Quantum Highway: Chapter One
[Prologue Part 1] [Prologue Part 2]
I finally made myself sit down and work on this today. 5 1/2 hours later et voilà! I hope you enjoy reading it!
Warning: Homophobic language. (not the opinion of the author!)
Implied domestic violence.
While on one of her many walks around Strangetown, Bunny came across an unusual sight. Her heart immediately went out to the boy crying at an unmarked grave. He looked so lonely, so alone. Before Bunny could make her way inside the yard, a woman emerged from the greenhouse and began yelling at the boy.
"You! Grunt! Maggot! Haven't I told you not to come around here? Unless you want to join her in the hereafter, I suggest you carry your miserable self back to that sorry excuse for a father of yours.Don't let me catch you here again. Am I making myself clear?"
The boy didn't answer. He ran for the gate, the tears still stinging his eyes.
"Wait!" Bunny tried to stop him, but he didn't hear her; he didn't even see her. He ran right past her without a word.
Bunny walked into the yard.
"Excuse me," she called, "but why were you being so mean to that boy? Didn't you see how upset he was? How could you yell at him like that?"
The woman turned and approached Bunny.
"You, too. Off with you! And get that mangy beast off my property."
Bunny didn't move.
"Go on. Get!"
Bunny took a deep breath.
"First of all, Strudel does not have mange, so he can't be mangy. Second of all, you didn't answer my question. Third of all, that's a magnificent specimen of helianthus. What kind of fertilizer do you use? I only use organic compost because all that chemical stuff is bad for the environment. Plus, if Strudel was to eat flowers treated with chemicals, he might get sick. Anyway, hi. I'm Bunny."
"Bunny?" Do I know you, little girl? Who are your people?"
"When I tell you my name, you're supposed to tell me yours. Pascal says that's the polite thing to do. We'll start again. Hi. I'm Bunny."
"Ah. Of course. The Curious brothers are intent on carrying on their father's legacy. Hopefully Pascal won't do to you what Glarn did to his alien spawn. Bunny is a rather frivolous name for a Curious."
"It's a family name. Pascal says that people would expect him to name me something with galactic connotations, but he says that has been done to death so he named me for my great-great grandmother on his mother's side. I guess we'll have to try once more. I am Bunny, and you are...?"
"Olive Specter."
"It's very nice to meet you, Olive."
"Didn't Pascal teach you respect for your elders? You should address me as Mrs. Specter."
"Actually, Olive, Pascal says that there is no logical reason for children to be treated as inferiors simply because of their age. Pascal also says that we show people our respect by how we treat them, not by what we call them. So, my calling you Olive isn't disrespectful at all since Olive is your name. Even though you haven't answered my very valid question as to why you were mean to that boy, I'll assume you have your reasons. Maybe you don't even really know why you did it. It could simply be conditioned behavior which has lost its original impetus over time. I, however, will take the high road and answer your question. You wanted to know who my people are? Correct? Well, you already figured out that Pascal is my earthly parent. I don't know the other one, because he (or she or it--we're not sure if aliens even have a gender binary) lives in outer space. Anyway, it all started the day my Uncle Vidcund met Erin Beaker."
"Erin has psychic abilities, but nobody believes her. One day, she was in her apartment painting--that's one of the ways her psychic ability is expressed. Kind of like automatic writing, but with paint. Anyway, the picture was of someone being abducted. Erin had a premonition that it was Pascal. She can also read pet minds. She told me lots of interesting stuff about Strudel, but I shouldn't digress too much or you'll lose interest. That's what Pascal always says. 'Don't digress, Bunny. Keep to the point.' Anyway, Erin felt obligated to tell Pascal about the painting."
"Pascal was at work when she came by, so she told Vidcund. Vid says he had to stop himself from laughing in her face. That would have been rude. Anyway, Vidcund thanked Erin for her concern, but he also told her that the Curious brothers hold no truck with so-called psychic ability, but base their lives on logic and real science. That's a funny turn of phrase, isn't it? Hold no truck? Anyway, Vid told Erin that since he and Pascal spend virtually every night star-gazing AND given that their dad was abducted, it wasn't too much of a leap to assume that either he or Pascal or both of them might some day meet aliens."
