by Richard Lord
Solstice thinks back to her, “Weren’t we one of his?”
Illumna nods. Then thinks to Solstice at the last moment, “Don’t tell Grandmother! She’ll kill him!”
Solstice considers that and pauses. Then she thinks back to Illumna, “Your grandfather has to know.”
Then she and the man disappear and Renfield is left unconscious with Illumna who can’t get them out of the horrid place he chose. It is the most alone moment Illumna has ever felt in her life. She ponders her mother, her sister, her grandmother and then she looks down at her father. She realizes he is the main root from which this odd tree has grown. Then she considers. At least he’s a strong one and she couldn’t exist if he didn’t. Then she wonders, “How old is he, really?”
CHAPTER 57
“We are all part of what monotheistic religions call God, by many names, but the saying means nothing if not considered. We are ‘parts’. The whole is greater. It is folly to pretend to be the whole.” -- from the book of Brian
Solstice feels somewhat like a mad scientist from the old movies as she plugs Joseph into her life support system. She giggles to herself at the ridiculousness, but also is happy to have a guinea pig that she won’t feel any guilt over. In her head she can vision the frowns from her father and her mother and her sister. However, she pushes that aside. In her mind, she earned this. She got the name that led to the answers. She made a deal and Joseph knew full well what the deal was before he accepted. Once he is hooked up and lungs, and heart are normal she sits at her monitors and then she considers duress. Duress. She thinks about that. What kind of duress has Joseph and his brother put them through? She thinks of Sara’s freak out. Scientific ethics, her father would say, but he would have killed this Joseph. Would that be ethical? She frowns at her own thoughts and goes through the inventory of models she has on her computer. Finally, befitting her sense of humor, she chooses a body. She thinks to herself so she stays on track. First step, begin changing his DNA so that he can hear thoughts when thought to, but not at will. Second step change the structure so that it doesn’t resist the host. Third step. She pauses and thinks again. He won’t be Joseph. Then she realizes he knew that when he took the deal. Then again her mind spins off into the concept of duress and ethics. If she shot him now she would break a deal, so it’s too late to turn back. He can’t live as a human anymore. That body is wrecked beyond saving. He has to be something else and she made a deal. Solstice shrugs off the imposing thoughts, she realizes what she has to focus on now. She begins studying his sequences and making adjustments, in theory, on the computer. At some point she knows she has to hit ‘Enter’. Right or wrong, she will have to make the call. Just like she is making the one to move forward.
Brady enters, he walks down the stairs and looks over at Joseph and says to Solstice, “Ok, wild guess here. That’s the guy who tried to kill you and Illumna?”
Solstice looks up at him, “And my father!”
“OK, well, that reaction tells me there’s some emotion to this. Going out on a limb here, but I’m going to guess that is Illumna’s date and the guy who tried before was yours.” Brady slaps his hands together, sure he has hit the target.
“How the hell could you know that, Brady?” Solstice asks while still staring at the screen.
“I’m a detective. I might not be able to hear you, but I can read you, Solstice.” Brady explains.
“Ok well go do some cop shit and leave me the fuck alone!” Solstice replies while staring at the monitor and making adjustments. Then she adds, “And you know better than to tell my mother, so just don’t open that can of worms into this!”
Brady steps up behind her and puts his hands over her shoulders. “Look, this isn’t easy for anyone. Right now you’re the one taking the brunt. Yes, I know better than to tell Christina, I wasn’t born yesterday. What you do is important. I have heard. So I listened. Fuck that guy over there? I don’t give a damn if he suffers the nine levels of hell! You’ve got to screw your head back on straight. Word on the street is you’re going to be a Mom and if I’m right daddy isn’t amongst us anymore.”
Solstice twists in her chair and stares straight at him, “Brady, you seem to know a lot, but I don’t see you doing shit!”
“Blame your Dad. He’s the one who benched me.” Brady tosses Solstice an apple and produces another from the other pocket and takes a bite. Solstice catches the apple and looks at Brady thankfully.
