Beacon of Hope



Chapter One

DISCLAIMER :: This fanfiction is based on Superman from DC Comics. All rights reserved. Art by CWBlaine on Deviant Art.
Author's note: Perhaps it is the start of a new collaborative universe or a standalone project for myself. I don't know, yet.

(( Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8t3EesiazQ ))

A soft, subtle “ding-dong” tone sounded throughout the cabin and my eyes instinctively looked slightly upward to be greeted by the illumination of the “Fasten Seatbelts” sign. It’s a good thing I relieved myself about twenty minutes ago. Following the command, I draped the belt over my lap and connected it just like the flight attendants showed us at the start of the flight. It fit well over my thin physique draped by dark blue slacks and a white button-up shirt. It was time for final approach.

Glancing out the window on my left, the wing of this particular aircraft was somewhere behind my seat but below was the grand expanse of Chicagoland. Home. It would be a lovely joke if I could say that I could see my house from here, but I seem to be on the wrong side of the plane for this approach. The weather is clear and winds seem to be blowing our direction as we’re coming in from Lake Michigan. I could probably see our old house in Oak Park if I squinted hard enough.

I have to make this conference trip every quarter or so. Sometimes, you have to schmooze the media and other firms when you’re the corporate communications specialist for a company so mid-level in the tech industry that nobody’s really heard of it. Most days, I loathe this job. On days where I actually get to rub elbows with some of my old colleagues that still work in the news media, it’s a better day. I only took this job because the Tribune went belly up and I got laid off back in 2015, right after my wife surprised me with her third pregnancy. I had to do something to keep the family afloat and we needed a bigger house for the kids. I did the right thing for my family, but the wrong thing for me. I just have to suck it up and deal with it because there’s no way I’m uprooting the lives of my wife and kids to New York, D.C., or L.A. just for my own ambitions.

Life wasn’t always this monotonous and filled with existential dread. At one time, I was a starry-eyed kid from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, watching Dan Rather and Peter Jennings carry on the legacy of Walter Cronkite. Part of me wished I’d been alive to see a Cronkite broadcast and I technically was but infants never remember things. When I learned the things Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein had done, I knew I wanted to be a journalist. After graduating high school, I went straight into college for journalism. During my senior year, I met the love of my life, Laura. We dated for a while as I got my career off the ground and she got through the rest of school then her residency. I’m a news man, she’s a healer; a registered nurse. The wedding was nice. Our first child was a bit of a surprise, but nothing we couldn’t handle.

Everything was coming along great. We planned to buy a house as our second child was coming into our lives. That three-bedroom in Oak Park was quite cozy. Then, simultaneously good news and bad news: Laura got pregnant again and I lost my job at the Chicago Tribune. I gave my all for twelve years to that newspaper and got a “thanks for all the fish” moment from the finance bros from New York as they knee-capped an institution that had been in operation for one hundred and sixty-eight years at the time. We needed a larger house and I needed a job so we could do it. So, I took this vampire of a corporate job for the sake of my family. It’s been sucking the life out of me for ten years, but it means Laura and the girls have a cozy, safe home and a decent standard of living.

The plane touched down and then taxied to the terminal while I wore my disappointed scowl. I don’t ever show this side to my kids. Laura knows I’m unhappy, but newspaper journalism is all but dead, anymore. She understands my convictions. I was taught that a man puts himself to the side and provides for his family. Is it healthy? I doubt it but I’ve never spoken with a therapist, so what do I know?

At the terminal, it’s the same old story: once the flight attendants announce that we’ve docked and are able to leave the plane, everybody stands up at once. I’ve done this enough times that I simply stay seated until there’s enough of a gap to accommodate me. It takes a few minutes, but once I see an opening I reach for my carry-on in the overhead bin and casually make my way off the plane. Some people get a little impatient with the process and start shouting or pushing at this stage. I’m not them. I merely blend into the crowd and don’t impose on anyone. I even move far to the side of the gangway to let the impatient ones pass by without objection.

Inside the terminal, there are reunions all around me. Whether it’s a return from vacation, college, or even military service, there’s always somebody waiting for one of the passengers on the flight. Nothing for me, though. It’s a routine business trip. Nothing to get all worked up about. Laura is probably still at the hospital working a shift and the girls would be getting home from school in about an hour. I simply drape my suit jacket over my forearm, adjust my glasses, and pull out my phone. Call me old fashioned, but I’d rather call a cab than hail an Uber on an app. Within moments, I’m on with a dispatcher who reserves me one of the drivers already parked outside the terminal and tells me the number on the cab I should look for. I thank her cordially, stick my phone back in my pocket, and make my way out of the terminal.

When my head comes back up, something on one of the television screens catches my eye. It’s tuned to one of the 24-hour news stations with the volume disabled and closed captions enabled. The bottom third chiron reads “Scientists Debate Mystery Stellar Energy Wave Headed For Earth”. There are two scientists sitting around a table with the behind-the-desk personality. My curiosity gets the better of me and I read the captions on the screen.

