M There was a ringing in my ears, sharp, and loud, like nails on a chalkboard and for the life of me I couldn't make it stop. Stumbling forward, I barely became aware of my senses as they slowly began to hit me like a baseball bat to the stomach. Without thinking I had already unclasped my helmet, and dropped it behind me, letting it fall to the ground. I walked forward, still not sure where I was as night closed in behind me. The fleeting light of the sun was barely noticeable as the small brush fires around me continued the level of illumination. My footing gave out though, and I collapsed to the ground, falling onto my knees, and hands. A bright blue flash flew around me, and my armor disappeared instantly leaving me back in my clothes. Pulling my head up, and looking forward, I could see the flames burning around the intact craft that had just smashed into the ground, and I tried to recall how I had ended up here.
My name is Matt, if you hadn't figured that out by now. In front of me was the Starwing which had slammed down into this area of scattered trees, and suddenly it all came back to me. We had picked up that signal from the stars, the one that told us that it was coming, the day we had been preparing for, and the second it came in, so did the other craft. Suddenly we were in a dogfight for our lives as the Starwing was being chased by its sister craft from the Mobium ship in orbit. Morphing, the two of us prepared for the worst, and not wasting anytime I sent a signal to the Shelter that hopefully they would understand. A second after that we were lit up like the fourth of July, and fell to the ground below.
Looking around there was no sign of Lexa at all, which left the craft as the only place she could be. Slowly forcing myself to take every step, I moved towards the craft. Reaching the hatch, I found it ajar, and placing my hands on it, I pushed up towards the sky, fighting it every inch. Finally the illuminate cockpit was revealed, and so was Lexa, who was sitting slumped over in the pilot's chair. Placing my weight on the two armrests, I moved myself over to the chair, and stood above her looking down on her face. Putting my fingers on her neck, I tried to check for pulse. Finding none, I wondered if I was doing it right, but then wondered if Mobiums even had their pulse readable on their body surface. I looked over her carefully, and after several moments I could tell her body was rising softly, which meant she was taking breathes. Looking down at her midsection, a clear gash was present, and blood came forth from it, the same red color as human blood.
I didn't want to risk moving her, but I knew at the same time if I didn't, she might die here. Looking at the dim consoles I could tell the power was gone from them, which meant that the craft was offline, and I couldn't contact the others if I wanted too. Feeling a little of my strength returning, I made the choice to go find help, so I wrapped my arm around her legs, and the other behind her back, and slowly picked her up. She was lighter than I expected, but that wasn't all too surprising. She was rather small after all.
Forcing my way out of the craft, and back into the night, I found self walking forward in a trance; the only sign of civilization were the distant lights illuminating the sky. Behind me rested the crash site, small fires burning in different places throwing light about the area, as slowly I plunged into the darkness, just marching, hoping to find someone to help.
K While Matt was off on his own adventures I was still on my own path. I was back in Pennsylvania, for at the time I considered him, and Lexa to be dead, which was a great loss in my mind. Retreating inside myself at the loss of my good friend, and a person I had come to trust, I decided that it was something I couldn't let myself indulge in for long. Peter and Colleen both tried to console, but soon I had to snap myself out of it, with very little time left to waste, I had to move on, and get back onto the mission, which is why I won't spend much time talking about it here. I had thought about the decision I was about to make for some time, but now I had reached an end, and was ready to carry on with it. That's why I sat in the booth of a restaurant, one nearby the school we had gone to when we were teenagers, the place it had all started, but I wasn't here to reminisce, not at all. I was in a sense scouting, and waiting.
I waited half the day to be exact, but I knew sooner or later he would come in. He dragged in a former classmate with him, a guy I hadn't seen for sometime. The two were in conversation, each brandishing a smile at a shared joke, or jest perhaps, but as they went to the counter to order, I merely smiled behind them, as they had both looked right past me, and never even recognized my face. Why would they? Like Mady, I had erased any trace from my mind so that they could go on with their lives having never realized anyone around them was different.
