Episode 201: The Call
Back at the Shen’s home…
Around noon, Dylan’s phone finally rang.
“Hello?”
“Hey Dyl, it’s me, bud.”
“Hey, Bjorn, did you talk to Sopeha?”
“Yes, I explained everything to her in broad strokes, told her about Robin and his problem in Oasis Landing, his also about his parents, and asked her if she’d help us with the trip to Lunar Lakes.
“And what did she tell you? Is she in?”
“Well, she said she couldn’t discuss that over the phone, so she’s on her way to my house. How about we meet here? I’ll introduce you to her, you’ll be able to ask her whatever you want”.
“You want me to meet Sopeha?”.
“Yes, is that inconvenient?”
“Like I said. I don’t want problems with Karen. Plus, what will Gundrun say?”
“Gund is at work now, she won’t hear anything.”
“And your kids? What will they say if they see an actual alien arrive at their house?”
“Nah, they’re not here. Erin went out early to meet your boy at the comic books store; Loki is in the library, studying for his Uni exam. It’ll just be you, me and Sophie in a three-way date – what about that?” Bjorn teased.
“I’m not sure, Karen was clear, she doesn’t want me near Sopeha”.
“Then bring Karen with you, we’ll turn the three-way into a scientific summit.”
“I don’t know, Bjorn,” Dylan hesitated.
“Oh, come on, Dyl, Karen loves science, and she’s a journalist too! Meeting Sopeha will help her investigations in both fields. Also, I’ll prove to her that this alien girl is not a figment of my imagination; maybe she’ll start taking me seriously as a scientist.”
“A-ha.”
“What if she tells Gund? She’d never forgive us for leaving her out.”
“Uh – If we tell Gund, she will want to discuss it on her podcast, maybe even interview Sopeha. If this goes public it will affect our investigations, not to mention Robin’s safety would be compromised.”
“You’re right, we agreed not to reveal any of this yet.”
“Right, so please warn Karen she can’t talk about this, with Gundrun or anyone else”.
“I will, don’t worry”.
“So, I see you guys in, say, five minutes?”
“I’ll be there for sure; Karen… I don’t know if she’d even let me go.”
“Wow, is she jealous like that?”
“She’s not just jealous, she’s also wary of aliens thanks to Gundrun’s horror stories about abductions, probing, and all that stuff.” Bjorn burst out laughing.
“Yeah, Gund’s imagination knows no bounds, but dude, those stories are nothing but bullshit”.
“Now, if Karen gets to meet a real alien, maybe her worries would go away,” he concluded.
“From your description of Sopeha, I doubt meeting her will reassure her, if anything it’ll make her more suspicious. Though, she’d better join me, rather than stay at home imagining the worst.”
“Well, convince her to come”.
“But you better hurry, Sopeha is already on her way, and I know for a fact her ride is pretty fast.”
“Ah, okay, I’ll be right there.”
Dylan let out a sigh and hung up just as Karen entered the room.
“Was that Bjorn?” she asked.
“Yes, it was him.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Well, there’s been a change of plans. Sopeha is on her way to his house to talk about the Lunar Lakes matter, and he wants me to meet her.”
“And you were going to leave without telling me?”
“Actually, I was about to ask you to come with me – Yes, I know you don’t trust Sopeha, but…”
“Of course I don’t trust her! I don’t even know her, and neither do you.”
“Well, here’s a chance for both of us to meet her and see if she can be trusted. Plus, you’ll be able to calm your fear of aliens.”
“I’m not afraid of aliens”.
“Yes, you are”.
“Will Gundrun be there?”
“Uh – no, she’s at work now.”
“But is she okay with the E.T. girl going to her house to check on her husband?”
“Sopeha is not going ‘to check on’ Bjorn, she’s coming talk about Lunar Lakes.”
Karen sighed. “Okay…”
“Let’s say we go to meet that woman – What’s next, she and Bjorn ask us to ride with them to Lunar Lakes?”
“That’s unlikely”.
“It’s very likely from the moment Bjorn wants you to meet her.”
Dylan gathered all the patience he was able to manage.
“K, listen”
“I got Bjorn into this. He helped me unlock the file; thanks to that we located Robin’s parents. Then he helped me again by asking Sopeha about Lunar Lakes; the least I can do is show up. Once the plan is made, this whole thing will be Robin’s business only”.
“So, you won’t be in charge of the operation?”
“Of course not, Sopeha and Robin will be.”
“Okay. Now tell me”.
“Why do I need to meet Sopeha?”
“To confirm me that she’s reliable”.
“Don’t you trust Bjorn’s judgment on that?”
“Bjorn is my long-time friend, I appreciate him, but his judgment might be somewhat… clouded by his fascination with Sopeha. Rob’s safety is important to me, so I’d like you, a brilliant scientist, to supervise the person who will work with him on this”.
“If we can call her ‘a person'”.
“Aliens are people too, dear, Robin is one of them, and Rowan could be as well, don’t you forget”.
“You’re right, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to discriminate against her, just understand a few days ago I didn’t even know aliens were real. And knowing we’re about to have one in our family, has been a complete shock to me”.
“I know, it’s been a shock to me too, but we must stay strong, for Jul and Rowie”.
Karen stood there for a moment, thinking, then she heaved a sigh.
“I really want to stand by you, Dyl, but I don’t know if I am prepared”.
“None of us are, but we must stick together, for better or for worse”.
“Well, you know I’ll always be with you”.
“So, you’re coming with me?”
“Well, there’s no way I’m letting you go meet ‘Sopeha’ on you own, so let’s get going”.
Episode 202. The Meeting
That same morning, at the Beaker’s household…
“Well, here we are,” Dylan announced.
“Yeah, I hope this is all over soon. I need to call Juliette to make sure she and Rowie arrived home safely.”
“I’m sure they’re fine.”
“I also need to check if Robin’s returned to his house. I want him as far away from Jul as possible while all this clears up.”
“Okay but remember not to mention to her anything we’ve found out.”
“I won’t”.
“By the way, Gundrun doesn’t know about our meeting with Sopeha.”
“What? Why not?”
“We don’t want this to go public, so I’ll appreciate your discretion.” Karen was about argue, but at that moment Bjorn’s footsteps were heard from the hall. “Bjorn is coming, we’ll discuss this later. Now come on,” Dylan said.
Before Karen could protest, Bjorn opened the door and invited them in.
“Hi, welcome!” he exclaimed.
“Hi Bjorn, I hope we’re not too late.” Dylan said.
“Oh no, you guys are just in time”, Bjorn smiled.
“Hey, Karen, I’m glad you decided to come,” he added.
“Someone had to watch out for the sanity in this family.”
“Karen…”.
“It’s fine, I don’t blame her for being suspicious,” Bjorn said. “I know all this is confusing, but I’m sure once she meets Sophie, she’ll change her mind.”
“Sophie?” Karen asked.
“I call her that out of affection.”
“Really? And what does Gund think of that affection?”
“Karen, stop it, okay?” Dylan pleaded.
“Ah, let her, we’ve known each other since we were kids, I know how frank she is when she talks, just like Gund, that’s why they’re friends; and that’s why you and I are friends too, we’re partners in sorrow, hehe”, Bjorn joked; Karen was not amused.
Dylan, for his part, had to contain from laughing himself, as he shot an intense look at his friend.
“Anyway,” Bjorn reacted. “Sophie won’t be long now, so how about we wait for her in my studio?”
“Sure, the sooner we get this over with the better”, Dylan replied.
They had hardly stepped into the studio, when the doorbell rang.
“Oh, that must be her,” Bjorn exclaimed.
“An alien knocking on the door? I thought she’d arrive in her flying saucer,” Karen scoffed.
“Mm, she did, but I asked her to hide it in the garage, we don’t want the kids to find out about this, do we?”
“Not for now,” Dylan corroborated.
“Exactly, now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to answer the door,” Bjorn said leaving the studio.
Dylan and Karen stood waiting for him, both lost in their reflections.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she thought.
