by Eli Ingle
“That’s alright,” said Rigel. “I did my best.”
“Huh.”
“It sounds horrible – what happened to your home. I thought what happened to me was bad but that was much worse.”
“Yes, it was quite horrible.”
“Hmmm.”
“So, this Kozenia, then … what’s it like?”
“Well, I don’t know. When I was there the pilots told me that everything had changed. Apparently it’s not normally like that.”
“Still can’t get my head round that,” said Rona. “Going a year into the future.”
“Me either,” admitted Rigel, “I mean, I was there and I still can’t get my head around it. Where I came from, everyone was always obsessing about time travel but they had absolutely no idea how to; it was quite pathetic really … and then I go there and without meaning to we end up going a year into the future.”
“And now you’re saying we’re going back in time?”
“Apparently. Although for you it will just be like going there and for the pilots it will be like going back how it should have been. For me it will be like going back in time because I’m the only one who originally saw it in the future.”
“Weird.”
“I know.”
The sky outside was a swirling mass of grey cloud, spinning in a vortex around them. Rigel was surprised at the amount of time the journey was taking, but after asking Laurie, learned that it was because they were going back in time again and it was taking a long time to program the flying system.
“I don’t know though,” said Laurie. “It is complicated. I’m trying not to think about it and just hoping we get there.”
So they sat together in the cockpit, each lost in thought as the Kolya travelled back to where they should have gone originally so many days ago.
After a while, Rona broke the silence.
“Have I got a room?” she asked.
“Er, I don’t know,” said Rigel. “Ask Laurie.”
She did so and was told she could choose any one she wanted. Rona wandered off, looking for a place to stay. Rigel stayed behind, feeling awkward. He walked over to Laurie and stood with him by the controls.
“Not going too?” asked Laurie, nudging a lever forwards.
“Erm … no.”
“Fair enough.”
“Do you think she’s another Light One?” Rigel asked after a pause. The question had been bothering him since he met her – if she was, then he would have someone else, someone like him, who would be able to help him fight the Shadow, and he would be less alone as well.
“How could she not be?” replied Laurie. “I mean, look at what she did! It was like what you can do but on another level!”
“Alright, alright,” Rigel said, feeling nettled. “At least you think she is one.”
“Well, we made a right mess of going to get you but if we come back at the right time with two of you we’ll be heroes!”
“What will you do then?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, after you’ve brought us back, what will you do? You keep saying about the fact that we’ll be trained up but then I wonder: will I see you again?”
“We’ll always be around!” said Laurie. “We’ll probably have to go off at other times to carry out missions but we’ll always come back to see how you’re getting on.
“You’ve changed, you know,” Laurie said after a pause.
“What do you mean?”
“When we first found you, you were this little thing, scared of everything, and had no idea how to get on. Look at you now! You’re running around making friends, fighting monsters, and flying with us. You’re a lot different to when we met you.”
“That’s only because I’m with all of you,” he said. “And I have these … powers. I never had those before and it makes things seem different. I don’t know.”
“I think you underestimate yourself,” Laurie said. “You have changed and even if that’s because you’re with us, that’s okay. Friends are the people who we spend time with in the hope that they will make us better people. You might have changed by being around us, but we’ve certainly changed by being around you.”
“I suppose you’re right … .”
“I’m always right,” Laurie said, winking. Rigel laughed.
“How long until we get there?” he asked.
“It shouldn’t be long now. Maybe an hour?”
“Okay.”
Wandering off, Rigel went back to his room.
Once there he sat down on the bed and sighed deeply, unable to believe the events of the day. He was still finding it difficult to believe that he had been locked in a cell and experimented on, flown to yet another new world, fought a huge demon, and rescued a girl who might be like him and able to fight their cause.
Walking over to the chest of drawers, he pulled out the stereophonic cartridge player and rested it on top. He found one that was neatly labelled Test Sample: Music from Earth. “Bernard Cribbins”.
He slotted it into the machine, and it began with a whirr. After a moment of recorded crackling, he realised that Laurie had recorded his old tape for him onto the stereo cartridge so he could enjoy it here.
Sitting down again, he listened to the all too familiar songs and sang along until he noticed something at the door.
It was slightly open, when before it had been shut.
Moving over, he opened it to see Rona standing looking at him.
“Oh, hello.”
“Hello.”
“I was just passing … can I come in?”
“Yes, if you want to.”
He moved to the side to let her in. She stood in the middle of the room, looking awkward, but her eyes were constantly roaming around the room, taking in the details.
“You can sit down if you want,” he said, pointing to the edge of the bed.
“Thank you.”
