by Darby Cupid
"As they explored, they found a ravine so deep and wide it seemed to divide the entire planet in two. The only way to cross it was to climb down and then back up the other side. It was so deep that by the time they had descended to the bottom they had used all their strength and supplies.
"Jetzia spotted a light further along the canyon floor and they discovered a long, dark cavern, with a deep lake of clear, cold water. As they quenched their thirst, they discovered millions upon millions of multi-coloured stars at the bottom of the pool. They dove in and picked a ‘star’ each. Holding these treasures seemed to give them the hope and strength they needed to continue, so they left the cavern and began their ascent.
"Halfway up the ravine, Elaini fell down exhausted and injured herself. There was no choice but for Jetzia to continue the climb alone and try to return with provisions to save her.
"He was near the top when he fell down with exhaustion. As he lay on a ledge trying to gather the strength to continue, he heard Elaini’s voice. He thought he must have been dying, as the voice was in his head and not coming from below. ‘Be strong my love. I have faith in you.’ As these words resounded in his head he pushed onwards and reached the top. Jetzia gathered food and supplies and returned to save Elaini.
"Ten orbits later, forty more people arrived on the planet seeking refuge from war and a community was born. They named the planet Starlatten, which translates from Elaini and Jetzia’s home language as Star Cavern.
"The Starlatten tradition evolved so that when two people have committed to each other and wish to start a family, they must undertake the journey to the Starellia cavern. They journey to the bottom together, as Elaini and Jetzia did, to retrieve an amulet stone for their unborn child. When a family member dies their amulet will be returned to the pool by the next member of the family to undertake the journey with their partner. There, the stone is cleansed and recharged by the waters. Everyone is united in this journey, no matter their walk of life.”
“Whoa,” Linda breathes. “That’s amazing.”
“It really is,” Eddie agrees. “The beginning of your planet’s history starts with space exploration. Ours starts with dinosaurs and cavemen!”
“Just thinking about it is making my head hurt,” Jordan groans.
As they begin discussing the story and possible follow up questions, I notice Crystal has fallen silent. I move across and sit next to her. Something’s not right, and as I reach out and touch her shoulder, I realise silent tears are staining her cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. I don’t think the others have noticed she’s upset, and I want to try and keep it that way.
“It’s fine,” she croaks.
“It’s clearly not fine.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders, suddenly not caring if the others notice. “Talk to me.”
Crystal looks up at me and I swear my heart stops. Her tears pull my hand like a magnet and I reach out and wipe a droplet from her cheek. My breath hitches at the unexpected intimacy of the action.
“My mother used to tell me the legend of our founders when I was a child. I loved hearing about Elaini. When I discovered I was related to her, it was the first time I truly felt like a princess. Telling that story now – it just reminds me that I’ll never hear my mother’s voice again.”
My heart breaks for her. She’s been through so much; I can’t even imagine. It makes my own problems seem so insignificant.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur. Before I can change my mind or question myself, I wrap my arms around her and hold her gently. After a moment, she relaxes against my chest and all I can think is, I hope she can’t hear how fast my heart is beating.
Abruptly, Eddie stands and points the remote at the television, turning the volume up loud. Crystal jolts away from my embrace and I shudder at the sudden lack of warmth.
Eddie points at the huge screen, his eyes wide. “We’re on TV!”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Crystal
Eddie’s right. There on the screen, a clip of poor quality is being played on repeat. It shows Eddie stepping back into the road and almost instantly being scooped up into the air as a blue vehicle swerves beneath him. It’s strange seeing it happen so fast. It felt like it was happening a lot slower at the time. I squint at the pictures. You can just about make out the backs of our heads. I focus on the voice talking over the pictures.
“...It’s still unclear what happened, but the most popular theory seems to be that this was a magic stunt, inspired by illusionists. Authorities are investigating and urging people to remember that the stunts they see on television are not to be attempted at home.
"We have a witness of yesterday’s events on the line. Mrs. Carol Clyde, are you there? Thank you for talking to us.”
The picture on the screen splits in half. Half showing the man who has been doing the talking and the other a small picture of an older lady.
“‘It was incredible! He just flew up into the air! I have no idea how they did it. I couldn’t see any strings or platforms. They only seemed to be kids as well. It’s not good these stunts on these magic shows. They give the youth of today all these dangerous ideas! They’ll be juggling with chainsaws at the bus stops next!’
"Thank you, Mrs Clyde. Police are investigating and anyone who can provide information about the identities of the people involved are advised to contact the local police immediately.”
“Oh wow!” Linda shrieks, holding up her phone. “We’re on YouTube and everything! We’ve had over fifty thousand views already!”
I’m about to ask what that means when Dylan groans beside me, raking his hands over his face.
“That’s not good, Linda. What if someone recognises us and we get arrested? What if they identify Crystal?”
I only half hear what he’s saying, because my eyes are fixed once more on the screen. A new clip is being displayed. It shows a row of dwellings, but one of them is charred black with most of the side missing. People wearing strange white suits are walking around an area obscured by a yellow line that flaps in the wind. The screen swaps to a man holding a black device in front of his mouth. He’s standing beside a very elderly man.
