by S V Hurn
In the distance there was a whistle and a small dog barking. She turned towards the sound and saw her father approaching with her dog Zwicky leaping and bounding over the tall grass in front of him. She got up and faced him, Zwicky leaping into her open arms. “Dad . . . how am I doing?”
There was his familiar laugh. “You are doing just fine. I knew you could find your way. I also knew you could get back what was rightfully yours.”
Dorathy opened her palm and the amulet’s light sparkled and shone in all directions. “Dad what is all of this, why am I here, what is all of this even about?”
John Rosen’s words floated by on a breeze, “Ah Dorathy look at your circumstances that brought you here . . . we were chosen . . . you, have been chosen.”
“Chosen for what?”
“It is simple Dorathy, if you just open your eyes.”
Dorathy searched herself for the answers. John nodded his head as he could see his daughter’s eyes light up with realization and said, “They came and started life so that they could live on within us.”
She pondered a moment, repeating her fathers’ words, “So they could live on . . . they were a dying species?”
“No, they weren’t dying, Dora . . . they were transcending. They had found a way to move from their physical form and wanted to leave evidence of their existence through us, so that we could somehow bridge the gap between the physical world and the spiritual world . . . their world . . . a world that they had evolved to. They left us a gate, a type of portal—we just needed to evolve in order to see it through.”
Dorathy felt as if she could fall right into her father’s gleaming eyes. “Dad, I don’t get it, why just a few of us are able to . . . progress. We all have the code engineered into our DNA, so why just us?”
John spoke calmly. “Look honey, through the centuries most of our engineering simply degraded that’s all, maybe it gives a new meaning to the term survival of the fittest. No controversy, just a simple fact of nature. No one’s perfect Dora, which is why they left the gate for us- you just needed to find the key.”
Dorathy asked, almost whining like a child, “Dad, why me?”
“Why? Because you can, that’s why.”
Dorathy sighed a big sigh, putting her little dog on the grass. “Why can’t I just die like most people.”
Her father laughed hard, throwing his head back. “You are not like most people, now go and open that gate, I have faith in you.” John clasped his hands over hers, still holding the amulet, the vibration resetting her frequency.
Dorathy opened her eyes with a chill as she looked up at the pale faces of her friends.
“Jesus Christ!” Henry shouted, “What the hell happened to you?”
Brenda’s eyes were fixated. “You were fading . . . you were transparent . . . I can’t even explain it.”
Dorathy smiled, “I’m fine . . . really . . . I know now why I’m here.”
“Oh great, Brenda said sounding a bit condescending. “So tell us, why are WE here?”
“They . . . the Otherlings . . . they did leave us a gate or portal with hopes we would come to use it. That only the few can proceed through it to the higher level of existence. You see, if we have evolved enough to have the capabilities to venture so far from our planet that we have earned the right to proceed through the gate, to the other side. We are the ones who have managed to exceed our original engineering.”
Magnus shook his head. “You, yes—I know that to be a fact . . . us—well that my dear is another story.”
“No,” Dorathy snapped back. “You were created from them, from their DNA, I was created by them with their DNA. The only difference is that my programming, my engineering holds the key . . . maybe they just didn’t anticipate that we would find a way of replicating it with you.”
Henry looked down at Jobar and Patsup, his mind wandering around in the shadows. “What about them Dora, they have the code . . . every being we have run into carries the same code.”
“Yes,” she answered, “I know. We have to believe with each race there is one person that has my capabilities—a few which have their code fully intact.”
Henry leaned against the wall of the chamber, never feeling so old. “You were sent to us, and not only for the protection of your DNA, but so that we would finally finish the job of bridging the gap between realities. Who would be the righteous ones to pass through it, Dora?”
Dorathy’s eyes shone in the fading light. “I don’t know, I don’t have the answer. Perhaps it’s what we hold in our hearts?”
Henry looked from one to the other; all had the look of weariness written in sudden lines on their faces. “We have been through a lot, not to mention we are short two crew members. I for one have never felt so goddamned tired. We need to take a break here, but we can’t stay . . . and Dorathy you can’t come with us, we have to go and rescue Dimitri and Coolie, and it’s not safe for you, so you’re staying here!”
Dorathy went to object but knew he was right. If she were to be captured the mission could never be completed, or somehow the gate would be destroyed—the horrible possibilities were endless.
Brenda continued, “Let us not forget we were not designed to live in this dimension, we are slowly dying here.” The group looked at each other, knowing what the others felt.
Jobar whispered to no one in particular, “No wonder I feel like shit.”
Magnus answered, “Precisely my little friend, we have not been designed for the rigors of this reality.”
Henry took Dorathy by the shoulders. “Where do you want to live, Dora . . . literally, the world is yours for the choosing.”
There was only one place Dorathy could imagine staying for any length of time. “I want to go to my island . . . my home on the beach . . . well what’s left of it, Dorathy smiled, a spark in her eye. “Maybe I’ll finally get my treehouse.”
