The novel begins with a quote fragment from Rabbi Chaim Stern's sensitive and poignant poem, entitled 'Tis A Fearful Thing. It asks the reader (to question) whether or not existence is a series of episodic sufferings and painful endurances meant to be lived in an endless loop. The question of love in this context refers to the love of human curiosity; the corporal is inferred and referential. It presupposes what is to come with all its sordidness. An excellent example is the association between the narrator and the loss of his beloved wife and how her memory spurs his curiosity. Love and death are the showcases of this poem, the catalysts behind human endurance.
Through the premise of an anomaly on the planet Talos VII's surface, the SLV Adamura crew discovers a hole on the planet's surface that is on an uninhabited, dead, and dry world. A discussion ensues as to the nature of this perfectly circular "hole," primarily if its construction is artificial since "perfection implies seriousness of purpose," and suggests the first concrete proof of "intelligent self-aware aliens." Consequently, an ad hoc meeting evolves its intent to discuss the merits of creating a team to explore the enigmatic abyss; some are now addressing the Hole as "beautiful." In attendance are the crew of the Adamura, a ship functioning under the auspices of The Hasthoth Conglomerate. This company witnessed an evolution from an interplanetary cargo delivery company to a more forward-thinking (albeit self-serving) company with a mission statement leaning toward commercial exploitation. The crew is an all-human staff save for one Zarian. As the meeting progresses, it becomes apparent that there are some severe personality issues aboard the team of Adamura. Intuitively, when we are introduced to this band of space farers, we detect a jockeying, a hierarchy, a race to be heard and respected. There is a simmering of points of view with underlying themes of verbal aggression: the captain reins them all in when things start to boil.
The Crew
The crew is a fractured collection of shards: a brewing and brooding lot, each carrying emotional baggage that would probably fail a customs inspection; however, this same baggage will accompany a landing party of four when they descend to the surface of TalosVII.
I shall begin with Alex since the narrative is from his perspective. Firstly, the introduction of Alex Crichton, the resident xenobiologist, exhibits little or no motivation during his walking working hours, is seemingly not much better at night, and is sleep-deprived. His life is absorbed in losing his wife due to a horrible accident. He lives his life vicariously through the addictive use of a holocube, which he employs as a conduit to her memory; however, this addiction is becoming a mainstay of his entire existence whereby measuring his actions on what (his wife) Layla "would have done" had she found herself in similar situations as he does now. Consulting a memory for his life path decisions strips him of any responsibility; though dearly departed, her impact on his life is palpable. He creates a blameless reality where the onus is placed squarely on the shoulders of a holographic image unable to defend itself. Alex sheds an aura personified by self-doubt, a slippery slope of deniability, consenting to the notion that no decision is a good decision. One gets the feeling that Alex is beguiling the time and, like the child in the classroom, hoping the teacher won't call on him to participate, ends up participating involuntarily via holographic proxy. At some point, he will need to find the courage and surrender to the reason he is on board this ship: the curiosity of a xenobiologist. Once in motion, his shapeless, hapless life will acquire some semblance of cohesive direction. He will always be a fence dweller, but with a little more conviction; even then, his involvement is still staged by what Layla "would have done." He decides to invest fully for Layla's sake. Layla's ambition in life becomes his; he is determined, an indentured servant to the memory of what she could have been or die trying.
Other crew members include Captain Idris, Yesha, Riedmann, Johna, Sharah-the-ship mind, Svana- ships XO, Korith-doctor, and Lt. Svana Fridasdotter- lander pilot. I will be allotting the bulk of my review to the landing party of four, which includes (besides Alex) Talia Indelicato, Pushkin, and Chen. Talia is an Astrophysicist, Pushkin is a Geologist, and Chen is a Chemist. Together they act as the official landing party; individually, they harbour resentments. For some, the surface of Talos VII becomes an odeum of egotism, self-doubt, and fear disguised as bravado for the mission's success—cooperation: meted out only when no other option exists. The team's facade devolves the closer they approach the "hole." There seems to be a correlation between the members of the mission party, inexplicably the fractal noise having a profound effect on its participants. The anomaly produces an audible "thud" every 10.6 secs, constantly, never abating and only increasing in volume and intensity as they near the artifact: Talos VII's equivalent of a dripping faucet, a constant source of mental anguish whose impact on the psyche of the crew becomes ever so apparent as they near the target area.
