by Brian Bakos
The horrible specter of a world without Quentin loomed up before me. How could that be possible? I’d known him for years – he was like a brother, a wonderful best friend. He was always there when I needed him.
And I’d been so ungrateful for all the nice things he’d done for me. I’d even been jealous because Dad paid so much attention to him with the flying lessons.
Why didn’t Dad give me flying lessons? Well, I’d never asked him – but that’s wasn’t the point to my stupid, selfish mind.
What an idiot I was! If only Quentin pulled though, I’d be the best, most loyal friend ever. I’d never say anything unkind about him again. And Melissa had better not, either! If only ...
***
But the marvelous Kintz doctors worked their magic again. By that night, Quentin was out of danger. A huge weight lifted off my mind, and the whole alien world seemed fresh and beautiful.
Had I actually said all those mushy things about Quentin? Well, best to take them with a grain of salt.
35: Recovery
After a few days I was up limping around, Quentin was much better, too. Eddie and Calvin stopped by the clinic to visit us.
“Man, the tests these doctors put me through when I first got here!” Eddie said. “They only wanted to develop new treatments for humans, but I was ready to jump the next ship out.”
He gave Quentin a gentle high five. “Looks like it paid off, though, huh?”
“No complaints,” Quentin said. “I’m starting to feel like Mr. Universe.”
Eddie looked quite a bit different. His injuries were all healed and he’d cleaned off his white makeup so that his normal complexion showed. His hair was cut short, and the roots were dark – so he wasn’t bleaching it anymore.
I put an arm around his waist and gave his hair a little tweak. “Here’s the Eddie we all know and love.”
“Yeah ... well,” Eddie said, “I figured it was time to claim my heritage.”
“How’s that, Eddie?” Quentin asked.
“All my life I wanted to fit in, but couldn’t,” Eddie said. “It made me feel connected to disguise myself as a Kintz. You know my background, I was just a throw-away kid at the Children’s Home, and – ”
He started to choke up.
What a load of pain he was still carrying around! I couldn’t begin to imagine how awful it must be not to have a loving family. I tightened my arm around his waist.
“Just remember that without you, Eddie, we’d be throw-away kids, too,” I said. “Right into outer space.”
He smiled at me and brushed away his tears. For a moment, he was the little boy at the Tire Giant. Then the mature Eddie took over again.
“You two have shown me how important it is to be your own person,” he said. “The make believe stuff was okay for a while, but now it’s time to move on.”
Calvin spoke. “My only regret is that we failed to apprehend the traitor who kidnapped you. Who would have suspected a member of our own team staff?”
“Let it be a lesson to you,” I said.
“Oh?” Calvin said.
“Yeah,” I said, “if you treat people rotten, you can expect a bad result.”
Calvin looked surprised, a little offended even. But I didn’t care.
“How long did that attendant get pushed around by all the ‘heroes’ on your team before he decided to go help the enemy?” I said.
Calvin bowed stiffly.
“Lady Amanda’s point is well stated, if a trifle blunt,” he said. “I will make sure that such abuses cease.”
“And when your boys start feeling real tough,” I said, “just remember the beating you took from the Purples. Without Quentin you’d all be on the trash pile now.”
“You’ve got that right,” Eddie said.
He stroked his beautifully repaired nose.
“I’d like to say we beat them up as bad as they did us,” he said, “but that would be the lie of the century.”
“Well, all’s well that ends well,” I said, “or something like that.
***
Within a week my leg was as good as new, better even. It actually had more strength than my other one, not that I’d want to break any more limbs just so they could be fixed up stronger.
Who would have thought? These Kintz were light years ahead of us in medical stuff.
Quentin was also recovering beautifully. We left the clinic and took apartments in eastern Core City. At first I enjoyed having my own digs after all the lousy places I’d had to stay. I mean, who wouldn’t love a big, beautiful suite after living in a cramped hospital room, not to mention that horrid prison tower?
