The Oak Hotel - Watty Awards 2013 Finalist

Chapter Forty-six - Yesterday and Tomorrow

Chapter Forty-six

Yesterday and Tomorrow

Lincoln felt as if he’d jumped off the highest branch of a tree into the endless depth of night. At first, there was the panicked sense of free fall, but this soon abated. It was to plunge and never land, to fly and soar and experience the most indescribable freedom. This was space, of which he’d dreamed of many times growing up. Reading books by Arthur C. Clarke and Greg Bear only whet his appetite. The clever imagery of science fiction movies only teased. He knew that Kayleigh was nearby and sensed her own awe.

They were, at that moment, somewhere between the Earth and Moon. Lincoln could only guess how many tens of thousands of miles away from home they were, but it was breathtaking. The sun was brilliant, brighter than any other time he’d seen it, but without real eyes its light did not hurt.

When Sapana spoke, her voice was lighter. Younger.

There was, of course, a great desire to see the planets. Ms. de’Malange had taught us much about astronomy. We spent many afternoons discussing the possibilities of what might be out there.In a dizzying, page-rifling jump through space, Lincoln screamed with exultation as they raced hundreds of miles an hour over the surface of the moon, dipping madly into craters and careening in steep parabolas over small mountains.

He could hear the girls—laughter, cries of happiness and pure joy. He felt Kayleigh beside him, which somehow made it all worthwhile.

When they reached Mars, climbing the impossible height of Olympus Mons, taller than any mountain on Earth, Lincoln finally accepted the truth of what was happening.

Reaching Jupiter, which took no less than a heartbeat, Kayleigh asked, Didn’t you make a model of Jupiter in third grade?

Lincoln laughed, remembering the hand painted Styrofoam ball. Following the collected sawol into the planet’s upper atmosphere, they sprung back out again and made for one of Jupiter’s many moons.

That moon is Europa. Scientists have speculated as to whether or not life exists there in some form. Here was our first discovery.

Lincoln supposed if he had a body, he’d be nauseous. A guest of the sawol, however, had its advantages. They entered Europa’s thin atmosphere and sank effortlessly through miles of thick, fragmented ice. Though the moon was roughly the size of Earth’s own Moon, it could not have been more different. Once past the surface ice, they broke free into a vast, hidden ocean of water. The further down they dove, oddly, the easier it was to see.

But how can there be light? Lincoln asked.

Watch, was all Sapana said.

In a moment, they came upon first dozens, then hundreds of enormous ring-like creatures, glowing in a spectrum of pastel colors: pink, purple, light orange, sunflower yellow… Some pushed the water inside their rings and moved like flocks of birds in intricate patterns. Some simply spun in circles, propelled by circular arrays of flaps. Lincoln thought he could hear a warbling hum… were they communicating?

They, as well as other creatures closer to the ocean’s floor, have lived here on Europa for millions of years, hidden from view beneath the ice. Still, this was only the smallest hint of other life forms in our universe.

Leaving Europa, they made a quick flyby of Saturn, weaving jubilantly in and out of its belt of icy rings before exiting the solar system and picking up speed.

This time, travel was accomplished with what could only be described as a monumental wave that rose and fell upon itself. Lincoln was overwhelmed by this motion, but thrilled nonetheless.