He had grown taller, much taller, probably towering over me now, and considering what I had in store for him, that could make it a bad thing or a good thing. Stronger too, which could only aid him in the task I had designed. Perhaps patience had come too, a trait he hadn't used so easily in the past. Wisdom was mostly definitely bestowed upon any who aged, so I could count on that, but to what extent I wondered.
Waitresses passed by my table almost as if they weren't even aware of my presence. Again, this was an illusion I had created so as to not upset them, or their patrons. As I sat here for most of the day, I had to be sure I could be left alone, while I waited. I took a sip from my drink, and put it back on the table as I watched the two of them on the other side of establishment, each sitting on the opposite end of the booth they choose to occupy, facing each other. I studied the emotional weaves he let escape from his body, seeing if anything had changed. He hadn't played as a major part in my life when I was younger, so I wondered if it was a drastic change as with Mady or Evan, or the others I had left behind. I wondered whether he was still a worth candidate, but then again, if I was going to restore his memory, then perhaps he would be a combination of who he was then, and who he was now. Perhaps this would serve as a good basis for what was to come. I wondered about the experiences he had had, and the memories he now carried with the life he lived. Again, the nagging feeling that I was about to rob another person of their normality struck me. Was this right?
I wondered how he would take it, for I hadn't restored anyone's memories before. Would he be shocked, or stunned? Would he find what I had done brave, or courageous; or would he condemn for my dismissal of free will? I was honestly nervous at the proposition either way, and wondered if I had made the right choice. I had asked Matt to join me, and Sean too, but Peter and Lexa fell in of their own accord, so had Colleen. Could I ask another to join a cause which may give up their life? Hadn't Matt given his life for the cause already? We're we just a mosquito to this giant that was bearing down on us? Would his presence add a significant threat?
His associate got up to go to the restroom, and at that time, I choose to standup, and cross the floor, folding my hands into my pockets. I took my time, and shuffled up to him, and without warning, sat down across from him, the same seat his friend had occupied. He stared at me blankly for a few moments, before he said aloud, "Uh, who are you?"
"That's hard to explain," I told him, "it easier to show." Raising my hand, palm open to him, he looked at it cautiously, like a flower in bloom. "Touch my hand."
"Uh," he said slowly, "I think I'm going to have to pass on that."
Disheartened for a moment, I considered a different approach, maybe something a little more informative, "You need to touch my hand," I told him, "so you can remember what happened."
"You need to leave," he told me, his tone turning rather serious. He was nervous, and confused. I imagine I would have been too had I been in his position, but the only thing I cared about was restoring his memory. Albeit I realized later that maybe it was kind of creepy the way I approached him, but like I explained to him, it was either to show someone, rather than tell them. So instead, I tried a hint of dramatics.
"The last few years, you've felt like you've missed out on something," I explained to him, "like part of your life lacks the meaning it once did. You feel incomplete somehow, like your life is missing a piece." He stared at me critically as he processed everything I was saying, and as he did, I wondered if he was going to accept my idea, or strike me from across the table. "You want that meaning restored? Touch my hand."
"Are you on drugs or something?" he asked again. In response, I sat bat against the edge of the booth, folding my hands into my lap. With barely an effort I quickly raised several things off the table, and levitated them into the air, only high enough so he would get the idea. The whole time I kept my gaze on him, my stare. "Am I?"
"Touch my hand," I told him, returning my hand to its former state, with my elbow propped upon the table for support. He seemed in a state of defeat, and slowly raised his hand, palm open towards me, uncertain of what everything meant, but just like a small child, his hand crossed the distance, and then with a sheer instant of hesitation, he placed his hand onto mine, and a second later, I imagine he regretted that decision, as I connected with his mind, and plunged into his thoughts, my mind the key to the mental lock I had fashion some time ago.
