Altered Time - Destiny in the Stars
That Haunting Past
Chapter 1
I
It was one of those warm, blue and rose-colored afternoons, and Max looked out over the Antarian landscape from the upper window of the spacious and comfortable living chambers of his palace. He did not see the pleasant dwellings of the nearby city, nor were his eyes enjoying the view of the calm golden sea just beyond… his mind was a million light years away from this pleasant Antarian summer day. As he stared lost into the space beyond, a gentle touch caressed him from behind. Max turned, smiled, and embraced Liz. Their lips touched… lightly at first… then passionately. Max pulled Liz more tightly against him, enveloping her in his arms. He felt her left hand run up through his hair, caressing the back of his head; her right hand was against his chest, as though to feel the beat of his heart. Max's heart was full and happy. Time, it seemed, could not encroach on this moment. Then the image of Liz began to fade. Soon, like the morning's mist, it was gone. A tear coursed slowly down Max's cheek… He was alone again. "WHAT GOOD IS ALL THIS!" Max didn't care that he was shouting, his voice betraying the pain and anguish he had been holding back for so long… much too long. "It's all so freakin' wrong…" As if just waking, Max realized that someone was knocking at his chamber door. "Enter." "Is everything alright, Max? I heard yelling!" It was Michael, Max's best friend, confidant, and General of his armies. Michael and Max had been friends since childhood, had shared secrets, knew each other's hearts and souls like no one else on Antar ever could. They were far more now than friends and closer than most brothers. "Michael," said Max hesitatingly, "Do you remember when Liz told us about being visited by a future me. You remember that the future me told her that she had to turn me away, because our being together would keep me from marrying Tess and my powers and Tess' would both be needed when it came time to save the Earth, and that the Earth was being destroyed in his future timeline because I had married Liz and not Tess… you remember what I'm talking about?" "Yeah," Michael volunteered cautiously, wondering where this was all going. "Well, of course, Tess and I never married; you know why. And after graduation, Liz and I eventually got married anyway." "Yeah." replied Michael. He laughed, but it was hard to tell if it was an amused laugh or an "Okay-spill-it-what's-this-all-about" kind of laugh. "Well," Max started slowly, judging the effect of his words, "I think I know you better than anybody, and you know me better than anybody on this planet." "Yeah. That's a fact," said Michael. Max continued, "I've been noticing that since, well, since Liz and Maria haven't been in our lives, you know, there's just no 'joy' in our lives anymore. We saved Antar, but what about our own happiness? Am I making any sense to you?" "Yeah. I think you are. You know I do." "Well," said Max, "It just seems to me that instead of saving the world, everything just kind of went wrong after that. Earth isn't even there anymore! Maybe my future self was right and Tess' not being with me was the reason Earth got destroyed; maybe it was something else. But when our enemies destroyed the Earth, everything you and I lived for died that day or was already dead: Liz, Maria, Isabel… every freakin' body! Cripes! You almost didn't make it out alive either!" "Don't remind me, Max! I'm not likely to forget! I almost didn't live long enough to adolesce out of adolescence!" Both Michael and Max laughed, but it was a subdued laughter affected by a long sadness of heart. "I know! Sometimes, though, I wonder if we did ourselves any favor by escaping." "Come on, Max, I know how you feel. I loved… LOVE! …Maria as much as you've always loved Liz, and we always will… we both know it… but Antar wouldn't be here now if we had died there!" "Yeah, we saved Antar," agreed Max, "But we only saved one person from Earth… besides you and me, I mean… one person out of the whole frikkin' planet. And we lost Liz and Maria… and Iz… and everybody else we ever cared about. Michael, listen, I've been thinking… You know the granolith, the machine my future self used to go back and warn Liz to stay away from me, not to marry me." "Yeah…" "Well, think about this… what if we built another one, went back to before Earth was destroyed, and saved the Earth… or at least Liz, Maria, and Isabel… Do you think it's possible, Michael?" Michael was silent. Max expected him to say that he was dreaming, that the past can't or shouldn't be changed, or more likely, that he couldn't put himself into harm's way like that. After all, Max was the king of Antar, and his whole future and the future of Antar itself hung in the balance. Max couldn't just run off acting with reckless abandon on a whim! Michael was ever faithful, but he was also blunt, and most of all, he was very protective of Max. "Do it! Yeah, let's do it!" Michael blurted uncharacteristically, revealing far more emotion than Max remembered ever seeing in him. This sudden lack of caution caught Max by surprise… caution with Max's life, that is. With his own life, Michael was known to be reckless and bold. He was a good soldier… an excellent soldier… and an excellent friend. Yes, above all, an excellent friend! "Mikey! What's that on your cheek?"
"Yeah, you hate it!" Both of them laughed. It was a refreshing laugh, a heart-cleansing laugh that seemed to wash away some of the depression both of them had been holding in. "Uh, Max, tell me you're not thinking of going back and changing history by marrying Tess to save the world,said Michael.
Michael ducked quickly as all six pillows came flying in his direction from Max's oversized Antarian sofa. "Bite your tongue, Michael! I said save the Earth! Some things are worse than death!" Both of them laughed again! It was a good day, a fine day! Max breathed in the freshness of the Antarian rose-aromaed light misty summer breeze coming through his open window, and his heart felt joy, something he had almost forgotten. Michael felt it, too. Michael turned and walked briskly to the door. "I'll see what I can find out about the granolith. Maybe the plans for it are here on Antar somewhere. I think I know where to start looking, too!
"My eyes are just a little… you know, these Antarian summers. I'm still not quite used to them… freakin' rose-aromaed humidity makes my eyes water. And don't call me that! You know I…"
tbc