Birth of Light

by Ross Buzzell

  Konner closes the portal in the vehicle’s door and sets the animal on the ground before grabbing the handle that fell out; upon observing the beast, he notices the ribs are visible through its not very shiny coat of fur. In all of the planets he has been to, no healthy animal had its ribs showing or fur that appears to be falling out. The furry beast sniffs around for a little bit before hiking its leg on the vehicle it was just in and relieving itself all over the wheels. Konner lets out a boisterous laugh before kneeling back down and rubbing behind its ears. This causes its eyes to close slightly, its tail to wag, and Konner could swear a smile forms on its little snout.

  “Hey, buddy, I cannot be taking you into the hospital, but I do have a place where you will be safe.”

  Konner throws his hand out once more and a portal opens to Natalie’s apartment to see Danielle and Doug helping Emma off of the floor. The second the portal opens, a dark energy permeates from the apartment as if something dark had been there, a similar sensation to when Xero burst into his home. The animal quickly scampers behind Konner’s legs and begins to whimper. This attracts the attention of Konner’s team. The warrior kneels and gently picks up the animal as Doug approaches the wormhole, holding his side.

  “Konner, that you?”

  he asks with a slight air of confusion about him. Konner nods as he sets the animal down on the far side of the wormhole and he immediately begins to walk around sniffing the ground with the rope and handle dragging behind him.

  “I will be back as soon as I can. Take care of this little guy someone abandoned him!”

  Emma walks over to the animal. Her face changes to that of adoration as she speaks:

  “Aww, it’s a cute little doggo! Who would ever abandon you!”

  Danielle approaches the portal.

  “When you get back, we need to talk. In the meantime, how is the girl?”

  Konner shrugs as he glances around the portal to the hospital entrance. No one has noticed yet.

  “The nurse seems to think she will be fine. I am about to go in and check up on her just to make sure, then I will come right back.”

  Danielle nods and takes a few steps back, allowing Konner to close the portal. Konner glances back at the board once more and a smirk forms on his face as an idea forms. He begins to walk back up the street towards the hospital’s entrance, once more focusing the energy in his body to speed up his metabolic rate around his face. A strange itching sensation covers his jawline for a few seconds before he allows his body to return to “normal.” Konner rounds the corner, back to under the hospital’s awning, and catches a glimpse of himself in the glass; he can see that his body has grown the same hair from in the picture on the giant board. A smirk forms on his lips as a strange and slightly disgusted sense of accomplishment grips him before he rounds the corner into the hospital.

  In the lobby where he just was a few minutes before, hospital security and a man with the word “Police” written on his back are asking questions of the people in the waiting room, undoubtedly about Konner. Directly to the left of the entrance, there is a store that sells flowers with “get well soon” cards. He makes his way to the shop and looks around. Suddenly, they catch his eye, an entire bouquet of the planet he and his enter team nearly died to obtain all those years ago. His heart almost stops as his vision locks on to their crimson petals; the number that is placed snugly between their velvety petals indicates they could be his for a single piece of paper in his pocket. Konner reaches out and touches the plant that was considered a “miracle” plant to his people, one of the rarest of plants in the known galaxy. Most people could retire off of just one of these; he gently runs his fingers up the stem, gently tapping the spike that protrudes from its stock.

  “You want that, it will be fifteen dollars, sir.”

  Konner whirls around to see a portly gentlemen standing behind the counter of the shop, knickknacks behind him, stuffed animals that in his heart Konner prayed are not real, and boxes of chocolates, which are littered between dozens more bouquets of flowers. Konner reaches into his pocket and grabs one of the bills that the previous owner graciously left inside and holds it out to the man.

  “Will this be enough?”

  The portly fellow takes the bill and pauses. He glances up at Konner with a hint of confusion on his face as he grabs a similar bill but with a “five” on it and holds it back out for Konner to take. Quickly, he obliges and grabs the dozen roses. He has seen planets purchased with such a display and now he has one with a simple piece of paper.

  “They made you good-looking but not very smart, didn’t they.”

  The man has a condescending tone about him, as if he has been broken by years of mundane, meaningless work and now does not care what others, or his superiors think about him. Konner flashes him a smile and shrugs his shoulders.

  “I guess they did. Have a good evening.”