Brady asks, “So what is it with you and apples now? That I haven’t figured out.”
Solstice straightens her back and turns again to face Brady. “Me either, but you’re the detective. Figure it out and get back to me.”
Brady holds up a finger and wags it. “What makes you feel so high and mighty all of a sudden, besides, poor dude over there?” He nods his head toward Joseph.
Solstice stops and gives thought to that question. She realizes it has merit. She replays the day in her mind and he has a point. She looks at Brady and answers, “I don’t know. Do you want to help me with this?”
Brady cracks his knuckles and says, “Oh yeah! I’ve been bored beyond belief! Even your weird science is a break!” They both chuckle and Solstice begins to explain the process.
CHAPTER 58
“What’s in a name?” -- from the book of Solstice
Renfield wakes and stares up at Illumna. He tries to click them out, but he can’t and he knows Illumna heard the attempt. He looks at her shamed.
“Dad, be patient.” Then she screams, “That’s what I’ll name her!”
Renfield looks at her inquisitively. She looks back down at him, “Not patience! Passion!”
“Girl what are you talking about?” Slowly Renfield remembers the day and he sighs, “Oh. OK. Well, Can I recommend against that particular name?”
“Ok, how about Snowflake?” Illumna asks.
Renfield grimaces, “Yeah, no.” He begins to grin but is still too weak to form his face into that position.
Illumna then produces another option, “How about Destiny?”
Renfield forces himself to wake and replies, “Better, but not it.” He collapses into unconsciousness again.
Illumna sits and watches him and she thinks. Eventually he comes to again. He looks up at Illumna, “What makes you so sure you’re even pregnant?”
“Mom said. She knows.” Illumna replied.
“Ok, then what makes you so sure it’s going to be a girl?” Renfield asks.
“She’ll be a girl, Dad!” Illumna leaves it at that and Renfield has no response.
They both sit and wait while Renfield regenerates. Renfield looks at his daughter and says, “OK, name her Irony. She’ll be as tough as you so she’s like iron.”
Illumna grins at her father. “I’m not an idiot, Dad, I know what you mean by that name.”
Renfield goes into a full grin, “Well, I tried to slide it past you!”
Illumna smiles at her father and then says, “Nine months, huh? That’s a long time.”
Renfield looks up at his daughter and responds, “Time is relative.” At that Renfield clicks them out and again they are on the kitchen floor.
Christina walks by the doorway at that moment. Looking down she drops the bowl of cereal she’s eating and looks at Renfield then up to Illumna, “Again! He can’t keep doing this!”
“Grandmother, I’ve had some time to think.” Christina looks at Illumna wondering why she is going into a speech now with her father clearly needing emergency help. But Christina pauses and listens. Illumna continues, “If he is the root, you are his water, Mom is his nutrient, and Solstice and I are his light. Grandfather tends the weeds that grow around him.”
Christina looks up at Illumna with a completely different perspective on her granddaughter and replies, “That’s pretty dead on girl. But we have to get him to a nicer place to rest than this kitchen floor. Although he does seem to like it.” She winks at Illumna. “Then we’ve got to get water and basic electrolytes into him. Minus potassium!”
>
Illumna looks at her grandmother confused. Christina looks at Illumna’s face and realizes Renfield hadn’t mentioned certain things to his daughters. At that thought she realized Illumna had already scanned her thoughts. Christina looks at her granddaughter and pleads, “Don’t tell your sister! He had a reason not to tell either of you and I’ve screwed that up, don’t’ make it worse.”
Illumna nodded. The two of them carried Renfield up the stairs to the same room he had recovered in before. Luckily they hadn’t broken down their makeshift IV system and Christina walked back in saying, “Okay, I think I have this right, start the pump.”
Illumna looked at her and said, “It’s not ‘fajitas’ right?” They both laughed. Then they looked back at Renfield.
Christina looked up and said, “So who told you?”
“Grandmother. I think everyone but Brady knew and now he knows so give up on that code word. Just go back to SNAFU.”
