(Four parts. 4000 words.)
One
Terrance took his seat on the rundown ship. It was the first of many vessels he would require to reach his journey’s end … wherever that may be. Despite being unable to pronounce his destination or even locate it on a map, he had never once considered not going. To lose the bet and, as a result, the woman he loved was not an option.
The transit ship bound for the Mars Station was only at half capacity. It was one of the older models made exclusively of magic-metal, the element that had unlocked intergalactic travel nearly four centuries before. Old-fashioned LED boards plastered on its silver walls cycled through ads of companies that had long since failed. Terrance didn’t think much of the oddity. The Shooting Star Company had been in operation as long as space travel had existed.
Adjusting his earbuds, Terrance reviewed the flight path on his flexible screen. The AI stewardess hadn’t been able to tell him the name of his destination, but she had managed to plot a route to get there. Based on her calculations, the total journey would take just over a week each way. All that was required to win the bet would be to get his virtual passport stamped at the final terminal.
Terrance looked up at a tap on his shoulder. He removed his left earbud and frowned at the old man standing before him.
“These taken?” the old-timer asked. He lifted his magic-metal cane and pointed at the faded black seats directly across from Terrance. Like every pair of seats onboard every Shooting Star vessel, they were covered in outdated star maps.
Terrance stuck his head out of the small compartment and gestured to the rest of the nearly-empty vessel. “Plenty of other cabins. I’m sure you can get one to yourself.”
The old man smiled, revealing a mouth spotted with silver teeth. “This one suits me just fine, young man. The name is Doran by the way.”
Terrance glared at the other man. He had no plans to share his cabin on an overnight trip when there were plenty of others free. However, just as he stood to relocate, the voice of the AI pilot announced their imminent departure. Scowling, Terrance fastened his belt and prepared for the ascent from Earth’s surface.
“You didn’t tell me your name,” the old man said as the ship began to rumble. Before fastening his restraining belt, he took off his dark jacket, folded it, then carefully arranged it atop the bag on the empty seat beside him.
“Terrance.”
“You from Earth?” Doran asked.
Terrance nodded. In an effort to silence the old man he raised his screen and began to scroll through the latest headlines. Of course, just as he began to read something of interest, the AI pilot force-closed the device.
“What about you, old man?” Terrance asked with an exasperated sigh. “Where you from? Why did you decide to sit with me?”
Doran smiled. “It no longer matters where I’m from. It only matters where I’m going next, and that just so happens to be to the same place as you.”
“You’re going to the furthest terminal from Earth?” Terrance pried. How had the old man known where he was going? What was he hoping to gain?
“I feel I owe it to myself to see it one last time,” Doran replied with a gleam in his eyes. “The end of existence is a sight to behold.”
“So, you’ve been there before?”
Doran nodded. “Just once … many, many years ago.”
Terrance produced his ticket-card and waved it in the old man’s direction. The strange runic language printed on the front side sparkled in the artificial light of the compartment. “Do you know what this says then?”
The other man nodded. “The Border.”
To Terrance’s chagrin, Doran went to sleep seconds after takeoff, denying him the opportunity to ask further questions. Still, there was something about what the elderly man had said, the conviction in his voice that made Terrance believe Doran had told the truth.
The Border … border to what? Terrance wondered as the ship rocketed through Earth’s atmosphere.
The old man had claimed the terminal marked the end of existence. But everyone knew there was no actual end to the universe; there was only an end to how far humans could travel within it. And those limits were temporary. Systems impossible to reach centuries before had since been traversed and mapped in detail. It was only a matter of time before humans could travel everywhere in creation.
Was the old man insinuating that there was another form of intelligent life? Despite exploring the universe for centuries, no evidence of another sentient species had ever been discovered. Of course, mankind had never given up on finding it. Whoever made first contact would be the most famous human of all time, the person who changed everything.
I guess I’ll see the truth for myself soon enough…
Terrance took a deep breath as the ship finally cleared the rocky atmosphere. At the first opportunity, he released his restraining belt and made to leave the tiny compartment. He glanced back at the snoring old man before crossing the threshold and shook his head.
