The Nibiru Effect

Memory 99

What the drowned do you mean, you don't have a plan?" demands Jonn.

I should probably feel embarrassed for imbuing him and Kara with a false sense hope, but it was unavoidable.

"I lied," I admit.

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asks Kara. "He did it to protect Korri."

"It's true," I admit. "He never would have left if he knew we didn't have a plan."

"Oh," is all Jonn can come up with. I can't blame him. I would probably be at a loss for words if I were the one who just found out we were doomed. "So," he adds after a while, "does anyone have a plan?"

Neither Kara nor I can come up with a course of action that's likely to see us through the next few minutes. Of course, it doesn't help that the lava has spread, cutting off our only possible retreat point. We're now trapped between a growing river of molten rock and a cliff. Oh yeah, and let's not forget the giant asteroid that's heading straight for us. Not that it matters. The lava will melt the flesh off our bones long before the asteroid is even remotely hazardous to our health.

This is the end. I should be sad, but the truth is I feel lucky. I got to do so many incredible things, to meet so many wonderful people. Sure, I would have liked to meet my parents, but we'll be together again in the afterlife—if there is such a thing.

Jonn hugs Kara. The tightness with which he holds her tells me he's well aware the end is near. Kara hugs her father with just as much ferocity. Tears roll down her cheeks, but she puts on a brave smile.

The hug finally ends, and Kara turns away. Jonn takes advantage of this to say farewell. Well, sort of.

"So," he says, "I guess this is it."

"I guess," I agree. It's an awkward moment until I remember I still possess something that isn't mine.

"Here," I say, retrieving the knife from my belt.

"Thanks," says Jonn, taking the weapon. He stares at it for a moment, then slides it into its sheath.

"It's been an honour to know you," I tell him. "You've taught me a lot."

Jonn doesn't respond, but I can tell he's grateful for the kind words.

"I was wrong about you, Will," he finally admits. "You're a good kid. A good man."

It may not sound like much, but it means a lot coming from Jonn. So does the fact that he called me by my real name. But the true sign of respect comes in the form of him taking a few steps back to give Kara and me some much-needed privacy.

"Kara," I whisper. She turns around. She may be filthy and dishevelled, but she looks more beautiful now than she ever has. So beautiful, in fact, that I do what I have up until now been too scared to even consider attempting.

I kiss her.

It's a magical moment. It only lasts a few seconds, but it feels like a blissful eternity. By the time our lips part, my cheeks have turned a bright shade of red. Luckily, so have Kara's. Even Jonn, who pretends as though he didn't notice, seems a little on the red side.

The lava is almost upon us. Jonn takes advantage of the few moments that remain to open his locket and stare at the picture it contains. He seems sad yet relieved. I suspect it's because, after a decade and a half of separation, he will finally be reunited with his beloved wife.

The lava is only a few metres away when a massive shape emerges from the cloud of ash and smoke. At first, I think it's the Chicxulub asteroid, but then I remember it's still far away. But then what is that massive black shape descending toward us? It's not until the dragon lands before us that I recognize her.

It's Korrigana.

Jonn and Kara seem worried, but I assure them they have nothing to fear.

"She's a friend," I say as I step forward. For a brief moment, I think she's come to carry my friends and me to safety, but she shows no sign of wanting to let me mount her. It's not until she bows her head and drops a small object into my hand that I comprehend her true motives.

My mother's ring.

I stare at it, stunned. I assumed it was destroyed, but apparently, Korrigana rescued it before it was forever lost.

"Thank you, my friend," I say as I place a hand on her snout. She snorts softly, which I take to mean she only did what was right. I helped free her children, and now she has given me the means to save both my friends and me.

The majestic dragon flaps her wings and rises into the air. With a final roar of farewell, she flies off, vanishing into the thick cloud that hovers above our heads. I watch the ash and smoke swirl about for a moment before turning to my friends.

"What was that about?" asks Jonn

"What did she give you?" wonders Kara.

I don't answer. I merely uncurl my fingers, revealing my mother's ring.

My friends gasp.

"Are you ready to go home?" I ask.

They nod, too stunned to speak. I slide the ring onto my finger and twist the first triangle. Closing my eyes, I focus on what little I know of Atlantis and turn the second triangle. When I open my eyes, a portal has appeared before me. Its centre is black as night, but its edges are a beautiful, vibrant shade of purple. Arcs of white light crackle along the entire perimeter of the temporal door. It's the most beautiful sight I have ever beheld.

"What are you waiting for?" asks Jonn. "Let's go."

He steps into the portal and vanishes.

"See you soon," says Kara. Moments later, she's gone.

I'm about to follow my friends when I'm hit with a realization.

This is it. The moment I step through that portal, my adventure will officially be over. I'll never see Korri again. Nor his parents. Or any of the other brave humanoids I have had the good fortune of getting to know during my travels. The fact that they are doomed to die as a result of the Chicxulub plague only makes the separation more painful.

I would probably stand here until the lava burns my feet off if not for the fact that something suddenly hits me. And I mean that literally. Something falls out of the sky and knocks me right in the head.

"Ow!" I groan. From the looks of it, the object that hit me is a small pebble. I pick it up and study it.

It's a tiny rock fragment. The angle with which it hit me, combined with the crimson nature of the stone leaves little doubt in my mind as to where it came from. I look up and, to my utter surprise, I discover the cloud of ash and smoke has parted, once more revealing the Chicxulub asteroid. It's still far, yet it's obvious the pebble that struck me came through the temporal tear along with it. It seems almost impossible, yet at the same time, it's undeniable.

I study the asteroid for amoment. It's terrifying, but also kind ofbeautiful. It's hard to believe it will cause the extinction of more thanseventy percent of Earth's living organisms. But who am I to say what's rightand what's not? I've done all I can. The rest is up to fate. With that in mind,I slip the pebble into my pocket and step through the portal.