Novel Communication Novels & Stories

RIN POV Iris turned fifteen and fell in love with a boy who was not networked. His name was Daniel and he had no idea that collective consciousness existed or that the quiet girl in his history class could feel his emotions if she focused hard enough. "This is a disaster," Iris said through the network while lying dramatically on her bed. "How do I talk to someone who cannot feel what I am feeling. Words are so inadequate." "Welcome to how most of humanity communicates," Kai said with amusement through the connection. "You use your words and hope they understand."

Nova That was the line in the sand. That was the official declaration of the Cold War. I stood up; I didn't wait for him to respond. I just grabbed my little suitcase and started walking back the way he had come, toward that massive, ridiculously luxurious mansion. “Wait, Nova!” he called out. “We need to talk about the plan! We need to figure out who gets what!” I didn't even turn around. I just kept walking. My strategy was simple: maximum distance, minimum communication. Camille wanted us to bond? Fine. I was going to turn this place into a massive, gorgeous boarding house where we just happened to share a postcode.

Fitch said, shifting uneasily, as if the word itself embarrassed him, “when Alex told me through the mind-link that he’d found you.” “What’s a mind-link?” I interrupted. “It’s how wolves communicate over long distances. Even now, sitting here with you, I could send Alex a message. It’s usually used in wolf form, when we can’t speak. It’s like having a conversation in your head—or making a phone call through your thoughts.”

The network moved differently after that. More carefully around influence. More aware of how easily guidance could become gravity. No one openly asked for leaders anymore. But the desire itself. it hadn’t disappeared. It had only changed shape. I noticed it slowly. Subtly. At first, it seemed harmless. Small phrases repeated across interactions. Ideas compressed into simple forms. Shortened meanings that carried shared understanding quickly through the network. Symbols. “They’re simplifying communication,” I said. “Yes.”

"Will you be wanting me to join you when you go speak with the human delegates regarding their birthing systems?" John looked at Tom first then over to Carrie to answer, "I believe it would be best if we conduct the first interview on our own. If you have any specific questions, you could send them to us in a screenfile?" "E-mail. They use electronic mail here among the humans. It's similar to our system of sharing data through screens except their system is connected via invisible waves called 'radio waves.' Zen moved beyond this technology prior to any of our births. I find it is easier to use their systems than our own when we are trying to reserve our resources as much as possible."

Collins drops his gaze across the terminal floor. My memory modules run a high-speed audit, trying to calculate exactly how many winter moons have cleared the sky since our tongues last exchanged data in this peaceful, unhurried register. Our default communication protocol has historically involved hurling the sharpest, most lacerating words directly at each other's pelts. "Confirmed," I rumble softly.

I snarled, my voice was barely over a low growl. "Bring me my laptop, too. I need to start tracking that. You're also going to want to shut down your entire system. It's time to go old school-just like you." I grinned as I heard the smile in her voice. "What does old school mean to you? Specifically in terms of communication." "Face to face. Or a pager and a landline. Hell, use my house if you need to for the landline. No more cell phones. No walkie talkies. You either need to see the person you're talking to or you need to -"

"I cannot fully interpret what is happening in the contact. The frequency is—" "Extraordinary," I say. "Yes." I put my hands on the notation volume beside hers. I feel the contact — the three new cities, the eleven anomalous ones peripheral, the warmth of the existing network in the background, all of it held in the living document that Neva built. "They are talking to each other," I say. "Through the contact. The three cities that have been holding independently have just found out they are not alone." Sable looks at me.

“How in the hell am I supposed to talk to them?” Nova barked back. A long sigh echoed inside her mind. Honestly… I was wondering how long it would take you to ask that. Nova rolled her eyes. “Well?” You don’t speak to them with your voice. Nova frowned. “Then how?” You link with them. She blinked. “…Mind-link?” Yes. The Lycan paused before continuing. But understand this… they cannot answer you. Nova looked over at the Hollowfangs still standing protectively around her.

Her face is a brick red, mortified at the thought of her family witnessing our consummation. Not on purpose, it’s hard to explain. Would you have done better? “I’ll text him and make sure.” The double talk makes communication a little confusing, but I’m having to suppress all the ideas I’m already getting for how to use it in bed. It’ll be useful in situations where we can’t otherwise speak freely, as well. There are a whole wealth of benefits to this new superpower of ours, especially if we find a way to block out the things we don’t want to send all the time. I can already tell it’s going to take a minute to get used to how noisy Emory’s mind is. Me: