Parable of the Atmosphere

We are all creative souls, this is the very nature of being human and our creative energies while they seem inconsequential to us are deeply powerful for those beings that to whom they give life. In the deep places of the world those creative energies flow and when the conditions are just right give rise to beings born of pure creative energy. Long ago these beings have found a way to harness our creative energies pooling them and drawing on them to perform acts of incredible magic in service of the humans who gave them rise. However as of late a new generation of being have taken root, selfish beyond measure the seek to harvest these creative energies and keep them locked away for themselves. Unbeknownst to the humans above these dark spirits of the deep sap their creative energy not for the betterment of all but just to ensnare more and more humans in their thrall. As an artist we find our protagonist burned out, their creative energy sapped for the occasional reward of a like. They have almost no creative spirit left, except for one final spark, a drawing they closely guard, rendered in charcoal pencil - they're afraid to even start drawing it on their computer for the fear that the urge to give this last creative pursuit to the social Internet will be too much and will break them. It's late and they fall asleep in their small studio, the glow of the monitor plays shadows on the wall behind them, they could be creatures but they could just be a figment of the imagination. Our artist awakes, not in their studio but in a strange land — this is the deep world where creative energy flows. The world is bright but on the edges it dims. But there in their heart that last creative spark glows. Lost our protagonist wanders out finding the vivid forest gives way to a wasteland, turning back they are set on by strange wolves. These wolves pursue the artist almost overcoming them until a hero, barely realized ones to their rescue - the artist gets only a glimpse before the hero is gone, pursuing the wolves but it could be the character for their charcoal drawings. Feeling safe for a time the artist makes their way to a forest clearing where they find a shallow pool surrounded by mushrooms. They stop to drink, but the pool doesn't have water, rather it's a glowing seemingly ethereal substance that plays over their hands as they run through them. As our artist watches energy flows from the sky and collects above the pool. Then from the forest emerges a woman with butterfly wings. The artist not wanting to be discovered hides and watches in awe as the butterfly woman reaches into the pool string her hand about she seems to glow then with her hands gives a flick and a gesture and the energy above the pool swirls about falling and incorporating itself into the pool below. As the energy joins the pool the pool changes hue slightly, then quick burst of light shoot out into the sky and fly off. The artist gasps, too loud the butterfly girl has noticed her. "I am Bluesky, there is no reason to be afraid" the butterfly girl says, offering her hand to the artist. "This PDS is of the atmosphere - it is a place that all may drink from". Uncertain the artist steps out of the forest, the butterfly girls seems harmless enough, but much to the artist disappointment the butterfly girl withdraws her hand when seeing the artists face. "You're human!" the girl says - the sock in her voice palpable, "but how did you come to be here?" The artist, unsure of themselves gives the most honest answer they can muster. "I'm not sure, I'm not even sure where here is". Bluesky the butterfly girl looks about, and begins to launch into an explanation, "There is a world beyond your human world, deeper, and older, formed..." She is cut-off suddenly by the howling of wolves a look of horror running across her face. "They are drawn by your creative energy - come it's not safe" Bluesky says to the artist gesturing them to follow. As they move through the vibrant forest the artist asks, "What are those things?" "Dark Patterns" Bluesky responds, "they hunt out creative energy and bring it back to their masters. Normally they'd find an errant thought", as she says this Bluesky reaches up to a tall flower and seems to shake loose a glowing orb, give it a gentle embrace and then send it floating off. Then turning to the artist Bluesky reaches out and touches their heart, "You are a fountain of energy, an unheard of prize for those monstrosities". Pushing through the forest they come upon a small village. "This is the atmosphere" Bluesky says to the artist, "here you will be safe for a time. Those dark patterns know not to try to come here. Although..." her thought trailed off, "What is it?" the artist asked, worried and intrigued, Bluesky gave a smirk