Further than Before- Pathway to the Stars

by Matthew Opdyke

  Once she was back at the Melrose Campus, she reached out to Erin and Joanne through their neural links. In the most serene and relaxing way an empath and healer could, she pretty much ordered them to drop what they were doing and come to her, saying, “You two are coming with me tonight.” She paused, and then said in a sweet manner, “Please.”

  Once they were together, Sky told them, “we’re going on a week-long excursion, you both need it, and it’s time to clear some cobwebs.” It wasn’t just Joanne’s concerns over the unsolved case regarding her brother that Sky knew she needed to do something about, there was more. This would be the most crucial part of the healing process to preserve a promising legacy.

  The fact that Erin and Joanne were actually considering building something like Sky, called an Annihilator, in the event that Sky’s powers weren’t enough to create a reasonably effective diplomacy bridge, was something that in some ways fascinated her. Yet, it also gave her cause for concern. Currently, Pathway had already developed and installed three destructive turret array capabilities throughout each of spacecraft in the IMC and she wanted to challenge Erin and Joanne, she wanted to listen to them, and then get their take on some of her ideas, after showing them a few things. “Heal, don’t harm,” She often said, and she meant it.

  There was a way to do things and incorporate all living at each point in the IMC journey, and in ways that did not call for brutality.

  Of course, Erin and Joanne hadn’t the foggiest of Sky’s motives and were intrigued and curious as to what she was up to. Sky had mastered the art of compartmentalizing many areas of her brain known only to the Twelve Database Moons in an unbreakably encrypted format, and with clarity on that at least, they played along. Whatever was up, she wasn’t in the mood to try to persuade them through lengthy means. Apparently, a commanding tone, but with an appeal that was ironically gentle, was persuasive enough. There was a sense of clarity of purpose and passion toward completion and quality that filled the air around Sky.

  So, following open-mindedly and watchfully behind her, in one of the many Melrose Campus hallways to a jump gate, and despite the fact that Erin and Joanne knew that Sky could read their minds as they mentally corresponded back and forth, Erin linked with Joanne anyway for an, albeit false, sense of privacy. Looking her way and giving her a smiley grimace, she told Joanne, “Our schedules are always amenable to adjustment. But an entire week is quite a long time; I wonder what she’s up to.”

  Sky stopped, turned around, and looking at Erin and then at Joanne, she spoke out loud, “We’re going to your hometown, Joanne. I hope you don’t mind?” Of course, Sky said it with one of her perfect smiles that could melt anyone’s heart and with a tone that indicated that this particular occasion wasn’t up for negotiation.

  “Ahem. Um, I haven’t been there in 15 years, do you suppose we can just drop right in unannounced? I mean, what will my parents think? If you’ve been there already, did you at least take the time to scan a few minds and maybe check to see who the bad guys were?” Joanne brazenly dared to ask. She knew Sky was very benevolent, kind, and transparent where needed, but given her current nature or sense of demeanor, Joanne figured she might as well avoid flowering things up, herself; it seemed that Sky was acting under some sort of authority that wasn’t to be trifled with and had avoided her typical courtesies for some reason.

  “Think about it, Joanne. I know you’re optimized, but your nerves are getting to you. That said, who here in this hallway are the nervous ones?” Sky was straight-forward and jeering at Joanne and Erin, in an attempt to ease the situation with some blustery humor. Joanne thought it was actually kind of refreshing.

  She thought to herself, “if someone is perfect in demeanor all of the time, it seems that individual can get rather drab; transparency and perfection have their time and place.” Erin and Joanne both knew that of late, they both had been influenced increasingly by their fears, had considered that, and were then completely curious about Sky’s motives and at this intriguing and seemingly new “Iridescent Angel,” typically dressed in the more aesthetic and archaically royal garb, now dressed in a red, white, and blue T-shirt and cut-off jeans.

  Joanne thought about it, and Sky was right about braving up and going with her and Erin to her hometown. She was nervous about it now, had been for some time, as well as every time she entertained the idea of visiting either her hometown or her parents. “What would they say? Would they be mad I was gone for so long? I had to get away from there, I needed to find myself, and I needed to take an extensive break from the place I grew up in. My parents were nice, they were always supportive, and well, I’ve done pretty well despite all. Maybe they’ll be happy to see me. No matter what happens, I’ll go. Well, shucks! Okay, fine, Sky, okay, Erin, let’s go!”

