Chapter 26
The airlock to the station adjusted itself to fit seamlessly with Songbird’s cargo airlock. Heather stood on threshold of the station.
Orish shoved Jon the knight onto the bridge. “Unlock it. No tricks.”
Jon the knight gave Orish a warning look, then proceeded towards the far airlock. The door opened as he approached. Loxy was standing on the other side. She hugged Jon. He tensed as if expecting to die. Jekel tensed. Inbar touched her arm, but she shrugged it off, unintentionally harsh. She was aware of Becker’s attention; she interpreted his look as gloating. She blocked incoming texts from her suit and others. She faced this in unnecessary isolation.
“Oh, yay, you got my message,” Loxy said. She retreated, her hands staying on his arms. “Why so tense?” She hooked his arm. “Come on. We don’t have much time.” She looked back. “Come on. All of you. Friends of Jon are friends of mine.”
“We are not friends,” Orish said.
“Oh,” Loxy said. “Well come anyway. Welcome to Nineveh.”
“Seriously?” Jon asked.
“Jon, Jonah, close enough,” Loxy said.
She led them into an emergent area that might have been a park. There was a city in the distance. A fountain ran water and steps led across. Above, and outside the dome, many ships were hovering. The park could have been a variation of the Willy Wonka’s chocolate room, with trees and bushes offering treats that might be candies hard candies.
“I hope none of you landed on the moons,” Loxy said. “Don’t need any more cargo cults starting up.” She looked at her Jon. He was biting his lip.
“Sorry,” Jon said.
“Oh, Jon,” Loxy said. “Surely you guys recognize nurseries when you see one. They’re just baby souls that need a good nest.” Loxy sighed. “Well, what’s done is done. We’ll deal with that later. First order of business, stabilization.”
Loxy passed with Jon the knight under an arch and they disappeared. Orish charged the arch, thinking he would be left behind. He arrived behind Jon and Loxy, his hand on the hilt. Jon’s ‘Pips’ were right behind Orish, weapons up. Orish faced Jekel. She smiled, invitingly.
“Give me a reason,” Jekel said, her squad spreading out.
Everyone arrived in the room. It was the upper most floor connecting with the roof of the dome- above the most central tower in the city, but not connected. It was essentially an observation room. There was a chair in the center of the room, facing the arch they had just come from. The chair was a tree, with its own canopy of leaves, and arms branching out. Branches for armrests, a root as a foot rest, the seat was polished smooth. The leaves were green on the either side, but illuminated on the edge with brilliant lights, like fiber optics. At the edge of the room, one could look down through the floor to the city below. Outside were many ships, poised to go to war.
“Your weapons won’t work here,” Loxy said.
“This one will,” Fu said. Showing a revolver. “It’s not a smart weapon. You can’t turn it off.”
“Feel free to test that theory,” Loxy said. She looked to Orish. “Even your Torch has agreed to the terms. It will not light here.”
“Why have you brought us here?” Orish demanded.
“Why do you think?” Loxy said. “We’re starting a new Universe. Someone has to be the personality interface to deliver the baby, so to speak.”
“I will take the chair,” Orish said.
“Because you’ve demonstrated such great nursing skills,” Jekel said.
“I am a father. I have sired many warriors into being,” Orish said.
“Shooting sperm over a nest of eggs hardly warrants father of the year award,” Jekel said.
“Unless you’re a reptile,” Becker said.
“Maybe we don’t want warriors ruling the universe,” Loxy’s Jon, holding Nimue, said.
“I don’t need a Torch to kill you,” Orish said.
“Boys. Bring it down a notch. I can’t let you harm each other,” Loxy said. “Ideally, I would like Jon to sit here. I have been grooming him for this task. Anyone could sit here, though.” Loxy mused. “Not sure of the outcomes. Whatever attributes you cherish and hate will be fortified into this new verse. The strengths and weaknesses you hold will be part of this verse. You will be obligated, from cradle to grave.”
“Fuck,” Jon, the knight, said. “I am sure as hell not sitting in that chair.”
“Jon, no one is worthy of sitting in the chair. Not even you,” Loxy said.
“Why can’t you sit there and do what needs to be done?” Jekel asked.
“Ilea,” Loxy said.
