Altered Time - Destiny in the Stars
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Two Weeks in SpaceChapter 24
XXIV
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The passengers onboard the new granolith had been amazed and in awe of the stories that Michael and Max had told them over the last two weeks about Antar, the Battle for Antar, Max and Michael's experiences with the Jah-ee, the fate of Kivar, and tales of the Golden Sea and other things that awaited them on Antar. But they were also quite clearly enjoying their journey aboard the new granolith.
Michael stopped Max in the corridor just outside the lounge at the end of the living quarters level.
"Max… Take a look… in there…"
Max peeked through the lounge door. Phillip Evans and Jeff Parker were playing Jaht-Roo… and both men were covered from head to toe in shreds of sugary 'UFO' remains. Max smiled and looked at Michael; Michael snickered and shook his head, trying hard not to break out in laughter and betray their presence. Max and Michael decided to allow Max and Liz's Dads to play their game in privacy.
As they walked back down the hall, they met Liz…
"Just the handsome hunk I was looking for," said Liz enthusiastically.
Michael looked around, "Huh? Where?" And Max nudged him playfully with an elbow.
"Max, I thought maybe we could go for a walk in the arboretum. What do you think?"
"Sure… yeah, I mean, that'd be cool, Liz. You mind, Michael?"
"Hey, no sweat by me! You guys go do your thing. I was thinkin' I'd go look for Maria anyway."
Michael gave Max a friendly pat on the back. Max smiled then he and Liz took the ascensor up to the arboretum on the sixth level. They stepped out of the glass ascension chamber onto a neat pathway that led through a small forest of trees. It was a pleasant place to go for a walk; everyone who had been here had commented on how much energy they seemed to have and how well they had felt after walking through the tree park. Undoubtedly, it had something to do with the fact that the air here was saturated with a superabundance of oxygen.
The path through the arboretum began and ended at the same place, so there was no need to turn around and return the way one had come. It had been designed to meander back and forth through the trees, giving the stroller the maximum possible walking distance, about a mile and a half. At a point that lay in the actual center of the arboretum, there was a gazebo with a porch-type swing; but further along on the trail, there was a small clearing where one could lie down by a clear little brook that provided water to the trees, have a picnic, or swing on a two-person swing suspended by vines from high up in one of the trees. This is where Liz had brought Max.
"Have you been here before, Max?"
"Yeah, Michael and I walked the entire path when we were exploring the ship… you know, getting to know it; but to tell you the truth, I don't remember this place right here being this beautiful, Liz… maybe because you weren't here. It just doesn't look the same with Michael."
Liz smiled. She was beautiful. She looked into Max's eyes. She found Max irresistibly handsome… and something more… she couldn't quite put her finger on it. If she hadn't known better, she might have thought it was some kind of alien mind warp that she was under… or that Max had bought a love potion from Madame Viviane and slipped it to her… but she knew that he hadn't. What it really was… was love.
Liz put her arms seductively around Max's neck, kissed him, and pulled him down with her onto the ground. The sounds of the cool, clear water running through the little brook beside them were pleasant… the abundance of oxygen filled them with energy… and their love filled them both with joy.
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Michael came across Diane Evans and Nancy Parker and asked them if they had seen Maria. Neither had.
"We're going up to the arboretum for a walk. We'll see if she's up there," suggested Liz's Mom.
"Oh… uh… well… I think the arboretum may be closed for the next couple of hours… the ship, uh, does an automatic oxygen sweep sometimes, and it's doing it right about now." Michael sort of grimaced… It's the best thing he could come up with on the spur of the moment.
"Oh, I didn't know…" said Diane Evans. "Maybe we'll go up to the gardens and take a walk then. Would that be okay?"
"Sure… That would be fine! You ladies have a nice walk!"
"What's an oxygen sweep," Liz's Mom asked Mrs. Evans.
"Darned if I know. Everything here's new to me, too!"
"You owe me, Max," Michael said quietly to himself.
A little way down the hall, Michael came upon Amy DeLuca, Maria's Mom.
