Four Worlds

by Maureen A. Miller

  “Hey, you two,” Zak coughed nearby. “Save that for later. There’s work to be done.”

  Gordy pulled back enough to catch a glimpse of Zak’s grin. “I think I’m entitled to a minute,” he challenged, still holding Sema.

  Zak chuckled. “That you are, my friend. That you are.”

  EPILOGUE

  Aimee sat on the bench seat beneath the window of her cabin on the Horus. In her arms, Zon gazed up at her with beguiling yellow eyes, cooing a garbled conversation. She smiled serenely at him. How much time on Earth had passed? She didn’t feel like calculating it. Here, on Anthum, more than thirty sunsets had come and gone, and Zon seemed to be growing at a steady pace. He was chubby now, with fat little cheeks, pudgy little fists, and a belly she couldn’t resist kissing. One day he would grow into this body and be as big and strong as his father.

  The other subject of her adoration stood with his shoulder hitched on the edge of the window bay. He was staring out at the scaffolding that crisscrossed their view. Beyond that was a squadron of active engineers and constructors busily putting Humpty Dumpty back together again.

  All modules, with the exception of the Tok had been brought to the crater hangar for reconstruction. The water crafts that the Solthumians had used to reach Aulo were located, and under Sema’s guide, and the assistance of several converted saboteurs, they returned to Solthum Valley and transported all of the passengers from the Tok back to Aulo.

  All the Solthumian vandals had been located. Their hostility took time to channel, but over time, and with lengthy counsel by Sema and Vodu they began to understand that there were two sides to every story. Vodu had joined the party to retrieve the passengers of the Tok, and took the opportunity to meet with Sema’s father. There was resistance–affront–but, over a few dinners, and a few mugs of seetal juice, Tolstak started to come around.

  The relationship between the Solthumians and the Lowlanders would take time to cultivate, but it was forthcoming, and showed promise–especially with the younger generation who was eager to visit outside the valley, and broaden their opportunities.

  “Do you think he’ll come?” she asked.

  Zak smirked into the glass. “Last I checked he was burrowed in his lab, busily working on that toy of his.”

  “That toy may be the prototype for an easier and quicker means of transportation to the mainland.”

  “When you start to help, it will be.” He grinned and then stooped over to stroke her hair with his lips, and then bending further, placed a kiss on Zon’s cheek. Zon gurgled and pumped his chubby fists.

  Aimee looked up at Zak, her throat constricting. Everything she loved was tight in her orbit right now. Outside the window a laser slashed through the shadows, sealing the wounds of the Horus.

  “How much longer do you think it will take them?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

  “The progress is good, Zer-shay. The Horus could manage interplanetary travel within this solar system if it needed to.”

  She nodded, looking down into her son’s eyes.

  “How much longer until it can manage interstellar travel?” she whispered.

  Zak gave her a measured look.

  “Most of the mechanics of the Horus is still intact. They are working on rebuilding the flight deck–and resurrecting the terra angels. They don’t want to go interstellar without an adequate fleet. You understand that.”

  “I do.” She nodded, but still added, “How long?”

  Zak sat down beside her, rubbing his knuckle across Zon’s cheek.

  “Half a ren, I’d say. Maybe a lot less.”

  Aimee felt dejected, but she squared her shoulders and looked her husband in the eye.

  “I–” she hesitated. “This is not our home. We came here to make sure Zon would be safe, and despite a few minor hiccups, he was born safely, and healthy.” She stopped to kiss his forehead. “So very healthy, and so very beautiful. But–”

  “Go on, Zer-shay,” Zak encouraged with a patient smile.

  “I have lived on Earth, and I have lived on the Horus,” she said. “I’ve lived on Ziratak, and now on Anthum.” She shook her head. “Most people talk about the states or countries they have traveled to. I have lived in four worlds.”

  Zak tipped his head. “True.”

  “Ask me,” she whispered. “Ask me where I want to go?”

  Studying her for a long time, Aimee could feel Zak seeping into her soul. She understood what it meant to be bonded. They shared each other’s innermost thoughts without words. It wasn’t an alien ability. It wasn’t a mecaw thing, or a human thing. It was love.

  “I know where, Zer-shay. I know where you want to go.”

  She heaved out a breath, relieved to find no censure on his face.

  “Zon should grow up on Ziratak,” she vowed. “Forgive me if I am biased, but I see him doing great things. I see him making an impact–maybe even bringing the technology of his people to the highest level. Maybe building great ships like his grandfather once did.”

