Final Farewell

Jay flopped onto the bed, and sank into the pillow. He covered his eyes with his hands for a moment before flopping them back to his sides and staring up at the ceiling.
“Holly” he said “Start recording…voice only..”
“Righto” replied the AI.
“I turned the half-charged time drive over in my hands, and thanked Cass before she headed out of my quarters. Max was playing happily in the corner, and I smiled at him as he did.
It was impossible to describe how it felt to be a Dad. Every emotion you could imagine had consumed me at some point since I met Max. None more so than pride.
“C’mon Max” I told him as I stood, pocketing the time drive. And took him by the hand. “I’ve gotta go see uncle Phil, I’ll ask if Aunt Phi can take care of you for a while.”
Phi was surprisingly good with kids, I’d learned, all those times the others and I had been off ship she’d been taking care of him. He loved her, and she him. I had no idea how I’d break it to her when this was all over…
I found her on the promenade, she was more than happy to take care of Max, and I think grateful of the distraction from looking after Jade for a while. I said goodbye to Max. Told him to be good. He promised he would, and quickly started showing Phi the new toy I’d got him the other day. Then he showed the new toy Cass had given him, and Phi looked like she’d have a heart attack.
I watched them for a few minutes as Phi led Max by the hand and took him to the soft-play area. He loved it in there.
He had no care in the world, at least for now. ..I….”
“Jay, you there?” came a voice over the comm
“Smeg” Jay muttered “Holly pause recording – what is it Jamie?”
“I’ve finished the modifications to the Starbug you asked for…did you wanna take it for a spin? I think you’ll like it!”
“Thanks Jamie, maybe tomorrow – get some rest. It’s late”
“Soon. I’ve got to repair the grav plates on deck 7 first..”
“GET SOME REST!” Jay snapped back “You’re no good to anyone if you’re exhausted, the grav plating can wait”
He flopped his head back on the bed.
“Holly, resume recording…where was i…ah yeah…”
“I needed the time drive charged quicker than it was doing so by itself. There was only one person on the ship who could help with that. Cass was a genius when it came to robotics, sure – but time travel science was Phil’s exclusive domain. The guy practically invented it. It’s why the STCP forced him to work for them, a move they’re probably still regretting.
When I entered his quarters, the place was a mess. Everything overturned, furniture broken and smashed. I wasn’t going to ask where the Pygmy Hippo had come from. It must be Wednesday.
I explained the plan to Phil. He was the only person I could trust with it. The only person who wouldn’t try to talk me out of it. He took the time drive from me – it was only now I noticed he was wearing a Batman costume. With a chefs hat.
Definitely Wednesday.
He went out of the room with the device, and returned a few minutes later with it, fully charged (and for some reason his hat was on fire).
“Thanks Phil.” I said “By the way, you’re ass is showing.”
Phil turned around, and a donkey was poking it’s head out of an overhead locker.
I left his quarters to the shout of “Derek, GET BACK IN THERE!”
I truly wondered how it was that Phil, was widely considered across the multiverse as one of the greatest minds ever to have lived. But, Chrysler on a bike, I was glad he was my best mate.
The drive was fully charged, there was only one thing for it.
I activated it, and was bathed in the bright white light, and electric crackle that by now, had become very, very familiar.
When it faded, I was exactly where I wanted to be….
I grabbed a set of engineers coveralls from the storage locker next to and yanked them on. And pulled the baseball cap I’d shoved into my jeans pocked down low over my eyes and stepped out into the corridor outside engineering.
I lowered my head as some of the crew past. As far as they were concerned, I was in the drive room.
If I’d got caught in a conversation with any of them, I’d have to make excuses to leave, and it could cost me time I didn’t have – in a few minutes time, the Hymenoptera attack that devastated the ship, killed half the crew and took Katrina from me the first time was going to happen.
I pushed through the crown of ‘Dwarf engineering staff and staff from the station where the upgrades were taking place and spotted her turning a corner. There she was. The Katrina I remembered from before, before she was hardened and embittered by the STCP. The sweet girl I’d married. The sweet girl I’d JUST married. Back from our honeymoon. I walked toward her, and I grabbed her, I thumbed the time drive in my pocket as I did so, just as the first vibration from the kamikaze attack started…
We rematerialized almost instantly, she was struggling against me, trying to break free.
“Kitty!” I said “It’s me.”
She turned to look at me. I removed the hat. “What are you doing? Miss me already?” she said.
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” I answered.
“You look different” she said.
I said nothing. 600+ years of time travel and survival would put a shadow in anyones eyes.
“Where…are we…” she asked, looking around she immediately saw that we were on the end of a pier, off the south coast of England. It was raining. “How did we get here?”
“We’re on Earth.” I replied “About 6 weeks have passed since our honeymoon..”
“Time Travel? Again? What’s Phil done now?”
“Not Phil. Me. Look”
I turned her around and pointed up at the giant TV screen overhead, showing the news. It was showing reports of the Hymenoptera’s defeat in battle. Defeated by a starship captain who’d been pushed too far, and his valiant crew.
“Six weeks ago” I said “You were killed in a Hymie attack on the fleet. Hundreds of others were killed too. They pushed us too far, and I led a counter attack against them. We won. But I was killed..at least…so everyone thought. All you need to know now, is that you’re safe. If anyone asks, you made it to an escape pod. You can raise our son.” I patted her stomach as I said this “Here, on earth. Safely, in our house…the one we never got to move into.”
“Son?” she said “It’s a boy?”
“It is. He’s awesome Kitty. We called him Max.”
Katrina turned away from the TV and looked up at me. She was crying. Dark streaks lined her cheeks where her mascara had run “But what about you?”
“I’m needed elsewhere” I replied.
I took out the time drive. “I love you.” We stared at each other for a few seconds, before we embraced each other and I got to kiss my wife one last time.
I could have stayed there forever, but, there were people, in the distant future who needed me.

“Goodbye Katrina.” I said, a lump forming in my throat “Tell him about me”
“I will…” she said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve “Of course I will….”
The white light crackled again.
I was back on the Dwarf.
I sighed deeply and leant against a wall. I wiped a tear from my eye. I glanced at the time drive. It was about 12 hours after I’d initially left. I was outside the refectory. I could hear the crew, and Max inside. I glanced back at the device. Only a few minutes.
I burst in.
“Jay!” Evelina said, angrily. “I need to talk to you about Jaxx….”
“NOT NOW!” I snapped, and made a beeline for my son.
He turned around. “Daddy…” he said “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing kiddo.” I said “Nothing at all.”
I hugged him, and pulled him in tight. My eyes were stinging with the tears I that were forming inside them.
“It’s all going to be ok now Max…”
I said nothing else. Neither did he. It was as though he knew. The time drive bleeped a warning, and that was it. He faded out of existence….
The crew watched as he just blinkered away. As though he’d never been here.
I stayed there for what felt like an eternity. Staring into the space where just moments ago, my son had been.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. It might have been Cass. I don’t know…
I’ve kept the time drive. It’s secure, where no-one can get at it. I don’t know if I’ll remember him once the timeline sorts itself out, but if I do, then every once in a while I’ll use it.
Pop back in time.
Watch from afar Max’s first day at school…his first girlfriend…first job…maybe he’ll be a pilot like me. I don’t know…
All I know is he’s safe.”
“Holly end recording”
Jay wiped his red, tear-filled eyes.
The comm buzzed again. “Jay, it’s Cass. We’re ready to head down to the planet…you coming?”
“…yeah…” I he replied.
“Holly...”
“Yes Jay?”
“Delete recording…”