Journey's End

by Luke Derricks

  “I know,” he said.

  “Um, guys,” interrupted Dawn. “Am I the only one who still remembers a real live alien is right in front of us?!”

  Charlie still stared at the alien. Still pretty speechless, too.

  “Are there any planets nearby?” Luke asked the alien. A second later, the alien got its translation.

  It checked the controls. One of the interactive menus scanned the star maps and finally located one. “No,” said the alien. “not for several lightyears.”

  “Can you take us there?”

  “Why?” asked the alien.

  “This pyramid,” said Luke, “it needs a planet to power the… what’d they call it? The Temple of the Gods?”

  The alien paused, confused, but suddenly understood. “Yes, correct, for the human experiment.”

  “The what?” asked Ray.

  “You must be from Ersetu! You speak of the holy sphere, yes?” asked the alien.

  “That’d be the one,” replied Luke.

  “Yeah, I gotta ask,” asked Dawn, “what’s it for, originally, I mean? Why allow anyone to have powers? Some people just end up misusing and abusing their power, you know. It’s why we’re in this mess right now.”

  The alien nodded. “You humans, not long ago, were very primitive. Disorganized, constantly warring with neighboring tribes and communities. We found you, not long ago, seeing you in danger of self-extinction. We thought humans needed leadership. So we began the human experiment.”

  “I’m afraid to ask,” said Ray.

  “I’m not. Tell me,” said Luke.

  “Those proving themselves strong enough or wise enough to face their deepest fears and greatest pains, they received power. Power to lead, to rule, to protect, to prosper,” explained the alien. “Our pyramids resided on your planet for thousands of your years. On many continents. Some of your leaders became very powerful and ruled for many generations. Ra, Zeus, Vishnu, Quetzalcatl, Odin, and countless more. But eventually humans became self-sufficient, self-reliant, and began their own technological evolution. We left your planet to study new life on other worlds. But to see your kind here now, using the Astaria gateways, will be very exciting news for the others when they awake.”

  “Others?” asked Ray.

  “Awake?” repeated Dawn.

  “Yes. My kind. We are nine thousand in number. Traveling a great distance to discover new life and new civilizations…”

  “…to boldly go, where no one has gone before!” Luke chimed in.

  The alien looked at him curiously.

  “Sorry,” said Luke. “So they’re all on this ship, inside this pyramid, now?”

  “Yes,” said the alien.

  “Where?” asked Charlie. He finally spoke up. “I’ve been here a few times. Explored around quite a bit. Never ran into anyone.”

  “They are… asleep. For lack of a better description,” said the alien.

  “Suspended animation?” asked Luke.

  “Yes, so your people understand localized temporal relativity dynamics?” asked the alien excitedly.

  “Um… kinda,” said Luke.

  Ray interrupted. “Look, not to be a damper on what I’m sure is humanity’s greatest moment here, but… we do have a big problem waiting for us back at home. Can we continue with our new plan or what?”

  “You seek the holy sphere?” asked the alien.

  “Yes,” said Luke. “We need new powers, from this pyramid, so when we find a way to destroy the others, we’ll still have an advantage over the bad guys.”

  “Destroy the others?” asked the alien, confused.

  “Pyramids. The other pyramids. If we destroy them, it’ll cut off the source of everyone’s powers, right?”

  “Yes,” the alien nodded. “But why?”

  “It’s just something we need to do,” said Ray.

  “No,” said the alien. “If our pyramids are still running, an experiment is still in progress. You are not allowed to interfere.”

  “But our world’s in danger!” exclaimed Dawn.

  “Your kind is powerful enough to solve its own problems now,” said the alien. “Whatever new problems you face, you are capable of solving them. We do not desire to make any species dependent on us for long. We won’t help you. You must find your own answers and fix your own problems.”

  “What?!” exclaimed Ray.

  “But…” said Luke.

  “That is our way.”

  Charlie took a deep breath. He knew a dead end when he saw one. “Come on Luke, let’s just go.”