“Who taught you that?” Christina looks at her truly wanting to know the answer.
“You used to say it all the time when I was growing up. When Dad asked how you were you’d reply SNAFU and then the two of you would kiss and disappear.” Illumna explained.
Christina focused harder on Illumna because she was filling in spaces that Christina had not lived. “Did you know what that meant?”
“Of course. Situation Normal. All Fucked Up!” Illumna, soon to be a mother herself, stated that with the innocence of a child.
Christina smiled at her granddaughter but pushed on. “What else do you remember about your Dad and I?”
“Well I remember you being very angry with Mom for a very long time.” Illumna began to take deep breaths. The two of you argued about him. I remember he would come home, hear you yelling at Mom and then then he would leave. I watched how he left. It’s how I leaned to click.”
“You know Sara and I get along now though, right?” Christina asks.
“Of course, you’re younger and he’s older so Mom isn’t a threat to your ownership of him as much as she was when you were older.” Illumna points out.
Christina loses herself in thought and then she reaches out to hug her granddaughter. “My heart is always with your father. He knows that. I and he were apparently foolish, but he loves you.”
Illumna looks at her grandmother, “Of course he does, he’s Dad.”
Christina smiles again and replies, “Yeah, to all of us. But we’ve got to keep his butt alive, so think into him. What is he feeling? Is he giving up or is he fighting inside like we need him to?”
Illumna looks up at her grandmother with shock on her face. And utters, “I don’t think he’s here.” She tries again and then says, “His body is here, his mind is not. Is that bad?”
Christina looks at Renfield and then up to Illumna to answer her question. “I don’t know.”
Illumna looks at her grandmother and says, “Umm, I need to go.” She stands and points at her own butt.
Christina says, “Oh, ok.” A bit shocked at the way Illumna expresses her need, and looks over to the bathroom. “Go ahead”
Illumna replies, “This is going to be extremely embarrassing. It’s something I ate. Do you mind if I go downstairs?”
Christina looks at her, suspicious. What could be more embarrassing than her explaining her situation in such detail? However, she is cornered into only one possible response, “Of course.”
Illumna descends the stairs and waits. As expected Brady walks toward the kitchen opening for a coffee refill and she clicks to him. “Grandfather” She says, while physically holding him, by the neck, against the wall and not allowing his feet to touch the ground. “I have been listening to you. Your talking to Solstice. Show me how to get to her! NOW!”
Brady isn’t sure if his breathing is off because he is being choked or because he cannot even begin to put Illumna in perspective with what she is doing. He fully realizes she is serious. The consequences he can think through later. For now he needs air so he points. Illumna lets go of his neck. Brady begins to struggle to get oxygen back into his body. He looks up at her wondering what the heck has gotten into her. Illumna, of all of them, was the calmest and most gentle. He looks at her while she stares in the direction he pointed and adds, “It’s a fake wall. It leads to the staircase to her lab. Illumna, you’re not going to like what she’s doing to your boyfriend, but it’s his only option and a promise she made and it will help her learn more for the bigger issue.”
Illumna looks back at her grandfather, “You knew I was here! You acted as if I wasn’t. You had to know because Solstice shut me out. But you can’t!” Then in a voice Brady had never heard come from his granddaughter Illumna turns back and asks, “Where is my Mother?”
“Leave Sara out of this! She’s had enough. Let her be!” Brady demands.
Illumna clicks back to him and again shows her unexplainable strength as she lifts him by the neck again. “Don’t tell me what to do! Where is she?”
Brady looks down, gasping for air, but says simply. “You can hear her. You could go to her. Instead you’re spending your time torturing me for reasons I don’t understand.” Illumna lets go. Brady falls to the floor again gasping for air. “You and Solstice have changed. Solstice is dealing with that reality. You need to do the same.”
Illumna looks at her grandfather and stops. He’s right and she knows it. “What is she doing to change? I assume she still has Joseph as a toy to play with.”
