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Hodge had very little sensation as he slid along the winding tube. This surprised him as he expected some sense as his body grew in enormity to a size beyond any normal comprehension. He was afraid but remained calm. All seemed to be progressing normally but he knew the risks were great. Three others had preceded him with disastrous results. Two had been killed when the tube suddenly collapsed and the third, Gretchen, had successfully reached the other side but was never heard from again. Now, all hope for success had been placed in him. All he could do was relax, enjoy the ride as much as possible, and hope for the best. What was to happen was beyond his control.
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The church bells were ringing in the small town of Dunlap on a bright and sunny Sunday morning. Churchgoers were busy hurrying to their houses of worship while the rest of humanity stirred to life. Deidre Bellows was busy preparing breakfast for her family. She had intended to wake up early enough to go to church but was still tired from the night before and decided to sleep in. After an extra hour of sleep, she dragged her unwilling body out of bed and to the kitchen. She could now hear water running in the shower as her husband had finally awoken and stumbled to the bathroom.
The night before had been long and one full of anxiety. Their seven-month-old son, David, had a fever and developed a rattling cough. A call to the doctor resulted in being told what over-the-counter medicine to give him and how to bathe him in a tub of cool water. This brought his fever under control but she placed him in bed with her and her husband, Paul. She hardly slept a wink until it was time to get up. The extra hour allowed her to sleep, but exhaustion caused her to sleep harder than normal and now she could feel a headache brewing.
Before coming downstairs to the kitchen, she had checked on David. He was finally resting comfortably. Being a new mom, she was not used to all the childhood sicknesses that would come her way, and she was well aware of being overly cautious. Her mother-in-law had been quick to tell her from day one how she would overreact and how it would be different when she had more children. She knew this was true, but David was all that mattered at this time, and if she was being too careful, then so be it.
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A tightening caused Hodge’s body to stretch, and he fought the urge to cry out in pain. His progress in sliding through the tube had slowed and his breathing had become difficult and labored. Just when he wondered if he could endure anymore an opening appeared and he came to a stop at its edge. Once his eyes focused he peered out at the strange world spread out before him. He was not used to the vivid colors and shrank back as fear grabbed his soul. Taking a deep breath he calmed his nerves and remembered the extensive training he had received. He had prepared several years for this moment and now was not the time to panic. Everyone and everything was depending on him to successfully complete his mission.
Deliberately, but cautiously, he pulled himself from the tube’s opening and fell to the meadow floor. The green grass tickled his arm as he lay on his back staring into the blue sky overhead. It made a soft bed and Hodge enjoyed the new sensation. He was surprised at how pleasant everything appeared to be. Breathing was not difficult as the air was rich with oxygen and a good mixture of neutral gases. The star in the sky was providing reassuring warmth and produced enough light to make even the smallest items visible to his eyes. As good as his training had been it could never compensate for the reality of actually sensing another world.
Fighting the urge to continue relishing the new strange environment, Hodge pulled himself to a vertical position and started working on collapsing the tube’s opening. The less people who knew about him being there would be fewer possible problems he would be forced to face. He knew time was running out and the less distractions the better. It would have been far better if the first journeyman had made it through, or if, Gretchen, who did make it through, had been successful. Now, he was the fourth and the time of opportunity had been greatly reduced. He felt the need to hurry but he was determined to do things right.
After watching the tube opening close and disappear, he quickly noted in his wristband his precise location. The tube was his only way back home and, as pleasant as this world appeared to be, he had no intentions of staying. He had to return home if his mission was to be a success. He started to turn toward a nearby road when the shaking began. At first, he thought the ground was moving but soon discovered it was he who was in motion. It felt as if someone was inside him and had grabbed his skeleton frame and was banging and shaking it as violently as they could. He bent over to try and ease the feeling. It was scarier than it was painful. Finally, it ceased, and he was able to stand again. A cold chill spread up his spine as he realized the shaking could only mean one thing: The time remaining was less than what he had calculated. Grabbing his tote bag he quickly headed toward the road in hopes of flagging a ride to the town of Dunlap.
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Deidre dropped the plate of eggs when she heard Paul yell. She bolted upstairs and burst through the bedroom door to find him holding David.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as the worried look on Paul’s face scared her.
“He’s burning up with fever,” he declared as he handed his son to her. She felt his forehead and it was hot to the touch. Paul declared, “I’ll start the water. We can cool him down again.”
“No!” she said. “Let’s get him to the hospital. I don’t want to take a chance.” Paul agreed and offered, “You grab his bag and I’ll call ahead to the doctor.”
They rushed David to the emergency room of the town’s hospital. After taking the child’s temperature the nurses escorted them to a room where they were joined by Dr. Meeks. He immediately started his examination as Deidre and Paul stood anxiously by his side.
