Chapter 36 - The Conductor And The Choir

With the departure of the Solarius delegation, the focus in K'tharr shifted entirely to the monumental task of preparing for the counter-resonance broadcast. The theoretical plan was in place, but translating it into a practical, survivable attempt required meticulous preparation, involving every level of the Choir's expertise and pushing the boundaries of known resonance manipulation.Thalassa took charge of the spiritual and resonant preparations. The main resonance conduit in the central plaza, which I had used previously to calm the city, was designated as the broadcast point. It needed significant reinforcement and modification to handle the immense power required for an inter-Pillar broadcast and to shield the city itself from potential feedback or resonance backlash.Elite Choir artisans, guided by Thalassa, began inscribing complex warding patterns onto the conduit and the surrounding plaza. These weren't just passive shields; they were active resonance dampeners and harmonic filters, designed to absorb stray energy, stabilize the broadcast frequency, and protect the city's structure. The Choir members themselves began practicing new, intricate chants – not the Rites of Somnolence, but Rites of Amplification and Warding, designed to channel the Abyssal Pillar's stable energy into the conduit and create a protective resonant field around me during the broadcast.My own preparations intensified under Thalassa's direct supervision. The goal was no longer just harmonization, but sustained, high-energy projection of a complex counter-frequency, maintained with absolute precision for the duration of the broadcast. We moved our training to a chamber directly adjacent to the main conduit, allowing me to practice interfacing with its amplified resonance field."You are the conductor, Pillar-Singer," Thalassa instructed during one grueling session, as I struggled to maintain the counter-frequency against simulated interference. *"The Pillar provides the orchestra's power. The Choir provides the harmonic support and shielding. But you must shape the song, direct its flow, hold its structure against dissonance and decay. Your will, your focus, your connection to the Pillar's true song – these are the deciding factors."I practiced for cycles on end, pushing my limits, learning to draw upon the Abyssal Pillar's deep stability, shaping the counter-resonance, and projecting it through the training conduit. The exhaustion was immense, but with each session, my control grew stronger, my endurance longer. I learned to anticipate feedback, to adjust the frequency micro-seconds before a dissonance could take hold, to shield my own consciousness from the psychic strain.Meanwhile, Elara worked tirelessly in the archives, refining the pathway map and coordinating technical details with the Solarius monitoring teams light-years away. Communication across the damaged network was difficult, relying on precisely timed, narrow-band resonance pulses that Elara transmitted using Choir technology adapted with her own devices."Solarius confirms their monitoring stations are in place," she reported, deciphering a faint reply pulse. "They are tracking Luminora's core dissonance and structural integrity in real-time. They have also deployed containment fields around their Pillar core, just in case the broadcast causes… unexpected energetic reactions." She grimaced. "Comforting."She continued refining the pathway calculations. "Routing through Zephyrion and Ignis remains the most viable option, but introduces variables. We need to time the broadcast precisely, accounting for the resonant 'weather' in those sectors – stellar winds, pyroclastic surges. I'm building predictive models, but there's always a margin of error."She also designed shielding protocols for me, working with Thalassa to integrate Choir warding techniques with her own technology. The plan involved creating a multi-layered resonant shield around me during the broadcast, anchored by the Choir's chant and reinforced by devices Elara was constructing.As the preparations neared completion, a sense of heavy anticipation settled over K'tharr. The citizens, aware that a major undertaking involving the Pillar-Singer was imminent, performed rites of supplication, praying to the Leviathan for stability. The Choir maintained a constant vigil, their chants keeping the Great Dreamer calm and the Sanctum secure.Despite the progress, anxieties lingered. Thalassa worried about the strain on her Pillar and the potential reaction of the Leviathan, even in its calmed state, to such a massive energy broadcast. Elara fretted over the damaged pathways and the unpredictability of routing the signal through other Pillars' domains. I worried about my own ability to maintain the complex counter-resonance under pressure, the potential for lethal feedback, and the ever-present threat of the Weaver's interference. Had it detected our plan? Would it try to sabotage the broadcast?"Fear is a dissonance like any other, Pillar-Singer," Thalassa advised me during a final meditation session before the planned broadcast attempt. *"Acknowledge it, feel its frequency, but do not let it overwhelm the core harmony. Anchor yourself to the Heartbeat. Trust in the Pillar. Trust in the song."Her words, echoing the training, helped center me. I drew strength from the deep, steady pulse of the Abyssal Pillar, the foundation that had withstood millennia of pressure. I had learned its song, its sorrow, and now, I had to conduct its strength across the void.The time chosen by Elara, calculated to minimize interference along the resonance pathway, arrived. The central plaza was cleared, save for the Choir members forming concentric circles around the now heavily warded conduit, Thalassa standing at its base, and Elara monitoring her instruments nearby. The conduit itself hummed with contained power, the air around it thick with potential.I took my position before the conduit, placing my hands on its surface. The Choir began their Rite of Amplification, their voices weaving a powerful, resonant shield around the plaza, drawing energy from the Pillar deep below."It is time, Pillar-Singer," Thalassa projected, her voice calm but filled with immense gravity. *"Connect to the Heartbeat. Shape the counter-song. Conduct the harmony. May the foundation endure."Closing my eyes, I reached down with my senses, connecting to the Heartbeat Altar far below. I felt its steady, reinforced rhythm. Then, drawing upon that stability, I began to shape the complex counter-resonance we had designed, the specific frequency meant to neutralize Luminora's decay. Finally, gathering my will, focusing my intent, I began to broadcast, pushing the intricate harmony into the conduit, amplified by the Choir, aimed across the void towards a distant, dying star.