Welcome one and all to the 33rd Century. Earthers, now known as Terrans, have spread throughout the Milky Way Galaxy and found both kindred and not so kindred spirits in the millions of systems throughout. The Species- as all the Sub-Species of the Galaxy now belong- trade and interact as the countries of Earth once did. As time dictates, a lot of things have been forgotten over the centuries.
Oh, and the ‘Way’ is far bigger than the ‘Experts’ of ‘Ancient’ Earth once thought or calculated.

 
 
I guess I’ve always known I was somehow ‘different’.
I guess I just didn’t understand to what degree.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been able to feel ‘it’ on one level or another; that feeling of…‘something’…something not physical, but still tangible; at least to my senses.
Some around me refer to me as a freak or ‘creepy’. Those that actually take the time to know me, though, consider me psychic or ‘sensitive’.
My parents, when I was younger, called me oversensitive, ‘overdramatic’ even, and urged me to suppress any verbal admission of such super-sensitivity citing prejudicial discrimination.
I suppose they all are somewhat correct, though.
In spite of those labels or because of them, I’ve learned to censure myself and I won’t go out of my way to be social or even adventurous, and given the choice, I’d always take the more cautious approach. Of course, there is more to it than that- things I won’t immediately get to.
Anyway, because of those noted ‘flaws’ in my character, people not in my small circle of friends tend to ‘assume’ things about my cautious nature. For many, such a guarded posturing either marked me as a coward, weak, or at the least, overly ‘skittish’ or ‘spooky’.
As I said: a freak.
But if ‘they’ could ‘feel’… if they could only ‘sense’… ‘IT’…like I could, they would immediately rethink those labels, and their attitudes toward me might instantly change.
If they could just… I don’t know… experience, firsthand, the things I feel…
 
 
I’m Current Specialist First Class Summers.
My name, when in the presence of those related or who know me, is Chance... Chance Summers.
Admittedly, not the name I would have chosen for a twenty-five year-old guy of six feet that lives his life completely on the ‘safe and narrow’- or as close to it as is possible given my present job.
Though I took after my father in height, I inherited mom’s dazzling, green eyes, thin stature, and her thick, lustrous, jet-black hair.
Unfortunately, I also received more of her ‘physical attributes’ than I would’ve liked. Before entering the Science Ministry, I was always being confused for mom from behind and especially when younger, during audio-only communications.
Because of those similarities, my acquaintances, both childhood and professional, take friendly liberties when I’m in their exclusive presence.
 
“Hey, Chance, Get your pretty trunk online! We got a report of some loose Current in Section 12C. They called for a maintenance crew. So put away the diary and get it enabled.”
“I don’t think it’s as severe as that, Grub.” I replied calmly after sensing ‘its’ urgency.
“I don’t know. The Section Chief sounded pretty concerned. Is that Current sense of yours offline today?”
“No. I can still feel ‘it’, but ‘it’ doesn’t feel nearly as bad as he claims, buddy. Feels more like somebody decided to fool around with something they shouldn’t have.”
“Whatever. We still got to answer the call. That means we have to show, so get those sexy legs of yours online.”
 
The ‘It’ or what has come to be called ‘Current’ manifested more than a thousand years before my birth. Theories about its origin abound, but the most accepted has been that ‘Current’ was a byproduct of our species’ latest evolutionary step.
An ancient Earth vid piece from way back, right at the birth of Artificial Intelligence, called ‘it’ the ‘Force’. The Force was defined as a force (yes, I know; how original) that every living thing possessed, but that only certain individuals could use and manipulate to one extent or another.
Anthropological Archeologists speculate that this may have just been literature brought to life through the ancient medium of ‘New to Home Video’ instead of actual documentary, but definitive evidence had never been found to prove one theory or the other. Fourteen hundred years has a way of returning things back to the dust from whence they came, after all. So the actual ‘discovery’ of ‘Current’ has become myth and legend to us modern folks who don’t really worry about the life of ‘Ancient Man’.
Another myth is those aforementioned users of the so-called ‘Force’, the ‘J.E.D.I. Force Manipulators’, whatever the J.E.D.I acronym symbolized. Anyway, they have been theorized to be specifically designed members of our species that could command and direct Current as they saw fit, make it obey they’re will to do strange and amazing things. In more modern times these special individuals have been dubbed ‘Current Mages’, but are thought to have gone extinct. ‘They’- Current Mages- being made redundant anyway by the modern techniques developed to harness Current for everyday use.
Yes, Current has become a staple of everyday life, supplying critical power for everything from personal timepieces to interstellar spacecraft.
That’s where Grub and I come in. We’re the guys that keep the Current flowing.
 
