Chapter 3

 

The soldiers escorted Casey, Jack, and Thorn out of the weapon room and down the corridor. The cold barrel of a gun pressed hard against Casey’s neck. If only I could karate chop him, she thought, but her hands were cuffed behind her back. Besides, what would a few karate chops do against all these soldiers, my personal escorts to this so-called “lovely surprise”? She wondered what the soldier had meant by that. Sweat ran down her back as she followed the others into a large room. She lifted her gaze, daring a look at the flashing lights and computer screens covering whitewashed walls. “Where are we? The NASA Mission Control Center?”

Jack shook his head, his eyes wide. “I’ve no clue.”

Her uniform was glued to her back now, and wings fluttered in her stomach. As she shot Thorn a questioning look, he turned away, and that scared her the most. He was definitely hiding something.

A soldier marched to a touch-screen control panel and punched in a code. A tormenting smirk spread across his face as he turned toward them, his eyes cold as ice. “Welcome to the Sky Pod.”

Sliding glass doors appeared in a burst of light. Casey watched them stretch open, revealing an oversized, dimly lit cell that she thought might be some kind of jail. But it was different than the one Jack had been held in.

A guard snapped her handcuffs open and shoved her forward, and she fell to her knees. Thorn landed next to her, and Jack skidded across the floor, slamming his head into the wall.

Ignoring the throbbing pain radiating up and down her legs, Casey crawled over. “Are you okay?”

“Not sure,” Jack mumbled through clenched teeth. He pushed his body into a sitting position. “I’m seeing stars.” His breath became ragged, and his hands balled into white-knuckled fists as he stared ahead.

Casey touched his shoulder. “Those idiots didn’t have to be so rough. Please tell me you’re okay.”

Jack squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them. He turned his head toward the other side of the room. “No. I mean I’m really seeing stars. Look!”

Casey followed his gaze. As her eyes adjusted, she gasped. “Oh man! You’re right.” Thousands of twinkling lights surrounded them, perhaps even millions. Countless craters stretched out across the surface of a big yellow ball to the left. She flinched. “Is that the moon?” Casey felt jittery as she rose to her feet and took a tentative step forward, her aching body forgotten. She could see straight ahead for miles. And what’s that big blue circle swirling with white clouds below? With trembling hands, she pushed her sweat-dampened hair out of her eyes. Her voice shook. “Is that Earth? What is this place?” It was the kind of view reserved for astronauts, so she wondered when she had signed up for Space Camp. Oh yeah. I remember now. It was when I joined this crazy mission.

“Another hologram?” asked Jack.

“No. This is a very real prison,” said Thorn. “It’s a glass cube suspended in space. We’re right outside the mothership. She’s suspended under a cloak, invisible to the naked eye, just like this pod.”

Beads of sweat rolled down Jack’s forehead. “I can’t breathe. Everything’s spinning.”

Casey patted him on the back. “Take slow, deep breaths. Just inhale and exhale.”

Closing his eyes, he nodded. “I hate this acrophobia.”

“Excuse me?” asked Thorn, confused by the five-dollar word.

“Fear of heights,” Casey explained, having been educated by Jack before. She wished there was more she could do for him, but there were more pressing matters to consider—like the ship blowing into smithereens. Placing her hands on the wall, she let her fingers glide across the smooth glass surface. The doors were gone, vanished into thin air. “How do we get out of here? This thing could break apart and crash any minute.”

“If there was any chance at escape, it wouldn’t be much of a prison. It is unbreakable though,” said Thorn. “And at least we’re protected from the freezing cosmos.”

Jack raised his eyebrows. “This can’t be for real. Why isn’t there a layer of ice or frost on the glass if it’s so cold out there?”

“The glass is made out of a special material that uses technology to prevent ice and frost from settling on the walls—at least for a while.”

“For a while?” Jack rose to his feet. “So how much longer till this cube becomes a giant ice sculpture? Or even worse, until we run out of air?”

Casey gripped Thorn’s arms. “Are you telling me we’re in a galactic freezer? I don’t want to die like this. In fact, I don’t want to die at all, now that I think about it—but especially not as a Popsicle.”

“It will be three days before we freeze or run out of air. Of course, I’m not sure we’ll have to worry about that,” said Thorn.

“Yeah, because the mothership will explode before that happens,” Jack retorted.

Casey gasped. “Don’t talk like that. My parents are still onboard, and so is Mike.” Her finger tapped the radar tracking device on her wrist. “Speaking of that, where is he? I can’t find a signal for him.”

“Hmm. Me neither,” said Jack, looking at his own device.

