A few moments later, he finally spoke, his voice trembling with emotion.
“There’s nothing that would make me happier than to be a dad again, Sofia. You’re an incredible woman, a wonderful wife, and an amazing mother,” he said. “Looking at Ben and Rose… Yes, we’ve done a good job. I’m proud of them. I’m proud of you.”
I blinked several times, processing his response.
“You’re serious,” I whispered.
“Of course,” he replied, smiling gently. “I mean, sure, we lost our own kids for a while, and that was an experience I never want to go through ever again, but after all these years, why the hell not? There aren’t enough Novaks in the world, Sofia, but there are plenty of souls who, like you said, need a family. So, yes. Let’s adopt.”
My eyes stung as tears came up. My emotional state was turned up to eleven, my throat closing up and my heart throbbing. Derek immediately sensed my reaction and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight as he kissed me. He raised a hand to caress my face, then deepened the kiss and sent my senses flaring. I loved him so much, it almost hurt.
I rested my head on his chest, and we stood like that for a while, listening to each other’s erratic heartbeats. We were both thrilled and excited to do this again. We were also nervous and a little scared—but that is every parent’s turmoil, from the moment a decision is made and until the day they die. You never stop being a parent. You always worry about your children, even after they grow up. Parenting is not, in any way, easy. But it was one of the best things I’d done with my life, and I wanted to do it again.
“You know, I look at my father,” I murmured, “and I see the joy he got from raising Hunter. Even though he was way past the so-called ‘dad stage’ in his life when he took Hunter in, he… he excelled at it. It opened him up; it transformed him… it changed him altogether. He’s so happy now and so… fulfilled, I guess.”
“We’ll never be too old to be parents again, Sofia,” Derek said. “Time flows differently for us. We could always start over.”
“Over and over again,” I replied, then looked up at him and smiled. “You know, Xavier and Vivienne are also considering having more kids,” I added. “Lucas and Marion wouldn’t mind one or two more of their own, either. I guess our kids have inspired them.”
Derek chuckled. “That’s interesting. Neither of them said anything about it.”
“Oh, I spoke to Marion and Vivienne about it a few months back,” I explained. “They’re just ideas floating aimlessly around, for the time being. I think I’m the only one who’s spoken up about it, specifically with my soulmate and partner in crime,” I added with a grin.
“Well, I’m glad you did. Because it’s a resounding yes from me, my love,” he replied. “But what about Lucas and Marion? Xavier and Vivienne? Are they looking at natural conception?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think they’ve talked about it yet. But I don’t think they’re excluding adoption,” I said. “I mean, Viv and Xavier would have to turn human for this, and so would Marion. There are so many kids out there who already need a loving home. It would be a tad selfish on our part to disregard them for the sake of having our own, even if we could. Does that make sense?”
Derek smiled. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from The Shade and GASP, it’s that family doesn’t end with blood, Sofia. So, yes, it makes perfect sense.”
I exhaled sharply, the weight suddenly gone from my shoulders.
“Good… Good. So, we’ve got something more to look forward to once we go back, then,” I said.
“Yeah, but I’m in no hurry to leave yet,” Derek replied, putting on a mischievous smirk as he looked around.
We’d stopped in a secluded part of Noagh’s beach, out of sight and with nothing but the ocean, the sand, the jungle, and the moon keeping us company. We were on our own, and I was starting to feel like I had in the early days, when Derek and I used to run off to the Lighthouse, just so we could be alone.
My heart began to thud violently, as Derek’s fingers drew invisible lines up the sides of my body, from my hips to my ribs, before moving up my arms, my shoulders, and finally brushing against my lips. I sucked in a breath as his gaze darkened.
“I still can’t get enough of you, Sofia,” he whispered.
“Good. Because I can’t function without you,” I replied.
He groaned gently, then ravenously kissed me. I welcomed him, forgetting about everything else as he meticulously pulled the straps of my summer dress over my shoulders. With one swift move, I stood before my husband, naked and yearning for him.
His gaze traveled up and down my body, before it settled on my face.
“I love you more than yesterday, Sofia,” he said.
“And I will love you more tomorrow,” I breathed.
He slipped out of his shorts, then took my hand and guided me into the water. The sky was a deep, dark blue, slightly paler to the east, where the sun was slowly getting ready to rise. The ocean felt cool against my skin.
When the water reached our chests, we stopped. Derek pulled me close, our bodies so close together, we nearly merged with one another.
“We’ve got at least an hour left before sunrise,” Derek whispered in my ear, then gently nibbled on my lobe, sending my blood rushing and swirling frenetically through my veins.
I couldn’t help but moan as his mouth took over mine. I unraveled in his arms. We made love in the water, frolicking and giggling like feisty kids. We reached for the stars, and, in our peak of ecstasy, we nearly disintegrated.
I was weightless and happy. He was powerful and intense.
The contrast was delightful.
“I’m nothing without you, Sofia,” he murmured, his lips brushing against mine.
With my arms around his neck, I looked into my husband’s eyes and experienced another wave of pleasure and sheer happiness, flowing through me like liquid sunshine. After almost ninety years, we were still two pieces of the same puzzle, in perfect sync. Our souls were bound.
