A Falling Starr: The Complete Trilogy

by Dani Hoots

  “Because I—” he stopped himself. “You’re important and I didn’t want to lose you. Not again.”

  His voice seemed to soften when he talked about his feelings about me. I blushed and tried not to think about his unfinished sentence. “Important? How am I important?”

  “After the doctor takes a look at you, I will explain. We are almost there, you won’t have to wait much longer.”

  Even though he did have a reason to not tell me, Emmerich didn’t understand how frustrating it was not to know who you are. I decided I may as well change the subject since I wasn’t going to get answers anytime soon. I could still see the wall encircling us, it’s bleak grey bricks covered with graffiti. “This place used to be thriving. What happened?”

  He studied me. “How do you know that?”

  I shrugged. “Little things come back to me in pieces. I remember this place and how beautiful it was.”

  “Well, it’s complicated,” he mumbled.

  I rolled my eyes. He said that about everything. “Of course it is. That’s your answer to everything.”

  He sighed then nodded to the edge of the city. “Building the wall brought crime to this neighborhood. No one wants to be near it so a lot of the people moved towards the city.”

  “Why was it built?” I asked.

  He laughed. “Now that is a long story.”

  Why I even bothered asking, I had no idea.

  “It’s true,” he stopped in front of an abandoned building. I looked up. It seemed like all the other buildings in the area, in crappy shape and boarded up with some odd type of wood. It was probably similar to that of what my necklace was made of. I fidgeted with the necklace that still hung around my neck. That was why no one could identify the wood, because it wasn’t even of Earth.

  A couple of rat-like creatures scurried around the corner of the buildings. I let out a small yelp, causing Emmerich to reach for his gun. When he saw it was only a couple of rodents, he returned to his normal composure and chuckled as he moved his hand away from his gun.

  “It’s just a couple of rats, nothing to be worried about.”

  I fidgeted with the jacket sleeve. “Didn’t say I was worried. I just thought they were going to eat me, they were the size of a dog, after all. Just rats you say?”

  He shrugged. “Equivalent of a rat here. Could never remember the name.”

  “Ah, that’s... Reassuring.” All I needed to worry about was rodents of unusual sizes running around and gnawing my limbs off. I guess there were downsides to this place after all.

  “They won’t hurt you, if that was what you were thinking. Simply a nuisance. Now as for the horse-sized flies...”

  I spun to face him. “The what?”

  “I’m just kidding,” he gestured to the building. “Either way, we’re here. Remember what I said. No one knows about Earth? Don’t mention it to anyone, even if they are on our side. We don’t want the knowledge to spread any further.”

  The door looked weak enough that even I could kick it down, and I wondered again what kind of base wasn’t safe or secure and seemed completely deserted. If anyone wanted to, they could break in. Why did he think this was safe from those men in black that chased us? I wanted to go somewhere else, preferably on the beach with the blue sky above us and white sand under our feet. That would have been a lot nicer than this.

  Emmerich pushed part of the wood and the panel came off. He stepped in front of a small scanner on the wall. It looked out of place with everything around it. He opened his eyes wide and I watched as a light scanned them. It made me have to blink several times. After a moment, a light blinked green.

  The door opened, and I noticed it was made of thick metal behind the facade wood. I gasped as Emmerich pushed me inside before anyone saw us.

  It was nicer inside. A lot nicer. The room was lined with equipment, weapons, and the occasional appliance. I recognized some but others looked totally foreign, making me curious. One I swore looked like a ‘Timey-Wimey detector’. If it went ‘ding’ I was going to run out of there.

  A couple of couches occupied a good portion of the square footage, ones that looked terribly comfy I might add, and a screen which I figured must be some sort of television. It was currently off, but music was coming from the speakers. I recognized the tune, but it was unlike anything I had heard in Portland. It had a calming feel, yet something about it kept you awake. It would be perfect music to listen to while working.