Olive interrupted. "This seems as though it might be a rather long story. Why don't we go inside before we are victims of heat stroke."
"Sure, Olive. That sounds great. Thank-you for inviting me."
"Well, Pascal would say it is the polite thing to do, yes?" Olive couldn't stop herself from chuckling.
"Anyway, as I was saying, Erin totally predicted what happened. Even though Pascal and Vidcund didn't believe her, Lazlo--that's my other uncle--says there's freaky stuff in the universe and that just because we can't reproduce certain things in the lab doesn't mean they're not real. Lazlo is so smart about things like that. He's a different kind of smart from Pascal and Vidcund and ..."
"Bunny..."
"Oh, yes. Digressing. Sorry."
"So, that night when Pascal was star-gazing, it happened. He says he doesn't remember anything about what happened on the ship."
"They brought him home after a few hours. Other than being a little sore and disoriented, Pascal says it was an honor to be chosen as a host for an inter-species being."
"Soon enough, it was time and I was born."
"Pascal says as soon as he saw me, he knew my name should be Bunny."
"I was apparently a very precocious toddler and learned all my skills in one night. Pascal says once I learned to talk, I never stopped. He's so funny. Everyone knows you can't talk when you're sleeping, so to say I NEVER stopped is a bit misleading, wouldn't you say, Olive?"
"I suppose Pascal hasn't taught you hyperbole?"
"No, what's that?"
"Never mind. Please continue, Miss Bunny."
"Well, I had a birthday one night when Pascal and Vidcund were at work. It was just me and Lazlo and Lazlo's friend, but I'm not supposed to say Lazlo was entertaining when Pascal and Vidcund weren't home. I think it surprised them when I transitioned. Lazlo says one minute I was in my crib and the next I was standing in the kitchen, all grown up. He says I have a talent for showing up in places I have no business. Kind of like I did today, right, Olive?"
"Well, yes. I suppose one could say that. Then again, perhaps you have a talent for showing up exactly where you are needed."
"That's what I think. Anyway, after I grew up, I got a little lonely. Pascal and Vid were working a lot and Lazlo seemed to be at home less and less. They hired a nanny for me, but she spent more time in our pool than she did with me. So I started asking Pascal if I could get a pet. I wanted a llama, but Pascal said the desert is too hot for them. I asked for a dog instead. Pascal said dogs are dirty and get fleas and have accidents in the house. I said I would clean up after it and do my best to keep everything clean.He still said no"
"I decided to wait until Pascal was distracted with the newspaper. He likes to read the science section undisturbed every day. So, in my softest voice, I asked if I could have a puppy. Pascal's so funny when he's reading. Even when he doesn't hear what someone is saying, he just says 'um-hmm' to everything. That's what he did when I asked. 'Um-hmmm.' So, I called Planetary Pets and got Strudel."
"I tried not to make it so bad by getting a very small dog. But then Strudel grew up."
"He's still the best. We play together all day. I even taught him to play dead all on my own."
"For a while, it was just the four of us and Strudel. We almost had another family member, Lazlo's friend Crystal."
"One day, Crystal asked Lazlo out to lunch and told him she thought they were incompatible. Crystal is very grown-up and very serious. Pascal says having Lazlo for a brother is like having a perpetual child in the house, so I can kind of see Crystal's point. Still, I think she was wrong to give up on Lazlo. He's the most fun grown-up I know."
"Anyway, they are still good friends, just not boyfriend and girlfriend anymore."
"And then there's my cousin, Shrödinger. Vid met aliens two nights after Pascal. Shrödinger's okay I guess, for a boy. He always says I am disturbing his thinking because I talk too much. He is a lot like Vidcund. He doesn't like to get dirty or have any fun at all. He gets so mad when Strudel gets on his bed. He goes on and on about germs and how he'll never get his bedding back to pristine cleanliness. I mean, it's not like we don't have a washing machine or anything."
"Oh, the funniest thing ever happened last week. Pascal invited the headmaster so we could get into private school. During the dinner, Lazlo decided to take a bath in the kitchen sink! Right in front of the headmaster. I thought it was hilarious, especially when Pascal started saying that Lazlo was a distant relative and wasn't familiar with our culture, like Lazlo was an alien or something."