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Hodge waived at the approaching truck in hopes of getting a ride into town. He knew he could walk the distance but it would be far quicker and easier to ride. Besides, time was growing shorter and any way he could speed up his arrival the better. Two vehicles passed him by before an old man in a pickup truck slowed to a stop. Hodge checked his wristband to make sure the language translator was activated.
The elderly man spat tobacco juice out his window and then looked the stranger up and down before opening the passenger door.
“You headed to town, stranger?” the old man asked.
Hodge looked at him for a moment and then adjusted his wristband to filter the dialect. “I’m sorry but could you say that again?”
“I says are you wanting a ride to town?” repeated the old man.
“Yes, please. May I?”
“Hop aboard, young fella,” declared the man as he spat out his window again. Hodge eased himself into the seat and sat looking at the man. The man watched him for a minute and then asked, “You gonna close the door?”
“Oh,” replied Hodge as he shut the door. It slammed shut as he pulled it harder than necessary and the old man declared, “Be careful there, young man. There ain’t no need to go and break my door.”
Hodge apologized and settled back for the ride to town. When the old man pulled back onto the road Hodge quickly grabbed the door as he was not used to the vibrations of the moving truck. At first, he thought the shaking had returned but then realized it was the movement of the vehicle. He started to feel sick on his stomach but fought hard to keep his equilibrium intact.
The old man broke the silence, “The name’s Gates.”
Hodge nodded his head and said, “Yes.”
The old man glanced at him and then asked, “So, what’s yours?”
Hodge looked at his wristband in hopes of determining what the man wanted to know. When the information appeared he answered, “Oh, my name is Hodge.”
Biting off another chew of tobacco the old man asked, “Where you from, Hodge?”
Not fully understanding the question, Hodge replied as best he could, “I’m from my mother.”
The old man laughed and almost choked on the tobacco wad in his mouth. “Well, I guess that’s where we all are from,” he declared. “I meant where’d you grow up at?”
“Oh,” muttered Hodge as he started to understand the man’s question. “Well, I’m from Dunlap.”
Rubbing his chin the elderly man said, “Yeah? Well, if you say so. You sure don’t look like folks around here.”
Quickly sensing he was not blending in as much as he should, Hodge added, “I’m going to see my sister.”
“Oh, well, that’s good,” offered the old man. “What’s her name? I know most folks in town and I can take you right to her door.”
Hodge looked out his window as the bouncing was making him queasy again, “I don’t know her name.”
The old man bellowed with surprise, “You don’t know your own sister’s name?!?”
Hodge glanced at his wristband and then said, “Uh, I know she’s married, and she had a baby seven moons, uh I mean, months ago.”
The elderly man replied, “Oh, you don’t know her married name, huh? She had a baby a while back? Hmm…Let’s see, that could either be the Bellows or the Harringtons.”
This was valuable information for Hodge, and he was grateful. It probably saved him several hours of searching the local records. Maybe the older man could help even further so he offered, “The baby hasn’t been well, lately.”
“Hmm…” the old man pondered. “I know my old lady says the Bellows kid has been sick from the day he was born. Maybe that’s your sister’s baby.”
Hodge’s heart almost jumped for joy at finding out the identity of the person he was looking for. He adjusted his wristband to store the valuable information. “Could you take me to her residence?”
“I reckon I could,” replied the old man as he glanced at Hodge’s wristband. “What’s that you got on your arm?”
Wanting to reveal as little as possible Hodge simply said, “Uh, it’s a time piece, of sorts.”
“Yeah?” smiled the old man. “I thought it was. What is it, one of those newfangled watches that can do everything?”
Hodge relaxed and said, “Yes, pretty much.”
The old man laughed and spat out the window. Rubbing his mouth on his shirtsleeve he offered, “Well, those things are just too fancy for me. Give me one that I can wind up anytime. That’s all I need.”
It was not long before they arrived at the Bellows home. Hodge thanked the old man for the ride and exited the vehicle. Taking a deep breath, he made his way up the sidewalk to the front door. The old man drove away but watched in his rearview mirror as long as he could as he was suspicious of the stranger. It was not normal for someone to not even know their sister’s name. Besides, he knew just about everyone in Dunlap, and it was easy for him to see the stranger was not from those parts. Everything could be all right, but he decided to be on the safe side and stop by the sheriff’s office and let them know what had happened.
Hodge examined the structure of the place the old man called the Bellows home. He did not fully understand what it was used for and his wristband was not providing any helpful information about it. His training had taught him when all else fails to fake it. The goal was to fit in even when not fully understanding how to do so. The house before him had transparent material that allowed one to peer inside without actually going through. It was very similar to what was in the old man’s vehicle. In his effort to appear as normal as he could, Hodge had resisted the urge to examine the material that was in the truck, but now he allowed himself the luxury of doing so with the house windows. It was an amazing work of ingenuity to him. His home had no such material and actually had no need for it.
