I don't own any characters or anything but the story. Criticism is welcome but please don't be rude. Okay I am so sorry about how long it is taking me to get chapters out on my stories, but I promise I am working on them. I promise I have no plans to abandon any of my stories, just a mixture of different factors are seriously slowing updates. I hope you enjoy the new chapter and I will try get the next one out a little faster.
Aktamu was walking through the forest pondering how much things had changed and also stayed the same in the past several years. While he had his bow with him he wasn't actually hunting just spending some time alone enjoying the beauty of the forest around him. He had felt slightly off since he got up that morning, not sick, but just the nagging feeling something was soon to occur.
He couldn't understand why he was feeling this way. As far as he knew his children were healthy and doing well in their training, the Omaticaya tribe was thriving and while the situation with the skypeople hadn't got any better, it wasn't any worse either. Despite this he just couldn't shake the feeling that some kind of large change was on the horizon.
Unbeknownst to Aktamu several million lightyears away a man by the name of Tom Sully sat staring at the screen in front of him. In just a few weeks he was to set off to Pandora and everything leading up to the trip had been going according to plan until that morning when he got a call saying that there was an unexpected development with the Avatar that was being created for him.
The screen in front of him showed a magnified view of the content of the container next to him, which just the day before held a single developing embryo but now had two. The scientist around Tom were debating about what to do with the unexpected second embryo.
Most of the them didn't want to destroy it as seem like such a waste considering how expensive and difficult they were to make, but a few of the other scientist argued it would cost keep it and since Tom would only be able to control one body at a time, what use would he have for a second one. Tom was only half listening to the discussing, most of his focus was on the container as a idea started to form in his head.
He eventually stood up, turned and called the attention of one of the head scientist. "I may have an idea of what to do, but I need you keep the second embryo until I can work out a few details." Tom said planning what he needed to do in his head. The other man looked at him curiously before asking "And what exactly is your idea?" Tom just shook his head not wanting to say anything until he knew it would work. "I shouldn't take more than a few hours. Just don't do anything until I get back." he pleaded.
The head scientist stared at him for a few seconds before nodding and with a relieved sighed Tom left. The first thing he does when he steps out the building is call head of the Avatar program since he knew he would need their support if was to put his plan into to action. It takes some convincing and a few compromises on Tom's part, but eventually he gets them to agree to his idea.
He then starts down the street making his way to his brother Jake's apartment while he tried to plan what he was going to say to him. He wasn't sure how his brother was going to react when he told him his idea, he just hoped that he would at least be willing to listen to him. Ever since his injury and sequential dismissal from the army Jake had become a little difficult to talk to, but he hoped his brother would see the benefit of what Tom was going to offer him.
He finally reached Jake's apartment and knocked on the door. He heard movement on the other side of the door and it was a minute before the door was opened. Tom put a smile on his face as he greeted his brother "Hi Jake." Jake looked up at him from his wheelchair with a slightly surprised expression. "Hey Tom, what are you doing here?"
Tom smirked as he said "What, I can't just decide I want to see my brother? Actually I wanted to talk to you about to you about something. Can I come in?" Jake looked at him for a second before rolling back to allow Tom to step into the apartment. Tom like always had to stop himself from grimacing as he followed his brother into the tiny apartment that had hardly enough space to walk let alone move in a wheelchair.
He closes the door behind him and moves over to the bed to sit down. Once he settled he turns to look at Jake who had been gazing at him with a expression of curiosity and suspicion. Tom took a deep breath as he considered what to say to convince his brother of his idea. When the thought had first come to him he had thought his higher ups would put up more of a fight and he would have some time to plan his conversation with Jake, but they had given in surprisingly easy.
While that was a great thing it also meant he wasn't sure how to explain his plan to Jake. Ever since they were kids Tom had always been the smart one and Jake had been the tough one. Tom had worked hard to get into college while his brother had enlisted as soon as he could. Despite their differences they had been quite close since they were young and Tom had worried endlessly for his brother when he was overseas.
Jake coming back injured had been horrible, but a small part of Tom had been relieved to have him back alive and close enough where he could check up on him. That relief had gone away with the realization that soon he would be blasting millions of lightyears away to another planet and Jake would stay on Earth.
Getting into the Avatar program was like a dream to him with the only downside being he would have to leave his brother behind, but if everything went right that would no longer be the case. Tom suddenly realized he had been quiet for a little too long and his brother was staring at him so he clears his throat.
"You know how they started work on my Avatar body?" he asked Jake, because though Tom had told him about it before he wasn't sure how much his brother had actually been listening during those times. His brother nodded "Yeah, what about it?" "Well there was a unexpected occurrence with it this morning." Tom pauses for second before delving into an explanation about the embryo splitting, what that could mean and what his idea was.
Jake was silent until he finished speaking and at the end of it he asked in a incredulous tone "So what your saying is that in less then a few weeks you want me to just jump on rocket to another planet to be part of your science project?" Tom swallowed before nodding "I've already talked to my bosses, so all you have to do is agree to have a place reserved on the ship and your own Avtar would be prepared for the journey alongside mine."
Tom wasn't going to mention that part of the agreement was that the travel expenses for Jake and his Avatar was coming out of Tom's own paycheck. "Why would I want to do that?" Jake stated in a way that didn't give Tom a clue into what he was thinking. "Think about it Jake, part of reason you enlisted was so you could see other places. What better place than an alien planet that begun being explored." Tom couldn't stop the excitement leaking into voice near the end as that was exactly the reason he had wanted to go even when they were children.
Jake still looked skeptical so Tom told him "Look at it this way the pay will be very good and you'll only be contracted to stay on the planet for 6 years. If after six years you wish to return to Earth you can live comfortably for the rest of your life." He didn't mention that his brother would also be able to afford the surgery to fix his legs as Jake had likely already realized that.
"Come Jake what do you have to lose?" he almost pleaded when his brother still hadn't said anything after a minute. Tom was feeling a little desperate for his brother to agree at this point. While he wasn't sure how much he actually believed in fate or anything like that it just felt Too big of a coincidence that the one Avatar belonging to someone with an identical twin happen to be the one that split. It felt like some kind of sign.
Finally looked at him and said "I'll do it." Tom had to resist the temptation to jump up and cheer. His mind was already spinning with everything that would need to be done in the next few weeks and his heart was beating hard at the thought of what was ahead of two of them.
Back on Pandora a shiver passed through Aktamu body as he looked up at the sky that made him nervous about what the future held.