Cosmic Girl: Lost & Found: Superhero series for young adults - Book Three.

by R S J Gregory

“So, you found where these things are coming from?”

  I nod and keep my eyes closed.

  “What do we do now?” She asks.

  “One of the scientists here is translating a journal I found. I hope it holds some answers.”

  “You do look tired. Get some rest.”

  I slide down on the couch and rest my right cheek on the armrest.

  I’m asleep in seconds.

  I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I try to open my eyes.

  “Geez. I forgot about the eyes.” I hear a man’s gruff voice say nearby.

  I rub my eyes and try to sit up.

  “Hmm?” I groan as my vision becomes clearer.

  I look up at an old man. His gray hair, clipped short around the sides frames a grim face. A black beret rests on his head at an angle.

  “Umm. Who are you?” I ask, and rub my eyes and yawn.

  “I’m Bill. We met earlier.” He replies, then sits down next to me and hands me two text books, along with the black journal.

  “Don’t lose these.” He says as I take the books.

  I open one of the text books and start to read Julian’s elegant handwriting.

  13th September 2015. I met with Doctor Ho this morning, and he seemed pleased with my work on the Genesys project. I’m excited to work with such a pioneer in the field of genetics, and my hope is that we will make great discoveries together.

  I check the name at the front of the text book.

  Journal of Doctor R Orlov Ph.D.

  Chimera Research Division. Project Sabre.

  I close the journal and look at Bill, as he pulls out a strange looking baggy from his pocket. It shimmers like metal, but when I take it from him, it feels like cotton. He frowns when he notices my confused expression.

  “It’s to protect the books.” Bill says and stands up. “Are you ready?”

  No.

  “You bet.” I say wearily and stand up slowly.

  That couch was great.

  “Everyone’s waiting outside. Come on.” Bill says and quickly marches to the door.

  I take a deep breath, slide the books inside the weird baggy, zip it up, and then place it inside my black flight suit.

  I close my eyes for a second, then open them and fly casually after Bill.

  As I fly through the cavernous hangar, I can’t see anyone. The hospital beds are vacant and the green curtain is thrown back. The canteen is completely empty.

  As I get closer to the entrance, daylight streams in, glaringly bright. I hear low murmurs from outside, as Bill’s dark silhouette steps from the hangar into the blazing daylight.

  “Here she is.” I hear Jeremy call out when I emerge from the hangar, to see a huge crowd of expectant faces turn to me.

  I stare wide-eyed and smile half-heartedly.

  “Good luck.” A dozen people call out all around me.

  I spy Theresa in the crowd. Abigail is sitting on Jason’s shoulders, her legs dangling either side of his neck. She’s waving her doll in the air. I land gently on to the dry cracked earth, and walk slowly toward them, while people reach out and pat my shoulder, wishing me good luck. A red-haired girl jumps into my path and flings her arms around my neck.

  “Rebecca?” I manage to say, before she pulls back and kisses me full on the lips with tears in her eyes.

  I gently push her back, and hold her at arm’s length.

  “Goodbye.” I say gently, then release her.

  She turns and runs away, pushing her way through the crowd surrounding me, sobbing as she goes.

  I see Samantha shake her red-head as she steps forward.

  “Sorry about that.” She says and embraces me.

  “I’ll never forget you.” I whisper in her ear as I hug her back gently.

  She pulls away and looks at me sideways as she steps out of my way.

  “Don’t you dare screw this up.” She says and smiles. I feign shock for a second, then chuckle as I walk by.

  “Hi guys.” I greet Jason, Theresa and Abigail, and begin to mist up.

  Theresa is already crying by the time I reach them, while Abigail hollers and whoops, making Jason wobble slightly.

  “I can’t believe this is goodbye.” Theresa says and wipes the tears from her cheeks.

  I pull her into my arms and she hugs me back. Her tears slide down her cheeks on to my neck, and then I’m crying too.

  “It’s been awesome knowing you.” Jason says, and I look up and smile at him, as tears streak down my face.

