Beyond Earth

The Endless Road

The road stretched endlessly before us, with abandoned vehicles and damaged buildings scattered across the landscape. Thick grey clouds covered the sky, while occasional gusts of wind swept dust across the road as I drove.

Marie sat beside me, occasionally looking out of the window before turning her attention back to me. She had been unusually quiet since we left the gas station, until she finally decided to break the silence.

"So, how long have you been travelling alone?"

I glanced at her. "Not very long."

"Before you met Michael and the others?"

"Yeah."

"And before that?"

I smiled. "You're full of questions, aren't you?"

"Well, I'm travelling with a mysterious half-alien who refuses to tell me anything about himself. I think I'm entitled to a few answers."

I laughed. "Fair enough."

She adjusted herself in her seat. "Tell me about your childhood. What were you like growing up?"

"Honestly? Nothing special. I grew up believing I was an ordinary human, with ordinary parents and an ordinary life."

"Sounds peaceful."

"It wasn't always."

I kept my eyes on the road. "My parents weren't actually my biological parents. I didn't discover that until much later. Eventually, I found out that almost everything I'd been told about my family was a lie."

Marie's expression softened. "What happened?"

"It started when I found something strange in my father's laboratory. He had been keeping aliens down there, and when I confronted him, he told me the truth about my origins."

"Aliens?"

"Yeah. Actual aliens." I glanced at her. "He told me my real father was an immortal Xaryth named Avada, one of the most powerful warriors of his kind, while my mother was a human scientist who had fallen in love with him."

Marie stared at me. "Your father was immortal?"

"Apparently."

"And your mother was human?"

"That's what I was told."

She shook her head. "That's a lot to discover about yourself."

"You have no idea."

"What happened after that?"

"Things got even stranger."

I explained how my fake father had been connected to the people who experimented on Avada and how, while he was in prison, he'd sent me a package containing a strange black substance.

"Before I could figure out what it was, the thing moved into my mouth."

Marie's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

I laughed. "I didn't exactly choose to swallow it."

"And you survived?"

"Obviously."

She shook her head. "You're either the luckiest person alive or the most foolish."

"I prefer lucky."

"Of course you do."

I continued explaining how my body had changed after the substance entered me, making me stronger and faster while awakening the dormant Xaryth abilities inside me.

"So that's how you became what you are," she said.

"Pretty much."

"Were you scared?"

"Terrified. One day I was an ordinary guy, and the next, I was discovering that I wasn't even fully human. Sometimes I still wonder whether my life would have been easier if I'd never found out the truth."

"But then you wouldn't be who you are now," she pointed out.

"Maybe."

"And you wouldn't have met me."

I smiled. "That's true."

She turned towards the window, hiding her smile. "Good. At least something useful came out of all that."

I laughed before remembering something else.

"There's something else you should know. My fake father told me that humans were actually the ones who invaded Earth many years ago."

She turned towards me. "What?"

"Humans weren't originally from this planet. They came from somewhere else and took it from the Xaryth."

She let out a short laugh, but stopped when she realised I was serious.

"Albert, humans have lived on Earth for thousands of years. This is our planet."

"I know that's what everyone believes, but the Xaryth were here long before humans arrived. They had their own civilisation and their own world. When humans came, they fought them, killed many of them, and drove the survivors away."

"Why would humans do something like that?"

"I don't know everything. Harold Stevenson explained more of it to me. Apparently, humans couldn't defeat my real father in a direct fight, so they tricked him and took him prisoner. Once Avada was gone, the Xaryth became divided, making it easier for humanity to take control of Earth."

Marie remained quiet for a moment before asking, "Who is Harold Stevenson?"

"He's the man who recruited me to fight the Xaryth."

"You were working with humans?"

"Yes. After everything that happened with my friends, I was taken to Aeternum Blacksite-9, an underground military facility run by an organisation called the Aeternum Institute. They're one of the groups fighting the Xaryth and protecting the remaining human settlements."

I explained how I'd spent a few days there, where I'd met Harold and been introduced to a squad consisting of Captain Rachel Hayes, Marcus Cole, Ethan Cross, and Daniel Brooks.

"What happened to them?" she asked.

"We were sent on a rescue mission. The daughter of the Aeternum vice chairman had been ambushed by Xaryth, and we were supposed to get her out of an abandoned high school."

"And you rescued her?"

"Not exactly. Things got complicated."

I told her about the mysterious hybrid girl who called me the Son of Avada, how she'd entered my mind and discovered the location of our base, and how her actions eventually led to the attack on Blacksite-9.

