Ascension Vision- The Levels of Ascension Box Set

by Amy Proebstel

  “I’m so glad to hear that. I’ve been worried because I haven’t heard anything from her even though I know she spent Friday night here at home. When Mr. Stel called me, he told me the girls were home for the day. I hoped everything was okay.”

  “Your concern is appreciated, but everything is just fine. We had to catch up on some family business, is all. Now, what’s this I hear about Gevena wanting to visit with you? Did you two get to know one another well when she was here?”

  “No, not exactly. I just think we have a lot in common and she wanted someone her age to talk to about it.”

  Amanda could see Valentina was uncomfortable with the question, so she let it go for now. At some point, she would probably hear more about it from Rasa. If not, it really did not matter to her. “Let’s get going, shall we?” she asked brightly to both of her guests. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and led the way to the kitchen to retrieve the telepod remote.

  Willian made small talk along the way and said, “I was wondering why you were wearing that outfit. It’s not exactly the style for here on Earth, but it’ll fit right in where we’re headed.”

  “Do you think so? I’m glad.” She opened the garage door and stepped down onto the concrete. When she got closer to the space where the telepod was parked, she touched one of the buttons on the remote to deactivate the security shield allowing it appear out of thin air right in front of their eyes. Amanda never got tired of seeing it. It reminded her of a magic trick she had once seen on T.V with some famous magician making a seven-ton Learjet disappear on stage.

  A couple of steps closer and then Amanda touched the button to open the door on the side of the telepod which dropped down to create a ramp into the mid-section of the aircraft. She entered first and sat in the right-hand seat up in the cockpit. Amanda fastened her seat harness while she waited for the other two to enter the craft and get situated in their respective seats.

  Willian took his place next to Amanda up front and, once again, marveled at the sleek control panel. He touched the button in front of him to secure the cabin for departure. It took him a moment longer than usual to fasten his own seatbelt as his hands fumbled nervously to get it clasped correctly. “Since you’re more familiar with these particular controls, I’d appreciate it if you can verify I do everything correctly.”

  “Sure thing,” Amanda agreed readily. She had planned on it anyway, but it was comforting to know Willian was smart enough to ask. Amanda knew the surest way to get into trouble was to be too cocky of your own abilities.

  With another pause while he looked over everything once more, Willian began the startup procedures on the telepod. He felt the entire craft lift off of the ground and remain hovering in place several inches above the concrete floor. The plascreen panel lit up and, one by one, the lights all turned green indicating all systems were working properly.

  He tapped on the navigation screen and scrolled through the pre-programmed locations until he got to Manzanit. He selected it and waited a second or two for the coordinates and map of the landing site appeared on the screen. Leaning forward, he inspected the screen and verified the numbers as those he had memorized previously. Likewise, he agreed with the map displayed as being the same location as where he had landed before.

  “I think we’re ready to go now.” He looked over to Amanda for confirmation.

  “Don’t forget to have your hand on the manual control during flight.”

  “Right, yes, I was getting to that part next.” He immediately wrapped his fingers around the control, making sure his finger did not trigger the activation switch until he was mentally ready for the transfer. “We’re set to go now, Val. Remember the transfer between Earth and Tuala takes about six seconds so count it out in your head.”

  “Thanks, Willian. I’m ready,” Valentina replied from the passenger seats in the cargo area.

  “Make sure you keep the coordinates in mind just in case something happens with the programming. The human mind is still more reliable than any piece of software.” Amanda smiled to take the sting out of her tone. “At least it’s what Riccan kept telling me with each flying lesson.”

  “Thanks for the reminder. I agree with Riccan. Okay, coordinates are visualized, and I’m ready to activate the transfer.”

  “Okay, carry on,” Amanda offered. She made sure she had the coordinates firmly focused in her own mind just in case something went wrong.

