STELLARIUM(BOOK ONE)

Chapter 29: Triple Threat

Galen's awake, his vision seems blurry from the first ten seconds. He's weak and trying to get a ground of himself, he managed to pull his body up to a sitting position. He turned to the left, he saw Aurora. He was shocked. He turned to his right and he saw Void. He was even more surprised at the sight of his body wounded, he wondered about what had happened. He removed the oxygen equipment from his body, he put his feet on the ground. He could barely walk.

        He saw the team sitting in a circle possibly trying to research the weather and him. "What happened?" They all turned to him, surprised to see him standing, and he fell to the ground. Zephyr threw his laptop to the side, he rushed to meet Galen on the floor. His iron levels dropped drastically.

        His eyes were open, "Someone get the zinc pills! He needs them, the blood capsules too!"

       Luna dropped them in his hands, Galen swallowed them with a glass of water. He was dehydrated as well, Luna brought another glass of water, he finished that too. He sat up and exhaled loudly. Finally he could speak after a few seconds of breathing heavily. "What happened to Void?"

        Astrid replied, "Aurora did it."

    Orion warned, "don't say that, she didn't. The creature did. We suspect that one of the creatures possessing her possibly made her do what she did. It wasn't intentional for her to do all of that."

        Galen said, "thank you, and thank you Zephyr. I really appreciate it, Luna help me up. I've got work to do." She obeyed. He walked straight to the spot where his computer used to be, it was empty. All his files and documents were thrown out.

        Zephyr asked, "do you need a new computer? I could get one for you, a new one from the new stocks we got. Also the files and personally I'd advise you to buy half of this firm to get at least fifty percent rights here."
 
        "Sure, I will. I'll make the purchase before your father wakes up. And yes I would love it if you could and would get me a new computer and a startup kit for this table."

       Zephyr walked out to get them. Galen sat on his chair, he wasn't seated close to Aurora anymore. He was close to Aster now. Speaking of Aster…

        He walked into the office by knocking on the door, Galen got up to give a handshake but Aster opened up his arms for a hug. Galen accepted it, "good to see you Galen." His former apprentice welcomed his mentor back.

        "How long do you think they'll be in that coma?" Galen whispered.

      Aster drew closer and said, "well, long enough for you to finish the projects you started." He smiled.

      They planned this, the whole thing. They wanted Void out of the way for Galen to return. Of course now it all made sense, Aster is so sinister!

       They smiled, Astrid walked in on their union. Aster turned to her smiling, she froze for a moment wondering why.

        "Dad? Your food is ready. I got you some greens for the start. You'll need them."

       "Thank you." He took the tray and dropped it on the table. "Aster, would you care to join me. It's been a while since we've had food together. Don't you think so?"

          He replied, "I don't mind joining in, but I'll only do it if she sits with us to eat." Galen smiled at Astrid, she stood silently. He gave her a signal to sit down with the move to his head to the left. She understood and she sat by Aster.

        She took a carrot and took a bite from it nervously. She smiled weirdly and chewed on it, Galen started with the pancakes and syrup. Aster started with the coffee.

        "Aster?", "Yeah?"

      Galen removed his eyes from his tray, placing them on Aster. "What do you think?"

     Astrid sat confused at her dad's question. She picked up her phone and acted like she had a phone call, she walked away from them and escaped their conversation. Aster replied, "About what? The firm? The portal? The weather?"

        Galen smiled, "don't be ridiculous Aster, you know what I'm talking about and what I mean. You know I'm talking about Astrid." He paused.

      Aster smiled and said, "She's just friendly and not really into me. I mean it's what girls do, they flirt with the ones they hate and are shy with the ones they really love. What else?"

       "What else? Aster I heard the conversation the two of you had. That didn't sound like a mere aspect of what you just stated, especially from you. You've been admiring Astrid for more than I can remember. When will you make a move?"

        Aster gulped half a glass of water, he stayed quiet. Galen stopped eating as well, the silence grew intensely until Aster answered finally. "Galen, I really need space to think about what you've said and what I truly feel. Astrid isn't settled, one day she's got her eyes on a man and the next day she's got her eyes on another. It's not like she's so into me, she's not. She liked me for a moment. I mean most women like me for the first….. I mean for the very first moment of meeting me at any time. She's not ready for marriage or a stable and functional relationship."

        "You don't know that, look I'm the father of the girl you are looking down on… " Aster cuts him short.

        "Excuse me? I'm not looking down on her or the woman she grew into. What? I'm just saying I'm not interested yet, we had a fun time flirting and yes I enjoyed the talk we had but no."

        Galen nodded, "And the way you held her? What'd you think about that?"

        Aster smiled and held his tongue in his mouth, of course he enjoyed the way he held her close. He said, "I don't think you really had that coma, you were fully awake weren't you? You should consider acting or something. I'll support you honestly."

        "Professor Lucas Aster, listen to me. I know a man because I am a man. Talk to Astrid, she's waiting for you. Who knows, maybe if you lock her down then she'll follow through with you. Let's see how it goes, in between I'll need someone to get close to her, I need details about all of my kids and their secret lives."

        "I knew this meeting wasn't normal and I knew you had something up your sleeves. You're Galen, and between you and Void I can't tell who's more deadly. Sometimes."

       Galen smiled and said, "get close to her, love her. At least you already do."

        Aster smiled and nodded once.