Worlds Without End: The Mission (Book 1)

by Shaun F. Messick

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  As Jake walked down the corridor of the base, he reached up and wiped the sweat that had begun to drip from his forehead. That didn't help because his hands were clammy as well. He stopped at the door of Celeste's quarters. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. He didn't know why Celeste had this effect on him. He was extremely nervous about speaking to her.

  After waiting a few moments and trying to gain the courage to let her know he was there, he reached up and pushed the button to signal his arrival.

  "Come in," Celeste said over the speaker.

  Jake stepped forward into the door sensor. The door slid open, and there was Celeste, sitting at her computer station. Jake looked around before he walked in. The room was the same as all the other quarters. In one corner was a bed. Next to the bed was a computer station, and in another corner, separated by walls, was a bathroom. The rooms were modest, but they sufficed.

  Celeste stopped working on her computer and turned around in her chair. Jake's mouth nearly dropped. She must have just finished showering because her hair was wet and she only had on a black robe. She smiled at Jake and crossed her left leg over her right, revealing a bare thigh. Jake tried not to look at her legs as she did so, but couldn't resist.

  She was so beautiful. More beautiful than any other woman he had ever seen before.

  "Well," she said. "You don't have to stand there in the open doorway. Come in."

  Jake swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in his throat and stepped into the room. The door slid shut behind him. She motioned for him to have a seat on the bed directly across from her. Jake nodded, wiped his clammy hands on his pants, and walked to the bed. He sat down and forced a shy smile in Celeste's direction.

  Celeste laughed.

  "Wh ? what's so funny?" Jake asked.

  Celeste moved in a little closer toward Jake. He reacted by moving further back onto the bed. Celeste stood up and sat down extremely close to him on the bed. He didn't know what to make of it. He was excited that she was that close to him, yet, he felt like a bumbling fool around her and thought for sure that she found that unattractive.

  Celeste continued to smile at him and said, "Do you know why I wanted to talk to you tonight?"

  Jake didn't respond. He just shook his head.

  "I want to know why you keep avoiding me."

  Jake cleared his throat and moved a little further away from Celeste. She moved too. "I ? I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't been avoiding you," he said.

  Celeste rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jake. Every time I try to speak with you, you always have something to do. I want to know why."

  "Well, I'm busy. I need to get my pilots battle ready ?" Jake paused and wanted to say what was truly on his mind, but forced himself to stop.

  Celeste, being as perceptive as she was, noticed. "What?"

  Jake gave her the best puzzled look he could come up with. "What's ? what?"

  "Jake, I can read you like a book. You wanted to say something else, but stopped. Please, tell me."

  With Celeste's permission, Jake mustered up the courage to say what was truly on his mind. "Well ? um ? I was going to say that I was avoiding you because you seemed to be enjoying yourself with Colonel Jantear."

  Celeste laughed again. As a result, Jake gave her an angry look. She noticed and placed her hand on his. Jake tried to pull away, but she held his hand in place. "Do I sense a bit of jealously?"

  "No, I just ? I could just see that you seemed to enjoy yourself around him, and I didn't want to get in the way, that's all."

  "Aromos and I were assigned to work together to plan your brother's and sister's rescue from Chast. That is it."

  Jake wasn't convinced and made eye contact with Celeste. She met his gaze. He wanted to turn away because he felt intimidated, but continued to keep his eyes on hers. "That's not the impression I get from Aromos Jantear," he said sarcastically. "Aromos seems to think that you two are an item."

  "And why would I be interested in Colonel Aromos Jantear?"

  Jake shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe because he's not intimidated around you or doesn't seem to be."

  "Finally," Celeste said as she sighed.

  Jake was even more confused. "Finally ? what?"

  Celeste met Jake's eyes again. "Finally, the truth comes out."

  "Truth ? what truth?"

  "That is why you have been avoiding me. You are intimidated."

  Jake tried to act surprised. "Wh ? what are you talking about? I'm not intimidated."

  Celeste didn't answer. She continued to keep eye contact with him and inched a little closer. As a result, Jake caved in and finally decided to be totally honest with her.

  "Okay, okay, you're right," he said. "I am intimidated. I saw what you did at Base 1 when the Gnols attacked. I've seen you use your abilities or superpowers-"

  Celeste laughed and said, "Superpowers?"

  "Yeah, that's not natural. Why wouldn't you intimidate any human? You're stronger than the average human, you can move objects just by thinking about it, and you can read minds. ? Who wouldn't be intimidated?"

  Celeste shook her head, and her smile disappeared. "You make me sound like some kind of monster."

  For the first time, Jake noticed that he had said something that deeply impacted Celeste emotionally. He didn't know if he had hurt her feelings or angered her. She moved away and Jake could see a small tear roll down her cheek.