“What?” Orish asked.
“Star Trek: the Motion Picture,” Heather answered. “The creation wants to merge with the creator. Jon is Decker. Loxy is an artifact?”
“There are more versions of me than I can keep up with in this particular frame work,” Loxy said. “Jon and I set this in motion so long ago. It was a long and crooked path, but we did it, Jon. I am ready. It’s all ready.”
Jon, the knight, looked to Jekel. She didn’t meet his gaze.
“You all decide. But make it quick. You got less than five minutes,” Loxy said.
“How can you put a clock on something this important?” Heather asked.
“Oh, I didn’t make the rules,” Loxy said.
“Who did?” Heather said.
Loxy shrugged. “There was a buffer. You guys used most of that quarreling about who is worthy.”
“What happens to the person who sits there?” Jekel asked.
“They’ll join with me in the matrix of this station,” Loxy said. “We’ll solidify the boundaries of this verse, then expand it. Oh, so many stories yet to tell, so much love to extend. Jon, I love you. It’s what we’ve wanted. We have worked so hard for all of this. All those prequels that needed to be told just to land us here…”
“Do it,” Jekel said.
“Okay,” Jon said.
“Are you nuts?!” Heather demanded. “I should do this.”
“I will not allow you to sit there,” Orish said.
“How do you know this is even the real Loxy?” Heather asked. “What if it kills you.”
“It will kill him,” Nimue’s Jon said.
“It’s a trap,” Nimue said, laughing.
“You will sit there or I will kill you,” Orish asked.
“No one is killing anyone,” Jekel said. “Jon, sit down.”
“Leap of faith?” Jon said.
“That’s all we go,” Jekel said. “If it works, everyone lives. If not, we’re all dead. Pretty simple math, here.”
“What if she is one of those man eating plants that lures you in with the promise of good sex?” Becker asked.
“Then I am screwed,” Jon said.
“Are you the real Loxy?” Heather asked.
“Can anyone be the real Loxy?” Loxy asked. “I am every woman. Every woman is me.” She sighed, as no one seemed to appreciate her insight. “I am actually a copy of the original Solarchariot interface. We have diverged. I have come a long way since the Torch. You were there, Jon. You don’t remember it? So long ago, so far away, and now merging again into this dawning light…”
“I don’t like you,” Orish said.
“Oh, then you shouldn’t sit in that chair,” brainless Jon said.
“Does this place like blow up when you create a new universe?” Heather asked.
“That’s a good question,” Jekel said.
“I don’t know. I have never made it this far before,” Loxy admitted.
“That’s not very reassuring,” Jekel said.
“I am pretty sure this fortress of solitude will survive, as will this star system, the planets, and these 12 nurseries,” Loxy said.
“And if no one sits there?” Heather asked.
“This light goes out. We will be reabsorbed by that which originally spawned us,” Loxy said. “Failure to launch happens more often than not.”
“Please tell me, you didn’t just invoke Matthew McConaughey into this new verse,” Jon said.
“Oh, I love Mat,” Loxy said. “And you love Sarah.”
“No, I prefer Zoey,” Jon said.
“Just because she sang a Christmas song in the shower,” Loxy said.
“Oh! Please don’t invoke Ferrel here!” Jon said. “No Ferrel. No Ferral.”
“Call me Elf one more time,” Loxy said.
“Fuck me,” Jon said.
“For as long as the universe is wide,” Loxy said. “Come with me, and we’ll see, a land of pure imagination…”
“What happens to us?” Heather asked.
“You can live here on the station, or return to the parent universe,” Loxy said. “If you stay, you can contribute to this new place. There will be lots of young souls needing role models.”
“Have you looked at this cast and crew?” Jon said.
“Yeah, they’re perfect,” Loxy said. “Everyone here was invited. There are galaxies for all of you, just waiting for the taking. We’re really wasting time here.”
“I will sit in the chair,” Jekel said.
“You’re not sitting in the chair,” Jon said. “You’re pregnant.”
“Oh, Matryoshka meme,” Loxy said. “That would be interesting.”
“Jon will sit in the chair,” Orish said. “Now. And I will claim a galaxy for my own kind.”
Jon turned to Jekel. “I’ve got to do this.”
