by S. M. Welles
Daio found several rows of plastic beach chairs and picked one near the middle. Many men and women were already working on their vacation tans. The chairs were positioned so those occupying them could look out over the bow. He took in a glance at his elevated view of Manhattan, an endless view of glass, metal, iron and smog, then set the reclining portion of the chair flat and plopped onto his back, a forearm shielding his eyes from sunlight.
Chapter 9
Extended Reality
“By the way, the name is Luis, and my wife and son will be catching up with us any second. Who are you?”
“My name’s Aerigo and hers is Rox.”
“Alrighty,” Luis puffed cheerfully, “just a few more steps and then we can get everything organized.” Luis led the way, to the nearest door at the top of the stairs and carelessly dropped all his bags, causing the ground to vibrate even under Aerigo’s feet. He fished out his key to his cabin. “Jesus! I need to weach my wife—weach? That’s not even a word,” he said with a laugh. “I meant ‘teach.’” He found the key and inserted it. “Gotta teach her to pack lighter.” Luis opened the door to reveal a large suite. It was like a miniature home without the extra walls. The first thing Aerigo noticed as they entered were the glass doors to a balcony about half the width of the suite itself. The balcony was laden with a table, chairs, and lounge chairs. In the cabin, two queen-size beds covered in identical flowery spreads had a nightstand on each side. There was a modest kitchen with a mini-fridge, microwave and toaster oven, wooden cupboards, a sink and coffee maker. Beyond the kitchen sat a plush love seat almost as large as a couch, with a coffee table in front of it, and a plasma TV hanging on the wall.
Luis dragged all his bags inside and started unpacking as Aerigo laid Roxie on the nearest bed. “Just relax for now. We’ll worry about your own suite later.”
Luis’ behavior puzzled Aerigo. Was it normal for people from Earth to share living spaces so casually? Luis didn’t feel like any of Nexus’ minions in disguise though. Not wanting to draw extra attention to himself, Aerigo set this puzzle aside and sat on the empty bed and watched Roxie for signs of wakefulness. Minutes later, Luis’ family arrived.
“Luis!” his wife said testily from the doorway. “Who are these people?”
Luis dropped a box of crackers he was about to put away and turned to face his wife. “Anna,” he said in a pained voice, “they were in need of help. You know how I am when it comes to people in need. Besides, they won’t be staying too long.”
“Who’s that?” the little boy said. He clutched his mother’s hand and pointed to the sleeping woman on the bed.
“That girl is named Rox, and she’s very tired right now, Jake, so don’t make too much noise. We don’t want to wake her, okay?”
“Okay,” Jake said with a smile. He shared his mother’s eyes and his father’s charming smile.
“And this nice, tall man here is Aerigo, little buddy,” Luis said, “He’s been helping me unpack our kitchen stuff.”
“That’s enough, Luis,” Anna said tartly. “You and I need to talk right now. Jake,” she said without looking away from Luis, “you go watch TV or something while your father and I have a word.”
Jake marched across the suite to the love seat and pulled out his Nintendo DS.
Aerigo, who had been standing next to Luis the whole time, headed for the balcony. As soon as the door shut behind him, he could no longer hear Anna’s peevish interrogation. Instead he heard the wind, voices, and the drone of distant planes. The ship was putting at a couple of knots down the middle of the river. He sat in one of the lounge chairs and shifted his worries to Rox.
Five minutes later the balcony door slid open. Aerigo’s new acquaintance stood with his wife behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist. They were both smiling.
“It’s safe to come in, Aerigo,” Luis said. “You can help us finish unpacking if you wish, or grab some food or do nothing at all. Whatever suits you, my friend, go right ahead.”
“Thank you,” Aerigo said. He stood and followed the couple into the suite.
Jake was still staring intently at his Nintendo DS as the three filed in. Roxie yawned. The couple stared at her, but Aerigo ran towards her, vaulting himself lightly over one bed and landing in the space between them. He bent over and put one hand on Roxie’s shoulder. He called her name in a whisper.
