Beyond the Stars (43 page)

“What are we going to do? They won’t go away!” My voice was rattled.

“We just need to get across the edge of our land. It is illegal for them to follow us there. They cannot cross over personal property without an invitation.” He maintained his composed demeanor despite our limited options. Without warning, another vehicle cut down straight in front of us from above.

“
Gaelan
,” I shrieked. He swiftly turned us to the left to avoid smashing into it.

“Just let me drive. I need to focus,” he cautioned patiently.

“Sorry,” I muttered. I couldn’t help but be a backseat driver. I would rather scream than die.

“He’s back,” Gaelan muttered, looking at the complex digital screen in front of us. It showed the levitron coming up on our right. He seemed to rely more on the navigational technology than his own sight. I felt like I was living in a video game. Within seconds, I saw the car outside my window.

“Humph,” I moaned. I stared at the determined driver’s hardened expression at our side. “Is he
trying
to murder us?”

“Not today!” Gaelan assured me in a confident voice. He ducked underneath the chasing vehicle and changed our coordinates. The pursuing car wasted no time and came up on our tail.

“That guy’s a maniac!” I huffed out of frustration.

“Mm-hmm.” Gaelan angled us more to the right.

“
Ahhh
, he’s too close.” I peered out my side window to the car coming up on our side. “He’s going to hit us!” I exclaimed angrily.

“Don’t worry—we’ll get rid of them,” he stated convincingly.

“
Them?
” I gasped, turning back to look at the digital navigation screen.

“Yes, them.” Gaelan pointed to the monitor, which now detected five more cars coming up directly behind us.

“Uh, where are we going? Isn’t that the farm over there?” I pointed out his window in the opposite direction when the green fields came into view.

“We’ll take a shortcut. Our property wraps around. We own the land down to the lake. We can take cover in the trees on a path I used to walk all the time,” he reassured me.

“What path? All I see is forest.” I gasped when I saw the thick rows of tall green trees before us.

“Right there.” He pointed.

“You have
got
to be kidding me. We will never fit!” I demanded, looking ahead at the slight clearing.

“Sure we can. It’s perfect,” Gaelan said as if there were no other choice. He pulled us into a steep dive, lowering our levitron just above the ground before he turned us up on our left side and soared directly through the small gap in the trees.

“No, you can’t. Jeez …
ahhh
, you’re crazy! Oh my … I hate this!” I screamed while I held on to the dash and my seat.
That’s it, we’re going to die
, I thought.
We are going to hit a big tree and be dead on impact.
I became nauseous and found myself hyperventilating to keep from throwing up. I detested his flying us through the narrow forest path. Our extreme speed made the sunlight flash and flicker through the tall passing trees on our sides. I closed my eyes to hide from the sight. I heard the branches of trees snap and scratch across the body of the vehicle. I could feel us turning to maneuver through the course. My body jolted with every move. I braced myself tightly to keep from crashing into the side of the levitron. I thought it would never end.

“Sami.” Gaelan touched my hand. I jumped with his gesture.

“Whoa?” I answered with a yelp.

“We’re here. It’s safe to open your eyes now. My goodness, look at you. Are you
okay
?” He sounded amused at seeing my petrified body glued to seat.

“Maybe. I … I don’t know yet,” I stammered. I was still in shock.

“You can let go now.” He raised his eyebrows while looking at my hands. My fingers were locked down like a vise on the seat cushion and seatbelt. To my surprise, we weren’t moving. I looked around to discover that we had already returned to the house and had landed. “You know, I have never seen anybody’s knuckles get that white before.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Very funny,” I muttered before I fought to remove my stiffened fingers from their grip. Gaelan jumped out of the levitron and walked around the front of the vehicle to open my door for me.

“I told you I would get you home safe and sound,” he said, leaning into the air-car. He let out a chuckle at the pun before he picked up my right hand and laid a kiss across the top of my hand.

“You call
that
safe?” I shook my head in disagreement, unable to get up.

“Sure.” He smiled. “You know I would never let anything happen to you. I adore you,” he said seriously.

“Thanks, but you fly like a daredevil!” I poked him in the chest.

“I am taking that as a compliment,” he said in a smooth voice. His lips turned up in a mischievous grin. He seemed excited by his ability to outmaneuver our aggressors.

“Do you have any
other
hidden talents you care to disclose?”

“I have plenty of skills I will reveal to you in time. I don’t want you to grow bored with me,” he retorted.

“
Impossible!
” I said with a smile. I admired him, even though his flying scared me to death. He possessed the ability to think clearly under pressure and act without hesitation. His plan to deter our followers had worked, and more important, he didn’t kill us!

CHAPTER 26

DECLARATION

Silently, we walked inside the house. My body swayed. I was still trying to regain my equilibrium. We were greeted by Gaelan’s family impatiently awaiting our return in the large living room.

“How was the hearing?” Colin asked eagerly.

“They suspended my flight privileges,” Gaelan muttered weakly to the group. He looked like he had been hit with a truck. Why didn’t he tell me? I felt a wave of pain sweep over me.

“
What?
How can they? That is absurd,” Zaric huffed, sounding outraged.

“What about you and Sami?” Azil quickly asked.

Gaelan reached for my hand. “That is untouchable. Our commitment is honored.” He gave me a half-smile.

Colin’s forehead creased. “Did you petition?”

“Of course, but I only got four members to overturn it,” he stated tensely.

“He needs the support of at least six of the ten senior council members,” Miria explained to me after she saw confusion cross my face.