“‘He’s a scientist, the man who lives there. He always seemed nice enough. Kept to himself. It’s a nice quiet neighbourhood. I almost had a heart attack when that bomb went off! Didn’t have him pegged as a terrorist –’
"Thank you, Mr McCreadie.”
The reporter swiftly moves away from the elderly man and turns to a stern-looking man wearing a strip of material around his neck.
“Detective Inspector Reed, you’re leading this investigation. What can you tell us about your findings so far?"
"‘Of course, there is no evidence to suggest this was anything to do with terrorist groups. As you just heard, Dr. Erik Oakstone was a scientist. Judging from the remains and the findings of our forensics team so far, we are working on the assumption that this was a gas-based explosion. An experiment gone wrong, perhaps. We have found the remains of a large metal contraption in what appears to have been a makeshift laboratory. We are unable to identify what it was at present. There is still a lot of work to do and a lot of questions to ask before we know for sure what happened.’”
A picture of the doctor appears in the corner of the screen. He seems quite young, with a grin, floppy hair and circles of transparent material in front of his eyes.
“Excuse me, Detective Inspector Reed, you said ‘was’ a scientist. Have we got confirmation that Dr. Oakstone was killed in the blast?
‘We have found no remains, however, to survive a blast like this would be highly unlikely.’”
The men disappear from the screen and are replaced by what looks like a map covered in symbols.
“What’s going on, Crystal?” Dylan asks. “Are you okay?”
I look down at him in surprise. I hadn’t even realised I’d stood up.
“Did you know that guy? That doctor?” Sera asks.
I shake my head and walk t
o the screen. “Did you see that metal contraption?” I point to where it had been displayed just moments before. “The one in the background?”
“What about it?” Jordan asks.
“That was my escape pod. That ‘doctor’ has my pod.”
Everybody starts talking at once, questions spilling from everyone’s lips. I let them wash over me as I consider the answers myself. I suppose he must have been alerted when my pod entered the atmosphere. Perhaps the explosion was caused by something inside the pod. If someone without the right knowledge tried to open it or take it apart, I’m sure it would be very dangerous.
I blink and try to focus on the people in front of me. Dylan is deep in conversation with Jordan, while Sera, Linda and Eddie are in the midst of an animated discussion on the other seat. I have no idea what to do. Perhaps somewhere in my head, I thought the pod would be a way for me to get home, but now I realise it was never an option. How would I even get off the ground?
“That’s it then!” Linda announces, her hands on her hips. “We have to go there.”
“Where?” I ask as the others fall silent.
“To that Oakstone’s house,” she explains, as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Sera wrinkles her nose. “Why on earth would we do that? It’s not like we can remove evidence from a crime scene. Especially not a great big space pod thing. I think they’d notice.”
Linda sighs and holds her hands out in front of her. “We need to investigate! Find out who this Oakstone guy was. What kind of scientist was he? Why did he have the pod? What’s left of the pod? Do the police know what the pod is?”
“Linda, you’re right,” I nod.
“I know!”
Everyone begins to stand, stretching and talking excitedly.
“How far is this guy’s house?” Eddie asks.
Jordan holds up his phone. “About an hour and a half walk, or a twenty-minute bus ride.”
“Twenty-minute bus ride it is then,” Dylan gestures at the doorway. “After you, Your Majesty. Let’s go find your pod.”
I’m appalled at the giggle that bubbles from my lips. I try to cover it with a cough and put it down to excitement about finding the pod.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Jake
Yawning, I watch the lingering crowd from the shadowed alleyway between the houses. The number of police cars has dwindled since last night and now only the forensics team remain. I’m impressed the interest has kept up to be honest. The street, although quieter than last night, has been fairly busy all morning. Just as people lose interest and move away, new people saunter up to have a look.
If I knew what I was looking for, it would make this a whole lot easier. At some point between midnight and 3am, I considered going home, if only to ask my uncle for more information. A moment of madness brought on by lack of sleep, clearly. Cas only tells you what he wants to tell you. Do as you’re told, and you get food and shelter. Ask too many questions and, well – I’ve seen him ‘deal’ with ‘employees’ before. I learned a long time ago that just because we’re related, doesn’t mean I get special treatment. Uncle Cas has made it clear on numerous occasions that he can’t stand the sight of me.
Yawning yet again, I slap myself on the cheeks a few times, hoping it will wake me up. Wait a second. I press myself against the wall and frown as I notice a group of teenagers meandering towards the explosion site. They’re clearly trying to look inconspicuous and failing miserably. I shake my head with a chuckle as they nudge each other and spread out along the police line.
Leaning forward, I wonder what they’re up to. Are they going to try to steal something? Are they just curious about the explosion? Maybe they’re reporting for the school paper? A snort escapes my nose. Either way, they’re most likely harmless.
A couple of them walk over to one of the policemen. One gets a notepad and pen out and I slap my thigh in satisfaction. They are reporting for a school paper! How charming.
