"Wait for me.wait for me." Those were the last words of Jack before he and
his family boarded the ship, The Navigator, and disappeared into the deep
blue sky days ago. Somewhere deep inside Cassiopia's heart she didn't
really believe those words, but she kept on telling herself that Jack would
be back. The engagement ring was already bought. It was gold, with a shiny
diamond on it. She rubbed hard on the ring, it reflected the sunlight.
As Cassiopia stretched out her hand for a taxi, she was fully aware
of the cold wind rushing past. Why is it still cold? Since the year 2460,
the scientists had developed a weather control system. Why is it still
cold? As the cold wind slipped through her outstretched fingers, she
thought of Jack.
A taxi came slowly to a stop beside her.
She got on carefully, not wanting to leave any dents. The cars now
are hydrogen operated. That was a good thing, Cassiopia thought, no more
pollution.
"Movie, lady?"
"Huh?"
Coming out of her own world of thoughts, she noticed that a screen
was lowered from the top of the taxi.
"I said, movie?"
"No, no thank you."
"Where to?"
Cassiopia had a huge urge to say: "To NASA, please." Instead, she
told him to go to 3598 Madison Street.
The car started. The silence was uncomfortable. The engine was
humming slightly. Strange, there seemed to be no more passengers today on
the road. It was deserted.
The driver, bored by the complete silence, turned on the radio. A
song was playing. Cassiopia listened. It went "I wonder if I'll ever see
you again." Strange, she thought. Jack, I wonder if I'll ever see you
again?
"So.do you live on Madison?'
"Huh?"
"I said.do you live on Madison?" The driver made a noise of
impatience. Cassiopia squiggled uncomfortably on the backseat cushion.
"Um.yes."
Cassiopia handed the driver her pay card. The driver slashed it
through the code holder, then looked at it.
"Cassiopia McRoyd Navia?"
"Yes."
"Are you married?"
Cassiopia was silent. She was going to cry in front of a total
stranger; she was going to burst out in the middle of nowhere.
"So." The driver, possibly stupid, misinterpreted the silence.
"Divorced, are you?"
No, Cassiopia thought, slapping the driver probably wouldn't improve
the drivers-customers policy. They were about to go on strike, and
Cassiopia didn't want to think that she was one of the reasons. So she
mumbled something inaudible. The driver confirmed it to be a "yes".
She noticed how much the beeping sound made by the code holder sounds
like the beeping of equipments before "the Navigator" lifted off. How very
much alike.
* * * "What do you mean I can't look at it!?" Age twenty-four, Rigel is filled with rage. "I am a reporter! I have the right!" "Sorry Rigel, it's government confidential." "That doesn't prove a thing!" "Listen," said a tired official, facing an angered Rigel. "Listen, Rigel, there's nothing I can do." "Oh, so you are just going to leave everyone waiting." "Yes." "Even Cassy?" There was an unbearable silence. "Think of it, Tom, they are engaged. Cassiopia needs to know the whereabouts of "the Navigator" and so does the public!" "Hey, Rigel, I am not the director! I can't control what happens!" "But you can at least try!" "No! Rigel." Tom rubbed his temples. "Rigel, listen closely.I CANNOT TELL YOU ANYTHING!!" Rigel shrank back, but kept on insisting. "But Cassy is." "No, Rigel!" "I won't tell anyone that you informed me!" "But I am a likely suspect! So lay off, will you?" Rigel smiled. Tom had run out of phrases, here's her chance. She pressed on. "No, but give me the tiniest clue and I can deal with it!" "Rigel." "Cassiopia, the last time I saw her, she looked worn." "Rigel, don't do this to me, you know perfectly well." "I don't care! I am doing this for Cassy!" "No you are not!" Tom bursted out angrily. "You are doing this for your business, because you are a reporter! And don't you pretend that you don't care for Jack! Everyone knows that you like him. Everyone knows that you were the one who puts flowers in his mailbox and orders chocolate for him. Everyone knows that you are the one who slapped Cassy when she told you that she deserves Jack. Everyone knows, Rigel." "So? Who cares? I am just going to tell Cassy that you refuse to help her and wants to." "All right! All right."The officer relented. Rigel smiled. She had triumphed. It would not have worked if she had not had one major weapon. Tom's soft-heartedness, Tom's brotherly love for Cassiopia. "Listen closely, Rigel, all I can tell you," Said Tom, tiredness and exasperation written all over his worn face. "All I can tell you is.go speak with Andrew at the dinner party the White House is hosting tonight." "Andrew Troy!?" Rigel asked, eyes shining with excitement. "It's worth a try." Tom really looked tired. He rubbed his temples again. "Thanks, Tom!" Tom suddenly remembered something. Andrew had loved Cassy, and had fought Jack for her, and lost. Ever since the engagement letter arrived at Andrew's door, he'd held a grudge against Cassy. "Rigel!" Tom called sharply, alarmed. "Rigel! Just remember not to mention." The door already slammed shut. ".Cassiopia." Rigel walked out of the office in a hurry. The sun seemed to shine more then usual. Yep, it's today, Rigel told herself confidently. It's today, today and only today. I'll be famous! All-known! All-star reporter! The first one to report the whereabouts of the Navigator! Media break through! Fame! Glory! All mine. The shops on each seemed to pass faster then usual, too. It was not until she had walked a block past the shop when she realized that she needed to go there. She turned back and started to run until she reached the Anne Taylor door, opened it, went in, and walked straight towards the formal dress section. "Madam, would you like some help?" Asked a clerk. Her nametag suggests that her name was Rigil. Rigil, almost like her own name. "Um.sure." "For a big occasion?" "Yes." Rigel smiled, savoring the word. Why hadn't she realized before that this was such a wonderful word? "Yes.yes."
