Authors: Jenna Payne
As soon as the ship landed on stable ground, I swung hard at the small glass part of the door. It shattered into pieces. Hurriedly I reached outside and tried to grope for the lock which Andrew had positioned. "Shit, where is it?!" I said in frustration. As I fumbled, my hand accidentally got cut on a broken piece of glass. Blood seeped out.
Perhaps I needed to try something else to get out. Stepping back, I took one of the loaded weapons I’d found, aimed it, and shot at the door repeatedly. Bullets rained on it, but only created insignificant dents.
I tried another weapon. Fire burst out from it, and seemed to slowly melt the metal. Renewed hope rushed inside of me, giving me a boost of energy. When some of the metal had liquefied, I gathered every ounce of strength I had left and kicked the wrecked area. It gave way, causing the door to swing open.
Harsh sunlight welcomed me back. With my feet pounding hard on the cement-like surface, I ran as fast as I could toward the direction of the main base.
The sight that greeted me at the entrance of the computer lab was horrendous. Several of my team members had been gravely injured. A few of them had retreated while others were hidden behind metal columns. The exchange of laser and fire was at its peak, with a monstrous, horrible-looking Zil alien leading the combat from the opponents’ side. He too looked battered but was still giving a good fight. Behind him were two dead bodies of humans.
My heart skipped a beat as I came closer and tried to decipher whether any of those lying on the floor was Andrew. I couldn't really see well.
Suddenly, the Zil alien gave out a loud, garish cry, his bulging red eyes directed toward me. Without any second thoughts, I charged toward him with the metal-dissolving weapon I had on me before he could fire at me. He fell down with a sickening thud, gooey blood oozing out in all directions.
At that instant, about five or six US Space Police officers dashed forward and hurtled toward the door of the lab. I caught a glimpse of Kent, but there was no time to have any chitchat. I cautiously moved forward behind them, all of us ready to fire at the sight of any enemy.
Quickly we scuttled across a narrow hallway where a couple of genetically engineered humans fought us. Kent and I were able to dodge them and continue going forward with two more from our team.
Not long after, a Zil alien came out and blocked our way. The two officers with us immediately started shooting with their laser guns. Kent grabbed my hand and we ducked underneath the alien and kept running. The enormous alien turned around and tried to go after us, but he was stopped by our teammates.
As soon as we got to the rows of computer servers, a human soldier suddenly turned up in front of us. Kent instantly pulled the trigger on his weapon, but I managed to shove the machine so the laser hit the wall instead. "Nooo!" I cried out. "He's not an enemy!"
"Are you crazy?" Kent yelled at me, looking at me as if I had absolutely lost my mind. But I ignored him and rushed toward the man I truly loved.
"Please, Kent…" I pleaded, blocking Andrew.
"Tasha, what the—" Andrew started, obviously shocked to see me.
"He's my husband! We need to save him!" I shouted in despair.
A wave of understanding appeared in Kent's face. His eyes shifted to the man behind me and then back to me. "Listen to me, Tasha," he started, looking anxious. "Do not believe what he says. He is different now. He can hurt you—"
"No, he hasn't hurt me," I argued. "He hasn't been injected with the formula for many days now, so he has returned to normal. He can help us. We can save all the remaining humans on this planet!"
Unexpectedly, another human soldier appeared beside us and tried to grab me. Andrew pushed him away, but he lunged back at him. My eyes widened as I caught sight of the large syringe in his hand which he injected onto Andrew's neck in a split-second.
As a reflex, I pointed my weapon at the other soldier and fired away, causing him to drop dead at once.
Kent was about to seize me, but more soldiers came to fight and prevent him from completing the original mission. Meanwhile, I went to Andrew and shook his shoulders. My hands went to either side of his face and forced him to look at me. There was a blank expression in his eyes that filled my body with fright. But I did not step back, even as he stared at me with sudden hatred.
"Andrew, it's me. It's Tasha, your wife," I hurriedly said. Without thinking, I threw my arms around him. But instead of hugging me back, he snatched my weapon and tossed it to the other side of the room. Then he lifted me and threw me toward a nearby wall. I felt a searing pain surge into my arm as it hit the solid metal hard. I clutched at it as I quickly scrambled to my feet.