“Who was left?” Liam asked.

“Homic, Darion, Ryton, Planc, Surin, and Dilki,” Gaelan said with contempt.

“Well, then—maybe there
is
something I can do to help,” Liam said sinisterly.

“Liam, you must be reasonable here,” Colin warned.

Liam looked at him smugly. “Father, I am the head of agriculture now. Remember, you signed it over to me.”

“You wouldn’t,” Azil scolded.

“Son, you cannot withhold food. You do not plan on starving anyone, do you? Clearly, we can find another way,” Miria warned.

“No, of course not. I have a much more effective solution.” Liam hinted at an alternative resolution. He flashed us a wide, wicked grin. “Now, if you would excuse me. I have something to attend to.” No one tried to stop him. I could tell that Liam’s ambition ran at will.

“Gaelan, will they give you your flight privileges back before the ship returns to Earth?” I asked.

“Not unless something changes.” He paused and pulled me into the foyer for privacy. “You have the choice to stay here with me until I am reinstated or to return home when the ship leaves. I can’t be sure of when the next mission to Earth will be, though. I don’t want you to miss out on your time at home.” He lightly stroked the side of my face.

“Gaelan, you mean I have to choose between you and my life on Earth?”

“Only for now. You should return home. I want you to be happy. You will only feel trapped if you stay here with me. I will find a way back to you. I promise.” He held both of my hands with conviction.

“The ship leaves in three days. You have to be able to go. They can’t do this,” I pleaded.

“I am so sorry. I never intended to hurt you. You never asked to be a part of this.
Please
… you are not of this world. You belong more at home than you do with me. It is selfish for me to think otherwise,” he insisted. He looked broken. I could tell it wasn’t easy for him to tell me to leave him. It was as though the words scorched his lips when he spoke them.

“I can’t just leave you. I don’t want to live without you,” I implored. He squeezed my hands and swung my arms. A glimmer of hope returned to his eyes.

“Hmm, what
are
we going to do?” He sighed.

“Why are they trying to keep us apart?”

“They said it was to determine my loyalty to Kataria and to prove my commitment to you.” Gaelan looked at me tenderly but remained speechless for a moment. I was about to ask what he was thinking when Zaric approached us with a determined step.

“Gaelan,” he interrupted, “we should gather some support. The council needs some motivation to change their minds.”

“You’re right. Sami, I need to talk with some friends. I will get back as soon as I can. I think it would be better if you stayed home. The reporters won’t bother you here. I can only assume the commotion out there has grown.” Gaelan looked me in the eyes, trying to assess my reaction. I couldn’t help but be relieved by his offer. I think he knew I would rather not step foot in that car again.

“I’ll be happy to wait here, but why don’t you just call people on the phone? You
do
have telephones,
don’t
you? Don’t you have voice communicators like you do on the ship? I can’t believe you want to go back out there.” I cringed, fearing for his safety.

“Of course we have communicators, but it is much better if we talk to our friends in person.” He paused to search for the right words. “Most of us find comfort in old traditions. Our technology has taken away so many tasks that our culture looks for ways to maintain our human connection. It is one thing we can thank the Dreons for. They have taught us the importance of never taking our humanity for granted. We strive to preserve the balance with technology within our society,” he explained.

I knew exactly what he was saying. In general, it had become too easy to avoid direct interaction with others. Who hasn’t felt relief to have the luxury of leaving a voicemail message instead of having a conversation? Text messaging and voice dictation had practically taken over most of the communication on Earth. It was as though our society had become fearful of human contact and more comfortable relying on technology to interact. I shared his view. Humanity was something worth saving and even fighting for.

Gaelan gave me a quick kiss and soft stroke on the cheek before he headed out the door with Zaric and Colin. I stood in the large foyer, feeling crushed. I looked up at the light filtering through the round, domed skylight and prayed for divine intervention. I imagined the warm light filling me with the courage to persevere.

Azil walked over to comfort me. “Sami, he will be okay.”

“I feel terrible. I have taken away his greatest pleasure in life.” I was filled with shame and guilt. My eyes filled with tears. She gently laid her hand on my back.

“Shhh,” she hushed me.

“I ruined his life,” I whispered while I wiped my eyes.

“No, Sami. You have made him happy. He has never loved anyone the way he does you. Your relationship is just big news. No one has ever been brave enough to get involved with another kind and be so open about it.”

“Azil, I can’t lose him.” I grimaced out of frustration.

“I know,” Azil said quietly.

The day dragged on. Gaelan’s mother showed me the rest of the house and told me stories about Gaelan growing up to keep me occupied. She was spunky and full of energy. We could easily become great friends.

“Sami, I have never seen Gaelan like this. I think he has been searching for you for a long time,” Miria surmised.

“Thank you. That means a lot to me,” I replied.

She seemed to be trying to make the most of our time together. I remembered Noah telling me about how people on Earth stifle their youth. Now, I understood. Miria explained how each of her children differed and that they each had many projects taking over the house when they were young. I really admired her. She loved each of her children deeply and possessed the ability to support each of their dreams without any reservations of her own. She possessed an inner strength and was extremely optimistic. It was as though she gave each of them wings to fly to their heart’s content while never inflicting the fear of failure in them. I felt guilty when I thought about how I’d tried to sabotage Leah and Jackson’s dreams to work on the Space resort. My selfish fear of losing them almost stopped them. I vowed to parent more like Miria when I returned home. I could see how she produced such strong children.