by C. A. Farlow
Alex learned all she could about it from Merilyn, who knew all about the cauldron and the Rite. It was one of the most ancient traditions passed down through her clan from the First Fraser through the generations. And Merilyn was the last Fraser. Well, the last one until she adopted Lauren. If Lauren survived and if her bond reformed, then Alex knew Merilyn would begin passing her knowledge on to Lauren. But that was a long way off. No one knew if the Rite would work. No one knew if Lauren’s physiology would adapt and allow regeneration to occur, or if she survived if she would still be Lauren when taken from the cauldron. All Alex could do is wait. Time slowed to a crawl and Alex felt it had come to a complete stop. Her heart slowed. That was all she had to count, her heartbeat. She held her sword in her hands and kept watch on the sapphire. As long as the stone pulsed with its double beat, she knew Lauren was still alive.
Epilogue
LAUREN STOOD ALONE, GRIPPING the granite parapet with white knuckles, staring to the north, and longing to go in that direction. Her gray robe billowed in the early morning breeze. Waiting. She was waiting. And she was alone. Again. The door from the solar opened and two white wolves joined her in her vigil. Standing on hind legs, the wolves peered north with her.
“Home is here, going there will not help, you know.”
“My heart and soul know that, Ice, but intellectually, I know I must.”
“All will be well soon, you will see.”
“Always the optimist, Snow. I love that about you.”
The door opened again and the other half of her soul stepped up behind her. She smiled. “Dearest, you're early. I didn't expect you for several more days.”
“Shall I leave, and come back then?” Alex reached out and grasped her love around her waist. She rested her chin on the top of Lauren’s head. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m ambushed by all the nightmares my subconscious can dig up from my past. Pain continues to roll through me.” A shiver ran down Lauren’s body, and Alex carefully tightened her grip.
“I keep thinking about all I tried to do for Geodynamics and even worse, all I didn’t do. I think about all the children I couldn’t help. Seems like the cauldron sifted through my brain, pulled out all my bad memories and placed them first. I feel like I’m drowning in those memories. If the pain would stop, I think I might be able to rest. And if I was rested, I could fight all the bad memories and sleep more.”
Alex sighed. “I am sorry about the nightmares. I admit I’m guilty of being selfish, but I will not apologize for having you with me. At least you still have all your mindspeaking abilities. As far as the pain is concerned, Merilyn says that will abate once they have the shield recalibrated.”
Lauren knew that when the tree and the blade had taken over the meeting the Keep’s shield was shredded by the enormous release of psychic-energy. The technicians were trying to rebuild it. Her pain vibrated in harmony with the psi-energy charged fragments of the destroyed shield.
She leaned back into Alex’s strong embrace. “Well, let’s hope they get that done as soon as possible. And I’m glad you did what you did. Without you and Merilyn invoking the Ruler’s Rite, I wouldn’t be here now. I couldn’t be without you either. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t hear and feel you, because everything else would be so much worse. I know I’m impacting your sleep, too. I can feel you there, calming my nightmares.”
Alex kissed the side of Lauren’s neck. “Do not worry about that. Come inside and we can talk while I wash off the grime of travel. And then I think a nap is in order for you and me.”
“Sounds great.” Walking into the western solar, Lauren’s questions began, “How was the trip? Were you able to get everything set up and operational? Did the Council agree once they saw what you prepared?”
Alex laughed. “I will answer all your questions, but first I need to know how the trial went. How the youngest McLaran is fairing.”
“He’s doing exceptionally well, actually. Once we reduced the size of the nanites to control the clotting problems the larger ones caused in his circulatory system, the genetic resequencing was straightforward. He’s awake and causing general mayhem in the ward. He doesn’t exhibit any lingering symptoms of the Comin plague. The healing techs say it’s a major success.” But Lauren frowned, thinking about her world. “I believe the healing technicians are planning to wake the first group of children and begin the treatments en masse next week.”
Alex held her at arm’s length and searched her eyes. “I cannot believe it. I am so proud of you. But you cannot hide your sadness from me. I can see a shadow in your eyes and feel the taint on your soul. Tell me what troubles you? Are you missing home?”
“No, my home is here with you and the companions.” Dropping her head onto Alex’s chest, Lauren shook her head. “I just wish I could help my world as much as I feel I’ve contributed here. Help the sick children. I think what we developed here would be applicable to so many things on my world. Clean up pollution, treat cancer, strengthen structures against earthquakes. And a host of other uses that Newkirk and I haven’t even thought of yet.”
Lauren rubbed her left arm, the dragon rolled under her skin as her sorrow increased. Tears welled in her eyes. “But it’s my friends that occupy most of my worries. I know Jamie and Susan wouldn’t give up the search. They must be frantic. Sharon is probably feeling terrible about how our last interaction went. I wish there was some way to let them know I’m fine, better than fine actually.” She smiled up at Alex through her tears, punctuating her statement with a push of love along their bond.
Alex cupped Lauren’s check and drew her love’s gaze. “Why can you not fix it?”
“I’m here, and they’re a universe away, literally.” Lauren’s soul felt the ripple of hurt her comment caused to Alex. “No, Alex, I don’t want to be anywhere but here with you.”
Pulling Lauren into their shared bedroom, Alex said, “As long as we are together we can be anywhere in any universe. There is nothing keeping us here.”
“Right.” Lauren’s skepticism thickened her words. “Merilyn and the Council will have a cow if you’re gone again. No way they’ll let you gallivant across parallel universes just to satisfy your partner’s irrational worries about her friends and her old world.”
