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By the time the warm glow of dusk brought an end to the day, Gelda’s house in Alkupera Town was bursting with people in fancy and fabulous attire chatting, laughing, drinking, and eating delicious appetizers presented on gold trays by smiling servers. While Gelda only knew a handful of the guests, she was glad Barlo had plenty of people to help him celebrate.
When everyone was onto their second drinks, Raquin announced the arrival of the rebirthday boy fresh from his recent rebirth and the last he would officially celebrate. In a sparkling purple jacket and shiny yellow pants, he shone inside and out.
‘You look so refreshed!’ said a guest.
‘I have so much energy and focus!’ As if to prove it, Barlo swirled around the room and heartily received hugs, back slaps, and kisses to a soundtrack of whoops and whistles.
‘Tawawa, Barlo!’ guests sang out. ‘Enjoy your last rebirthday party!’
‘Tawawa!’ Barlo laughed and laughed.
When the welcoming was over, he looked around at the decorations and food, then joined Gelda, Raquin, Bryll, Odgio, and Hazzy who stood between the dining and lounge rooms watching the goings-on.
‘It’s a wonderland!’ Barlo exclaimed and graciously thanked everyone who helped.
Raquin handed him his favourite drink in a gold mug she’d sculpted especially for the occasion and Barlo went off to enjoy the merriment.
Dinner was nine petite courses of fried, baked, pickled, and raw cuisine arranged into designs on white plates. An oddly pleasing mishmash of flavours, colours, and aromas perfectly reflected the occasion. Compliments flowed towards Hazzy who beamed with pride.
After dinner, everyone gathered near the pool, gifts in hand. Barlo stood in front of them all and one by one guests handed him wrapped items. He shared a moment with each as he opened them. The last gift was the Trip of a Lifetime ticket wrapped in a long thin box. Watching Barlo’s speechless reaction, Gelda decided she’d made the right choice by not giving him the game. That is until, sometime later, when Odgio called out to her from the lounge room.
‘I was leaning against the shelf when Finkle leaped onto my shoulder and pawed it off.’ Odgio held out the capsule that contained the abandoned rebirthday gift. ‘I caught it just in time!’
It had turned red again. Gelda looked from the capsule to Finkle who sat at Odgio’s feet waiting for him to drop it. He rolled on to his back with his cute paws bent up in the air, staring innocently at Gelda, and gave a sweet little meow.
‘He really wants it.’ Odgio laughed.
‘Darn cat’s too smart,’ said Gelda with a shake of her head and a smile.
Finkle got to his feet and looked voraciously up at the capsule. ‘Don’t even think about it,’ Gelda warned. He slumped onto the floor, rolled over, and pretended to stretch while still looking at it, gaining nothing but a laugh from them.
Gelda took the capsule from Odgio and put it back on the shelf where it turned grey.
‘Aren’t you going to give it to Barlo?’
She shook her head.
‘Why ever not?’
Gelda reluctantly told him what it was. ‘I got to commemorate his birth decade, but it’s old and broken.’
‘Let me see,’ said Odgio, reaching towards the shelf.
‘Oh, another gift!’ Hazzy appeared, clapping her hands.
‘It’s old and broken,’ Odgio repeated.
‘What is?’ Hazzy enquired.
‘A game I was going to give Barlo. It’s nothing, really,’ Gelda said.
‘Did someone say game?’ said Bryll, heading over to see.
‘What game?’ asked Hazzy.
Before long, Gelda was surrounded by people wanting to see it. She thought twice about opening it to show them the four mysterious balls inside. Perhaps another day, after she’d rested from the party, but their enthusiasm was unrelenting. Though Barlo was nowhere to be seen, she sat in her chair and put the capsule on the lounge table. Eager guests huddled around her. Some sat on the sofa, while others pulled up chairs. Those that missed out on seats, sat on the floor or stood around her. When everyone was settled, Gelda opened the capsule to reveal the balls.
‘What do they do?’ Hazzy asked from between Bryll and Odgio on the sofa.
