Celestial Crisis

by Leo E. Ndelle

  Mother and son smiled and Kari kissed her son on the temple.

  “When I grow up, I want to be just like you, father,” Keni added and smiled.

  “You’ll be a lot better than I am, my son,” Deni said. “And thanks for your words of support. They give me all the strength I need to do what I do.”

  “Of course, father,” Keni replied.

  Two hours of telecasting with his family felt like two minutes.

  “I must go now,” Deni said. “Duty calls.”

  “Aye, aye, Commander!” Keni said and saluted his father.

  Deni smiled and returned the salute.

  “I’ll see you two soon,” Deni said.

  “See you soon, darling,” Kari said. “We love you.”

  “I love you too,” Deni said and blew them a kiss.

  Deni took the televator to every corner of the ark for a routine checkup. At the completion of this routine checkup, he returned to his quarters to enter his log. He would still have to monitor the crew and himself for any possible long term or medium-term effects of the interstellar jump. His bed beckoned like a siren’s call and Deni could not resist. He stared blankly at the ceiling. He had come a long way indeed; from battling the school board, fighting corporations trying to steal his creations, dealing with the politics of the Overlords and every other thing in between. The obstacles abounded but everything changed when he met Kari. It was as if the gods had incarnated into Kari and had brought their blessings with her. Everything had been smooth sailing from then. Keni was their first son and Deni was glad to know that Kari shared his intention of having another child one day. He just had to return home quickly enough.

  Deni suddenly whipped his head to the left and squinted, as if he had just seen something out of the corner of his eye an instant ago. He relaxed when he realized it was nothing. About a year after meeting Kari, Deni started feeling like someone was constantly watching him. And it was not just the feeling of being watched. It was also the feeling of something, which he could not tell exactly, being amiss. It was a gut feeling. Around the same time these gut feelings began, Deni started having dreams, some of which were recurring, about another realm and another group of beings. And these dreams did not just carry a feeling of familiarity with them; they felt more like memories.

  Deni had shared his thoughts about the situation with this wife.

  “Maybe you’re stressed…”

  “Probably side effects from the trial sessions with the leap technology…”

  “I know you haven’t been getting enough sleep lately…”

  “Perhaps this whole marriage thing is getting this lover boy all worried…”

  Kari was already supportive and Deni was grateful. He bought her theories, only to prevent her from worrying about him. Once the mission was over, Deni decided he would do some more digging into the situation. The adrenaline crash from going through the first interstellar leap from their realm, to ensuring the ark was running smoothly and that the crew was doing fine, was so strong that Deni did not remember when his eyelids had sealed shut and he plunged into a death-like sleep; and Uriel was there, lying next to him on the bed.

  The ark sailed past a few other realms. There was a blue realm, a pale blue realm and then they finally arrived at the realm with the rings around it. This was the maximum point anyone from Necheru had ever ventured into. So the team continued sailing. They sailed past another realm that was by far the largest of the realms they had seen so far. Then, they sailed past a smaller realm and then four more. That was as close as they could get to the central realm of this dimension; the Realm of Solara. As such, including theirs, there were eleven realms in the dimension, and most of them had smaller cosmic bodies in their orbits. Deni entered everything into the ark logs.

  On the return trip, instead of taking a leap from the realm closest to Solara, Deni wanted another terra-scan of the third realm from Solara. He was not sure why he felt so drawn to this realm, though. As a side thought, he wondered why he picked an un-Necheru name for the ark: Elohim! Oh well! So, as the ark sailed closer, Deni began running preliminary diagnostics. His eyes wavered on the screens as he read the diagnostics of the blue realm. He continued to look at the screens but he was not looking at the screens. Deni’s body was present, but his mind was not present. Deni seemed to be in a trance and time itself seemed to have come to a standstill. And then, the floodgates of the deepest corners of his psyche broke open and his memories came crashing into his conscious mind.

