Cuddy, grabbing ahold of the rubbery coat, held it open for her as she slid both arms into the sleeves, then tightened the belt snugly around her waist. She fumbled, reaching an arm back over her shoulder, so Cuddy lifted up the oversized hood so she could reach it. When she pulled it over her head, Cuddy almost laughed at her appearance. She rushed for the door, shouting, “Get out of the way, Rufus!” as she swung it open and hurried outside. As the dog ran inside, she said, “Close the inside door, Cuddy, right now!”
Cuddy did as he was told and returned to the kitchen. Like Momma, he spun the TV dial several times, finally coming to rest on CNN. Wolf Blitzer’s bearded face dominated the screen. As Wolf continued reporting on the reactors’ dangerously reduced coolant levels, Cuddy found he easily followed what was being broadcast.
He thought about current events now taking place, and had a new respect for the abilities of Tow’s AI orb. In a matter of several hours, the hovering robot had breached the facilities’ network somehow, riling up nationwide excitement. He wondered if the AI had miscalculated; if the radiation was more dangerous than anticipated. But he didn’t think the AI orb made many mistakes. As he gazed up at the colorful skies out the window, he wondered if the marauding Howsh ships would actually be thrown off the hunt. Leaning sideways to get a better view of the open prairie, he saw Momma waving her arms above her head, yelling something unintelligible into the wind.
Eventually, Jackie, riding atop Ellie, trotted into view. Leaning forward, her head was angled to better hear what Momma was yelling. Strands from her whipping ponytail had strayed into her mouth. As Momma turned back, she raised an arm and pointed off toward the west. Cuddy silently acknowledged to himself that he knew where west was—as well as east, north, and south.
Jackie swung a long slender leg up and over the saddle, then slid to the ground. With Ellie’s reins in her hand, she hurried toward the barn as Momma headed toward the porch. Cuddy, sitting in the kitchen, heard the door smack open as a gust of wind pushed its way into the house.
Momma rushed in, untying her slicker and pushing the hood off her head. Glancing at the TV, she asked, “Any more news?”
“It’s a disruption of coolant flowing into the reactors. The overheating instigated the emergency venting into the atmosphere.”
Momma simply stared at Cuddy for several beats with her brow furrowed—as though she was seeing him for the first time that day. As her eyes searched his face, Cuddy could see her, almost imperceptibly, shaking her head.
“Cuddy… do you understand what you just said, or are you parroting what one of those reporters said?”
“Um… I think both. The guy with the microphone explained that the disruption of coolant flowing into the reactors would cause emergency venting into the atmosphere. Made sense to me.”
As the front door opened, another blast of wind found its way into the kitchen. Jackie, coming around the corner, halted when she saw Momma staring intently at Cuddy. “What… what is going on?”
Cuddy repeated what he’d said a moment before. “It’s a disruption of coolant flowing into the reactors… the overheating instigated the emergency venting into the atmosphere.”
Jackie stole a glance at the TV, then looked at Momma. “That’s kinda weird, coming from his mouth… isn’t it?” They stared at each other.
Cuddy said, “I’ve been trying to tell you things have changed. That I’m no longer simpleminded.”
“I noticed something going on with you last night, Cuddy,” Jackie said. “I don’t think I ever heard of anything like this happening before. I hate to use the word miracle, but Mrs. Perkins… Cuddy’s—”
Momma took a step closer to the table while reaching out a hand for support. “Tell me our street address, Cuddy.”
“I think it’s Number Three Beacham Road, Woodbury, Tennessee.”
Momma gestured toward the battered old telephone, mounted on the kitchen wall. “Our phone number?”
He told her the correct number.
Jackie looked excited, they both did. “You really have… changed, haven’t you, Cuddy?”
Cuddy nodded. “Yeah… but that won’t be what will surprise you most.”
Momma seemed overwhelmed. “As wonderful as this news is… it’s a miracle from God… we still need to think about what’s happening outside now. Kyle’s out there. He’s in danger.”
“Sit down, Momma… you too Jackie. The thing is, it’s all connected.”
Momma, ignoring him, said, “Maybe we should take your car and go look—”
“Momma!”
He’d never before raised his voice at his mother—not ever. Jackie quietly slid into the closest chair without saying a word. Momma, reluctantly, sat down too.
“Okay, son… tell us what’s happening with you, but please hurry.”
Jackie couldn’t take her eyes from Cuddy. There’d been other times in her life when she was aware—at some deep level—that something monumental was happening. A specific pinpoint in time she knew she would recall later—perhaps years from then. The air in the kitchen turned suddenly electric. She found herself smiling with anticipation at what this boy-turned-man was about to say next.
“I’m hoping that the changes you see in me, which you are experiencing first hand, will make what I say next somewhat more believable. I want you to know I’m not nuts; at least, I don’t think I am.”
“Just get to it, Cuddy,” Jackie said impatiently. “I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Several days ago, the day after Officer Plumkin took Rufus away, I was walking in the woods where a brook runs deep in the trees.”
Momma let a stream of air out through her puffed cheeks.
“Okay… I’m getting to it!” Cuddy said. “There was someone there, sitting on a rock. I surprised him.”
“A man… woman… who was it?” Jackie asked.
Cuddy shook his head, as though searching for some specific word. “Here’s the weird part. It was an… um… alien.”
Jackie felt the smile leave her face. Okay, he’s crazy—from retarded, to sudden genius, to crazy as a loon.
“Son… I know you probably think…”
Cuddy nodded, his expression conveying an all-knowing yeah, I knew this was coming look. “He’s from a planet called Mahli. He’s a Pashier.”
“Stop!”
“Momma… it’s all true!”
“Stop, son, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I can’t listen to any more of this nonsense.”
As Jackie loudly cleared her throat, Momma didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, she reached out a hand and took one of Cuddy’s in hers.
Jackie said, “I think I might believe him.”
Momma’s condescending smile faded. Sitting back, she studied Jackie.
“Let me at least ask him a few questions before we discount everything he’s saying, okay? I mean, think about the odds of having a bizarre reactor event take place right now, and the sky is… well, it’s like nothing we’ve seen before. And all of a sudden your son has made an amazing… miraculous really… mental recovery. Mrs. Perkins, I’m educated, a pre-med student. I like to think I have a fairly analytical mind.”
“Go ahead, ask your questions, dear,” Momma said.
“So… how did the alien get here, Cuddy?”
“A spacecraft. It’s parked in a meadow deep in the trees. It’s called the Evermore. It’s damaged and Tow, that’s the alien’s name, landed there to make needed repairs.”
“Okay, so what’s going on with our extremely colorful sky?” Jackie asked.
“Tow’s ship was chased across space by three other alien ships. They are called the Howsh and they want to kill Tow… destroy his ship. They’ve already destroyed his home planet… Mahli. Their sensor scans are causing the atmospheric anomaly.”