by Gwynn White
“You’re demented,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“That’s not nice,” replied Dad. “He’s just having fun. Heck, this is fun. It’s like a carnival ride in space.”
“Okay, I take that back. You’re both demented,” I said, scrunching down in my seat as we avoided another close collision.
“Is it almost over?” asked Mom, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “My stomach can’t handle much more of this.”
“Almost. Are you feeling any better?” asked Dad with a sympathetic smile.
Instead of answering, she groaned and then began throwing up again.
Her violent retches made the bile rise to the back of my throat, but luckily, I still didn’t puke. “Neither of us feel better, Dad,” I said, scowling at him.
“Don’t look at me like this is my fault,” he said defensively. “I’m just along for the ride, too.”
“Right,” I said dryly.
He frowned.
“Nobody is accusing you,” said Mom wearily.
“I don’t know. Somebody needs to be blamed,” I muttered. “May as well be him.”
He pursed his lips. “Alex, seriously, you must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. You’re being overly dramatic.”
I stared at him incredulously. “You think that I’m freaking out about the asteroid storm because I’m crabby?”
“Quit overreacting.” His eyes softened and he gave me a knowing smile. “Are you on your period? I know it can sometimes rule your emotions, which I realize isn’t your fault, honey.”
I stared at him in disbelief. “Oh, my God, Dad,” I whispered angrily. “Seriously?”
“It would explain why you’re overly agitated at the moment,” he said. “Right, Mary?”
Mom turned and glared at him, too. “Don’t pull the Period Card, Paul. She’s frightened, which is a normal reaction. Don’t blame it on female hormones.”
“Sorry,” he said, looking defeated. “I just wanted everyone to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“There is nothing enjoyable about a deadly asteroid field,” I said.
“Don’t worry, Dad,” said Jimmy. “I’m still enjoying it with you.”
He smiled. “That-a-boy,” he said, holding up his fist.
Jimmy knocked his knuckles against Dad’s.
I shook my head and looked away.
We rode out the rest of the asteroid field in silence. Fortunately, we didn’t clip anything else.
“It’s over,” I told Mom.
“Good,” she said, her voice shaky.
“How fast do you think we’re going now?” asked Jimmy as the ship gained speed.
“Pretty darn fast,” he said. “Now that they’ve finally gotten that new warp-drive installed, the journey shouldn’t take too long at all. In fact, if my calculations are correct, we should be hitting the wormhole in less than forty-eight hours.”
“So, how long after that will we be in space?” I asked, feeling uneasy. I realized that now, I wanted nothing more than to plant my feet on Planet Z.
“Just a couple,” he said. “Which is good because we need to get those supplies to the other scientists. From what I hear, they’re getting pretty desperate.”
“What kind of supplies?” asked Jimmy.
“Research equipment and some other things,” he said.
“Like what?” asked Jimmy, always intrigued with science exploration. “Weapons? Did they meet any hostile beings on the planet, Dad?”
Dad laughed. “Goodness, no.”
“You did mention there were animals on the planet,” I asked.
“Yes, there are. Many very similar to what we have had on Earth,” he replied. “Mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds…”
“Lions and tigers and bears?” I asked with a smirk.
He grinned. “I believe they mentioned something about cat-like creatures, similar to the lynx.”
“The lynx has been extinct for decades,” I said. “Along with almost every other wild animal.”
“True and now you’ll get a chance to study real, living animals similar to the ones you’ve read about in school. They’re still wild and dangerous, however. So, you’re going to have to keep your distance,” he said.
“You don’t have to warn me,” I replied. “I’m not going near anything without something to defend myself. You did mention we’d get phasers, right?”
“Yep,” he said. “Just be careful with them. Especially you, Jimmy. They’re not toys.”
“I know,” Jimmy said.
“I’ll show you how they work again, after we land.”
“Okay. What about bugs?” asked Jimmy. “Do they have any of them on the planet?”