Marie's expression grew serious.

"She attacked your base because she got the location from your mind?"

I nodded. "She tricked me. I didn't realise what she'd done until it was too late."

"And you fought her?"

"Yeah. She was incredibly powerful, especially with her telekinesis. She nearly killed me."

"Are you alright now?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"I did wake up in the middle of a destroyed parking lot."

She shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

I laughed. "During the fight, I also discovered that I could control more than my physical strength. I could feel the earth and the wind, and somehow, I managed to use their power against her."

"You're telling me you can control the elements too?"

"Apparently."

She stared at me before laughing. "What else can you do? Fly?"

"Not yet."

"Not yet?"

I grinned. "Give me time."

She lightly hit my arm. "You're impossible!"

I laughed before continuing.

"After the battle, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, the parking lot had collapsed, my compass was broken, and my squad was nowhere to be found."

"So that's why you're heading northwest?"

"Yeah. Daniel gave me that compass before we separated. It's supposed to help me find them, and now that Styles has repaired it, I can follow its signal."

Marie looked towards the device. "Do you think they're still alive?"

"I have to believe they are."

She placed her hand over mine. "Then we'll find them."

I glanced at her. "You don't even know them."

"Doesn't matter. They're important to you, and that's enough for me."

I smiled. "Thank you."

She leaned back. "Besides, I want to meet the people who managed to put up with you."

I laughed. "Trust me, they're going to love you."

"Well, they better."

Our conversation gradually shifted away from the invasion. Marie told me about her childhood, the places she'd visited before the invasion, and how she'd always dreamed of travelling around the world.

"I always wanted to visit Paris," she said. "I imagined walking along the streets, visiting museums, eating at little restaurants, and taking pictures of everything."

"Well, I don't think Paris is going anywhere."

She gave me a doubtful look. "Have you seen the world lately?"

"Good point."

We laughed.

"What about you?" she asked. "Did you ever want to travel?"

"Not really. I was more interested in getting through school without embarrassing myself."

"Why would you embarrass yourself?"

"Let's just say I wasn't exactly popular."

She studied me before smiling. "Well, look at you now. You're practically a superhero."

"Don't let that get to my head."

"Too late. I think you're already enjoying it."

"Maybe a little."

For the next few hours, we talked about almost everything, occasionally laughing over ridiculous things before settling into comfortable silence. It was strange how quickly I'd grown accustomed to having her around. I'd spent so much time thinking about the people I'd lost that I'd almost forgotten what it felt like to enjoy someone's company without constantly worrying about what might happen next.

With Marie, I didn't feel the need to pretend to be someone else. I could simply be Albert.

---

After driving for a while, I glanced at the fuel indicator.

"Marie?"

"Hmm?"

"How come we haven't run out of gas yet?"

She followed my gaze towards the dashboard. "Oh, that. This is a solar vehicle."

I turned towards her. "A what?"

"It runs on energy collected through its panels, so we don't need ordinary fuel. Michael's father modified it."

I looked at the dashboard again. "You're telling me we've been driving all this time without using petrol?"

"Exactly."

I shook my head. "That's actually impressive."

"So, we're basically driving a spaceship?"

She burst into laughter. "No, Albert. It's a car."

"A car that doesn't need fuel. Sounds like a spaceship to me."

"You're impossible."

"I prefer innovative."

We continued down the road, but the vehicle suddenly jerked, forcing me to tighten my grip on the steering wheel before bringing it to a stop.

"What was that?" Marie asked.

I looked through the windscreen and immediately understood the problem.

Several Xaryth had emerged from the ruins ahead, blocking the road, while more were climbing over abandoned vehicles on either side. A few others were approaching from behind, leaving us surrounded.

"Stay inside," I told her.

"Albert, there are too many of them."

I gave her a confident smile. "Relax. I've got this."

"Are you sure?"

"Just sit back and watch."

She shook her head. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

I stepped outside and pulled my machete from behind my back. One of the Xaryth growled before charging towards me.

"Alright. Let's get this over with."

I ducked beneath its attack and drove my machete through its side. Two more rushed forward, but I avoided their strikes and brought them down before they could surround me.

Behind me, Marie opened the window.

"Albert! Behind you!"

I turned just as another Xaryth leapt towards me, caught it by the throat, and threw it into an abandoned car. The impact crushed the vehicle's side.

I glanced at Marie. "Thanks for watching my back!"