* * * Jack got up to get a cup of milk. He still wasn't used to the ship. For one thing, the lack of gravity was making him light-headed. One thing he needed and could not get. His sister and parents are still asleep. The milk was in the fridge, which was a long walk considering that Jack trips one in every four steps. He was recording everything onto his private electric diary. Every single detail. It's been.let's see.days, Jack doesn't know how many days they had been on this ship. It's not much, though. Their destination will take about four weeks for them to arrive. There was not much to do for weeks on. Then he thought of Cassiopia. They had been going out for about a year now. The engagement ring was already bought. The wedding was to take place after he returned from his mission. He was a sentimental person, he always was during weddings. But this was different, this was his wedding. It was.well.just different. He told Tom that he cannot go on this mission before he gets married, but the Werians need a rough copy of the earth *URC to make earth a Protected Planet under the protection of the universal URC Alliance. And under the constant pressure and danger of evasion, Jack had decided to put off the wedding. Now he seriously regretted that decision. How could he choose a mission over Cassy? Well, naturally it was the right thing to do, choosing to save earth over his own affections, but still.why did he regrets the decision so badly? Cassiopia, Jack thought, Cassy, please forgive me. Jack stuck his face onto a window and look out side. Stars surrounded them, like little lights on a huge black curtain. How's Cassy feeling right now? Everything was so still.wait.Jack pressed his eyes hard onto the window. What is that.? A little white box-like tube was floating in space, it looked like a coffin, only white. Jack was immediately alarmed. He ran into the operation room and turned on the receiving system. A huge metal hand stretched out of the side of the space ship. This is fun.Jack thought. It was like a remote controlled toy. You can make it go left and right, just don't crash onto anything. The huge metal fingers closed in onto the coffin. It pulled it closer, then even closer, then into the space ship itself. "You are pathetic!" Jack's little sister Leishia's voice squealed behind him. He jumped almost a meter high before turning around. "Ha, aliens could make off with the Earth URC and you wouldn't even notice." "Shut up." Jack's father and mother and his little sister appeared in the doorway. They were all smiling. "So.got something for us, have you?" Jack's father said, pointing to the coffin, which was now in a test tube in the central operation room. "Yeah, let's go take a look." That was Jack's mother. Carefully, Jack put on his safety gloves. These gloves gives you much protection, it also gives you much weight. Ever so carefully, Jack pried open the coffin. A huge spurt of gas came out, which made him back up, almost stumbling onto his family. Blindly, he put on his goggles too, and returned to the coffin. And inside, to Jack's surprise, lays a Werian, a human-like specie, which came from the galaxy URC station on planet Wera in which they were going to go to.
* * * The messenger came to the door. I have been waiting for this, Kleir told himself. I have been expecting this. This was not a shock. No matter how many times he had told himself, he cannot lie to himself. In fact, it was a shock. Ever since Polyria spread on Wera, every Werian had been dying of it. The fainting disease that would make all beings faint, then awake, then faint again. After they fainted for the third time, they would not return. They would be gone forever. Forever. Like many others, Kleir's friends had been dying one by one. There was no vaccine for Polyria. Everyone was dying. The once-popular Wera, which was chosen for the galaxy URC was now dying, withering like a plant being infested by insects, being eaten from the inside out. Of course, the government had to do something. They had ordered that all the diseased were to be injected Thrynsmal, a calming sleeping medicine made from the ancient Thrynsmal plant, then sent off into space, so the patient would be in a state of all-time unconsciousness. They would wander back and fro from sleep to fainting, then back to sleep. They would die a painless death. After fainting for the third time, they would die in a sweet dream. Sweet Daphna, whom he had gone out with over a year, had just.well.got sent off. For a moment, as Kleir watched Daphna's tiny white coffin disappeared into space, he had almost lost his will to live. But that was quite a while ago. Kleir had been prepared for the arrival of the messenger. He knew that he would not survive. The messenger would be at his house any day now. He just didn't think that it would be so soon. No one did. The messenger knocked. Kleir stood up gingerly. His legs seemed to freeze, and his heart throbbed, his hands sweaty, and time seemed to have been stopped. The knocking on the door was constant. Kleir went to get it. As he had expected, the messenger came in and opened a scroll. "No need," Kleir whispered, "no need. I know. Do it now." The messenger first looked at Kleir in surprise with her golden eyes. Strange, isn't it? Kleir thought, amused. It's moment like this when you don't miss a single detail. The teal sky, the warm gust of wind, which seemed to lift up the messenger's golden hair. The sun glinted, the marble floor remained cold, and the way in which everything reminded him of sweet Daphna, dear Daphna, beautiful Daphna. The one and only Daphna. The messenger broke the silence. She swiftly took up a tiny needle. Kleir shrank back. No, the needle does not hurt. Kleir knows that. It's just that.oh, how precious life seemed to be now! If only he had one more chance.Oh, if only now! He shrank, but the messenger caught his arm tightly in her grasp and injected. Something warm fell onto Kleir's legs. Kleir had a second to realize that the messenger was crying before he plunged into complete darkness. Daphna, he thought. Daphna, will you be there waiting for me?
* * * Kleir moved. He wiggled. It's warm. It's soft. He is on something both warm and soft. He must be in heaven. Odd, he thought, dying is not bad. This feels warm and comfortable. He opened his eyes. Someone, a girl, was looking at him. He quickly closed his eyes again. Daphna, let it be Daphna. "Daddy, I think he just moved." No, Kleir thought, no, this is not Daphna. This is.wait.this is the little earthling girl whose father Kleir himself had communicated several times due to the URC friendly exchange program. Wait.earthling? Suddenly, a realization came to him. No, ohmigod, no, not them, no! He thought. Jack came walking over, instead of his father. He looked at the Werian, whom was removed from the coffin and was placed on a bed. Kleir opened his eyes to confirm what he thought he heard, then realized that he is alive, and facing a human. And with another jolt, he realized that he was out of the coffin. Oh no, he thought, oh no. No. No. Anything but this, not while he was dying of Polyria! Jack walked over, and stood there. He knew this Werian. He is the translator of Wera. This Werian is Kleir. When Jack was small, his father often traveled to Wera to work, and Kleir was his partner. "Hi, Kleir." Jack said calmly. "No.GET AWAY FROM ME!!" Kleir screamed. Leishia, Jack's little sister, jumped right off the edge of bed and right into Jack. Jack backed up, surprised. "Kleir, are you ok?" "No! Get away from me or you will all be dead!" Too late. The ten minutes rule for Polyria spreading was way over. Kleir had been lying on the bed for three days. Jack was angry. Dead? Kleir was not like this. He was.well.usually nice and easygoing. How. "Kleir, what happened?" Leishia asked urgently. She had sensed the difference too. "Kleir?" Jack's father and his mother, with his little brother, walked in. Great, thought Jack. A family reunion. Jack's father walked up to hug Kleir, but was stopped short by Jack. Jack sat onto a cushion nearby, and somehow, his family followed. Jack pointed at Kleir curtly. "Explain, now." Kleir sighed and began his story.