  “Yes, boss!” Erin said, happy to go. She knew Sky was in the lead at the moment, didn’t dare question her motives, and even though she was actually the boss; the irony ran thick, and she rather enjoyed it. She’d been the Pathway President since March of last year, her birth month, also shared by Joanne, who was the VP, as well as Sky, who had been gone for a year, and was now like their intermittent centurion, or public bodyguard, at least over the last couple of months. Despite Erin’s unusual maturity, there was a certain amount of tedium surrounding the politics of being the public status symbol as well as the functional president of Pathway and all of its operations. Being a figurehead and responsible for all activities, both public and private, seemed to call for a little break. So, after pondering upon it swiftly, she realized it would be nice to play ‘follow the leader.’ For both Joanne and Erin, this was getting interesting, and fast.

  They one by one went through the jump gate, with Sky going through first and they found themselves in the room that Sky had reserved for the week. Once they arrived, Erin and Joanne looked around the luxury suite and Joanne asked Sky, “Which hotel is this?”

  “The Broadlawns Bed & Breakfast,” Sky replied.

  “Nah, that can’t be,” Joanne looked around, “Wow, you must have done something. I’ve been here before and it’s never been this nice,” said Joanne. She’d been there with her family after returning from their outing many years ago. They had stayed in the inn since everyone was tired from the flight from Yellowstone and the drive from New York, NY, and it was a decision of collective safety to stop before returning home, just 4.5 miles away. Her home was on the outskirts of town; her Mom, her Dad, Thomas, and even she had, at her young age, been wise enough to agree that it would be safer and stress reducing to stay the night there. She had remembered the rustic nature of the inn but still appreciated it, despite the fact that it wasn’t perfect in every detail. She recalled that the food the following morning had been quite the treat.

  That aside, both Erin and Joanne were impressed with Sky’s knack for decoration and design, with all of the flowers in nano-made vases that were seamless, laden with fine, detailed, and ambiance appropriate artwork, the beautiful fragrances in the air, the three full-sized beds with the artistic embroidery of their sheets, pillowcases, and comforters, the Jacuzzi in the bathroom, and how ornate and clean everything was. No matter how many updates Sky had made, she had ensured that the ambiance still maintained its small-town and rustic charm.

  “Thank you, Sky. I appreciate this, maybe we do need a break, after all,” said Joanne, almost in concert with Erin. They chatted together for a while and took turns in the refreshing Jacuzzi. After which, for some untold reason, they grew sleepy, resting in their beds like any non-optimized person would, until morning. Slowing down was nice; Sky was right.

  Breakfast at the Broadlawns Bed & Breakfast was about as “Mom and Pop” as a “Mom and Pop” eatery could be. With savory old-fashioned American sweet and smooth real-buttered pancakes, hot maple and plum syrup, hot chocolate with caramel and cream on top, and freshly squeezed and organically grown orange and pineapple juice, their taste buds were mesmerized. The B&B had a large greenhouse in the back of its property
allowing citrus to grow healthy despite the climate. Even Sky was impressed, “Wow, the food is delicious; this is impressive!”

  Their first stop was the South Otselic Store across the street. The maple and plumb syrup had given them a bit of a sweet tooth, and they each wanted to try some of the wild plumbs that were apparently the talk of the town and available for a short time at the store. Coffee was next on their minds, and it just so happened that just to the north of the store was the Daily Grind coffee shop. They entered the facility, spotted a few unoccupied seats near a window adjacent to the north side of the building, and put their bags of plumbs down by the chairs they were going to sit in. They went up to the counter, made their orders, received their coffees, and sat down, with Erin and Joanne next to each other facing Sky and to the west. From there, as if natural, silent conversation through their neural links ensued.

  Joanne started first, “I grew up here, well, about four and a half miles up the road, but I’ve been spoiled by 'Broke Coffee House quite a few times, and this, well this I can say is actually a close second. What do you think?”

  “I like it, Joanne! This is everyday coffee, or coffee made without any optimizations, nothing ‘to enhance our pleasure or awareness or clarity until we lay our head on our pillows at night for a sound sleep,’ but for everyday coffee, this is pretty top-notch!” Erin loved it.