 
“About time you slugs got here! I’ve got three people heading to medical because you two stumps moved so slow! The Captain’s going to hear about this; mark my words!”
“So what were your guys trying to do, Chief? I didn’t see any modification requests come across my DataTab. Did you even get approval to disconnect that equipment? And why wasn’t the Current diverted before you did?” Grub asked as he pointed to an empty area we knew had equipment installed only last week. I stayed silent and slightly behind my partner to observe. I needed time to focus my senses to feel the Current up ahead.
“You think this is my doing? How lame can you slugs be? You haven’t got a clue as to how to clean this up so you project the blame back! I see how this works! Believe you me; the Captain’s going to get a full report!” The Chief boasted angrily.
“Let me have a look, Grunfuller. I’m ready.” I said to interrupt ‘his Eminence’ the Section Chief.
“Call the shot, Chance. I’ll do the dirty.” Grub, or Grunfuller Lokust acknowledged with a nod as we retrieved our Current probes.
Stepping past the Section Chief, I held out my hand, palm toward where the leak was thought to be and closed my eyes. Concentrating, I tried to sense the unconfined, invisible power and track it back to the injury in the supply conduit.
“What’s he doin’?” The Chief asked in sour disbelief.
“I’m sensing the Current if you’ll allow me to concentrate.” I replied quickly so as not to lose the feeling.
“You’re that freak I keep hearing about!”
“Grub,” I called opening my eyes to see his position, effectively ignoring our superior, “five feet to your left and three feet farther.”
My partner began scanning with his probe as he moved closer to the indicated spot.
“That’s the spot! I’m reading a significant opening. I might just have enough sealer to do the job, buddy.”
“I’m carrying backup if you need it.” I said as my partner carefully approached and began to spray the insulating sealant we each carried, at the unseen leak.
“Hopefully this takes care of it. I can already feel the soles of my feet starting to tingle.”
 
 
That was one way to tell if you were being over-exposed to the Current. Whatever it touched tended to numb the nerve-endings in the exposed area- usually the soles of the feet in our business. Severe over-exposure could kill you or require amputation of the affected limb or anatomical area.
Now, you may be asking why amputation in this modern day and age? Simple. Exposure to the Current negated any and all methods of grafting or cloning. Things just wouldn’t regrow in those damaged areas.
Grub stopped spraying and shook his dispenser. “How’d I do? I’m almost out.”
Again I held my palm to the puncture.
“That one’s closed, but there’s a ‘keep alive’ conduit seeping about a foot to the right. I think that’s the one you were standing in. Here’s the back up.” I said as I prepared to toss my dispenser to him.
He nodded and I tossed my dispenser, falling two feet short.
“You throw like a girl, freak!” The Section Chief chuckled.
“I’ll get it, Chance. You stay there.” Grub volunteered.
“No. I’ll come over. You keep your foot on that leak.” I said with a sigh. Quickly picking up the container, I asked Grub to move his foot and began to spray the area. As I did so, I held my palm facing the leak and closed my eyes to sense it better. The strange, unwanted feeling I had struggled to ignore made its presence known. I had to hurry and stop this leak.
When fully arrested, I opened my eyes and glared at the Section Chief.
“What is it, buddy?” Grub asked noticing my stare. He’d known me long enough to ‘know’ when ‘it’ happened.
“This is not a new spill, Grub! It’s been gushing for three hours at least.” I turned to whisper the result of my ‘sensing’ to his ear.
He nodded.
“Chief? How long ago did you say this happened?” Grub asked.
“I said it happened thirty-five minutes before you arrived. I called you immediately!” He said turning around to us.
“That’s awfully strange, because the affected area my probe picked up indicates that this has been going for at least three hours. My report to the Captain will reflect our repair and our findings. I’m sure he will order your budget curtailed to cover this ‘accident.”
The smug Chief’s face paled having been caught. He changed his attitude immediately.
“Can’t we work something out, fellas?”
“My partner here would like an apology and just a basic report of an accident should make it to the Captain’s DataTab.”
Grub’s proposal stymied the arrogant Section Chief.
“I’m…I’m sorry about callin’ you a freak. You and your partner did an efficient and effective cleanup of Section 12C. Thank you, both.”
“Specialist Summers and I were glad to help cleanup this accident and hope your injured personnel recover quickly, Chief. Now if you’ll excuse us, I need to take care of my own exposed areas. Have a safe day.”
I followed Grub out the door, keeping my silence about what I had sensed when I picked up the dropped dispenser.
 
What had I felt, you might ask? That’s difficult to explain, but the best way to describe it is to say I ‘felt’ the Current seep into me.
Impossible, I know, but that’s what ‘it’ felt like- like it actually absorbed into my skin!
 
Told you I was strange!
 
 
Once back in our maintenance compartment, Grub hurried and pulled off his boots.
“Could I bother you to do that…thing, Buddy?” He asked knowing how I felt about contacting Current.
I hesitated a minute.
“You absorbed some of that spill, didn’t you?”
I remained silent.
“Chance, you have to be more careful!” He scolded then changed tact. “Never mind, I’ll go down to Medical and have them do this properly.”
“No. I’ll take care of it. I was the one that whiffed the throw. Here.”
First I picked up his boots, sole up and placed my hand on each tread then I carefully placed my palm to each foot.
Again I could feel my body absorb the latent Current.
“You know, if you were blond, had a better shape and nice upper shelf, I’d feel much better about this.”
“You want me to finish or what, Grunfuller?”
“You sound just like my last shore leave companion!”
“Medical can wipe the rest of the exposure, Grub. I’m going offline now. See you when I come back online tomorrow.”
And with that, I got up, removed my utility belt and left the compartment for my own personal quarters. For some reason I wasn’t in the mood to be teased about my physical appearance. I felt grumpy, almost angry with him.
Once safe in my quarters, I enabled my DataTab’s gallery and tapped on my parent’s directory. Tightness filled my body and soul as image after reminiscent image displayed on the slightly reflective surface. I’d lost them eight years ago in a senseless terrorist attack on our home planet.
 