* * * "And so that's why I am here." "So we all caught it." Leishia whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. Kleir nodded somberly. Leishia turned to Jack's mother with a tearful face. She curled up delicately into her lap and started to cry. Her wails are very quiet, but it stood out against the piercing silence. "I am so very sorry. I had no idea that I would be intercepted." "Why you ****." Jack's father jumped up and leapt at Kleir, but fell short and suddenly, his arms dropping limply to his side, his eyes closed. Jack also jumped, not at Kleir, but to catch his father. "Daddy!!" Leishia screamed. She leapt at Jack's father, tears started to flow down her cheeks in little streams. Jack's mind went blank. His mother watched in shock. After a while with nothing but Leishia's sobs , Jack's mother spoke up. "We cannot go back to earth now. Jack, go send NASA a message." "But mother," Jack said weakly. "But mother, we will be mistaken as traitors! The memory space on the central computer allows no space for explanation!" "DO IT!" Jack's mother said. Commanded. It's strange how her words seemed to echo through out the empty hall way as Jack made his way down to the operation room.
* * * Rigel looked at herself from the mirror. She was pretty, not beautiful, but Ok. She walked confidently into the white house, holding herself high. Ok, Rigel. She told herself. First, look for Andrew Troy. He should be around. Actually, Andrew Troy was right behind her. He tapped on her shoulders and she whirled around. "So, how's my lovely Rigel tonight?" he asked. "Fine, ok." Rigel replied. She was feeling lucky. "Andrew, I am here for a purpose for tonight." "And what is that?" "I need to know more about "The Navigator"." At the name, Andrew's face seemed to darken. "The traitors!" "What?!" "They are not coming back. Traitors." "Wait, how.? Jack won't leave Cassy behind!" Andrew's face darkened to a deep crimson color at the mention of Cassiopia's name. "Just traitors. Here's a story for you, Rigel," Andrew said angrily. "They aren't ever coming back. Ever. Now go, and leave me be."
* * * Cassiopia was shocked. She was shocked beyond compare. This was only three days later then the last time when she took a taxi to NASA and had lunch with Alyssa, Jack's assistant. She told her that Jack was returning safely. And now, as she looked at the New York Times, she could hardly believe her eyes. There's an article written by Rigel. That was no surprise; Rigel was always the top reporter and had always written stories for famous papers. No, actually. The famous papers come to her. That's how famous she is, that's how good she is, that they come to her, for her to write a story for them, for her to work for them. At last, Rigel had settled with the New York Times, but it's the fifth newspaper she's worked for. The contents are what surprised her. In fact, they shocked her. She was so shocked her legs shook, she felt faint, and people passing by were looking at her weird. Of course, you don't see an attractive young women standing in the middle of the side walk with her mouth open and shaking all over. An old man passing by actually made the point of stopping and asking her if she's alright, but after minutes of silence, the old man walked away muttering: "Young ones these days, no respect at all." Finally, Cassiopia gathered up enough strength from somewhere deep in her body and took a copy off the rack with her shaking fingers.
The Navigator never returns
Special correspondent Rigel Surmon
It seemed like that all the Americans whom waited patiently for the safe return of the Navigator will be deeply disappointed. Although the Navigator is just another ship out of thousands that was sent to Wera and was of no importance, they did something no other honorable human being would do. Yesterday, during a special dinner party at the white house, an NASA official has revealed a secret, which the NASA has kept a secret for days on. The Navigator is not returning. Jack and his family, it seemed, had sent earth a message stating that they could not return and then cut off the communication. The reason was left unexplained. The only reason there was was that the family had betrayed earth for Wera. Hard as it is to accept this news, it is the truth. (Continued on page 4)
Cassiopia could not bring her hand to flip the page. The wind seemed so cold, it flipped the page for her, in fact, and it took the paper from her hands. She was trying hard not to break down. Jack would not do this to her. There had to be something wrong. It's strange, how Cassiopia noticed the yellow coat that the clerk (whom was chasing down the streets desperate to grab the papers which were blown away) was wearing, the darkening sky, and the coldness of the newspaper rack. It's strange, how at moments like this, you notice every detail. Cassiopia searched through her pockets. Sure enough, the tiny disk was there. She fingered it carefully, noting the soft plastic cover, and stretched out her hand for a cab, hoping that it would get here before she faints. She deeply believes that Jack wasn't going to leave her, and she is determined to find out the truth.
* * * The three days had been uneventful. Jack sat beside his sister's bed. Everyone is in a deep state of unconsciousness and the shock had pretty much worn off by now. Every now and then someone wakes up, and Jack rushed to his/her side. Jack himself had not fainted yet, but did not rejoice either. Kleir had died in peace. His body was kept on the ship to prevent Polyria from spreading further to other ships. Every now and then, Jack had a huge urge to phone earth, to phone Cassiopia. How is she? He often wondered. Did she really think that he had betrayed earth, had betrayed her? At the thought of this, Jack was sure he could hear his own heart breaking.
* * * Cassiopia walked into the room. The NASA confidential room. She inserted the URC from the disk and walked in. The security guard saw her. He was not alarmed. She was a member of NASA since Jack was on the Navigator. She was allowed in. But she could not access the URC panel. She did. The nervous security stood up and walked to the PC. "Cassy?" Cassiopia looked up. The security camera was pointed straight at her. She opened the Navigator files. "Cassy, you know that you are not allowed to do this." Cassiopia pressed the return key. "Cassy, I am warning you." Cassiopia had the list of files. There were so many. She had to begin with one. "Cassy! I am warning you!" Casssiopia inserted the disk, her finger reached for the Ctrl key. "Cassiopia, we could arrest you right now if you go into any file. You clear?!" Cassiopia's other hand rested on the C button. Go ahead, she told herself. Copy it, copy it all. "Cassiopia! One move, and you are under arrest! That was a life-long jailing offense!" Cassiopia's fingers did not move. Tears dripped down her cheeks. "Cassiopia! You won't ever see Jack again!" Cassiopia sighed, cried in exasperation, and softly, and pressed control-Q. The program quit itself. "Cassy, you did the right thing, girl." Cassiopia walked out of the room, her tears dripping gently onto the marble floor.
