenly, Cal felt a spike of electricity in his brain. The pain was excruciating but thankfully faded within seconds. He looked at his fingers, there were tiny sparks of electricity coming off them. He climbed out of the pool to see if they vanished. They did not, but he could feel something inside of him draining the longer he focused on the sparks.

“Yes!” Cal shouted into the empty room, unable to contain his joy. He was pretty sure he had done it. He could feel both energy sources within himself. The next step was to try to talk to them, but he had no clue where to start.

“Hey guys, can you hear me?” There was no response. Cal was not surprised as he doubted that it would be that simple.

Day after day passed as Cal tried out different methods of starting a communication. From singing to meditation, nothing seemed to bring him any closer. As the days turned into years, he even had Ralth track down some mind-altering mushrooms for him, and while he spent the night talking to the cavern walls, nothing spoke back.

Finally becoming frustrated with his lack of progress, he climbed back into the pool and let himself sink to the bottom.

If you can hear me, I’m trying something new. I’m going to sink to the bottom of this pool and just stay there. I figure either we bridge the gap and talk, or I start a new loop, and this begins again because I’m running out of ideas here.

Cal maneuvered a rock from the bottom of the pool onto this chest. He closed his eyes tightly, preparing to wake up in his bed shortly.

“Hello”

“Hello”

“Hello”

Cal’s eyes snapped open. He was in his bedroom, but instead of sleeping in his bed, he was sitting on his desk chair. On his bed were three forms, not the two he expected. Their forms were translucent, each having their own unique coloring. They looked similar to light reflecting off a mirror onto a wall.

“I’m sorry this was so hard. It was my fault.” The voice came from the dark gray one. “I’m a void essence, and Ralth had no idea I was inside of you, so any attempt you made to communicate to the other two just wasn’t able to incorporate me until your last act of desperation, but hey, it worked, and we are all together now.”

“We are so happy you found your way to us.” The pale yellow one’s voice hummed with electricity as it spoke.

“Yes.” The rust-colored one’s voice rumbled the single word.

“Do you have names?”

“Nope, that’s part of what this whole thing entails. You need to help us find our names and identities, and then our powers can start working in a conglomerate,” rumbled the stone spirit.

“Where do we start?”

“We don’t, at least not in this loop. It will take you roughly two decades spent in each of our native realms to understand us enough. Right now, this is about starting communication.” They hummed.

“Yes, right now, we need to purify your core. The place where our energies will reside. Once we do that, it will be much easier to talk in the future.” The void spirit’s voice had a slight echo in every word it spoke.

“We apologize, but this will hurt greatly.” The three spirits spoke in unison. Each flew off of the bed, passing through Cal’s physical form as though it was not there.

Cal’s brain felt like he had just been electrocuted and hit by something large, solid, and hefty, while at the same time, his vision grew dark. He screamed in pain, the act itself a torture. Moving his limbs was becoming an impossibility. Something inside of him erupted, the pain migrating to somewhere in his rib cage. His heart felt like it was going to explode, or maybe it already had. Cal could no longer understand the sensations from inside himself.

Moments later, the pain subsided, and Cal slumped from the chair to the floor. His vision was returning, and he could see the three spirits sitting on his bed once again. “Now what?” he coughed out the words.

“Now, my fellow spirits, begin the process of filling your core while we talk about how I came to be here and why it’s so important you keep me a secret.” Echoed the voice.

“Got it, well spirits, enter me. Um, not in a sexual way, a normal way. Assuming a normal way even exists.” Cal stumbled over his words, still very out of it.

The rust and yellow-colored spirits flew into Cal’s chest, similar to before, this time though it was painless. Cal felt something similar to when you’ve eaten a delicious meal. This feeling was much preferred over the core purification that had to be done.

“The bad news is that if you ever wish to form a penumbra, you will need to go through this purification again. Each time, your core will need to be prepared for the new member or members.”

“Just what I wanted to hear. So, how are you here?”

“You are aware how future Andy lived through uncounted loops, desperately trying to bring you into this in order to change the reality he was stuck in?”

“Yes.”

“The gravity generator that was in the research lab was made from me. There are three others across the country. I believe it was the Agency that was responsible for your death in a previous loop that forced my form into their technology. This is the big thing that is missing from both the Gryalth and Andy’s calculations on what happened. When their attack ruptured my containment, I broke free in one of my locations and absorbed their corrupted stone. I didn’t want to, but I had no power to stop my expansion. This is how future Andy found himself trapped within my void. As time catches up to where the event happens, the border between my realm and this one weakens. That is how future Andy gains control over regular Andy. I believe if you were able to somehow bring all parts of myself together at the epicenter of this, we could unlock Andy.”

“Would this end the loops, or just let Andy remember them fully?” Cal wasn’t ready to end the loops yet. He had no way to fight the invaders.

“Just unlock Andy. I have no idea how to end what is happening now. I was just the trigger there. Now, there is something happening below me on the quantum string level. That said, the effects of completing me will be somewhat unpredictable, as causality is broken at the moment of detonation.”

Cal sighed. “Well, why make it easy now? Anything else I should know before we finish this?”

“Yes, once I reside inside of you, your physical form will likely remain in a coma for the majority of the rest of this loop. We will strive to finish before the loop ends, though otherwise, our efforts will be for naught.”

“Understood. Good luck, little buddy.” The spirit disappeared into him the same as the previous two.

*

Cal woke up on the floor of the cavern, the pool glowing softly beside him. The energy he previously felt as a tugging sensation now felt more like a muscle. He tried flexing it and yelped in pain.

“You’re a wizard, Cal. '' Said Ralth, now standing over him.

“Haha, why did that hurt so much?” Cal wasn’t in the mood for jokes, though he had to admit Ralth had perfect timing on that one.

“Because you just spent the last several years working the muscle non-stop and luckily managed to finish on your last day. Now, let’s get some food in you while we wait for the loop to end.”

“Yeah, food sounds amazing. Do you have a whole cow I could eat?”

“Two, actually.”

“Wonderful.”

The white flash found Cal with a face covered in barbeque sauce, having just scarfed down his fourth rack of ribs.