by Megan Alban
Chapter One
“Well, if it isn’t our own Alexis Drake, Valedictorian, of New Vesta High Space academy.”
“Hi, Celine.” Alexis stilled the urge to roll her eyes. Celine Kennedy was the last person she’d hope to bump into.
“What brings you down to this lowly neck of the woods?”
She had no intention of telling her she’d asked to be transferred to sector nine. “I’m waiting to be allocated my first assignment.”
“Oh, wow, how the mighty have fallen.” Celine laughed. The sound grated on Alexis nerves. If she’d known Celine was assigned to this section she would have chosen another. She’d chosen sector nine, as nine was her lucky number.
Not anymore obviously.
“What do you want, Celine?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say no to the number for Blake Millhouse’s communicator. I heard you two broke up.”
“Even if we were broken up, I wouldn’t give you the time of day. Bye, Celine, I’m up.” Although she was summoned to the flight commander’s office, over the loudspeakers Alexis would have found some excuse to escape having to spend another minute in Celine’s company. The girl was bad news and a malicious pain in the butt. However, her reference to her break up with Blake was especially painful.
Did everybody know?
She couldn’t think about that now, she had to make her way to the flight commander’s office. It wouldn’t do to keep him waiting on her first day.
She followed the blue lights on the ground that lit her way through the vast goldfish bowl. Which wasn’t really a bowl, but a thirty floor glass building with reflective glass on the outside walls -- and the command center for all the space missions from earth.
Fist at the ready, the door swung open before her knuckles could connect with its wooden frame. Her breath caught as she saw Blake standing in front of her. Tall, broad and as handsome as ever, wearing civilian clothes. He seemed to stare right through her, long and hard, before he said,
“Alexis.” He bowed his head and stepped out of the way, so she could pass by, and into the commander’s office.
Although she didn’t respond, her name on his lips still sent chills down her spine.
The commander rose from behind his desk. “Ah, Ms Drake.” He held out his hand. Alexis moved further into the room, then glanced over her shoulder when the door clicked shut—indicating Blake was gone.
Well, he was good at leaving, got it down to a fine art, Alexis thought.
“Can I call you Alexis?” The commander’s voice brought her back into the room before she was able to drift off into another one of her unwelcome daydreams of Blake.
They shook hands. “Isn’t that a little informal, Commander Steel.”
“Yes, yes it is, but indulge an old man. I see this beautiful woman in front of me, but when I call you Ms Drake, I think of an old spinster. The contrast is a little off putting. Please take a seat.” He signalled to a chair opposite. No doubt the one recently exited by Blake, it still held his warmth. “I take it from your exchange, you know my nephew? Of course you know my nephew. You would have been at the academy together.”
“Yes I do, sir, he graduated two years above me, but we know each other from before then. We lived in the same neighborhood.” Damn. Blake was Commander Steel’s nephew? Was there no way she could catch a break? First Celine, now this.
“Ah, which means you must know my sister, Blake’s mother. Oh dear, what am I doing, that’s not important now. We can catch up on that stuff another time.” He said rubbing the back of his neck, his cheeks deepened in color. Commander Steel’s laid back approach was very different to the stern face of Commander Walker in sector one.
She liked it.
Now that he mentioned it, she could see the family resemblance to Blake and smiled. Looking at Commander Steel was like fast forwarding to the future and meeting Blake forty years from now. “Now, the reason I’ve called you in here is to find out if you really want to be here.”
“I requested to be here, Sir.”
“I know you did. But to my understanding the reason for your transfer has changed.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Okay, I’m just going to come right out and say it. Blake suggested to me that you transferred to get away from him. As he’s left space travel to take over his father’s business, I wondered if you didn’t think your skills are better suited to sector one.”
“Ah…” Alexis didn’t know what to say. She did transfer to get away from Blake and his interfering. But there was still no guarantee Commander Walker would let her fly solo. Anyway, how professional would it look for her to ask to be moved back to sector one, now Blake had left? Which she didn’t know until now.
