Darker took four bullets to save the life of Dr. Thomas Eakran. Dr. Frederick Cousins had emptied a gun he’d stolen from Giovanni, the man in charge of Eakran’s protection, and Darker had dove to ensure that Eakran was safe, seemingly at the expense of his own life.
Maria was sure that he was dead, there was blood everywhere and Darker was unconscious, so she killed Cousins, or made him kill himself, for taking him from her. Eakran and Maria carried Darker’s body to the operating room in the basement and they both cried over him for his sacrifice. Maria was mad at Eakran but couldn’t waste her attention on him. She stared at Darker’s face and knew that it was what he’d wanted since he was brought back to life. Darker had complained that his return to life felt unnatural, that he shouldn’t be back to life in the physical world, and if not for Maria advocating for life, he would have been dead already.
But then Darker seemingly rose from the dead for a second time, and Eakran and Maria learned something that no one else in the universe could possibly know. The blue gel that had resurrected Darker to life, had altered his body, and because the gel originated on the planet Druont and was composed of Druinte DNA, Darker became what will eventually be known as a Dru-Earthling, second to Giovanni, whose physical attributes had been altered by Eakran. Unlike Giovanni, Darker was exposed to the DNA of a legendary Druinte known as Plenary and this exposure made Darker practically indestructible. He had been shot four times, but his body slowly healed and increase production of red blood cells to rapidly replace what was lost, and after a twenty minute nap, he was back to perfect health. He startled Maria and the doctor when he woke.
“I can’t die,” Darker said solemnly and Eakran ran tests. Maria hugged him. “What did those people do to me?” Darker asked from the bed where Eakran was drawing blood for test samples.
“You’re special,” Maria said.
“Or something like that,” Darker said gravely.
“He is the son of the legendary Plenary 287,” Eakran said. “I’ve reviewed your previous blood work, I’m just taking more now to confirm, but apparently they used the DNA of a legendary Druinte to restore your body to life and make it capable of regenerating from any wound, just like the legendary Plenary 287. This is remarkable. It must be the result of human interaction with the Interstellar Panel, but experimentation with Druinte DNA? That is unheard of. I do it a universe away because of the stigma. And if Dr. Worthington is experimenting with Druinte DNA, then he must have the blessing of the MDDS, it is the only way an alien scientist could acquire samples for experimentation.”
Maria and Darker look at one another and then at Eakran.
“I’m sorry, it’s a lot of information, but I have been gone from my home world for a long time. Maybe it is time that I go back and get caught up.”
Maria was elated to hear him say the words and Darker could see in her eyes that they would be going to space.
In another room of the basement, Eakran monitors Alia’s vitals. She had passed out when he’d told her about his alien origins and he’s been making sure she’s alive ever since. It’s been about a day and Eakran worries. It seems that she is asleep, but a part of her brain is active and it makes him think that something else may be going on.
Journey Back cont.
Alia likes it in the field. She sleeps there. There are two types of grasses growing in the field and Alia discovered that one is edible and quite delicious raw. She munches on the long stalks and she savors the bushy ends that are sweet like honey.
The skyline in the field is a wonder and from her vantage, it appears that the grasses go on forever. There are no hills, no mountains in the distance, just an interrupted sea of brown-green grass slowly wafting in the wind. The sky just above the sea of grass is mostly off white with swirls of light blue and the bright sun is behind her; she doesn’t feel compelled to look at the sun of this reality.
The sun sets and rises once before the screen reappears without her prompting it by stirring pollen. The face smiles at her.
“It is good to see you, though I wish it were under better circumstances,” the face says regretfully. “We believe, I believe, that you are here for a reason. And until you realize that purpose, you won’t go back to your proper time. It’s my instinct to stop this, I should not be talking to you as I am, I should be a reflection of your own awareness, but we have found ourselves in uncharted territory and the new priority is returning you to your proper self.”
“Why isn’t this my life now?” Alia asks. She had been thinking a lot over the course of the past daylight cycle. “Why is this world so different than my own?”
“Because this is when Par-Cell 77 tried to fix the great error by speeding up Earthling integration into the greater universe with hopes of making them more compassionate to the plight of civilizations they classified as alien. It only speeds up the inevitable though.”
“Why would I need to witness anything here?”
“I don’t know,” the face says and ponders. “I can’t think of any other time where you are affiliated with the Interstellar Panel. Maybe that is why this is significant.”
“Maybe I need to join in my real life?”
“I would say no, you being here is dramatic. There has to be something for you to witness, something that your gift gives you access to.”
Alia smiles. “It’s Solse. I have to talk to Solse.”
It was like a light turned on in her mind. If she is not cosmic in any other life, then maybe she doesn’t meet Solse Prab of Bromeran, and her aeonic memory was ensuring a meeting. She wonders why, but the man has been a looming mystery since this all started and she might as well learn more about him.
When the screen disappears, Alia calls Nebuchad on her communicator.
“Is Solse with you?”
“He’s heading back to the Shipport. He wants to go to Bromeran soon.”
“Can you tell him to meet me in the field? I need to speak with him.”
“Of course. You’ll let me know if you need anything?” Nebuchad asks. She seems to be content in her field alone and he’s been assisting with the IP forces exploring other continents of the planet.
“Of course.”
When Solse arrives in the field, Alia smiles up at him. He is a handsome creature, and Alia assumes that he is in very good shape for his species; the Bromeris she had studied were not as muscular as Solse and he seemed to be slightly taller than average with thicker horns that gave the illusion of a crown or an elaborate headpiece. He wears an IP standard issue uniform that is one piece and it shows off his muscles that are not completely foreign, though his feet are hooves.
“You wanted to see me?”
“Are you remembering better these days?” Alia asks.
Solse cocks his head, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Why were you wandering the shell of this planet, Solse? It’s like you were waiting to meet me.”
“Maybe I was,” Solse says. “I heard the voice of God, and then I woke up here. Maybe God sent me to find you.”
“Does God have a message for me?”
Solse shakes his head. “I was on a ship. I made a machine that knew everything. Or, I wanted it to, and then God said that everything is too much for one thing. God said everything is more than I could fathom. I think. But that feels like a dream, I don’t know if that’s real.”
“Everything is too much,” Alia says to herself. “Why were you making the machine?”
“I am Bromeris. Eternal knowledge is the mission of the Bromeris Ultimate Library to which I owe all of my allegiances and fidelity, even in my exile. My machine, the idea of it, was blasphemy to my people because it was an admission that the Bromeris Eternity Archive is insufficient to achieve eternal knowledge and is therefore useless. I did it Alia, I made the machine and God was inside. And God said it was too much for me.”
“What does that mean Solse?”
He shakes his head. “The machine should not exist?”
“It’s too much for one thing. Maybe your machine needs something else, someone else. But why? Why do we need to know everything?”
“The machine knows everything so that we can find solutions to our problems,” Solse says. “It can save many lives in the right hands.”
Alia wants to see the machine and she convinces Solse to take her to it’s last known location. But just as they are about to board a ship, Alia wakes up in the IBF basement.
PRL Serials 