Challenger: Europa Trilogy, #2

By Michelle C. Leigh

Alexandra is still in danger...

 

Alexandra thought she had escaped MurAdKo, only to find herself with an impossible decision. Torn between people she loves, she is forced to make a choice. Does she make the right one?

 

Meanwhile Tom and Emily continue to unravel the mystery surrounding the sounds in space. Their lives have never been in more danger, as they continue to make discoveries. Their last stop reveals a mystery they never saw coming.

 

Continue with the saga as Flora takes on MAK in Challenger.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michelle C. Leigh
• Release date: Jul 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798985945317

Michelle C. Leigh

I live with my partner in Minnesota where I enjoy the wonders of summer and learn to embrace the joy of winter.  Not always an easy task. Fortunately, snowshoeing on a frozen lake and looking into the night sky inspires me. 

Book preview

Prologue

Are you sure you want to do this? Evans asked, watching the algae. He’d never understood why they moved in that pattern, in swirls like the storm that raged in the eye of Jupiter. Like an itch, the notion that they were trying to tell him something annoyed him. So he turned his back to them.

Once you go on this path, there’s no coming back. You understand that, right? he continued. He wanted to shake his friend. You’re making a big mistake. But Danny never listened to him. He never listened to anyone.

I’m sure that this is the only way. Will you help me?

Evans nodded despite his disapproval; he had never denied his friend help when he asked.

Of course. I’ve always had your back. If you think this is the only way, then I support you.

It’s important that you don’t mention anything about this to Luke or Denise.

I understand. Evans took the list from Danny and shoved it into his pocket. Are you sure this is the only way? I just worry about all that you’ll be giving up.

I wish I could see a different path. Believe me, if I knew another way, I would take it. But the safety of Flora is my responsibility.

Chapter-1

The smell of cinnamon roused Alexandra from her deep sleep. When her eyes fluttered open, she looked around, at first unsure of where she was. Then she saw a collection of stuffed animals. Kittens, bunnies, and one whale rested underneath a window, a hodgepodge collection of past Easter gifts. When she recognized the comforter and blue circles of the pillow, she realized that she was home, in her own bed. Am I really home? Is this real? Tossing the comforter to the side, she sprang from the twin bed and raced to the kitchen. She immediately threw her arms around her mother, who was getting freshly baked cinnamon rolls out of the oven.

Honey, let me put these on the counter, then you can give me a proper hug, her mother said, holding the baking pan with the cinnamon rolls with two large oven mitts. Once they were safely on top of the oven, she turned, and Alexandra held her tight.

Did you miss me? Alexandra asked, burying her face in her mother’s dark brown hair. Her mother shook her head slightly.

Silly child. Did you have a bad dream? Her mother rested her hands on her daughter’s face and tilted it down so, despite her short height, she could kiss Alexandra’s forehead. Cradling Alexandra’s chin with one hand, her mother pushed aside a dark piece of Alexandra’s hair with her other hand. It’s morning now. The sunlight always chases the dream monsters away.

Oh . . . they smell so good. I missed these too, Alexandra said, taking a spatula from the kitchen drawer and cutting a cinnamon roll from the others before putting it on a small plate.

They’re still too hot to put on the frosting, Jaret said, strolling into the kitchen. I like them with the frosting.

Alexandra put her plate with the cinnamon roll on the counter and ran to hug her brother. He held her back.

I don’t know what’s gotten into your sister this morning, Alexandra’s mother chuckled while putting the mixing bowl and spoon in the sink to wash.

I missed you guys. That’s what has gotten to me. Where’s Dad? Alexandra asked, taking her cinnamon roll to the table.

He’s already at work, her mother said.

Oh no! I can’t believe I missed him. Why didn’t you wake me up? Alexandra sighed.

Is everything okay? her mother asked as she began washing the dishes from the morning’s breakfast.

Yeah, I just really missed you while I was gone. I was afraid I’d never see you again.

Oh sweetie, you saw us just last night. Her mother stopped washing and looked at her. Are you sure you’re okay? Then she looked at the clock. Oh my gosh. Alexandra, you need to walk Jaret to school. Hurry and get going, you two. I don’t want another tardy slip.

But I want to catch up, Alexandra said then took a sip of coffee. She had missed the way her mom sweetened it just a little.

Tonight. We can get caught up over dinner. But I need your help to get him to school, on time. Please. Her mother said placing the bowl on the drying rack. Then she left the kitchen to get ready for her own job.