  A hallway led to other rooms, but all the doors were shut so I had no idea as to what they held. My imagination was running wild, but I figured they were probably bedrooms or the bathroom.

  A man with ginger hair and wearing a red and beige jumpsuit got up from one of the couches, “Emmerich, finally you’re back.”

  When he saw me, he stopped dead and paled like he had seen a ghost. He pointed at me.

  “Great galaxies!” he exclaimed as he jabbed his finger at me once more. “Cousin!”

  The man started for me, his arms wide, appearing as if he was going to embrace me. Even though it seemed like a friendly gesture, I panicked and hid behind Emmerich, knowing he would protect me from this strange man. I knew he probably didn’t mean harm, but when someone you don’t know comes barreling over to you, it is sort of scary.

  Emmerich held out his arm to stop him from scaring me any further.

  “Angela, what...” he began, his round green eyes wide with puzzlement.

  “She doesn’t remember anything,” Emmerich answered simply. I peeked out from behind Emmerich’s arm.

  He looked at Emmerich for a moment, then me. “You don’t know who I am?”

  I studied him, trying to remember. He had called me cousin, but the memories wouldn’t come. Although he seemed familiar, it was like a wall that I couldn’t break down, no matter how hard I tried. I may have not remembered, but something did come to me.

  “Elwood,” I said. “You’re... Elwood.”

  He smiled ear to ear. “Yes, I am.”

  Emmerich turned to me, surprised. “You actually remember someone?”

  “I don’t remember, really, the name just appeared in my mind,” I rubbed my forehead. “It’s as if I’m watching a movie piece by piece, only I’m in the movie.” It was frustrating, really, and hard to handle.

  Elwood sat down to take in what we had said. “Where did you find her? What exactly happened?” Elwood asked, excited that I was there. It made me feel a bit better that he knew me in a positive way. I felt more connected to the area and could believe that I was from here. Maybe I did finally find my home and I soon would be getting answers.

  “It’s complicated, a lot more than we had originally thought,” Emmerich brushed his thumb against my hand, taking a second to look at me, as if some kind of hidden language. I wish I could figure out what that secret language was. “There are some things I need to discuss with you, Elwood.”

  Elwood raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  Emmerich eyed me. “Things that Angel can’t hear, at least not yet.”

  Elwood nodded and stood up. Emmerich started for one of the closed doors when I grabbed his wrist. “Wait, you promised me an explanation. I want to know what is happening and who I am.”

  “She really doesn’t remember anything, does she?” Elwood whispered.

  Emmerich placed his hands on my shoulders and stared at me with his bright blue eyes. “I said that I was going to have a doctor check you out? That doctor is Elwood. Once I am done filling him in, then he can see if it is safe to tell you everything. Wasn’t that our deal?”

  I gave him a frustrated look. He just smiled. I sighed and waved my hand as if giving him permission to go. “Fine.”

  “Stay out here. You’re safe here, no one can get in. This place is a lot more secure than it appears. We will be quick.”

  He was afraid I still didn’t trust him, and in someways he was right. I had an irrational feeling to completely trust him, but I wanted to know why. That was the part I didn’t l
ike, not being able to put all the pieces together. The more time I spent with him, the more I felt I belonged. Now seeing someone else that I could recognize, I felt even safer.

  “Do you need anything? Water, perhaps?” Elwood asked before they went into the hallway.

  I nodded quickly. “That would be good, maybe something to eat as well?” My mouth felt dry, and my stomach had been growling for the past half an hour.

  Elwood went to one of the walls and pushed a button. A hidden panel opened up from the wall, revealing a cabinet. He grabbed a glass and brought it to a little spout and pushed a button. The glass filled with water.

  Pushing another button, “Sandwich.” Another panel open and a sandwich came out of the wall. My mouth dropped. Was it like a fridge? Could you ask anything from it or was it stocked full of items and picked from the selection? I wanted to ask so many questions but I knew it wasn’t the time nor the place.