“Don’t wait up.”
Two
The old man was persistent.
It took three connecting flights for Terrance to finally escape Doran’s constant presence – and that was only because they were on their way to New Earth. Linking three systems and the three closest versions of Earth, the terminal beyond Eris was as busy as one of the great ancient airports. Millions of humans passed through the massive station every year.
Terrance met the old man’s eyes through the cabin’s sliding door. True to his infuriating nature, Doran gave him a subtle wink before shuffling toward the back of the gigantic passenger ship. If there had even been one seat available, the old man would have taken it without comment, just as he had onboard the two previous ships.
Of course, Terrance couldn’t dismiss Doran entirely. He kept expecting the old man to expound upon his previous journey to the Border, but all Doran seemed to do was sleep. If the experience had truly been so life-changing, wouldn’t the old want to talk about it?
There was also the unresolved matter of Doran’s motivation, why he had sought Terrance out in the first place. Terrance reasoned the old man hoped to secure a guardian contract to ensure he reached his destination. Regardless of his desire to learn more about the Border, Terrance wasn’t willing to take on such a damning responsibility. There was no telling how old the strange man really was. He looked as if he was on death’s doorstep.
Helping Doran reach the Border would be far more trouble than it was worth.
*
Terrance didn’t see Doran again until he stood in line to board the ship that would take him from New Earth to the station at the edge of the next system. At first, he wasn’t sure what the commotion at the front of the queue was about. Only as he passed a quartet of white-clad nurses, did he recognize the man lying on the ground.
Shit, Terrance thought upon seeing the old man’s face. It looked as if Doran had aged centuries since he had last seen him. His silver hair had inexplicably turned white, and his blue eyes were milky and distant. Doran had already been at least a hundred years old, it seemed impossible that the man could have aged further.
As Terrance turned to walk away, one of the nurses grabbed his shoulder. “You’re his traveling companion, right?” The man held up the small screen in his hand. “I’ll need confirmation before we release him into your care.”
The instant Terrance made eye contact, the screen revealed a picture of him seated onboard the Shooting Star ship that had taken him from Earth. Terrance’s heart sunk as a green line snaked around the edge of the picture and verified his identity. Somehow, the old man had managed to make him his designated guardian.
Doran grinned as one of the other nurses helped him to his feet.
Terrance sighed and stepped out of line. He couldn’t leave the old man alone now. The responsibility of a guardian was not something to be taken lightly. Not to mention that Doran would have been required to put up a reward. If they truly were destined to be stuck together, he could at least make a profit.
“What’s wrong with him?” Terrance asked.
“Just a dizzy spell,” Doran muttered, pushing the nurses away with his magic-metal cane. “Death hasn’t come for me just yet.”
While his smile was genuine, the old man’s face retained its newly-found ancientness. It was apparent that whatever sort of episode he had experienced had been no act, that he was very near to his end.
Terrance took the old man by the arm and waved off the nurses. “Let’s get you onboard.” Once they were out of earshot, Terrance growled, “What do you think you’re doing? Forging a guardian contract is a felony.”
Doran laughed. “You think I’m living to see the inside of cell? I told you once before, boy, that I’m seeing the Border again.” The elderly man nearly stumbled as they ascended the ramp into the spacious ship. “Besides,” he continued through heavy breaths, “didn’t you see how much I was paying you?”
Terrance shook his head.
“Best take a look then,” the old man said, tapping his screen against Terrance’s.
After seeing the payout, Terrance’s eyes grew impossibly wide. It was easy to ignore the blatantly forged signature upon seeing the king’s ransom the old man offered as a reward – more money than Terrance had earned in his entire life, then his parents and their parents had. It was enough to buy any house on any Earth. It was also an official guardian contract, meaning the funds had already been posted.
“Who are you?” Terrance asked.
Doran smiled, silver teeth gleaming in the overhead light. “Just a man who wants to see where it all began one more time.”
Three
“So, you’re going all this way to win a bet?” Doran asked.
