After the Storm
Time didn't exist in Alpha State, but when they went out of the galaxy collision they realized everything would return to the sequence of day and night, weeks, months and years. Asterius looked different from what they had known before the storm. The white dust had been replaced by fields of dense green grass, plants, flowers and trees. The sky was no longer pink in the horizon, but light blue.
The neon sun was still shining as brightly, but it was further away in the sky. The purple moon was blue again and it orbited the planet from a greater distance.
Rony found himself in his pilot uniform and heavy boots again. Vera was gone.
And the camp was back in its place, only the greenhouse was taller and covered by ivy. The glass hexagons had become home to wild trees, bushes and huge vegetables.
“Who did this?” Buddy asked perplexed, watching the new view of fresh savanna.
“We did”, Penelope answered. “You... us... we made this happen. Because we wanted to see it like this. Don't you remember? While we were playing with our powers in that colorful field of flying comets.”
“Yes, that's true. We made a bet if we can turn this planet into something more like Earth.”
“I wish I still had those powers”, Joey spoke disappointed.
“You still have them, it's just not that obvious”, Rony told him.
He wanted to believe they could still do anything they wished for and make any idea come true.
He looked around. Yuri, Evgheni and Nicole were coming from the hills, a bit confused.
Rony was not surprised that Sheena had disappeared. He looked at the little blue moon in the sky.
“Where's the psychologist?” Nicole asked, noticing there was one person less.
“You wouldn't guess where she went”, he spoke almost to himself.
At that moment they saw her coming from the beach. He felt her return was just a strategy to prevent him from telling the others about who she was. She kept smiling peacefully, and when she got closer she said: “I think the most important thing is that everyone is safe and the planet has a better environment, thanks to the children who imagined it could be such a wonderful place. Rony, I must talk to you” she added and went inside the tent.
“Me too, I wanna talk” he said following her. “Where's Vera?” he asked when they were alone.
“She's back at the tower, as you can easily understand.”
“Why can't she be allowed to stay here with me?”
“She can't stay here because she has things to do up there. And you're not going to remain here either.”
“What do you mean?”
“You have a new mission. You must go to another solar system to make another base there.”
Rony blinked, trying to process the information in his head.
“Are the others coming with me?”
“No. There will be some new people with you and you'll find out more details after you land.”
“What about the teenagers?”
“They are the ones responsible for Asterius now. It's their home and it will be their creation, to take care of. Don't worry, you'll be able to visit them if you want.”
“And Vera?”
“Yes, what about her?”
“Is she going to be there?”
“She'll be contacting you by the microchip, as usual.”
Rony sighed.
“Am I going to see her again?”
Sheena smiled.
“I'm sure you already know that you two will meet, just not anytime soon.”
Rony went outside, lost in thoughts. His mission was over on Asterius. He understood he was needed for some new task, in another place. He worried he would be sent too far away from Vera, but he also knew they couldn't be kept apart, not matter where they would be in the universe. Space and time didn't have enough power to break their magnetic connection. They were too perfect together to be kept apart for too long. It was in the natural harmony of things.
He embarked on a ship the next day. He didn't say good bye to the teenagers: he didn't want to sadden them with the moments of watching his shuttle take of.
He told them he would return soon, but he didn't know how long the new mission would last.
At the departure take-of station, the fight auditor refused to give him a check out ticket.
“This ship is not authorized to leave”.
Rony knew his mission had been rather classified and under the radar.
“I can't explain it to you, but I must take this ship out”, he insisted.
“You're not taking anything out”.
Rony had no other choice. He had avoided to talk to Vera, since he knew neither of them was allowed to reach out for personal reasons, and he had too much to say that was not according to the rules. But the moment required her official assistance, so he had to beep the chip in his ear.
“Hello”, he said uncertain if she would answer.
“Yes, I can hear you”, she spoke clearly.
It was almost like before – except nothing was like before anymore.
It was a thrilling relief to have Vera with him again, even though not looking in her eyes was depriving the conversation of an essential part. He didn't have time to think about it, while he quickly told her the situation and why he was calling: “I'm having a problem with this fight auditor. He's supposed to give me a check out ticket and he refuses because he doesn't know my mission. Can you tell him to let me go?”
“Put him on the microphone”.
Rony detached the chip from behind his ear and passed it to the other man.
He watched the auditor talk to Vera. She was doing most of the talking because the man barely muttered monosyllabic answers and when he would attempt to contradict her she apparently had more to say to him, her reasoning being unquestionable. Rony stood there, admiring her determination. Even though he couldn't hear what she was saying, he imagined her voice talking an talking... he was amazed at her intelligence and her power of persuasion. In the end, as he expected, the man obeyed her and agreed to give Rony what he needed in order to take of.
“Thank you”, the pilot said to her, placing the chip back to his ear. “I've got the ticket now.”
“You're welcome”, she answered a bit distantly.
They were silent for a moment; neither of them wanted the transmission to end, or to interrupt it, although they weren't allowed to discuss anything personal.