 
A race called the Hoblins- their real subspecies name was probably unpronounceable by most other subspecies- claimed, by way of attack, that all planetary systems in the Way were theirs to plunder and utilize as they saw fit. My home, the planet Gaia, had been their latest target. Mom and Dad never knew what hit them as the Bio-Desolve instantly engulfed the planet. Had I not already joined the Galactic Service, I would have joined them.
The Galactic Council, as ineffective as it was, declared the Hoblin attack ‘genocide’ and sent a pursuit force after the retreating scourge. Their ships detonated within range of the task force, destroying both sides.
I hated those scum with my very being! One day… one day, I would have my revenge.
 
 

 
 
“Specialist Summers, report to the freight hangar.”
I awoke with a start as my DataTab Comm App beckoned. Why would I be needed in the Freight hangar? We hadn’t had a leak there in weeks.
Dressing quickly, I hurried there to report as ordered.
“Hey, Chance!” a pleasant and familiar voice greeted as I turned the corner into the Freight Bay office. “Got a shipment for you. Just came in on the Supply Shuttle. Two medium-sized, shipping crates. Care to sign for them and I’ll have them delivered later today?” Dell…Delphi Kananacretas, our Shipping Chief questioned. Yes, she was a close friend.
“What are they?” I asked not expecting any shipments.
“Initialization is by the 1075th Recovery and Reclamation Logistics Battalion. Wasn’t that the group tasked with… um… oh… sorry, Chance… I’ll have them stored down here until you feel ready to handle it.”
“It’s okay, Dell. I’ll accept the delivery.”
“Are you sure, Chance?”
I nodded sadly as I placed my thumb on her DataTab as receipt.
Alright. I’ll just have these taken to your quarters and set off to the side, out of the way, okay?”
I nodded again before I turned and silently, slowly left her office.
Just what I needed to start my day!
 
 
“Rumor has it they recovered some stuff from home. Anything good, Buddy?” Grub asked with a wince after about an hour of awkward silence.
“Dell has a loud mouth.” I stated succinctly.
“And I haven’t even cracked the containers open yet, Grub.”
“Aren’t you the least bit curious?”
“I thought I had just started to cope…and now this happens. I’m not sure I want to know what’s in them. So, no, I’m not the least bit curious.”
“Well I’m intrigued! Tell you what, buddy. Why don’t me and a couple of your closest friends come over…strictly for moral support… and we could help you open ‘em?”
“I only have four friends on this tub, Grub! And the answer is no. Absolutely, not! I’ll open them when and only when I feel up to it, alright? Comprehend?”
“Um…sure…whatever you want, Buddy.”
“You’ve already gone and made this into a party haven’t you?”
“Oh, ah… ah… no! What makes you think that, Chance?”
“I’ve known you too long and worked with you even longer, Grub.”
After an extended, awkward silence, my friend and work partner responded.
“I told the gang to arrive about two hours after we go offline. That way you can get cleaned up and have something in your stomach before we start drinkin’, copy?”
Repeating something I usually did many times a shift; I glared at my partner.
“Good. Then it’s settled, buddy.”
 
 

 
 
My first guest arrived exactly two hours after I had entered my quarters.
“Hey, buddy! I brought some container-opening refreshments. Here, I’ll let you find a place for them.” Grub said as he handed over a case of personal beverage containers. He promptly took the best seat in my place and disabled his legs.
As always I glared at him. And as always it did absolutely no good.
Next to arrive was Dell. She too brought liquid refreshments.
“Thanks for inviting me, Chance. I was curious as to what’s in them.” The five-seven, brunette with big brown eyes and well proportioned body said as she hugged me. Her grip was the only indication that she was not the docile creature of near perfection she appeared.
Senior Section Chief Sinae Ackktt signaled at my door five minutes after that and brought more refreshments of the liquid kind!
“Am late?” The hybrid female questioned as I opened my door and caught her licking the back of her left fur-covered, paw-like, hand. From the size of her pupils and the way her tasseled ears were pinned back, I could tell she was embarrassed by being caught grooming while waiting for me to open my door.
Standing six feet even, the bobcat/human mix, Lynxin, with the tan/ orange fur and exotic cascading mane of the same colors could look both imposing and extremely attractive.
Right now though, she looked like a frightened kitten. A muscular, weightlifting, six foot tall, innocent kitten! By the way, did I mention that she was trained and certified in Spec-Ops tactics?
Close on her heels was the only other friend I had onboard.
“Hold the door!” Simon Redman shouted from down the passage, almost tripping on the mid-passageway bulkhead door’s lower sill.
Simon wasn’t all that graceful, but he was a good person and we got along well. Being in the Maintenance Division with Grub, and I, he had been lucky enough to be assigned to ‘Refuse’.
Yes, in the ancient vernacular, he was a custodian.
Topping the measure at five-six, the red-headed Simon wasn’t the most agile or popular crew member assigned to Mare de Tempest, he was just as necessary to its operation as any of us. His job- like ours- wasn’t very glamorous.
“Hey, Chance.” He puffed trying to catch his breath after the short run. “Heard you got packages from home. Am I too late for the unwrapping?”
“Just in time. Grab a drink and find a seat.” I answered with a somewhat forced smile.
Simon held up even more beverages.
“I’m good.” He said as he took the last available seat in my quarters.
Did everyone on this tub know my business?
 
 
After we all got comfortable, Grub started the official ‘ceremony’.
“Now that we’re all somewhat sedated, you going to open the containers, buddy?”
“Yes, Chance. I’m curious as to what they contain.” Dell added.
“Has been decon’d, Chance? Inquisitiveness overwhelming.”
“Curiosity killing the cat, Sinae?” Dell giggled looking at our furry friend.
The Lynxin smiled mockingly revealing her pointed canines, and stuck out her tongue.
“Get on with!” She growled as Grub tossed her another drink.
“Fine!” I grumbled.
 
