The Island on the Edge of Forever (The Epic of Aravinda Book 2)

by Andrew M. Crusoe

  “Navika is requesting a mental link with you. Allow?”

  Asha’s mouth hung open in surprise for a moment.

  “Yes!”

  A new voice filled her mind, as clear as Liila’s but masculine.

  “Greetings, Asha. I am pleased at your presence. And Zahn seems to share my elation.”

  “Zahn?! He’s there with you? How?”

  “Oh, yes. But time runs short. Vayuna has informed me that she cannot hold off the swarm much longer. We need to leave this chamber as soon as possible.”

  “Vayuna? That was her?” Asha shook her head. “There’s a lot I need to tell you and Zahn, but first we’ve got to free the Kiss of Life from the pedestal, before the swarm breaks through. Can you free the Kiss of Life with your plasma beams? I’m not sure how much you know, Navika, but a Confederation captain’s life is at stake.”

  “Yes. I will remove the artifact. It is reminiscent of another.”

  “Thanks, Navika. And hurry!”

  “Zahn asks if you need any help reentering your ship.”

  Asha stood up and signaled for Liila to come down to her. As the airlock opened, stray bubbles rose up.

  “No, I’m okay.” She walked over to the open airlock, doing her best to hide the slight limp she still had. “Just tell him I have quite a story to tell.”

  A short time later, she was sitting in the command chair, watching Navika use his violet precision beams to cut the Kiss of Life from the pedestal it was embedded in.

  “Asha!” Zahn said over the comm. “Is that really you?”

  “Yes! But how are you even here? Do you still have the Tulari? You shot the jelly suffocating me, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, I do! And I did.”

  “Thanks, but you could have killed me, Zahn!”

  “You were suffocating, Asha. I was going to lose you anyway. It was worth a try, and in that moment, it felt right.”

  Asha slowed her breathing. “I still can’t believe you’re here. Thanks for saving me.” She paused. “It’s so good to hear your voice, Zahn.”

  “It’s good to hear you, too,” Zahn said. “For a second there, I thought I might lose you. Again.”

  “I have so much to tell you,” she said. “But it’ll have to wait.”

  “Yeah. Vayuna says another wave will be here any second.”

  Asha watched as Navika cut the small, shimmering sphere from its pedestal and lifted it out.

  “Good,” Asha said, “but if you have the Tulari in your ship, then I should carry the Kiss of Life to the surface.”

  “Why?”

  “Haven’t you noticed how similar they are? They’re nearly the same size and appear to be the same material. The only difference is the color of the light they emit. Based on what the first one did, who knows what could happen if two of these artifacts come into contact with each other!”

  “Hmm. Navika seems to think that their purposes are so different that they won’t react to each other. But I think you’re right. Best to be on the safe side.”

  Navika interrupted them.

  “Vayuna has just contacted me. She has done everything she can do, but the wave has passed her by. The jellies will once again flood this chamber in under a minute. Initiating the handoff now.”

  Liila’s airlock opened to receive the Kiss of Life, and Navika placed it inside.

  “Zahn,” Asha said, “Liila sustained some serious damage in the fighting. When we leave this world, we should probably use Navika. What is the status of his cloaking field?”

  “Holding up fine.”

  “Good. Meet me at the coordinates I’m sending you now. We have a life to save before we can leave.”

  “Okay. I’ll meet you there.”

  “Liila, confirm that the Kiss of Life is nestled safely in the buffer room.”

  “Confirmed.”

  “Good. Then get us out of here.”

  “Yes, captain. Oh, and by the way, the fractal metaphor is more obvious than I thought. One of my subroutines had a small epiphany during the fighting.”

  “Liila, we’ve got to focus on getting out of here. Come on!”

  “Fine. Since you seem uninterested, I’m going to let you figure it out on your own. But I suspect you’ll wish that I’d told you.”

  “We don’t have time for this! We’ve got to save Mira!”

  “Understood.”