Talia Indelicato, the resident astrophysicist, recently designated away mission leader by Captain Idris, leads the nascent neophytes on a mission of profound uncertainty. There is a "fervent intensity in her glare." She is focused (to a fault), militant, and "brittle as a bar of ice" with a pathological need to control. And, as her Italian surname signifies, indelicate, contributing to a character flaw. She feels they have a responsibility to investigate the structure. Crew member Pushkin disagrees with her; she addresses him as a coward; the arena of wills has thus been forged between these two polarized antagonists. Their rapier exchanges establish an aura of foreshadowing that is impossible to avoid and only increases with frequency as they soldier on. Their hatred is as apparent as the starkness of the surrounding planet: exposed to no delicacy. Their duration on the planet, and as they get closer to the Hole, only increases hostilities exponentially: considerably orchestrated by the constant "thud," a tympanic 180 dbs, crippling a clear, crisp mind. Talia believes in risks because it involves danger; she is eager for gratification. Her leadership could be less dictatorial and more of a democratic form of power. Her short temperament manicures her destructive nature fueled by the intolerance of disobedience. She is like a geological force on the edge of eruption. Her perception: is corrupted by alien and planetary influences well beyond the compression of a species lacking the necessary experience to assimilate such constraints.
Pushkin, the Zarian, complete with a Russian accent, is "larger than life," the large part at any rate. Extensively wide girth with a thick body image: typical for anyone growing up on Shin-Zar. He totes as much fat as he does muscle. He refuses to wear the company dress code without authoritative constraints, suggesting an incurable, aggressive nature. Loud, overbearing, opinionated and often over-sensitive to criticism, he becomes combative with a propensity to bloviate when he refuses to comply with his observational assessments. Pushkin is susceptible to long bouts of logorrhea, usually coinciding with some undigestable rhetoric. He is against visiting the artifact and is even more upset at the prospect of doing so with Alex. Though his demeanour suggests contempt for his colleagues, Pushkin, willed by curiosity, attempts to ferret out information about his cohorts; for example, he asks Talia what prompted her to sign up for this delightful excursion. Answer from Talia, "The pursuit of God's glorious truth." However, Alex concedes that she responds well but "couldn't help feel that her true motivation was something else, something deeper, more viseral." Pushkin enjoys challenging everyone, especially Talia, who teeters on the cusp of reality. By pushing all her buttons, he inadvertently causes the paranoid panic button to be released, activating that darker side Alex had detected earlier.
For all his braggadocio and bravado, some of Pushy Pushkin's antics can be humourous. One such incident is that of a spoiled child over a mundane event; case in point, the chocolate protein bar episode (while on the surface of TalosVII). Alex happens to eat the last chocolate protein bar; Pushkin tells Alex he wants it, and he pops the final piece in his mouth: "So?" Like a child at the playground, he retorts with: "like pig at trough." Reply: "Pig? Speak for yourself." Can a chocolate protein bar be more important than the reason they are risking their lives? It must be some protein bar! Pushkin eventually falls prey to his insensitivities and is rewarded with a life-threatening event; with some quick thinking, Alex saves his life; ironically, the person Pushkin didn't want to be included in the away party: Alex is unceremoniously never thanked. Is Pushkin's attitude self-confidence, egotism or arrogance? Or is he the foil? His demise is nothing to laugh at; an operatic tragedy.
Chen, the resident chemist, is described as having a "bland face," lacking the physicality of the others, and harbours an accent impossible to identify; so non-descript and esoteric is his existence that Alex always forgets he is part of the crew. Pushkin, the opportunist, can not resist bullying him too. When Chen suggests that the Hole could be an "emergent phenomena, like a termite mound," Pushkin retorts with: "why bother ask him" and further ingratiates himself with a personal insult: "Chen, your education was a greater failure than I thought." Pushkin is a prince of a fellow working hard to gain favour for that highly coveted soft spot in everyone's heart. One gets the impression that Chen's subsistence is "sotto voce," gently offering his contributions (all the while) with eyes to the ground frequently associated with fear, guilt or submission. Reticent opinions are often overlooked, ignored, or humoured; his contributions are often seen as prosaic or pedestrian. Considered the weak link, Chen's planetary excursion results in an accident that was probably caused by neglect ending his ambulatory contribution and placing the onus on being a burden. However, he can still add to the scientific database about the planet's chemical composition, and he does. Later on, being the swing vote, Talia conspiratorially challenges his probity during her moments of paranoid leadership instability, placing undue stress on Chen's already fragile system, a burden far removed from his ability to cope with a body and mind in flux.
