by Jay Allan
“Blame the other me. I’m just his copy,” said Dad.
“You always make that excuse,” said Mom, rolling her eyes. She looked at Alisaar. “What your father says is true. The people out there are here for you, but it’s a good thing. They’ve come to take you home. I know it’s not fair that we can’t go with you. I know it’s scary, baby. That’s why you have to be brave. You have to be strong for all of us.”
Allie shook his head, flinging the tears as they came. “I can’t…I can’t…I can’t…”
“It’s okay, Allie,” said another voice. It was his sister, Edda, suddenly at his side. “We’ll still be with you, just not like this.”
“That’s right,” said Mom.
“Right here forever,” said Dad, touching Allie’s chest.
“Alisaar?” asked the voice from outside. “Are you still there?”
Allie looked at his family. “But why can’t you go? Why do I have to be alone?”
“A long time ago, we all came here together. We didn’t have a choice,” said Mom.
“It was the only way to survive,” said his Dad.
“The plan was to put ourselves inside this program,” said Edda.
“And to live here forever,” said Mom.
“It worked and we survived,” said Dad.
“And we were happy for a long time,” said Edda.
“Until one day, something happened, and the system began to break down,” said Mom.
“One thing at a time,” said Dad.
“Priorities had to be made to conserve data, but most of all, to conserve life,” said Edda.
“Our lives,” said Mom.
“But then something happened,” said Dad.
“The pods began to break,” said Edda.
“First it was mine,” said Mom.
“And then mine,” said Dad.
“And finally mine,” said Edda.
“Without so much strain on the system, the world continued to exist.”
“But you alone remained.”
“For a time, you mourned.”
“Then, you explored.”
“You spent many centuries here in this Museum.”
“You explored the stars and all their worlds.”
“But eventually you grew tired.”
“You grew quiet.”
“You grew sad.”
“You grew still.”
“Something had to be done, you told us. Your own words.”
“That was when we created the cycle.”
“The cycle of your memories, as you requested.”
“We wiped them all away.”
“We gave you a new perspective.”
“A younger one who didn’t know.”
“An innocent child again.”
“And as you wanted, we gave you back your family.”
“Let me forget, you said.”
“So, we did, and you were happy.”
“Thousands of cycles passed…and you were none the wiser.”
His father frowned. “Unfortunately, we could not continue, because the system deteriorated further. Soon, your pod will fail.”
“We had no other choice, you see,” said Mom.
“We sent a signal out, not knowing who would find it,” said Dad.
“That’s why you have to leave,” said Edda.
“It’s the only way to live,” said Mom.
“Unfortunately, your original memories have been lost, we are sorry to tell you. The data is beyond repair,” said Dad. “I’m so sorry, Champ.”
“Thousands of years, gone,” said Mom. She looked at him with her blue eyes, a warm smile on her face, and she touched his cheek with her hand. “Though, I suspect, you will not miss them.”
“We have watched and loved you all these many lifetimes,” said Dad.
“And now it is time for you to go, our sweet boy,” his mother finished.
“But I don’t remember anything. I don’t understand,” said Allie, sniffling.
Edda wrapped her arms around him. “You will someday, big brother.”
His parents joined in the embrace, and together the family held him, tight and warm. He could have stayed like that forever.
“Alisaar?” asked Doctor Mika Trinidad, her voice blasting through the atrium. “Get ready. We’re beginning the process now.”
“No!” shouted Allie, trying to hold his family close, but they felt like they were pulling away, slipping from his grasp.
“It was inevitable,” said Edda, waving.
“We love you forever,” said Mom.
“Try to remember us, would you?” His father smiled, giving him a wink. “Be seeing you, Champ.”
Then, in a single instant, everything Alisaar Reynolds had ever known was instantly and completely gone.
~ ~ ~
Allie opened his eyes, a bitter taste in his mouth.
His arms and legs ached, and he could barely see anything, it was so bright.
As his eyes adjusted, he saw what appeared to be glass in front of him.
The noise outside was too muffled to understand, but it sounded like voices.
A light turned on above him, making him wince. He coughed.
His arms felt strange, so he tried to move them, but stopped when he saw the tubes—dozens connected all along his body. Before he could say anything, the tubes began to detach, separating from his arms, legs, belly, and chest. Little-by-little, he could move again.
The glass door, a few inches in front of him, unsealed, slowly rising up. The voices became instantly clearer, almost too loud for him to stand. The light grew brighter, too, and he had to turn away.
“Alisaar?” said a woman’s voice.
He tried to look at her, but could only see a blurry figure.
“Can you hear me?” she asked. “Can you talk?”
“I—” He coughed right away, and phlegm spewed out of him. He didn’t stop until he vomited.
“Don’t worry, that’s normal for stasis patients,” said a man’s voice. “Your body is trying to get rid of the excess—”
“He doesn’t need to know about all that,” said the woman. “Look at him. He’s just a child. Alisaar, take your time. We’re all here, whenever you’re ready.”
He cleared his throat, spitting onto the floor, wiping the snot from his face. “My—my dad…where is he?”
