Hope: Book 8 in The Trapped in the Hollow Earth Novelette Series

by Peebles, Chrissy

  Casey inched her way over to Jack and leaned her head on his shoulder.

  “It’s okay,” he whispered. “We’ll get out of this, I promise.

  “How?” she muttered, so low he couldn’t possibly have heard her.

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know, but we’ll be all right.”

  “No we won’t.” She could see the love Thorn felt for his older brother. They might’ve had a falling-out, but they still cared for the other’s wellbeing. No way would Thorn abandon him or let him die. She was as good as dead. Tears of anger welled up in her eyes at the thought. Someone should’ve told them Thorn was related to the leader of the rebels. They had all thought they could save Earth and everyone else, but now, with Thorn betraying them, the people who mattered most to her were helpless. Her heart sank, and tears began to well up. She wouldn’t be able to save her parents or Mike. The only thing that gave her comfort was knowing that she was responsible for saving billions of other people’s lives on Earth.

  The commander squeezed Thorn’s shoulder, his eyes glinting. “I am still waiting for your answer, brother.”

  Casey’s heart pounded, and she held her breath. She was as good as a goner.

  Thorn closed his eyes as if in thought, then opened them to gaze down at the necklace and shook his head. He rubbed his thumb against the smooth ankh.

  “Join me,” tempted Commander Tio. “It’s your last chance.”

  “Never!” he shouted. “My home’s not with you and a bunch of rebels. My home is with the people you left to lead this band of criminals.” He threw the chain at his brother. “I will not wear a symbol that represents life while murdering billions of people. Father would’ve never condoned your actions. You know that.”

  Slowly, Casey let out her breath. Thank goodness he came to his senses! However, it still didn’t mean Commander Tio wouldn’t kill them. She looked up at Jack with as much composure as she could manage.

  Tio’s eyes glinted with something she couldn’t quite place: malice, distrust, or maybe even glee. Where a spark of brotherly bond had just flickered, a trace of ice took its place. He glanced over at his soldiers. “Take them to the Sky Pod.”

  Casey blinked, confusion taking over. What is the Sky Pod? She dared a glance at Thorn, regretting it instantly. He looked terrified, and the furrow on his forehead deepened in disbelief.

  Thorn’s jaw dropped as handcuffs clicked shut on his wrists. “What? But I’m your brother! What’s happened to you, Sheik?”

  Tio straightened himself and laughed. “You’re no longer my brother. He died yesterday in that ship crash. I have no idea who you are.”

  Casey’s mouth opened in shock as hands grabbed her from behind, shoving her forward without the slightest bit of patience. “Move it,” hissed a soldier. “We have a lovely surprise waiting for you.”

  Her chest throbbed with each breath. Why do I have the feeling this surprise won’t involve a nice visit to the local spa? If there was a perfect time to tune in to her psychic abilities or superpowers, this was it. After a few more deep breaths, she realized it might be time to give up her childhood fantasy; it was never gonna happen.

  Chapter 3

  The soldiers escorted Casey, Jack, and Thorn out of the weapon room and down the corridor. The cold barrel of a gun pressed hard against Casey’s neck. If only I could karate chop him, she thought, but her hands were cuffed behind her back. Besides, what would a few karate chops do against all these soldiers, my personal escorts to this so-called “lovely surprise”? She wondered what the soldier had meant by that. Sweat ran down her back as she followed the others into a large room. She lifted her gaze, daring a look at the flashing lights and computer screens covering whitewashed walls. “Where are we? The NASA Mission Control Center?”

  Jack shook his head, his eyes wide. “I’ve no clue.”

  Her uniform was glued to her back now, and wings fluttered in her stomach. As she shot Thorn a questioning look, he turned away, and that scared her the most. He was definitely hiding something.

  A soldier marched to a touch-screen control panel and punched in a code. A tormenting smirk spread across his face as he turned toward them, his eyes cold as ice. “Welcome to the Sky Pod.”

  Sliding glass doors appeared in a burst of light. Casey watched them stretch open, revealing an oversized, dimly lit cell that she thought might be some kind of jail. But it was different than the one Jack had been held in.

