Lore — CHAPTER 1 — ONE SMALL STEP

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎The buzzing of the aquarium visitors slowly fades away. Joe, the security guard –who, during the last few minutes, has been walking around openly with a huge thermos of coffee–, declares the end of the day with a histrionic yawn. Andrew lifts the bridge of his glasses and looks at the watch that sways on his wrist. It’s time to head home, to hang the Pond 8 keeper’s suit on an imaginary closet and put on the geek outfit he’s so comfortable in. Alone in his room, that taciturn and introverted being everyone assumes him to be, turns into a fearless adventurer: a traveler of fantastic universes, a hunter of hidden treasures who will, like every other night, presumably fall asleep in his computer chair.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎The guard begins the chore of locating the keys to each sector of the aquarium within a bundle of thirty different keys. Andrew hears the clink behind him, followed by increasingly hurried footsteps. He raises the curtain that covers the pond and takes a quick peek. Still no sight of the Axolotls. He is not resigned to the possibility that at least one of those tiny, shy creatures decided it’s time to finally show up. As if they resented the spotlight the local press gave them from the very day they arrived: they were announced as “oddities beyond classification”, arousing a huge hype around the reveal that will take place in precisely two days. Perhaps it was he himself who in some way inhibited them when, in preparation of their arrival, had the bright idea of making good use of his long forgotten sculptor knowledge, and filled the pond with all kinds of objects representative of his own affinities. He spent no less than three months creating unique items, and placed them in equally carefully crafted environments very much alike to his own room. Items with value only appreciable by peculiar beings. Beings like him.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎–¡Come on, Andrew! –Joe loses his patience– The Thundercrackers are hitting the court in twenty minutes.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Andrew reaches into the back pocket of his pants. He pulls out a tiny glass jar, with a big cork plug, containing what appears to be a tiny, rolled-up piece of parchment.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎–Hope this encourages you to go out there…
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎–Come on, man! We gotta get moving.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎–… and to reveal yourselves in time.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎–Andrewww!!!
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎–Going! –he exclaims. He slings his backpack over his shoulder and, before leaving, slides the jar through the pond’s feed gate.

…

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: Everyone’s gone
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: u sure?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: All clear, my dude
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: This is all too strange, don’t you think?

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack narrows his eyes at the monitor. He’s not quite sure what to respond, mostly given the remarkable ease with which his friend gets lost in intricate theories. Once again, he walks over to the window and peeks through the curtain blinds. There is no sign of Andrew the Creator, or any other visitor for that matter. The mysterious jar, about which Needy has been generating hypotheses for several minutes, rests calmly on the bed of the pond, right in front of his room window.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: U here?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: Yep. Right here
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: What do you think it could be?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: No clue
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: Let’s stay calm. We must wait, observe and gather information from a distance. A safe, methodical approach is our best option.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: You’re such a nerd, dude!
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: I’m only saying we should think this through.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: I believe there’s something inside it
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: Exactly my point… what?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: I gotta take a closer look
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: Oooh, no! Oooh, nonono!

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy’s messages begin to pile on the computer screen, Zack is on his feet, facing his bedroom door, watching his entire life flash before his eyes. Not once, since each Geexolotl claimed their own little place in the world and life as they know it began, had they had the need to leave the rooms. From the fancy computers that keep them connected to each other, to the caterpillar-gum pipes that provide them with food, everything they could possibly want is found within the four walls of their room. Not to mention their invaluable collections, their source of pride and identity mark of everything they are. Collections are, in fact, the most important thing in the life of a Geexolotl. However, a tasteless jar on the bed of the pond shyly invites him to think that there could be something more out there. What could it possibly be? The question itches the back of his brain. Maybe it’s a gift; yet, as Neddy argues, there seems to be something unclear and somehow disturbing about it. In any case, it is a new object, the kind they’ve never seen before: a message from the Creator in person. And that cannot be ignored.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎He inhales deeply through his lateral gills. In front of him, a door away, lies the vast immensity of the pond: uncharted, inhospitable territory. At least that’s what everyone thinks about it. The mission is simple: open the door, walk into the open field, pick the jar, go back. However, for everything in life there is a first time, and the feeling of vertigo is no exception. The distance overwhelms him. What if he got lost or something worse occurred to him? Part of him knows that, from this moment on, life in the pond may no longer be the same.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎He slowly turns the doorknob. The groan of the hinges is a frightening, but mostly completely alien sound.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Now or never, he says to himself. And that “never” is so resemblant to the “always” that best describes the life so well known to him that, without second thoughts, he opens the door completely.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎He takes a small step forward. His foot sinks gently into the bed of stones, so unlike the room’s comfy carpet surface. His gills, accustomed to the tiny air bubbles of his confined space, seem to contract and expand more lively. It feels strange to not be surrounded by walls nearby, not to have objects around. Freedom comes with a sense of dizziness. It takes him time to get used to the sensation, but he manages to get the hang of it and moves on. From up close, the jar looks smaller than through the window. He notices a kind of rolled parchment inside it. He grabs it between both hands and pulls as hard as he can. He had never tried to move such an awkward and heavy object before.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎He looks over his shoulder. The room entrance lies very far away. Bravery took him much further than he had imagined.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Dragging the jar with effort, he retraces the ten inches that separate him from the safety of the room.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Exhausted, amazed at his own audacity, but above all pleased to be back in his own world, he closes a door that he promises himself never to open again.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎He sits to rest in front of the computer. Neddy’s messages cover the entire screen. They all insist on the same uncomfortable vibe.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‎Zack: U there?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: If I’m HERE!? Where have YOU been?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: You wouldn’t believe me
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: There’s some kind of scroll inside it.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: We’re not even supposed to be having this conversation
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: I think I’m gonna uncork it…
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: Don’t even touch it!
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: C’mon dude! Ain’t u a little curious?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: No! You’ll give me a myocardial infarction!
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: Whaaat?
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: A heart attack, of course!
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Zack: Alright, no touching. But what should we do? You know the saying:
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎by the end of the day you just gotta address the big jar in the room
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎Neddy: In that case, I believe we should bring this up to Geexstein.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎As cautious as he may sound, Neddy does have a valid point: Geexstein is the most qualified to deal with these types of scenarios. Not like a Geexolotl ever had to deal with similar situations, but, if such questions arose, he would definitely be the one to come up with something resembling an answer. So, for the time being, Zack decides it’s better to suspend the urge to find out more.

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎The end of a very long, unusual day is drawing near. The emotions of the expedition took their toll and made him really tired. Tonight, as an exception, he will not stay in front of the screen and will go to bed early, as in “sleeping in a proper bed”. Tomorrow there will be plenty of time to share his find with the rest of the community. What he needs right now is a good, old-fashioned, restorative rest.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎As per usual, he wakes up in his computer chair. Force of habit overcame exhaustion and he ended up surfing the net anyway. During the brief hours he rested, however, he dreamed something he had never dreamed before: he saw himself exploring new worlds, inhabited by creatures of hundreds of shapes, colors and sizes. Free to go where the current took him.
‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎He raises his eyes to the screen. A weird message takes him completely off guard. In alarming red letters, Neddy announces something he would never have thought possible.