“Yes.” Too much searching if you asked me.
He continued moving down, slowing grasping one rung, and then another. “And what do you want with them?”
“I want Rachel. I don’t even know Veraka.”
He jumped the final part. Landing on his feet. “Veraka is my sister.”
“Oh. That’s nice.” Maybe I should have worded my comment about her a little nicer.
“Rachel got her to leave her coma.”
“Got her to?” I wasn’t aware that someone chose when to leave a coma, but what did I know?
“Veraka takes the universe a bit too seriously.” He brushed off some invisible dust from his grey jumpsuit.
“Don’t we all,” I mumbled.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. It’s just that I’m learning a lot more about the universe right now.” And I was. Or at least I was learning more about how others viewed the universe. I still didn’t understand how it could be unbalanced or how Rachel and I could possibly help.
“Might as we learn. The universe already knows everything about you.”
“How can the universe know anyone? It’s a place. Not a person.”
“Of course it’s not a person. It’s so much more than a person.” He spread his arms wide.
“Somehow I’m supposed to balance it.”
“Oh.” His eyes widened. “That’s who you are.”
“Huh?” I put my hands around the bars.
“You are a starmate. I probably shouldn’t have locked you up, but there is nothing I can do about that now.”
“Sure there is. You could let me out. We can put this whole incident behind us. I won’t tell anyone. I’ll say I received top notch treatment on Soldrum.”
“Nope.” He shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
Maybe I had taken it too far, but I’d promise whatever it took to get out of that cell so I could track down Rachel. “But you are the gatekeeper and the jailer. You can do anything.” And I figured it couldn’t hurt to thrown in some heavy encouragement and flattery.
“Still, once a decision is made it sets things into motion, and not all things can be changed.”
“Everything can be changed.” At least I wished it were true. Some things couldn’t be. Like death.
“We have to wait until I hear from the universe.”
I struggled to keep myself calm. “Oh, is that so? How often do you hear from the universe?”
“Every so often.”
“So no hope for the 1-2 weeks you first mentioned?” Had I somehow made my situation worse?
“That was when I thought you were a normal Earthling. But I messed up. You aren’t normal.”
“No, I guess I’m not.” I knew he didn’t mean normal in that sense, but either way it was the truth.
“Why were you separated from your starmate in the first place?” He pulled out a typically sized chair out from underneath the towering one.
“Because of the Reflectos. They put me through hell.”
“Ah, to strengthen you.” He nodded. “As a starmate you will get all kinds of experiences.”
“Something like that.”
“You feel stronger?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I only feel frustrated and ready to get out of here.”
“I need to wait until I get a sign. Once I get that I can let you go without a trial.”
“What kind of sign?” Maybe it was something I could fake.
“A sign. You can’t predict what the universe will send.”
“Or how long it will take…” If it ever came. I had the sinking feeling this planet didn’t have rules requiring that a prisoner be given trial by a certain time.
“Ooooo. Oooo. Let him go.” A giant sparkling thing walked into the room.“Oooo. Let Noah go.”
* * *
At the sound of my name I took a closer look at the sparkly being. It didn’t take long to realize the big sparkling thing was Dale. Dale wearing a sparkly jump suit and covered in sparkly strings. It was an image I will never get out of my head.
“Who are you?” The gatekeeper turned to him.
“I have been sent by the universe. Let this starmate go. It must happen.” Dale danced around in circles. He was lucky no one had a phone. This video would have gone viral.
* * *
“You were sent by the universe?” The gatekeeper narrowed his eyes.
“Yes. Ohhh.” Dale raised his hands and opened and closed them rapidly. “Let him go.”
“If you were sent by the universe, why are you dressed that way?” The gatekeeper narrowed his eyes.
“Aren’t all the universes messengers dressed this way?” Dale began his circles again.
“No. But now that you mention it I’ve never met a messenger. It usually just sends signs.”
“See. That’s why you didn’t recognize me. The universe is very busy, what with the pending imbalance and stuff. And it really wants the balanced fixed so you have to let this kid go.” Dale stopped dancing.
“Kid?” The gatekeeper scowled. “Wait. Where are you from? Are you an Earthling too? There is no way the universe would send an Earthling as a messenger.”
“Why not?” I broke my silence. Maybe it wasn’t the most pressing matter, but I didn’t see why humans got such a bad rap here.
“Because they are of a lower order and can’t be trusted.”
“Yet I’m a starmate,” I pointed out. “That has to mean something.”
“No.” He rubbed his chin. “Not everything means something. Some things don’t mean anything at all.”
Like this ridiculous conversation. I kept the thought to myself. I also kept the thought that it was odd that the man who was waiting on a message from the universe had just said that some things don’t mean anything at all.
“When are you going to let him out?” Dale crossed his arms.
“When the universe sends a sign.”
“I am the sign.” Dale put a hand to his chest. “Didn’t you hear what I said?”
“Of course I heard you. And I saw you. But I don’t trust you. I’ll wait for a follow up.”
“I just told you the universe is busy. What if there is no follow up?” Dale shifted his feet from foot to foot.
