Beyond the Stars (20 page)

“You mean you bring the universe closer to you rather than trying to go straight across it.”

“Exactly,” he said, turning up the corners of his lips.

Their advancement was astounding. I wanted to know everything.

“How don’t you crash into anything?”

“We can only pull on empty space, those devoid of strong gravitational pull.” He paused. “We also carefully draft our route. Our every move is perfectly calculated before it is executed.”

“Remarkable.”

“Then we also travel through port keys whenever possible.”

“Tunnels to the other side,” I surmised.

“Yes.” He stared at me intently trying to assess my reaction to his explanation.

“That’s …
that’s
phenomenal.” I tried to process the endless possibilities. I pictured climbing through a hole in a wall and entering into another room on the other side.

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“Where exactly is Kataria?”

“Well, look out right over there. Our solar systems are right across from each other,” he said. He rotated my body to the left and pointed to a distant area of Space. “We live just beyond those stars.”

“You mean to tell me Kataria is in the Milky Way Galaxy?” I asked with surprise.

“Yes, we are polar opposites,” he explained. I knew the Milky Way had over a few hundred billion stars, with over six billion of them having the possibility of containing a planetary system similar to ours. Seeing Space travel through his eyes was thought provoking. I couldn’t believe our worlds had been coexisting almost within reach of each other all this time.

“Oh—I can’t believe I’m just standing here,” I yelled. I bolted into the front room and grabbed my handbag that I had left on the bed in order to retrieve my camera. Without delay, I rushed back into the study and started taking photos of the breathtaking scene.

“What’s your rush?” Gaelan laughed.

“Are you kidding me? I have to get some pictures of this.” I aimed my camera randomly at the window and started clicking away. “Here, take my picture with this in the background. I have to get some proof that I was actually here.” I put the tiny camera in Gaelan’s hand and instructed him to press the button as he looked through the holographic viewfinder. He took at least ten pictures before I motioned for him to stop. I saw him smile. He seemed to be enjoying it. “This isn’t a fashion shoot,” I warned.

“You are more impressed with the view than I thought you would be. I would have shown you this earlier if I knew you would get
this
excited,” he mused.

“I guess when you see it all the time, it must seem trivial,” I said sarcastically. I took the camera back and took a few pictures of him to retaliate. He laughed at my harmless weapon.

“No, Samantha … I mean, Sami.” He rectified himself after spending the evening with Noah. “I love it. I could stare out at the view for hours and never grow bored. That’s one of the reasons I travel.”

“I can understand why. It’s so beautiful! I never imagined it would be so pretty.”

“You know, you are quite beautiful, as well. You look amazing,” he said. I wasn’t even aware that he was looking at me. I looked up at him. His gentle eyes went through me. His lips turned up with a subdued smile. I let out a breathy gasp as I took in his perfect physical features. I was taken aback by how his skin glowed in the pink and golden light of the illuminating stars.

“Thanks,” I muttered. Was he coming onto me? I had no idea how to respond. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who felt our instant connection. And yet our relationship was completely undefined. Was he a friend, a travel companion, or a potential lover? “You’re very striking, too,” I added casually.

He smirked at my response. I turned to look back out the window. We both stood in silence. I was suddenly uncomfortable. It was hard to suppress my attraction for Gaelan. Although his body left no room for improvement, he appealed to one of my greatest weaknesses—my love for inner strength and intellect. For me, deep sexual attraction always started with the mind. He possessed the ability to render me completely defenseless. I hadn’t considered being in a relationship since I lost Jack. How could I allow myself to be so drawn to him?

“There is so much I could show you. Things you never would have believed existed,” he said with excitement in his voice.

“No doubt … I can imagine that you’ve traveled a lot.”

“I never miss a voyage.”

“
Never?
” I asked with disbelief.

“No, it’s what I live for.”

“I can’t believe how different we are,” I mused. I continued studying the bright stars out our window.

His posture stiffened. “
Different?
Are you serious? Sami, our people couldn’t be anymore alike,” he said defensively.

