deepundergroundpoetry.com
Memories from Lilith's College Days on Another Planet
- Memories from Lilith's College Days on Another Planet -
What follows is a series of memories from the part of me that is Lilith, ever since her spirit's joining with mine in this body we now currently share. Thus, this is all written in her words and from her specific point of view and perspective. The Luci (short for Lucifer) that she refers to in these memories of hers is me, or rather the part of me that is independent of her. The “original me” so to speak.
“The Saint Jennifer of Dorne College and Academy, and various days and times that followed my last day there…
I remember that it lay in a desolate region of the planet that was once in ancient times called Exardius, but which came to be called Olympia VII once it had been colonized by people from Olympia… which, after a good twenty-some planets were colonized similarly became renamed Olympia Prime. The immediate area surrounding the Academy was rather green, with palm trees and other plants and trees, as well as flowers of all sorts. It was built around what had been at one time an oasis, but which had become a well-tended garden that was kept in the square central courtyard of the inner Academy, which was open to the sky. The shape of the academy was a massive building that was square on the bottom, but from that bottom-most level rose five massive metal pyramid-shaped spires, the central-most of which was crowned with an ankh. A plaque at the school’s entrance had the name of the Academy etched upon it in the Olympian script, which was not English of course but similar in appearance to what is termed “Celestial Writing” with elements of what resembles ancient Greek thrown in. That is the closest analogy I can think of, for how Olympian writing looks. Titan writing was similar, but lacked the Greek-style elements that were considered more refined compared to the “crude” Titan variant of language. The front doors were wood inlaid with gold etching and trim with elegant leaf-like and wing-like designs upon them. The school was co-ed and so girls and boys could both attend equally with no restrictions. Unlike colleges on Earth, there were no separate dorms for girls and boys. One would typically major in whatever trades, subjects, or areas of specialty that they showed interest or skill in, or whatever they had proven best at in previous years of schooling. Often, five years were all that was required although people could attend for more if needed. I remember that a lot of things were different about school on Exardius compared to on Earth… cheerleaders and gymnasts, for instance, often utilized a pyramid made up of bars and beams as a part of their more public performances at games, shows, and competitive events. I remember my last day at College exceedingly well, and it made quite the impression on my mind’s memory apparently. I was strolling through the central courtyard’s garden and looking at the ancient carvings on the five columns there, which were set in front of the entrance into each of the five areas where the pyramids’ foundations began. The courtyard was square and there was one entrance on the west wall, one on the north, one on the south, and two on the east, with columns at respective locations. It may seem odd that this type of building was possible without constructing in a pentagonal manner, but it was possible indeed and that was a part of its’ curious charm. They said it had been a miracle of modern construction techniques, and that is perhaps not an understatement. The carvings on the columns told the stories of the first generation of the five Elemental Lords on the planet Kobol, and these were legends that often had been popular subjects for artistic representation. Behind me, a black-haired boy in a dark blue jumpsuit came running up and asked me if I was going to be heading to the kitchen later on after the last lecture to grab some drinks before getting everything packed and ready to leave College for good. “Not today, Zareth, I have better things to do before saying goodbye to this old place!” to which he responded that he felt I was always an odd and mysterious kind of girl. “I’m not sure I’d like to be in your head.” He said to me once. “For instance,” he went on, on that occasion I am referring to… “I cannot figure you out! You are talking about ancient history one minute, pseudo-science and metaphysics the next, and political theory just for fun. And that’s when you aren’t drawing ancient warriors and talking about the days of the old Matriarchies and Monarchies like they were a good thing.” To which I said to him that I felt they were, and would not mind seeing women have more power again in this day and age. That was how our conversations often went, he and I. Half the time he seemed to like me, and the other half he seemed to genuinely dislike me. On that day, he was just talking trivia though and little more, and after all was said and done he nodded and ran off with some other boys and girls, some of whom were wearing other colored jumpsuits, with a few of the girls wearing long tunics with leggings under them. Most of the girls had their hair in pony tails or up in various braided designs… all of which were considered trendy that decade. The glow-globes on the walls were beautiful, whether by day or by night, and cast the garden in alternating colors depending on the time of day. Sometimes, for holidays or special events, they would choose specific color schemes to achieve certain moods… sometimes for symbolic purposes. I pressed the button on the door to one of the entrances to the east, and kept being silly and opening and closing the glass sliding doors. “Not very safe, are they?” I mused. “Someone could get hurt or killed if they got caught in them!” Then, one of the teachers caught me doing that and he said to me: “You need to get moving, miss, or you’ll be late for the last lecture