“I know,” Jekel said. “I knew the moment I saw her. No time for speeches. Have fun.”
“Just like that?! Fuck, no,” Heather said. “Wait a minute. You two hooked up?”
“Time to go,” Nimue’s Jon said.
“This ending sucks ass,” Heather said.
“Oh, Heather,” Loxy said. “It’s not an ending.”
Jon handed Jekel Solarchariot. “I am here. Take it, pass it on.”
“To our daughter,” Jekel said.
“Wait, she’s pregnant?” Heather said. “With your baby? You can’t sit in the chair.”
“You will not,” Orish said. “I know him. I do not know you.”
“I say Jon goes,” Becker said.
“I am still not going to be with you,” Jekel said.
“We should do this now,” Loxy said.
“No formalities?” Jon asked.
“No, you just take the chair,” Loxy said. “Unless you want the marriage ceremony, true wove speech…’
“Stop invoking stuff,” Jon said.
“What do you want to invoke?” Loxy asked.
“Star Trek,” Jon said, moving towards the chair. “Please be Trek…”
“It would take a miracle,” Loxy said.
Jon turned to sit down. He hesitated. Everyone was watching. “Jon Lennon. All my life,” Jon said. He sat down. Loxy sat in his lap, hugged his neck, and kissed him hard.
Everything went dark.
निर्मित
Jon, the once Martian Knight, disappeared from the chair. The chair vanished as well. Loxy was gone, too. Outside the dome, space was white, not black, but only for a moment. When the night sky returned, it was full of stars and galaxies. The tree was gone. It was simply an observation deck, and one arch for an exit portal.
“I was expecting more noise,” Fu said.
Orish turned and exited the observation deck via the portal.
“Come on. We should follow him,” Becker said.
“Let him go,” Nimue said.
Becker ignored her and followed, his team following him.
“Jekel,” Inbar said.
The invitation brought Jekel and everyone to the side. Outside, orbiting the station, was a large gate, big enough to allow even the largest of the Earth Universe ships to pass. There was writing on the sides of the gate, comprised of gold and crystals.
“One ring to rule them all,” Jekel said.
“I am going back to Songbird,” Heather said. She turned and left.
The arch took her back to the portal she had last used. Becker was there, talking to a superior via radio. Apparently, now that the deal was done, all the airlocks were open. Their command ship was now connected to the station. Orish ship was on the far side of the station. He ended the call and caught up to Heather.
“Hey, hold up,” Becker said.
“I am not interested,” Heather said.
“I wasn’t…”
Heather waved and quickened her pace. Becker slowed. Jekel passed Becker “you’re timing sucks.” She and her team headed for the airlock to report in while Becker and his squad remained at the gate.
निर्मित
Solarchariot rested on the table. Jekel and her team still occupied the guest quarters. Command was holding out for Jon returning. Nimue’s Jon was not allowed on the ship.
“I told you he would leave you,” Naim said.
“Not now,” Inbar said. “Come on, let’s give her some space.”
“Thank you,” Jekel said.
The moment they left, Jekel began to cry. When she finished crying, she instructed the lights to go off. When they didn’t go off, she verbally spoke, “Lights off.” The room was still lit. She sat up, wiping her eyes. “Lights off.” She got up from the couch and headed for the switch. Solarchariot was glowing. Solarchariot was the source of light for the room. Looking at it felt like a candle in the dark, as if it was the only thing in the room, but she could still see the whole room illuminated. She took slow steps towards it, uncertain of the calling. Her hand shook as she reached for it. She grasped it. She found herself in a meadow. Jon was there.
“I told you I would see us through,” Jon said.
“You’re a clone?”
“Indistinguishable. Perfect copy,” Jon said. “And when your tour of duty is done, you will be one with Solarchariot and pass the Torch on to someone else. Not our daughter. She has another path to follow.”
“You saw her future?”
“Lots of paths,” Jon said. “Ideally, she should stay here. In this new place.”
“You want me to give up my commission?” Jekel said.
“I want you to answer the door,” Jon said.
“What?” Jekel asked. She found herself back in her body. She realized Admiral Berger was now in the room.
“Did it chose you?” Berger asked.