Thorn tapped his fingers against the tiny screen. “I’m getting no movement. Mike’s signal’s gone.”

Not Mike too! A chill ran down Casey’s spine as she unfastened her radar device to shake it. Something stirred, and she squealed with delight as a red, blinking light flickered. “I got him! He’s close.”

Thorn spun toward the glass wall, avoiding their gaze. “I’m sorry I warned my brother about the ship exploding. The words just rolled off my tongue. He’s my family, and I never agreed to take his life. I would’ve never let my brother hurt you. You know that, right? I hope you understand and that we have enough time left for you to forgive me.”

Casey was beyond furious at Thorn, but she had to remind herself that she wouldn’t feel the same if it was Mike or Jack or somebody she dearly loved tempting her like that. Letting out a sigh, she pondered. She would’ve done the exact same thing. How could Thorn be expected to stand by and watch his brother die? Even if he is a big evil meanie space jerk. “I’m ticked, but I understand,” said Casey. “The commander didn’t believe one word you said.”

“I know, and that will be my brother’s downfall.” Thorn turned to face them. “You both deserve to know the truth about Sky Pod.” As the words came slowly out of his mouth, Casey could only stare in disbelief. “This is an execution pod. We won’t have time to freeze, suffocate, or be exploded along with this vessel because they will eventually release us into space at some point.”

Casey squinted and started to open her mouth to spill out a panicked string of questions, but Thorn raised a finger, beckoning her to listen.

“We can only hope it happens before the ship explodes. That will buy us some time.”

“What if they don’t?” Jack asked.

“Then we die.”

Die? The room seemed smaller, the air thicker and hotter. A heavy sensation pushed down on her lungs, making it harder to breathe. “No! This isn’t fair. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.” Casey’s eyes filled with tears. She wished she could hold her mom and dad; she needed their tight hugs in that desperate moment. Whatever happened to her, her parents didn’t deserve to go like that.

Jack lashed out by pounding on the wall with his hands. His voice rose an octave or two, and his eyes darted left and right. “My parents will never know what happened to me. They’ll think we drowned in the sea from a boating accident. This isn’t how I imagined my life ending.” Jack took a deep breath. “Do you remember our to-do list? Fishing—”

“I know.”

“Swimming…”

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and a rush of emotions flooded through her. “I’m the one who wrote the list.”

“Snorkeling…”

She touched his shoulder, and her lips trembled. “I didn’t mean for it to turn out like this, Jack. I just…I didn’t know.”

“Inner tubes and floats.” Jack spun toward her. “Your list didn’t mention dinosaurs, advanced civilizations, weapons of mass destruction, or boarding motherships.”

“I know that.” Casey’s legs wobbled, and her head spun. Why can’t we just return to the lives we led before and leave saving Earth and everything else to people who know what they’re doing?

Jack caught her as she collapsed, and they both sank to their knees.

Casey touched his face. “Why does this have to happen?”

He gently pushed aside some strands of hair that had fallen over her eyes. “I could scream and pound on the walls all night, but it won’t change a thing.”

She buried her head against his shoulder and breathed in his sweet scent. His hand wandered to the small of her back, rubbing ever so gently until she felt tears welling up in her eyes again.

Jack held her tight, and his voice came as soft as a whisper. “It’s destiny, Casey. We can’t fight it.”

“Why’s destiny so cruel?” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so scared, Jack. And only agreed to do all of this so I could get you off this ship and save my parents on Earth.”

Jack held her tighter and stroked her back, soothing her.

“Why aren’t my mom and dad on Earth where it’s safe, where they’re supposed to be?” She broke out into loud, uncontrollable sobs. It had to be her darkest moment—ever.

Jack wiped her tears away.

Casey took out her braid and shook her hair free. She slowly stood. Staring straight out into the darkness, she put her palm against the cool glass and breathed in sharply. Starlight gleamed down on them. Her reflection looked back at her, despair edged in every soft line on her face. “We save the world, but I can’t save the people I love.”

“We’ll end our lives knowing we did something selfless and heroic—something that saved billions of others,” said Thorn. “Our sacrifice will be honored by the Agarthians for generations and generations to come.”

So what if there’s some kind of shrine built for us in some Agarthian version of the Smithsonian? What good will a life-sized statue of us do? What will that prove? Casey lay down on the floor and gazed upward. She could feel the cold, slick surface under her back. A breathtaking vista of the night sky would be forever etched in her mind. One thing was for sure: If she somehow made it, she had the perfect inspiration for a mural on her bedroom wall and ceiling.

