The Ascent

Chapter 57

Sadly, Jasmine failed to consider whether they would be conscious after plugging in and whether she would get a chance to escape with the children. Even though she knew their chance of escaping, finding Asher and Isaac, and then leaving the ship unscathed was slim, Jasmine still hoped for the opportunity to try.

Yet, even that hope evaporated when drowsiness took permanent residence in her mind, making her eyes close of their own accord, refusing to stay open. There was no resisting it, whatever it was, and soon she stopped trying, apologizing to Asher quietly for not being able to do what she had silently sworn as the aliens dragged him away, which was to protect his children, protect their children.

"Why can't life be like a movie where the main character is always clever enough and strong enough to save the ones she loves," was the last thought that crossed Jasmine's mind before nothingness permeated her awareness until another presence, another substance filled it.

The next thing Jasmine knew, the cheerful face, Jeremiah's friendly wrinkled face, was staring at her, the tufts of gray hair even more prominent in the ship's artificial lights, his long beard making him look like Santa. The superhero version of Santa, who Jasmine was pretty sure had saved their lives.

Did he know magic as well? Was that how he entered the ship and managed to sneak past the aliens?

Helping her up from the pod he had unplugged her from, Jeremiah saw her questioning look and decided to elaborate without her confused mind having to come up with the questions.

"We found them shuttles nearby, unguarded," he said as Melissa and Plague were busy unhooking the children from the alien contraption, which didn't seem that hard to do. "Those bloody idjuts didn't even follow common sense. It's disrespectful, I tell you!"

He was getting himself into a bit of a frenzy. Still, Jasmine was too dazed by whatever was in her system, disgusted that her body was violated again that she didn't even try to calm him down to focus on their priorities. If she wanted them to save Asher and Isaac, she needed to get herself under control first, and her emotions were running wild at that moment.

"Easy there, Grandpa. You'll get a stroke," Plague warned half-teasingly. "And what would the troops do without their general?"

Whatever Jeremiah was about to say got stuck in his throat at those last words, choosing to refocus his attention on scanning the perimeter while helping Jasmine and the children recover.

Luckily for them, Arman and Ariyana were still too dazed by the experience to do anything but stare at them wild-eyed and do as they were told. It was far better than the crying frenzy the adults were expecting.

"By the way, Grandpa, have you ever thought that maybe they don't have the same rules as we do? That they don't have the same military rules?" Plague asked as he helped carry the children to a more secluded corner of the large ship.

"That's a mighty good point, my boy," Jeremiah said, stroking his beard. "Mighty good point, indeed."

After finally fully regaining her senses, Jasmine noticed the three people were wearing some strange uniform that she had seen on one of the aliens, and she couldn't help but wonder how they managed to get their hands on them. But then again, having taken the shuttle, they must have been there, just conveniently lying around.

Jasmine wasn't sure if it was too many books and movies talking, but everything looked too easy somehow. It made her worry if it was all an elaborate trap to get more humans for whatever they needed them for or if they underestimated the humans' ingenuity and resourcefulness. Thinking about it, she realized that both possibilities were likely.

"Have you found Asher and Isaac?" Jasmine asked as she automatically followed the three humans without knowing where they were going or if they even had a plan.

Maybe one of the reasons was that Melissa was carrying Ariyana, and Plague was carrying Arman, seeing how they couldn't walk on their own. Even Jasmine herself was swaying like a drunk person.

"We are going to them now," Jeremiah said, clicking a button on the neck of his new uniform, making a strange transparent glass appear, going over his eyes like a pair of sunglasses. "We should take the next turn right."

Jasmine was relieved to hear those words but also very suspicious. How did they become familiar with the technology so fast? None of them were bald, but Jasmine wondered if maybe they were aliens in disguise.

"Why don't you give me the children?" Jasmine said, addressing Melissa determinedly. "I can take care of them. They are mine... They are my responsibility."

Melissa and Plague looked at each other, the silent communication seeming intense but brief, and they handed the children over to Jasmine. However, when one child was in each arm, Jasmine swayed, Jeremiah's steadying hand being the only thing stopping her from hitting the ground.

Melissa and Plague took back the children without saying anything. However, Jeremiah could see the fear in Jasmine's eyes, and having seen his fair share of anxiety and doubt in the past, he knew what was bothering her.

"We ain't one of them alien things," Jeremiah said disgustedly, spitting on the ship's shiny floor.

"It all seems rather convenient, doesn't it?" Jasmine said, her voice like a slap to the guy's face. "You just happened to find an unguarded shuttle. You just happened to know how to operate it. You just happened to know how to put those things on and use them to navigate around the ship. It's all very suspicious."

"You ungrateful little bi-," Plague started to say, but Melissa's gentle hand on his shoulder stopped him from finishing his sentence. "We came here to save you, and this is how you repay us, with doubt?"

"Easy there, my boy," Jeremiah said, smiling at Jasmine with what looked like approval. "I understand your doubts. They are very logical and useful at times like these, when it ain't possible to tell between friend and foe. You'll have to trust us for the moment. There ain't much else you can do."

"But..." Jasmine started to say and then stopped, unsure what to say to beat his logic.

"If it helps, the shuttle was probably left unattended because they don't fear us. They seem to think of us as stupid animals," Melissa spoke up before Plague could. "The same way you would not expect your dog to drive your car. Also, their technology is unlike ours but very easy to use."

"Yeah, none of them computer passwords and stuff," Jeremiah exclaimed, a bright smile that looked strange while they were in the belly of the beast on his face.

"Then how do you navigate?" Jasmine asked, curious despite herself.

"Intuitively," Melissa responded as she shifted Ariyana to her other hand while she helped Plague open a hatch in front of them. "Everything is very intuitive. The shuttle tells you what to do and how to do it. I don't know how else to explain it."

"Okay, fine, let's say you are telling the truth and that their technology is so easy to use, but where is everyone? Shouldn't alarms be blaring at your intrusion?" Jasmine asked, swiping her hands around.

"We bypassed all of that as Plague seemed to be very in tune with the system, probably because he had the parasite a while back," Melissa said, looking at him lovingly. "Then we sent them on a wild goose chase, but we should still be careful as some of them probably remained in that sector as there is apparently a portal there. Even if they don't fear humans, they are bound to stand around the prisoners just in case."

"I want my daddy," Ariyana whined quietly with so little strength that Jasmine worried if they were okay, if she had allowed their tiny little bodies to be damaged by whatever was done to them.

"Soon," Jasmine said soothingly. "But right now, we need to play the quiet game. The first one who talks loses."

Even tired and scared, the children still eagerly nodded as the whole group fell into a deep silence while they navigated the ship's interior, with Jeremiah occasionally pointing in this or that direction.

Were they going to save everyone who was taken? Was there a possibility to do that?

To her horror, Jasmine realized she didn't care as long as two people were safe and sound.

Asher and Isaac.

The love of her life and the child she loved as her own.