  He saw everything. His past beyond the past he knew. He saw his existence beyond the life he was now accustomed to. He saw himself beyond the self he knew. And suddenly, the dreams were no longer dreams. Suddenly, the ‘strong feelings’ were no longer ‘strong feelings’. His dreams were memories and his ‘strong feelings’ were certainties. He smiled as he realized his true identity went far beyond being of the Realm of Necheru. And suddenly, it all made sense; his healing abilities, his super, high intelligence, his higher intuition and perception, and even his very ‘career’ choices. His career path was even in line with his very purpose as a Shemsu. He smiled at the thought. It was all too perfect indeed.

  Deni also understood why he felt so drawn to this blue realm. He looked at the display and was pleased to find no abnormal readings. Emok’s containment was holding very well. He let out a sigh of relief. Project Falling was a success so far. He had experienced polarization and in his state of polarization, he had regained his memory as well as the ability to switch his essences at-will between Necheru and Shemsu. He remembered who he was and where he was from. He remembered his purpose and mission. His sacrifice had been a success. Finally, he there was hope for his Shemsu brethren. The Council would be very pleased when he returns and presents his findings.

  Deni considered updating The Council immediately on his current situation. He decided against it. The Council might have too many questions for him and they might even summon him immediately. He considered contacting Team LOHIM but also changed his mind. His mission was a success so far, but there was still a lot to learn. Most of all, he had a family to raise and take care of. And with this thought, Deni decided he would only return after he had lived to a ripe old age and seen his grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. The thought made him smile and warm his heart.

  Plus, Necheru could still benefit from what he had to offer, as a Necheru of course. The realm was in danger and the survival of the realm and creatures of the realm were paramount. So, no! No one else would know about his true identity; not his family and not even Tanki. Regardless of whether they would welcome such a grand revelation about him or not, they must not know for any reason whatsoever. That should be very easy, hopefully. Deni then smiled and turned around in his chair. He stared straight ahead as if he were staring into nothingness and grinned.

  “It’s good to see you, Uriel,” Lunok said.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  STATUS UPDATE

  “IT’S GOOD TO have you back, Lunok!” Uriel said.

  Her smile manifested before the rest of her form. Lunok stood up from his chair and walked towards Uriel. They hugged each other tightly.

  “Thank you for sticking around,” Lunok said, using Celestia’s frequency.

  “I couldn’t abandon you even if I wanted to,” Uriel replied.

  They peeled away from each other as Lunok moved two seats towards them using telekinesis.

  “So, how do you feel?” Uriel asked as she sat down.

  “I feel normal, actually,” Lunok replied.

  “And how did you feel BEFORE your awakening?” Uriel prompted.

  “I felt normal, I think,” Lunok replied and furrowed his eyebrows. “Life and everything else felt normal. THAT life was my normal. Now, it feels more like I just awoke from a dream and THIS is my reality. It’s really an interesting feeling. Maybe one day, you will get to experience it for yourself.”

  “You said ‘one day’,” Uriel said.

  “You’re right,” Luno
k concurred. “I did say ‘one day’. It appears my Necheru tendencies won’t be going anywhere anytime soon”

  They both laughed out loud.

  “That is a good thing though,” Lunok continued, “because I plan on staying here for a while. Not sure how long, exactly. But let’s just say long enough for me to see my great-grandchildren, if possible.”

  “I was going to ask you about that,” Uriel said. “But you beat me to it. Very well. So, how do you feel about polarization? Do you think you’ve found a way to handle it in your Shemsu state?”

  “I am already handling it in my Shemsu state,” Lunok replied and winked.

  “Oh!” Uriel exclaimed. “Please explain.”

  “So, there’s something about the Shemsu makeup that does not enable us to properly process polarization. But I think the problem goes beyond our inability to handle polarization.”

  Lunok leaned forward in his seat. Uriel summoned and flapped her wings twice as she too leaned forward in her seat.

  “Polarization is simply the nature of light and dark coexisting in a creature,” Lunok said. “There are various factors at play, like upbringing, environmental, sociological factors among others, which all contribute towards a creature siding with either the light or the dark to various degrees. However, with an affected Shemsu, there was never a choice. There has only been the darkness and this darkness always won. Now, why IS that?”