  Elwood handed them to me. I thanked him and watched as they disappeared down the hallway into one of the rooms. They had gone into the second door to the right. If there was any trouble, which I doubted there would be, I knew exactly where to run.

  I sat down on the couch, nearest the door they went into, and twirled the water in my glass. So here I was, on another planet. I could feel my heart beating hard in my chest as I took another sip. Everything was starting to hit me, the men after me, running from the cops on Earth, a whole new world. I set the water down, not wanting to spill it as my hands began to shake. It was all incredible, and answered some of the questions I had, but there was still a lot I didn’t understand. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself down. I wasn’t alone, I had Emmerich and now Elwood. They would keep me safe and help me remember. I hoped.

  I did remember Elwood’s name, so that was a sign things were going to get better, right? Although I wasn’t alone, I couldn’t help but feel lost. Why did I feel this way now that I have finally found my home? I should be excited but I couldn’t help but feel as if I had lost a part of myself back in Portland. That the past year was now meaningless. That I was back to the same position I was a year ago—disconnected from the world and still searching.

  Why didn’t coming back reawaken my memories? I rubbed my face with my hands, hoping that maybe it would jolt back a memory. It didn’t, of course. I would just have to wait it out.

  I took a bite of the sandwich, and was surprised to find it quite similar to an Italian sandwich I once had at a deli. I took another bite. Yes, it tasted like pepperoni and sweet peppers. There was another taste there but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It must have been some plant from this world. I would get to learn all the different types of food again.

  The music was still playing, so I closed my eyes and listened, letting it take me away from my thoughts. It was calm and serene and if it weren’t for the fact I had so many things running through my mind, I would have easily fallen asleep. I would have liked to slip into a dream world. But I couldn’t, not when I wanted answers.

  No one was watching so I scarfed the sandwich down in less than a minute and leaned back against the couch. Staring up at the metallic ceiling, I sighed.

  I hated waiting, as my therapist Mandy had noted many times. It wasn’t my fault that people didn’t act as fast as they should. I waved away the thoughts about her analyses of me. It didn’t matter anymore now did it? I wondered if she knew I was missing. The cops did since I had called them. How long would they look for me before they gave up? I hated having people worry, but what could I do now? I was clear across the galaxy. It wasn’t like I could just call them up.

  I heard the creak of a door. I turned, expecting Emmerich or Elwood, instead a large dark-bearded man stood in the hallway rubbing his eyes. I froze. Who was he and what do I do? Emmerich and Elwood hadn’t mentioned another person being here. Should I hide? I ducked behind the couch but it didn’t really help. If he looked over he could still see me. The man must have been an intruder of some sorts. I glanced around but didn’t see anything I could defend myself with except for a remote for the TV-thing. I debated if I should run for it or go to Emmerich, but the man was between me and that door. So I decided to stay still.

  He was muscular and tall, not someone I would want to mess with. In fact, he looked a lot like the men who had attacked me. A scar ran along his right cheek and another around his left eye. I didn’t even want to think what had given him those, or what the other guy must have looked like, if he was even alive.

  He sauntered past me, mumbling something under his breath. He didn’t look like he was fully awake yet. He went to the wall where Elwood had gotten food and jammed his finger at a couple of the buttons. He forgot to get a glass though, and orange liquid poured onto the floor. Cursing under his breath, he threw a towel on the ground and grabbed a glass. Once it was full, he took a drink and turned. He saw me and spat it out.

  The man wiped away the drops on his beard. “You! How?”

  I quickly stood up, my heart beating fast. “I...”

  “Where did you come from? How did you get here?” he demanded as he started for me. I backed up, scrambling towards the room where Emmerich and Elwood had gone. Second door on the left.

  “I don’t know,” I yelled at him, hoping that was an acceptable answer and he would leave me alone. He didn’t.

  “Come on, we have to go,” he tried to swipe my arm but I jumped back and screamed.

  “Rick!”

  Emmerich was out the door into the hallway, gun already drawn and aimed at the man. His face worried, he evaluated the situation before lowering the gun. He rolled his eyes at the guy. “Isaac, what are you doing?”

