by Jay Falconer
“Let’s go, men. Kleezebee’s not in there,” Harkins said, turning his head and shoulders to continue down the hall.
“Hey, wait a minute! You can’t leave these women here,” Lucas said.
“We’re not here for them.”
“But they’re human. We have to get them out.”
Harkins moved closer to Lucas, shuffling through his men. “Look, we don’t have time for this.”
Lucas raised his stunner and fired it at the ceiling. “Make the time, goddamnit.”
Harkins leaned in close and sneered at Lucas.
One of his men—the one that looked like Bruno—said, “He’s right, boss. We can’t leave them here.”
Harkins bit his lower lip and shook his head. A few seconds later, Harkins told Lucas, “Fine, but they’re your problem.”
Lucas nodded without hesitation, knowing that this delay could mean he might never see his brother again. But he had no choice; it was the right thing to do even if the Krellians were waiting around the next corner to ambush them. Earlier, when Alicia first appeared through the rift, he had failed to act when she held out her hand and pleaded for his help. He wasn’t about to leave the women there to die.
Harkins told the Bruno copy, “Hand me a brick.”
Harkins took the C-4 and broke it into three smaller blocks before attaching them to the inside of the door’s hinges. He inserted a detonator into the center of each block, then said, “Stand clear.”
The explosives detonated, sending the bars clanking across the hallway in a cloud of smoke. “Let’s move it,” Harkins said, “they probably heard that and are on their way here with reinforcements.”
Lucas ran inside the cage, leading the way. “Ladies, you need to come with us.”
None of the two-dozen women budged from the back wall. He held out his right hand, trying to appear friendly. “It’s okay; we’re here to help you. But you need to come with us right now.”
One of the smaller women in the back row pushed her way forward through the herd. Lucas couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the dark-haired beauty. “Abby?”
She flew into his arms and cried hysterically. He held her tight, feeling the hand-carved, alien tattoo etched into her shoulder. “It’s okay, you’re safe now.”
Lucas realized that the theatre flash must have been some type of sampler probe, not a destructive energy dome as he’d first thought. It snatched her up along with the rest of the students standing completely inside its perimeter. Jasmine had been cut in half because she was straddling the edge of the field.
Abby leaned away slightly, looking up at him with her tear-stricken eyes. “They’ve got Drew.”
“I know. That’s why we’re here. Do you know where he is?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head and sniffing. “I only saw him once, when they carried him past our cell. But that was yesterday.”
“We have to leave, now!” Harkins yelled.
Lucas broke free from her embrace and led her out of the confinement cell. Abby stood half-crouched among the men in the hallway, with her arms and hands trying to cover her privates. Lucas removed his vest, then unbuttoned his shirt and gave it to her to wear. The other women joined them in the corridor, flocking around him as if he were a famous celebrity.
“Do you remember the way back to the exchange room?” Harkins asked Lucas.
“I haven’t a clue.”
“I can take him, sir,” the Bruno copy said.
Harkins did not respond right away. Instead, he turned slightly and spoke into his communicator watch. “Harkins here.” A few seconds later, he told the caller, “Where? . . . Are they injured? . . . Secure the area. We’re on our way back.”
“Dr. Kleezebee?” the Bruno copy asked.
“Yes, they’re back at the portal.”
“What about my brother?” Lucas said.
“He’s there, too, along with Bruno and Trevor. Everyone’s in one piece.”
Lucas looked at Abby, who was smiling through her tear-swollen eyes.
“Let’s double-time it,” Harkins said, running down the hallway, back in the direction they came. Lucas and Abby followed Harkins, while the Bruno copy helped herd the rest of the women.
After running through a maze of hallways, they finally turned the last corner. Lucas could see a flock of soldiers standing guard outside the exchange room. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Drew’s face when he waltzed in with Abby on his arm.
When they entered the room, Drew was standing with the help of Bruno’s left shoulder and arm. Drew’s face lit up with a huge smile.
“Look who I found,” Lucas said, presenting Abby to Drew as if she were a royal princess entering the ballroom.
“Abby!” Drew shouted.
Abby sprinted over to him and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.
Lucas walked slowly to his brother, waiting for Drew to finish his smooch and come up for air. When he did, Lucas asked him, “Are you okay?”
“I’m hungry and exhausted, but other than that, I’m fine,” Drew replied with Abby’s arms wrapped around his neck.
“Where the hell did you guys go?”
Bruno held out his watch. “We never left. We knew they’d attack, so me and my watch were ready.”
“Shit, we ran right past you.”
Kleezebee lifted one of his shoes, letting the orange blood and tissue drip from his heel. “You detonated the vest, didn’t you?” he asked Lucas.
Lucas nodded. “Not only that, I cranked it up to full power.”
Harkins added, “I think it took out the entire ship. So far, we encountered no hostiles.”
“The disrupter signal must have been transmitted across their bio-comm network, destroying them all,” Kleezebee said. He patted Lucas on the back. “Nice work.”
“Thanks, Professor. But it was just dumb luck. I really wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“I’m sure it was more than that,” Kleezebee said.
“Orders, sir?” Harkins asked Kleezebee.