 
I hadn’t expected to put on a show or be the entertainment when I opened my mysterious containers. Just the thought of what they contained frightened and also saddened me. Was I ready for what they might dredge up from my memories? Had I distanced myself from what had transpired all those years ago to be unaffected by the contents?
“Hey, Chance! We’re all dyin’ to see what ya got! Don’t make me have to go back to the commissary for more beverages! Do you need help to open them, buddy?”
“You know he’s the only one that can trigger the security coding, Grunfuller. I thought we were here to lend moral support, not be entertained.” Dell chastised my work partner.
“We are, but he’s taking too long.” Grub responded.
“Get on with!”
“Yeah, like Sinae says. I want to see what he got.” Simon chuckled as he motioned to the two, four-foot square containers placed along one wall of my quarters.
“Chance? No matter what you find, we’re here for you.” Dell comforted. “I know this has to be hard for you.”
My friend had stood, walked over to me, and placed a supportive hand on my shoulder.
All my friends dutifully joined her on either side of me.
Cautiously, I reached out and placed my hand on the shipping/ security label. A positive sounding ‘beep’ signaled the first shipping container’s lid released. A hiss of air indicated that the atmosphere inside the container was different than ours.
Sinae let out a loud ‘hiss’ and we turned to see her beautiful long tresses sticking out poker straight from her head. Her retractable claws were also fully extended from her fur-covered fingers.
“Aaaawww. Poor kitty frightened by the tiny rush of air?” Dell goaded in a childish voice.
Sinae said nothing, but stuck out her tongue again in defiance as all her hair relaxed and her claws retracted.
Grub helped me take off the lid and I peered down. An old, fabric covered container sat inside.
After carefully lifting out the old luggage, Grub and I placed it in front of the low table in front of my couch. On examination, I noticed an old-style thumbprint lock. Applying my thumb to the sensor pad, I half expected nothing to happen.
“Continue holding flangial peripheral to sensor pad while authenticating familial markers.”
“That’s a new one! I’ve never heard of DNA based security on something this old before.” Dell commented in awe of the mechanism.
“Must be important.” Sinae added.
“Familial match confirmed.” The box announced as a ‘click’ quietly sounded from somewhere inside.
Did I really want to open this thing? Was what I would find going to bring back all those long suppressed memories…those imagined images of my parents’ last breaths? Could I handle another rehash of…
“Chance? Would you like some help to open it?” Dell asked gently. “Or, we can leave now if you want.”
“You can all leave. I’m stayin’! I want to see what’s inside.”
“Grunfuller! Don’t you understand what this means to him? Do you know how much counseling Chance took after…’it’… happened? Give him a moment!”
I don’t remember opening the lid, but I now looked upon…clothing…women’s clothing. I recognized some of the items on top as belonging to my mother.
Grub and Simon started laughing immediately.
“Sorry, buddy. I guess the universe really does have a sense of humor!” Grunfuller boomed as he struck my back cordially several times.
“What on DataTab, Chance?” Sinae inquired, pointing down into the newly opened case.
I hadn’t noticed it initially and retrieving it, sat it down next to my new luggage.
Placing my finger to the device triggered it. A pleasant chime sounded twice as it came online.
“Hello, Chance.” My mother’s voice greeted as her hologram appeared standing before us.
My mood sank even deeper.
A thin, visible green line quickly appeared and scanned all of us and the entire room top to bottom.
“It appears you have assembled your most trusted friends. Good. Charles and I hoped you would gather a trusted circle around you and it appears you have chosen discretely…”
The hologram continued by looking directly at each of my guests and reciting a rather lengthy, rather revealing, highly detailed, dossier of each. How it found even the highly classified information eluded me. That data was ‘need to know’ and highly encrypted.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. Chance is a very special individual.” She continued as her hologram looked directly at me; her expression saddened.
“I had hoped to be with you to help guide and tutor you for the adventure that now approaches. Sadly, that seems null. Chance, you must believe me when I say that Charles and I never meant for you to go this alone. We looked forward to experiencing all of it with you. But, if you are viewing this message…”
Mother’s image dropped her head sadly. It slowly shook to the sides a few times silently before looking back up.
“Chance, I always hoped that I could be the one to relate our family’s history to you and not have a holo-projection of Charles or I be surrogate, but if you are seeing me…like this…” She paused again, looking even sadder.
“Still, now is not the time for such sensitive information. When events get nearer, we will again contact you. I promise we will reveal all at that time. You will better understand things by then. Until that time arrives, there is something I’ve enclosed that I ask you to wear and cherish. Think of it as a reminder of all that we had. All the good times; the wonderful times we shared…as a family: Charles, Hope, and Chance Summers.”
Mother pointed into the case.
“Chance. At this time I ask that you find and take the locket out of the chest. You’ll know it when you find it. Hold it out for the sensor to scan. That way, I know you actually have it.”
I did as requested. After several minutes of embarrassed searching through mom’s assorted privates and personals, I found and reverently lifted the golden locket containing my mother’s picture in front of me by its delicate gold chain. Dell leaned in to get a better look at it.
“Where is the color? Why is her picture in monochrome, Chance?”
I shrugged my shoulders and held the piece out at arm’s length. “Here it is.”
Once again the device’s green, coherent beam scanned the room.
“Thank you, Chance, you were always such a good boy. Now I would like you to place the locket around your neck. Hook the chain and it will close and lock so that it cannot be removed. Do not be alarmed, Chance. It is imperative it remains on you at all times. Do this for Charles and I, Chance, and do not question for a reason. As I said, all will be revealed when appropriate.”
Carefully, reverently, I placed the locket’s chain around my neck.
“Are you actually going to do as that hologram says, buddy? Aren’t you even going to question its motives?”
“Grunfuller Lokust! Do not question my reasoning to withhold information or motive!” The hologram snapped, angrily staring right at my friend. We all actually jumped and I noticed Sinae’s fur and mane had stiffened again.
“You will one day thank this representation of me and Chance for complying! Chance, please continue. The DataTab will monitor and confirm the closure. Rest assured it is harmless and only a memento…a keepsake to remind you of better times…happier times.”
Committing fully, I reached the ends around my neck and hooked the simple ring clasp together. The clasp disappeared from my touch!
“Thank you for trusting me, Chance. You have yet to understand how much this means to Charles and I…or to the galaxy as a whole. At this time I must leave you and your friends. Ladies and gentlemen, Charles and I implore you all to keep Chance safe so that the Summers’ family can continue it’s good work into the future. Thank you all very much. Until the time arrives, we love you, Chance.”
The image disappeared and the DataTab de-energized. I stood, stunned and confused for several minutes.
“Let’s see what’s in the other container!” Grub suggested, breaking the solemn quiet of the room.
“You really are a tool, Grunfuller!” Dell reprimanded.
“Open container, Chance.” Sinae urged.
After clearing the security label Grub helped me remove another ‘trunk’. This ancient looking piece of luggage had to be hundreds of years old yet looked almost new! The words ‘MAJ.’, ‘H. F. Summers’, and ‘USMC’ were stenciled on the lid in white paint and surprisingly still very readable on the old, black, metal box.
“Wow! The box alone could be worth billions of credits at auction, Chance. I could do some digging if you wa…”
“Disengage, Simon!” Sinae growled this time and she stepped forward to run her fur-topped fingers over the material.
“Have only seen images of such before.” She continued. “Beautiful.”
This trunk required a very old and archaic form of security I think was called a ‘key’ to open it. A thorough search of the outer shipping container and another embarrassingly long search through my mother’s things in the first case proved futile.
“It would be easy enough to just pop the latches, Chance. Got a Current tuner? I could have it open in…”
“Leave it, Grub.” I said, disappointed. “I’m sure it’s all part of the mystery. The key will probably reveal itself when I need it.”
“You sure, buddy? Aren’t you the least bit curious now? I mean all you got here is a full closet of women’s underwear and clothes, a locket, and…oh yeah, some cryptic, pre-prepared message from mom and dad on a very intelligent DataTab. How can you ignore a mystery like that?”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I fingered the locket I now wore and sadly looked at the mysterious, old trunk.
Just when I thought I had gotten over my parents’ passi…
“Grunfuller, I think it’s time we leave.” Dell interrupted as she nodded to Sinae. The Lynxin gently took Grub’s wrist and together, both women guided my other two friends out of my quarters.
Dell hung back in the doorway.
“Chance? Please don’t dwell on things too much? I’d rather not see you put on medical leave again. If you ever want to talk about things, my door is always open, okay? Oh, I’ll have someone stop by to repurpose those shipping containers.”
I slowly nodded.
“See you next shift, Specialist Summers.”
My door closed and I found myself alone…with two big reminders of things that had instantly gone away…permanently.
I opened and drank another beverage in one long gulp then grabbed another.
 
