The ascent

Chapter 1

Sahnassa awoke to a strange sensation, a smell that was nice but one that shouldn’t be there.  As she struggled to right herself from her odd sleeping position, she looked over at the clock.  It was only four intervals until mid sol.  “Astalla must have keyed in,” she thought to herself, standing and making for the bathroom.  “That was nice of her.”  After a few moments, she cleaned herself up, put on a robe and walked towards the main living area, wondering what she would say to Astalla to explain her appearance and late start.  She walked into the room and sure enough, saw the Nephti’s dark furred arms as she worked in the kitchen, stirring in sweetener for the tea.  “Thanks for coming,” she croaked.  “I … I had a bad night last night.”

            “It would seem so,” a male voice, all too familiar, responded.  Theo turned now to face her, the visitor from beyond her world who had saved Vanarra and her on that mountain top, and in turn had allowed them to help save everyone else.  She closed her eyes and blinked and then looked again.

            “It’s you?  It can’t be!” she exclaimed, her voice capped at a whisper.

            “Yes, Sahnassa, it is me.  I am here, and this is real,” he assured her with a calm smile.  “After all, such nice tea isn’t often served in hallucinations!”

            Stepping slowly towards him, she didn’t know what to do, but her memory of what she found and her fear burst forth in tears.  Walking forward, he embraced her, wrapping his arms around Sahnassa as she cried great sobs.  “There, there, Sahni.  It’s going to be okay,” he said, comforting her.  “Don’t even worry about explaining.  I already know.”

            “I don’t know what to do!” she wept.  “I found out, and no one would believe me if I told them, and it’s so bad and horrible and scary!  I need help!  All of us need help!”  Her pleas were offered softly and intensely as she clung to him as if willing him not to disappear.

            “Come now, let’s sit.  You can drink, and I’ll do the talking if that’s okay.”  She nodded, and he guided her to the sofa.  He was soon back giving her the tea and sitting on the couch next to her.

            “It’s so good to see you again.  I thought I never would!” she exclaimed, starting to cry, again.

            “There, there, now,” he offered gently as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.  “I know.”

            “How … how did you know to come?” Sahni asked, starting to regain control of herself.

            Theo sounded a little apologetic.  “Well, your watch had one other little ability I didn’t tell you about.  It’s a monitor of sorts with a transmitter.  Late last night or actually early this morning, when you begged for help and mentioned the scale of what you found, it decided that the concern was great enough to send out a planetary distress call.”

            “What … does that mean?” she asked, looking up at him.

            “That many more ships than the Tashar are now here,” he answered, smiling down at her.