Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE






"No, I said I'm staying right here."

"Why don’t you come down there with us," Gynnevva prodded. "Really Livv, it’ll be fun!" She turned toward the handsome young man on her arm and shook her head. "She's not usually like this…" He shrugged. Bored with the melodrama he coolly turned toward the observation deck and tapped his foot impatiently. "But Livv, I should think you’d want to be on the main floor with us. After all, dear, you’re the only one here who actually knows him."

"Shhh!" Livv objected. Her eyes darted back and forth scanning for eavesdroppers. "Please," she whispered, "I really don’t want any one to know about that."

"All right, you can be that way if you want. We've got to go now." Gynn grabbed the young man and turned to walk away. She swung her head around and winked. "You are coming to the party after the reception, aren’t you?"

Relieved to see Gynn finally go she said, "Of course," with a wink of her own. 

From the balcony she had a clear view of the entire shuttle dock. On the deck below the thousands of people crowding around the viewing stand swayed back and forth like reeds in a pond. From the podium set aglow by the force of a thousand lights Dakkalia would soon greet the breathless world. She smiled. He had no idea what awaited him.

A collective gasp erupted from the main platform as the shuttle dock’s marker lights flickered on. Then there were shouts from below. A woman was screaming... Had the shuttle been spotted? All eyes rose skyward, each searching for a glimpse of the vehicle that would deliver unto them their new hero. "There!" Shouted one man. "It’s him," shouted another. At last Livv saw it. A pair of searchlights captured it’s silent descent. It sparkled in the night sky like a spinning jewel falling gracefully to the ground. The crowd cheered deliriously as it approached the outstretched moorings. The gleaming white craft drifted effortlessly into the slip. It came to rest with a resounding thud announcing to the world that Dakkalia was home at last.

The crowd crackled with anticipation as the shuttle was secured and the moorings were locked into place. Presently, the port side door opened. A silhouette of a man appeared and the cheering reached an urgent crescendo. The din turned quickly to hisses and moans. The man in the doorway clearly was not him, but rather Viddelio, the Supreme Director of Galactic Mining and Mapping. He stood alone at the podium and waited patiently for the crowd’s attention.

"Good people of this great city and those of you from points all over, it is my distinct honor and privilege to present to you the one and only, Dakkalia!" This time there was no mistaking the figure standing in the doorway. The applause and cheers went on forever. Soon thereafter, his father, Sollalia, and prominent members of the Ballalta’s council joined Dakk on the viewing stand.

She studied him closely. He looked so very tired behind that gracious smile. It was then she saw a large streak of white hair on his otherwise pure black head. How very odd, she thought. From that point on she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Following a brief introduction there were a few forgettable speeches made by members of Galactic’s elite corps and select members of Ballalta’s council. The audience grew impatient until finally Dakk stood alone at the podium.

"I can’t thank you all enough. It is very encouraging to have so many of you interested in the work that we do here at Galactic Mining and Mapping. While I am not at liberty to discuss in detail anything I that has happened I do want to assure all of you that there is no danger to Orr or any of the colonies. What we do have is an opportunity to learn a great deal about life in our galaxy. Everything we have learned about Earth will help us greatly in understanding what lies out there, waiting for us to uncover..."

It was a rehearsed speech. It was Dakk’s voice but it was somebody else’s words. They were hiding something. Something big. Something that frightened them all to the core. This wasn’t merely internal Galactic censorship on display. This performance had been coached from the highest levels. Despite his solemn assurance that the security of Orr and her colonies was not in question Livv remained unconvinced. Something was terribly wrong. What else could explain this carefully orchestrated event.

"... I can tell you this; the most profound truth I have realized on this mission is that we have barely scratched the surface of what lies within our reach. This wonderful galaxy we live in has millions of secrets to unlock. There are things out there we haven’t even begun to imagine yet. I am glad to be a very small part of this grand effort to uncloak the mysteries of our universe. "On behalf of Viddelio and the entire Galactic Mining and Mapping organization, I can say, honestly, we appreciate your support. Thank you, all! I hope to see you all at the reception!"

A masterful job by some one so completely out of his element, Livv mused. Dakk was no public speaker yet despite his natural shyness he performed like a veteran. He began working the audience along the viewing stand like a seasoned American politician they had all watched on the vids. The young girls he kissed and to the boys he raised his arm in a gesture of partnership. She watched, spellbound, as his figure disappeared into the crowd.

