Story: 'Wordspace' Phase II, Part I

( Condensed Phase I , Part II )

Previously, in the first phase of 'Wordspace', the enigmatic word Mystery travelled to the Crossing Point, where all the dimensions of reality meet for tea and biscuits. The only permanent resident of the Point, the incoherent polyglot known only as the Silly Stone, explained how two visitors had made it to Mystery's own Wordspace, and then returned their companion, one of them, to his own universe. The second, a hostile to the core of their being, remained in the continuum in location unknown. Upon their return to their home, and their discovery of utter destruction, Mystery and his friends Club and Cloud were dispatched to the Zone of Meaningless Jargon to seek the help of the long exiled so-called Destructives, who might have been framed when they were jailed there for nefarious reasons many aeons ago. Now, with their willing assistance, they plan to neutralise the invader, and even think about what might happen if there is an 'after'.

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The scouting force rolled out, and Mystery watched them go. His companion Club strode with them, and suddenly he was alone for the first time in days. Alone. No, he wasn't really alone, he thought, looking around him at the other words present, all familiar in their shiny curves, lines and tittles. Over there was Splendour, looking rather shocked by recent events, and sitting on a mound of semi-colons left over from some past mining effort. Seated high on the side of the Zone was Splash, a decent chap with a flair for the dramatic, and Yodel was preparing herself for some vocal exercises while guarding the portal.

"The portal..." murmured Mystery. What in the Wordspace were they going to do with that intruder if they did stop him? Could he or she, or it, be captured or would they have to do something unthinkable. Could any of them still manage to think the unthinkable? They only had one prison, and he was standing next to it. The portals in and out of the Zone of Meaningless Jargon were nowhere near big enough to admit the invader, and if they were forced to the extreme then what would happen if that giant was reborn? Would it begin anew here or back in its own home world?

Cloud descended and hovered next to him. Good old Cloud, always dependable and constant. "Would you like a look around?" Mystery asked gently.

"Yes." Cloud responded in her usual brief manner.

"Let's take a little trip."

Cloud took Mystery up into the heights once again, where he and she surveyed the area. The Zone was far larger than he had thought from his groundbound perspective, looming up in this remote portion of the Wordspace. The jargon glittered under the light given off by distant Sun. Fancy was taking a flight of her own below them, flapping her syllables frantically. Cloud then took off after the scouting party, who could still be seen, as could the dust cloud on the horizon. The party marched resolutely, with its aerial members roving ahead to get initial information. War was at the very head of the party.

The dust cloud was approaching, rapidly getting closer. Suddenly, the source of the activity became clear: It was a band of fellow survivors! A foreboding seized Mystery and he looked back at the Zone. Yes, it was as he had feared. The invader approached from the opposite direction. Cloud dove as she had never dived before. They had to get to the scouting party, or should they warn their comrades around the Zone?

To be continued...