  With that, Konner leaves the shop and makes his way back across the lobby and down the hallway through which Natalie has been taken. Konner approaches a desk with a woman in one of the green uniforms sitting behind it.

  “Excuse me, miss. I am looking for a patient. Would you be able to help me find her?”

  The woman looks up at Konner, her eyes rolling slightly as she does.

  “Sir, visiting hours are over. If you want to see a patient, you will have to wait for tomorrow.”

  Her tone is dismissive and very non-caring before she looks back at her computer, resting her chin in her hand and huffs. Konner tilts his head and focuses his hearing on any doctor in the area. Faintly, from a few hallways down, he hears someone speaking to a nurse.

  “The girl in room twenty-one, the one who came in with the guy in the armor; we did not have a chance to get her insurance information. Once you are done with these blood samples, I want you to go and get her information, then the cops are going to want to talk to her.”

  “Sir!”

  The woman behind the desk gets Konner’s attention once more.

  “Sir, you have to leave now or I will have you removed!”

  Konner glances down at the very irritated woman.

  “You all are not a very happy bunch here, are you?”

  Konner asks rhetorically before moving around the corner. The nurse gets up to chase after him, but Konner dashes down the hallway, and in the blink of an eye, rounds the corner to the rooms that are in the twenties with room twenty-one being directly to his left. Konner hears the confused exclamation of the nurse echo down the hallway, which brings a smirk to his lips before he grabs the cold metal handle and opens the door, taking a step in.

  As he enters, the stunning redhead turns around with a look of concern on her face as a bottle of pills fall to the ground. Her concern is quickly replaced by a stunned confusion. Needing to break the silence as it has begun to rapidly grow awkward, Konner glances around the room as he tries to come up with a name.

  “Uhh, you are not Sadey.”

  Natalie shakes her head.

  “No, I’m not.”

  Her tone is impatient, as she is clearly in a rush to leave the hospital.

  “It was something minor; she has probably been released already,”

  Konner adds, trying to get Natalie to bite, or at least engage with him.

  “I’m glad your friend’s okay.”

  Her tone is rushed and dismissive as she kneels down to grab her medication.

  “What happened to you?”

  She grabs her pills and places them in the sling that is draped around her shoulder housing her arm.

  “I got mugged… listen; I really have to get out of here. I don’t have insurance and the police want to talk to me, so would you mind getting out of my way so that I don’t end up spending the night in a holding cell or something?”

  Konner bites his lower lip as a smile forms on his face; he leans out into the hallway and sees a wheelchair a few steps away. Leaving the room, Konner grabs the chair with his free hand and pulls it back to the door of roo
m twenty-one. Natalie is already at the door, eager to leave. The soldier nods to the chair.

  “Hop in; I will get you out of here.”

  Without a moment’s hesitation, Natalie climbs into the chair and Konner places the bouquet of flowers in her lap.

  “And these will be for you.”

  She takes a brief whiff of their sweet aroma.

  “Thank you; they are my favorite.”

  Her tone has changed; it is softer, grateful, and this brings a smile to Konner’s lips as he pokes his head out around the corner from which he has come to see the nurse marching down the hallway with two security guards. Konner begins to push her chair the opposite direction.

  “I may have made a very unpleasant woman angry. Now she is headed this way with security, so we are going to have to take the back way out.”

  Konner begins to jog down the hallway. He hears Natalie making soft “whoosh” sounds as a sign on the wall that reads “employee entrance” is posted on the wall at the upcoming junction. Konner turns the chair and continues at a quick yet not alarming pace towards the glass door. Upon arriving, Konner opens the door and rolls Natalie out, where she immediately stands up with a wide smile on her face. She bows slightly to him as she speaks with a playful tone.

  “Why, thank you, good sir.”

  Konner decides to play along.

  “You are quite welcome, m’lady.”

  She flashes him a familiar smile before she starts to make her way down the main street behind the hospital. The roses lay in the crook of her arm as she waves for him to follow.

  “So if I may ask, who is my accomplice this evening?”

  Konner catches up. He looks around for a moment. He knows the first name, and he glances over to a store with figurines of men and women in unique suits, one of which is on fire from head to toe. Next to the figurines is a sign that reads “artists wanted.” The man on fire gives Konner an ironic idea.

  “My name is Ryan… Ryan Burns, and you are?”

  “I’m Natalie Weredon. Thank you for helping be back there. It would have been difficult to sneak out alone.”