Roxie lazily opened her eyes, stretched and looked around the room. When she noticed a pair of strangers and what must’ve been their son, she bolted upright, wide-awake, narrowly missing Aerigo’s forehead as he dodged out of her way. “Where are we?” she asked Aerigo while staring at the strangers.
“On a ship. Do you feel better now?”
“Is this a cruise ship?” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up straighter.
“I guess that’s a ‘yes,’” Aerigo said.
“And are you friends of Aerigo or—” Roxie looked at Aerigo. “When did we leave the hotel?”
He sat opposite her, the plush mattress making him bounce a little. “You don’t remember passing out on the bed?”
She searched her memory, then shook her head.
“Are you sure you’re feeling better?”
“Yeah, and hungry.”
Luis said, “I’ll lead you to one of the food courts and we can all straighten some things out while we’re there.” He beckoned to his son and held out a hand. Jake slid off the loveseat and hurried over to his father.
Figuring Luis was only referring to the strange rooming situation, Roxie eagerly followed, but had to double back and grab Aerigo by the wrist to get him moving. Luis led the way to the food court section of the ship and they all agreed on the ‘Around the World’ buffet, which had everything from burgers, pasta, Chinese food and odd delicacies, to pizza, Mexican, and sandwiches galore. While they all ate and drank at a round table Luis explained that his family went on this cruise ship every year to celebrate his and Anna’s anniversary. “It brings back memories of the first time we met,” Luis reminisced in a dreamy tone. “Anna was on vacation with a group of friends from work, and I happened to be jogging around the track when I saw her lying on the beach chairs in one corner with them. They were all wearing such nice bikinis that I had to stop to say hello, but my attention quickly focused on Anna.” Luis paused to admire his wife. “It felt like I’d been hit by a twenty-foot wave when she smiled at me,” he said, and the two smiled, their noses within inches of each other. “I’d never believed in love at first sight until I saw Anna. By the end of the cruise we were great friends. Two years later, we were married on this very ship.”
“Wow, that’s so romantic,” Roxie said in a dreamy voice. “You have a very nice husband, Anna. Don’t lose him!”
“Don’t worry,” Anna said slyly, looking at Roxie out of the corner of her eyes. “He won’t be getting away from me any time soon.” She kissed her husband and then they all laughed—except for Jake and Aerigo.
“Yuck! You kissed!” Jake made a grossed-out face.
Aerigo stared at the table as if he hadn’t been listening. Roxie noticed but didn’t feel concerned. That’s just how he was: serious.
“How can you go on a cruise every year?” Roxie asked. “Aren’t they a lot of money?”
“Yes,” Luis said lightly, “but I’m the owner of this cruise line, so it doesn’t cost me or my family anything to sail. My name is Luis Herschel, son of William Herschel, and you are aboard the Herschel Lines.”
Oh, my god. Rich people! “Shouldn’t you be getting all kinds of special treatment?”
He shook his head. “I don’t like getting special attention. It gets in the way of our time and privacy. Plus I can take a more accurate observation of the hired staff. No one knows I’m here because we travel under my wife’s name. But I’ve never been disappointed by what I’ve seen in the past ten years.”
“It’s an honor to meet you and your family,” Roxie said.
“Anyway,” Luis said, putting bo
th forearms on the table and looking pointedly at Aerigo, “I know you two don’t have your own cabin.”
Roxie froze, staring at owner of the cruise line. By some miracle she avoided having her eyes glow. She turned to Aerigo, who was also staring at Luis. “What’s he talking about?”
“I don’t why my intuitiveness let me in on that secret,” Luis said, “but I knew I needed to help you two. I knew Roxie was more than over-tired. You see: I get these urges to help others sometimes.”
Aerigo bowed his head slightly, as if he were looking at Luis with his forehead, instead of his eyes. “Keep following your intuition.”
Luis laughed. “I will, so long as it doesn’t drive my wife nuts.”
“I’m getting used to it, love,” Anna chided.