of the day. Given that this is your last day with us, you must attend… it is not mandatory, but it is customary and would be expected of you in any case.” I looked at the old man with his balding head and sparse white and gray hair, and I said to him: “Why must I always do what people expect of me? I want to do what they do not expect once in a while!” and he laughed and said: “Once you are in your chosen career, you will have a lot of expectations that you will be required to meet… but knowing you, you will find ways to do so in your own unique way.” and I chuckled and ran off down the hall, yelling back and waving: “Thanks! Mister Artim… your science classes were always fun.” And I said that last part very sarcastically. I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflections of the glass doors as I passed them as they shut behind me. I was wearing a dark blue jumpsuit myself, and had long, reddish brown hair with neatly trimmed bangs. I was squinting a bit, so I could not tell my eye color… not that I was the vain type to really gaze too deeply at my reflection every time I saw it or anything like that. I headed down the stairs to the Fire Temple, to offer some prayers to the gods of Fire, who also held dominion over passion, drive, and the urge to succeed in all of one’s endeavors. The history of the college was a fascinating one, and I thought on it that day quite a bit before packing my things. It had been founded on the site of the oasis where in ancient times five holy women from Kobol came to teach the ways of the gods to the natives of Exardius. Their leader was Saint Jennifer of Dorne, a legendary lost city said to lie somewhere on Kobol within a “vale of mists” which I had noticed was oft a popular location for lost cities in Olympian myths and legends. It was said that Saint Jennifer was killed whilst trying to help the Faithful to defend themselves during an uprising of natives who wanted all outsiders purged form their planet. In the end, the Purist faction, as it was called, was defeated and the Faithful prevailed. But before she died, she touched the waters of the oasis and had a vision of the Lords of Kobol and the paradise that awaited the Faithful in the domains beyond life. It was said that, on certain times of year, if one were to go to the oasis and kneel at it in prayer whilst touching the waters, one could have a vision of the gods granted unto them. Because of that legend, it was not uncommon for the school to sometimes open its’ doors to pilgrims, and so at times one may see one such pilgrim praying by the oasis’ waters in the central courtyard’s garden. I had at least three such visions in my time at College, but never told anyone about them except for my friend Abelli, who herself was a fervent believer in the power of the gods. I remember that day, when I left school and got in the cab that was to take me to the star port back to Olympia Prime there was a violent demonstration taking place in one of the cities we passed through, a demonstration organized by a group of people who worshipped the Titans as gods and who in particular had a fondness for Sama-IL and Count Baal, whom they regarded as visionary leaders, with Baal in particular being considered by them to be the man most likely to change the Olympian way of life should he ever gain power in Olympian space. They claimed that exiling the worker and servant classes of Titans created on Olympia… the ones that had rebelled during my parents’ generation, thus sparking a several year war… had been a mistake, and that were the Olympians able to understand them better, then they could have been peace and an exchange of ideas, technology, and philosophy that could have benefited both peoples. However, most agreed that those Titans only possessed technology that they had modified based on Olympian designs, concepts, and ideas, and that therefore there was nothing to be gained by such an exchange. Various local street gangs, thugs, bikers, and troublemakers had turned out to add to the chaos that was taking place, and we had to get out of the cab and flee by various back streets on foot in order to avoid the riot and not be seen by those rioting. The military had arrived, as well as the local law enforcement, and it was a veritable war zone. One of the military officers, a gray-haired man wearing a green combat uniform, escorted me to a nearby Pythian Temple, where he said I would be well-advised to wait until the violence outside had been subdued. Such temples were safe havens, and even the lowest criminal scum refused to do anything wrong even within the vicinity of such a place, lest they incur the wrath of the Sisterhood, who were said to speak for the gods themselves. Whilst there, I met with the woman who ran the temple, a woman named Sister Ag’dhath’la, who was an Exardi native that was descended from the first converts to the ways of the gods from long ago. She had light brown hair, worn in what was termed a regal bun, a particular style of bun with two looping brains that hung down on either side of the head. She wore a yellow gown fit for one of the nobility of old Olympia, in contrast to the simpler diaphanous robes of the ordinary sisters of her order, and when I spoke to her on that occasion she was sitting in a wooden chair in one of the two towered spires of the temple (the southern-most of the two), in a stone chamber decorated with stained glass windows depicting gods, Titans, and various scenes from both history and ancient myths and legends. The room itself was rather well appointed, and looked more like a bedchamber fit for a queen or a princess than a leader of a religious or spiritual sect. “Those riots frighten me!” I admitted to her. “Calm yourself, child… they are a passing thing.” She explained. “Baal is dangerous, but such demonstrators are not… they are a mere nuisance is all. They destroy, loot, and set fire, they play loud music, but they lack the