At least that explained why he was out of uniform.
“I wanted to be here,” she said almost to herself, her voice was so low. The Commander raised an eyebrow. She saw the look of uncertainty that crossed his face. No one really wanted to be assigned to sector nine. Because most of the spaceships were like Bloobie-class Drones. It was a position allocated to most as a punishment. However sector nine did have one spaceship in its favor. The Phobos - a luxury cruiser, which transported holidaymakers to many different, interesting and exotic planets. That’s the ship she wanted to pilot. She saw the commander was not satisfied with her answer, so she continued. “I’m very happy be to here. That’s the reason for my application, Sir. I’m happy with my decision to move to sector nine and be under your command, Commander Steel.”
“Splendid, here’s a file with your first assignment. You will transport a team of researchers to Nova Skopje.”
“Where?” Alexis, pulse quickening; she’d never heard of Nova Skopje.
“Nova Skopje, it’s a distant planet in the Valdera System. You will be piloting the escort shuttle Roxam. In…” The Commander looked at his time piece. “Eleven hundred hours, I suggest you get a move on.”
“But…”
“But what?”
“I… er… I just thought I’d be manning the Phobos.” She would have been the logical choice to take over, being as the previous pilot had retired.
“No, The Phobos already has a pilot, a good one. Have a nice day Alexis, you’d better get a move on, they’re expecting you at the space station. You don’t want to be late.”
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Sir.” Alexis prayed her disappointment wasn’t apparent in her voice or expression.
She boarded the crew-liner to Astra Starlight international space station. At the docking station, she was swiftly shown to her shuttle, where she found the researchers already waiting.
Within minutes, she and her passengers were flying amongst the stars. As Alexis approached Nova Skopje, she was intrigued to see the stars composite looked similar to earth. She landed on the planet’s surface and was shocked. Instead of the barren wasteland she’d expected, she was greeted with this beautiful, warm planet with three suns, and a tropical climate, covered in lush plants. Curious, she asked one of the researchers.
“Why isn’t this beautiful planet inhabited and added to the vacation list as a must-visit location?”
“It’s really does look magnificent doesn’t it? However, our drones have discovered that beneath this planet’s floor lie dangerous caves full of threatening, unknown, variables. That’s one of the main reasons for this visit. To extract soil, plants and other samples, to see if there is some way to minimize any risk to habitation,” the researcher explained.
“So, all this is just a beautiful mirage?”
“That’s one way to look at it. We’ll know more after we have collected and analyzed the samples.”
Finding the answer to her question unsettling, Alexis began to see the beauty before her as nothing more than an illusion. Like the Angels Trumpet blooms: gorgeous, but toxic and filled with hidden dangers.
Chapter Two
One of the researchers pointed out a clearing near some caves and instructed Alexis to set down there
. It was ideal for collecting the type of samples they needed, he said. Alexis didn’t care where they landed as long as they were quick. Because suddenly an airy sensation overwhelmed her, and her fight with Blake began to make more sense than she’d liked. She shook her head inwardly and began to help the scientists remove their equipment from the shuttle.
Beads of sweat coated her forehead, her stomach knotted and her heart raced, at the strange noises coming from the caves—noises she’d never heard before. She ran her clammy hands down the side of her spacesuit and went back to her seat in front of the control panel.
She watched as the researchers walked with purpose toward the caves, their equipment in hand, chattering with excitement as they approached their destination. They stopped and set up their instruments at one of the large openings in the rock face.
Blake’s words tugged at her gut. “Resign, please, I don’t want anything to happen to you. I love you. Let’s get married.”
“Is this your idea of a proposal?” A proposal she’d waited so long to hear, and it came behind him asking her to give up everything she’d worked for. “I’m not leaving. I’ve spent four years at the academy waiting for this very day. I’ve graduated top in my class. I’m not going to give it up. Not when I’m so close to my first space mission.”
