Lathan and Zenden sat in a room where people just looked at them like a new race of aliens; people just either just walked on by or stopped and stared. The police were talking to Captain Thernright and Kayla, but Lathan and Zenden were sitting as far as only a few syllables could be heard. It was going to be a long while before that Federal Protection was going to be called. The room was open with glass surrounding it, with marble floor and had little in terms of furniture just several chairs around the space and a metallic rectangular table at the middle with nothing on it.

  Lathan and Zenden look at each other within intervals, both not saying a word. Both thinking about what just happened.

  “You’re okay?” Zenden asked.

  “For the fifth time yes I’m okay.” Lathan answered with annoyance burning his tongue.

  Zenden sits back and rubs his ribs. Lathan looks and sighs. “Are you okay?” he asks his friend.

  “For the fifth time yes I’m okay!” Zenden says with some sarcasm which was needed at this present time. there is silence for a couple of seconds between the pair as they look through the glass and see the Captain and Kayla talking to the police wearing their dark blue shirts and chrome silver protective vests.

  “What do you think…I, I just don’t know what to say…what is going on Lathan?”

  “If I could tell you, I would.”

  “What is this about your dad?”

  Lathan stays silent looking forward into space. “I don’t know.”

  More silence as the pair keep their thoughts to themselves. Then the figure of Marcella Miller comes through running and then being held by the police and station security.

  “Hey wait!!! Wait!!!” Zenden stands and yells. “That’s my girlfriend!!”

  “Can they hear you?” Lathan asked.

  “They better hear me! Hey!!”

  She looks at him and the captain talks to the police and security. She pushes them away as she lets go and opens the door running towards Zenden careering into his chest and into his open arms.

  “I heard on the news. I was so worried!” she said. “I didn’t know if you were dead or anything!”

  “I’m fine. Marcella I’m fine.”

  “Lathan are you okay?” She asks looking at Lathan.

  “I’m fine Marcella thank you.” Lathan responds with a faint smile.

  “What happened?” she said looking arching her neck high at Zenden.

  “I don’t know, some Encronians managed to get here and tried to take us out. Permanently.” Zenden said and as soon as he says that Marcella holds him tighter.

  “I’m just glad you’re okay,” she said with her eyes closed with her face buried in Zenden’s chest, “I’m glad you’re both okay.”

  Lathan smiles and looks at Captain Thernright and Kayla who both enter.

  “So what’s going on are we…?” Lathan says standing up.

  “You’re not being charged with anything the both of you.” Captain said.

  Lathan and Zenden both breathe sighs of relief.

  “I’m sorry the both of you had to go through that.” He looks at Kayla who nods.

  “Sorry Miss Miller?” Kayla said. “I need you to come with me.”

  “What? Why?” Marcella asked.

  “You just have to trust me on this. Captain Thernright needs to speak to the both of them on their own.” Kayla said looking at Marcella who looks up at Zenden. He looks down at her nods. She relinquishes her grip across his waist and walks up to Kayla holding the door open for her. Marcella looks at Zenden before she walks out. Both exchange warm smiles. Kayla looks at Lathan only for a couple of seconds. She gives no emotion. No look just a stare. She shuts the door.

  Captain Thernright ushers them to sit which they do and he pulls a chair and sits in front of them. He hunches forward with both arms on his thighs. He looks down for a moment. “I am thankful that both of you are alive. I wish that this never had to happen this way.” He stops for a couple of seconds. “You both are very brave and did the right thing. Zenden I too have to apologise to you, that you got involved, by just being at the wrong place at the wrong time and now bad luck has befallen you.” Another pause. “Most if not all Encronian assassins always have recording equipment on them. A video recording with an uplink to their superiors who send them on their missions. While you fought the assassin Zenden,” he takes a small camera with the viewer stained with green blood. “You were being recorded.”

  “I don’t understand, what does this mean?” Zenden asks with shock shrouding his mind.

  “It means that they know who you are Ze.” Lathan said with frustration. “They’ve seen your face.”

  “So they’ve seen me? What does that…?” The realisation now comes across the face of Zenden Tenstraighter. “Am…I in danger now?”