"I guess the headmaster believed him, because we got in. Isn't that just the funniest thing, Olive?"
"Um. Yes. Utterly hilarious."
"So, Olive, who are your people?"
"Well, my niece, Ophelia, lives here with me. Other than her, I don't have any people left. The graves of my parents, my sister, and her husband are out there in the yard. I did, once, have a ... well, that's not important right now.. Are you enjoying your gelatin?"
"Yes. It's quite good. So, are you related to that boy who was crying? Why was he crying in your yard?"
"Well, Bunny, you'll notice there are five graves out there. There used to be more, but after I retired I decided to spruce the place up a bit. I had all the graves except those five moved to a cemetery. The fifth grave belongs to the boy's mother. She died here, right outside my front door. I'm not sure why I kept it here. If I'd have sent her off with the others, I wouldn't have to deal with..." Olive's voice trailed off. "I'm sure Pascal is wondering where you are. I think you should probably be heading home now."
The two of them walked outside.
Before Olive could register what was happening, before she could stop it from happening, tiny arms reached up and embraced her. To her own surprise, Olive found herself hugging the child tightly. She could feel tears beginning to well up. She stood up.
"As I was saying, you should be getting home."
"Bye Olive! I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"I, uh, well, yes. I will see you tomorrow, Bunny."
"Who is that boy, anyway?"
"Ripp Grunt. Stay away from the Grunts, Bunny. They are nothing but trouble, especially for someone like you."
"Fine. Go. Don't ever come back."
Those were the words Ripp heard his father say just before his mother left and never came back.
They didn't know he was at the window. He'd heard them arguing and had looked out just in time to hear his father utter those fateful words. Never come back. She didn't, and as far as Ripp was concerned, the fault was all his father's. He would never forget and he would never forgive.
Time passed and the Grunt boys grew. Tank, who didn't hear their father's words, assumed it was all Lyla's fault. As he'd gotten older, he'd heard the rumors about her. People whispered. Sometimes they whispered loud enough that he heard, most likely on purpose. Although he wasn't one to back down from a fight, at those times Tank found himself wishing he could just disappear. He kept his head down and his nose clean. He was a straight A student, captain of the football team, and planned to follow in his father's footsteps with a career in the military.
Ripp was everything Buzz and Tank were not. He was lazy and sloppy. He was sarcastic. He knew just which buttons to push to get Tank in a state and he did it often. Buck, ever quiet and shy, retreated from it all. Buck's one wish was for his family to be happy.
The hostility of the two older boys seemed to be the driving force of the Grunt family dynamic. Ripp would say something that would goad Tank to violence. It seemed they didn't know another way to deal with their pain. Tank could vicariously beat the crap out of the whisperers and Ripp would take the punishment as atonement for his hatred of his father.
It often ended with Buck and Ripp in tears and the general lecturing the boys about fighting. Tank seemed almost gleeful as he laughed at his brother.
"Go on, cry, you weakling, you faggot."
"That's enough, Tank," Buzz would say with resignation, "That's enough, the both of you."
Buzz simply didn't know what to do with his boys. He hadn't exactly had much in the way of support or tenderness from his own father. He was always told to toe the line, to follow orders, and that's what he did. The problem was that his boys weren't nearly as compliant as he had been. Of course, General Chip Grunt had also believed in using whatever means necessary to convince Buzz that obedience was preferable to rebellion. Buzz had felt the sting of his father's fists whenever he stepped out of line and he felt he was a better man because of it. He could never bring himself to strike his own children, though.
Maybe it was because of Lyla. She was gentle and kind and some of her softness blunted Buzz's hard edge. She wouldn't stand for corporal punishment of the children. Even though she was gone, Buzz felt like he would be letting her down if he resorted to physical means to control the boys.
Eventually, being in the house where Lyla had once lived got to be too much for Buzz. Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of her. He sold their bed but was still plagued by nightmares. Over and over, he begged for her life, and over and over he was denied. He finally sold he house and moved the boys to a different part of Strangetown, telling them it shortened his commute to the base. Who did he think he was fooling with that story? It wasn't like Strangetown was some sprawling metropolis. The boys didn't say anything, though. In the Grunt household, speaking real feelings was not something anyone was accustomed to, especially since Lyla had gone.
