by Mara Amberly
Kailen leaned down to kiss her as he stepped inside. “I’ve missed you too, Dora. I always do.”
He raked his fingers through a curled lock of her hair. Realising then that the door was still open, he closed it behind him. Pandora smiled and cuddled him closely, now that they had privacy alone together.
Kailen’s hair was blonde, but unlike Pandora’s curls, it was short and straight. It reminded her of sand, but it was more golden than that – a colour she truly loved. His eyes were a dark chocolate brown, which was not a common eye colour in their settlement, and it made his features stand out brightly against his lighter skin. Pandora could’ve gazed into his eyes for hours and did on occasion. She had no doubt she was in love, because she often found herself counting the hours until they could be together again. She truly felt she might marry him someday. Kailen worked as an engineer, though he didn’t yet hold the formal rank. He was always on the move and working hard.
She imagined one day living with him and sharing her quarters, but they couldn’t do that yet, even though they’d been together for three years. Couples only lived together in the Terania Settlement after they married, but there was nothing to stop them spending time together. This had more to do with the assignment of quarters by the council than any moral or religious reasoning. It was simply the way things were done.
Kailen kissed the top of Pandora’s forehead before he let her go. He made his way over to her kitchen table, which had little on it other than a shaker of spices and some cutlery. Even after his day at work, he didn’t look that tired. Pandora, on the other hand, did.
“Did you hear what the Scientists and terraformers found out in the desert? Word has been spreading like wildfire.”
“What’s going on out there? What did you hear they’ve found?” She worked in a lab so she would expect to hear some news before the rest of the settlement, but the elders were known for keeping a lot of information to themselves.
Kailen sat down at the table and leaned closer to her, as if he was concerned he might be overheard. Judging by his behaviour, it seemed like it might be something the council wouldn’t want them talking about. It made Pandora wonder all the more what it was and whether it might be true.
“Get this – they found signs of people living out there on the planet. Recent signs too and not leftover relics from our parents’ generation. There are supposedly people out there right now.”
Pandora’s eyebrows rose. “How is that possible?” she asked, her expression turning doubtful. “Only a few locations are liveable without breathing apparatus and our people terraformed them. Sure, there were complexes underground, but we know what happened to the people who tried to live there. Their ventilation failed and they were killed or forced to return. Even their protective gear wasn’t enough to keep them alive in the open for long. Very little is enough out there, Kailen.”
“How do you explain it then?” he asked with interest. There was no denying his sense of wonder and even hope when he spoke of it.
Pandora wanted to believe it was true, but she saw the everyday reality of their terraforming efforts, albeit in the form of vegetation samples. “I wouldn’t jump to conclusions until we know what they found,” she said. “If they’re certain of it, they may make a public announcement.”
Kailen wasn’t prepared to put aside the rumour so easily. “They may have lied to us or the world might have got better. What if some of the abandoners survived, and the council didn’t tell us, because they didn’t want more people to join them?”
It was a fair question but Pandora had more trust in the council than that. It made sense that they might’ve kept secrets for the good of the settlement, but if the world was liveable out there, they might make sure it was safe first. Now she was drawing conclusions and forming hopes that may be unfounded.
Pandora sat down beside Kailen and leaned on the table. She was still a bit tired from her day at work.
“Maybe what they found was old, from when others tried to live outside the shield unprotected.
A subtle shake of Kailen’s head showed he disagreed with her.
“I think parts of the world must be habitable again,” he said. “It’s unlikely the items they found were old or planted there. We aren’t the only settlement and we’ve had differences of opinion before. Just because our people aren’t going out there exploring – so far as we know – doesn’t mean others aren’t.”
Pandora wasn’t ready to jump to that conclusion yet. They didn’t have solid evidence to go on. “Do we know what they found? If there were just one or two items...”
Kailen hesitated for a moment. “I don’t, but I heard there were relics and signs of people living out there – more than one person. That’s all I know.”
Pandora wondered just who Kailen had heard the rumour from. “I’ll need more information before I make up my mind, either way.” She wondered if the council would consider that rumour dangerous. It could be if enough people decided to test the theory, but very few were allowed to leave the settlement. She knew she wasn’t the only person who disliked the fact.
“So, say for a minute there were people living off the land? What happened to them? Where are they now?” she asked.
Kailen shrugged, because he didn’t have an answer to that. “I don’t know. It’s possible someone found them or they returned to wherever it was they were living if it wasn’t the place that was discovered. Maybe they’re still out there.”
“I find it hard to reason that they could be, unless they have a base or a settlement of some kind like ours here. It sounds crazy, but what if there’s a settlement out there that we don’t know about?”
Kailen smiled. He’d at least succeeded in getting Pandora to open her mind a little. “Maybe there is. I don’t know. They were built so long ago that I’d wonder if anyone knew about all of them, even the council. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the rumour’s true? I hope the world is regenerating and I hope there are more people out there.”
