Excerpt
“Hold on!” Tommy’s mother yelled as she tried to steer their old Cherokee from the truck’s path. Tommy never saw it coming. It was just there, on the wrong side of the road and out of control.
“Mom?” Closing his eyes tight, he grabbed hold of the arm she placed across his chest to shield him from the crash, and as suddenly as the truck had appeared, his world went black.
The smell of the smoke was the first thing he noticed. Opening his eyes, he saw that they were still in the jeep. What was left of it. His entire body screamed with pain as he tried to move. “Mom,” he called. She was pinned to her seat by the steering wheel. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth.
“T-om-my,” she managed.
Tears filled his eyes. Don’t die, he thought to himself. Removing his seatbelt, he attempted to slide closer to her. A sharp stab of pain surprised him, releasing a wave of dizziness. Sweat beaded on his forehead. “Mom…”
Stirring ever so slightly, she tried to speak. Her voice was barely a whisper. “Join…the…p-pen-dant.” The effort seemed to cost her greatly. She coughed and let out a small cry as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Tommy’s mind raced. The pendant, the pendant. He knew what she meant, he just never believed it. He thought she was joking when she said it was their 911 line to his father. Forcing himself to focus, he pulled on her chain until he located the clasp. Sliding it open and removing the chain, he secured it around his neck. Then he proceeded to join the two stone halves. Would his father come? Where was he? What had Mom meant when she told me ‘you will know your father’s world soon enough’?
A burst of coloured light filled the car. Tommy dropped the pendant as if it had suddenly become too hot to handle. Before the pendant hit his chest, the molecules shifted, rendering it invisible. He knew now that his father would come. Another wave of dizziness hit as he gazed one last time at his mother.
“I love you, Mom,” he whispered as darkness claimed him.
Tommy’s stomach knotted as he recognized the antiseptic smell that could only belong to a hospital. Opening his eyes, the memory of the accident came slowly back. He began to cry. The heart monitor raced in response to the sudden onrush of emotion, and he couldn’t control the sobs that took hold of his body. He didn’t try to either.
A nurse stepped in to check on him. After a quick evaluation, she wrapped her arms around him tight, and without saying a word, let him grieve over his loss.
When the tears were all but spent, Jenna (according to her name tag) brushed the hair from his forehead. He felt so empty and alone, even in the comfort of her arms. His breaths caught sharply when she gently repositioned the brace around his shattered leg, but he said nothing.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” she said in a soft voice. She helped him settle back in the bed, stood and checked on his various tubes and wires. “Your father has contacted us and will arrive in a few days.” Pulling a pad from her pocket, she checked her notes.
“You aren’t due for more pain medication for another hour.” She shoved the paper back in her pocket. “But if the pain is too intense, I can-”
“I don’t want it.” He cut her off.
She smiled in a gentle manner. “Well, we’ll wait and see, ok?”
On the day of his father’s arrival, Tommy stood in the bathroom with the help of his crutches and examined his features closely. He wondered how much he looked like his father. Did he have the same amethyst eyes, or the strange gold highlights in his hair? The glow of the overhead bulb seemed to accentuate the unearthliness of his most prominent features.
Jenna poked her head into the room. “Are you ready?”
He avoided her gaze. “I still have a few things to pack.”
“To meet your father, I mean.” Without missing a beat, she walked over to him, placed his hair quickly and proceeded to escort him to the door.
“I can’t.” He stopped before stepping out into the hall. “He left almost thirteen years ago. I don’t even remember what he looks like. I was only two...” his voice trailed off.
Jenna placed a comforting hand on his arm. “He’s as nervous as you are, and I don’t think you’ll have any trouble recognizing him. Let’s go, gorgeous.” She winked at him in an attempt to lighten the mood, but her support and reassurance were genuine.
Jenna led Tommy to a private lounge where a tall, uniformed man stood by the window, looking out over the city. Tommy didn’t recognize the blue-and-black uniform but thought nothing of it. The commander turned at the sound of the door opening, and two sets of amethyst eyes met for the first time in years. A silent exchange of acknowledgement passed between the two.
Jenna stood, hands on hips. “Now don’t tell me you’re one of those cold military types who can’t risk an emotional display by hugging a son you haven’t seen in years.”
Jenna’s outburst caused the commander to blush ever so slightly. He made his way over to his son. Tommy let his crutches fall to the floor as he held tight to his father.
“Leave us,” the commander ordered with no room for discussion. He lifted Tommy’s chin and examined him closely. “I am saddened at the loss of your mother. This was not how we had planned it.”
“What do you mean?” Tommy’s could barely get the words out.
“Come, sit.” A strong arm held Tommy by the waist, and guided him to the couch. Taking a deep breath the commander continued, “As you know, your mother and I are of different origins. She chose not to follow me but to remain here and raise you until the age of eighteen. At this point, I was to return and give you the choice of worlds.”
“The choice of worlds?” Tommy repeated. “I’d never even thought about a military career.” Why would his father talk about this now? “How far were you stationed that you couldn’t even write?” Painful questions Tommy usually avoided were beginning to stir inside.
A look of surprise crossed the commander’s face. Releasing the breath he had been holding he said, “I see your mother has not prepared you for this at all.” He passed a hand over his mouth and then tapped his watch twice.
“Yes, Commander?” A man’s voice filled the room.
“Molecular transport, on my mark.” Standing, he helped Tommy to his feet and collected the crutches. “I will show you my world, and I will explain.”
Confused, Tommy nervously accepted his father’s support.
Holding his son tight, the commander gave the order.
Tommy blinked as everything around him faded. He was no longer in the hospital lounge but on a raised platform at the back of a square, unadorned room. A shimmering glass wall separated them from the two men who sat at some kind of computer console. He froze in place. This was not possible. “Father…” Tommy whispered.
“All clear, Commander,” one of the two men said.
His father nodded to the officer. “Follow me,” he said to Tommy.
Tommy couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. He was trying to process what had just happened, but his mind wasn’t able to accept it. His heart rate shot up and his legs felt weak.
“Do you require assistance?” his father asked.
Forcing himself to focus, Tommy shook his head ‘no’ and hobbled forward.
“We will take it slow, one step at a time.” His father helped him down from the platform, and they stepped out of the room into a brightly lit, ice-blue corridor. “Are you able to walk, or would you prefer we-”
Tommy cut him off. “I can walk.” He took a few unsteady steps forward. “A bit.”
“Do you know where we are?” his father asked as they moved slowly down the corridor. The answer came as they made their way to the large, oval port hole at the end of the corridor. It showed Earth in all her glory, directly below them.
