The Otherlings and the Crystal Amulet

by S V Hurn

  Dorathy joined him, wrapping both arms around his waist. “Yes, she is. She is such a wonderful daughter and I couldn’t be prouder of her. I am so happy you hit it off. Not that I was worried about that, I knew you would love her just as much as she would love you.”

  Alex gathered Dorathy’s long hair in his hands and pulled her in for a long passionate kiss and said, “How about a swim?” Dorathy didn’t hesitate to begin unbuttoning Alex’s shirt and then undoing his pants. He was happy to return the favor, of course.

  They spent the rest of the night outside, making full use of the pool and spa and the oversized, outside lounging bed made for two that Dorathy had picked up from an upscale patio store just the week before. They woke in the wee hours under the comforter she had dragged from her bed. They gazed up at the clear night sky and wondered what was, and who might be, out there just beyond our reach.

  She told him about the discovery at CERN and they discussed what life would be like in the next fifty years and what our species might be able to accomplish in the next five hundred years. Dorathy said, “It’s truly amazing if you think about the world the way it was just a hundred years ago with the Saturn IV Rocket and the moon missions, and just fifty years before that, we barely had the combustion engine. Now we are sending tourists into space for vacations and mining the moon and neighboring asteroids for rare minerals. Just imagine what the Earth will be like, perhaps in just ten years from now. This discovery will change how we live our daily lives. Not just the way we approach traveling through space, but how we might live in it.”

  Alex responded to her musings, “I look forward to the future, our future and the future of the planet. Wouldn’t it be great if we could take that technology and apply it, even in the smallest way, to our cryocapsules? I think that’s something you could design and even if it was under a test application, I am sure it would catch on with potential clients. When this new discovery is made public, the world will be going crazy trying to find ways of applying it.”

  Dorathy pondered it for a moment. “Yes, you’re so right about that. I know how I can score exclusivity on a small-scale research platform.”

  “How?” Alex asked, overcome with curiosity.

  “It’s simple really . . . money. My father’s goal in his life, which I continue in his honor, was to set aside the funds for research and development of new technologies. This fits the bill. I donate the funds towards research and development, and, in return, we get the right to design and use the technology as we deem fit. It seems to me that investing a sum for the sole purpose of launching cryocapsules into deep space via space bending or whatever they are going to call it, is the perfect venture.”

  Alex was strongly attracted to the strength and power she exuded, and her intellect; add beauty and sexuality to the equation and he felt he was the luckiest man alive. These qualities were an incredible turn-on and he felt an urge to make love to her again with such intensity it seemed that he had fire running through his veins. Dorathy welcomed him to her immediately.

  Alex and Dorathy were like-minded and carried each other’s hearts in their hands; their souls seemed to be as one, forever linked together. Together there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish.

  When the sun peeked just over the hill, Alex kissed Dorathy and said, “Good morning beautiful, how about I make us a big breakfast?”

  Dorathy yawned and stretched while she laid her body on top of Alex’s and said, “As long as you’re naked, you sexy man.” With that Alex got up and just before he jumped into the pool Dorathy managed to get a playful smack across his firm backside. Dorathy followed him in. After a few long kisses they wrapped themselves in beach towels and proceeded into the kitchen. As promised, Alex made them a feast and served it to Dorathy, the princess that had stolen his heart.

  Afterward they went to bed and slept in each other’s arms. They slept like they had never slept before, finally knowing the comfort and the feeling that only comes when you know someone loves you, that that person will be there for you always; that warm, secure feeling that we only seem to have as children, curled up in our beds with our favorite stuffed toy.

  The weekend seemed to pass so quickly, already it was Sunday night. Alex and Dorathy decided to grill steaks and allow Athena to come home. Athena decided to call first and asked jokingly, “So is the coast clear, can I come home now?”

  Dorathy laughed and said, “Yes, honey, and bring Kevin with you. We are going to have a family dinner tonight.”

