Cadets: Short Stories

STEVIE'S LOG: LOST pt.1

I used to have a loving family and a good life before it all fell apart. My dad was a Federation archaeologist, who served aboard the same ship as Jonathan's dad. My mom was a loving person, and I was very close to my older sister, Nichole. We all lived in this lovely mansion that my family, the Ravencrofts, had been living in for generations. Life was perfect until that that fateful day came.

Nichole and I were just walking home from school together, feeling nothing could ruin our day. When we got home, there were two men in our house, and we saw mom crying. We didn't understand what was going on until mom sat as down.

She told us that our dad had disappeared during a mission beyond Federation space. He was serving aboard the same ship as Jonathan's parents as senior science officer. Their last report was a month after he left, and after that both ship and crew vanished without a trace.

I was only nine years old at the time, and I refused to believe her. When she tried to comfort me, I backed away and ran to my room where I cried myself to sleep.

The next few days were a struggle. I refused to come out of my room or eat anything. I just wanted to be left alone. But my sister refused to stand aside and let me suffer. She was dealing with it a lot better than either of us. Mom fell into deep depression. She started drinking which caused her to become violent and abusive. Our home also began to deteriorate due to her drinking, and eventually looked like an old shack.

In those traumatic times, Nichole was the only one staying strong. She had to quit school in order to get a job to provide for us, crushing her dream of becoming an archaeologist. If that wasn't enough, she had to be my mother, because mom stopped caring for me.

It eventually got to a point where Nichole couldn't take it anymore. She became tired, exhausted, and most of all corrupted. I began to notice a change in her and she was trying to hide it from us. At night when I got up to use the toilet, I noticed a lot of lights coming from Nichole's room. I was tempted to see what it was but never did. Besides, she kept her room locked all the time, which was unusual of her.

Then one evening as I was sleeping, I was woken up by loud banging and shouting, which ended with what sounded like mom screaming in terror.

I noticed a light shining from behind my door. I hid myself in the covers, shaking as my door opened slightly revealing my sister Nicole, or so I thought.

She was dressed in black; her skin was pale and cracked, her hair had turned black, her eyes were glowing, and she had long sharp glowing talons on her left hand.

Her talon hand looked metallic. It was dripping with glowing slime and was sparking with lighting, which went up her arm. Then I noticed a hand lying on the floor and an empty bottle beside it. It was then I realised that Nichole had just killed mom.

I got even more scared as she approached me. I was afraid she was going to kill me too, but instead gave me a gentle stroke, but not with the talons. She told me not to be afraid.

Still frightened, my mind was filled with questions. What happened to her and what did she do to mom.

Nichole said she gave herself a major makeover with one of dad's collection of alien treasures that he forbid us to touch. She showed me a glowing pendant merged into the palm of her hand. According to my dad's research, it possessed incredibly unstable powers of mass destruction. Nichole had merged herself with the pendant, turning herself into some sort of corrupted being of negative energy. She was now calling herself Master Ravencroft.

What she said next terrified me. She was planning to use her newfound powers to seek revenge against the Federation, and she wanted me to join her. She said I felt the same way, and she was right. However, unlike her I didn't blame the entire Federation for ruining our lives. I only specifically blamed Wilton Jones. He took our dad on a mission and got his entire crew lost.

Nichole urged me to join her, saying that the galaxy would be ours to rule together. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. She wanted to only destroy the Federation, but also dominate innocent lives who had nothing to do with our suffering. The powers she had embraced had corrupted her mind. This person wasn't my sister anymore.

When I refused to join her side, she set the house on fire and left me to die. Luckily, I was saved and taken in by a nice foster family. As for Nichole she disappeared after leaving me for dead. I never saw her again.