Unlike their previous shared flights, the old man had secured a private cabin for the long voyage from New Earth. He sat in the window seat, examining his eerie reflection against the empty backdrop of space with evident fascination. In the bright overhead lights, it seemed that he had gained another decade, that he was aging right before Terrance’s eyes, that any moment could be his last.
“Yeah,” Terrance replied between bites of steaming stew. “I know it sounds a little crazy, but I assure you that it’s for a good cause.”
The old man’s dry laughter filled the small room. “A woman then.”
Terrance nearly choked. “How did you know?”
“Young men do stupid things to impress young women,” Doran chuckled. “Don’t worry, you never grow out of it. Old men do even worse. It’s much harder to catch a lady’s eye when you’ve lost your youth…”
The cabin was silent for a long moment.
“Are you certain you’re going to be able to make it?” Terrance finally asked.
Ever since he had seen the payout of the guardian contract, he hadn’t been able to think of much else. If going all the way to the Border didn’t impress his love – his newfound riches surely would. The thought of living a carefree life with her at his side was intoxicating.
Doran shrugged, examining a strand of his long white hair in the window. Against the eternal darkness of the space, his sunken face was ghostly, his blue eyes a lonely spark of light. “I’ve got to try, don’t I? Now that I have the help I need, I think I can manage another few days.”
“It is really worth it then? Seeing the Border one last time? Shouldn’t you be with your loved ones? Shouldn’t you want to tell them goodbye?”
“All dead,” Doran replied with a surprising flare of merriness in his voice. “Not too surprising if you take a look at me.”
“No kids? Grandkids?”
“Never married. Although, there was once a woman I nearly did…”
Terrance waited to speak until he was sure that the old man had finished his thought. “Will you tell me about the Border? I’ve been searching the Net for hours but haven’t found anything about it.”
“It’s something you have to see for yourself to believe. Words can’t properly describe it. That’s why you haven’t found any.”
Narrowing his eyes, Terrance finished his meal before speaking again. “If it’s some sort of top-secret location, then why even let us go there?”
“Oh, they will try to dissuade you from going. Only after you agree to the terms, will we be able to take the final ship.”
“So it’s dangerous?”
Doran laughed again. “Didn’t you see how much money I’m paying you?”
*
Doran only got worse. After departing from New Earth, he had fallen into a deep sleep. For a heart racing period of time after the ship docked at the next station, Terrance thought Doran had died, that the contract had voided.
Fortunately, the old man had eventually awoken.
Using what little personal funds he had remaining, Terrance secured a floating flat-bad to help Doran reach their next destination. He led the prone old man past the bustling terminal leading to Third Earth and into the quiet bay that would take them to the Border, maintaining constant contact to ensure his traveling companion was responsive.
True to Doran’s word, an AI interface stopped them at the gate. The glass panel before them filled with a red light, forbidding their progress.
“Please present your ticket-cards,” an electronic voice requested politely.
The sleek device controlling the gate came to a blue life as Terrance held the two ticket-cards in front of the AI’s sensors. “We’re headed to the Border.”
“Obviously,” the AI replied. “I see that one of you has been there before.”
“How would you know that?”
“Logic. Only those who have been to the Border know of its name.”
Terrance rolled his eyes. Sometimes, he hated AI. “Well, if you’ll just let us through, we’ll be out of your circuits. I see our ship is waiting.”
Of course, that would have been too easy. “For any travelers to the Border, I am required to ask and obtain answers to several questions. Both of you must respond.”
Terrance looked to the floating cart. To his surprise, Doran was alert. The old man’s blue eyes were focused on the AI gatekeeper before them. He gripped his magic-metal cane tightly with both hands in an apparent effort to quell his constant shaking. There was something else about him, something unseen – an aura of eagerness and anticipation.
“First,” the AI began. “Please confirm that your destination is indeed the Border.”
Terrance frowned. “It’s on our ticket-cards. What kind of question is–”
“My destination is the Border,” Doran interrupted.
With a sigh, Terrance followed suit.
