by LM. Preston
“Have you called to the others? Your mom?” Eirena asked and pulled up her knees then tucked them under her.
“Unfortunately, yes, and things are not well. Dakota and Carter are being held in hostile lands on the planet they crashed on. Their cruiser is completely destroyed, and Carter is gravely ill. I cannot reach Damien and Tacitus, and Scott and Raiko are also on the run. We have to save them. We have to collect everyone. I am the only one that can find them. I will not return without every one of us returning together,” Aadi said. His anger and frustration built as he thought of the time passing before he could get them all and the time before he could confront TEGRC for its treachery.
“I agree. We will do this together,” she replied and placed her hand on his shoulder.
“My mom tells me that the parents have united and are confronting the company heads about our disappearance. She said they are sending help. I don’t know, though, because I told her that things were more dangerous than she thought. I pushed images of the infirmary into her mind. She just sat there and cried. I have hope that this is all going to work out fine. If they reach us soon, I have the ability to find the others. I’ve been working on how to extract memories,” Aadi said and looked out as the first sun reached its high point in the sky.
“Really? I hope you haven’t been practicing on me,” Eirena said with a nervous laugh.
“Perhaps I have, but I don’t want to misuse you. Next time, I will ask permission,” he said and looked at her as if he knew a secret that he wanted her to tease out of him.
“Did you, um… ask her? Did they know?” she asked and turned away. Aadi felt her pain and reached out to touch her shoulder as he answered the most difficult question he had pondered since the discovery in the labs.
“Yes, yes I did. She admitted knowledge of the DNA donation and manipulation. She said she volunteered because she and my father couldn’t have children and desperately wanted one. She said she would have done anything to have me. Although, she knew that one-day she would have to give me back to them for testing. She had hoped that I would live the rest of my life out after camp as her son. She didn’t expect them to manipulate us, train us to be killers, and drop us into another galaxy to carry out their evil plans. She told me she loved me and that’s why she made a device that would always allow me to initiate communication with her and come home,” he said, his eyes tearing up slightly as he prayed that she told the truth. He felt it when he confronted his mother with the question - her hesitation, her shame, and her love. He was just too tired to trust it totally, had been through too much, and faced evil of which he had never thought possible. He wanted to believe her, to hold on to it to give him a reason to want to come home, to stay human and compassionate.
“Well, at least you know she loved you. It’s more than I can say for my so-called parents. They obviously loved me less than my brothers, because I was the one they dragged to camp. I was the one that my mother didn’t cry for as I left,” she said quietly, pushing back emotion from her assumed rejection.
“You have me, and I care about you. I’ll not leave you. You’re stuck with me. Friends for life, in battle and on the journey home,” he said with a smile as he took her hand.
“Well, lazy bones, looks like we got a lot of work to do if we are going to go home. We can at least get the ship up and running before we are saved. Race ya, bright boy,” Eirena said, instantly smiling at his response as though it was the best gift in the world, and then she smacked the back of Aadi’s head. She took off and ran down the hill at top speed. Aadi laughed out loud, knowing that she didn’t stand a chance against his super speed. He gave her a small lead and then ran after her and caught her. He swung her up high in the air, then twirled her around, and tickled her. With his heart filled with hope, he leaned in for a hug. And she allowed it right there under the two suns beating down on the red sand.
About the Author
LM. Preston was born and raised in Washington, DC. An avid reader, she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl. With a thirst for knowledge she attended college at Bowie State University, and worked in the IT field as a Techie and Educator for over sixteen years. She started writing science fiction under the encouragement of her husband who was a Sci-Fi buff and her four kids. Her first published novel, Explorer X - Alpha was the beginning of her obsessive desire to write and create stories of young people who overcome unbelievable odds. She loves to write while on the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is another passion that encouraged her writing.
www.lmpreston.com
You may write to LM. Preston at Phenomenal One Press, Attn: LM. Preston, P.O. Box 8231, Elkridge MD 21075
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