Ascension Discovery

by Amy Proebstel

  In short order, Petre reached the guard shack at the edge of the Elder’s place of business. The man in the booth seemed surprised to see someone arriving at this time of day and hurriedly set down his cup of soup.

  “How may I help?”

  “I’d like to meet with Elder Debbon. It’s a matter of some urgency,” Petre replied with more than a little self-importance added to his expression.

  “I’m sorry, the Elder is not in right now,” he replied reasonably. He wished he could see the face of the backlit person.

  “When will he be in?” Petre was swiftly losing patience. He was not going to be put off so easily.

  “I’m not sure when he’ll be back. Would you like to meet with another Elder?”

  “What do you mean, ‘I’m not sure when he’ll be back’? This is his Residence; he should be here. How is he supposed to help the people when he’s not here?”

  “I’m sorry to upset you. Elder Debbon is teaching this anon’s wise-women. The class begins next week, and he’s already left. As First Elder, it’s his responsibility to teach the healers. I’m sure you can understand. There are other Elders who will assist his people where needed. Would you like me to arrange a meeting with another Elder?”

  “No! Only Elder Debbon can take care of this matter! How can he abandon his post and his family? How irresponsible can he be?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. If you’ll leave your name, I can try to get in touch with him,” he tried to remain calm in the face of this patron who was obviously getting himself worked up over the Elder’s absence.

  “No, I don’t wish to leave my name. I’ll take care of the matter on my own. He’ll be sorry he didn’t help me!” Petre was so furious he turned around and stomped angrily back toward the dock. Each step made him more livid as he realized he would not be seeing Jena again any time soon. He did not like being thwarted; it felt as though the Honorable Elder were taunting him. Elder Debbon would come to regret making him wait even longer.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Everything came together so fast Amanda could hardly fathom she was leaving Bryon and Alena’s house for good. All of her belongings, as well as Juila’s, were packed in the telepod. The children had given both her and Juila a tearful send off before they had to be sent over to Tana’s house for a distraction. They were more than a little upset at how soon their guests were leaving, and they tried to think up numerous ways to delay the departure until Tana offered to watch them for a while.

  Alena was no better in the tear department. She was going to miss both Amanda and little Juila. She had not spent nearly enough time trying to discover Juila’s limits, which seemed to be non-existent. Now she wished she had not been the one to locate a house for Amanda to stay in while she was in Durseni. It had been a colleague of hers from wise-woman training who had provided the needed housing.

  Bryon held Juila while Amanda rushed around checking for last-minute things she might have forgotten. Finally, there was no other reason to stay, and Amanda turned to Alena, pulling her into a heartfelt embrace. “Thanks for making this whole thing possible, Alena. I already miss everybody, and I haven’t even left yet!”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. It’s going to seem so lonely during the day without another adult to talk with!” She tried to make light of the conversation to stem the imminent fresh round of tears.

  “Let’s get going,” Bryon announced from the open front doorway. He knew the women could stall their departure until the next day unless he intervened. “We want to get everything settled in before it gets dark.”

  “Okay, okay. I know you’re right, it’s just scary thinking about leaving the only home I’ve known in Tuala!”

  “We’ll have the patil set up in the new house so you can call us whenever you feel like it,” Bryon consoled.

  “You’ll probably change your call sign because I’ll call too often.” Amanda joked as she pulled away from Alena to follow after Bryon and Juila. She felt an aching in her heart as she stepped through the front doorway for possibly the last time ever. While she wanted to go home to Earth, she hated the idea of leaving these wonderful people forever. There had to be a way to stay in touch; Rasa might have an answer to that problem as well.

  She trailed behind Bryon and stepped up the telepod ramp. Waving one last time to Alena, who had taken a few steps toward the telepod, yet still remained near the house, Amanda turned and stepped through the telepod to her co-pilot seat up front. With practiced ease, she fastened her seat harness and extended her arms to receive Juila from where Bryon waited patiently beside her. Settling Juila in her lap, she watched as Bryon began the start up procedures for the telepod.

  The telepod lifted from the driveway and hovered in place while Bryon checked all of the controls, verifying all lights were green, and everything was clear for departure. Bryon moved his hand to the manual control and shifted over to mental control. He shut his eyes and concentrated on the coordinates over Durseni moments before the telepod disappeared from Kirma. In the seconds where they were neither here nor there, he maintained a solid picture in his mind of their final destination, trusting explicitly in the engineering built into the telepod to translate them to their destination as planned.

  They popped into the air over the Durseni flight field where Bryon used the manual control to fly the telepod to their designated landing area. He reversed the procedures for shut down and soon had the telepod resting effortlessly on the ground. All the systems were turned off, and he palmed the door open using the dash control.

  “Ready?” Bryon asked solicitously.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Amanda replied after gulping nervously. She looked around the air field and wondered just how they were going to get all of her stuff to her new house. She had thought they would park the telepod in the driveway as they had done in Kirma. She turned to Bryon and asked, “How come we didn’t land at the new house?”