"Hey! Just the person I wanted to see!"
"Why Michael," Amy said jokingly, "If I had known!"
Michael blushed slightly. "I was looking for Maria… I thought maybe you might have seen her."
"I left her in the observatory. We were watching the stars. It's peaceful up there."
"Yeah," said Michael, "It is that! Thanks! Thanks a lot!"
Michael took the ascension chamber up to the observatory at the top of the ship. As he opened door to the observatory, he saw Maria sitting in a high-backed chair by herself, watching the stars. Michael walked quietly over to where Maria was sitting, kissed her, and put his arms around her. Maria smiled and stood up then placed her arms around Michael's neck and kissed him, too. Then they moved to the sofa that was against the back wall. Maria sat down and put her legs over Michael's lap and her arms around his neck. Michael held her with both arms as though he might lose her if he let her go. And together, they watched the stars and enjoyed each other's company for the next two hours.
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Diane Evans and Liz's Mom, Nancy, were enjoying their walk through the gardens. Diane, in particular, was in awe of the different-colored 'roses.'
"These are so beautiful! I wonder what they're called?"
"Antarian roses, I presume," Nancy laughed. "They really are beautiful, aren't they!"
The two of them sat down on the bank by the waterfall together and talked.
"Phil and I were up here yesterday," said Mrs. Evans. "It's such a wonderful place! I think I could be happy living here just like this!"
Liz's Mom laughed, "Yeah, I know what you mean! It's like being on vacation or on a long sea cruise… only better!"
They both laughed and nodded.
"I wonder if Antar will be as… as pleasant as this trip has been."
"I don't know, Diane… I guess we'll like it. We'll find out in about two days!"
"Yeah! I don't know if I'll be more excited about getting there or more disappointed that the trip is over."
Nancy nodded… "Yeah! I think the guys are really going to miss this ship when we get there, too! You see how much fun they've been having? Did you see your husband and Jeff in there playing that Antarian Galaxies game, Jaht-Roo or whatever it's called?"
"Yeah!" Diane chuckled. "They were blowing up so many 'ships'… both of them were covered in shredded sugar!"
Both Nancy Parker and Diane Evans were laughing.
"That's a great game," Mrs. Evans continued. "Great to watch someone else play, I mean! I wouldn't want to try it myself!"
Nancy nodded and laughed. "I agree with you on that, one hundred percent, Diane! That I do!"
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Back in Kyle's room, Kyle and his Dad, Jim Valenti, were enjoying football on a video screen and eating something that they had discovered in the galley, called 'fluffed een-gelish,' which, they had found, was a pretty fair substitute for popcorn.
"Dad… What do you think we'll do when we get to Antar," asked Kyle.
Jim smiled and shrugged… "Well, they said you're the chief of staff in the royal palace. I guess that's what you'll be doing."
"Maybe they'll need a sheriff, Dad."
Jim smiled and slapped his son on the back.
"Whatever I do on Antar, son… you being back here with me and not on the run anymore where I didn't know where you were or if I'd ever see you again! …Everything else is icing on the cake. I can take whatever else gets dished out to me."
Kyle looked at his Dad and smiled, then he put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him.
"Whoa! Touchdown," both Kyle and his Dad yelled at once, as their home team scored again.
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Isabel had come across Amy DeLuca after Amy had seen Michael in the hall earlier, and now the two girls were enjoying videotaped episodes of 'Buffy' on the large lounge video screen and discussing novels they had read.
"You think we'll be able to get 'Buffy' on Antar," asked Amy, joking.
"Yeah, sure," Isabel answered. "We'll have them install cable from Earth and charge it to the Special Unit… those 'Alien Task Force' creeps."
As it was getting to be about 5:15 PM, Roswell time, everyone was returning to their rooms to freshen up and get ready for dinner at six. It had been another remarkable and memorable day… one of nineteen --including the time spent on Michael's Moon-- that they would have during their trip to the Golden Planet… Antar.
------------------------End of Chapter 24