* * * Everyone on the ship now had practically died. Jack's mother was on her last chance and had run out of tears. Jack was silent. According to what her mother's orders were, he was heading towards the center of Cassiopeia, where a black hole awaits them, its arms outstretched, like death. The red lights flashed consistently, the alarm rang. "Danger. Danger. We are too close to the zone of the black hole in the constellation Cassiopia. Entering the point of no return in.30.29.28." Jack stood there, on the spot, looking out of a window. The stars were beautiful. The darkness seemed welcoming. Jack started to sob. Jack wants to pull back. He wants to live. Oh, Jack thought, how precious life seemed now. What he wouldn't give to see Cassy's smile, to hear her laughter, to hug her again. What he wouldn't give to go home. Death awaits them, like destiny. Jack never believed in destiny, but somehow it seemed calming to think that he was actually meant to save earth. He was a hero, and was meant to be a hero. Oh, he thought, what he wouldn't give to see Cassy's face, glowing with pride for him, clapping for him, smiling at him. "21.20.19." Jack noted the cold metal plate, the sweet smell of the cabin, and the brown frame that held a tiny snapshot of Cassy. Strange, isn't it? Jack thought. How during moments like this you notice every single detail. "16.15.14." Jack swept his hand across the fragile glass that covered Cassy's picture. A light layer of dust made him cough slightly. Cassy seemed fragile, like the glass. Fragile, he does not want to hurt her. But he has no choice. "12.11.10." He gently kissed the glass. He could feel Cassy's lips. He could feel her arms. He could feel her smile, like sunshine, all bright and warm, shining down on him, protecting him. "8.7.6." Jack went to his computer and typed his final entry onto his electric journal. "Cassiopeia looks beautiful, a worthy grave for me, indeed. I will now become a star of Cassiopeia. Good bye, Cassy, I am so sorry." "3.2. DANGER! DANGER!" "Cassy, I love you."
* * * Cassiopia had a brain. She was smart in every subject in school. After she graduated, her brains helped her to succeed in her work. Her brain had gotten her quite a few raises, her brain brought her and Jack together. And now, as she finished typing her report and was just typing her name on it, she thought of what she could have done in the NASA room. Her hands flew to the control key, and she highlighted her own name. Then, she pressed control + C, and heard the satisfying sound of her name being copied. If only she'd done that.suddenly, an idea just simply popped into her mind, like if there was a light bulb in her head, it would have lit up brilliantly. She remembered that during her first date with Jack, he had said something about an electric journal. He had given her the password. The key to the truth. The tiny disk lay on the desktop. Minutes later, it was pressed into the computer, as the familiar sound of the computer dialing the Internet proceeded, Cassiopia sat in silence. All that had gone by, she was going to find out what happened. All that had gone by, she was going to be the one to discover the truth. She was going to be all, and the only one that counts. She was the one with the truth. Oh, Cassy thought, what I wouldn't give to see Jack's deep green eyes looking at her with pride, telling her how much she had done, hugging her, smiling at her. Oh, how proud of her he would be now. Then, she realized that she did not have the password. Tears started to roll down her cheeks again. So much effort for nothing, so much to loose, yet so little was held precious. No, she wasn't going to give up now. She started typing in random things related to Jack as the passwords. With each try came Jack's mother's and father's name, Liesha's name, Jack's favorite food, favorite sport, favorite movie, the place of their first date, and with each try, there came a soft beeping of the password being denied. Cassy had to prevent herself from crying hard, because it would cause trouble if her tears got into the computer keyboard. Finally, she threw herself down onto the table, sobbing. Her hands slammed on the keyboard in desperation. And heard the sound of the password being confirmed. Totally surprised, Cassiopia sat right back up and stared at the screen, which was rapidly switching into Jack's diary account. She suddenly realized that in her fury, she had accidentally pressed control + V. And it pasted her name into the password slot. Cassy cried. She sobbed harder, but she was not sad. It was a strange moment when she tried to laugh and cry at the same time, all the sadness and stress which accumulated over the week was let out in a matter of seconds. Her neighbors, of course, heard her, and thought: Poor girl, her boyfriend betrayed her for Wera. It was all over the news.and to think, they were engaged. Little did she know. The password was confirmed. The file opened. Cassiopia found the date in which Jack left earth. Eventually, she found what she was looking for. She smiled silently. APRIL 7, 2795
Today, as I watched out the window, something came floating by .
* * * .Cassiopeia looks beautiful, a worthy grave for me, indeed. I will now become a star of Cassiopeia. Good-bye, Cassy, I am sorry, I love you." Rigel took the printout, and took it onto the taxi with her. It had been five days since Cassiopia had given this computer printout to her, and three days since the Cassiopia was killed. Murdered, actually. Rigel had always thought that when someone was killed, the culprit would be caught. When you are murdered, the killer remains unknown. The police were powerless, they cannot find any clue. Rigel, knowing that she cannot find any clue either, did not blame the police. She grieved for Cassy, angered by the murderer, annoyed by the useless police. Until minutes before, when she has had lunch with Andrew under the instruction of Tom. Until then, she was clueless. Now, she has the truth. Now, she has all. At the end of the printout, under Cassiopia's own writing, Rigel noticed something. .I know that in a few days, I, too, will become a star of Cassiopeia, like Jack did, but the truth will be known. So, Rigel thought, Cassiopia did know that she was in danger. She was prepared. She was brave. Rigel had often wondered about Cassiopia. Wondered about what kind of person she is, wondered about how she gets along with others, about her being. She often wondered what is it that attracted Jack to Cassy that she does not possess. Cassy, Rigel thought, Cassy, you do deserve him. Rigel walked out of the taxi, and straight into the White House. There will be a reporter's meeting in the white house today. Rigel herself had hosted it. Everyone she knows was surprised at her. No one, not in fifty years, had hosted a reporter's meeting in the white house. Both congrats and insults came in for her. Some say that she is daring, some say she just wants attention. Rigel had heard it all, she didn't go through several years of being a reporter without learning how to get to the scoop. She knows where to go when she needs to know something, so she had heard it all. So? Rigel thought. Who cares? This was not for her; this was for Jack, and for Cassy. Every reporter from national wide, including all channels news reporters, will be there. Rigel was not aware of the time. She got there eventually. As she walked onto the stage, everyone's eyes are on her. This is great, she thought. Rigel placed herself in the middle of the podium, right behind the mike. She tapped on it to make sure that it was working. Then, as she flipped open the printout, she started, in a strong voice, to the audience of thousands of reporters worldwide: "The truth." Said Rigel. Then she waited until she was sure every pair of eyes is on her. "I have here.the truth.of the Navigator." "The Navigator, as it turns out, did not betray earth for Wera. I have here, a print-out of Jack Seldon's personal journal of when the Navigator was still fully functional." The audience gasped and clapped. Everyone wants the excitement; everyone wants to hear the truth. Everyone was looking at Rigel like a celebrity. Of course, Rigel was the first reporter ever to do a report on a government confidential file, the file every reporter in the states had been after. The reporters had started their taping and recording, hoping to catch every detail of this exciting event. "I have here, also, a document I found from a friend." Andrew Troy was there. He smiled proudly. He thought of Cassy, beautiful Cassy, cheerful Cassy, spirited Cassy. The one and only Cassy. ". The truth about Cassiopia M. Navia's death." The reporters in the crowd, along with the other audiences, went wild completely. Two FBI confidential stories at once, this will be the biggest story and break-through in the media world for years. Everyone sat, tilted towards Rigel, thirsty and hungry, waiting and wanting to hear more, ready and willing to swallow every single detail and drink in every single word. The security was also there. He bit his lips, terrified. No! The security mouthed to Rigel. No! You don't want to do this! She deserved it! It was confidential! The FBI director was there. No! Rigel, stop! The FBI director mouthed Rigel. We had to! She was revealing government confidential files! We warned her! We could arrest you! Then, with a sudden realization, the FBI director turned the completely white. He realized that he could not arrest anyone; the file was Jack's personal diary, not FBI's file like they thought. They had no right to kill Cassiopia. They were the guilty ones. They had no right to arrest anyone. Rigel looked down at the security, at Andrew, at the crowd. Regally, like she's approaching the throne. Cassiopia, Rigel thought silently. Cassy, this is for you. And Rigel started to read into the silence of the room. "Today, as I watched out the window, something came floating by."