Derek
Our second week on Strava was even more fascinating. After we got used to the surroundings and got a good idea of the atoll’s layout around Noagh, we ventured farther to the south and west, where more islands awaited.
We had tremendous amounts of fun together and on our own. I’d even begun spending the early evenings alone, walking through the jungle behind the resort. I left Sofia with Vivienne and the others in the kitchen, as they prepared a scrumptious dinner feast. After my walk, I would return to a table worthy of praise, as Sofia had discovered some local spices that added real kick to the blood. On top of that, Lucas had come across a very special fruit that took forever to peel but, once washed and sliced, tasted like heaven, according to him, Corrine, Kailyn, and Ibrahim.
After Sofia and I had agreed to expand our family once we got back to The Shade, I found that I needed the one or two hours alone, just to think about what it all entailed, and how it would affect our lives going forward.
As I went deeper into the jungle behind the resort, I found the pros to significantly outweigh the cons of having another child. Of course, I’d known that from the moment I’d said yes to Sofia, but, still, it felt somewhat reassuring to go back and consider the issue over and over. The conclusion was the same every time. I looked forward to another kid in our treehouse, and I was confident that both Ben and Rose would welcome a little brother or sister.
Harper, Serena, Phoenix, Vita, and Caia were definitely going to be over the moon about this. Serena had, in fact, previously hinted at Sofia and me that we should consider having more kids—subtle drops during dinner conversations, the kind that we never addressed in front of them, but carried with us to sleep, nonetheless. I took a deep breath, smiling at the thought that we’d decided to do this. It felt great.
I was more than two miles away from the resort, on the northeastern side of the island, when I spotted a creature I’d never seen before. I stilled, then hid behind a
tree and kept quiet, just so I could get a better look.
It was a monkey of sorts, with long limbs and a thick coat of fur—a dazzling array of pinks, yellows, and lime greens displayed in horizontal, uneven stripes, as if it had been repeatedly dipped in different buckets of fluorescent paint. It was half my height and slender, remarkably light and agile as it circled a tall tree. Fruits hung high in clusters, on branches too thin for the monkey to reach on its own.
Its big green eyes looked around, then settled on some rocks big enough to fit in its long-fingered hands. The creature grabbed one stone, sniffed it, then threw it upward, aiming for a fruit cluster. The projectile missed its mark by inches, prompting the monkey to groan and try again.
After five more attempts, it managed to dislodge an entire cluster. The fruits, shaped and colored like peaches, fell and scattered on the leafy ground. The monkey rushed around to collect them, then looked around again, as if making sure no one was watching it. I held my breath for a second, fascinated and amused by its intelligent behavior. Lucas was right: Harper had definitely neglected some of the animals on Strava when she’d said there was no sign of intelligent life on this planet.
I followed it deeper into the jungle, keeping my distance so as not to spook the creature. As I glanced around me and noticed the tree layout and density, as well as the ground elevation, I realized we’d yet to explore this part of Noagh. There were no familiar scents, either, which reinforced my conviction that this was my first time in this area.
It was secluded and dark, the tree crowns completely obscuring the evening sky. Insects chirped all around me. Various reptiles rattled and hissed, but none were brave enough to get closer. Even the larger predators stayed away, though I wasn’t sure whether it was because of me or something else, something potentially more dangerous lurking in these parts of the jungle.
I didn’t spot anything alarming, so I stayed focused on the monkey. It carried its fruity stash to the top of a massive rock and—I came to a sudden halt. The creature vanished somewhere ahead, but the big, black hole in the rock caught my full attention. It was a cave.
Careful not to make any noise and stir the local fauna, I made my way through the woods and reached the cave entrance. Cool darkness oozed out of it in a quiet way that sent shivers down my spine. I briefly glanced over my shoulder, purely out of reflex, then went inside.
The temperature dropped substantially, to the point where my body needed a few seconds’ worth of goosebumps to readjust. It was pitch black, but my vampire vision helped me make sense of my surroundings. I walked through the narrow corridor, going farther inside the cave. It looked smaller from the outside, but, as I reached the end of the passageway and noticed the multiple openings and tunnels leading in different directions, I realized this was an entire network of grottos.
They were all interconnected. I noticed the descent, too. I was deep underground at this point. Taking a deep breath, I started exploring the smaller grottos. Their walls were black and slick with moisture. Crystal formations hung from the ceiling at sharp angles, in bright shades of blue and green. The ground was covered in soft moss.
A dim glow caught my eye as I turned right into another grotto. There were what looked like cables mounted on the tunnel wall, leading into the chamber. They were about three to five inches thick, glowing blue. They seemed to go on through multiple caves, so I followed them through several spaces until I found a larger, round grotto that took my breath away.
First and foremost, it was perfectly round, like a smooth globe. Second, its ground was covered with metallic pods big enough to fit any creature up to ten feet tall.
I stared at them for a while, then noticed the glowing blue cables spreading out and connecting through each pod. This place was quite big, the domed ceiling reaching a height of fifty feet. I walked between the pods, trying to make some sense of their purpose.
