Levels of Ascension BoxSet

by Amy Proebstel

  “I find it very strange that I received a call from you only moments after I got a message from Elder Vargen,” Shemalla spoke almost offhandedly. She did not believe in coincidences and wondered what the two events would have to do with one another. Eventually she would put the pieces together.

  “What did he want?” Lillia thought he had seemed distracted when they had walked down the hallway. He had not been nearly as persistent as he usually was in questioning her about why she needed to use his gate.

  “He asked me if I had heard anything about a man being in Roswell with amnesia.”

  Lillia furrowed her brows at the odd question. “What did you tell him?”

  “The truth, I haven’t heard anything like that around here.”

  “What do you think it means?”

  “Elder Vargen must have lost one of his Earth slaves. My guess is it was someone important since he’s going through the trouble of trying to locate him.”

  Lillia was beginning to feel very slow around Shemalla. Naturally, the amnesia should have been a tip-off for her. She knew about people from Earth losing their memories whenever they crossed through the Ascension Gates in either direction. If this man had escaped from Elder Vargen, then he was probably still in Tuala. She filed the information away in her mind for further consideration as there might be a way to use it against the Elder at some point.

  “Do you need me to do anything for you or do you have a plan already?” Shemalla asked as she navigated the first turn toward town.

  “I’m not sure yet. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I stayed at your house for at least a day while I figure out my plans.” She really could not imagine it not working out with Shemalla since they had been good friends for a very long time.

  “You know I always love having you stay with me. It gets pretty lonely at home all alone every day. It’s pretty refreshing to be able to talk about home and know the other person knows what I’m talking about.” She smiled as she recalled the last visit she had received from Lillia. They had spent the entire night gossiping about the people in their lives while eating Tualan food brought by Lillia for the occasion.

  “Thanks, Shemalla. I always feel better when I’m out from under Lucinden’s watchful eyes.”

  “I don’t know why you put up with him. You know he’s not good for you or anybody else.”

  “I stay with him because then I can keep track of his moves. There have been many occasions where I’ve been able to keep him from causing more harm just by distracting him.”

  Shemalla shivered at the idea of what Lillia had been forced to do to distract him. Knowing she would not have been able to keep up the charade as long as Lillia had already, she admired the personal sacrifices her friend had made in order to help all of mankind. She wished there were more she could do for her than just a place to crash for the night.

  The city was visible in the distance which meant they were almost back to town. Lillia looked around the stark landscape and could see why people fell in love with the tranquil beauty of it all. The sun shining down on them looked like it should be making the day warm, yet she knew all too readily that it was very cold, even for December.

  When they finally pulled into the driveway, Lillia still had no better idea for a plan of action. She would have to figure something out so she could report her findings to Lucinden. The last thing she needed was for him to look into this matter on his own.

  Lillia picked up her travel bag from between her feet in the car and slung it over her shoulder as she got out. She walked beside Shemalla as they entered the quiet house.

  “Put your stuff down in the room you always use.”

  “Okay, thanks,” Lillia answered as she continued down the short hall and turned to the left after the guest bathroom door. She appreciated the fact that the room always looked the same. When she had to use the bathroom at night, she could easily navigate around the furniture even in the dark.

  After setting the bag down on the end of the bed, Lillia returned to the living room where she knew Shemalla would bring them both refreshments. Shemalla was known for making the best cactus wine and Lillia’s mouth watered just thinking about it. As if on cue, Shemalla returned from the kitchen holding a tray containing a squat-looking jar and two small shot glasses.

  She set the tray on the coffee table and began pouring the potent beverage. Shemalla handed the first glass to Lillia and picked up the second for herself.

  “This should warm you up faster than anything else!” Shemalla declared as she stayed on the edge of the couch and raised her glass for a toast. “Here’s to being smart enough and strong enough for good to win in the end!”

  Lillia chuckled at the toast and raised her glass to clink against Shemalla’s. They both drank small sips at the same time. “I think this is your best batch yet,” she praised as the liquor went smoothly down her throat with a trail of moderated fire.

  Chapter Twenty

  NEAL FELT AS though he had changed since undergoing hypnosis, almost as if something had been unlocked in his brain. His mind kept reviewing what had been released and plagued his dreams. If he thought he had been tired before, now he knew what exhaustion meant.

  He dragged himself out of bed and went to the kitchen where he could smell the coffee brewing. Maybe the caffeine would revive him from the stupor he felt taking over his life. Neal pulled a cup out of the cupboard and clumsily poured the hot liquid, sloshing some of it onto his thumb. “Damn that’s hot,” he growled as he hurriedly set the cup and coffee pot down so he could get some cold water over the burning flesh.

  Jessica walked in just in time to witness Neal’s incident and asked, “Are you okay, honey?”

  “Yeah, I just got careless.” The last thing he wanted to admit to his mother was that he felt even worse than before. He could just imagine how she would react.