  Captain nods. “They will hunt for you because of your alliance to Lathan. You stopped a royal assassin. They saw you showing defiance to one of their own. They will hunt you as they will hunt Lathan.” Captain looks down for another couple of seconds. He can hear the heavy breathing of Zenden. “I had no choice Zenden, they would have killed you if I we did not run. Now I only ask for you to join your friend on coming with us to Speciour.”

  “To….to become a Speciour Knight?” Zenden asked.

  “Yes, but also to be protected. You can be hurt, both of you can be hurt here, the laws have become easier for entering all you need in legitimate registration codes and anyone could sneak in with the right equipment. In Speciour only Knights or government officials can enter. You, the both of you can be safe there….I wish I could tell you that you had a choice, but you don’t.” Captain said looking at the pair both giving contrasting emotions. Zenden nods like while Lathan looks on giving the same confused gaze he did at the park.

  “Have you both got anything to say?” Thernright asked.

  “I accept. If they could hurt me they may hurt my mother. Anyone close to me. If I go,” Zenden is interrupted.

  “Ze think about this!” Lathan yells standing up. “Seriously think about this!! Going to Speciour, changing your plans! You have university!”

  “Plans change Lathan.” Zenden said to Lathan with coldness. “As the captain said, we have no choice.”

  “You’re not thinking clearly Ze!”

  “No it is not me who is not thinking clearly Lathan.”

  Captain Thernright seems a bit uncomfortable with the escalating argument. “I will leave you both to talk.” And he does getting up and going out the room shutting the door behind him.

  Lathan stands up and paces around the room. “We only met this guy today Zenden!!!”

  “Yes and he saved my life Lathan!”

  “He is making all the accusations and statements!!”

  “You’re stalling Lathan. What are you scared of?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. What are you scared of?”

  “I’m not scared of anything.”

  “No Lathan. I think you are scared. I don’t know if it is leaving New Earth that frightens you or if it is something deeper.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Listen, I’ve known you for a long time, longer then anyone apart from well you know? And what I’ve known is your particular looks and actions and right now you’re looking angry, but your actions…actions point to fear.”

  “What do you know?” Lathan said turning his back on his friend.

  “I know that you can do magic. That you are scared of that. Maybe they can tell you about this. Maybe they could tell you about everything, tell you why Encronians assassins were sent to kill you.” Zenden stands and Lathan turns round. “They came for you. They want your blood. They want you dead.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Lathan said with sadness.

  “Say that you will go.”

  Lathan walks back to his chair and sits down again. Just looking to think again about everything. Zenden sits down next to him and places his hand on Lathan’s shoulder. “I know you have an ulterior motive Tenstraighter.”

  Zenden laughs. “Really now.”

  “Well Marcella Miller’s going to Speciour. Now you’ve got the opportunity to join her.”

  “That is true.”

  “Look I understand that I have to go, questions to be answered and whatnot, but you, you still have a chance…”

  “At what? I almost died today. I mean I had was shot at and beaten up, by someone who didn’t even know me, but clearly wanted me dead and took pleasure in the fact that he wanted to kill me. I can be hurt here, the Captain is right I’ve got to go, yes there’s some benefit with Marcella being there, but I’m no use to her dead Lathan. I mean she came out of her way to find me here… I don’t know about you, but that is important. Plus I…I didn’t know what my major was going to be for college.”

  “No clue?”

  Zenden shook his head. “I still have no idea what I want to do with my life.” he paused, “I just know I’ve got to do something important.”

  “Like Marcella Miller?”

  Zenden smiled. “Funny Lathan. My sides will be bursting.”

  Lathan sits back and so does Zenden both lean their heads on the wall. “I just don’t want you going there for some girl even if she is the girl.”

  “I’m not just going for her. There is self preservation to think of and to be honest, I really have thought about applying to go to Speciour. Maybe this is fate you know? I didn’t know what I was going to do at university; maybe this will give me some purpose in my life.”

  Lathan sighs. “Purpose right,” he pauses, “You’re going to go aren’t you?”

  Zenden nods.

  “Great. You know what that means.”

  Zenden smiles and looks at his friend. “It something we have to do. We both almost died today. Who says they won’t come for us again and again. We’ve got no choice.”

  Lathan’s phone communicator comes on wrapping around his ear and he looks at his wrist. Jaden flashes on the screen. He presses the green answer button on his wrist com. “Jay it’s not the right time,”

  “Lathan, it is your father.”

