Generations - Reunion

“Let me go,” she screamed, trying to get back to the top of the Phoenix, to get back to the house – or what remained of it. “My children are there!”

“Our children.”

“Mine! They’re my children! I have to find them.”

Jason was frantically working the tracking device. “Princess, I had a fix on Chris, but I’ve lost it and can’t fully get it back. Did he transmute?”

She thought back, trying to think clearly through her terror. “I... I think so. Yes. He did. When I did. At least.... Yes. But I can’t remember if he was able to hold it.”

Jason grunted. “Possibly didn’t hold it fully. Where did you send them?” He stood and let Princess take the station, watched as she removed her bracelet and fixed it to the tracker, her movements sure, if not fully conscious.

Mark watched and nodded, taking his usual seat next to Tiny. “Start a search pattern, Tiny,” he said softly. “We need to make sure those kids are safe.”

Tiny nodded and activated the sensors on the Phoenix, desperately scanning for the signs of life that they were looking for.

“I gave them the car keys. Sent them to the garage. Told them to get to Security Centre.”

“The garage?” Mark raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a bunker,” said Tiny. “There’s an emergency concealed exit.”

“I’m getting something,” said Princess. “I’m going to see if I can track back a little. The readings are fluctuating and I can’t get an accurate fix.”

“I got a huge spike earlier,” said Jason. “I think Chris didn’t hold the transmute fully and needed to do it again for some reason.”

Princess nodded. “That would account for the spike. But why transmute again if he had fallen out?”
Mark was frantically using his own implant to try to scan for others. He quickly discounted the ones in the Phoenix with him, and felt some faint signs, but couldn’t quite get a fix. “There’s definitely something out there. It’s somebody with a cerebonic implant, but it’s too faint – or too unknown to me.”
“I’m trying to get a fix.” Princess could feel her heart pounding, and she knew that Jason was in the same frantic state, both of them desperately damping down that fear to work to find their children. “Jason...”

His arms went around her and he held her close. “I know, love. But remember Chris’s implant. We’d know if he wasn’t....” His voice broke. If he lost his family, Jason knew he wouldn’t be able to continue.

“He’s not dead,” said Mark firmly. “Jason’s right. Chris has an implant. If he’s on the same planet as us, we can find him. And no matter where he was, we’d feel it if he died.” He looked around at the other three. “Like you knew I was alive.” Mark stood and came to Princess’ station.

“We need to work smarter. I don’t know why we’re having such problems tracking Chris. At his age, his implant should be showing strongly. Princess, we need to work smart.”

He opened a panel below the tracker where Princess’ bracelet was fastened. “It’s been a while, and I hope she still recognises me.”

Tiny looked at him and smiled. “Like our Princess, Phoenix is a loyal lady. She never forgets. She always asks about you. She’s waiting for you, Mark.”

“Was Ann ever jealous of Phoenix?” He lightly touched the interface that the removal of the panel revealed and he could feel the response in his mind from the Phoenix. “Hello, old girl,” he said softly. He took a deep breath and placed his gloved hand on the interface, feeling himself become one with their ship. He felt it touch his mind and felt its joy at the missing part being returned. He could feel Phoenix start to chastise him, start to rummage through his mind for explanations and exerted himself.

“No time. We need to find Chris.” He touched the interface from Princess Bracelet and identified Chris’ cerebonic “signature”. “Need you to boost to find it, Phoenix. Need your help to find my son.”
The whole team could feel the energy from Phoenix. It wasn’t something they used often, in fact apart from Tiny who had the connection all the time, only Mark could physically interface with Phoenix like this. They all knew, however, how it affected him. Knew of the migraines that he suffered afterwards. It was a measure of his desperation to find the children that he was doing this – on his first time back on board.

“I’ve got it!” cried Princess! “Tiny they’re coming out the emergency exit. Head for there! Thank you Phoenix!”

Mark found it hard to disconnect – Phoenix wanted information from him, and he knew that he would have to provide it sooner or later. He managed finally and slumped to the ground, and knew that he was going to be paying for this as soon as he de-transmuted.

What surprised him was the gentle hands that lifted him into a chair belonged to Jason. “I’ll get something to try to stave off that migraine,” he said. Mark shook his head. “I can’t, Jason. Can’t use any drugs at all. Even painkillers.”

“Don’t be stupid Mark!”

“Too risky. I’ll sleep it off later. Back at Neptune.”

“You sure?” Jason was concerned at the tightness of Mark’s mouth. He knew that look, knew it was Mark battling severe pain.

“Docs said no drugs without their full supervision.” He looked up at his best friend. “But thanks.”
“Let me know if there is anything then.”

“There is.” Mark looked faintly embarrassed. “Don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but when we get back, need your help. You still do massage?”

“Yeah. And how can I possibly take that the wrong way?”

“Will help. Always did. Drugs never really helped with the migraine, but your head massage did.”

Jason shook his head. “It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help, Mark. You never did learn that.”
“And did you?”

Jason looked at Princess who was sitting next to Tiny, leaning forward as if she could make Phoenix go faster by doing so. “I did. And nearly lost her before I did.”

Mark looked as well. “I did lose her,” he said softly.

“There!” Princess jabbed at the screen in front of her. “I’ve got a sighting!” She adjusted controls and put it on the larger screen. “They’re all right! Oh Jason! They’re safe!”

In two steps, Jason was with her, holding her in his arms again as she cried, this time in relief. Mark felt his heart sink as the fact he had been trying to deny forced itself into full realisation.

Jason and Princess had been together longer than he and Princess. No wonder Jason felt he had the superior claim. They had fourteen years together – compared to not even a third of that for Mark and Princess. What a fool he had been to think that he could claim anything.

And yet... Princess had been offered a divorce from him on several occasions. One of those, three years ago, when he thought he would never come out of his darkness, on his own instructions – although he had not allowed her to know it came from him.

And each time she had declined. He knew that her religious beliefs had nothing to do with it. If they had, she wouldn’t have been living with Jason, born his child without being married. So she must still feel some bond between them.

Did he still have a chance? Or perhaps he had to look at another alternative that would give him what he desired most. It wouldn’t be hard – at least not for him.

He looked up at the screen at the two figures waving frantically as Phoenix started to land and then looked again. “Is that your bike, Prin?”

“What?”
He pointed. “Is that your bike?”

Princess looked closer and gave a curt nod. She folded her arms across herself, clearly angry. “They had better have a damn good excuse,” she said.

Tiny laughed. “I think that getting out alive is probably a good enough excuse,” he said, activating the pod for the bike storage.

Princess and Jason moved to the floor area to rise to the top of the bubble. Mark moved to join them, but Tiny stopped him. “This needs to be for them, Mark.”

“Chris is my son,” said Mark.

“Not at the moment. Right now, this is Prin, Jason and their family. Biological parentship means nothing. They need this time alone.”

Mark watched enviously as Princess and Jason embraced their children, he felt them drop out of their transmute and draw together, all four holding tight.

He sighed. “Then I suppose I had better go dock the bike.” He left hurriedly, not wanting Tiny to see his tears and his despair.

Tiny looked at his erstwhile Commander and good friend. He knew the despair Mark was feeling. He had lived with it every day since Ann’s death. Knew what Princess had felt when Mark disappeared.
It didn’t go away. It just became a dull ache.