  A guard snapped her handcuffs open and shoved her forward, and she fell to her knees. Thorn landed next to her, and Jack skidded across the floor, slamming his head into the wall.

  Ignoring the throbbing pain radiating up and down her legs, Casey crawled over. “Are you okay?”

  “Not sure,” Jack mumbled through clenched teeth. He pushed his body into a sitting position. “I’m seeing stars.” His breath became ragged, and his hands balled into white-knuckled fists as he stared ahead.

  Casey touched his shoulder. “Those idiots didn’t have to be so rough. Please tell me you’re okay.”

  Jack squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them. He turned his head toward the other side of the room. “No. I mean I’m really seeing stars. Look!”

  Casey followed his gaze. As her eyes adjusted, she gasped. “Oh man! You’re right.” Thousands of twinkling lights surrounded them, perhaps even millions. Countless craters stretched out across the surface of a big yellow ball to the left. She flinched. “Is that the moon?” Casey felt jittery as she rose to her feet and took a tentative step forward, her aching body forgotten. She could see straight ahead for miles. And what’s that big blue circle swirling with white clouds below? With trembling hands, she pushed her sweat-dampened hair out of her eyes. Her voice shook. “Is that Earth? What is this place?” It was the kind of view reserved for astronauts, so she wondered when she had signed up for Space Camp. Oh yeah. I remember now. It was when I joined this crazy mission.

  “Another hologram?” asked Jack.

  “No. This is a very real prison,” said Thorn. “It’s a glass cube suspended in space. We’re right outside the mothership. She’s suspended under a cloak, invisible to the naked eye, just like this pod.”

  Beads of sweat rolled down Jack’s forehead. “I can’t breathe. Everything’s spinning.”

  Casey patted him on the back. “Take slow, deep breaths. Just inhale and exhale.”

  Closing his eyes, he nodded. “I hate this acrophobia.”

  “Excuse me?” asked Thorn, confused by the five-dollar word.

  “Fear of heights,” Casey explained, having been educated by Jack before. She wished there was more she could do for him, but there were more pressing matters to consider—like the ship blowing into smithereens. Placing her hands on the wall, she let her fingers glide across the smooth glass surface. The doors were gone, vanished into thin air. “How do we get out of here? This thing could break apart and crash any minute.”

  “If there was any chance at escape, it wouldn’t be much of a prison. It is unbreakable though,” said Thorn. “And at least we’re protected from the freezing cosmos.”

  Jack raised his eyebrows. “This can’t be for real. Why isn’t there a layer of ice or frost on the glass if it’s so cold out there?”

  “The glass is made out of a special material that uses technology to prevent ice and frost from settling on the walls—at least for a while.”

  “For a while?” Jack rose to his feet. “So how much longer till this cube becomes a giant ice sculpture? Or even worse, until we run out of air?”

  Casey gripped Thorn’s arms. “Are you telling me we’re in a galactic freezer? I don’t want to die like this. In fact, I don’t want to die at all, now that I think about it—but especially not as a Popsicle.”

  “It will be three days before we freeze or run out of air. Of course, I’m not sure we’ll have to worry about that,” said Thorn.

  “Yeah, because the mothership will explode before that happens,” Jack retorted.

  Casey ga
sped. “Don’t talk like that. My parents are still onboard, and so is Mike.” Her finger tapped the radar tracking device on her wrist. “Speaking of that, where is he? I can’t find a signal for him.”

  “Hmm. Me neither,” said Jack, looking at his own device.

  Thorn tapped his fingers against the tiny screen. “I’m getting no movement. Mike’s signal’s gone.”

  Not Mike too! A chill ran down Casey’s spine as she unfastened her radar device to shake it. Something stirred, and she squealed with delight as a red, blinking light flickered. “I got him! He’s close.”

  Thorn spun toward the glass wall, avoiding their gaze. “I’m sorry I warned my brother about the ship exploding. The words just rolled off my tongue. He’s my family, and I never agreed to take his life. I would’ve never let my brother hurt you. You know that, right? I hope you understand and that we have enough time left for you to forgive me.”