"Just focus on not getting yourself killed!"

I laughed before turning towards the remaining creatures. They surrounded me, but their movements were predictable, and their strength was nothing compared to what I could handle. Within minutes, I'd cut them all down, leaving the road littered with their bodies.

After checking that no others were approaching, I returned to the vehicle.

Marie was still staring at me.

"So, what do you think?"

She shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

"That's not an answer."

"Fine. That was impressive."

"Thank you."

"But don't let it get to your head."

"Too late."

She rolled her eyes as I climbed back into the vehicle, and we continued our journey.

---

The sky was getting darker when we found a suitable place to rest. Most of the buildings we'd passed were badly damaged by radiation and acid rain, but eventually, we came across a house that seemed to have survived relatively well.

I parked outside, and Marie looked around.

"Think this place is safe?"

"Only one way to find out."

We approached cautiously, checked the rooms, and secured the doors and windows. Marie found some old blankets in a cupboard while I gathered broken furniture for firewood. Eventually, we settled in the living room, where I managed to start a small fire inside an old fireplace.

Marie stretched her legs towards the flames.

"I haven't felt this comfortable in a long time."

"Neither have I."

She turned towards me. "Do you think we'll ever get our old lives back?"

I stared at the fire. "I don't know. I don't even know what the world will look like tomorrow."

"Sometimes I miss the little things. Going outside without worrying about being attacked, walking into a shop whenever I wanted, or just sitting somewhere without having to watch my back."

"I understand."

She looked at me. "Do you miss your old life?"

"Some parts of it. But there are other things I'd rather forget."

"Like what?"

"Being bullied, feeling like I didn't belong anywhere, and spending most of my life thinking there was something wrong with me."

She moved closer. "There's nothing wrong with you, Albert."

I looked at her. "You barely know me."

"Maybe, but I know enough."

I found myself smiling as I looked at her face, illuminated by the fire.

"What's that look for?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"You're staring."

"Am I not allowed to look at you?"

She laughed. "That depends on what you're thinking."

I moved closer. "Honestly? You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Her smile softened. "That's a pretty big compliment."

"It's the truth."

She studied my face before smiling. "You're not bad yourself, Albert."

I chuckled. "Not bad?"

"Don't push your luck."

We laughed before she asked, "Have you ever been in love?"

I shook my head. "No. Never."

She smiled. "Me neither."

I looked at her, surprised. "Really?"

"Really."

After a brief silence, she leaned closer. "Does that bother you?"

"Not at all."

I reached for her hand, and she intertwined her fingers with mine as we sat beside the fire.

"Marie..."

"Hmm?"

I leaned closer, giving her enough time to move away, but instead, she closed the distance between us, and our lips met.

The kiss was gentle at first, but we soon grew more comfortable with each other. When we finally pulled apart, she rested her forehead against mine.

I smiled. "That was nice."

She laughed softly. "You're terrible at this."

I looked at her in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"I'm joking."

I shook my head, and she kissed me again.

We spent the next few minutes wrapped in each other's arms, sharing kisses and quiet conversations until she eventually rested her head against my chest.

"Albert?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something I want to tell you."

I looked down at her. "What is it?"

She hesitated. "I've never done this before."

I understood what she meant and gently lifted her chin.

"Neither have I."

She searched my face, but I simply smiled.

"Then I guess we're figuring it out together."

She smiled back. "Together."

We kissed again, and as the fire continued burning beside us, the distance between us gradually disappeared. We took our time, making sure we were both comfortable, and eventually shared something neither of us had experienced before.

Afterwards, we lay beneath the blankets with her head resting against my chest and my arm wrapped around her. The fire had almost burned out, but neither of us seemed particularly interested in getting up to add more wood.

I looked down at her.

"Marie?"

She hummed sleepily.

"Thank you."

She lifted her head slightly. "For what?"

"For coming with me."

She smiled before settling against my chest again.

"Don't make me regret it."

I laughed quietly, wrapping my arm around her.

"I'll try my best."

She placed a hand against my chest and looked up at me.

"Goodnight, Albert."

I smiled. "Goodnight, beautiful."

She closed her eyes, and I remained awake for a little while, listening to the quiet sounds of the night.

I'd lost people I cared about, watched my world fall apart, and spent so much time fighting simply to stay alive that I'd almost forgotten there could be something beyond survival. I still had a long way to go, and I hadn't found my squad yet, but with Marie beside me, I began to feel that there might be something worth fighting for beyond revenge.