Prodigy Returns (book 3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Alex couldn't believe her eyes. Standing before her was a much more vibrant version of her father. He still looked old, but his face was tauter and his posture was straighter than the last time they had met. He flashed his quintessential smile and greeted Alex with open arms. Thinking her father had been killed by the very beast standing docilely next to him, Alex's brain swirled in confusion.

"We've been waiting for you, Alex," Maxim said with his ever-charming demeanour.

"We?" Alex asked, lowering her sword from its battle ready position. As she looked at whom he was referring to, Alex saw Kyodin leaning casually against the side of a rock. He was staying out of the rain and eating some kind of fruit. With a large smirk on his face, he said hello in a mischievous tone as if he had just pulled off the world's largest prank.

"What... what's... going on?" Alex stammered as if she were staring at two ghosts.

"Come inside, we'll explain everything."

The large hairy ape stepped aside and allowed Alex to pass. She eyed the beast and timidly stepped around it.

"What should I do with the cargo?" she asked.

Kyodin looked over her shoulder. "Oh sweet, you brought my suit back!" he gushed. "Just leave it, Monk will bring it inside."

"Monk?" Alex said under her breath, looking over at the large sasquatch-looking primate.

Alex was in a world of confusion where nothing was making sense to her. Stepping out of the rain, Alex was now face to face with her brother.

"Kyodin, it's so good to see you," she said, wrapping her arms around him, "but I don't understand... how are you still alive? I watched you die. I just spent the last ten hours carrying your body."

"Again, I'm super thankful that you did that. I wouldn't want to go back out there without my suit."

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation for everything, but I need some answers."

"Of course," Kyodin said.

Alex followed her brother into the cave where he proceeded to fill her in on his mysterious reincarnation.

"It works similar to how you transport," Kyodin began. "At least, that's how father explained it to me. When you transport, the particles in your body are scanned and then reassembled elsewhere. Your actual body doesn't transport, just the data from the scan. You original particles from point A get absorbed into the machine and then a new set of particles are used to rebuild you in point B. Does that make sense so far?"

"Yes, of course."

"Sorry, I forgot you are a super genius. Anyway, my suit has the ability to scan the particles in my body and then send the data to a point B machine. The suit doesn't have the capacity to absorb my old body, so my old body just becomes a corpse that's left behind. But me, and my essence, that remains intact. I probably should have told you about this sooner, but I wasn't expecting I would have to re-spawn. Sorry about that."

"Do you do this often?"

"No, not often," Kyodin said. "But this certainly isn't the first time. The key is to transfer before you think you're about to die. Once you're dead, there's no way to bring you back. When I got blasted, I transported just to be safe. I'm sorry to have left you out there all alone with that army of killer robots. How did that go by the way?"

"Peachy."

Alex still had dozens more questions such as who was the big hairy creature and why was he so friendly with the family. She also wanted to know what happened to the rest of Maxim's crew, and of course about the planet and what they knew about the killer robots. It had been a long day and she was still trying to process everything that had happened. She decided to hold off on all the important questions and wait for a more opportune time.

"So this is where you guys live?" she asked.

"Yup, we're cave people!"

"But the technology you have," Alex said, "it seems so much more advanced than what could be produced in a primitive dwelling like this."

"Don't let looks deceive you, Alex," Kyodin said with a smile. "You must be hungry?"

"Starving."

"We've been awaiting your arrival and have prepared a meal for you. It's nearly ready, so why don't we take a quick look around before dinner."

Maxim trailed behind his two offspring, proud that they had found each other and that they were getting along. Kyodin had told his father about finding Alex in the jungle and about their initial encounter. Maxim was thrilled to have them both back safe.

The cave had electricity and lights — the first indication that it was not a normal cave. Winding around wide passageways, Alex walked further into the hollowed out mountain. She couldn't help but notice the similarities between it and the ruins she had explored earlier. Eventually, the walls of the corridor opened up to reveal a large communal living space, decorated with rustic-looking furniture. In terms of underground communities, Alex had seen her fair share, but none nicer than this one. The place was fully lit and had a large fireplace on one of the far walls. The place was large, but still seemed cozy. There were various furs and ornaments, similar to what one might expect to find in a ranch house.

"This place is really nice," Alex commented, looking around in awe.

"We call it a luxury cave dwelling," Kyodin said. "Situated on prime real estate of course."

"Only thing missing is an ocean view," Alex said in jest.

"Well, that's not exactly true," Kyodin said. "Follow me."

Kyodin led the way through an arched doorway made of brick and through a long winding tunnel.

"It's a bit of a trek," he said, "but trust me, it'll be worth it."

It seemed as though the entire mountain had been hollowed out with tunnels leading to various unknown places. Kyodin explained that the full tour would last several hours, but he only intended to show her the main features. 

They passed several staircases leading to different levels, but stayed on the main floor. Every so often along the way, they would stop at a room and Kyodin would give a brief explanation about its purpose.

Maxim followed his children around and added a little commentary here and there, but mostly he allowed Kyodin to do the talking. Kyodin was excited to see his sister again and was proud to show off his home. Seeing the two interact brought Maxim an indescribable joy.

The tour inside the luxurious cave continued. Alex saw a twenty-five foot pool with sauna and showers, a fully equipped lab with all kinds of high-tech gadgets and prototypes, multiple storage rooms filled with food and gear, a large kitchen fully stocked with food and beverages, a games room, weapons room, and a gym.

After walking the entire width of the mountain, they arrived at the end of the hall. Alex could sense the change in air quality. There were a few steps carved into the rock that led to a large room overlooking a massive body of water. There was a stone railing and pillars that were the only barrier to the outside. Alex approached the edge of the open-faced cliff and was speechless. The purple haze of the moon and the starry sky provided the perfect atmosphere to sit on the terrace and enjoy the magnificent view. A calm breeze flowed in and carried with it the fresh scent of cool ocean air. They were high enough to be looking down on the water and as Alex peered over the edge of the cliff, it was a long way down to the rocky shoreline.

Eventually, the trio headed back and arrived in the main living room where they had started. Alex knew she hadn't seen everything, but so far was thoroughly impressed. Any time she thought about where she was and who she was with, it astonished her. She was walking around on a planet that was not Earth, freely breathing oxygen from the atmosphere, and hanging out with her dad and a brother she didn't even know she had just days prior. It was truly a surreal experience.

"Alex,I have one more surprise for you," Kyodin said with a large smile. "Stay here."