by J G Smith
“Before I’ll need a bit of assistance.”
“And how would you know that?” asked Desmond.
“With my formulapathy,” replied Reuben, frowning. “The formulae look a little different this side, but I’m mostly sure.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” returned Desmond.
“I see the mathematical formulae for all substances, reactions and frequencies,” explained Reuben. “Robert has electrokinesis. I have formulapathy.”
“Robert has what?” questioned Desmond. Tiffany was also surprised, but she was more concerned about Reuben’s health than anything else.
“It’s just something I’ve always been able to do,” answered Reuben, having analysed the situation more fully. “I could be mistaken about Robert.” Perhaps Robert kept that part secret, he thought to himself. Perhaps Dr Albatross had it all planned out from the beginning. But why not divulge all the details to those involved? Were the risks too great?
The three of them left the laboratory in Desmond’s car, which was similar to a twenty-first century Earth sedan – unlike anything Reuben had ever seen. He was used to hover cars.
The environment, as they drove, was also unfamiliar. There was grass – lots of it. There were trees – more species than he had ever known. And there were people – lots of them. The experience was somewhat overwhelming.
Tiffany was back on the phone as Desmond drove. She was trying to obtain information from the vacation site Robert was at – Phantom Forest Incorporated. However, the tour guides she got through to weren’t willing to assist much.
“Tour guides?” questioned Reuben, not familiar with the job title.
“They’re in charge of everyone and everything at the site,” answered Tiffany. She had a worried look in her eyes, exchanged another glance with Desmond and added, “They won’t say anything about Robert to anyone that isn’t immediate family or his person. They won’t even tell me if he’s there. I think something is up.”
“And did they mention anything about Aht”—I can’t even finish Reuben’s question. They actually spent the remainder of the drive talking about her. Something I would’ve done.
§
At Phantom Forest Incorporated, Bradley and Skye gallivanted as far as they were allowed from their designated campsites. Their conversation focused on Robert, as it had the last couple of days.
“I still don’t get why didn’t tell me,” moped Bradley. “He usually tells me everything.”
Skye gulped, feeling guilty about her silence, yet convicted in her loyalty to Robert. This is something he needs to hear from Robert, she told herself. But with everything that’s happening, I don’t know how much longer I can keep this secret. She shook her head and muttered, “Robert… where are you?”
Bradley cupped his hands together over his mouth, took a deep breath in and bellowed, “Rob!” His voice echoed through the trees and caused a few soarie, birds from Lithon, to scatter. “We’re waiting for you,” he then added, softly.
Skye smiled delicately and moved closer to Bradley, brushing her right hand over his left arm. She was impressed by his sincerity—his boldness—and felt, perhaps, something more. Bradley smiled and scratched his head, muttering, “Okay…”
“I’m sorry,” she said, stepping back. Her cheeks flushed red and her voice teetered on broken as she added, “I don’t know why I did that.” Then she laughed. I’m sure Bradley was just as confused as I still am.
Bradley’s eyes locked on Skye as she looked off into the distance. “Come home,” she said.
Just then a groggy and beaten up Aht—Ahteir—humph. I’ll get there. She stumbled between the trees and into Bradley’s arms. Both he and Skye lit up at the prospect of Robert being close behind. But he wasn’t. “Where’s Robert?” asked Bradley.
There was no answer. Skye shot a scornful glare in her direction and asked the same question Bradley asked, sternly.
The air grew tense as she struggled to an upright position.
“Where’s Robert?” asked Skye, again. Her eyes were fierce and she stepped closer to Aht—her.
“I don’t know,” she choked.
“You what?!” shrieked Skye.
“I lost him a couple of days ago,” she said. Bradley frowned. She continued, “But there are more pressing things at hand.”
Skye’s right hand flew up, as if from nowhere, and slapped Ahtei—slapped her clear across the face.
“Skye!” shouted Bradley, wide-eyed.
