A Web Through Time

by Niki Livingston

  “Are we going to die?” she screamed at Tallisa, who’s only reaction to the storm was another wide smile.

  “I hope not.” Tallisa’s eyes twinkled with her wide smile, as she observed Alex’s fingers gripping desperately to her restraints.

  Alex squeezed her eyes shut, whispering a quiet prayer and tightening her hold on the straps as her feet slid with the rock of the boat. The winds savaged the hull, making it impossible to hear anything else, while the lightning invaded the blackness behind her closed eyes.

  Moments later, the wind came to a halt and the rocking slowed. Alex reluctantly pried open her eyes and frowned when she saw Tallisa unstrapping herself from her seat.

  Glancing around the empty room, the sun’s rays were shining again and the window was only partially covered by the ripple of the ocean water. She reached for the buckles, fumbling with their clasps as her hands shook uncontrollably. She inhaled deeply, clasping her hands together to calm her shaking and then began working on the clasps again.

  After freeing herself, she joined Tallisa on the stairs, eyeing the remnants of the storm dripping down the walls. The sun’s light shocked her eyes with its brightness and Alex shaded her hand over her eyes to see the view. Gasping, she stepped back and blinked several times, not trusting the scene in front of her.

  Chapter Three

  Second Earth

  The ocean was overrun with protruding cliffs, reaching for the heavens, and spreading out as far as she could see. But the most astounding sight was the massive vessels, outlining the sky above them. Along with that, the sun was larger than before the storm and its heat was radiating off of her skin at a higher temperature. “Where are we?” Alex asked, grabbing Tallisa’s wrist.

  Tallisa shot a glance back at Alex, before shaking off her hand. “We’re back home. It’s the year 20034 and now that we have returned, I can help you remember.” Tallisa put her hand back for Alex to grab and together they walked out to the front deck of the boat.

  A beam of light shone from the structure directly above them and Tallisa yanked Alex within its circle, folding her inside her arms. “You won’t even know what hit you,” Tallisa noted, her usual wicked smile spreading across her face.

  The light flashed and the two women hovered in the air. But what happened next made Alex’s stomach plunge into her toes, as they soared quickly upward and into an opening at the bottom of the structure. Moments later they stood in a gray room, surrounded by bright lights. Tallisa removed her grip on Alex and pranced away, pressing her hand on the wall at the far end of the room. Her handprint lit up and a door to her left slid open.

  Glancing back at Alex, she winked at her. “Follow me. I’m about to open your eyes to a whole new world.”

  Alex hurried behind Tallisa, holding her elbow as her gaze darted around the dark corridor. “Can’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

  Tallisa halted in her tracks and turned to face Alex. “I know this hasn’t been fair, but I couldn’t tell you everything until we arrived. But I can now tell you this.” Tallisa reached into her jacket and pulled out a small, thin transparent tablet. Touching the screen, she turned it on and flipped around a few screens before twisting it for Alex to see. “These people are your parents.”

  Alex gasped, gripping the tablet and staring wide-eyed at the picture. “You mean—” she paused, her breath catching in her throat.

  “Yes,” Tallisa assured, taking the tablet back from Alex. “This is why your senses have always been heightened, compared to others around you. It is also why your fighting skills generate so easily.” Tallisa flipped through a few more photographs and when she stopped, she sighed before handing it to Alex. “This is why Earth looks the way it does today.”

  The photo showed a picture of the night sky, but instead of the moon stationed in its far away area of space, it hung above like it was ready to kiss Earth. “What happened to the moon?” Alex eyes widened, looking up at Tallisa.

  Tallisa cleared her throat. “Several thousand years ago, the moon was struck by a massive asteroid, knocking it into an erratic orbit around the Earth. Our planet’s ecosystem was in chaos for hundreds of years, but eventually everything returned to a livable normal and the humans who survived were able to return to the surface.” She drew in a quick breath, taking her tablet and shoving it back into her pocket. “Until about a decade ago, we lived with no issues with its current orbit, until it began growing closer to Earth.” Tallisa closed her eyes and shook her head. “At first, we believed it would correct itself, but it didn’t. We’ve done everything feasible to halt this collision, but nearly a year ago the moon slid by Earth at such a close proximity that we knew we had no other choice, except to abandon our beautiful planet.”

  Alex sagged against the wall behind her, rubbing her hand across her face. “Where will everyone go?”

  “As you can see by your parents’ picture, we’re not alone in the universe,” Tallisa added, pressing her back against the opposite wall and making eye contact with Alex. “Aliens were already interjecting themselves into the human population hundreds of years before the year 2025, but the world’s governments promised to keep their secret, and in return, the aliens shared their own secrets. One of the moons of Jupiter, Europa has been a base for humans and aliens alike since before your time period.” She paused, a crooked smile sliding across her face. “I mean the time period you grew up in. Your government lied to all of you. They were exploring space long before they admitted to it. Which, if history is correct, wasn’t until shortly after the twenty-second century.

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” Alex muttered. “Is Europa humanity’s only chance of survival?”