  I pull away reluctantly and look up at Abigail, wiping the tears from my eyes.

  “Come here.” I say and hold out my arms to her as I rise up from the dry dirt.

  She holds out her arms to me, and I lift her from Jason’s shoulders.

  She wraps her small arms around my neck, and I close my eyes and stroke her blonde hair. Her hair hangs down her back in a ponytail, held in place by a rubber band.

  Up.

  “Hold on tight, okay.” I hear Theresa call out as I rise slowly into the sky.

  I keep my eyes closed as Abigail gasps in delight. I smile and hold on to her, inhaling her. The smell of her hair, the tiny grains of sand on the sleeves of her green jacket, the dust and dirt on her doll.

  “Wow. We’re really high.” She squeals, and I feel her legs kick.

  I open my eyes and watch as she turns her head this way and that, her big blue eyes wide with wonder.

  “This is so amazing.” Abigail laughs, then wraps her arms around my neck and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Thank you.”

  “Thank you, for finding me.” I tell her and stroke her back.

  “Where are you going?” She asks as she leans back, clutching the doll I gave her.

  “Hopefully, back to my own time. Where I came from.”

  “Will I be there too?” She asks and frowns.

  “Not for a long time.” I say and smile. “But, I’ll keep an eye out for you.” I say playfully and pinch her cheek.

  She looks down past our boots at the red earth far below.

  “What does it feel like?” She asks.

  “Flying?” I ask, and she nods her head. “It feels tingly.” I tell her. “Like goose bumps.” I add and run my fingers up her arm, making her giggle.

  “I want you to have Gemima.” She says and raises her doll to my chest.

  “But that’s yours. It was a gift.” I reply and smile sadly.

  “Now it’s my gift.” She says and shoves it into my hand. “So you remember your promise.”

  “My promise?”

  “That you’ll set things right.”

  I hold the rag doll over my heart.

  “I promise.”

  I hold Abigail with one arm wrapped around her waist, and hold the doll in my other hand as I start to descend. She begins to cry quietly against my chest, as I glide gently down to the ground. By the time I land gently and set her down, the crowd have dispersed. Only Bill, Pamela and Theresa remain waiting by the hangar entrance.

  “She’s back.” Bill calls out over his shoulder, as I kiss Abigail on the forehead.

  She runs back to Theresa, as I look at the doll. I then hear some quick footsteps, and look up as a red faced Julian comes running from the hangar. He stops a few feet from me, and doubles over huffing and puffing.

  “Glad…that..I….caught…you.” He says hoarsely between breaths.

  I adjust the baggy of books in my flight suit, then unzip and slip the doll inside and zip it back up.

  “Need…to…discuss….wormhole.” Julian says and then sits down on the red dirt, coughing.

  I crouch down in front of Julian. “You okay?”

  “Fine.” He says after a few seconds of puffing. I look up and see Theresa and Abigail enter the hangar and vanish into the darkness.

  “You…know…what..you’re..looking for?” He asks as I stare at the hangar entrance.

  I shake my head.

  “Not really.” I say and help him to his feet.

  “Well, th
e wormhole could be anywhere up there.”

  “But it has to be somewhere, right?” I ask.

  “Agreed. But it is in space, not in our orbit.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The wormhole is basically a tear in the fabric of space, bridging two places. This tear will be anchored in space, where it occurred. Somewhere within Earth’s orbit with the Sun.”

  “How much space are we talking?” I ask.

  “Around 93 million miles.” He answers after a few seconds.

  “Holy shit!” I blurt out.

  “Thankfully, it should be on the same axis as the Earth.”

  “Oh, well that’s okay then.”

  “How long can you hold your breath?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You may have to go deeper into space.”

  “What?”

  “Not much farther, just so you can see the whole of the globe and not just a part of it. It should help you locate the hole.”

  “What am I looking for exactly?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  I shake my head.

  “It’s a hole. With space behind it, it will be completely invisible. But with the Earth or the Sun behind it, it should draw the eye.”

