– Prior –
Finally, they had landed. Even the view from the window had been breathtaking. So much green! And the area was surrounded by tall mountains. Prior had never seen mountains that high before.
As soon as the hover's door opened, they could hear the sound of rushing water. It was like stepping into a dream landscape.
Prior took a few steps and looked around in every direction.
They were standing in a narrow valley. High mountains rose on both sides, with water flowing down from them. In the distance, even taller peaks could be seen, some of them snow-covered. Tears filled Prior's eyes. She was so happy to be here. Kassia had given her such a wonderful gift. She felt as though she didn't even deserve it.
"Thank you, Kassia! I'm so happy I can be here," she said.
Kassia smiled. "I'm glad you came along. I haven't been here in a long time."
"We can walk along here for a bit and look at some of the waterfalls from below. About a kilometer away is the Gelfall, the largest waterfall here," Lina explained. "That's where Lake Gel is. And we can go into a few caves and maybe even climb a bit up the mountains."
"That all sounds wonderful!" Prior said.
They finally set off toward the Gelfall. Prior kept marveling at everything. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the sunlight kept filtering through the waterfalls of different sizes. It was so peaceful, and the air was so fresh. It almost felt unreal, and Prior felt freer than she had in a long time.
She took out her messenger, started taking photos, and sent a few to Nari and Eynara. She absolutely had to tell them more, but she decided to save that for later.
– Kashion –
The meeting with his advisory team had not gone entirely satisfactorily. They believed Kashion should think carefully about how important a connection to Saturn would be, and that he could not think only of himself. It was his duty. At first, he had not wanted to continue discussing the subject.
Afterward, he met with several scientists. He needed another trump card. The research on oil synthesis might be close to a breakthrough, and the work on condensation could also prove extremely valuable.
Later, Kashion walked through the palace, checking everywhere to ensure that everything was perfectly prepared for the coming day. He personally inspected the accommodations as well as the grand hall once more. Everything had to present Tingdao in its very best light.
– Prior –
Prior, Kassia, Lina and— not to forget —Emi had already seen quite a lot and were now hungry.
Down in the valley there were small restaurants, cafés, and shops. They had decided to take a look around there.
Eventually, they found an inviting restaurant. You could sit outside and enjoy the view of the mountains and waterfalls.
Before they sat down, Lina suddenly said, "Wait!" Then she pulled a spray bottle out of her bag and cleaned the table again.
How strange, Prior thought. Everything had looked so clean.
They sat down, and Lina said, "Sorry, but it's a quirk of mine. There are certain things I always have to clean myself again, otherwise I don't feel comfortable."
Prior simply nodded.
They ordered the long noodles the region was known for—Gel noodles—with chili, and drank fresh lemonade with them. For dessert, there were various fruits covered in delicious chocolate. Prior could practically have fallen in love with Gelserkh.
Everything just fits here, she thought. She kept looking around, wanting to absorb every impression with her eyes.
After eating, they browsed through the shops a little more, and suddenly Prior noticed a store with special clothes.
"Oh, what's this?" she asked.
"That's the traditional dress of Gelserkh," Kassia explained.
Prior stepped closer and examined the garments carefully. They were made of pleasant linen fabric. The sleeves were wide and layered, with fringes. Narrow metal plates and small geometric elements were sewn into the hems.
"That would suit you," Lina said, holding up a dress in a rich turquoise tone. It truly was a beautiful color and a beautiful dress.
"Yes, but I don't think I could ever wear it," Prior said.
"Why not? You could even wear it tomorrow and bring a touch of Gelserkh into the palace," Kassia replied. Even Emi nodded in agreement.
"I don't know…" Prior said again.
"I have an idea! We could braid your hair the way it's traditionally done in Gelserkh," Lina suggested.
Prior shook her head. "I think I'd feel strange."
"Please, Prior! I'd be so happy," Lina said, looking at her almost pleadingly.
It was hard for Prior to resist. Besides, Lina and Aliror had been so kind and hospitable. If she could make them happy with this…
"All right…" she began, but Lina immediately interrupted her: "Perfect! Then I'll buy it for you as a gift, and tomorrow I'll turn you into a true woman of Gelserkh."
With those words, she went to the merchant and bought the dress.
Kassia just laughed quietly and gave Prior a friendly pat on the shoulders.
– Kashion –
Kashion kept glancing at his tab. But there was no message saying that FoxPriority had made a move.
But she was in the Valley of the Hundred Waterfalls, her thoughts surely elsewhere. How he wished he could be there right now—away from the bustle of the palace and all the preparations.
– Prior –
By now it was evening, and Prior was back at Aliror and Lina's house. They had eaten dinner together, and Lina had told her mother about her plan for Prior to wear the traditional Gelserkh dress the next day. Aliror had been overjoyed and insisted on helping. Prior almost felt as if she were with her own family.
