“I didn’t. Serenity figured that out about a week after you installed it. But, she was respecting your privacy. She was also very impressed by what you had done.”
Ellie smiled for the first time. “She was?”
“She did have some choice words for you. Something to the effect that as smart as you are, there was no way you could solve those equations in less than a minute. She pulled the building’s security tapes and studied every instance of you entering the lab. She finally figured it out. She replaced the camera with a super high-resolution one and recorded your tongue pattern when you stuck it out. That’s how we gained access.”
As mad as she had been, Ellie had to smile at her clever Aunt. “She’s got game, doesn’t she?”
“You could learn a lot from her.”
“Like how to be grumpy?”
“Probably not,” teased her mother. “That’s a gift you’re born with.”
“Ellie, would you care to tour the capsule with your dear old dad?”
“And me?” added Syl’kie.
The older girl knew her father all too well. He wanted a little time to be alone with her . . . probably to give her one of his famous life lessons. “Syl, give me a few minutes with this old man (and she stuck out her tongue at him). Then, I’ll give you the tour. In the meantime, do me a favor?”
“Sure. What?”
“Find my socks.”
Syl scrunched her face . . . then smiled. “She did knock them off, didn’t she?”
“Indubitably.”
“In what?”
Ellie loved her sister even though she seldom showed in overtly. Oddly enough, much like Syl’kie need her approval, the reverse was also true. Failing at something in front of the younger girl was devastating to her. This little episode with the lab and the unauthorized access was more than a bit humiliating.
“It just means she definitely did.”
“Oh. Why couldn’t you just say that?” asked the exasperated girl.
“Then I wouldn’t get to see your eyes roll back in your head as you try to figure out what I meant.” She smiled as she said it and Syl’kie responded with a giggle.
“Come on, Ellie,” encouraged her father. To the other two he said, “We won’t be long.”
*****
The interior was a marvel. There were two incredibly comfortable command chairs that could recline into beds, two additional seats that could be raised from the floor, a small galley with a food replicator, one of those combination toilet and shower stalls and an impressive array of scientific equipment. There was even a small lab area where Ellie could do some on-the-fly engineering. One very clever feature was that the front glass section could also be used as an airlock. Overall, very impressive . . . and there was probably a lot they had yet to discover.
After spending a few minutes marveling at everything, Ellie sat down in the ‘pilots’ command chair and invited her father to take the other one. “Okay, let me have it.”
“Have what?”
“Another life lesson. I believe we’re up to three hundred and nine.”
“Ah. Am I so transparent?”
“Yes.”
“Then what will be the subject of today’s message?”
“I’m obnoxious and people hate me for it. So, stop.”
Benny smiled at his daughter. He was so proud of her – of both of them – that he thought he might explode from joy. “No one hates you, my darling.”
“Only because my mother is the Queen and a living legend.”
“Well, you do have that going for you,” he teased.
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
“Is that why I’m so insufferable? I’m trying to live up to the impossible standard set by Mom?”
“Do you want to hear something strange? Your mom is actually a very bad role model.”
“WHAT?”
“A role model should be someone that a person wishes to emulate and has at least a reasonable chance of doing so. Your mom is simply in a league of her own. She is unique. It could be a thousand years before anyone could duplicate what she has done, is doing, and will do.”
Ellie went silent as she considered her father’s words. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
His reply said it all. “Yes.”
“So what’s today’s lesson?”
“Why do you think Snarky Sparky was able to beat your unbeatable system?”
“She’s smart.”
“As are you.”
The girl smiled. She really did love her parents; they were the best. “I give up. Why?”
“Wisdom. It’s the quality of having knowledge, experience, and good judgment. You have the knowledge and will only add to it as time goes on. But experience and good judgement come with maturity and age. For example, you may not be able to learn quantum physics from your mother, but you could learn how to get the most out of people by watching her interact with the billions of citizens of the Commonwealth.”
“I thought she wasn’t a good role model?”
“Sorry, sweetheart but you will never be Egg of Earth. No one will. That doesn’t mean you can’t glean important lessons from her and from all your amazing aunts. For instance, do you know why Serenity still uses her wheelchair on occasion?”
“I did wonder about that. Her exoskeletons are so well engineered; I could never understand why she wouldn’t use them all the time.”
“She uses the chair on occasion to remind herself of who she is.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The mental scars from her inability to save her mom’s life are as severe as the physical ones she incurred in that same explosion. But she never let those two handicaps define who she was. Instead of using them as a crutch to fall back on, she used them – and still does – as a springboard to push herself to achieve the most out of her life. She’s much too modest to discuss it; but your Aunt Sparky is quite the inspiration.”
“I never knew that. That’s amazing.”
“I warn you, don’t let her know that you know. It would make her very uncomfortable. Promise?”
“Promise. Dad, can I think about all this for a while? Then maybe we can talk about it again.”
“Of course. By the way, thank you for how you . . . how you modified your response to your sister about her blue flying suit. She adores you.”