  “Is there any other way to see it?”

  “In the past, we viewed black holes using the infrared spectrum of light. But we don’t have anything for you to use, that would survive in space.”

  “If I could see in infrared, what would I be looking for?” I ask Julian.

  “The hole will be superheated by matter being sucked in and blown out. Hydrogen, helium, space dust, and other matter that might get sucked through from the other side. So it should look like a red disc. Hard to say how large it will be.” Julian says, then extends his hand to me. “Good luck.”

  I shake his hand gently and look up nervously.

  Twenty Six

  As I gaze up at the cloudless blue sky, I hear booted feet marching across the dirt towards me.

  “Cosmic Girl.” Bill says firmly, and I look at him as he stands in front of me in his black military outfit.

  I extend my hand, but he stands to attention and salutes me. I smile and return the salute. The corner of his mouth curls up.

  “Before you go….” Bill begins and relaxes back into his usual hands behind his back stance.

  “You’ve got to be careful about who you show that information to.” He says, pointing at the bulge in the front of my black flight suit.

  “What do you mean? Who should I show it to?”

  “Unfortunately, in this world, you can’t trust anybody.” He says wearily.

  “What would you do?” I ask him.

  He thinks for a moment, scratching his gray stubble.

  “I’d go to the chief, and present it to the President himself, in person.”

  “Where would I find him?”

  “He’s a busy man, so he could be anywhere. If he’s not at the White House, in D.C., then he might be on board Air Force One. But he could be attending a function in any number of countries.” Bill says and shrugs.

  “Sorry, kiddo. You’ll have to improvise. But when you meet him, use this code word. The Potomac is dirty. He’ll know you’re a friend if you use it.”

  “Right.” I groan, and look back up at the clear sky.

  “Good luck.” Bill says and steps back.

  I’m definitely gonna need it.

  I take a last look over my shoulder at the hangar entrance, just as Pamela vanishes in a burst of dark light.

  I look up at the sky and leap into the air. As soon as I’m off the ground, I accelerate, leaving a couple of sonic booms in my wake as I rocket towards the heavens.

  I see a dark blur off to my right as I begin to see the curve of the Earth. I glide to a stop and wait for Santiago to catch up.

  “I thought I wouldn’t see you again.” I call out as he glides towards me, wearing a black flight suit like mine.

  His black hair floats behind him, tied in a ponytail.

  He shrugs as he stops and floats in the air in front of me.

  “I just wanted to wish you good luck.” Santiago says and extends his hand to me.

  I take his hand, and he pulls me close. “You must not fail.” He says as he gazes into my eyes.

  “I don’t intend to.” I kiss him on the cheek and pull away.

  “Good. Now, go home.” He says and waves farewell.

  I smile, then reach up with my arms and accelerate towards the stars.

  Home.

  As the air begins to thin, I take a big gulp of air.

  Okay. Time to find out how long I can hold my breath for.

  The deep blue fades to a pale blue, then finally to black. I focus my eyes and switch to thermal. The brilliant ball of orange flame off to my right is mesmerizing. I look away from the sun, and remember what Julian told me.

  Now, where is this red disc?

  I look left and right over the curve of the Earth, but all I see is the red and yellow of the planet, while pale blue clouds glide by. I will myself around, then fly backwards away from the Earth. I remain calm as I glide backwards, as quick as thought.

  I don’t see any red disc.

  I choose to go right, and begin to fly sideways, gazing into the dark void, searching. Moving through space feels so smooth, no air, friction or wind to get in the way. I thought it would prove difficult, but I’m actually enjoying myself as I glide smoothly through the darkness.

  I still don’t see any red disc after ten minutes.

  Holding my breath is beginning to make my throat tired. The desire to breathe is overpowering, and I have to keep reminding myself, there is no air.

  Once I leave Earth behind, I will myself forward and push my arms in front of me.

  Faster.