Minutes passed, and no one talked. She rose up on an elbow and looked at her radar device on her wrist. “Hey, Jack. It just turned midnight. Happy seventeenth.”

“You remembered?”

She nodded. How could I ever forget? “I have a special birthday present for you.”

“Really?”

“I’m going to name a star after you. Hmm…which one should I pick?” She pointed to the biggest, brightest one. “There! That one over there. I’m going to name it Jack.”

He lay next to her. “It’s perfect.”

For a moment, she let her mind switch off. She let go of everything and anything around them, and denial became her friend. When she looked up at him, his gaze met hers. “Happy Birthday, Jack. I mean it. I only wish it could be happier.”

He leaned closer and put his hand in hers, his hot breath almost touching her skin. “Thanks, Casey. And I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather spend it with.”

“The stars are so close. I feel like I could just reach out and touch one.”

“We’re only 300 miles closer to them than we were,” said Jack, getting all scientific again. “They’re still billions of miles away. We’re way closer to the moon.”

The golden moon shone brightly in the midnight sky. With Jack around, she felt calm and at peace. Why did I ever think we could just be friends? There is so much more that I truly want from him. She cleared her throat and turned her attention to Thorn. “What’s it like to walk around the moon in a spacesuit?”

“You’re misinformed. There’s an atmosphere with water and vegetation. The dark side of the moon is just like Earth with rivers, mountains, valleys, and even animals.”

“Wow! I guess all I’d need would be a t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a good old pair of tennis shoes.”

“See the large globular masses over the moon?” asked Thorn, pointing at the thick, dark, shapeless cloud formations.

They both nodded.

Thorn motioned toward the moon. “Cloud formations could not exist without an atmosphere or pressure, and—”

“The atmosphere’s held around the satellite by the force of gravity,” finished Jack, obviously proud of himself.

“Exactly,” said Thorn. “Civilizations in your solar system are common knowledge to everyone except Earth. I don’t know why your government wishes to keep it from you, but regardless of their motives, we have to respect their wishes. As long as we’re cloaked, we do have permission to enter the South and North Poles to Agartha.”

A streak of light flashed across the sky. “Look! A shooting star.” Casey shook Jack’s shoulder. “Quick…make a wish!”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Casey took in his perfect profile for a while before doing the same.

Her eyes were still closed when his voice jolted her out of her thoughts. “What did you wish for?”

To be back home in California, running along the beach. It’d be so nice to smell the saltwater in the air, to hear the waves crash, and to feel the sun and wind on my face—especially if Jack was there with me. “If I tell you, it won’t come true!”

He smiled, his eyes glinting.

“Maybe I should ask what you wished for,” Casey said.

“I’ll never tell,” he chuckled.

Blue, white, yellow, orange, and red shooting stars streaked across the black velvet sky, leaving long, flaming tails in their wake.

She leaned back on both elbows. “We’re in the middle of some kind of meteor shower. Isn’t it awesome?”

A celestial glow covered Jack’s face. “Yeah, it’s like being at a fireworks show with no sound.”

Thorn cleared his throat and walked to the corner of the room. He gazed out into the distance. “I only wanted to deactivate the weapon and save innocent lives. General Ashtar said nobody would get hurt.” He paused. “If you don’t mind, I’d like a few moments to myself.”

“We understand,” said Casey.

Jack’s gaze seemed focused outside the glass, into the depths of space.

Casey nudged him playfully. “You look like you’re hundreds of miles away.”

“Well, we are, aren’t we?” His eyebrows lifted.

She laughed.

“Look at the Earth. I remember when we were kids, dreaming about saving the world.”

Casey blinked, the memories coming back.

Just five years old, dressed in Halloween costumes, playing in Mike's backyard. I had a Wonder Woman suit, Mike was Spider-Man, and Jack was Superman. We were shouting, giggling, ducking beneath the flapping, cool sheets hanging on the clothesline.

As heavy clouds started to roll in, the sky turned dark. The wind blew hard, making the wind chimes chime wildly. Our shouting turned into laughter.

Mike’s mom yelled, “Hey, Casey and Jack, do you want to stay over for dinner?”

“Yes!” we screamed in unison.

“But first, we have to save the world!” I told her.

“Okay. You’ve got five minutes, my little superheroes.”

Mike sighed. “But, Mom, the evil aliens are trying to take over the Earth.”

“Yeah, we have to stop them!” added Jack.

Mike’s mom laughed. “Earth’s so lucky to have you three!”

Casey’s thoughts returned to the present. She laid her head on Jack’s shoulder. “I remember you used to run around wearing that long red cape.”