Alexandra devoured her cinnamon roll, then darted into her bedroom to get dressed. She fingered the pants and sweaters hanging in the small space of her closet. Everything was how she remembered it before she left, before the nightmare began. She tossed on her blue sweater, her favorite, one of the gems that she had found in the local Goodwill store. The mirror on her closet door reminded her of why she loved it. While gazing at her reflection, she struggled to remember the trip to the house. Did they pick me up? I remember being buckled into the seat. Her stomach flopped as she concentrated on that day on Europa when she and Danny escaped. After another moment of trying to think about the past, a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her.

You need to hurry. No more tardy slips, her mother’s voice propelled her to the bathroom, where she bumped into Jaret. The morning dance of brushing her teeth and taming her hair while avoiding Jaret’s splashing felt comfortable. The wave of nausea passed.

Once outside on the sidewalk, Jaret took off running despite being hampered by his snow pants, a parka, and boots. The late fall morning had begun spitting snow to add to the foot of it already on the ground. Neighborhood houses wore the snow on their roofs like fluffy hats. Some neighbors stood in their driveways with a cup of steaming coffee in one hand and the remote control for the snow removal systems in the other. Others, clearly disgruntled, wrestled with the accumulating rows of powder behind ancient snowblowers. The truly desperate angrily stabbed at the mounds with broken, rusty, or makeshift shovels.

Alexandra’s boots crunched in the morning cold, and her breaths escaped like smoke from a train. I saw them last night? Could that be true? Alexandra tried to remember last night, to capture any details, but they all eluded her. Focusing on it made her feel dizzy. If that memory was there at all, it was hazy and fleeting, while the moment of her and Danny’s escape from Europa was crystal clear. They’d fought their way through the bullets of the MurAdKo security forces. Right? She tried to keep from holding her breath again as she relived sneaking onto the shuttle that would take them into orbit to meet the larger ship, the sting in the back of her neck and, most of all, she savored the kiss from Danny. Alexandra leaned over to catch her breath.

What are you doing? Jaret hollered.

I just feel a little dizzy. Give me a second. Alexandra took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had to find Danny, because everything since that moment was a blank—but she had no idea where he was.

Come on, slowpoke! Jaret shouted from the corner of the sidewalk, where he was waiting for her to catch up so he could cross the street. The sight made her smile. At least this moment felt right. Her brother had waited for her like this so many times before she had taken the job that took her so far away.

After dropping off Jaret at his classroom, Alexandra strolled through the school hallways until she came to a classroom at the end of the building. That classroom pulled her like a current in a river. She knew that the room was where she should be. Her name in large black letters on the bulletin board outside confirmed it. Ms. Durand’s Class was at the top of a construction paper tree, and a group of names on fall leaves covered the rest of the board. She flipped the light switch and saw Danny standing by a large window. Outside, the snow swirled as if dancing.

Danny, Alexandra sighed and raced across the room. He enveloped her in a long embrace. When she pulled away, she stared into his dark, chocolate-brown eyes. Then she leaned into him and kissed him. His lips were warm and soft underneath her own.

I’m so happy to see you. She had hoped that his presence would release a cascade of memories, but so far there was nothing—only empty holes, as if she had just skipped through time.

Is something wrong? He took her face in his hands. His sandy brown hair caught the light and reminded her of sunshine, but lines in his forehead showed his worry.

I can’t remember coming home. I saw my mom this morning, and she said I was home last night. How long have we been home? What happened? I tried to recall anything from the journey back but it’s all gone, everything after we snuck onto the shuttle. I remember you wanted to feel the wind and the sunshine on your face. Alexandra pulled away. Please tell me what happened. Have we talked to MAK? Are they going to stop sending people up?

Alexandra shuddered. The memories of how Danny had saved her from the security detail led by Gabe, how they’d broken into her apartment to kill her, still haunted her. She looked down at her arm and felt relieved that the scar from the removal of the tracker was still there. That was real, right?

Don’t worry so much. It’s normal to have some side effects from space travel, Danny said, reaching for her arm and pulling her to him. She rested her head on his chest, breathing him in. I like what you’ve done with the classroom.

Alexandra stopped to look around the room. Small lanterns cast a small circle of light on each table. A slight pang of panic struck her when she realized she had no idea what her lessons were going to be that day. She couldn’t remember any of her students. Had she planned anything? There wasn’t even a hint on the board of what they had been doing at the end of the day yesterday. Nothing.