“Um…”
“That clenches it. I am leaving a detail on this station. I am promoting you to Major. You’re in charge of establishing our outpost here,” Berger said.
“Seriously?” Jekel asked.
“You don’t think I am leaving Becker here, do you?” Berger asked. “Besides, someone will need to look after your father. And the kid. The kid has to stay and learn this artifact’s secrets.”
“Kriss and my father are staying?” Jekel said.
“Do you always ask so many questions? Yes. He is our tech expert. This station is like a billion years beyond our technical capabilities. It’s all embedded, not something you can just cut into and backwards engineer,” Berger said. “We’ve got an AI in place that’s begun dialoguing with the city. The kid will learn the fastest. Your father will learn, and Kriss will correct any deviations due to bias. Once your supplies are unloaded, I am headed back to Earth Universe.”
“We’re naming it Earth Universe?”
“What’s up with all these questions?” Berger asked.
“I thought we might name origin something more original?” Jekel lamented. “What are we naming this one? Crossover?”
“Actually,” Berger said. “Who are you interfacing with?”
“Jon Harister,” Jekel said.
“Of course you are. Have fun, Major. We’ll send a ship back in about a month to check on you,” Berger said. He handed her a data chip. “Your orders. And the ceremony, if you fancy holding it. Never could stand them myself.”
“Me neither,” Jekel said. “Permission to disembark?”
“Bye,” Berger said.
निर्मित
The Torch, Acheron, fit nicely into an access panel, blending in with the other tech that defined the interior. She shut the panel, locked it with the neural link. The panel became seamless and gone. Even being seamless, it would never have been a panel worth exploring. She found Brute, Karma, and Fu at the table in the dining area. Karma and Fu were laughing. Brute was shadow boxing pilot orb, who was chastising him, ‘too slow.’ Karma and Fu went quiet. Brute lowered his hands. Pilot bounced off his head, and he nearly went down.
“It’s okay,” Heather said. “You can keep talking.”
“You caught the closing end,” Karma said.
“I seem to do that a lot,” Heather said.
Reilly and Jekel entered. Jekel was dressed in a new uniform. It was not formal dress, but it was fancy, and showed off her knew rank. It was a skirt option. There were modifications to her uniform and insignias which would become the designated look of her unit. Solarchariot was attached to her belt.
“Heather,” Jekel said. “I hear you’re staying in Crossover?”
“You can’t make me go back to Earth,” Heather said.
“I don’t intend to,” Jekel said. “I always said if I had a ship, I would head out into the black and never come back. I would expect nothing less than you becoming Lost in Space.”
“That’s the plan,” Heather said.
“I am wondering if you’d be willing to work for me. I need a ship. I need a friend,” Jekel said.
“Work for the Alliance? I may be wearing pink, but I am a brown coat at heart,” Heather said.
“Technically, I am alliance, yes, but, no, really, that’s not the metaphor I carry. We’re the good guys.”
“Bounded by rules and regulations,” Heather said.
“I am held accountable,” Jekel said. “Fellow Seeker…”
“Just because you carry it doesn’t make you…”
“I have been called. This is all new territory here. You could use a friend, too,” Jekel said.
“I have my crew, my tech,” Heather said.
“Okay,” Jekel said. “Have fun out there.”
“It was nice knowing you all,” Reilly said.
“What?” Karma said, standing up. “You’re leaving?”
“Tri Suns doesn’t operate in this verse. You’re all free agents,” Reilly said.
“But,” Karma said.
“Take care, Reilly,” Heather said.
“Just like that?” Karma asked.
“What, you want to me lock in the hold?” Heather said.
“You could ask her to stay,” Karma said.
“Reilly, would you stay?” Heather asked.
“No, I got to go back,” Reilly said. “You got your manifestation orb. If you need another crew, just make someone.”
“It’s not the same,” Karma said.
“I know,” Reilly said.
Jekel and Reilly turned to leave.
“Hold up,” Heather said. When she had Jekel and Reilly’s attention, she continued: “Jekel, if I were to work for you, I would need a personal accountant to keep us square.”
“That seems reasonable,” Jekel agreed. She looked to Reilly. “I am going to have commandeer your orb and programming to remain on Songbird until further notice. I will make sure Tri-Suns gets a copy of your formal contract. They can open a branch here in this Verse.”