 

 
 
Something chimed twice. I opened my crusty eyes to see what it was.
Obviously, I had been crying.
The same chime sounded again, twice, as before. It seemed to be coming from my mother’s DataTab.
“Why are you doing that?” I said to the inanimate device. “You went offline and shouldn’t come back on until told to do so.”
It chimed pleasantly again, this time with less of a delay, as if sensing I had talked to it.
Shrugging, I picked it up.
“Hello again, Chance. Now that we are alone, do you have any ‘unclassified’ questions I can answer?”
“Why did you send me all those clothes, mom? It was so embarrassing to find that with my friends looking on.” I felt my face blush again just from the thought.
“That storage container was the only space I had to hide the locket, Chance. It was imperative I pass that onto my next of kin.”
“But it’s just a locket, mom! It’s a piece of jewelry that holds your picture.”
“It’s more than it appears, Chance. You have to trust me on that fact. It’s been in the Summers’ family for over fourteen hundred years, and represents a whole legacy of commitment and service to the species. To all subspecies, honey. You’ll be safe as long as it remains around your neck.”
“Who’s trunk is this, mom? I don’t recall ever seeing it before. And who is MAJ. H. F. Summers, U.S.M.C., anyway?”
“That ancient sea chest belonged to Major Hopewell F. Summers. He was an officer in the United States Marine Corps way back when space exploration was just entering its infancy. Hopewell was the first Summers to travel outside Earth’s system to make contact with other species throughout the closer systems to Earth. He is your greatest ancestor, Chance, though not much outside of that has been written about him. Trust me though, he was a great man! Please guard that trunk with your life, Chance. It contains our past…and our redemption.”
“I don’t understand.”
“In time you will, honey. Be patient, but also stay observant and scrutinize everything you see or hear from here on out. Drastic changes are on your horizon and Charles and I would rather you see them through with courage and strength than be caught off guard. Keep alert.”
“I’m frightened, mom. I’ve never seen or heard you talk this strongly before. Please. Can’t you reveal something to put my mind at ease?”
“We assume you have found out you can ‘sense’ the Current, Chance?”
“How do you know about that? About my curse? That I’m a freak!”
“Oh, my wonderful child! You are not a freak! And sensing Current is certainly not a ‘curse’. It is a wonderful gift that has been in the Summers’ family for centuries! It is how we have served and protected the species. For example, as this DataTab scanned you it also looked for another trait specific to the Summers’ clan. You can absorb Current, Chance. The sensor only detected a two percent stored reserve- hardly close to threshold, but you can absorb Current nonetheless. I know this because I can absorb Current too, honey. It’s a marvelous thing we can do and nowhere close to any kind of curse! Rest assured it will not hurt you in any way, but keep this on a need to know basis, and only with your small group of friends.”
“Are you sure, mom? It doesn’t feel like a gift. It feels…creepy.”
Mom’s face on the DataTab giggled politely. Her smile instantly warmed my heart.
“I’ve never heard it described like that before. Honey, with experience you will be able to do more than just sense Current, you will be able to see the Current; follow it; use it. Once you have done that though, respect it! Don’t allow it to control you as a few of our ancestors once did. Treat it with respect and it will respect you, honey. Never forget that.”
“I won’t forget, mom.” I promised. “Can I ask a few more questions?”
“Of course you can, honey- but tomorrow. Right now you are late for your rest period, and you need to be rested for your shift. Sleep well, Chance. May we meet and converse more in your dreams.”
“But mom!” I hurried, but the DataTab had already gone offline again.
“I have so many questions and I miss you both so much.” I mumbled as I placed the device back on the table and trudged into my sleep quarters.
I didn’t expect to get much sleep tonight.
 