Pandora agreed with Kailen on that. “It’s been our hope for a very long time. Sooner or later the environment’s likely to regenerate. I’m just not sure if it will happen in our lifetime,” she said as she held his hand. “The Scientists have the best understanding of the world, because they’re looking at all the data and some of them venture out there. I haven’t heard anything in the lab to suggest the atmosphere’s changed or the toxicity has declined, except through the terraforming.”
Kailen grinned, because he enjoyed his debates with Pandora. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see which one of us is right.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Visited Dimension;
Derin, Loretta – 10:59 p.m.
Nessa found that Guard James was a quiet companion as she followed him along the road toward the King’s highway. It was dark out now and only a few stars showed through the clouds that obscured the night sky. The road here was like hard-packed sand with gravel mixed in, and it crunched beneath their shoes as they walked. She thought about returning to the portal tonight and she would probably try, but it might be difficult to find it in the darkness when she didn’t know the area that well. It occurred to her that James would, though he wasn’t there when she was arrested.
The problem was the longer she left it, the more chance there might be of someone else finding the portal and returning to her world – right in Katy’s garden. She realised then that she could’ve approached things better. “The valley where I was–” abducted, arrested, “caught – it was over here wasn’t it?” She indicated the direction she thought they’d brought her from on horseback. She and James had left the city through a different gate but they were headed in roughly the same direction.
“I wasn’t there but there’s only one valley. If it was the Valley of Derin you’re talking about, then yes.”
She hadn’t known until he said it that this place shared the name of the valley she’d visited as a child. Curiously, the true Valley of Derin was several states aw
ay. She realised then that her ability didn’t just seem to connect different dimensions, but different locations too.
“That was it, yes. I saw it from a distance,” she explained. It was a lie but from a certain perspective, it was true. I saw it from a very great distance, through a portal. “I thought it was lovely and decided to look at it up close. I wasn’t expecting trouble or to be arrested and thrown over a horse.” Her voice took on a slightly darker tone when she spoke the last. “I didn’t know it was trespassing.” She didn’t know there was a King either, but it was the sort of thing a woman living in James’s world should’ve known, so she didn’t say it.
“With all due respect, that wasn’t your view to look at or your flowers to smell. It’s the King’s land and you trespassed into an area not meant for you. You brought it on yourself.”
Nessa wasn’t too happy with James’s answer. She’d expected him to have some sympathy for her, but then he was a guard, and likely believed in this kingdom’s laws. She grimaced and continued on walking. It seemed James would be a tough nut to crack. They obviously saw things very differently.
“I lost my bracelet in the grass, and it was valuable and rare. It belonged to my mother and it’s the last possession of hers that I own.”
James glanced at her a little warily, as if he already anticipated that Nessa may be trying to sway him to her side. “That’s a shame.”
Nessa wanted to try and convince him to help her, but she thought he was on to her ruse.
“Yes it is,” she said. A shame. “Please, I have to get it back. It means the world to me.”
James stopped, turning to Nessa with a serious expression. “You’re forgetting your life. It’s a very real possession given to you by your mother, and you still have it, like your freedom. If you go back to that hillside, you’re putting it in jeopardy. If the bracelet’s so important, send a formal request to the King to have it retrieved and returned to you.”
Nessa looked thoroughly disappointed. “Can’t we just travel via there, quickly, on our way to the highway, please?”
James sighed, his expression impatient. “No.”
Nessa wondered how safely she could push James. They were out here alone in the dark, but who was to say he wouldn’t march her back to Derin?
“Pretty please?”
He scowled. Even in the dark, Nessa could see it.
“I don’t see how please could be pretty or ugly. Is this bracelet really so important to you that you’d risk imprisonment to get it back?”
Nessa nodded. “Yes it truly is that important to me. I have a long way to travel and I don’t want to leave it there.” She thought James must understand, even if he didn’t agree with her desire to find her supposed bracelet. He didn’t seem like a bad man – he was a bit gruff but he seemed otherwise pleasant. He couldn’t have known about the portal or what she was really planning – to return home. It felt vital to her that the portal was closed but she needed to find her way through it first.
James’s frustration showed, but he didn’t end their conversation there. That suggested to Nessa that he was listening. “So what is this bracelet? Gold or silver with jewels?” he asked.
Something like that. “Gold, but that isn’t what it’s about,” Nessa said, giving her most convincing act. At least her desperation was real, behind her charade.
“You’re going to get both of us in trouble. A prison term here might as well be a death sentence. I’ve seen what becomes of people in the city dungeon, Nessa. You’re better off steering clear of it, and so am I. You may not thank me but you ought to.”
“I need to get back there. Please,” she begged. Nessa wondered if she’d already said too much. If he wouldn’t go with her, then James would know that she’d try to return. He might be waiting for her there.
“Are you going to do this all the way along the road? The begging?”
Nessa sulked. “If I need to.”
“It’s five minutes that way,” he said, pointing off into the darkness, “beyond the fence, but you would have next to no chance of finding it in the dark. If you use a light out there, it would be seen from the castle.”