  In a blink, Liila shot up through the hole in the ceiling, and Asha watched as the circular gate rapidly shrunk in the distance. As they headed up, she admired Navika’s three-sided pyramidal shape just below them, sparkling like a tiny jewel in the darkness.

  CHAPTER 32

  INTO MIRA’S HEART

  With barely a sound, the two starships rose out of a pristine lake in the middle of the forest. From the light, Asha guessed that it was not long after nightfall, and they flew over to the edge of the Rift in utter silence.

  No one of consequence could see this though, at least, no one with average vision, because both ships were quite cloaked. Yet if there had been, and if that person had possessed excellent vision, they might have noticed a single wavering shape rise out of the water and glide over the sheer cliffs that bordered the Rift, only to land unceremoniously on a dry, angular stone just on the edge of the forest.

  Such a person might be concerned why a wavering shape would do such a thing in the middle of the night, but what would really shock them was when a figure holding a large, glowing sphere appeared out of nowhere a moment later, only to disappear into a strange, bright tunnel hovering in the air.

  Thankfully though, no one of consequence was there to witness this.

  Not long after, Asha stood under Navika’s nucleus once again. She looked up and admired the shimmering sphere as orange and green flecks of light spun within. Ahead, the triangular door slid back in three pieces, and Zahn walked over.

  For a moment, Asha was unsure of what to say. But Zahn smiled and held out his arms, and she set the Kiss of Life down and embraced him tightly.

  “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again,” she whispered.

  Zahn placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her warm, brown eyes. “You’ve been through a lot. I can feel it, and I want to hear everything.”

  She smiled back at him. “And I want to tell you all of it, but not yet. Unless we act now, Mira, the Confederation pilot who recruited me to come here, is going to die.” Asha squeezed his hand and checked her wristcomm again. “She hasn’t responded to my calls. I don’t even know if she’s still conscious.”

  “You’re right.” Zahn gazed into the Kiss of Life and picked it up off of the floor. “And the last thing I need is the fate of another Confederation captain on my conscience…”

  Asha walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Stop beating yourself up about what happened to Oonak. He made that choice, and we lived because of it. Now let’s go.”

  Zahn pressed his hand to the pad beside the door, and they hurried into the command bay, Asha finding her old spot on the long, curving bench at the far end. In here, the transparent walls made her feel like she was still outside. Now it was easier to see the cool light the Kiss of Life radiated, and Asha studied it for a while, until the view ahead consumed her attention.

  By now, the moon had left the sky, leaving only abundant starlight to bathe the landscape. The stars lent the scene a feeling of heightened mystery; and as they glided over the forest, Asha watched her journey to the Rift in reverse.

  As they moved in perfect silence, thousands of stars were splashed onto the dark sky, so clear that Asha almost felt like she could reach out and touch one of them.

  After a while, a quiet space formed between her and Zahn, and even though she had many questions of her own, she wanted him to speak first.

  “So do you think Mira is from Sumanas, just like Oonak?” Zahn called down from the command chair.

  Asha turned around to face him. “Probably.” Her expression darkened. “You just mis
sed her, actually. She came to Avani right after you stormed off.”

  “Stormed off? I went to put your fears to rest!” Zahn stopped himself and took a breath. “Asha, the Outpost is safe now.”

  Asha blinked. “It was you, wasn’t it? I hoped it was true, but when we didn’t find a trace of the marauder wormhole, part of me wondered if Mira’s ship was missing something.”

  “You were there? With Mira? So why didn’t you believe it?”

  Asha watched as they passed over the patch of swamp she had navigated the day before.

  She looked up, her brown eyes meeting his. “I couldn’t let myself believe it until I heard it from you.”

  Zahn froze for a moment. “Oh.”

  “You didn’t have to risk yourself and go up against the marauders alone like that. Thank you.” She smiled with a hint of pain still behind her eyes. “I just wish you would have talked to me before you left. I might have come with you, you know.”