M I didn't know for how long I stumbled through the darkness, holding onto Lexa as I journeyed towards the lights in the distance, but it felt like days. Impossible I know, for the sun never rose, but every step was a task in itself. Finally we reached the edge of what seemed like a farm house, and slowly stumbled towards the porch. I had transversed a few hills in the time that had passed, but trying to ascend the stairs was the hardest task yet, as finally I climbed onto the porch, staring straight at the front door that was illuminated by a light next to it.
"Hello!" I called out, my voice barely above a hoarse whisper, hoping someone was still awake. Finally, I heard a stirring inside, and the door opened.
"Can I……" was all I heard before suddenly my world went dark, and I fell to the ground, still holding Lexa. Exhaustion prevented the onset of dreams, so the only thing that I can remember next was waking up to light, almost painful light. I slowly opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. I was lying on a cushion, not a bed or anything, but a cushion, and as I looked down upon myself I could see a blanket that had been laid across my body. Pulling it away from me, I slowly sat upright, placing my feet onto a soft plush carpet. Staring out, I could see the sunlight pouring in from the windows outside, looking out onto a vast green field, with a tree line far into the distance. Bringing a hand to my head, I rubbed it softly, casting my hair a strew, not that it was straight as normal considering the way I had been sleeping. A soft smell came through the air, the smell of coffee. Looking around the room I could see a coffee table not a foot away from where I was standing, as well as a fabric chair with a small end table next to it, and a lamp hanging over it. Slowly I stood up, feeling the ache of my legs, from the night before, and a feeling I had missed before coming from my left arm which was quite sore, and somewhat hard to lift.
Turning towards the origin of the smell, I crossed into the next room which was a small kitchen area. Wooden cabinets, a steel sink, and the modern kitchen appliances could be found in here, including a coffee maker that was slowly producing coffee. Staring at it, I was interrupted from my thoughts by a small giggle from my left.
Turning, I smiled as a young girl of no more than eight stood in the door frame, a smile spread across her face. She had soft blonde hair that was braided around her head, and fell down to the back. She was wearing a soft peach top, and shorts, almost the model eight year old. Crouching down on my knees I smiled, and said, "Hey there."
"Hi," she said softly, her shyness apparent as she merely rotated back forth on the spot, not wanting to advance any further.
"My name is Matt," I offered, trying to alleviate her fears.
"My mother told me I couldn't talk to strangers," she replied softly.
"Is she here?" I asked her softly.
"Indeed," I heard a new voice say, from the direction of the living room. She was an older woman, somewhat thick with grey hair that was tied up into a ponytail in the back. I stood up, and regarded her calmly. "How are you this morning?"
"I'm feeling better," I told her, "thank you very much for your hospitality last night."
"Well I'm afraid there was very little I could do," she replied, "you collapsed on my doorstep with your companion."
Remembering Lexa, and the state I had found her in, I looked at her cautiously, "Is she alright?"
"She still not awake," she replied. "I've been meaning to talk to you about her once you woke up."
"My name is Matt," I repeated, "The girl is Lexa."
"Girl…." She said softly, "indeed. I'm Sarah, and that is Jenny." I turned towards the little girl who smiled at me, and I returned the smile softly, before turning back to my host. "Why don't you follow me into the other room, so we can talk." She retreated back into the living room slowly, and I followed behind her. She crossed through it and went into a new part of the house which I hadn't seen before, which led to a staircase. "How did you come to be all the way out here?"
"Our plane crashed," I replied, not quite a lie, but not fully the truth. "We were headed home, and we had a mechanical problem. She tried to land in a safe spot, but it was still a rough landing."
"I would say so," she said, as we arrived on the second floor landing, and slowly made our way down a narrow hall to one of the open rooms. The second floor was decorated much in the same way as the first, the furnishings almost what you would expect froma rural country house that you see in the movies. Walking into one of the bedrooms behind her, I found Lexa lying in a bed, still asleep. Her midsection had been bandaged from the wound she had received on landing, and sitting by her side was a male teenager of about sixteen who was watching her. "This is my son, Trevor. Trevor, this is Matt, and the person you've been tending to most of the night is Lexa."