  “And if he decides he wants to sit on a Zull mat and sip zoont lager his whole life?” Zak goaded with a grin.

  Aimee wrinkled her nose at him, and then hugged Zon tighter. “I will be proud of him, and I may even try a zoont lager myself.” She paused and frowned. “Seriously, zoont lager? Why didn’t you let me try that?”

  Zak laughed. “No offense, Aimee, but that drink is only for the most rugged of men.”

  “Well, in that case, yes, Zon will be the most rugged of men and will drink the tallest jug.”

  Zak’s arm wound around her shoulder, holding them in a tight circle. Zon drew imaginary patterns on Zak’s thigh with his finger.

  Aimee leaned into her husband. “Of course, he will visit his grandparents on Earth–often. Especially if we can get those terra angels back to the condition they were once in.”

  “Are you sure, Zer-shay?”

  Reaching up to cup his cheek, she used the grip to draw his mouth to hers.

  “Absolutely.” She beamed up at him.

  “Well, then you and I better assist more with this restoration process.”

  A clicking at the door startled her. Zak rose and swept his hand over the locking mechanism. The panel slid open to reveal a lopsided blue face with a black crystalized smile.

  “Hello, Zak.” JOH bobbed in the doorway. Excited black eyes shifted. “Hello, Aimee.”

  He whipped into the cabin with Zak standing behind him, shaking his head. “Come on in, JOH,” he muttered.

  “Hello, Zon.” JOH floated before the toddler.

  Zon reached out, but JOH ducked his touch. The blue crystals that made up his face cascaded into a flamboyant arc on the floating tablet and then settled back into the celluloidal grin.

  “Is he here?” JOH asked.

  Aimee exchanged a glance with Zak. “Umm, no, JOH. He’s not here.”

  “Oh.” JOH’s face fell.

  Zon lunged forward and JOH bobbed to the left, his smile back in place. Zon giggled and lunged again.

  To change the subject, Aimee asked, “What is Salvan up to?”

  JOH’s black eyebrows formed a V. “He has not been in the range of the Horus recently. Nor has he accessed any Horus-based systems. He is what you would call, off the grid.”

  “Interesting,” Aimee muttered. “I would like to speak to that man. I don’t know if it is to thank him, condemn him, or just to clear the air.”

  “The atmosphere on Anthum has 60% nitrogen and 29.4% oxygen. The rest is compiled of innocent gases, making it relatively clean air.”

  “It’s a figure of speech, JOH, like off the grid.”

  JOH’s eyes rolled up to the top of the screen and then tumbled back into place. “I see. You have so many figures of speech, Aimee. You–”

  A staccato tapping sounded at the door. JOH’s eyes rounded. They darted back and forth between Aimee and Zak. “Is it him?” JOH whispered.

  “Maybe.” Zak rose and went to the door, swiping
it open.

  A thin, bald man in an outdated white uniform stood stiffly in the doorway. He looked at Zak and Aimee, and a facial jerk might have been a smile for Zon. Then the man’s gray eyes sliced in JOH’s direction. One of his eyebrows rose before his gaze returned to Aimee.

  “Well, you brought me down here. I was very busy. I’ve almost completed the ship. You can say I’ve been inspired, recently. I guess I have you to thank for that.” He scratched his freckled skull. “Anyway, it’s ready to be released from my cave, at least. Maybe a test run. I’m looking for a volunteer to fly it.” His sharp gaze turned to Zak.

  Zak shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll talk to Gordeelum. We’d like to examine the ship first.”

  “Amen,” Aimee whispered.

  “Of course,” Corkos bowed slightly, stealing a glimpse of the floating tablet watching him intently. For a moment he surrendered to curiosity, and stared back unabashedly.

  “Are you my father?” JOH asked in wonder.

  “Wh-what? Your father?” Corkos snapped. “Where would you get that idea?”

  JOH’s black eyes flat-lined and then plopped back to fullness.

  “You sound like me.” JOH justified, “And Aimee said that you created me.”

  Corkos frowned, crossing his arms. “I helped to create you.”

  “Your voice,” JOH emphasized, getting up the courage to float closer. He hovered around Corkos’ waist, analyzing the man with raised black eyes.

  “Yes, a bank of recordings of my voice were used to give you vocalization, but honestly, I would have never considered that the emotional inputs would be so effective. Your father,” he repeated, forcing a laugh.

  JOH’s eyes rounded and the black score of his mouth flattened. “I was so hopeful,” he sulked. “I see Zon here, with two parents who love him so much. When Aimee told me about you–I thought–I thought–maybe I could have a parent too.”

