Prodigy (Complete)

Chapter Forty-Four

Alex emerged on the other side intact. She stumbled out of the machine feeling weak and lightheaded. Her body had been ripped apart and then reassembled. It needed a moment to assimilate. It took a minute for her to collect her thoughts and stand firmly on her legs. After a few deep breaths, she felt much better, and was ready to proceed.

Her only familiarity with the ship’s layout was from a twenty-year-old schematic. She hoped the design had not changed much, but figured it would have. As she peered outside the room that housed the matter transporter, she saw Aris sprinting down the corridor toward her. They made eye contact and Aris had a look of bewilderment on his face; he certainly was not expecting to see Alex.

“Alex!” he said, out of breath.

“Aris, are you okay?”

“Quick, in here. We have to hide.”

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Who or what are you running from?”

“I had an encounter with a very large guardian. He’s still after me,” he said as he looked over his shoulder.

“When did you get here?” he asked.

“Just now,” she replied. “Did you find anything out?”

“I explored the ship a little and discovered some interesting things in the bowels. For some strange reason, they’re bringing samples of marine life in these giant water tanks. And it’s not just tiny fish either, they have dolphins, tuna, sharks…”

“Sharks?”

“Well, I didn’t actually see any sharks, but it wouldn’t surprise me. They had a ton of aquatic creatures down there. They’re most likely going to use them to repopulate their new destination.”

“Do you have an idea where that might be?”

“No, but my guess is that they’re going to Mars. It’s the only other place that has a sustainable infrastructure.”

“Aris, you did good work, but you should get out of here.”

“No, I don’t want to leave you.”

“Your portion of the mission is complete, now it’s my turn.”

Aris reluctantly conceded, but before he stepped back into the transporter, he handed Alex the agent’s access pod.

“Here, you might need this,” he said.

“Thanks.”

Alex set aside the device and they exchanged one final hug before Aris stepped back into the transporter. She watched Aris for as long as she could until the light became too bright and forced her to turn away. As the sound increased, so did the light. Then in a flash, Aris was gone.

Alex attempted to turn around, but was unable to. She had inexplicably lost control of her motor function and was about to collapse to the floor. Just as she was about to fall over, Agent Archimedes caught her and slung her over his powerful shoulder. Alex’s head dangled upside down as she helplessly watched the ground pass by her.

“Your apparent unwillingness to play by the rules will get you into trouble, Ms. Gray.”

Archimedes brought Alex to the control room on the main deck of the ship and plopped her down on the ground. By now, the effects of the immobilizer were wearing off and Alex tried to stand on her wobbly legs.

When Alex looked up, she realized she was standing in front of Maxim Morrison. She could not help but be in awe of the man. The Leader studied her for a moment and then said, “Hello, Alexandra.”

“You know my name?”

“Of course I know the name of my daughter. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Somehow I doubt that.”

“You may not believe this, but you were always intended to be on this voyage with me, and in a serendipitous twist of fate, here you are.”

“I know all about your plan, and how you experimented on me so that I would be a part of your little space odyssey.”

“I’m not sure what you’ve been told, but I want you to judge me for yourself. I’m not a bad guy. Will you allow me that opportunity?”

Alex did not say a word as she contemplated his offer.

“I understand you have a lot of questions for me and I look forward to answering all of them, just spend a little time with me.”

Maxim extended his arms and gave Alex a hug. For the first time ever, he felt what it was like to hold his daughter. Alex similarly shared that unique experience. She found a strange comfort being with her dad after all these years, even if she harboured strong resentment toward him. It was certainly overwhelming for her to meet both her mother and her father within such a short amount of time. Maybe it was exactly as Maxim had put it – a serendipitous twist of fate had brought them together. It was almost as if the universe had plans for her that were beyond her control.