  Uriel processed what Lunok had just told her. He was right, the darkness has always been victorious with the Shemsus and they had no explanation for that.

  “I can’t come up with a reasonable explanation, Lunok,” Uriel said. “Looks like you and I have a lot more research to do.”

  “Indeed, my child,” Lunok said.

  “Welcome back!” Uriel beamed.

  “Huh?” Lunok said and then he realized Uriel was referring to Lunok’s use of ‘my child’ to address her. “Was that your final confirmation?”

  “Sure!” Uriel replied and the two of them burst into laughter.

  “So, do you think you now stand a better chance at fighting this darkness?” Uriel asked.

  “I’m not worried about the darkness, Uriel,” Lunok replied confidently. “It can’t overcome me. Falling mutated my Shemsu essence and made me immune to the darkness. I can feel it. My theories were all correct. Project Falling has been a resounding success thus far.”

  “I’m really glad to have you back, Lunok,” Uriel said.

  “Thank you, my child,” Lunok replied. “Well, enough of me talking. What have you learned so far in your walk among the Necheru?’

  Lunok noticed Uriel’s hesitation.

  “What happened, Uriel?” Lunok asked.

  “I’m not sure how or where to begin,” Uriel replied. “Well, maybe I should just start from the day you were born.”

  Lunok leaned back in his seat as Uriel began her synopsis of all the major events that occurred outside of Lunok’s sphere of awareness. She talked about the maid with the bizarre, non-Necheru esoteric signature and the toddler who showed up a year or so later with the same esoteric signature. The same toddler turned out to be Deni’s best friend, Tanki, who later introduced himself as The Scribe, a purveyor of purpose and an entity who was too powerful even for her to begin to understand.

  “We have heard of this entity in Asah,” Lunok said. “We theorized that he is from Akasha and is the epitome of Chaos. We’ve never had any form of contact with him, or at least, there’s nothing in our databases to indicate prior contact with him by any of us. He is beyond a myth, a notion we shove away and focus on our duties, thinking we cannot be touched by Chaos because we are Shemsu and we are immune to polarization.”

  “But now you know better,” Uriel said and heaved her shoulders.

  “I now understand better why The Council created the hidden databases,” Lunok said. “Even with them granting me access to everything, they still kept certain truths hidden from me, for obvious reasons.”

  “I don’t follow,” Uriel said.

  “Fear,” Lunok said. “We, the Shemsus, know many emotions. However, fear is not one of them. Once fear sets in, our psyches cannot handle it and our esoteric makeup undergoes some mutation. But it’s not just any kind of fear. Specifically, it is the fear of non-existence. The fear of non-existence, when it hits a Shemsu, creates a psychical shock so intense that the Shemsu’s esoteric makeup can only submit to a vibration aligned with that of the fear of non-existence, one that inclines towards a desperation of self-preservation. This is where the darkness comes in. That fear can turn into a plague that can spread rapidly. Fear can be the great poison to a creature’s essence; a carcinogenic of sorts that can cause a cancer to the psyche. If caught early enough, it can be cured. If not…”

  Lunok trailed off and sighed.

  “Regardless,” Lunok said. “Cured or not, the cancer leaves a scar and with us, there’s no telling what that could translate to. Another Emok or something even worse. Who knows?”

  Uriel nodded. She did not know what to say. Lunok regaining his memory was great news, indeed. It was unfortunate that there was a dimension of differences between ‘great news’ and ‘mission accomplished’.

  “Do you know what the worst part is?” Lunok asked.

  “No, Lunok,” Uriel replied.

  “The Scribe is my best friend,” Lunok said.

  There was a moment of silence before Lunok and Uriel erupted in laughter. It was a laughter of incredulity. A most powerful being, the epitome of chaos, was Lunok’s best friend.

  “You should feel special,” Uriel said amidst fits of laughter.

  “Oh believe me, my child, I certainly do,” Lunok replied.

