Ascension Watchers

by Amy Proebstel

  “Sure, but I’d like it back when your through with it. I mean, it may just be a worthless old book of tales, but it is my family’s supposed history.” Ian held the book out to Debbon.

  Debbon accepted it with proper reverence, feeling a tingle of excitement at the prospect of learning where his samara had been in the past. This was the first break he had received since he had begun his search.

  Katherine yelled from the hallway, “Ian, the police would like to get your statement of the missing item!”

  “I should probably get going,” Debbon spoke as he fell into step beside Ian, who held his little girl’s hand as they left the bedroom. He held up the small book and said, “I’ll bring this back to you as soon as I’ve read it through. Thank you for entrusting it to me, I know this is really important to you.”

  “Definitely. I just hope it’ll help you somehow, although I can’t imagine how.”

  They entered the living room where two officers stood inside, both holding notepads and taking separate notes, one of the general state of the crime scene, and the other of Katherine’s statement.

  Debbon stepped up beside Katherine, placing his hand on the back of her shoulder to get her attention. “It was nice meeting you. I’m sorry for this mess you had to come home to.”

  “Oh, yes, I’m sorry you had to see the house in this state for the first time visiting. Will you be coming back soon?”

  “You can count on it,” he replied, holding up the small journal for her to see. “I’m going to read this and see if I can find any clues for Ian’s heirloom.”

  “Oh, well, that’s good. Thank you…Debbon…was it?”

  “Yes,” Debbon affirmed. He lifted his arm to wave to Ian before crossing the living room and leaving the house and all its mess behind. If he did not have to exercise caution, he would have translated himself home right from the front porch.

  As it turned out, he ended up folding his steps farther than he normally would have in any other circumstances, until he reached the cavern enclosing the Earth’s side of the Gate. Before coming to Earth, Debbon had left his Gate’s coordinates open to this one so his return would be relatively safe. However, there would always be room for error if he ever got overconfident or sloppy. At this juncture, he was not about to take any chances.

  He stepped into the circular cavern and over to the far wall where a depression in the floor matched the one on Elder’s Isle. After taking several deep, cleansing breaths, Debbon shut his eyes and concentrated only on the coordinates of his Gate. Only after he was certain of his destination did he whisper out loud the two words which would send him home, “Inside Ascension.” He arrived in his own Gate room, hearing commotion out in the hallway.

  Careful to wait impatiently for all of the elemy to dissipate back into the earth before stepping out, Debbon hurried across the room, leaving the journal in the wall niche before exiting and grabbing the arm of the first person he saw. “What’s happened?”

  “All is in readiness, Elder Debbon. We leave on your command.”

  “And the Convocation of Elders? Has everyone arrived?” he asked, feeling his adrenaline begin to take charge as events moved faster than he had imagined.

  “Yes, First, all are already in the trial room.”

  “Very good. Tell everyone who will be accompanying me that we are to meet at the telepod immediately.”

  “Yes, First!” The man bowed sharply before turning expertly on his heel and rushing away to his waiting men.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  AFTER A THOROUGH investigation, Debbon finally had enough evidence to present to the Council of Elders against Elder Vargen’s mistreatment of the old souls. Even though some of the documents pointed to Vargen having agreements with other Elders, their roles were minor compared to the thousands of charges which would be brought against the errant Elder.

  Although it brought him no joy to investigate one of his own, it did go quite a way toward his sense of justice and rightness. No longer would he tolerate the Elders teaching the citizens to fear the old souls. He had met too many of them to believe any of it could be true, especially when they entered into Tuala with their memories erased from the transfer. No, it was an injustice that he was going to make right. For the first time since his election, he planned on using his status as First to make an order which could not be violated without serious repercussions.

  As a courtesy to Vargen’s standing in his District, even though he had learned most feared him, Debbon took a small guard regiment and went to Apio to arrest him. He had also arranged to use a portable Gate so nobody would see him arrested. Debbon admitted to himself this would make it less likely for Vargen to figure out a way to escape.

  The small entourage touched down in the landing square, filing out of the telepod in an orderly fashion. They encountered only a few people on their walk to the Apio Residence, none of whom seemed to pay them any attention. Debbon seethed with anger as he now realized the indifference of the people had been caused by chronic use of the drug resh, without the recipients’ knowledge. Had they known the drug would eventually kill them, they would never have agreed to it.

  Using the power of his office, he bypassed the need for being announced by the guard’s station. He used his crystal skills to cause their group to enter the Residence without being noticed or remarked upon by any of the staff. Knowing Vargen would be in his office during this time of the morning, they headed directly there without hesitation.

  Since Vargen no longer deserved courtesy, Debbon opened the office door without knocking, simultaneously dissolving the shield surrounding them. He wanted Vargen to see them and know his time for abusing his citizens had come to an end. Just as he had planned, Vargen looked up from his desk, his glowering expression at the interruption abruptly changing to one of confusion.

