FALAHA'S JOURNEY: A Spacegirl's Account in Three Movements

Episode #80

A powerful thunderbolt exploded over the desert horizon, sending ripples through the pale blue sky. Somewhere beyond my soma space fold it was raining blood.

As much as I tried, I couldn't reach Uncle's consciousness. It was as if it haven't existed at all. Something other resided in his body, which wasn't exactly his own now either.

Deadly fast and furious, bigger and more powerful than a Baal in his unfolded first form, this black creature with faint blue lighting propagating through his coating, his limbs bearing sharp claws and mouth hiding carnivorous teeth to tear through armor, was on par with his son. Even Eyuran's new form was similar in looks. Two black shadows appeared here and there, causing mass destruction and spreading death to everything that happened to approach them, or just got in the way. Orewen had taught his son well.

I brushed through the processes in Orewen's new body, but there was nothing that hinted of someone alive. Yet. Let it be yet. String after string, cell after cell, molecule after molecule, I was rearranging what had become of Orewen into someone I had known before. I only hoped I would make it in time. Eyu and his dad were going all out on each other, full force, using every drop of energy and straining every muscle in their bodies, avoided by both enemies and allies alike.

A sight equally exciting and terrifying, it made me fall in love deeper and harder. And it hurt. A lot.

Only seven steps down, Shaamta stopped and turned around, worried. "This is no good, Dorgu," he said. "Don't lag so far behind, you'll get lost and die."

Worn out, Yajur was sitting on the fourth step. "I can't catch up with you," he replied, breathing heavily. "This is beyond my abilities, I am already at my limit."

Every step we passed took minutes of real time outside the soma space. Our minds were aging fast in this dense time fold.

"Hmm." Shaamta took me off his shoulder and put me on the ground. "We will have to do this differently, then." He turned to me. "Allow me a bit more power."

I nodded and doubled his energy flow.

"Thank you," Shaamta told me. He was really worried for the other guy. He stared me in the eye. "This thick fold is strange for such a young being as Wendala, though. What is going on here?"

"This mind and soma space belongs to someone else," I replied. The Sangu frowned.

"Whom exactly did you pick a fight with, Falaha?"

It wasn't exactly a fight. I held out his heavy stare. "What do you think?" I asked him.

Shaamta's eyes widened. For a moment I was expecting him to lash out on me in a killing attempt. He didn't.

"So that's how it is." His mouth stretched in a menacing grin. "That's even better. You truly amaze me, little one."

He left me standing there and went to pick up his Yajur, helping him to descend. He told him the truth about our situation as well. Dorgu was astounded to learn that this mind belonged to none other than Somg, but even in his weakening state he did not back down from the attempt to enter it. Not like he had much choice though.

When the three of us were in one place, a thick, transparent bubble surrounded us, and the steps disappeared, opening a full view into darkness, as the bubble began its descent.

Both Baali sat on the 'floor', and so did I, avoiding looking below. The bubble picked up speed pretty fast, being sucked into the dense darkness.

"What is your plan, girl?" Dorgu finally asked me. "Why did you drag us here in the first place?"