She sat down and continued to look around the room. She was still wearing the same clothes as earlier. Rigel, who was by no means a fashionable person, had become used to the new style of clothes that Laurie had given him and also quite liked them. To now see someone who was not wearing them felt quite strange.
“Has Laurie not given you any new clothes?” he asked.
“No. Well, he offered but I said no. I like these. He said there might be some I like better in Kozenia that I can have so I can fit in.”
“That makes sense.”
“Why should I fit in? I’m not from around there.”
“Isn’t it good to look like you’re making an effort?”
“For who? They wear different clothes than I do. Big deal.”
“Yeah but what if they think bad of you?”
“Think bad of me?” she spluttered. “Why would I care if they thought badly of me? I’m not going to change who I am just because other people might think I’m different.”
“I always thought you had to fit in.”
“Why? No-one notices you then. It’s only when you’re different that people remember you. You really shouldn’t let what other people think change what you do.”
“I suppose.”
“You don’t sound convinced but you’ll see.”
“You’re talking as if you’re older than me.”
“I am older than you.”
“Whatever.”
“It doesn’t matter though, does it?”
“What doesn’t?”
“What we were talking about: fitting in. It doesn’t matter … nothing matters.”
“What do you mean: it doesn’t matter? Everything matters.”
“It doesn’t though. Not really. In the end you end up dead so what’s the point? We spend all our time worrying about things that we think matter. It’s only when we’re about to face the end that we suddenly realise that they were immaterial and the most important things like family are what we should have been bothered a
bout at the time … . Then it’s too late.”
“You’re a child. Why would you say something like that?” asked Rigel, feeling overwhelmed.
“We’re not children … not really.”
“What?”
“Oh. You haven’t worked that out either then. Never mind, I’m sure they’ll tell you when we get there. Anyway, I say that because I know it’s true. I saw a lot of bad things when my home was being destroyed. It made me realise what was important whilst I was there: family and love is all that matters … if I had it.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I wish I had a family too.”
“Yes … At least we have each other, though. I think that from now on we’re family.”
“Do you really think so?!”
“Yes. Unless you don’t …?”
“No! I do!”
“Oh good. Do you think they’ll find any more of us?”
“I hope so.”
“Me too. Then we’d be like one massive family all together.”
“That would be nice.”
“Entering Kozenia wormhole. Entering Kozenia wormhole. Stand by. Stand by!” the voice came tinnily and loudly over the loudspeaker, causing Rigel and Rona to jump up.
“I think we’d better hold onto something!” shouted Rigel over the wailing of a siren. He had had enough experience of these wormholes and crash landings to be prepared for what was coming.
Hurrying over to the other side of the room, he clung to several pipes which were fixed to the wall. With a sudden jerk the Kolya tilted sideways as a wave of celestial energy hit the ship. Violent juddering followed this before the ship began to sway in all different directions.
“Stand by! Stand by!” the loudspeaker wailed again as the ship rolled around and shook. Rona lost her grip on the pipe and was only just saved when Rigel flung out an arm and grabbed her.
“Thanks,” she said, clinging to him.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Entry cleared. Please stand by for landing. All crew should assemble in the cockpit. Thank you.”
Looking at each other, they stumbled from the room holding hands until they reached the cockpit again. The pilots were shouting loudly to each other when they spotted the familiar landmarks of their home as the ship flew ever closer to it. Laurie was shouting instructions at them to go back to their posts to help prepare the ship for landing, but Rigel noticed that even he was wearing an undisguised smile as he did so.
“Hey, you two. Come over here,” Laurie instructed, beckoning them over. They walked to him and looked out of the window at what he was pointing to. The landscape below them bloomed and filled their hearts with hope. Rigel recognised the city from which they had escaped, but it was very different from when they had landed there in the future. The streets appeared full of life and people mingled together. Other airships floated lazily around above the buildings. The Kolya began to fly slowly down nearer the buildings.
They neared the outer wall and flew over it, still going lower, waving at the guards who were waving up at them, although Rigel had no idea if they actually saw them.
The further they flew into the city, the better Rigel and Rona could see it. He also saw the awe in her face at seeing a new world for the first time. He wondered whether that was what he had looked like when he first crashed into the abandoned city.
Passing over a high platform, they saw crowds of people milling around as if they had been gathered for a concert or event but were now all leaving. When they saw the ship flying overhead, though, they stopped and moved back to where they had been as if interested to see what it was going to do.
As they flew even further into the city they noticed more of these platforms and crowds, and the ship flying overhead had a similar effect every time – the spectators in the middle of leaving, would see the Kolya and move back to their seats.