power to truly change things… even when they do resort to killing to make their point known. Baal himself hates them, says he wishes peace between his people and Olympia, but I myself know better than to trust him.” I asked the woman how I could get to the star port sooner, since I feared I would be detained or delayed for a whole week if things were not calmed down soon. She gave me an antigravity belt and told me to leave by a window on the fourth or fifth floor of the northern spire, and to travel the back streets on the eastern edge of the city, which were far from the riot area. She said that I could most likely reach a loyalist encampment at the northeastern edge of town, and obtain passage to the star port from them. She gave me a star-shaped amulet, and told me to show it to them, and that they would help me if I did so. I agreed to this, and did as she directed. Eventually, I reached the loyalists and they got me to the star port and saw me safely on the next craft bound for Olympia Prime… but I lost most of my baggage, and by the time I got home my parents were furious with me. “What did you get involved in?” they asked, and I calmly stated what transpired. They never really trusted me much again after that day, but were still willing to help me in arranging things so that I could start my chosen career. Later that week, I visited the main Pythian Temple on Olympia Prime, the mirror image of one said to lie on Kobol in the Valley of the Gods. It had massive doors carved with images of faces of gods, goddesses, and spirits and beings of all sorts… and flanking it were tall columns topped with statues of gods, angels, saints, and important historical personages. I knocked on the doors, and an old man answered, opening them for me and asking me my business there. I told him who I was, and what brought me there on that particular day. “I need the blessings of the Elder Sisters, since I will be starting work as a secretarial clerk in the capitol tomorrow, and it is customary for anyone entering such positions to seek the blessings of the gods.” He laughed, asked why I had not said so sooner, and waved me in. The old fool with his white balding head, droopy mustache, and brown suit was quite senile it seemed, or at least that is how he came off seeming. I feel strange talking about going to that temple, since I sense that Luci also went there, but after it was totally destroyed and in ruins… it became the site of a battle between two factions of Titans. Luci’s was trying to save people, whilst the enemy faction was trying to kill as many people as possible, amidst atomic explosions and missiles raining down from the sky. How different our memories are, even of the same places! Which reminds me, sadly, of also how different she and I are as people. Try as I may, I will probably never be completely like her. Perhaps that is for the best, after all, since there must always be uniqueness between souls, even joined souls.”
What follows is a series of memories from the part of me that is Lilith, ever since her spirit's joining with mine in this body we now currently share. Thus, this is all written in her words and from her specific point of view and perspective. The Luci (short for Lucifer) that she refers to in these memories of hers is me, or rather the part of me that is independent of her. The “original me” so to speak.
“The Saint Jennifer of Dorne College and Academy, and various days and times that followed my last day there…
I remember that it lay in a desolate region of the planet that was once in ancient times called Exardius, but which came to be called Olympia VII once it had been colonized by people from Olympia… which, after a good twenty-some planets were colonized similarly became renamed Olympia Prime. The immediate area surrounding the Academy was rather green, with palm trees and other plants and trees, as well as flowers of all sorts. It was built around what had been at one time an oasis, but which had become a well-tended garden that was kept in the square central courtyard of the inner Academy, which was open to the sky. The shape of the academy was a massive building that was square on the bottom, but from that bottom-most level rose five massive metal pyramid-shaped spires, the central-most of which was crowned with an ankh. A plaque at the school’s entrance had the name of the Academy etched upon it in the Olympian script, which was not English of course but similar in appearance to what is termed “Celestial Writing” with elements of what resembles ancient Greek thrown in. That is the closest analogy I can think of, for how Olympian writing looks. Titan writing was similar, but lacked the Greek-style elements that were considered more refined compared to the “crude” Titan variant of language. The front doors were wood inlaid with gold etching and trim with elegant leaf-like and wing-like designs upon them. The school was co-ed and so girls and boys could both attend equally with no restrictions. Unlike colleges on Earth, there were no separate dorms for girls and boys. One would typically major in whatever trades, subjects, or areas of specialty that they showed interest or skill in, or whatever they had proven best at in previous years of schooling. Often, five years were all that was required although people could attend for more if needed. I remember that a lot of things were different about school on Exardius compared to on Earth… cheerleaders and gymnasts, for instance, often utilized a pyramid made up of bars and beams as a part of their more public performances at games, shows, and competitive events. I remember my last day at College exceedingly well, and it made quite the impression on my mind’s memory apparently. I was strolling through the central courtyard’s garden and looking at the ancient carvings on the five columns there, which were set in front of the entrance into each of the five areas where the pyramids’ foundations