A Web Through Time

by Niki Livingston

Adina stepped back, her eyes narrowing. “This isn’t the time, Alex. I want you to remember your full potential, but we could be hit at any moment and that area is fragile. Using the laser on it right now, would be dangerous.”

  Alex nodded as her gaze shifted over her mother’s shoulder and landed on Henry. “I feel useless.”

  “You’re not useless,” her mother assured, pressing a few buttons on one of the walls. A chair with a harness rose from the ground near Henry, followed by two more on each side. “Let’s strap in and be a support for Henry.”

  “I almost have it ready,” Henry muttered, tapping on his screen and cursing under his breath.

  Alex reclined in her chair and was placing the last strap over her shoulder, when a funnel appeared outside the window. “Is that it?” she exclaimed, pointing at the window.

  “Damn it,” Henry hollered, looking out the window. “No that’s not it. The Anaman are bringing in reinforcements and they’ve placed their portal right where I was initiating our wormhole. I have to move it, which is going to delay the opening.”

  Leaning back in her chair, Alex squeezed her eyes shut, drowning out the battle that was taking place in space. She felt her mother’s hand wrap around her fingers, clasping it reassuringly. “Your father was a general in the Anaman military. He won’t allow them to win this war.”

  “Why is it so important for them to keep you two apart?” Alex asked, her eyes remaining closed.

  “It’s bigger than us. We gave other humans and anamans the right to interbreed, which only created conflict for the higher authorities. They want your father and me, because we began this.” Her mother grew quiet and Alex peeked under her eyelashes to see if she was done speaking. A single tear was running down her mother’s cheek and she watched as her mother closed her own eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. “Because we made you and were able to hide you from their grasp. They want to destroy your father and me, because my ex-husband is one of the most powerful men in the world; he wants to know he can control both races, by killing me and any offspring I’ve created. He believes until he accomplishes this feat, he will never be in complete control of the masses.”

  Another blast struck the ship next to them and Alex eyes widened, terrified they were losing that vessel. The funnel was larger and she feared that whoever came through that portal was going to hold the power to obliterate them all.

  “I have it,” Henry shouted, throwing his fists in the air. “We won’t be able to see it, unless we are by the windows, but the wormhole should be opening right now.”

  Alex fumbled with her restraints, anxious to witness this moment. Her mother and she both raced to the windows, peering out into the dark space and seeing the blackness swirling to the far left. It twisted and turned, growing in size right before their eyes, as the Anaman’s portal began to flood the area with small war ships. Adina gripped onto Alex and yanked her away from the window, pulling her back to her seat.

  “Henry, we have to leave now,” Adina barked. “They’ve sent in their fighter ships.” She snapped her fingers at Alex, pointing at her chair and restraints.

  Henry’s eyes flashed over his screen and Alex’s eyes grew even wider, seeing the massive amount of ships filling the empty space around them, blasting them with one shot after another. Their shields held steady, but it didn’t stop Alex’s heart from pounding ferociously in her chest. She held her breath for a moment, breathing out rapidly as sweat began to bead on her forehead.

  Alex examined Henry as he pressed on the device in his ear. “Jax, move us to the wormhole. Our arrival to 4034 is connected.” Henry nodded, listening intently to what Alex’s father was saying to him. “Yes, you will need to take this ship first and all others can follow. We have exactly twenty minutes to move all twelve ships through.”

  Alex felt the ship shift and the window was turned to face the wormhole, which had already grown to its full diameter. The ship rocked violently, being hit by one of the anaman’s larger ships. Alex reached over gripping tightly to her mother’s hand and squeezing her eyes shut for a moment, before daring herself to keep them open for the experience.

  “It will be over soon,” her mother whispered, kissing her hand.

  Alex noticed one of their ships moving in next to them and moments before they entered the wormhole, an explosion ripped through space, crashing into their ship. All the computers flashed red and yellow and a crack formed on the window they were looking through. Henry raced over to the windows, pressing hard on the emergency override next to them. Alex’s hands trembled as her gaze followed the wall sliding down to cover the window.

  “They destroyed one of your ships,” Henry grumbled, his eyes hardening with fury as he glared at Adina. “Why didn’t you just listen to me?”