She returned with her right hand, just as fierce, but Bradley stopped her, gripping her wrist while glaring at Skye.
“What?!” returned Skye. “Didn’t you hear what she just said? She left Robert and thinks there are more pressing things at hand.” That last part was a gross and sarcastic mimic.
Bradley didn’t really know what to do. “We need to find Robert,” he said, calmly, before turning with apologetic eyes to her.
“The longer Robert is away, the safer he is,” she said, seething. “Right now—”
Bradley cut her off. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“Lighkame,” she stated, still wanting to slap Skye. But with Bradley in the way, tensions weren’t as high.
Skye calmed from her rage to a more controlled and serious tone, “We had a deal.”
“What?” questioned Bradley.
Ahtei—Ahteirus glowered at Skye. “You haven’t told him?”
“Told me what?” asked Bradley, letting go of her hand.
“Robert’s supposed to tell him,” retorted Skye.
Ahtei—I just said it. Ahteir—her eyes and lips wobbled. She shook her head and urged, “He can’t.”
“He has to!” declared Skye, abruptly.
“Stop treating me like a child,” demanded Bradley. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Brad,” hushed Skye. “This is something Rob needs to tell you.”
“If Rob wanted to tell me, he wouldn’t have switched his phone off.” His aura turned sour—grudgeful. “And why am I the only one that doesn’t know?”
“You aren’t the only one,” mumbled Skye, which Bradley didn’t catch. Not that she intended for him to, either. She took a deep breath and sighed. “He has his reasons,” she told him, gracefully. “Just like you have yours.”
His countenance dropped. He looked to the floor, almost ashamed, while Ahtei—she lifted her hands to her shoulders and twisted her face in puzzlement.
A couple of men dressed in khaki green walked passed. “What’s going on here?” they asked, noticing Aht—Ahteirus. “Is this that girl we’re looking for?” One even commented, under his breath, “What’s she wearing?”
“It is!” announced Skye, straight-faced. Bradley was conflicted, knowing that she’d have to be taken in, but still taken aback by Skye’s blatant lack of loyalty. “Maybe they’ll talk some sense into her. Rob has to come back.”
“If he comes back…” Aht—she couldn’t finish what she wanted to say.
“It’s going to happen anyway,” stated Skye, detaching herself from her ominous forecast. The two of them seemed to be on the same page with what the future held for Robert, but on separate pages with how they wanted to handle it.
Bradley kept to the side, flustered, as the men in khaki approached. They informed her that the tour guides had a few questions they needed to ask before they could make a decision on letting her go. “But nobody knows who her parents are,” remarked the one. “We can’t just let her off.”
Aht—Ahteirus was hesitant, but thought, Perhaps they could help. “I have a few things I need to tell them anyway,” she said as they began walking back to the campsite.
“No!” announced Skye, for everyone to hear. “We agreed before you left. You cannot tell them.”
“Skye,” she responded. “Lighkame’s back!”
The men in khaki stopped. “Who?” they asked, interrogatingly. “Is there something you’re not telling us?”
Skye lost composure, realising
the untimeliness of her remark. “Umm,” she muttered, looking for a way out. Her mind must’ve been bombarded with thoughts of regret and self-critique. Fortunately, Aht—Ahteirus stepped in. “She doesn’t know anything,” she said, glaring at Skye. “If she did, she wouldn’t be looking for Robert.”
With tension well mounted, they returned to the campsite where David, Dylan, Claire’s parents and a number of other men and women were – standing and waiting. The men in khaki handed her over to the tour guides, who took her into a tent for interrogation and debriefing.
Skye shuffled around awkwardly, making enough of a scene for Bradley to stare and for everyone else to pass an occasional glance. The topic of conversation around the campsite was Ahteirus. Though, neither of them knew her name.
Skye’s parents asked her about the commotion, but she rambled in reply, providing them with very little information. She was fixed on the original plan, for the adults to find out on their own – or, at least, for Robert to return before any changes were made. But Ahtei—rus threatened that plan. Skye’s head was spinning and her parents assumed it was only because she was worried about Robert… and Steve.