  “What?”

  “He’s at the hospital I’m here.”

  “What? Why….why is he at the hospital?” Lathan said heart racing.

  “Jesus, he was attacked, your house was attacked. He was shot five times. I don’t know who…”

  “JADEN!!! PLEASE!!!!”

  Captain, Kayla and Marcella comes in and sees Lathan frantic yelling at the top of his vocal chords. “JADEN! JADEN!” Zenden’s hand never leaves Lathan’s shoulder. It has a calming effect though Lathan still reverberates in shock. “Is he dead?”

  There is silence from Jaden’s end and Lathan’s mind thinks the worse. “No I don’t know. I’m sorry I don’t know.”

  Lathan closes his eyes and bows his head.

  “They took him in around twenty five minutes ago. I’ve been waiting here. I’m at the general hospital at New Angel I’m sorry. Look I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in a beta.”

  Lathan takes a deep breath. He opens his eyes and raises his head. “I, uh….I need to go.”

  “We all go.” Captain Thernright said. “We all will go with you.”

  The drive to the hospital was longer for Lathan, every stop felt like ten minutes instead of the fifteen seconds everyone else felt. Lathan was silent and the others tried to talk to him, but his mind laid elsewhere. He watched the clear blue sky, a sky he almost died on, a sky that Kayla almost died on and now the same sky that over looked his well father’s fate. There was no resentment now to Julius Thorne. All that was declared in the mind of young Lathan was worry.

  Lathan raced up the stone steps of the general hospital, which was traditional bricks and wood were the foundations like Bridgeport High. Seven floors high and one of the largest buildings in New London. The hospital had pillars at the front etched with names of past scholars and significant doctors and physicians.

  He runs inside to reception area which was a sparse main sitting area with glum colours around and seating accordingly. A large TV was at the middle and of the few people there eyes were gazed upon the images.

  Lathan runs up to the young nurse who was sitting down on the right hand side of the reception in a large booth protected by Emcron bullet-proof glass. She was looking at her chart on her right hand side. “How can I help you?” she said smiling.

  “Julius Thorne! He came in,” Lathan looks at his watch, “around thirty, thirty five minutes ago! He was shot,”

  “Yes he’s in accident and emergency. One floor up….” she stops and before she can finish Lathan runs up to the lift and presses the button hurriedly. The lights of the lift blink and a pinging sound comes with the arrival. The doors open and Lathan runs in and presses the button of floor one. The doors shut.

  Lathan cannot stop moving, and like the journey seemed to take longer then it should. Like fate was trying to keep him from the terrifying truth. That he was dead.

  The doors open and Lathan runs out only to stop when he sees Jaden heads in hands sitting down in the hallway. Lathan does the slow walk as Jaden turns to his left where Lathan was walking up to him. He stands looking sad. Lathan gets closer and closer, his heart skipping beats like it was on purpose, his sweat pours were shut, nothing was on alert, life and time would stay still apart from the walk up to his friend there to relay the terrible news. He walks up and stands only a few feet near his friend.

  “Jaden….I, I don’t.”

  “It’s okay. He’s going to be okay. I mean I don’t know, they haven’t said anything yet since he went in….”

  A doctor in navy blue scrubs comes out of the room in front of the pair. He looks at the pair. “Lathan Thorne?” He asked and Lathan nods.

  The doctor walks up to Lathan just as the other who came in with Lathan appear from the lift. They stay their distance. Kayla being the only to walk forward though she walks at a snails pace, not looking at the doctor or Jaden, but her eyes never leave Lathan. She watches him almost methodically watching his eyes water, but not crying, watching his involuntary shaking, watching his stance seeing if Lathan can hold firm and wither. She watches him and walks up to him and the doctor place his hand on Lathan’s shoulder saying “We’re doing the best we can. All we can do is hope.”

  The doctor walks back into the room and Lathan sits Jaden puts his arm around him. Kayla sits on the other side of Lathan and takes his hand. He looks at her with tears still trying purging themselves from his eyes. He looks at and then looks at his hand. “He’s in a coma.” He starts to cry with the tears finally pulling away from entrapment and Lathan letting go of all emotion and everyone groups around him in support.