“Second,” the AI continued, “Please agree that you will not hold the Shooting Star Company liable for any harm, known or unknown, or death that may result from your journey to the Border.”
Terrance hesitated. Shooting Star … the run-down travel company? What did it have to do with the Border? Was there actually a real risk of death? Regardless, it was far too late to back out now. Terrance could not return to Earth without the reward from the guardian contract. He had spent all his remaining funds to help Doran reach this point alive.
“I agree,” Doran said weakly.
“I do as well,” Terrance echoed.
“Then I wish you luck, travelers,” the AI replied. “Prepare yourselves for a life-changing experience like no other. The Shooting Star Company thanks you for your business.”
Four
The ship to the Border was small, made for at most ten passengers, however, they were the only two onboard. After a brief negotiation with the AI gatekeeper, Terrance had been permitted to bring along the flat-bed. As the compact ship sped through the darkness, he studied the dying man resting atop the floating surface.
“Ask your question, Terrance,” Doran coughed. His appearance was worse than ever. The pale skin clinging to his wrinkled face now revealed the definitive outline of his skull. His white hair had withered and fled until only scattered strands remained.
Terrance was quick to respond. At this point, he knew that the old man wouldn’t tell him anything about the Border itself, but another curiosity had taken up residence within his mind. “What does the Shooting Star Company have to do with the Border?”
Doran’s milky eyes filled with a sudden light. “What do you mean? They are the pioneer of space travel.”
“Shooting Star has been irrelevant for hundreds of years. Their technology and ships are outdated. Their cheap rates are the only reason I could even afford to get here, that I met you in the first place.”
“They are still space worthy though,” Doran grinned, silver teeth contrasting against his corpse-colored skin. The sight was odd on one so near death. “Why replace perfectly good ships?”
“To make more money,” Terrance shrugged.
Doran laughed weakly. “The Shooting Star Company owns magic-metal, the unique element that enables the expansion of mankind. Every other company is forced to buy their supply from them. Transit ships are only a small piece of their business.”
Terrance raised his brow. “And how do you know that?”
The old man pointed to the cane resting beside him with a shaking finger. “I made my fortune working for Shooting Star. The company gave me this cane as a reward for my service. I’ve carried it with me ever since.”
“And the money for the guardian contract?”
“Everything I have left,” the old man replied. “Don’t look at me like that. I already told you that I have no one else to give it to. You make sure that I reach the Border, and you’ll never have to worry about another thing.”
*
The ship docked in a small station made entirely of magic-metal. Terrance guided the floating bed to the terminal at the top of a wide stairway and studied the route ahead. There were no signs of life, only a small, narrow tunnel made of the strange element that delved deeper into the seemingly abandoned station.
“We’re here,” Terrance announced.
He raised his screen to the terminal and received the electronic stamp required to complete the bet. With his other hand, he grabbed Doran’s screen and repeated the process. Once the stamp had been validated, the funds from the guardian contract were released into his account.
I’ve done it! Terrance thought triumphantly as he observed his bank balance. I’ll never have to work another day in my life.
He turned at the sound of Doran’s heavy breathing. The old man had managed to slide off the flat-bed and stood on his own two feet, leaning against his magic-metal cane. Sensing Terrance’s gaze, he turned and nodded.
“The choice to see the Border itself is yours,” the old man said weakly. “After all, you’ve accomplished your goal and completed the guardian contract. I would completely understand if you want to go home to your lady friend.”
Terrance glanced over his shoulder back to the idle ship.
“Don’t worry about me,” Doran laughed. “I won’t be leaving this station. I have just enough energy remaining to reach my goal.”
Terrance frowned in thought. He hadn’t come all this way to leave now. He had to understand why a man so near death would travel all the way across the known universe to see the mysterious Border one last time.
“Let’s go,” Terrance replied. “I want to see it for myself.”
*
The tunnel was far longer than Terrance expected. It seemed to take hours to traverse its length. To his surprise, Doran led the way, the rhythmic tapping of his cane the only sound. Terrance knew the old man’s newfound strength for exactly what it was, his journey’s end – one last burst of energy before his death.