began. The courtyard was square and there was one entrance on the west wall, one on the north, one on the south, and two on the east, with columns at respective locations. It may seem odd that this type of building was possible without constructing in a pentagonal manner, but it was possible indeed and that was a part of its’ curious charm. They said it had been a miracle of modern construction techniques, and that is perhaps not an understatement. The carvings on the columns told the stories of the first generation of the five Elemental Lords on the planet Kobol, and these were legends that often had been popular subjects for artistic representation. Behind me, a black-haired boy in a dark blue jumpsuit came running up and asked me if I was going to be heading to the kitchen later on after the last lecture to grab some drinks before getting everything packed and ready to leave College for good. “Not today, Zareth, I have better things to do before saying goodbye to this old place!” to which he responded that he felt I was always an odd and mysterious kind of girl. “I’m not sure I’d like to be in your head.” He said to me once. “For instance,” he went on, on that occasion I am referring to… “I cannot figure you out! You are talking about ancient history one minute, pseudo-science and metaphysics the next, and political theory just for fun. And that’s when you aren’t drawing ancient warriors and talking about the days of the old Matriarchies and Monarchies like they were a good thing.” To which I said to him that I felt they were, and would not mind seeing women have more power again in this day and age. That was how our conversations often went, he and I. Half the time he seemed to like me, and the other half he seemed to genuinely dislike me. On that day, he was just talking trivia though and little more, and after all was said and done he nodded and ran off with some other boys and girls, some of whom were wearing other colored jumpsuits, with a few of the girls wearing long tunics with leggings under them. Most of the girls had their hair in pony tails or up in various braided designs… all of which were considered trendy that decade. The glow-globes on the walls were beautiful, whether by day or by night, and cast the garden in alternating colors depending on the time of day. Sometimes, for holidays or special events, they would choose specific color schemes to achieve certain moods… sometimes for symbolic purposes. I pressed the button on the door to one of the entrances to the east, and kept being silly and opening and closing the glass sliding doors. “Not very safe, are they?” I mused. “Someone could get hurt or killed if they got caught in them!” Then, one of the teachers caught me doing that and he said to me: “You need to get moving, miss, or you’ll be late for the last lecture of the day. Given that this is your last day with us, you must attend… it is not mandatory, but it is customary and would be expected of you in any case.” I looked at the old man with his balding head and sparse white and gray hair, and I said to him: “Why must I always do what people expect of me? I want to do what they do not expect once in a while!” and he laughed and said: “Once you are in your chosen career, you will have a lot of expectations that you will be required to meet… but knowing you, you will find ways to do so in your own unique way.” and I chuckled and ran off down the hall, yelling back and waving: “Thanks! Mister Artim… your science classes were always fun.” And I said that last part very sarcastically. I caught a glimpse of myself in the reflections of the glass doors as I passed them as they shut behind me. I was wearing a dark blue jumpsuit myself, and had long, reddish brown hair with neatly trimmed bangs. I was squinting a bit, so I could not tell my eye color… not that I was the vain type to really gaze too deeply at my reflection every time I saw it or anything like that. I headed down the stairs to the Fire Temple, to offer some prayers to the gods of Fire, who also held dominion over passion, drive, and the urge to succeed in all of one’s endeavors. The history of the college was a fascinating one, and I thought on it that day quite a bit before packing my things. It had been founded on the site of the oasis where in ancient times five holy women from Kobol came to teach the ways of the gods to the natives of Exardius. Their leader was Saint Jennifer of Dorne, a legendary lost city said to lie somewhere on Kobol within a “vale of mists” which I had noticed was oft a popular location for lost cities in Olympian myths and legends. It was said that Saint Jennifer was killed whilst trying to help the Faithful to defend themselves during an uprising of natives who wanted all outsiders purged form their planet. In the end, the Purist faction, as it was called, was defeated and the Faithful prevailed. But before she died, she touched the waters of the oasis and had a vision of the Lords of Kobol and the paradise that awaited the Faithful in the domains beyond life. It was said that, on certain times of year, if one were to go to the oasis and kneel at it in prayer whilst touching the waters, one could have a vision of the gods granted unto them. Because of that legend, it was not uncommon for the school to sometimes open its’ doors to pilgrims, and so at times one may see one such pilgrim praying by the oasis’ waters in the central courtyard’s garden. I had at least three such visions in my time at College, but never told anyone about them except for my friend Abelli, who herself was a fervent believer in the power of the gods. I remember that day, when I left school and got in the cab that was to take me to the star port back to Olympia Prime there was a violent demonstration taking place in one of the cities we passed through, a demonstration organized by a group of people who worshipped the Titans as gods and who in particular had a fondness for Sama-IL