  Zahn sighed. “I’m sorry, Asha. I acted rashly. I admit that. But remember, we did talk. And all you had to say was that I’d become blind, after everything we’d been through. And then you told me the observatory terminated me! So please stop judging me, Asha.”

  Asha could feel frustration bubbling up within her. “Zahn! You risked yourself and—” She caught herself and took a few deep breaths, remembering the storm of feeling that Lakshmi had told her about.

  Below, Asha thought she could make out the pale pillar of rock that marked the mountain path, and when she recalled the meditation that Lakshmi had taught her on their journey, a wave of relaxation passed over her.

  “I’m sorry for what I said, Zahn,” she finally said. “I’m sorry for calling you blind and for judging you. I guess I acted rashly, too. I hope you can forgive me. Just please never dash away like that again. It doesn’t pay to be impulsive.”

  His face tightened. “What you said hurt a lot. But I know we wouldn’t be having this conversation if you didn’t care.” He paused, his expression softening. “I forgive you, Asha. And I apologize for bolting on you like that. I guess I can be pretty reckless sometimes.”

  “We both have things we’re working on.” She gazed at him for a few seconds, before turning back around.

  Zahn sat in silence for some time, contemplating her words, and soon saw the steep incline of large, white boulders. A minute later, he saw an open field and a narrow path that led to a round, stone structure.

  To her surprise, Zahn laughed with no obvious cause, and she turned around once more.

  “What?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about forgiveness. I realized that I didn’t feel complete with the situation, and do you know why?”

  Asha tilted her head. “Why?”

  “It’s so funny. We can forgive other people, but the pain is still there if we don’t forgive ourselves. I realized I hadn’t forgiven myself for hurting you. And then I tried to extend your forgiveness back to myself. If you could forgive me, then it was time for me to do the same. Otherwise, I would just be holding onto the past.” Zahn shook his head. “Not an easy thing. What about you, Asha? Do you ever think about self-forgiveness?”

  Asha reflected on his words for a few moments. “Sometimes. You’re right; it’s not an easy thing to do.”

  She turned around again, and noticed that they were just above the Temple. With as much silence as Navika could muster, his tetrahedral shape slipped under the thick forest canopy, flattening a small section of ferns behind the structure.

  Asha picked up the Kiss of Life and struggled to hide her limp from Zahn as she walked to the door.

  “Wait a minute,” Zahn said. “I meant to ask before, but I forgot. What happened to your foot? You’re limping. Have you tried to use the Kiss of Life to heal it?”

  The obviousness of the idea struck her, and Asha shook her head. “I guess I was so focused on Mira, I forgot about myself.”

  “See? You have the attitude of a born healer, putting others before yourself. Why not try it on yourself right now?”

  “No,” Asha said, putting her maroon jacket back on. “She’s fading by the moment. I’ll tend to myself later.”

  Outside, they moved noiselessly through a small patch of tall grass until they found the front entrance to the Temple. The reed door was closed tight, and when Asha went to open it, she found it locked.

  “That’s strange. I didn’t even know this door could lock.” Asha knocked. “Hello? This is Asha. We’ve come to help Mira.”

  They waited a few moments, but there was no response.

  “Well, my wristcomm detects over a dozen life signatures inside.” Zahn’s eyes narrowed. “Melt through the door?”

  Asha nodded. “Melt through the door.”

  Zahn took out his resonator and focused it onto the handle, which was reinforced with bamboo and twine. The twine rapidly withered, and Zahn tried to bash the door in, but to no avail.

  “You know I hate to break things, but sometimes, when there’s a good reason, I just can’t help myself.”

  Zahn aimed the resonator at the door and blew a hole clear through where the door handle was, making a loud cracking sound. He pushed the door open with a single finger, and it opened easily, revealing a large group of people huddled around a bed on the other side of the room. The group didn’t even acknowledge them, entranced by their chants that moved around the room in a strange way.

  Asha and Zahn walked up to the group, and only when they drew near did the group notice them. Asha approached first, holding the Kiss of Life with both hands. Its soft, blue glow bathed her face, and they moved back to allow her through.

