Lucian groaned. "Thought we agreed on staying back from the weird machines."
I ignored him and circled around the center rod. "I think I know what these are," I said.
Their shape inspired a deep curiosity within me. I tilted my head and stared at the odd mushroom-like head of the coil. The prongs were carefully designed to form a perfect circle around the center. All six of them were the same shape and height. Together, they formed a hexagon.
The rain was relentless. More thunder pounded overhead, and a bright flash illuminated the sky. I ran to the side and yelled, "Stand back!"
Everyone ducked down. The bolt hit the coil, and wild electrical sparks shot around us. The power spread and connected to the other coils. A loud humming noise resounded on the other side of the wall. It was providing power to something concealed by the wall.
"What is going on?" my dad asked.
I swallowed and glanced up at the watchtower. I could have sworn I saw someone standing inside, watching us. The eyes glowed heather green. As soon as I blinked, the apparition disappeared.
Bolts of electricity connected and whipped above us. I marveled at their power. "They're Tesla coils," I said.
"They're what, now?" Lucian asked.
I remembered the designs in my mother's books. These models didn't appear to be working that well. "They seem to be a variation on the standard model," I said. "When the current hits the coil, the electricity will oscillate. See it? They're used to transfer energy."
All of the men stared, dumbfounded by my response. My dad cleared his throat and said, "You've lost us, darling."
I was no expert on the subject, but I knew enough to explain. "Electricity, Dad. These coils are advanced energy conductors."
"You mean we could have had TV this whole time?" he joked.
I grinned and shook my head. "More like we could have had a working stove," I said.
As the rain cleared, the coils lost their connection. The humming noise slowly died down, and the sharp current of electricity shot away from the coils before it disappeared completely.
"They're inefficient models," I muttered. "I wonder what they were using them for?"
"They?" Kahn asked.
I turned toward Lucian's brother. "Look at this place. Whoever built these things is long gone. I don't think we have to worry anymore."
The threat of being met by antagonistic force lay possible on the other side, but I was no longer concerned. Our family had come together with the death of Micah. Nothing could stop us now. This was our time to shine.
I took Lucian's hand and threaded my fingers around his. "If there's a cure, it's on the other side of that wall. Are you ready?" I asked.
He nodded but shot one last glance back at his father's lifeless body. "I told you once before. The only cure I need is you."
I kissed his shoulder and inhaled his comforting scent. I had fallen in love with who he was. I adored his mutation because it made him understand and learn empathy. However, I understood what it was like to search for something your whole life. For me, that pursuit came in the guise of my mother. For him, it was the serum that would cure his transformation.
We were all looking for something. We had been through hell and back. We deserved to get what we wanted.
"I want you to find it," I said. "You deserve closure."
I reached into my pocket and felt the folded up photograph that my father gave me just as he allowed me to go with Lucian on this journey. Looking back on the memory was so strange. It seemed like ages ago when it happened. I was younger and more naive. I looked at life through such a narrow lens.
The words on the back of the photograph were no truer now than they were back then. I’ll meet you on the other side of the barrier, critter.
It all made so much sense now. I was going to meet her on the other side of that wall.
With courage burning within my breast, I walked toward the door and reached for that silver knob. I felt the cold, smooth metal turn inside my palm. Taking one giant breath, I closed my eyes and pushed it open.
My heart was frantic and heavy. This was it, the moment I came face to face with the truth. It was a day we all could look back on with warmth and understanding.
I opened the door, and the wind from inside rushed out at me. It nearly knocked me over, but I braced my heel to the side and used the door to pull myself inside. Lucian and Dad quickly followed, and all three of us were silent. The door slammed shut behind us.
Lucian put out his hand. "Stay on alert. There's no turning back now."
We were inside a narrow and roofed enclosure. Surrounding the walkway was technology I had never seen before. There were computer screens displaying complex and oscillating shapes. The soft hum of electricity buzzed below us. I stopped, enthralled by the oddly sequenced lights. I almost forgot why I was here.
"Are you sure that you're ready?" Lucian asked.
Proudly, I gazed upon the three men and nodded. "Readier than ever," I said.
At the end of the path was a large metal door with a complex design carved into the center. I recognized the logo from the picture that Dad gave me. It was the insignia imprinted on her lab coat. Onyx Laboratories, a division of Onyx Corporation.
They were the ones who’d done this. I felt scared. Enraged, but also worried that I had gone too far.
Kahn stepped aside. "Your mom was right," he said. "This is just the beginning."
I nodded. As much as I had been preparing for the end times, I couldn't really fathom a life without hope. I had to believe there was something else on the other side.
I pressed my hand against a small computer keypad. The room lit up brightly and made a bell-like noise. I jumped back, and the door slid open.
The inside was dark, and the air smelled stale. The area was completely abandoned, but I noticed that electrical coils ran across the center. A small mist came through the floor underneath us. I looked down and saw a small control center of sorts, but that was all I could see.
I exhaled with surprise. I dropped to the floor and looked at the machines closely. They didn't look like they were from this era. In fact, none of the tech did.
More mist surrounded me, coursing through my lungs.