After peering through the windows for a while, he banged on the front door with the palm of his hand. He thought maybe someone would come and investigate the noise, but no one came. Hodge was perplexed as to why, if this was the Bellows dwelling, no one would respond to his attempt to gain their attention. When he turned to go across the street to talk to some of the neighbors the shaking came again. This time it was more violent, and he could not keep his balance. He fell onto his back on the porch and lay there unable to move as his insides were hammered to the point of him losing consciousness.
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The code for cardiac arrest bellowed through the speakers in the emergency room of the hospital. Trauma doctors and nurses ran to join Dr. Meeks as he worked to revive David. An aide escorted Paul and Deidre out of the room. Despite their protests they were shown to a waiting area and reassured that all that could possibly be done was being done. Paul took his wife into his arms as fear and anxiety overtook her and her emotions rushed to the surface.
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Deputy Kane slowed his cruiser as he approached the Bellows home. Old man Gates had stopped by the sheriff’s office and had reported picking up a stranger who showed too much interest in the Bellows family. Sheriff Mott would have normally made a phone call to check on their welfare if it had not been for the other stranger who had showed up two days earlier. She had been a very strange person asking all kinds of questions about the Bellows. He tried to find out what her interests in them were, but she was vague and when pressed for answers actually disappeared. It was as close to someone disappearing before his very eyes as he had ever seen. He knew it had to be a simple trick, but no one could explain how she did it. So, when Hap Gates came by his office and talked about another stranger, the Sheriff felt it was time to examine things a little closer.
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The nurse wiped Dr. Meeks’ perspiring forehead as he could finally allow himself to breathe a little easier. David’s pulse was getting stronger and his breathing smoother. He knew this had been a close call and he had a very sick little boy on his hands. It was time to admit him to the intensive care ward and find out what was causing the fever and weakness. The nurses continued their care as he left the room to talk to Paul and Deidre.
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Hodge could feel his consciousness slowly returning. The shaking had left him weak, and he really did not want to open his eyes, but off in the distance he could hear noises beckoning him to rejoin the living. Slowly he opened his eyes to see the deputy staring down at him.
“You okay, buddy?” asked a concerned Deputy Kane. “You don’t look too good.”
“I’m…I’ll be fine,” Hodge replied as he tried to sit up. He started falling sideways until the deputy helped steady him.
“Look, I can call the paramedics if you need them,” he offered.
“No…No, just help me to my feet,” Hodge said. The deputy helped him and he started feeling stronger as he leaned against the door of the house.
“How much have you had to drink, today?” asked Deputy Kane.
Hodge thought this was an unusual way to greet someone, but he figured it must be customary or else the man would not have asked. “Oh, the usual amount of liquid nourishment.”
“And how much is your usual amount?” asked the deputy as he moved closer in an attempt to detect any alcohol odor.
Glancing at his wristband to determine the exact measure he replied, “So far, almost a liter.”
“A liter, huh?” pondered the deputy as he tried to convert the amount to quarts. “So, what you’ve been drinking, Jim Beam?”
Hodge was struck with horror at the thought of drinking a person named Jim Beam. He had thought the inhabitants of this world were civilized and had abandoned any ancient rituals of cannibalism. “I drink no person, sir,” he emphatically replied.
The deputy was unfazed. “So, what have you been drinking?”
Checking his wristband again for the exact reference he said, “It was a combination of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.”
Deputy Kane rubbed his chin as he seemed to recall hearing something like that before but could not quite figure it out. “Well, either way you need to go downtown with me. Sheriff Mott wants to talk to you.”
Hodge knew he did not have the time to waste talking with local law enforcement, especially with the last shaking being as severe as it was. “I must decline,” he declared.
The deputy’s face turned serious as he barked, “You don’t have a choice, mister.” Hodge deftly sidestepped the lunging officer, touched his wristband and disappeared from sight.
Deputy Kane looked right and left but Hodge was gone. Cursing to himself he radioed into Sheriff Mott that another stranger had disappeared right before their eyes. The sheriff slammed his desk in a fit of anger and ordered an all points lookout for the man and woman. He did not know what was going on and he did not like it. This was his town, and he was determined to get to the bottom of why two strangers were behaving the way they were.
Hodge stood to the side and watched the deputy look around for him. His cloaking had worked and the officer, unable to see him, rushed off to his vehicle and left. Now, Hodge could return his attention to finding the Bellows family without being distracted by well-intentioned local authorities. He was examining his wristband in an attempt to map out what he needed to do when out of the corner of his eye he detected motion. It was not the normal hazy motion of the uncloaked world, but was cloaked movement. He hurriedly rushed off in the direction of the motion. His heart leapt at what this could mean. Cloaked movement by another individual could only mean Gretchen was still alive.
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Dr. Meeks entered David’s room to find his parents sitting anxiously by his side. He smiled at them and asked how they were holding up.