But I was starting to feel very uneasy, too. I had changed a lot here, but I could still see that not all the changes were good.
I was rocketing ahead way too fast, I was forgetting where I came from – turning into somebody who wasn’t the best person for me. Then there was the Captain. He was very dangerous, and not good for me at all. Thank heaven he was out of the picture. Still ...
Quentin and I urgently needed to leave this whole universe before we changed too much.
But Quentin seemed to be in no hurry. Every time I brought up the subject of going home, he blew it off with another excuse. Things came to a head three days after we were released from the hospital.
36: Disputation
Eddie was the first to arrive at my apartment. Ilona was supposed to come as well, so that the three of us could approach Quentin as a united front.
Actually, I’d arranged for Eddie to show up first. Since I’d been here, I’d had no chance to speak with him alone and I wanted a little heart to heart.
“So, what about you, Eddie,” I asked, “will you be coming back to Earth, too?”
“I don’t know,” Eddie said, “maybe someday. I’ve kind of put down roots here, and there’s stuff I need to do.”
“After that big flame ball victory, it’s kind of hard to see what more you can accomplish,” I said. “Maybe it’s time to quit while you’re ahead.”
“Yeah, maybe you’re right, Amanda ...”
He wanted to let the subject die, but I didn’t think it was time for that yet.
“Is it because of Ilona?” I asked. “She really likes you.”
Eddie’s face brightened. “How do you know that?”
“What do you think?” I said. “She told me so. She said that you’re the only one who ‘turns her on.’”
“That’s great!” Eddie said.
Then his face darkened.
“She’s engaged, though,” he said.
“To that jerk on the team?” I said. “She can’t stand him. Why don’t you go for her?”
“I wish I could,” Eddie said, “but that would cause huge problems. The government ... politics, you don’t know how things are here.”
“So what?” I waved my hand dismissively. “When did a few problems ever stop the railroad spike kid?”
He laughed.
“I mean it, Eddie,” I said. “Ilona could be the key to everything. All that terrible stuff you’ve had to live through – she could smooth it all away.”
Eddie took my hands. “Thanks, Amanda. You always were on my side, right from the beginning.”
Ilona arrived soon afterwards. Things got kind of silent and awkward. Well, whatever was going to happen between them would have to wait. Right now we had a mission.
The three of us walked across the hall to Quentin’s apartment and went in. Some of Quentin’s flame ball buddies were hanging around the place drinking blue liquid and reliving their glorious victory.
There were a couple of Kintz girls, too, sitting very close beside Quentin on the hover couch.
“Hey Amanda!” Quentin said with his usual bravado. “What’s up?”
I looked over the flame ball players and the girls. They didn’t have translators, so we could talk without their useless input.
“It’s time to go home,” I said.
“But we are
home.” Quentin gestured around the room. “Man, I never thought I’d be living in a fancy place like this!”
True. The luxurious apartment was nothing like his shabby little house back in Allendale.
“It’s been great,” I said, “but we don’t belong here.”
“What’s the rush?” Quentin said. “The victory parade is tomorrow. I’m the big star!”
“But today is the best time to go.” I turned toward Eddie. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yes,” Eddie said. “The energy vortex will be widest in about three hours.”
“So?” Quentin said. “There’ll be other times just as good. When’s the next window of opportunity, Eddie?”
“Two weeks from now,” Eddie said.
“That settles it then,” Quentin said. “Two weeks will be perfect.”
The Kintz bimbos couldn’t have understood what Quentin was saying, but they hung on his every word, gazing at him with admiring button eyes. Quentin stood up and placed a hand on his lower back. He stretched painfully.
“Besides, I want the doctors to check my back. It isn’t quite right yet.”
He walked slowly across the room with a decided limp.
“But don’t you see?” I said. “If we stay two more weeks it’ll be much harder to leave. Then we’ll wait two more weeks, and two more after that. We’ll never get home.”
“Oh, Amanda,” Quentin said, “you’re getting all worked up over nothing.”