  “Durseni doesn’t allow residential flying. The people here say their privacy is invaded with people flying randomly overhead. Once we get to the flight office, we’ll have to arrange for a transport to take your belongings. Let’s go.” Bryon unbuckled with ease and moved toward the side of the telepod to leave.

  Amanda unbuckled and stood up while holding Juila. As soon as she stepped from the coolness of the telepod and into the oppressive, moist heat of her new home town, she stood at a standstill on the ramp. Being acclimated to the more temperate weather of Kirma, she had not realized there would be such a difference in climate in Durseni. Thinking an island would have ocean breezes, she assumed it would be cooler.

  “Is it always this hot here?” Amanda could feel a sheen of sweat building between herself and where Juila was resting against her side.

  “No, it cools off marginally during the rainy season.”

  “This already feels like liquid sunshine. I can almost drink the air.”

  “You’ll get used to it. Come on, let’s get into the shade of the office.”

  Amanda stepped off of the ramp allowing Bryon to palm the door closed. Together they walked hurriedly toward the main building to arrange for transport.

  Without too much effort they were able to organize all of Amanda’s belongings to be brought to her new house. The cottage was not very large; however, the neighborhood was similar in feel to the one she become accustomed to in Kirma only the lots were significantly smaller. Also, these houses had slatted windows to allow cooling breezes to circulate throughout which would have been impractical in Kirma.

  Bryon assisted in the unpacking of the numerous crates. Fortunately, the house came furnished, or Amanda would have been living in barren comfort. One item they did bring from Bryon’s house was the crib for Juila. They did not expect the rental to have such a special accommodation.

  With the last of Amanda’s items put away, they sat on the couch and drank a cool glass of water in the living room. Amanda noticed she could almost see the entire living area from her ce
ntralized location. The living room was at the front of the house by the main entry, the kitchen was at the back, the dining room to the left, and the one bedroom and bathroom side-by-side to the right. She would once again be sharing a room with Juila since there was only the one bedroom.

  Bryon interrupted her musings when he said, “I have a surprise.”

  “What is it?”

  “I brought you a letter of recommendation from Captain Ahn.”

  “What will I need it for?”

  “Well, Ahn also made arrangements for a job interview the day after next at the Telepod Engineering Company. He knew you would be worried about being able to support yourself and Juila, so he talked with one of the engineers who said they have an opening right now.”

  “What will I do with Juila?”

  “They have an on-site daycare. You can even drop her off there during your interview.”

  “It sounds as though everything has already been thought of and now all I have to do is show up. Do you think I’ll be able to get a job? I’m sure there are people who’re way more qualified than I am.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You have a great personality, just be yourself and be confident in your abilities.”

  “Sounds like a great pep talk! Where is the place located?”

  “It’s just two streets over from here. This location couldn’t be more perfect since you can easily walk to work even with Juila.”

  “Can we go there today, so I won’t have to worry about finding it then?”

  “Sure, I’m ready whenever you are.”

  Amanda stood up and nodded nervously. Her adventure was truly beginning with this latest turn of events. She had told herself a few days before that it was time to get a job, now she had the perfect opportunity presented to her in order for it to happen.

  They strolled through the neighborhoods at a leisurely pace. During the heat of the day, it seemed nobody moved with any amount of urgency and Amanda could understand why. She turned to Bryon and asked, “What time is my interview?”

  “Right after lunch at one.”

  “What type of a job is it? What should I wear to the interview?”

  “It’s my understanding it’s a desk job. Just wear the same thing you wore to the crystal ceremony. Yes, I think that would be perfect.” Bryon seemed pleased to be able to decide what would be an appropriate outfit as he generally did not pay much attention to what anyone was wearing.

  Amanda nodded silently as she chewed on her lower lip. Her nerves were starting to kick in about the interview. She had not really considered the money aspect of moving to Durseni. She had assumed she would meet with Rasa right away, find Jena immediately, rescue her and then head home. It was an unrealistic plan which she understood now and had to smile at her naivety. Once again, she was thankful to have everyone looking out for her welfare on this journey.

  Just as they rounded the last corner, Amanda got her first view of the place where she could potentially be working before the end of the week. It was an impressive office building, many stories tall with glass windows sparkling iridescent blue in the sunshine.

  Bryon showed her the main entrance and said the manufacturing facility was at a different location. This building housed the conference rooms, support personnel, engineers, and executives. Being such an integral part of the business’ image, the building was state of the art and had crystal supported ventilation to maintain a constant, comfortable temperature inside.

  Amanda had never even thought about air conditioning since she had been here, it had never been necessary in either Kirma or the Port of Cresdon. She wondered what other applications might require crystal energy. There really was a lot more to Tualan life than she had been previously exposed to on her limited travels.

  With nothing more to see of the building they turned around and started walking back toward Amanda’s new home. They talked about the decorations in people’s yards and the lack of outside activity during this time of day. Amanda recognized she was stalling for time with Bryon because once he left, she would not have a single person in this town who would care if she lived or died. It was a scary proposition to be alone, solely responsible for a toddler, in an unfamiliar place.

