The Journey Begins (7.4)

An aide led her down the White House halls and into a dark room with an inclined floor. There were at least twenty recliners sitting in various positions in the room. She walked down the center path to find the president and the vice president sitting in recliners a few feet from a large, flat, white screen. The vice president motioned Rivi to come sit in the recliner between them.

Rivi, frowning in confusion, walked over to sit with them.

"What movie are we going to watch?" the vice president joked.

President Malcarosi shook his head with a small smile.

"Rivi, I asked my staff to try to find any connections between the families of all the children you identified as among those that were kidnapped by the Aruk."

"Did they find anything?" Rivi asked, intrigued.

"Only one thing. They all had at least one parent that was in some way connected to a US Department of Education research facility. I'm sorry, Rivi, your father is believed to have been killed when the research facility was destroyed."

She looked down at her hands in her lap. She didn't know what to feel about this news. She had never expected to find her father, but she suddenly felt a sense of loss to discover that he was dead. She leaned back in her chair. Both men looked at her sadly. Vice President Trint placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"We thought its destruction was caused by a freak earthquake. Are we correct in assuming that was probably the Aruk too?" The President asked.

Rivi nodded.

"We asked you to come here because we managed to find a film that was used to introduce new employees to the facility. It was made to get them up to speed about what the facility was concentrating on. Kind of like a training video. Your father is in it. If you like, we could play it for you."

Rivi took a deep breath and nodded, composing herself, as President Malcarosi picked up a remote to start the video.

Rivi patiently watched the movie as it played. While it was interesting, it caused her to be even more confused. The movie described the facility as researching human and mental development, as well as contributing to studies that dictated what children were taught in the public school systems—things like drug resistance education, self-defense classes, self-esteem and teamwork. According to the film, the facility was also researching new ways to teach more in-depth courses on American government, history, math, science, and reading.

Unlike most of the other branches of the Department of Education, this facility was studying some very unorthodox and never-before-used teaching methods. Rivi's father appeared a few times during the movie to explain a few of those methods. Apparently, the facility's goal was to bring up a new generation of young people who would solidly display true American values, as well as take America into a new, more technologically-advanced future. Based on the movie's explanation, Rivi couldn't figure out why the Aruk would want to attack the facility.

The Aruk may be many things, Rivi thought to herself, but I'm certain they wouldn't have decided to attack without a reason. They had to have had some sort of motive.

"Rivi," President Malcarosi asked quietly as the film ended, "does what you've just watched give you any insight into why the Aruk would have targeted you and the other children?"

"No, Mr. President, it doesn't, which makes me even more confused. I feel as if I'm picking up pieces to a never-ending puzzle. How can I put the puzzle together if I don't know what it's supposed to look like?" Rivi asked.

"That's what I thought as well, but I know less about these Aruk than you do," President Malcarosi said.

"Well, what do we do now?" the vice president asked.

"Do you want to watch another movie?" the president asked them both with a chuckle.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Rivi said with a smile as she stood. "Thank you for showing me this video, Mr. President. I would stay, but a Festival of Flight exhibit is being displayed in Boston. I am curious see what your scientists have planned for the future."

"All right. We'll talk to you again, Rivinaig," the two men called as she left the room.

Rivi got as far as the White House lawn and expanding her cube, when her mind began alerting her to something. She stopped and brought out her palmtop computer. Letting her mind amalgamate fully with her computer, she took a second to check it for problems. There weren't any, but her mind continued to feel the urgent call from somewhere. Rivi extended her mind to check all of the computers in the White House and the surrounding areas, but there were only the normal problems.

"It's an e-call!" Rivi said, finally realizing. "I don't ever think I'll get used to hearing that type of call," Rivi said to herself, as she searched for the computer that was probing to determine whether she was connected to Earth's Internet.

Rivi found the culprit computer and allowed her computer to connect to it. After pulling her mind back out of her comp amalgamator's link, she looked at the face that was now displayed on her screen. She recognized the face instantly.

"Mrs. Erica, hello. Is something wrong?" Rivi asked, as she studied the worried face of Dan's foster mother displayed on her screen.

"Yes, I thought you'd like to know. Something is wrong with Daniel. The doctors can't figure out why he's sick. We thought we'd try to call you. We thought perhaps you might have seen the problem before," Mrs. Erica said stammering, desperately grasping for answers.

"I'll come, Mrs. Erica. I'll be there in less than five minutes," Rivi replied.

Rivi shut her computer and walked into her cube. Exactly four minutes later, she was standing in the back yard of Dan's home. She shrank her cube and put it back into the sphere. Rivi looked around her, trying to hypothesize what could be wrong with Daniel.