“I adore her. But . . . don’t you ever tell her I said that. Your turn to promise.”
“Why?’
Ellie’s answer stunned her father. “Because someday she’ll be Flying Girl and the Leader of the Hameggattic Sisterhood. When that time comes, I’ll just be her Feminion. So at least for now, I get to be Queen of the Universe. Well, her universe anyway.”
*****
While Ellie and her father were in the capsule, Egg took the opportunity to have a motherly talk with her youngest. “Syl, I’m a little worried.”
“About us exploring?”
“Well, yes and no.” She waited to see if the girl would offer a sarcastic comment but of course she didn’t. Syl’kie wasn’t her sister. “My worry is about you.”
“Me? I promise I’ll do whatever Ellie wants me to do.”
“I know. That’s the problem.”
“Huh?”
“What happens if your sister gets into trouble?”
“What do you mean?”
“Hypothetically, what happens if she gets captured by someone or something that wants to do her harm; what would you do?”
“I’d fly in and rescue her. I wouldn’t let anything hurt her.”
“I know that. But what happens if by you flying in, you get into the same trouble that she’s in?”
“Well . . .” but the girl had no answer. After a few seconds, she said, “I guess I would come back home and find you or Dad.”
“Syl, that’s the wrong answer.”
“It is?”
“Let me take that back. It should be your backup plan. Remember, leaving your sister in danger may make th
e situation worse. Maybe much worse.” She didn’t want to overly frighten the girl by telling her that Ellie’s life could very well depend on what she did.
Egg wanted her youngest to realize that she needed to think for herself and not just wait for instructions from her sister. At the very least, she needed to understand the thought process behind Ellie’s decisions and argue against them if her gut said something different.
“So, if I can’t try and save her and I shouldn’t come home to find you, what do I do?”
Egg realized she wasn’t doing a very good job of explaining her feelings. “I’m sorry Syl for confusing you. Let me try it again. If you just do what your sister tells you to do without questioning her reasoning, then you can never make an independent decision in case of an emergency. Make her explain how she comes to a given conclusion, question her on details that she may not have considered and voice any concerns that you feel deep in your bones that might render her judgement suspect. In other words, be a partner not just a follower. Someday, you are going to lead the Sisterhood. It’s not too early for you to start practicing.”
“Mom, I don’t think I can.”
Egg misunderstood what the girl was referring to. “She might get irritated but just be insistent.”
“No, not that. I don’t think I can lead the Sisterhood.” At this point in her young life, taking on that responsibility seemed absolutely impossible. She tried not to even think about it because it made her feel slightly sick to her stomach.
“Oh, sweetheart, you have ten years before you assume that role. I promise that you have the time, the ability and the teachers to get you ready.”
“I guess.” A blind person could see the discomfort in the girl.
“Syl, when the time comes and you feel you don’t want the responsibility, then you don’t have to.”
“Oh Mom, that’s not true. Everyone expects it. Look at me – I’m wearing the flying suit.”
Egg felt bad – realizing for the first time the inadvertent pressure she was putting on her daughter. “Syl’kie, ever since the suit was invented, it always skipped a generation. (Rose’Alynnia’s life essence initially powered the suit. If someone failed to pass the test she had created, the suit went ‘dead’ for fifty years, thereby skipping a generation). “There’s no reason that it can’t happen again.”
“You mean I would give the flying suit to my daughter?”
“If that’s what you want. So, the only thing I ask of you – well, two things – is first to try to take the next ten years to learn how to lead. The second thing is at the end of ten years if you feel that you shouldn’t lead, be brave enough to turn down the position. Okay?”
The girl began to hyperventilate as she fought to hold back her tears. It was such a relief that the burden of leading the Sisterhood wasn’t going to be forced on her. She ran to her mother and hugged her fiercely. “Okay.” A few more breaths then she added, “Thanks, Mom.”
*****
“Ladies, I have some final instructions for you. Pay attention because I will not tolerate any deviation. Understand?”
“Okay, Dad.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Very good. Whenever you go exploring, you will log the exact coordinates of your destination. You will transmit a status report every hour . . .”
“Every four hours,” and Ellie gave him a challenging stare.
“Very well . . . every two hours. The computer will automatically signal you if you fail to do so. If another half hour passes without your communications, it will notify me.”
“What happens then?” asked Syl’kie.
“I will come looking for you.”
“Better idea,” announced the Brain.
“And that would be?”
“If we’re in danger, I don’t want you to fall into the same predicament, Daddy Dearest. So, send Ziz.” That was Jax’x’s mechanical dragonetta controlled by an A.I. – an Artificial Intelligence computer.
“I will ask Jax’x if that would be acceptable. Upon your return from these . . . jaunts, you will file a full report of everything that transpired. Everything. Nod your heads in the affirmative if you understand.”
They did.
“Excellent. The last item is that anything of value that you learn or bring back is deemed property of the people of Aerianna. It will ALL be turned over to the proper individuals to be cataloged and researched. I will have those head nods again.”