  Lathan walks up to the sleeping body of Julius Thorne. He was draped in white from his wear to the covers he was under. Lathan watched the endotracheal tube assisting the breathing with the mask covering Julius’s mouth and the bruises around his eyes made Lathan sick to the stomach. Lathan cannot see the shots to his chest six in all which were used in the attempted assassination of Julius Thorne. He did not want to see the scarred chest. He watches the heart beat steady and that was a good sign. Intravenous lines for drug infusions fluids or total parenteral nutrition, nasogastric tubes, suction pumps, drains and catheters there were all there and Lathan knew what all looked like from teachings at first aid at Bridgeport.

  Lathan sat down and looked at the person he has called his father for sixteen and a half years. He just looked at him firstly with some concern, which turned to calm. He watched Julius’s chest rise and fall.

  “You should have told me.” Lathan pauses. “You should have told me the truth. I don’t even know…I don’t even know.”

  He takes Julius’s hand and holds it for a couple of seconds, he wants to say something, he doesn’t know how to say or if he truly wants to say it, but he knows that there has to be a time and a place to say something emotional to show his support, but words leave his grasp, they wonder off like they were meant to be lost and his mouth stays closed. He lets go of Julius’s hand more of anger of inability to not bring out the right words at this time. Lathan sat there for the next three hours watching Julius Thorne whetever to call him his father or his uncle; Lathan’s thoughts permeate from the arguments of recent past and the feeling of near loss he feels now. The sky which was orange and red with the dimming sunlight gave a warm, but faded glow in the room with the only sound the steady heart beats heard from the monitor covering a little of silence.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “Damn you for not telling me.”

  Lathan sits by the steps of the general hospital looking at the cityscape at the distance with darkness looming flying cars looked like sporadic bats in the sky flying about in organised formation. Different shapes and sizes they all were, but in Lathan’s state they all looked the same to him. The shadows covered the large buildings and skyscrapers like blanket getting ready for the darkness of night.

  Lathan always liked looking at sunsets, there was a certain beauty to them and from that came a real sense of comfort that took Lathan from the trials of his own thoughts. He was in such a space that he didn’t notice Jaden sitting next him.

  “You okay Lathan.” He asked his friend with concern.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Your old man is tough taking all those hits like that.”

  Lathan was going to tell Jaden there and then about the new revelation in his life, but it was such a rarity for Jaden Mican Sparrious to be supportive so he allowed it to continue.

  “You shouldn’t have to go through all this. Not you.” Jaden said with some sadness and Lathan looked at his friend who was now looking before playing with his shoelaces. “I was scared something happened to you.”

  Wow he was opening up Lathan thought.

  “If something happened to you Lathan or to Zenden I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. I couldn’t date for a least a month!”

  They both laugh.

  “No for all seriousness, you and Zenden are my brothers. Without one of us we aint got anyone else. Well I’ve got family, but they cancel my allowance sometimes and then I hate them….that’s another day, but you must know I’m here for you. I mean that as your brother. You’re not alone in this.”

  “Thank you.” Lathan said and they hug. They come out of the embrace and Lathan looked at the growing maturity of his friend. “I need to ask you something.”

  “What?”

  “I’m leaving, to Speciour.”

  “Speciour?” Jaden then thinks for a second. “The Galactic Fleet?”

  “I’m joining. Zenden is too. I want you to join us. I wouldn’t be right without you being there Jaden. Now I know that this means that you might put your life on the line, but if you….”

  “Count me in!” Jaden says enthusiastically. A response that even surprises Lathan.

  “As much as I am happy with your enthused response I need you to think about this. Really think about this.”

  “I have. Lathan sometimes and I tell you this often sometimes, some things are asked of you, some things that don’t require any thought at all. You just do because you know its right and this one of things.”

  “Like Cindy Marchello?”

  “Yes she was one of those things!”

  They both laugh again for a couple of seconds before the enormity of the situation dawned on the pair. Lathan accepting that he was leaving home for a whole new life and world had now inadvertently saddle one of his two best friends while pretty much pushing the other come with him and Lathan puts his hand on Jaden’s right shoulder. He looks at him with all the warmth all he can muster despite those previous negative feelings and smiles. Jaden himself smiles in receptivity also casting aside negative feelings thinking I’m sure there are nice girls in the galactic fleet. I mean they can beat the hell out of me, but that’s the challenge he thinks as Captain Thernright walks down the stairs and to the pair.

