Outside Ascension

by Amy Proebstel

  “I want to thank you for helping us out in a tough spot, what with the quarterly audit right around the corner!” He continued with, “Ceren tells me you’re a quick learner. I never was very good at keeping up with the patil work, as I’m sure Ceren told you, but it has to get done. I keep Ceren too busy running errands and working the front desk to bother him with it, either. So, you see, you came at a very fortuitous time for us, and we are very thankful.”

  “I’m glad to be of service,” Amanda replied, halfway through the second glawlet.

  “Anyway,” Captain Ahn continued, “back to those rules I was discussing earlier. The second rule is, I pay your previous days’ wages first thing the morning after.”

  “It’s not normal, is it?”

  “It is now,” he replied as he pulled some coins out of his front pants pocket and placed them on the table. “I thought there might be some things you would want to purchase; it would be selfish of me to make you wait a week to get paid!”

  “How much money is this?” She looked over the four silver coins and one gold coin to see if they had any writing on them to indicate if they were pesos. She noted the silver ones had ribbons of leaves curling around the edges while the gold coin only showed a rose on the front.

  Pretending it was normal to explain money to an adult, he replied, “It takes ten of these silver shills to equal one of these golden taj, which we just call a shill or a taj.”

  “How many taj would the average person earn in a year?” Since they were not a currency she was familiar with she was trying to determine their worth. Good grief- silver shills and golden tajs, she thought immediately, this is definitely not Mexico or any other place I’ve ever heard of!

  Getting a funny feeling about Amanda, Captain Ahn replied, “If by year you mean anon, then the answer would be around 350 taj. There’re 252 working days in an anon.”

  Amanda nodded, soaking in this vital information. “Thank you, I would like to buy a comb and toothbrush. Maybe even a couple of changes of clothes, too.”

  “Oh,” jumped Captain Ahn, “I almost forgot, my wife asked me to give this to you.” He pulled a small package out of his coat pocket and handed it to her.

  “Thank you,” she replied automatically as she received the package. She deftly untied the twine and peeled back the brown tissue paper. “But...how did she know?” Amanda asked as she looked down at a woman’s hairbrush, a pair of frayed twig brushes, and a tube of mint paste.

  “Well,” he said slowly, “I told her about Captain Issyn bringing in a swimmer and about you working for me through the audit. She knew you wouldn’t have anything, so she put together this package and your breakfast for me to bring to you. My wife has a soft spot for swimmers, since she was one, too!”

  “Really!”

  “Yep, I picked her up out of the ocean myself, back when I ran my own ship. She’s been with me ever since. Best thing to ever happen to me, my Barla’s been!”

  “Well, I’m glad you two found each other. Please tell her these items are most welcome!” Amanda replied.

  “You’ll get the chance to tell her yourself since she will be here later this morning,” he said just as the front door opened and Ceren walked in carrying an awkward bundle. “Perfect timing, Ceren! Can you take it into the back office for me please?”

  “No problem,” Ceren answered then asked, “Do you want me to set it up while I’m at it?”

  “Please, if you don’t mind. I’ll tend the desk until you’re done, then I’ll be on my errands until mid-morning,” Captain Ahn replied.

  Ceren nodded affirmation then said, “Morning, Amanda,” as he walked past her.

  “Good morning, Ceren,” she replied. She had finished the second glawlet, so she picked up the steena tea and sipped again before asking Captain Ahn, “Would I be able to purchase a change of clothes with this amount of money, or should I wait a couple more days?”

  “You would do better to ask Barla about it when she comes in. She loves shopping!” replied the Captain with a smile on his face.

  “Captain Ahn,” Amanda hesitated, “This may sound strange to you, but...could you tell me what city we’re in? I thought maybe this was going to be Mexico, but these aren’t pesos.” She continued as she indicated the coins on the counter.

  “I’m so sorry, Amanda, I had assumed Captain Issyn had told you where he was docking! Captain Issyn picked you up in the Gulf of Thulen on his regular route along the coastline of Thulen. You’re now in the port city of Cresdon.”