and Count Baal, whom they regarded as visionary leaders, with Baal in particular being considered by them to be the man most likely to change the Olympian way of life should he ever gain power in Olympian space. They claimed that exiling the worker and servant classes of Titans created on Olympia… the ones that had rebelled during my parents’ generation, thus sparking a several year war… had been a mistake, and that were the Olympians able to understand them better, then they could have been peace and an exchange of ideas, technology, and philosophy that could have benefited both peoples. However, most agreed that those Titans only possessed technology that they had modified based on Olympian designs, concepts, and ideas, and that therefore there was nothing to be gained by such an exchange. Various local street gangs, thugs, bikers, and troublemakers had turned out to add to the chaos that was taking place, and we had to get out of the cab and flee by various back streets on foot in order to avoid the riot and not be seen by those rioting. The military had arrived, as well as the local law enforcement, and it was a veritable war zone. One of the military officers, a gray-haired man wearing a green combat uniform, escorted me to a nearby Pythian Temple, where he said I would be well-advised to wait until the violence outside had been subdued. Such temples were safe havens, and even the lowest criminal scum refused to do anything wrong even within the vicinity of such a place, lest they incur the wrath of the Sisterhood, who were said to speak for the gods themselves. Whilst there, I met with the woman who ran the temple, a woman named Sister Ag’dhath’la, who was an Exardi native that was descended from the first converts to the ways of the gods from long ago. She had light brown hair, worn in what was termed a regal bun, a particular style of bun with two looping brains that hung down on either side of the head. She wore a yellow gown fit for one of the nobility of old Olympia, in contrast to the simpler diaphanous robes of the ordinary sisters of her order, and when I spoke to her on that occasion she was sitting in a wooden chair in one of the two towered spires of the temple (the southern-most of the two), in a stone chamber decorated with stained glass windows depicting gods, Titans, and various scenes from both history and ancient myths and legends. The room itself was rather well appointed, and looked more like a bedchamber fit for a queen or a princess than a leader of a religious or spiritual sect. “Those riots frighten me!” I admitted to her. “Calm yourself, child… they are a passing thing.” She explained. “Baal is dangerous, but such demonstrators are not… they are a mere nuisance is all. They destroy, loot, and set fire, they play loud music, but they lack the power to truly change things… even when they do resort to killing to make their point known. Baal himself hates them, says he wishes peace between his people and Olympia, but I myself know better than to trust him.” I asked the woman how I could get to the star port sooner, since I feared I would be detained or delayed for a whole week if things were not calmed down soon. She gave me an antigravity belt and told me to leave by a window on the fourth or fifth floor of the northern spire, and to travel the back streets on the eastern edge of the city, which were far from the riot area. She said that I could most likely reach a loyalist encampment at the northeastern edge of town, and obtain passage to the star port from them. She gave me a star-shaped amulet, and told me to show it to them, and that they would help me if I did so. I agreed to this, and did as she directed. Eventually, I reached the loyalists and they got me to the star port and saw me safely on the next craft bound for Olympia Prime… but I lost most of my baggage, and by the time I got home my parents were furious with me. “What did you get involved in?” they asked, and I calmly stated what transpired. They never really trusted me much again after that day, but were still willing to help me in arranging things so that I could start my chosen career. Later that week, I visited the main Pythian Temple on Olympia Prime, the mirror image of one said to lie on Kobol in the Valley of the Gods. It had massive doors carved with images of faces of gods, goddesses, and spirits and beings of all sorts… and flanking it were tall columns topped with statues of gods, angels, saints, and important historical personages. I knocked on the doors, and an old man answered, opening them for me and asking me my business there. I told him who I was, and what brought me there on that particular day. “I need the blessings of the Elder Sisters, since I will be starting work as a secretarial clerk in the capitol tomorrow, and it is customary for anyone entering such positions to seek the blessings of the gods.” He laughed, asked why I had not said so sooner, and waved me in. The old fool with his white balding head, droopy mustache, and brown suit was quite senile it seemed, or at least that is how he came off seeming. I feel strange talking about going to that temple, since I sense that Luci also went there, but after it was totally destroyed and in ruins… it became the site of a battle between two factions of Titans. Luci’s was trying to save people, whilst the enemy faction was trying to kill as many people as possible, amidst atomic explosions and missiles raining down from the sky. How different our memories are, even of the same places! Which reminds me, sadly, of also how different she and I are as people. Try as I may, I will probably never be completely like her. Perhaps that is for the best, after all, since there must always be uniqueness between souls, even joined souls.”
Published 7th Feb 2016
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 1
reading list entries 1
comments 0
reads 755
Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