Upon standing up, I was faced with the stone-faced Andrew, his eyes burning with loathing. He was fast closing in on me even as I begged for my husband to come back to the surface. "I know you're in there, Andrew. Our love is greater than any formula, than any genetic code..."
He moved in but then suddenly paused, his eyes gazing at something on my neck. I looked down and saw that I was actually wearing the heart locket necklace. Quickly I opened it and showed him my wedding ring.
He blinked once, twice. And I saw his rigid face softening and recognition dawning in his eyes.
"I love you so much, Andrew," I whispered, whimpering as I watched him struggling against the effects of the formula. "Please come back to the earth with me and we can start again."
His brown eyes gazed into mine in understanding. "Anything is possible," he murmured.
I cried with relief. My husband was back. But just then, his eyes suddenly widened. He fell back, revealing Kent who had shot him.
"Andrew!" I shrieked, dropping down to the ground and watching my husband struggle with life for the second time. Agony and panic hit me as I looked around for something that could save him. But I was left with no choice when Kent lifted me on his shoulders and dragged me out of the computer lab. Even as I thrashed about, he kept running.
The last thing I saw as we headed out was two uniformed officers of the US Space Police attaching the last of the bombs. They ran out too and locked the entrance, trapping some of the human soldiers inside--- including Andrew.
I screamed for Kent to stop the explosion, but he wouldn't listen to me. The moment we stepped outside of the main base, I heard the deafening blast. I closed my eyes shut, tears running down my cheeks.
*****
The scent of the old books in the local library somehow gave me a sense of peace, which is why I often sat on one of the tables in that stale, dimly lit corner amongst the outdated shelves of books that hardly anyone reads or uses anymore.
It had been almost a year since that unforgettable space mission in Planet Zil. Yes, we had completed our mission. But I'd come home completely broken. It had been so traumatic that I'd taken a year-long leave of absence. I had wanted to resign, but Chief Collins had not let me. He understood me and told me that I could take as long as I wanted to recover from the immense pain of losing my husband the second time around.
I broke up with Kent. He'd been nothing but apologetic, sweet, and understanding since we came back to Earth. I told him I understood why he did what he did, but I wasn't ready to forget. I realized that I’d never actually loved him. He'd made me happy in his own way, but my feelings for him never really surpassed or even equaled what Andrew meant to me.
I had not seen him in more than six months. I had spent the past year just being with my family, absorbing their love for me, and trying to pick up the pieces little by little. I wasn't sure if I was making any progress. I kept waking up in the middle of the night screaming. Sometimes my sister Stacey would catch me staring off into space. There were moments when I would suddenly break down or even find myself wandering aimlessly in the streets.
During the past month, though, I seemed to be getting better. The memories were still as vivid but I was beginning to accept the truth – about what had happened and what would never be.
From time to time, I visited the local library where we'd first met and where he'd proposed to me. Stacey kept telling me to avoid places that reminded me of him. But somehow I found solace in here.
"Excuse me," a soft voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up from the book that I was pretending to read. It was a young girl about the age of ten. She handed me an old thick hardbound book with the title
A New Journey to Tomorrow
.
"What's this?" I asked curiously, fingering the dusty cover.
"It's for you," was all she said before leaving me in wonder.
I turned the book over in my hand. Then noticing that there was a folded page somewhere in the middle part, I opened the book to that page. My heart jumped to my throat as I saw a dried rose inserted inside. With trembling hands, I lifted it. And that's when I saw the small printed words on the page circled in red.
Anything is possible.
I gasped, my heart racing like crazy. I looked up and perused the area. There was nobody else in this part of the library.
Standing up hastily, I went to the tall rows of shelves surrounding the reading area where I had been seated. Walking fast across the aisle in the middle, I looked left and right, not sure what I was expecting to see… or rather,
who
I was expecting to see.
Hope gushed into my heart and my throat constricted with unshed tears. I reached the end of the aisle, but did not find the only person I yearned to see. Maybe it was all in my mind. Perhaps I was losing my sanity already.