“I can’t believe I’m finally going to meet Sopeha,” he thought in turn.
Just a few minutes later, Bjorn returned to the studio in good company. Karen and Dylan were with their backs turned, talking to each other quietly as Bjorn stopped at the door:
“Dyl, Karen, I introduce you to my dear friend and collaborator Sopeha.”
Episode 203. Knowing Sopeha
At the sound of Bjorn’s voice, they both turned to look. Karen was breathless; Dylan was spellbound.
“Oh, wow,” he thought.
“What the hell?” She muttered, trying to disguise her shock.
Both were equally astonished at the sight of the beautiful woman with slightly green skin and bewitching violet eyes. She was nothing like the classic alien with big daunting black eyes, zero hair and scary sharp face they had imagined.
“Sopeha is my fellow scientist and a seasoned astronaut,” Bjorn continued proudly.
“Hello, please excuse my attire, I came straight from a mission and didn’t have time to change into something more casual,” Sopeha explained, with a voice like the one from a computer speaker, only sweeter and nicely modulated.
“Oh, I’m fine with that outfit, it suits you perfectly,” Bjorn replied to the point. Karen and Dylan continued to be frozen. “Well, aren’t you going to say something?” he urged them.
Dylan woke up. “Sure, sorry. Nice to meet you, Sopeha. I’m Dylan Shen, at your service,” he replied.
“At your service?” Karen thought, annoyed with Dylan’s excessive politeness.
“Nice to meet you too, Dylan. Bjorn has told me a lot about you,” Sopeha replied, her intense violet eyes twinkling like stars.
“Good things, I hope,” Dylan replied.
“Certainly,” she smiled.
Dylan couldn’t take his eyes off her, he seemed mesmerized; Sopeha looked impressed with him as well.
“Really, Dylan?“, Karen thought to herself. At that point she remembered what Juliette had told her about Robin: that there was something in his eyes, a kind of magical power that captivated her, was this ‘power’ an alien trait? Well, if it was, she wouldn’t let Dylan fall prey to it.
She counted to ten, stepped forward and cleared her throat loudly; Dylan woke up from his momentary fascination.
“Oh, sorry, this is Karen, my wife,” he rectified. Sopeha turned to Karen with her deep purple eyes. Karen took a deep breath. It was hard for her to define what the space visitor awakened in her: fear, admiration, jealousy, or plain antipathy?
“Nice to meet you, Karen.” Sopeha replied in her peculiar, semi-robotic, but soft voice. Bjorn and Dylan held their breath, Karen thought for a second before replying. What could she to say, ‘nice to meet you too”? That would have been a lie, so she just stammered out what she considered the only possible response.
“Hello, Sophia.”
“It’s Sopeha,” the alien woman politely corrected her.
“Yeah, whatever,” Karen grumbled, no longer trying to disguise her displeasure, which at this point had become evident to the others, especially to Sopeha. Dylan started to get nervous: Bjorn just rolled his eyes.
Before either of the two men could say anything, Karen continued:
“You said you are coming from a ‘mission’; did you mean an abduction?” She fired.
“Excuse me?” Sopeha asked, losing her smile.
“Karen, please”, Dylan begged.
“Ahem, okay,” Bjorn interjected. “Since you already introduced yourselves, why don’t we sit down and talk about the plan?”
“I’m fine standing,” Karen said, looking Sopeha straight in the eye.
“So am I,” Sopeha countered, holding her gaze.
Episode 204. The Location
For a moment, the atmosphere became tense in the small studio. Bjorn stood by Sopeha’s side as a sign of support, Dylan did the same for Karen. To some extent he understood her concern, he sensed as well that Sopeha was a peaceful person, but until they were sure where this was going, his unconditional support was for his wife. Fortunately, the two women were able to pull themselves together, and thus the spirits calmed down.
“Okay, I think we can start our meeting now,” said a relieved Bjorn. “Sopeha will lay out her plan to you, answer your questions and clear up any doubts you may have, right, Sophie?”
“That’s right, thank you, Bjorn,” Sopeha replied.
“But first I want to make this very clear: I don’t carry on abductions,” she said looking sideways at Karen. “The missions I go out on are to protect the aliens of this galaxy. That said, let me introduce myself: my name is Sopeha Naiad, I’m a member of the Interplanetary Guardians Alliance from Moon Base Beta at Titan.”
“Wow, that’s a long name for a police department,” Karen teased.
“We are not cops, just Guardians. We watch out for the welfare and safety of our kind”, Sopeha replied to the point.
“I’m sorry, did you say Titan, the moon of Saturn?” Dylan asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s where I was born, I mean, not in Saturn, but at the Titan’s base. I grew up and lived there until I joined the Alliance.”
“You were born and raised on a moon base? Fascinating.” Bjorn exclaimed.
“So, the Titan moon. Is that where Lunar Lakes is?” Karen asked.
“No,” Sopeha answered.
“Lunar Lakes is a small village on the Moon.”
“The Moon? The Earth’s moon?” Dylan asked with excitement.
“Yes, it was an alien colony once, but now it’s inhabited by humans, most of them outcasts or fugitives.”
“But – how? As far as we know, the Moon is not livable”.
“The Lunar Lakes area is,” Sopeha pointed out.
“The aliens conditioned it to subsist there while they explored the earth and other planets. When they concluded their missions, the village was left abandoned. Then humans began to use it as a refuge for the banished, as it was the closest habitable place to Earth. And we alien, of course, gave them our support and protection.”
“You seem to know Lunar Lakes well,” Dylan noted.
“Like the palm of my hand,” Sopeha smiled.
“So, you can actually take us there.”
“I personally can’t. The best I can do is find you a ride, but for that I’m going to need some information about the passenger, this boy, what’s his name?”
“Robin,” Dylan replied quickly.
Episode 205. The Passenger
“Bjorn tells me that Robin is in fact alien?” Sopeha asked.
“Only 40% according to his DNA analysis,” Karen replied.
“Oh, good. Do you know if he’s developed special powers yet?”
“What – kind of powers?”
“The normal powers on any alien.”
Dylan stepped in. “Uh, we don’t know if he has those, er… powers. I mean, maybe he has them but doesn’t know it, since he doesn’t know he’s an alien yet.”
“Believe me, if the kid is alien, he already knows it, and at his age, I’d say he’s in full use of his powers,” Sopeha sentenced.
“Good grief,” Karen gasped.
“Anyway,” Sopeha continued. “I need more information on him, like who is he, what does he do, where does he come from, and most importantly, why does he need to go to Lunar Lakes?”
“His full name is Robin Crane, he’s 22 years old, he’s a Time Traveler. And he came from the future, Oasis Landing 2054 to be exact,” Dylan reported; Sopeha gulped.
She seemed shocked for a millisecond and the fleeting expression of concern on her face did not go unnoticed to Karen.
“Did you say Crane, from Oasis Landing?” She asked with renewed interest.
“Yes, he lost his parents when he was three years old, but we just found out they are not dead, and think they’re living in Lunar Lakes now, that’s why he needs to travel there,” Dylan explained.
“So, he lost his parents at the age of three,” Sopeha repeated.
Then she stood still for a moment, as if she was doing calculations in her head. Her brain was going at the speed of light searching for data:
“Crane, Oasis Landing, 2054, at the age of three, 22 years minus 3…”
“Sopeha, are you okay?” Dylan asked; Sopeha reacted right away.
“Sorry, I was – recharging my energy,” she answered, disguising her shock this time. Again, her odd behavior did not go unnoticed for Karen.
“It seemed as if you were trying to remember something,” she pointed out.
“Does Robin’s story sound familiar to you?” Dylan asked.
“If you know Lunar Lakes, maybe you know his parents?” Bjorn added.
“Uh – well, I don’t get to meet everyone in Lunar Lakes, you know. Now, does any of you know Robin’s exact date of birth?”
“Why would that be important?” Karen protested.
“2032, I think”, Dylan rushed to reply. “The exact day and month I don’t know.”
