In front of the command desk, Neith Comidava watched the countless super irritating notices.
NO RESULT!
MISTAKE!
WRONG SEARCH PARAMETERS!
Failed to set the scan limits correctly. Nor did the antenna alignment cause him any beneficial insight. The bright cocoon was as invisible and mysterious as it was 6 hours ago, 10 hours ago, a whole day ago...however long it had been since it started.
Neith was losing track of time, losing patience... she needed a break, a meal, a conference with the girls... She had started to send the holo-conference request when another message, bold red with an audible warning reminded her that she was outside the Intergalactic Network, separated from everything that was her life.
She was separated from friends, family, research, she had nothing else besides ORIN... Yeah, I could live peacefully without personally experiencing what ancestors were like, no network, no constant contact... super messed up!
Grumbling she walked past the platform to the bathroom when she was stunned to see the 4-sheet seal. I'm a nut! How could I forget that it has a bio-energy scan function! Good thing no one else sees such a lapse! I'd ruin my reputation!
Neith reinvigorated with optimism, she returned to the desk, cancelled all searches, cleared the design surfaces. She connected the ruby bracelet to the royal seal and waited.
"ORIN, get ready for multiple registration."
"Princess, it will probably take us a while to identify, from the entire record, the minute that the sub went off the main route. The last reset you did was about two years before you transferred to Central University. We probably need a few hours."
"Look for footage of the Chameleon ambassador's party last month. The family gathering is highlighted in the footage, very easy to find."
"I'm starting, it'll take a few minutes anyway, it's recommended a meal, a bath in between"
"Okay, okay, mommy ghost, I get it!"
Neith opened another drawer in the storage cupboard, took out two pink spheres and, turning them over, placed them next to the sealed body. Through contact with the astral projection the spheres transferred the stored energy to the outline strengthening it. It was an easy practical way of feeding but Neith missed the delicious tastes. I must take the time to invent flavours in energy form! I don't know why when I return to physical form I forget to research.
Resigned Neith turned to ORIN and the screens. Finally they found images of the glowing cocoon. The ones from the blast site and the first jump were blurry, she'd have to find out why... but now she was focused on the most recent ones. The landing, or more correctly, the appearance here.
Surprisingly, the energy imprint was in the royal archive, recorded by the first king with the note 'to be studied thoroughly for possible connection to the Heart Tree'.
Even more surprisingly, after the full unveiling of the capsule, a thin, symmetrically twisted yellow-green thread remained in the images. It linked the tip of the minisubmarine to a location lost in the sky.
"ORIN, load an auxiliary form into your bracelet." Neith approaches the hourglass with outstretched hand.
"Princess, this is an unknown area, better keep 2 with capsule in case of attack and transfer 4. In transparent form you are more vulnerable than usual." With the sounds of an hourglass flute sent 4 cones towards the ruby bracelet, entering it.
"Okay, after I get out I go into cloak mode.
*Don't follow me before I find out what's on the other end of the wire.
*Continue mapping the area.
*Try to find out why the first two moments are unclear. Maybe we can find our way home.
*We remain in permanent connection." With the last instructions given, exit through the capsule walls to the outside. Following the capsule's screen he found the wire, attached it to one of its links.
He couldn't wait to see what he would find and what the personal connection was. At full speed she began to follow him, leaving behind the capsule which in another flute tone became first transparent and then completely invisible.
Following the thread Neith Comidava realized that it was twisted into a conical spiral shape, with the tip at the life-saving capsule. Before he lost contact with the capsule's location sensors he had descended 20 IGU. He had no idea if he was even halfway there.
All he could do was keep spinning, holding on to the thread. For unknown reasons the position sensors could not attach to it. It could not shorten by cutting in a straight line. He couldn't send the minirelays forward, he had already tried but lost them almost immediately. The whole area had far too many mysteries to continue comfortably.
Because it was necessary to get to the end to find answers, Neith buttoned the bracelet, set the maximum limit at which the sensors worked and began to make repeated jumps. These consumed more energy from the bracelet's core but he had no other solution. He didn't want to go back without answers. After a dozen he decided to stop, to transfer energy from one of the additional ORIN forms.
When she stopped, suddenly, suddenly and without a trace of movement, a huge, transparent, luminous sphere appeared in front of her. I estimated that it was at least half the size of the University Metropolis.
The one-fingered atangand looked like rigid, cold metal, impossible to pass. Pointing the twisted antennae around his ears, cautiously touched with the tip of one. It looked like a curtain of water, warm as summer rain. Neith was stunned, she was stuck.
She touched it again with her fingers, again it felt like cold metal. She stuck the tip of her other antennae to the wall, again feeling warm rainwater.
It was the greatest scientific mystery she had ever encountered in her life. It was necessary, indeed essential, to collect samples of this unknown material. She tried to move a drop of liquid with the tip of her antenna, and with her fingers she picked up a fragment of material. Wow... I think I'm the first person in the Federation for whom both actions are possible simultaneously from the same sample. The only material case without contradictions. Wow... it'd be interesting to know what the rest of the Federation feels at the touch. I wonder if the Nebulanians could corrupt this material. Out of excitement, the princess had begun to analyze aloud. She was overwhelmed by such wonder.
Out of uncontrolled excitement she touched the wall with both antennae and unwittingly felt herself thrown. Instinctively she adjusted her position so that she could roll over on contact with the ground. Neith spun around, straightened up and stood with her mouth agape.