and responded, "It's just that the other Apps here – well they haven't seen a human before, let's just say that your presence will likely be quite a stir" The atmosphere was a buzz as the artist and Bluesky entered. All around them strange creatures gathered and gawked as the two walked hand-in-hand through the town streets, finally taking up residence in the quiet corner of a small cafe. "I'm sure you have a million questions" Bluesky said. The artist nodded, then the two sat in silence for a moment before the artist spoke, "That pool back in the forest, the energy you brushed off that flower, what is it?". Bluesky smiled, "Creative energy, you humans have it in droves, but us Apps we must... what's the word... absorb it.", curious the artist asked, "You mean like eating it?". Bluesky shook her head, "No we don't consume energy, at least not in the way you imagine consuming food. Rather we draw energy from it.", the artist nodded asking, "And the pool, what did you call it?". "Ah a PDS", Bluesky said, "It is one of many such pools that we in the atmosphere maintain. They serve as a well of creative energy that any of these apps that you have seen in the atmosphere may draw from." As they sat at the cafe a cute cat girl brought the artist a cup of something that felt warm like tea and smelled sweet. She drank it finding it soothing in a way she didn't know she needed. Looking across the table to Bluesky the artist asked, "Those dark patterns, you told me they were taking creative energy back to their masters, what did you mean by that?" Bluesky's face turned grim, "It's best you see for yourself". The journey from the Atmosphere had been long, first through the forest and then across a sun caked wasteland, at last as they had summited a craggy hilltop Bluesky had gestured to the artist to stay low. From their vantage at the top of the hilltop the artist looked out over a vast stretch of wasteland. Dotted on the landscape dark patterns seemed to wind lupine this way and that. Beyond the wasteland stood a massive stone stronghold, it's base seemed to be a crumbled ruin but as the artist traced the lines of the stronghold to the sky the dark stones gave way to ivory and gilded towers. "There are many such places" Bluesky said, "They are built on the ruins of castles before them, and while their towers may be lofty and gilded they too will one day fall". The artist tried to comprehend the scale of the castle, it was distant but still seemed vast beyond measure, "How many apps live in..." before the artist could finish their sentence Bluesky simply shook her head, "This is but home to one app". The artist was confused, the castle must have been 10 times the size of the atmosphere but if Bluesky was right then there was but one lone app. The artist couldn't help but imagine and feel sad thinking of a solitary app alone in such a large castle. "Look!" Bluesky said suddenly gesturing to the sky above the castle. There swirling and forming was a brightly glowing whirlpool. "Creative energies?" the artist asked, Bluesky nodded but gestured for the artist to pay attention. As the artist watched the energy condensed and then seemed to be pulled into the castle. With a tone of dissapointment bluesky said "That alone was enough creative energy to sustain one hundred apps for a year", "What will happen to it?" the artist asked, "locked away, the app that lives in this castle guards it at all costs". "I don't understand, didn't you say that you don't eat the energy, what would the app need to guard all that energy for?" Bluesky gave the artist a weary look saying, "There are some apps that care less about what they can do with their energy and more about simply having as much energy for themselves as they can. Now, it grows late we must return to the atmosphere". On the walk back to the atmosphere the artist was quiet for a while, finally breaking the silence, "When I first arrived those dark patterns came after me and... someone came to save me", Bluesky was thoughtful for a moment. "There are times when creative energies come together, not just as energy for us apps but as something more, with the right conditions they may form into their own app." Curious the artist pressed, "So it was another app in the atomosphere? It's just that it seemed different, less clear, and yet familiar." Bluesky nodded with some understanding, "If I'm correct, this was a new idea - your idea. Still nascent, it has a hard road ahead of it and decisions to make. If it finds its way to the atmosphere we will give it what aid we can." The artist was concerned, "And what if it doesn't?" Bluesky's look was stern, "There are other's here who would help, the fediverse and others, but many of the nascent apps don't make it, even those who find their way to the atmosphere."