A smile blossomed on Nessa’s face. “Does that mean you’re prepared to help me?”
James hesitated and gritted his teeth. “Maybe, against my better judgement.”
Nessa squealed and uttered a small “Yay!”
The sound surprised him. “What was that?”
A soft laugh was his answer. “Happiness, that’s all. Thank you, James.”
CHAPTER SIX
Pandora's Home Dimension;
Terania Settlement, Alverron – 11:30 p.m.
The room was dark and the curtains drifted lazily by the open window. Pandora could make out the shape of the window frame in the darkness. She knew the window overlooked a courtyard on the street below. The whole settlement was enclosed by a protective dome that looked almost like clear glass – it was in fact a polymer. An energy current passed through the dome, which added shielding properties to offset the environmental toxins. The shield protected the city against attack or projectiles from the outside, and contained the atmosphere, some of which was filtered from the world outside.
Pandora thought she heard a sound outside, so she rose from her bed. As she stepped closer to the wall beside her window, she heard crisp footsteps receding into the distance. The path on the ground below was lit by subdued lights with an orange tinge, but there was no sign of anyone out there. The area outside the apartment building was normally deserted at a late hour like this, with only the occasional occupant passing through. She wondered why someone had been out there, but it was probably nothing of consequence. At least, she hoped it wasn’t.
She could see through the dome and make out the jagged peaks of the mountains in the distance. It was a tempting sight because she would love to explore those mountains and see what secrets they held. While the world between the mountains and the edge of the city was hidden by the inky blackness of night, she knew the ground was mostly bare, except for grasses, plants and wildflowers that had begun to grow in the terraformed zone. It had been a wonder, seeing the signs of life returning as the terraforming took hold. Julietta, a senior lab assistant she worked with, maintained a plant nursery and she provided many of the plants and seedlings that were being transplanted into the terraformed zones. It was a great honour.
It was possible to leave the dome but the exits were tightly guarded. There was only one way out that was well-known, but in performing her duties, she’d learned of others including the ruins of an underground railroad that had once connected the settlements. One day she would leave the city; Pandora was absolutely certain of it. Dreaming of it wasn’t enough. She wouldn’t feel that she’d lived until she felt the soil beneath her feet beyond the dome.
My heart tells me it will happen because if it doesn’t, I’m always going to wonder. For now, I should sleep. It’s getting late, but I just feel restless.
It wasn’t just that. She wasn’t sure what dreams might await her after the night before. She didn’t fancy finding herself in another house fire, but she wanted to know more about Lucy, her dream-sister. Pandora wondered if there was any chance Lucy existed or if there was truth in what she’d witnessed in her dream the night before.
Pandora climbed back into bed and pulled the covers up over herself. She could hear the fan in her room, circulating fresh air. Closing her eyes, she smiled at the thought of Kailen beside her, though he would be asleep in his own apartment by now. She slowly let herself drift off to sleep and her dreams claim her.
***
Pandora was in a room. All thought of her life, dreams and fears were forgotten as she observed the details around her. Its walls were covered by a lustrous blue paper marked with golden swirls. She noticed there was a chandelier above her head, high above, and small crystals dangled from it. Some were circular and others were shaped like teardrops. There were bulbs shaped like candles – not that she’d ever
seen a candle for herself, but she’d read about them. They were lit and cast small stars of light on the blue ceiling.
She stood on a circular dais, which was raised off the floor of the room by a few inches. She couldn’t have said why it was there; Pandora just knew that it was. It felt like a stage, somehow. It was covered in a deep mauve carpet but there was nothing else in the room; not even a door.
“Where am I? What is this place?” Her voice echoed softly off the walls.
“This is your place, because you made it.” The voice belonged to a stranger, or so she thought at first. An elderly woman stepped into view, just outside the boundary of the dais. Pandora recognised her at once because she knew her features, and there was no smoke to obscure her view. It was her grandmother, Emily. She felt no doubt at all; just recognition and warmth.
“I did?” Pandora asked uncertainly. She felt confused, yet filled with a sense of longing she couldn’t quite understand.
“I don’t know. You must have had a reason,” Emily answered.
Pandora noticed that Emily was holding a tray in her hands. She hadn’t a moment before. “It’s a puzzling situation, because I don’t know what the reason is. I was thinking about something else; something to do with a dream, perhaps. Is that what this is?” Even with her sense of realisation, Pandora felt groggy and her awareness of the dream started to slip away.
“Of course it is,” Emily replied, confidently. Pandora’s grandmother stayed close to the edge of the dais but she didn’t step upon it.
Pandora was curious about the objects on the tray. “Please, come closer and show me what you have. I want to see.”
“I can’t,” Emily said, her voice soft but resolute. “It’s not my place. It’s yours.”
Pandora was confused by this. She didn’t understand what the dais meant but perhaps it had something to do with Emily being dead and herself alive. The thought brought with it a feeling of sadness.