Remeon's Destiny

by J. W. Garrett

  She couldn’t help but smile despite herself; he looked so goofy.

  “How many of these have you read?” he asked, pointing to the mess of correspondence that covered the floor.

  “Only one and part of this one,” she said, picking up the letter again, her voice almost back to its normal tone.

  “Maybe, just maybe, something in one of these might help us understand how I can get home. Remember what you said before about pulling someone through time and space?”

  Arista thought about the letter she had read. No, wait. She didn’t finish it. She saw the mention of a twin, and she had stopped. She grabbed the initial letter, found where she had quit reading, and picked up where she had left off, reading aloud. “Your brother was placed in the care of a foster family to protect his anonymity. I will explain more over the course of my very long life hopefully, but I wanted all this documented for the future, knowing now we will be seeking another human to help us develop a cure, and that human might need to find an alternate way home, just as your father did. Find the letter marked two. To sum it up quickly, there is a little-known pathway to alternate worlds. Very few know of its existence. Thus it has been kept a secret. The ingredients needed are few: training, patience, and true love of the subject in question. I’m betting you will have the first two in abundance, if I have taught you well. The last one is up to you, little one. Should the last factor not hold true, this method will not be an option. You must then explore a more traditional means of space travel in that case. The portal will not initialize without the power of this energy generated on both sides of it.”

  Stephen gripped her hand urgently, and Arista stopped reading.

  They stood transfixed. “Does the last factor hold true?” Stephen swallowed, gulping loudly.

  Arista paused, her breath caught in her throat. Her gaze silently searched his, then she responded, “Yes, it is true.”

  Stephen released his breath, visibly relaxing. Their gazes still locked, she let the letter fall from her fingers. He stood and brought Arista to her feet, raising her slightly in the air and lowering her body slowly until their lips met. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she allowed herself to be momentarily swept away—the impact of the sudden news, the tears and frustration from earlier, all temporarily forgotten. When they parted, they smiled.

  “Let’s find letter number two,” he said finally, breaking the silence. “I have a feeling I’ve got a few things to learn.”

  “And me as well. My father was human,” she said slowly, letting the full impact sink in.

  HER FATHER WAS human. Arista let the words settle. She had never given her heritage deep thought. Difficulty with procreation had been a fact of life for so long. For decades they had accepted that science had a heavy hand in all births. She had never broached this subject with her mother, and, more important, her mother had deeply buried this fact from her.

  Arista eyed the box that contained the letters from her mother. After the discovery two days ago she had decided to treat the letters with additional care. With letters one, two, and part of twenty-six read, she boxed up all forty- nine and resolved to set a time for each one. If her mother had committed her words to paper for Arista’s benefit, then Arista would set aside a special time to absorb them individually over time. Still reeling from the information she had obtained so far, she resolved to put it to good use, beginning today.

  Today Belle would be released, and today would also be the first attempt to transport Stephen back home. Arista had trusted Vinique with the contents of letter number two, and yesterday the four of them had worked through a plan. Belle was excited to know she would be with her family again very soon, as long as her brother would be following.

  Arista surveyed the table setup one final time. Satisfied, she smiled, poured herself a drink, and walked to her desk to finish a few tasks before her three guests arrived.

  So much had occurred over the past week: the death of her mother; the subsequent death of her mother’s murderer, Novaryous; the rescue of Stephen; the disclosure of her twin; the discovery of her origin; and now finally the report of the initial testing of the cure was in her hands. Arista reread the report, committing the details to memory. As she read the summary, she was pleased. Preliminary results showed marked improvements in all age ranges, male and female alike.

  Even though a disparity existed in the degree and rate of improvement, depending on the severity of individual cases, in each circumstance an arrest of the disease’s forward progression was made. This was excellent news. Soon maybe they could actually spend more resources on the living of life and less on maintaining diseased individuals in stasis. Her mother’s life’s work was coming to fruition. Even though not conclusive at this point, all tests confirmed improvement and varying levels of eradication of disease. Their civilization had a future again, all thanks to Stephen and Belle.

  Arista glanced out the window and saw the pair approaching. They were laughing and playing, just as a brother and sister should. Bile rose in her throat, and her muscles tensed as thoughts of Simon, her brother, filled her being. The only way through this mess had to be peace eventually, she reasoned. Once the cure was secured, maybe that could be offered to all, even the Night Dwellers. Maybe on a less desperate footing, a healing race could come together as one—perhaps in the future. For now, thoughts of Simon and the Night Dwellers only conjured up visions of torture and echoes of pain for the one she now loved. Her heart felt bruised. The one she loved was going home today. It was too sudden. She pushed away the thought.

  A knock on the door confirmed her guests’ arrival, and, before she reached the door, a guard escorted the duo inside.

  “Ma’am?”

  “Yes, come in, please. And thank you.”

  With a nod, the guard left, closing the door.

  Belle ran to the window and pulled herself up for a better view.

  “It’s like we’re invisible. Look at all of them,” Belle exclaimed.