  “No.” Tallisa tucked her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “But for now, it’s the closest and many humans and anamans already reside there. The problem with Europa is there isn’t enough terraformed areas to house all the species of Earth.” She cleared her throat, looking down both ends of the corridor. “We need to go meet your parents.”

  Alex grabbed Tallisa’s arm. “Wait. One more question.” She searched Tallisa’s eyes. “Why come back for me now? I was fine back in 2025 and I would’ve died long before any of this madness broke out. Why bring me back to this time period?”

  “That is not a quick answer.” Tallisa brows furrowed in frustration. “I’ll have to tell you on our way to your parents’ room.”

  “Fine, but I want to know everything,” Alex insisted, falling in step with Tallisa.

  “This is what I know.” Tallisa wrung her hands together, glancing over her shoulder. “Your mother was married to another man when she conceived you. Cross breeding is against the law and anyone found to have broken this law would be executed, along with any offspring. There were no exceptions. Your mother had an affair with an Anaman General, your father, but she was able to hide in plain sight, claiming you were her husband’s child. During the first few months, they planned their escape and were able to put in place an exceptional plan because they had the influence, the power and the time. When your parents left, they took your Uncle Henry with them. Your mother and he were the best of friends and he would do anything for her.” Tallisa halted in front of elevator doors, pressing her hand against a screen, where it lit up green in recognition of her print. “After you were born, it was obvious you showed many signs of the cross-breeding and your mother feared for your life and desired to find a way to protect you while you were young.”

  “Sounds like humans haven’t changed.” Alex inhaled softly, closing her eyes for a moment. “After 18,000 years, you would think we would have stopped being controlling assholes.”

  Tallisa smirked and nodded. “You would think, but not much has changed in that regard. Segregation remains and is what we call alienism, which is similar to what you knew as racism. We don’t have any issues with racism these days, but many humans still treat anamans as a lower class.” Sighing heavily, Tallisa tapped her fingers against the wall next to the elevator. “Which is w
hy your mother was adamant about removing you from their reach. Henry had discovered a portal that could bend time and with a mechanical device he built, was able to place you in a time we knew would be far less complicated. This is how you were taken to the year 2009. Before they left you, they inserted a chip into the back of your neck that suppressed certain memories, along with your heightened senses.”

  “What about returning to this time period? How did he know how to return to this exact time?” Alex asked as they stepped into the elevator.

  Tallisa held up her wrist, displaying a bulky watch. “This connects me with this time and the chip in your neck connects you as well. They always knew it was a possibility they would need to come back for you, but they had hoped to let you live out your life in a better time. The chip was just a safety measure. The portal in the Bermuda Triangle is the only one that will connect with these devices and return you to your proper time period.”

  “That’s where we are? The Bermuda Triangle?” Alex shook her head, her pulse beginning to race.

  “It’s not as mysterious as it was back in your time period,” Tallisa chuckled at Alex’s panicked reaction. “Weather patterns are significantly calmer in this area when the moon is farther away, but when it shows itself in the sky the Triangle has more deadly moments than ever before.” She glanced up at the ceiling for a brief moment. “We’re only here for the day. Then all of these ships are departing to Europa.”

  “You still haven’t answered my question,” Alex blurted, running her hands through her hair and twisting the ends with her finger. “Why bring me back now?”

  “Because your uncle was hired by your parents’ enemies to find you and deliver you into their hands, so they could execute you in front of the entire world civilization.” Tallisa pursed her lips, her eyes glazing over for a moment, just as the doors to the elevator opened. “You were going to be used to set an example to the rest of the resistance and your death wasn’t going to be a quick one.”

  Following Tallisa out of the elevator, Alex inhaled sharply as she saw the faces in the room they entered. They stared back at her, as if she was just another human, but she now saw why she had always felt so different. What she was seeing on the outside of these anamans and hybrids, was who she had felt she was on the inside her entire life.

  Their taut skin held various colors of the rainbow. Most were a light shade of gray, while others were forest green, purple, and a few had hues of red shining underneath their pewter skin. But the various markings are what caught Alex’s eyes. It was if each anaman possessed their own hieroglyphics etched into their arms and neck, with a few stretching across their cheeks. Alex wondered if these markings meant something important and how much of their skin was covered in them.

  “Your parents are waiting in their quarters,” Tallisa interrupted her thoughts, gripping her elbow and maneuvering through the variety of humans and anamans.

  After another elevator and a silent trek down a long hallway, Tallisa stopped in front of a large door and knocked as if they were going to see a friend at a hotel. Her heart skittered and anxiety swirled around her, anticipating the moment the door would reveal the two people she had believed had abandoned her.

  Chapter Four

  Reunited

  The door slid open quickly, disappearing into the wall next to it. Alex stepped back in surprise, not expecting to see her father standing at the doorway. His large stature encompassed most of the entrance. His skin the color of wet shale wrapped tightly around his massive biceps, and his markings sparkled ever so slightly with a crimson tint. His emerald eyes twinkled with delight. “Tallisa, you made it.” He eyed Alex, a smile spreading on his face. “Is this she?”

  “Yes, brother.” Tallisa’s hand curled around Alex’s arm, pulling her toward her father. “Meet your daughter Alex.”