I leaned against the wall in dejection and torment, covering my face with my hands as my shoulders heaved back and forth with my quiet sobs. At that moment, I felt strong hands wrap around my own hands. They slowly and gently pulled my hands away from my face. And when I saw the familiar brown eyes gazing into mine with great love and passion, I stopped crying and just looked on in disbelief.
"Am I dreaming?" I whispered, my eyes sweeping from his tousled brown hair down to his handsome face.
"No," he answered quietly with a gentle smile. He then released my hands and brought his hands to my cheeks. He tenderly wiped away my tears. "It's me, Tasha baby… I'm back."
"B-but… how?"
"Anything is possible, remember?" he said, his smile widening and his eyes twinkling. "Guess I'm like a cat with nine lives. Or maybe I was just lucky enough to have put on a laser-proof vest underneath my suit at the last minute then ran out the hidden back door just in time."
My mouth dropped open. I couldn't quite process what he was telling me, but I was so damn glad.
"That back door is known only to the computer experts who'd been assigned in that lab for many years--- like me."
Understanding hit me as what he was telling me started to make sense.
"I got out along with some others," he continued to explain as he caressed my cheeks. "But just barely. Many were injured, including me. The explosion released us from the hold of the Zils. But it took us a long time to heal from our injuries and also to repair the only spaceship left on the planet, our only hope of going back home to Planet Earth."
"But you did it," I whispered unbelievably.
"Yes," he answered joyfully. "We never stopped fighting, driven by the hope of reuniting with our loved ones."
"Oh, Andrew!" I gushed, throwing my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. We savored that moment in silence, just holding each other and letting our hearts communicate with one another.
When we pulled back, he smiled and said, "I love you, Tasha… until death do us part."
I smiled back through my glistening tears. "I love you too, Andrew… until death do us part."
He then leaned forward and gave me a long, passionate kiss that I eagerly returned. With an impish grin, he said, "Come on and let's make some babies."
THE END
You’d think that being the only daughter of a millionaire meant I have it easy. But that is far from the truth. As a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite.
What’s that saying? “The grass is not always greener on the other side.” That’s my life in one sentence. If you were to judge me based on my father’s wealth, you’d think I didn’t have to lift a finger; however, contrary to popular belief, my father made sure I knew what it felt like to work for money.
My father made sure I understood what it was like to earn every penny. He taught me that hard work paid off. Even so, he didn’t want me to go middle-class. I also had to know how to act rich and be rich. And I was only allowed to hang out with the rich. Talk about contradiction.
I figured this out the hard way when I met this great guy a few years ago during a shopping trip the local mall.
We decided to stop by the food court for a late lunch. Without even looking at the cashier, I ordered what I wanted, paid, and waited for my food.
“Oh my,” Amy whispered to me after she ordered her meal. “Didn’t you notice the hottie checking you out?”
“What hottie?”
“The cashier! He kept looking at you and everything, but you clearly didn’t see him checking you out!” Amy was practically yelling now.
I looked over at the boy standing by the cash register. Our eyes met and it was like church bells and butterflies. I saw myself in a wedding dress; my father was walking me down the aisle. It was definitely love at first sight.
I was suddenly conscious about my movements, my facial expression, and even the way I talked. I knew he was paying close attention to me.
“Just go talk to him,” Amy urged.
“I don’t know what to say Amy,” I kept saying. She suddenly poured my drink in the trash. “Now go ask him for a refill.”
I wasn’t sure what to do. I sat there and deliberated in my head.
“Just go!” Amy kicked me off the chair.
“Okay, don’t push.” I thought of all the ways I could strike up a conversation. What I would say. What my response would be.
“Ummm…can I have a refill?” That was the only thing I managed to blurt out towards the cute boy across the counter as I handed him my cup.
“We don’t give free refills,” the boy said.
“Oh,” I blushed and turned around to leave.
“But since you’re cute, you’ll get one on the house.” He quickly grabbed my cup and filled it. “What’s your name?” His back still turned.
“Angie, yours?”
“Ty.”
“Oh.” There seemed to be a long moment of silence. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. It felt like time had stopped. I didn’t know what else to say.
“Wanna go out sometime?” Ty asked as he handed me my drink. I was taken aback. He was so bold.