  Once the activation button was pressed, everything around them disappeared. All sensory perception was instantly lost save the sound of their own heartbeats within them. The seconds rolled by like an eternity until they popped back into the daylight hovering over the landing field at Manzanit.

  Willian manually guided the craft to an open spot on the grass and set it down near the ground without contact. He sighed with relief and began the standard shut-down procedures. The last process automatically moved the craft the last several inches to the soft soil. He pressed the button to open the side door with one hand while he unlatched his seat harness with the other.

  “Expertly done, Willian. I couldn’t have done it better myself,” Amanda praised with a smile on her face. She unfastened her own harness and waited for Willian to exit the cockpit before she followed him out into the cool, bright sunlight of Manzanit. She looked around in wonder at the number of telepods parked as far as the eye could see. There must have been hundreds of them of various sizes throughout the grassy field. “Did you happen to see where the entrance was before you landed?”

  “Yes, it’s not too far over to the right.” Willian pointed to a distant area.

  “I’ll have to trust you on it,” she teased. She looked back into the telepod and saw Valentina was still seated. “Are you coming, Val?”

  “Yes, I’m just having trouble getting my seatbelt undone.”

  “Here, let me help you,” Amanda hastily offered when she saw how badly the girl’s hands were shaking. She must have been terrified during the flight to cause such a violent reaction. “There,” she announced cheerfully as she easily released the latch. Amanda held out her hand to the young girl and was shocked at how ice cold her fingertips were as they touched her.

  She almost had to haul her up from the seat since her legs were as unsure as her hands had been. “We’re okay, Val. Once you get outside and feel the firm ground beneath your feet, you’ll know it too. I was pretty scared the first couple of times I flew in a telepod, you know.”

  “Really? How did you get over your fear?” Valentina looked up at Amanda, thinking it would be wonderful to have as much confidence.

  “Mostly by repetition, but also by learning how to fly the telepod myself. Knowing how it works helps to keep my mind occupied on the process rather than the fear.”

  “Oh, I was hoping it would be something which didn’t involve flying. Why does it have to be so empty and black during the transfer? I hate the dark; it feels like drowning.”

  “Like drowning? Have you almost drowned?”

  “Yes, when I was really little. I don’t remember much except for the feeling of not being able to breathe and all the darkness around me.”

  “I’m sorry, Val. I had no idea you’d been through that. Maybe we can talk to Riccan and see if he has any ideas on how to help you. Would you like me to ask him?”

  “You’d do that for me? Even after what happened with Jena? Really?”

  “Look, Val, I’m going to tell you this one last time; you were never to blame for what happened between Willian and Jena. Things were set in motion long before he even met you.”

  Willian stepped over to Valentina’s other side and said, “It’s true. Remember when I told you how bad I’d screwed up with Jena? My terrible actions were the reason I went to find her and make things right again. My dad told me the betrothal was going to be annulled if I didn’t get things straightened out.”

  “So, you see, you had nothing to do with it. You just happened to be walking down the hall at school, and Willian bumped in
to you. Suddenly your whole life shifted, and you think I’ll blame you for it? I don’t think so. Please just forget about it and be happy. Jena has accepted it, and the rest of us have as well.”

  “I guess I can see your point.” She smiled at Willian, for the first time really feeling free of any guilt about being with him. “But I can’t promise you I’ll like flying in the telepod right now!”

  “I can live with that!” Willian said with a grin. “Here we are at the entrance. Let me flag down a transport.”

  “How did we get here so fast?” Valentina asked in amazement. She looked behind her and saw the rows of telepods parked. It was true; they had walked the length of a football field while they had been talking.

  The ride lasted only a couple of minutes, and they exited the vehicle in front of the gates to one of the entrances to the Residence. Valentina was awed by the size of the building as it took up at least two city blocks. Her experience of Tuala had only ever consisted of seeing her home village which was a remote town located on the eastern coastline in the Pantano District. They did not have transports or any multi-storied buildings, so this was eye-opening, to say the least.