“We’re scared,” replied Paul.
“You have a right to be,” declared the doctor. “We’re doing everything we possibly can but we have a very sick young man there.”
“What’s wrong with him, doctor?” cried Deidre. “He’s been sick before but nothing like this.”
The doctor scratched the top of his head and said, “I don’t know. I wish to God I did but I don’t. The closest I can figure is his whole system is shutting down. I haven’t found the cause.”
“What can we do?” asked Paul. “Should we take him to a bigger hospital?”
“Well, I’ve been in touch with the best in the pediatric field,” the doctor explained. “I’ve sent them all the data we’ve collected and followed any suggestions they’ve had. I’m convinced moving him somewhere else will not do any good, and in fact, may make things worse, as his weaken condition will not allow for him to do much traveling.”
“I don’t want to lose my baby,” said Deidre as she bit her lower lip in an attempt to keep from breaking down.
Dr. Meeks nodded his head and offered, “I know you don’t. I don’t either, but we’ve got two major hurdles we’re facing: A medical condition we haven’t figured out and don’t know how to treat and a very young child. Those two factors are making survival a difficult thing to achieve.”
“Are you saying he’s going to die?” asked Paul as Deidre grabbed his hand.
The doctor gently placed his hand on Deidre’s shoulder and firmly said, “I want you to prepare yourself for that eventuality. We’re going to work as hard as we can to pull him through, but I’m afraid, it’s a distinct possibility he won’t make it.”
Dr. Meeks left the distraught couple after determining their immediate needs were cared for. After all his years of practicing medicine it had never got any easier when death was lurking around the corner. Especially was this true when a baby or small child was involved. There was a particular sadness, that could never be fully explained, when someone was just starting life and then was faced with its ending. These were the days he wished he was a drinking man.
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Hodge’s heart raced with excitement as he rounded the corner of the building where the cloaked movement had last been seen. There she was. She had uncloaked and did not see him. He moved closer as questions flooded him as to why she was here and had not fulfilled her mission. Touching his wristband, he uncloaked, and it startled her.
“Hodge!”
“Gretchen, why are you here?” he asked.
She looked at him long and hard and replied, “The same as you. I was sent to save the child and us.”
Her answer made no sense to Hodge. She had ample time to complete her assignment, but yet, had failed to do so. He cautiously approached her and asked, “Did you have problems? Did your tube collapse on you?”
She backed away from him a little before replying, “No, everything worked fine.”
Her reply and manner were making Hodge feel uneasy. He continued, “So, why did you not complete your mission?”
She replied, “I didn’t want to.”
Her insubordination hit him like a bolt of lightning. She was willing to risk billions upon billions of lives, not to mention his, because she no longer wanted to fulfill an assignment she had been trained for most of her adult life. He stammered, “How can this be?”
Her face took on an excited glow that was reminiscent of the faces of the inhabitants of the world they were on. “Look around, Hodge. This universe is beautiful! It’s so different from ours.”
Hodge was aghast at the thought of Gretchen giving up everything because she liked this place better than their world. “It is beautiful, but it’s not home,” he declared.
She turned away and said, “But don’t you see? I want it to be my home. I choose to stay here.”
He almost grabbed his ears to shut out the sound of her treasonous voice. No, the word “treason” did not adequately describe what she was doing. Fighting the impulse to vaporize her, and justly so, he barked, “You want to stay here?!? How can this be?? A whole universe is depending on you, and you only think of yourself?!?”
With no hint of remorse she replied, “They don’t need me. They’ve got you.”
Still fighting his emotions he said, “I’m here now, but that’s only because we didn’t know what had happened to you. If you would’ve done what you were supposed to do everything would be fixed by now and I would’ve never had to risk my own life!”
Hodge detected his words had struck some empathy in her face. She softly said, “I’m sorry for that. You’re a good man. I’ve never wanted to harm you.”
Taking a deep breath, he offered, “But it’s not just about me. If we don’t take the child our whole universe will die. You know this. It’s what we’ve trained years to do, and now you just want to walk away?”
She folded her arms as Hodge determined she had already decided her happiness was more important than anything or anyone else. “That’s what I wanted, too, until I arrived here,” she explained. “Then it was no longer that easy. It’s not only the beauty of this place and my desire to stay here, but the parents love their child. It’s a love we don’t see on our world. I can’t take him away from them.”
Her foolishness had made Hodge angry. He shouted, “The child is going to die! They’re going to lose him anyway!!”
She meekly said, “At least they’ll share his last few hours together.”
Hodge could hardly believe what he was hearing. He continued yelling, “Everything and everyone we know is going to die without that child!! I’m going to die! You’re going to die!!”
She smiled with the smile he had seen on the old man’s face earlier in the day. “No, I’ve broken the link.”
Hodge was almost speechless. “You did what?!?”
She shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I broke the link. I cancelled my tube. Now, I’m no longer connected to that realm. I will not be harmed when that universe vanishes, as I am now part of this one. Besides, since I left millions of years have passed. All the people I knew and loved are already gone.”
“No, they’re not,” protested Hodge. “The tube would’ve not only taken you back to our world but back to our time.”
Her callous words actually had a calming effect on Hodge. He now understood why there had been no contact with her after she made it through the tube. She had purposely disintegrated the tube and broken all connection with his universe. He could not fathom anyone being so cold hearted as to condemn an entire universe, including people she knew and loved, to obliteration all for the purpose of sparing a couple the loss of their child, a child they were going to lose anyway. If this was not murder, then he did not know what murder was. She continued, “Hodge, it was not an easy decision. I knew the consequences of my actions, but I’m convinced it was the only decision I could make. I was scared! I was crying, and it was only after I cancelled the tube, I felt some relief, as there was no reversing what I had done.”
Hodge looked at the ground with disgust. How could someone reason the way she did? How could one spend years of training and contemplating what needed to be done and then turn their back and walk away when it came time for action? He looked up at her and said, “Well, you’ve done what you’ve done, but I have a mission to accomplish, and I must proceed with it. Time is running short.”
He checked his wristband to see if he could get a bearing on where the Bellows were located since they were not at home. Gretchen surprised him by offering, “I can show you where they are.”
Looking at her in disbelief he muttered, “I didn’t think you wanted to help my people.”
She took a step closer to him and explained, “I didn’t, but seeing you has reminded me of what is about to be lost. With the tube cancelled my conscience was clear. There was nothing more I could do, but now, with you here, once again there’s a possibility your universe can be saved. I would like a chance to help.”
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Sheriff Mott sat at his desk pondering Deputy Kane’s report. He liked things to be neat and tidy but what had happened over the last two days was far from it. Dunlap had always been a town with little or no drama and he was intent on keeping it that way. He was not going to let two strangers come into his town and disrupt the peace. Why was there so much interest in the Bellows? They were a normal married couple with a small child. He had known Paul and Deidre for years, in fact, had watched them grow up, fall in love, and get married. He was convinced there was nothing in their past that would warrant the attention of strangers from out of town, especially ones who’s behavior was odd to say the least. His thoughts were interrupted when a deputy handed him a piece of paper. On it was information that the Bellows child was seriously ill and was in the hospital. He grabbed his hat and headed for his car.
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Paul and Deidre sat quietly beside David’s bed as they watched him breathe and listened to the sound of the EKG monitoring his heart. His condition had stabilized over the last hour but the doctor was still pessimistic about the outcome unless a curable cause could be found. They had been married a little over a year when David was born. He had been a surprise as they had planned on waiting awhile before having children. Of course, they had loved him from the first moment they knew about him and worked hard to provide a good and loving home. He had not been the healthiest child and they had made frequent visits to Dr. Meeks’ office, but they never imagined they would face losing him after only seven months. It was the nightmare no parent ever wanted.
Their attention was diverted by a soft tap on the door. Paul opened it to find a somewhat disheveled looking stranger standing there. Hodge glanced inside and then asked, “Mr. Bellows?”
“Yes?” Paul replied.
“I don’t want to be a bother but may I see the child?” he asked as he tried to peer over Paul to gather a glimpse of David.
Paul thought for a moment and then replied, “Uh, he’s very sick, and no visitors outside of the immediate family is allowed.”
Hodge had been afraid this was going to happen. He had wanted to enter the room cloaked and take the child with him, but Gretchen insisted he talk to the parents and try to explain why it was necessary for them to give up their son. Reluctantly, he agreed to do so, but with the understanding that if all else fails, he would cloak himself and the child and leave. “I can help,” he offered as Paul was closing the door.
Paul hesitated and said, “Well, I don’t know…”
“Thank you,” replied Hodge as he forced his way in and walked to the other side of the bed. He was awestruck as he looked down on David sleeping with monitors and IVs attached to him. Here he was, this special being, so unaware of what was happening around him and the importance of it all. Hodge’s heart filled with honor at being able to observe what no one in his universe had ever seen before. He was so mesmerized it took him a few moments to realize Paul was speaking to him.
“…Look, I don’t know who you are, but if you don’t leave, I’m going to call for security,” he barked.
“I can help,” was all Hodge could force himself to say.
“I don’t know who you think…”
“Paul, let’s see what he has to say,” Deidre interrupted. “Maybe he knows something.”
Paul looked at his wife. He knew she would reach out to anyone who could offer a chance of saving their son. It was hard on both of them, but particularly so on her. She and David had become especially close with him being sick over the last few months. He knew she was right. Like her, he would give anything to save his son.
“Okay, buddy, you’ve got one minute to explain yourself,” he declared.
Hodge looked at the worried couple and tried to shift his focus from the child. “There’s a way to save him,” he offered. “In fact, he must be saved. Billions of creatures are depending on his survival.”