“Maybe time has reversed itself, like Eddie said it could,” I said. “Maybe our friends have already graduated from high school.”
I felt tears welling up.
“Mom and Dad might be old now, still wondering what happened to me.”
“I doubt that,” Quentin said.
“You got me here, Quentin,” I said. “You have a responsibility to take me home.”
Quentin held out his hands. “Yeah, I know ...”
“If you won’t come with me, I’ll leave without you.”
“Not a good idea,” Eddie said. “It would be a lot safer if I could transmit you both with the airplane.”
“Ohhh!” I turned away.
Ilona took my arm. “Try not to be upset, Lady Amanda.”
Sure, what reason did I have to be upset? I was only trapped on the far fringe of an alien universe. My “best friend” had gone native with a local tramp on each arm. Rather than miss his big victory parade, he’d rather see me get torn apart in a transmission beam.
A dummy robot glided in and handed me a little square of bright metal.
“What’s this?” I said.
“It’s a projection box,” Ilona said. “Somebody wants to open a holographic communication.”
“A holo-whatzit?” I said.
“Push the button,” Ilona said.
I did, and suddenly a life-sized moving picture of the Captain was standing just a few feet away!
He was dressed in a magnificent cape and wore a new silver medallion around his neck. The maddening little smile was on his lips, and his red eyes sparkled.
“Greetings, Lady Amanda.” He bowed graciously. “I am delighted to learn of your recovery.”
“Uh ... yeah,” I said. “Hi.”
“We are bested for now, but undaunted,” the Captain said. “It was an honorable, hard fought contest – and Lady Amanda knows of the advantage we foreswore.”
The Kintz girls had abandoned the hover couch and were standing beside me now.
“Our cause will surely rise again,” the Captain said. “Stay, therefore, Lady Amanda, and be part of the great resurgence.”
He paused, and my heart seemed to stop dead. It would never beat again if I couldn’t hear his wonderful voice!
“I will attend the so-called ‘victory parade’ tomorrow,” the Captain continued. “Meet me there and we will go together into the glorious future.”
My mouth was hanging open. I wanted to leap right into the Captain’s arms. The Kintz girls looked like they wanted to do the same thing. He hadn’t asked for them, though. He’d asked only for me!
But then Quentin’s angry face appeared. He stomped right through the projection, not limping at all.
“Give me that!” he said.
He snatched the projection box out of my hands.
“Oh!” I gasped.
“I’ve got an answer for you, pal,” Quentin said.
He kicked the box hard, like a football. It flew across the room. The Captain’s image sailed along with it, right out an open window.
“No!”
I ran to the window in time to see the projection box hit the pavement below.
BAFRITZ! It exploded in a shower of sparks.
“Ohhh ... ”
I felt ready to faint. I wanted to tumble out the window and join my beloved Captain. Ilona wrapped her arms around me.
“Give it up, Lady Amanda,” she said.
I sagged against her. “I-I can’t ...”
“Prince Quentin is very jealous,” Ilona whispered, “but he is also right.”
Quentin strolled over to Eddie.
“Okay,” he said, “let’s roll.”
37: Departure
I changed into my Earth clothes, pocketed an extra jumpsuit, and I was all set to go. I was moving on auto pilot because my heart had just been ripped out. Eddie wanted to organize a send-off from the elders.
“Forget those old fuddy duds,” I told him.
“But they’ll want to reward you and Quentin,” he said.
“They can stuff it,” I said. “If I never have to see them again, that’s reward enough!”
I was in a savage mood now, but Eddie seemed to understand.
“Okay, Amanda,” he said.
So, it was just Ilona, Calvin, Tricia, and Kimmy who came with us to the airport – Eddie too, sort of. Actually, he was at the transmission tower setting things up, but his holographic image came along, courtesy of Ilona’s projection box.