  There was only a slight incident regarding their entrance into the Residence when Amanda had to wait to receive clearance. For some reason, it had not occurred to her that her own identity would be questioned, even after she had heard Valentina would need clearance. It was probably because she had already been inside the Residence which allowed her to believe it to be a non-issue. Of course, the trip had been through the Ascension Gate and had been rather rushed, along with being accompanied by Rasa. As soon as Rasa issued the clearance, the three of them proceeded into the grand reception gallery of the massive estate with Rasa’s personal assistant, Ulwin, leading them.

  The young man asked, “Since you ladies have not been to the Residence before, I’ll give you some history if you’d like.”

  Amanda replied, “I’ve been here once with Rasa, but I’d love to hear more about it. Valentina, here, has never been so it’ll be nice for her to learn.”

  “As you surely know already, the fortress represents the seat of power for all of Manzanit and its sheer size alone lets everyone know how esteemed our Elder is for us. This Residence is the first of its kind in Tuala. We take great pride in making certain everything is maintained perfectly. There are over one thousand staff members whose only job is to keep everything pristine and ready for any occasion.”

  “Wow! I had no idea there were so many people here. I’ve hardly ever seen anybody around,” Amanda exclaimed.

  “Then we are doing our jobs properly,” he said with a grin of satisfaction.

  Amanda could imagine it would take some adjustment on Rasa’s part since she had come from the elegant estate setting on Acaim. Her new surroundings were too large to be classified as classic elegance; she would be more apt to call it medieval grandeur with its thick stone walls, tall barrel-vaulted ceilings, interior support columns, and arched stained-glass windows.

  The many generations of Elders had put their personal touches in the decorations to keep it from feeling cold and stark. The thick tapestries hung from sturdy rods between the deep window sills. They walked on luxuriously woven rugs of foxl hair, which Amanda felt certain would be as soft as silk if she were to touch it. Dark furniture with elaborately carved scenes adorned the edges of the walkway should a person care to rest while they waited for an interview. No expense had been spared.

  Chapter Eighteen

  AMANDA GLANCED OVER to Valentina to see her reaction to her surroundings. She was rewarded with the look of awe and admiration. Her thoughts were cut short when Ulwin began speaking again.

  “Valentina, Pelka will be taking you to the west wing where Gevena awaits your visit.” He stopped his walking and gestured to a girl hardly much older than Valentina who smiled prettily as she was acknowledged by the guide.

  Valentina looked both alarmed and surprised because she was going to be separated from the only two people she knew. She still held Willian’s hand, and her fingers clenched his in a bone-crunching grip at the idea of leaving. “Please come with me!” she pled in an urgent whisper.

  Willian nodded and said to Ulwin, “I’ll walk with her until we reach Gevena. She’s understandably nervous being in the Residence with strangers.”

  Their guide pursed his lips and shook his head slightly. “I’m afraid it won’t be possible. Elder Wilken heard you were coming and he has requested you to join him for his morning tea. I’m sure you won’t want to keep him waiting.”

  “Oh, Willian, you’ll have to go then. I may be scared, but I did ask you to bring me here. It’s not your job to babysit me.”

  Reluctantly Willian nodded in agreement. He was eager to visit again with his mentor. He released Valentina’s hand and watched while she stepped closer to Pelka. In his previous visit, he had recalled seeing Pelka around, he had always received smiles of admiration from her so he knew no harm would come to Valentina while she remained in her care.

  As if in answer to Amanda’s thought, Ulwin said, “Rasa has asked for you to come and visit with her in her private chambers.” He turned to Willian and asked, “Do you need a guide to Elder Wilken’s tea room?”

  “No, I know my way around. Thanks, Ulwin. I’d best not keep him waiting!” He sprinted ahead and turned left at the next corridor.

