I knew from my time in DS, landing is scary. Slavers wait until a ship hits the atmosphere, then they throw a containment around it to capture it. Ships are easy for a slaver to find there because the pilot’s sending a holo to the government for permit. That’s why they weren’t searching for relatives while we flew. But, friction in the atmosphere shows the exact location of the ship. I clung to them as hard as all of ‘em did me!
Half the hull vanished. A girl screamed! “Aaaah! The ship fell apart!”
One of the pilots ran to her. “Lady, normally I wouldn’t open the ship like that, but this is Alb Seer. Theaspaura, King Of Fhiah, is coming to welcome everyone to a festival. Asha’s ship is fine, and not damaged.” One of the purple fellas.
She laughed and her face was very red. “Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to space travel!”
Farley’s fear rumbled on me louder than the others’. He also sweated more.
Theaspaura came. Farley expected a man who looked like a fairytale king, long, silver curls, and old. This man had dark curls to his collar and bright blue eyes like most people in Fhiah. “Friends, I declared a festival, and healers tell me is well for most to enjoy this festival for an hour while we move those who need to go to other worlds of Alb. Your ships will now separate for your journeys home. Once all are on their ships, your travel is only 4 Earthan minutes.
“Those of you who are well, please, enjoy the festival for an hour, then one will guide you to your ship.
“I know those who came from slavery are unwell for this, so I have many bakers and sweeters to go to them.” He motioned to an army of people with trays! They came aboard. A healer had to carry a woman out, but other healers kept the tray upright. Or maybe a prog did.
“Welcome to Alb. I shall nae weary my Earthans who came with you. Enjoy the festival!”
A lot of Earthans went out, including my family and Jason and Brian’s and even Steven’s families. I didn’t want to leave Farley’s family, and his DS Team stayed, too. Healers moved all of us to the yellow ship.
We kept working on progs. Bedelia helped brown-haired Pas with comforting some of the yellow Zheien in our area.
We had a much smaller crowd, but Cevit Ion and his family were near us. Peh Ras took me to help him adjust Jirris’ progs, Cevit Ion’s brother. It shocked me that he wanted me to do this. He didn’t ask Elsie, but an Earthan named Leyla joined us. “Pon is asleep, but Becky and Cara stayed with him. Is there anyone else from Marenalay?”
“Asha, Diplomat Of Elshar Zheiea, but Leyla, you should nae speak of this. They will be very unwell!”
“How can he not talk about where he grew up?”
Pas, the older one, ran to her. “Lady, he must have healing for weeks, to be stronger. Jirris was there also, and he is very unwell from witnessing so many deaths.”
Her blue eyes filled. “Deaths? Who would hurt a Zheien?”
“Let us ne discuss. You wish to learn to write progs, ea? Peh Ras asked me to see Jirris and make some recommendations. Ashapat will sit with us also.”
We all sat with them. Leyla knew the basics from helping with her new husband’s progs. Oh. Pondaiash, Farley’s tutor! Pas and Ashapat warned us not to tell Farley that he’s here yet. Pondaiash can’t stand the excitement. Pirad is doing gradual mods on his heart, and when that finishes, Farley can see him.
I liked Leyla and promised to bring Allison and Rose with me when we come to visit them. Her girls are about their ages.
Before I knew it, the pilot took his place at the bulge in the console. I tried not to look nervous.
He closed the ship. Bowed. “I am Asha, a trader, and this is my ship. We will be on Elshar Zheiea in Rainbow in four Earthan minutes. Rest and be well!” This fella had black, straight hair.
Clicking started, and I tried not to tense. Our pilot also had that tension. You never lose it once a slaver catches you in a containment.
I rechecked the prog and added one more line. Jirris stopped sweating. Didn’t expect that!
Peh Ras smiled. “O, you helped him! What did you?”
I looked at the line, an extra check for poisons from Tessite mines. Elshar Mashai doesn’t have any active ones. They mined it all a century ago!
Peh Ras added it to every yellow Zheien’s progs, and a bunch of ‘em got treatment for them! He was also puzzled.
Ashapat shook his head. “This exposure is purposeful. Any who torture a Zheien know of these poisons and carry them. I never imagined that a prog could be written to check for so many! Peh, when wrote you this?”
He startled. “I did nae! Ella, you wrote this, and you only learned prog instruction today?”
“Pas taught me, and Elsie added some of these lines.” But, most of it was my code. I tied a lot of my practice stuff together to make it.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Clicking stopped, and I wasn’t ready. I startled. Put a hand on the floor!
“What’s the matter, Ella?” Leyla looked scared.
“We’re just landing.”
Our pilot laughed. “She’s DS!”
Jirris groaned, and Cevit Ion hugged him. “Ba, we are home. Sleep long. Rish, will you and Rose stay with us tonight?”
He looked at her and she nodded, with a smile. “We’ll stay as long as you want us. Jir, just going to our bed—”
“Nae to your beds.” Ashapat held out a hand. “Sit longer.”
Pas gave them all 5 leaves of bis tia. “Wait. I bring healers from Rainbow.”
“But, Ella designed our home! We must choose a site for her—” Farley sat up and Pas held him so he couldn’t stand up.
Cevit Ion stood in the opening. The red sky had stars, and five moons. As in our wedding, the smallest traced a path across the others. All seven buildings glowed. We were near the “Friends, we wait for riding animals. I know many of you have homes, and I have many diplomats who came to help those of you who have nae Zheien friends with you. You may go to your homes and see this colony. But, for those of Rahn Estar, who return, and relatives who came with you, healers feel that you must stay in Rainbow first. This is Rainbow Elshar Zheiea, and even I must dwell here for a time.”
