Authors: Amy Kinzer
Ascent (28 page)
Liam moves away from the door and it spins in a circle. The spinning gets faster and faster, blowing a breeze into our faces.
And then it disappears.
“Please come in, we only have twenty seconds.”
Liam steps through the door first and we trot in after him. Like a good little herd.
The room opens up into a giant hangar. Men that are three feet tall, wearing lab coats like Dr. Thompson’s, rush around the room. Only they’re not really men. There’s something different about them, and when one turns around and looks at me I jump.
Its face is round and smooth, the eyes are like little black pinpricks and its lips are bright red. It tilts its eyes at me and appears to be examining me with the same intensity as I examine it. On its chest is a computer readout. For a moment, numbers spin in a whirlwind, before settling and flashing green. The being nods its head and walks away.
“What was that?”
Marcus whispers behind me.
And then I look up and see it, what I’ve been looking for my whole life. The miniature men are buzzing around it, like little mechanics to make sure it stays in order. I catch my breath. It’s what I’ve been looking for since Grandpa told me the story while I was still at Fruitland Elementary School.
My mouth drops open. In the middle of the room is a football shape machine. It’s about twenty-five yards wide and smooth in texture. It glows softly, pale green. And it’s humming.
Liam examines the group with a smile on his face. “Yes, you’re seeing what you think you’re seeing. It’s a spaceship. The ship was captured by the government ten years ago over Washington State. It holds many amazing scientific secrets. Some of the technology from the ship was harnessed for the creation of the Slider.”
I stand behind a rope that surrounds the ship. It appears only the small beings are allowed inside the rope and that it takes all their energy to keep the ship’s energy running.
I’m exactly where I want to be standing in front of the secrets of the Universe. There’s so much I want to know. The place I’m standing now has made everything I’ve sacrificed worth it.
One of the creatures working on the ship makes eye contact with me. The word “help” rings in my ears. They can communicate with me, undetected. I nod my head. I need them to know I’m here to help.
The creature goes back to the ship. Liam waves us over and I walk over to where he’s standing.
I have so much work to do. My mind turns over the possibilities.
Chapter Forty-One
Matt
The Paradox
A Situation That Contradicts Itself
Dr. Thompson was wrong about one law of Winn Theory. He hypothesized that if you changed your past and chose not to come back, you would have no recollection of what occurred.
That’s where he was wrong.
I remember everything about the Party. Even though they haven’t come into power yet. It’s starting. And I know it will happen.
And since I know what will happen, I feel like I have to make it stop.
The Party is trying to brainwash everyone. To make everyone think they know what is best.
But I know better.
I don’t tell anyone about what happened. I’m so afraid that if I let on then fate will come looking for me. Or that I’ll wake up one morning and Violet will be gone.
So, I just pretend like I’ve been here the whole time. Like nothing changed. Like Violet was always okay, that on some plane of existence in the universe she hadn’t been killed in a car accident on a night when I had been chugging cheap beer from red cups out of a keg. I’m sure, somewhere out there, I’m living another life. One where Violet is six feet underground and her mom and my mom are no longer friends and I’m playing football for the Party, wanting to put a gun to my head and pull the trigger.
But I’m not an expert in Physics and I have no idea how to get to that place. And even if I were, I wouldn’t want to.
Violet and I aren’t together anymore. A few weeks after I came back we started drifting apart. Drifting in a way you do when you graduate from high school and you have your whole life ahead of you.
Your whole life.
And I’m okay with it, really. Because all I wanted for her was a chance, a chance for a career and a husband and kids and a dog, a white wedding dress to wear down the aisle. Everything she ever wanted is hers for the taking. All she has to do is take it.
I see her around school. We don’t talk. She nods at me the way people acknowledge someone that they maybe feel too strong about to do anything more. Part of me wants to hug her every time I see her. To tell her I’m so glad she’s okay. But I don’t. That would be just too weird, I guess.
But I’m glad she’s happy.
My mom’s doing great. She’s all excited that Violet’s sister’s having a baby. Mom’s helping Violet’s mom plan the baby shower. My mom lives for that kind of stuff. She never had a daughter, so she gets her fix through her friends.
I watch the news. Politically the US is falling apart. The Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on anything. The financial system is crumbling. It’s the perfect chance for a new party to come into power.
The
Party. I need to find a way to make it stop. Nothing good happens once the Party is in power.
But for now, I’m fine. I’m doing great. Jimbo-dandy, like my dad would say. I hurt my knee playing football and I’m out for the rest of the season. Everyone keeps thinking I should be more upset than I am. Like the worst thing that could happen to a guy is to hurt his knee the first year of college ball.
I can guarantee everyone that being sidelined from the football field is definitely not the worst.
And like the best thing that could happen to a person is being the star, running back at UCLA.
No.
The best thing that could happen to a person is getting a second chance.
***
I’m at home watching the news. The Party hasn’t started taking over broadcast stations and cable TV yet. The very last of the journalistic news channels, they’re reporting on the last election. President Everson won. He ran as a member of the Party.
They’re coming into power now. It’s starting. A few of the ghettos have been developed. The working class is moving into 250 square foot apartments they’ll call home.
The Party didn’t plan on me staying in the past and remembering what happens in the future.
They didn’t count on the fact I didn’t want to be a member of the Party at all.
They don’t know I’m the person who wants to stop them from taking power.
Now that’s Violet safe, I have my eye on stopping the Party’s ascent.
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