Star Missions - Book One - Part III

Chapter 26 - Remembering The Future

REMEMBERING THE FUTURE

Moments later he was back on Hydra and the sounds of the nearby sea washed over him in undulating waves. The scent of sweet Hydran fruit and fresh green foliage swirled around him and a tall, green-skinned alien stood before him.

Victor recognized the alien immediately. More than mere recognition, he felt a sense of familiarity with him, even camaraderie. Despite the unnatural skin tone, oblong forehead, and webbed appendages, he knew that the alien, Zorag, was his friend. Though minutes earlier, he had dreamed the memory of meeting the Hydran leader for the first time, waking up had jumped him forward and his mind made the transition in an instant. If he remembered correctly, he was now at a time four months after his first meeting with the Hydrans.

"Leader Zorag," Victor began, the words forming in his mind as he spoke them aloud. "Everyone on Terra is very grateful to you and your people for the way you've allowed us to use your planet's resources."

Zorag inclined his head in a regal gesture of acknowledgment.

He started to remember the scene right after signing the treaty between Terra and Hydra. It was when he asked the question that was at the front of his mind since they first met. "Can I ask you something?"

Again, Zorag tilted his head. "You are free to ask your question."

"When we first met you and your people, my men and I were so shocked, we didn't know how to act or what to say. We didn't know if you were friendly or hostile. In the moment, I know I wasn't thinking clearly, but I remember something you said. Something I've wanted to ask you about."

Zorag gazed at him with an expression that seemed to say he knew what was coming next.

Victor hesitated, though, suddenly unsure whether or not he wanted to know the answer. The Hydran's words about expecting him were fresh in his mind now. But he was more aware than ever that he was dealing with forces he couldn't fully comprehend. After a moment, his need to know overrode his caution.

"On the beach that day, you said that you were expecting me, not just Terrans, but me, specifically."

Zorag gave no indication that he was surprised by Victor's comment. "This is correct. We did expect you and you were there." The alien added no further explanation.

He looked down at the lush grass between his boots, then timidly back up at the alien leader. "Well, that's my question. How is that possible?"

When Zorag didn't answer right away, Victor kept going. With the first question spoken, the rest tumbled out in a rush.

"How did you know Terrans would visit your planet? How is it that you speak our language? How did you know my name?"

A rare smile, the faintest lifting of the corners of his lips, graced Zorag's face. "Mr. Belter, Victor, one day I will tell you how I knew. But this is not that day."

Victor felt his hopes deflate. He needed to know, now more than ever. Somehow he knew that the answers to these questions were important. He felt that knowing the answers could change everything.

"What I can tell you," the Hydran went on, "is that we are your friends. You have a purpose here. You don't realize this now." Zorag spread both hands in front of him, almost as though he wanted to reach out and touch him. "There will be very difficult challenges in your future. However, you must always remember that you and your family belong here. Our future and your future is the same."

"What does all this mean?" Victor wanted to know, perhaps a touch too quickly and with more force than he'd intended. He took a breath and forced himself to relax. "Can you see the future? What challenges are you talking about?"

Now Zorag did extend a single webbed hand to rest lightly but warmly on his shoulder. "You will know when it happens." He held Victor's gaze for a long time, as though the stare would impart some knowledge that words could not communicate. "Remember what I have told you," Zorag said finally. "You and your family are here for a reason!" The alien squeezed his shoulder to emphasize the point. "You must allow nothing to prevent you from fulfilling your destiny."

Zorag was speaking with more passion and intensity than he had ever experienced, his eyes glowing with the pale blue light that had illuminated the morning mists on the day they'd first met. Victor felt his eyes grow wide and he took an involuntary step back.

Zorag released his shoulder and his expression softened. "You are a good man. I trust you. Do not ask any more questions. Now, trust me."

His eye fluttered open a moment later and Zorag was gone. The alien's visage replaced by the smiling face of the young nurse he recognized right away as Jamie Hawkins. In the place of the gentle swelling of the sea, he heard the persistent beeping of the machines that were monitoring his vitals. And the fresh scent of wild, untamed Hydra was usurped by the sterile tang of the medical lab.

All that remained of his dream were Zorag's words: "You are here for a reason. You must allow nothing to prevent you from fulfilling your destiny."

To a young man, eager to make his mark on a galaxy that had recently become far larger than he'd ever imagined, those words had been an encouragement. They'd kept him going through innumerable challenges and helped overcome countless obstacles.

Zorag's words had always motivated him to fulfill his destiny. A destiny, that, Victor had always thought, had to do with restoring Terra's natural resources – a destiny that would help guide Terra to full recovery. Terra was, in fact, recovering, but, now, those dreams helped him see things differently. It was as if a light turned on in his head. For the first time in close to 25 years, he realized that Zorag was not talking about saving Terra.

Maybe that was one reason, but Zorag's words reminded him that he would be confronted by future challenges. He reflected on those words over and over again, "There will be very difficult challenges for you in your future. However, you must always remember you and your family belong here. Our future and your future is the same."

That was twenty-five years ago. They were now in that future. Nothing really significant had happened since. Even contact with the Hydrans and Zorag was relatively uneventful. There were really no major challenges, until now. Could he have been referring to the events he was enduring now? What was his real destiny, Victor wondered?

What had Zorag meant when he said, "Our future and your future is the same?" He had assumed he was talking about all Terrans. Could he have been speaking specifically of the Hydrans and the Belter family? If so, how could their futures coincide if Belter's family was dead?

He felt hope rise in his chest, but also felt confused. He needed more time to reflect on his dream and what he remembered of that very important day. Besides, his mind kept going back to what Zorag said, "You are here for a reason." It wasn't clear what the reason was, but Victor was now more determined than ever to figure it out.