Drink [Cypher: Part IV]

Posted on 06 Apr 2016 @ 4:11am by Ensign James Langley

581 words; about a 3 minute read

“THE THIRD WORD YOU SEEK IS 'TO.' NOW REFLECT ON THIS: 'IN THE DEPTH OF WINTER I FINALLY LEARNED THAT THERE WAS IN ME AN INVINCIBLE SUMMER.'”

Well that sure sounded poetic. I wasn't much for poetry but it did have a lovely ring to it. I'm not sure I could ever write so beautifully, but I'm sure I'll give it a go some time!

It obviously had to mean something and once again I could look no further than the art that was before me. Through the swirls of colors and patterns I could see reds, oranges, blues and whites that certainly could be considered as having traits befitting of summer or winter. But nothing made sense. It was all just art. Not to say that art doesn't make sense. Just standing there I felt all sorts of emotions intended from both the puzzling nature of the art as well as its general imagery but feelings weren't going to get me to the next word.

Maybe it had to do with the polar opposites of winter and summer. I checked from side to side; top to bottom; I even tried checking behind the damn thing. Nope. Just the author's autograph. Georg Wander.

Maybe there was more to the writer of that quote? Albert Camus? I did some research and poked around for any other pertinent quotes. Anything that would allow me to realize a summer within the puzzle through the endless cold of the pursuit for the solution. I was thoroughly enjoying it, myself, but others could consider it cold. Especially since I had devoted more time to it than to family, friends, or even most of my other school work.

Maybe “The realization that life is absurd cannot be an end, but only a beginning”? The puzzle sure seemed absurd, though it was proving quite informative and entertaining. “Since we're all going to die, it's obvious that when and how don't matter.” ... “There is no true creation without a secret.” “If the world were clear, art would not exist.” I could go on for hours, but I'll spare you the details and get to the good part.

What do you think of when you hear the word 'winter?' That's right. Cold. By this time I was such a regular that the curator had given me the keys to the museum so I could come in after hours and stop pestering other people trying to enjoy the art. So one night I went in there and dropped the temperature down in the room real low. I'm talking colder than a witch's kiss. Or tit. Whatever. Not that there's anything wrong with witches, mind you.

At first nothing happened, but then I felt it. The puzzle was giving off heat! But it was so difficult to tell why. It was sporadic. I had to get readings off of it and I had to do it right then. I ran off and procured from Starfleet academy a multisensor mono-ocular headmount and came back to the puzzle just as fast as I could. I donned the apparatus and there it was! There must have been a heat cable of some sort set to room temperature ran through the art because when I flicked to the infrared spectrum I saw this in, after having it translated by a friend, Klingon:

“THE FOURTH WORD YOU SEEK IS 'DRINK.' FOR THE NEXT ONE CHEMISTRY WILL LIGHT THE WAY AS CLEAR AS DAY.”

RSS Feed