“My daddy’s psychic,” Jake said.
“He’s a half-seer,” Aerigo said, then clamped his mouth shut.
“A what?” the adults asked in unison.
“I think it’s time for us to find our own suite,” Aerigo said, standing up.
“Wait a second,” Luis said, stopping him. He looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “What did you call me? I want to know.”
Aerigo glanced at each of them solemnly before answering. “A half-seer,” he repeated in a low voice.
While Luis was handling Aerigo’s slip rather well, Roxie noted that his wife was a little confused. Their son was lapping it up. He’d forgotten his DS, and its dungeon music blared away in the sudden silence.
Aerigo said, “The reason why you know when to reach out to strangers is because you’re a half-seer. You’re not a full seer for reasons that are difficult to explain.”
“I understand,” Luis said, sounding satisfied with that answer. “Let’s head to back the cabin, now. Your own cabin can wait until tomorrow.”
When they got back to the room, Aerigo pulled Roxie aside. “Come with me a second.” He led her onto the balcony and sat down. “It’s time I explained some things to you, Rox.”
She leaned with her back on the railing and gave him her full attention.
“First of all, we’re headed to a world called Phaedra. It’s older than this world and very beautiful. I think you’ll like it. There are some things you need before I can start teaching you how to use—”
“Is that really the best you can do, Aerigo?” a man said in a pained tone. “Honestly, do I have to do everything? Now shut your eyes and I’ll take care of the rest.”
Not entirely sure whether the voice was coming from inside her head, Roxie clenched the rail, and looked around for the source. Through the sliding doors she saw Luis unpacking with his wife. That voice wasn’t his. It wasn’t Aerigo’s either. “Who-wazzat?” Telepathy was just a rumor on her world. But so many strange things had happened lately that she was starting to feel numb.
“A friend of ours,” Aerigo said dryly. “Just close your eyes.” He bowed his head and closed his eyes.
Seeing no harm, she followed his example. Her vision was filled with a starry night sky both above and below them. Roxie started flailing her limbs, hoping to fly or float, or swim or whatever, over to Aerigo, who was calmly floating near her among the stars. Roxie stopped flailing the moment an invisible giant hand took hold of her. She tried to clamp to whatever had grabbed her but ended up smacking her stomach with her own hands. The invisible hand pulled her forward through the cosmos so fast it felt like she was rushing down the biggest hill on a roller coaster. There was no wind, yet she traveled so fast the stars were nothing but streaks of light. In mere seconds they stopped moving and felt solid ground beneath her feet. She was standing in tall grass, with Aerigo right beside her. Roxie took in her surroundings with her fists raised and knees slightly bent, then looked at herself. She looked whole and unharmed but she patted down her torso. She stopped when heard the voice again, this time outside her head.
“Welcome to my realm, dear child,” a man greeted her warmly. “It’s a real pleasure to be meeting you in person at last.” He was slightly taller than Roxie, had a solid build, and close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and goatee. He wore only a pair of cargo shorts and leather sandals, and had tanned skin. Roxie’s attention was particularly drawn by his eyes. They were the softest blue she had ever seen and that made her like this stranger right away. She wiped her hands on her shirt and let her arms relax.
“My name is Baku and I have brought you both here to explain what that oaf standing next to you can’t seem to, for some reason or another.”
Aerigo gave Baku a hard stare and the man kept going as if he hadn’t noticed. “Why don’t we go down by the lake? All this tall grass is lovely, but when you wish to sit and talk, seeing one another becomes rather difficult.” He led the way while Roxie trailed behind, taking in the vibrant realm like an animal having suddenly been dropped into a cage. One large, lonely mountain rose to their left and seemed to touch the aurora sky with its pointed summit. Far past the mountain’s right side grew a rain forest that looked like it came straight from Brazil, complete with an abundance of vines, and wisps of fog looming above the canopy and snaking between branches. Beyond the mountain’s left stood a marble palace that looked like it belonged in ancient Rome with its massive pillars, domed roof and grand stairway leading to the entrance. The palace emitted a soft blue light. There was something strange about this realm, but nothing bad. It felt like it was breathing or whispering. Roxie felt that the multicolored sky was aware of her presence. She couldn’t explain how she knew it; it just felt like she was on the translucent side of a one-way window, with someone on the other side observing her every action. The sensation should have made her uncomfortable, but the invisible watcher, or whatever, felt more like a parent or guardian keeping a watchful eye on her. Roxie eased her posture and walked quicker to catch up.