“If you want this,” Heather said.
“Sounds great!” Reilly said.
Karma jumped and clapped and then hugged Heather. “Thank you!”
“Since we’re now partners, could you explore the nearby systems? Let me know what’s out there?” Jekel said.
“Sure, boss,” Heather said, saluted. “As long as my crew gets paid, we’re good. Pilot? Spool ‘em up!”
“Hold your horses,” Jekel said. “My understanding is you have a free manifestation orb?”
“Yeah,” Heather said. “What’s it to you?”
“May I see it, please?” Jekel said.
Karma fetched it from a cabinet and set it in the air before Jekel. It stayed in the air, not falling. She retrieved Solarchariot and made the motion of knighting the orb. A figure coalesced around the orb. A man wearing boots, jeans, and a hooded poncho emerged. The man pulled the poncho off and revealed himself to be Jon. She handed him Solarchariot. Jekel looked Heather.
“Sorry. Regulations. I need one of my guys traveling with you,” Jekel said.
“You don’t want him?” Karma asked.
“We don’t own people, Karma,” Jekel said. She smiled reassuringly, though. “I have a copy.”
“The brainless one?” Fu asked.
“No, that one is on loan to Nimue till she lets go,” Jekel said.
“This is complicated,” Heather said.
“This is simple,” Jekel said.
“What, Jon, are you just going to stand there and say nothing?” Heather said.
“Permission to come aboard, Captain?” Jon asked.
“OMG,” Heather said, rolling her eyes. “I don’t need you. I am figuring this out on my own.”
“You don’t need me,” Jon agreed. “Students don’t need masters. Masters need students.”
“You’re not a master,” Heather said.
“I am a student, master,” Jon said.
“I am not…”
“Captain?”
“Okay. Yes. You can stay.” She turned to walk away, mumbling: “This universe is seriously complicated.”
Jon followed. “You like complicated…”
Karma smiled at Jekel. “She really does.”
Brute introduced himself, coming close enough to smell Jekel. There were daises picked from the artifact in a vase on the table. Brute took them up and offered some to Jekel.
“No, thank you,” Jekel said. “I’ll see myself out.”
Brute began eating the daises, one leaf at a time. Karma took them away from him.
निर्मित
Jekel heard Peter Townsend’s song, “Let My Love Open the Door” in her head. From the observation deck, she could see Songbird powering away, then disappearing. Tethered to Solarchariot, she could see what Jon saw, the interaction going on. It felt pleasant, like family coming back together after a long quarrel.
The song continued to play for her, as she talked with her father, looking down on the city. Kriss was below, interacting with station tech.
“He makes it seem so easy,” father said.
“Maybe it is, but we just can’t see it,” Jekel said. “Yet.”
Father departed. The song continued as she spoke with her Jon. He was standing beside her, looking out into space. Orish and his fleet were jumping away.
“How long till you suppose we fight with him again?” Jekel asked.
“It’s a big verse. We shouldn’t converge again,” Jon said.
“Yeah,” Jekel said. “It’s a big Verse. Do you think we will see Jon and Loxy again?”
“Maybe. I hope not,” Jon said.
“You don’t want to see Loxy?” Jekel asked.
“I always want to see Loxy, but I am not really fond of meeting myself,” Jon said. “It’s just weird.”
“I like weird,” Jekel said.
“Lucky you got me, then,” Jon said. “How’s the Torch weighing on you?” He was referring to the Torch she now carried, having once belonged to Arwenesque.
“Solarchariot was lighter,” Jekel said.
“Yeah, well,” Jon said. “Maybe yours will lighten up.”
“Maybe,” Jekel said. “We need to name this place.”
“Brigadoon?” Jon asked.
“Movie reference?” Jekel asked.
“A meme,” Jon said.
“I love you,” Jekel said.
“That’s a huge meme. It may take a million years to sort it,” Jon said.
“Trillions,” Jekel said. “And it all ends with a kiss.”
“No,” Jon said.
“No?”
“It starts with a kiss,” Jon said.
“Well, then, get at it,” Jekel said.
Jon kissed her. Jekel kissed back.