‘They’re containers,’ Gelda replied.
‘You haven’t opened them?’ asked Odgio.
‘No, but one of them broke and there’s a rock inside. I think it’s the biosphere.’
‘A rock? Is it a Cosmo Dome?’ said Bryll hopefully.
‘It is.’ Gelda gave him a curious frown.
‘Terrific! I haven’t seen one in centuries!’ From his seat on the sofa, Bryll leaned forward to see it properly. ‘Biosphere games were all the rage back then. Cosmo Domes were the best. I had a Thalverse. It was enchanting!’
‘Oh, I remember those,’ recalled a guest standing behind the sofa.
‘My brother had a Wellaverse but didn’t even finish building it,’ said someone else.
‘Some models are pretty rare these days,’ Bryll continued. ‘Collectors go mad for original editions.’
Hazzy leaned in for a better look. ‘The case looks pretty old. It could be an antique and might be worth something. My friend collects old games and has exhibitions in museums. She frequently gets offers from collectors.’
Everyone had an opinion to share about the different Cosmo Dome models. Elixirs in bellies meant they possessed varying degrees of reliability.
‘Is this the game that was in the news recently?’ Odgio asked.
‘Yes, something about a notorious Gorgon collector and some drama with his ex-wife?’ said Bryll.
Already under the influence of Odgio’s enchanting elixir, everyone’s favourite aunt Fansy joined them. She nudged Bryll, Hazzy, and Odgio along to sit on the sofa. After they caught her up, she shook her head. ‘These things are dangerous. There was a guy who got his head blasted off when his world imploded. People shouldn’t be able to make biospheres without credentials.’ Being a woman who liked to use her hands to display words, she cheerily sloshed elixir around.
‘Rubbish,’ said Odgio, narrowly dodging splashes. ‘Biospheres should be created for fun. Everyone takes things too seriously these days.’
‘Slow down, everyone. I’ve never seen one before so I’m struggling to keep up,’ said Hazzy. ‘What’s the deal?’
‘You build a biosphere – that’s a type of mini world – and keep it alive,’ Bryll summarised.
‘Sort of,’ said a woman who stood to the side of the small crowd.
She had large green eyes and a streak of hair to match and was wearing a casual dress with a bold botanical pattern and boots. Gelda thought it seemed an odd choice for a party, but then some people didn’t like dressing up. She didn’t know who she was. She’d only met Barlo’s close friends, and there were many people she hadn’t met in attendance.
‘They’re all a little different,’ the woman explained in a soft voice that was gentle yet commanding. ‘Some are more complex than others, but the general idea is to create lifeforms and help them to survive and thrive.’
‘So, it’s just growing things,’ Fansy presumed. ‘Sounds boring.’
‘Not at all,’ replied the woman.
Guests in front of her moved aside and Hazzy made room at the lounge table. The newcomer received both gestures by approaching the table and sitting on the floor where she tucked her dress under her thighs and continued to talk with calm authority. Though all eyes were on her, she didn’t seem to notice. ‘You get to create billions of lifeforms then make them survive and thrive, some under the harshest of conditions. There are six models to choose from and they’re all a little different. Some only have a few elements while others are more complex.’
‘You seem to know a lot about Cosmo Domes,’ she said to the woman. ‘Did you also have one?’
Though a simple question, the woman hesitated before answering. ‘I’ve spent a lot of time around them.’ Her short laugh seemed forced, and Gelda thought it must be nerves as she wasn’t the least bit awkward.
‘What’s your name, love?’ asked Gelda.
‘Shellany.’
‘Tawawa, Shellany!’ everyone said and gave their names in return.
‘Is the rock the biosphere?’ Gelda asked once the introductions were done.
‘You’ve seen it?’
‘When my cat knocked it off the bench. I think it’s dented.’
Shellany’s mouth dropped open then shut quickly. She shook her head. ‘The rock, as you call it, is the preservation chamber for the biosphere inside.’