“I’m going to try and explain this as best and as quickly as I can,” Baku began without a hint of the smile that had been on his face a moment ago. They reached the end of the grass field and walked out onto a small beach. Baku gestured to the ground and they all sat in a semicircle on the white sand speckled with black. They faced the lake, Roxie between both men. The sand felt like silk beneath her, and the lake beckoned to her like her bed after a long, exhausting day. Surely a swim right now wouldn’t hurt?
The next thing Roxie knew Baku had one hand on her shoulder and was gently guiding her back into a sitting position.
“I really wouldn’t,” Baku said.
Roxie shook her head to clear her mind.
“I apologize. I should have warned you. That water is a little too potent for mortals.”
Roxie shifted her position so she sat a little closer to Aerigo, and was looking directly at Baku, instead of out over the water.
“Now, listen closely.” Baku touched the pale sand. Hundreds of circles formed all over the beach, like an endless constellation bordered by water. “There are a good few hundred inhabited worlds in this universe besides your ‘Earth.’” The circles zipped across the sand until a particular circle reached inside their semicircle. This one grew and outlined continents that Roxie recognized as Earth. “These worlds are scattered all over your galaxy and many others.” The sand formation of Earth zipped off in the direction it came, and other smaller circles took its place as they flowed by. “The universe is infinite and endless, so sentient life is pretty well spaced out, whether anyone meant it to be that way or not. All these worlds’ levels of development go as far back as the formative stages where single-celled creatures have begun to emerge.” The planets melded back into the beach’s flat surface, then were replaced by organisms Roxie recognized while looking through a microscope in Biology class. “And then there are worlds far older than Earth itself with societies and cultures vastly different from your own.” The primitive organisms leapt into air and transformed into minature flying vessels and cityscapes that looked like they came from sci-fi novel covers. “This is the range of life you’ll be helping Aerigo protect, and every single wo
rld is precious to one god or another.” The sand drizzled back onto the beach, forming a smooth surface.
“I don’t mean to sound rude or anything,” Roxie said, unable to take her eyes off the sand, “but who are you exactly?”
“I’m Earth’s Creator. Your god. I’m the one who purposely had you born as an Aigis, although things didn’t go quite as I planned.”
Roxie’s jaw dropped and she looked at Baku. Was this a joke? But they’d been magicked to wherever they were, she’d fought a giant and now had powers she didn’t yesterday. And her grandmother even knew about Aerigo. And the sand! But God never showed his face like this…
Baku leaned forward and said, “I know you’re thinking I’m acting out of character but I’m not any of the gods you’ve been taught about—well, I’m their inspiration and, inadvertently, so is my wife. But the point is I’m not what you expected. Please discard all your preconceived notions. I’m just me, and I need both your help.” He sat upright.
“Why us?”
“Primarily because I and most other deities agree that things unfold better in the end when mortals help mortals, versus gods helping mortals. There are many other factors as well, but that primary reason carries the most weight. However, what you and Aerigo are helping me with specifically right now is going to be quite different.”
“Why’s that?”
Baku looked taken aback and turned to Aerigo, who said, “Later.”
Roxie didn’t miss Baku’s disapproving frown but paid it no more mind when he continued his explanation. Something about his presence compelled her to listen.
“Anyway, after a certain point in the most ancient parts of history, gods started having to earn the right and ability to create worlds, which led to a class of gods called ‘Creators.’”
“Why’d they start having to earn it?” Roxie asked.