His yellow skin had sweat-powder on it, and his wife Sara looked worried. I recognized Ahstam with him. He’s the best Zheien healer known! If he needs him, he’s in bad shape! Why didn’t I notice him when I first sat with them?
“Those of Calladia, Esta Faho, Kin Para, Rahn Estar, and Sara Kia will join those of Ferrimos and Marenalay and our other provs, in the Yellow Building. If you have friends or relatives among you, bring them. We can expand the building and add beds as needed. Brethren of K’hasa Zha, many of you already occupy the orange and the red, and also the green. Many Elshars are in the blue and purple. I wish to let Per Naha Of Kin Para, Elder King, Leader Of Alb Council speak to you now.” He gave a graceful bow, and they sat down.
Per Naha was about the same age as Cevit Ion, and had dark curls. He bowed lower to Cevit Ion. His blue eyes wavered between dark and light. “I am happy to welcome our Earthans, Elshars and Thordes! And, my bae and sae, you are home, at last! Since we accustom to new skies, I felt it necessary to delay you from your homes. People were eager to practice normalcy when they followed King Challet from ships, and eagerly made new homes to replace theirs of stone, for these firstships came from Elshar Mashai Zheien Colony.
“I am sad to report that all those of Marenalay died, though Pirad revived them later. Fear nae, for he revived the whole of Marenalay’s Burial Chambers! These rebuilt Marenalay of Elshar as he was, and this is Marenalay Elshar Zheiea.” A holo showed a commons with the same seven-sided buildings in a circle, but every building, though a solid rainbow color and in that order, had a mural on each side! Beautiful work, and some of the colors were metallic. But not many people walked around. Healers bathed most of ‘em in the yellow sand, or in shallow marshes, and there were fountains that sprayed sand!
“As you see, every person there needs his healer near! But, we lost nae more. Pirad revived Ashasiena, Master Healer Of Marenalay, who emigrated to Elshar Mashai with our forefahies. She had dismay that King Challet gathered all in a great festival in Ferrimos. The first day of this festival was very well, but that evening, as people went to their homes, we had incidents. She warned him to gather all to Ashapat’s Chambers. They did, and many had such upset there, we moved all to Rainbow Elshar Zheiea. Our farms are automated, and we have nae mines here but on moons with nae people. These are our 5 bae moons, which were worlds.
“Ashapat heard much of Rainbow’s methods, and we practice them, those of you with memories of them. I urge you, if you remember a helpful memory, please share it with a healer. All our healers share a mindlink so any information that passes, goes quickly to your leaders that they may consider your well. I wish health to all of you.
“When a Zheien colony must move, many have perils. I spoke at length with Ahstam, who advised Ashaserie. Ahstam always received unwell from ships of Failed colonies, and his ennead has perhaps, the most experience with unwell who had to leave their homes for a new place. He always taught that we rulers can nae merely let people to their homes. For a time, and this time will vary for individuals, we must bear life in healers’ chambers, that we may have fast knowledge of new unwells.
“I lead Kin Para in his start, when I was only 14, because Fa died. Fa ruled many years before I was born, and he neared 150 when Mea had me. Nae expected me to live, for nae many women can bear in her age! Mea died in my birth. Fa raised me to lead our colony. You might think, how is it that Kin Para, that I tell you I lead the colony start? Because, we had many colony starts! Our healers bore the weight of knowledge that we lost colonists constantly. Demands of war and mine injuries took many of us of Rahn Estar, Esta Faho, Kin Para and farming injuries, Calladia and Sara Kia. And so, we brought more colonists from Elshar Zheiea. Our numbers grew in Rahn Estar, not from growth, but from workers for our shipbuilding facility and weapons research facilities there and on Esta Faho.
“Ahstam revealed to King Ishmarel that in most colony starts, people die, not from hazards of newcolonies, which are too numerous to name in a short time, but from the difference. Healers kept this secret for generations, thinking we leaders could nae bear to know it. They explained our numbers in terms of those who went back home or became travelers, or went as soldiers where few return.
“Ishmarel advised me to practice honesty. We wish nae to lose half of our newcolonists! Even on MarKu, nae a new world, and the most populous of all Zheien worlds, Ahstam feared we might lose half!
“We looked at Ahstam’s methods, and even he was nae sure that he could provide measures to save them.
“And so, we asked of Pirad. I was shocked that he told us of Rainbow Unwell Colony, started by a girl of 15, an Earthan, in another future! She asked of Fhiah to run progs that would save lives. And, Fhiah’s Council refused! Over years, however, her colony in Fhiah’s Barrens saved more lives than any other healer colony in the Thirteen. When they granted a request by Queen Molly, mortality lessened by measurable amounts.
“I listened to many of these memories. Eae, we do sacrifice a bit of privacy, but mostly to servers. I pleaded with the Alb Council, leaders of every colony that is here, 25 of them, to allow Molly to run whichever progs please her for the well of all persons in Alb, nae only unwell! And all of them agreed. We signed a treaty that any world that moves to Alb shall use these measures to exclude slavers and maintain the welfare of our peoples.
“The progs are in your menus, and all of them have choices for all of you, my bae and sae. Already, Queen Molly, who rules all Rainbow Colonies, made modifications on these progs, and because of them, when many fell unwell in their homes here, progs brought their healers. Many healers were unwell, but King Dai’nos sent half of Ishah here! These healers would have starved in their homes and oft chose to work in Ishah’s mines to support themselves and heal a few dying workers before they succumbed! Because we have many times the number of healers required for a center of healing, we have many available nae only for people coming to Alb daily, but we may receive ships of unwell and bring most slaves to a familiar home for their healing.”