  “Cresdon,” Amanda muttered while trying to remember where she had heard the name before. “Thanks for letting me know.”

  “As for the money,” he continued and gestured toward the coins, “this is standard currency throughout the entire known world. There are different denominations, of course, but I’ve never heard of pesos.”

  “You must think I am so strange,” she said as she shook her head in confusion.

  “Only a little,” he confessed, “but then water sickness can have such an effect on people. Give it a few days for your body to return to normal. Ah, Ceren,” he called, “is everything in order now?”

  Ceren walked into the front office and replied, “Yes, sir. I’m ready to man the desk if you like.”

  Captain Ahn stood up from the stool, and gestured for Ceren to take the seat as he said, “It’s all yours! I’m on my way then.” He turned to Amanda and said, “I’ll see you again by lunchtime.”

  Amanda watched as Captain Ahn walked around the tall counter and out the front door. She gathered up her coins and slipped them into her pants pocket. She then collected all of her items from the countertop and hopped off of her stool. With steena tea in her other hand, she announced, “I guess I better get started on those stacks of paper before you bury me in more from today’s shipments!” She walked down the short hallway to her work office and stopped before entering the doorway. “Ceren,” she called over her shoulder, “what’s this all about?”

  Ceren poked his head around the corner of the hallway and replied, “The Captain said you would be sleeping here. He thought you might be more comfortable on a cot than on the floor.”

  “Oh,” she answered lamely. “Thank you for setting it up for me, Ceren,” she added; then quickly entered the suddenly blurry room, as tears started to brim in her eyes. These people are so kind, she thought as she stepped around the desk and sat down on the cot, wiping tears from her eyes with the back of her hand before they could spill down her cheeks. I sure seem to cry a lot lately, she mused; chuckling at her own stupidity she thought, I really need to get to work! She turned on the patil and began the day’s task with a full stomach and a happy heart.

  After no time at all Captain Ahn loudly cleared his throat to catch Amanda’s attention. She looked up and saw the Captain standing in the doorway with a beautiful woman next to him, “Amanda, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Barla. Barla, this is Amanda Covington.”

  Barla stepped forward with her left hand outstretched, while Amanda hastily stood for the introduction. She extended her own left hand to accept the handshake. “It’s nice to meet you, Amanda,” she said quietly, while still holding her hand. She looked down at Amanda’s hand and noticed Amanda’s ring and commented, “This is a beautiful gold and diamond ring.” She returned her eyes to Amanda’s face and smiled while she released her hand.

  “Gold and diamond, you say?” Captain Ahn asked with a surprised expression as he looked at his wife. “I think I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” he spoke over his shoulder as he quickly retreated down the hall back to the front office.

  “What was that all about?” Amanda asked Barla.

  “You really don’t know?”

  “Know what?”

  “I see,” she replied. “Now I know why the Captain asked me to come down here to meet you. He told me you’d said some peculiar things which I might be interested in. I believe he’s correct. We will have many things to discuss.”

  “Oh
no,” whispered Amanda, “I knew this was too good to be true. Does he want me to leave?”

  “No, no! Don’t be silly,” she admonished. “The Captain believes you’re special, and I’m starting to believe you are as well. Let me ask a few questions before I explain,” she said as she walked back to the entrance and quietly shut the office door to give them privacy. She gestured for them to sit on the cot before she asked, “Have you ever heard of North America?”

  “Of course,” she replied instantly now seated beside Barla.

  “How about Mexico?”

  “Yes!”

  “Dollars and pesos?”

  “Yes, it’s the money they use in the U.S. and Mexico. What of it?” Amanda was getting frustrated.

  “Just confirming something,” she replied, “because none of those things exist here.”

  “I know they don’t use pesos, Captain Ahn already told me.”

  “Not just that, Amanda! Think back on all of the answers to the questions I just asked you. North America, Mexico, dollars and pesos. None of those things exist in this world!”

  “What are you talking about? In this world...you say it like I’m on a different planet!” Amanda scoffed.