"Nice to meet you," I said, and added a soft nod.
"Hey," he returned.
"Well, maybe you'd like to tell us a little more about your companion here sir," she said softly, and then slowly pulled back Lexa's hair to reveal her pointed ears. She turned to me, and waited expectantly.
For a moment I considered my answer carefully, wondering if I should explain to them either who Lexa really was, or make up some story. Sarah was clearly intelligent, and I imagine being a mother she would no doubt see through any lie I could offer up, something I wasn't exceedingly good at in the first place anyway. Turning back to Lexa, and then back to her, I finally offered her an answer, "She's special."
"I can see that," she replied curtly, "but how so."
"I can't tell you," I said seriously.
"You'd better," she said, "or I'm going to have to ask you to leave, or call the sheriff, and something tells me you'd rather avoid that situation."
"We weren't involved in anything illegal," I replied quickly, "if that's what you're thinking."
"Then what is it?" she asked again.
Hesitantly, I considered the truth for a moment, and slowly picked my words, "We're part of a group, that the government isn't very happy with."
"You're not terrorists are you?" asked Trevor.
Thinking that somewhere, at some level, I'm sure the name had been thrown out there, but I really didn't see us as that, "No. It's very complicated. Will she be alright?"
"She has bad wound near her stomach, but it's not in the stomach," reported Trevor, "I don't think she's hurt critically, but she will need to heal for a while."
"Trevor is studying to be a doctor," reported Sarah. "I can only hope that what the two of you brought in here won't prevent him from doing that." She turned her back on the three of us, and moved towards the door. "Though I don't like the thought of leaving you alone here with my son, I'm afraid I have no choice. I have to take Jenny to school. Trevor, you can stay home today."
"Thanks mom," he called back as she departed down the hallway, a tinge of elation upon his voice. He smirked, as he settled back into his chair with a book, which looked like a text book.
"Thanks for taking care of her last night," I offered to him.
"She's quite interesting," he replied. "I mean scientifically of course." He blushed, as he said it, and became quiet again. I came to her side, and reached down to touch her hand, hoping that maybe her mind was aware, and could make contact with me, maybe some kind of special Mobium thing. "So what happened?"
I lifted my eyes up to the window, as I searched the sky for the memory which slowly began to replay in my head…
We
had been cruising steadily for the last fifteen minutes, after
dropping Colleen off back in Chicago. We had infused her with Ranger
powers the night before mostly based on Sean's decision. The whole
trip out she had been glancing at her Pink Power Lens every few
moments, and it didn't take a Mobium to tell that she felt pride,
and excitement. She was going to continue to search for Mady, because
she knew that was what Keith wanted, and something told me that she
was hoping to impress him in someway, hoping to swing his attention
to her for a change and hold her, in the same light he held
Mady. However that had come and pass, and now we settled in
for a nice return cruise. Lexa had the pilot's chair of course and
I sat back at the station I usually occupied. Lexa and I had been
spending a good deal of time together recently, even with the
induction of Peter into our group, and we had begun to develop sort
of a precarious relationship. One moment we seemed to be in sync with
each other, and the next, I was just another human study project. She
often flittered between the two too often it seemed. We had been
quiet so far, with the absence of Colleen somewhat noticeable. "Do
you think Keith will be pissed?" I asked her, not having really
discussed it with her before. "I imagine he may be somewhat
upset due to Sean's decision," she replied seriously. "My hope
lies in the idea that he may find a solution to co-exisit with her as
a member of the outfit." "Keith is a pretty big control
freak sometimes," I pointed out, "if things don't go his way,
sometimes he gets a little upset." "No doubt a genetic
marker from his royal heritage," she replied. Feigning
shock, I replied, "Wait, was that humor?" "I believe you
misread my words," she replied, though she sounded as if she was
trying to cover a lie. "I do believe that was humor," I
returned, "from you. Sounds like someone has been spending a little
too much time around us humans." "I believe you may be
exaggerating somewhat," she returned coyly. "No such thing has
come to pass." "Well…" I started, but then stop, as a
flashing light on my console drew my attention. "Hold on, we're
getting a signal." "From Sean?" she replied, half
looking over her shoulder. "No," I said, somewhat confused
as I read the console. "It's coming from the star-band, from the
Mobium frequencies." Punching a few keys, the readout said that it
was coming in on a mental band, something only Lexa could access, but
I could translate it into text without major difficulty. Taking
several more moments, I slowly produced a readout, in English no
less, and read it out aloud. "Fleet Operations. Forward Lance.