Wasn't it just a little over a week ago that I stood here talking to him? He seemed fine then. What on this planet could he possibly have caught that even the doctors here can't recognize? Rivi puzzled to herself. Well, I guess there's just one way to find out.

Rivi walked up the steps to the back door and knocked politely. A man she did not recognize answered the door.

"Hello, sir. Are you Dan's foster father?" Rivi asked.

"Yes, and you must be Rivinaig."

"Yes, sir," Rivi replied.

"You can call me Mr. Broughten," the man said as he shook Rivi's hand and motioned her inside. "Dan is upstairs with my wife."

"Mrs. Erica ... I've met her."

"Yes, she told me," Mr. Broughten said with a smile, as he led Rivi into the kitchen and up the stairs.

Rivi looked around at the top of the stairs and saw a door open to her right. Inside, lying in a bed, was Dan. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. Mrs. Erica sat beside him in a chair, wiping a cloth across his forehead.

"What are his symptoms?" Rivi asked, as she stepped to the edge of the doorway.

"We don't know, exactly. He says his head bothers him terribly. He has a high fever, and his heartbeat is extremely fast. Other than that, he just can't sleep well," Mrs. Erica replied.

"Is he awake now?" Rivi asked, walking to the other side of Dan's bed, noticing the many books and encyclopedias sitting open on his floor and on the desk that sat by his bed.

She pulled the chair out from the desk and slid it up beside the bed.

"No, he just closed his eyes a few minutes ago, but he keeps waking up." Mrs. Erica answered.

Rivi thought back to Ankh's advice when she was not feeling well.

"A lot of symptoms can be solved mentally, by the individual," Rivi mumbled to herself, as she put a hand on Dan's shoulder and shook him lightly, just enough to wake him.

Dan stretched his arms and grimacing then wrapped his arms around his head.

"Dan?" Rivi called gently, trying to get his attention. "Daniel."

Dan moved his arms and turned his head to look at Rivi.

"I'm afraid I don't feel much like working on our project right now, Riv," Dan joked in a frayed voice.

"We finished that project a while ago, Dan, and you know that," Rivi replied with a smile. "Right now, I have another project for you."

"Mmmm ... What is it?" Dan asked with a moan, as he grimaced against a wave of pain in his head.

"I need you to calm down. Your pulse is too high. I know your head is bothering you terribly, but listen to me. It is imperative that you take a few deep breaths and slow your heart rate," Rivi instructed calmly, even though worry was etched across her brow.

Never before could she remember seeing a person in this much pain. Well, except for one of the children who displayed similar symptoms in the middle of classes on Aun, a few years before. She had been sent away to the healers. She didn't come back for a few weeks.

The healers! Rivi thought to herself. That's it! They should know what is wrong.

She took Dan's wrist and felt for his pulse. Seeing that it was almost back to normal, and Dan was studiously keeping his breathing at an even pace, Rivi made up her mind.

"I think I should take you to the healers, Dan," Rivi replied, standing.

She stood and walked over to Dan's dresser. Folded and sitting neatly on top was his akat, the Aun garment Rivi had given him. She picked it up and placed it on the end of the bed.

"Mrs. Erica, can you please help Dan put these on, instead of his pajamas? They'll help him maintain the proper body temperature," Rivi said, as she turned and walked out of the room, followed by Mr. Broughten, who shut the door behind him.

"Where do you want to take him?" Mr. Broughten asked.

"To Aun. The healers there should know what is wrong with him, and I am certain they will be able to help him, whatever it is. I do remember seeing this, but I'm not sure what it is."

"Aun. That's where you're from, right?" Mr. Broughten asked, taking a deep breath.

"I was raised there, yes. I'm certain the healers on Aun will have a better time helping him than any of the doctors here on Earth," Rivi replied.

"Okay, he can go, so long as he'll be safe."

"I won't let anything happen to him," Rivi replied firmly.

"I'll go back in and see if they are ready," Mr. Broughten said.

"I'll be outside in the back yard," Rivi called as she headed downstairs.

#

Rivi waited beside her expanded silver cube until Mr. Broughten came out the back door, carrying Daniel. He set Dan down at the bottom of the stairs and helped him over to Rivi. She took Dan's hand and led him inside the cube. Rivi turned on the light bracelet around her wrist and lit up the box. She created a bench under Dan and straps so he wouldn't get hurt while they were on their way to Aun.

Rivi concentrated on the sides of the cube and made it lighter than air. Dan's foster parents on the ground watched as the cube headed out to space.