Lyon's Legacy: Catalyst Chronicles, Book One (11 page)

I knew the war wasn’t over.

Uncle Jackass sounded normal when he finally responded. “Maybe this is for the best in the long run. I still think you should stay on Earth with the child, Jo.”

“But my new job and fiancé are on the
Sagan
.”

“Then how am I supposed to see…Paul?” His mouth puckered as if he found my son’s name distasteful.

“I’m sure Jo will let you see him whenever she returns to Earth,” Dad said. “Right?”

“Sure.” The
Sagan
only returned to Earth every twelve to fifteen months, so Jackass wouldn’t have much influence. I felt it was wise to give him a peace offering, though. I pulled out a copy of the concert I’d attended and slid it across the polished oak table. “In the meantime, here’s something you’ll like, Uncle Jack. It’s Sean playing at the White Knight, a performance that never got recorded here.”

He snatched the disc and tucked it inside his suit jacket, then rose. “Don’t fo
rget to message me about developments, Joanna.” He stalked out of the room without saying another word.

The suits followed him. Zoë smiled and turned to me. “Congratulations, Jo. I like the name. Can I see baby Paul next year?”

“For personal or professional reasons?” I smiled back. “We’ll be happy to have you.”

After she left, Guzman shuffled toward me. “Ms. Lyon, about your stock...”

“Yeah?”

“You weren’t planning to keep it, were you?”

“Hell, yeah.” I got guilty pleasure out of seeing him wince. “And I’ll be reading the annual report quite closely, I promise.”

He left quickly. I wondered what he was going to tell people.

Only George, Dad, and I were left. “So, Joanna,” Dad said, “like your present?”

I looked back at him. “I can’t thank you enough
for helping me keep Paul, Dad, but…” I stared again at my handheld, at the amount of money Dad had just given me. “I really could have used this in college.”

His eyes widened. “I thought you wanted to do it all on your own.”

“How could I, when we’re too fucking rich for me to get financial aid? Didn’t you care at all what I wanted to do with my life, Dad?”

“Jack said he was taking care of everything for you and Cassie…”

“Yeah, well, he took care of Mom, but not me. Guess he thought it unnatural for a Lyon to do something else besides sing. Why didn’t you check on us yourself?”

“Did Cassie ever pass on my birthday or Christmas messages?”

“What messages?”

“The ones I sent you every year when you were still a child. I wasn’t allowed to contact you directly, you
see. That’s why Jack was supposed to be the go-between.”

I froze. “Mom never said anything...” I whispered. Why had she blocked him? Had she been vindictive, or had she done it with the best of intentions? There was more to my parents than I’d thought, mo
re than I’d ever know now with one dead.

Dad sighed as he looked at me. “I should have made more of an effort to contact you once you turned eighteen, Joanna, but it seemed you’d never forgiven me for leaving your mother. I’m really sorry about everything.
”

I glanced away. “I guess it’s my fault too. I never listened to your side of the story when you and Mom got divorced.”

“Well, if we’re both at fault…” Dad suddenly grasped my arm, making me look at him. Looking in my eyes, he sang the lines from Sean’s song:

Can’t you forgive me,

And never more roam?

He didn’t sound as grieved as Sean had at the performance, but I had to dig my nails into my skin to keep from crying again. One look at my dad’s face, and I flung myself into his arms for a hug. We staye
d like that long enough for Paul to kick inside me.

Dad pulled away and looked down at my belly, eyes wide with delight. “I felt him! I felt my grandchild move!”

I grinned. “Yeah, he thinks I’m a punching bag.” I hesitated. “Maybe I can forgive you, Dad, but I can’t stay. I have to keep Paul and my uncle separated as much as possible.”

He sighed. “That’s probably wise. But I hate to lose you so soon after connecting with you again.”

“If you message me, I’ll answer. And we can visit when we return to Earth.”

“Something to look forward to.” Dad turned to George. “You take good care of my daughter and grandson when you’re out there in space.”

“Don’t worry, sir.” George’s face was as solemn as a promise, but he winked at me before continuing, “Jo can take care of herself—as long as she’s not wearing high heels.”

“Sounds like there’s a story behind that.” Dad offered me his arm. “Why don’t you two tell me about it over lunch?”

We left together for a long-overdue family reunion.

* * *

A few days later, the three of us made a trip to the TransAIDS Long-Term Care Facility where Mom had lived. We all brought our guitars; I also carried a yellow rose. Mom had been cremated to destroy the viruses in her body, but there was a special memorial for the TransAIDS patients on the grounds. The ashes of each victim were sealed in a compartment in a long, hollow wall, then they mortared a piece of black marble with the victim’s name, date of birth, and date of death over the compartment. The compartment locations were available online, but we chose to walk the wall and study all the names. It took a lot longer to find Mom, but it felt appropriate.