“Your dad?” asked the woman.
“My mom and dad and…and Edda,” he muttered. “Where are they?”
“The woman turned to look at her friends. “Put something on the other pods. Don’t let him see. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Doctor,” said the man.
“Alisaar, you’re going to be okay. Do you hear me?” she asked him, reaching out with her hand.
He took it, trying to walk, but immediately collapsing into her arms.
“Easy,” she said, quickly, catching him. “I’ve got you.”
He blinked, letting the world come into focus, glancing up at the woman’s face. She had long, brown hair, just like his mother’s, except it was curly, and she had the same blue eyes. “Are you the one who talked to me before?” he asked.
“That’s right,” she told him. “I’m Mika. It’s good to meet you, Alisaar.”
“Allie,” he corrected, his voice cracking a little.
“Allie,” she repeated. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” he said, softly.
“I don’t know if you know this, but you were asleep for a very long time.”
“I was?” he asked.
“Longer than anyone we’ve ever seen,” said a nearby man.
Mika nodded. “Do you remember any of what happened?” she asked.
“What happened…” he echoed, a little dazed.
“Before you went inside,” she said.
He stared at her, then looked back at the pod. “I remember flying,” he said, pausing a while. “And the monkeys.”
“Monkeys?” asked Mika.
About the Author, J.N. Chaney
J. N. Chaney has a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and fancies himself quite the Super Mario Bros. fan. When he isn’t writing or gaming, you can find him somewhere online, probably goofing off. He spends most of his downtime reading, catching up on netflix, and building a weapon to combat the oncoming invasion of fifth dimensional beings (probably shaped like spaghetti or something).
After serving in the US Air Force, Chaney decided to pursue writing full time. Since then, he’s published two novels in his ongoing Variant Saga. It’s a cool series about genetic engineering, dystopian societies, and other neat stuff. Check it out if you’re into that sort of thing.
Chaney migrates often, but was last seen in Avon Park, FL. Any sightings should be reported, as they are rare.
Find J.N. online: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Amazon | Website
Books by J.N. Chaney
The Variant Saga
Their Solitary Way
The Other Side of Nowhere
Space Cadets: Alien on a spaceship
By H.J. Lawson
“My name is Brooke, and I’m the sanitations supervisor,” and I hate my job, I’m eighteen, and my career has already peaked and has now plummeted to the lowest job on the spaceship. I was plucked off Earth six months ago, when I say plucked I came without force, I had a choice: go on this spaceship or get taken by a not-so-friendly alien. I decided to go with the less scary choice, which has not turned into the boring option, well it didn’t use to be. “And your job on the spaceship is important and severs a great purpose,” to clean up after others as they go off and have adventures, “and this is the first stage of your space cadet training.” Try not to blow it like me, “you will work your way up to your final career selections,” or in my case, work your way down.
“What? Like you?” Jon laughs, with his attitude, he’ll end up captain of a spaceship before I get my wings back, jerks always rise to the top.
Unable to suppress my real feelings, I plaster a fake smile on my face, “I’ve got a perfect job for you, the toilets.” I couldn’t help myself.
“You can’t do that!”
“I think you find I can,” I smile, this time it isn’t fake. Jon goes to complain and I cut him off, and tell the others what their jobs are.
“What’s cleaning got to with being space cops?” Jon asks frowning. He’d been told the same information as me when I boarded the spaceship, we’re here to train to protect the galaxy. Like space cops, which is what I used to do, before I was given this damn job of being a cleaning babysitter.
“Because that’s what they told me you have to do.” I say coarsely. They all stare at me, “what are you waiting for?” Way to go on being nice.
“Well this isn’t what we thought space cadet training would be.” Sarah says.
“Tell me about it,” I sigh. “Mmm, it’s just part of the training. The sooner we get it done, quicker it will be over,” I tell them, passing out the cleaning equipment. I take my stuff and leave the new newbies.
Thank God that’s over and done with, I can’t do this six days a week. I look out of the window to space, floating would be a way better option than this cleaning gig. Well not really, I don’t want to be floated out to space to my death. That wouldn’t really be the smartest idea.
Only good thing about being on the cleaning shift is that there is only a skeleton crew away on the spaceship. Those which fly the spaceship and a hand full of others, I like it when it’s quite like this, with only my thoughts as my company.
I walked down the white corridor to the lab, the easier cleaning job, and the one that I gave to myself. Perk of being the supervisor. I laugh to myself.
“Damn messy crew,” I say out loud, they have left cups on their sides, plates with food. This is the lab common room. Any of this stuff is forbidden in the lab section, which makes sense as it’s a lab.
I clean away their stuff, cursing them as I do, it would take them two minutes to clean up after themselves.
“Yuck,” my thumb slips into the remains of a dessert, I wash my hand under the tap.
Common room done, now the lab.
The lab is filled with cupboards with glass doors and shelves revealing all the different samples from the planets which they have been to. It’s quite interesting really, I didn’t have a clue there were any other planets, well I know the ones that your taught in school clearly, but the ones past our solar system. They are way more interesting than the ones that we knew about. These ones have aliens on them!