“Please say ‘no’,” I said.
“Arthropods and other creepy-crawlies are a necessary part of the planet,” replied Dad. “And part of the food chain for the other animals. So expect to see a few of them.”
“Cool. I love bugs,” said Jimmy. “Maybe we can catch some to study?”
“Maybe. I’m with you, kiddo. I think they are pretty fascinating,” said Dad.
I shuddered. “I beg to differ.”
“I think it will be neat to see some alien bugs,” said Jimmy.
As far as I was concerned, any bug was alien.
I looked over at Dad. “Uh, I suppose some of them bite?”
He shrugged. “I’m sure many of them do. Most of the researchers have been wearing protective suits, but from what I hear, they haven’t been a problem.”
“That’s good,” I said, studying a small dark freckle on the top of my hand. It was shaped almost like a tiny ladybug “I’m not going anywhere without one of those suits, though.”
“They’re mandatory,” he said. “Each of you will get your own.”
“Cool. So, besides a few animals and some bugs, there is no real intelligent life?” asked Jimmy. “I mean, like us.”
“No,” he said with a small smile. “No intelligent life. Not like us.”
“No cavepeople?” said Jimmy.
“Nope, no Cro-Magnons or Neanderthals spotted so far,” said Dad.
“Oh… oh… oh… are there any dinosaurs?” Jimmy asked excitedly.
Dad laughed. “No, thank goodness. Those would be a little harder to work around.”
“So, no dinosaurs or anything remotely close to humans?” said Jimmy.
“The planet is a relatively new one,” he replied. “It’s possible that it just hasn’t reached that point in evolution yet.”
“Or, it’s possible that they haven’t located anyone yet,” said Jimmy with a gleam in his eyes. “They could be hiding out. Studying the scientists. Maybe even…. preparing for an attack.”
“You and your wild imagination,” he said, smiling.
“It could happen,” said Jimmy.
“They’ve scoured the planet, searching for other forms of life, and haven’t found anything but the animals and insects,” he replied. “Anyway, it’s just like we told your sister, if there was any real danger to you kids, we wouldn’t have agreed to this mission.”
“I thought it was mandatory,” I said.
“What is mandatory is that we find a planet to replace ours,” he said evenly. “And this planet looks like a very good candidate. What’s bothering you, Jimmy?”
I looked at my brother, who was obviously still thinking about an alien strike.
“What if they’re cloaked behind some kind of invisible shield?” asked Jimmy. “Something we know nothing about. I mean, think about it. They could be hiding and waiting for the right opportunity to attack. Kind of like those Big Foots did, all those years ago.”
“They never attacked,” I replied. “And, they never did find any proof that they even existed.”
He raised his index finger. “Because they were smarter than we thought and never got caught.”
“What do you know of Big Foot?” asked Dad, with an amused expression.
“We’ve been learning about t
he old sightings in Biology class,” said Jimmy. “Some believe that they were actually aliens who were studying us.”
Dad nodded. “Yes, I’ve read about the Sasquatches. They never found any conclusive evidence supporting that theory, or any other one linked to them.”
“In other words, you don’t believe that they even existed?” he said.
“I’m very skeptical, I must admit. Anyway, those sightings were before the war. None of them would be around, even if they had existed. And, if they were aliens, they’re long gone.”
“Maybe they’ve returned to Planet Z,” I joked, wiggling my eyebrows at Jimmy.
My brother’s eyes opened wide. “Maybe,” he agreed, the wheels turning in his head.
Chapter Eight
A short time later, we were allowed to get up and go back to our cabins. As Dad helped Jimmy get out of his chair, I watched as Blayze was led out of the room by his uncle, still looking disoriented.
“When do we get to go through the Wormhole?” asked Jimmy, as we followed the others out into the hallway.
“Like I said, another couple of days,” said Dad, who was walking in front of us.
“Cool. I can’t wait!” he said.