Eventually, the narrow tunnel began to slope upwards. Terrance caught up to the old man, whose pace had dramatically slowed, and helped him continue on. Doran voiced a weak word of thanks then fell silent.
Soon thereafter, Terrance felt a shift in the air around him, a sensation unlike anything he had ever known before.
Doran stopped. “The Border is just ahead. Whatever happens to me or within your own mind, do not go across. If you do, you will never return.” The old man turned and studied Terrance with his blue eyes. “Do you understand?”
Terrance nodded. “Are you … going to cross over?”
“Is it that obvious?” the old man grinned.
The Border was not what Terrance had expected. The tunnel ended abruptly, culminating in a series of uniform steps that led into a great, open chamber. The room was oddly transparent, surrounded by the darkness of space on all sides. The Border stood at the far end, an unbreaking wall of solid white light.
For a long moment, Terrance lost himself, transfixed by the strange sight. It was not at all what he had expected. It was something that he didn’t understand, that he couldn’t understand. Something powerful. Something alien. Perhaps … something divine.
“What’s on the other side?” Terrance asked as they approached.
“The last great mystery of existence,” Doran replied. The old man’s voice was weak, barely a whisper. His grip on Terrance’s arm was hardly noticeable. “Whatever it is, it is certainly alive. I’m sure you feel its presence as well.”
Terrance nodded. It was a brilliant, yet terrible thing. They stopped several paces before the barrier of light. He turned to the old man. “Why does it not cross over?”
“I do not believe it is able.” Doran released his arm and took a wobbling step forward with the aid of his cane. “It is what mankind has been searching for, another intelligent species. When this site was first found, it was studied extensively. As you can see, interest has died down due to lack of progress.”
Terrance stared at the Border in awe. “Can we can communicate with it?”
The old man nodded slowly. “The sensation is rather unpleasant. I still remember the sour taste all these years later.”
Terrance’s curiosity got the best of him. “Show me how.”
“Place one hand against the light,” Doran explained after a long moment. His words were hesitant, tinged with fear. “Don’t worry … you won’t pass through without a significant amount of effort.”
Terrance licked his lips, stepped forward and put his palm against the Border. A heartbeat later, a dark object carved through the light on the other side and crashed into the barrier. Terrance met Doran’s eyes in shock as he realized it was a human-shaped hand.
“Does it talk?”
The old man shrugged. “Nothing that we can understand.” As he spoke, Doran’s ghostly voice changed, inexplicably gaining strength. “However, it is obvious what it wants. It searches for a way to escape. A way to permanently cross to the other side.”
Terrance narrowed his eyes. “Permanently?” At the sound of the old man’s rich laughter, he tried to pull his hand away from the barrier.
He couldn’t.
“For now, it needs a host. You see, discovering this place was the beginning of the end for mankind. If I hadn’t found you, another would have come. Curiosity always kills in the end,” Doran replied.
The old man marched forward and placed his hand against the wall. Just as before, one emerged from the sublime light on the other side to meet it.
Terrance shook his head. The end of mankind? The thought was impossibly distant, almost refusing to be summoned entirely.
“What’s happening?” Terrance asked, suddenly weak.
It felt as if his very lifeforce was being siphoned through the Border. With every last ounce of his strength, he fought to break away, but it was to no avail. He was frozen in place. Sweat coated his body. His heart raced.
With horror, Terrance watched as the man beside him grew younger. Doran’s white hair turned to silver then to black in an instant. His wrinkles faded and life flushed his cheeks. His loose clothing was suddenly filled with muscle. His grip tightened on his magic-metal cane.
Behind the Border, the alien presence roared, shaking the barrier of light. Terrance looked down at his own body and found that his youth had bled away. He stumbled forward as his bones and muscles failed and crashed into the wall.
Doran grinned, his face a mirror image of what Terrance’s had once been. “Don’t wait up.”
With a murderous laugh, he sent Terrance across the Border.