A story of Light & Strength

“It’s a funny thing about these portals,” Jedda remarked to Sansa as they looked upon the verdant planet from outer space, “you can see everything on the journey, yet time doesn’t pass.”

Sansa was transfixed by the peaceful green and blue ball in the distance that felt so alive and unknown.

“Yep.” she responded, while her attention was on their destination.

As they came closer to the planet it began to resemble a plush, thick carpet of verdant greens, browns and reds stretched as long as the eye could see.

The only places where sections of the thick carpet were defined to a shape was where streams, rivers and rock faces deliberately set lines to the otherwise infinite expanse.

Each increment one came closer to this world revealed more detail. More movement. More life.

Soft, rolling ridges atop of mountain ranges with meandering valleys directing water courses around them.

Coming even closer they could see the way the water was flowing in the large rivers. Both were mesmerised.

At the end of the portal, one of many natural travel systems in the universe they had access to, the planets gravity firmly but softly pulled their feet to the moist and cool ground.

“Look,” Jedda whispered to Sansa as she joined his curious gaze on a muddy puddle with an iridescent, bubble-like creature bathing in bliss, “he is not bothered by us one bit!”

Air bubbles surfaced next to him from the water body as his eyes glowed with what seemed like a blissful smile.

Sansa noticed a tree next to her and placed her hand on its strong trunk, “Listen” she said to Jedda, not with her mouth but with her thoughts.

He placed his hand on a tree near him and heard the same sound as Sansa; although he wasn’t sure if he was hearing it with his ears or inside his body.

They looked at each other as if they were the same person until Sansa let her hand slide off the tree.

“Wow!” she said, beaming at Jedda and moving through the trees with wonder.

Jedda was grinning ear to ear, eyes glistening while looking for what else he could explore in this new and exciting place.

As they continued to roam around the dense forest, wade through streams and take in the radiant light that seemed to be emanating from all seemingly solid things, they noticed the presence of other creatures, but different.

“Do you see that?” Jedda drew Sansa’s arm closer to him as he pointed with his eyes into the distance while a confused look fell on his face when their eyes found nothing.

Sansa replied, “Yes and no!” and laughed, as they both knew the same thing.

“There’s something there but I can’t see it. Well, not quite.. do you see that shimmer?”
“If you can call it ‘seeing’” Sansa countered, “…yes?”

As they both wilfully relaxed more, they could sense more of ‘who’ was there, in and around the trees and into the ground, without any edges, undefinable. As if there was no difference between the trees, the soil and the creature.

Neither of them had seen or been aware of anything like this.

Jedda broke the silence softly,

“What do you see?”

“It’s big… like really big. And light. Streaming with light… I’m trying… it’s so intense… wow!”

“Hello” Sansa finally said to the being.

A soft wave passed through them both.

“Did… that… just welcome us?” Jedda stuttered.

One tear of joy rolled down Sansa’s cheek.

Jedda and Sansa both knew this invitation was what they came to this planet for and followed the light being with a peace they had not known until this day.

It was unclear to Jedda and Sansa how long they had been moving in the wake of the large being through the forest: it seemed both an eternity and no time at all.

As they strolled, a cool, vibrant breeze brushed against their skin—so charged was the air that it seemed to whisper secrets of the place to their bodies, assuring their senses with a connection to the place.

They saw creatures digging in the ground, sailing from one tree to another, basking in water and emerging from cracks in the ground and bark - all of them absorbed by their own purpose, joyful with intent, yet aware of Jedda and Sansa passing by.

Most of the journey had a similar feeling in the trees and animals to where they first arrived, but when they arrived at their presumed destination it was different.

“Do you feel that?” said Sansa to Jedda, once again not using her mouth to speak.

When Sansa glanced at Jedda, he was hunched over, one hand clutching his knee, the other pressed against his stomach. A thin string of drool dangled from his lips. Sansa’s brow knitted together.

The being extended a shimmering limb toward Jedda, its glow pooling around his stomach. Jedda’s breath hitched, then eased as warmth spread through him. He straightened, shoulders relaxing, and managed a shaky grin.

“Ahh, thank you,” he said, looking up at the being with relief. “I thought I was going to make a mess on the ground here!”

“What…” he started to ask.

Without a word, they were shown a spot some distance away, where two logs waited beneath the trees.

They received the message and as soon as they settled onto the wood, the rough bark gave way to an unexpected softness. Their bodies sank in, eyelids drooping, and within moments, the world around them blurred at the edges, as if sleep might claim them right then and there.

The being touched them with its light body and they realised this was not sleep. Their edges morphed into everything around them. The forest, the trees, the ground. They became part of it and all of it in the same moment.