“Do we need to be strapped in again?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Mom, who was also in front of us. “Although, I might stay in our cabin, for my dignity’s sake.”
“You of all people should know that it’s not as safe or stable,” replied Dad. “And who cares if everyone saw you throwing up? You were not the only one.”
I didn’t recall seeing anyone else throwing up, so I figured my dad was just being nice. “Yeah, mom. The sound of you puking made a lot of people nauseous.”
She winced. “Really?”
I smiled. “No, I’m joking. Nobody was even paying attention.”
“Good. Anyway, I’m sure I’ll be fine in the room. It should be pretty smooth flying in the Wormhole.”
He put his arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, but… don’t you want to see it again? Remember how extraordinary it was the last time?”
“All I remember is trying not to be sick and comforting Alex,” she replied.
“One more reason you should experience the beauty of it,” he said. “We’ll talk about it later, hon.”
“I’m sure we will,” she replied.
When Jimmy and I were back in our rooms, Dad made sure to remind me to log everything we’d encountered during liftoff into the Ejournal.
“I’m hungry,” said Jimmy. “When do we eat?”
“It’s almost lunchtime,” he replied. “I’m going to make sure your mother is doing okay, and then we’ll go to the cafeteria. It should be open now.”
“Good,” I said, yawning. “I’m getting pretty hungry now, too.”
“I think we all are. I’ll be back soon,” he said, closing the door behind him as he left.
Jimmy opened up one of his suitcases and pulled out a couple of action figures. “That was pretty cool, huh?” he asked me.
“Take-off?”
“Yeah.”
“I think your definition of ‘cool’ isn’t anywhere near my definition,” I replied, crawling into the lower bunk. I turned onto my back and closed my eyes. “I just hope that’s the last asteroid field I ever have to experience.”
He didn’t say anything, instead, began playing with his toys. I yawned again and decided to take a nap. As I was drifting to sleep, Jimmy started talking to me again.
“What do you think was going on with Blayze?”
Sighing, I opened my eyes. “I don’t have any idea.”
“We should go and find him.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. See if he’s okay.”
“Why do you care if he’s okay or not?” I asked.
“You’re mean,” accused my brother.
“I’m just curious as to why you’re so interested in him.”
He sighed. “I guess I just want to ask him about the Isolation Cell. I want to know what they did to him.”
“I’m sure they didn’t do anything,” I said. “Just gave him a long ‘time-out’.”
“Bruce said –”
“I don’t care what Bruce said,” I said, raising my voice. “He should keep his mouth shut and quit making up lies about things he knows nothing about.”
Jimmy started talking again, but was interrupted by someone knocking on our door.
“Who’s that?” he asked, as I crawled out of the bunk.
“I’m sure it’s Dad,” I said, walking toward the door.
“Why would he knock?”
I shrugged and opened up the door. When I saw Blayze standing on the other side, not only did it surprise the heck out of me, but I felt a weird urge to throw my arms around him in relief.
“Can I come in?” he asked, looking alert and nothing like the guy sitting across from us during take-off.
“Uh, sure,” I said, moving out of the way so he could come in.
“Wow!” cried Jimmy. “We were just talking about you.”
Blayze’s eyes widened. “Oh yeah?”
I laughed nervously. “Yeah, uh, we saw you earlier, during lift-off. You seemed pretty… I don’t know… disoriented?”
“Flying does that to me,” he answered, avoiding my eyes. “I’m fine now. Listen, Alex, I need to talk to you. In private.”
“About what?” I asked, feeling both giddy and anxious.
“Yeah, about what?” repeated Jimmy, looking up at him.
Blayze ruffled his hair. “Stuff that wouldn’t interest you, big guy,” he said. “Boring, grown-up stuff.”
Jimmy suddenly got this knowing look on his face. “Do you want to be alone with my sister so you can… kiss her?”
