Dreaming in Lavender

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. A vast landscape of desert sand rippled like waves on the rocky landscape as stars began to twinkle in the lavender sky. Two moons shone bright in the darkening skyline. The air on this planet wasn’t breathable to humans, but they had decided to put a small station on this planet for scientific discovery and research.

Oona St. Clair was a bit of a discovery herself. Her mother became pregnant shortly after her second year of this station’s mission. She never said who the father was and even went as far as to say she didn’t know how it happened. They never found out who fathered her, as her DNA didn’t match any of the other scientists on the station. And sadly, her mother didn’t live past the birthing. Oona had been rigorously studied, picked, prodded and evaluated for any anomalies, but she always came back plain human. She was raised by the other scientists who lived on the station, belonging to no one and everyone.

This planet was light years away from Earth and she was told they only had a certain number of ships that were capable of long-range travel. This was a twenty-year mission and Oona’s sixteenth birthday was the next day. By the time the great ship came to collect the scientists and evacuate the station, Oona would be eighteen and considered a legal adult on Earth. At least that was what Gregory said. He was the Station Commander and lead scientist on the expedition.

“Oona, there you are! What are you doing in Jakob’s room? They need help in the galley with mealtime,” Gregory said as he came in. He was in his late fifties, his hair more salt and pepper as the years went by. His blue eyes smiled at her, as his face remained resolute.

“I was grabbing this tablet for my latest research assignment,” she answered, skipping out of the room.

Oona’s education was greatly focused on science and mathematics, although the other scientists made it a priority to teach her many different subjects. This station was completely self-reliant with a complete eco-system created to sustain human life.

The galley was on the smaller side, but Anisa ruled it with an iron fist. The kitchen was her domain.

“Oona, there you are. Cut those vegetables for the salad, and then set the tables,” Anisa directed her as Gregory waived goodbye.

That night the wind howled outside the walls, the familiar high pitched sounds soothed Oona as she lay on her small bed. She shared the small windowless room with another female scientist who oftentimes had the night rotation. Oona was scrolling through pictures of Earth on a tablet. Earth trees fascinated her, never seeing trees like that in person. The times that Gregory had taken her on the shuttle, she was never allowed to put on the spacesuit to go outside. Although she was able to look out the windows. This planet didn’t have water like they created on the station. It was a thicker, silvery liquid that the scientists discovered was not compatible with their biology. She mostly helped on those excursions with organizing the specimens Gregory would collect for research.

She fell tired as her eyes closed, her arm falling to the side going limp. Darkness claimed her until she suddenly found herself standing outside the station, under the stars. Her almost white, blond hair ruffled in the slight wind. She looked around, finding herself in the middle of a circular clearing, with strange geometric symbols etched into the hard ground. The two moons shone brightly as a shooting star flashed across the sky. Was she dreaming?

She kneeled, touching the ground, her fingers tracing the grooves of the unknown symbols. As she connected with the planet, the symbols lit up as an unknown energy rushed through her body. It didn’t hurt, it felt like breathing, like coming home, like it was familiar. Images and information flashed behind her eyes and in her mind in a vast download of information. Suddenly she understood the language, knew what the planet was called, and all about the history of its inhabitants. The humans thought they were alone on this inhabitable desert rock.

They were wrong.

“Hello Oona,” a male voice said, but it was inside her head.

Her eyes popped open to find a man standing a few feet from her. He was humanoid, with pale lavender skin and large pale eyes. He had long white hair, pulled back in some tight braids. The silver markings on his face and arms looked like some sort of tattoos. She knew from the download she had just received they were symbols of his status. His dark indigo clothes looked like casual armor, as he held a silver staff that had a crystal-like sphere on top.

“What dream is this?” she said aloud.

“This is no dream, Oona. Please sit and I will explain,” he continued to speak telepathically.