CHAPTER 49
As soon as the crew boarded their ship, they started to gain the energy back that had been lost to them while on the land of Earth. Brenda looked in the mirror; the deep lines that had developed on her face were fading before her eyes, transforming her back to her youthful, genetically engineered synthetic self. “My God,” she softly said to herself turning her face from side to side . . . “If only I could have bottled this I could have made a fortune.”
They were speeding over the calm crystal clear aqua waters of the South Pacific. New Zealand was fast appearing over the horizon. Dorathy sat next to Henry in the cockpit thinking back at how many times she had flown over this part of paradise. She peered out in front of her as the islands rapidly came into focus. They appeared the same at first glance, but the land masses had shifted somewhat. The majority had shrunk in size or had simply disappeared below the depths. Others which had land mass and were not merely atolls had gained frontage with the shifting currents. They had never seen such a paradise so completely untouched . . . sterile of man.
Henry looked at the coordinates, announcing, “Next stop heaven.”
Magnus smiled behind her. “I think I would not mind spending some time here . . . even if it kills me.”
Brenda teared up with thoughts of Dimitri being tortured or worse. “Dim would have loved this.
Magnus added. “Then the two of you would have finally one thing you could agree on.”
Brenda knew, saying, “He wouldn’t leave this place . . . none of us would.”
Jobar had a look of anguish not knowing what to say and blurted out in a desperate voice, “We have to leave . . . we have to get Coolie and Dimitri!” Henry and Dorathy exchanged looks, knowing he was stating the obvious.
Dorathy pointed to the direction of where she sensed her home used to be. The beach had shifted, the jungle peaks had eroded, the surrounding area had flattened out a bit, the lagoon was shallower and narrow, but the beach with its perfectly crescent bay still had a breathtaking waterfall that cascaded down to form a running stream of fresh rain water that flowed into the lagoon. Dorath
y closed her eyes. “I’m home, I am finally home.”
The ship came to land along the shoreline on the soft white sand, spraying water as it did. Birds ruffled their feathers and squawked loudly in the trees, by the strange sight of such an unusual creature.
“Alright people,” Henry said as he was only slightly managing to control his emotions. “As much as we would all like to stay and simply enjoy what time we might have left, IF we were staying . . . We are not staying, we owe that to Dim and Coolie. “If the shit hits the fan, we just come back, but either way, we are coming back . . . one way or another.” Henry continued, “If you start to feel like crap then get back to the ship, we all saw how we were able to rejuvenate once back on board. Don’t risk it though, ‘cause we just don’t know how far is too far gone. Got it?” As they were already out the hatch, Henry whispered to himself, “Got it.”
Magnus, fully clothed, dove into the shallow warm water and came up floating on his back, looking up at the blue sky with willowy clouds floating by way of the gentle trade winds.
Brenda tossed her shoes aside and sunk her toes into the flour-like sand, coming to the realization that they were finally home, while Jobar and Patsup walked along the beach, never having seen a place quite like this.
Henry came up behind Dorathy and put his arm around her waist, his eyes squinted by the bright sun and a warm breeze touching his skin. “I wish we had met in another life; I could have gotten use to this.”
Dorathy shook her head. “All the years I could have just taken it easy . . . I didn’t have to work that hard . . . I could have been here.”
Henry smiled, “You are here now, whether you like it or not . . . and probably for a long while, by yourself, are you going to be okay with that?”
Dorathy responded, “I was thinking about that. I think with Brenda’s help I can rig my cryotube for hyper sleep. I think that might be the best way. We put it somewhere secure, and when I’m ready I simply go to sleep for a while. Dorathy smiled up at Henry and saw the lines around his eyes growing deeper.
He looked into her dark eyes and was stricken by the feeling of loss. The thought of leaving her behind was tearing him apart at the seams. His somber voice would surly betray him by revealing his fear as he said with apprehension, “Sure, that sounds like a good idea.”
CHAPTER 50
The crew worked in shifts building a functional and very sturdy treehouse equipped with a dumbwaiter, a crow’s nest, and plenty of living space. An aqueduct was formed from the fresh water stream and solar panels and windmills were put in place at various sites on the island, giving Dorathy the power she needed to run the equipment that would be left with her, and most important food storage, cooking and the desalination unit for the dry season.
Typhoons were not the norm for this part of the world, and all satellites if any, were either junk or damaged beyond repair and had failed or came crashing to Earth long ago. So Magnus took on the task of building a weather satellite and took it up, launching it from the cargo bay of the ship. To be on the safe side a cave had been found and fashioned into a bunker for a base of operations and was also perfect to be used for dry storage. This was also where her cryotube was placed and reconfigured to house her and her new little companion Zwicky for hibernation sleep. Brenda managed to finish the task of cloning Dorathy’s beloved little poodle. The crew loved playing with him while they worked on Dorathy’s new home.
Sadly, the time had come for the crew to depart. They all said their good-byes and waited for Henry in the ship. Henry started, “Okay Dora we have checked, double-checked and triple-checked everything down here and up in orbit, are you sure there is nothing else you can think of that you might need?”