“And his parents’ names?” Sopeha pressed.
“Douglas Crane and Sylvie Girard,” Dylan answered again; Sopeha blinked.
“A-are you sure?” She asked after a pause.
“Yes, that’s what the information we found says. I can show you a picture, I have it here on the flash drive, I also have one of Robin if that’s any help.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary. Better tell me, why would Robin want to make the journey to Lunar Lakes from Aurora Skies 2016 and not from Oasis Landing 2054, his alleged time?” Sopeha asked with marked interest.
“He can’t return to Oasis Landing due to a problem he had with the authorities.”
“Really, what kind of problem?” Sopeha asked.
“Apparently, he broke some of the Population Committee’s laws, or so he was told.”
“The Population Committee, yeah right,” Sopeha replied with a hint of irony.
“Anyway,” she added, livelier than she was at the beginning. “The information you just gave me should be enough for my superiors to authorize the trip. Now, let’s move on to the difficult part…”
Episode 206. Transportation Options
“The transportation of interplanetary passengers is usually done in three kinds of ships: interstellar police cruisers, space shuttles, or alien scout ships,” Sopeha explained.
“Scout ships?” Dylan asked.
“The ships used in abductions,” Bjorn said.
Karen opened her mouth to protest, but Sopeha beat her to it.
“Abductions are an extremely disruptive approach that we Guardians do not approve of; therefore, I wouldn’t recommend it. Plus, if Robin is alien, he’s not eligible for abduction.”
“Oh, of course, your probes you only do them on humans.”
“Karen” Dylan intervened. Sopeha displayed a show of self-control as she quirked a frozen smile.
“Like I said, we do not approve of or practice abductions. If we were to use a scout ship it would be for what we call ‘unofficial abduction’, meaning Robin, being an alien, would not be subjected to the usual procedures. Of course, in the wrong hands, he might be the subject of some… unpleasant tests.”
“Unpleasant is bad enough, same as ‘test subject’. No way do we approve, Juliette wouldn’t forgive us,” Karen said.
“Juliette?” Sopeha asked.
“Our daughter, and Robin’s girlfriend,” Dylan replied. “She definitely wouldn’t like it. We’ve heard that abductions are kind of… traumatic, we can’t let Robin go through that, so I support my wife in this.”
“So, scout ship out,” Bjorn sighed.
“What about an interstellar police cruiser?” he asked next.
“That’s the one I would choose,” Sopeha replied. “But you said that Robin is a fugitive at large, wanted by the Oasis Landing authorities. If that’s true, and he turns out not to be alien, the Interstellar Police would have to arrest and deport him.”
“That’s heartwarming,” Karen said drily.
“What if tell them he’s alien? We have a… mm, friend in the Interstellar Police, maybe he could stop them from arresting Rob, even arrange for them to help him make the trip.” Dylan suggested.
“You forget that “friend” of ours is Juliette’s ex-boyfriend, I doubt he’d want to help Robin,” Karen snapped.
“If you tell them that Robin is alien, they will no longer arrest him, but no one in the corporation could take him to Lunar Lakes. Their higher-ups wouldn’t let them, since aliens are not their concern,” Sopeha said.
“So, bad if you do, bad if you don’t,” Dylan sighed.
“Sadly, yes.”
“You mentioned a third option,” Bjorn continued.
“The space shuttles. I wouldn’t recommend those either,” Sopeha quickly replied.
“Why?”
“Well, most of them are driven by intergalactic bounty hunters, criminals looking for fugitives or other crooks to hand in to the authorities for money”.
“Usually, these are stolen and refitted vehicles. The cost of the ticket is cheap, but the ride isn’t pleasant at all. The pilots usually sedate their passengers and put them in cryogenic chambers so that they resist the trip or to avoid problems with them”.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Dylan said.
“And that’s why I don’t recommend it.”
“Well, I vote against that option too,” Karen jumped in.
“So do I,” Dylan seconded her. “Rob is just a kid, if something bad happened to him with those guys, I wouldn’t forgive myself,” he concluded.
“I wouldn’t risk my kids traveling with those scoundrels either,” Bjorn sighed.
“Then, I’m afraid we’re out of options,” Dylan concluded grimly. Sopeha went silent this time, which seemed to encourage Karen.
“What about your ‘Guardians Alliance’ – why can’t they make the trip? Didn’t you say that their mission is to help their own kind?” she demanded. Dylan and Bjorn were speechless. The Guardians Alliance! Of course, why hadn’t Sopeha named them as an option?
Sopeha remained deep in thought. Of course the Alliance was the best option, if not the only one. It was her choice indeed. The Guardians certainly had the power and the means to complete this quest; and her boss, the head of Moon Base Beta, would be the most interested in helping when he found out who the passenger was.
While she was in her thoughts, Dylan, Bjorn and Karen watched her, she seemed genuinely concerned, as if this whole thing had become personal to her.
After a deep breath, she turned to look at them again. She no longer seemed worried, on the contrary, she looked animated, her eyes deeper and brighter, and her face lit up as she spoke.
“I also believe that an Alliance ship is the safest way to take Robin to Lunar Lakes, and right today I can ask my boss to authorize the trip, but…”
“Of course there would be a but“, Karen complained.
Credits and thanks to Moria from MTS for their amazing decorative starship Go Beyond.
Episode 207. Sopeha’s Boss
“There are no buts,” Sopeha replied. “Only certain terms and conditions. If Robin meets them, I’ll ask my immediate superior, the head of Moon Base Beta, to drive him there personally.”
“Would you do that for us?” Dylan asked.
“I can try.”
“That would be awesome, but – would your boss want to do that?”
“I’m sure he would, though first I need to give him solid proof that Robin is really alien.”
“What kind of proof?”
“If you have his DNA analysis, that’s more than enough, the rest I can get myself.”
“Great”, Dylan said.
“And like why your boss, a complete stranger, would help Robin just like that?” Karen wanted to know.
“My boss is a highly respected citizen of Lunar Lakes; a kind, righteous man, who, by the way, is also half human, so I have no doubt he will be happy to help. Especially when he learns what Robin has endured, as he himself has gone through a lot in his youth.”
“Really, what did he go through?” Karen asked.
“I’m sorry, but those are very personal matters I can’t speak about,” Sopeha replied.
“I have another question,” Dylan intervened.
“Sure, go ahead,” Sopeha replied.
“Robin needs to go to Lunar Lakes 2054; he’ll have to travel not only in space but in time. How would that be accomplished?”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem. Once in Lunar Lakes, he can take the time portal to 2054.”
“Uh – Robin can’t use the portal, his passport was cancelled due to the problem in Oasis Landing.”
“That’s okay, we’ll get him a, let’s call it, temporary passport”.
“A fake passport, you mean?” Karen cut in. “Robin is in enough trouble without getting arrested for forging a passport.”
“It would not be a fake pass, but a provisional one, endorsed by the Alliance. Plus, no one can arrest him in Lunar Lakes, nor the Oasis Landing Council, nor the Interstellar Police. Fortunately, Lunar Lakes is a free zone.”
“A free zone, how convenient,” Bjorn enthused.
“Very much so. That’s why people from all over the galaxy, especially from Earth, use it as a refuge,” Sopeha noted.
“Excellent”, Dylan exclaimed.
“Well, that’s all on my part”, Sopeha concluded. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have another important mission to accomplish, so I must leave. Dylan, Karen, it was a pleasure meeting you.”
“The pleasure was ours, thank you for everything, Sopeha,” Dylan replied. Karen remained silent; Sopeha gave a bearing smile.
“Okay, see you all soon. Bjorn, I’ll call you when I’ve spoken to my boss,” she said.
“Thank you, Sophie, I’ll escort you to the door”, Bjorn hurried to answer.
“No need, thank you, I know the way,” Sopeha told him as she walked out of the studio.
“I know the way“, Karen scoffed. “Of course she knows it, she must know the whole house very well indeed.”
“Really, Bjorn, you and Sopeha…?” Dylan inquired.
