by Korey Troyer
Tyler lay curled up on his left side, cuddled in the warmth of a standard ship’s blanket. His eyelids slowly dragged open and focused on a hazy glow in the corner of the room.
The blur of the halo gave way to a defined point of light and he noticed a mountain range-like silhouette, which washed into the shape of his new friend Ethan, sleeping under his blanket in the next bunk.
Tyler’s heart raced in a bit of panic as he remembered he was in a flying saucer hurdling through space at the other end of the Milky Way Galaxy. A tear slowly swelled from his eyelash, rippled down the edge and trickled over the bridge of his nose on to the pillow. Tyler stayed motionless. He had to be brave...he was brave, just lonely.
He sniffed hard, and slid his hand through the blanket to wipe his nose, which stirred Ethan. Tyler froze. He didn’t want anyone to notice his crying.
Ethan raised his head and smiled at Tyler in a comforting way. “I cried every night on my way to Earth. I told you I slept on the bridge, but I didn’t tell you why. I slept there because it scared me to be alone in the Captain’s cabin. It’s okay if you have to cry, we’re friends. Believe me, I understand.”
“This has been the most awesome adventure of my life,” Tyler Whispered “I’m happy to help you. I am so grateful you trust me and think I can do something great for Ganrea.”
Ethan slid up on to his elbow. “We appreciate your assistance more than you can imagine.”
“But with everything going on, I forget how homesick I am until its quiet and I’m in bed.”
“Tyler, use the Hungadunga,” Ethan suggested. “All you need to do is think of your family, hold your Hungadunga and your Mom, Dad and sister will appear.”
“Are you sure, Ethan? It’s been so long. I know you told me they won’t realize I’m gone but I really miss my little sister’s giggle.” Tyler smiled with the image of his Matilda’s thick belly laugh.
“See, there you go. A good thought changes your feelings. And only good things can happen when you have good feelings.”
“You’re right, Ethan. My Dad told me life is like a boomerang, whatever you throw out comes back. So, I’ll try to think of what makes me happy, my family.”
“I do the same.”
Tyler slid his arm out of the covers and down to his backpack. He zipped open the bag, reached in and extracted the Hungadunga, then shuffled back in his bed holding the dark polished warm rock in his hand.
Out of his palm shone a slow beam of gray light, rising with a stutter until it revealed an Earth bedroom. Tyler checked in on his baby sister in her crib, sleeping face down, her tiny butt up in the air, head tilted to the right and her chubby cheeks squished, pushing her pudgy lips out. This made Tyler smile from ear to ear.
Ethan smiled as well. “Tyler, she’s beautiful.”
“She’s my baby sister,” Tyler said with pride. “I love her a lot.”
“I feel the same way about my family, which is why I took this mission. When my Dad told me what the Unu are doing, I didn’t think about Ganrea or my own safety for that matter. All I could focus on is protecting my family. I believe we come prewired to protect our families. I don’t think we have a choice other than to obey our instinct.”
Tyler nodded. He thought of his parents and the image switched to another bedroom. He gently smiled as he saw Dad with his right arm clutching Mom, holding her close as if protecting her.
“They are very much in love.”
“My Dad always tells my Mom how much he loves her,” Tyler chuckled. “Kind of grosses me out some times.”
“My parents do that too, yuk!”
Tyler shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s nice to know.”
Ethan told Tyler about his family as they discussed all the stuff they missed and loved about them. The most astonishing thing of it all was how they both had the same feelings and situations even though they came from different planets.
The boys chatted for a while about growing up. They traded stories, good and bad, happy and sad. Ethan and Tyler talked for hours but felt stronger because of the energy they gained from thoughts of their loved ones.
After a long while they drifted off to sleep once again. By the time the friends passed out from exhaustion, they had been filled with courage and focus. The young men now had a boost of dedication for the mission since they finally had a chance to get better acquainted. Neither one knew what tomorrow would bring but they committed to do their best.
The youthful heroes fell fast asleep, dreaming of glory and a happy ending. No matter what, Ethan and Tyler would do this together.