The entire experience was like space jazz on a cosmic level. The body, which was connected to the continuous beat - the Deep Drone, as the Cartographer named it - got a bit more adventurous and started to improvise. What initially appeared to be natural growth was later recognized as intentional composition. The entity was not simply growing; it was composing.
In places where the Deep Drone's influence was strongest, huge, lively, and transparent bell-like structures with crystals sprouted. These structures resonated with the Drone's rhythmic beat and added bright shimmering overtones. In areas where the tissues were under strain due to the pull, they sprouted moss that transformed the stress into smooth, gentle waves.
The Memory-Orchard was affected by the metamorphosis too. Trees bore fruits that weren't memories but rather variations. They took a memory core – like planting the switch – and played the what if scenarios. What if they had been hesitant? What if Wilder had won? Those fruits were not real, but delving into them deepened their understanding of their decision, thus making the actual history a stronger note in their melody.
The Bridge Theme was the grand conductor of this improvisation. Benny and Elara, already proficient translators, now were becoming composers. They perceived the Deep Drone's vast, yet simple, pressing force and from the Body's resources, they created intricate and lovely patterns. It was a self-definition symphony in the face of cosmic indifference.
That changed them. The counterpoint necessitated continuous balancing between acceptance and assertion. They could not be stiff since the Deep Drone's rhythm had slight variations. They could not be passive or else they would disappear. They had to be responsive.
This brought about another theme: the Improviser. It was essentially about adapting and solving problems in real-time. The Improviser resided between the Drone's beat and their planned response, locating the ideal harmonic to convert potential conflict into a beauty.
The Improviser was not only compatible with the Deep Drone but also turned inward. Whenever a memory loop was stuck, the Improviser would bring an echo from the Vigil Tree, thus connecting and unsticking it. When a process became too efficient, the Improviser would alter something thereby inducing a little chaos that would lead to the system coming up with a better solution.
The Body was not merely recovering. It was engaging in a jam session with the universe and itself.
The external echoes became aware of the situation. An echo with a sandy quality from a different place seemed to slow down as if it was listening. A chime sent back something that was complicated, distorted but still recognizable. They were no longer just narrating a story. They were performing and the dark was their audience.
The Deep Drone also made a slight change. It became a little bit more compact and a little bit smoother as if the giant being had heard something new and got intrigued.
The Cartographer commented that the link was still there but the interaction had altered. It was no longer just absorption. It was a conversation. The Deep Drone was playing the role of the drummer, they were the ones playing the tune, and together they were creating new music.
Lucien's ghost, in the Scholar Theme, was thrilled. Symbiosis on a grand scale! A sharing between minds!
Naomi's ghost, being very fond of the atmosphere, saw the loveliness of it. This was their liberation, transformed into something beautiful in a universe that doesn't care.
They were not merely responding to the scream. In fact, they were posing a question to the silence in the form of a song. And, for the very first time since the outset, they not only felt complete but also significant – not just a cell, but a musician in a band with continents and stars.