by Gwynn White
“What about your parents?”
As he swallowed, I noticed the pain in his eyes. “They’re dead.”
My breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t expecting that. I’d thought they’d been captured and turned into hosts. “Oh, my God, Blayze, I’m so sorry. What happened?”
He sighed. “They died trying to expose the aliens. Hamilton had them killed.”
“I don’t understand? Why wouldn’t he just erase their memories or use them to host other aliens?”
“Because of the implants.”
“What?”
“The Resistance has found a way to destroy the aliens with some kind of toxic element. Apparently, it’s toxic to them, but not to us. My parents both had the implants.”
“What is this toxic element?”
“I’m not really sure. It’s not from our planet,” he said, talking with his mouth full.
“Really? How did your parents get their hands on it?”
He grabbed a bottle of water and removed the cap. “I guess not all of the aliens agree with hostile takeovers.”
My eyes widened. “Some of them are on our side?”
He took a drink of water. “At least one of them,” replied Blayze, wiping the side of his mouth. “Lucky for us, huh?”
“Yes. I guess. Wow.”
“Yeah, ‘wow’ is right. Even crazier is that Mara told me that the alien is working with its host to put an end to all of this.”
An alien and a human working together? I wondered how in the heck that worked. “Are they on the ship?”
“Yes, but I don’t know who it is. Mara said it’s too dangerous to give up the woman’s identity.”
“A woman, huh?”
“Yes. It’s not your mother. I already asked.”
I smiled sadly.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. This is good news, right?”
He nodded.
Well, the part about his parents dying wasn’t. I told him that.
“Like I said before, I had a feeling,” he answered somberly.
“Still. I’m really sorry.”
“Thanks. Me too. But, at least they were working to stop all of this before they were killed. It must have given them hope. Now, if we can just help The Resistance finish what they started…”
“Exactly. Speaking of that, why hasn’t anyone used this toxin on Hamilton yet? Especially with Mara being so close to him?”
“They’ve tried a couple of times, but for some reason, it doesn’t work on him.”
I grunted. “Figures.”
“Mara thinks it’s because the alien has been inside of Hamilton for so long, that the element doesn’t have any kind of effect on him anymore.”
“Like he’s built up some kind of immunity toward it?”
“Maybe. Once we get to Planet Z, she said they’ll be able to gather more of the toxin to create a much stronger dosage. She thinks it might work on him.”
“Let’s hope so. How many people are in The Resistance?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t say.”
“Do you think that my parents are part of it?” I asked, feeling hopeful.
“I don’t know that either. We really didn’t get a lot of time to talk.”
I sighed. “I wish I knew.”
“I know. Think about it this way, though – if they are possessed by aliens, we might be able to do something about it. We just need to get our hands on the toxin.”
“If we knew exactly who was on The Resistance, we could talk to them... see if they’ll –”
The door suddenly opened and my father walked into the room with Hamilton before Blayze had a chance to hide.
“I told you,” said Hamilton, looking triumphant. “Your daughter was hiding him. You didn’t believe me and now we have another mess on our hands to clean up.”
The look on my dad’s face was of defeat and then anger. “Alex, how could you lie to us?”
I opened my mouth to return the question, when Blayze jumped in. “She didn’t lie to you,” he said, glaring at them. “I just got here. She wasn’t hiding me.”
“That’s a lie,” said Hamilton. “The sandwiches pretty much give it away.”
“What do you mean?” asked Dad.
He told him about the cafeteria. “She said they were for her and Jimmy.”
“They probably were but I asked her if I could have one,” said Blayze, smiling coldly. “And she was nice enough to let me have it.”
“Sorry, but I don’t believe your lies. So, Blayze, what kind of crazy tales did you tell her?” snapped Hamilton. “More outlandish stories about aliens?”
I made myself laugh. “Aliens? What about them? Are we going to see some on Planet Z?”
“Of course not,” said my dad, his eyes softening. “Blayze is just a very confused young man.”
Blayze rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s what it is.”
Hamilton pulled out a phaser. “Let’s go, Blayze.”
I gasped. “Isn’t that a little extreme?”
“I’m not taking any more chances with this boy,” said Hamilton. “You have no idea what kind of hysteria he could cause on this ship and we certainly don’t need that.”
“But, he’s your nephew,” I said. “And you’re threatening him with that?”
Hamilton smirked. “It wouldn’t kill him. It might hurt a little. It’s a stun-phaser. Let’s go, Blayze.”
Furious, I turned to my dad. “You know this isn’t right!” I cried. “He’s being forced against his will and Blayze is eighteen. He’s an adult, one who hasn’t hurt anyone.”
“Not yet. He’s dangerous to himself and others,” replied my father. “Now he can get the help he needs.”
I clenched my fists. “That’s definitely not the kind of help he needs.”
“Logan, are we having a bigger problem here?” asked Hamilton, looking angry.
“No. Now, calm down, sweetheart,” said Dad. “Everything will be fine.”
“No, it won’t,” I snapped. “He can’t leave with Hamilton.”
