Chapter Text
after Atlas brings him to Eissentam,
after Atlas blinds him and heals him,
after Atlas begins him on the path,
when the Korvax receive a blessing;
a newly born Traveller of the Atlas,
fragile from its previous life.
※
He’d woken up in what he thought was a biobed. It was a little more cozy, like a bed on Terra instead of on a ship or in a medbay. He took what little comfort there was, feeling the ache in his bones that were so cold. He wanted to get up and run away, anywhere, to safety. But his body ached and was tired, unresponsive to his internal turmoil, and he was forced to abandon the prospect of escaping from this room.
Instead, he focused on what he remembered.
It was all something he never could have imagined, but somehow knew deep within himself, that he had met a deity. And what was more, that deity was his . He belonged to that deity. Was accountable for and to it. Atlas. Atlas had claimed him, in name and blood and soul.
He remembered the intense, searing pain of the Atlas shining so brightly, his hands could not even shield his eyes. He was blind. It was dark and it was blinding white, and it was red. Blood red? His hands were wet, his face was wet. He couldn’t tell if it was tears or blood.
Then he saw red, then he saw as before. But now, he could see all .
The Atlas blessed him with the capacity and capability to understand this all , the everything that composed of the whole universe, the cosmic web and the protons and electrons and quarks and galaxies and the millennia of time and the ever reaching stretches of space. Lesser beings would go mad from this sense of awareness. But he could handle it.
You see with my Sight , the Atlas had rumbled. Jim considered this deity in a new light, almost literally. It had hurt him, but then it had done something most others didn’t: heal him. The Atlas stopped spinning, as if it’d known his thoughts, and cast its red gaze down onto him. You are hurt .
The response was unexpected. Jim blinked. The Atlas moved in a gesture that Jim could understand constituted as a nod. Once we are done here, I will ensure you a caregiver .
I’m not a child , Jim insisted instead, I don’t need one.
The Atlas considered Jim. Not to care for you, then, the Atlas said, slowly, but to educate you. You must learn the cultures. The languages. This is your path. You cannot stray from my path.
Then the Atlas pulsed, and gave him Knowledge. He understood now.
This is what has happened, and why. This is what will happen... and why.
“Jim?” A voice brought him out of his memories, Jim blinking up at a triangular mechanical interface, a blue circle with a dot in its center staring at him. It tilted its head to the side. “You respond. How do you feel?”
“Hurt,” Jim merely eeked out, and the entity picked up something, some kind of tub of lotion or cream, and scooped some onto its rather humanoid fingers (encased in silicon) before smoothing it over what visible skin he had.
“Once absorbed, it should provide relief,” it said. “How is your memory?”
“...Intact.” Jim chose to say. It tilted its head again.
“That is good. The Atlas said in its message that you were in need of a tutor.”
“Yes,” Jim was relieved that the Atlas had truly accepted the change. The entity nodded.
a strange letter. reading it provided clues to its origin. Atlas. the Korvax buzzed in curiosity...
instructions, attached to this entity that they found on this deserted planet. instructions to care.
instructions to deceive. officially, they are educating him. unofficially, they are raising him.
“I am that tutor. I am Significance Savri, and I am pleased to be of assistance to you, Traveller. I am a member of the Korvax Convergence. That is what you would consider me, a Korvax. We are currently in the Ederie System in Eissentam Galaxy, aboard the Korvax vessel Eynoyet, a chiefly scientific and exploratory vessel. Do you have any questions?”
Jim blinked in thought. “Can I get food?”
“Absolutely, there is abundance.” The Korvax got up and did not take long to return with a plate full of snackable vegetables and fruits as well as a bowl of nuts, “This diet should bring back strength to you.”
“... Thank you, Savri,” Jim took the plate and tried to not grip it as tightly as he wanted to.
“Do you wish for my company?” Savri tilted its head again.
“Yes,” Jim let himself be honest, “why do you tilt your head?”
“It is a gesture of recognition. It signals my listening to you.”
“Oh, so it is like a nod, then.”
“May you demonstrate for me?” Jim obeyed, and Savri tilted its head again before mimicking him, helmet moving a tad jerkily for a typical nod.
“I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it,” Jim said before popping in an orange slice. The juices delighted him. The plate was a colorful array and it was only then that Jim noticed that all the produce were Terran in origin. “Where did you get the food?”
“The Atlas did give us some information pertinent to the comfortable lifestyle humans require,” Savri explained, “including their diet. We have begun to grow a wide variety of human produce in our hydroponic growrooms. We hope it is to your satisfaction.”
“Yeah, it’s perfect,” Jim only said, and fell silent. Savri regarded him for a minute longer before looking to the clock.
“It is still early in the day. Do you tire, or would you like to do an activity?”
“What kind of activity?”
The Korvax shrugged. Jim blinked at that. Apparently some things were the same. “I would defer to your preference, Jim. I cannot say I know your current energy level, and hesitate to suggest something you would not enjoy.”
“Thanks for the consideration. I kinda wanted to watch some holofilms, actually,” Jim’s voice had become a whisper. It was a stupid request. But Savri only tilted its head.
“I will ensure it come to fruition. Please excuse me for half an hour, at most.” Savri walked out with determination, footsteps loud from the apparent weight of the metal of the carapace.
Jim ate a piece of red bell pepper.
Savri returned in only fifteen minutes, the clock on the wall told him. Thinking about it, Jim realized the clock stood out of place on an alien ship. It was a traditional Terran 12-hour analog clock. Before Savri could announce what they had procured, Jim pointed to the clock. The Korvax followed his direction. “It is a clock that represents the time.”
“Why is it here?”
Savri turned back to him. He could tell the Korvax was confused. “To, represent the time?”
“That’s a Terran clock,” Jim pointed out, voice going hard.
Savri raised their head as if they understood now. “We changed all of the clocks, yesterday. When we received you. The Captain wanted to make you comfortable, and information readily accessible. That included time. If this type of clock is undesirable, we can change it.”
Jim retracted his finger and chewed on a slice of apple, thinking. “What did you use before?”
Savri said nothing for a minute, though. Then they made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. “I suppose this is the opposite of the goal. Of educating you. You cannot learn the standard display of time if we do not show it to you. My apologies, Jim. Please, give me a few minutes to fetch the clock. In the meantime, I have acquired these,” Savri laid out four holofilms on Jim’s lap, and Jim was delightfully surprised to find two of his favorite movies, “I apologize for not having more options to offer you. We can purchase more upon arrival at a Starbase. Please excuse me, I will go. Pick a holofilm you’d like to watch.” Savri departed.
Jim picked up The Iron Giant and grinned.