“Search the rest of the ship. There’s probably more humans on board.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“What about the energy domes?” Drew asked.
“If they’re all dead, then we should’ve seen the last of the energy fields.”
Lucas turned to his little brother and smiled. “How about that? Dad’s invention saved Earth!”
“Too bad we can’t tell anyone,” Drew replied.
“Can we go home now?” Abby asked.
Kleezebee cocked his head in Bruno’s direction. “Take ‘em home.”
Lucas whispered into Drew’s ear, “When we get home, there’s something I need to tell you about your biological father.”
Drew looked confused for a moment, then nodded.
Bruno helped Drew and Abby through the rift.
Lucas stayed behind. “So, Professor, what are you going to do with your new ship?”
“Take my people home, assuming we can figure out how to fly this thing.”
Lucas looked around at the blood and guts covering the walls. “It’s gonna need a fresh coat of paint and a ton of disinfectant. A little 409 wouldn’t hurt, either.”
Kleezebee chuckled.
Chapter 32
Homecoming
Lucas returned to the silo through the portal and found Drew sitting in his wheelchair. Abby was sitting in a chair next to him, still wearing Lucas’ shirt. He wondered if Kleezebee intended to find her some real clothes.
Lucas looked at the video screens and didn’t see any active energy fields. In fact, half the screens were turned off. Obviously, the crisis on Earth was over.
“You said you had something to tell me?” Drew asked.
Lucas checked to make sure Kleezebee wasn’t nearby. The professor was across the room, standing next to Bruno and talking with the white-robed elders from his home world. If he kept his voice down, the professor shouldn’t hear him. “You know how you always thought
your bio-mom was impregnated by anonymous sperm?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, as it turns out, it’s wasn’t so anonymous after all.”
“What do you mean?’
Lucas pointed in Kleezebee’s direction.
“Bruno?” Drew replied.
“Not him . . . Kleezebee.”
Drew stared at Kleezebee for what seemed like a full minute, then said, “No way.”
“Seriously, he owns the fertility clinic your mother used.”
Drew shook his head vigorously. “I don’t believe you.”
“Trust me, it’s true. Hey, at least Kleezebee didn’t knock her up the old-fashioned way.”
Lucas tried to stop Drew when he rolled his chair toward Kleezebee. Drew fought off Lucas’ grip, sped across the room, and nearly smashed into the back of Kleezebee’s leg. He tugged on his mentor’s sleeve. “Excuse me, Professor, but I need to ask you something.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“Lucas told me that you’re my real father, is this true?”
Kleezebee glared at Lucas.
Lucas shrugged and threw his hands into the air. “Sorry, DL, I thought he had a right to know.”
Kleezebee turned to Drew and replied, “Yes, it’s true. I’m your biological father.”
Drew looked stunned. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“You already had a family, and I didn’t want to butt in. I knew you were healthy and happy, and that’s all that mattered to me. Besides, I get to see you almost every day.”
Drew’s face turned a deep shade of red, then he looked at Lucas as if he were searching for guidance. Lucas wanted to help, but didn’t say anything—not a peep. This was one of those times when Drew had to decide what to do on his own.
Drew turned back to Kleezebee and wrapped his arms around Kleezebee’s legs, nearly knocking the man off his crutches. Lucas could see Kleezebee fighting back tears, trying to maintain his self-control. The professor pried Drew’s arms loose, then knelt down to give Drew a reciprocal hug.
When the mini-reunion was finished, Lucas realized Kleezebee hadn’t brought the four-wheeled cart back from the Krellian ship. “Dr. Kleezebee, didn’t we forget something on the other side? What about the BioTex canisters?”
Bruno laughed. “They were filled with spoiled milk from the mess hall. Only the first canister I carried was real.”
Kleezebee told Lucas, “You do realize that you two, with help from your father’s marvelous invention, saved billions of lives in both dimensions? The Ramsay men are transdimensional heroes. Congratulations!”
Drew replied with pure joy, “We have to tell Mom. . . . Dad finally invented something that worked.”
“She’ll love that,” Lucas said. It would be good for her to get some vindication for supporting John’s endeavors all those years. Even during the lean financial years, Dorothy never wavered despite constant second-guessing by her friends, her co-workers, and even her estranged father-in-law, Roy. Lucas wondered if Roy would apologize for his pigheadedness. Wouldn’t the grumpy old man change his perspective once he learns that his only son was not a dismal failure after all?
“It’s a shame the government will never know what we’ve done for them. They still think we’re mass murders,” Drew said.
Bruno replied, “The minute Larson recovers from surgery, the first thing he’ll do is contact General Alvarez and tell him you’re still alive. I doubt we can fool them again.”
“He’s never going to stop looking for us, is he?” Lucas asked.
Bruno shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not.”
Lucas asked Kleezebee, “I don’t suppose you’ll help us clear our name?”
“Sorry, can’t do it. That would require exposing our technology and our existence on your world. But what I can do is offer you sanctuary on our world, where you’ll be treated as heroes and live in peace.”
“What about Mom?” Drew asked.
“She’s welcome, too.” Kleezebee turned to Bruno and said, “You should probably go get her and bring her down.”