"Oh, my God," I whispered.
"Critter," my dad muttered. "Where are we?"
I stood and swallowed, throat feeling like a piece of sandpaper. "It's a ship," I said. "We're in a spaceship."
Lucian dropped and looked at the control center. "What the fuck…"
I stood and stepped forward. "Hello?" My voice echoed across the room.
A light flickered at the other end of the large space. "Wait. Don't move," Lucian said. "I think I see something."
I squinted and ignored his request for me to stop. I had been waiting for this moment since we’d met.
As I stepped through that door, I tried not to focus on the pounding of my heart against my sternum. I took long and deep breaths, and waded through the darkness. When I reached the center, I saw the faint outline of a person.
Speedily, I reached behind my back for my pistol. I squeezed my hand around the grip and swung it in front of me. I wasn't taking any chances. I aimed and commanded them to stop. "Hands where I can see them."
Slowly, the ground began to shake. The room filled with mist from below. I felt a dizzying sensation sweep inside me. My throat closed, and I started to choke.
"N-N-No," I stuttered and fell back against one of the computers.
I tried to grab hold of the edges, but my fingers turned stiff and my vision went black. "What is… happening… to me?"
I fell to the rigid ground, face to face with Lucian. His eye twitched like that of a dying animal. "The cure…" he muttered.
Two boots stepped in between us. All of my senses died.
Lilly
I heard a voice. A woman's voice. A voice that was both familiar and foreign, all at once.
My senses were dull. I could not see, but I could hear every single
word.
"November. 2020. I have established first contact. It is worse than I thought. The virus has spread into the cities, but it will take years for people to reckon with the end. The apocalypse moves slowly. Meaning, I still have time. Meaning, it can still be undone," she said. "Today is a good day. I have found my family. My daughter… she is pregnant. You heard that right. I'm a grandmother. One check off the bucket list. I hope this tape gets to you with the others, Aiden. I miss you so much. Over and out."
Finally, I opened my eyes. It took all my strength, but I managed to turn onto my back. She clicked the stop button on a Walkman and turned around. That Walkman was the same one my mother gave to me.
"Mom?"
She stood in all her glory, showcasing her power and prowess. Bending to one knee, she lowered her head and said, "I was worried you wouldn't come," she said. "Sorry about the sedatives. A simple precaution. You never know who might show up here at the wrong time."
I gained some strength back and sat up, shaking my head. The sight of her inside of this place was a lot to take in even if it was expected.
I looked back at my mother and there were tears in her eyes. I choked up and breathed through my nose. "Please tell me this is real," I said.
"It's real," she said.
"I can't believe it. It was just as everyone said," I muttered.
She helped me up and engulfed me in her hug. I smelled her again, and my body could hardly take it. Every memory came back to me. "Every moment is specific," she said.
I stepped back and admired her. Everything felt so light and imaginary. "Your skin. Your eyes. Your voice. You're so young," I said. "My God, you must be younger than thirty!"
She bit her lip and laughed. "Twenty-three."
"The same age as me," I murmured.
I felt a sharp pain hit my heart. It was so hard to understand, but she promised to make it easier for me. She took my hand and led me out of the room. We walked through another hallway until we reached a tall ladder. She grabbed the first rung and hoisted herself up. "There's something you need to see," she said. "All of you."
I grabbed the first rung and tried to raise my body. It felt so hard to move, to breathe or feel anything at all. I followed a much younger version of my mother to the very top of the building. We were inside the watchtower.
"Mom, you're not a goddess, are you? Or a witch? If you are, it's okay. You can tell me…"
At the top was a small walkway. She helped me onto the platform and led me to a door. "Honey, as much as I like the sound of that, I can assure you I'm not a goddess."
"Then what are you?" I asked her.
"I'm about to show you," she said, checking an advanced watch on her wrist. "We only have minutes until it happens. Let's hurry."
She opened the door, and the night sky twinkled in front of me. Everyone was already on the deck. My dad stepped forward first, but Lucian and Kahn stood behind him, waiting for some answers. "Guys," I whispered. "It's… my mom."
My dad's jaw shook before he spoke. "Juliana… it's really you. You're even more beautiful than I remember," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I thought… Shit, I thought your mind had been infected by that virus."
Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair. She gazed into his eyes, but she did not recognize any of us in the way I had imagined. Something was off. "What happened on that day is what needed to happen," she said. "There's no going back. Please forgive me."
A cold shock filtered through my body as I realized what she was trying to tell us. There was no fixing her death because, in her timeline, she had yet to experience it.
"Do you even know who we are?" my dad asked.
She nodded and looked away. "I know versions of you," she admitted. "You have visited me all my life. And in turn, I have visited you."
My dad's Adam's apple caught against his shirt as he swallowed. "Why are you here? To torment us?"
Slowly, she came closer to him. "I'm here to give her something that she needs," she said. "And I'm here to tell you that you need to go to the past. You need to get away from this place. The end is near.”
"Jesus Christ, are you even listening? We needed you," Dad cried. "It's been so hard."
She leaned her forehead against his and kissed him, deeply. "You are a good man worthy of so much," she said.
