EPSILON 4 | GREGOS SYSTEM JOHNATHAN ASHCROFT, A TEN-year old boy with curly blond hair, runs through the halls of Epsilon 4 space station. He is being tailed by Security Officers. He heads down a hall that he knows is a dead end. At the end of the hall there is a secret passageway that is open. In his hand, he carries a vial of medicine that his mother desperately needs. “John, hurry up!” John’s older brother, Billy, motions for him to quicken his pace. “Coming, Billy!” John says as his shoes clank on the metallic flooring of the station. John nears the end of the hallway. He closes in on his brother. He makes it into the secret passageway as the Security Officer rounds the corner. The door shuts as the officer reaches the hallway. “Damn it!” The security officer says as he searches around the hallway. “Where could he have gotten to? DAMN IT!” There is a beep on his communicator. The security officer roll his eyes. He taps the communicator. “Jameson, did you get the perp?” Jameson taps his communicator. “No, the kid disappeared. Where to? I do not know.” “Head back to the Command Center, Jameson.” He hears over the communicator. “On my way, sir.” Billy and John watch from a ventilation grate as Officer Jameson begins his trek back to the Security Command Center. Billy breathes a sigh of relief. They wait a few moments after the officer leaves before making their way home. ASHCROFT LOFT LYDIA ASHCROFT SITS IN her chair. She is shaking and she is worrying at the same time. She takes a deep breath. Then, she reaches out for her drink. Her hand continues to shake. She grabs her wrist with her other hand. She gulps. Then, she sighs right before she begins crying. As she begins slamming her fist onto the chair’s armrests, her boys, Billy and John come into the living room. Billy sees his mother beginning to seize and rushes over to her. He is only a teenager. Barely in high school and having to run the household. “Mom! Mom!” Billy screams as she continues to seize. “Bill-ee…” Lydia softly says as she seizes. She reaches out and touches his face with her shaking hands. “Bill-ee…” Billy places his hand on his mother’s face. “Mom, give me time to synth the medicine. You will be fine for now.” From his pocket her removes a small sedative. He gives it to her. She looks at the pill. Billy looks up at her. “Please, mom. Take it. It will help. I will hold the cup for you.”
“Oh-kay…” Lydia says as her hand still shakes. She raises the hand with the pill up to her mouth. Billy smiles as he looks on. She places the pill in her mouth and swallows it. Then, Billy holds her cup as his mother struggles to put the straw in her mouth. Billy tries to hold the cup as still as he can. John watches silently from the corner. He knows his mother is in terrible shape. He hates it. Lydia manages to the straw in her mouth. Then, she takes a drink of her water. The pill goes down into her system. Billy breathes a sigh of relief. “Billy, is this really going to work?” John asks. There is a bit of trepidation in his voice. “Unfortunately, John, we cannot afford to get the surgery mom needs to get rid of the quakes she has.” Billy says. “But the medicine helps some.” “We cannot steal this much longer. Sooner or later they will find out who we are.” John says. Billy runs a hand through his sandy blonde locks He gulps. “I know, John. I know. But for now, it is the best we can to help her.” John runs over to Billy. He has tears in his eyes. He hugs his bog brother. “I miss daddy. He would know what to do.” Billy runs a hand through John’s hair. “I know, John. I miss him, too.”
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AuthorBryan Rainey is the author of the METAVERSE and Odyssey Star sagas. He is also the publisher and cover artist of the books. Archives
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