Mom’s compartment was in the middle of the wall, about chest level for me. I traced my fingers over the e
ngraved lettering. It was still hard to believe that I’d never have tea with her again. Dad leaned his head against her compartment for a long time, as if he were communicating with her. The marble was slick when I touched it again.

After I laid my rose on
the top of the wall, the three of us played Sean’s song.

I don’t know if Mom still exists, but I like to think if her soul still lives somewhere, she heard us.

* * *

And so that brings me up to today, the day George and I get married. When I started
making this holo, I didn’t realize I’d have so much to say. I’ll have to edit this down before I let Paul see it; there’s probably some things in here he doesn’t need to know about his mom! One of these days I’ll get around to it….

Lizabeth and Olivia help
ed me finish getting ready; now they’re off getting dressed themselves, giving me a chance to make this last holo. They told me I look wonderful, but I think they’re just being nice. I might not be as huge as a whale yet, but my belly’s bigger than before.

I’m still a little scared about getting married and having a baby, but at least I’m not alone anymore. I’ve got George, the most wonderful man in the world, and after what we’ve already been through, I know we’ll be able to handle marriage. I’ve got Dad
and my new co-workers to turn to for advice. And this may sound odd, but I’ve got Great-Granddad on my side. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t met his alternate. Thanks, Sean, and I hope you and Great-Grandma Baby are together and happy.

I’m try
ing to think of something to tell you, Paul, some words of wisdom to finish this off. They’re hard to find, though. I hope now that you know the truth of who you are and where you came from, you’re not angry with us for keeping it from you—for however long I managed it. I didn’t want you to go through what I did when I was growing up. You’ll always be compared to Sean, and there’s nothing either of us can do about that. But no matter what my uncle wants, you don’t have to do what he says. No matter what you do with your life, I’m sure you’ll do it well.

And you’ll be loved, Paul. No matter what happens, both George and I will always love you. I promise you that.

Dad’s limo has pulled up, all decorated with streamers. It’s time to go to the ceremony. But I just noticed something odd when I looked in the mirror, something so strange I have to record it.

Maybe it’s the pregnancy, or more likely, the wedding outfit. But for once in my life, I don’t look like Great-Granddad at all.

THE END

Acknowledgements and Dedication

Thanks to Aviva Rothschild and Susan Ryan for inspiring the original draft of this story with their own works.

So many people critiqued different versions of this story that I’m not sure I remember them all. Some of the people who have helped me improve this story are Heather Barnes, Sam Butler, Susan Curnow, Heidi Garrett, Elizabeth Hull, Gregg
Lipschik, Ian Morrison, Darrell Newton, Walter Williams, Ann Winter, and Zvi Zaks. With the exception of Heather Barnes, they were or are members of the Online Writing Workshop for SF, Fantasy, and Horror. If I’ve missed anyone, I apologize. Any errors in this book are my own.

Lauren Sweet was both developmental editor and line/copyeditor, and Meghan
Derico of Derico Photography designed the cover. Both of them did fantastic jobs.

Special thanks go out to my husband, Eugene Almazan, and my son, Alex, for supporting me through the writing and publishing process.

Finally, I would like to dedicate this novella to my writing mentor, Kathleen Massie-Ferch, who passed away in 2002.

A Note from the Author

Thank you for reading this story; I hope you enjoyed it. Please consider reviewing it on Amazon or telling your friends about it. Word-of-mouth is the best way for books to find new readers.

I am an independent SF/fantasy writer. Here are some of my other works:

The Book of Beasts
(fantasy, short story)--Jonur, a biology student at the University of Selath, doesn't believe in demons or magic. He thinks there's a rational explanation why almost nothing lives in the area around Lake Forsaken. As he and his p
artner collect samples from the area, they become sick themselves. Then Jonur encounters a foreign girl with a stranger book. She claims the area is poisoned and that Jonur and his partner are now affected. However, she plans to use her book to create an animal that can neutralize the poison. Who is this girl? Can she and Jonur work together to fulfill her plan, or will she let him die?
Silver Rain
(fantasy, short story)--Every spring,
Marthe's town is covered with illusions by silver rain, but she's the only one who can't see them. When a handsome poet shares his verses with her, she learns to appreciate beauty. However, everyone else stares at her poet as if they know something she doesn't. What is truth and what is illusion, and will Marthe learn the difference between them before she loses her lover?