[Dr. Marquez: “This is unprecedented. We’ve never detected an energy signal like this before. We don’t currently know its origin or how it will affect us here on Earth.”]

The second scientist scoffs. [Dr. Pierce: “Oh, please, Isobel! There’s no need to frighten the public! We became scientists to study the unknown. We shouldn’t be afraid of it.”]

The first scientist pinches her nose bridge. [Dr. Marquez: “Alan, we need to be serious, here. People have the right to know the truth. We’ve been tracking this thing for several days and it will hit in mere minutes. We have to prepare for any contingency.]

The host finally steps in. [Host: “Are you saying this thing could wipe us out?”]

[Dr. Marquez: “We don’t know. It’s traveling too fast for intensive study. I would advise the people at home to at least hug their children.”]

The screen went black. Everything went black: all the televisions, all the lights, and even my eyes. I felt myself crumple to the ground and there were a couple screams that echoed as I lost consciousness.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It must have been only moments later that I regained consciousness. I found myself on the floor looking up at the ceiling tiles. My body felt rather heavy and my vision was blurred at first. My fall had apparently been cushioned by my carry-on luggage, at least for my upper body. Rolling over ever so slightly, I found my glasses and slipped them on. Now, my vision wasn’t blurry and I scanned the surroundings. Lights were on. Televisions were on. The only difference seemed to be a general unease the people around me seemed to wear on their faces. A lot of those faces were fixed on the television screens. My only concern was rolling over and getting out of this airport.

Upon standing, I pulled out my phone and checked the time. A few minutes had gone by since I’d seen the time on the screen during the broadcast. The cabbie would no doubt be waiting for me and I needed to get home to my family. Getting on the move was proving a little difficult. Everything felt strange. My body didn’t want to work correctly as if I’d suffered a stroke or something. On the way out to the exit, I called my wife.

It only took one ring for the other end to activate and my wife’s somewhat frantic voice to answer, “Chris?! Honey, tell me you’re okay!”

I lightly chuckled in response. “I’m fine, Laura. I’m a little sluggish, probably because I fell over a minute ago.”

“Fell over? Sluggish? What are you talking about?”

“I think there was an EMP blast or something. All the televisions and lights went off, then I fell over. I landed on my luggage, though, so I’m generally okay.”

“Chris, that wasn’t an EMP. It was that energy thing they’ve been talking about most of this week. Are you tasting metal? Dizzy? Nauseous?”

I mentally take stock of my condition as she asks her questions. “No, honey. None of that. No stroke for me.”

“How’s your heart rate?”

“I don’t feel anything out of the ordinary there, honey. I’m just… sluggish. My body feels heavy. I’m going to catch a cab and head home. One of us needs to check on the girls. You may be stuck at the hospital for a little while. I’ve got this.” I finally reached the exit doors and scanned the surroundings for the area where the cabs were congregating.

“Be careful, Chris. I’ll look you over when I get home.”

I smiled at her as if she was right in front of me. “Wouldn’t expect anything less, Laura. See you at home. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Chris.”

Spotting the yellow cabs, my eyes started to scan the numbers on them for the one the dispatcher gave me moments ago as I tapped to hang up the phone and slip it into my pocket. It takes more than a few moments to find the actual cab I was looking for. It’s the standard Toyota Prius painted roughly the same yellow as a school bus with the trademark black-checkered stripe down the side. A guy in his mid-30s stood beside it. He was a bit shorter than me; most people are since I grew to 6’2” in high school. His polo shirt and jeans combo did little to hide all the body hair on his arms and chest. He looked up at me.

“Kent? Christopher Kent?” The cabbie asked.

I smiled at him. “Yes, that’s me. Thanks for waiting like this. I know you’re a busy man and I’d hate for you to miss a fare that got you more than my ride.”

The man shrugged. “It’s fine, my friend. Where to, today?”

“Home. Arlington Heights.”

He smiles and nods as he moves to help with my bag. “Oh, nice spot, Mr. Kent. Got lucky with that one, I’d think.”

I slowly nodded as I climbed into the back seat. “You might say that. We bought before the pandemic when prices were a little better. It still wasn’t cheap, but our three girls were not going to be happy sharing a room in a three bedroom.”

He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the meter. “I’ve got two of my own. Some say you can have them in the same room, but I’d rather avoid World War III inside my own house.”

I laughed. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“Being a girl dad is not for the faint of heart.”

My smile grew wider on my face. “No, it is not. Wouldn’t trade it for anything, though.”

“Me either.”