‘Open it!’ a guest urged.
‘Yes, let’s see the biosphere!’ Hazzy clapped her hands.
‘You can’t actually open it, as the preservation chamber is a self-contained bionetwork, but we can see inside it. Shellany reached for the capsule. ‘May I?’
‘Of course,’ said Gelda. ‘Lately I seem to have a knack for breaking things, and you seem to know a lot about these.’
Everyone crammed in close to the lounge table to get a look at the mysterious game. Some sat or crouched while others stood behind them. Raucous laughter from beyond the room reminded Gelda that there was a party going on – a party she hosted for her grandson. She wondered if Barlo was having a good time. As the host, a sense of obligation to check on guests conflicted with a desire to stay and play until she reminded herself that people would find her here if needed. Guilt eased, she sat back in her chair and watched.
Shellany opened the capsule and took out the four balls. Swiping a hand over each revealed a single white word on each in bold ornate type. The blue ball had Mainframe on it. The green had Controller, the yellow Components, and the one that flickered between black, white, and red read Chamber.
Upon seeing the flashing ball Shellany asked. ‘What exactly happened?’
Gelda explained how Finkle knocked it over and it came out of the mailcage and how it hit the wall and cracked.
‘And he’s a black cat,’ Hazzy added.
Shellany glanced thoughtfully away then said, ‘Cosmo Dome biospheres are fragile, but they can also be quite adaptable. Selecting the yellow Components ball, she twisted it open to reveal several small connectors, a pin board, and two different sized discs. The larger disc was white with dulled-out lights that went all the way around its edge. The smaller disc was black with a button on one side and a port on the other. Shellany attached the pin board to the black disc then connected the two joined pieces to the white disc. ‘That’s the powerstation set up,’ she said then opened the ball with the biosphere in it.
Gelda noticed Shellany’s eager expression fade when she took it out and saw the crack. ‘I hope it’s not broken.’
‘Me, too.’ Shellany carefully positioned the biosphere chamber on the powerstation. It clicked into place on the pins. ‘And there you have it: the Cosmo Dome,’ she said with a flourishing wave of her hand. ‘A biosphere inside a preservation chamber, kept alive by a powerstation.’
‘Why isn’t anything happening?’ Fansy said.
‘It’s not connected yet,’ replied Shellany.
She took out the blue ball with the label Mainframe and twisted it open. Inside was a smaller white ball with diamond-shaped grooves on its surface. She pressed a diamond that was slightly more raised than the others and the whole thing expanded outwards and turned into a large white box with three buttons on one side and a large convex lens on the top.
Everyone oohh’d and aahh’d.
‘The mainframe processes calculations and transactions,’ Shellany explained. ‘It also analyses information and converts into a readable format.’ She took a connector from the yellow components ball and attached the mainframe to the biosphere chamber.
The green ball twisted open to reveal another white ball, but this one had hexagonal-shaped grooves on its surface. Again, Shellany pressed a raised shape and it expanded outwards. It turned into a white rectangular apparatus slightly larger and thinner than the first with dials, buttons, and a gauge screen on the top. ‘This is the main controller.’ Shellany pointed at several icons on the right. ‘That’s your equipment. It’s press-activated.’ Gelda recognised a wheel, a blaster, and some sort of visor.
Shellany took the last big connector from the yellow Components ball and attached the controller to the biosphere chamber. The last pieces in the components ball were four small connectors. Shellany inserted one into a port on the Cosmo Dome powerstation and another into a port on the controller. A visible energy wave travelled between the two, turning from pale white to vivid blue.
The small crowd oohh’d and aahh’d again.
Shellany then flicked a large switch on the mainframe that lit up green. The same muffled warning message Gelda had heard the previous day started to play on repeat.
‘PREMATURE BIOSPHERE INITIATION! CRAFTING HAZARD LEVEL 9! TO AVOID IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE, DISABLE IMMEDIATELY!’
Everyone groaned at the booming voice. Fansy put her hands over her ears.