  “Master….” Captain Thernright said looking at Jaden trying to think of his last name.

  “Jaden Sparrious.” Jaden said deepening his voice to sound a little bit more masculine.

  “Master Sparrious you don’t mind if I speak to Lathan alone?”

  “Oh no sir.” and Jaden does a salute and Captain Thernright laughs and salutes back. Jaden looks at Lathan grins somewhat smugness across his mouth before walking off. Lathan who stood up at the same time as Jaden sits on the step he has been sitting on for more then an hour.

  Thernright sits next to him. He looks at the dimming light of the sky and the emergence of night lights switching on at this point around the city. “It is a beautiful sight a city descending into darkness. I have to say that it has been a while since I have truly looked at sunset dropping past a city. I haven’t been on Earth for over eighteen years.” Captain Thernright said his eyes never leaving the city.

  “You’re not from London. You’ve got an American accent like Kayla.” Lathan adds.

  “I’m from New Washington state originally. I left to join the fleet at around about your age. Such a long time ago….” He ponders. “I was young, but I knew what I wanted. I guess the difference between you and I Lathan is that I had a choice over twenty years ago and you do not. I wish I didn’t have to place all this information on you, but if you leave with me then I will tell you what I know.”

  Lathan looks out to the city also. He watches the people near the hospital catching buses and taxies on the way home. “I will go with you, like you said before, I really have no choice.”

  Thernright smiles “You have made the right choice Lathan. I mean it wasn’t really a choice, but you know?”

  “I know. I’ve got one condition. Well two. I want protection for my…” Lathan pauses, “uncle. I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

  “The federal protection has already sent an armed guard for him. I made sure of that.”

  “Also I want Jaden Sparrious to enlist with me and Zenden.”

  Captain Thernright looks at Lathan almost confused by this request. “May I ask why?”

  “He’s family and I’m not going if he doesn’t go.”

  “You sure? Is he sure?”

  Lathan looks at the Captain and nods. Captain Thernright nods also accepting the condition non-verbally.

  “Okay he can come.” Captain Thernright pauses, thinking of the right words to say circulating his mind like insulting aberration just wanting to come out. “I’m sorry to ask of this now considering what’s happened.”

  “It gets my mind off.” Lathan said looking out to the city once again. “I…I just can’t think about what could have happened.”

  “I know Lathan. I know.”

  “When do we leave?” Lathan asked eyes fixed on the large shadow loomed around the city.

  “Tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay.”

  Captain Thernright stands. He looks at Lathan and somewhat cautiously at first places his hand on Lathan’s left shoulder. He then grips it and taps it before he walks off. Lathan looks back at the captain’s back. He stares for a couple of seconds and then looks up at the darkening sky. Light had now past, day turned to evening and evening was going to turn into night. Lathan knew, of course that all things in his life had now forever changed.

  Captain Thernright goes into the decks of the ship and sat in the cockpit. He slumps in his seat with his hand brushing his mouth and then his jaw. He can fee little hairs rough and course across his chin. He thinks of Lathan and how he has to change everything. Also the fact tomorrow that he has to tell him the truth. The truth about everything. Kayla sits next to him with a cup of New Peninsulan coffee. She passes it to him.

  “It’s a bit hot sir.” She said as Captain takes the cup delicately from her hand.

  “Thank you.” Thernright said and places the cup in front of him. He stays silent looking at the cars buzzing past in the air and all the lights of the city illuminating the night. Kayla looks at her captain concerned.

  “Are you okay sir?”

  Captain Thernright looks at her snapping it out it seems from intense thoughts. “Why do you ask?”

  “You just seemed so perturbed. Like something is truly troubling you.” She paused. “The uncle, the uncle of Thorne will pull through. I’m sure of it. I know pulling Thorne away from his family…”

  “It’s not that corporal. I have just things on my mind.”

  Kayla nods and looks out at the cityscape. “I did not mean to pry sir.”

  Captain Thernright smiles. “Yes you did.”