  Aimee gave Corkos a stern look. He tried to glare back, but failed.

  “Fine, okay, perhaps you could say I gave life to you.”

  “A figure of speech?” JOH’s eyebrow lifted eagerly.

  Looking dumbfounded, Corkos slowly nodded. “Yes, I guess it is a figure of speech.”

  “Dad!” JOH floated up to Corkos’ eye level, bouncing eagerly before his face.

  Corkos winced. “Never could I have imagined,” he said to Aimee.

  “No, I don’t think anyone could imagine what JOH would turn out like,” she smiled.

  “So, tell me,” JOH continued to flit around Corkos’ head. The bald surface now reflected JOH’s blue face. “How did you start? What were the first steps in my creation?”

  “Well,” Corkos hesitated, and motioned JOH over to a corner for more privacy. “It began with some rudimentary algorithms. A simple formula of mathematics–a blend of calculations, data processing, and automated analysis.”

  “Yes, yes,” JOH encouraged in the same voice. “Very logical foundations.”

  “Pattern learning,” Corkos recited while on a roll.

  JOH’s eyes grew wider with each degree of detail, until their conversation consumed them, and Aimee and Zak were left waving their arms for attention.

  “I guess they’ll be awhile,” Zak said, reaching for Aimee’s hand. “So, Ziratak then?”

  She took it and stood before him. “Yes. By the time the Horus is ready to travel again, Zon will be walking-running. He will have been under Raja’s care for that important childhood developmental time.”

  “But, you won’t have Raja on Ziratak.”

  “I know. I will be worried, but, I remember what Zuttah said, “Just because we live in caves doesn’t mean that we are cave dwellers.”

  Zak chuckled. “Indeed.”

  “And you know I’ll have Raja stock us up with every serum she has.” She paused. “Besides, we have Raja and Craig’s bonding ceremony coming up shortly.”

  “I’m supposed to be Craig’s best man. They don’t have best men in bonding ceremonies, but I think he is infusing some of his tradition.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.” She smiled. “We also had a traditional marriage.”

  Aimee hesitated, and then added, “What about your sight, Zak? The two suns on Ziratak. I’m worried about you. Will they be a problem?”

  “Well, you know that Raja has been using me as a guinea pig of sorts. Whatever she’s doing seems to be working. Right now, I can see how beautiful my wife and son are. That’s the only view I need.”

  Aimee felt her heart swell. One arm held her son to her chest, while the other looped around her husband’s waist.

  “You’re such a sap,” she teased affectionately.

  “Sap? That’s a new one. Tree excrement?”

  “Something like that,” she chuckled. “I hear that Vodu will not command the new Horus. He said he is retiring. He’s going to finally sit back on the beach and enjoy life on land.”

  Zak nodded. “Good for him. You know who is in consideration for the commander spot, don’t you?”

  “Who?”

  “Gordeelum.”

  “No way!” She was only mildly shocked by this, and definitely elated. Once upon a time, a young Gordy was her reckless sidekick. Even then, she knew he was capable of anything he set out to do.

  “He will make a great commander,” she vowed.

  “Why blue?” JOH could be heard asking in the corner. “Why did you make me blue?”

  Aimee turned with Zak, curious to hear Corkos’ response.

  He remained introspective for a moment, glancing at the window. The crater roof was retracted, the sheer size of the Horus extending above that level. From here you could see a patch of sun scoring the towering scaffolding.

  “I have never been off this planet,” Corkos uttered. “Aside from an academic perspective, all I know is that when I look up into the sky, it is blue. And that is my favorite color.”

  Blue, Aimee thought. How many times had the color enticed her eyes upward? Looking up at her sky–at Ziratak’s azure splendor? Blue was a universal shade of promise and hope. It was the shade that shaped her childhood fantasies as she looked up, wondering what the afternoon would hold for her.

  Soon, her son would gaze up at a blue sky…and beyond.

  Dear readers,

  I want to thank you for delving into this series. It was fun to escape on an adventure with all of you. Aimee seems like she’s part of my family now.

  While I was writing FOUR WORLDS I was describing the Dallek to my husband. A few nights later he asked me how “that creature” was coming. He said, “What did you call it, the Ex-lax?” LOL.

  I look up at the stars at night and I see such promise. There is so much out there that we don’t know, but I have faith that we will learn.

  To our future engineers–keep creating–keep building. And to our future dreamers…never stop!

  Maureen