Q: Why is an aktual able to cast runes and affect matter?
A: Rune mastery results from spanning all the scales; you can teek down into every level of a material region and control the endless (convergent) series that is reality.
After I’m aktualized I can create an object by raising up some Subdee matter. I can, like, spin the wheel of scale in a region. And I can change my size.
I can shrink myself to atomic scale and directly kick an atom. I’m a true quantum mechanic—with a wrench. This is a more powerful interaction than is possible via lazy-eight teek, which lets you move things but doesn’t let you actually change the quantum computations.
When Jayjay is casting ioneer runes, he’s jittering from normal to atomic size at a femtohertz rate—he looks hazy. Maybe he emits some Cerenkov radiation, or grows evanescent transfinitely complex beetle antennae from his head.
Q: What’s the relationship between the transfinite aktuals and the alien Peng?
A: Let’s suppose that the Peng make a practice of parasitizing newly aktualized beings such as Jayjay. The Peng typically try and grab onto newly minted aktuals, using them to cast the runes that will instatiate their ioneers.
Allowing Panpenga to link to Jayjay was a major goof on his part.
The aktuals should have warned Jayjay, but they neglected to. They’re fallible. They apologize. The experienced aktuals know better than to open themselves up to contact with parasitic races like the Peng, but Jayjay was caught unaware, like a newborn antelope attacked by lions.
The Peng prey upon telepathic aktuals, and the Hrull prey upon telepathic humanoids who aren’t aktuals yet. The Hrull like to stunt humanoid races at a lazy eight stage, which is really only a prelude to the full aktualization stage. They infantilize races so as to parasitize them.
Subtextually, the Peng and the Hrull represent two kinds of obstacles to enlightenment: conventionality and decadence.
Peng = Consensus reality, McDonaldsization, TV, lack of imagination.
Hrull = Drug addiction, loveless orgies, gluttony, the “left-handed path” of sensual indulgence.