The Hole
What are the connotations associated with a hole? Holes, the merely mentioned, do not conjure up pleasant idyllic or bucolic vistas. Humans have not been kind to the "hole," often associating it with some unpleasant form of existence; some not-so-flattering idioms that come to mind, for example, hell hole, Hole in the head, Hole in the wall, black Hole of Calcutta, ace in the Hole, Godforsaken Hole, the list is numerous. The imagination runs wild when considering: just what is in that Hole! We shrink from synonyms abyss, sinkhole, chasm, and pit; these terms affect us at a primordial level, fear of the unknown, what's at the bottom? Do we dare saddle up to the edge and look into the inky blackness; are snakes in there? Snakes another primordial fear, in combination with pits, and the notion becomes primal.
On July 25, 2234, the crew of the Adamura detected such one Hole; in the vicinity of the gas giant, the blackness of space provides its galactic curtain. The Hole, spotted by the ship's cartographer, is a perfectly circular aberration, 50 Km across on an uninhabited, stark, and desolate planet. Immediately, the conversation turns to speculation; could this be the first concrete proof of "intelligent self-aware aliens?" Next, what is its purpose or intent? Has it a scientific pursuit, is it a threat, a religious intention or simply a piece of Christo-esque art? What are the company's guidelines concerning possible first contact? At best, these are vague: safety first, and then the company's interest. Presently, their interest lies in creating a party to glean information and become less than a historical footnote to human first contact, the most significant discovery of human history.
As the debate continues, further information becomes apparent surrounding this cosmic enigma. The planet itself is carbon-based, a ubiquitous atom. A sandy orb strewed with craters and volcanoes, hues of rust-red plains, no seas, only lakes of sulphur and arsenic, clouds are an exception, and when they are present (as in the northern hemisphere), exhibit as long thin bands that stretch across the expanse of the Hole. In this planetary venue, the wind gusts 400 mph west to east, home to its upper atmosphere. What is unique is the Hole emits an electromagnetic burst every 10.6 seconds, causing the atmosphere to vibrate like a drum. At its centre, the shock wave created is comparable to that of a bomb. Because the atmospheric density is relative to Earth's, the 180dbs blast is a discernible "thud" and can cause hearing damage. The accurate and precise circumference varies less than a half mm and extends 50km. The wall appears smooth for the first 26 km, then the atmospheric turbulence increases. What is impressive is that the holes' walls are so deep they do not collapse; this can only be a technology processed by an alien ingenuity surpassing what is currently known by human standards concluding that the Hole had to be hundreds if not thousands of years more advanced than the Solar Alliance*. Its composition is Metamorphic Quartzite, sandstone created by intense heat and pressure. They query how deep the structure is. No answer is forthcoming; the ship's mind (Sharah) indicates it can't zero in on the exact position of the Mandelbrot Set, therefore, can not calculate its depth. It can't determine where the set signal is; the sequence signal needs to be defined. The Mandelbrot Set is often used to deal with terrains and landscapes, quickly calculating applications such as roads, tunnels and area measurement; calculating depth is not out of its range; however, the signal emanating from the artifact might cycle for days, years or ad infinitum, making a reliable, reproducible calculation unreliable. By using this system, what were the builders trying to communicate?
The Hole ejects tremendous energy; it releases a "burst of static-high frequency radio waves every 10.6 seconds with a duration of point five two of a second." The Hole also produces a pulse of three hundred and four megahertz, a meter wavelength good enough to cut through the atmosphere. The sound is fractal and represents the Mandelbrot Set, a unique orienting complex that, once customized, can generate a fractal noise. Different opinions create a variety of verbal sensations. Riedemann (machine boss) states, "It's not a hole; it's a speaker." Pushkin contributes that the signal is (most) likely a warning, a giant shout that says to stay away from the rest of the galaxy. "Trespass and you will find only death." Alex begins to contemplate the meaning of his life as a Xenobiologist with the possibility of creating a new discipline Xenoarchelolgy. Until now, there has been no need, but circumstances have contributed to its evolution. In his words, "It was a sobering thought." The spectral analysis lays bare the sobering detection of at least two xenoforms. A yellow-blue bloom of microscopic organisms, and secondly, life forms resembling what humans would only describe as turtles. Creatures, one to three meters wide with no apparent purpose in their movement, no real sign of intelligence, and equally no association to the Hole.
On The Surface of TalosVII
"To have his path made clear for him is the aspiration of every human being in our beclouded and tempestuous existence."