  “But Uncle!”

  “He’s not going help us,” said the old man. “Don’t worry, we’ll think of something. Mastermind is our problem.”

  “No,” Dawn said to the alien. “Who do you think Mastermind’s going after next, after he’s enslaved our whole world? Using and abusing the power your kind gave him! Next he’ll take Eden, and then, who knows, maybe your home-world too! Then he will be your problem.”

  “Yeah!” said Luke.

  Ray seemed lost in thought. “No, he’s right,” he calmly said. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually agree with the alien. We need to solve this ourselves. Not look to some god-like alien race to save us. If they help us with this, then we’ll need them to help us with whatever our next problem is, and the one after that. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be dependent on some alien race to solve all our problems. Like those people back on Eden, helpless to defend themselves while they wait for some Big Daddy in the Sky to come and save them again. We need to learn to depend on ourselves.”

  “But…” said Luke.

  “Thank you,” said the alien.

  Ray turned to face the alien. “But I do have one request.”

  The alien listened.

  “Dawn’s suffering from some kind of genetic breakdown that’s way beyond our technological capabilities. Even your healing chamber can’t help. And we all know how powerful that is. I don’t want her to die. It’s not her fault. It’s not any of our fault that this happened to her. All I’m asking – not to save our world or anything like that – just save her. Fix her. Please. Just this once.”

  The alien looked at her.

  “The healing chamber cannot repair her?” it asked.

  “Says it can’t identify her genome,” said Charlie.

  “But you are human, yes?” the alien asked Dawn.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Your kind has been in our database since we first discovered Ersetu. There should be no problem.”

  “Her DNA’s breaking down. Thanks to an unstable chemical Mastermind created.”

  The alien nodded, understanding. “Her core sequences must be too unstable or too few in number. No problem. Return to the healing chamber, and I will override the scanning protocol from here. The automated systems sometimes lack … how would you describe it … common sense?”

  Luke smiled. “Yeah.”

  “Just one question,” said Dawn. “Apparently it’s my unstable DNA that’s been allowing me to shape-shift. Will I still be able to do that, after it ‘fixes’ me?”

  The alien stared at her through its large black almond-shaped eyes. Silence for a moment. And then it spoke. “With your permission, I will program it to upgrade you with quad-helix genetic sequences.”

  “Quad? As in four?” asked Luke. “Our DNA only has two.”

  “Correct. Half your DNA will retain its original codes, providing genetic stability and longevity. The other half will be as your current state, allowing you to continue to ‘shape-shift’ as you call it.”

  “What? Really?” Dawn asked, excited. She didn’t quite follow everything the tall skinny gray alien man – or woman, perhaps – said, but she understood this much: it was going to heal her and let her keep her powers! “Thank you!” she jumped up with joy and threw her arms around the alien.

  “What… is this… that you are doing?” it asked.

  “It’s called a hug,” she
said, smiling.

  “But,” asked Luke, “I gotta ask. You won’t help us get new powers, but you’ll do this for her? Why?”

  “A continuation of the human experiment,” the alien said. “Many of your kind have received special abilities through the sphere. But she will be the first like this. Perhaps she will be prove to be the next step in Ersetu’s evolution. I will return to your planet in a few generations to see how this new experiment turns out.”

  “Um… thanks?” Dawn said.

  “It’s like a second Eve,” Luke said, realizing something. “I bet you tampered with our DNA millennia ago, leading to the current version of human beings. Dawn… you might be the future of humanity!”

  “Cool,” she shrugged.

  “Very cool,” said Luke.

  “Let’s just hope humanity still has a future,” said Charlie.

  “Right,” said Ray. “Let’s get her to the chamber.”

  “Thank you again,” Dawn said to the alien.

  “Yeah,” said Luke. “It was really awesome meeting you. I can’t believe I talked with and met an alien face to face! This is so going on my blog. Too bad no one’s going to believe a word of it.”