“Like I said, she’s my collaborator, we’ve worked together in this studio many times.”
“Yeah, I can imagine,” Karen teased again.
“It’s not what you think,” Bjorn replied. “Yes, Sopeha is stunning, but I love Gundrun, you know I do. Besides, Sopeha would never look at me. In case you didn’t notice, she’s smitten with her ‘boss’.”
“Smitten?” Dylan asked.
“Yeah, he’s like her hero, she talks a lot about him; the captain did this, the captain did that, she practically has him on an altar. Of course, he can’t reciprocate because he’s married as well, and he allegedly adores his wife.”
“Sounds like quite the drama,” Dylan said.
“It is to Sopeha, but she’s a smart girl and copes with it well.”
“Really? Well, I don’t think she’s coping, rather she’s waiting for the opportunity to take that woman’s husband away from her. She’s not a ‘guardian’, but an interplanetary homewrecker, since apparently, she’s only attracted to married men”.
“Bjorn never said Sopeha wanted to steal anyone’s husband,” Dylan clarified.
“Still, I don’t trust her, she’s too mysterious.”
“Yeah, that’s what’s fascinating about her,” Bjorn opined.
“Fascinating? I would say suspicious. She acted strange when we talked about Robin, she asked questions beside the point. Plus, she didn’t mention the name of her boss.”
“That’s true. In the time I’ve known her, she’s never said who he is,” Bjorn corroborated.
“Maybe he thought it was irrelevant cause we don’t know him,” Dylan replied. “And her personal stuff is none of our business anyway, all we should care about is she may help Robin get to Lunar Lakes.”
“But what if she’s not who she says she is? If she’s a hijacker, or if she and her boss are one of those bounty hunters she talked about?”
“As far as I know, the Alliance is a peaceful force, dedicated to do good.” Bjorn clarified.
“Okay, but if she has a crush on her boss, that means she has a thing for married men, and it’s obvious she likes you, so who’s to say Dylan won’t be next on her list?” Karen claimed.
“For God’s sake, K,” Dylan objected; Bjorn just shook his head.
“Why don’t we stop speculating and let Sopeha talk to her boss? If he’s the amazing guy she says he is, maybe he truly can help us. Let’s be patient and wait for her answer, okay?” He suggested.
“That’s right, let’s give her a chance,” Dylan agreed.
“I don’t know,” Karen insisted, “we better watch her, she might be ‘phoning home’ right now to ask for permission to destroy us”.
“Well, if you’re afraid she may ‘destroy us’, all the more reason to be nicer to her, don’t you think?”
“Bjorn has a point.” Dylan said, Karen heaved a sigh.
“You two are hopeless”.
While Dylan, Karen and Bjorn discussed in the study, Sopeha went to the garage, where she had parked her spaceship, the Galaxa 3000.
She immediately boarded it, but before taking off, she grabbed his communication device and pressed a few buttons.
“Moon Base Beta, this is planet Earth, please answer.”
“This is Moon Base Beta, come in,” a friendly female voice replied.
“Hello, Zu, this is Sopeha, get me the captain, please.”
“Right away.”
A few beeps along with some static on the line were heard on the other end, and then the sound of a soft, nice male voice:
“Moon Base Beta, this is Guardian 1, come in, Sopeha.”
Sopeha’s gaze lit up at the sound of her boss’s voice.
“Hello, stranger,” she teased.
“Hey, Sop, nice to hear from you again, it’s been a while…”
“It sure has”.
“Tell me, what news do you have for me?”
“It’s good news this time. You’re not going to believe it, but – I think I found him,” she replied.
There was a short silence on the other end, accompanied by a sharp intake of breath, then the sweet male voice again, but more serious and with an almost imperceptible hint of anxiety.
“Are you sure?”
“Well, the data and story match: Robin Crane, 22 years old, alien DNA… It’s definitely him. All that’s missing is a picture, which I didn’t ask for so as not to arouse suspicion, but I’ll get one myself and send it to you. Right now, I’m heading for his location.”
“Where are you at if I may ask?”.
“In a place far to the North called Aurora Skies, year 2017. Planet Earth, obviously.”
“Aurora Skies… Never heard of it. Anyway, do you know his exact whereabouts?”
“Well, I obtained his girlfriend’s address by secretly scanning the minds of Bjorn’s friends, Karen and Dylan. Sorry I broke the rules here, but I had to.”
“That’s okay, it was for a greater good.”
“Definitely”.
“Oh, by the way, these people are Robin’s girlfriend’s parents, they’re asking for our help to take him to Lunar Lakes.”
“He wants to go to Lunar Lakes?”
“Well, not him exactly, it’s them who are arranging the trip, since, apparently, he doesn’t know anything yet, he doesn’t even know about his DNA. They found out first thanks to a Council document they found.”
“I see…”
“Oh, and before you ask: no, I didn’t tell them who you are, didn’t tell them anything that might give you away.”
“Well done, no one must know anything about this yet, neither them nor Robin, okay?”
“Don’t worry, I know you personally want to be the one to talk to him.”
“That’s right, it won’t be easy, though, but I will… when the time is right. Now please get that image and send it to me as soon as you can.”
“I will, don’t worry, I’ll also bring proof for the Alliance – if you authorize the trip to Lunar Lakes, that is.”
“Not only do I authorize, but I will personally see to it that my… that Robin gets here safely.”
“I thought so,” Sopeha smiled. “Well, I’m off for now, I must complete my mission.”
“Godspeed, Sop, and… thank you.”
“My pleasure, Starman. Over and out.”
Credits and thanks for the poses in episodes 206 and 207 go to @poses-by-bee for their Family Fighting Pose Set and @simsaywhat for their Conversations Pose Pack.
Episode 208. Changing the Subject
At the same time, at Juliette’s house…
“Well, it looks like he did go to sleep after all,” Robin commented, as they walked in the house.
“Yeah, I guess his lunch will have to wait,” Juliette replied. “But he had a wonderful time, he looked so happy around you.”
“I had a great time too. I can’t wait to live all together, which will be soon, I hope.”
“I hope so too,” Juliette answered, then they just stood there, looking at each other for a few seconds…
“You still haven’t told me, how come your mother decided not to join us today?” Robin asked to change the subject, as he placed Rowan on the swing; Juliette let out a sigh.
“Well, in the end the respect for my privacy prevailed in her; she understood that we’re adults now, thankfully”.
“But she still doesn’t trust me, does she?”
“Of course she trusts you, and Dad does too. I’m not going to lie, they were both a little sad that Row no longer carries the last name Shen, but overall, they’re happy and grateful to you – just like me. Really, I can’t thank you enough for what you did today”.
“You don’t have to thank me; I just did what I had to do as a father.”
“I know, and I thank you for that too. But I wasn’t talking about the registry, I meant you and Row, you are right for each other; to see you play together like that, how you understand each other so well, was just beautiful. This whole day itself, it was perfect.”
“Yeah, it certainly was.” Robin replied. Again, they stood looking at each other. He, holding back his desire to kiss her; she, fighting the impulse to throw herself in his arms.
Until Robin took a few steps away and cleared his throat, willing to change the subject once more. “Do you know if your father has been able to unlock the document yet?” he asked; Juliette snapped back to reality.
“Ah, yes, about that…”, she stammered.
“Dad told me he was close to figuring it out with the help of a friend, Dr. Beaker.” She replied, following Robin across the room.
“Great, I hope the document actually contains information about my parents, and about the true reason the Oasis Landing Council is chasing me.”
“I look forward to that as well.”
“It would be amazing if your parents were alive, don’t you think?”
“Yes, and a bit of a shocker, too.”
“If they are, and you could meet them right now, what would you do or what would you say to them?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
“Why, aren’t you excited at the thought of having them with you after all this time?”
“Well, I know this is going to sound terrible, but sometimes I’d rather think they’re dead, than to think they abandoned me, and that being alive all these years, they never tried to contact me”.
“Well, no parent abandons a little kid just like that, maybe something happened that forced them to leave you, maybe it wasn’t even their fault”.