“Everything will be okay,” they told her. “We’ll find them, and the military officials will solve the problem at the hospital.”
Skye’s face went red. She tried, but failed at holding back the tears. “But it’s gonna get worse before it gets better,” she blurted. “If it gets better,” she added, despondently.
“Did you see something?” they asked, in a hushed tone. “Do we need to call a meeting?”
Skye turned from her parents’ gaze. “We can’t,” she choked, just loud enough for them, and only them, to hear. “The military officials aren’t even sharing what they found in the hospital, or what happened to one of them.”
“Do you know?” her parents asked.
Skye turned back to look at them, having wiped away most of her tears. They could see in her expression that she did, but she wasn’t saying. “Something’s happening,” she whispered. “Something big. I was hoping Robert would come back with that girl, but she left him somewhere.”
“Does Robert have anything to do with this something big?”
“He can help us,” she answered. Skye remained as vague and evasive as possible. However, still sharing as much as she felt she could with her parents. She wanted them to know, but there was also a plan.
Meanwhile, Bradley fiddled with Robert’s phone near their tent, remembering when he and Skye went with the tour guides and military officials to the building in the forest. He remembered finding Robert’s bag and then, later, searching through it. He felt guilty about it, but defended his actions with Robert’s betrayal. Though, the phone was still off. He couldn’t bring himself to turn it on.
Dylan then approached, interrupting Bradley’s daydreaming, to ask about their re-encounter with Ahteirus and to follow up on how he was feeling about the whole Robert ordeal.
“She knows something,” muttered Bradley.
“The girl?” questioned Dylan.
“I’m talking about Skye,” corrected Bradley. “But yes, the girl too.”
“Humph,” muttered Dylan, looking at Skye. “So, she’s also covering for him?”
“What?” questioned Bradley. “Do you also know something?”
“No,” answered Dylan, realising that Bradley actually didn’t know anything. “I was asking why you think she isn’t saying anything,” he added, pretending to have said something different, “if she does, in fact, know something.”
Bradley rolled his eyes and answered, with a shrug, “Something about waiting for Robert, she says.” He then looked at Robert’s phone, spinning it between his fingers.
Dylan shook his head at this and commented, “Just turn it on.”
“Why should I?” questioned Bradley, high-strung. “He turned it off so he wouldn’t have to speak with me.” He threw the phone into Robert’s duffel bag. “I mean, why…?” he asked. “Why couldn’t he speak with me?” He swallowed and then withdrew. I think, maybe, he was hiding something as well.
Skye’s parents, still a little worried, ended their conversation with her to join David at the grill. He was preparing lunch for the crowd and they needed something to keep themselves occupied.
It wasn’t long after that Desmond, Tiffany and Reuben entered the campsite in the twenty-first century sedan-like vehicle. Two men in khaki green greeted them and Desmond shook both their hands, almost getting carried away with niceties.
“We were told that this was the campsite for Robert Peters,” said Tiffany, rather high-and-mightily. She barely looked the men in their eyes.
“And who are you to the boy?” they asked, a little suspicious of Tiffany and her tone.
“Friends of his parents,” she answered, without a moment’s delay. “Why? Is something the matter?”
“We’re not at liberty to say,” answered the men, sternly. “Have you spoken to his parents recently?”
Tiffany was about to answer, but Desmond stopped her. He realised that they had been looking for Robert’s parents without any success. There was a reason he and Tiffany were only able to get a hold of them on their private line.
“Arrangements were made a couple of days back to meet them here,” fibbed Desmond. “We tried to confirm, but figured they were busy.”
Tiffany took a moment and then realised where Desmond was coming from. Reuben, however, glared at this and the men in khaki green didn’t look too convinced either.
“These are Lithon’s military officials,” explained Tiffany to Reuben.
“Are you also in the middle of a war?” asked Reuben, seriously.