The whole area was bathed in white, purple and violet rays. In front of it, two strings of nine-cornered glowing stars surrounded a centuries-old plane tree made of yellow light. It was a planet heart tree. Shocking! In an unknown corner of the Universe she managed to encounter a Heart Tree. It was more than luck, it was absurd luck! He ended up personally touching the third Heart Tree specimen.
Looking closer I see at the top of the crown a crouched silhouette. Levitating, Neith reached a higher branch and saw clearly that it was a young woman, curled up, asleep, protected as if in a basket by branches and covered in bright leaves.
Studying her oval face, Neith had another shock, the young woman resembled them completely. If she had antennae, big ears, purple hair, most people would mistake her for her. Sitting side by side, they would have looked like identical twins. It was incredible.
By touching one of the leaves with the tip of his antenna, he gets a firefly of energy. From him he learns that the young girl had arrived in the Light Field after an explosion on a planet in his sector.
The explosion occurred just as the Heart-Shaft was sending a pulse to the planet. The young girl's shaken, disoriented spirit was drawn into the corridor formed. It has been here ever since, cared for by the bio-energy of the Heart Tree.
Neith carefully moved the branches and leaves covering the young girl until she had completely uncovered her. Together her fingers formed a triangle, the tips lightly touching the center of her sternum. Breathing deeply she sent a sphere of pink light inside. Slowly it diffused into the young woman's astral projection. Seeing that it was helping, that the young woman was growing brighter, Neith continued.
When the pink colour evenly enveloped her entire silhouette, the princess formed a rhombus with her fingers, gently touching the middle of her forehead. A circle of light rose from the youth's outline, floating towards the princess's bracelet. After dissolving into ruby, her display scrolled images, sequences, moments. These were Neita Simonetta's experiences in her 25 years on Earth. Emotions, acquaintances, passions, talents, absolutely everything was stored in the princess's system.
First Neith learns that 25 Earth years were not as long as 25 Federal years. Comparing the volume of information, 1 federal year was about as long as 2 earth years. Looking at the astronomical data, as expected, he found nothing known. She sighed slightly as Neitta moved her fingers, opened her eyelids. Taking a deep breath, the princess smiled fondly.
"Welcome back! Child of this Universe. I am Neith Comidava, fourth Chameleonian princess, citizen of the Federation of Five Neighbors."
"Who are you?" Neitta sits up sleepily. She looked at the transparent silhouette of her Neith, the branches, the leaves of yellow light and startled, she began to tremble. "Who are you? What do you want? How did you get here? How did I get here?... Where is here?" With each question, Neita's voice became more shrill, more defensive.
"Child, be quiet! Stay calm! This is the Field of Light, the place where the Heart Tree exists. I couldn't find the name in your culture. I arrived here after following the trail left by a cocoon that took me from the site of an explosion. I was looking for answers, causes, not expecting to meet you." Neith tried to soothe her with a melodious, fairy-tale tone.
"Explosion? I was at the yacht party when there was an explosion." Neitta took a closer look at Neith- her face and saw the antennae, elephant-like ears and panicked again. "Aliens exist! Ghosts exist! You are one, stay there, don't come near me!" Neitta was trying to climb between the branches, to get away when she saw her transparent hands and suddenly fainted.
***
In Neita's hospital room the sunlight was broken into streaks by the horizontal blinds. Grandma often wanted to lift them but unfortunately they were fixed between the sheets of glass. She forgot how many times she wondered why they had chosen such a pattern. The direction of the clinic did not take into account the beneficial effect of warm light.
Pursing her lips, Monica Simonetta tried to get past her worries, to listen well, to remember correctly. Leaning against the bed, she took Neita's hand and squeezed it emotionally. On the couch, Victoria Thomas with an open file smiled encouragingly.
"Tests confirm that all wounds have healed. Blood values are good. So are the cardio, encephalon and MRI results. Everything is in order to start the cure. At noon we start stimulation with the Institute's medicine and acupuncture." Victoria's tone was professional, neutral, almost monotone.
"The treatment will take place over 5 days, identical every day. At 12 o'clock, the treatment will consist of administration of the stimulating solution by infusion and acupuncture, the same session at 5 o'clock. At 10 pm the acupuncture will be identical but without the infusion. I don't know if Countess Ileana has told you the importance of respecting the timing of the duration. Once the procedure has started, it is essential to continue it without interrupting the 15 sessions."
"Yes, she told me. I understand the Institute's policy on this treatment well."
"You know? There is NO guarantee that he will wake up immediately! I saw the test results yesterday and I'm optimistic. I think he will wake up before the treatment is over. However, don't stress, I have already prepared additional options in case of need."
"Thank you. You and Ileana have my gratitude. Without you I wouldn't know which way to turn... Who to call... What to choose... How lucky I am with you." Grandma's voice was a little shaky.
"Don't worry, it's my duty. Countess Ileana Gundorokov was happy to lend a helping hand in such a difficult situation. Don't fret, I'll see you at 11.45" Victoria closed the file, stood up, touched her grandmother's shoulder encouragingly and left the salon.
Grandma stayed for a few moments stroking Neita's forehead, her very short hair, her cheeks, then she stood up, looking in her bag for her phone. She glanced at it reproachfully, sang it out, held it up reluctantly. Taking a deep breath she put it back, picked up the needles and began to knit, humming a children's tune.