‘That can’t be good.’ Bryll winced.
‘It’s not ideal,’ said Shellany.
‘I thought I switched that off,’ said Gelda.
‘You may have temporarily disabled it,’ Shellany suggested.
‘Which is why I shouldn’t play.’ Given her recent track record for breakages, Gelda worried she would make things worse.
‘Your game, your responsibility,’ Bryll sang with a sassy grin.
‘It’s not mine,’ Gelda reminded him.
‘What she means is she’s afraid to try new things,’ Odgio teased.
Beyond being offended, Gelda laughed. ‘It’s not really my thing.’
‘Have you ever played a biosphere game?’ Bryll challenged. When Gelda shook her head, he added, ‘Darling, you don’t know what you’re missing!’
‘Maybe you can keep it as part of your own collection?’ Hazzy indicated the cabinets full of Marvellus figurines.
‘Yes, do that,’ said Hazzy.
‘It’s not a collectable,’ Gelda and Shellany said in unison then shared a soft smile.
‘Maybe Barlo might want it after all,’ Gelda said.
Shellany shook her head. ‘You’ve already activated it, which means you’re its creator.’
‘Technically, the cat activated it,’ Gelda joked. She’d already thought about selling or giving it away, but for now the responsibility of pressing buttons fell to her apparently – if only to ensure it was working.
She flicked the switch on the mainframe next to the large convex lens.
A small square white display appeared above it with the spoken warning almost verbatim in blue type: Premature biosphere initiation... Crafting hazard level 9... Avoid irreversible damage... Disable? Yes, No.
‘Press Yes,’ Shellany instructed.
The Yes option lit up under her finger when Gelda pressed it to disable the premature initiation. There was a hissing noise from inside the chamber then the previous message was replaced by a confirmation message and a new query: Construction Mode Recovered. Enable Normal Operating Mode? Yes, No.
‘Disaster diffused,’ Shellany announced as she fell back into the chair with a sigh of relief.
The small crowd cheered.
Hazzy squealed. ‘Phew!’
‘Your streak of bad luck is over,’ said Odgio.
‘Don’t jinx it!’ Bryll worried.
‘So that’s it?’ enquired a confused Fansy.
‘As far as the initiation goes, yes,’ Shellany told her. ‘Now it’s set up to play.’
‘Is it playable?’ Gelda wondered if it was okay. She forced herself to relax the tension in her body which, she realised, held more excitement than fear.
‘It looks stable. The biosphere initiated without the control system in charge. Hopefully it hasn’t evolved by itself.’
‘It’s only been a day,’ Gelda told her.
‘A lot can happen inside a biosphere in one day,’ Shellany replied. ‘The only way to tell for certain is to play it.’
‘Yes, play!’ Hazzy cried out.
Gelda laughed. ‘I’m not sure if I’m ready for that.’
‘Of course, you are!’ said an eager Hazzy.
‘We should see what model it is,’ said Shellany.
It took a few deep breaths to quell her second thoughts. The four to five party elixirs she’d consumed numbed any apprehension she might have otherwise experienced. She sat upright and pressed Yes to the Enable Normal Operating Mode query.
Shellany showed Gelda around the controller then got her to press buttons and turn dials until the lens on the mainframe console lit up. There was a short whirring sound, then light splayed out from the convex lens. Flourishes of red, yellow, blue, and every colour in between burst out filling the air above the mainframe, then vanished, leaving behind a deep blue glow that dressed the room from floor to ceiling in perceived infinite depth.
Expecting something big to happen, the small crowd grew silent. Accompanied by suspenseful music, from a pinpoint of light somewhere in the middle depths grew the words Cosmo Dome. In a detailed and vividly coloured animated font, the words spun around several times, separated, twisted away from each other, then returned to smack together with a bang. As the music ascended with accelerating rhythms animated objects exploded in every direction that vanished on the outer limits. After a slight pause, Universe appeared underneath in a bold, gleaming gold font, zoomed close, then disappeared in a feathery eruption.