  “Is there a wise-woman close by?”

  “Yes, Alena’s friend is here. I’ll write down her contact information and leave it by the patil.”

  Amanda nodded and tried to think of other things she would be needing. “Where’s the marketplace here?”

  “It’s one street over in the opposite direction from the house. I’m sure there will be a stream of people coming and going from there, it shouldn’t be too hard to find. Trust me, Amanda, you’re going to be fine here.” He patted her arm to try to ease her obvious nerves. “Remember, you can contact us through the patil any time day or night. You’re not going to be left without help. We’ll be here to help whenever it’s needed.”

  Amanda could feel tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. She did not want to start crying now, but she could not help feeling as though she were being abandoned even if this was the obvious next step to finding her daughter. She inhaled a deep, calming breath, knowing she had to be strong right now. Heck, just being back in Tuala was a testament to the fact she could do anything she set her mind to.

  “I’ll be okay, Bryon, I’m just feeling a little bit insecure with the barrage of changes in my life. I think I’ve become too complacent living with you and Alena all this time. All along, I’ve known there would be a time when I wouldn’t be with you anymore. It’s just your family feels like a part of my family now, and I’ve never been very good at saying goodbye.”

  “This won’t be goodbye, Amanda, this is just a new chapter in your life. I have a feeling you’re really going to enjoy the upcoming changes. You have a lot more in life to offer than just staying at home watching children.”

  “But they’re so much fun! I never know what they’ll do or say next. Did I ever tell you how different Tualan children are from those on Earth?” She lowered her voice as she said the last part of her sentence so she would not be overheard by anyone even though the street was empty.

  “No, how so?”

  “Alena confirmed it’s their birth crystal which changes them. The children I’ve known take a lot longer to be able to speak well or to be very helpful around the house. Actual sentences and conversation usually happen between four and five anons and learning to clean up after themselves is even longer, like eight or nine anons.”

  “Wow! That sounds frustrating.”

  “Oh, it definitely can be. We also have hundreds of different languages, and if children are taught when they are learning to speak, then they pick it up easily. Otherwise, they usually end up learning a second language in high school where it’s a lot harder to learn.”

  “How do people communicate with one another if there are so many languages?”

  “Well, English is the primary language where I come from and almost everyone speaks it. Different languages are spoken in different countries. If we travel there, we usually need to hire a translator or learn a few key phrases. If people move to America, where I live, then they usually learn English.”

  “That sounds awfully complicated. I’m glad our whole world has just the one language. Life is hard enough without throwing language barriers into the mix.”

  “I agree, yet we still manage.” They had arrived back at Amanda’s new house and were thankful to get out of the scorching sunshine. The relative coolness inside had them both sighing with relief. Amanda prepared three glasses of water and brought them into the living room. She handed the small plasfilm cup to Juila and instructed her to be careful not to spill while she was playing with her blocks on the floor. She sat on the couch and handed another glass to Bryon.

  They gulped the water down and sighed in unison which made them laugh together. Amanda knew Bryon was going to have to leave soon even as she wished she could delay the inevitable. She appreciated the tidy accommodat
ions, the patil resting on the dining table ready for use, and the knowledge of where things outside her house were located. There really wasn’t much more to do now other than wait for Rasa to have time to meet with her and to go to the unexpected job interview.

  “Wasn’t there a letter of recommendation for me from Ahn?”

  “Oh, yes! It’s a good thing you reminded me! Let me get it out before I forget.” He walked over to his jacket which was draped over the seat at the dining table. He removed the envelope from the inside pocket and placed it next to the patil.

  Using the pencil and pad of paper on the table, he proceeded to write down the name and contact information of Alena’s wise-woman friend should Amanda have any emergency requiring a healer. “Well, I think that’s everything then. I should probably head home now. Can you think of anything else which you might need?”

  “Don’t ask, Bryon; I can be just as bad as the children in stalling for time. As you said, you’re just a patil call away if I need anything. Thanks so much for helping me get here and settled in. I’m definitely scared, but this is my next step in the journey to finding Jena, I’m sure!”

  Bryon nodded toward Amanda as he sat down at the patil. “That’s right, Amanda! Think positive thoughts and this will all come out right!” He punched in a few keystrokes and contacted the transport service to come pick him up. “Okay, all set. The transport should be here in about five minutes, and I’ll get out of your way!”

  “Bryon, you’re never in the way! You could stay here forever as far as I’m concerned!”

  “I think Alena would get jealous!”

  They laughed, and Bryon returned to the living room and pulled Amanda up from the couch to embrace her in a bear hug. He was going to miss this woman with all of her amazing stories.

  Mischievously smiling as he released Amanda, he bent down, scooped Juila up from the floor, and tossed her in the air. She giggled as she landed back into his arms and he gave her a big hug in farewell. He was also going to miss having little Juila around. Even being so little, she had carved out a definite spot for herself in his family.