  Tears were tumbling down Adina’s face. She vigorously shook her head as she struggled to find the right words. She glanced over at Alex and back at Henry, before cradling her face in her hands. “I was wrong,” Alex heard her mother mumble.

  Henry threw himself on the chair next to Adina, rushing to strap himself in as the ship began creaking and groaning, an outside force squeezing at the metal. Moments later there was an eerie silence and Alex bit her bottom lip hard, waiting for sound to return to her ears.

  Thunder erupted around the ship and Alex sank back in her chair, pulling her knees up to her chest and squeezing her eyes shut again. The lights flickered on and off and the computers whirred, before turning off completely, drowning them in silence once again. Alex floated up against her restraints and her eyes darted over to Henry and her mother who were also levitating.

  “Hold on,” Henry warned, making eye contact with Alex. “It will hit hard.”

  As soon as the words left his lips, she was thrown back into her chair, pushing all the air from her lungs. Gulping to breathe, Alex’s eyes grew wide, her knuckles white from gripping the armrests. After catching her breath, she scooted back into a seated position and looked over at her mother. Time stood still for several moments as sound, air, and reality wobbled around them. Alex’s body seemed detached from her soul. Then suddenly she snapped back together, like a puzzle piece, and the world around her became clear again.

  Chapter Nine

  A New Earth

  “Did we make it?” Alex asked, returning her death grip to the armrests.

  Henry undid his restraints and nodded. “We should have arrived.” He pressed on his ear device. “Jax, how does it look up there? Did the other ships make it through?” Henry nodded, closing his eyes, his breath coming in short. “Okay, I will bring them up.”

  Henry pressed his device again and turned to face the women. “We made it, but only nine out of the twelve ships survived the anaman’s attack.” He shook his head, his jaw tightening and icy contempt washing over his face as he stared at his sister. “Jax wants you both up at on the bridge.” He turned on his heel without another word, quickly opening the door and leaving the room.

  Alex grasped her mother’s hand and they both raced after him. Noticing the streak of dried tears on her mothers’ face, she couldn’t help but ask the obvious question. “Why is he so angry with you?”

  “Because he came to me over a year ago and told me that Tallisa was working with the human and anaman leaders.” Her mother halted in her tracks, her lower lip trembling as she faced Alex. “I allowed Tallisa to turn me against my own brother. If I had listened to him at that time, we could’ve avoided this bloodshed and your torture. This entire unfolding of events is my fault.”

  Alex could see Henry’s receding back, growing farther away from them. Grasping her mother’s hand again, she pulled her to catch up. “What’s done, is done,” Alex said, glancing back at her mother. “We’ll fix what we can.”

  Reaching Henry at the elevator, his eyes remained fixed on his handprint still lit on the scanner, his lips set in a straight line. His fingers drummed hard on the wall in front of him. The doors to the elevator slid open and the three of them entered. Alex
inhaled deeply, curling her fingers around Henry’s forearm.

  “I’m sorry for attacking you back in 2025,” she whispered. He remained still for a moment, but then glimpsed back at her.

  “I would’ve done the same thing,” he replied with a curt nod. “You were only protecting yourself. We never should’ve abandoned you there in the first place.” His gaze swept over Adina, silently accusing her of that as well.

  The elevator came to a halt and when the doors opened, Jax was standing on the other side. Henry stomped past him and Adina pressed her lips together, in an attempt to stop the flood of tears threatening to burst from her eyes. Jax clutched both Alex’s and Adina’s hands and led them to the bridge.

  Alex gasped, seeing Earth and an intact moon in front of her. “She’s stunning,” Alex breathed, walking absentmindedly toward the window.

  Jax gripped her shoulder, holding her back from stumbling over the railing in front of her. “Careful there, love. We don’t need any more injured people aboard this ship.” He chuckled, but Alex could tell the happiness was only on the surface, by the sorrow running deep in his eyes.

  “When do we depart for the surface?” Alex asked, wanting to lighten the mood.

  Her father shook his head. “Not yet. We’ll send down a few small ships to check out the civilization. Once they have established a place we can reside in, they will return for us.”

  “Can I have this device removed from my neck while we wait?” Alex asked, turning to look at Henry.

  Henry bobbed his head up and down, a weary smile surfacing on his lips. “I can do it right now. Let’s do it in the First Aid center across the hall.”

