PRL Serials

 “I will do what you ask,” AEther, the light form says to Alia. 

Alia is humbled and very happy, relieved to have completed everything as it was supposed to be done. 

“Is this really it?” Alia asks.

They stand in a very dark space that is like the space she and Kazi Fandral had arrived to, in front of the black hole where SoEl was floating with the Aeternus Machina at his chest, but now, the surroundings are dark like they are surrounded in a black cloth that darkens the view to varying degrees where it overlaps. The darkness is not intimidating, it is comforting and Alia feels that she has been transported somehow, though she has not moved very far. 

“I see the benefit in your request,” AEther says. “These Ascendant beings you describe no doubt had an impact on the formation of sentient life and I will see early existence without them. I will intervene to make them understand the blunder in this and everything will happen as it would without them. I have said it, and so shall it be. You are a most impressive being, Alia of Earth. You have made me aware of something that even my avatar SoEl could not see, you are a true master of the mysteries of existence. I am humbled by you, a dimension beyond even me, and I bow to you. I will imbue you with my powers to continue your righteous steward of the universe, to slow Time and end the abuse of Space.”

Alia doesn’t quite comprehend what AEther is telling her but the light form is actually bowing before her and suddenly there is a beam of light from the head of the figure that inundates Alia and she absorbs it effortlessly. The light form stands, no longer composed of light, but now a form of darkness that is hard to see against the dark, shifting backdrop. Alia notices that SoEl is still kneeling with reverence in front of her. 

“When you return to existence, the world will be different in ways that you will discover. Be careful, Alia of Earth. I am always here if you need me, and I can always find you. Do not hesitate to find me again in the future, I will always make time for you.”

This encounter feels so brief, it wraps up so quickly and easily, that Alia wonders if it can really be true that she has erased the Ascendant from her present. 

“My entire life,” she says, “even before I could understand, has been leading to this moment. I have been abandoned, drugged, assaulted, worshipped, shot at, everything you can imagine, in more places than I could imagine. And I split myself in half, I ran across Hell and Heaven with just half of my spirit and I guess I died. I traveled through space to find Solse who is not even the man that I thought I would meet. I was on the Dreamscape for so long, I went to other realities. All of that and this is it? It’s really done?”

The dark form of AEther approaches Alia and raises a shadow of an arm to rest a hand on her shoulder. Alia feels it like the warm and loving gesture that it is meant to be.

“Experience is very different for me,” AEther explains. “I can’t pretend to comprehend the journey you completed to find me here, but I am so grateful that you have done it. And the new reality you will return to would be grateful as well if they could understand what you have done. It must be very lonely to be such an extraordinary being among others on your scale who cannot fathom the information that you have, you who are aware in six dimensions. I understand that loneliness. I am not singular, but I am specific and my experience is not easy to communicate to anyone. But SoEl found me, they are singular in their unity, they may understand. And their brilliant mind enabled you to find me. Your sacrifice does not go unnoticed, and this is no quick resolution. This is the confirmation that everything before mattered. That must mean something.”

Alia nods slowly.

“I can feel and understand your experience better now after making contact. I would like to give you a brief gift that I think can be a kind of reward for your gargantuan efforts.”

AEther takes a step back from Alia and then the black form is still, then begins to display a smokey texture that is grey, that changes to white, then is almost silver and metallic. Then the single form becomes two, like malleable metal taking the form of two bodies that become fully clothed people, a man and a woman in their twenties with skin that is her complexion, two sets of eyes that are distinct but remind her of her own, each in their own way. 

“Oh my God,” the woman says. She covers her mouth with her hands. “Is this real? Henry,” she says and looks to the man. She is obviously overwhelmed with emotions.

Alia watches the man staring at her proudly and he wraps an arm around the woman, and then kisses her forehead.

“It’s her,” Henry says to the woman who looks at Alia now. They both look so proud.

The woman leaves the man’s side and approaches Alia. 

“I’m Rebecca, Rebecca Samaya. I’m your mother, I just know it.”

Alia hugs her, completely overcome with emotions and she leans into the woman; without her support Alia would have fallen.

When Alia can stand on her own again, the two stand at arms length.

“I never thought I would get to see what happened to you, I knew that rat thing would take care of you though. When I died, I wanted to stay around, I thought I could, but then something showed up and told me Henry needed me. He had been dragged off to some place and I could save his soul. It took me so long,” Rebecca looks back behind her and smiles at Henry, “but I did it. We were so far away, we wanted to get back to you to see how you survived, but this universe, this existence is a crazy place. But here you are, my baby girl, my Constance. I wanted to name you after my aunt.”

Constance, Alia thinks to herself. It would be her second name, like her mother Rebecca Samaya. 

“It’s such a gift to see you all grown up. The thing that brought us here, it’s helping us understand the full story and we wish we could give you so much more, you deserve so much more. We will find you, baby girl. Can I call you Constance?”

“You can call me whatever you want,” Alia says, wiping away tears.

Her father hugs her and she feels warm and safe against his chest.

“I don’t know where I would be without my extraordinary women,” Henry says. “I’m the luckiest man in existence.”

AEther gives them a lot of time together, and when time is up, the dark form of AEther reconstitutes quickly, and Alia is disturbed by the abrupt ending. 

“I regret how that ended,” AEther says apologetically. 

“Thank you,” Alia says. “Thank you so much.”

AEther kneels again next to SoEl who is still kneeling.

Then it is over.

“Where did you go?” Alia hears, and she knows that it is Fandral. Her eyes are wide open, but she is blind.

“Did I leave?” she asks, turning toward Fandral. She is blind, but she can feel the scene around her, and she moves with confidence. They are in the same spot where she met SoEl and the beam of bright light is still shining from his torso.

Fandral nods. “You disappeared when you touched him, and the light at his chest went dark. It wasn’t a very long time, but I didn’t know what to do. What happened?”

“The Ascendant are gone. It’s the time of Hyperion,” she says and hugs Fandral. “Let’s get back to the ship. I want to know if my friends are ok.”

“What did you do?” Fandral asks.

“I made a chance for a different life. I didn’t make anything easier, but there’s more now. More chances for us all to be the best we can be. It all means something. Even if we’re gone tomorrow, we’re here today and there’s a reason for that. Somebody, something somewhere is always impacted and we’re going to be a positive force of existence.”

Fandral nods as they return to his ship.