Paolini begins this part of the novel entitled Confusion with a poignant quote from Joseph Conrad, master of human hardship; he is no stranger to the element of adversity; those who have read him understand that the selection is, in essence, a characterization of events that will change the course of fate and destiny for this intrepid scouting party. There are many paths to choose from in our daily tango with life; once selected for one reason or the other, routes may appear crystal clear, ice blue persuasion, but become the most challenging part of that choice once initiation begins. The difficulty is not in the choosing but in the execution of said choice. Do you adhere to the conformity of your choice, or are you willing to be "tempestuous" with enough resolution, bravery, and daringness to acknowledge that life is not a perfectly folded napkin but rather a mysterious maze and you have to "carpe occasionem" and give it a fair shake? And why not; the best of human effort is made possible this way. As you proceed, the path may become apparent, or it may be an indication to opt for an alternative direction; either way, the act is a human motive known to us all on this journey called life. Initially, the resolution may not be transparent, but when has that ever stopped human will? With enough effort, an isle of repose will make itself available to you; you collect your breath, assess and continue - humans!
Another quote comes to mind: "If you would have your son to walk honourably through the world, you must not attempt to clear the stones from his path, but teach him to walk firmly over them – not insist upon leading him by the hand, but let him learn to go alone." Anne Bronte
The crew of this landing party exemplifies these ideas, and a melodrama of intense proportion ensues in the most human way possible on this grotesque, Dante-like planetary landscape. And so begins this Bataan death march, a slog encrypted into the history of a planet with no record other than a mystery coded into its abyss. Interestingly enough, I am reminded of Ernest Shackleton's doomed Antarctic expedition, similar desolation and the use of sleds to transport vital equipment, later to house the crippled remains of Chen. The sleds represent their link to/with reality, the notion of moving forward: a metaphor for life and leadership. Fundamental Talos VII biological discoveries, assumptions, and inferences follow.
In contrast, they spend long hours trudging across this wasteland housed with their second skin (skin suit), a claustrophobic cocoon, slowly metaphorizing the team with each responding Thud. The walk: blinding lethargy, and the "monotonous torment of inescapable thoughts" lay waste to Alex's mood: grimmer with each step and Thud. He inescapably takes inventory of his life, a cavalcade of "what ifs"; his life on Eidolon is a memory. Introspection, but at what cost? Pushkin continues to obsess over his formulation as to what the Hole is. He restates that the aliens have created a perfect hole, and they must possess an ideal sense of beauty and an understanding of the sublime; why? He speculates that they have a sense of artistic pleasure that they would extend so much energy and cooperation into something so non-essential; he concludes that it makes their motive harder to predict.
Interestingly, a character like Pushkin, the reputation of a bull in a china shop, ironically is enthralled with (alien) beauty. Alex counters that humans "have a sense of beauty because beauty is functional at some basic level." Talia's take on beauty is quite different; she contends, "Beauty is an expression of the divine, it doesn't come from within." Her inference is to a higher worth. Religion is her Achilles heel, always at the point of boiling. She and Pushkin continue their unresolvable theology disputes, ammunition: verbal barbs. Talia's religion is religion, Pushkin's religion is beauty, Chen's is science, and Alex's is himself. Chen and Alex discuss the idea of an alien's ability to discern likes and dislikes; Alex suggests we all occupy space in the same universe, so convergent evolution means some similarities might exist. Alex also considers exegesis. The sleds begin to slow them down and malfunction; sand is gumming up their work, still metaphoric; should they continue or abort? In the most basic sense, they adopt a Shackleton-like plan, strip excess mass, drag the sleds and continue to the Hole. The planetary elements are against them; the wind is strong, adding to their increased effort in merely walking; torrents of dust become denser and increase turbulence. Audio communication is no longer capable; even written communication begins to falter. And, of course, the unalterable, immutable reminder of why they are there- THUD! Paolini brilliantly includes us in a struggle of despair, desperation and human frailty. The fear of isolation is never too far away.
The planet houses the Hole, the bigger brother of the all too familiar terrestrial sinkhole. But there is a difference; a mysterious chasm defined by a series of concentric zones- schematically represented as a bullseye. Each designated zone has a Greek alphabetic symbol representing a gradual increase of hurdles and obstacles; it tests their mettle, reminiscent of a classic epic Greek poem. The summit of their labour is the Hole.