“Maybe. But I find that hard to believe.”
Credits and thanks to Doylegirl @andebebe for her lovely Cuddly Toddler pose pack.
Episode 209. Hinting the Truth
“Anyway, it’s complicated, so I’d rather not dwell on it”, Robin concluded. “I got more important things to deal with right now, the DNA analysis for one thing.”
“True, the analysis,” Juliette murmured. Her sudden silence was not lost to Robin.
“Jul? What’s wrong, has your mother said anything to you?”
“No, nothing yet, but I know a bit about genetics and…”
“And you’ve drawn your own conclusions about this ‘unknown’ DNA in me, is that it?”
“Well, I can’t venture any theories without due testing, but…”
“You have a hint of what might be happening with me? Come on, Jul, talk to me, whatever it is I can handle it”.
“I know you can, but if I tell you anything that comes to mind, I’d be just speculating. So, I’ll only tell you this: whatever is going on with your DNA, whatever you are, I don’t care. I’ll still love you whether you’re a vampire, a werewolf or whatever.” Juliette stated, Robin lost all his seriousness and held back a chuckle.
“A werewolf? Come on Jul,” he grinned; Juliette blushed.
“It may sound silly, but I love you and I’ll never leave you, no matter what kind your DNA is.”
“I love you too, dear. And it’s not silly at all, in fact it’s lovely, and a relief to hear that from you”.
Yeah, it was certainly a relief, thing was she had mentioned all sorts of occult creatures, except for one. And luckily, she wasn’t looking into his eyes now, how they had momentarily changed from their natural color to an eerie pitch black. He couldn’t see them either but could feel every time it happened.
He quickly turned his back on her while his eyes slowly returned to their normal color.
“I – wouldn’t mind if you were an alien either,” she added, oblivious to his distress.
“Really? Most people are terrified of aliens.”
“Not me. And I’d still love you if you were one”.
“That’s… good to know,” he muttered.
“Why?”, she rushed to ask. “Have you noticed anything that indicates you’re an alien?” She rushed to ask.
“I-I haven’t noticed anything in particular,” Robin stammered.
“What about those ‘powers’ Dustin mentioned?”
“There are no such powers, Dust sure wasn’t being serious.”
“Dustin is imaginative, yes, but he wouldn’t joke about this.”
“Well – I still think it’s best to wait for the test results.”
Episode 210. One Last Promise
“Okay,” Robin added, after a deep sigh. “I have to go now, I’ve been out of the house practically all day, and…”
“I understand, your wife is waiting for you,” Juliette said frowning.
“Jul, listen,” Robin said, reaching over and taking her in his arms. “Jessi’s birthday is in three days, when it’s past, I’ll ask Ann for a divorce. It’ll be the first thing I do the next day.”
“What if she doesn’t give it to you?”
“If that’s the case, I’ll see what to do, just please don’t give up on me, okay?”
“Have faith in me, the next time I come to see you, I’ll be free. It’s only three days. Please, be patient and wait for me, will you, dear?”
“You know I’d wait an eternity for you, it’s just…”
“Understand, it’s harder every day for me to let you go.”
“It’s hard for me too. All I want right now is to stay, but I want to do things right, I want to marry you – and I will, as soon as I get this mess sorted out.”
Juliette inhaled deeply and exhaled. “You don’t have to explain anything to me, I get your point. And I’m gonna be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, then, it’s time for me to go.”
Faced with an imminent farewell, Juliette reached over and hugged him as tightly as she could.
“I love you, Jul, don’t forget that”, Robin told her.
“And I love you, don’t forget that either,” she whispered.
“I’ll make it up to you, for every single thing, I swear,” Robin whispered, as he maintained the hug for a few more seconds. He did not kiss her, though; he knew that if he did, he would never leave. And Juliette understood.
After saying goodbye to Rowan, who was still asleep on the swing, Robin returned to her side.
“Three days, count them. After that, I’ll be back to stay. It’s a promise, just please wait for me.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to go anywhere,” Juliette replied.
Holding back the desire to stay, Robin walked out of the house, Juliette was left alone with her restlessness. Would Robin really be able to fix it all? Would he come back for her to fulfill his last promise? Three days. They would feel like an eternity!
Credits and thanks to Auf Fil Des Sims for their awesome poses: Patience_Pack, Reconfort_Pack, Instant Romantique_Pack, and Loving_Hug-1
Episode 211. Found!
Once outside Juliette’s house, Robin stopped for a moment. There was something there, he could feel it, something or someone, watching him, but who? Sopeha, of course. He couldn’t see her, cause she had left her spaceship at a safe distance and had hidden well.
“There. That must be him. If only he’d turn this way for a moment so I could see his face.” Sopeha said to herself. Robin continued looking around, trying to find out where that anomalous energy was coming from. She remained in her hiding place. “Come on, Robin, look this way, let me see you,” she asked him, in her mind.
Robin turned around, as if he could hear her, Sopeha hid quickly while he scanned the place; unable to see her.
“Yes, I’m here, but you can’t see me, you need to train those powers more, darling.”
Robin gave up, but before leaving, he looked once more towards the place where Sopeha was. Then she could see his face well, and her eyes filled with amazement.
“By Saturn, but of course it’s him!” she said to herself, stifling a gasp.
She had to take a minute to get her emotions under control.
“Easy Sopeha, pull yourself together; remember, mind over matter”, she thought, as she breathed deeply. “That’s it. Now, go get the evidence you need.”
Knowing that Robin could not see her, Sopeha took a picture of him from the front, so that his features could be seen in detail.
“Got it, the undeniable proof that it’s him. Now I must make sure that he is alien”.
Before Sopeha could even attempt to follow him, Robin vanished before her eyes, in a lightning-like flash.
“Why, he teleported! He couldn’t have done such a thing if he wasn’t an alien in full use of his powers.”
“The evidence is compelling. First, I could feel him, and he could feel me; if he didn’t discover me, it was because of his inexperience. Second, he teleported. And Dylan said he ‘didn’t know he was an alien’! I think he handled those powers extremely well, so he definitely knows.”
“Third, his face… His physique in general, the way he moves and gestures, the striking resemblance! That’s more than enough evidence.” Sopeha thought with satisfaction. Her mission was accomplished, now it was time to deliver the good news.
Episode 212. Undeniable Evidence
Still somewhat dazed by surprise and excitement, Sopeha returned to her ship. She did it in a hurry, as she feared that Robin’s girlfriend or another neighbor might see her through the window.
She pulled out her portable communication device and dialed the Moon Base.
“Moon Base Beta, this is Sopeha, please respond.”
The reply was immediate:
“This is Moon Base Beta, come in, Sopeha.” That wasn’t the high-pitched voice of the receptionist, but this sweet, masculine voice she loved to hear, though now it had a slight tone of eagerness.
“Captain, do you answer the switchboard now?”, she joked.
“It’s Zury’s lunch hour, I don’t mind helping her with the phones.”
“Or you are impatient to see the picture I got.”
“Do you have it with you?”
“It’s on my camera, I’m sending it to your cell phone right now.”
There was a long, tense silence, as Sopeha sent the image, and her boss checked his phone.
“Did you get it?”, she asked.
“Yes. Oh, my goodness…” he whispered.
“The resemblance is undeniable, isn’t it? “
“Yeah, it’s amazing, but – his hair, it’s black? Robin’s was silver.”
“He most likely dyed it, but look at his face! Can you tell it’s not him?”
“No, it’s definitely him.” Another awkward silence, and then, after a gasp: “Did you check if he’s…?”
“I didn’t even have to. The boy is in full use of his powers, he displayed them right in front of me. He sensed me as soon as he came out, he scanned the surroundings, he teleported instead of walking… He’s pretty alien to me. but just like you, he looks very human on the outside, not to mention the uncanny family likeness. I have no doubt now.”
“It’s him. It’s your son, Douglas.”
“…”
“Doug? You still there?”