Being restricted to a wireless dialogue in a chip after having shared becoming a colorful sphere together felt diminishing and darkening like being confined to a box after experiencing the vast infinite possibilities of a cosmic encounter. There was so much Rony wanted to say and felt he wouldn't even be allowed to begin, so silence seemed heavy with the burden.
She was the first to decide to interrupt the call.
“Good bye”, she said.
“Bye”, he answered, but he didn't want to.
Please don't say those words, he pleaded in his mind.
“You know I must” she answered loud and clear.
Her reply startled him out of his mood.
“Did you hear what I was thinking?”
“Yes. I've been able to do that for a long time, but I didn't tell you. We're in tune with each other. I'm by your side, whether you're aware of it or not.”
“That's good to know. Why do I need this chip for?”
“You don't need it, the tower does. Good luck with your new mission.”
“Are you going to monitor it?”
“Yes, I'm the one who's responsible with it now”, she said and she sounded glad and about it.
At least she would be present as a voice along the way, he thought. Being with her in his mind had to be enough for the moment. There was the sharp awareness that present reality didn't allow any hope for anything else. He wondered if she remembered the happiness they shared, embracing in the Alpha State. He could still feel her energy around him, touching his mind, running imperceptibly through his soul. Longing for her presence was almost painful, but he focused on the mission and he started the space ship, finally taking of.
While he was passing by the blue moon, getting out of the solar system, he told her in his mind:
“In another time and another place, Vera. In another life and another galaxy collision...”
He wondered if his thoughts could still reach her in the distant silence.
It didn't take her more than a second to respond.
“I do hope we'll meet sooner than that”, she replied.
The dynamic of her answer revealed that she was listening attentively.
“Are you going against the rules for the first time, talking to me about personal feelings?” he teased her.
“No, you simply heard what I didn't say.”
Rony smiled. They could talk outside the transmission because their thoughts were connected. He enjoyed the idea that nothing could keep them apart.
And that was another miraculous effect of the unpredictable universe and the energy of life being infinitely motivated and inspired by the positive brightness of love that could find many ways and many possibilities of existing despite apparent restrictions. Its essence was more powerful than random obstacles of space and time.
“It's the truth they have yet to understand.”
“Maybe one day they will”.
Asterius planet was a green ball, getting more and more distant by the minute.
Rony was absently piloting the ship when he heard movement behind the boxes of sprouting little plants that had just emerged their leaves out to light, ready to be transferred to new soil, on another welcoming planet. He turned around.
Somebody – or something - was there, beyond the cardboard boxes, hiding.
“Come out now! I see you!” he said decisively, grabbing a metal bar to defend himself in case the presence would be hostile.
And then a chestnut red head appeared slowly from behind the pile of plant compartments. Zenna smiled at him, innocently.
“Surprise!” she said jokingly, extending her arms in the air.
Rony stared at her in disbelief, too shocked to say anything at first. Then he was alarmed.
“What are you doing here?”
“I'm coming with you.”
“You can't!”
“Why not?”
She was serenely contradicting him, as if it was the easiest thing to do.
“Because it's not so simple. You're supposed to be on Asterius, becoming the leader of the new generation of inhabitants.”
“I've got better things to do now than become a leader of a planet. I'm coming with you. There's enough time to be a leader later on.”
“This is not funny, I must take you back. I've got to turn this ship around.”
He checked the course and frowned.
“I can't alter the route now. I have to wait until we land to change the direction.”
“It looks like you're stuck with me here”, she said happily, her eyes shining enchanted. “Yay! Where are we going?”
“We're not going anywhere now. You'll be going back to Asterius the moment I can set a different direction. I'm supposed to meet the crew on a new planet in another galaxy and start a new base there.”
“Great! I can't wait to see a new galaxy!”
“Zenna, you shouldn't be here with me. How did you get on this ship?”
“I was hiding in the cargo chamber.”
“That's so risky! You could've run out of oxygen or have too much pressure in your head. You're fortunate to be alive! How did you enter the cargo chamber?”
“I had some help from someone. I got the password to unlock it.”
Rony was confused.
“Who gave you the password? I had a hard time getting approval to take the ship of - and you got a password to enter the cargo? Who gave it to you?”
She shrugged, amused.
“You wouldn't guess: Sheena the psychologist gave me the password.”
Rony's confusion increased even more.
“Sheena?... Why would she do such a thing?”
He couldn't see the reason why the chief of the control tower would risk so much and allow a teenager to do something completely against the rules, defying the logic of action.
“You don't believe me?” Zenna spoke confidently. “I don't know why she wanted to help me, but she did. I told her my story and she agreed to let me come with you.”
“But why?”
“Well, maybe you should know my story first – then you'll see why.”
“Okay, what's the story? Tell me. We've got plenty of time.”
Zenna sat next to him at the flying board, looking at the many switches and lights.
“This is so fascinating! And the seat is so comfortable... Can I stay here?“
“As I see it, you're already staying. Now, what's the story?”