Now she was sitting on her bed in her room. She had to get up early the next day, so she should really go to sleep. But she wasn't tired at all, even though they had been out all day. She didn't want her time here to end so soon.
She stood up again and looked at all the wooden figures once more. She had to smile. They were really well crafted, with many small details. Kashion had put effort into them—he truly had talent.
Kashion! She had almost forgotten.
She sat back down on the bed and picked up her tab. She opened CheqiMasterPro and made her move. It didn't take long before "kashion233 has made a move" appeared on her screen. She smiled.
Only a few moves later, she had lost the game.
– Kashion –
At last she had played again. When evening came, Kashion had almost feared she had forgotten him or perhaps didn't want to play anymore. But then the notification came.
Now she had lost. Kashion had to laugh. She had insisted on playing his color, but it hadn't brought her luck. Still, as always, the game had ended far too quickly.
– Prior –
Prior was disappointed that the game had ended so quickly. Should she invite him? But she didn't quite dare now.
Suddenly another message appeared: "kashion233 has sent you a message." Was he going to rub it in that she had lost—even though she had played with "his" color?
She opened the message.
"How do you like Gelserkh?"
Her heart immediately started pounding again. She sat up a little straighter. She put the tab aside, then immediately picked it up again. This message had nothing to do with the game itself. Did he really care? But it wouldn't hurt to answer. Should she keep it short and simple, or tell him what she truly thought?
She opened the chat window and typed her message. Several times she started writing, deleted it, and began again.
– Kashion –
He waited impatiently until the message finally appeared: "FoxPriority has sent you a message." Had she replied briefly, or what would she write?
He opened the message and read:
"I'm deeply impressed. It's much more beautiful than I imagined, and I'm infinitely grateful to your sister for taking me along. I will never forget this experience. Everything feels so free here. Some things remind me of home, but then it's completely different again. It all feels so real."
– Prior –
She almost wished she could delete the message. She thought she had probably written far too much, and that he might find it strange.
– Kashion –
Kashion read the message several times. She had written much more than he had expected. And he was so happy about it.
When he read that she was so grateful to his sister, his heart felt warm. The gratitude really belonged to him—even if she didn't know that. He smiled and reread the sentence several times.
But he was also curious and desperately wanted to know more.
So he sent her another message.
– Prior –
Prior had placed the tab face down beside her and didn't dare check at first whether a message had come. But she couldn't resist for long—and Kashion had indeed replied!
"That makes me very happy. What is like your home? And what do you mean by it feels real?"
He wanted to know even more! Prior smiled without realizing it.
She wrote:
"Lakhal is a city, but there are no skyscrapers, and everything feels spacious. The cities on Saturn are the same."
Then she accidentally tapped "Send," even though she still meant to answer the other question. How embarrassing. So she quickly wrote again:
"And it's real because Earth is real. On Saturn, we know that everything was artificially created only a few centuries ago, and deep down there's often a small feeling of unease because everything could collapse. Here on Earth, it doesn't depend on technology. But on Saturn, everything depends on technology."
– Kashion –
Kashion was pleased that Prior had sent him two messages.
Of course, he had heard that the cities on Saturn were different, but he would never have thought to compare them to Lakhal.
He had also heard much about the terraforming of Saturn, but the feeling Prior described was new to him.
He wanted to understand more, so he searched for some information.
He found a short treatise on the subject and read:
"Beneath Saturn's old core lies the original gas layer. Above it is an artificial rock layer costing billions. It is held in place by invisible stabilizers. Gravitational fields keep everything fixed in position. The new atmosphere is regulated by solar mirrors and field generators. Should the stabilizers fail, the crust would sink. This is also relevant for aethereleum extraction, because only controlled conditions can ensure stability."
Kashion took a deep breath. He now saw it differently. Not as an achievement of the space pioneers, but as a world that was not truly stable. A world that—like Prior had said—was not entirely real. And he had always thought his own world was unstable.
– Prior –
Kashion hadn't replied for a while. Either he thought what she had written was foolish, or he had lost interest. It made her sadder than she would have expected. She felt completely restless. She didn't want to wait for a reply—but somehow she did hope for one. Well, she hadn't asked him a question either. Should she have?
Suddenly another notification appeared. "kashion233 has sent you a message," and Prior felt the tension leave her. She opened it immediately.
"I just read something about the topic. About Saturn. I only now realized what it must feel like for you with the stabilizers. We definitely need to talk about that sometime. And otherwise—how's the food?"
Prior read the message several times. He had read about it? He had taken the time? And he said they needed to talk about it another time? Her stomach fluttered again—but not unpleasantly. She realized she was suddenly looking forward to that.
She laughed and shook her head. There she was, more than two thousand kilometers away from him, originally wanting distance. Yet she was sitting in his old room, surrounded by his wooden figures, surrounded by his family and his stories… And now she was writing to him about her thoughts.
Oh right—he had asked about the food. She opened the chat window again.