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22 November 2020 18:43Tom had heard from his wife about the chaos the night before. It wasn't surprising to him. He'd seen some crazy things at Ziggy's concerts; fainting, screaming, people being liberated from constraints and throwing off their clothes and God might only know what he missed in the crowds and papers. With the addition of angels, immortals, telepaths, and who knows what else something was bound to go awry. That it was Ziggy and one of his friends was a worry but also well within Tom's experience too.
When he woke up to a text from the twins asking to come and talk to him, he happily invited one or both of them to come to the house in the afternoon. It was the quiet time in the house. Ziggy would be elsewhere and Tommy would have gone out for his usual afternoon wanderings. It left Aletayria in the gardens and Tom with little to do.
He was making some tea to relax because he could imagine the topic that would be at hand when one or both of them arrived.
When he woke up to a text from the twins asking to come and talk to him, he happily invited one or both of them to come to the house in the afternoon. It was the quiet time in the house. Ziggy would be elsewhere and Tommy would have gone out for his usual afternoon wanderings. It left Aletayria in the gardens and Tom with little to do.
He was making some tea to relax because he could imagine the topic that would be at hand when one or both of them arrived.
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nexus_crossings prompt 4. "I was worried you'd never come back. What happened?"]
“What the hell is this?” Tom asks sourly as he sees the fellow astronaut standing at his car.
“Well, they told me you're too crazy from space to drive yourself.” Akihiko, a Japanese flight engineer Tom had worked with on several projects in the past, grins with the approach of a friend he thought he had lost.
“I land a half dead space capsule, alone, without burning up in re-entry and they think I can't drive myself home?” Tom grunts out a sigh as he gets in the passenger door. Akihiko laughs more as he gets in to drive but the young Japanese man can't keep the smile up as they start driving. There's too much worry.
“What happened up there?” He glances at his friend trying to come to terms with the fact he looked in his forties now instead of mid-twenties like the driver, despite the fact they had become friends because they nearly shared a birthday... just one week off from each other in the same year. “And none of those stories you alluded to when you called in or gave mission control.”
Tom swallows staring at his friend. The two men trusted each other with their lives. It wasn't just a saying either. They had built parts for each other's missions. The trust was literal. Jones stared out at the Florida coast as they drove. All the while wondering if he could tell anyone what he experienced in those two weeks.
“Time dilation and radiation” Tom finally says because it is true but not the whole truth.
“Yeah, the age, I know about that. I meant this... the cryptic messages and depression.” Akihiko glances over as they slow on an off ramp. “You just survived the unsurvivable and you're here behaving like you've died.”
“Pull over.” Tom asks, then demands. “Pull over!”
The Japanese man pulls into a parking lot for a small strip mall where they can park far away from the other parked vehicles for privacy. However, he has to interrupt the major's bid to talk first.
“I have to tell you something.” Akihiko almost freezes. “You don't have a home here any more Tom. She dissolved your marriage and is already remairried.”
Tom couldn't process what he was hearing. It's was clearly crazier than his own story of running into aliens. His jaw slackened with words that caught up in his throat. “In two weeks?”
The driver nods to his friend and can't bear to look at the astronaut in the other seat. “Yeah, we all thought I was too fast and it came out she was cheating. She just moved right on without feeling a thing.”
Tom wished for anger to well up at the betrayal. His wife was the love of his life. His last thoughts when he was convinced he was going to die were of her face and voice. However, the anger never came. Instead, Tom feels relieved by the revelation. He had carried guilt about giving his heart to another but this changes everything. The hint of a smile appears as he rummages into the inner pocket of his suit coat. Out he pulls a long strand of bright red hair with a hint of curl.
“I found someone.” Tom offers with a smug look while holding the strand out to his companion.
“You've been home.. what 2 days and you've already found a woman?” Akihiko just shakes his head.
“Not here.” Tom corrects. “While I was in space. I have a child. The twenty years wasn't an exaggeration.”
“Wait....” Akihiko furrows his brows. “The sordid details you were talking about.... You're sleeping with... fucking an alien? Hell, that is something more than sordid.”
“She's tall, slim, beautiful.” Tom is laughing because he can see the acceptance happening in the other man's expression.
“And a red head?” There's a head shake for that one. “Even in space, with aliens, you find red-heads!”
Now they're both laughing but Akihiko questions again. “Are you serious? Really, no.. this can't be.”
“Thank God it's so absurd sounding that no one believed me when I was rambling in delirium after landing.” That Tom was serious about. He couldn't imagine having people harassing him over it.
“You sounded like a madman when you came through the first time and it's only gotten weirder. I hope they're humanoid at least.”
“Yes, she's humanoid enough.” Tom replies and then looks out the window again. “Ask me later and we can talk more.”
“You just out and banged an alien woman?” The incredulous feelings are thick in the question.
“We have a child.” Tom reiterates.
The driver nods as he pulls away from the spot to head back out on the main road. “So, you're saying that you were dead in the water up there, literally, were rescued by space aliens … that you decided to have sex with AND you have a half alien child? Is there anything else I should know before E.T. Comes down out of the sky?”