Dora laughed, “Let’s see, I have a fish farm, a garden with a variety of things growing and a greenhouse with more of the same. I have a bunker safe enough to protect me from nuclear fallout, I have a home built with steel, titanium, aluminum- you have stripped the ship to the bare bones. On top of that if it all goes to shit Zwicky and I will just take a long nap and wait for you to come wake us up. I think we’re good. Honest we’ll be fine.”
Henry sighed, a worry written on his face that showed more than just the effects of Earth destroying his cells at a molecular level; he showed a deep sadness for he was going to miss her, and his heart was breaking. He embraced her and kissed her, whispering in her ear, “Wait for me Dorathy Rosen, because I love you.
Dorathy looked into his eyes. “I love you Henry; you are a good man. Be safe my friend and try not to be gone too long. She wanted to bite back her last words because she knew they could be absent for a lifetime. With that he boarded the ship.
Dorathy put her hand to the hull sending it her instructions . . . her feelings of love and admiration, her understanding for time and space and instructions to protect and help its occupants. When her message had been received, they slowly rose into the air and in a flash they were gone, the ship slingshot back to where and when they had been, with a golden flash and a sonic boom that sent the island’s wildlife scurrying for cover. Dorathy was finally home.
Dimitri woke shivering and nude, strapped down to a sterile cold steel chair in a glaring cubicle, the light blinding him so badly he could barely see his surroundings. His arms and legs were bound so tightly he could no longer feel them; the circulation was being cut off and the bindings were cutting into his skin. He screamed, “Hey, let me out of here, what do you want to know . . . I’ll tell you!” He knew anything he said would never affect the crew, wherever they might be. A horrible thought passed through his mind . . . what if they had also been captured. He didn’t even want to acknowledge that bit of information as the trauma would certainly kill him in such a hell.
Coolie, being in the same situation, heard a muffled scream but he could not tell from what direction it came as the sound echoed off the steel walls. Weeping and shivering, he was desperate for his friends, hoping, praying the others would come to rescue them.
A door suddenly opened without warning and standing before him was a dark shadow. He strained to focus; his eyes squinted shut from the glaring light. The voice of an old woman he did not recognize said, “You will tell me where your friends have gone.”
Coolie’s eyes watered, a fear building, sending a panic that washed over him, stammering, his teeth chattering and shaking as he choked on his words, “I don’t know where they are . . . they are from an unknown universe to ours . . . they come from our dark space . . . I don’t know any more than that . . . I swear to you I don’t know.”
The woman stooped down so Coolie could see the face of his captor; her eyes seemed to glow red with anger. She held and tilted his frail chin with her dry withered hand towards her. The resemblance to Brenda was striking and she saw the look of recognition in his terrified eyes. He grimaced at the pain as she slammed his head hard against the back of the steel chair. “I am not your friend and you will tell me what you know of the crystal amulet that was stolen from me.”
Coolie was relieved to know they had achieved their goal of obtaining the amulet, but his fear was growing that he knew more than he cared to know about its purpose. He cowered down, sinking in his seat, his head and shoulders slumped forward and painfully straining against his bonds. He bravely said, “My friends are gone and with them the amulet. You don’t have the technology to go where they are headed so even if I told you where, even if I knew where, you would never be able to go where they are headed to because you don’t have their ship. So be that what it may, whatever I know won’t help you in the least.”
There was something lurking behind Kore’s eyes that told Coolie he had said something important, that he had said too much, something that had meaning to only her—and a dread fell over him that sent a panic coursing through his veins. Kore crossed her arms and smiled an evil smile. “Ah yes their ship, unique it is, but obsolete. Now you and your friend will tell me what I need to know; we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way . . . t
he choice is up to you.”
CHAPTER 51
With a blinding flash of golden yellow the ship arrived back to where their adventure had started so many years ago. Henry rubbed his oh-so-tired eyes. He leaned back in his captain’s seat staring out into the blackness of space. Time, he knew was marching by for Dorathy, every second warped, time ticking away rapidly. His love for her would continue far into the next reality. Dorathy had given him his soul that he thought he had lost, and his heart was aching with the thought of her spending her life alone. He had to find his way back to her; somehow, he knew he would, but he needed to complete this mission and concentrate on what they must do. They had been thrown together so many years ago and together was the only way they were going to accomplish the unthinkable.
It was going to be another overwhelming game against the odds. He thought of who now would dare to stand in their way. Henry looked beside him to Magnus then to Brenda and finally his eyes turned to Jobar and his young brother Patsup. Patsup’s eyes shone bright with the knowledge of the way things were aligned so long ago, as if a veil of deception had been lifted.
Jobar was wiser than his age; his eyes were weary from the lifetime of searching for the truth. His gaze rested on Brenda—her unwittingly connection to an old woman from her past— so many years into the future, and her unlikely connection to a man she had grown to hate. And Dimitri the man she had grown to love. She needed to rescue him, as he was the man who was brave enough to have rescued her so long ago. And Magnus—his intelligence ran deep; his willingness to show it was only apparent when it was needed. Everyone knew he was capable of great things, except for him. His loneliness consumed him and his life to him had such little meaning. But now his journey was clear; his mind had sifted out the clutter of straw and he had a purpose and he was up for the challenges they certainly had in store.