  The alien returned to its seat, facing the controls, and began programming something.

  Ray stopped to get one last good look at the dome, seeing all the vast endless stars far outside. Dawn and Charlie stepped onto the circular platforms where they first appeared.

  Luke kept babbling. “I mean, wow, can you believe it? I’m on a space ship, probably thousands of lightyears from home, talking to a real live alien. I have super powers. We all have super powers. I’ve got a magic crystal that opens portals to other worlds. Wow. Yeah, my life rocks!”

  “Come on, Luke,” his uncle said.

  Ray stepped onto the pad with Dawn.

  “Sure, we gotta defeat a powerful madman bent on world domination, and his little team of super-powered mutants—and I’ve only died like, what, two or three times already trying to fight them. So no worries there.”

  “Luke!” Ray called.

  “But it’s all been so worth it!” he exclaimed. “I met one of the Grays! I actually met a real live alien!”

  “LUKE!” they all shouted.

  “Sorry, I’m coming!” He hopped onto the teleporter pad.

  Charlie pushed the recall button on the wall next to them.

  A ring of white light appeared around each pad, lifted up above them, and they instantly disappeared.

  The gray alien shook his head. “Humans.”

  Chapter Six

  New Genesis

  “Okay, get on the table,” said Luke. “Let’s see if this works.”

  Dawn hopped up onto the medical table. They were inside the healing chamber again. This time, if the alien kept its word, events would play out a little differently.

  She laid down. Multi-colored lights scanned her from above. Dawn giggled. “That tickles.”

  A holographic human doctor appeared by her side. “I’ve completed my diagnostic and compatibility analysis,” he said. “Are you ready to be upgraded?”

  “Um, yes, sure,” Dawn said.

  A slightly yellowish-white light beamed down from overhead, starting from her toes, slowly traveling up her legs, tracing up her torso, down her arms, up her neck, and finally, completing at the crown of her head and tips of her fingers.

  The light passed through a second time, moving in the same pattern, this time with a slightly bluish-purple color.

  “I feel funny,” said Dawn.

  Now a third time, a bright green light passed over her body, every part, head to toe.

  “Wow,” she said. “I feel really… strong.”

  The lights finally stopped.

  The holographic doctor spoke. “All upgrades have been completed. Please wait for final diagnostic.”

  Different lights scanned her now. It only lasted a second.

  “Confirmed. Upgrade complete. Genetic cohesion and dynamic integration stabilized. New genome successfully created. No additional repairs or upgrades needed. You are cleared to go.”

  The holographic doctor disappeared.

  Dawn continued laying on her back. She looked left and then right. “Is it done?” she asked.

  “I think so,” said Ray.

  “How do you feel?” asked the old man.

  Dawn sat up. “I feel fine. Really good, actually.” She held her hands out in front of her, studying them. “Like a million times better, actually.” She tried shape-shifting her hand into something – first a powerful animal claw, then a large steel ball, and finally a webbed mermaid-like hand. It felt so easy, so natural, so effortless. “I think I’m all better,” she said.

  The holographic doctor reappeared.

  “Oh, hello again,” she said.

  “Additional instructions received,” said the doctor. “Fabricating suit according to specifications.”

  “Come again?” she asked.

  “A suit?” Luke repeated.

  “What’s he talking about?” asked Ray.

  Uncle Charlie shrugged.

  “Fabrication complete,” said the holographic doctor. He opened a panel along the wall and retrieved a folded blue fabric.

  Everyone watched him carefully.

  The doctor carried it over to Dawn. “This suit will mimic your genome whenever you change into a non-human state. Whenever you return to human form, it will return to the material you see now.”

  “Huh?” asked Ray.

  Dawn took the folded blue fabric out of the doctor’s hands. She opened it up. It looked kind of like a solid color one-piece bathing suit. Designed just for her body.

  “Wait,” said Luke. “Are you saying—” he looked to the holographic doctor, “are you saying that suit will shape-shift with her body?”