With that, we drove onward toward my address. We chatted a bit more about our kids. His girls were younger than mine, but that didn’t matter. He was smack dab in the fun stage when they try to do your hair and makeup. My youngest, Olivia, is in that stage. Just last week, she did my makeup to mixed reviews from the others. She’s only nine, so I imagine she’ll get better at it. His oldest is eight. They probably go to the same school.

I do take a few moments to give him a little advice. In a few short years, his girls will get to a point where they may seem like they hate him for a couple of years. Hannah, my oldest, did for a while. Madison, the middle child, did for a shorter amount of time. Laura always assured me they’d come around eventually, which they did. The rapid hormone fluctuations and the reality of menstruation can do a number on girls. Laura informed me that female puberty is just all around painful, which I relayed to my cabbie. After relaying a few anecdotal examples, we pulled up to the curb in front of the house Laura and I bought in 2017.

“...and above all, be there for them when they ask you to.” I reassured him with a tap on the shoulder.

He blinked rapidly for a moment. “Well, thanks, Mr. Kent. I knew I was in for it, but I didn’t know how bad. It’s good to know there’s a light at the end of that tunnel.”

“There always is, my friend.” I nodded to him as I took my carry-on out of the trunk. Grabbing out my phone, paying for the ride with a little extra tip was simply a tap away. “You have yourself a good day, now. Drive safe!”

The guy waved as he drove away and I turned toward my home. Like almost everything else in American Suburbia, it really wasn’t very special. Two above-ground floors with a finished basement down below. It had fake shutters and a brick facade. The two car garage held both mine and my wife’s car when we were both home. I kept the lawn looking nice enough without having any semblance of a green thumb. It was just a typical house built around the time I was born and looked like it was the star of some family sitcom back in the day. The outside didn’t matter to me as much as what was inside.

Slowly, I made my way to the front door and then through it. Alas, no one was home. Calling out would do no good. School would be in session for maybe the next hour and shifts are long at the hospital. Letting out a sigh, I trudged over to the living room and set myself on the couch. The cushion felt lovely beneath my body. My eyes shut fairly quickly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“DADDY!” Olivia’s shrill glee startled me awake.

My body rose to a seated position much faster than I would have liked. I turned to see a bouncing blur of blonde hair and orange sundress. She’d discarded her backpack near the door. The force she used to tackle me with a hug knocked a little wind out of me. Naturally, I reciprocated the hug.

“Well, hello, to you, too, sweetheart,” I chuckled.

Hannah and Madison nodded at me from the foyer in typical teenager fashion. “Hey, Dad,” they greeted in unison before heading to their rooms upstairs. I can’t blame them, much.

Hannah, our eldest at 18, had hair like mine: a deep chocolate brown with the slightest hint of a curl to it. Watching her grow into her 5’8” frame was truly a privilege. She’s always had a fierce independence, like her mother, and a love of sports even if she didn’t play on any teams at school. Madison, our middle child at 15, was blessed with auburn locks and a 5’6” frame. She was our creative type that dabbled in dance, theater, and played her electric guitar as often as she could get away with. Olivia, our youngest at 9, inexplicably has blonde locks with a bit more curl to them than even mine. Right now, her personality is changing by the day. I’m lucky if I can convince her to watch Bluey with me from time to time.

Olivia looked at me with those pretty green eyes her mother gave her. “Did you bring me anything, Daddy?”

With a small smile, I chuckle, “Not this time, Princess. It’s one of the places I’ve already been a few times and all the stuffies were pretty boring.”

Her entire body slumped in disappointment. “Dang it.”

“That’s what I said! I was really disappointed. I’m sorry, kiddo.”

She tried to grip me in a tighter hug. “It’s okay, Daddy. You tried.”

A tear forms in my eyes as I wrap my comparatively huge arms around her. “Of course I did, sweetheart. Anything for my girls.” We linger on the hug for a few moments. These are the moments I’ve always treasured. They’re gone so soon. She released the hug and I went back into parenting mode. “Okay, sweetie, why don’t you get your backpack upstairs and do your homework.”

She slumps again. “Homework?” she whines. “Do I have to?”

“Yes, ma’am, you do. C’mon. Chop-chop.”

I watched her move back toward the foyer in reluctant, dramatic fashion. It’s a skill preteens the world over have probably mastered. If nothing is said, then they’ll do as asked but they are certainly trying to get you to reconsider your request. There have been times in the past that I have faltered but after two other children who have tried this tactic I was on my A-game. Not feeling well was also helping.

As the girls settled in after school, I stayed on the couch. Remote in hand, I wanted to see what the world was saying about the current state of affairs. After being laid off, I lost all access to any of the apps or group chats people used in the business. Thus, I’d have to rely on them to find out what’s been going on. The challenge, anymore, was finding the truth. A lot of broadcast news sources just go for “dibs” and forget to actually do much journalism. My media literacy had always been fairly spot on, so I knew which channels to trust and which ones to not even glimpse at.