Alpha Zone
The alpha zone represents the furthest from the epicentre. The process of awareness begins with the "hiss" of the airlock once the Adamura shuttle has landed. Talia immediately adopts a leadership role with "ruthless efficiency"; Pushkin objects to the captain and is overruled. Talia's and Pushkin's contemptuous personal consumption now has a terrestrial bearing, and like the ground beneath their feet, it offers solid, unwavering, unforgiving, and eventually uncompromising results. The crew gets busy doing laboratory experiments: simple bacterial life forms and biochemistry are counterintuitive when an unusual relationship between UV and electricity becomes apparent. Practice putting up and tearing down the hab-domes, arranging the sleds, and general orientation on this bizarre new world. Chen thinks he sees lights in the sky. Aurora? Possibly not. Talia and Pushkin continue hurling barbs at one another—their first-night ends, safe inside the hab-domes, ready for the next zone.
Beta Zone
Appearances in the Beta zone remain unremarkable. Communication with lander and ship has become increasingly choppy with static. The crew has problems with the sleds; sand is jamming up the motor works. Alex's teeth begin to give him cause for concern. The discussion turns to whether the mission needs redirection: possibly scrubbed. Conclusively, they decided to continue; once stripped of all unnecessary mass, the sleds pulled with the aid of the cargo straps as harnesses will accommodate human shoulders. The straps cut into Alex's shoulders and begin to pain him. The wind picks up. They question the lights and the association of the turtles; they are now behind schedule with only four days left. The moods inside their habitats have now become tense.
Gamma Zone
Alex begins to equate religious rapture with the emptiness of desert-like terrain and how it impacts a person's thoughts and perception. The ubiquitous Thud adds to the continuous sense of mental disorientation. Could this have contributed to Alex's neglect leading to Chen's leg injury?
The turtles are not visible, but soon one is detected without apparent reason for its presence. Its movement is erratic, always remaining in view. Alex ponders the turtle's presence here; are they intelligent, or does intelligence control them? Why? The likeliness of the turtles following them does not seem random, but rather with intent, hour after hour: the probability is too high. Does their diet consist of the engineered waste dye products made by the microbes in the soil?
Alex's shoulder suffers more damage from the sled harness; Chen sees the lights again; hostilities between Pushkin and Talia - unabated.
Delta Zone
The landing party is halfway to the Hole, and the growing list of predispositions now includes sleep derivation. No artificial stimulants for mental acuity; Alex, his tenant, is "make your choice and pay the piper." The Thuds make him grit his teeth; the constant drone is forcing itself into their body, mind, vision, colour, and shapes- blurred. The distortion messes up their sense of balance; extra care with each step. Alex feels he is falling apart; the price he pays in accumulated experience is his body and flesh. Chen adds to their burden. Talia and Pushkin take turns pulling him while infirming on his sled. The turtles, their cosmic compadres, always maintain a distance of 10 kilometres away at all times. While drilling soil samples, Puskins discovers threads of trace metals that are thicker and appear as cables. The question arises of their relationship to the Hole and whether they surround it: there is no way to tell. Chen once again asks if they have seen the lights. Alex, no; Talia, just two for a few seconds. Talia and Pushkin argue the existential question: do sentient aliens believe in a higher power? Alex thinks he is beginning to feel paranoid.
Epsilon Zone
While Alex is asleep in the hab, he feels pain in his jaw; his molar has cracked; could this result from the Thuds? Now that they are closer, the full-bodied Thuds make his teeth buzz and his cheeks vibrate. Aversion to the sonic blasts causes his muscles to clench in anticipation of every Thud. Physiologically, he feels pressure spikes in his sinuses and cheekbones; his nose bleeds now that they are closer. Will they all experience this, he wonders. His vision becomes static; he visualizes fractal patterns in the dust at his feet, a hypnotizing soiree to the pulse and throb of the Hole. He concludes: " This can't be good for us." The Thuds disrupt the software needed to communicate with the ship. Thinking becomes strenuous; his thoughts wander; he senses a grim helpless. Random regressive thoughts every 10.6 seconds involving Layla. An enveloping claustrophobia: confinement even under an open sky. He believes the "planet was an in-between place where reality thinned and bent: a walk-in. "Purgatory."
Reddish patches appear on the soil, concentrated amounts of photovoltaic dye; purpose: unknown. Alex still withholds concern about his shoulder injury. Chen stares at the hidden stars in wide-eyed bewilderment. One turtle closes the gap to within a 3-kilometre distance from them.
Talia's foot accidentally upsets one of a thousand veins of the silver-coloured metal Gallium, branching and displaying complex fractal geometries that appear denser as they approach the Hole suggesting some form of interconnectivity. A quick test shows that the Gallim veins also contain Vandamium. Pushkin and Chen: the function of this metallic cocktail behaves as a superconductor functioning as an antenna. The Thuds disrupt the software needed to communicate with the ship.