Alex laughed and fell back on the bed, taking Lauren with her. “A cow? That is an image I will have a hard time clearing from my mind the next time Council meets.” Rolling over, she looked down at Lauren. “Let me handle them.”
“No. That’s not necessary. It’s just, I’m so worried about my world, and my friends. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep again until I know they’re ok.” Distress ran through their shared connection.
Pulling her into another hug, Alex whispered, “I know you. If you see a problem, you create a solution. There is no stopping you. The Council would be crazy to try. After all, no one can stand up to the Savior of Terra.” Alex ran her hand gently over Lauren’s injured chest. “As your soulmate, I go where you go. So, we will figure all this out together.”
Lauren hid her face. “Oh, Alex, how many times have I gotta tell you, I’m not a savior. I’m just Lauren Beckwith, healing technician and nexus traveler, daughter of Clan Fraser, soulmate of Alexandra, Rigain Rìoghachd Fuar Ćala, Queen of the Country of Fuar Ćala. That’s all.” She chuckled at the absurdity of that, because she felt like she was only Lauren, soulmate of Alex, nothing more, and certainly nothing less.
“Perhaps we need to add something to that title?” Alex pulled Lauren’s hands away and traced the lines of worry across her brow. “It is not grand enough to express all that you are.” Sliding off the bed and kneeling, Alex pulled something from the pocket of her waistcoat. “Would you do me the honor of adding Bhean chéile agus comh-rialóir Fuar Ćala to your title?”
Alex opened the box. Lauren stared down in awe at jeweled torques. Two dragons appeared to slumber peacefully cradled in red velvet. Their gold and platinum scales twinkled in the morning light.
Stunned, she could only nod at Alex. “These are the torques that the Doouglas exchanged with the Fraser, when she asked her to be her partner and co-ruler. I know they would be honored that I am exchanging them with you.”
Lauren whispered. “Yes, Alex, I will accept this honor. And yes I agree to be your partner.” Lauren knelt beside her soulmate and bowed her head, allowing Alex to fasten the torque around her neck. Once the torque was fastened—nose to tail—it awakened. Lauren gasped as the necklace shivered as it settled in place.
Lauren took the matching torque and placed it around Alex’s neck, fastening it nose to tail. She watched the dragon awaken and settle into place around her love’s neck. A small smile graced its scaly face as it blinked at Lauren. “Home” could be heard, whispered in the soulmates’ minds.
“I am your soulmate and am honored to be your partner. But, I reserve the right to negotiate the co-ruler part later.” Lauren grinned.
They sealed their oath and promise with a kiss.
Fini - for now
Reading List
The Quantum Moment: How Planck, Bohr, Einstein, and Heisenberg Taught Us to Love Uncertainty, Crease, R.P., 2015, W.W. Norton, Publisher
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality. Greene, Brian, 2005, Random House Vintage Press, Publisher.
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory. Greene, Brian, 2010, W.W. Norton, Publisher.
The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos. Greene, Brian, 2011, Random House Vintage Press, Publisher.
In Search of Schrödinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality, Gribbin, J., 1984, Bantam Books, Publisher.
Schrödinger’s Kittens and the Search for Reality: Solving the Quantum Mysteries, Gribbin, J., 1996, Back Bay Books, Publisher.
In Search of the Multiverse, Gribbin, J., 2010, Wiley, Publisher.
Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos. Kaku, Michio, 2006, Anchor Press, Random House, Publisher.
Warped Passages: Unraveling the mysteries of the universe’s hidden dimensions. Randall, Lisa, 2006, Harper Perrenial, Publisher.
Time Reborn: From the Crisis in Physics to the Future of the Universe. Smolin, Lee, 2013, Houghton, Mufflin, Harcourt, Publishers.
A Quantum Uncertainty
(Nexus Trilogy – Book 2)
A Quantum Uncertainty continues the adventures of Lauren and Alex. Alex struggles to roundup all the members of Hebridean conspiracy and isolate its leaders, preventing more trouble for the Council. Lauren prepares to become Bhean chéile agus comh-rialóir Fuar Ćala – partner and co-ruler. But she is still plagued by nightmares since her healing and feelings of abandoning her friends she left behind in her universe. Their soulmate bond continues to grow as do the parallels to the Doouglas and Fraser’s relationship. Alex knows that a true partner-relationship requires each to contribute, sacrifice, grow, listen, and try to understand the other. She is willing to allow Lauren to do and go wherever she needs to heal, as long as she is by her side.
About C.A. Farlow
Hi - my name is Peet and I am one of the Three Whisketeers. My Mom - Choate - asked me to introduce her. We are avid readers of fanfiction - I like J7 but my Mom is really focused on Mirandy. She is a beta-reader for a number of wonderful authors and a member of a multitude of ff communities.
Having read and edited and enjoyed all those amazing stories, she decided to dip her toe into the author pool and write her own original story. This is the first book in her science-fiction trilogy. Starbuck, Aonie, and I are really excited about it. There are some really great furkids in her new book.
My Mom is a scientist by vocation and avocation but she hasn’t limited her life to science. Right now she is totally focused on road cycling (much to the amusement of my siblings and me). Why anyone would sit on a stationary trainer and ride hundreds of miles in their living room is beyond us!
We live in the Rocky Mountains and love watching the wildlife outside our windows, reading about scientific discoveries, photography, trekking and road trips, and cooking. Mom says I’m not that big a help in the kitchen.
Peet, Aonie and Starbuck - the Three Whiskteers
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