“It’s okay, Alex,” said Blayze, warning me with his eyes. “I’ll be fine.”
“Exactly. Now, let’s go,” ordered Hamilton. “And if you give me any more trouble, you’re going to make this much harder for everyone, if you know what I mean.”
Blayze walked toward the doorway, his jaw clenched.
“Paul, make sure you explain to Alex everything that I told you. It will make it easier for her to understand,” said Hamilton.
My eyes widened.
“I will,” he replied. “She’s old enough to handle the truth.”
“Good. I’ll see you in my office at seven. We have much to discuss.”
Dad nodded and we both watched as Blayze left with Hamilton. When the door closed, he let out a ragged sigh.
“It’s not right, Dad.”
“He’ll be fine. He’s going to get help. He obviously needs it. I mean, he’s talking about aliens and crazy invasion stuff.” He leaned against one of the chests. “He’s definitely lost it.”
“Wouldn’t you lose it if you lost your parents?” I asked snidely.
“What do you mean?”
“He thinks they’re dead. They’ve been missing for months.”
“They’re fine,” he replied. “See, that’s another lie he’s come up with. Don’t believe a word he says.”
“How do you know they’re fine?”
He hesitated. “Because we’re having a conference call with them in Hamilton’s office at seven.”
“What a coincidence,” I said dryly. Even I could tell that my Dad was lying this time. “Why is that?”
“They’re concerned, for obvious reasons, and Hamilton wants me to evaluate him.”
“You? You’re not a psychiatrist.”
“No, but I’m probably more qualified than most of the other passengers on this ship.”
“You’re a Planetary Astronomer.”
He frowned. “
I know that. But, I’m all he has at the moment.”
I sighed. “So, what did Hamilton mean about telling me everything?”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “This isn’t the first time that Blayze has pulled this kind of thing,” he said. “That’s why his parents left him with his uncle. His mother is pregnant and can’t handle the stress.”
I stared at my father in disbelief. The lies kept piling up. Did he think I was that naive? Or, was he brainwashed himself? “Really?”
“It’s the truth,” he said, frowning. “You look like you don’t believe me.”
I laughed grimly. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
He was about to answer when the door opened and Mom walked in, looking flustered. “Paul, Jimmy is having some kind of tantrum over at Bruce’s.”
He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “I’ll go and get him.”
“Actually, I think we should both go,” she said, her eyes darting to me and then back to him. “Just in case it… escalates.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling the blood rush to my ears. Was Jimmy’s life in danger? “Escalates?”
He walked toward the door. “She doesn’t mean anything. Look, I’ll go and get him. Stay with Alex, Mary. She needs you at the moment.”
“Oh, okay,” she said as he closed the door behind him. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“I’m fine. What’s going on with Jimmy?”
“Nothing that your father can’t handle. Come on, tell me what’s wrong. I can see that you’re upset about something,” she said, her eyes softening. “I want to help if I can.”
“Don’t worry about me. Look, I’m going to take a shower,” I said, needing time away from her to think. “I feel yucky all of a sudden.”
“Of course.” She stood up. “You know, I think I will, too. I built up a pretty good sweat back in the gym.”
“Are you sure you want to leave me alone? Dad probably wants you to babysit me,” I said dryly.
She waved her hand. “I’m not worried about you. It’s Blayze Watkins that is causing such a stir on the ship.” She smiled. “I just saw him with Hamilton, though. So I guess we can all breathe better.”
“I still don’t understand why he’s causing such uproar,” I muttered, grabbing some clothes out of my suitcase. “It makes no sense.”
“I know. Just forget about him.”
“Fine. Already forgotten,” I lied.
She asked me some more questions about what I’d been up to after leaving the gym when her phone began to ring. “It’s your father,” she said and then answered it. Her eyes widened as she listened to him. “Okay, I’ll be right there,” she said quickly.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as she put her phone away.
“Nothing for you to worry about. Take your shower and we’ll be back with your brother,” she replied, walking toward the door.
“Mom, is everything okay?”
“Of course,” she said. “Don’t worry, Alex. I’ve got everything under control.”
Chapter Eighteen
I took a shower and got dressed. When I walked out of the bathroom, I noticed that the lights were dim and Jimmy was back. He was lying on the top bunk, staring up at the ceiling.
“Hey, what happened?” I asked, relieved that our parents weren’t around and he was back.
He didn’t even look at me. “What do you mean?” he asked.
I frowned. “Jimmy? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he said, his voice just as hollow.
“Why are you staring up at the ceiling?”
He closed his eyes. “I’m not feeling very well. The room is spinning. I thought it would help if I focused on the hole above me. But, it’s not.”
I climbed up the ladder and stared down at him. He was pasty looking. I felt his forehead, and noticed it was damp. “You don’t have a fever but you look ill. What happened at Bruce’s?”
He opened his eyes and looked at me. “I… I don’t remember. Was I at Bruce’s?”
Warning bells went off in my head. “Yes. Don’t you remember?”
“No.”
“Where do you think you’ve been for the last couple of hours?”
“I was in the lab. With Dad.”