As Bruno left the room, Kleezebee told Lucas, “You must decide soon. We’ll be leaving your universe and won’t be coming back.”
Lucas pulled his brother aside to chat in private. Abby joined them. “I don’t see that we have a choice, do you? I don’t want to live on the run as fugitives. Besides, after Kleezebee and Bruno leave, who’s going to watch our back? Plus, where would we work? The planet is in ruin and science lab’s been destroyed. It’ll be fricken years before they build another one, if ever.”
“You’re right,” Drew said. “There’s nothing for us here. The future’s where we need to be. Imagine what we’ll learn. Their science must be light years ahead of ours.”
“Plus we don’t have to worry about Mom’s medical bills.”
Drew nodded, then looked at Abby. “What do you think?”
“My parents are both gone, so there’s nothing to keep me here, either. I’ll go where ever you go, sweetie,” she said, planting another passionate kiss on Drew’s lips.
“All right, then I guess we’re going, as long as Mom comes with us,” Lucas said, trying not to stare at his brother’s make out session.
“What about Grandpa Roy?” Drew asked.
“What about him?”
“I know you’ve been secretly talking with him.”
“Only just recently. But trust me, he’d never come. His military career is all he cares about.”
“Don’t you think we should ask him? After all, he’s family.”
“No. Mom would never allow it. He blew his chance at that Thanksgiving.”
For the next handful of minutes, Kleezebee took charge of the introductions between his crew and the diplomats from his home world.
Right after the portal closed, the elevator’s bell chimed. Dorothy walked out of the lift with Bruno holding on to her right elbow. She was grinning from ear-to-ear, obviously ecstatic that both of her boys were safe.
Lucas tugged on Drew’s shirtsleeve to direct his attention away from Abby. He whispered, “Mom’s here. You might want to save the spit-swapping ’til later.”
Dorothy hugged Drew, then kissed him softly on the cheek. “I thought I would never see you again.” She hugged Lucas, too. “Oh, I’m so happy that both of my boys are home safe and sound. I prayed all night for your safe return. Thank the Lord almighty.”
Dorothy stared at Abby, who was sitting next to Drew, holding his hand. She was still wearing only Lucas’ shirt, which left most of her legs and upper thighs exposed.
“Mom, this is my . . . friend, Abby,” Drew replied. “We just rescued her from the Krellian ship.”
“Are you all right, dear?” Dorothy asked her.
Abby nodded and then stared off into space. She wrapped her arms around Drew with her right cheek pressed flat against his chest.
“She’ll be okay, Mom. She just needs a little time to recover.”
Lucas walked over to Kleezebee and asked, “How long do we have before we need to leave, Professor?” He figured Kleezebee would need at least several days to recall his people and gather up their advanced technology. Kleezebee probably wouldn’t want to leave anything behind that might cause a shift in the balance of power on Earth.
“It’ll take twenty-four hours to evacuate our people and equipment. You have until then.”
Twenty-four hours? Lucas thought. That’s not enough time. Shit, it’ll probably take Kleezebee that long just to clean out his office. “Okay, we’ll be ready by then. I just have to clear this with Mom. She’ll probably want to pack a few things.”
“That’s fine, but keep it light.”
“Sure thing, Professor.”
* * *
The following morning, Lucas and Drew returned to the video surveillance room with their mother and Abby. Under Bruno and his security team’s protection, they had returned home the night before and collected a few personal mementos, including clothes and the family p
hoto albums. When they stepped off the silo’s elevator, two groups of personnel and equipment were stepping through the portal. The rest of the room was nearly empty.
“Are you ready to go?” Kleezebee asked.
“Yes, we are,” Lucas replied, helping his mother toward the rift’s opening.
Drew and Abby were a few steps behind. Bruno was carrying two suitcases filled with their keepsakes.
“What about Trevor?” Lucas asked.
“He went through an hour ago with our inventory of BioTex,” Kleezebee said.
Lucas and his mother stepped into the rift. Once on the other side, they were greeted by Trevor and some of the elderly diplomats who had been rescued the day before.
Lucas turned around and waited for Drew. A faint shadow appeared near the portal’s midpoint. It started as a fuzzy mass, then grew in size. After it solidified, Bruno stepped through with the pair of suitcases.
“I thought Drew was next?” Lucas asked Bruno.
“Don’t worry. DL will send him through next.”
“What does DL stand for anyway?”
“If I tell you, you can’t let him know you heard it from me. He’ll have my head.”
“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed. Come on; tell me, what does it mean?”
“Drockmorton Leslie.”
Lucas broke into a hysterical laugh. “No shit? Drockmorton? No wonder he goes by DL. I would, too.” Lucas turned his attention back to the rift.
“How much longer?” Dorothy asked.
“Shouldn’t be long now, Mom.”
The rift shimmered a few times, then a pair of faint shadows appeared. Lucas could see an outline of a wheelchair and two people holding hands. “Here they come,” he told his mother.
Just then, the portal flickered twice like a TV set on the fritz, then the rift suddenly collapsed with Drew and Abby still inside.
“Oh, my God!” Bruno shouted.