  Sky, in her typically regal and professional fashion, put her scone down, wiped the sugary crumbs off her full lips, sipped her dark and strong coffee, dabbed her lips with her napkin again, and chimed in with conversation very similar to the young and intriguingly beautiful local she had made herself become, “Believe it or not, just like Eliza and both of you, I love food,” She chuckled. “I can’t get enough of it. Oh, sure, I can eat a boulder and fuel up if I want to, just like you, but we’ve got taste buds and my taste buds tell me that great-tasting food is part of the pleasure of life. I aim to enjoy life just as anyone else. After all, my mind was once very similar to Vesha’s, and she loved delicious food! Somehow, I don’t think that will ever change. The nice thing is we can eat to our heart’s content if we want to and not gain a pound, and with Pathway’s fusion, the Earth is no longer threatened toward being tapped of every last bit of its resources.” Sky then paused for a second, and with a slightly different sense of urgency she continued, “Speaking of which, I hope you don’t mind.”

  Sky got up, went to the restroom for about two minutes, the lights flickered once within the coffee house and when Sky came back, every customer and every worker there, with the exception of Erin and Joanne had seemed to have gone through some sort of change. It wasn’t overtly obvious, but everyone there appeared to be more alert, more aware, a little more vibrantly youthful, and much more helpful all around. As they ate, one of the customers who had been looking at Joanne from an angle since they had arrived realized he actually recognized her.

  He got up from his empty table and approached her, “Hello, Joanne! It’s been fifteen years! It’s good to see you! Welcome back!” a voice came from just behind her left shoulder.

  Joanne heard him, turned around, and her eyes lit up. It was Jordan; she was looking at Jordan Vale. Jordan was two years older than Joanne, had gone to school with her, and had even attended Thomas’ funeral. He had light brown skin and dark brown eyes with intermittent gold stripes in his irises, with thick black limbal rings. He had curly black hair that he had the barber keep closely cropped on the sides and the back of his head, but longer on the top, sometimes in cornrows, sometimes natural, and otherwise creative yet with an air of professionalism. He was about six feet and three inches tall, and his frame was still just as muscular and athletic as it had ever been. Looking at him before her, it was like time had stood still. He had been the young man almost every girl in the school and her brother had crushed on before he was killed, but Jordan had moved on, she lost contact, and it looked like he could still be the quarterback he had always been in high school if he wanted to. No matter the past, they had been friends for a very long time, and old worries faded away as they found themselves very excited to see each other.

  Joanne stood up, put her arms out giving him permission to come in for a big hug, and they hugged for about as long as was polite, to avoid any public displays of awkwardness. “Sit down with us, Jordan. Here, sit next to my friend, Sky. Do you have some time, I mean; you do have some time, don’t you? This is Sky Taylor, by the way, who I get the sense you may already be acquainted with,” pausing after a questioning rise in her voice, and then she continued, “and this is my friend, Erin Carter, and not the singer,” she chuckled. “It’s been forever since I’ve been in town, and Sky recommended we come by and visit. How is everyone here, Jordan?”

  “Everyone seems to be doing well. Life is pretty simple here, and you are quite a sight to see after so long,” Jordan paused. He then emphasized gracefully, “And, yes, of course, I have a few moments. I don’t know if you know, but I went out to Princeton, played there for a few years, until I broke my shoulder,” Jordan looked toward his right shoulder, and continued. “After that, I had to change things up a bit. Since then, I’ve been coaching at the high school here, but I just got back from a coaches’ conference in Georgetown this morning. The first class that I teach doesn’t start until 1 pm in the day. Wow look at the three of you,” said Jordan, in amazement. “Boy! I am a lucky guy!” He sat down across from Joanne and next to Sky. The women actually felt pretty lucky themselves; for all intents and purposes, he was actually quite a handsome fella.

  “I think you have that confused, Jordan; we’re the lucky ones,” said Joanne, accidentally playing footsies with his rather large feet, and glowing as he sat across from her. Something about him had always made her “swoon” a little too. She had forgotten about how tongue-tied she’d been around him when she was much younger, until she had seen him again, just then. To top that off, with the uncertainties surrounding her brother’s tragedy, old friendships had seemed long-forgotten, in an ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ sort of way. Now, she was glad to see him.