  Arista reached out her hand in invitation as Stephen approached. While she watched him cross the room, she realized he was no longer defined by his braces. Barely limping now, he had changed in his short time on Remeon. He was slender still from his imprisonment with the Night Dwellers, but the training he had had there had further developed and refined his muscles. And not only that. The naivety he had when he first arrived on planet was now replaced with a quiet confidence of one who has gone through trials and come out stronger on the other side.

  She found him absolutely irresistible, and she pulled him in close for a hug. Stephen nuzzled her neck, holding her tightly, working his way toward her mouth, planting a trail of soft kisses along the way. Arista let out a gasp of pleasure as his lips found hers. They entwined, and she felt his heartbeat quicken, and a soft moan escaped his mouth as they parted.

  “Straighten up you,” she whispered. “Your sister is watching.”

  “I don’t care who sees me,” he said, his gaze devouring her inch by inch. “Maybe we should rethink this. I could stay a while longer and…”

  “No, we’ve decided,” she said firmly. “For everyone’s safety, remember? We’ll still communicate. It’s almost a certainty. You retained your telepathic abilities the first time, even as an amateur, and now your skills have improved immensely.” Arista wondered if she were convincing Stephen or herself; she didn’t want him to go. She wanted to make a life with him.

  “If we do this, if I go back through this…portal, like we plan, that means we can also plan for me to return for a visit. Isn’t that right?”

  “In theory, yes. In reality, who knows? I’m counting on our ability to communicate. And I know, deep in my soul, that this is the right path, and we will be together again. Don’t you feel it too?”

  “I feel only you,” he said hoarsely.

  She pushed him away playfully.

  “Let’s get those brain waves working again, shall we?”

  “I’m painfully aware that everything is in perfec
t working order,” he whispered.

  Arista turned various stages of crimson as she smiled, completely unaware that Vinique had walked in.

  “They’re ignoring me,” Belle announced.

  “It would appear so,” Vinique confirmed, surveying the situation.

  “Mary Belle, don’t be rude,” Stephen added.

  “What did you just say?” Arista said, bringing her finger to his mouth to silence him. Protect your thought waves before you answer my question, she said to Stephen telepathically.

  Her middle name is Belle. Her full name is Mary Belle, Stephen responded. We call her Belle since my older sister’s name is Mary.

  Oh, no, she said. We must act now. Even in holographic form we can’t let someone take control of her.

  “Come here, Belle,” Vinique said. “Are you ready for the adventure we planned yesterday? You’ll fall asleep here and wake up at home with your family. And what do you do next? Do you remember?”

  “A course I do. You all asked me that a hundred times. We bring my brother home—you, me, and Arista—just like we practiced.”

  “You got it, good girl. Except, with a small change of plans, you will go now,” she said.

  “Now?” Belle said, looking imploringly at her brother.

  “Now,” he said, standing up and sighing resolutely.

  “CLIMB UP ON your bed. We’re all right here,” Thomas encouraged.

  Belle complied and, squirming between the three of them, made her way to the head of the bed.

  He pulled off her shoes and his own as he slid up beside her. “Are you ready?” Thomas asked, taking her hand.

  Belle looked first to Arista, then to Vinique, and nodded her head.

  “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Home is only a few minutes away,” Vinique said.

  “Wait!” Belle said, her gaze fixed on Thomas, “come back to us, you hear? We need you.”

  Thomas and Arista exchanged a pained look, and Arista turned her head as a single tear fell from her cheek.

  “I hear you, bossy,” Thomas replied. “I’ll be right behind you. Remember, you’re in charge of bringing me home!” Thomas kissed one cheek, and Arista kissed the other, as Belle smiled.

  “Everyone ready?” Vinique said, her hands poised on the equipment.

  Belle gave a thumbs-up and smiled as she lay down. “Ready.”

  Vinique worked quickly and expertly, performing the release. “It’s done,” she said minutes later.

  Arista sighed. “She’s home now, and you’re next. Go grab anything you need to take with you, and let’s meet at the designated spot. I’m concerned we may have company.”

  “Right. I’ll only be a minute,” he said, as he paused to kiss her forehead.

  SIMON STOOD IN front of the mirror, taking stock of his injuries. The attack that had nearly left him dead had been one week ago now. The pain had been almost too much to bear. With the constant influx of meds over the last seven days, determining reality from fiction had been impossible. Now, however, able to think and to see more clearly, he could piece together those last few moments of betrayal. He pulled off the bandages for a closer look and reached first for his side, feeling along the rough line of stitches holding his insides together. Thomas had inflicted damage twice, first as he had plunged the knife in and twisted it, then pulling it out. Simon winced. He still had a long road ahead, and the pain was a constant reminder of his failure during the encounter.

  His hand moved farther down to the hole in his leg. An ugly oozing wound, which concerned the doctors with the possibility of infection. He couldn’t walk without the aid of crutches. Weak now from lack of food and dehydration, the disgust he felt from within was complete. His reflection repulsed him and reminded him that not only had Thomas betrayed him but Terron as well. Simon dressed slowly, pain radiating outward with each muscle movement. His attendants’ repeated offers of assistance were waved away. Instead he dressed in record slow time.