  I turn my head and look all around as I rocket through space. My chest is beginning to tremble, and my jaw is starting to ache. Red spots form in front of me, and dance around my vision as I blink and rub my eyes. I lose the thermal vision for a second before I focus my attention again.

  Where are you?

  As the red spots grow in number, I exhale.

  Crap!

  I clamp my hand over my mouth and nose as my tongue freezes in my mouth.

  It’s burning, it’s burning.

  The tears turn to ice and float behind me as I blink them away.

  Through the ocean of red dots swimming before me, I notice a slightly larger one over to my left. I turn my head and focus my attention on the red spot, and will myself towards it as fast as I can. I can feel my insides turning cold within, as my body bucks and shakes. The red spot becomes a thin line as I veer off course. I will myself to stop as I get nearer and turn my body around to face it.

  All I can see is a red oval shape with an orange center. But it’s only the size of a small suitcase. Yellow sparks fly from around its edges.

  I align myself horizontally and hold my arms in front of me, before accelerating towards it. I close my eyes at the last second.

  I feel friction, like I’m flying through a headwind, but this only lasts for a couple of seconds, then I’m being pushed. The pushing becomes more violent, until it feels like I’m being yanked by my arms.

  Just when it feels like my arms are gonna be ripped from their sockets, it stops abruptly. I open my eyes, and stare into space.

  I push my sore arms forward and fly around in a wide arc until I’m facing the Earth.

  I smile, despite the pain and lack of oxygen, when I see the globe lit up like a Christmas tree.

  I aim myself at Earth and accelerate towards it, giving it everything I’ve got.

  In a few seconds, dark skies and an ocean of gray clouds fill my vision. I push through the atmosphere, and feel a slight burst of warmth, then I’m through and racing towards the clouds.

  I stop amongst the clouds and exhale, before taking in big gulps of air.

  My insides still feel like their burning. The red spots s
tart to dissipate as I float in the air, and I close my eyes and breathe in deeply.

  I hear the roar of engines below, and open my eyes and fly down through the clouds. I emerge and see four jumbo jets far below me. Two are heading in the same direction, while the other two are heading in different directions. They are at various heights, and I see one of the craft sail beneath an aircraft that must be higher up. The blinking lights on their wing tips look like fire flies through the darkness. Their exhaust leaves white cloud-like trails as they glide through the sky. I feel the reassuring bulk of the books and the doll in the front of my flight suit, and place my hand over the bulge and fly down towards the next layer of clouds.

  Once I’m through, all I can see is dark ocean. It’s dark on this side of the globe, I realize, and then I remember. The sun was up when I left.

  I need to head towards the sun.

  I arch my back and bring my legs down and aim back towards the clouds. I level off when I reach the upper atmosphere, and accelerate. After a few seconds, the sun blazes over the horizon. I see the line where darkness becomes daylight, and go faster. I look down and as I fly over the pale clouds, I feel a sense of Deja Vu.

  I pitch forward and fly through the ocean of clouds. On the other side, I keep up the pace, and dodge a few aircraft as I race to the ground. When I pass through the last layer of clouds, the noise from the city rises up to my ears.

  Car horns, drilling, police sirens, and the roar of aircraft above me. I stop and take it all in and close my eyes. A grin begins to spread across my face as tears flow down my cheeks.

  I made it. But what year is it?

  I aim for a gap in the buildings and plummet to the sidewalk headfirst. I stop and right myself at the last second, and touch down gently next to a bus stop, where an old woman jumps up.

  “Please, don’t hurt me.” The elderly woman gasps and steps back.

  “Huh?” I frown and look around me.

  She holds out her gloved hands and continues to step backwards. She loses her footing as she steps back off the sidewalk, cries out, then falls backwards, arms flailing about.

  I hear the screech of tires, as a driver tries to break in time.

  I react without thinking. I race into the path of the traffic, catching the old lady with my right hand, and hold out my left hand to stop the black taxi cab. The car hits my outstretched hand with a bang and crunch, while the old lady screams in my ears.