The fear of letting Matthew go off without her was elevated now that she knew Matthew would be gone for months. There would be no way of knowing if anything had happened to him or the team until they returned.
Sighing, April took the hand of each boy and asked, “Is this something you both want to do?”
Connor replied, “No, I would rather go back to 2016 with Amanda’s team.” He pulled his hand from his mother’s and said, “I’ll do it though. How else will I find out about Walter’s theory?”
Matthew put his arms around his mother’s neck and said, “I’ll be fine. I can do this.”
April still wasn’t happy about it, but she knew what a successful mission would mean to Walter and the resistance. She agreed that Matthew would go back to 2016 and that she and Connor would complete their mission in 2185.
Connor was still puzzled by one thing. He turned to Walter with a simple question. “You said something about a campus. Are Amanda and Matthew going to be students at a high school campus?”
Walter replied, “No, they won’t be on a high school campus. They’ll be on a college campus as freshmen.”
At that, Connor began to laugh, unable to hold it in. Walter asked the boy what he was laughing about, and Connor had trouble telling him, his laughter getting in the way of his voice.
“You think Matt—you think Matthew—can pull off a college student? He can barely pass for a high school student!”
April wasn’t laughing, but she did agree with Connor. “He’s right. Matthew hasn’t hit his growth spurt yet, like Connor. Connor and Amanda could pass for eighteen-year-olds, but I don’t know if anyone will buy Matthew as an adult.”
Matthew sank in his chair as the embarrassment of his mother and brother’s conversation sank in. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that his size would be a problem. He needed some height, weight, and a deeper voice, to be able to pull this off.
Connor smirked. “Are we gonna wait for Matthew to hit puberty before we start the missions?”
The sarcastic tone wasn’t lost on Matthew, so he launched a punch at Connor’s arm, which Connor blocked with his hand. “I’m just tellin’ the truth, bro.”
Walter walked over to Matthew and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. He wasn’t blind, and he couldn’t ignore the fact that Matthew would have problems pulling off a college student. But he was also prepared for the issue and now offered his remedy.
“I know this may come as a shock, but I also have my doubts about what Matthew can pull off. I agree that a college freshman would be a stretch for the young man.”
Matthew stood up and defended himself. “Ok, I think everyone here gets it. I’m small. I look like a twelve-year-old. There’s nothing I can do about it, so let’s just stop talking about it.”
Walter cleared his throat. “There is something we can do about it, but I’m sure your mother won’t like it.”
April was confused by the comment and asked, “What do you mean, there’s something we can do about it?”
Walter asked the family to join him in another room, where he intended to show them something that could solve the issue of Matthew’s size. They followed Walter to one of the lower levels of the complex and watched as he used his handprint to open a large door made of steel three inches thick.
Catching their expressions, he said, “I don’t want anyone else to have access to this room.”
He opened the door and turned on a light that illuminated a tube. It was ten feet long and connected to a large base pad. The pad had several hoses connecting it back to the tube. It reminded April of a coffin, but it was see-through. She walked up to the side of the tube and noticed layers of padding along the inside edges. It was positioned parallel to the floor, and April had to lean over to look into it.
“What’s this?” she asked.
Matthew and Connor walked around the outer walls of the room, looking for controls similar to those in the rorimite tunnel, but there weren’t any. All they found was a smaller pod leaned up against the back wall.
Matthew asked Walter, “Is this one of the pods that Liam and his wife used to get to Earth?”
Walter, impressed with Matthew’s intuition, replied, “Very good, Mr. Chance. Yes, this is one of the sleep pods that Liam and his wife used on their trip across the stars.”
Connor asked the next obvious question. “How is that thing gonna help Matthew look like a college freshman?”
Walter explained that the pod had been constructed by the alien travelers as a way to stop time within their own bodies. It allowed them to take long journeys through space without the need of food or power resources.
“I estimate that the trip from Terah to Earth would have taken them at least one hundred years to make. Even though the Hathmec would keep their aging to a minimum, that’s a long time to be on a spaceship, using rations, and so on.”
April shook her head, still puzzled. “Ok, so it allowed them to skip the one-hundred-year flight. How would that help us?”
Walter explained that the pod was controlled by the Hathmec, which helps to focus the energy on whoever is in the pod. One Hathmec could control several pods, if necessary.
“It can work in both directions: to both keep the time from passing and to speed the time up so that it passes faster.”
All three members of the Chance family peered at Walter with perplexed expressions. They didn’t understand what he was saying.
Walter paused for a moment, waiting for the meaning to sink in. Finally he blurted it out. “It can make Matthew grow faster.”
At this, Matthew seemed excited. “You’re saying that I can get into this tube and come out looking like I’m eighteen?”
Walter replied, “When you come out, you will be eighteen, at least physically. You’ll still have the same mind and maturity level that you have now, but you will look how you will look when you are eighteen.”
April grabbed Matthew around the waist and said, “So, now you’re taking his childhood too!”
Matthew spoke gently to this mother. “I kinda think my childhood is already gone, don’t you?”