The officials were puzzled by this question, looking at Reuben the way people look at aliens.
“No,” answered Tiffany, seeming somewhat subdued. “But they usually appear when something big has happened.” She pulled Reuben aside and asked, in a whisper, if there was anything he knew that he hadn’t told her or Desmond.
“No,” he answered. “Why?”
“Like I said,” replied Tiffany, “our military officials only become involved when something big happens.” Her note carried a heavy aura, but was quickly overshadowed by an inexplicable yell – from the tent Aht—eirus was in. “If you’re not going to do anything, then let me go!” she yelled, followed by, “I DON’T know where Robert is! But right now, that’s NOT our concern.”
“Is that—?” asked Reuben, calling her name.
Skye, Bradley and just about everyone else was now aware of Reuben’s presence, as well as Tiffany’s and Desmond’s. Though, with her yelling, they were torn as to where they should look.
“I’d like to see her,” stated Reuben.
“I don’t know if that’ll be possible,” commented Tiffany, wanting to help but feeling unable.
Reuben marched back over to the officials guarding her tent, determined, and asked—no, demanded to see her.
“And I’d like to go home,” answered one of them. “But it doesn’t look like either of us will be getting what we want.”
The other official rolled his eyes at his compatriot’s murmur and clarified, “Only her parents and her person will be allowed to see her until the tour guides let her go. And it doesn’t look like anyone even knows her. Except—”
“Her name is Ahteirus,” cut Reuben, boiling.
“Except for maybe you,” finished the official, sceptically, adding, “How do you know her?”
Reuben gulped. “We’re friends,” he said.
“From where?” asked the official, taking control. “Do you know who her parents are?”
Reuben’s face went pale. He felt he was on the chopping block, and he probably was. “I only met her a couple of days ago,” he mumbled.
“During the time she was missing?” came a glared response. “Do you know where Robert is?” The official was relentless. Though, his compatriot didn’t seem to share the same zeal.
Reuben turned to Desmond f
or a way out. Tiffany too. All eyes were now on him. Aht—Ahteirus had stopped yelling and Skye, especially, was teetering forwards. She seemed to recognise Reuben from somewhere and was curious to hear what he was saying. From where she stood, she only caught pieces.
Tiffany looked at Desmond as the official waited on Reuben’s response. “She’s our daughter,” stated Tiffany, bluntly.
Desmond, Reuben and the officials were shocked at this, firing bewildered looks. “We’re what?” asked Desmond, bewildered. His pitch almost reached a new high.
“We’re her parents,” repeated Tiffany, now looking at the officials and taking out her phone. She had, curiously, a soft spot for Reuben and the situation. “Reuben’s a friend of hers from Rexation, a couple of hours away from here. But we need to see… umm… Ahteirus…” She looked at Reuben for confirmation. He nodded. “Ahteirus is rather sickly. She has a disease that affects her memory and her perception of reality.”
Reuben noted the formulae for her body language and tone. He knew she was helping. Lying, but helping.
“We’re going to have to confirm this,” responded the officials. One of them took out a phone of their own.
“Of course,” answered Tiffany, putting her phone to her ear. “Have you got this, Desmond?” she asked, stepping away.
Desmond nodded with a hint of uncertainty. But whoever Tiffany spoke with over the phone managed to help validate her claim for the officials. Tiffany and Desmond were allowed to enter the tent, but Reuben was not.
“Tell her I’m here,” requested Reuben. “For her, and for Robert.”
§
A few moments later, Skye finally built up the courage to speak with Reuben, approaching him the way many approach celebrities – or, rather, when they’re not certain the person they see is a celebrity. “Hi,” she said, awkwardly. “I’m Skye.”
Reuben replied, introducing himself. Though, his mind was still fixated on what was going on inside the tent.
“I’m pretty sure I know you from somewhere,” she made known.
“I doubt it,” replied Reuben. “I’m not exactly from around here.”
Skye, being friendly, asked, “So then where are you from?”