Jedda lurched forward again, clutching his stomach, sensing a black hole - a hungry darkness or void - in the expanse of the land that he now was, a rushing of energy flowing into it from the living world around it.

Their bodies somehow held themselves up, weightless, as a huge rush of energy came into them, information and clarity pouring into their minds; undeniable, unquestionable truths given without need for thought or interpretation. Although not pleasant, they knew this was simply how things were on this planet, right now.

Jedda felt his toe curl, his heel pressed into the earth and his legs relaxed, bringing his awareness to his body again - all while information about the darkness flooded his mind. He reached out, his fingers brushing Sansa’s thigh as she jolted and her gaze met his.

It became clear to them why they were here.

Jedda slowly arose from the now hard wooden log with a new determination written on his face.

“This is not right” he said, his gaze to the distance.

“We have to move now,” Sansa said, rising and scanning the surrounding area.

They set out from where they stood in the direction of the swirling darkness they could sense in the distance.

Some way into their journey, Sansa said,

“Ok I have to admit Jedda, it seems counterintuitive to go this way. We’re going straight towards this… insanity?”

“I hear you Sansa,” Jedda replied, “but I also can’t deny what they showed us. If we really are the only ones here that can do something about this… I mean, you saw it, this is going to get far worse. They won’t stop once they’re done here.”

“Look,” Jedda crouched and pointed in the distance at a reflection foreign to this landscape.

A type of metal antenna stood up from the ground.

“Jedda, let’s split and circle around this thing,” Sansa reasoned.

“Ok. But stay connected to me,” Jedda replied with his thoughts as he looked at her. Sansa nodded.

As they flanked the antenna they both began to witness more of what was going on. A clearing opened up with a large metal disc across the ground, actively pulsing yet moving very little. The vibration made both Sansa and Jedda hold their stomachs in an attempt to soothe the nausea.

Every living thing near the machine looked empty, grey or dead - the earth was sunk down at the perimeter. Light was disappearing into its metal gills.

Sansa stopped momentarily and her gaze dropped to the ground and thought,

“I can’t deal with this.”

A thought she had never had before.

She dropped to one knee and stabilised herself with one hand, a desperate desire to lay down and sleep. Just a little. Just to disappear for a while. Pure bliss.

“Jedda?” She reached out with her thoughts. Silence.

Sansa raised her head. Her eyes could only see the antenna now, as though it were speaking to her, seducing her, singing a sweet lullaby of surrender.

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she lowered her head.

What is this?

She asked herself, pushing outwards with her arms and her energy, claiming more space.

Her head lifted again. Now she saw the pulse of the antenna—urging her to give up, to become weak, to lose herself to a state of welcoming unconsciousness.

“No fucking way!” she demanded, gritting her teeth.

At that moment, a strength surged from the middle of her back, radiating out through her arms and legs. Light poured from her as she amplified the energy outward—Sansa herself blinded by the bright glow.

A surge of light pierced the metal plate from the opposite side, joining Sansa’s intense brilliance. The earth quaked beneath her feet; sparks flew from the antenna, and the deafening screech of tearing metal filled the air.

As stillness settled around her, Sansa sensed a large presence behind her—and on either side, growing, spreading out further and further until a full circle of beings surrounded her, the metal structure, and Jedda on the other side.

Only then did Sansa realise that this energy had been with her the whole time, supporting her every choice.

Focussing on the large presence, she began to distinguish them individually: many beings, like the one that had touched Jedda’s stomach with its light, circled around them.

As Jedda approached from the other side, the silence was broken by the sound of a door swinging open on the side of the large metal disc. Three people wearing matte plastic suits stumbled out, accompanied by billowing black smoke.

After coughing and reorienting themselves, they gathered with crinkled frowns and fixed their attention on Sansa.

“What happened?! What did you do?” one of them cried as they hurried towards her.

Sansa took a step back as Jedda joined her.

“Who the hell are these guys?” she whispered.

“This is impossible!” another yelled. “What did you do?”

“Umm,” Sansa hesitated. “These guys brought us here, and we…” She trailed off, pointing at the beings behind them.

“Who??” chimed in the third, his face stained with soot.

Sansa and Jedda turned to look behind them. The beings seemed unperturbed. They glanced at each other, realisation dawning in their eyes.

Jedda quickly added,

“We were just walking by when this thing started making a lot of noise and smoking,”

gesturing towards the smoking disc the men had left behind.

The three men debated amongst themselves.

“We have to report this immediately!” one blurted, and they hustled away, fumbling to pick a direction.

Jedda’s eyes widened as they met Sansa’s. Both burst into laughter—hands on their knees, tears streaming down their faces.

After regaining some composure, Sansa wiped her face with her palms.

“How does it get even better than this?” she said, and together, they walked in the opposite direction, disappearing into the forest.

THE END