“What I meant to say was that I’ve been living a sheltered life in my own little part of the universe while you’re out here sailing around,” I tried to explain myself. I didn’t mean to insult him.

“That may be so, but it doesn’t make you unlike me,” he said, leaving no room for an argument. He seemed offended by my comment. I looked over at him, and our eyes met. He stared back at me intently with his gorgeous eyes. I sighed. I wondered if he noticed how he affected me.

“So, besides a room with a view, what are the other reasons that you travel across the galaxy?” I said, trying to distract myself from wanting to kiss him.

“
Freedom
,” he said with fervor. “Our planet has become so regimented, I feel like I am being smothered. The ship gives me a break from it. Plus, I like being able to explore new worlds. Traveling forces me to remember that the universe is only limited by our discoveries. Sooner or later, you uncover a path that opens a door and, with it, a whole new set of possibilities.”

I struggled to grasp the challenge of exploring the infinite cosmos. The unknowns were endless. I felt incredibly small. How could he be so bold? “Aren’t you afraid of what you might find?”

“Sure.” He laughed. “But it’s all worth it. We have encountered both good and the bad, but we exceeded all of our expectations when we found you. Discovering your people is indescribable. Humans … just like us. I still can’t believe you exist. The union of our minds and sharing of ideas will only strengthen us both.”

“But, you are light years ahead of us.”

“Only in some ways,” he said softly. “Your people possess many qualities we admire.” I wondered what he was referring to.

“Do you have family at home or is it just you and Azil?”

“Sure.” He paused to sit down on the study’s long sofa and motioned for me to join him. “My parents, my brother and his family, and Azil and Zaric’s children are at home.”

“I presume you don’t like them very much.”

“
Why?
What makes you say that?” he asked, sounding confused.

“You’re never home.”

“Oh, no—it’s not like that. We are
really
close.”

“Don’t you miss them?”

“Yes, of course I miss them, but we are secure in our feelings for each other.”

“Do they ever come with you?”

“Well, Azil and Zaric’s kids have come with us, twice. But my parents won’t travel anymore, and my brother and his wife would never leave Kataria.”

“What do you mean your parents won’t travel anymore? Are they too old?”

“No.” He shook his head. “It is not that. They stopped traveling after Azil’s parents died,” Gaelan said in a distressed voice. “They were too afraid to leave Kataria after that.”

“Azil …
your sister
, Azil?” I asked, puzzled.

“I’m sorry, I’m confusing you. Azil is adopted. We have been a family for so long that I tend to forget where she came from.” He laughed. “Her parents and mine were best friends.” His serious tone returned. “They were killed on a Space mission, so she joined our family when she was twelve. My parents would have been aboard as well if it wasn’t for my little brother. We were all at camp. The ship’s expedition was short, planned to take one week’s time. It was scheduled to return home prior to the science camp award ceremony. My parents were informed that my brother was a major contender for winning the highest honor award, so they stayed home at the last minute to help the little genius work on his presentation. He invented a way to accelerate the growth of food when he was only eleven. You know, just one of the life-changing discoveries he would go on to invent,” he mocked.

“How were Azil’s parents killed?”

“The ship was traveling through a port key when it collapsed on them,” he said solemnly. “We were still in the early phases of learning how to stabilize the opening. None of us really understood how the port holes worked. We failed to consider all the possible variables that could alter its stability. I think the first few times we used them, the ships only returned by sheer dumb luck. Our society was becoming arrogant by our accomplishments. We thought we had successfully managed to create a port key to travel through the universe with no repercussions. It was a painful awakening to be so brutally humbled. We suffered such a great loss because of our blatant ignorance,” he said regretfully.

I laid my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “I’m so sorry for your loss.” I knew all to well what it was like to lose someone in the name of progress. His saddened eyes filled with gratitude as I expressed my empathy.

“It was a long time ago. It was bound to happen. Call it a casualty of advancement, if you will.”

“You and Azil seem really close. I can’t believe you’re not biological siblings.”

“Thank you. I know what you mean. We are a lot alike. I am grateful to have her. My brother can be quite annoying at times, and Azil has made growing up in my family much more tolerable. We tease each other that neither one of us can die. Otherwise, we would only be left with Liam.”