It’s going to be okay. Just focus on the moment, Danny said as he strolled to the door and left her.

Alexandra wanted to follow him, to stay near him. When she was next to him, everything made sense, but she had a lesson to prepare. In the hallway, a swell of children’s voices drifted into the classroom, letting her know that students had arrived. Her students?

Chapter-2

I’m ready to go home, Jaret said, poking his head into Alexandra’s classroom.

I need some more time. Give me thirty minutes to plan for tomorrow’s class. Okay? Alexandra said, looking down at the papers in front of her and the calendar with dates to meet specific curriculum standards. Am I on track?

Okay, Jaret said as he strolled into the room and plopped down in one of the smaller chairs. He pulled out his glasses and stylus glove from his backpack. Based on the number of his giggles, she guessed he was watching his favorite show.

Alexandra set to work. The trouble was that she didn’t really have a good grasp of her class. She didn’t tell Jaret because she didn’t want him to worry, but she couldn’t remember anything about the day. Think. Danny had met her in the morning, and she remembered hearing the students in the hallway. But after that, nothing until Jaret came into the classroom ready to go home. Did she black out? I’m losing my mind.

Focusing on the work in front of her, she hoped to recreate the day or at least prepare for tomorrow. The seating chart that had the student’s names along with their ID pictures rested on the stack of papers from the day’s completed work. The first picture was of Jocelyn Amundson, a young girl with golden hair, bright blue eyes, and a smile that looked like sunshine. Looking underneath the pile, she found Jocelyn’s math paper. She had gotten all the addition problems right, and Alexandra reasoned that was why she couldn’t remember the girl.

Alexandra noticed a paper with a small hole from the overuse of an eraser, multiple scribbles, and numbers crossed off—testaments to the struggles of addition. Certainly she’d remember this student, who had so clearly struggled. But when she found the corresponding picture for Adrianna Lupine, the blonde, brown-eyed girl was a stranger. What’s wrong with me?

She continued grading the papers and matching them to the seating chart, hoping that someone would look familiar. Nothing. No mental pictures came to mind. After she had graded all the papers, she put the seating chart and the pictures in her backpack to take home and review before she went to bed. She planned the next day’s lesson, a math sheet that would have the children make a math mountain, a technique to add one-digit numbers. If she felt prepared, maybe the anxiety from losing her memory would subside. It’s just a side effect of space travel.

Let’s go, Alexandra said, grabbing her bag with all the papers.

Finally, he said. You work too hard. I bet you get an A in everything. He put his glasses and stylus glove back into his backpack and grabbed Alexandra’s hand.

The walk home was uneventful. The snow had stopped earlier that day, so the fall sunshine had cleared the sidewalks and roads, despite the cold. Alexandra remembered how Danny had never seen sunshine before. She wished she could remember stepping off the shuttle on Earth with him as he first felt it on his face. As she searched her memory, her stomach flipped again, sending a wave of nausea through her. What’s wrong with me?

How was your day? her mother asked as Jaret burst through the door, dumping his backpack in the middle of the small living room and shedding his boots and winter coat along the way. You’re home so late. I have dinner already on the table.

Alexandra picked up her brother’s things. She knew she should make him do it himself, but it was so much easier, and her mind was on other things.

Are you okay? Her mother touched her arm as she hung up their coats.

No, I’m not. I can’t remember anything about today. I think I’m going crazy.

Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired. Teaching is hard work, Alexandra said instead of telling her everything.

I’m proud of you, her mother said. Alexandra nodded and smiled. Those were the words that she’d longed to hear, and she didn’t want to lose them by telling her mom that something was seriously wrong.

The meat loaf smelled delicious. Alexandra immediately felt a little better as she slid into the chair across from her brother. She forgot how much she had missed her mom’s cooking while on Europa. Even more than the good food, she’d missed the warmth and comfort of the family dinner table. Fortunately, Jaret was a faucet of information about his day at school, which distracted her mom and dad from the fact that she wasn’t sharing any information with them about hers. His animation while telling a story about his friend Paul opening his milk and spilling it all over the lunchroom table made all of them laugh. Focus on the moment. Peace filled her as she listened to her family. She had missed them so much.

After she helped clear the table, Alexandra donned her glasses and stylus glove to search the internet for answers. Perhaps post-traumatic stress disorder could explain her symptoms. Certainly, watching someone’s body dissolve in front of you or seeing your best friend get shot in her kitchen would count as traumatic events. Knowing that blackouts occurred in some cases of PTSD made her feel a little better.