  Alex felt elated for the first time in days. She had left everything and everyone she knew behind in 2025, but now she had the chance to really know who she is and begin a new life, free of judgment and ridicule. Following Henry off the bridge, her heart began to race in anticipation of what was about to happen. She skipped across the hallway, smiling wide when Henry grinned at her.

  “You’re going to enjoy having that contraption removed,” he assured her, patting a table for her to sit down on. “I’m just a mere human, but I’ve been allowed through alien herbs to experience some of the rushes and abilities that come so naturally to anamans.” He paused, charging up an electric device next to the table. “I’m excited for you.”

  “Will it hurt?” Alex asked.

  “Not in the slightest,” Henry replied. “Turn on your stomach and rest your face in here.” He touched a hole cut out at the top of the table. “There is a mask inside, which will disperse a small amount of a gas, allowing you to relax.”

  “Do you mean laughing gas?” She slid down onto the table.

  Henry chuckled, twisting a knob on the machine. “I guess you could call it that. It makes people a little giddy.”

  “Praise the lord,” Alex joked, setting her face into the hole on the table.

  It was almost instantaneous. Alex’s body tingled and her thoughts floated within her mind. She felt Henry brush her hair away from her neck and clipped it out of the way moments later. After that her body numbed and she found herself dreaming of Earth and her new home. Just when she was reclining on a porch swing, overlooking the mountains and calm lake, she had the sudden sensation her body was floating.

  Her eyes flashed open and she stared up at her father, who was peering down at her. “Did Henry remove the device?” she asked, slurring half the words.

  Her father smiled and winked at her. “He did. Give the drug a few minutes to wear off and you will be good as new.”

  Alex smiled, snuggling into her father’s chest.

  It seemed like it was only a minute later and Alex woke with an overwhelming sensation of joy sparkling within her. The smells in the air invaded her nostrils in the most alluring way. She blinked her eyes a few times, finally seeing she was lying on the couch, back in her parents’ quarters. The blinds were shut, but the awareness from the energy of space spoke to her, calling to connect with her.

  Perching herself up on her elbows, a new strength pulsated in the muscles of her arms, while her eyes adjusted to the higher definition of their own intense depth. “Wow,” she exclaimed to herself, her gaze darting around the room as she rose from the couch. “This is spectacular.”

  Her body seemed lighter than before and just for giggles, she did a high jump from the spot she was standing in. Gasping mid-jump, she nearly collided with the ceiling. It was as if the ships gravity had been tampered with, but she knew it was something more. A silver streak on her arm, caught her eye and she peered down at both arms, turning them around and revealing a hint of silver swirling and flashing all over them. It was magical.

  Opening the shades of the windows, Alex stood with her forehead resting against it, grinning down at Earth. “Whatever I am, it was all worth the trip.” Her hands slid up the glass, halting next to her head. “Hello, my new life and my new home.”

  Acknowledgments

  To all my readers, THANK YOU for reading this story! You are the reason I continue to spend my evenings and early mornings brainstorming, scribbling in notebooks and pounding on my keyboard. I appreciate each and every one of you!

  And thank you to Jennifer Clayton for inspiring me to write a time travel story in the first place. I originally wrote A Web Through Time for the anthology she published, Shattered Time. Girl, you truly are an inspiration and a great friend!

  Jessica, from Magic Quill Graphics, thank you once again for creating a magical and eye-popping book cover. You have a great eye for the arts and I appreciate all the work you put in to help me find the right look.

  And last, but not least. To all my friends and family, who allowed me to chatter non-stop about this story and the ideas I have planned for it, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my tribe and my people. Hugs and kisses.

  Messages

  Stop by Niki’s website to learn more about her books, blog, and secret messages hidden within several of her books.

  Website: www.nikilivingstonauthor.com

  About the Author

  Niki is a native of Utah, and continues to live along the Wasatch Front with her partner and their four children. Her writing keeps her busy most nights and weekends and she enjoys the quiet moments where her storytelling unfolds.

  She enjoys a whole variety of things, including reading stories that keep her on the edge of my seat, having late night talks with her handsome fireman, having happy/crappy time at the dinner table with her family, playing in the dirt in hopes to create a bountiful garden and sitting quietly on her back porch, sipping coffee and watching the sun wake up the world.

  To connect with Niki Livingston:

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