  “Let me know if you need anything,” she offered as she effortlessly poured her own coffee and took it to the table to sip while she read the paper.

  Neal turned off the water and examined his finger. It was red, but otherwise okay. He grabbed his coffee and sat at the table across from his mother. He decided to wait a few more minutes before even attempting to sip the hot liquid.

  Jessica looked up from the paper and noticed how tired her son looked. “You look terrible, Neal. Didn’t you get any sleep?”

  “Not much, really. I can’t stop thinking about my session with Dr. Huddleston.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” She had wanted to ask a million questions when they had left the psychiatrist’s office. Her patience appeared to have paid off as she saw her son nod his assent.

  “I remember a woman named Vinia. Somehow I think I’m missing something important, though.”

  “Why do you say that?” Her voice remained calm even if her heart rate increased. The tightening of her fingers on the handle of her coffee cup was the only outward indication of her excitement at this breakthrough.

  “I keep mistaking Vinia for Amanda. In my mind it’s almost like they’re twins because they look so much alike.”

  “They do say everyone has at least one doppelganger in the world,” she offered reasonably as her mind raced at the possibilities.

  Neal raised his eyebrows and considered his mother’s point. He hoped her explanation was the right answer since it made him feel slightly less crazy. “There’s also something about a place called Tuala. Have you ever heard of it before?”

  Jessica raised her eyes to the ceiling as she considered his question before she shook her head. “No, I don’t think I have. Did you try looking it up on the computer? It might be some small town in Mexico or something.”

  “No,” Neal answered and felt slightly foolish. He was not used to going to the computer for answers since the internet had really come into existence while he had been missing. While everyone around him seemed to think of it as a major resource, he still thought of it as a novelty. Why didn’t they have internet where I was held c
aptive? he wondered to himself. “I’ll check it out after I finish my coffee.”

  “Maybe a shower would help wake you up as well,” Jessica offered as she took in his disheveled appearance.

  “I look that bad, huh?” He chuckled at his mother’s expression.

  “What else do you remember?”

  Neal was not fooled by his mother’s change of subject. He thought about what else to tell her. An idea suddenly struck him and he said, “I think I had a job! Yeah, I did! I had a job, Mom.”

  “What kind of a job? Where was it?” Jessica put the paper down, not even willing to pretend she was reading it anymore.

  Neal frowned in concentration before he answered, “I was an engineer.”

  “What kinds of projects did you work on?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered after he wracked his brain for the elusive information.

  “Don’t push yourself, honey. I think you’ve made great progress after only seeing Dr. Huddleston once. You’ll find yourself remembering more and more after each session.” She nodded her head affirmatively and then took a sip of her coffee.

  Neal played with the handle of his cup for a moment before he shook his head in disgust. He hated being unable to put the pieces together. It seemed strange to him to be missing such a long period of time in his life. He did not feel as though he had been abused, beaten, or injured in any way, so why would he be unable to remember? It just did not make any sense.

  Jessica could practically see the wheels turning in her son’s head. She was thankful he was at least trying to recall the events of his past, yet she did not want him overwhelmed to the point where he gave up. “Give it time, Neal. It’ll all come back given enough time.”

  “I suppose.” He picked up his cup and took a cautious sip. “I wish Amanda would answer my phone calls. I could probably remember faster if she told me where I was actually found.”

  “Probably. I’m not sure why she’s being so difficult. Maybe she just needs some time to process it as well.”

  “Maybe,” Neal answered even though he did not believe it to be true any more than his mother did.

  Jessica sipped her coffee again and decided she would be making a house call later in the day. Amanda was going to answer her questions whether she wanted to or not. Neal had a right to know where he had been and Amanda did have the answers they were all desperate to find out.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Valentina cornered Juila in the girls’ bathroom. “What happened yesterday? Why did I get left here alone at school?”

  “You know what happened, Val. Behn explained it all to you.” Juila looked around to make sure nobody heard their conversation.

  “I want to hear it from you. I think there’s more to this story than even Behn knew.” Valentina crossed her arms and stood her ground.

  Juila sighed as she recognized the stubborn stance. “Sofia was dying, she did die actually. Jena and I used our powers to heal her injuries to bring her back to life.”

  “So you just sat there in front of half of the student body and healed her? How could you be so reckless?”

  Juila’s anger rose as she realized what Valentina was saying. Her voice rose only slightly as she replied, “What was I supposed to do? Let her die? Of course I healed her. I would hope you would do the same thing once you have learned the skill.”

  Valentina still struggled with the idea of being different and not fitting in with the other kids in their school. She hated being adopted and having people feel sorry for her and her brothers because of it.

  The longer Valentina remained silent, the more Juila realized she probably would not have helped Sofia, even to save her life. “You wouldn’t have helped, would you? Are you ashamed of who you are?”

  “I don’t want to be a freak!” Valentina finally blurted out.