Deidre was perplexed by what the stranger had said. She declared, “I don’t know about any others, but I want my son to live.”
“And live he shall,” asserted Hodge. “But I must take him with me.”
“I think we’ve heard enough,” declared Paul.
“You haven’t heard anything!!” yelled an angry Hodge. “This child is my universe, and I cannot let him…I will not let him perish!!”
Paul and Deidre looked at him in stunned silence. Not only was their child gravely ill but they had let a madman into his room. Paul started slowly backing for the door.
“Stop right there!” ordered Hodge. “Listen to me. This is beyond your comprehension but what I am saying is the truth. This is my universe!”
“Uh, if you say so, mister,” offered Deidre as she fought the fear swelling inside her.
Sighing deeply at their failure to understand, Hodge continued, “Look. Look around you. When you look up into your sky at night what do you see?”
In an attempt to humor the madman and buy some time Paul replied, “Stars, planets, the moon…I don’t know.”
“Exactly!” agreed Hodge. “That’s all you can see because you are so infinitesimally small compared to them. But what if you could grow larger? What would you see as you grew?”
Deidre thought for a moment and then said, “The stars and planets would get smaller.”
“That’s right!” agreed an excited Hodge. “And if you kept growing eventually a whole galaxy would look small. Right?”
“If you say so,” offered Paul.
Ignoring the sarcasm Hodge continued, “Eventually you would become so large that do you know what a galaxy would look like?”
“What?” Deidre asked.
“It would look like a cell you find in your body,” Hodge revealed. “And if you continued to grow larger you would see these galaxies are connected the same as cells in your body are connected. Eventually, if you grew big enough you could see all these connected galaxies are just cells inside a living being like your son.”
Paul looked at his wife and then Hodge, “You expect us to believe…”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Hodge interrupted. “I’m telling you the truth. Every person, you, me, are a complete universe with billions upon billions of creatures living inside us on their own worlds.”
Paul rolled his eyes and declared, “Give me a break! That would never hold up in the scientific community.”
Hodge fought hard to maintain his patience. “Not on your world. Your science has not developed far enough to be able to peer below the subatomic world. Once they do they will see what my scientists have seen for years. We all individually make up a universe. This world and galaxy you live in is part of a living being so large you cannot imagine its size. In turn, that creature lives on a world which is part of an even bigger creature. It goes on and on to infinity and never stops.”
Deidre and Paul did not respond. Hodge could not tell if he was getting through to them or not, but he continued, “Now, the opposite is true also. Inside of each one of us are galaxies and worlds so small your science has not been able to detect them. And it goes on as the creatures living inside us are universes with even smaller beings inside them. It continues to infinity and never stops. Either way you go, bigger or smaller, it never ends.”
“There’s always an ending,” Paul smirked.
Hodge smiled the smile he saw on Gretchen’s face earlier in the day. “Our mind wants us to think that way because it has trouble understanding infinity. But, if we ever come to an end of something we always wonder what is on the other side. And we will continue to ask no matter how many times we come to the end of something. You might say we will keep asking what is on the other side until infinity. Yes, our minds want to reject infinity as being unreasonable but then embraces it when confronted with the end of things.”
The only sound was the beeping of the EKG machine as each person weighed their own thoughts. Finally, Deidre asked, “So, tell me again, what’s this got to do with David?”
“He is my universe,” Hodge again declared. He bent over and pointed to a mole on the boy’s left arm, “My galaxy and world is just below there.”
Paul scratched his day-old beard and asked, “So, how can you be here if you live there?”
Hodge straightened and replied, “Our society has advanced to the point where we were able to detect disturbances, which if left unchecked, would bring the destruction of our universe. Through the brilliant minds of our scientist and the hard work of our engineers we were able to create and control small reversible space holes, white and black, which allowed me to navigate along a tube and grow in size until I fit in your universe.”
“Those disturbances are killing David, right?” asked Deidre.
“Yes,” replied Hodge. “And they are irreversible so long as he stays here. Now, the death of a universe is in the natural order of things. If he was ancient we would willingly accept this as our fate. But ours is so young, and we have developed the means to stop the deterioration. We would be irresponsible if we did not try.”
“So, what can you do to save him?” she asked.
“The only way is to take him with me back into the tube,” Hodge explained. “We will be forced back to my normal size. By collapsing my universe in own itself will create a paradox which will establish the universe as a being to itself. Then it will be freed of the influence of the natural forces around it and perfect harmony will transcend.”
“Will this not kill him?” Deidre asked as she gently touched her son’s arm.
“No, not at all,” continued Hodge. “He will contract to the size where we can take care of him. He will be treated as royalty, and he will have the opportunity to live a full and rich life. All his needs and desires will be taken care of, because he is our universe. Without him we do not exist.”