  You idiot, he thought to himself. He sighed and said, "Celeste, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like you're a monster. It's just that I never would have imagined meeting someone like you ? and since I have ?" Jake stopped what he was going to say.

  Celeste wiped her eyes, sniffled, and looked back into Jake's eyes. "And since you what?"

  "Um ? since we first met, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I think about you night and day. I long to be with you, but I don't know if it's possible. That's why I avoid you."

  Celeste let her smile come back. She gently placed both of her hands on his face. "Why is it not possible?" she asked.

  Jake shook his head. "I don't know. You're a Gnol, and I am a human."

  Celeste continued to gaze into his eyes. As she did so, he began to feel something he had never felt for another woman before; a deep respect and love.

  "Jake," Celeste said. "Remember when we first met?"

  Jake nodded.

  "And did you ever wonder why I asked you out?"

  Jake smiled shyly. "Yeah, I think about it a lot."

  "When I first entered that room and saw you, I could read every emotion and thought in your mind. For some reason, I felt an instant connection."

  "You did?"

  "Yes. Ever since that day, I have not been able to stop thinking about you either. I often wondered too ? how can a Gnol and a human fall in love? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it is possible."

  "It is?"

  "Yes, Gnols laugh and cry like humans. We eat and drink ?" she paused, moved closer to Jake, and looked deep into his eyes, "? We even fall in love."

  Jake felt his face flush red and the lump that was in his throat came back. He let out a nervous laugh.

  Celeste moved in closer and met her lips with his. A flood of emotions swept through Jake as he kissed her back. As they kissed, Jake realized that this kiss was different from any other he had had before. It wasn't a kiss of lust or desire. It was deeper than that. It was one of deep and abiding love.

  Jake reached up and pulled Celeste in closer. The kiss seemed to last for hours, and he did not want to let her go. Finally, they parted. Celeste looked passionately at him and said, "Now, if that does not convince you that it is possible for us to be together, then I don't know what will."

  Jake chuckled. "I guess you're right, but ?"

  "But, what?"

  "I still can't help but think-"

  Celeste gently placed two fingers on Jake's mouth to stop him. "L
isten to me, Jake. You were there when Doc explained to you and Skip that the Gnols are human. His DNA tests upon me proved that our DNA is the same, with the exception of Doc's so-called god-gene. The only difference is our strength and how we use our minds. And if Gnols are human, then that means you have the potential to do what I can do."

  He gave Celeste a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

  Celeste slowly reached up behind her ears and pulled out her inhibitors. She then reached behind Jake's and was about to pull his out when he reached up and stopped her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

  Celeste gave him that smile that made him melt and said, "Trust me."

  Jake let go of her hands and allowed her to pull the inhibitors out of his head. She then placed her hands on each side of his face and looked into his eyes. All of a sudden, Jake's entire body felt relaxed.

  "Close your eyes," she said.

  Jake closed his eyes and was astonished with what he saw. He could see Celeste through her mind's eye. He could read her thoughts and see her entire life in his mind. He now knew Celeste more intimately than any other person could know someone.

  Then he heard Celeste in his mind. Open your eyes.

  Jake opened his eyes and saw that Celeste still had her eyes closed. He heard her again. You see the lamp on my nightstand?

  Yes, Jake thought.

  Get a clear visual picture of it in your mind and then close your eyes again.

  Jake stared at the lamp for a few moments, memorizing every detail he could, and then closed his eyes. It was incredible. It was as if he had never closed his eyes. In his mind's eye, he could see the lamp clearly. Every detail was there: the crystal glass, the silk lampshade, and the light bulb. He could even feel the coolness of the glass, the softness of the silk, and the heat radiating from the bulb. He had imagined before, but never had he had an experience like this.

  He heard Celeste again. Now, raise your hand and imagine lifting that lamp and holding it.

  Jake did as he was instructed and saw himself in his mind grab the lamp with his hands and lift it about two feet off of the table. He heard Celeste again. Now, open your eyes.

  He slowly opened his eyes and looked. To his astonishment, the lamp was there, hovering only about two inches above the nightstand. It was shaking violently and wasn't two feet in the air like he imagined it to be. But that didn't matter. It was still hovering.

  Jake was so excited he lost focus. The lamp dropped back to the nightstand, tipped over, and fell, crashing to the floor.

  "Oh, now you need to get me a new lamp," said Celeste.

  Jake turned around with excitement all over his face. "Wh ? how?"

  "It was you, Jake. You did it. You see ? it is possible for humans to do?things you could only imagine. We are created in the image of God. Why wouldn't we have the potential to do what He and His Son can do?" Celeste then leaned in and kissed him again.

  He kissed her back. And even though he had barely lifted the lamp with his mind, he felt invincible. After their lips separated, he grabbed Celeste and hugged her tighter than he had ever hugged anyone before.