“Well, as I recall, you never took off that gold tiara of yours,” said Jack.

She let out a laugh. “Don’t forget the matching gold bracelets.” She paused in thought. “Maybe—just maybe—we were preparing for our future, even if we had no idea.”

“Without a doubt,” he whispered.

Casey stood. “Dance with me?”

He glanced at her, his laughter dying in his throat. “What? Now? Here, in an alien death chamber, you feel like doing the tango?”

“I can’t take the pain, Jack. Please help me forget where we are, even if it is only for a moment.”

Jack grabbed her hand and twirled her around quickly, smiling as she giggled. A firestorm of shooting stars soared across the heavens, as if applauding their efforts on the makeshift dance floor. Jack’s arm wrapped around Casey’s waist, and he dipped her backward, until her long hair brushed against the floor. He pulled her out of the dip and back onto her feet. Again, he twirled her around. And so they laughed and danced—under the sparkling light of a million stars.

The meteor storm blazed; colors continued to swirl all around the cube. Stars glittered like diamonds. Finally, they danced close and slow. Casey’s heart pounded as she realized how nice it was to be held by Jack. Their eyes connected, and silence filled the air. They had always been tight, but now there was something more between them, something that sizzled as brightly as the stars on the horizon.

Casey felt a sudden, strong attraction to the person she’d known all her life. Jack looked so good in black. His brilliant blue eyes echoed the illuminations of the cosmos in a most glorious way. She traced a fingertip across his lips, losing herself in those gorgeous eyes. To top it off, he had the most beautiful smile. Then, a thought occurred to her, one she’d never considered before: Jack would make the perfect boyfriend. Casey studied his handsome face. He was hot, smart, sweet, and didn’t go around sampling the flavor of the week like Mike. I’ve been so stupid, falling for Mike when all this time, love—real, faithful love—was right before my eyes.

Jack tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His soft touch made her heart flutter. She knew at that moment that she might never have a chance to fall in love and get married. Jack might be the last face she saw, the last voice she heard. Time stood still; there was only that moment. An overwhelming urge to kiss Jack struck her. She knew he’d never make the first move because that wasn’t Jack; he was nothing like Mike. As she leaned in, just a breath’s distance away from him, the entire world seemed to stop and hold its breath, waiting for the sparks. She stared into his shocked face. Shivering with emotion, Casey shut her eyes and pulled him closer. Jack cupped her face in his warm hands. His lips pressed against her mouth, and there was, indeed a spark; it shot right through her and felt so good, so natural, so right. All she’d ever wanted and needed was right there in her doomed arms.

Jack stroked her cheek, and more soft, gentle kisses followed, melting their problems away. He was her friend, but there was more to him than that. Finally, she was able to admit it. They could’ve shared something so wonderful, so beautiful, but just when she realized it, it was too late.

He gazed into her eyes. “I’ve loved you for my entire life, Casey. I can’t even date other girls ‘cause I only want you. None of them can compare.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “I didn’t know. I wish I had.” She wondered why and regretted that he hadn’t said something sooner, when there was still time for them to act on his feelings. Still, she blamed herself for not noticing. Jack was more subtle in his advances than Mike (who wasn’t?), but all the signs were there all along. Casey felt like an idiot for not seeing what was right in front of her eyes. Whatever she had felt for Mike was gone because it was shallow and meaningless. Jack truly loved her with all his heart. She could see it in his eyes.

He lowered his mouth to hers and captured it again in a tender kiss.

Vibrations shot through Casey’s boots, getting stronger with each passing second. Okay, that wasn’t from the kiss, she realized after a second, and she broke contact between his lips and hers. “Did you feel that?”

“Mm-hmm,” he said with a sheepish grin.

“Not that, silly! I meant that vibration. And what’s that buzzing sound?”

In the next instant, an enormous jolt rocked the entire cube. Casey’s body jerked, and she lost her balance, stumbling to the floor, a crash landing with reality. “What’s happening?”

A tapping sound emerged, followed by a long hiss.

“They’re getting ready to jettison us out into space!” explained Thorn. “This is a good thing. Staying here was a death sentence.”

Jack held out his hand, and Casey pulled herself up. He took her arms gently. “According to Thorn, once we’re dropped into space, we’ll have a few days before this thing freezes and we run out of air. Maybe the general you told me about can find us.”

Casey shouted, “What about my parents…and Mike? That ship is going to explode in…” She looked down at her radar device. “Three hours.”

Jack took a deep, pained breath, then exhaled slowly and looked away.

And no one said another word.