For all of what seems distanced observation, the turtles finally find an exposed nerve, demonstrating a violent streak attacking Puskin with a life-threatening outcome. Alex's quick thinking saves Pushkin's life. Pushkin never thanked Alex for his heroics. The turtles assault the large hab, renting a large tear in the fabric of the hab; their only recourse is to use a smaller hab, forcing them into closer accommodation with potential personal boundary issues, both physical and mental. Alex thinks the turtles understand intent.
In the hab, Alex consoles himself with his memory cube and often stimulates olfactory memories whereby he can even smell Layla's scent, a comforting wave of emotion with them. Silently, he suffers from panic attacks, physical pain from daily labour, existential nightmares, old powerful fears, pain leading to difficulty breathing and hyperventilation; he is on the edge of fear with a large serving of anger and loathing: his only means of comfort the resultant cube.
Desolation: Zeta and Eta Zones
This part of the novel opens with a Karl Menninger quote: To "know thyself must mean to know the malignancy of one's own instincts and to know as well, one's power to deflect it." Alex is the only one with goals and drives, albeit their beginnings are awash with what he thinks his late wife may or may not have done. Compared to the rest of his unit, he needs to fulfill what he realizes is his authentic self, his greater self. It's plain to see that the other crew members have a very gray and ambiguous knowledge of themselves, all wallowing in uncertainty and lacking solid commitment. Alex constantly thinks for himself, questions authority, tries to create scenarios to redirect chaos and practices internal philosophy geared at knowing himself. He engages in conversations with himself, all aimed at the more excellent prospect of "knowing thyself."
Interpersonal dynamics between the group intensify as they enter the next level of zones. Pushkin's injurious bruises appear worse with sweaty dark red swelling, and he coughs extensively. Talia pulls a bolt gun on Pushkin to ensure cooperation. Pushkin's rationale and Talia's are in question; probable approximation to the Hole follows inverse proportions. The volume of Gallium increases as they get closer to the designated epicentre, along with 97-decibel Thuds. The turtles keep a steady bead on them, always a kilometre away. There appears to exist a correlation between the turtles and the veins/pools of Gallium, significantly when the veins' integrity is compromised. Alex is starting to think that the turtles are intelligent. More animation amongst the turtles as one of them breaks for camp; Alex discovers a scalloped rail but determines it could be of unknown origin- more mysteries. Pushkin's condition continues to worsen as the colonization of Talos soil microbes commanders his lungs and skin. As his bruises blacken, he is upset and bellows at Talia, bearing down on her; in her perturbation, she shoots him. Alex notices a slight momentary tremor affecting Talia; he administers first aid for a second time. Pushkin addresses her as a hypocrite as they banter about religious fervour. The situation exacerbates Talia's paranoia; it has become high-octane.
The Thuds, an aural assault breaking down their physical and mental resolve, pulsate with greater intensity. Alex believes the expedition is doomed, considering all that has happened, and the only reason they are still alive is due to the generosity of time itself, with the sand slowly diminishing. During a Kubler- Ross moment, he thinks it's feasible to die on Talos VII as long as he fulfills the directive. The optical strain gets worse with each blast. His vision of shifting grains starts forming fractal patterns that grow more distinct as he stares at them. He equates the fractal to a patterned veil draped over reality, separating known from unknown; he could almost see what was on the other side: a siren song of liquid singing. In a singular act of unaccountable madness, Talia performs an exorcism on Chen chanting in sync with the tempo of the Hole.
Alex continues to haul the burden of Layla's unfettered conscience influence. He feels that the lay of the current event makes it impossible to investigate the Hole on Layla's behalf; he believes she would have wanted to keep going but not at the expense of Pushkin's life; her memory is inserted into the mission. It is astounding how many consciences influences his late wife has on his present bearing. One can only conclude that Layla enormously impacted Alex's moral compass, which still conduces his daily thoughts, and to a degree, flounders without her approval. Alex seems to have exhibited a weakness that Layla helped normalize; without her, he has to live in the conjuncture of what she would have done to validate his right or wrong decisions. It's hard enough to deal with the demon outside his skin suit and the devil inside his skin suit too. Ironically, her ideals restrained him as much as they compelled him. He creates cynical reasoning concerning the Hole; does its alienness automatically infer new arcane, esoteric secrets about the universe in a moment of uncertainty or wisdom? He doubts it. He feels his mind is unmoored and marooned. As a physical manifestation, Alex detects an additional quirk of the fractal pattern: he feels a difference from one pulse to the next contained in the fine-grained structure of each Thud, a subtle shift but discernable nonetheless. He concludes this is by mathematical principles as old as the universe. He feels a deeper meaning to this, more significant than even the mathematical foundation behind it, but he can't digest its purpose. Talia's paranoia has reached madding proportions almost to the point of madness. Pushkin's illness appears to have worsened with the addition of hemoptysis. Alex wants to end the expedition to save Pushkin's life: Talia, no. Alex's optical distortion gets worse with each blast. The squirming, shifting, grain-like apparitions seem alive to him and form fractal patterns that grow more distinct the longer he stares at them.