They nodded.
“Lovely. Any questions?”
“I do,” said Syl’kie. “Why are you letting us do this? I don’t think good parents would let their kids explore on their own.”
Benny smiled at his youngest. “The Myst Tree told your mom to let you find your own path. If there was something out there that he thought you couldn’t handle, he would have said something.” The Tree was a representative of the Old Ones, the advance civilization that created Aerianna. His advice to Egg over the years was instrumental in her success. She trusted the Tree implicitly. When she became Queen, he had left the planet.
Syl’kie looked at her sister. Of course, she knew about the Tree but the concept was still hard to grasp. “What do you think, Ellie?”
“I think it’s incredibly embarrassing that my father and mother take parenting advice from a talking shrub. However, in this case, it works to our advantage.” She turned to Benny and said, “Thank you, Daddy.” There was a distinct lack of sincerity in her words.
“You are welcome. However, despite what the Tree said or didn’t say, do try to avoid unnecessary risks. If you come back with so much as a scratch, I may very well have a change of heart.” He gave them both a stern look – or what he assumed was one. “Any idea where you are headed to first?”
Ellie answered, “I found a planetoid with an artificial energy signature. It should be an easy first adventure.”
Had she been her mother, her arms would have exploded with the dreaded goosebumps – a sure sign that there was danger ahead.
*****
“What are you staring at, you little brat?”
“Nice way to talk to your favorite niece.”
“Hey, what about me,” complained Syl’kie. It was a very common refrain from the younger girl who felt almost invisible when standing next to her older sister.
Serenity replied, “You’re my favorite. I just tolerate her (using her chin to point to Ellie) because it’s the law.”
The older girl took no offense since most conversations with Snarky Sparky followed this usual pattern. “What’s the penalty for violating that particular royal decree?”
Serenity pretended to shiver in horror. “I would have to spend a full week babysitting you. Doesn’t seem fair.”
“Not fair for who? Me or you?”
“Bite me.” She winked at the girl then asked, “So what does the brat pack want now?”
“First, I wish to congratulate you on beating my security system. It took either an incredible amount of brainpower . . . or dumb luck. Either way, kudos.”
“High praise indeed coming from you. A word of advice . . . you kind of gave it away when you overplayed your hand with those equations.”
“What would you have done?”
“Flash the equation for say three seconds then force the person to duplicate it . . . not solve it. Even people with eidetic memories need more than three seconds to commit something that complex to memory.”
“Couldn’t someone just take a picture?”
“Use colors at the extreme ends of the visible spectrum – rotating them randomly.”
Ellie smiled in appreciation. “Think it’s too late to change it?”
“Nope.”
“Thanks. So, the second thing is Syl and I wanted to thank Skotti (Serenity’s husband) for building that capsule. It’s amazing. He’s amazing.”
“It really is cool,” added the younger girl.
Sparky could hear the sincerity in their voices and their compliments were greatly appreciat
ed. “I’ll tell him what you said. Thank you. So, when is the maiden voyage?”
“First thing tomorrow morning.”
“Where you headed?”
“The Andromeda Galaxy.”
“What?” The distance to that galaxy is simply beyond imagining.
“We have unlimited power and my planet finding gizmo. I found a little planetoid with an artificial energy signature. So, we’re going to check it out. Besides, I always wanted to be the first to visit a different galaxy.”
This time Serenity stared at the girl (throwing in a glance or two for her younger sister). “I’m only going to say this once. AND, I will deny it should someone ask.” She paused then finished with, “You two are truly amazing and I love you both.” Ellie smiled and looked at Syl’kie who was beaming. Before it could go any further, Serenity barked, “Now get out. I’ve got stuff to do and you two are annoying the heck out of me.”
Both twins giggled and turned to leave.
“HEY. Where are my hugs?”
Chapter 3 – P’yxx
Ooz’tari World, somewhere in the Andromeda Galaxy
She yelped in surprise as a snowball whizzed by her head, missing it by inches. Turning, she saw three kids she recognized from school. The biggest and meanest was Oh’tezla and it was he who threw that snowball. He stared back at her menacingly. It was payback time.
On the very first day of class all those months before, he had chosen the kids that would be the subject of his bullying. He had narrowed his search to two. The first was a skinny boy with insufficient body mass to withstand a strong wind. Oh’tezla, laughing loudly, shoved the kid in the back, knocking his books and computer tablet to the floor. The little guy, with the unlikely name of Kolossus, simply turned around and in a blur, swept his right leg at his assailant. The sweep buckled the other boy’s legs and he fell. It took a moment to recover, but when he stood, Oh’tezla expanded his body to its full, oversized length (and width). With absolutely no courage to re-engage the little guy in a physical confrontation, the Big Oh (as some of his loyal followers would eventually call him) cursed, threatened then walked away.
The second person he had chosen, and had successfully bullied the entire school year, was today’s target of the snowball.
P'yxx - Syl'kie and Ellie Rose's 1st adventure Page 3