Brady looks at Illumna and then up. Illumna states, “Oh come on, I’m not going to tell Christina! I’m not trying to create more chaos, but Solstice, as you just admitted, is effected as I am. I need to talk to her to find out why and right now she’s got me blocked so I have to do that face to face. I haven’t gone mad. I’m just different and I want to know why.”
Brady looks at Illumna and realizes she is being as honest as she can. He always had a deep respect for Illumna in that. He responds, “I don’t know. Hormones? Word on the street is...”
“Yes, I know. We’re pregnant and there is no street it’s just all of us and that stupid kitchen!” As Illumna says it, gears lock into place in her mind and Brady’s at the same time. They both dash for the kitchen.
Brady looks at Illumna, “I got nothing, you?”
“No, but we both realize there is a reason this is his default landing spot.” Illumna sniffs the air as if there is something she could determine from that. Solstice appears next to them.
“So you two. Detective Extraordinaire and Miss Encyclopedia. Finally you’re wondering the same thing I am and what my mother has wondered her entire lifetime.” Solstice grins at them.
Brady looks at Solstice and says, “And?”
“I have no idea. I’ve been wondering too. Longer than you two, apparently.” Solstice quips.
“Okay” Brady announces, “This is where my skills come into play. We’ll break this down like a crime scene. Solstice you get the math on this one, Illumna you take point on gut feelings. Both of you and I will think back to every time he appeared here, use the floor as a grid. What areas did he land in the most?”
Solstice narrows down all of the information she knows and cross-references it with the input she is gathering from Brady and Illumna.
Christina walks in and looks at Illumna first. She points to her own butt. “Not so embarrassing if you have a consortium.”
Brady looks at the girls and they hear him think, “Busted!”
Illumna asks her grandmother, “What do you know about this room?”
“That you’re all in it and I wasn’t invited to the party.”
Solstice speaks, “Mom, she’s serious what do you know about this kitchen? Specifically those tiles there.” She points to the area she has realized is always in the landing zone when Renfield clicks back to the house.
Christina looks at Brady inquisitively. He looks back matter-of-factly and gestures for her to answer.
“I’ve never thought about it. However, there is so
meone who knows more about this place than I do.” Christina responds apprehensively.
Brady then moves his hand in a ‘feed me’ motion and says out loud, “And that would be? Besides him, he’s out for the count and he isn’t’ going to tell us shit anyway.”
Both Solstice and Illumna hear her thought and look at each other. Illumna says out loud, “That would break his timeline and he’s worked so hard to keep this one.”
Solstice considers her sisters answer and thinks. Then she looks at Brady. “I know you have her stashed away for your own reasons, but please, could you bring Sara here?”
For those reasons Brady thinks for a while and then he says, “She would be elated to help, I think. Let me go get her.”
Christina stares at her daughter. Illumna tries to break the tension by genuinely tooting, but her grandmother is far more focused on trying to figure out what Solstice has in mind.
Solstice looks at her mother and says, “Okay, so the other you might know but who else was here? Sara_1 shared everything with Sara_2 so, before we screw up this timeline Dad is so focused on, let’s give her a chance to explain. Or does that mess with your jealousies, mother?”
Christina is angered at the last, but sees the reasoning behind the first. She thinks back to what Illumna had told her earlier. “No. Sara and I are mother and daughter just as you are my daughter. Mistakes were made, people reacted shit went wonky, but that doesn’t change those immutable facts. I, this version of me, didn’t carry you to term or deal with your runny noses, but I’m here now and I am your mother and hers. Give me some credit for that.”
Solstice looks at the woman she has known her entire life and realizes how hard it must be for her to be known by her daughter and granddaughter, but not have any point of reference for them other than the madness of the last few months. She looks at her mother and says, “I think this is harder on you than on any of us. Damned good thing you’re a pilot type and you don’t hesitate to fly into a storm!”
The three of them laugh as Brady brings Sara into the kitchen. Sara immediately grabs both Solstice and Illumna by the neck, hard! She pulls them in for a hug and says, “You’re safe!” She turns to her mother and says, “I suppose you want me to do something besides lay around the house?”