  Mira was lying unconscious on a narrow bed. A blanket was pulled up to reveal most of her right leg, and the sight of it made Asha gasp. The black gashes had faded somewhat, but the red marks now covered every part of her leg in a spiderweb of death.

  “I am a witness,” Asha whispered to herself, remembering, “to the healing that is already within this body and those around me.” She cleared her throat. “I’m ready.”

  In a moment of pure knowing, Asha put her right hand on Mira’s heart and held the Kiss of Life in her other hand. She desired only to be a communication tool for the Presence of the Infinite, to open her heart fully and allow the healing to happen.

  She saw pure light fill her head and chest, and a warmth filled her left hand and travelled up her arm. The warmth moved through her heart, and when it mixed with the light that was already there, it became charged with a newfound energy. In an explosion of speed, the energy shot down her right arm, out of her right hand, and into Mira’s heart.

  A ringing sound filled both of Asha’s ears as the room melted around her, and once again consciousness left her behind.

  CHAPTER 33

  AN INDESCRIBABLE RADIANCE

  Asha found herself in an indescribable radiance. When she tried to see what was around her, she could barely discern the outlines of intricate fractals woven together in breathtaking tapestries. Looking at her hand, she realized something that made her feel as if her mind had been turned inside out:

  She was woven out of the fractals, too.

  After a moment, Asha realized that the fractal shapes were creating a sound. Not just any sound, they were creating music of a most unusual nature. Melodies frolicked effortlessly from key to key, and Asha closed her eyes to allow herself to become fully immersed in it. Occasionally, the melodies would split up into two or three separate strands, creating a perfect counterpoint to each other, only to crash back together again into a multiplexed wave, back to a single, all-encompassing, super-melody.

  The melodies crashed together once more, and Asha opened her eyes to see if she had moved, even though it would be impossible to tell in this place without a point of reference.

  Holding steady just in front of her was an orb, glowing in a faint sapphire blue. It was not woven out of fractals. Instead, it bore an uncanny resemblance to the Tulari, and to her surprise, it spoke t
o her in a sweet, feminine voice.

  “Ashakirta, your selfless acts have primed this instrument, and now that we find you in this Radiance, we are able to relay information of great importance to the preservation of free will in your galaxy. But this cycle is exceedingly short. You shall not be here for long.”

  Asha’s eyes dilated. “You’re the Kiss of Life? And I’m in timespace, aren’t I?” She swallowed.

  “That is one of my names, yes. You have accessed a piece of my fractal nature that supports my eternal function. Asha, we are concerned that the Vakragha may yet take the spacetime manifestation of this instrument. If they do—”

  “What?” Asha interrupted. “No, we’re not going to let them take you! And anyway, can’t you see into the future? We’re in timespace. Can’t you tell me how to avoid them? Won’t you know where they’ll be?”

  “No.” The Kiss of Life hummed. “I am not permitted to share with you any knowledge of events after the nexus event, otherwise your free will would be violated.”

  Asha sighed. “Great. Well, is Mira all right? How did I do?”

  “You acted with purity and love, and were thus effective. Mira once again wears the crown of life. But this is of secondary importance, Ashakirta. Although I am the Kiss of Life, not even my power will be sufficient to stop the Vakragha from enslaving your worlds.”

  “But you can raise the dead! How can you say that?”

  “There is much of the Vakragha you do not yet understand.”

  “Well, what are we supposed to do? What do we need to defeat them? There must be a way. Please, tell me.”

  “Success is only possible with certain Chintamani Stones,” it continued. “The Fire of Life, the Kiss of Life, and the Breath of Life. You already possess the first two. The third will let you see far beyond anything you could ever imagine, to locate the hidden Vakragha autarchs, allowing you to threaten the highest pinnacles of their power structures.”

  Asha blinked. “Whoa. So, they’re all related.” She tilted her head. “But how do we find this Breath of Life? Is it surrounded by guardians like the Tulari was?”