"If that's true, why did you leave me?" he asked. "Tell me. I deserve to know that much."
As I watched the tears fall from my father's eyes, Lucian came to my rescue. He held me and made me feel so warm. He gave me what my father had to give up so long ago. Comfort and love.
She let go and eyed all four of us. "Because I had to fix what happened."
"That's what I don't understand. How do you know what happens?" my father asked. "You’re from the past. How do you know what will happen to the world?"
"I just know," she urged.
"It doesn't make sense," my dad argued. "None of this makes any goddamn sense."
Tears drenched her face, and heavy ripples of emotion shook her body. "I'm the one who ends it," she said and turned abruptly. "I'm the one. Me."
"Mom." I tore away from Lucian and held her. "It was… you?"
She angled her head and whispered, "We couldn't stop it from spreading."
"Who, Mom?" I asked, but I somehow knew the answer.
"All of us with Project Onyx."
"You’re the leader of Project Onyx," I muttered.
She gritted her teeth and shook. A loud crack in the sky brought our attention elsewhere. Above our heads, a giant meteorite ripped through Earth's atmosphere. Its tail illuminated the entire night sky. "I am the morning star. The light that guides the seekers of redemption."
Lucian grabbed my hand and watched the meteorite. "What is that?" he asked.
My mom's watch started to beep. She glanced up and smiled, head aglow from the reflection of the flames. "Would you believe me if I told you?"
It fell miles away from us, but the crash reverberated and shook the forest. "Please, Mother," I said. "Tell me."
She wiped the tears away and kept her eyes focused on the area of forest it hit. "That is my parents' starship. Their names were Talis and Mia. I am graced with the blood of the Nyelan race. I am… alien."
My jaw dropped. "What…"
That meant I was part alien. I didn't know what to feel.
She continued. "In about one minute, they will meet a woman named Adeline. Once they get situated, it will be time for me to leave. You and the rest will go where you need to go. I'm sorry, child, but we don't have much time left. Someday, we will have more. I promise."
Someday.
If this were to happen days ago, I would have been shocked to my core. Somehow, I was starting to understand her purpose. She existed in many times and places. She had a duty to fix the unfixable. Although it hurt, I wouldn't stop her.
"Where will you go?" I asked.
She looked back into the clouds and inhaled. "The future," she said.
I had my mother again. For a limited time only. No purchase necessary.
Well, I had her with me for the day. Could I really complain about something so lucky? There was no time for sleep. This was another goodbye, but I had to keep assuring myself that we'd meet again.
"I want to marry you both," she told me on the way down from the watchtower.
We dropped to the deck, and she meandered through the corridors, leading me to chambers with technology I couldn't be bothered to understand. At the end of one hallway, she turned and smiled, eyes glowing green. She was just so beautiful that it hurt.
"A small wedding," she said. "With the people who love you."
"I'd love to, but we don't have a spot to host the ceremony," I said. I glanced down at my left hand's bare knuckles. The blood crusted where the skin frayed back. "Not to mention, Lucian and I didn't exchange rings."
"That is hardly an issue," she said. "Lucian is a good man. You're a good woman. You deserve a fresh start."
&nbs
p; Without uttering another word, my mom continued walking until she reached a door. She opened it and stepped aside. Lucian was on one knee. A ring was carefully resting in his palm. "My sweetness," he cooed.
I was shocked. His mutation was gone. My mom must have given him the cure. He smiled radiantly.
I touched his face, tracing my fingers over his smooth lips. He was still bigger than ever, but all of his murderous features had turned normal. "You… you found the serum," I said.
Kahn stood behind him, looking joyful and dapper. "Lucian feels guilty about the whole ordeal," Kahn said, voice even-tempered.
My mom walked around us. She stopped and met my dad near a long outside table. I had to admit, it was a little weird seeing my young mother standing with my aging father, but it was also extraordinary. They were travelers of love, and they worked tirelessly to make sure things went according to plan. I couldn't thank them enough for their sacrifice.
"I'm sure Lucian will learn to deal with his handsome face," Mom said.
He chuckled. "Well, I didn't have much choice in the matter. She injected us while we were sleeping."
"Mom!" I shouted.
She blushed. "You can thank me later."
The grounds were covered with the same sunflowers that were near the outside of the wall. It wasn't customary for a woman to lower to the man's level during a proposal, but I was too weak in the knees to stand up straight. Plus, we were equals. We helped each other get out of the muck.
"We made it," I whispered. "Can you believe it?"
His eyes were glossy but confidence pervaded him. "I couldn't have done it without you. That's why I want to marry you. That's why I'm giving you this ring," he said. "Lilly, I am yours."
I put out my hand, and my eyes widened. Slowly, he slid the ring toward my knuckle. Lost in a dream, I folded my palm and looked at the diamond-encrusted band. I knew where it had come from. I had seen it in all of the pictures. It was my mother's ring.
"I didn't think it was possible for me to find love," I said, tearing up. "But I found you, and everything changed."
"You were easy to fall in love with," Lucian said.
Temptation: A Dark Sci-Fi Romance (Alpha Unknown Book 3) Page 12