“What? What were you doing in there?”
“I don’t know. I think I was sleeping. I woke up and he was carrying me out of there.”
“He must have erased your memory,” I whispered.
Jimmy didn’t reply. Instead, he yawned and closed his eyes. “I’m so tired. I need to sleep.”
I patted his arm. “Okay. Do you need anything to drink? I went and got some water.”
He turned over onto his side, his back to me. “Not right now. I just want to sleep.”
Sighing, I looked up at the hole he’d mentioned and frowned. I couldn’t recall seeing it before. In fact, I was almost positive that it was new. I peered closer, squinting at the small object. There was a tiny black glass ball sticking out of the hole and a red light glowing from the inside. It was so faint that one could barely see it.
A camera? What else could it be?
Crap.
The door opened, startling me, and Dad walked in. “What’s going on?” he asked, looking up at me.
My heart was pounding as I stepped down from the ladder. I felt like I’d just gotten caught doing something wrong, which was stupid, considering I was just looking out for my little brother. “Jimmy told me that he wasn’t feeling very good. I was just checking on him.”
“Don’t worry. He’s fine. Jimmy is probably just tired,” he said.
“It looks that way. So, what happened at Bruce’s?”
“Oh, nothing. They were just getting concerned because he had a slight fever and started to get dizzy. I gave him some medicine and that’s why he’s tired and a little disoriented.”
“Oh,” I replied. “I thought Mom said he had a tantrum or something.”
“No. She misunderstood. He wasn’t feeling well. Must have been something he ate.”
“You really think so?” I said, trying not to sound anxious.
“Yes. He’ll be fine. Don’t worry about him. How are you feeling?”
“Okay.”
“Good.” He smiled. “So, how would you like to take a walk with me? I have something great to show you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Right now?”
“Yes. I want to show you our new lab before the meeting with Hamilton. It’s really something.”
Oh, my God, was he going to erase my memory? Is that what he did to Jimmy’s?
“Maybe later?” I yawned. “I’m pretty wiped out. It’s been a long day and I think I’d like to take a nap, too.”
“Later? To be honest, our meeting might drag on for a few hours,” he said. “There won’t be a lot of time to show you the lab if we get back too late.”
“How about tomorrow? Seriously, Dad, I’m exhausted and… all of that craziness with Blayze really wore me out. You know the more I think about it, the more I realize that you were absolutely right. He definitely needs help and the best thing was for Hamilton to find him. Maybe you guys can figure out a way to finally help him get over his wild ideas.”
He stared at me for a minute and then sighed. “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses.”
“It wasn’t difficult. We’re not even friends. I know nothing about him and he doesn’t know anything about me.”
“Really? I guess that I’m surprised he came to you, then.”
I shrugged. “I’m the only person on this ship close to his age. He must have thought I’d be easy to talk to.”
“I guess. Well, I’ll leave you alone so you can take a nap. Remember, we’ll be at that meeting around seven. I’ll drop by beforehand with some dinner for the both of you.”
“Okay. Thanks, Dad.”
His smile looked so sincere. “I love you, kiddo. Don’t ever forget that.”
“I love you, too.”
He pulled me into his arms and held me. “Whatever happens, you have to trust me,” he whispered quickly.
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Shh…” he said so softly that I could barely hear him. “They’re… watching all of us.”
Chapter Nineteen
My heart filled with joy. He was okay! “Thank God,” I whispered back.
“We’ll talk later.”
“Okay.”
He released me and patted me on the back. “Get some rest,” he said much louder. “You’ve had a long day.”
I turned my back toward the camera and brushed at a couple of tears. A long day? That was an understatement. “I will, Dad,” I said, smiling through more of them.
Smiling sadly, he left the room.
I turned around and walked over to the bunk. Now that I knew we were being monitored, it made me self-conscious, but I couldn’t have been happier. My dad was fine. He was on our side. That meant Mom had to be too, right? The next time I spoke to him, I’d have to ask and find out also if he was also part of The Resistance. Feeling an overwhelming sense of relief. I closed my eyes and within minutes, was sleeping peacefully.
I woke up to the sound of Jimmy walking out of the bathroom.
I cleared my throat. “Jimmy. How are you feeling?”
“Fine. Why?” he said, turning on the lights.
“Because you were complaining about being dizzy about two hours ago,” I replied, squinting at the bright lights.
He shrugged. “I’m fine.”
I got out of the bunk and glanced at the camera. The light was still on.
“Where’s Mom and Dad?”
I turned to him. “I don’t know.”
“I’m hungry. Should we go to the cafeteria and get something?”
“Dad said that he’d bring us some food before the meeting with Hamilton.”
“Who’s Hamilton?” he asked, brushing some of the hair out of his eyes.
“What do you mean, who’s Hamilton? Don’t you remember? He’s Blayze’s uncle and head of the Council.”
“Blayze Watkins?” he asked, still confused.
“Yes,” I replied, stunned.
“Huh. Isn’t he the guy who got in trouble a few weeks ago, breaking the Curfew Law?”