“Shame on you … poor Liam,” I scolded.

He raised his eyebrows. “You don’t know Liam. He is a genius.
Obnoxious.
” He shook his head and frowned. “He has amazing observation skills. He notices things the rest of us tend to overlook. No—it is more than that. He sees the world in a unique way. I can’t wait to introduce you. Maybe then you’ll understand.”

“Great, I’m so looking forward to it.” I thought I saw him jump when he realized that I was still touching him. He leaned back, let my hand slide off his shoulder, and sighed. I thought my touching him made him uncomfortable.

“You can sleep in the bed. I’ll sleep in here. Just make yourself at home. I can’t be here to wait on you. I take a shift for nine hours every day.”

“Please, Gaelan, I am more than happy to sleep in here. I don’t want you to give up your bed,” I said. I felt guilty enough intruding on his quarters.

“If you prefer,” he hesitated.

“Yes, absolutely.” I smiled. This seemed like the better room anyway. Gaelan was gracious and let me use the bathroom before him. He seemed determined to make me feel at home. I wished him good night as I slid the pocket door shut behind me after entering the study. I found what looked like a nightgown, a pile of Katarian clothes, cosmetics, blankets, and a pillow on the small brown chair. I thought I had heard Azil’s voice while I was washing up in the bathroom. I imagined that she was responsible for delivering the goods. It was such a relief to get comfortable and slip into the silky gown. I usually changed out of my work clothes as soon as I stepped through my front door. I snuggled up on the sofa with a blanket and took out my camera. The gadget also functioned as a music player and phone. Well, two uses out of three weren’t bad. I was happy to have at least some comforts of home in my possession. I viewed the pictures I took of Leah and Jackson at the Space resort. I wished I could be with them right now. I missed them already. I reviewed the photos I took today while I toured the ship with Noah. I had to laugh at the ones he managed to sneak into. He had the dippiest looks on his face just to taunt me while he destroyed my perfect shots. What a pain! Couldn’t he ever be serious?

I finally scrolled through to the photos I took in the study. I flipped quickly to get to the ones I took of Gaelan. I dwelled on each picture of him and studied his face. He was gorgeous. It figured a man like him was from another planet. I wondered what it would be like to kiss him. I sighed as I fantasized about his lips touching mine while I traced the photo with my finger. I went back and looked at the photos of the stars. Wait a minute! What the
hell
was that? I noticed something I didn’t see earlier. I sat straight up on the sofa—suddenly terrified. The picture caught a reflection off the glass window. It looked like a pair of glowing green eyes. It was on the right side of the picture, exactly where Gaelan had been standing. Was it Gaelan’s eyes? I shivered as a chill ran up my spine. How much did I really know about the Katarians? Why did they look so much like us? Were they some kind of machine trying to infiltrate our planet? What was he? I remembered how hard his body felt when I touched him. I thought about the huge bump I got on my head when I collided with him earlier. He felt like a brick wall. I wanted to sneak into his room and check for a pulse.

I closed my camera and tried to put the image out of my mind. I tucked the covers in tightly around me for protection. I didn’t want to know, I told myself. I remembered SIG’s motto of how some information was on a need-to-know basis. Maybe they were machines. Who cares? There was nothing I could do about it. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I was trapped on an alien starship whether I liked it or not. I was at their mercy. I fell asleep shortly after trying to come to terms with the finding. I didn’t sleep for long. “Stop, no, stop,” I said, sitting up in a strangled cry as I batted the covers away with my hands. I found myself awake in the middle of the night after having a nightmare. I was covered in sweat. I had dreamt that Tyden, the stern man from the flight deck, was reaching out to grab my neck to strangle me. Tyden’s edgy demeanor scared me. I didn’t think he liked me. Plus, I guess I was more freaked out about the eyes and being stuck on board than my subconscious could ignore. I needed to calm myself. I tried to focus on their hospitality—on my attraction to Gaelan, on Azil’s pretty face, on Noah’s immaturity. I still couldn’t fall back to sleep.