“This isn’t time for memory lane! And I’m a grown man.” I spoke too loudly, and everyone gazed at me. “Have I been too hasty in the past? Yes. Does it sometimes bite me in the ass? Yes. But this is Earth we’re talking about.”
“And what can two Racers do against an invasion?” Preston asked.
I glanced at Varn, and he kept eating, giving me a wink.
“We’ll stop them, that’s what.” I hadn’t figured out the details, but I wasn’t going to stay in hiding while our people were under duress. We all had family there. Aster slammed her fist on the table, likely thinking about Bello and her children in the Wastes. My parents were at SeaTech, supposedly enjoying their early retirement. Jade’s family was on the Moon.
“I understand.” Preston broke eye contact and rose from his seat. “When you’re done eating, may I speak to you in private?”
“I’m finished now,” I said, and joined him.
I took one last glance at Jade, who seemed eager to help.
When Preston and I were alone in the hallway, he turned and threw his arms around me. I didn’t know what to do.
He gripped me tightly, his face burrowing into my shoulder, the action far too familiar for the stranger in front of me. I let him, and finally softened, embracing him back.
“Arlo, you have no idea how much I thought of you.” He broke apart and wiped tears from his eyes. “I clung to a sliver of hope that I would once again see my family.”
I could hear the sincerity in his voice, the care and love in his eyes. I felt like a kid again, if only for a moment. “Grandpa, I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
When I was young, Preston Lewis had been a stoic man, a determined and strong mentor. It was rare to hear him say anything with emotion.
We walked by several Velibar, and they gave my grandfather deference, standing by the edge of the corridor, stares cast aside. He led me into a private chamber and sat on a couch. I took the chair across from it, and he aged a decade in the dim lighting. Shadows clung to his face. “There were days I didn’t want to go on.”
I stayed quiet, letting him speak.
“I once brought a knife into a meeting with the First Ruler, Arlo. I wanted to kill him. I knew I’d be dead if I did, but that didn’t matter. The only reason I hesitated was the glimmer of optimism that I could one day see my family again.” His chin fell to his chest. “He knew I had it. The Ruler was an enigma. I often wondered if he wasn’t clairvoyant.”
“We missed you, Grandpa. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. It felt like you were abandoning me, and all I could think about was myself,” I admitted. “I’ve wanted to tell you that for so many years.”
“You were a kid. I was the one who should have seen it coming. Your parents… are they well? My son?”
I told him about my mom and dad, and their struggles since they’d been kicked off the executive platform when Obelisk went dark. When he heard of my altercation with Frank Under, he brightened.
“You really punched a CEO, and you chose… the CEO.” Preston clapped his palms together and rubbed them. “That’s my grandson.”
Talking with him was like old times. When he’d be gone for a week or even a month, we’d sit together and discuss what we’d both been dealing with, almost like we reported to one another. It was a strong bond that couldn’t be broken even by this passage of years.
“All that chaos outside Saturn? That was for show?” I had to know if his loyalties were with us or them.
“It had to be believable. If I failed to allow the invasion, the Velibar would have used any means necessary. If the gateway had worked, and our people came through, I planned on ensuring it was peaceful, until I managed to rally the support of Dutis.”
My grandfather’s words made sense, but there was more behind them. I didn’t question him further, not while we were getting along so well.
“I wish things had been different,” he told me.
I considered this. “I’ve lived a good life, Grandpa. Not a linear one, but it led me here to you again. Maybe we can save Earth.”
“There’s a chance you return to find everything intact,” he said.
“Do you believe that?”
“Yes. Contact me when you arrive. We’ll begin our preparations for the gateway to Dutis.” Preston sighed again and melted into his seat. “Maybe there is hope for peace. I see a future where the Velibar change their hierarchy. It’s already been happening for decades. Their people are isolating, wanting to live out their days on colonies. Their link to the Word has been shrinking with each generation born.”
“And Earth. Let’s see if it will change as well. Disband from the Primaries, merge into something new,” I said hopefully.
“There is much to look forward to, Arlo. And much to be afraid of. I know I’m a stranger to you, but I am proud of the man you’ve become.” The simple words hit me. I’d waited for them all my life. Since he’d left, I’d been floating around, moving between gigs, hauling equipment on Capricious with little joy in my existence. To hear he was proud… that was enough to remind me of what could be.
“You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that,” I whispered.
“Get some rest. Check on Earth. And remember, be wary of Frank Under. I think he’s the one I’ve been in contact with.”
I had an idea, but I couldn’t do it alone. “Can you send Killer and Pilgrim the details of that contact?”
“What are you wanting to get out of it?” Preston asked.
“Answers.”
____________
“Should we be delaying this much longer?” Luther