  Casey was beyond furious at Thorn, but she had to remind herself that she wouldn’t feel the same if it was Mike or Jack or somebody she dearly loved tempting her like that. Letting out a sigh, she pondered. She would’ve done the exact same thing. How could Thorn be expected to stand by and watch his brother die? Even if he is a big evil meanie space jerk. “I’m ticked, but I understand,” said Casey. “The commander didn’t believe one word you said.”

  “I know, and that will be my brother’s downfall.” Thorn turned to face them. “You both deserve to know the truth about Sky Pod.” As the words came slowly out of his mouth, Casey could only stare in disbelief. “This is an execution pod. We won’t have time to freeze, suffocate, or be exploded along with this vessel because they will eventually release us into space at some point.”

  Casey squinted and started to open her mouth to spill out a panicked string of questions, but Thorn raised a finger, beckoning her to listen.

  “We can only hope it happens before the ship explodes. That will buy us some time.”

  “What if they don’t?” Jack asked.

  “Then we die.”

  Die? The room seemed smaller, the air thicker and hotter. A heavy sensation pushed down on her lungs, making it harder to breathe. “No! This isn’t fair. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.” Casey’s eyes filled with tears. She wished she could hold her mom and dad; she needed their tight hugs in that desperate moment. Whatever happened to her, her parents didn’t deserve to go like that.

  Jack lashed out by pounding on the wall with his hands. His voice rose an octave or two, and his eyes darted left and right. “My parents will never know what happened to me. They’ll think we drowned in the sea from a boating accident. This isn’t how I imagined my life ending.” Jack took a deep breath. “Do you remember our to-do list? Fishing—”

  “I know.”

  “Swimming…”

  Tears rolled down her cheeks, and a rush of emotions flooded through her. “I’m the one who wrote the list.”

  “Snorkeling…”

  She touched his shoulder, and her lips trembled. “I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this, Jack. I just…I didn’t know.”

  “Inner tubes and floats.” Jack spun toward her. “Your list didn’t mention dinosaurs, advanced civilizations, weapons of mass destruction, or boarding motherships.”

  “I know that.” Casey’s legs wobbled, and her head spun. Why can’t we just return to the lives we led before and leave saving Earth and everything else to people who know what they’re doing?

  Jack caught her as she collapsed, and they both sank to their knees.

  Casey touched his face. “Why does this have to happen?”

  He gently pushed aside some strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes. “I could scream and pound on the walls all night, but it won’t change a thing.”

  She buried her head against his shoulder and breathed in his sweet scent. His hand wandered to the small of her back, rubbing ever so gently until she felt tears welling up in her eyes again.

  Jack held her tight, and his voice came as soft as a whisper. “It’s destiny, Casey. We can’t fight it.”

  “Why’s destiny so cruel?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so scared, Jack. And only agreed to do all of this so I could get you off this ship and save my parents on Earth.”

  Jack held her tighter and stroked her back, soothing her.

  “Why aren’t my mom and dad on Earth where it’s safe, where they’re supposed to be?” She broke out into loud, uncontrollable sobs. It had to be her darkest moment—ever.

  Jack wiped her tears away.

  Casey took out her braid and shook her hair free. She slowly stood. Staring straight out into the darkness, she put her palm against the cool glass and breathed in sharply. Starlight gleamed down on them. Her reflection looked back at her, despair edged in every soft line on her face. “We save the world, but I can’t save the people I love.”

  “We’ll end our lives knowing we did something selfless and heroic—something that saved billions of others,” said Thorn. “Our sacrifice will be honored by the Agarthians for generations and generations to come.”

  So what if there’s some kind of shrine built for us in some Agarthian version of the Smithsonian? What good will a life-sized statue of us do? What will that prove? Casey lay down on the floor and gazed upward. She could feel the cold, slick surface under her back. A breathtaking vista of the night sky would be forever etched in her mind. One thing was for sure: If she somehow made it, she had the perfect inspiration for a mural on her bedroom wall and ceiling.