Settling on a channel that was usually quite truthful, I found myself in the midst of the broadcast about the events of the day. It would seem the “Stellar Energy Wave” from earlier at the airport is everywhere right now. There seems to be quite a bit of sensationalization about it. Getting to the truth of the matter took a few minutes. After sifting through the cross-talk, I was able to glean that some kind of energy wave or pulse had struck the Earth today. It knocked out a lot of electronic devices and lights. There had been more than a few car accidents as a result, but thankfully no plane crashes. Air traffic control had been set back about ninety seconds, which had caused massive delays for air travel all around the world. It’s speculated that supply chains have been affected, but no one knew by how much just yet. Worse, nobody had any idea what kind of energy passed through our little blue marble or what kind of long term effects will be felt.

All of it was giving me quite a headache. I sunk further into the couch and closed my eyes. Before long, I actually fell asleep. The sound of the newscast faded as I did so. No dreams came to me while my body lay there on the couch. No passage of time was perceived at all.

The next thing I felt was something impacting my face. My eyes struggled to open at first, but then another slap hit my face and they shot open. The first thing I saw was the worried face of my wife, Laura. Just behind her stood all three of our daughters with the same worried face. Confusion overtook me.

“Jesus, Christopher!” came the worried shrill from Laura. “I’m so glad you’re awake! I’ve been slapping you for five minutes!”

My voice emerged hoarse. “What? What’s going on?”

All three of my daughters breathed in relief. Meanwhile, my wife began taking my vitals like the seasoned nurse she is. “How are you feeling, honey?”

A sharp pain erupted in my head while a ring in my ears crescendoed like Madison had hit the highest note on her guitar and turned up the amp. “GAH! My head! My ears!” As my arms moved to cover my ears in a vain attempt to stop the ringing, the material of my shirt barely managed to slide over my sweat-drenched skin.

“Something is wrong, Chris. Very wrong! We may need to get you to the hospital! Your heart rate is up, you’ve got cold sweats, and your skin does not look right!” Laura frantically informed me.

After clamping shut with the sharp head pain and ringing ears, my eyes opened again, but something was very off. All I could see was some bluish tint to the world, the outlines of objects and the four people in the room, but the thing that got me the most was the fact I could actually see their skeletons. “WHAT THE HELL?!” As Laura moved closer, all I could see was a vague outline of her body and her skeleton, mostly her skull, move closer to my face. I shrieked.

I could clearly hear Madison whisper to Hannah as if she were whispering in my own ear. “When has dad ever used a swear word before?”

Then, Hannah seemed to be whispering in my other ear. “Never. This is freaky.”

When Laura spoke, it sounded like she was in a stadium at the microphone with thousands of speakers projecting her voice. “Tell me what’s going on, Christopher!”

I tried my hardest to move away from her… and found myself on the far side of the room in the blink of an eye. Turning back to my family, it was still the same blue world and skeletons. I couldn’t see the expressions on their faces. “All I see are skeletons…”

A pain erupted in my core that forced me onto hands and knees. All of my muscles spasmed at once and I felt a sense of vertigo. My entire body felt like it was radiating heat it shouldn’t be capable of. I closed my eyes and clenched my teeth. My hands and knees felt like they were moving along the floor for a moment. Simultaneously, my clothes felt like they were getting bigger by the second. As my muscles vibrated my body with their spasms, it seemed to jiggle like Jell-O. I even felt my throat constrict ever so slightly. Inexplicably, my shoes completely slipped off my feet. I could hear the gasps and stunned grunts from my family as they looked on. Something tickled my cheeks and the back of my neck as I breathed through whatever was happening.

After a few moments, the world became a lot more quiet and there were no more strange sensations. Breathing heavily, I opened my eyes. Mercifully, the world was back to normal. My hands looked very strange and the sleeve of my shirt was very loose. I struggled to stand, but finally managed to do so. My clothes, which had fit quite well moments ago, felt like they had grown several sizes. When I turned to look at my family, all their eyes were wide as dinner plates. There was awe, fright, and worry written into their expressions.

“What?” The voice coming out of me was not my own. It had said what I wanted to, my vocal chords vibrated, my lungs released air, and I could feel vibrations on my lips. However, gone was the gruff baritone. It was replaced by the light lilt of a teenage girl. My strange hands shot up to clasp over my mouth in disbelief.

“If I had not just watched it happen, there’s no way you could convince me THAT is my father.” Hannah stated plainly.

“Deadass.” Madison responded breathlessly.

Laura cautiously stood up. “Christopher?”

The voice of a teenage girl came out of me once again. “It’s me, honey. What happened?”

Tears began to stream down Olivia’s face. “Daddy?”

My heart broke. “I’m right here, Princess.” My attention turned back to my wife. “Laura, what happened to me?”

She looked me directly in the eyes. “We’re going to the hospital.”