Cuddy felt a hand on his back and knew it was Kyle’s. He and Tony seated themselves behind him. Leveling his eyes first on the heritage pod, he then closed them. Exhaling a deep breath, he concentrated—envisioning himself standing next to the pod, far larger than he was in reality. In his mind his arms were huge—like tree trunks. Bending his knees, and lowering his body, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the circumference of the pod. He felt the pod’s encompassing leaves crinkle and constrict under his tight hold. With all the strength his mind and body could conjure up, he began to straighten out his thick, column-like legs. Immediately, they began to shake and wobble under the immense weight. Cuddy continued lifting, as the joints in shoulders, wrists, elbows, knees and ankles screamed in a torment he could hardly endure. He stepped back with one foot while stepping forward with the other—turning both his body and the pod in the process. Sweat streamed down his forehead, stinging his closed eyes. As moisture crept into his palms, he felt his grip on the heritage pod begin to slip.
Chapter 49
You can do this, Cuddy… I know you can do this… the orb repeated, telepathically.
Cuddy took more hurried steps, to the point he had lost count. He tried to tighten his hold but the enormous pod was slipping even more from his grasp. Another step, then another…
He was helpless as the heritage pod slipped from his grasp. Cuddy opened his eyes. Totally exhausted—spent—he realized he was still seated next to Jackie, who was vigorously shaking out her hand, a pained expression on her face. He glanced over to the Evermore—the heritage pod was gone! Looking around the ship’s outskirts, no sign of the pod was evident.
A distant voice yelled, “It’s over here. Cuddy… it’s here!”
Cuddy squinted into the setting sun. No less than fifty yards away, and no longer seated behind him, Kyle and Tony stood by the pod.
But how…?
“You did it, Cuddy! I don’t know how… but you did it.” Jackie kissed him on the mouth, and he felt her excitement, noting the smile on her lips. She stood and pulled him up to his feet.
The sun slowly dipped behind a distant ridgeline as dusk settled in around them. As they approached the heritage pod, Cuddy detected the slightest movement—at its very top, where all the leaves converged into a single point.
Brian appeared, the last to join them, and they separated out from each other, forming a circle, of sorts, around the heritage pod. The leaves were unfolding now. Like Cuddy had witnessed several times in the past, a spray of glittering lights streamed upward—higher and higher into the air. As the heritage pod continued to unfold, he felt its now-familiar swirling breeze around him.
It took a while for the last few leaves to open, before settling onto the ground. A galaxy of starlight moved above them, but here—on Primara—it spanned out hundreds, if not thousands, of feet, ever ascending higher. The brilliance of light around them made it impossible for Cuddy to concentrate on any one particular thing.
“Look!” Jackie exclaimed. She was now visible to Cuddy, easy to see over the fully opened pod. She was pointing to a moving pinpoint of light above them. The star-like object, approaching fast, was not slowing down. Cuddy wondered if something was wrong. Or was it a new spectacle—one he’d not witnessed before, when within the Evermore’s lower sub-deck.
The approaching star intensified in both size and brightness. No, he thought, it’s not only coming near us, it’s going to crash land right into us! Before he could move—get to his feet—the streaking object struck the middle of the heritage pod in a brilliant flash of blue light. More surprising, the ground didn’t shake and no audible sound was heard from its sudden impact. Now standing amidst the flattened leaves of the opened heritage pod stood a lone figure—a Pashier—glowing; standing tall.
Up above, the galaxy of stars swirled brightly. No sooner had the figure stepped away from the center of the pod than a second bright object struck. A bright blue flash erupted forth, and another glowing figure appeared. Soon another and then another. This same awe-inspiring spectacle continued for an additional three hours. Only now, it wasn’t a single being arriving—it was ten, or twenty, or even one hundred, at a time.
Cuddy and the others retreated back to the Evermore to watch from there as the returning continued. They sat on the gangway, letting their legs hang over the side. Thousands upon thousands of Pashier had arrived already. Quickly moving away, they hurried off in every direction. It was as if they knew exactly where they were meant to go—where, on this beautiful planet, they were supposed to settle.
Jackie, seated next to Cuddy, continued to watch with rapt fascination. She nestled closer into his shoulder against the cool night air. “You know… what we’re witnessing here… no one has ever—ever ever ever—seen before.” She gazed up at him. “Thank you, Cuddy, for sharing this heavenly experience with me, with us. I’ll never forget this time with you.” She then leaned up and kissed him tenderly on the forehead.
Cuddy wondered if she was, in some way, telling him goodbye. That they’d come to the end of their long journey together and she would be moving on. He was well aware she had clear-cut plans for her life. With a heavy heart, he stared out at the masses of glowing Pashier, still arriving.
Two glowing figures, hand in hand, approached them from out of the multitude. Whereas all others moved past them—avoiding any contact—these two headed directly for them. By the time Cuddy recognized Tow’s unique Pashier features they were almost upon them. Soweng looked as beautiful as ever, and Tow emanated good health, plus a boyish youthfulness that Cuddy hadn’t seen in him before.
When he stood to greet his friend, Tow pulled him into a powerful bear hug. Caught off-guard by a sudden onslaught of emotion, Cuddy blinked away the brimming tears.
The sun was coming up before the last few Pashier arrived on the beautiful planet. Home again, they too moved off. Tow and Soweng stayed with them for a long while, but soon they were pulled away, responding to their own distant callings. Cuddy learned they would be sharing this life together, here, as a couple. That didn’t surprise him in the least. Their love for each other was clearly evident. After a heartfelt goodbye, Tow and Soweng headed off.
Cuddy yelled after him, “Will I ever see you again, Tow?”
Tow stopped and turned. “Yes, you and Brian are Pashier. Return here, when you know your special time has come.” He gave a final wave and walked on.
Cuddy watched until they too merged into the distant landscape.
“Wait! So you get to come back here? Be a part of this… this magic? What about your Earthly girlfriend? What is she supposed to do?”
Cuddy stared back at Jackie uncomprehending. “But I don’t have a girlfriend.”
She tilted her head sideways, making an exasperated expression.
Then he fully got what she was saying, as she slipped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest. “I love you, Cuddy… I always have.” He then confessed back his deep love for her as well. At that moment, he didn’t think he could be any happier.
From out his peripheral vision, he saw one last, brilliant light, streaking down from above. “Somebody’s late for the party,” Jackie said.
They both looked out to see who had arrived and found the figure was not a two-legged one. Then Cuddly heard a familiar, distant woof, and thought, I’d know that bark anywhere!