 

 
 
“Hey, Chance! You here to stop our Current leak?” Dell asked as I entered her office.
“As much as I can. Can you point me in the right direction?” I answered.
“We first noticed the tingle over here, by the airtight bulkhead. I’ve ordered everyone to stay clear.”
“Thanks. Just let me get my probe out.” I said as I took the small device in hand and waved it slowly in front of me. I closed my eyes and stretched out my Current sense to find the leak.
My sense told me that the Current had pooled, which only made it harder to find the source, but concentrating harder, I found the small fountain-like leak twenty feet from my location.
“Found it.” I announced as I took my sealant spray from my belt and began walking closer.
“Be careful, Chance. It’s probably been leaking for some time.” My friend warned.
Leaning down and spraying the hole, I soon had it stopped.
Now what to do with the puddle? Given enough time it would dissipate, but that might take hours or even a day or two. The Freight Bay was a busy place though, and couldn’t be closed for even a fraction of the time needed.
Looking back at the office, I observed that Dell was occupying herself with report preparation.
Mom claimed that she and I could absorb Current and that it couldn’t hurt me? Maybe I should find out if that really was true. I already knew I could absorb small quantities with no problem. How much before I could feel something threatening? A small part of me screamed that it was too dangerous.
A much larger portion urged me to try though.
Stooping down, I placed my hand to the deck. I could feel the creepy feeling on my skin and migrating up my arm…
“Chance! What in the name of all are you doing?” Dell screamed as she hurried over.
“Stay back!” I cautioned. “There is a pool of Current here and I don’t want you to be exposed!”
“Don’t want me exposed?” She exclaimed skeptically. “What about you, Chance?”
“I can handle it. Let me get it cleaned up.”
Daring to come closer, she snatched my probe from my free hand and actually turned it on. She glared at me.
“This wasn’t even turned on, Chance! What are you trying to do? Kill yourself?”
I didn’t answer as I concentrated on absorbing the latent Current. Dell stared in awe as the reading on the probe began to decrease to zero.
“There, that should do it. All clear.” I announced as I stood back up and wiped my hand on my pants once.
“How…?” My friend gasped- her eyes searching me for any plausible answer.
“I found out a few years back that I can…um…soak up small amounts of Current without it affecting me. Please don’t let it get out, Dell. I’m already labeled as a ‘freak’. I don’t need that confirmed.”
Dell silently nodded her head, but stopped and squinted at my mother’s locket. It must have fallen out of my shirt when I bent over.
“Chance! Your locket! I can see a little bit of color at the bottom of your mother’s picture!”
My mouth dropped as I lifted the piece up and studied it. Just as she indicated, some color had appeared at the very bottom- near my mother’s shoulders in her picture.
Now that was creepy!
“It could be anything.” I declared quickly. “It might be a reaction to Current, or something like that. I can’t be sure and have no way to find out now, anyway. Maybe we shouldn’t say anything in our reports… or about my… um… being a Current vacuum cleaner?”
“Not a word, Chance! Not one, unbelievable word!”
“Thank you, Dell. I’ll just double check the leak and I think you should be able to recall your crew.”
Once done, I returned to my shop compartment.
“Get the leak, buddy?” Grub asked as I walked in.
“All sealed up.”
“So how’s Dell today?”
“Better now that she knows her crew will be safe.”
Grub nodded and gave me a satisfied smile.
“So Mare de Tempest lives to fight another day.” He stated. It was something my friend and work partner said from time to time.
I tilted my head slightly in answer and walked over to my desk to close the work order and file my DataTab report.
 
 
For those that are curious, the Mare de Tempest is our ship. She is a Commemoration Class Galactic Escort Destroyer roughly five miles long and two at her beam. Re-commissioned after a chance meteor strike over a century ago, the Mare is one of the oldest ships in the fleet.
Over ten thousand call her home while on a cruise.
 