  Snippets of conversations intruded on the now uncomfortable silence as he reconnected with the outside world. With a briefing scheduled within the hour, Simon reached out telepathically, searching for signs of Thomas. If he was alive, Simon would put together a team to find him.

  “Thomas,” Simon sneered, “there you are. You made it…and a bonus, Mary Belle. We’re not done yet—not by a long shot.”

  VINIQUE LED THE trio, with Thomas and Arista following hand in hand. The map with the location of the portal had been hand-etched, presumably by Whisterly. Thomas trusted the two women implicitly, but his trust had nothing to do really with the fact that he could be moments away from death. If the portal worked—and that was a big if, contingent on all factors coming together perfectly—he could still be obliterated in the transfer process. He was on the wrong end of a bet—a bluff—being forced now to show his hand.

  Vinique stopped just beyond a small grove of trees with a cliff only a short distance ahead. “This is it,” she said, looking up from the map and pointing to the open space in front of them.

  “Ah, perfect, just perfect,” Thomas said, turning away in dread. “It looks like something from a bad dream.”

  “Let’s get started,” Arista insisted. “We should feel Belle on the other side. Without her pull, we won’t complete the circle and none of this matters. Grab hands. Let’s build our web and hide our tracks.”

  Vinique spoke first, the contented smile on her face providing the evidence of success. “I feel her. She’s there. Way to go, Belle.”

  The three clasped hands, touching foreheads as their consciousnesses merged. Arista felt the link solidify and set to work. Here we go, everyone. I will keep speaking as long as I can.

  Thomas felt invaded as portions of him came to life that he never knew existed. “What’s happening?” he said out loud, the concern evident in his voice.

  “It’s working,” Arista responded. “I feel it.”

  The trees behind them came alive, and the wind picked up, swirling the leaves around their faces as tree limbs bent, heavy with the unknown force. The momentum increased, and ahead, surrounding the center of the disturbance, a void formed.

  Thomas communicated wordlessly as panic took over. I’m having second thoughts. Can’t I just stay here with you?

  Arista reached for him then, pulling him close. You’re almost there. You feel it? Let yourself go.

  I do feel it. I do, he responded. Locked in an embrace, he found her lips and tasted her tears as they kissed. Her arms reached around his neck, and her legs encircled his waist as their bodies rotated, led forward by the power of the wind, him effortlessly carrying her weight.

  Vinique’s hands rested on both of them.

  I feel you, in my head and in my body. How can that be? he communicated.

  This bond is like no other, she replied. We are one, and we always will be. A part of me is now permanently a part of you, she explained. It’s almost time. Step into the space ahead.

  Time stood still as they shared one life force, locked in space. You did it, Stephen. You healed our race, she said silently, finally sharing the news during their last moment together that she had kept hidden from him.

  Thomas searched her face as he comprehended what had been accomplished. I did?

  Arista nodded. She experienced his exhilaration at the news as it passed through him to her, and pure joy flowed through them both.

  I did it! We did it!

  Now! Vinique yelled, pulling the two apart. Their hands were still joined, clinging together.

  “I’m never letting you go,” Arista said, as the distance between them grew.

  “You better not.” Thomas reached down and kissed Arista’s fingers as they slipped away.

  Then Vinique jerked her loose, the force throwing them both on their backs. When they looked up, the rupture closed, and he was gone. The two of them stared at the emptiness in front of them in shock.

  “We did it,” Vinique said. “We’ve accomplished an incredible feat, if I do sa
y so myself.”

  Arista shook her head in disbelief, staring at the spot where Stephen and she had just stood as one. “A piece of my heart has gone through that passageway with Stephen, and, if he never returns, it will be lost forever.”

  “A few more seconds and we would have lost you both,” Vinique added.

  Arista bowed her head. “A few more seconds and I wouldn’t have cared.”

  BELLE SLID DOWN from her bed, careful not to wake her ma, and ran down the hall to her brother’s room. His leather jacket hung from the bedpost. She smiled triumphantly and pulled it on, the arms swallowing her small frame, and it sagged a little as she adjusted to its weight. She reached in her own pocket and pulled out her half of the rock she had given Thomas as a gift before he had been sick.

  “That’s it. That’s what I need,” she said, smiling with confidence and stowing her treasure again. As she plodded through the silent house, she hushed Shep, eager for attention, following along behind her.

  Outside in the morning air, Belle found the trail leading to the creek and followed its path. She climbed steadily, searching telepathically for Arista, Vinique, and her brother. “It worked. I feel you,” she said, communicating her presence to them all. “Ready or not, here I go.”

  ELIZABETH WAS STARTLED awake. It had been her turn to sleep overnight with her daughter, and something had woken her early. She greeted her daughter as she did every morning. “Belle, dear, how are you?” Elizabeth rifled through the empty bed, pulling up sheets and throwing aside blankets, looking for Belle, then ran down the steps, waking Mary along the way. “James. James,” she said more insistently, shaking him. “She’s gone. Belle is gone. I’ve gone through the house. Where could she be?” she asked, her tone frantic.