Of course, a change of location did nothing to improve Tank and Ripp's relationship. They still fought constantly. Under some misguided notion, Buzz thought that having them share a room would force them to get along. He was wrong.
"Are you going to hit me, faggot? No, I forgot. You're too much of a girl to do that."
"Shut up, Tank, or I will hit you. You're just like him, you know. And you're going to end up just like him, too. Bitter and alone. You both deserve it."
"Yeah, I didn't think so. You think it hurts me for you to tell me I'm like Dad? It doesn't. At least I'll never be a worthless loser like you, fag."
Buzz had been alone for years. He had tried dating a few times, but he always backed out when things looked like they might get serious. He didn't trust himself not to mess things up. It was easier to be alone.
That all changed the day he was invited to a barbeque at the Picaso house.
Matthew introduced him to Crystal Vu. The two of them hit it off right away. While they were waiting for the burgers to cook, they stood apart from the other guests, talking. Buzz had never met someone that shared his views on so many topics. They were both ambitious and serious. They liked to work out. She even laughed at his somewhat stiff attempts at humor.
It didn't hurt that she was so pretty, either. Buzz found himself getting a little weak in the knees whenever he looked into those clear blue eyes. He knew she'd been dating Lazlo Curious, but he'd heard around town that she had broken things off. How a woman as accomplished as Crystal could have been involved with that loser was beyond Buzz. At least she'd come to her senses. Buzz decided to chalk it up to youth and hormones.
When they sat down to eat, Buzz tried to pay attention to what Jessica was saying, but he found himself stealing glances at Crystal and wondering what it would be like to release her hair from that ponytail.
Everything she said captivated him. He didn't ever remember feeling like this in a woman's presence. He felt young again. He began to feel something like hope.
The day after the party, he called Crystal and asked her on a date. He was pleasantly surprised when she accepted. They drove into Pleasantview to the movie theater. On the drive over, conversation was effortless. Buzz relaxed and decided if he ever had a shot at happiness, it would be with this woman. He kept telling himself to take it easy, not to screw it up.
After the movie, they went to the theater's café for dessert.
"Buzz, what's wrong? You look a million miles away."
"I was just thinking about how good of a time I'm having. I think I'd forgotten what being happy felt like."
"I'm happy, too, Buzz. I've never been happier."
They lingered over dessert, talking into the early morning hours.
"Can I see you again?"
She winked at him. "Roger that, General."
Over the next few months, they saw each other regularly. They talked on the phone for hours every night. Most importantly, they were so at ease together Buzz could relax and be himself. For the first time ever, he didn't feel like he had to live up to someone else's expectations.
When he kissed her for the first time, it was magical. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, if she would have him.
He eventually invited her to a family dinner so the boys could meet her. He'd spent all morning struggling with a recipe for lasagna. Fortunately, it had come out perfectly. The boys were on their best behavior. Buzz was especially pleased with Ripp; he'd toned down his usual sarcasm and turned up the charm. He was even gracious, a trait most likely inherited from Lyla.
There were a few awkward silences, but all-in-all, the boys seemed to like Crystal. He had expected more resistance.
Buck seemed most taken with Crystal. Of course, Buck didn't remember Lyla. He was so young when she'd left, that he had basically grown up without ever knowing what it was like to have a mother. Of the three boys, Buck perhaps needed a mother in his life most.
Crystal began spending more time at the house and seemed intent on connecting with each of the boys. She talked about sports with Tank, music with Ripp, and art and design with Buck. She accepted the boys as they were and the more acceptance she showed them, the more fond they grew of her. She made it clear that she would never try to take their mother's place. She was more comfortable in the role of friend than in that of surrogate for a dead mother.
Finally, Buzz prepared for a very special night out. He was going to propose.
She looked so beautiful, she nearly took his breath away. He didn't generally believe in such nonsense as soul mates, but if there were such a thing, Crystal Vu was his.
"Crystal, I love you with all my heart. I would be honored if you would be my wife."
The night had been perfect. She had accepted and all was right in Buzz's world. When he got home, he was so happy, so wound up, he couldn't sleep. He stepped out onto the deck and decided to see if he could see the last of the meteor shower predicted for that night. He focused the telescope on the night sky. And then the unthinkable happened.
They came for him.