“Yes, I’m- I’m here…”
“You’re okay?” Sopeha asked, noticing the silence at the other end.
“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t mean to leave you hanging, but you must understand… all this comes as a shock to me”.
“I understand, it’s a lot to take, but it’s good news too, isn’t it?”
“It certainly is. Please, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy about it, but – I can’t help worrying. What am I going to tell Robin when he asks why we didn’t rescue him before, why we abandoned him for so many years.”
Sopeha noticed the lump in Douglas’ throat.
She could picture him in her mind, standing by the phones, playing tough as always, struggling not to break down…
“Are you going to tell her?” She asked carefully as she heard him return to the phone.
“Not yet. I’ll wait for the right time”, he answered. “Please, don’t say anything yourself either, nor to her or to anyone else at the Moon Base. This is between you and me for now, okay?”
“You don’t even have to ask, you know you have my discretion, always.”
“And you know I trust you more than anyone else, Sopeha.”
This time it was her who got a knot in her throat.
“T-thank you. Is… there anything else I can do for you?”
“Yes, I need you back at the Base as soon as possible. We have to work out a plan to bring Robin home.” Douglas replied, back to his command role.
“Okay, I’m on my way there right now”.
“Good, I’ll be waiting for you, and… thank you, Sop, I owe you one.”
“You sure do… See you on the Moon, Starman. Over and out,” Sopeha replied and hung up.
Seconds later, Sopeha’s starship was soaring into the sky, on its way back home.
Episode 213. Three Days of Angst
The three days leading up to Jessica’s birthday were ones of great angst for Robin, having to live with Ann, knowing that time was running out and that the moment to tell her the truth was approaching.
He hadn’t slept with her in weeks, either he went to bed very late at night when she was already asleep, or he slept on the sofa in his study.
Luckily for him, Ann had so far not asked any questions about his behavior, though she might find it strange cause Robin had never avoided her in bed before.
Knowing that the end of his marriage was near, he tried to spend most of his time with his daughters, especially Jessica, with whom he was closest, but also with his beloved twins Wanda and Carrie.
In spite of everything, he loved them, so much so, that he couldn’t help but wonder what would become of them after the divorce, if Ann granted it. What if she took the girls away from him? He loved Rowan and wanted to be with him, but he wanted to be with Jessi, Wanda and Carrie too.
So many times, during those three agonizing days, he tried to talk to Ann, but he could not find the courage, nor the words to put the situation to her. Should he just tell her that it was over and ask for a divorce, or should he tell her the whole story about him and Juliette? Perhaps the latter was more appropriate, but how and where to start? Plus, Ann also looked thoughtful, even tense. Was she suspicious, or did she have some other concern she hadn’t told him about?
To distract himself, Robin focused on building his next plumbot, Prototype 005, a very flashy, brightly colored robot equipped with the Steel Chef trait chip, ready to help in the kitchen of the most demanding families or of some modern five-star restaurant.
There was no doubt that Prototype 005 would sell quickly, especially now that Rob had become a big seller due to his new ‘powers’. Thanks to them, his sales had increased significantly, improving his financial situation, which allowed him to produce even more sophisticated plumbots.
Another thing he did in those days was to restart his experiment with the Forbidden Fruit, which so far had not given him good results, but he kept trying, for Juliette and the whole team.
He took the time as well to build new trait chips for Prototype. The more traits he had, the higher its price would be in the market. Although, being unable to travel to Oasis Landing, it would be difficult to get nanites for high-end trait chips. So, for this time he had to settle for simpler ones like Friendly Function and Competent Cleaner.
Meanwhile, he discovered another of his recently acquired ‘skills’: the ability to ‘consume’ space rocks to increase brain power, a new motive that replaced the normal energy one. If he kept that up, he would function better during the day, and some nights he didn’t even have to sleep, just ‘restore’ this brain power.
Of course, he kept this new skill a secret, as he considered it a bit frightening. He himself was afraid of it, let alone if Ann, Juliette, or anyone else could see him reducing huge space rocks down to small stones, and then to pure energy to ‘feed’ his brain.
He had caused enough chaos around him without scaring his loved ones with such an oddity. He wished he knew what the heck was going on with him… Well, actually, he had a slight idea of what it could be, he just didn’t want to accept it.
“Good heavens, not that, please… If I’m an alien, I’ll never be allowed in Oasis Landing again.”
Episode 214. Deadline
On the morning of the birthday, another concern arose for Robin: his true hair color had begun to show, which was odd, because it usually took months to grow and Robin could dye it in time, but now, his silver-white hair insisted on coming out more strongly than ever, as if it wanted to settle in permanently.
Not that he disliked it, it was just that no one in Aurora knew his hair wasn’t black. He was aware sooner or later he’d have to tell them, and let his natural color grow out, but certainly not now, so a remedy should be put in place.
There, his hair was black again, and it would stay that way for a while longer.
Fortunately, Ann didn’t notice anything, she was too busy with birthday preparations and getting Jessi ready for her big day.
One of the many preparations was to call her work to ask for the day off. She didn’t want to miss a moment with her daughter.
That same morning, in the middle of everything, Robin introduced Prototype 005 to the family.
Although Ann was already familiar with the plumbots, and had, in fact, two to help her with the girls, she never ceased to be amazed by Robin’s creations. They were all a marvel no doubt, but Protype 005 in particular was a work of art.
They had now three robots at home. Robin would take Five with him after the divorce and leave Bethany with Ann, cause she was certainly going to need his help. As for Prototype 005, he would be sold at the Bot Emporium and all the money would go to Ann and the girls.
Ann couldn’t imagine what was coming, she realized something wasn’t right with Robin, but she couldn’t address that now, she had her own concerns to deal with. She had been wanting to talk to him for days, but she couldn’t find the right time. Besides, she didn’t want to add another one, or ruin Jessi’s long-awaited birthday.
By noon, everything was ready for the big day, the party couldn’t wait any longer, so Ann asked Robin to go get Jessica to blow out the cake candles.
The deadline was up; as soon as Jessi blew out those candles, Robin would have to talk to Ann and move out, leaving Jessica, Wanda and Carrie without their father. So unfair! If this was Oasis Landing 2054, there would be another solution, but in Aurora Skies 2017, there was no other choice but the painful separation.
Episode 215. Jessica’s Birthday
Robin and Ann celebrated Jessica’s birthday with no guests except for Bethany, Five, and Prototype 005. Ann lit the candle on the birthday cake, and Robin held Jessi in his arms to help her blow it out, while the three plumbots cheered her on. ‘Cheer’ is a figure of speech; cause Ann didn’t feel cheerful. All along that day she had been worried about Robin’s behavior. He had been distant, evasive and strangely quiet, as if his mind wasn’t there.
It was in this tense atmosphere that Jessica blew out her birthday candle and became an infant, just as her older brother Rowan had done a few months earlier.
Jessi certainly had a lot of Robin in her, but she was definitely the living image of Ann.
Before sitting down to enjoy the cake, Robin wanted to spend some more time with his daughter, play with her and show her all his love.
Ann stood at a distance, as a mere spectator to that important moment between father and daughter.
Meanwhile, her concern grew. Something was definitely wrong with Robin, something he wasn’t telling her.
It was to be expected that he would want to spend the day playing and spoiling his daughter cause he adored her, as well as he adored Wanda and Carrie, but… Why did it feel as if he was excluding her? Was she being paranoid, or was something really happening to him? Was their marriage in trouble and why?
Episode 216. A Short Extension
But the joy Ann saw in Robin as he celebrated with Jessi was only apparent. He tried his best to make sure she had the happiest birthday ever but kept asking himself what would happen after the divorce. Would the girls stay with Ann, and he’d get to see them from time to time? Or would Ann ban him forever from seeing them?
Jessi was still too young, let alone Wanda and Carrie, all three would need their father and mother equally; and Robin wanted to continue to be close to them, no matter what happened to his marriage.
