The afternoon passed slowly, and the sun shone lower and lower. The girls talked about everything that had happened and enjoyed nature, eating berries and drinking stream water that was purer than the purest mineral water. They saw several other animals, but no wolves or auroks. It was like a well-deserved vacation from America, and for a moment they forgot about the STC and all the violence they'd seen, as well as school and even Ellen and Derek. Liana thought she would miss almost nothing of the other world if she could have this every day, except maybe Joris.
The nature here was soothing and healing. And she knew it wasn't just nature itself that she was now plugged back into. Nature, herself and everything were part of something Greater, connected to that which gave Life. Even Izabel who would challenge any words she would put on it felt it and surrendered to it, looking much more alive than ever. Together they were now immersed in the fabric of Being, as Liana had experienced with Inaya just before she left the last time she was here just before she left. But she knew this couldn't last. The eagle screamed, and Liana felt it was time to go back. She had sensed that well because after a few steps they saw Akhina approaching.
“Inaya is back. She wants to speak to you.”
When they arrived they saw not only Inaya, but also Marah and Gorr. The two number fa greeted her, but Gorr bowed politely when she arrived. Liana was still amazed at her reputation.
“We need to discuss what happened in your world, and when you are going back. The council suspects everything is safe, and the STC is certainly harmless now!”
“So the Tech Corp is indeed defeated? Can we go back to our world safely?” Liana repeated to Inaya.
"I think so. And the second is ultimately your decision, ambassador-dinn…”
The last word was certainly meant to be teasing, but Liana didn't respond.
“All their equipment is unusable, all their circuits have been melted, all electronic data has been wiped. And they themselves have been taken to a safe place” Inaya replied.
“Marah and Frest have assembled a team that will locate and destroy all Kavanderran objects on your world, but there are not many left… And Kavanderran matter is easy to detect.”
She pulled out a newspaper. "And this is your news."
Liana looked at the paper, amazed at the strange way it was reported, then passed it on to Izabel. A whole story about an attack on a factory, settlement within the environment, and many dead and missing due to a heavy explosion. A strange explanation about disturbing radiation that was bad for people's memory.
“Wow, such a strange explanation. The press can give it a weird twist!"
Inaya shrugged.
“People can only describe what they understand. All the dead were buried, and the Tech Corp people who remained were gone when the press arrived.”
That was new to Liana. “What actually happened to them?” she asked.
“We scanned them, as you would say. We let those who had little evil in them go with a partially erased memory. By the way, that was only considered because there is an ambassador from Oranderra now.”
Liana looked at her. She knew that the Numberfa had exceptional gifts when it came to the human mind, but this was again too much of a bad fantasy story for her. But she'd learned a long time ago to accept and not question things that were too strange for reality, especially if you're already asking other questions.
"And the others?" She continued.
“The council has banned them from both worlds for what they have done. I said you would agree to that. They are dropped with no memory of what happened in a fertile valley on the vitrified side of Kavanderra, with some simple tools, a herd of goats and a few chickens, and seeds of the main crops from both worlds that grow well there. They just have to survive without technology. On a large island in the acid seas.”
Liana looked at her friend.
"Isn't that cruel?"
“Should we have just killed them? Have not enough nawa been killed? This way they have been able to keep their lives and they can safely make something of it if they want. And are they harmless to the rest of the worlds if they don't want to. Every now and then someone from the council will check that colony and give help if necessary.”
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
Liana wasn't quite convinced. “Will they not be able to use Kavanderra's technology again?” she asked.
“Nothing has remained intact on the glazed side. But there is water and soil that can be made fertile under the glass where they were dropped. Getting used to a 28-hour day and the absence of seasons is going to be the hardest. There is a huge ocean between their island and the more undamaged side that is not navigable.”
Liana tried to think of something but she couldn't come up with a better idea, and the idea that her assailants were now in an unreachable world made her feel safe, but an uncertainty remained in the background.
What happened to John?” She asked.
"John?" asked Inaya.
“The leader, in his grey suit. Do you remember? He was also in Kavanderra.”
It took a moment for Inaya to show recognition.
“Ah, I didn't see those among the survivors. I think he was buried with the fallen. I don't think anyone on the council noticed a difference between ordinary people and leaders really."
Liana watched John being attacked with clubs and axes by savage Drotnira. He probably couldn't even have survived. But there were more questions.
“And the Onnobolda?”
“Some of the Numberfa leaders were hiding when you arrived, also because the Drotnira realised that they were behind the collaboration with the STC that had killed their ilk in Kavanderra.” Inaya shook her head regretfully.
“The ordinary Nummerfa knew nothing, and were as shocked as the Drotnira. They all need healing, and guidance from the council, but they will be alright in the end. Andira is a broken woman now who has completely broken with her previous thinking, and the council wants to give her another chance because she herself won the war in the end.”
Liana whistled for a moment, remembering the eyes of the Drotnira that had been in front of her just before Inaya arrived.
“Not everyone is going to be happy with that.”
“It took a while for everyone to understand that it was she who stopped the struggle and power of the STC. And it is indeed more complicated. The Drotnira council has banned her from the Drotnira areas, but I don't think she will ever want to set foot there again. She has chosen a time of seclusion in the forest to recharge.”
Liana nodded.
“But the other Nummerfa leaders of the Onnobolda did indeed continue to resist, even against the council itself. We ended up leaving them together with the Tech Corp in Kavanderra, also without memory. They just have to see that they survive together. In the end it was their own idea to work together… Let them find comfort in each other without memory in a new world!”
Whoops, Liana thought, but she said nothing. She didn't exactly feel that the forced colony of mixed veterans from two sides of the battle really had a long and happy future, even with forced amnesia… But that raised another question.
“Speaking of which, there's something I've been wondering for a long time: can humans and Nummerfa have children together?” she asked.
Inaya looked at her strangely.
“Marriages between the different types of nawa are rare and often remain childless, but there are known cases where that has happened, and there have been healthy children. Fadhola the sage, who made an important adaptation to the element theory, was the daughter of a Numberfil and a Hmana man from the linden forest, for example. There is even talk of a race of people who had Nummerfa blood at the ancient city of the Sonba-dhamuë, but that was thousands of years ago, and that tribe has vanished without a trace, if they ever existed.” She said.
“Then I hope they can settle their differences, it could be the start of something beautiful…” Liana said. “And I suspect that those Americans will be able to use the knowledge of nature and agriculture of the Nummerfa.”
“Anyone have a last glass of Wizal bedstraw spring drink?” Akhina asked, suddenly appearing from behind them. "It's time for you to leave."