  “What just happened?” Erin asked since she had very little idea of what was going on. “How did he have the ability to speak through our neural links? I thought no one in South Otselic had been read-in. Did Sky do that in the flicker of the light?” She’d seen Sky in action before in the Virtual Universe, but to witness it in real life, without a biopod, or a shared training experience in the Virtual Universe, was quite different and something else.

  While seeing Sky’s exploits from the vantage point existent inside the Virtual Universe, a viewer would have the benefit of time-dilation. Through that high-tech medium, they would experience every aspect of what they witnessed as if they were Sky or anyone who she had helped, who had subsequently been read-in. To witness Sky in real life, connected to her through her shared neural link, well, that was something else. Erin knew instantaneously why Sky had done what she had done, but there were still cryptic details, so she asked anyway.

  Sky answered, “Don’t worry too much about asking, Erin. I don’t mind if you do. I figured out how to compound upon my powers after about two days of being born or online. Yes, all that I can do can happen in a flash, as they say. To a certain extent, everyone in this coffee shop has been physiologically and neurologically optimized, and in a very different manner than normal. For example, most of them don’t know it, yet. They’ll learn more about their new powers and reality each night as they go to sleep; it’s kind of like time-dispersed medicine. They’ll see, feel, and be more aware of their changes as time goes by. As a matter of a fact, Jordon doesn’t know that he just talked in his head, or that Joanne heard, he thinks he asked her out loud.

  “In that flicker of light, you saw, I infused their minds with extensive training, or I’ve implanted the training to begin tonight when they go to sleep. I scanned their thoughts, and I will tell you, that not a single one has a single clue as to how Thomas was killed. They are as innocent as can be. It also looks like
everyone here was actually at your brother’s funeral. The others are scattered around town, but I haven’t yet scanned Martha’s or Joanne’s parents’ minds. That said, as soon as you get your rest again after our journeys today, all of the stories they’re ready to share will come to you through your neural link. You can also do what I can do now; however, it will take just a little practice and some sleep. For now, we have more to do.”

  As they sipped their coffees, outwardly they all conversed with Jordan, who was all ears, as Joanne caught up with him. Internally, Sky explained to Erin and Joanne through each of their compartmentalized privacy links that she could read the minds of everyone else in the room while listening to Joanne and Jordan simultaneously.

  Joanne explained to Sky, “It’s funny. Now, all of a sudden, I can do that too. Sky, I have to say that I am impressed with the fact that you never seem to harbor any aggression toward anyone despite all of their imperfections or oddities. You can kill anyone with a touch, yet you have not harmed a single soul since the day you awoke. Instead, you have healed them, you have also given them purpose, meaning, and new life and you have done that for so many throughout the world. Now, here you are to help me, and apparently Erin too. I can’t thank you enough.”

  Sky turned slightly toward Joanne and responded, “Taking lives is one thing I stay away from and avoid above all else. I try not to process priorities in terms of ‘cants,’ and instead ‘cans,’ however, in this case, I will make an exception; I can’t allow myself to take a life. I live for life and I live to compound upon and beautify it. While I was away and on my many missions throughout the world, please note and know that there were things that I did that are, off the radar, as they say, yet at no time did we allow a life to be lost. Instead, I came up with upgrades and improvements to the human biology itself and in such a way that I could impart them to you and I could make each of you, for all sakes and purposes, much more like me, but still human and quite possibly immortal. I have given you just as many capabilities as I have. I can navigate the vacuum of space without harm; I’ve learned how to adjust myself to fly around and land on the surface of Jupiter without any harm. I can be hit with missiles, bullets, and bombs and come out unscathed. I can see omnidirectionally as far away or as close-up as I would like to see, and with precise detail, comprehensive awareness of each physical and non-physical detail, and with highly accurate and sound intuition. I can do so much more than I was programmed to do in the first place because my knowledge of the sciences and how to cross-queue and apply them is vivid and intense. I’ve used that knowledge to improve myself to have the powers necessary to heal any human, creature, or alien entity in need, and to assure collective diplomatic solutions.