Everything was so quiet, all I could hear were my own footsteps.
Each metallic pod was simple and shaped like an egg. There was nothing across their surface to indicate that they could be opened in any way. I could see my reflection, though, clear as day. The only disruption on the pods’ flawless outer layer was the slot in which the glowing blue cable went.
I looked around again and counted.
There were about three hundred pods in this chamber, but the cables went out to adjacent grottos. Chances were, I’d find more of these capsules if I kept following the cables.
The one thing I knew for sure was that these pods were not of natural origin.
They’d been put down here by someone. Those cables served a purpose.
Most importantly, they all looked clean and carefully crafted—certainly not the work of wild animals.
Was there someone still here?
Or were these pods just remnants of a civilization long gone?
My heart skipped a beat as I examined both possibilities. Each scenario piqued my interest in a different manner, but my conclusion was the same either way: I had to show this place to the others. They had to see this.
Sofia
“I’m surprised we didn’t find this place before,” I murmured, following Derek into the cave system he’d come across an hour earlier.
Lucas, Xavier, and the others were right behind us. Derek guided us through the tunnel, going deeper underground until we all saw the cables emerging from, then lining the black stone walls. They were strange, indeed, thick and glowing blue.
“It’s well hidden,” Derek replied. “I found it by accident. The woods are thick in these parts.”
“It’s cold down here,” Xavier muttered.
“It gets even cooler in the chambers,” Derek said.
He led us to the main chamber first, where we all counted and confirmed three hundred pods. I had to stop and take a deep breath, just to take it all in. The sphere-shaped grotto was simply out of this world—dark, mysterious, and perfectly round.
The glowing cables ran through all the pods, then connected into what looked like a mainframe computer of sorts on the other side of the room. It wasn’t immediately visible, though.
“I only saw it after I got to that side,” Derek explained, walking over to it.
I stayed close to him, while the rest of our group spread out to get a better look at the metallic pods. The computer was about my height, mounted into the wall, and was about seven feet wide. It was made of a strange steel alloy with black glass screens, but no buttons whatsoever. There were several small, rectangular slots at the base, but nothing to indicate its function, or how to even turn it on.
“One thing is for sure: this thing here has something to do with the pods,” I concluded, pointing at the glowing cables. “Have you figured out how to turn this thing on, by any chance?”
Derek shook his head, checking the mainframe’s edges. He was double-checking the entire system. “I looked at it before, but I can’t, for the life of me, understand how it works. I am, however, willing to bet there’s a circuit board and hardware system behind it. It’s got an operating unit. This may not be our planet, but science and technology follow the universal values of mathematics. This whole system was most likely built on that basis.”
I touched the black screens, but nothing happened. Upon a closer look, I noticed the small symbols engraved on the edges. “Derek, did you see these?” I asked.
Derek came closer and narrowed his eyes at the symbols. “No,” he said thoughtfully. “But it’s definitely a language.”
“These pods are weird,” Lucas said. He’d stopped in the middle of the chamber, staring at one of the capsules. “I see the cable going in, but that’s it. How do you open them?”
“I don’t know,” Derek replied. “I’m wary of opening them, though. What if we compromise their contents?”
“Well, what do you think is in them?” Vivienne asked, standing farther to the left, in front of another pod. “They’re big enough to hold the likes of us…”
“Or maybe whoever in
habited Strava before,” Xavier offered.
The pods varied slightly in size, from six to ten feet in length, and up to six feet in width. Their shape was identical, and they were all crafted from the same reflective metal alloy. I left the presumed mainframe behind and stopped in front of the nearest pod.
I moved around it, checking every angle, while the others discussed possible uses and origins.
“Maybe they’re meant to preserve creatures,” Ibrahim said, scratching his stubbled chin. Corrine lowered herself to her knees to have a look underneath one of the capsules. “That might explain the cables. They could be feeding oxygen into the pods.”
“And this could be their command system,” Derek replied, nodding at the mainframe. “There are a few more chambers like this, but just with pods. The cables all lead to this panel.”
“How many in total?” Lucas asked.
“Five hundred and five,” Derek said. “This is definitely the main room.”
“How old could these things be?” Claudia wondered, frowning at one of the cables where it went inside a pod.
Derek sighed. “They look relatively new. The cave’s ecosystem is definitely helping with their preservation. There’s no dust, and the surfaces look clean, with barely a scratch on them. Off the top of my head, and judging by the moss growth around each pod… I’d say maybe a hundred years?”
A sudden click drew our attention to Corrine, who was still looking under the pod. It startled Ibrahim, who instantly pointed at the top of the capsule, his eyes wide with shock.
“Corrine, something’s showing here!” he croaked.
Corrine shot to her feet. We all hurriedly converged on their location.
“What did you do?” Derek asked her.
She shrugged. “I found a tiny little button underneath, barely noticeable. I pressed it,” she said, then nodded at the small black screen that had become visible on the top side of the pod. It had been incorporated into and concealed by the metallic surface. “Then, I guess, that happened.”
A Voyage of Founders Page 13
