The New Frontier

by Ryan Kinzy

  “There!” Julia pointed to one of them.

  Lauren moved the ship close to the dock Julia pointed to, slowing down as she approached.

  Since the ship was invisible to all the systems on the station, she was able to float completely undetected into the small makeshift port. The door slid open as she approached, and she gently glided the ship into the small port. The doors shut behind them as quickly as they’d opened. Air filled the dock with loud swishing sounds. The indicator light flashed on the dashboard, indicating it was safe to exit the ship, so the girls opened the door.

  “Come on, Dad. Can you make it down?” Lauren asked, hopping out of the ship.

  “I … think … so,” he said, struggling to take off the seat belt.

  Julia helped him click out of the seat belt and then braced his arm while he tried to maneuver to the steps on the ship.

  Lauren stood outside the ship, giving him her shoulder for support as he labored down the stairs.

  Once he was off the ship, the three hobbled to the exit and out into a vacant hall. They were in their neighborhood, but didn’t recognize this particular spot. Worker bots strolled by, ignoring them.

  “Julia, call for help,” Lauren said.

  Julia unzipped her fanny pack, pulling her phone out. She spoke into it. “Emergency, emergency, we need an ambulance.”

  An automated response came back, “We have isolated your location and will be there shortly.”

  A few moments later, an ambulance cart arrived. It was a small, box-shaped vehicle with a door on the back, just small enough to get through the halls and elevators. A sliding compartment at the front of the cart opened and two medical bots emerged. They had arms and short stubby robotic legs. Immediately, they moved over to look at their dad’s leg. One of the bots pulled a device from its chest and waved it over their dad’s wound. The weeping wound stopped bleeding.

  The bots then extended their arms up to help their dad. He transferred his weight to them, using them like crutches. The side of the cart opened, revealing a bed right at knee height. Their dad sat down on the bed, reclining. As he did, the door shut.

  The girls hopped onto a back platform big enough for them to stand on, and the cart whisked them away to the closest hospital.

  Chapter 23

  Attack of the Killer Monster

  When they arrived at the hospital, a doctor came out to look at their dad’s wound and then rushed him into an operating room. After about 30 minutes, the doctor came out to speak with the girls.

  “He’s going to be OK,” the doctor said. “He’s lost a lot of blood, but we’re replacing that now, we repaired the wound.”

  The doctor paused, then asked, “What happened to him? I don’t see wounds like that up here on the space station. I haven’t seen something like that since I left Earth.”

  The girls avoided answering the question. “When can we see him?” they asked in unison.

  “He’s just getting a transfusion now,” the doctor said, leading the way to the room their dad was in.

  The doctor stopped at a doorway to room 3B, knocking on the open doorframe. “Here you go, girls.”

  Their dad was sitting up in bed, rubbing his leg, looking at it. He had a tube running from his forearm and leading up to a flattened bag that surrounded his upper arm. When the girls came in, he looked up, smiling.

  “Girls, come here,” he said, opening his arms up.

  “Dad!” The girls ran to his bedside.

  “How are you?” Lauren asked.

  “A little light-headed, but doing OK. You two have a LOT to tell me,” he said to them.

  Julia smiled an impish smile. Lauren just laughed.

  “Yes, LOTS,” Lauren said.

  Julia started from the beginning, not stopping for a breath, waving her hands wildly, curly hair bobbing as she talked. Their dad listened, frowning, then smiling. Just as she started to describe their trip to the star gate, a loud crash rocked the station. Medical supplies flew off the shelves.

  Another crash. A nurse ran by their room. Lauren ran out, yelling at her to stop. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  The nurse looked at her with pleading eyes. “Turn on your TV. We’re being attacked …”

  Lauren picked up her phone, saying, “Show local news.”

  The phone turned on, showing an image on the screen. They heard screams, then the newscaster talking. “There are reports … we’re being attacked. We don’t know by what …” He turned to his production manager. “Show the footage.”