Paul looked at him and shook his head in disbelief, “Why haven’t we seen this happen before? I mean with all these galaxies and worlds surely someone would’ve figured this out before you guys did. Why haven’t we ever heard from them?”
“How do you know it hasn’t happened?” Hodge asserted. “Do people ever suddenly disappear on this world?”
“They do all the time,” agreed Deidre. “Even children come up missing and are never found.”
Hodge could see he was making some progress with her and offered, “I would not know for a certainty, but it would be logical to believe some are gone because they have been taken for the same reason I need to take your child back with me.”
“So, let me get this straight,” smirked Paul. “You give us some cock and bull story and we’re to hand over our son to you? You think we’re that stupid?”
Hodge’s patience was running thin. “Like I said before, I don’t care what you believe,” he tersely replied. “I am speaking the truth. Your child is going to die. The only way to save him is let me take him with me.”
“Either way I lose my son,” Deidre declared.
“He will still be alive,” Hodge asserted.
“You’re not taking anybody anywhere,” Paul declared as he moved closer to Hodge.
The door to the room creaked opened and Sheriff Mott peered inside. Seeing the officer, Paul shouted, “He’s trying to steal our son!!” The Sheriff pulled his gun and pointed it at Hodge. “Stop right there, buster!” He started to move forward when an invisible force knocked the gun from his hand. It banged to the floor and then slid under the bed. Hodge quickly grabbed David, unhooked the tubes, and pressed his wristband. He and the child disappeared.
Hodge moved out into the hallway. He could see Gretchen coming to join him, and together they quickly moved toward the exit. When they were a few yards away from the door an alarm started ringing and the exit doors started closing. Even though he and the child were cloaked the alarm system detected the magnetic bracelet on David’s arm and proceeded to lock all the doors to the pediatric ward. This was a safety system the hospital had installed to prevent the kidnapping of children. Gretchen rushed to hold open one of the doors for him and David. As he was passing her he said, “Thank you for your help.” She smiled and replied, “You’re welcome. I’ve got a car parked just outside.” She touched her wristband and then continued, “It’s red in color and I just sent you the exact coordinates. Go wait in the back of it and keep the child quiet. I’m going to go back and get his parents. Now, hurry and send me the location of your tube and I’ll drive us all out there. That way we can get you there faster than if you tried to walk and the child’s parents will have a chance to say goodbye to him.”
Hodge gave thought as to whether he should trust her or not. She had turned her back on everything they had been trained for and was even willing to sacrifice billions of lives in her dereliction of duty. But it was true her vehicle could get him to the tube quicker than he could on his own, and she was helping him take the child out of the hospital. It was she who had remained cloaked in the hospital room and had knocked the Sheriff’s gun from his hand and kicked it under the bed. He decided to trust her.
Sheriff Mott pulled his gun out from under the bed. Deidre was sobbing and Paul was trying to comfort her. The Sheriff made a call on his radio and reported the kidnapping. Within minutes roadblocks were being placed all over town. He tried to reassure the couple and then, after ordering the hospital doors to be unlocked, left to join the search parties.
Once the Sheriff had left the room Gretchen uncloaked and stood facing the parents. Paul stumbled, “Where’d you come from?” She felt sympathetic toward them. They were caught up in something beyond their control and none of it was their fault. All they wanted was to love and raise a healthy son. She tried to encourage them by offering, “If you will trust me, I can take you to your son.”
Paul looked hard at her and then asked, “How did you do that? You weren’t there and now you are. How?”
She shook her head with impatience and said, “Look, we don’t have much time. Do you want to see your son?”
Deidre was quick to answer, “Yes.”
“Then follow me and don’t ask any more questions!”
Once they had settled into her car she checked her wristband for the coordinates to the tube. She could tell Hodge was sitting directly behind her. He and David were cloaked but she could sense their presence. She hoped Paul and Deidre would not detect them there until they were, at least, well out of town.
As she turned onto the road leaving town she was met by Deputy Kane and two other deputies at a roadblock. Gretchen first thought of trying to run through but decided it was too risky. She slowed the vehicle to a stop as the deputy approached. When he recognized her as someone on his wanted list his hand dropped to his gun. Then he saw Paul and Deidre in the front seat beside her and decided it would be best to avoid a confrontation at this time.
“Where you going to, Miss?” he asked.
“I’m taking the Bellows home from the hospital,” she lied. “Their son’s been kidnapped and I’m trying to help them.”
“Is that true, Mr. Bellows?” asked the deputy. “Is she taking you to your house?”
Paul glanced at his wife and then replied, “Yes, officer. She’s been a big help.”
Deputy Kane pursed his lips together and then said, “Okay. I want you and Mrs. Bellows to know we’re doing everything we can to find your son.”
Deidre spoke up, “I know you are, deputy. Thank you very much.”