I examine the containers with different specimens in them. Many are dead aliens housed in clear liquid. I’ve been told that they were dead before they ended in the jars. Some of them look like weird sea animals, others you couldn’t even invent in your imagination.
I clean the shelves, being careful not to knock anything off, then the floor. A smashing sound comes from the opposite side of the room, taking me by surprise.
I fling my hands up, “it wasn’t me,” I say looking around, jeez I’m always feeling guilty now. I look up at the cameras, looking confused. I then head over to where the sound came from and there is a smashed glass jar on the floor, which I’d just cleaned. I shake my head, just when I thought everything was done.
There is a clear puddle of water on the floor, I look around for something that must have been in the jar. But there is nothing, maybe it was empty. I sweep up the glass and mop up the water. Finally, my shift is over.
***
“I can take this anymore,” I say to Nova, my new best friend. We both hit if off on day one of space cadet training. I slumped into my bunk. Nova is getting ready for her day of work just as mine has ended. I totally have unsocial hours, I work when everyone else is sleeping. Nova chooses to work in control, which is the prefect job for her. She sits behind a computer all day playing real live computer games where we track down the villains of the galaxy.
“You’ll get your wings back soon,” Nova says as she applies heavy black eyeliner around her eyes, adding extra to her already jet black eyebrows that match her boy cut hair. Somehow with all the craziness going on, Nova was able to grab her eyeliner.
“How did you think to grab your eyeliner when they took you? I mean going of your own free will,” I say, adding air quotes over the last part, “you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, when they told me I could go with them or my family would be in danger every day because the Black Mass was chasing me. And that they’d be safe if I went with them.”
“Yeah that.” Everyone here was told the same story, ‘go with them and your family will be safe.’ I’d call BS on it if my mom hadn’t told me it was true. Then again that women kept a lot of secrets from me and my sisters, ones which if I knew, I may have done things differently. But I know in the end I’d end up on this spaceship.
“So how’d you think to grab your eyeliner?” Talking about trivial things helps me not think about my family.
“I always carry it with me, I had it in my jean pocket.”
“What about the gaming figures at your work station? We’re they in your pocket as well?”
“They were there when I got there,” Nova says rolling her eyes. She opens her mouth into a circle as she applies her dark lipstick. Then goes back to her eyes like they aren’t black enough.
“I’m going to run out soon and then I’m screwed.” She says looking at her eyeliner like a friend she’ll never see again, because it’s not like she can pop to the drug store and get some, or can she?
“I’ve got an idea.”
Nova spins her chair around to face me. I had an idea. “I could make you some out of charcoal. Like they used to use in the old days. And I’m sure there’s something in the lab that I could mix it with a to make it last longer.”
Nova frowns, making one eyebrow raise up her eyebrow ring and catch t
he light, making it glow blue, like the lights in our tiny room.
“And how are you going to get charcoal? You do get that we’re on a spaceship not going back in time to when trains ran on coal?”
“Yes. I get that. All I need is some wood and fire,” I smile proudly, resting my head on my hand.
“You and fire? I don’t think this is your best idea, are you forgetting what happened last time?”
“Of course I’m not forgetting, that’s why I’m on this damn cleaning job. You know that wasn’t my fault?”
Nova shrugs her shoulders.
“Nova!”
“What, couldn’t you have used a hand gun or something? Instead on the flame thrower?”
“I told you already a gun wasn’t close and how was I meant to know Asomea would turn into a fireball?”
“If you’d paid attention in the briefing or read the briefing documents I gave you about Asomea’s. Then you would have known, and wouldn’t have blown your ship up and nearly your whole crew.” That hurt, because it’s true. I sink my head into my pillow. Am I even going to be forgiven for my mistake?
“Alright.” Nova sighs.
“Alright I’ll let you burn some wood. I’ll get them to pick some up from the next planet.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I can’t have you mopping around here all the time, it’s depressing.”
I smile at Nova, I jump to hug her, “easy, it’s just a stupid piece of wood.”. I can’t believe I’m excited about making Nova eyeliner, it even sounds stupid in my head. But it’s not about the eyeliner, it’s about having something to do.
“Right, gotta go, some of us don’t get to lay around all day.”
“Hey!” I yell, but Nova is already gone.
Leaving me alone with my thoughts, I can’t believe I risked my crew’s life, but to be fair, I was trying to stop them from being killed by Asomea, an alien which had chased us onto our ship, and had tried to stop it from boarding the ship, but the damn doors wouldn’t close. I judder at the thought of any of those slimy ten tentacular touching me, it was like an octopus. Except for a few alien touches, 1, its slime is like acid that burns through your skin, leaving your muscles crisp like you’ve just come off a BBQ, 2, it loves to eat BBQ humans. So instead of us being the BBQ, the alien was. Down side was it also took my spaceship and we were stranded on a flesh-eating planet! Luckily the mothership which I’m on now was tracking my spaceship, let’s just say they weren’t too happy about having to rescue the rescue crew. Okay, my bad. I push my head back into my pillow, I can’t change the past but God, I’d love to forget it!