Suddenly, as if some irresistible force pulled her, she felt the desire to get to him quickly. She pushed her way through the crowd as she made her way to the lift station. By the time she reached the main floor the crowd had broken up into definable groups. She moved from group to group looking for signs that he was buried deep inside one of them. Not surprisingly, she found him surrounded by dozens of adoring young girls. On either side of him were representatives of Deppopio’s personal staff. Dakk was a precious commodity now, worthy of Depp's finest men. Nearby, Soll stood in silence, his eyes beamed with the pride only a parent could feel. There were hosts of wave reporters crowded around the perimeter. She wiggled in close enough to see him clearly, but making sure he could not see her. She listened carefully as the world’s newest hero was peppered with questions...

"Is it true," asked one reporter from the crowd, "that you’ve discovered a thousand new human worlds?"

"Are they all barbarians and pillagers?" shouted another.

Dakk laughed and she saw the sparkle in his eyes. He looked better from close up. The color had returned to his face. As he turned to face his questioners she ducked behind the crowd. "I’m sorry, but I really can’t talk about any of that right now. There are just too many unknowns, and until my ship's catalog is processed and released I’ll have to pass on your questions. Regulations… You understand… I’d hate to be telling you something that might not be true. So, please, no more questions about my latest mission."

"What’s it like to travel into the void," asked a young girl kneeling in front of his chair.

"Well, it’s kind of hard to describe, really." He turned toward the larger audience, "have any of you ever tried one of Galactic’s darkspace simulators?" Twenty or more young men and women raised their hands. "I see," he said with a grin. "Well it’s nothing like that!" Everyone laughed. "To be serious for a moment, it’s like being stripped of each of your senses all at once. If you are lucky enough to be able to freeze your thoughts as your ship reaches the light barrier, you may recover with an image in your head. If not, well, it’s like being thrust into an ice cold bath. It’s an all-consuming experience… Very unpleasant."

"Is it scary," asked another girl. "Are you afraid?"

"I’d be a fool if I wasn’t afraid."

"Have you ever been to Earth?" shouted a reporter.

"No. But someday, maybe." He lifted his eyebrows toward his father. "I’ve lived much of my life surrounded by images and sounds of Earth due to my father being an alumni of the Earth Institute. You all know my father…" Soll nodded and raised his hand. He turned toward Soll and gestured with his hand. "You may not know this about my father, besides being the High Chair of Terrekka’s Council and a current member of the Supreme High Council, he is a true expert on American baseball." Again the people laughed. "No it's true… Go ahead, father, tell these good people about the greatest World Series ever played."

Soll blushed. "These people don’t want to hear me blathering on and on. They’re all here to see you."

Dakk laughed sharply as if accepting a challenge. "Did I ever tell you that Deppopio once said the greatest series ever was the ‘56 Yankees revenge victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Me, I think it was the 2004 Boston Red Sox, on emotion alone." Soll stepped forward shaking his head back and forth. Dakk scowled, "That’s not it? What say you?"

"I’m afraid my good friend Depp has let sentimentalism cloud his objectivity. And I don't know how you can even think a four game sweep in 2004 was even exciting let alone great. Clearly the 1991 Minnesota Twins victory over the Atlanta Braves was the greatest series ever." 

"How so?" Dakk prodded his father on. Soll knew what was happening and played into it.

"Where do I begin? One run decided five of the seven games. In four of those games the deciding run was the last play of the game. In game six Puckett robbed Gant of a home run and then in the bottom of the eleventh hit a home run of his own to keep the Twins alive and send the series to a seventh and deciding game.

"The seventh game pitted young John Smoltz against his boyhood hero Jack Morris. Each player pitched shut out ball through eight tense innings. In a decision that might cost him the game and the championship Brave’s manager Bobby Cox sat Smoltz on the bench and went to his bullpen. With the score 0-0 and the game on the line, Morris refused to be taken out of the game for a fresher arm. Against his better judgment manager Kelly sent the veteran out to mound for the tenth. Morris didn’t flinch; taking his team to the bottom of the inning still tied. It was quite intense. Then, with the bases loaded, Gene Larkin lifted a fly ball over the centerfielder’s head scoring Gladden from third, winning the game and the series. A better finish could not have been scripted."