Oona complied in a sort of stunned demeanor. She wondered at how calm she felt, with this complete absence of fear. She settled on the hard ground, and yet, it was as if the planet welcomed her. She didn’t know how to explain these feelings of interconnectedness she was having to the planet. The man sat down as well, the staff shortening to a third of its size. She had so many questions. What was his name? How did the staff do that? He settled, getting comfortable.

“This staff is how I communicate to you, for now. You may call me Ooshkar. You don’t know me, but I have followed your process and growth over your life. We share the same genetic material. And this is not a dream, although you may perceive it as such. You are here, but also in your bed. Our species operate in a more multidimensionally than the earth beings that are stationed here,” he explained answering her unspoken thoughts.

“I don’t understand. Are you my father?” Oona asked, her fingers pressing against the ground in unconscious caresses inciting pleasant tingles.

“In earth biological terms, yes. It was my genetic material with whom you were created with. We are the people of this planet, who we call, Ka’Oola,” he answered.

“Did you know my mother?” she pushed.

“We met, like this when the people of Earth first arrived. We chose your mother, because there were parts of her genetics that were compatible with parts of ours and communication was easier. We wanted to learn about the people of Earth and their purpose for being here. After numerous sessions, your mother and I came to an accord. We would let your people stay to discover and research Ka’Oola and she would allow me to merge our genetic material with her to create you,” he explained.

“She said she didn’t know who my father was,” she accused, a sudden flair of anger rising up.

“Her conscious mind did not remember our sessions, but once we met in this state, her subconscious mind remembered. She did, however, remember the name we chose for you. She was an intelligent and bright human. Very curious and inquisitive. I very much enjoyed learning from her. Her passing was very unfortunate,” he explained.

Oona took in his words and looked around at the sand dunes in the distance. There was a soft, warm breeze. She was experiencing so many questions and feelings. She almost felt abandoned. The scientists at the station were her family and treated her well, but it was like a bunch of reluctant uncles and aunts raising her. She always felt as if she was a bit of a burden. It was a lonely existence growing up without other children around.

“Why wait until now?” she finally asked.

“Because the star for which you were born has reached the zenith of your first cycle. We had to wait for your genetics to mature in order to exist and survive within an acceptable attunement or vibration to that of Ka’Oola. You have now reached that potential and thus we are able to meet.”

Oona wanted to say she didn’t understand what he was saying, but all the information that was downloaded or translated, the information in terms of physics and universal laws she understood perfectly. Basically, in layman’s terms they existed on different levels of vibration, or in human terms, dimensions. Although their definition of a dimension differed from what she was taught, it didn’t really matter.

“What is it that you want?” she asked.

“To know you in a more expansive and connected way. To help guide you in as you mature. You will have a choice to make, Oona. In two of your earth years you can either choose to go to Earth with those you live with, or you can choose the stay here with us on Ka’Oola. You are already feeling the connection to her,” he answered.

Oona did feel the connection. A warm pulse burst from her heart, making her chest rise slightly. The symbols etched in the ground lit up in a soft glow and suddenly Oona felt herself fold into Ka’Oola, and then expand out into the vast sky feeling the planet sing through her cells. This profound feeling of peace and freedom unlocked something hidden deep within the confines of her soul. It was another part of herself, the part that came from Ka’Oola rising to the surface. Changing her in ways she couldn’t comprehend.

“Oona,” a voice pulled her to awareness, eyes focusing on Ooshkar.

“I felt her,” she whispered in awe. Ooshkar nodded.

“Yes, you have started to connect with Ka’Oola. Impressive. We will meet again,” he said as his long, pale lavender finger touched her head, in the middle of her eyebrows.

Darkness, then falling.

Gasping for air, she sat up in her little bed at the station. Her heart pumped against her chest in a rapid beat. She looked around the familiar bed, wondering what spooked her from a deep sleep. Something flickered in her head, a memory or feeling so fleeting that she couldn’t grasp it. She caught movement out of the window, almost like a lavender shimmer on the dawn kissed landscape. Shaking her head, Oona rubbed at her bleary eyes. She shook her head, dispelling the strangeness of her unclaimed dreams as she prepared for the day.