The small crowd cheered.
‘It’s a Universe!’ Gelda cried out. She turned wide eyes towards Shellany who looked oddly relieved. Everyone else whooped and cheered. Elixirs sloshed in the air as everyone in the small crowd got excited over the unveiling. Gelda was, too, until a worrying thought came to mind. ‘Isn’t that the hardest one?’ she wondered.
‘It’s more tricky than hard, but also super rare,’ Shellany explained. ‘The Universe is the most complex and breathtaking biosphere of all the Cosmo Dome models. Yours has been prematurely initiated, and the fall may have caused issues, but you’re extremely lucky to have the greatest and most advanced biosphere that’s ever been invented.’ She grew suddenly serious. ‘We can’t let anyone harm it. It has to be protected.’
As Shellany’s words trailed off, Gelda got the impression that her mind had briefly gone elsewhere. Her grave tone muted the sense of excitement in the room. Gelda looked around to see everyone staring at Shellany with mild concern and thought it time to intervene. ‘Absolutely,’ she said in enthusiastic agreement then waved her hands to indicate the spectacle before them. ‘This is just so incredible!’ It broke the tension, wrinkled brows smoothed.
Shellany offered a conciliatory smile. ‘The Universe model has sophisticated worlds called planets,’ she explained, though no one asked. ‘You develop the habitable ones and foster advanced civilisations. With enough resourceful ingenuity they evolve into a harmonious ecosystem.’ She took a long pause. ‘I recommend that you play the construction levels so it’s protected from further harm. Will you play?’
Gelda wasn’t sure. She considered the display before her. The Cosmo Dome branding was now at the bottom right of the display under a help icon, just above a potted plant near the window. On the bottom left was a small white button that read Play in bright green and Pause dulled out. While the rest of the display presented nothing but black space, she was left with the impression that it went on forever. She wanted to know more about what the demo had shown, but what had started out as fun now felt almost like a burden. If she had known the game involved protecting living beings, she might not have agreed to play. She wasn’t comfortable admitting that, though, so instead she merely confessed, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’
‘Universe has a superior AI who is helpful and pleasant,’ Shellany assured her. ‘The construction stage won’t take too long. After that, if you decide not to keep playing, you can surrender it to the Domers League. They’ll happily look after it for you.’
‘It has its own club!’ exclaimed Hazzy drawing murmurs from all.
While exhausted, Gelda’s other main concern had nothing to do with losing sleep and everything to do with recent events. ‘What if I break it?’
‘It’s failsafe and I’ll be here to assist.’ When Gelda remained quiet, Shellany added softly, ‘Honestly, I understand your concerns. It’s a big responsibility, but there’s nothing like playing Cosmo Dome for the first time. It’s so rewarding and the Universe in particular is really quite spectacular to see fully built.’
‘Imagine the fun you’ll have creating tiny worlds!’ said Hazzy. ‘You love puzzle games and you’re caring and sensible. It’s the perfect pastime for you!’
Aware that everyone waited for her, Gelda suddenly found herself wanting to vanish so she wouldn’t have to decide. The prospect of playing made her nervous, and caring for squillions of worlds when she couldn’t even get her appliances to work seemed a bit much.
‘What are you going to do with it, Ma Varda?’ asked Bryll.
Odgio gave a wink. ‘A party isn’t complete without a game.’
There were murmurs of agreement from the small crowd. ‘Play it!’ someone cried out.
‘Grow some lifeforms!’ Hazzy sang out.
‘This could be your path to newness,’ Raquin said quietly in her ear.
They’re right, thought Gelda. Something new and different could be just what I need. Something fun. Cosmo Dome could be just the thing to kickstart a new life.
‘Play, play, play,’ Bryll chanted.
‘Play! Play! Play!’ everyone joined in.
Gelda wasn’t a showy person, nor was she much of an entertainer, but with everyone staring at her expectantly, she didn’t have the heart to say no. ‘Okay, I’ll play it!’