  The evening went well, and by the end of the night it was as if they had known each other all their lives. Kevin had to be at work early the next day, so said his good nights and went home. While her mom was in the kitchen putting the dishes away Athena pulled Alex aside. “I just want to thank you for bringing such happiness to my mom’s life. I can see that you really do care deeply for her and she feels the same about you.” She paused for a moment, but she had to add, “Please don’t break her heart, that’s all I ask. She is such an awesome person and she truly deserves a love in her life and I really think that’s you.”

  Alex assured Athena that he would be true to his heart and that every fiber of his being was completely in love with her mother. “Look, Athena, I have spent my whole life thinking I didn’t deserve happiness. Your mom has shown me a life of love that I thought I would never have and I’m not about to screw up the best thing I have ever had. Your mother is the love of my life and I plan on marrying her someday, if she’ll have me.”

  Athena smiled and gave Alex a hug good night. Alex felt like he was home. He felt whole, he felt needed, and he felt like he had a family again. He would never want for anything again. He had everything he had ever wanted in Dorathy and the love of a daughter he had never hoped to have.

  Athena leaned in to give her mom a kiss good night and whispered, “I really like him, mom, he’s a good guy.”

  “Good night you two. I have an early class tomorrow and won’t be home till after six or seven I’ll probably grab something to eat between classes so, don’t wait around for me.”

  After the kitchen was cleaned and tidied, Alex and Dorathy brought their wine out to the patio and lay in the quiet night air. They snuggled without a care in the world and drifted off to sleep. They needed to rest because they were going to have a very busy few weeks ahead of them . . . even busier than they had anticipated.

  CHAPTER 7

  The next morning came quickly. Dorathy woke, her head perfectly nestled on Alex’s muscular and groomed chest, her arm draped across his abdomen with her hand resting on his thigh. She clutched at his hip. Alex stirred awake and said, “I love waking up with you next to me, more than that I love making love to you first thing in the morning.” Needing no encouragement, Dorathy slowly moved her body on top of his, kissing his neck, his face, his eyes and finally kissing his lips. They moved as one, her long, tousled hair teasing Alex’s senses like fragrant silk fabric. Clutched firmly in his fists, he breathed in its scent, gasping in pure ecstasy. Soulmates finally together and life for them had never been better. Everything seemed new and exciting and life was about to get just a wee bit more interesting.

  Later, Dorathy and Alex were sitting in the car outside her building at JPL.“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” he said. “But, if Hugo is okay with us, and this isn’t the first time something like this has happened, then who are they to judge us? Today’s news will be replaced by something bigger and better tomorrow.”

  She knew he was right—then she was hit by a memory of her college days with all the photographers and their zoom lenses lurking around to get a clear shot of her. Dorathy shook it off and grinned, “You’re right, who really gives a shit anymore? You are my man, we are going to be working together and get the job done, end of story. Okay, let’s get it over with.”

  They walked side by side and as they approached the front door Dorathy laughed and said quietly, “Well once Lisa sees us the rest of the building will know you’re here before we reach
my office.” Dorathy enthusiastically swung open the heavy glass door for Alex. He chuckled and thought, Well this is going to get interesting.

  Good morning, Lisa. This is Dr. Alex Mason. He will be accompanying me for the next few weeks.” Lisa, wide-eyed, stood up to take in this historical event, all the while giving Alex a good once-, and even twice-, over. Before she could gather her thoughts to speak, Alex winked at her and said in a whisper, “I’m her boyfriend.”

  Dorathy grimaced and said, without hesitation, “Yes, he is.” And completed the thought in her head, just deal with it!

  Lisa held her hand out. “It’s very nice to meet you,” and thought, I wonder if he has a brother?

  Walking down the hall towards her office, she could feel the stares boring into them. Just then Hugo came down the hall towards them and said, “Great, you’re here early, we need to meet right now in my office.” Dorathy looked at Alex and back at Hugo, “Yes, both of you, because I think we might be able to pull off something with your project.”