  The doctor nodded. “Affirmative.”

  Dawn lit up with excitement. “You mean I won’t be naked every time I transform now?”

  The doctor nodded. “Affirmative. It will mimic your genome whenever you change into a non-human state. Whenever you return to human form, it will return—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I got it,” said Dawn. “I so have to try this.” She hopped down from the medical table, and paused awkwardly, staring at the guys. “Um, a little privacy, please.”

  Luke, Ray, and Uncle Charlie all turned away. Ray rolled his eyes. It’s not like they hadn’t seen her naked before. He’d seen her naked like a half a dozen times already since he met her! Not that he was complaining. She had a great body. Beautiful face. Amazing personality. He only really just met this girl, but she was something else. Something special.

  Dawn quickly took off her old clothes and slipped into the one-piece body suit. It fit her perfectly. Form-fitting, covering all the essentials, but left her arms and legs uncovered. Whatever. This would be fine. Walking around in a leotard was much better than being naked every time she wanted to transform into something other than her normal human form.

  If this worked… she could be something small, like a turtle or bird, or something big, like a gorilla or rhino, or anything in between… she could be a gryphon again, or oh – a dragon, or something cool like that… and never have to worry her clothes again!

  The suit hugged her skin comfortably. Not the most fashionable thing she ever wore. But it would work. Now – a test. She closed her eyes. And picked something.

  A butterfly.

  Quickly she shrank down in size. Smaller and smaller. Wings sprouted out from her back. Antenna from her head. Within a little over a second, she went from a five-foot-something grown blonde woman into a tiny, delicate floating, fluttering, beautiful little butterfly.

  No pile of clothes on the floor. Aside from her old clothes, that she already took off before, of course. But her new blue suit was nowhere to be seen. It merged with her body. Transformed along with her body.

  She floated around. Wow. This was fun. It was like swimming on the air. She felt so free, so relaxed, s
o uninhibited and free-spirited like this. But, there’d be plenty of time for exploring and experimenting with her new power later. She began shape-shifting back into human form.

  It only took about a second. And she fully, completely, and effortlessly returned to her normal human appearance – still wearing the blue one-piece body suit.

  “Yes!” she shouted.

  Ray turned around, smiling. “All good?”

  “Everything’s great!” she said.

  Luke got an idea. “Hey, I wanna try something. I’ll be right back!” He ran out into the corridor.

  “Where’s he going?” asked Ray.

  Uncle Charlie shrugged.

  Ray asked Dawn, “So, everything’s great. You don’t feel sick or weak or anything?”

  “I feel fine. Like, for real, honestly fine.”

  He smiled. “I’m glad.”

  “My shape-changing seems faster now too,” Dawn said. “And takes less effort.”

  “Must be the upgrades from the… uh, alien.”

  Uncle Charlie nodded. “He must’ve anticipated your clothing issue too, and added that as well.”

  “What makes you so sure it was a he?” Dawn asked. “The alien could’ve been a woman, you know.”

  Ray laughed. “I suppose that’s true.”

  Luke came back, lugging all the pieces of his battle suit in his arms. “Ray, a little help here, please…”

  Ray helped him.

  “On the table,” Luke said, carrying it there.

  They dumped the pieces onto the table.

  “That stuff was heavy,” said Luke, exhausted.

  The pieces of the broken suit laid on the medical table. A second later, lights began scanning from overhead.

  “I wonder,” said Luke.

  “If this works,” said Ray, “you’re a freaking genius.”

  Charlie watched curiously.

  The holographic doctor appeared again. “Diagnostic complete. Blueprints for detected model and serial number found. Commencing repairs.”

  Then this holographic doctor, with lightning-quick speed, began assembling, repairing, and fixing the space suit by hand. He moved so quickly, his hands and arms looked blurry. The others watched, as piece by piece, Luke’s new battle suit got repaired good as new – including a smooth polish and sparkling new shine.