  Juila shook her head in pity at the girl’s strange ideals. Using the power given to them by Jehoban had always been a blessing. She had a hard time understanding why anyone would want to keep their abilities from helping people.

  “Nobody suspects me of doing anything, Val. All anyone saw was me and Jena holding Sofia and keeping her company until the paramedics arrived.”

  “This time, Juila. What happens next time you happen to be around when someone gets hurt? Don’t you think people will start to put it together? You can be so oblivious sometimes!”

  “People see what they want to see and believe what they want to believe. It’s not in my nature to ignore people when they need help and I don’t think it’s in yours, either. I think you need to practice reading people’s minds so you can quit being so paranoid. You’d be shocked at how little people actually think about you or your brothers’ situation. You’ve just become hyper sensitive and slightly paranoid.”

  “It sounds like you’re calling me crazy.” Valentina scowled deeper as she glared down at Juila.

  “No, I’m calling you human. It’s in our nature to worry, some more than others. We can talk about this later. We’re going to be late for class.” She pulled on Valentina’s arm and smiled at her to get her moving.

  “We’re not done talking about this, Juila,” she warned even as she started walking.

  Juila merely smiled. “You’re right. We need to talk about meeting your mom.”

  Valentina’s face turned red as she recalled her terrible manners when she had first heard about their mom. Behn had been very patient with her and let her fume and vent about it on the drive home. Eventually, she had to agree it was in their best interest to at least meet the woman who might be their mother. All of the pieces did seem to fit and it would not hurt them to at least hear her out.

  Juila covertly listened in to Valentina’s thoughts. She was relieved to know she was at least willing to make an effort. “How are you going to tell Jon?”

  “We’re not,” she answered flatly.

  “What? You can’t keep your mom from him!”

  “We can until we know for sure that she is our mother. Why put him through any of this strange mess if she’s not who she says she is?”

  “Good point. You will have to tell him if she is your mom.”

  “Yeah, we will.” Valentina was not excited about the whole idea. Jon seemed so content now that he had started dating Sofia. He was the happiest she had ever seen him and she did not want to turn his life upside down.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  RICCAN COULD NOT concentrate on his work. His mind kept going over his last visit to Ela Nena’s office. There was something he had missed or something important for him to remember. It was not necessarily anything she had said to him, no, it was definitely something else.

  While she had definitely been acting strange, it seemed to be getting worse lately. He knew she was happily married so it would not be a jealousy thing because he was happily married. She had always admired his ability to get his team to work at their peak performance. No, it was not a management problem either.

  He tried to pinpoint exactly when her demeanor toward him had changed. The first major conflict had happened right after he came back from vacation and told her he had gotten married. The more he thought about it, he realized she had been happy for him personally. Okay, so he could rule out the marriage as the problem. What had been going on with her while he was on vacation?

  Riccan turned on his patil, pulled up Ela Nena’s calendar, and scanned through her meetings to see what she had been doing during the time he had been out on vacation. She was a very busy woman and there were possibly a hundred different meetings, conferences, and special events she had attended.

  He pulled out a piece of paper and began writing down the names of the people she had met with and the places where the meetings had been held. He had been gone for six weeks so the list took a bit of time to complete. After he completed the list, he could see there were many meetings with people who he knew personally. Since those people got along with him he scratched their names off of the list.

  Eventually, he pair
ed the list down to two events which were out of the ordinary: an awards ceremony and a meeting with a man whose name he did not recognize. He tapped the notepad with the tip of his pencil as he tried to figure out why these two things seemed to stand out.

  He turned to his patil, typed in the man’s name, and hit enter. The search returned one result. Riccan smiled at the screen. The name was the same as the person who presented the Annual Achievement award to Ela Nena at the Engineering Excellence Awards dinner. Now, why would this man come to meet with Ela Nena? Riccan thought to himself. Maybe, more importantly, why did his name only have one search result? If he were important enough to present the award, why wouldn’t he have a history?

  Riccan hated mysteries almost as much as he detested riddles. This person seemed to be shrouded in mystery and he did not like it. He tore the piece of paper off of the notepad and folded it several times before shoving it into his pocket. Riccan knew someone who just loved to figure things out: his mother.

  He looked at the clock and was relieved to find it was already after five. After turning off his patil, he grabbed his coat, and left the office. The elevator seemed to take forever to get down to the second floor so he tapped his foot while he impatiently waited. Finally, his turn came and he punched the button to take him to the roof.

  For a moment he contemplated timing it to his mother’s house, but then thought better of it. What difference would a few minutes make in the grand scheme of things? The elevator doors opened at the rooftop and he stepped out. He walked over to his bright red telepod and palmed open the door.

  He entered the coordinates to go to his parents’ house and immediately initiated the activation button. Several seconds passed in darkness as he traveled between spaces before arriving in the bright sunlight over the grassy meadow in Pantano. He set the telepod down on the field and turned it off.