My jaw dropped in horror and my cheeks felt like they were on fire. “Jimmy, oh, my God, shut up!”
He grinned. “And you said you didn’t even know him.” He rubbed one index finger over the other. “Shame, shame, shame. Liar… liar… pants on fire.”
“I am not lying,” I snapped, glaring at him. “Tell him, Blayze. We barely even know each other.”
Blayze chuckled. “She’s right. She and I are basically… strangers.”
Jimmy looked at him. “Well, I’m not leaving the room. If you want to talk, or whatever… you’re going to have to find someplace else,” he said, laying his head back against his pillow. “But, need I remind you that Dad’s coming back to get us soon. For lunch.”
“I know,” I said, trying to sort out what I was feeling at the moment. For some reason, there were butterflies in my stomach and I was suddenly noticing how blue Blayze’s eyes were. I wondered if he noticed how oddly purple my own were, and if they freaked him out. “Tell Dad that I’ll be back in a minute, if he gets here before I return. I doubt this will take long,” I said, moving to the doorway.
“Fine, but only if you promise to explore the ship with me later,” said Jimmy.
“Sure,” I said, looking up at Blayze, who was now standing next to me. He seemed much taller than I’d remembered, too, making me feel like an elf. “Ready?”
“Yeah. See you… Jimmy. Right?” asked Blayze, turning back to him.
“Yep,” he replied. “Jimmy Logan. See you around.”
We left the cabin and Blayze grabbed my hand before I had a chance to react. “Come on. We need to hurry, before someone sees us together.”
“Uh, okay,” I said as he pulled me down the hallway.
“Where are your parents?”
“In their cabin.”
“Good,” he said, walking faster.
Great, more Cloak & Dagger stuff. “Where are we going?”
He stopped abruptly. “Wait.”
There were voices coming toward us.
“Let’s go in here,” he whispered, pulling me around the corner to the next hallway. I watched as he tried several doors until he got one that opened. It was some kind of supply room.
“What’s going on?” I ask
ed when we were both inside. “And what was going on with you during lift-off?”
“That was an act,” he said, smiling.
“An act? Why?”
His face seemed to crumble before my eyes. “You really don’t remember anything?”
“Remember anything? You mean like how you stood me up yesterday?”
Blayze frowned. “No. That’s not what I mean.”
“Then I have no idea what you’re talking about. The only thing I do know is that you never showed up on the bus. I ended up getting off at your building and waiting around…”
Looking frustrated, he interrupted me. “Yes, I know. I heard them talking about it. But, that’s not what I mean, Alex. Do you remember getting thrown into the Isolation Room?”
Shocked, I took a step back. “What? What are you talking about?”
He swore under his breath. “They obviously did a better job on you than they did on me.”
“I… I don’t have a clue as to what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you don’t.” He chewed on his lower lip. “Okay, what I’m going to tell you is going to sound completely crazy, but just hear me out, okay?”
I nodded, wondering if my brother was right and that Blayze Watkins had really flipped his lid.
He reached over and grabbed my hand in his. It was warm and oddly comforting, which was weird. We were strangers but for some reason, it felt… natural.
“Four weeks ago, you and I broke curfew together. We snuck out to try and locate my parents. They’ve both been missing. But, they caught us and…” He sighed. “They erased our memories.”
I stared at him in horror. “What?”
He grabbed my other hand, holding them both. “You’re living a lie. Both of us are.”
The walls felt like they were closing in on me; I could barely breathe. “No,” I said hoarsely. “Stop messing around.”
“It’s true. Listen to me,” he said, not letting my hands go as I tried pulling away. His eyes burned into mine and something… I’m not sure what… niggled at the back of my mind. Although what he was saying was absurd, the hair stood up on the back of my neck.
“Why are you saying this to me?” I said, clenching my teeth. “I mean, we barely know each other and now you’re acting like there’s some kind of conspiracy going on and I’m somehow involved. Do you know how crazy that sounds?”