* * * In the white, cloudy fields of heaven, Jack and Cassiopia embraced. Kleir and Daphna watched, smiling, their engagement ring reflecting the bright sunlight, the stars of Cassiopeia shone as bright as ever. Jack smiled and said: "Will you marry me, Cassiopia McRoyd Navia?"
* * * "What do you mean I can't look at it!?" Age twenty-four, Rigel is filled with rage. "I am a reporter! I have the right!" "Sorry Rigel, it's government confidential." "That doesn't prove a thing!" "Listen," said a tired official, facing an angered Rigel. "Listen, Rigel, there's nothing I can do." "Oh, so you are just going to leave everyone waiting." "Yes." "Even Cassy?" There was an unbearable silence. "Think of it, Tom, they are engaged. Cassiopia needs to know the whereabouts of "the Navigator" and so does the public!" "Hey, Rigel, I am not the director! I can't control what happens!" "But you can at least try!" "No! Rigel." Tom rubbed his temples. "Rigel, listen closely.I CANNOT TELL YOU ANYTHING!!" Rigel shrank back, but kept on insisting. "But Cassy is." "No, Rigel!" "I won't tell anyone that you informed me!" "But I am a likely suspect! So lay off, will you?" Rigel smiled. Tom had run out of phrases, here's her chance. She pressed on. "No, but give me the tiniest clue and I can deal with it!" "Rigel." "Cassiopia, the last time I saw her, she looked worn." "Rigel, don't do this to me, you know perfectly well." "I don't care! I am doing this for Cassy!" "No you are not!" Tom bursted out angrily. "You are doing this for your business, because you are a reporter! And don't you pretend that you don't care for Jack! Everyone knows that you like him. Everyone knows that you were the one who puts flowers in his mailbox and orders chocolate for him. Everyone knows that you are the one who slapped Cassy when she told you that she deserves Jack. Everyone knows, Rigel." "So? Who cares? I am just going to tell Cassy that you refuse to help her and wants to." "All right! All right."The officer relented. Rigel smiled. She had triumphed. It would not have worked if she had not had one major weapon. Tom's soft-heartedness, Tom's brotherly love for Cassiopia. "Listen closely, Rigel, all I can tell you," Said Tom, tiredness and exasperation written all over his worn face. "All I can tell you is.go speak with Andrew at the dinner party the White House is hosting tonight." "Andrew Troy!?" Rigel asked, eyes shining with excitement. "It's worth a try." Tom really looked tired. He rubbed his temples again. "Thanks, Tom!" Tom suddenly remembered something. Andrew had loved Cassy, and had fought Jack for her, and lost. Ever since the engagement letter arrived at Andrew's door, he'd held a grudge against Cassy. "Rigel!" Tom called sharply, alarmed. "Rigel! Just remember not to mention." The door already slammed shut. ".Cassiopia." Rigel walked out of the office in a hurry. The sun seemed to shine more then usual. Yep, it's today, Rigel told herself confidently. It's today, today and only today. I'll be famous! All-known! All-star reporter! The first one to report the whereabouts of the Navigator! Media break through! Fame! Glory! All mine. The shops on each seemed to pass faster then usual, too. It was not until she had walked a block past the shop when she realized that she needed to go there. She turned back and started to run until she reached the Anne Taylor door, opened it, went in, and walked straight towards the formal dress section. "Madam, would you like some help?" Asked a clerk. Her nametag suggests that her name was Rigil. Rigil, almost like her own name. "Um.sure." "For a big occasion?" "Yes." Rigel smiled, savoring the word. Why hadn't she realized before that this was such a wonderful word? "Yes.yes."
* * * Jack got up to get a cup of milk. He still wasn't used to the ship. For one thing, the lack of gravity was making him light-headed. One thing he needed and could not get. His sister and parents are still asleep. The milk was in the fridge, which was a long walk considering that Jack trips one in every four steps. He was recording everything onto his private electric diary. Every single detail. It's been.let's see.days, Jack doesn't know how many days they had been on this ship. It's not much, though. Their destination will take about four weeks for them to arrive. There was not much to do for weeks on. Then he thought of Cassiopia. They had been going out for about a year now. The engagement ring was already bought. The wedding was to take place after he returned from his mission. He was a sentimental person, he always was during weddings. But this was different, this was his wedding. It was.well.just different. He told Tom that he cannot go on this mission before he gets married, but the Werians need a rough copy of the earth *URC to make earth a Protected Planet under the protection of the universal URC Alliance. And under the constant pressure and danger of evasion, Jack had decided to put off the wedding. Now he seriously regretted that decision. How could he choose a mission over Cassy? Well, naturally it was the right thing to do, choosing to save earth over his own affections, but still.why did he regrets the decision so badly? Cassiopia, Jack thought, Cassy, please forgive me. Jack stuck his face onto a window and look out side. Stars surrounded them, like little lights on a huge black curtain. How's Cassy feeling right now? Everything was so still.wait.Jack pressed his eyes hard onto the window. What is that.? A little white box-like tube was floating in space, it looked like a coffin, only white. Jack was immediately alarmed. He ran into the operation room and turned on the receiving system. A huge metal hand stretched out of the side of the space ship. This is fun.Jack thought. It was like a remote controlled toy. You can make it go left and right, just don't crash onto anything. The huge metal fingers closed in onto the coffin. It pulled it closer, then even closer, then into the space ship itself. "You are pathetic!" Jack's little sister Leishia's voice squealed behind him. He jumped almost a meter high before turning around. "Ha, aliens could make off with the Earth URC and you wouldn't even notice." "Shut up." Jack's father and mother and his little sister appeared in the doorway. They were all smiling. "So.got something for us, have you?" Jack's father said, pointing to the coffin, which was now in a test tube in the central operation room. "Yeah, let's go take a look." That was Jack's mother. Carefully, Jack put on his safety gloves. These gloves gives you much protection, it also gives you much weight. Ever so carefully, Jack pried open the coffin. A huge spurt of gas came out, which made him back up, almost stumbling onto his family. Blindly, he put on his goggles too, and returned to the coffin. And inside, to Jack's surprise, lays a Werian, a human-like specie, which came from the galaxy URC station on planet Wera in which they were going to go to.