Consummation
The proximity of insoluble personalities has reached an epic breaking point. The writing is fast-paced and riveting, with an exciting physical contest involving all participants. Pushkin attacks Talia: irreversible; Chen attempts a heroic save as best he can; however, his efforts are futile. Pushkin attacks Alex and struggles for the only weapon available; Alex bests Pushkin, sadly costing him his life. Alex observes a purple growth on Pushkins's face altering him to a new level of concern: will he and Chen survive what could be an alien level of infection? Alex concludes Pushkin must have surrendered to madness: had gone crazy.
Apotheosis
Alex experiences pain together with breathing issues. The bolt gun has one shot left in it: possibility?! The turtle-like creatures are within the visibilities range; they do not react: he is convinced there is no escape now. The Thud is intrusively perceptible. The turtles ( 14 in total) now surround Pushkin's body; Alex has trouble determining their intent with Pushkin's body, now hidden from sight. Alex turns his attention to his injured knee and Chen, who appears to be in some delirium. A roll of FTL tape helps temporally secure his painful knee and a fissure in Chen's visor. As Alex approaches the Hole, he visualizes the fractal angle(s), aberrations, and fractal static. On his knees, half a kilometre from the Hole dowsed into a slice of oblivion. The Thuds have graduated to what resembles a full-blown detonation that rattles teeth, a force of such intensity its blast tends to move mass. Clouds that pass above the Hole fracture into simple formless mist. At the event horizon, he perceives an eternity of blackness, a hive of activity with coloured lights emerging from the clouds; he feels he's going mad, and his mind is urging him to jump into a nightmarish landscape. Slowly, the Thuds lessen in intensity; he emerges from his fugue, and the turtles let him pass. He is determined to save Chen and has the will to keep trying.
Paolini closes with a quote from Albert Camus that skillfully sums up and exemplifies the colossal expenditure the excursion into the unknown has cost Alex. It is brilliant because the page contains only the quote followed by a picture at the edge from Alex's point of view. Simplicity with enormous implications!
The quote: "I conclude that all is well,' says Edipus, and that remark is sacred," is a remarkable selection chosen to illustrate the campaign we have just been party to. Camus exemplifies the human condition, that is, that punishment is representative of the human condition. Camus defines this point as the condition of the "absurd hero," that he "embraces the struggle and the contradiction of living without purpose." Alex is that hero; his life is a meaningless struggle, and only through the memory of his wife does some purpose fall onto his lap. Camus choose Sisyphus, the tragic mythological Greek hero of hope, as his example of the absurd hero; his struggle is perpetual without any hope of triumph. The battle becomes his life, defines his life and his ridiculous notion of happiness. Alex fits the composite since he believes his life will be happy only if he continues his throes, labour and nothing more. Alex's life has no greater meaning than what he invests in it. Alex's foray into dispelling the Hole is, in essence, a metaphor for his continued struggle with life and his absurd decision to investigate the Hole: the Hole is Alex's rock, and Alex is our tragic hero.
Rumination
Paolini has engineered a masterful tale. He entices the reader with a story steeped in the mysteries of an undiscovered alien civilization with compelling reasons to investigate. He then lures us to the surface of a hostile planet where human melodrama is the order of the day. The mastery is how Paolini can reveal the intimacy of his characters within the scope of a mere 282 pages. The reader quickly learns these characters' constitution: which shows strength, weakness, submission or leadership. It is necessary to do this since these are some of the traits that drive the story at an accelerated pace. On the surface, personal interactions and beliefs create insurmountable tension for a crew (that finds itself) in a very stressful situation. My research could not identify which branch of psychology conditions such as these could easily fit into, forcing me to create my own, which I call, Sciphycology. Sciphycology: the human condition whereby a group of humans are engaged in the act of cooperating in environments of non-terrestrial origin.