As the afternoon wore on, he couldn’t stop thinking and second guessing. What if he waited to talk to Ann? If he let this day go by, for Jessi? No, the birthday was the deadline, he had to prove to Juliette that he could keep his word. Talking to Ann was the plan, he should stick to it.
Only he wouldn’t carry it out in the middle of Jessi’s party. He’d talk to Ann the next morning; it would be a short extension, just a few more hours.
“Yeah, I’ll sort everything out tomorrow. Please, Jul, wait for me just a bit longer.” He thought as he put Jessica to bed.
“Honey, are you coming to bed?” Ann asked walking in the room.
“No, sorry, I… I’ll be at the workshop until late, you’d better not wait up for me.”
“Sure, see you tomorrow then, I guess,” Ann sighed and went out quietly.
Once alone, in the middle of the room, watching his daughters sleep peacefully, Robin let out a sigh. This would be the last night the little Crane girls would have their father by their bedsides, watching over their sleep.
He wasn’t going to be there, but he wouldn’t desert them. Somehow, he’d make sure to be with them forever, if Ann would let him.
“Ask me whatever you want, Ann, but please don’t take them away from me”.
Episode 217. Awake
I wish I knew then, what I know now.
Wouldn’t dive in, wouldn’t bow down.
Gravity hurts, you made it so sweet.
‘Til I woke up on, on the concrete…
AURORA SKIES, THE CRANE HOUSEHOLD, 2 AM…
Robin had been looking out the window for a while. It was already spring outside, the first night without snow, and the atmosphere inside was even more pleasant thanks to the heating, but he felt like freezing as if it were midwinter. Probably the stress of knowing the deadline was over, and the time had come to tell Ann the truth.
Of course, not everything was bad at that moment, the memory of Juliette and the prospect of returning to her arms, this time to stay, gave him the impulse to continue. Some kind of force made him feel attached to her even far away, it was as if he could see her, touch her in the distance with just his thoughts. This new ‘power’ was only a small part of the changes Robin continued to experience since his accident with the time portal.
“What’s happening to me? What’s going on with my head that I can read Jul’s thoughts? Did I acquire this ability because of the accident, and developed it due to some kind of mutation? Or am I – what I think I am? An Alien. Please don’t let it be that. I couldn’t stand to discover I’m one of those who destroyed my city; the same ones who stole Oasis Landing’s water and solar energy, spreading chaos among my people.”
“But – what nonsense am I thinking? Me, and alien? No way. I’m just imagining things because I’m tired, exhausted in fact; and upset too by everything that’s happened. Yeah, that must be it; lack of sleep is making me freak out… Anyway, I can’t think about that now, I must focus on my next goal, which is to talk to Ann. Or should I wait until tomorrow?”, Robin continued to think, as he kept switching place and position around the small living room.
“Maybe I should go to sleep, I desperately need it, that would help clear my mind… No, I wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink. I don’t even feel tired, it’s just my mind that’s exhausted. Why do I feel like this lately, why does my body feel well rested while my brain’s all messed up…? I know why, because my life is a mess. I caused it and must put an end to it, I need to stop being a coward, face Ann and ask her for a divorce. If only my mind would stop spinning…”
“Robin? Robin!”
Ann’s voice brought him back to reality, back home, just hours after Jessi’s birthday party. Robin looked up at the door, there she was, standing in front of him, as wide awake as he was.
“Ann… What are you doing up? It’s 2 am”, he asked jumping to his feet.
“I ask you the same question. What are you doing up at this hour, and dressed?”
“Well, I just couldn’t sleep, and you?”
“I couldn’t sleep either, I was going to get a glass of milk or something, but – how long have you been here?”
“Not long”, Robin answered. “I was planning to go for a walk, then I sat here, and I was absorbed in my thoughts.”
“Yeah, I could tell. I called you several times, you didn’t even move.”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay, but you seemed worried. May I ask why what you were thinking about?”
“A lot of things, you know, work, money, the girls…”
“Well, the money is fine, your plumbot sales are improving, so we have enough to get by, don’t we? The girls are fine too, so there’s nothing to worry about.” Ann said, moving closer to hold him.
“Yeah, I-I think so.” Robin stammered.
“I’ve missed you in the bedroom, it’s been a while since you and me… you know, and well, I miss you.” She leaned forward to kiss him, she was being lovely as always, and Robin would usually give in to her charm, but today it was different, he had made a choice and had to be true to it.
Slowly and with extreme gentleness, he pulled away from her.
“Rob, what is it? Did I say something wrong?” Ann asked in confusion.
“No, it’s just… I can’t.”.
“You can’t kiss me? What do you mean?” She asked again, from confusion to concern.
“Ann, we need to talk.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Something is obviously not right, and I deserve to know what it is. Besides, I have something to tell you too.” Ann replied.
“Really? What is it?” Robin asked.
“Later, now you talk first”.
“No, please, you talk first.”
Thanks and credits for the poses go to: Blams, for the Troubled Pain Pose Pack; Au Fil des Sims for the Penssif Pack Poses; and Bee (@Bmit04 on Tumblr) for the Convo/Emotion Poses.
Song: Wide Awake by Katy Perry.
Episode 218. The Truth
“No, you talk first”, Ann insisted. “You look distressed; whatever it is you need to get it off your chest. So, tell me, what is it now, more bad news from Oasis Landing?”
“No, this is more serious.”
“More serious than the police looking for you?
“I – I think so.”
“All right, I’m listening,” Ann said, trying to meet Robin’s gaze.
“You might want to sit down”, he warned her.
“No, thanks, I’m good standing. Now go on, tell me whatever it is”.
“Okay. I just hope you’ll forgive me for not telling you this before.”
“Rob, speak already, you’re scaring me,” Ann pushed him.
“Fine.” It was obviously not fine, but still he cleared his throat and continued.
“Remember Juliette, the girl I told you about the day we got married?”
“Your college sweetheart, your friend Dustin’s sister?”
“Yes”.
“What about her? Don’t tell me she’s been looking for you, cause if she has, she’ll have to hear me out.”
Robin gulped. “She didn’t look for me, Dustin called me a few months ago to tell me that Jul… I mean, Juliette had a baby.”
Ann paused to catch her breath; the expression on her face, once relaxed and kind, changed to one of distress.
“You mean she had your baby?”
“Yes,” Robin replied, flushed. “His name is Rowan, he’s two years old, just like Jessie.”
“Two years old! And you only found out now??”
“Juliette didn’t know she was pregnant until after we broke up. I had already returned to Oasis Landing, so she decided not to tell me anything. It was all a big misunderstanding. Long story short, I thought the right thing to do was giving the child my last name, so we took him to the Registry Office.”
“We?”
“Juliette and I”.
“You mean you’ve been seeing that woman behind my back?”
“We’ve only met that time at the Registry Office and once more at Rowan’s birthday party.”
Robin omitted to mention his meeting with Juliette for the DNA sample; but Ann was upset anyway.
“You went to your child’s birthday party, at that woman’s house??” she asked.
“Dustin invited me, and I thought it was my duty to be there”.
“And you didn’t think of, you know, mentioning it to me?” Ann exclaimed, increasingly upset.
“I know, I should have told you, but I just didn’t know how.”
“You ‘didn’t know how’, so you chose to lie to me?” Ann snapped; Robin burst out in turn.
“I didn’t lie, I was just waiting for the right time to tell you.”
“The right time being our daughter’s birthday.”
“Jessi’s birthday is over. I planned to tell you in the morning, but here I am, arguing with you right after the party, which is precisely what I wanted to avoid!”
“So, you were going to wait until the morning to drop this bomb? Don’t you think you’ve already waited too long?”
“I waited as long as I thought prudent, and believe it or not, all this time I was faithful to you.”
“And what good is your faithfulness, if you lied to me anyway?”
“Again, I didn’t lie to you, I just wanted to wait until after Jessi’s birthday so I wouldn’t ruin it.”
“Well, you ruined it anyway! – I’m your wife, Robin, I had a right to know, I mean, you had no problem telling me about Collin and his mother, why keep quiet about this?”
