by Craig Allen
Kay held her hand to her mouth. “Look at the news.”
Sasha pulled up a news feed on the living room screen. Jester’s spaceship filled the view. Lights flickered from underneath it. The soldiers assigned to protect it backed away as the vessel continued to glow brighter.
“All evidence indicates power levels in the vessel have increased,” the announcer said. “No one knows how long until the vessel is at full power.”
“Sasha? He wouldn’t, would he?”
But she had already dropped the tablet.
~~~~
The city exit roared past as she pushed the car at full throttle. She raced across the open roads, thankful they were clear. Even if they weren’t, she wouldn’t have slowed.
He wouldn’t, she thought. No, he couldn’t.
She’d only thrown on a summer dress she wasn’t sure was even clean. No makeup, not even shoes. She wasn’t even halfway presentable, but she didn’t care. She had to get to him, no matter the cost.
The car bounced over the curb and onto the grass, still gunning the engine. The car’s suspension groaned as it drove over the small hills in the park. She’d probably destroy the car driving this way, but it didn’t matter. Soon, the craft was in view. She slammed on the brakes, and the car skidded to a stop in the slick grass, sending the car careening sideways. She threw the door open and ran for Jester’s ship.
But it was too late.
The underside glowed so brightly she almost couldn’t look at it. It made no sound as it lifted off the ground. A vibration spread through ground and her, the same vibration that happened when the ship first arrived. The vibration dissipated as the vessel rose into the sky. In moments, it was gone.
Sasha stood, watching the sky where Jester’s ship disappeared. He wouldn’t leave, he just wouldn’t. Not after everything they’d been through, not after the bliss and the joining.
But the vessel didn’t return. It was gone, and she was alone again.
The pain came all of a sudden. It was a pain she had lived with since Andrew died. She tried to cry out, but her throat was too dry. She dropped to her knees, and then fell over, clutching her chest. She took deep breaths, trying to keep the pain at bay. If she had her pills, they might’ve helped, but they were at home.
But even if she had them, she wouldn’t have taken them. Death was preferable to being alone. She closed her eyes and waited.
“Sasha?”
The pain wrenched her again. Was this what it was like to die? You hear the voices of those you loved? And why was it his and not Andrew’s?
“Sasha!”
She felt a hand on her shoulder.
“Sasha, please say something.”
She opened her eyes. He hovered over her, still wearing the suit he’d worn the day before, along with the shirt and its torn buttons.
“Jester?”
“Yes. Oh God, where are your pills?”
She tried to sit up, but she felt something jab in her chest. “They’re at home.”
“Why’d you leave them?” He put his arm around her. “I have to get you to a hospital.”
The attack settled down. Her heartbeat slowed down. “I thought you were leaving me.”
“What gave you that idea? I wasn’t leaving you. I had to send my ship back so my people would know what happened to me.”
“You sent it off? Without you?”
“It’s fully automated, remember? Didn’t you get my note?”
She shook her head.
“I left it on the refrigerator. I told you…” He froze. “I didn’t save it, did I?”
“No.” She would have laughed if she weren’t so weak. “No, you didn’t.”
He ran his hand over his mouth. “Oh God, what have I done?”
“I’ll be okay.”
“I should’ve known. Look what I did to you.”
Over Jester’s shoulder, she saw a crowd gather. Soldiers approached them, their weapons in hand. From between them appeared Colonel Lambear. He said something she couldn’t quite hear, and they lowered their weapons. As he approached, he spoke into the radio unit attached to his wrist. “We need immediate medevac, these coordinates.” The radio squawked something in reply, but he ignored it.
“Ms. Merigole,” the colonel said, “I’ve sent for a medevac. They’ll be here shortly. Are you all right?”
She nodded. “I will be.”
“Tell them to hurry,” Jester said. He looked up at the colonel. “Now, Colonel. Tell them to hurry.”
If Jester’s tone bothered the colonel, he didn’t register it. In fact, he seemed to understand. “They’re on their way, Mr. Gold. She’s going to be fine.”
She ran her hand under his chin and he turned back to her.
“I thought you were leaving.”