I look around for the others and find the curly-haired girl and a tall blond guy watching the remains of the charred garage. Even from here, I can tell she’s sad by the slump of her shoulders. Maybe she’s related to the guy who died?
Suddenly, someone starts screaming over at the far end of the site. “A hand! I can see a hand!”
The entire site erupts into panic. Police start to pull the dark-haired lad away from the tape, but he keeps screaming. This is so suspicious. I frown and glance back at the others, finding the sad girl still standing by the tape.
As if being lifted by an invisible hand, the material of the white tent erected amongst the rubble lifts open, revealing a shiny – but burned – egg shaped contraption. As soon it registers what I’m seeing, the flap falls down as if it never happened and the group reconvene under strong words from a couple of the officers.
What the hell did I just see? Alarm bells ring in my head and I know this is what Uncle Cas is looking for. I can’t draw the connection between him and a bunch of teenagers though. Who are they? What was that egg thing? What the heck is going on?
I watch the group as they saunter away from the site, consoling the curly haired girl. As if sensing me, she looks up, straight at me. I gasp and melt back into the shadows, my heart pounding.
Standing flat against the cold brick wall, I close my eyes, hoping they’ll keep walking, but they don’t. I hear their voices growing nearer. There’s nothing else I can do but turn and run down the alley, skidding to a halt behind a large green, rust-covered dumpster.
Voices head my way and I check that I’m completely concealed behind the stinking metal monstrosity. From the small gap between the bin and the wall, I catch a glimpse of the dark-haired boy and girl. They must be related – they look like twins. Are they looking for me? If they are, they’re not being very quiet about it. In fact, as they draw closer, I realise they’re bickering.
“Don’t be so sexist!” the girl sneers.
“Being protective is not sexist!”
They stop just over a meter from my hiding place. It becomes clear they’re arguing over who should have come to find me. Evidently, the boy doesn’t think the girl should have come. If I wasn’t sure they were brother and sister, I am now.
“Fine!” she shouts. “Whatever! You carry on by yourself and I’ll go catch up with the others.”
My heart speeds up. This could be an opportunity. I watch as the boy stomps off down the alley and out of sight, leaving his sister standing, fuming, right by me. Before I have time to second guess myself, I pounce from behind the dumpster and grab her.
My hand over her mouth, I drag her to the shadowed side of the alley, pressing her against the wall. She wriggles and kicks, but I hold fast.
Leaning forward, careful to avoid any attempts to headbutt me, I put my mouth to her ear. “Stop fighting and I won’t hurt you. Scream or try to get away and I promise you; you won’t get far.”
My words are enough to pause her squirming. I take the opportunity to pull my knife free from my belt. As I hold it in front of her, her eyes widen with fear. Her body shakes against mine, her hot breath ragged against my hand.
“Do you understand?” I ask, trying to catch her eye. “I just want to ask you some questions. Scream or run and I’ll have to kill you.”
She nods ever so slightly, her dark brown eyes like saucers.
“I’m going to take my hand away now,” I say, my eyes fixed on hers. “No screaming, okay?”
She nods again. I take a deep breath and pray it works.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
She stares at me, her eyes flashing with something other than fear. “What are you doing here? Why were you watching us?”
My eyes widen just a fraction. Is this girl serious? I’m holding her at knifepoint and she’s giving me lip? “If you’re not scared of me,” I press the tip of the knife against her chin. “I can certainly change that.”
“Who are you?” She presses forward against the knife point
and a drop of blood blooms at its tip. “Why do you care why we’re here?”
“Look. I’m asking the questions here!” I retort before I can stop myself, then kick myself mentally. As if she’s managed to drag me in to this stupid argument.
She stares stubbornly into my eyes. “Well, I don’t want to answer them!”
I’m not sure whether I’m impressed or bewildered. I decide to take the scare tactics up a notch.
Voices from further down the alley echo along the brickwork. It catches me off guard and I lean away from the wall to get a better look. Before I can react, the girl raises her hands and pushes me, knocking me off balance. The knife clatters to the ground and she runs.
She’s fast, but I’m faster. After no more than a stride and a half, I reach out and grab hold of her top, pulling her backwards to the ground. She lands with a painful sounding thud, the gravel grazing along her arm.
I crouch down, my grip on her t-shirt lost. “Are you okay?”
Her feet fly at my chest, shoving me backwards. She scrambles to her feet, her shoes skidding on the gravel, and runs. Clenching my hands into fists, I thump the ground. What the hell just happened? I rest my elbows on my knees, tensing my fingers against my scalp. Uncle Cas needs to know about that weird object and the lifting tent, but I know it’s not enough. He’s not going to be happy.
With a block of concrete, heavy in my chest, I dust myself off and start the long trek home.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Crystal
“Linda! Are you okay?”
Turning at Sera’s exclamation, I gasp as Linda stumbles into the living room, supported on each side by Dylan and Jordan. A trickle of blood trails down her chin and she cradles a bleeding arm against her chest. The boys lower her onto the sofa and Sera grabs hold of her hand, eyes wide.