* * * The messenger came to the door. I have been waiting for this, Kleir told himself. I have been expecting this. This was not a shock. No matter how many times he had told himself, he cannot lie to himself. In fact, it was a shock. Ever since Polyria spread on Wera, every Werian had been dying of it. The fainting disease that would make all beings faint, then awake, then faint again. After they fainted for the third time, they would not return. They would be gone forever. Forever. Like many others, Kleir's friends had been dying one by one. There was no vaccine for Polyria. Everyone was dying. The once-popular Wera, which was chosen for the galaxy URC was now dying, withering like a plant being infested by insects, being eaten from the inside out. Of course, the government had to do something. They had ordered that all the diseased were to be injected Thrynsmal, a calming sleeping medicine made from the ancient Thrynsmal plant, then sent off into space, so the patient would be in a state of all-time unconsciousness. They would wander back and fro from sleep to fainting, then back to sleep. They would die a painless death. After fainting for the third time, they would die in a sweet dream. Sweet Daphna, whom he had gone out with over a year, had just.well.got sent off. For a moment, as Kleir watched Daphna's tiny white coffin disappeared into space, he had almost lost his will to live. But that was quite a while ago. Kleir had been prepared for the arrival of the messenger. He knew that he would not survive. The messenger would be at his house any day now. He just didn't think that it would be so soon. No one did. The messenger knocked. Kleir stood up gingerly. His legs seemed to freeze, and his heart throbbed, his hands sweaty, and time seemed to have been stopped. The knocking on the door was constant. Kleir went to get it. As he had expected, the messenger came in and opened a scroll. "No need," Kleir whispered, "no need. I know. Do it now." The messenger first looked at Kleir in surprise with her golden eyes. Strange, isn't it? Kleir thought, amused. It's moment like this when you don't miss a single detail. The teal sky, the warm gust of wind, which seemed to lift up the messenger's golden hair. The sun glinted, the marble floor remained cold, and the way in which everything reminded him of sweet Daphna, dear Daphna, beautiful Daphna. The one and only Daphna. The messenger broke the silence. She swiftly took up a tiny needle. Kleir shrank back. No, the needle does not hurt. Kleir knows that. It's just that.oh, how precious life seemed to be now! If only he had one more chance.Oh, if only now! He shrank, but the messenger caught his arm tightly in her grasp and injected. Something warm fell onto Kleir's legs. Kleir had a second to realize that the messenger was crying before he plunged into complete darkness. Daphna, he thought. Daphna, will you be there waiting for me?
* * * Kleir moved. He wiggled. It's warm. It's soft. He is on something both warm and soft. He must be in heaven. Odd, he thought, dying is not bad. This feels warm and comfortable. He opened his eyes. Someone, a girl, was looking at him. He quickly closed his eyes again. Daphna, let it be Daphna. "Daddy, I think he just moved." No, Kleir thought, no, this is not Daphna. This is.wait.this is the little earthling girl whose father Kleir himself had communicated several times due to the URC friendly exchange program. Wait.earthling? Suddenly, a realization came to him. No, ohmigod, no, not them, no! He thought. Jack came walking over, instead of his father. He looked at the Werian, whom was removed from the coffin and was placed on a bed. Kleir opened his eyes to confirm what he thought he heard, then realized that he is alive, and facing a human. And with another jolt, he realized that he was out of the coffin. Oh no, he thought, oh no. No. No. Anything but this, not while he was dying of Polyria! Jack walked over, and stood there. He knew this Werian. He is the translator of Wera. This Werian is Kleir. When Jack was small, his father often traveled to Wera to work, and Kleir was his partner. "Hi, Kleir." Jack said calmly. "No.GET AWAY FROM ME!!" Kleir screamed. Leishia, Jack's little sister, jumped right off the edge of bed and right into Jack. Jack backed up, surprised. "Kleir, are you ok?" "No! Get away from me or you will all be dead!" Too late. The ten minutes rule for Polyria spreading was way over. Kleir had been lying on the bed for three days. Jack was angry. Dead? Kleir was not like this. He was.well.usually nice and easygoing. How. "Kleir, what happened?" Leishia asked urgently. She had sensed the difference too. "Kleir?" Jack's father and his mother, with his little brother, walked in. Great, thought Jack. A family reunion. Jack's father walked up to hug Kleir, but was stopped short by Jack. Jack sat onto a cushion nearby, and somehow, his family followed. Jack pointed at Kleir curtly. "Explain, now." Kleir sighed and began his story.
* * * "And so that's why I am here." "So we all caught it." Leishia whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. Kleir nodded somberly. Leishia turned to Jack's mother with a tearful face. She curled up delicately into her lap and started to cry. Her wails are very quiet, but it stood out against the piercing silence. "I am so very sorry. I had no idea that I would be intercepted." "Why you ****." Jack's father jumped up and leapt at Kleir, but fell short and suddenly, his arms dropping limply to his side, his eyes closed. Jack also jumped, not at Kleir, but to catch his father. "Daddy!!" Leishia screamed. She leapt at Jack's father, tears started to flow down her cheeks in little streams. Jack's mind went blank. His mother watched in shock. After a while with nothing but Leishia's sobs , Jack's mother spoke up. "We cannot go back to earth now. Jack, go send NASA a message." "But mother," Jack said weakly. "But mother, we will be mistaken as traitors! The memory space on the central computer allows no space for explanation!" "DO IT!" Jack's mother said. Commanded. It's strange how her words seemed to echo through out the empty hall way as Jack made his way down to the operation room.
* * * Rigel looked at herself from the mirror. She was pretty, not beautiful, but Ok. She walked confidently into the white house, holding herself high. Ok, Rigel. She told herself. First, look for Andrew Troy. He should be around. Actually, Andrew Troy was right behind her. He tapped on her shoulders and she whirled around. "So, how's my lovely Rigel tonight?" he asked. "Fine, ok." Rigel replied. She was feeling lucky. "Andrew, I am here for a purpose for tonight." "And what is that?" "I need to know more about "The Navigator"." At the name, Andrew's face seemed to darken. "The traitors!" "What?!" "They are not coming back. Traitors." "Wait, how.? Jack won't leave Cassy behind!" Andrew's face darkened to a deep crimson color at the mention of Cassiopia's name. "Just traitors. Here's a story for you, Rigel," Andrew said angrily. "They aren't ever coming back. Ever. Now go, and leave me be."