The interpersonal dynamics of this intimate group were tested from the moment they "Armstronged" onto the surface of TalosVII. The reader witnesses the breakdown of human fundamentals swopped for the bench-pressing logic of a chaotic, imprisoned mind raw as an exposed nerve fed by the desperate need to be validated; their skin suits a metaphoric cocoon for their not-so-impervious shells. While on the planet's surface, not only are they battling the effects of Fractal/tidal forces and the mind-numbing Thuds on an alien world, but they are also contending with phycological tidal forces ensconced into the human psyche - an unavoidable tug of war. The levels of Gallium and Vanadium in high concentrations are toxic to humans. Vanadium with symptoms of nasal, throat, wheezing and lung irritation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and greenish mucal discharge; Pushkin may have been suffering from exposure. Gallium has all the same risk factors as Vanadium, including the liver; however, it may also cause neural degeneration. Shoshing around the surface of a planet composed of these two elements is relatable to unsound brain function. Aural assaults were breaking down their bodies and resolve, resulting in one of the many times when the Baatan-like mission's success is questioned. The fractal noise is a fundamental concept of multiple layers of noise married to complete an image with increasing detail. Neurons are a primary example of fractal branching behaviour along with trees and lungs. Research has shown that loud, long prolonged exposure to fractal noise can impair short-term cognitive function, so imagine what continuous exposure can achieve. A scientific research paper (May 14, 2020) entitled: Mental Fatigue Has Great Impact on the Fractal Dimension of Brain Functional Network¹, may also shed some light on our intrepid crews' cognitive incompatibility. Ultimately, a planetary celestial poker game played by four people whose cards are dealt in the form of their lives.
Reading a mystery novel is always so much fun; for science fiction aficionados, nothing is more alluring than the mystery of the first contact narrative. When I was a kid watching Forbidden Planet, my imagination ran wild trying to figure out the puzzle of the Krell, and when I saw the doorway, I was in awe, thinking, what type of shape fits through an archway such as this?! Truthfully, I still feel that when I watch Forbidden Planet as an adult. As mentioned earlier, the mystery in this novel is the Hole, and obvious questions arise. Paolini goes to painstaking lengths to give as much scientific detail about the Hole as to provide it with substance. Of course, we are intrigued, and that's precisely where he wants us. But sometimes a Hole is just a Hole; with no purpose, history, or use, and Pushkin keeps reminding us maybe it's just an instillation of alien art. The formality of the Hole is the MacGuffin used to get the away party to the planet's surface where the human experience unfolds. The Hole mystery is alluring and thought-provoking, allowing us to consider why it's there; like the landing crew, Paolini places us in their shoes (actually skin suits) and forces us to become those crew members who posit for those inquiries. Many theories are proposed, but none are substantiated. That aspect of the MacGuffin gives them drive. As space abhors a vacuum, humans hate a riddle they can't solve; it's part of the human condition. The only alien life form we encounter are the turtles; again, questions arise: are they the architects of this bizarre anomaly? Is this a Kardashev scale type II civilization that could also easily construct a Dyson sphere, or where their genetic code expresses synaesthesia? Are they the guardians? Could this be first contact, and are they unaware that creatures such as this could achieve such a feat: if that is the case, here is another example of human arrogance and hubris (if this is how humans behave on first contact, we are ultimately an embarrassment.) Are they the metaphoric keepers of the "key" to the Hole allowing only certain types to cross it? Many questions remain unanswered, adding to the brilliance of the mystery, and they remain unanswered for a reason! Lastly, while discussing the novel with my wife, she proposed a twist I had yet to consider. She suggested that the Hole could be the equivalent of a planetary-bound black hole, a conduit, a wormhole (if you will) leading directly into Paolini's Fractalverse-hmm.
As mentioned, Ernest Shackleton's doomed Antarctic mission reminds me of the TalosVII mission. (I imagine) Camus may have also addressed Shackleton as the "absurd hero"; as our Alex. However, I conclude that Alex had more agency than he was aware of; for all the "sand traps," the hurdles, the personal obstacles, fractal-induced madness, and his foibles, he still sees the mission to its end and a victory for Chen's life. He makes it to the edge, survives self-annihilation, he grips the rim, a metaphor for his life: there is hope; Layla couldn't have asked for more, THUD!
Christopher Paolini's Website • Paolini's Etsy • Paolini's Fractalverse Jewellery
The Fractalverse Site
(We have no affiliation with Paolini's Shops)
*See Appendix 1, Terminology, page 276
Disclosure:
Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning that we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced. By purchasing through our links, you are helping us maintain this site.
Comments
Post a Comment