  She looks at him and smiles and then giggles. She covers her mouth in almost a mockingly shocked reaction like she was not meant to laugh in that way. “Sorry sir.”

  “For what?”

  She takes a couple of seconds to answer thinking about the right response. “Nothing.” Simple and effective. “You were right sir.”

  “About what Kayla?”

  “About Thorne. There is something really special about him.”

  Captain looks at Kayla who is looking forward at the city still.

  “The way he handled himself in the chase, he didn’t act his age. He was far more mature then I anticipated. He…” She pauses. Thinking of the fall. The fall to her doom saved by the might of Lathan Thorne. How did he save her?

  “He did what Kayla?”

  “He’s just special sir. I don’t know. Just something about him.”

  “Yeah just like his friend.”

  “Tenstraighter?”

  “He showed great character today. Bravery and strength I haven’t seen since…well since you.”

  Kayla’s heart warms and smiles looking downwards in embarrassment with her cheeks going red. “Thank you sir.” she said mid cough to try and cover up any further embarrassment. “You know we could have put Tenstraighter in federal protection.”

  “I know, but for such a change to happen in Lathan’s life, he needs to have some sort of familiarity. He needs some support. He will need it.”

  “That’s why you brought the other friend. Sparrious?”

  “Lathan said he would not go without him.”

  “Wouldn’t General Blake be mad as we only came for Thorne and have brought back two others?”

  “As long as we have Lathan Thorne, to the general that bit of news is all that matters.”

  “I just don’t want you to get in trouble sir.”

  Captain Thernright looks at Kayla and smiles. It was what I needed to hear. “Thank you Kayla.”

  They both stay silent both looking forward. Thernright sips on his coffee again once then twice closing his eyes at the soothing taste of the Peninsulan beans which flirted with his tongue playfully and left without a trace leaving and admiring and lingering aftertaste in his mouth. He cannot help, but smile after the second consecutive sip.

  “Good huh?” Kayla said proud that she made she a coffee which impressed her captain.

  “Very.” Thernright said smiling. Both then keep up the silence.

  Kayla then looks at Captain with seriousness all over her face. “What are you not telling me sir?”

  Captain looked at with her almost the same serious glacial look. “Pay my silence with no mind corporal.” He stands and gets up leaving Kayla at the cockpit alone. She looks back and sighs crossing her arms in frustration.

  Lathan pulls out the last bit of clothes from his wardrobe. He fits them all into a dark green duffle bag. He takes stuff from his room, Quasarball magazines and posters of his favourite players, comics and stasis video images which were photographs and video images linked to together with moving images freeze framed and held for as long as possible without losing any power and can move again with a touch of a play button.

  His room was not sparse of clutter, nor was it full. He held a cold feeling in his heart he hoped that one day he could return to his room, but a little voice in the back of his head was telling him not a chance.

  He walks out of the room and into Julius’s bedroom. Neat and tidy with elegant wardrobe with designs of old time past around the edges and silk and stain sheets draped on top of the bed with long vertical shutters across the window Lathan just looks at the room. He thinks of the man who was his father sheltering a lie for so long and how he himself longed for some resolution and truthful answers about his past. He lied on the bed looking up at the ceiling until his eyes were weights that could not be held up any longer and vision slowly dropped into darkness.

  The morning laid out a colourful sky. Long streaks of cloud came across certain parts of the sky slowly lingering on their own business. The air never felt so fresh on New Earth and Lathan walked out his house with Jaden and Zenden waiting by Zenden’s car and Marcella sleeping in the passenger seat. Lathan walked forward and then looked back at his house one last time. He had spent all his natural life in that house, sure he was going to leave for college, but he would have been back for the next summer, but now he was leaving that house which subconsciously he cherished like his own personal belonging. He was now saying goodbye for good. He turns round and walks to his friends.

  “Maybe it is fate?” Lathan asked.

  “Well that’s an obscure question Lathan.” Jaden said with Zenden shrugging his shoulder in agreement.

  “I just can’t believe it is over.” Lathan said taking one last look at his house.

  “Don’t look at this as an ending Lathan. Look at this as a new beginning. A new adventure.” Zenden said taking Lathan’s bag and putting it in the trunk.

  “Yeah I mean think of the buffed up females at Speciour. Could you imagine kissing a girl who could beat the hell out of you? I don’t know about you guys, but that’s just a thrill right there!” Jaden said excitedly rubbing his hands together.