Letters to Psyche
(fantasy, short story
)-- When the Greek god Cupid visits Verona, he foresees no problems uniting the Montague and Capulet families. But when Elisabeth Capulet and Giovanni Montague's love ends in tragedy, Elisabeth places a powerful curse not on just the families, but Cupid himself. Unable to visit his wife Psyche, he sends her letters detailing his efforts to undo the curse. Can the two of them save another generation of lovers, or will Cupid and Psyche be forever parted?

Please check out
my website
,
my blog
,
or
my Facebook fan page
to fi
nd out when I release new titles. You can also
sign up for my mailing list
to get one of my short stories free!

For more in the Catalyst Chronicles series, please check out the following excerpts from “The Mommy Clone,” a short story set between
Lyon’s Legacy
and
Twinned Universes,
and
Twinned Universes
, the second book in the Catalyst Chronicles series.

Thanks again.

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan

Bonus Material:
“The Mommy Clone” Sample!

All Joanna wants to do is entertain her children for a couple of hours while her husband is busy. The multi-story bouncy house promises to be fun, but someone else stalks them, someone wearing Joanna's face. Will Joanna escape with both children, or will her son fall prey to the Mommy Clone?

It was the largest bouncy house in the world. Five stories high, each level—all with unique themes—strong enough to support parents along with their kids. Jo’s dad had recommended it as something Paul and Cassie would enjoy. How often did two spaceship-bound kids get the chance to experience something dedicated to childhood? But as Jo stared at the entrance, thronged with families, its gaudy colors reminded her of a clown: cheerful but menacing.

It has to be fine,
she reassured herself.
I wasn’t expecting it to be this big. It would be so easy for the kids to get lost or separated, and here on Earth they could disappear, never to be found....

Cassie dropped her stuffed dinosaur and wailed. As Jo retrieved it, Paul, already set to make her worst fears come true, sprinted for the entrance.

“Paul, come back here! We haven’t paid yet!”

He ignored her. Time to use the Mommy Voice. “Paul Lyon Harrison, get back here before I count to three, or we’re leaving! One...two....”

He circled back, gazing up at her with a smile and soulful blue eyes. Sean’s eyes. Even at five, Paul possessed their legendary ancestor’s cockiness. Jo had known Sean’s clone would be difficult, but she hadn’t expected him to be so rebellious so soon. Why had she ever thought herself capable of raising him?

Because Uncle Jackass could never love Paul for who he is, only for whom he’s cloned from.
Only yesterday at their annual, carefully supervised meeting, Uncle Jack kept quietly referring to Paul as “the project,” staring at him like he was the one thing all his credits couldn’t buy. Jo ground her teeth together. Her uncle might have made Paul’s existence possible by sponsoring her trip to Sean’s universe, but she’d been the one to nurture Paul into his own independent person. And she’d give everything to keep him that way.

Pushing down an urge to squeeze her son—she couldn’t mix affection with discipline—Jo told him, “Take off your shoes and put them in the cubby, please.” She kicked off her own,
then knelt to assist Cassie.

Paul obeyed the first part of her instructions,
then said, “I can’t reach that high.”

“I know you can. The chocolate chip cookies in Grandpa’s pantry were up much higher.”

“I had to get the cookies,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I didn’t want the ice cream. It was vanilla, and I hate vanilla.”

Poor kid; he was still upset that his childhood sweetheart had thrown ice cream at him during his birthday party. It was sad and funny at the same time, but he’d get over it someday. “Yes, but you should have asked first instead of just taking them....”

Cassie had taken advantage of the distraction to wander off. Panic clenched Jo as she searched for her. What if she got lost, or hurt, or...? Her heart resumed beating when she saw her three-year-old daughter pressed up against a counter filled with candy and cheap toys. “Me want!” Cassie protested as Jo dragged her back to where she’d left Paul.

“Not now, Sweetie.”

Fortunately, Cassie’s temperament was mellower than her brother’s, and she settled down. Somehow Jo managed to wrangle both children to the ticket booth and trade an obscene amount of credits for three matching paper bracelets.

What a low-tech security system. There’s got to be a better way to keep families together in this madhouse.
She wished George had been able to come with her instead of meeting with his relatives to discuss how to care for his parents.  If she’d gone with him, both children would have been bored into trouble before ten minutes passed. Cassie and Paul were better off coming here instead, even if she had to handle two children by herself in such a crowded place. She hoped they’d be too exhausted to act up during her meeting with the lab supply rep later.

I’m too used to knowing everyone on the
Sagan
by sight. No child molesters or kidnappers can come near here without setting off an alarm. We’ll be fine...I hope.

Still, she couldn’t help but grasp both children’s hands tightly as they passed through a tunnel to the play area.

Find the rest of the story at
Amazon
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