Dragonstar Destiny (27 page)
Read Dragonstar Destiny Online
Authors: David Bischoff,Thomas F. Monteleone
No, he thought. The universe just wasn’t fair.
“Well,” he told Barkham as they looked down at the alien patterns of lights, “at least we’ve escaped.”
“Huh?” said Barkham. “Oh yeah. And you can bet your ass I don’t want to see another dinosaur in my entire life!”
Takamura smiled.
“There is that silver lining, isn’t there, Jim? No more dinosaurs!”
COLONEL PHINEAS KEMP
lay in the cubicle, strapped down.
He realized that he was changing, inside and out—and yet he wasn’t becoming violent, as Timothy Linden had. He felt a little pain, he felt dizzy, and he wasn’t precisely comfortable ... But it felt more like a hangover than any real illness. It had the feeling to it, the promise of departure ... Soon ... soon ...
He was barely conscious when Mikaela Lindstrom came in. Her voice revived him rapidly.
“Phineas? Phineas, are you still awake?”
“Mikaela? Yeah ... Yeah, I’m okay. There was a strange time there for a moment.”
“That was when the ship went into hyperspace.”
“Then we’ve made it?”
“Yes. We’re headed back for Earth.”
“Thank God!”
“Yes.”
There was a long time of silence, then Mikaela said, “I’m so glad you made it back, Phineas.”
“You know I’m going to change, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to look like Linden.”
“Yes.”
“Think you’ll still love me with a kisser like that?”
“Oh yes, I’ll still love you, Phineas. But you know, don’t you, that things ... things will have to be different.”
“Yes. Yes, I suppose so.”
“You’ll be different and you won’t have the same feelings toward me ... I know that ... I can perceive that.”
Kemp nodded. “I’m going to need your help.”
“And we’ll all need yours ...”
“Just imagine ... Phineas Kemp, transforming into a superior form of humanity.”
“And you always thought that you had already made it that far,” said Mikaela, a laugh in her voice.
“Yeah. How true. Oh well, nothing for arrogance like a good dose of radiation, I guess.”
She squeezed his hand. “I look forward to getting to know the new you.”
“So do I.”
Mikaela looked up and out the door. “Ah. Yes, I just wanted to tell you that ... to tell you that we’ll all be here to help you as you change, Phineas.”
“Thanks. That means a lot to me.”
“There’s someone who’s come to talk to you, Phineas ... I’ve got to go now, but she’ll take care of you. And you’ve got to take care of her as well.”
“Thanks, Mikaela.”
Mikaela kissed him on the cheek and then she left.
Someone else walked through the door.
And although his vision was bleary and foggy, he somehow did not need it to sense who it was ... He could reach out and touch her with something else ... some new part of him.
“Hello, Phineas.”
“Hello, Becky,” he answered. “We made it.”
“Yeah.”
“But we’ve got a long way to go yet ...”
“I don’t want to think about it.”
“We can do it, Phineas. I know we can. But we’ve got to do it together. We’ve got to be there for each other ... There’s always been that between us. There’s something ... And it’s something we’re going to have to build on. This time, though, it won’t just be for our selfish selves.”
“Yeah,” he said.
“You’re being awfully monosyllabic, Phineas Kemp.”
“There’s not much more to be said, is there, Becky?”
“No, I suppose not. It’s going to be a strange future, Phineas.”
“Tell me about it. I’m scared absolutely shitless.”
“Yes. And so am I.”
Becky came to him and lay beside him ..
“When I dreamed of going to the stars, I never dreamed of this,” said Phineas Kemp.
“No,” said Becky. “But I think I did.”
He laughed and put his arm around her, and her warmth was more than welcome.
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