 
“Hey, Chance, you staying online for another shift or what?” Grub asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. My report sat completed so I sent it on its appropriate routing and followed Grub out of the compartment.
I chastised myself for losing time. Mom had told me to be more observant, and here I was daydreaming!
 

 
Three weeks had passed quickly. All during that time Grub and I, as well as the other shifts did our part to keep the Current from bleeding out of the Mare. Of course the repairs I had been assigned had resulted in less cleanup work for guys like Simon.
 
 
Grub had invited the gang over for another round of drinking and as usual, the topic of my parents’ luggage came up quickly in conversation.
“Haven’t you got that thing open yet?” Simon asked as he sat down and stared at the ancient trunk against the opposite wall.
“Nope.”
“Need help to open?” Sinae offered as she cued her pointer finger claw to extend.
“Nope.”
She sighed audibly.
“I’d like to see the locket again, Chance. Do you mind?” Dell asked politely as she leaned over to me and gently reached into my shirt.
She nodded as she looked at mom’s picture.
“It’s a beautiful piece of jewelry. I wonder how long your mom had it. Do you know, Chance?”
“As far as I know, she’s always worn it. It could be centuries old for all I know.”
“Look closer?” Sinae asked as she leaned in from my opposite side.
Her tasseled ears twitched a few times as she studied my locket. I had come to know they only did that when she detected something…something not right. It was her only tell.
I noticed her purring quietly as she leaned a little closer to me than needed.
“Mother was beautiful, Chance.”
“Um… thanks… I guess.”
“So, have you found anything else hidden amongst her clothes?”
“I haven’t even looked, Grub. Mom’s things were always off limits, you know?”
“Speaking of limits, buddy. Rumor has it you’ve been helping with Current cleanups on your calls. Care to elaborate?”
Simon and Sinae took more interest in that question. Dell remained silent, looking somewhat stunned. She glared at our mutual friend with contempt.
“Grunfuller. Now is really not the time.” I declared calmly in warning.
“But it is the place, buddy. It’s only us…your most trusted friends…here, with you. Why don’t you tell us how your recent calls have become so much cleaner than if Simon’s crew was involved?”
“Grunfuller Lokust! That is my business and ONLY my business!” I protested- my tenor voice rising an octave.
“Secret? Love secrets.” Sinae said excitedly, her ears stiffly upright and focused forward on me.
“I was wondering why we weren’t receiving more cleanup requests. What’s up with that, Chance? What new device have you designed that leaves less work for us?” Simon pressed insistently.
Dell sighed loudly as she looked around our friends then at me sadly.
“A while back, Chance found he could absorb small amounts of Current. He’s afraid that if it gets out that more of the crew will think he’s a maximum freak.” Dell explained while I kept my mouth disengaged.
With her statement, I put my palms to my face in horror! Life, as I knew it, was over!
“Really? Why, I think that’s fantastic! It’ll save me and my crew tons of work!”
Sinae stared at me curiously.
“No one can know, Simon! No one! Understand?” I pleaded.
“Chance is right, guys. We have to encrypt that information from the rest of the crew. It could make things even more difficult for him. Some of my fellow section chiefs already think of him as pretty rim.”
“Thanks, Dell. I thought we had agreed to keep things quiet?” I groaned before downing my newly opened beverage in one.
“Chance, Your mother’s A.I. has already cleared us, so why can’t you? You already know we can be trusted.”
“Chance doesn’t trust Sinae? Trust you, Chance.” Sinae responded sounding and looking hurt.
“I just don’t want any of you to get hurt because of me!” I admitted truthfully. “I don’t know what I would do if I lost any of you.”
I opened another drink and downed it quickly before reaching for another.
Grub’s hand reached to stop me.
“Easy, buddy. Sedation won’t make us go away; it won’t make what you can do go away either. By the way, how many ‘cleanups’ have you done in the last three weeks?”
“From the progress indicated on that locket, I’d say quite a few. Your mother’s neck is almost completely fleshed out, by the way.” Dell answered before I could.
“What’s his locket got to do with it?” Grub asked as he stared at my chest where it hung under my shirt. Simon leaned forward to also have a look.
“The locket seems to act like a gauge…an absorption gauge, guys. After he soaked up the spill in Freight three weeks ago there was a narrow strip of color at the bottom of the picture. Tonight, the color is nearly to her chin. I’d say twenty or thirty percent of some unknown capacity.
“Chance storing Current?” Sinae asked; her eyes wide and pupils’ dilated.
“It would seem so, Kitty.” Dell answered.
So what happens when you get… um… full, Buddy?” Grub asked. There was a morbid curiosity in his voice.
“Clean up in section five.” Simon mumbled to himself.
“Hope not case, Simon. Not be cruel!” Sinae advised sharply. Her pointer claw had extended and she now pointed it at our mutual friend in warning.
“To tell you all the truth, I had no idea that it was more than a locket until Dell brought it to my attention. As for what might happen? I’ve got no clue. Mom assured me that it was safe, so I have to believe that since it’s sort of attached to me now.”
“So…how about a fashion show, buddy?” Grub laughed as he pointed to mom’s clothes to change the subject.
“Screw you, Grunfuller Lokust!” I screamed angrily as I suddenly snapped! Although spoken in humor, it was just too much for me at the moment; I stormed into my sleep quarters.
 