“Never.” He grasped her hand in his. “I don’t know what’s happened to me. I want to stay here with you and make this place my home, with you. I don’t know why, but that’s what I want.”
“I know why,” she said.
The medevac appeared over the horizon, soaring through the air so fast Sasha thought it would overshoot them. It came to a stop almost directly overhead and then lowered itself some thirty meters away. Jester covered her as the wash from the main engine sent grass and debris everywhere. No sooner than it hit the ground, a group of men jumped out carrying a stretcher.
“Oh, I don’t need this.” She started to stand, but Jester stopped her. “No, I’m better now.”
“Just go with them,” Jester said. “Just to be sure. I need you to be okay.”
“I am okay. You’re here with me.”
The medics surrounded them. One tried to pull Jester away but he wouldn’t leave. “It’s okay,” she said. He then backed away, letting the medics take care of her. He hovered over them, fearful. She smiled at him. Everything really would be all right now.
“I was kind of hoping to look inside.” The colonel stood next to Jester. He nodded at Sasha. Even he looked concerned.
“I had obligations, Colonel,” Jester said. “I had to tell my people what I found, and about Earth.”
“I understand, Mr. Gold. It’s just that we could’ve learned so much from it.”
Carefully, they lifted her and placed her on the stretcher. Jester didn’t take his eyes off her. “If it’s any consolation, Colonel, I did retrieve some information your people might find interesting.”
The colonel faced Jester. “What sort of information?”
“Medical information, mostly. Some technical information as well, including the specifications of the faster-than-light engine. It’s a tremendous feat of engineering. It might take a while for you to figure it out.”
“We’ll figure it out in time.” He smiled. “Have faith.”
“I do.”
They lifted Sasha in the air. She let out a moan. The pain was definitely subsiding, but Jester was probably right. She should have the hospital examine her, but she wasn’t about to admit it to him.
“Go to her,” she heard the colonel say. Jester did so without even a good-bye. Two of the medics moved aside to give him room to walk beside her. He grasped her hand as they carried her. He wouldn’t let go of her, even when they loaded the stretcher into the back of the medical transport.
“I would’ve gone with you if you asked,” she said.
He shook his head. “The ship only carries one, remember?”
“But now you don’t have a ride home.”.
“This is home. If you’ll have me.”
She smiled. “Always.”
She started to sit up, but he held her down. “Wait until we get to the hospital. For me?”
She sighed and nodded. The door closed, and she felt the medical transport lift off the ground.
“They’re probably wondering how you got past all their security,” she said. “Think they’re mad?”
“That doesn’t matter right now.” He laughed and shook his head. “I was wondering about all of this, what came
over me since I’ve been here. I thought it was pheromones or something similar. So I did a complete medical scan while I was inside my ship.”
“And?”
“Nothing. No foreign compounds. No biological infestations. The med unit in my body recorded no unusual physical changes during my stay, other than occasional hypertension. At least that’s what it called it. It couldn’t determine a cause, so it assumed I was experiencing stress. It suggested I take a vacation.”
“That’s a good idea,” she said. “We should do that.”
He kissed her forehead. “We’ll always be together, right?”
“Of course.”
“And… children?” he asked. “We’ll have children? In, what, nine months?”
“Perhaps. If not this bliss, then maybe the next.”
“And they’ll live with us? I mean, they’ll go to school, but then they come home to us?”
She couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “It’s called a family. Remember?”
“Family.” He seemed to enjoy saying it. “And we’ll always… feel this way? It doesn’t go away?”
The pain was gone, both inside and out. Everything felt fine. “Yes. I’ll always love you.”
“Love.” He rolled the word around. “I… I still don’t understand.”
She reached for him, the IV still attached. She ran her hand down his cheek, and he closed his eyes. “Yes, you do.”
I have loved to the point of madness;
That which is called madness,
That which to me,
Is the only sensible way to love.
—Françoise Sagan
Craig Allen was born in Houston, Texas but has lived most of his life in Denver, Colorado. After graduating college, he spent six years working in news radio before getting into the software development industry. He has always been an avid reader.
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Also by Craig Allen:
Kali’s Children
Beyond the Sky
Goodbye Sunshine
Without You