“Um, sure.” I replied, grabbed my drink and started to walk off.
“So, how should I get a hold of you?”
Duh, he needed my number to call me. What an idiot!
“Yeah, well, you can call me,” I said.
He handed me a piece of receipt paper and a pen with a smirk on his face. He was making me nervous and he knew it.
That was how it all started. We saw each other for a few weeks and decided to go steady. But as easily as it happened, it ended just as quickly.
How did that happen?
I brought him home to meet my parents. My father hated him the moment he laid eyes on him.
Ty was rugged. Ty was abrasive. But most of all, Ty was poor. And, my father wouldn’t let me date anyone who was poor.
“You don’t know what it’s like being poor! I’m trying to show you! If you date him, you’ll be poor for the rest of your life!” My father kicked Ty out within ten minutes.
We continued to see each other on and off after that, but it never amounted to anything. I tried telling myself it was because we were young, but truth was my father was the reason we never worked out.
Of course, being the obedient and approval-seeking child I was, I did as my father wished. I went on to the college my father wanted me to attend. I hung out with the rich crowd. I dated rich frat boys whom I made sure my father approved of. While it made my father happy, I was miserable.
This was my life. No, this
is
my life. I rebelled in college. That was where it all changed. My father and I had a falling out and he stopped paying for my expensive college tuition. But I was determined to make
me
happy.
I tried to make ends meet. I attended medical school and practically worked a full-time job at the same time. I pulled out student loans and amassed a debt so huge that I may never be able to pay it off.
During my graduation, my mother was the only one to attend. My father would not have a thing to do with me unless I bowed to his every demand.
Well, that would never happen. I’d gotten a taste of freedom and I loved it. I was determined to marry the man that would make me happy, not the man that would make my father happy.
*****
Having graduated from Medical school, I wonder what to do next. I could always apply for all the med jobs that are available, but that’s not exactly what I want to do at the moment. After searching around the web for a bit, I land on an interesting page.
Volunteer With Us and Save Lives!
That was the banner. Pictures flash of third world countries with no medical care. I see happy nurses and doctors caring for the old and the young. I realize at that moment that this is want I want to do with my newly acquired medical skills.
I decide to submit my volunteer application for a medical mission to Somalia. It will give me a chance to use my skills to help the needy and the poor. The people of Somalia will benefit from it.
As I read through the application process, it makes me nervous. They seem extremely picky about who they will take with them. One’s background must be squeaky clean.
Oh well, I apply anyways. If I get lucky, I’ll get to go. If not, I’ll settle on applying for something else.
A few days pass with no word. I’m getting nervous. Now that I’ve had time to let it all sink in, I really want to go on this mission. Not only will I get to travel, but I’ll get to see what life is really like for the poor—something my father always wanted me to know.
I sit at my computer waiting for an email.
Bing!
I have an email. Quickly, I open it up.
“Dear Ms. Cross, Thank you for applying for the mission to Somalia. We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted on this mission,” I read quickly. Forget reading the rest of the email. These first two sentences just made my day!
I get on my phone and call my mom to share the news. She answers after two rings. We have a lengthy discussion and as always end it with whether or not I will come to visit. And as always, I state that I will not come to visit unless my father stops interfering in my personal life.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime! I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world. This may not be much, but at least I’m doing something meaningful.
As I get to the airport, I sadden to see that everyone has someone to wave good bye to. Hugs and kisses were exchanged while I walk by without anyone to wave to.
In the back of my mind, I still thought of Ty. You know the saying, “You never forget your first love.” Well, I never forgot Ty. He definitely was my first love. I never felt for anyone else the way I felt for him.
Perhaps doing something meaningful is my way of trying to fill the void in my life. Regardless, this will be my chance to show my father that I don’t need his wealth.
The plane ride is long and exhausting. But the trip doesn’t stop there. The bus picks us up at the airport and drives another few hours to a remote village.
It’s very dry here. The sun is high in the sky at this point and it’s so hot I might just pass out. I’m starting to second-guess my decision as my excitement starts to fade. What have I gotten myself into?
Suddenly, I want to go home. I’m starting to think about apologizing to my father and admitting that I can’t make it in this world without him.
