We Leapt Into the Sky

Chapter 33

Kendra's boots crunched against the cavern floor as she approached Aster's ship. Its towers glowed with soft violet light, illuminating the intricate shapes that wound across them, disappearing into the darkness above.

"Aster, are you here?" she called.

There was no answer, save for the echo of her voice. Kendra passed through the opening between the columns into the interior of the ship. Glassy stone steps led her to a large platform. Atop it rested a row of black columns, each hexagonal in shape. Their position was reminiscent of a control panel, but they were unadorned by any carvings or symbols, and they remained dark and dormant.

The air buzzed with an electric crackle that sent her dashing outside. Aster billowed through the air, collapsing against the outer wall of the ship. Raw power flowed from him, bleeding into the patterns and setting them ablaze. He slid onto the ground in a heap, and Kendra sat beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I am," he said. "I was in the cave with the deep chasms lined with crystals—I believe it is the one you first encountered with your expedition party. With some effort, I absorbed much of the energy trapped there."

She suppressed a wince as she remembered falling into those geode-like pits with Antony. Where he had received the tiny wound that led to the loss of his arm, thanks to the caretakers. "You sent that power to the ship?" she asked.

Aster sat upright, his shadows melting and shifting into his physical form. "Yes. It worked ... better than I expected." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "It is gratifying to see success with this process. To know I can do this."

"I'm glad, Aster," Kendra said. "The crystals have responded to me before—I dismantled some that contained my colleagues' memories. Can I help you with this?"

"You are welcome to do so, though I would not ask you to work with any that may cause you distress," he said.

"You know I like to experiment. If I break them down, will the energy return to you?"

"Some energy may dissipate, but most will return to myself or the ship. I never intended for the crystals to grow in this way; it is better that they be broken down." He stood and approached a cluster growing from the east wall of the cave. "These contain good memories. Tell me what you make of them."

Kendra reached out, her hands brushing the glossy surface. It gleamed beneath her fingers, radiating energy and emotion. As she closed her eyes, the thrum of information reached the edge of her awareness. It was like hearing a distant stream; she called it to her, envisioning dipping her hands into the water and opening herself to the memories it contained.

Great clouds of dust appeared before her, swirling slowly beside a vast pool of light. Beings flew through the sparkling dust, their shadows trailing behind them like long scarves in the wind. Within Aster's memory, she felt new recognition of their forms, in the way their emotions manifested in dazzling color. One neared Aster, glowing with vibrant green in an enthusiastic greeting.

Then he departed the clouds, flying faster until the world bent and stretched around him. He flew into the void, surrounded for a moment by sheer absence. Then, space rippled into existence as glittering stars and distant planets appeared. He was passing through Kendra's reality, crossing trillions of miles and an unknown number of dimensions in an instant.

Joy surged in her chest, and Kendra's eyes snapped open as she stepped back from the crystal. It crumbled under her fingers. "This is how it feels when you travel? Aster, it's amazing."

"I miss it," he said. "My world is gone, as is the energy we used to transport ourselves. Of course, there are other forms of energy we can use, but as you concluded earlier, I would need to reach beyond the atmosphere to absorb them in any great quantity."