“Even after I told you what I saw?” Blake stared at her, incredulous.
“You said it was a dream.”
“A dream of you dying out there.”
“But still a dream, Blake.”
“I just don’t want to see anything happen to you.” He pulled her to him and she shrugged him off, and stepped back shaking her hair from her eyes.
“And nothing will.”
“Well, you can’t stay in the job once we’re married.”
“Why not?”
“Because I want my wife home with me. Someone I can come home to at the end of a stressful day. Stupid, I know, but I thought that’s what you wanted, too.” His hand raked through his hair.
“I do, one day, just not today, or even this year. Like I said, I’ve worked too hard to give it up now.” Alexis placed a hand on Blake’s arm. “Is this all because you have to give it up and take over your father’s company?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, this has nothing to do with me having to resign. I care about you and I trust my gut. Which is telling me if you go into space you will die.”
She stepped back glaring at him. “You know what I think? I think you’re jealous, because you have to leave. You can’t stand the thought of me continuing without you. If you can’t fly a spaceship anymore then you’ll be damned if you’re going to kiss goodbye to me every day. Knowing I’m living my dream when you can’t live yours.”
“I’m sorry you think that way.” Hurt coupled with disbelief was mirrored in his eyes. “That you think so little of me. Goodbye, Alexis.” His shoulders slumped as he edged toward the front door to the apartment they shared.
“What? That’s it? You don’t have anything else to say?”
“I think you’ve said enough for both of us. I’ll move out of the apartment tonight.”
A tear slipped down Alexis’s cheek, as the memory tore into her, as if it happened yesterday. Just like that the wound was open and as fresh as the day Blake walked out of her life. Later that day she’d sent him a message telling him it was his apartment and she’d be gone before his return.
She called up for staff accommodation and permission to transfer. She didn’t want to bump into him again even if it was only for a few months before he left, and she hadn’t seen or heard from him again until today. He hadn’t even tried to fix things between them.
Neither did you.
As she wiped her tears, the ground began to rumble and the sound from the caves grew louder. To Alexis’s horror, she saw the opening of the caves turn into wide, hungry mouths. Her limbs froze, her eye were strained wide as she watched vines slither out from the caves’ entrance.
Her lips parted to speak, to shout, to scream out a warning for the researchers to look behind them, run. But nothing came out, no words, not a sound—her vocal cords contracted, restricting anything from passing through.
Her reaction was on pause. When her senses did kick in, her movements were in slow motion. As though inside the shuttle was suddenly sucked free of pressure and became void of atmosphere.
The vines wrapped themselves around the terrified researchers and pulled them in. Although still panic stricken, movement returned to Alexis’s limbs. Too late to save the scientists, but she could save herself. She attempted to take off as she saw more vines rushing toward her. Mere inches off the ground the vines encased her shuttle in their grasp, as they travelled at speed up and around the small shuttle—in seconds, she was caged in.
The ship’s motor boomed in her ears as it struggled to free itself against the force of the vines dragging it into the open mouth of the cave looming ahead of her.
This was it. She was going to die, she just hoped her end was fast and didn’t hurt too much.
Blake was right. Eaten alive by a vine-wielding cave on her first day on the job. The irony. Her dream of being in space didn’t feel much like a dream anymore, it was a freaking nightmare. What she wouldn’t give to be home in Blake’s arms right now.
If she had the chance to do over, she’d stay with him. All of this in no way seemed worth it. She gave up her chance of love to be cave food. She sent a prayer, if God existed and saved her from her fate, she’d keep her feet firmly on the ground and be the housewife Blake had wanted her to be. She smiled as she gave herself over to what was to come.
“Goodbye, Blake I really did love you and I’m sorry,” she whispered, as the spacecraft was dragged through the gaping mouth of the cave and the daylight slowly ebbed away. At no time during this crazy ordeal did it occur to her to send out the craft’s distress call.
