Read CHASM :: TWO -- COUNTERPART

I gasp in surprise.

"You're trying to find life outside of the Chasm?" I question.

"It's my life's passion," Wolliw replies, "I even have a PhD in it: 'Wolliw Stoor, Professor in Outerchasmic Speculation'."

"You're a professor?" Esir remarks, astonished.

"Yeah! Why is that so surprising?"

"I don't know," Esir explains, "I just didn't expect it."

"Wait a minute," I state, "does that mean you had been looking for Esir when you found him?"

"Well, yeah. I was searching for fallen debris at the time."

"I guess you found one," Esir mentions humorously.

"I think so, but I'll need some proof to convince my fellow researchers you two really are from the Outerchasm."

"What kind of proof?" I ask.

"First, I'll need to study your DNA and show that it is unrelated to any species in the Chasm. Then, I'll study your physical traits, which shouldn't be adapted to this environment if you are genuinely from the Outerchasm. Finally, if the Beaurau of Outerchasmic Speculation is convinced by my findings, I'll send a message to the Outerchasm detailing your species' anatomy, hoping for a return message confirming your origins.

"I was hesitant to share all this with you two so suddenly. I don't want you to think of yourselves as 'specimens' because you're not. You have the right to deny me permission to study your physiology."

Esir and I stand in jarred silence.

Just a moment ago, we were two curious beings on an expedition to discover--or should I say, remember--ourselves. Now, we have been thrust head-first into a pivotal scientific controversy.

Who ARE we?

"I'm gonna take a walk," I decide, too flustered to think.

"Me too," Esir adds.

The cool Chasm air enlivens my countenance as I exit Wolliw's home. It is cool and sharp, stark and lively.

"I just wish I would remember something,"

Esir sighs.

"Any idea what that sign I saw means?" I inquire.

"I've been thinking about it...It's probably a coincidence that you woke up next to it."

"There's no way, " I state, "There's just no way: 'This is your doing. Welcome to the Chasm. Hopefully, you will learn the meaning of it all.' Why else would it be there? Who else could it possibly be addressed?"

"But if it was planted there for you to read it," Esir argues, "How could the person who planted it possibly know you'd be there?"

"That's assuming I wasn't there before I woke up. Maybe I was...Put to sleep or something."

"But we must be from outside the Chasm!"

"Until we let ourselves be studied, we'll never know. For all we know, I could have had a whole life down here."

"If you were part of a recognized species of the Chasm, Wolliw would have surely identified you."

I am silent for a moment.

"I don't want to be the subject of a Chasm-wide scientific revolution. I want to understand this place. I don't want to be studied on: I want to study myself by exploring this beautiful, strange land."

Esir nods hesitantly.

"Then we should talk to Wolliw," he says.

I reluctantly head back into the building. Wolliw is standing there, concerned and alert, just like before.

"So...Do...Are...Are you guys up for it?" he asks, worried that he said too much too soon.

"No," I reply, "I don't want my life to become an 'experiment'."

"Oh, okay. I understand," Wolliw says, failing to mask the utter despair in his voice.

He stares at Esir, who hasn't said a word yet.

"Nur and I's are clearly related. Wherever he goes, I go. We will only learn our pasts if we stick together. Thus, I also deny permission to be studied on."

Wolliw's single eye seems to melt into hopelessness. He stares at the two of us anxiously.

"Well, then, good luck on your journey, you two. Welcome to the Chasm. I wish you success in unlocking the mysteries of your lives."

We both bid Wolliw farewell, but he seems lost in a trance of failure: As Esir and I walk out of the conical home, he continues to watch us leave, his eye deep and empty, a single, dreadful tear welling up inside it.

The sharp Chasm air greets me again. I look at the neverending fog above me.

"Let's go somewhere new," I say.

"Where?" Esir inquires.

A tiny being with a round body, flappy ears, and long, spindly legs approaches us.

I stare down at the little critter.

"Pardon me, but do either of you know where the nearest stop-and-go station is?" It asks.

"I think it's straight ahead," Esir answers.

"Oh, thanks. I'm new to this region. Not used to these 'stations'. I'm from the East. No stations in the East. We use lifts. I like them much better. Stunning views. Not cramped like these 'stations'. But hey, I live here now. Have for years. That's why my dialect has changed. I miss my old dialect, but everybody says it's impossible to understand. That's why I'm going back to the East. Everything is so uptight here. Wanna come along?"

Esir and I laugh.

"O--okay," I respond, taken off-guard by the creature's temperament.

"Great. I'm Ygrene. Let's go."

Ygrene stomps toward the station confidently. We follow him, smiling at his bold steps.

Inside the station, Ygrene taps the wall-machine excitedly.

"How do you use that thing?" I ask.

"You don't know? Are you from the East, too? The East is the only region that doesn't teach wallboard operation. Took me a couple of months to learn it. Not a big deal. Are you from the East? I don't recognize your species."

"Probably not," I respond, "It's kind of complicated."

"Okay," he says calmly.

Ygrene presses a few more buttons, causing the holographic display to reveal itself.

"I like the visuals," He explains.

Two minutes pass by before the display flashes a message:

NOW EXITING ECCARET CITY

Ten minutes pass by before a new message is shown:

NOW EXITING THE CORE

Electric giddiness runs up my spine. This is it! I'm leaving the Core!

Twenty minutes of eager quietness pass by.

The hologram flashes a new statement:

NOW ENTERING THE EAST -- PLEASE NOTE THAT NO STOP-AND-GO STATIONS ARE PRESENT IN THIS REGION -- LIFTS MAY BE USED IN REPLACEMENT.