On second thought, I
can
do this on my own. The poor children of Somalia need me. Our job is to provide medical care and vaccination to this poor village.
Despite the heat, the dryness, and the dust, there’s a quaint beauty to this country. The trees along the side of the road seem to sway back and forth as though waving hello to me. I look up at the sky to see the birds fluttering by. I haven’t seen a wild animal yet and I hope not to see one.
The bus drives past a quiet creek by the village. The gentle rapids remind me of the man-made stream behind our house which my parents filled with two beautiful koi fish. I haven’t even been out of the United States for very long and I’m already feeling homesick. I shake my head. I can do this.
As we drive up to camp, Dr. Nickelson, the head Doctor, starts barking orders left and right. It’s quite obvious that he’s done this more than once and knows exactly where everything needs to go.
“Set up this!”
“Do that!”
“No it goes right here!”
He had no problem bossing everyone around. We set up the camp according to Dr. Nickelson’s liking. Afterwards, Dr. Nickelson gathers everyone into the main tent for a meeting.
“Now, before I let you go I have to give you a safety brief,” Dr. Nickelson warns.
“Be with a friend at all times. Don’t go anywhere alone. Please remember that you are in Somalia. It’s dangerous here. This is not like the United States. Please be safe.” Dr. Nickelson pounds a fist into the palm of his other hand at this statement.
“Enjoy your day Medics! Tomorrow we’ll officially start!” He waves us all off. I was so glad he decided to give us the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves even if it means we only have a few hours.
“Lord knows I need a little time to unwind, even though it is only a few hours until sundown,” Tiffany says. She read my mind!
On the bus ride here, I managed to become friends with Tiffany, an older single woman in her late 40s. She’s been a nurse for over 15 years. She occasionally volunteers for these type of events and enjoys doing this.
“Tiffany, would you like to go exploring with me?” I ask her.
“Sure Angie. Let’s see if we can get one of the locals to go with us though. We’ll need a guide you know.” Tiffany was never a mother, but she sure acts like one. “Always safe. Always careful. That’s my motto,” she told me during the bus ride.
As she goes to find a local who would be nice enough to show us around, I start thinking of where my life will go. Would I be like Tiffany in 15 years or so? Still single? Still doing the same thing?
*****
Tiffany comes back with a young guide.
“This young girl said she will show us around,” Tiffany says.
“Sure.”
It appears that on previous missions, these kids were taught how to speak English. This means I wouldn’t have a tough time trying to communicate with the villagers.
“What’s your name?” I ask her.
“Ashkiro.” She answers in an accent I wouldn’t be able to reproduce.
“Can I just call you Ash for short?” I ask. She nods.
“Well, I saw a creek outside the village. Can you take us to it?”
“I know secret spot! This way, follow me!” says Ash. Her eyes light up as she pulls my hand toward the road. A sudden excitement rushes through me. I turn to see Tiffany following behind with a child-like grin on her face.
This may turn out to be a great idea after all.
Ash takes us outside of the village along the road. The small creek runs parallel to the road. After about a quarter mile in between two big trees, she leaves the road and follows a small trail toward the sound of the creek.
“Here secret place,” Ash says.
The creek emerges behind two big boulders. It’s livelier here. I look up toward the plateau far out in the distance and at the horizon. The sun is starting to set now, and the air is cooler. I lean up against the boulder and look into the water. It’s very clear, but there are no fish.
“We need to get back now,” Tiffany pulls me up. “It’s getting dark. It’s not safe.”
“Sure, mother,” I giggle.
“Oh to be young and carefree again,” Tiffany murmurs as she walks back up towards the road.
“You tell no one,” Ash pleas as we walk back towards the road. “This my secret quiet place.”
“Sure Ash. My lips are sealed,” I assure her.
Half way back to the village we hear a gunshot fire off in the distance. Then another, and more. It sounds like a fire fight. And it sounds like it’s getting closer.
“We run now!” Ash yells behind her as she dashes off toward the safety of the village.
“Tiffany, let’s go,” I yell at her as I start to run off. I turn back to see a look of horror on Tiffany’s face as she stands still, frozen. I run back to grab her hand and drag her towards the village.