Up ahead, Laurie pointed out a bare landing platform, similar to the ones with spectators on but designed for a landing craft.
“We’ll land there. It looks like the one we originally took off from,” he commented, pointing it out to Rigel and Rona.
Flying in a circle around it, they brought the ship steadily lower. Releasing the landing gear, the pilots reversed the engines and brought the ship down steadily until it rested gently on the landing gear which hissed slightly under the pressure. After turning off all the engines, the pilots were silent for a moment. Then the noise exploded. They cheered and yelled, shouting and laughed, holding each other and spinning around.
“We did it! We did it! We made it! We’re home!”
Rigel was brought into the hugging mass of crew members before Quimby lifted him onto his shoulders, parading him around and shouting.
Once they had settled down a little, Laurie instructed everyone to go outside as he could not wait on the ship any longer.
Pulling the lever to release the ladder, Laurie was the first one to hurry down it. Landing on the rickety platform, he fell to his knees and placed his palms on the wood, kissing it repeatedly. Rigel could not imagine how much of a relief it must be to land in Kozenia in the proper time rather than in the future. The other pilots and mechanics joined Laurie, kissing the floor and saying things like ‘How I’ve missed you!’ ‘Smell that sweet air!’ ‘I can’t wait to see my family again’ and ‘Is that a vobox presenter I see coming over?’
“What? A vobox presenter? That was quick ….”
“What’s a vobox presenter?” asked Rigel, standing next to Laurie and looking towards the woman who was running over.
“For public events there are voboxes. They’re light-reflecting cameras that transmit an image onto big screens. They’re not very good but they let you see what’s going on if you’re far away. A vobox presenter describes what’s happening whilst the vobox projector person operates the camera. There are only ever two of them.”
“Well what are they doing here?” asked Rona.
“Good question,” said Laurie, “… no idea.”
They waited for the woman to run over. When she finally arrived she was so out of breath that she could hardly talk. They waited patiently as they watched her breathe raggedly, barely able to stand up.
“It’s … you …,” she wheezed, pointing a finger at Laurie and looking slightly mad.
“Er, yes. Last time I checked it was.”
“But you’ve just left!”
“What?”
“Look!”
Following her finger, they saw a ship flying in the sky. It was instantly recognisable as the Persefoni. It was gaining speed, readying to blast through a portal, sending a stream of light backwards from itself. Laurie sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
“It has been a really long few days ….”
“What happened? Tell us now!”
“Er …”
“Get the vobox rolling!” she demanded to the camera man, who was looking equally shocked at their appearance and was winding up the camera. After a moment he held it steady, checking the view finder and nodding towards the presenter.
“Ladies and Gentlemen!” the presenter announced in a sonorous voice. “Please be seated for this latest development. The crew of the Persefoni have returned! And not only have they arrived safely: they have brought not one, but two visitors with them!”
The roar of the crowd could be heard even from this distance. Gazing through the sunshine, Rigel looked over to the platforms above the city that held the crowds. He could see them there, moving like a rippling cloak, hugging each other, laughing, cheering. Feeling overwhelmed, he looked away. Rigel felt they were hardly up to the people’s expectations ….
“Show us! Show us! Show us!” the crowd began chanting.
“Oh! You want to see, do you?” coaxed the presenter, smiling.
“Yes!” shouted the crowd.
“Do you really want to see them?”
“Yes!” the roar of the crowd was unbearable.
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“Alright then. Here they are!”
The vobox camera was turned upon their faces. Rigel caught a glimpse of himself on one of the large screens. His pale, scared looking face reflected how he felt. Rona, who seemed a little more outgoing, waved shyly down the lens.
Silence rang out across the city. The air that had been filled with the roar of the crowd now held hushed conversations and agitated mutterings.
“What’s wrong?” Rigel asked Laurie, feeling frightened.
“I’m not sure,” he said, glancing around.
Then, from the distant platform, a voiced piped up and they heard it faintly from across the skyline.
“They’re children! They’re not going to be able to help us at all!”
“Yeah!”
More muttering, louder this time, as people conferred on what the man had shouted. They all seemed to agree with him.
The presenter’s smile was slipping as if she were displeased with this turn of events. Her glory at securing an interview with the Light Ones when the crew had just left to fetch them had been overshadowed by their age.
“Say something,” she hissed, shoving the microphone in Rigel’s face, making him jump. He batted it away. A heavy whine of feedback rang across the city and then everyone was quiet again, staring at him.
“Er … hello,” he said. “My name’s Rigel and I’m a Light One. Laurie came to rescue me about a week ago … and, er …”