 
“Hey. You want to talk about it?” Dell asked as she stood in my sleep quarter’s doorway. “Grub and Simon left a few minutes ago. Sinae and I…we thought you might want to talk…a bit?”
“I don’t understand what came over me. I’ve never snapped at a friend before. It seems the more Current I store, the stranger I feel…and act. I just don’t get it.”
“Truthfully, I’d just be glad I wasn’t dead, Chance.” Dell admitted.
“You’re mother was right, Chance. You are special. Not everyone can touch Current without losing the exposed part.” Sinae agreed.
 
 
That was another thing about Sinae. She only talked normally when Dell and I were with her. For everyone else, she stuck to her broken sentences.
 
 
“Special or not, I still feel strange. And I don’t even want to know what might happen when my ‘tank’ is full, so to speak.”
“Maybe it will dissipate like it does around the ship?” Sinae proposed.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Maybe it won’t. Who’s to say?”
“Why not ask your mom?” Sinae suggested. She walked out and returned with mom’s DataTab.
As soon as I touched the device it chimed twice and came online.
“Hello again, Chance. You took your sweet time in contacting me again. I thought we would talk the following morning. Hello to you also, Delphi and Sinae.”
“I had to think, mom.”
“For three weeks? Why so long, honey?”
Mom’s image looked at something off to her left for a minute before looking straight back at me.
“Well, I guess that answers that question. You’re probably wondering what happens when your reservoir is full. Don’t worry, honey, you won’t explode. What you will notice is sharper definition when using your Current sense, though you are still nowhere near threshold.”
“Mrs. Summers? What is this ‘threshold’? What will happen to Chance if ‘threshold’ is achieved?” Sinae asked; her ears twitching several times.
“Now that is the proper use of that genius intellect, my inquisitive Lynxin. What happens when threshold is attained? Why something marvelous, of course! Next question.”
Sinae and Dell both expressed a sigh of disappointment at her evasive answer.
“The locket. Your locket…it’s some kind of gauge, isn’t it? Something to indicate how much Current I’ve stored?”
“That and so much more, my dear child! And it’s your locket. I had it made for my heir long before you were even thought of, honey. As I indicated at our first meeting, things will all become clear. In a very short time now, it would appear. My resources suggest four days on the outside. I must overstress the need for vigilance, honey. In fact, all of you need to be extremely attentive. Unfortunately, and from experience, I warn you to expect much heartache and sadness in the coming mêlée. But know this. The Summers’ will always persevere! We will continue to protect the species as we have for over a millennium!”
The DataTab chimed once and went offline.
“You might think we were headed into some kind of war, the way she talked.” Dell commented.
“I’m not so sure we aren’t. I’ve never heard mom talk so serious. But then again, I don’t think either of my parents was ever in the military, either.” I shrugged.
“The woman has definitely had training, Chance. Quite a lot from the sound of it.” Sinae added sounding very impressed.
“How?” I asked, curious.
“From her voice, the control she displayed while talking to us. She’s definitely concerned for our safety, but didn’t want to frighten us away, Chance. Also from the way she held herself in the hologram we saw that first night. She was definitely in some formal military branch, and a high-ranking officer, too. We military types know the signs. Trust me.”
I found myself looking over to the ancient sea chest. ‘USMC’ I thought. Could that actually be the official designation of the legendary, no nonsense, elite defence force from the ancient history courses I studied while growing up? And what of its owner? Mom named him as Hopewell F. Summers. Apparently, he was a Major? That was still an officer’s rank in the Galactic Service. But ‘Hopewell’ was such a formal name. I wondered if his friends might have called him Hope…
My eyes went wide at the thought!
No way is that possible!
“What isn’t possible, Chance?” Dell interrupted my thoughts.
“Yes, Chance. What shouldn’t be possible?” Sinae confirmed I had been thinking out loud.
“When I talked to mom’s A.I. after you all left three weeks ago, she told me that the sea chest belonged to an ancestor; a guy by the name of Hopewell F. Summers. I’m guessing he was one of the legendary United States Marines.”
“That’s an impressive legacy, Chance! Your ancestry has practically been proven back a millennium or more. That’s amazing since most records of that time have faded beyond useful recall or deleted completely!” Dell said excitedly.
“It also makes it much harder for Chance to live up to a legacy like that, Dell.” Sinae added. “So what surprised you about your ancestor’s name?”
“I was thinking how ‘Hopewell’ sounded too formal, but if you shortcut it you get ‘Hope’.”
“Okay. So?” Sinae asked in confusion.
“Chance’s mother’s name was ‘Hope’, Sinae.” Dell filled in the blank, “You’re right, Chance. No way could she be this ‘Hopewell’. Even given the longevity of some subspecies, that’s an impossible amount of time to live. I think it’s safe to say your mom wasn’t that old. Maybe she was named in honor of your ancestor?”
“That’s probably the case, but I need to know.” I said as I picked up the DataTab expecting it to go online instantly.
“Why won’t it respond? I touched it the same way as before, but it won’t come online!”
“She probably gave you all the answers she could at this time, Chance. I don’t think it’ll come back online until it’s ready.” Sinae advised. “Strictly ‘need–to-know’. That’s how Spec-Ops does it.”
“But mom was never in the military; let alone any special forces!” I argued.
“As I said earlier, she has served in a military at some point, Chance. And to me it’s obvious,” Sinae nodded to the DataTab still in my hand, “You didn’t know her as well as you thought.”
“Yeah. Obviously. So, I think I’m going to turn in for the night. All this has given me a headache.”
“Let’s go Sinae. Princess Chance needs her beauty rest.” Dell scoffed with a devious smile.
Both women wished me a good rest and left. I was alone with my thoughts once more.