  Konner pauses for a moment; he tilts his head to the side. Out of all of the races in the galaxy, that is possibly the oddest name he’s heard to date, but not in a bad way.

  “Weredon?”

  he asks inquisitively. This causes Natalie to give an embarrassed laugh.

  “I know it’s a terrible name, but it’s the one I was born with.”

  Konner shakes his head as he jogs to catch up to the young woman.

  “No, no, it is a nice name… I mean kind of strange, but still nice. It is nice to officially meet you, Natalie Weredon.”

  She shoots him a side eye and a smile.

  “Same to you, Ryan Burns.”

  The two walk for about half a block in silence, the sounds of sirens filling the air and not much else. Konner is not sure what to say. Any time he would think of something, it would sound weird or creepy, so he decides against it. Eventually and thankfully, Natalie breaks the silence.

  “Are you from around here?”

  Her question is quiet and almost forced. Konner places his hands into the worn leather pockets of the coat as he shakes his head, not wanting to lie but being unable to tell the full truth either.

  “I am not. I came from a little further north. I lost something important, a family heirloom that cannot be replaced, and I managed to track it here… came down to get it back. How about you?”

  Natalie laughs and shakes her head as she looks down and kicks a rock.

  “God no. I am from a tiny town in Utah. Lived there most my life and came here just to get away. So what do you do for a living that allows you to take so much time off?”

  Konner thinks back to the shop, his photographic memory kicking in as he remembers every little detail, having no idea what the store was and what it held. He hopes that something he picked up passively may help give him the answer he needs. It comes to him, a sign, tucked away in the corner that reads ‘Comic book sale; buy one get one free.’

  “I’m a comic book artist; I do mostly work for hire. What about you?”

  They come to an intersection where two streets cross one another. On the far side of the street is a glowing white man that appears to be moving forward. Konner takes his cue from Natalie, and as she does not break stride, neither does he.

  “I’m a bartender… used to be a bartender. My bar went out of business, though, so I thought it would be a good time to start over.”

  Konner raises an eyebrow; he finds it interesting that she hides the truth from him, or at least the whole truth. A curiosity builds within him to know if she has told anyone else. She hesitates for a moment as they pass a large convention center on the far side of the street. Konner keeps his eyes on the woman before him.

  “I’m sorry; that was a lie, my bar did not go out of business. It was destroyed by an alien who saved my life… twice, actually. Once earlier this evening. He left something behind and I wanted to try to get it back to him.”

  Konner laughs a little bit; there is the truth, but the look in her eye makes him wonder. Is she telling him this because she just can’t hold it in or has she seen through his not-so-conspicuous disguise?

  “So something destroys your bar and you go looking for it?”

  She shrugs.

  “That is what everyone keeps asking, and I keep saying the same thing. Whatever it was did not mean to harm me. He was scared and I figured I would find him and tell him there are no hard feelings and that if he wants his property back, I will happily oblige.”

  They pass the convention center across the street with only parking garages to beside them. The signal at yet another intersection has a red hand showing. Natalie glances both ways before jogging briskly across. Konner follows suit.

  “I am sure he will be grateful to hear that,”

  Konner responds as he catches up to Natalie before they turn right down a street marked “4th” and begin to walk towards the towering apartments. A police car passes them as they round the corner, and up ahead at the base of her building a group of people, have begun to disperse. As they approach the large structure, Konner takes in the grey tones of the city around him. The pillars that support wide and short structures are, in comparison to his home, quite crude. The lights that stretch down the length of the street dance from green to yellow to red and back again, and the sounds of people yelling out to one another and sirens whirring in the distance contrast greatly to the silence of Caelum back on Boron; next to the fountain of the tall building stands a man in a uniform that appears to work for the city, sweeping up the shattered glass on the ground. Natalie comes to a stop and looks up at the complex.

  “Well, this is me.”

  She pauses for a moment. Konner notices her look him up and down, and he can feel the heat from her body increase. This is a curious development; nowhere in his reading did he ever come across information that said humans could control their body heat and yet here is one actively warming up a few degrees. Her cheeks turn a soft pink and she bites her lip before she continues to speak.

  “You know, we are both new to this city and could use a friend, and apparently, I could use a bodyguard.”

  Her tone indicates that she is joking about the second half as she lifts her arm, which is in the sling.