  Isaac froze for a moment, then smiled. “Emmerich, you’re back. That explains why Angela’s here. I had thought I found her myself.”

  Emmerich placed his hand on me for comfort. “Ja, I found her. I didn’t realize you were here or I would have told her. You scared her,” he rubbed my back, trying to calm me down. It didn’t really work, my heart was racing. “She doesn’t remember anything.”

  I watched relief sweep over Isaac’s face. His shoulders relaxed as he let out a breath. He inspected me closer. “She doesn’t?”

  Emmerich shook his head sadly. “No, I just found her. She doesn’t know anything that happened or how she came to lose her memory.”

  That could change real easily, I wanted to say. All he needed to do was tell me.

  “How?” Isaac asked as he refilled his glass for a second time.

  “We don’t know,” Emmerich turned to me and gave me one of his caring faces. “But Angel, if you don’t mind, Elwood is going to run some tests now.”

  I glanced over at Elwood. He was smiling sweetly. I felt like I remembered that smile and it made me feel I could trust him. “I don’t mind.”

  “Good, meanwhile I will get you up to speed, Isaac,” he glanced down at all the orange liquid on the floor. “After you clean that up, of course.”

  Isaac frowned and set his glass down on the table. I chuckled as he grabbed the towel and started cleaning up the spill.

  Elwood laughed. “At last, the beast cleans.”

  He glared at Elwood. “Come a little closer and say that to my face.”

  “Sorry, I can’t. Doctor duties call,” Elwood motioned towards the door. “Come on, Angela, we should probably leave these two alone.”

  I followed him inside the room. It looked like a small version of a doctor’s office on Earth, but the equipment was different, like something from Star Trek. A screen hung on the wall by the metal table, next to instruments I didn’t recognize, some different type of scanners, and of course a chair. At least I could recognize that.

  Elwood gestured to the metal table. “Please take a seat.”

  I did as he said, the coolness of the metal against the skin of my leg making me shiver. Why was it always so cold in doctor’s offices?

  He sat down in his chair and rolled over to me. He grabbed one of the contraptions from the table. “Do you m
ind taking the coat off? It will interfere with some of the instruments.”

  I took the coat off, realizing that I was still in my kitten pajamas. I blushed. “After this can I get a change of clothes? I’m kind of sick of running around in my pajamas.”

  He chuckled as I handed him Emmerich’s coat. “Why, what’s wrong with kittens? Yes, I have something you can put on. Sadly no kittens, though.” He placed a metal band around my upper arm. “I am checking your vitals now. You shouldn’t feel a thing.”

  I watched as different sets of numbers appeared on the screen. Blood pressure, temperature, heart rate. If it was only that simple on Earth. I had been poked and prodded way too many times and was very glad it was this simple here. Maybe he didn’t even have to use a needle to take blood.

  Elwood took the band off and listened to my heart and lungs. I took in deep breaths as he asked. He nodded to himself as he took some notes.

  “Everything seems fine.” He went to the wall and grabbed a light and shined it in my eyes and ears. “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, at least so far. Your vitals seem perfect.”

  “So you don’t know what is wrong with me?”

  “No, I still have tests to run, especially with something like amnesia. I just wanted to check your vitals before doing anything else,” he grabbed some instrument that I didn’t recognize, but it reminded me of a spatula with a weird metallic box at the end. “Hold this.”

  I grabbed it, puzzled. I didn’t know what it was going to do and just hoped it wouldn’t hurt.

  “It won’t hurt you,” he laughed as he saw my face.

  “You never know.”

  “You must really not recall anything. Now, tell me,” Elwood went on as I held this thing in my hand. “What happens when you do remember things? Emmerich said you get headaches?”

  I nodded. “Really bad ones. I can barely think straight but they go away after a while.”

  “Can you still recall the memories after the headache goes away” he asked as the spatula-thing’s light turned a blue color.