The deputy motioned them through, and they continued on their way. Gretchen breathed a sigh of relief and gave the Bellows a weak smile of thanks. Once the vehicle had pulled away Deputy Kane radioed into Sheriff Mott. “I just saw that Gretchen woman we’ve been looking for. She had the Bellows couple in the car with her.”
“Have you got her in custody?”
“No, I decided not to,” he replied. “She said she was taking them home, but they were headed out of town. The Bellows live in town.”
“I’m on my way.”
“I thought we could follow them from a distance,” the deputy offered. “Maybe they’ll lead us to the kid.”
“Get in behind them and I’ll catch up to you.”
“Let’s go, guys!” Deputy Kane yelled to the other two officers with him. They all took off after Gretchen’s car but kept some distance back as to avoid being seen.
It was not long before Gretchen pulled her car onto the meadow where the tube was hidden. She opened her door and got out of the car as the Bellows followed her. Paul looked around at the vacant field and asked, “What are we doing here?”
She ignored his question and opened the back door of the car. A moment later Hodge uncloaked and stood there holding David in his arms.
“David!!” shouted Deidre.
“What is this?” yelled Paul.
“I’m going to save my universe,” replied Hodge. He touched his wristband and with a moan and whistling sound the tube reappeared. The air stirred toward it as now it was prepared to pull things into it and send them down to Hodge’s home world. Paul and Deidre stood with their mouths opened in astonishment as they gazed upon a machine that was definitely not from this world.
Paul swallowed hard and then was finally able to say, “So this is the tube you told us about.”
“I spoke the truth,” declared Hodge. “I have come to save my universe.”
“And by doing so you’ll keep my son from dying,” stated Deidre more to herself than to anyone else. She was quickly discerning the import of all Hodge had told them. It was true, either way she was going to lose her son, but at least, if he went with Hodge he would continue living. This thought did give her some comfort. She turned to Hodge and asked, “Can we go with you?”
Hodge knew the torment she must be feeling and wished he had a better answer for her. “No, it will only hold us two.”
Gretchen put her arm around her and said, “I can’t even go back. Only Hodge and your son can go.”
She understood. It was to be expected but she had to ask. She looked at her husband and then back at Hodge. “Can I hold him one last time?”
He looked at her and quickly tried to discern if she could be trusted. Gretchen was nodding her head, so Hodge handed David over to his mother. She lovingly stroked the hair on his head and kissed him gently on the lips. He stirred and weakly opened his eyes. Her motherly instincts told her he was close to death. He coughed and she could feel the rattling in his chest.
With the child’s cough Hodge bent over as the shaking came again. He fought hard to stay on his feet. “What’s wrong?” asked a concerned Deidre.
Gretchen touched her arm and said, “Both of them are dying.”
Gathering enough strength to stand erect, Hodge pleaded, “We must go now! There is no more time.”
Paul and Deidre kissed David goodbye and then she handed him to Hodge. He took the child and started walking toward the tube when the Sheriff and his deputies came screeching to a halt. They jumped out of their cars with their weapons drawn.
“Hold it right there!!” screamed Sheriff Mott. Then he saw the alien tube perched in midair. “What in the world?!?” was all he could mutter.
“It’s okay, Sheriff,” yelled Paul. “He’s got our permission to take our son with him.”
The Sheriff and his deputies approached Gretchen and the couple. He looked at them and asked, “Are you sure about this?”
Deidre touched his arm and replied, “Yes, Sheriff. It’s what we want.”
He nodded his head in agreement and Hodge turned toward the tube again. As he was about to enter Gretchen yelled, “Wait!” He stopped and she went running to him. She kissed him on the cheek and then asked, “Will you explain to them why I did what I did?” He smiled the smile she had taught him and then replied, “I will tell them how you help me save our universe.”
She kissed him again and then ran back to join the others. Hodge took a deep breath and then stepped into the tube.
There was a flash of light, and the meadow was empty once again. Sheriff Mott folded his arms across his chest and asked, “What did we see happening here?”
Gretchen looked at him and offered, “Sheriff, I’ll be glad to explain this to you, but I’d like to take the Bellows home first.”
“All right,” he agreed. “But I’m going to send a deputy with you to make sure you come and see me when you’re through.”
“Okay.”
“And no more of this disappearing act, you hear?” he said as he turned toward his car.
“Agreed,” Gretchen said.
Paul and Deidre stood looking at where the tube had been. He put his arm around her as they stared at the place where their son disappeared. It was hard. It was as hard as anything anyone had ever suffered. They would never see him again. He would grow up never remembering them and never knowing how much they loved him. It was a great sacrifice on their part. But, they also knew if they had tried to hold onto him he would never have survived. At least, now, he was alive. He was alive and so were Hodge and billions of other creatures who were part of their son. This thought did bring some comfort to them. Not much, but some.
THE END
Copyright ©2010 by Jerry W. Crews
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