  “I feel like this is my fault, somehow,” Uriel said. “Maybe if I didn’t engage him back then.”

  “Come on now, Uriel,” Lunok said. “You didn’t create this being, did you?”

  Uriel heaved her shoulders and leaned back in her chair.

  “So, what now?” she asked.

  She was relieved and concerned at the same time now that she no longer had to keep The Scribe’s secret.

  “We go with the flow,” Lunok said. “We don’t stand a chance against him.”

  “As you wish,” Uriel said.

  “In the meantime,” Lunok said. “Find a way to convince Michael and Luciel to fall. Falling will be the only way for them to handle Emok’s tainted essence.”

  “Agreed,” Uriel concurred.

  “And you don’t have to stick around anymore,” Lunok said. “I can take care of myself now. Thank you so much for everything, Uriel. I mean it.”

  “Wait! You’re just going to kick me away like that?” Uriel asked, feeling slighted and offended. “After all we’ve been through?”

  “By the gods! You sound like a jilted lover,” Lunok said and laughed aloud. “No, Uriel. I’m not getting rid of you. I just mean you can spend more time in Celestia now. We will always stay in touch using the Shemsu frequency. Do you still know how to use it?”

  “You taught me well, Lunok,” Uriel replied and winked.

  “That’s my favorite archangel,” Lunok said.

  “Who’s your second favorite?” Uriel asked.

  “Why have a second favorite when all I need is one?” Lunok replied.

  Uriel’s cheeks glowed and she lowered her eyes. Lunok erupted in laughter.

  “My child! You’re too adorable,” Lunok said.

  “Stop it, Lunok,” Uriel said and buried her face in her hands.

  “Anyway, all joking aside, we have a lot of research to do,” Lunok said. “So many questions, so few answers.”

  “I’ll keep you apprised if I find anything,” Uriel said.

  “I know you will, my child,” Lunok said and stood up. “Now, I must return to ark duties.”

  Uriel stood up as well. She hugged Lunok. Lunok kissed the crown of head.

  “I’ll see you around,” Uriel said.

  “See you around,” Lunok replied and U
riel teleported away to Celestia.

  Lunok sighed and headed for his desk. He sat down and pressed a button on his telecaster.

  “Commander?” Tanki said in a very military tone.

  “Prepare the crew and the ship for leap,” Commander Deni ordered. “We are returning home.”

  “Aye, aye, Commander,” Tanki affirmed the order. “If I may, why return so early, Commander? We still have two Necheru weeks on our schedule.”

  “Our mission was preliminary exploration, which we’ve completed,” Lunok replied. “We have enough data for our next missions.”

  “Aye, aye, Commander!” Tanki said.

  “Deni out!” Lunok said.

  Tanki executed his orders. He was phenomenal at his job. Within minutes, the ship and crew were in leap and arrived home safe and sound. The crew was hailed and received a hero’s welcome. Deni was greeted by his wife and twenty-one-year old son. So the time dilation was less on the return leap. Deni and his team were immediately taken away for debriefing before they could return to the public. There would be a gala celebration later in the week at the Palace of the Overlord in honor of Deni and his crew. Deni was so happy to see his family again. He missed them for a few weeks, but they had missed him for over fifteen years.

  The gala was lavish and glamorous. Lunok and his team were the biggest celebrities Necheru had ever known. It was a miracle how Lunok narrated the same brief version of his mission to over twenty senior officials in one evening and answered the same questions ad infinitum. Everyone wanted to hear the story from the commander himself, despite the live broadcast and endless reruns of his interview across the realm.

  At last, he managed to squeeze some time away from the crowd at the gala and sought Tanki out. They met on the north side of the courtyard. It was less crowded and they could have a moment to talk.

  “Great party!” Tanki exclaimed.

  He emptied the alcoholic contents of his glass.

  “Indeed, but that’s not why I asked you to meet me here,” Lunok replied.

  Tanki noticed his friend’s countenance was different and smiled.

  “Looks like someone has regained his memory,” The Scribe said as he made his glass disappear from his right hand.