The Ashan Report

Chapter 4

Monday, April 12, 2320It’s almost dark and I’m barely any closer to my destination. I should be moving faster; all I have is my rifle, my suit and my training… It’s all I need. Up here, in these dangerous, isolated mountains, any unnecessary weight would just slow me down – and in this frigid, rocky, snowy, slippery terrain, being slow means being dead. One wrong step, one wrong decision, if I lose focus for just one moment it’s all over.

But I can’t die, I can’t fail. My mission is too important.

I’ve been an explorer all my life, always trying to find what others can’t. Searching for the truth in an ancient whisper or clearing a rumor buried by millennia of indifference – that’s what I do, that’s what I’m good at. Really good. They say I’m the best, with more Merit Awards and places named by me than anyone else. Figures… I’ve always been more at home here, in the wilderness, alone, than I ever was anywhere else. Here I understand how things work, how things should be, how every little thing has its own place – here, I find serenity in this natural, perfect order. It’s my secret, it’s how I’m able to find the things everyone else missed – I clearly see anything out of place. And I guess this is the reason why I’ve been chosen for this crucial mission. There’s no one better to find out if they’re right, the truth behind this elusive rumor, this dangerous whisper. Well… that or the fact that no one else dared to venture in this unforgiving terrain alone, with no chance of rescue and very limited supplies… But even now, here, even in this never-ending sea of low mists and vertical peaks, in the most dangerous corner of the planet, even here I see the beauty… Incredible!

I hardly closed my eyes last night, I can’t believe it’s already morning… After nine days of running and climbing, I’m tired and wet and cold... My minimal gear is barely enough for surviving so comfort is out of the question. Not even a tent, not even a sleeping mattress. I know, I know, I remember my training, the voice of my instructor seared into my braid: “Weight slows you down and if you’re slow, you’re dead! Inside the Dead Zone, weight is your worst enemy”. But right now, I’m so miserable I’m starting to second guess the decision to renounce all creature comforts... What am I doing here? What am I looking for? This isn’t how I normally do things. I have months of research and preparation and planning, managing resources, gear and personnel before I start an expedition. No… this is anything but normal. Instead of months of research I had months of survival training, gear training, climbing training. Infiltration training, shooting training.

Doesn’t matter how I feel. I must keep going, I must push on.

The first few days of the mission I was excited, I was going to explore a dangerous and mysterious place, I was given the chance to conquer the ultimate challenge, the chance to have my name placed indisputably on top of the Hall of Explorers Wall; and a chance to succeed where those before me failed. But after nine days of long runs and climbs, my excitement is drowned by fatigue and discomfort. Three days ago I started the final climb, towards the top of the tallest peak, the gateway to my destination. Three days of continuous climbing on slippery and frozen rocks, barely any spot to anchor down for the night; a tallest vertical wall to overcome in a constant and exhausting wind… I never expected it to be this hard, but I’m eager to finally get to the top.

I can see the peak, it’s almost within reach. A final push…

The red and white rocks remind me of the beach where I grew up – the endless blanket of reddish sand and the faint white glow just before sunset.... Oh, how I hated that place, nothing to see but sand and water. So, the first opportunity I had, I left; there had to be more to the world than just sand and water; I longed to see new things, new places… But now I’m starting to hate this place; there’s nothing to see, just rocks and snow… At least I’m somewhere new, a place no one else can tell me about because no one else has ever been here.

I’ve had a strange feeling for a while now… A simple idea taking root, starting to slowly crawl inside my mind… “No one else has ever been here” … But what if the rumors are true? What would that mean? Everything would change.

It’s a painful final effort, but I reach and grab the ledge, pulling myself on the flat top of the peak. Every muscle in my body is aching…

I guess for someone chasing rumors for years, it’s strange that I don’t put much faith in them. It is what it is, a rumor is only a rumor until proven true or false. So why is this one so different? Why do I care? Why am I so sure everything will change if I find what I’m searching for? For the first time in a very long time, I don’t understand myself and I don’t trust myself. Maybe I don’t want to find anything? …That’s not even a possibility.

I get up and slowly start moving towards the other side of the peak. More and more of the valley in front of me becomes visible. The wind seems to be getting stronger, lifting the dry snow in powerful bursts and carrying it everywhere, in the entire valley. I struggle to get a better look in the distance, to make sense of the terrain through all the snow and mist.

Wait… something’s not right, something doesn’t fit. Right there! Down in the valley, the snow looks different…

Could this be…?