She was trapped in her emotional web, her training forgotten as if being encased in these vines drained her of all rational thought.
The first time she and Blake made love was the last thing she thought of as she entered the dark void of the cave and blacked out with her hand on the distress button.
Sure she was about to die, Alexis was amazed when she opened her eyes to discover she was eighteen again. She’d gone back in time five years and was home in her bedroom at her parent’s house. All sense of fear disappeared as she remembered, today she would be moving into the apartment she was going to share with Blake. They were going to have sex for the first time, and in their own place. To top it all she had been accepted into the space academy and would be joining Blake there in the fall. She was overcome by a wonderful sense of peace and joy. Life couldn’t get any better than this.
Chapter Three
Leaping out of bed, she raced downstairs to find her parents having breakfast in the kitchen. They looked younger too. Alexis smiled at the two people who had always made her feel safe, and she was about to move in with the third.
“Good morning,” she sang out as she went around the table, first hugging and kissing her mother, then her father. She was suddenly filled with the urge to demonstrate her affection to her parents--something she almost never did, as it wasn’t a practice they usually encouraged. However, today they were more than just a little receptive to her display of affection, which warmed her heart.
“Morning, honey,” her parents said in unison.
“You’re happy this morning. Didn’t think you’d be so happy to leave us,” her father said, with a smile.
“It’s not that Daddy, I’m happy, because I’ve got the best parents in the world and I’m happy to see you guys, that’s all.” It was true and she had no idea why she’d think otherwise.
“Aw, pet, when you say it like that, I’m sure I can speak for your mother and me that we were blessed to have a daughter like you, sugar.” Her father grinned. “You all packed?”
“Yeah I think so.”
“Sit down hon, let me get you some breakfast
, as it’s going to be my last day to spoil you as my little angel,” her mother said, raising from the table. Alexis jaw ached from the permanent grin plastered on her face.
“Thanks Mommy,” Alexis said, doing as she was told, and reaching for the jug of coffee. Her eyes soaked in her parents as her father snuck up behind her mother and put his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. She playfully batted him off.
“What’s-sup sweet-pea, I’m just getting in some practice for when we have this big ol’ house to ourselves.”
He winked at Alexis, who giggled and said, “Get a room.”
“Oh, we will, just as soon as we’ve dropped you off.”
“Daddy? Do you know how many years of therapy I’m going to need after today, if you keep this up?”
“Okay, honey, I’ll stop, we can’t have that—especially if I’m the one footing the bill,” he said, cupping her cheeks and kissing her on the forehead. “I can’t believe my little girl is all grown up. Getting ready to leave home and become a space pilot.”
Alexis saw the unshed tears of pride in her father’s eyes. It melted her heart. “Come on now, I’m going to be twenty minutes away.”
“You used to be less than twenty seconds away. I’m not great with maths, but that sounds a lot further away than I’d like.” He pinched her cheek. “Just teasing honey, if you were a bird, we’d have kicked you out of the nest years ago.” He laughed, Alexis and her mother joined in after she’d pouted in faked indignation.
Alexis had never felt happier. Her parents had taken her moving in with Blake much better than she’d expected. Although she liked this feeling, she couldn't ignore the fleeting sense of deja vu, which passed through her, of the same scenario with a very different outcome. She quickly dismissed the notion.
“Eat up honey, I’ll go put your things in the trunk.”
When she was dressed and ready to leave she found her parents outside talking to her neighbor Mr Wicks, who had lost his legs in an industrial accident, standing in their drive with both his legs, talking with her parents. Alexis stopped in her tracks, but before she could digest the idea of how Mr Wicks’ legs grew back, Alexis was overcome by the serenity of how peaceful the neighborhood felt. Again she dismissed the gnawing in her gut that things weren’t right. Planting a smile on her face, she greeted Mr Wicks, as all sense of the unusual was shoved to the back of her mind.