* * * Cassiopia was shocked. She was shocked beyond compare. This was only three days later then the last time when she took a taxi to NASA and had lunch with Alyssa, Jack's assistant. She told her that Jack was returning safely. And now, as she looked at the New York Times, she could hardly believe her eyes. There's an article written by Rigel. That was no surprise; Rigel was always the top reporter and had always written stories for famous papers. No, actually. The famous papers come to her. That's how famous she is, that's how good she is, that they come to her, for her to write a story for them, for her to work for them. At last, Rigel had settled with the New York Times, but it's the fifth newspaper she's worked for. The contents are what surprised her. In fact, they shocked her. She was so shocked her legs shook, she felt faint, and people passing by were looking at her weird. Of course, you don't see an attractive young women standing in the middle of the side walk with her mouth open and shaking all over. An old man passing by actually made the point of stopping and asking her if she's alright, but after minutes of silence, the old man walked away muttering: "Young ones these days, no respect at all." Finally, Cassiopia gathered up enough strength from somewhere deep in her body and took a copy off the rack with her shaking fingers.
The Navigator never returns
Special correspondent Rigel Surmon
It seemed like that all the Americans whom waited patiently for the safe return of the Navigator will be deeply disappointed. Although the Navigator is just another ship out of thousands that was sent to Wera and was of no importance, they did something no other honorable human being would do. Yesterday, during a special dinner party at the white house, an NASA official has revealed a secret, which the NASA has kept a secret for days on. The Navigator is not returning. Jack and his family, it seemed, had sent earth a message stating that they could not return and then cut off the communication. The reason was left unexplained. The only reason there was was that the family had betrayed earth for Wera. Hard as it is to accept this news, it is the truth. (Continued on page 4)
Cassiopia could not bring her hand to flip the page. The wind seemed so cold, it flipped the page for her, in fact, and it took the paper from her hands. She was trying hard not to break down. Jack would not do this to her. There had to be something wrong. It's strange, how Cassiopia noticed the yellow coat that the clerk (whom was chasing down the streets desperate to grab the papers which were blown away) was wearing, the darkening sky, and the coldness of the newspaper rack. It's strange, how at moments like this, you notice every detail. Cassiopia searched through her pockets. Sure enough, the tiny disk was there. She fingered it carefully, noting the soft plastic cover, and stretched out her hand for a cab, hoping that it would get here before she faints. She deeply believes that Jack wasn't going to leave her, and she is determined to find out the truth.
* * * The three days had been uneventful. Jack sat beside his sister's bed. Everyone is in a deep state of unconsciousness and the shock had pretty much worn off by now. Every now and then someone wakes up, and Jack rushed to his/her side. Jack himself had not fainted yet, but did not rejoice either. Kleir had died in peace. His body was kept on the ship to prevent Polyria from spreading further to other ships. Every now and then, Jack had a huge urge to phone earth, to phone Cassiopia. How is she? He often wondered. Did she really think that he had betrayed earth, had betrayed her? At the thought of this, Jack was sure he could hear his own heart breaking.
* * * Cassiopia walked into the room. The NASA confidential room. She inserted the URC from the disk and walked in. The security guard saw her. He was not alarmed. She was a member of NASA since Jack was on the Navigator. She was allowed in. But she could not access the URC panel. She did. The nervous security stood up and walked to the PC. "Cassy?" Cassiopia looked up. The security camera was pointed straight at her. She opened the Navigator files. "Cassy, you know that you are not allowed to do this." Cassiopia pressed the return key. "Cassy, I am warning you." Cassiopia had the list of files. There were so many. She had to begin with one. "Cassy! I am warning you!" Casssiopia inserted the disk, her finger reached for the Ctrl key. "Cassiopia, we could arrest you right now if you go into any file. You clear?!" Cassiopia's other hand rested on the C button. Go ahead, she told herself. Copy it, copy it all. "Cassiopia! One move, and you are under arrest! That was a life-long jailing offense!" Cassiopia's fingers did not move. Tears dripped down her cheeks. "Cassiopia! You won't ever see Jack again!" Cassiopia sighed, cried in exasperation, and softly, and pressed control-Q. The program quit itself. "Cassy, you did the right thing, girl." Cassiopia walked out of the room, her tears dripping gently onto the marble floor.
* * * Everyone on the ship now had practically died. Jack's mother was on her last chance and had run out of tears. Jack was silent. According to what her mother's orders were, he was heading towards the center of Cassiopeia, where a black hole awaits them, its arms outstretched, like death. The red lights flashed consistently, the alarm rang. "Danger. Danger. We are too close to the zone of the black hole in the constellation Cassiopia. Entering the point of no return in.30.29.28." Jack stood there, on the spot, looking out of a window. The stars were beautiful. The darkness seemed welcoming. Jack started to sob. Jack wants to pull back. He wants to live. Oh, Jack thought, how precious life seemed now. What he wouldn't give to see Cassy's smile, to hear her laughter, to hug her again. What he wouldn't give to go home. Death awaits them, like destiny. Jack never believed in destiny, but somehow it seemed calming to think that he was actually meant to save earth. He was a hero, and was meant to be a hero. Oh, he thought, what he wouldn't give to see Cassy's face, glowing with pride for him, clapping for him, smiling at him. "21.20.19." Jack noted the cold metal plate, the sweet smell of the cabin, and the brown frame that held a tiny snapshot of Cassy. Strange, isn't it? Jack thought. How during moments like this you notice every single detail. "16.15.14." Jack swept his hand across the fragile glass that covered Cassy's picture. A light layer of dust made him cough slightly. Cassy seemed fragile, like the glass. Fragile, he does not want to hurt her. But he has no choice. "12.11.10." He gently kissed the glass. He could feel Cassy's lips. He could feel her arms. He could feel her smile, like sunshine, all bright and warm, shining down on him, protecting him. "8.7.6." Jack went to his computer and typed his final entry onto his electric journal. "Cassiopeia looks beautiful, a worthy grave for me, indeed. I will now become a star of Cassiopeia. Good bye, Cassy, I am so sorry." "3.2. DANGER! DANGER!" "Cassy, I love you."