  Alex and Dorathy sat side by side. Hugo shut the door and sat across from them, behind his desk. “Okay, folks, just got the word a little while ago from Geneva. Looks like the bastards have really got themselves in a pickle and so much for taking their time; they’ve been rattlin’ some cages, including ours. They seem to have cracked the mystery and got the damned thing figured out. Now they want to have an open symposium to discuss a variety of applications. They have invited top scientists from around the world to have a powwow. Dorathy, they want you for your obvious abilities as a scientist, but also, dare I say, a nice fat research grant from your foundation.”

  Dorathy said, “Hugo, you know what my answer will be—Lifecor and JPL get exclusivity on the technology and we get to test it first. The rest of them can line up behind us.”

  “All right then, Dora, let’s make this happen! And Alex, welcome aboard and be prepared for a hell of a ride. I would love to go along, but I have got to get things sorted out over in Lunar Dig. Jack will be going in my place, it’s more his field of expertise. I have Lucy booking hotel and transportation and if you want to take over your supersonic flying machine, knock yourself out, it’s your dime. Speaking of that, Carlo will be wanting to hitch a ride. His uncle is one of the key scientists that solved the mystery to taming this goddamned particle and needs him over there indefinitely.

  They sat and talked financial arrangements for a while, and Dorathy said, “This is one of those defining moments in human history and money shouldn’t be a deciding factor, so my feeling is, whatever it takes to get the job done—my father would have agreed.” They all shook hands.

  Hugo said, “Looks like your preliminary designs for the cryocapsules will have to be scrapped, ‘cause it looks like it’s going to be a whole other kind of animal now. So, go home, pack, get done what you must get done and get over there ASAP. I’m assuming here, and correct me if I’m wrong, you’re going to let that poor bastard Jack hitch a ride too?”

  Dorathy laughed, “Oh, I suppose I will.” Glancing in Alex’s direction she said, “Guess we’ll just have to wait to join the mile-high club.”

  “Jesus Christ, girl, you tryin’ to give this old man a heart attack?”

  Lucy was coming around the corner as they were leaving Hugo’s office. When she caught a glimpse of Alex, she shifted direction almost tripping in the process, and tried desperately to act nonchalant. “Hi, Dora.” There was a hint of envy. “This must be Alex. I’m Dora’s friend, Lucy. It’s so nice to meet you. I found you an awesome hotel in Geneva, right on the water and near the train station. It has huge Jacuzzi bathtubs, and a great view of the lake and fountain.”

  Alex shook her hand. “Sounds great, Lucy, should be a good trip. With any luck we can get this project off to a brand-new start. Then hopefully when we get back, we’ll all have to go out for karaoke— heard you’re a great songstress.”

  “Who me? Oh, I love your accent Alex. I would love to go to Australia one day. So, are you going to move here? Phoenix is so hot you’ll like it here better. You should learn how to surf. Did you surf when you lived in Australia?”

  Dorathy interrupted the torrent of questions and said, “I’m just going to step into my office and call about the plane.” As Alex turned to face Dorathy, she could see Lucy mouthing over his shoulder, “HE’S HOT!”

  Alex turned back to Lucy and said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you and I’m sure we will be seeing a lot more of each other.” Alex turned to follow Dorathy into her office and Dorathy could see Lucy gesturing, “NICE ASS! CALL ME!” Dorathy was having a hard time holding back an amused smirk.

  “What’s so funny”?

  “Nothing, just Lucy. I think she likes you.”

  Alex, oblivious to the interaction, responded, “Yeah, she’s a good mate.”

  He could hardly contain his excitement. “This kind of technology is going to change the world!” He looked at Dorathy with such admiration, such intense curiosity and had to ask, “How does it feel to be a part of this new world, to say that you were able to contribute and be somewhat responsible for its further development?”