  The screen showed the monstrous Gr-awl-toltz latched onto the station, raising a tentacle and crashing it down.

  “Oh, God! We have to get to the ship to see what’s happening out there,” Lauren said, putting her phone back in her pocket.

  “Dad, can you move?” Julia asked him.

  “I think so.” He moved his legs off the side of the bed and got to his feet. He had a severe limp, but he was in much better shape than when they had gotten there.

  He left the blood running but pulled other leads off of himself and started getting dressed. As soon as he did, a nurse ran in.

  “What are you doing? You can’t do that!” the nurse said to him.

  He looked at her, lifting his eyebrows, “Did you hear that thump out there? Do you want to stay?”

  The nurse stepped aside, letting them leave. The hidden dock with the ship wasn’t far.

  “Here, this way,” Lauren said, running ahead.

  Their dad was in better shape, but still hurting a lot. He struggled to keep up, hobbling along with a stiff leg.

  They went several blocks before finding the maintenance facility where the hidden dock was.

  BOOM. Another thundering blow rippled through the station. They staggered in the hall. Their dad fell and the girls helped him back to his feet.

  “This is it,” Lauren said, looking around.

  “Yes, in here,” Julia said, ducking down one of the halls.

  The three came to the nondescript door where they had stashed their ship. Lauren waved the signature modification bracelet they had taken from Ankit in front of the doorway, opening it.

  BOOM. Another blow.

  The three boarded the ship. Lauren fired up the engines and the door opened. She rotated the ship around to jet out of the dock.

  “Aaah!” Julia screamed and pointed out the door.

  They could see the giant underside of the Gr-awl-toltz poised just outside. It moved slightly to the side, exposing a hole big enough for them to escape.

  Lauren punched the accelerator, blasting the ship out of the dock. A huge tentacle looped around, trying to swat them as they emerged, but it was too slow for the quickness of the small ship.

  Their dad in the back seat was still groggy. “Lauren, get some distance … fly out there … and turn around,” he pointed as he spoke.

  Lauren did what he said, accelerating, then turning the ship around for a better look.

  From this better vantage point, they could see the Gr-awl-toltz spanned half the height of the station. It had attached itself to the station and was pummeling it with its tentacles. With every mighty crash, the station shook.

  “God, no … that’s home.” Their dad pointed to the beast, barely able to lift his arm.

  “Mom!” Julia shouted, a trickle of tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “What can we do?” Lauren asked, shaking, looking at her dad for answers.

  “I don’t know … that thing is enormous … uhh,” he said, pulling himself forward to get a better view.

  “We can fight!” Julia said. “Get us closer, Lauren. I’ll shoot it!”

  “Maybe … we can distract … it,” their dad said, his chest heaving with every breath.

  Lauren accelerated the ship directly toward the beast. This is a suicide mission, she thought, but the monster wanted them, and them alone.

  The ship buzzed by the Gr-awl-toltz. It ignored the flyby, continuing to pound the station.

  �
��Do it again. I’ll get him this time,” Julia said.

  Lauren maneuvered the ship out further for another pass. She banked the ship in a swift turn. As she did, the three of them felt the pressure of the centrifugal forces tugging at their bodies.

  “Ungghh,” their dad groaned in the back seat.

  Julia flipped the switch to the weapons. Again, they heard the power transfer to the weapons.

  Lauren gave the ship one last boost of the accelerators to align the ship directly in the sights of the Gr-awl-toltz.

  “Fire!”

  Julia pulled the trigger. A burst of light shot from the sides of the ship, aimed at the Gr-awl-toltz. A split second later, the blast exploded on the surface of the monster, directly on its back. It was so small, they could barely see the hit. A small black cloud materialized from the spot.

  The monster didn’t notice. It pounded the station again. The station shook. This time, as the monster retracted its tentacle, they could see a huge divot in the side of the station.

  “Again!” Lauren said.

  Julia fired once again. And again, the blast barely registered.

  “No!” Julia shouted, tears welling in her eyes as she pounded her fists on the dashboard.

