Ten Years Ago…
“I
want to live in a floating city.”
Alexander
Jackson lay naked in bed, the sheets barely covering him, breathing slowly and
enjoying the moment of bliss. In the crook of his arms with her head on his
chest was his fiancé, Valerie.
“A
floating city?” Alex smiled at the thought. “That would be incredible. We’d be
able to leave all of the drama of this modern world and just float through the
sky, living life like angelic beings.”
“That
is exactly what I want,” Valerie replied with a sigh. “No bull shit, no super
villains, no politicians, and no seedy corporations. Just the best and
brightest from around the world, all working towards building the perfect
future.”
“If
only,” Alex chuckled.
Valerie
leaned up onto her elbow. “You don’t think it’s possible?”
“In
the future, yes. But as of now, I’m not sure of a conceivable way to keep the
city afloat. We’d need some sort of anti-gravity technology, and there hasn’t
been much research done on that yet. Plus the cost alone would bankrupt a small
country. And we’d be totally self-sufficient, so new ways of creating resources
would be needed.”
Valerie
gave a great depressing sigh and laid back down. “You really know how to kill a
girl’s dream, huh?”
“I’m
sorry my heart,” Alex said as he smoothed her hair out of her face. “But until
someone finds a way to keep the city off the ground, it’ll just have to be a
dream.”
They
were quiet for a few minutes, and Alex almost drifted off to sleep. Can’t sleep yet, not with patrol later on,
he thought. He had found strong friends with the members of Frontier, but there
were plenty of days, more frequently as of late, that he wished he wasn’t
tethered down to a set routine.
“I
got it!” Valerie said suddenly, propping herself up once more and looking into
Alex’s eyes.
“Got
what?”
“A
way to hold up the city. That is what we were just talking about, you know.”
“And
just like that you solved the anti-gravity problem?” Alex was smiling when he
said it. Valerie did not have any formal education in engineering, let alone
any of the higher sciences. But what she lacked in learned knowledge she more
than made up for in spirit and imagination.
“Yeah,
I did.” Valerie smiled and pointed at herself. “Who needs anti-gravity engines
when you have me?”
Present Day,
Onboard the Eagle…
“And
I tried everything I could to bring you back. But nothing worked until Damien’s
powers manifested. The electrical waves he generates affects organic material
and brain waves in a way that I will never be able to. It’s…a miracle, really.
Despite everything I knew, and everything I can do, I was powerless to help
you. But our son had the power all along. If only I’d have told him sooner,
perhaps…”
Alex
stopped talking and trailed off into thought. He had been driving the
conversation for over an hour now, standing up, pacing back and forth, even
crying at certain points. He explained everything, from his personal thoughts
on the idea of the Eagle, to the most detailed layout of the city. He didn’t
have his phone on him, and John was making sure nothing was to interrupt him
today. This was one of the most difficult things Alex had ever done, because
the only other person in the room, the only one he was talking and explaining
himself to, was the only person to whom it really mattered: his wife.
In
the silence, Alex looked at her. Regardless of the loss of weight and sickly
pale complexion, he still believed she was the most beautiful being in the
entire world. Having just returned from the hospital with Damien and John earlier
this morning, he only swung by the office to check for important updates. Yet
sitting in the chair at his desk was Valerie. Her presence floored him and he
was left utterly speechless. Alex had fallen to his knees at the sight of her,
and it took her gentle touch to raise him up and sit him in one of the padded
chairs. She did not speak, and relatively quickly Alex composed himself and
began his long explanation of everything that had happened up until now.
Still
after so much talking, there were thousands of thoughts left in his mind. He had
no idea where to go from here. Valerie had been silent the entire time he was
rambling on, but he saw a wide range of expressions cross her face. And now
that he had fallen silent, she rose and slowly walked to the window.
As she looked out over Cloudtop
City, she whispered, “You did it. Despite not believing it was possible, you
created a floating city.”
Alex hurried over to her side
and put his arm around her waist to hold her up. She was still very weak. “I
could not have done it without your power. You were always the heart of the
Eagle.”
“I still am,” she said staring
off into the distance. “You unlocked something within me, Alex. Even now I can
hold this city up with my power. I don’t believe I can do much of anything else
with my powers while I’m at it, and I don’t know what will happen when I sleep,
but for now I can keep your city in the sky.”
“Your city,” Alex corrected her
and turned to look into her eyes. “This is your city, my love. Always was and
always will be. I was merely acting in your place. But we’ll figure something
out until the actual anti-gravity engines are built.”
Valerie turned back to look
outside. They stood looking over the Eagle for a long time before she spoke
again. “It’s beautiful, Alex. I need to learn about it. I want to know all
about this beautiful kingdom you’ve built.”
“Of course Valerie.”
“And Damien. I need,” here she
stopped and Alex saw her shoulders tense up for the incoming sobs. He pulled
her closer gently as she started crying. “I’ve missed so much. His whole
childhood. Ten years, Alex. My God, I’ve missed so much.”
Alex held her and whispered
soothing words. After she quieted a bit and the tears stopped flowing freely he
continued. “We will make up for it, I swear. I am just so happy to have you
back, and so relived you do not despise me for what I did to you. I was so
worried you would never forgive me.”
“Forgive you? Alex, you kept me
alive and built my dream in memory of what I had always wanted. This entire
floating structure is a testament to your love for me. How can I be mad at you?
You did what was necessary, and it all worked out for the best. I’m here and
feeling better than I ever have. There is no anger from me, Alex. Only joy.”
They embraced, and Alex felt
like he would never let her go.
“We need to hold a public
meeting.”
“Whatever for?”
“For you, Valerie. No one knows
the truth. I did not know how they would react, but it is time to come clean
and face whatever repercussions come my way. The people deserve the truth.”
Valerie squeezed his hand and
nodded. “I’ll stand beside whatever decision you make, Alex. You have my full
support.”
Alex kissed her gently, and then
started laughing. “In a way dear, you’ve always been supporting me. All of us.”
Valerie sighed. “I’m glad your
sense of humor is still intact. Now show me where I can get some food, and
let’s pick up Damien on the way. I need to meet this son of mine. I owe him my
life, as a mother and a person.” She looked up at Alex with a smile. “Plus I
need to see just how lenient of a father you’ve been. I’m sure you’ve given him
the run of the city and raised an unruly animal.”
Alex laughed and led her out of
the office. “Now Valerie, I am offended! If he has any of those qualities, he
surely got them from you.”
The happy couple walked down the
hallway, hand in hand and laughing the whole way, just as they had ten years
ago down the aisle. And just, as Alex hoped, they would from this day forth.