  Amanda wondered how the three of them would know when each was ready to leave. This was not something she had really planned through very well in her eagerness to come and see Rasa with her incredible news. Even as she thought about it, her hand touched the pocket in the side of her tunic. She felt the crinkle of the folded paper and felt relief rush through her at its existence.

  “We shouldn’t keep Rasa waiting either,” Amanda suggested as Ulwin remained standing in the hall in front of her. He had an odd expression on his face as he stared at Amanda.

  Ulwin had not really paid much attention to whom he was guiding, nor had he given any of them more than a cursory glance. As Amanda stood with her face bathed in sunlight from the upper window, he had an eerie sensation he had met her somewhere before. Amanda’s question startled him out of his reverie, and he became slightly flustered at being caught staring. “What? Oh, yes, we should get going; you’re very right!” He turned and set a brisk pace to keep from having to talk while his cheeks remained bright pink.

  They walked at the quick pace for another six or seven minutes when Ulwin turned down a short corridor which ended in a set of elaborate double doors with ornate bronze handles. He pulled one open and remained standing where he was as he swept his arm in front of him with a grand gesture. “This is where we part ways. Have a good day, Amanda.”

  “Thank you for the history lesson and being my guide. I never would’ve found my way here without you.” She swept past him and felt the breeze of the door as it shut silently behind her. Sweeping her eyes around the room, she saw Rasa sitting in one of the intimate groupings of chairs near a floor-to-ceiling window which overlooked the central garden.

  “Hello, Amanda. I had no idea you were planning to accompany the kids today. Although, I am pleasantly surprised,” Rasa said as she rose from her chair and began walking toward her cousin. It still gave her a thrill to have a cousin near her own age, and they had yet to really spend any quality time getting to know one another.

  “It was a last minute decision. I hope you don’t mind too much; I know how busy you are.”

  “No bother at all. You saw me at my most weary when we talked earlier. I’ve gotten through the most urgent matters, and I decided I’ve earned a break! Come; let’s sit down and have tea together.” She led the way back to the chairs and poured the steaming steena tea into another cup.

  They sat and held their warm cups in their hands. It was pleasurable silence between them as they relaxed into the chairs. Rasa’s curiosity got the best of her, and she broke the silence by asking, “What brought you here today?”

  “A
couple of things, really.” She took a sip of her tea to whet her throat in preparation for a long talk. “First, I’m sure you were aware of Willian’s intention of working things out with Jena.”

  “Yes, I was the one who made arrangements for him to go to Earth and I sent him through the Gate. Are you thinking he might still have a chance with Jena?”

  “No. Jena asked Elder Daven to break the betrothal, and he allowed it immediately.”

  “What? When did this happen? Why would Elder Daven get involved without letting Elder Debbon know about it? This is a very serious matter which involves the First’s successor.” She pulled at her lower lip as she tried to imagine all of the implications the separation could have on other Districts and Elder Debbon’s position as First Elder. “Amanda, this is really not good! This is way bigger than you can imagine, all of it to Elder Debbon’s detriment.”

  “I only heard about it after the fact. I had nothing to do with Jena’s decision. Willian didn’t leave her with any decision at all.”

  “Wait, I don’t understand what you’re saying. If Jena requested it, then, of course, she had a choice.”

  “No, she didn’t. Let me tell you what happened…” Amanda proceeded to share with her all of the details which had been given to her regarding the whole sordid situation. She could see an intensely interested expression come over Rasa’s face and wondered what it could possibly mean. She filed her thought away for a time when it would be more convenient to discuss and then she ended with, “So you have to see how Jena’s hand was forced.”

  Rasa laughed outright and then had to explain herself when she saw Amanda’s puzzled expression. “It struck me as an odd choice of words when you said Jena’s hand had been forced because your hand in marriage is a common term. I’m not sure if it’s the same on Earth. It always seemed as though Jena had been forced into the relationship…sorry, it just struck me funny. Never mind.” She could see Amanda had been too concerned with her daughter’s happiness to see any humor in it at all.