  “Let’s try again. Maybe we can get its attention,” Lauren said.

  “Be … careful,” her dad managed.

  Lauren pushed the accelerator faster, swinging in close to the monster. They could see the enormous beast hovering over them. A tentacle went up to beat the station again. Lauren dodged under it, buzzing around the creature like a fly.

  “Julia, fire!” she said.

  Julia complied, blasting as many shots as she could get off, hitting the monster around the perimeter of its body.

  This time, the Gr-awl-toltz took notice. It detached its enormous body from the station, lifting up, but still holding on with its back tentacles. Its mouth flaps curled open in slow motion.

  As the massive flaps widened, the ship’s power supply stuttered. It briefly stopped, then started. As the mouth opened, the Gr-awl-toltz pulled the ship toward it, sucking them in somehow.

  “What’s happening?” Julia asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lauren shot back. “It’s pulling us in.”

  They could see the triangular-shaped mouth flap getting larger as they drifted in.

  “Aaaaieee!” A voice came from the dashboard.

  In unison with the voice, the Gr-awl-toltz reeled up, detaching from the station and pulling all tentacles close into its body. Blasts of light exploded all over the shell of the monster.

  The girls’ ship regained power. As soon as it did, Lauren punched the accelerator, flying the ship in the opposite direction.

  Julia asked, “What was that?”

  Lauren peered at the dashboard, pursing her lips. “Ankit?”

  “The one and only! Need some help?” he asked.

  “Ankit!” Lauren shouted. “What did you do?”

  She swung the ship around and guided it back around to get a better look at the Gr-awl-toltz. Over the top of the monster’s body, explosions blasted, with towers of flames shooting from the shell. Just beyond the explosions, they could see a swarm of ships attacking the Gr-awl-toltz.

  It released its grip from the station and drifted out to get in a better attack position.

  Julia sat up in her seat, beaming a smile, eyes scrunched like crescents. “We’re not going to die!” She grabbed her sister by the shoulders, staring into her eyes, “We’re not going to die!”

  Lauren screamed with her sister. They turned around, looking at their dad. He had sat back relaxing in his seat, but then he popped up, pointing out the front window. “Watch out!”

  Lauren turned around just in time to see a large building looming in front of them. She pulled the controls up, dodging the building by a hair.

  “Pull back, get away from here,” their dad said.

  Lauren throttled the ship out a ways so they could see the battle from a distance.

  The fireworks of the mêlée lit up space in all directions. The Zeb ships buzzed closer to the mighty monster as it swatted at them with its massive tentacles, missing each time.

  Then, in one mighty strike, the Gr-awl-toltz hit one of the ships. Smoke trailed the wounded ship as it careened into the station. The ship exploded on the side of the station, with a plume of smoke floating from the site of the crash.

  Then, again, another ship hit. This time the injured ship swung directly into the Gr-awl-toltz’s outer shell, exploding in a massive fireball. The blast subsided, revealing a gaping wound in the monster’s shell and exposing its innards.

  The remaining ships concentrated all their firepower on the open hole. One ship veered close to the opening and launched a torpedo. Moments later, the Gr-awl-toltz’s shell ballooned, then imploded. The once mighty beast floated limp.

  “Ankit?” Lauren asked in a low voice. “Are you there?”

  “Yes, I’m here …,” he said.

  The girls said nothing, just sat looking at the motionless Gr-awl-toltz.

  “Get us back to the station. We need to find your mom, Evan, and Maia. Fast!” their dad said, putting a hand on each of the girl’s seats and pulling himself forward.

  Blinking, Lauren snapped to attention. She whipped the ship around and headed toward the hidden dock they’d come from.

  Lauren guided the ship to the secret Zeb port. The bay doors opened as they got closer. She gently set the ship down on the floor and the doors closed.

