"Life in the Stars"

"I Wish I May, I Wish I Might…"

Chapter 35

XXXV

The new granilith was well on its way out of earth's solar system, having passed Jupiter and Saturn and, just a few minutes ago, Pluto. At star speed, the ship easily covered many thousands of miles per second. It was, after all, a long way to Antar… Seven galaxies had to be traversed.

Dinner had ended about an hour before, and everyone was relaxing and discovering new things… especially those who were new to the ship. Mr. Whitman ran his hand over the backs of Big Red and Elmo, his Irish setter and Saint Bernard, which Diane had transported back down for after the Whitman's were on the ship. Right after the Whitman's were picked up, Brody had been dropped off at his house, beaming with amazement and the joy of knowing that he was free at last and just knowing what had happened to him all those times that he couldn't remember or account for clearly.

Alex walked up to his Dad, holding his mom by the arm.

"You want to go see some really cool places, Dad? Mom and I are going up to the arboretum. It's like this really cool park with lots of trees, a stream, a gazebo, a swing…"

Mr. Whitman smiled and nodded, "Let me put Big Red and Elmo back in their place. I'll be right with you."

Alex escorted his mom and dad to the arboretum, and they walked… and talked… about Alex… about Antar… about Mareeya and Ceelya and Isabel… about all the things that they needed to catch up on. For the first time in years, the Whitman's were truly, truly happy.

Kathleen took Diane Casey to the gardens to show her where some of the vegetables were grown and the pool and waterfall. Then they went to the observatory at the top of the ship. Diane watched in raptured awe as the stars zipped by in their celestial brilliance in the darkness of space. She knew that this is what she had been born for… this was her destiny.

Liz was with Max, Michael, Maria, and Varec in the control room when Andya entered…

"Andya! What are you doing here?" asked Liz.

"I… was just worried, Mom."

"About what, Dear?"

"Maya."

"Oh! …Yeah, I know… She hasn't seemed to be herself since we left Earth. Have you noticed anything else, Andya?" Liz asked with obvious concern in her voice.

"Well, Mom… It's strange… I don't know what to think, but it seems like… like… the further away we get from Earth, the weaker Maya gets. And…"

Andya paused.

"And what, Dear?" Liz prodded her.

"And… I don't know, but sometimes it seems like she's… just fading out. I can't explain it, Mom. A little while ago, I was with her, and she just started to look weak, then for a moment she looked like a ghost or something."

Max looked at Liz. He could tell that Liz was frightened. Maria took Liz's hand…

"Come on Liz…" she said softly, "Let's go check on Maya. I'll go with you."

Liz nodded, and the two of them and Andya went back to the room where Andya had left Maya. No one was in the room.

"This is where I left her, Mom. I don't know if she went somewhere, maybe to the game room down the hall… but she didn't seem to be feeling like playing."

They walked quickly down to the game room. Isabel was coming out.

"Did you see Maya?" Maria asked.

"No. I haven't seen Maya at all since dinner," Isabel replied. "Maybe she went to the arboretum or somewhere to play with some of the other children."

"No, Mom!" Andya said emphatically. "She wasn't feeling like playing."

Liz was silent, but her silence was a manifestation of the deep dread and sickness she was feeling in her stomach. Something inside her was telling her that this was extremely serious… life threateningly serious… but she just didn't know what, and that was the part that was killing her. Her little girl was in trouble, and she didn't know how or why or what, and she couldn't help her.

Maria took Liz's hand. Liz's face was pale… she wiped a tear from her eyes with the other hand.

"It's alright, Hon," Maria tried to reassure her, softly. "We'll find Maya, and Max will figure out what's wrong with her. It'll be alright! Really! Come on… Let's go look somewhere else."

Liz nodded and followed Maria, but in her heart and soul she dreaded what she already knew… Wherever Maya was, she was beyond her help.

On the control deck, Max, Michael, and Varec were watching the stars fly by when the door opened and then closed. They looked, but there was no one there. Max looked at Michael.

"I'll have to look at that," Michael said. "Must be a glitch."

As they started to turn away, a small figure shimmered in front of the door momentarily and reached out for Max. Max rushed to reach her, taking hold of her hands for only a brief moment before she disappeared.

Michael and Varec stood speechless.

"That was Maya!" Michael managed to say after a moment. "What's wrong with her, Max?"

Max ran to the pilot's seat.

"Turn the ship around, Michael… "We're going back!"

-------------------------End of Chapter 35