"Well, I can’t argue with that," Dakk chuckled. Together they had diverted everyone’s attention from something real to mindless Earth trivia. 

Nevertheless, everyone loved mindless Earth trivia. Livv, now standing silently behind the first row of reporters, was ready to burst at the seams. These people were eating it up. Finally, during a moment of silence, she blurted out: "What happened to your hair?"

Dakk and Soll perked up, both of them recognizing the familiar voice. Dakk smiled. She was out there! His eyes scanned the crowd but he could not find her. He sat back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair.

"This? I’m not sure what happened. I’m afraid I can offer no explanation that will satisfy Galactic’s good doctors." He smiled proudly. "Looks distinctive, no?" Several young girls screamed and whistled. "I think I’ll keep it."

The superficial questions went on and on until Dakk was finally spirited away by Deppopio’s guards to attend a private function. The crowds on the main platform dispersed to various corners of the massive structure where countless parties were being held in Dakkalia’s honor. Livv stayed behind. She sat up on the viewing stand alone until the landing bay was empty and the lights dimmed down. A single tear rolled down her cheek as a solitary, painful thought dashed through her head. Why would he even want her when the whole world was his for the asking? She lay back on the deck and stared up into the crisp, cloudless sky. She felt the cold tear change direction, but made no effort to wipe it away. The brilliance of thousands of stars could be seen in one eyeful. His life was out there; hers was rooted firmly on the ground. It wasn’t fair to ask a man of the stars to be tied to one woman. There was a reason Galactic favored the pilots with no outside loyalties.

"There you are!" came a voice out from out of the darkness. Gynnevva skipped her way across the tarmac with her young man in tow. "What are doing here, all alone..." she stopped in mid-sentence as Livv sat up and wiped the remains of the tear from her face. "... You’ve been crying. What’s the matter?"

"It’s nothing," Livv said in a strong, steady voice, hoping she didn’t sound as weak as she felt. "Things just didn’t turn out the way I had planned, that’s all."

"Dumped you, huh? Oh, Livv, I didn’t mean that... That settles it, you simply must come with us. They’re having a toga party up on 399. It’s a riot. And on 409 they’re having an Elvis party." She turned to her partner: "Was it the young Elvis or the fat Elvis?" He shook his head and shrugged. "Whatever, doesn’t matter anyway. What do you say, Livv? Will you come? It’ll be fun."

"Thanks, dear, but I’d rather be alone tonight. I'm not in much of a party mood. I’ll just slow you down."

Gynn frowned. "It’s not like you Livvy, you love to party." She hung her head down, mocking Livv’s glum expression. "Well, you can’t say I didn’t try. If you change your mind you know where to find us." She turned to her young man, "let’s go!"

She watched Gynn hop across the tarmac to the lift station and disappear into a lift tube with her legs straddled around his waist. This time not even Gynn’s infectious spirit could light a fire in her. She was so tired now. She was ready to find a room for the night. She stood and jumped down from the viewing stand. Walking toward the lift station she heard footfalls that were not her own. She stopped and listened. Somewhere behind her she heard the clanging of boots on a metal ramp. She spun to see a silhouetted image of a young man.

"And he wondered," said the man aloud, "would she still be waiting for him after all this time?"

"Dakk! Is it you?"

She sprinted toward him, their bodies meeting halfway up the ramp. "It’s me. And I’m here to stay." They kissed and held each other, neither wanting to be the first to let go of the other. "I wasn’t sure you’d be here. I was away for so long this time..."

"Don’t be silly. I’ll never stop wanting you. Never." He picked her up and carried her toward the lift station. "Where are we going?" she asked pensively.

"To the Top of the World," he declared in a booming voice.
The Top of the World was a private room perched atop the tallest untethered structure in the world. Sitting on the very pinnacle of the Galaxy Building’s spire the Top of the World was a destination of dreams. It was synonymous with extraordinary success. Few people had ever seen it let alone spent the night. "How?" Livv asked.

"I have friends in high places," he laughed. "The room is ours for as long as we want it."

"Then it is ours forever," she laughed.

He held his head close to her ear and whispered: "You don’t like the hair, do you?"

"No, that’s not true. I love it! I love everything about you... And I missed you terribly. And I have so much to tell you...

"Shhh... No more talking. We can talk tomorrow." As they raced skyward in the lift tube he kissed her gently on the neck and whispered: "Words are a distraction. We’ll have no need for them where we are going."