Eighth Fleet Group in Transit to Location. Expect arrival in four
helios." "Are you certain that is the exact message?"
she replied, her voice tainted with seriousness. "That's
what the computer says," I told her. "Why, what does it
mean?" "It is a status update from the Empire," she
reported, the craft suddenly lurching forward as it picked up speed.
"If I completed the mathematics correctly for time in human
measurement of time, than it states the fleet's arrival will
transpire in seven earth days." I stared down at the console
again, almost in disbelief as we raced through the late afternoon sky
towards the Shelter to warn the others, and if it hadn't been for
the emergency warning coming from the console, I imagine I would have
stared the entire ride back. Checking the console, the Mobium
equivalent of radar reported an object gaining on us, "We've got
company." "Lenoa," she reported softly. Forced back in
my seat as Lexa quickened the Starwing even more, I was almost unable
to think, before finally reaching the conclusion that I had to warn
the others. "I'm sending the Shelter a message," I
reported, as seconds later, laser fire raced passed our vessel, and
even with the inertial dampeners, we went for a ride. My message was
simple, and to the point, something I'm sure Keith would figure out
quickly; the time we had left. Only moments after I had sent it, our
ship rocked forward. "The craft has been damaged,"
reported Lexa, as we began to descend, her voice full of concern.
"Our altitude is decreasing." "We better morph," I
said, touching my Lens, and activating the Emergency Power sequence.
It glowed blue, and then moments later, my body was covered in
armor. "I must focus on safely descending the craft," she
reported as she fought for the control of the craft, as again we were
struck, this time the panels around me going off line. Holding on,
and bracing myself was all I could do as we fell to the ground
quickly. Lexa did her best for her part, but I could tell, as well as
she could, that the effort was futile. "Matthew, I…enjoyed our
time together." I had no response to the statement, and suddenly it
felt like my body was being pressed again, and I found myself being
pushed into the jump tube. "What are you doing?" I cried
as the door slammed in front of me. A moment later, a new feeling hit
me, as I suddenly shot away from the craft still in the frame I had
been in. It must have been some sort of escape pod, that she had
thrown me in that the jump tube had doubled as. Moments later I
struck the ground, and everything after that went dark.
I turned back to Trevor, and looked at him seriously. "Like I told you're mother, it's nothing bad, but it could be dangerous for all of you." My lens was the only thing I had left that could protect this house, and slowly my gaze fell to it, only then did I realize that the jewel upon it was no longer blue; in fact, it had been cracked, and now sat colorless upon my wrist. My face must have been filled with shock, for I believe I almost fainted, but as I steadied myself, I looked to the night table to find Lexa's lens, in the same fashion. No wonder they hadn't tried to communicate with us yet. Our communications were gone, and powers had been disabled. I didn't know if Lexa could repair them, but as she lay there in the bed, I realized that if the Mobiums found us before she recovered, we may all be in great trouble.
I looked down at her again at her midsection, and knew that the injury had been a valiant attempt to try to land the craft safely. She could have joined me in the escape pod, but instead she attempted to sacrifice her life for mine instead. I guess maybe I wasn't another project for her after all.