Could we have Danny over for dinner tomorrow night? Alexandra longed to spend more time with him. Perhaps he could fill in some of the holes in her memory and update her on MAK. Were they still sending people against their will to Europa?

Sure, you can invite anyone over for dinner. Is he your boyfriend? Is he cute? her mother asked with a smile and wink.

Mom, seriously. Yes, he’s cute, Alexandra replied. Then she added more seriously, You have met him, right?

No dear. I don’t know a Danny. Is he from school? Another teacher?

Mom, he came home with me on the shuttle from Europa.

Europa? Is that a place in Iceland? her mother asked.

Dad, please help me. You remember when I came home. Danny was with me, right? Alexandra pleaded.

It doesn’t matter. You’re home now, with us. And we’ll have Danny over for supper tomorrow night. Her father patted the sofa next to him. Like she did as a child, she sat next to him and leaned into his shoulder. His strength and physical size made her feel safe. Certainly, everything would start making sense eventually. Tomorrow night Danny would come over for dinner and share everything that had happened.

Alexandra’s got a boyfriend, Jaret said with a chuckle, then repeated it three more times before their mother told him to stop. After which he mumbled it one more time.

Go brush your teeth. It’s time for bed, her mother told Jaret. Jaret jumped up and sprinted to the bathroom. Then she turned to Alexandra. Are you sure you’re okay?

Yeah mom. Jet lag, you know, and probably some culture shock. I’m fine, Alexandra told her, and for the first time wondered if she had imagined everything over the last year and a half.

Fatigue overwhelmed her and she strolled to the small room that she shared with her brother as soon as it was dark, but exhaustion doesn’t always mean sleep. After Jaret started snoring in the small bed by the window in their shared bedroom, Alexandra abandoned her hope of getting a good night’s sleep and took a notebook from her bedside table. With it in hand, she staggered to the living room. Relieved that her parents had retired to their bedrooms, she slumped on the sofa. Amidst the noise of sleep in the home, she turned on the lamp, opened to the first page, and wrote the day’s date. Then she listed everything that had actually happened that day. I can do this. I can fake like I have it together. Once she had described everything that she could remember in as much detail as possible, she closed the notebook and turned off the light. Then lay back on the sofa and fell asleep.

Chapter-3

The walk to school the next day filled Alexandra with gratitude. She could clearly remember the night before, and the morning routine finally felt comfortable. Even Jocelyn’s and Adrianna’s faces came easily to her mind’s eye. As her boots crunched in the morning snow, she mentally rehearsed her math mountain lesson.

After dropping Jaret at his classroom in the middle school part of the building, Alexandra strolled to her classroom at the end of the elementary wing. Her boots squeaked on the tile in the hallway, empty before the rush of students. As she turned the corner into her classroom, she saw Danny’s shadow against the large window that faced the parking lot. Dropping her bag, she ran to him and embraced him.

I love that I get to start my day with you, she said after pulling away from a kiss. I’m glad I saw you, because I want to invite you to my house for dinner tonight. I can’t believe that my parents haven’t met you yet. I want you to meet them and for them to meet you.

Sometimes I feel like I already know them, with all the stories that you shared on the way back to Earth.

What happened when we got off the shuttle from Europa? I still don’t remember. Alexandra frowned.

It’s a long story, Danny said.

Then you can catch me up on all of it at dinner tonight. My mom makes a wonderful tater tot hot dish, Alexandra said, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against his chest.

I would love to, but we have to be careful. We’re still not entirely safe from MAK. I’ve been thinking about how you are having trouble putting all the memories together. I think MAK might have messed with our minds. I don’t know how yet. Danny looked out the window.

I thought the same thing last night as I was falling asleep. My parents still think I went to Iceland. I wonder if that is what MAK is trying to have everyone believe, including me. It’s only when I see you that I know for sure what happened. Otherwise, I doubt myself. I’m starting to feel like I’m going crazy. Danny lifted her face with his hand and kissed her once more. Then he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. She felt so safe in his arms. She turned her face to the side to look out the window and watch the snowflakes swirl in the wind. They reminded her of the algae, and the sight made her uneasy.

Listen, I won’t be able to come and visit you for a while. But don’t worry, we’ll see each other again soon. I just have some things that I need to take care of first. Follow your parents’ lead with MAK. Let them think that you returned from Iceland for now. I’ll figure out what to do next, Danny said,