  “You’re crazy. Seriously.” Zenden said to Jaden.

  “How did your mum take the news to you leaving?” Lathan asked Zenden who shut the back of his car.

  “Not well, we argued at the beginning, but I told her it was what I wanted to do. She accepted that. I’m eighteen, so she respected my choice. I’ll miss her, but I know that this is the right thing to do.”

  “And you?” Lathan asked Jaden.

  “My parents welcomed it. They said joining the fleet would give me discipline.” He snorts then laughs. “What do they know? I’m just in it for the buffest females.”

  “Who can beat your head in right?” Zenden said walking past.

  “Well it’s a challenge.”

  “Get in the car Sparrious.” Zenden orders and strangely enough Jaden obeyed Zenden and sits at the back. Both Lathan and Zenden looked shocked and then come to the realisation “He’s thinking of girls!” they both say.

  “You got that right.” Jaden mutters to himself.

  All laugh apart from Marcella who sleeps. Lathan looks at the clear street with birds tweeting away soothing Lathan in a strange way, but prolonging the eventual sadness. A paperboy riding a mini rydercycle just a few feet of the ground goes past them and chucks a paper at the house next door to Lathan’s.

  Lathan looks at the boy going down the clear street. Zenden looks at his friend. “You know,” he said to Lathan who turns and looks at Zenden, “I think that this is fate. This was probably meant to happen.”

  “Yeah.” He takes a deep breath. “You are probably right….I hope you’re right.”

  “I hope I am too.”

  Lathan looks at Marcella sleeping peacefully. “You’re dropping her off? I thought she would have gone with her parents.”

  Zenden looks at Marcella and smiles. “For some reason she chose me. They agreed. I guess fate can be kind to me as well as Lathan Thorne.”

  “Then I am glad for you my friend.”

  “I won’t see her for months though. Isn’t that strange? I mean she is on one side of the planet and we’re at the other. I know that my longing for her will begin as soon as she steps at the docking aeroport.”

  “Think of it like this Ze, it will only be for a few months. Not years. Keep that hope inside of you and you’ll be fine.”

  “Jeez, you’ve done it again. How many time must I repeat this; I’m the one who’s supposed to dispense advice and you…”

  “Never get that I never listen to those fateful repeats my friend.”

  “You don’t.” Zenden laughs.

  “Guys,” Jaden said from the car, “we’ve got to be at the aeroport by seven.”

  Zenden then looks at Lathan looking around the familiar street with a longing gaze. “Are you ready?”

  Lathan nods and sits at the back next to Jaden. Zenden looks at him and nods to himself before looking at the house and then the street. It is happening. The goodbye he thinks before getting in the car and they drive off high into the air. Lathan looks back with the house and the street going further away and becoming smaller in the distance.

  “A new adventure.” He says to himself as they head toward New Gatwick near New Surrey the countryside far from the metropolis of New London City.

  The aeroport was busy, the large screen showing departures and arrivals were on every open space, tall thin jointed robots were carrying around luggage, pilots joked with stewardesses and families were either holding out the hands to hug and hold friends and family arrival or hugging and crying loved one who was departing to other planets along the Galaxy.

  The space travel port was much more larger then the continent to continent travel on New Earth, because the ships were much more larger for space travel and more cargo was brought in and taken out of New Gatwick, the footfall was more frequent and bars and restaurants were much larger as space travel generally took much longer then a trip from New London to New York.

  Lathan, Jaden, Marcella and Jaden with their bags on tow go to the departures area. Marcella’s ship was leaving first as they checked on the big screen right near the entrance. In fact she only had a couple of minutes before she had to board. Lathan and Jaden both said their goodbyes hugging and making her laugh, by this time she already had tears in her eyes by the boyish jostling for who could be the funniest out of the pair, but also by this time Zenden was going to say goodbye to the girl he pined for and finally got, before saving goodbye once again as he always seemed to do in his mind at the hallways of Bridgeport when she walked past.

  The pair walked up to Kayla and Captain Thernright. They tell them that Zenden just has to say goodbye to his girl. All four watch them.