  Belatedly, he remembered to stand in the presence of the First. “Elder Debbon, I wasn’t expecting you. I would have sent…”

  Cutting him off rudely, Debbon stated, “Vargen, I am placing you under arrest for the abuse of your position against the citizens of Earth. You will come willingly to the Council of Elders, where you will have an opportunity to plead your case.” Having elemy ready should Vargen attempt to escape, Debbon made sure Vargen knew he had no other choice.

  Vargen’s eyes narrowed, not liking the implications of this news. Deciding to play dumb, he replied, “Certainly, I’ll come willingly; why wouldn’t I? After all, I’ve done nothing wrong, which I’m sure I can prove at the Council. If you’ll just allow me a few minutes to gather some things, then I’ll be right with you.” He turned to his patil and began attempting to type on his keyboard. His fingers refused to function properly, causing him to scowl down at his hands in confusion.

  “Vargen, step away from your desk and ready yourself for transport,” Debbon stated even as he continued applying elemy to incapacitate Vargen from destroying evidence on his patil. All of Vargen’s thoughts being monitored and recorded for the record of the arrest would later be presented as evidence at his trial. Not taking any more chances, Debbon caused Vargen to move toward the spot on the floor where he had dropped the Gate.

  Once everyone had stepped into the circle, Debbon activated the pre-programmed destination. The transfer had never felt as long as it did on that occasion, mostly because Debbon had no idea how Vargen would react as soon as they arrived. He kept his senses alert for any signs of deviant behavior, which would warrant immediate action.

  When they materialized in the formal meeting chamber at the Elder Isle Residence, Vargen acted in perfect cooperation, believing this all had to be some sort of mistake. His pious expression began to darken as he looked around and saw all of the other Elders had already convened and were awaiting his arrival. His mood further darkened when he saw the smug expressions on Xylen’s and Yingun’s faces. With a nod in their direction, he hoped he conveyed the proper threat of retaliation if they were to go along with this farce of a hearing.

  The g
uards and Debbon moved away from Vargen, leaving him standing squarely in the middle of the room. Vargen attempted to follow and immediately discovered he had been bound by elemy to remain exactly where he stood. “What’s the meaning of this? How can you all sit there and abide by this atrocious treatment being rendered to one of your equals? I demand to be released at once!”

  His complaints were heard, yet nobody made any move to rectify the situation. He looked from one face to the next and only saw stoic stares in return. His righteous anger fell on deaf ears. The only recourse he had would be to defend himself by any means once the charges were finally read. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Vargen stifled his anger, focusing on using his intellect to get out of this mess.

  “Vargen, is it true you are the founder of the Old Soul Engineering Facility?” Debbon asked in a carrying, monotone voice.

  “Co-founder, yes.”

  “The other founding party has since become deceased, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, you are the sole proprietor of the establishment?”

  “Yes.”

  “When you first began the facility, did you have Council approval?”

  “Yes.”

  “What were the terms the Council gave for you to run the facility?”

  “Creating technical advancements for the good of Tuala.”

  “How many people do you employ?”

  Vargen frowned, not expecting this line of questioning. “Somewhere in the neighborhood of 9800 people.”

  “Are all of your employees housed by you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Provided food by you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Access to a wise-woman?”

  “Yes. Where are you going with this?”

  “In the past anon, how many of your employees have been treated for chronic fatigue?”

  “I don’t know. You should ask the wise-woman.”

  “In the past anon, how many of your employees have died?”

  “I don’t like your implications! What are you trying to prove?”

  “Do you ever detain your new recruits within the facility against their will?”

  “You and I both know, those old souls are dangerous individuals. They must be detained until they can be controlled and trusted. I provide a service of keeping the citizens safe. I hardly see how you can complain against that!”

  “Do you use physical restraints when you detain these people?”

  “Probably. Like I said, they’re dangerous.”

  “Have you ever been violent toward any detained individuals?”

  “I assure you, I have not.”

  “Have you ever ordered your District workers to be violent toward any of the detainees?”

  “Yes.” Vargen’s eyes grew large as his admission came out of his mouth without his volition. Instantly, he realized Debbon had woven a component of truth-telling into his restraint against his knowledge. This game just turned to another level of difficulty, one which made him nervous.

  Debbon began to use rapid-fire questioning to move the proceedings along. “Did you ever use any of your detainees to use for experiments with fertilization?”

  “Yes.” Vargen’s face began to redden with suppressed fury at being called out in front of his peers. He would not let Debbon get away with this.

  “How many women did you impregnate?”

  “Sixteen.”

  “How many children did these women have?”

  “Fourteen.”

  “What happened with the children?”

  “They were given to trusted citizens to raise.”

  “Why didn’t their mothers raise them?”