  “No, it’s the same planet, just a different dimension,” she replied. “We call this planet Tuala instead of Earth.”

  “What are you talking about?” Amanda asked thinking to herself, this woman is crazy, and they think I act strangely!

  “I’m not crazy, and neither are you, Amanda,” she replied as though reading her mind. “I can’t read minds either, to answer your next question. I can read your face though, and this is hard to believe! Amanda, somehow you managed to slip into our world’s dimension. We just have to figure out how it happened so we can get you back to Earth.”

  “Oh my,” she replied as the reality of what Barla was saying started to sink in. “Tuala!” Amanda whispered violently. “I must be crazy because I believe you, Barla! Nothing else made sense until you came to explain.”

  “You took this news a lot better than I did,” Barla replied. “I came from Earth, too, you know.”

  “Are you serious? Why are you still here? Does this mean I can’t go back?”

  “To answer in order of your questions: Yes, I’m serious. I fell in love and decided to stay. Yes, you can go back.”

  “Okay, what do I have to do?”

  “Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?” Barla put her hand on Amanda’s arm. “Tell me everything you remember ever since the last time you knew you were on Earth and then we’ll go from there, okay?”

  Amanda sighed then replied, “Okay. The first thing I remember is opening my eyes and seeing Petre MacVeen.”

  Barla raised her hands to her mouth as she gasped, “Petre MacVeen? Are you sure?”

  “Very sure, I was on his boat for over a month. We talked a lot,” she added lamely.

  “Talked?” Barla asked inquiringly. “I’m sorry. The name caught me off guard. Please, tell me everything. I promise to keep quiet until you’re done.”

  Amanda talked until her voice went hoarse; only stopping when Captain Ahn knocked.

  The Captain popped his head around the door and said, “I brought you ladies some lunch.”

  “Please set it on the desk, dear,” Barla instructed with a smile on her face. “I think Amanda and I will be talking for the rest of the day if you don’t mind. Will you be able to bring us dinner as well?”

  “No problem at all,” he replied heartily. He nodded approval to Amanda, winked at Barla, and shut the door on his way out of the office.

  “Let’s eat while you continue with your story,” Barla said.

  Amanda began where she left off. Barla was true to her word and never interrupted. Amanda finished recounting her story and waited for Barla’s response.

  Barla sat in silent contemplation. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I believe I hear Ahn in the front office with our dinner. Would you mind if I shared your story with him?”

  Amanda’s immediate thought was no, but she owed Captain Ahn more, so she replied, “If you think it best.”

  “I do,” she replied, then continued, “He’s kept my secret for over twenty-two years...anons they call them here. He can be trusted, and we may need his help to get you back home.”

  “I don’t want to go back before I find out what happened to Neal,” she said suddenly.

  “No, of course, you wouldn’t want to go. Ahn may be able to help with it as well. There has to be some record of a found water craft or another swimmer,” she answered thoughtfully just as Captain Ahn knocked on the door to deliver dinner. Barla smiled at her husband and said to him, “I’m so glad you asked me to come visit with Amanda. We’ve had the most interesting talk about her journey.”

  Ahn hesitated at the door, with indecision clearly written on his face, then asked, “Would you like me to leave you alone with the dinner?”

  “What I’d like, Ahn,” Barla replied as she patted a spot on the cot beside her, “is for you to come sit here and eat dinner with us. Please shut the door behind you.”

  Ahn’s expression brightened as he entered the room, carrying a large basket crammed with food.

  “Whose kitchen did you raid?” Barla inquired as she peered into the basket he set on the floor by her feet.

  “I stopped by the Trilli Deli on the way back from my errands.”

  “Lovely,” she responded, “Amanda, you will love this food, it’s almost like home cooking.” Barla spread out hamburgers, salad, an unidentifiable side dish, and several drinks. “Let’s eat while I catch up Ahn!” Barla declared as she handed out food and drinks on serving boards also included in the basket.

  She turned to Ahn and spoke softly, “She is like me.”