  Minutes passed, and no one talked. She rose up on an elbow and looked at her radar device on her wrist. “Hey, Jack. It just turned midnight. Happy seventeenth.”

  “You remembered?”

  She nodded. How could I ever forget? “I have a special birthday present for you.”

  “Really?”

  “I’m going to name a star after you. Hmm…which one should I pick?” She pointed to the biggest, brightest one. “There! That one over there. I’m going to name it Jack.”

  He lay next to her. “It’s perfect.”

  For a moment, she let her mind switch off. She let go of everything and anything around them, and denial became her friend. When she looked up at him, his gaze met hers. “Happy Birthday, Jack. I mean it. I only wish it could be happier.”

  He leaned closer and put his hand in hers, his hot breath almost touching her skin. “Thanks, Casey. And I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather spend it with.”

  “The stars are so close. I feel like I could just reach out and touch one.”

  “We’re only 300 miles closer to them than we were,” said Jack, getting all scientific again. “They’re still billions of miles away. We’re way closer to the moon.”

  The golden moon shone brightly in the midnight sky. With Jack around, she felt calm and at peace. Why did I ever think we could just be friends? There is so much more that I truly want from him. She cleared her throat and turned her attention to Thorn. “What’s it like to walk around the moon in a spacesuit?”

  “You’re misinformed. There’s an atmosphere with water and vegetation. The dark side of the moon is just like Earth with rivers, mountains, valleys, and even animals.”

  “Wow! I guess all I’d need would be a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a good old pair of tennis shoes.”

  “See the large globular masses over the moon?” asked Thorn, pointing at the thick, dark, shapeless cloud formations.

  They both nodded.

  Thorn motioned toward the moon. “Cloud formations could not exist without an atmosphere or pressure, and—”

  “The atmosphere’s held around the satellite by the force of gravity,” finished Jack, obviously proud of himself.

  “Exactly,” said Thorn. “Civilizations in your solar system are common knowledge to everyone except Earth. I don’t know why your government wishes to keep it from you, but regardless of their motives, we have to respect their wishes. As long as we’re cloaked, we do have permis
sion to enter the South and North Poles to Agartha.”

  A streak of light flashed across the sky. “Look! A shooting star.” Casey shook Jack’s shoulder. “Quick…make a wish!”

  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Casey took in his perfect profile for a while before doing the same.

  Her eyes were still closed when his voice jolted her out of her thoughts. “What did you wish for?”

  To be back home in California, running along the beach. It’d be so nice to smell the saltwater in the air, to hear the waves crash, and to feel the sun and wind on my face—especially if Jack was there with me. “If I tell you, it won’t come true!”

  He smiled, his eyes glinting.

  “Maybe I should ask what you wished for,” Casey said.

  “I’ll never tell,” he chuckled.

  Blue, white, yellow, orange, and red shooting stars streaked across the black velvet sky, leaving long, flaming tails in their wake.

  She leaned back on both elbows. “We’re in the middle of some kind of meteor shower. Isn’t it awesome?”

  A celestial glow covered Jack’s face. “Yeah, it’s like being at a fireworks show with no sound.”

  Thorn cleared his throat and walked to the corner of the room. He gazed out into the distance. “I only wanted to deactivate the weapon and save innocent lives. General Ashtar said nobody would get hurt.” He paused. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few moments to myself.”

  “We understand,” said Casey.

  Jack’s gaze seemed focused outside the glass, into the depths of space.

  Casey nudged him playfully. “You look like you’re hundreds of miles away.”

  “Well, we are, aren’t we?” His eyebrows lifted.

  She laughed.

  “Look at the Earth. I remember when we were kids, dreaming about saving the world.”

  Casey blinked, the memories coming back.

  Just five years old, dressed in Halloween costumes, playing in Mike's backyard. I had a Wonder Woman suit, Mike was Spider-Man, and Jack was Superman. We were shouting, giggling, ducking beneath the flapping, cool sheets hanging on the clothesline.