Part X

(Didn't think I'd get this far, didja?)

Branwen looked up at the Cube.

"It's... umm... Big," she understated.

"Yes," Adol agreed. "That is why we had to go down so many stairs to reach it."

Branwen and Adol were on a ledge in an immense underground cavern. The cavern was so huge that Branwen couldn't figure out exactly how it managed not to collapse in on itself. In the centre of the cavern was the enormous Cube. The two of them were about level with the middle of the Cube. When she had still been on Earth, Branwen had thought the cruise liner was big. The Cube made the cruise liner look pathetic.

"It would take hours to walk around the Cube," Adol commented. "The stairs are the fastest way to get to It."

"How did you find it?" Branwen asked.

"Millenia ago, miners stumbled upon It by tunnelling into the cavern from above. Fortunately, they fell onto the Cube and were not harmed. That is when It spoke to them."

Branwen stepped closer to the railing surrounding the edge of the ledge. They were so close to the Cube that she could reach out and touch it. It was black, but looked oily, and rainbow shimmers moved over Its surface in random patterns. She reached out a hand and looked at Adol. "May I?" she asked.

Adol nodded. Branwen placed the palm of her hand against the Cube. That is when It spoke.

"Hi there!" the Cube said, directly into Branwen's mind. "You're new! Nice to meet you! You're Branwen. I'm the Cube."

Branwen pulled her hand back as though she had been burned and fell onto her butt in surprise.

"What is the matter, Branwen?" Adol asked with concern. He held out his hand and helped her to her feet.

"It... the Cube..." Branwen started, but her sentence faded off and she firmly put her palm against the Cube again.

"Sorry 'bout that," the Cube said, sounding contrite. "I forget that people aren't expecting me to say much."

"It's TALKING to me," Branwen hissed out of the side of her mouth to Adol. Adol looked shocked.

"I can HEAR you," the Cube said petulantly.

"What does It say?" Adol asked eagerly.

"It's telling me off for talking about It like It isn't here," Branwen replied. "Sorry, Cube... I didn't mean to be rude," she continued, addressing the gargantuan structure.

"It's okay," the Cube replied to her. "I just don't get many people to talk to. The locals have forgotten how to hear me, and most of the humans who come down here seem deaf. I wonder why YOU can hear me?"

"No clue," Branwen replied. Adol was beginning to look irritated at only hearing half the conversation. "The Cube can't figure out why I can hear it and the other humans can't," Branwen told Adol, to keep him in the loop.

"So what can I do for you today, Branwen?" the Cube asked eagerly. "I haven't had much to do in a long time. The locals are so boring. 'Oh great Cube, please make it rain, please make it stop raining, please don't let my farm get blown up...' Like I have control over those green things you call creepers. I like that name. Creepers. Creepers. I like it, I'm calling them creepers from now on."

"So you can read my thoughts?" Branwen asked out loud, for Adol's benefit.

"Sort of," the Cube responded. "I could 'hear' your thoughts when you were still on Earth. That's why I brought you here. You were bored, and looking for something. I figured, 'Hey, there's something HERE she can do,' so POOF, here you are."

"Just.... POOF? Just like that?" Branwen asked.

"Well, it's a lot more complex than that. How's your astrophysics? I can explain it more," the Cube started.

"That's fine Cube, I'll take your word for it," Branwen interrupted. Adol was fairly hopping up and down in frustration.

"Here, let me try something," Branwen said to both the Cube and to Adol. She took hold of the little man's hand with her free hand.

"Can you both 'hear' me?" Branwen asked, within her mind.

"Loud and clear!" the Cube answered, sounding chipper.

"By the Great.... I mean... yes, yes I can hear you both," Adol stuttered directly into Branwen's mind.

"This is just fabulous," the Cube gushed. "Now I can talk to you people again! I always tried to explain why I couldn't do what you were asking... but you never heard me!"

"This is truly a momentous day," Adol said. "Great Cube, do You think we can learn to hear You again?"

"Maaaaaaaybe," the Cube replied. "Let me just... Yes, there it is. There's a connection in Branwen's brain that seems to be dormant in yours... if I were to just tweak..." Adol staggered back, breaking contact with Branwen.

"Can you still hear me, Adol?" the Cube asked. The little man was a few feet away from the ledge.

"Yes!" Adol replied triumphantly. Branwen heard him clearly within her own mind. She took her hand away from the Cube. "Testing..." she thought. "Testing, one, two..."

"Hey! That's great!" the Cube said. "I can hear you both and you don't have to touch me."

Branwen grinned. "I wonder how far away we can be and you'd still be able to contact us?" she mused.

"Gimme a sec," the Cube replied. "I calculate... infinity. How handy!"