Tom shrugs. “I punched her father. He's still mad all this time later.”
“See that.” Akihiko points at Tom. “That's the only believable thing to come out of your mouth since we sat down in this car.”
“He deserved it.” Tom rolls his eyes at the concept that there could have been any other choice.
“I'm sure you say that about all the people you punch.”
Both men are chuckling now but it was going to take time to work through the situation, especially his wife. All he could do was prepare for some nights of heavy drinking and wild but true stories.
nexus_crossings prompt 4. "I was worried you'd never come back. What happened?"]“What the hell is this?” Tom asks sourly as he sees the fellow astronaut standing at his car.
“Well, they told me you're too crazy from space to drive yourself.” Akihiko, a Japanese flight engineer Tom had worked with on several projects in the past, grins with the approach of a friend he thought he had lost.
“I land a half dead space capsule, alone, without burning up in re-entry and they think I can't drive myself home?” Tom grunts out a sigh as he gets in the passenger door. Akihiko laughs more as he gets in to drive but the young Japanese man can't keep the smile up as they start driving. There's too much worry.
“What happened up there?” He glances at his friend trying to come to terms with the fact he looked in his forties now instead of mid-twenties like the driver, despite the fact they had become friends because they nearly shared a birthday... just one week off from each other in the same year. “And none of those stories you alluded to when you called in or gave mission control.”
Tom swallows staring at his friend. The two men trusted each other with their lives. It wasn't just a saying either. They had built parts for each other's missions. The trust was literal. Jones stared out at the Florida coast as they drove. All the while wondering if he could tell anyone what he experienced in those two weeks.
“Time dilation and radiation” Tom finally says because it is true but not the whole truth.
“Yeah, the age, I know about that. I meant this... the cryptic messages and depression.” Akihiko glances over as they slow on an off ramp. “You just survived the unsurvivable and you're here behaving like you've died.”
“Pull over.” Tom asks, then demands. “Pull over!”
The Japanese man pulls into a parking lot for a small strip mall where they can park far away from the other parked vehicles for privacy. However, he has to interrupt the major's bid to talk first.
“I have to tell you something.” Akihiko almost freezes. “You don't have a home here any more Tom. She dissolved your marriage and is already remairried.”
Tom couldn't process what he was hearing. It's was clearly crazier than his own story of running into aliens. His jaw slackened with words that caught up in his throat. “In two weeks?”
The driver nods to his friend and can't bear to look at the astronaut in the other seat. “Yeah, we all thought I was too fast and it came out she was cheating. She just moved right on without feeling a thing.”
Tom wished for anger to well up at the betrayal. His wife was the love of his life. His last thoughts when he was convinced he was going to die were of her face and voice. However, the anger never came. Instead, Tom feels relieved by the revelation. He had carried guilt about giving his heart to another but this changes everything. The hint of a smile appears as he rummages into the inner pocket of his suit coat. Out he pulls a long strand of bright red hair with a hint of curl.
“I found someone.” Tom offers with a smug look while holding the strand out to his companion.
“You've been home.. what 2 days and you've already found a woman?” Akihiko just shakes his head.
“Not here.” Tom corrects. “While I was in space. I have a child. The twenty years wasn't an exaggeration.”
“Wait....” Akihiko furrows his brows. “The sordid details you were talking about.... You're sleeping with... fucking an alien? Hell, that is something more than sordid.”
“She's tall, slim, beautiful.” Tom is laughing because he can see the acceptance happening in the other man's expression.
“And a red head?” There's a head shake for that one. “Even in space, with aliens, you find red-heads!”
Now they're both laughing but Akihiko questions again. “Are you serious? Really, no.. this can't be.”
“Thank God it's so absurd sounding that no one believed me when I was rambling in delirium after landing.” That Tom was serious about. He couldn't imagine having people harassing him over it.
“You sounded like a madman when you came through the first time and it's only gotten weirder. I hope they're humanoid at least.”
“Yes, she's humanoid enough.” Tom replies and then looks out the window again. “Ask me later and we can talk more.”
“You just out and banged an alien woman?” The incredulous feelings are thick in the question.
“We have a child.” Tom reiterates.
The driver nods as he pulls away from the spot to head back out on the main road. “So, you're saying that you were dead in the water up there, literally, were rescued by space aliens … that you decided to have sex with AND you have a half alien child? Is there anything else I should know before E.T. Comes down out of the sky?”
Tom shrugs. “I punched her father. He's still mad all this time later.”
“See that.” Akihiko points at Tom. “That's the only believable thing to come out of your mouth since we sat down in this car.”
“He deserved it.” Tom rolls his eyes at the concept that there could have been any other choice.
“I'm sure you say that about all the people you punch.”
Both men are chuckling now but it was going to take time to work through the situation, especially his wife. All he could do was prepare for some nights of heavy drinking and wild but true stories.
Takes place 4 days after this, and the evening after this... and the evening before this.
( Stolen Time )
( Stolen Time )