The Kintz drove scooters, but I wanted to ride my bike. I needed exercise to burn off some tension. Quentin must have felt similar because he was riding Melissa’s English racer, surging far ahead of us in the tunnel.
“We’ll miss you, Lady Amanda,” Tricia called over from her scooter.
“You were the big sister we always wanted,” Kimmy said.
It almost broke my heart to hear this. I felt a strong urge to turn back, but not just because of my little sisters ... it was the Captain.
He was such a hero – in addition to being an amazing hunk. Why didn’t I stay and be part of his glorious future? I’ll bet I could change him, too. I’d convince him to abandon his terrible “master race” ideas, bring out his warm and cuddly side.
A good woman can do that, right?
But in my heart, I knew this was all nonsense. Take my aunt, for instance, she was on her third alcoholic now. She was going to change each of them, she said, but they all chose the bottle instead of her.
No, if anybody changed here, it would be me. I’d changed too much already.
Quentin was battling with his own second thoughts, judging by the way he was slowing down and glancing over his shoulder. He dropped back beside me.
“Are we making the right move, Amanda?” he said. “I mean, I don’t have any right to tell you what to do, and, well ...”
He was giving up the spoiled brat lifestyle of a sports hero to become just plain Quentin again. That had to be tough for him.
But who could say what great things he might accomplish in the future? Back home, where he belonged. I reached over and took his hand. We rode this way until we felt better.
We arrived at the airport. Our little plane stood on the pavement, all fresh and gleaming. The gold powder was cleaned off, except for a small area under the engine. The fuel tanks were all refilled, and the whole machine had been given a once over – according to Eddie’s hologram.
While Quentin did the preflight, the rest of us made our good-byes. Soon we were all cry
ing. Eddie’s holographic image looked pretty misty-eyed as well. By the time Quentin finished his preflight, we were all sharing a group hug. Quentin joined in.
Finally, Eddie’s hologram spoke. “We’d better get started now.”
Reluctantly, we broke our circle and wiped away our tears. An idea popped into my head.
“I’m taking my bike,” I said.
“No way,” Quentin said. “There isn’t room.”
“Yes there is, if we take the wheels off,” I said. “There are tools in Melissa’s kit bag.”
“Okay,” Quentin said. “I know better than to argue.”
But we’d barely started taking my bike apart when a vision swam up from my memory. It was of me struggling on the ground with Earth Ilona, and of Melissa driving her away:
“Get on your broom and fly, if you know what’s good for you!” she’d said.
Melissa had come through for me then – it was my turn now.
“Stop,” I said. “We’re taking Melissa’s bike, instead.”
“Make up your mind,” Quentin said.
“I have,” I said. “Melissa loves her bike, she has only half a personality without it.”
Soon we had it apart and stuffed into the plane. Wheels and fenders in the rear storage area, the frame wrapped around me in the passenger seat. It was an uncomfortable arrangement, but at least working on the bike had taken my mind off my grief for a while.
It came back with a vengeance now. The girls clung to the plane. I squeezed my hand through my window toward them.
“Goodbye! Goodbye! We love you!” they cried.
“Give our regards to Lady Melissa and Prince Tommy,” Calvin said. “Farewell.”
“Clear Prop!” Quentin shouted out his window.
My Kintz family retreated, and the engine roared into life. We rolled down the broad pavement, picking up speed. We were airborne.
“Oh, I left my heart down there,” I said.
Quentin turned and flew back over our friends. They waved their arms, and a great pulse of love flew up to us. Quentin wagged the wings in reply.
Eddie’s voice crackled over the radio. “Thanks for everything.”
“Hey, no problem,” Quentin said, “piece of cake.”
Eddie laughed. “I figured you say that.”
“Goodbye, Eddie,” I said. “Maybe our paths will cross again.”
“Yeah.” Eddie’s voice sounded terribly sad.
Then: “Are you ready?” Eddie said.
“Roger that,” Quentin said.
A blast of energy shot toward us from the transmission tower. It hit with incredible force.