K I sat at the meal table, slowly thinking to myself about the recent trip to PA, and how the end result had gone, and smirked to myself as Peter came over to sit by me. Nor he, nor Colleen, nor Sean knew what I had gone and done, though I had a feeling Sean suspected. So as Peter sat down, I felt the need to restrain myself at sharing information with him. I wanted it to be kept secret in case Polaris scanned their minds. Though I doubted another would make a difference, I did hope that it would be the case, but honestly I knew it could only be false hope.
As Peter sat down though, my thoughts changed as I caught the glimmer of a golden chain around his neck, something I had seen many times before back when we used to train together. It was a cross he wore around his neck symbolizing his religion of Catholicism. I focused on it, and wondered what it meant to so many others out there to believe in a higher being. "Do you still go to church?"
"Whenever I can," replied Peter without missing a beat as he slowly poured a small cup of milk over his cereal. "Though these days, it's a little tougher to accomplish such."
"Have your values been rocked at all by the emergence of aliens?" I asked him. "I know that the Catholic Church wouldn't be too happy about that piece of information."
"I've been around you and Shen for too long to have my values rocked by it," he replied. "After all we're all god's creatures." He trailed off after that, as my gaze turned across the room, and I drifted further off into my own thoughts. After a moment though, he broke the silence with a question. "Do Mobiums believe in a god?"
"You never asked Shen?" I inquired. "I would of thought you would have had that conversation with him before?"
"No," he replied softly, thinking about his lost friend, "we never touched on that subject."
I thought about the answer for a moment, and then tried to give it to him as best as I could, "I'm sure Lexa would have been able to answer it better, but from what I understand, they don't believe in a higher form, only in their own abilities. I'm sure at one point they did, it seems to me that most cultures would have too when their younger and they have no forms of science. No Mobiums don't believe in a 'god' as it were, or an afterlife. They have spirituality if you will, but that is spurred by their limited telepathic abilities to connect with other life forms on a more basic level. We know that everything is made up of energy, and that when we die, we in a sense become energy again."
"So there is an afterlife?" he asked.
"In a fashion," I replied, thinking of my mother. "If you're stronger enough, and a link can be made with another."
"What happens if that person perishes as well?" he asked.
"Then that is the end," I replied softly. "Oblivion."
"I prefer the sound of heaven better," he said, taking a sip of his orange juice, which he ha brought with him as well to the table.
"Heaven sounds nice," I replied, "but I'd rather enjoy what I have now then wait for what is to come."
"I think she would agree with you," said Peter, as he pointed beyond me with his spoon. I followed his direction to see Colleen emerge from her little area of the Shelter, and wave over at us, with the hint of a smile.
"Quite," I stated, "though I wasn't referring to that aspect of life."
"May I give you some advice?" he offered.
"You've been a teacher to me before," I told him, "and besides I don't think I could stop you if I tried."
"Ah, then you've learned the final lesson," he jested, smiling as well. Softly, his smile faded to a serious look. "We live a certain kind of life, and that means we may miss out on certain things, or all things because of it. Maybe you shouldn't miss out on this."
"I may not find her again Peter," I told him, "but I still love her, and no occasion, situation, or period of my life is going to change that. I'm who I am because of her, and I owe it to her, whoever she may be now, to save her."
"Would she not want you to be happy?" he asked me.
I looked at him for a few moments, trying to look like I was constructing my answer carefully, but I only knew one thing to say, something that was almost as clear as his belief in god was, "I can only be happy with her." He looked at me for several more moments as we sat there in silence, before finally his gaze returned to his meal, and I stood up from the table. I raised my voice, so I could make sure Colleen, Peter, and even Sean in the control room could hear me, "The Mobiums are going to await their reinforcements for the next week, but I intend to make them act before then. Everyone be ready, this afternoon, we're going to turn up the heat on them a little."