* * * Cassiopia had a brain. She was smart in every subject in school. After she graduated, her brains helped her to succeed in her work. Her brain had gotten her quite a few raises, her brain brought her and Jack together. And now, as she finished typing her report and was just typing her name on it, she thought of what she could have done in the NASA room. Her hands flew to the control key, and she highlighted her own name. Then, she pressed control + C, and heard the satisfying sound of her name being copied. If only she'd done that.suddenly, an idea just simply popped into her mind, like if there was a light bulb in her head, it would have lit up brilliantly. She remembered that during her first date with Jack, he had said something about an electric journal. He had given her the password. The key to the truth. The tiny disk lay on the desktop. Minutes later, it was pressed into the computer, as the familiar sound of the computer dialing the Internet proceeded, Cassiopia sat in silence. All that had gone by, she was going to find out what happened. All that had gone by, she was going to be the one to discover the truth. She was going to be all, and the only one that counts. She was the one with the truth. Oh, Cassy thought, what I wouldn't give to see Jack's deep green eyes looking at her with pride, telling her how much she had done, hugging her, smiling at her. Oh, how proud of her he would be now. Then, she realized that she did not have the password. Tears started to roll down her cheeks again. So much effort for nothing, so much to loose, yet so little was held precious. No, she wasn't going to give up now. She started typing in random things related to Jack as the passwords. With each try came Jack's mother's and father's name, Liesha's name, Jack's favorite food, favorite sport, favorite movie, the place of their first date, and with each try, there came a soft beeping of the password being denied. Cassy had to prevent herself from crying hard, because it would cause trouble if her tears got into the computer keyboard. Finally, she threw herself down onto the table, sobbing. Her hands slammed on the keyboard in desperation. And heard the sound of the password being confirmed. Totally surprised, Cassiopia sat right back up and stared at the screen, which was rapidly switching into Jack's diary account. She suddenly realized that in her fury, she had accidentally pressed control + V. And it pasted her name into the password slot. Cassy cried. She sobbed harder, but she was not sad. It was a strange moment when she tried to laugh and cry at the same time, all the sadness and stress which accumulated over the week was let out in a matter of seconds. Her neighbors, of course, heard her, and thought: Poor girl, her boyfriend betrayed her for Wera. It was all over the news.and to think, they were engaged. Little did she know. The password was confirmed. The file opened. Cassiopia found the date in which Jack left earth. Eventually, she found what she was looking for. She smiled silently. APRIL 7, 2795
Today, as I watched out the window, something came floating by .
* * * .Cassiopeia looks beautiful, a worthy grave for me, indeed. I will now become a star of Cassiopeia. Good-bye, Cassy, I am sorry, I love you." Rigel took the printout, and took it onto the taxi with her. It had been five days since Cassiopia had given this computer printout to her, and three days since the Cassiopia was killed. Murdered, actually. Rigel had always thought that when someone was killed, the culprit would be caught. When you are murdered, the killer remains unknown. The police were powerless, they cannot find any clue. Rigel, knowing that she cannot find any clue either, did not blame the police. She grieved for Cassy, angered by the murderer, annoyed by the useless police. Until minutes before, when she has had lunch with Andrew under the instruction of Tom. Until then, she was clueless. Now, she has the truth. Now, she has all. At the end of the printout, under Cassiopia's own writing, Rigel noticed something. .I know that in a few days, I, too, will become a star of Cassiopeia, like Jack did, but the truth will be known. So, Rigel thought, Cassiopia did know that she was in danger. She was prepared. She was brave. Rigel had often wondered about Cassiopia. Wondered about what kind of person she is, wondered about how she gets along with others, about her being. She often wondered what is it that attracted Jack to Cassy that she does not possess. Cassy, Rigel thought, Cassy, you do deserve him. Rigel walked out of the taxi, and straight into the White House. There will be a reporter's meeting in the white house today. Rigel herself had hosted it. Everyone she knows was surprised at her. No one, not in fifty years, had hosted a reporter's meeting in the white house. Both congrats and insults came in for her. Some say that she is daring, some say she just wants attention. Rigel had heard it all, she didn't go through several years of being a reporter without learning how to get to the scoop. She knows where to go when she needs to know something, so she had heard it all. So? Rigel thought. Who cares? This was not for her; this was for Jack, and for Cassy. Every reporter from national wide, including all channels news reporters, will be there. Rigel was not aware of the time. She got there eventually. As she walked onto the stage, everyone's eyes are on her. This is great, she thought. Rigel placed herself in the middle of the podium, right behind the mike. She tapped on it to make sure that it was working. Then, as she flipped open the printout, she started, in a strong voice, to the audience of thousands of reporters worldwide: "The truth." Said Rigel. Then she waited until she was sure every pair of eyes is on her. "I have here.the truth.of the Navigator." "The Navigator, as it turns out, did not betray earth for Wera. I have here, a print-out of Jack Seldon's personal journal of when the Navigator was still fully functional." The audience gasped and clapped. Everyone wants the excitement; everyone wants to hear the truth. Everyone was looking at Rigel like a celebrity. Of course, Rigel was the first reporter ever to do a report on a government confidential file, the file every reporter in the states had been after. The reporters had started their taping and recording, hoping to catch every detail of this exciting event. "I have here, also, a document I found from a friend." Andrew Troy was there. He smiled proudly. He thought of Cassy, beautiful Cassy, cheerful Cassy, spirited Cassy. The one and only Cassy. ". The truth about Cassiopia M. Navia's death." The reporters in the crowd, along with the other audiences, went wild completely. Two FBI confidential stories at once, this will be the biggest story and break-through in the media world for years. Everyone sat, tilted towards Rigel, thirsty and hungry, waiting and wanting to hear more, ready and willing to swallow every single detail and drink in every single word. The security was also there. He bit his lips, terrified. No! The security mouthed to Rigel. No! You don't want to do this! She deserved it! It was confidential! The FBI director was there. No! Rigel, stop! The FBI director mouthed Rigel. We had to! She was revealing government confidential files! We warned her! We could arrest you! Then, with a sudden realization, the FBI director turned the completely white. He realized that he could not arrest anyone; the file was Jack's personal diary, not FBI's file like they thought. They had no right to kill Cassiopia. They were the guilty ones. They had no right to arrest anyone. Rigel looked down at the security, at Andrew, at the crowd. Regally, like she's approaching the throne. Cassiopia, Rigel thought silently. Cassy, this is for you. And Rigel started to read into the silence of the room. "Today, as I watched out the window, something came floating by."
* * * In the white, cloudy fields of heaven, Jack and Cassiopia embraced. Kleir and Daphna watched, smiling, their engagement ring reflecting the bright sunlight, the stars of Cassiopeia shone as bright as ever. Jack smiled and said: "Will you marry me, Cassiopia McRoyd Navia?"