“When I don’t respond there will be.” The gatekeeper stood from his seat.
Dale took a few steps back from him. “Or it will strike you down with spite.
“The universe does not strike down anyone with spite.”
“Because the universe is inherently good?” Once again, maybe not the most pressing question, but it was one I wanted the answer to.
“No. It strikes down plenty, but not with spite.”
“Ah, big difference.” Dale rolled his eyes.
“I suppose I should lock you up too.” The gatekeeper pulled out a small black remote. “For safekeeping.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Dale shook his head. “I am plenty safe out here.”
“Are you sure?” The gatekeeper ran his fingers over the remote. “I was going to lock you up with Bessy. She’s a real gem.” A shimmering woman walked over from the cell next to me. I hadn’t seen her before as she had been behind the half wall between the cells. “Hi. I didn’t realize anyone else was here.”
“You didn’t hear us talking that whole time?” I tried not to stare, but it was hard when the woman’s entire body glittered.
“Oh wait. Gem. Shimmered. I get it.” Dale slapped his knee.
“Nice outfit.” Bessy grinned.
“Ah. Yeah. It’s not my usual style.” Dale’s race reddened. It was the first time I’d seen the guy embarrassed before.
“So how about it? Want to join Bessy?”
“Sure. Being safe can’t hurt.” Dale tried to sound nonchalant.
I shot Dale a look. Really? Over a girl?
He avoided my gaze. The gatekeeper pressed a button on the remote. The door slid open just enough for Dale to slip in. As soon as he stepped in th
e door closed behind them.
“So what are you in for?” Dale asked Gem.
“Oh, nothing much.” She whistled lightly. “Murder.”
“Oh.” Dale’s voice rose an octave. “Is that so?”
“Yes. Third time I’m here actually.”
“Oh.” Dale’s voice cracked. “I see.”
“But he had it coming. Just like the others.” Bessy threaded her hands together.
“You know what? I think I’d be okay out there.” Dale pointed toward the bars.
“Nah. I already put you in. Now you wait there. I’m going to lunch.” The gatekeeper headed out. The door clicked closed behind him.
“Nice rescue plan,” I mumbled.
“Hey, I tried. Can’t fault me.” Dale was standing right beside the bars of his cells. As far from Bessy as possible. I didn’t blame him.
“A rescue plan?” Bessy’s head flew up. “How can I help?”
“I need to get out of here and find my—girlfriend.” Rachel was so much more than my girlfriend, but that sounded like a good start.
“His starmate. He has a starmate,” Dale corrected.
“Oh my.” Her pink eyes widened. “The universe will be unbalanced if you don’t.”
“So I’ve heard.” Not that I had any idea what it meant.
“Which one are you?” She inclined her head to the side.
“Which one am I what?”
“A feeler or feeder?” She took a seat on the floor, creating a nearly blinding effect in the process.
“Oh. A feeder I think.”
“Very nice. Got it.”
“Do you have any idea how to get out of here?” Dale’s voice sounded normal again.
“Sure. It’s very easy.”
“Oh?” This was news to me. If it was easy, why was she there? “How’s that?”
“Just call a ride.”
“How do you call a ride?” Was I missing something?
“You’ve never called a ride before?” She leaned back on her elbows.
“I’ve called a cab… does that count?” Dale asked.
She sighed. “Listen, if I help you I need help in return.”
“What kind of help?” The girl had just admitted to being a murderer. I wasn’t signing up for that kind of deal.
“I need to find someone. Kind of like you, although the balance of the universe doesn’t depend on it or anything.”
“We can help,” Dale offered. “How do we get this ride?”
She whistled. One short. Two long. One short. Two long. Moments later the ground shook.
“What’s going on?” Dale looked all around.
“Calm down.” Bessy sighed. “Our ride is coming.”
The shaking stopped and something slimy and green oozed out of the floorboards outside of the cells.
“What is that stuff?” I took a step back.
“Our ride.”
“We are riding ooze out of here?” I tried to follow. I’d seen strange things since leaving earth, but this seemed like it was in an entirely different category.
“Just wait.” Bessy grinned.
“The only thing we can do is wait.” Dale looked as weirded out as I felt.
I stared at the slime as it started to pulse. “What is it doing?”
“I told you to wait. Can’t you follow a simple instruction?”
I said nothing. What was there to say? Instead, I watched as the ooze continued to pulse, and then started to rise as if in vines. It congealed altogether, finally settling into a single entity that looked somewhat like a slug. The slug sent out its two antennas. They touched the cell doors, and they both slid open.
“All right boys. Let’s go.” Bessy approached the giant slug and patted its side. “The gatekeeper could be back at any time.”
“We are riding that thing?” I narrowed my eyes.
“You have another ride?” She climbed the creature’s side and sat on it as if it were a horse.
“Nope.” I followed her lead, surprised that the slug didn’t feel nearly as slimy as it appeared.
Dale followed tentatively and sat behind me. “If it was that easy to call, why didn’t you do it earlier?”