  Dorathy sat back in her chair and looked out her office window at all the cars in the parking lot and thought about her father. What would the world have been like if not for all he had accomplished with his advancement in hydrogen-fueled engines, which led the world to behave differently, to somehow bring nations to work together instead of fighting and aligning themselves over a natural resource that we never really needed in the first place. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and it was just sitting there, mocking us for our nearsightedness and greed. Her father had literally changed the course of the planet’s evolution. All those who couldn’t adapt to the growing pace had perished long ago and they had taken their fanaticisms with them. It had finally brought the rest of us together.

  Dorathy responded, “If I can accomplish just a fraction of what my father was able to, then I trust the world can fill in the gaps and turn it into something truly amazing in the future. You and I may not be around to see the result, but I know it will make a difference in our species’ future. I only hope I can effectively do my part to move us forward, and that I can live up to everyone’s expectations. I would like to be able to say that I made my father proud, wherever he might be.”

  Alex could see that all her life she had pushed to prove to herself, and to everyone around her that she was capable of greatness. She had allowed it to consume her as if there were measuring stick against which to measure the rest of us mere mortals. He carefully chose his words. “Dora, you know perfection is in the eyes of the beholder. It’s not tangible. Sometimes something is not perfect, except that it is perfect just the way it is.” My darling, you are perfect, and I know in my heart, that for you, giving it your best shot is far better than most others’ efforts at perfection.”

  Dorathy looked at Alex with love in her heart, but it was laced with just a bit of disappointment that he could not see the bigger picture of why she felt as she did. She needed to be more, to prove she was worthy. She had pushed herself hard all through her life to prove she was more than a billionaire’s daughter. The pressure she applied to her efforts was the essence of who she was, to be more than that, and her accomplishments were her own and nobody would take that from her, ever.

  She started to speak, but hesitated, then finally said, “There are so many people who would judge me differently if not for my merits. My accomplishments are mine and I would not have accomplished what I have if not for my drive to be better than I am. You might feel that perfection is overrated, but I look upon it as something to strive for.”

  Alex leaned back in his chair to consider what she had just said. “All right, I get it, my darling Dora, but for me, when it comes to me, you are perfect to me, as perfect can be. You need not feel judged, for one who is judgmental must be perfect, and I am nothing of the sort. If I were to live in a glass house, I would not be throwing stones at an
yone.”

  Dorathy got up from her chair and whispered in his ear, “I love you, my darling man. Thank you for being you.” She stood above him and said, “How about we get our shit together, I’ll call and get the jet ready, then we’ll gather up Carlo and Jack, and fly our asses over to CERN. We’ll see what those bastards are up to.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Lucca Venturini walked through the cold, dimly lit, seventeen-mile-long tunnel, occasionally stopping to listen for anyone who may be following him. The underground facility that housed the particle accelerator was deep below the surface, its curvature hardly noticeable. Lucca recalled that just over a year ago mother nature herself had revealed a hint of what his group of scientists knew was missing from the equations they had worked on for years. They now had confirmation that all along they were working with only a small fraction of the entire picture. The Standard Model, as they knew it, could never work. Now everything has changed. Pondering mankind’s future, he slowly continued along the tunnel, checking the equipment as he went. After the immense power surge caused by a freak lightning storm, the particle accelerator had been powered down for repairs, but not before revealing the secrets of the universe.

  Finally, their work neared completion. The Large Hadron Collider had been able to perform as it was intended, presenting us with the secrets to another existence by forcing a hole through the veil that separates our reality from the Prime Reality—that being the reality where heaven resides.

  Lucca turned when he heard footsteps echoing from behind. “Hello, my friend,” Hans Grobler said, running his hand along the cold steel housing. “I understand your nephew was successful.”

  “Yes,” Lucca said sadly, “most unfortunate, but very necessary. Simon is gaining too much power and influence, and the only advantage we can hope for will result from Dorathy’s removal from the equation. It has become far too dangerous that Simon is uncovering information that will inevitably lead him to the truth.”