“Cause it’s not the same! The situation with Jul is entirely different!”
“Really? In what way?”
Robin’s sudden silence, and the nickname ‘Jul’, which had slipped again from his lips with such familiarity, didn’t go unnoticed by Ann.
“Wait… I think I’m starting to understand,” she replied, in agitation. “This situation is ‘entirely different’ because you and Collin’s mother didn’t have anything to do with each other, but you and ‘Jul’ do. Am I wrong?”
Robin stood speechless again. The truth was finally breaking through.
“I hit the nail on the head, didn’t I?” Ann insisted.
“N-not exactly,” he stammered.
“What is that supposed to mean?”, she asked.
“Well, it’s complicated, see, I…”
“You know”, Ann interrupted him. “I could understand if it had all been a mistake. You didn’t know she was pregnant, then you found out and wanted to give the baby your last name cause it’s the decent thing to do. I get all that… But – if you did it just out of duty, then why keep it from me?”
“Is it because you still feel something for her?” Ann asked. Robin went speechless for the umpteenth time; she struggled to hold back her tears. “I don’t know why I even ask, the answer is so obvious, it’s all over your face! And your silence… it speaks louder than words.” she concluded.
“Alright”, Robin sighed. “It’s true, I still have feelings for Juliette”.
“I thought it would be enough to take responsibility for my actions, give Rowan my last name, some kind of child support and get on with my marriage, but… the moment I saw Juliette again, I realized that – well, that I, in fact, still love her.”
“Oh, my…” Ann whispered as her eyes slowly filled with tears.
Robin paused to catch his breath. He didn’t want to extend Ann’s suffering, he still had to ask her for a divorce, so it was better to hurry and get this over with.
“How – how long have you been seeing her?” Ann asked in a trembling voice.
“Since I knew she had a child, that’s a few months ago.”
“A few months ago? And you’ve been lying to me all this time?”
“Ann, listen…”
“No, you listen!” Ann snapped. “You’ve been playing me for a fool with your crazy stories about Oasis Landing, the volunteer mother and the on-demand babies…”
“Engineered. They’re engineered babies.” Robin pointed.
“Whatever, they don’t exist anyway! You’re a liar and a cheater, you don’t come from year 2054, you’re not chased by the future police and there’s no such thing as a time portal! You used that stupid fairy tale as an excuse to get away and see that woman behind my back, you – cynical playboy!”
“Hey! Would you please calm down and let me speak?”, Robin reacted. “I didn’t lie to you! I have an explanation for all of this, but I can’t do it if you keep yelling at me.”
“What more do you have to explain? Everything is crystal clear to me”.
“Apparently it’s not”.
“See, Oasis Landing, the future, they’re not ‘a fairy tale’. You’ve seen the plumbots, the workshop to build them, the food synthesizer, the holo-computer and all the gadgets you’ve been using yourself. All this technology did not exist in your time, I brought it from the Future, a future that does exist and which, believe me, is far from idyllic. In fact, in some 20 years we will be heading for a…”
“Enough!” Ann exclaimed. “I don’t care about the stupid future right now; all I want to know is if there has been anything between you and that woman.”
“No. I mean, yes, there has been a kiss or two, but it’s not what you’re thinking!”
“A kiss or two? God, Rob, how could you?” Ann cried.
“I’m sorry, I never meant this to happen, I swear! See, Juliette walked away from me as soon as she found out I was married. I tried to forget her and move on; I genuinely thought it was all over, but when I saw her again, I realized I still had feelings for her, that’s when I decided to tell you”.
“A bit too late, don’t you think?” Ann sobbed.
And now it’s clear to me
That everything you see
Ain’t always what it seems (I’m wide awake)
Yeah, I was dreaming for so long…
Thanks and credits for the poses go to: Au fil des Sims – Discution Genante Pose Pack and Bee (@poses-by-bee/@Bmit04) – Convo/Emotion Pose Pack and Adult Argument Pose Pack.
Song is Wide Awake by Katy Perry
Episode 219. Robin’s Choice
Around 3 AM, still at the Crane household…
The argument between Robin and Ann continues.
“Now I know why you’d been so distant. God, I’m a fool for not seeing it…” Ann said, still not recovered from her shock.
“Believe me, I never meant to hurt you.” Robin went on.
“I really wanted to make you happy, be a good husband and a good father.”
“Well, you didn’t do a very good job, did you?”
“I know, and I apologize for that too.”
“Is that all you can come up with? Apologies? I sacrificed everything for you, Robin. My career, my plans, my dreams, all to start a family with you! And this is how you pay me, cheating and hiding things from me?”
“Ann, I’m truly sorry, I…”
“Stop saying you’re sorry! That is of no help at this point!” Ann exploded.
“And don’t think for a second that I will tolerate this. I won’t live under the same roof as you while you keep seeing that woman!”
“Why, I’d never ask you to do such a thing”, Robin quickly reacted.
“Really? Well, you can’t have both of us, so you’ll have to choose between me and her”.
“I know. That’s – that’s another thing I wanted to talk about”.
“Oh, so there’s more? Haven’t you hurt me enough already?”, Ann asked in a cracked voice. Robin gasped; this was exactly the reason he had delayed the moment to tell her the truth. He didn’t want to see her suffer, but he had already started, he had to go on.
“So? What is it now?” Ann pressed turning to him again. There was no point in saying he was sorry, Ann didn’t want more apologies, and she was right, they were useless at this level, so he took a deep breath and continued.
“Okay… This isn’t easy for me to say, but – I already made my choice.”
“And you chose her, is that it?” Ann asked after another brief moment of shock.
“Yes. Forgive me, it wasn’t my intention to play you, nor do I want to hurt you any worse, so I think it will be best if… we part ways”, Robin ended in a whisper.
Thanks to Bee (@poses-by-bee on Tumblr) for her amazing pose packs Convo/Emotion Set 2 and Adult Argument. 💗
Song is Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus
Episode 220. Heartbreak
“And I’m steady but I’m starting to shake,
and I don’t know how much more I can take...”
Ann stood there speechless; Robin continued.
“Please don’t think I don’t care about you, I do, but you said right, I can’t have both you and Jul, and I don’t want to cheat on any of you either, so I think it’s best for you and me to separate”.
“What?” Ann exclaimed, as tears began to cloud her eyes again. “So, what you’re suggesting is…?”
“Yes, Ann, I want a divorce”, he replied.
Ann opened her mouth to say something, but her shock was so big that nothing came out of it. Robin thought he could hear her heart breaking into pieces, he felt like a true villain, but what was done was done.
“T-the divorce?” Ann asked when she was able to recover. “Why? You don’t love me anymore?”
“No, I do love you, Ann, it’s just… “
“You love her more,” Ann concluded tearfully.
“Oh, my God”, she murmured. “So this was why you wouldn’t share the bed with me, the reason why you backed away every time I came near you. You didn’t want me, but her!” She concluded through her tears.
“You should’ve told me truth then, that you no longer wanted to be with me!”
“It wasn’t like that, I…”
“Yes, it was. I didn’t understand it at the time, but it’s so obvious now!”
“Ann, believe me, I’m sorry.”
“No more than I am”, Ann replied.
Then she she burst into tears and hurried out of the living; Robin froze for a moment, but then…
“Ann, wait!” he exclaimed, following her to the stairs; she paused for a few seconds.
But she immediately hurried up the stairs.
“Ann…” he called her again, faintly, as she continued on her way up.
She rushed in the bedroom without looking back, and slammed the door shut before Robin could get in as well.
“Ann”, he begged, the only response was her weeping. He trembled with every sob, he had broken her heart, it would probably be best to leave her alone now, but there were still some things to be cleared up. He would not leave until he and Ann were at peace.
“You take a hit now.
You feel it break down.
Make you stay wide awake.
This is how a heart breaks.”
Again thanks to Bee (@poses-by-bee on Tumblr) for her pose packs Convo/Emotion Set 2, Emotion/Body Language and Adult Argument.
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