April remained silent, and then gave Matthew a quick peck on the cheek. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Connor looked over the pod again and said, “This is great. We’ll pop in here for a bit, like going into a microwave, and we’ll pop out as eighteen-year-olds. That’s cool.”
Walter walked up behind the bolder of the Chance brothers. “There’s really no reason for you to do this too. Only Matthew needs the added size and growth.”
Connor turned to face Walter and said, “There is no way I’m gonna let my younger brother pass me by four years. If he’s doing it, I’m doing it.”
Walter looked to April. “There’s enough room in the pod for both of them. It shouldn’t hurt to have both of them a little older. Physically, I mean.”
April dropped her head and replied, “I’m not crazy about this, but what other choice do we have?” She wanted to stay strong, but it took everything in her to keep from crying. “How long will it take?”
Walter explained that the best way to avoid issues was to let it change the boys over several weeks while they slept. “I hate to rush things, but the sooner the better.” He told them to prepare for their sleep. They would be out for at least three weeks.
“We’ll put you under tonight, and the next thing you know it will be three weeks from now. Hopefully we’ll see a good result.”
April and the boys left the lab in very different spirits. April was crushed that she had to let Matthew go off without her, but this process of aging both of her sons was also difficult to deal with. In mere weeks, they would be fourteen-year-olds in the bodies of eighteen-year-olds.
Matthew, who had always been the smaller one, the one that looked like a kid compared to his brother, couldn’t wait for the three weeks to pass and to see his new eighteen-year-old self. His only fear was that it wouldn’t work.
Connor was excited too. “I can�
�t wait to see what the eighteen-year-old version of me looks like. If I’m this big now, there’s no telling what I’ll look like in three weeks. I’m starting to like this Hathmec thing.”
While the boys made their way to the mess hall, their mother slipped off to her living quarters, hoping to avoid everyone, hoping no one would come across her crying into her pillow. She knew that Walter was right about everything he’d said, but it still broke her heart to know that Matthew and Connor were throwing away the last few years of their youth. She feared that little Steven would be doing the same thing by going back to 2016.
Amanda could hear the sobs coming from April’s room as she passed by. She had been trying to avoid Matthew, but she could see his mother needed some support. She peeked into the room and saw April there, wiping tears from her eyes.
“Are you ok? Did something happen?”
April sniffed and then let out a huge sigh. “Oh, it’s just everything. You kids going back in time without me. Your little brother getting pulled into this mess. The boys aging themselves to eighteen. It’s just too much.”
Amanda tried to comfort her. “I really think Walter knows what he’s doing, and Agent Addie is great. I’ve been talking with her all day, and she’s amazing. I think we’ll all be fine with her and Agent Bryan there with us.”
She took April’s hand and said, “I know you feel responsible for Steven, and I think he really thinks a lot of you, but you don’t have to worry. He’s gonna be ok. It’ll be like a field trip into the future for us. He’s a smart kid, and Addie promised me that she would teach him some things during the day, when we’re off doing what we need to do at the school.”
Amanda sat back for a minute as April pulled herself together. Then the last thing that April had said struck her. “What do you mean the boys are aging themselves?”
April gave her a wry grin and proceeded to explain about the pod. “To think of them going from a fourteen-year-old to an eighteen-year-old in a few weeks is just too much to wrap my head around.”
“You mean sixteen to eighteen, right?”
April replied, “Oh no, we lied about their ages. They’re both fourteen.”
Amanda jumped up. “I was kissing a fourteen-year-old? I knew he didn’t look old enough to drive.”
April chuckled. “They both turn fifteen in a couple of weeks, if that makes you feel any better.”
It helped a little bit, but Amanda was still shocked that she had fallen for a fourteen-year-old. She did find it interesting that they would both look eighteen in a few weeks, but it really didn’t change anything. She was prepared, as before, to do as Walter had asked and complete the mission.
The afternoon turned to evening, and at the appointed time, the boys raced to the lab to begin their transformation. Walter had everything set up, and both boys stripped down to their shorts and plopped down into the tube, which was a little tight for two people. They made sure that their Hathmecs were positioned properly around their necks, and they even held each other’s hand.
Walter stood by their side, as did April, and told the boys to close their eyes.
“You’ll be asleep in a matter of seconds, so try not to fight the feeling. When you wake up, three weeks will have passed, and you may not recognize your own reflection in a mirror.”
The boys indicated that they were ready and closed their eyes. As the tube slid closed, Matthew whispered into Connor’s ear, “Pleasant dreams, bro.”
“Try not to drool on me,” replied Connor.
April put her hand on the closed lid, fearing the worst.
“They’ll be ok, won’t they, Walter?”
Walter grinned at the nervous mother and said, “They’ll be fine, my dear. Just bigger, stronger, and ready for what awaits.”
Matthew and Connor both felt the world fade away as the tube powered up. Sweet dreams awaited them both.
Chapter 8
HOME
“It’s so warm out here today, and not a cloud in the sky.” Matthew leaned up from the thick grass that supported his back and head. It was a beautiful day, and the park bustled with the sounds of children and adults enjoying the weather.