  The three hopped out of the ship as quickly as they could. They were close to their building—it was only a few blocks away. Outside the maintenance area, it was utter chaos. People ran in all directions, many with bloody arms or legs, nursing their wounds. Medical bots dotted the crowds, administering basic care. Medical personnel mixed in the crowd placed tourniquets on people, doing what they could.

  Lauren and Julia barely heard any of the screams as they navigated toward their apartment building. The surreal surroundings just blurred together. They finally made it to their train stop and went down the hall that read, “Alpha Centauri Landing.”

  Their dad hobbled behind, trying to keep up. Lauren’s heart hung in her throat. She rounded the corner, looking at her sister, whose eyes were open wide. They hurdled panels strewn out on the floor deeper in the hall and arrived at two large girders that blocked the way. Cords hung, crackling with electricity.

  “NO!” Lauren screamed, tugging at one of the girders. It wouldn’t budge. She put both feet on a piece of metal and pulled harder.

  “Julia, help!” she yelled back at her sister.

  Julia stood motionless, staring at the mass of debris. “Evan?” she said, sniffling slightly, tears welling in her eyes. “Mom? Maia?”

  Their dad caught up. “Oh, God, NO!”

  He threw himself at the girder, trying with all his strength to pull it free. It inched up slightly. As it did, the other girder filled the gap, holding the remaining pieces firmly in place.

  He slammed his back against the wall, bracing himself up for a second, then slid to the floor, crying.

  This was the first time Lauren or Julia had ever seen their dad cry. Lauren slumped by her dad, cradling his arm, crying on his shoulder.

  Julia fell to her knees, staring at the pile.

  After what seemed like hours, their dad clasped Lauren’s hand. “Kids, we need to get out of here. It’s not safe.”

  Lauren nodded and helped her dad to his feet.

  Her dad reached over, grabbing Julia’s shoulder, pulling her up.

  She brushed his hand away. “The last thing I told Evan was I hated him …”

  “Julia … there was nothing we could do. You know he knew you loved him,” he pulled her close to his chest, hugging her.

  The three turned, walking toward the stairs leading to the surface. People ran everywhere. The commotion was deafening, but the three didn’t hear anything. As they made their way up the stairs, their heavy steps slowe
d them down.

  As they crested the top of the steps, the other half of their family stood huddled together, as scared as they were.

  “Mom!” Lauren screamed, letting go of her father. Her dad caught himself on the top step when she let go.

  Their mother looked up, teary eyes beaming. Maia and Evan started jumping up and down, screaming in joy.

  “Evan!” Julia said, running to hug her little brother.

  Their father struggled over to the group, giving the whole lot of them an enormous hug.

  Chapter 24

  Unlikely Heroes

  Cielo Prime was at the tail end of a four-month massive clean-up effort, and life was beginning to return to normal on the station. The kids were back in school. While the reconstruction effort was underway, they had to live in a hotel and wear donated clothes from kind citizens around the station for a month. After that, they finally gained access to their apartment so they could get to all their things. Then they were able to get most of their clothes, but they still had to live in the hotel room until the apartment was safe to move back into.

  The shock to the station was all that the kids at school talked about. The new alien life forms that had been the subject of so many conspiracy theories in the past were now a regular part of everyone’s lives.

  The task of integrating the Zebs into the station culture fell on the shoulders of Ankit. He was busier than ever now, working with the Cielo bureaucrats and trying to figure out how his people would fit into this new world. It was easier for the Zebs, since they’d been living among humans for so long, and a little more difficult for the humans who had to get used to them.

  Dignitaries from all over Earth scrambled to visit Cielo, trying to put their stamp on intergalactic relations in preparation for unveiling the star gate as the Zebs were furiously trying to get the gate operational. The star gate was the first step for humans to travel beyond the solar system and dignitaries were jockeying to be the first ones to go.

  The girls’ lives hadn’t changed much, since their parents requested that their involvement remain private. But the Zebs knew, and every time a Zeb saw one of the girls, they would walk up to them with a big smile and give them a hug. The girls’ friends vaguely suspected that they had played a part, but they really didn’t treat them any differently.