  Captain Ahn swallowed his bite of hamburger; slowly shifting his gaze from his wife’s face to Amanda’s. He nodded his head quickly as if confirming something then said, “I thought so.” He looked back to his wife and had another bite of hamburger.

  As the Captain’s gaze left her face, Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. She did not realize until just now how scared she had been of the Captain’s reaction; amazingly, he did not seem to care at all.

  “We need to find if there’s been another swimmer found and hopefully their water craft as well,” she continued.

  “Another swimmer, hmm; male or female?”

  “Male; his name’s Nealand. He’s my fiancé,” Amanda supplied with relief to be able to add to the conversation.

  “And the ship; what did it look like? Did it have a name?” Ahn continued his questions.

  “Yes, it’s a sixty-foot yacht; yellow and white, with the name The Golden Jesisca on both of the sides.”

  “It’d be hard to miss with those colors,” the Captain mused. “I’ll ask around and see what I can come up with.”

  “Thank you, honey,” Barla praised as she squeezed Ahn’s knee in appreciation.

  “Did you ask Amanda if she wanted to go to the Elders?” Ahn asked Barla.

  “Not yet. She just finished her story when you arrived with dinner,” Barla answered. Barla turned to Amanda and quietly considered what should be done. She sighed and came to a decision and asked Amanda, “What would you like to do next?”

  “I would like to finish my assignment for Captain Ahn so he can pass his audit. Maybe by then you will have some news about Nealand or the yacht.”

  “Sounds good,” the Captain replied. “The audit will be in two weeks. At the pace Amanda has been going, I think she will be done before then.” He smiled at Amanda, and she turned her head away with a blush rising on her cheeks.

  Barla cleared her throat and added, “I think it would be best if Amanda stayed here in the workroom and the bathroom. Given what she has been through I don’t think we should tell anyone about her being here as well as asking Ceren not to mention her to anyone. As much as I would love to have the company at home, I don’t want any chance of Petre finding out you are here. We kn
ow how much the people at the dock love to talk about anything new! You are definitely a new story to tell!”

  Captain Ahn’s expression changed to a mixture of anger and concern as he asked Barla, “Petre? Are you talking about Petre MacVeen?”

  Barla’s glanced quickly into his eyes as she nodded the affirmative.

  “Shoot,” he said as he rose to his feet and started pacing. “This changes everything, Barla! I can’t stand that vile piece of trash. He knows better than to come to any of my docks. After our last argument, I made sure he knew where he stood with me! The moment we are done here I’m going to let all of my people know Petre is not to be allowed anywhere near this port!”

  Amanda could understand Captain Ahn’s opinion of Petre and wondered if she should consider leaving right away. She then wondered how she was going to get all of the supplies she would need to continue her journey and have clothes to wear. She voiced her concerns to her companions, and they just smiled.

  “Don’t worry, honey,” Barla replied as she reached over to pat Amanda’s knee and squeeze it for comfort. “We will take care of everything for you the same as Ahn here took care of everything for me when I arrived unbidden in his life. You just concentrate on your work; it is more important than you know! Audits can make or break our annual revenues so you are doing us a great service. I know how disorderly Ahn’s paperwork can get. I used to come down here to help until I found my real calling in this society.”

  “What was it?” Amanda inquired, suddenly curious to find out more about this amazing woman who came from her same Earth and then decided she never wanted to return.

  “Well, the Captain and I started taking in orphaned children from the fishing community. It’s amazing how many men don’t come back after storms. The mothers couldn’t handle the strain and would give them up, move on, or die trying to do too much. I couldn’t stand to see those poor children suffer and I decided to do something about it, so I took a few in, then a few more. We had so many children running around at one point, and I wondered what I had been thinking, but the children kept coming, and they needed me. Ahn here suggested we start training them to learn trades, and it gave me the idea to start a finishing school for them all. So now we have over one hundred children from six to seventeen anons old, currently learning how to read, write, and work at various trades in our community. I have been fortunate enough to have wonderful connections within our community where businesses hold jobs especially for training our students so they will have real world training and have the experience to take with them when they graduate.”