  “This is harder then I thought,” Marcella said looking at other young intern going through to departures, “I don’t even know what I’m doing. Look at them, they all got academia written all over them, the bookish types and what have I got?”

  “Determination. That’s what you got.”

  Marcella smiles as her eyes begin to water. “You’re just saying that.”

  “Yeah I am. I know it’s true. You’ve got something to prove Marcella. So prove it.”

  “What if this is daunting? Too daunting for me what if I fail?”

  “You won’t. This is what you want. You keep that in your heart and I promise that you will come through.”

  Marcella takes Zenden hands and wraps her arms around her. She rests her head on his chest. “I’m going to need you there. I don’t know if I can do this without you.”

  “I will be there.” he takes something out of his pocket. A little coin a silver fifty pence coin with the year on it. He places it on Marcella’s hand.

  “This coin is five years old.” She said confused.

  “It gives me luck. I found it the day I first saw you. It was there in front of me shining and I had to pick it up. Like I was destined to find it, like I was meant to fall for you.”

  Marcella cries and they both hug. Lathan looks on feeling the sadness for his friend and Kayla looks on at the pair. She bows her head for a second and looks at her shoes. She looks up and looks at Lathan who keeps looking at his friend. I hope he comes through this he thinks.

  Zenden kisses the top of Marcella’s head his lips caressing her hair, his nose accentuating the conditioner Marcella used this morning. They kiss even longer then they did in Vennesula, even longer when he dropped her home when they got back to New Earth yesterday morning. They come out of the embrace and look into each others eyes when her row Seats 210-230 are now ready for boarding. Again seats 210 to 230 are now ready for boarding is called.

  “I…I….” Zenden paused trying to search for the right words, “I’m going to miss you. You call me when you get to the medical centre okay?” you idiot.

  “Of course I will.” She kisses him again. “I’m going to miss you too Zenden. You’re in my thoughts,” she places his right hand on her chest right on her heart, “You’re in my heart.” They put their heads together and peck kiss a couple of times before a more lingering kiss comes and Marcella pulls away. “I’ve got to go. As soon as I land. I will you know.”

  “I know.”

  She moves slowly away from his grasp. Letting go of his fingers like she was pulled from an unknown force and Zenden was powerless to stop her. She picks up her bags and starts walking to the departures gate for her ship. She stops and turns back to Zenden and smiles with tears going down her cheeks; this to Zenden’s knowledge wasn’t tears of sadness, but tears of joy. He too was smiling happy that she was going for her dream as he went for his at Vennesula and he achieved.

  Marcella gets to departures and shows her passport card which is swiped from a scanner which flashes a green light which was access confirmed a blue light is access denied. She looks back one last time and they exchange a look. She blows a kiss and Zenden raises his right hand and catches it in the air and pulls that hand closed in a fist to his heart and keeps it. He mouths to her “for you.”

  She moves to him. “I know.” She goes through the gates and on to escalator.

  The doors shut to the departures gate and Zenden can barely see her back and for a couple more seconds she is gone. Lathan walks over to his friend. He puts his right hand on Zenden’s left shoulder.

  “Won’t be for long you know, you’ll see her sooner then you think.”

  “I know.” Zenden said trying to hold back the tears. “To get her finally and to lose her again. I am happy that she is living out her dreams and is aspiring to do something, but it is a bitter blow.”

  “At least you’re on the same planet as her. Not hundred of thousands of miles away.”

  “I know…I just wish.” Zenden pauses.

  “What?”

  “I just wish I told her that I loved her. That I was brave enough to do that. I couldn’t.” Zenden said with a tear falling down his right cheek.

  Lathan puts an arm around his shoulder. “Yeah well you got another opportunity soon. You’ll get another chance and the next time you’ll say it.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  Zenden smiles and takes his eyes away from Marcella’s departures gate. “Thank you Lathan. I mean that.”

  Lathan gives a comforting smile. “Let’s go. Our new adventure awaits us.”

  Zenden picks up his bag and walks down with Lathan towards the rest as they now get ready to board their ship. Zenden takes one last look at Marcella’s departure gate before walking through his, he sighs and nods thinking it is what she wants. That is all I could ask. He is the last of younger ones to enter as Captain Thernright walks behind him and is the last one to enter as the gate doors shut from New Gatwick and New Earth.