“It’s comfortable enough here. I needed a safe place to lay my head while I planned my next move. Looks like I made the right decision as I now have help.”
“I’m not sure we will be able to help, but we’ll try.” That’s technically all we’d agreed to. We couldn’t make promises when we didn’t know where this person would be.
“No. You will succeed. Too much time has passed already.”
“Who are we looking for exactly?” I asked not sure I really wanted to know the answer.
“My daughter. We are looking for my daughter.”
“We’ll find her.” Dale leaned forward in to me. “I promise we will find her.”
Was he serious? Promising that? But then Bessy turned around, and I saw her eyes. I saw the deep hollowness and loss in her eyes. There was no other promise to give. The pain and anguish in her eyes were almost too much. We’d help her no matter what it took, but first we needed to find Rachel.
5 Noah
“Things are about to get weird, but whatever you do don’t freak out,” Bessy instructed.
“About to get weird? This isn’t weird already?” Dale said what I was thinking.
“How is any of this weird so far?” Bessy glanced at us over her shoulder.
“How isn’t it weird?”
She didn’t answer.
“Just remember not to freak out.”
If Bessy knew anything about us, she would have realized that telling us not to freak out was a sure-fire way to make us freak out.
The slug pulsed, and I tried to hold on to the side of it. When that didn’t work I grabbed hold of Bessy. Dale did the same to me.
Before I could reflect on any of that, an intense pressure hit me and grew stronger and stronger. It felt as though I were being crushed by a force ten times as strong as gravity. I couldn’t feel my body. All I felt was pain. My vision tunneled, but from what I could see we were falling.
The pain stopped, but I was too stunned to move or do anything. “What the hell was that?” After what felt like ages I regained the capacity to speak.
“I told you not to freak out. But you guys wouldn’t listen.”
“Not freak out? It felt like we were being crushed to death.” I tried to remember what had happened.
“You weren’t ever in danger of dying. We were merely flattened enough that we could escape through the floor.”
“So we were really part of that ooze? That wasn’t just some weird hallucination?” Dale asked. Evidently he’d noticed more than I had.
“Of course not. And it’s not ooze. Don’t disrespect Galion that way.”
“Disrespect who?” Dale rubbed the back of his head.
“Galion. Our ride.”
“And where is he now?” I asked tentatively. The thing could be ooze or a slug. Who knew what else it could turn into.
“Here.” She spread out her arms.
“The slug is now our spaceship?” Dale asked.
“Why do you keep calling it a slug?” Bessy put a hand on her hip.
“Because it’s a slug.” Dale rubbed his shoulder now. He must have been as sore as I was. “A giant slug that transforms into a spaceship. Pretty cool. Kind of puts BumbleBee to shame.”
“Bumblebee? You have a bumblebee?” Bessy narrowed her eyes. “Either I’m not translating this right, or you actually keep insects?”
“Never mind.” There was no reason to waste time describing the subtleties of a movie franchise based on toys to her.
“Humans.” Bessy rolled her eyes. This made her eyes sparkle so brightly I had to shield my own.
After I regained my vision I decided to change the subject. “Your slug is pretty cool.”
“It’s not a slug.”
“Oops. Sorry.” I didn’t know what else to call it. “What is G
alion then?”
“A Denro. A highly evolved form of a Keto.”
“A slug.” Dale nodded. “A slug transformer.”
“Moving on…” My attempt to change the subject wasn’t going very well so far.
“Had neither of you really never been off Earth before this?”
“No. But that’s pretty common for us. People don’t just go out into space. And anyone besides those sent by the government who say they were taken off the planet are treated as mentally ill.” Up until my own experience I would have called them crazy.
“Such barbaric people. Stuck in the dark ages.” Bessy braided her glimmering hair.
“It’s not our fault.” We are all confined by the information we are given.
“But you never wanted more? You never strove for answers about what lay beyond your planet?”
“Of course we did. But we aren’t billionaires so doing anything about that was impossible.” She was right in theory. If you want answers you seek them out. I certainly never did though, but it was hard to see outside of your own small life sometimes.
“Do you ever want to go back?”
“Our families were taken from Earth so there’s really no reason to return.” Dale leaned back on a console. I really hoped he didn’t break it. We had enough issues. “I’ll admit things are far more dangerous for us now, but life is also a hell of a lot more interesting.”
“Yes. Way more.” But also stressful. Incredibly stressful. It was hard to believe that until recently I’d been worried about exams and getting my computer fixed. Those issues felt like nothing now.
“And your starmate?” Bessy put a hand to her chest.
“What about her?” I was generally up for talking about Rachel, but there were only some details I was willing to share, and you never knew where someone was going with a conversation.
“Why can’t you find her more easily?” There was a definitely accusation in her voice as if I wasn’t trying hard enough.
“What do you mean? I knew she was on Sodrum, but I missed her.”
“Yeah, but you should be able to sense her.” Bessy zoomed in on something on a screen. It was still hard to believe all of this technology existed inside of a slug—or rather a Denro. But then again it was a slug that could change form at a moment’s notice and even make people thin enough to seep through floors.
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