  Her father swooped through the doorway, gathering Alex into his arms and picking her up. “My baby girl,” he whispered in her ear. “How I’ve missed you.”

  Alex stiffened from the embrace and as he set her down, her face flushed a bright red. Her father whooped with delight. “You take after your mother. Look at her Tallisa. Her crimson face is just like Adina’s when she’s embarrassed.” He stood up straight, a wide grin stretching across his oval face.

  “Careful, Jax.” Tallisa grinned wickedly. “Remember your daughter has only lived with the humans. She doesn’t understand our ways, nor our jests.”

  “You’re my aunt?” Alex questioned, her brows arching. “And you’re an anaman, as well?” She shook her head, eyeing her father and Tallisa.

  Her father grasped her hand and kissed it. “Come inside, dear child. Your mother will return soon, and together we will explain everything.”

  Alex followed Tallisa and Jax into the room, her eyes widening at the sight of their television. It was embedded into the wall, spreading across the entire area. The spokeswoman was running down a list of preparations for the flight to Europa, but was cut short when Jax said, “Television, off.”

  The wall went dark, an overhead light growing brighter, showing her the rest of the room. Alex watched in amazement, unable to budge from her spot on the floor. “With the chaos from the moons orbit, when did television make its comeback?” She knew it was a silly question, but couldn’t help her curiosity. Her eyes darted over to Jax and Tallisa, who stood staring at her with silent retrospect.

  Another smile surfaced on Jax’s lips and quickly spread across his face, while his eyes danced with amusement. “Television never disappeared from the Earth. Even during the dark hours, humans had the ability to watch their shows with generators, solar panels and windmills. It was just the beginning of learning to use only renewable energy.”

  Alex nodded, her eyes once again traveling over the room and seeing the windows for the first time. Stepping toward them, she glanced over at Jax. “May I?” she asked, her thumb jabbing toward the outside.

  “Of course,” he replied. “Drapes, open.” His command was immediately followed by the curtains moving to the sides, revealing the ocean, the blue sky, and the bright sun.

  “What will happen to this area, when the moon arrives?” Alex asked, standing just inches from the window.

  Her question was met with silence. She glanced back to see Jax shaking his head and Tallisa with tears glistening in her eyes, showing her raw emotions for the first time. “Based on its trajectory, the moon is on a collision course for Earth,” Jax whispered. “We have run out of time.”

  Alex chewed on her bottom lip, eyeing the terrain outside. “Tallisa, why do you appear as a human, but your brother is anaman?”

  “We are half-siblings. Our mother had an affair with a human man and was executed because of her transgressions.” Tallisa’s tone was filled with sadness and a hint of bitterness that didn’t go unnoticed. Alex tensed up, knowing the future was just as horrendous as her time period.

  The door buzzed and Alex whipped around just as it slid open, revealing an exquisite older woman, with jet black hair. Alex stepped a few feet forward, seeing her mother for the first time and feeling the connection immediately. “Mom?”

  The woman was already racing toward her, tears spilling from her eyes, as she dropped the food she had brought with her on the floor. Tugging Alex into her arms, they sobbed within the embrace, clinging to one another.

  “My dear, sweet Alex.” Her mother stepped back, gripping both sides of Alex’s face and peering into her eyes. “My heart and soul have missed you.” She pulled Alex back into an embrace, her hands combing through her hair as she kissed her cheeks.

  Alex’s face was wet with tears when they separated. Tallisa gave Alex’s arm a squeeze, followed by a reassuring look. “We can remove the device in your neck and allow your heightened senses and abilities to unfold or you can keep it there for now.”

  Glancing around the room at her new found family, Alex shook her head. “I’m not ready. I barely know which way is up and I don’t want to add confusion to the mix.�
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  “It wouldn’t be confusing,” her father advised, folding his arms across his chest. “But it’s your choice and when you are ready, we will proceed with the removal.”

  “What now?” Alex asked, searching her parents’ faces.

  “We leave Earth,” her father replied. “The ships that you see are all a collection of the rebels who consider your mother and me their leaders. They are filled with hybrids, along with full bred humans and anamans, loyal to our cause.”

  “Are we going to Europa?” Alex questioned, realizing for the first time this was actually happening and she would have to say good-bye to her home.

  Her father glanced over at Tallisa and then at her mother, his brows furrowing. “We have to go there for now, but we’re only staying temporarily.” His large hands curled around her shoulder, pulling her to look at him. “We can’t stay with the rest of our people. The leaders of both species have waged war on our rebellion and will stop at nothing to take you from us and use you as an example of what happens to anyone committing treason. We began a war that they intend to finish, so instead we’ll be escaping.”

  Alex’s lips quivered, not prepared for all this information, along with the departure from Earth. “Can you return me to 2025? I don’t want to leave.”

  Her mother’s eyes welled with tears as she sank into a nearby chair. Shaking her head, she covered her face with her hands. “We can’t return you to 2025, Alex. They want to destroy us and they know the one way that will ultimately take down the rebellion is by executing you.”

  “You’re safer with us,” Tallisa interrupted, stepping in to help Adina.