  “I ordered them to be executed.”

  “On what grounds?”

  “So they would not create discord in Apio by insisting on corrupting their children.”

  “Were the women all impregnated by natural means?”

  “Only two of them.”

  “Were you the one to rape them?

  “Yes.”

  “And the others?”

  “By artificial insemination.”

  “Did all of the children have the same donor sperm?”

  “No.”

  “Were you one of the sperm donors?”

  “Yes.”

  “How many of the children born were yours?”

  “Three.”

  “Was Riccan Stel one of the sperm donors?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did you have permission to get or use his sperm?”

  “No.”

  “Was his sperm collected on Earth through drugging him?”

  “Yes.”

  “How many women were impregnated with Riccan’s sperm?”

  “Two.”

  “How many children were born using Riccan’s sperm?”

  “None as far as I know.”

  “Please explain yourself more fully.”

  “The attending wise-woman informed me of both women’s deaths along with their offspring.”

  “What were the women’s names?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What was the wise-woman’s name who attended to them?”

  “Copa.”

  “What was your reason for impregnating these women?”

  “To fulfill the prophecy.”

  The answer surprised Debbon, causing him to pause slightly before changing the subject to something less damaging. He dared not look toward Yingun or Xylen to give them any more ideas for causing trouble. Since their seats of power were more recently added, they most likely had never heard of the ancient prophecy to which Vargen referred.

  “Are all of your employees who are not citizens being controlled through drugging them with resh?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know prolonged use of resh will kill the user?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did the employees grant permission to be given the drug?”

  “No.”

  “Do the employees know resh will kill them?”

  “No.”

  “Why do you think it’s okay to use resh on them?”

  “Because it controls their violent tendencies.”

  “Do you care when they die?”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I can always get replacements with newer, fresher ideas. By the time they die, I have little use for them anymore.”

  “Do you ever use the cover of the museum in Roswell to get new employees?”

  “Yes.”

  “Approximately how many technological breakthroughs have you discovered since the facility opened?”

  “Thousands.”

  “How many of those improvements have been shared outside of the Apio District?”

  “Between three to five per anon.”

  “What about the others?”

  “They are mine.”

  “For you to use as you see fit?”

  “Yes.”

  “For your own benefit?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you see this as an abuse of your power?”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I deserve it for putting up with all of those vile old souls. You have no idea what it takes to keep them under control.”

  Debbon turned to the other Elders and asked, “Have you heard enough to declare your verdict?”

  All heads nodded their assent, some more enthusiastic than others, Debbon noted.

  Standing and moving, so he faced the panel of Elders, Debbon read the charges being brought against Vargen. “On the first count of abusing the power of an Elder, how do you find the defendant?”

  “Guilty,” the voices chorused.

  “On the second count of endangering human lives, how do you find the defendant?”

  “Guilty.” Debbon noticed some voices sounded less certain.

  “On the third count of two charges of rape, how do you find the defendant?”

  “Guilty,”
they chorused with no hesitation.

  “On the fourth charge of unlawfully detaining individuals, how do you find the defendant?”

  “Guilty.”

  “On the fifth charge of fourteen counts of premeditated murder, how do you find the defendant?”

  “Guilty.”

  “On the sixth count of abusing the rights of another Elder’s successor, how do you find the defendant?” He watched Daven’s face as he read this charge, knowing this one personally hurt the kind Elder.

  “Guilty.”

  “I believe we can all concur with the rest of the charges that Vargen will be found guilty. Based on the six verdicts of guilty, it is our sentence to strip Vargen of his title of Elder. Because he has used his position of power for personal gain and enjoyment, it is also our sentence to mind swipe Vargen so he will no longer have the ability to access any of the things he has learned to hurt anyone else. Vargen will be transported to another world where he can live out his natural life.” Debbon lifted the silencing elemy from Vargen.

  Noticing the change, Vargen began to protest immediately. “This is an outrageous travesty against one of your own! How can you just sit there and let this happen to me? Who’s going to be next? Yingun? Xylen? Don’t you think they won’t come after you next! How much punishment will you receive for stealing from another Elder? I’m pretty sure you can both expect the same sentence!”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “DO YOU REALIZE what this means, Jon?” Sofia asked, her arms draped around her boyfriend’s neck as she pulled away from his kiss.

  “I can’t even think straight after that,” Jon admitted.

  “It means that you don’t have to choose a world to stay in. You can have both, and I can be with you in either one.”

  “I like the sound of that.” He pulled her closer, intending to kiss her again.

  “I’ve been learning how to use my birth crystal,” she announced.

  “That’s nice,” he murmured, still coming closer, his lips touching hers just as he processed what she had told him. He pulled back, eyes wide, and asked, “What? How?”

  “My dad’s been teaching me. He says I’m a natural even considering how late I am at getting started.”