Matthew turned his head to see Amanda napping at his side. She had a big smile on her face and seemed content. Matthew hoped that her dreams were filled with joy and excitement for the future. Connor walked up to them with April and Steven. Steven had been involved in a rousing game of beamball, leaving his clothes covered in dirt and grass stains, much like Connor and Matthew’s when they used to play. Steven looked up to April and smiled. It was wonderful to see Steven so happy.
Connor grabbed Matthew’s hand and pulled him up from the ground. “You should have seen this little guy out there. He was awesome. He’s got a better arm than I do.”
April told Steven to run out and get some cold cream while she talked with the boys. “It’s amazing, isn’t it, Matthew?”
Matthew asked, “What’s amazing? If you’re talking about the weather, I couldn’t agree more.”
April shrugged and said, “Yes, the weather is amazing, but that’s not what I meant. I mean all the things that we’ve accomplished. Here we are back in the park where you boys used to play games, and now we’re here with Steven and Amanda.”
Connor agreed with his mother and added, “Everything we did was worth it.”
April put her arms around the boys and said, “We got rid of Minister Hathmec just like Walter wanted us to. I know you two doubted him, but they couldn’t have done it without us.”
Matthew hugged his mother and brother and tried to remember all of the things they had done. But he struggled to set his mind on any one of their past accomplishments. He just stood there and looked around at the park. Why couldn’t he remember anything? April asked Matthew if he was ok, and then a familiar jingle filled the daytime air.
Matthew asked, “What is that? That sounds like the Minister’s daily affirmation. Who’s playing that?” He released his mother and turned toward the noise. When he turned back to his mother and brother, both of them were standing at attention, hands at their sides, and looking to the sky.
Matthew looked down to see Amanda staring up at him, hands to her sides, a tear running down her face. He started to move toward her, but he couldn’t get his legs to bend or his muscles to react. He looked to the sky and heard the following: “Let us all give our thanks to the Supreme Leader. Without him, where would we all be?”
Matthew’s eyes started to burn as the faint image of a man materialized in the daytime sky. It wasn’t Minister Hathmec, but someone else. Amanda cried out to Matthew, “How could you? This is your fault! This is your fault!”
Matthew lowered his head again and saw Amanda lying on the ground, writhing in pain. She turned to him and screamed. He could see the agony in her face. The Hathmec pendant on her chest was burning, and it was killing her. Matthew screamed, “No!”
He struggled to look back to his mother and brother. They were both on the ground in crippling distress, their Hathmec pendants set ablaze and burning a hole in their hearts. He felt the warmth from the fire and tried to help, but was stopped by a stabbing pain of his own. He reached down and held his Hathmec in his hand. The pendant lit up before his eyes, and he dropped it back to his chest.
“No, this can’t be happening! Somebody help! Somebody help!”
Matthew’s eyes opened to see the outline of a fuzzy face and to the smell of the bad breath that had been exhaling on him for the last few weeks. The cold, sharp point of his brother’s elbow dug into his side. His eyesight was blurred, and he fought to catch his breath. He started to ease his way out of the tube, but at a snail’s pace. “I’m so stiff,” he thought in wonder.
The light of the lab was dimmed to a point that he couldn’t see much farther than his hand in front of his face. At that point, Connor also reached for the side of the tube that had been their bed for the last three weeks.
“Matthew, are you good? I’m having a little trouble focusi
ng here.”
Matthew replied that he was ok, but that he was also having problems focusing. He could hear a voice from the far side of the room. It sounded like Walter’s.
“Don’t worry about that, boys. It’s all normal. Your bodies have been through a lot the last few weeks. Just give it a few minutes, and the Hathmec will bring everything back into order.”
“You boys look great.” The boys now recognized their mother’s familiar voice. “I’m so glad you’re ok and back with us. I’ve missed you so much.”
Matthew and Conner exited the pod with a little help from their mother and Walter. They stood there unsteadily, allowing their bodies and eyes to adjust to the surroundings. It took a few minutes, but the strength and confidence of their new eighteen-year-old bodies started to stabilize.
Connor took a step forward and said, “Wow, I feel like I just went to sleep, but it was the best sleep ever.”
Connor was shocked at the sound of his own voice. It had deepened and was unfamiliar to him. He spoke again, just to hear the words.
“This is me, this is how Connor sounds. I like it. I sound like a security lead.”
Matthew stayed silent as he tried to remember the dream that had spoiled his three-week slumber. While Connor had had a restful, wonderful sleep, the same could not be said for Matthew. He was just happy to be awake.
Matthew said his first words to his mother. “Well, how do we look?” His voice had changed a bit, but it was still quite a bit higher than his brother’s.
“You look different, that’s for sure. I don’t think Connor will be messing with you like he did before.”
Matthew walked to the end of the room but was stopped in his tracks by a shooting pain at his waist. He looked down to see that the shorts he had worn into the pod were no longer a viable wardrobe option. Doubled over in pain, he said, “I don’t think I can wear these anymore. Do you have something else I can put on?”
Last Chance Volume 2 - The Legend of the Hathmec: Planting the Seed Page 11