Infin(ite)ration: A short story—one chapter at a time. Chapter 2.

Image credit https://www.kuhmali.com/

Before you start this, if you haven't read the preface, it's here. https://steemit.com/writing/@iamscifi/infin-ite-ration-a-short-story-one-chapter-at-a-time

Chapter 2: Heavy Light

Upon finding his grandfather, Jasper repeats the question he previously aimed at his father.

The ancient tinkerer takes no notice, as violent radioactive emissions mute the room’s reality for some unknown sum of seconds. “Perfection! What in the razzles is this?! Jasp’, is that you? Come see this, umm, object. I think it might be from an alternate reality. I’ve never seen the likes of it.”

A boyish mass hits the floor just inside & just outside of Grandpa Rafe’s lab.

“Jasper?! Rashel!” Deep in her art, somewhere in her studio, the urgent soundwaves fall short of Jasper’s mother’s senses.

Seconds later, a hovering med-droid scans Jasper. “Data inconclusive. Transport mode enabled. Rafe, please stand back.” The floor around Jasper shimmers into living liquid, entombing the boy in a protective transport pod. “Informing guardians of care facility location. Message sent.” Without another sound, the med-droid, with Jasper in tow, zips toward the ceiling. In a ballet of efficiency, the house opens a path for the med-droid & Jasper’s departure.

Rafe watches the pod blink away into the distance, powerless over his only grandson’s future. “What have I done? Hughie, family emergency, bring the family together. Also, move us as close as possible to Jasper’s destination.”

With Rafe’s words, Hughie, the home’s AI launches the massive gyroscopic exosphere into smooth, hovering motion. Internally, five rooms sleekly swim toward one another at the fore-sphere. Only the youngest of the house takes any notice—until two seconds later, as the walls flash a variety of spectral pulses.

Processing all available data, Grandpa Rafe’s stare all but penetrates into the distant room where Jasper lies catatonic. “I don’t understand. The beam directly hit us both, with me likely taking the brunt—given my proximal stance verse Jasp’s distal stance. I just want to understand. How are the effects drastic enough to cause catatonia, yet invisible to our scanners? Unless the light was more than a simple flash of radiation?”

Rashel, Jasper’s mother & Rafe’s daughter & the first of the family to arrive arrives in time to hear some nonsense concerning invisible drastic catatonia. “What’s poppin’, Pop? Are we celebrating? Did you break another physical law?”

“No. Well, yes, but that’s not the reason I summoned the family. Compartmentalize your emotions, my little Starfish, I have some heavy news.” Rafe gives his daughter a moment to find her quiet place. In that moment, Rafe takes time to fortify his own emotional walls. “Jasper broke. Radiation from a reality tunnel exploded into my lab. Med-droids are zipping him to the nearest care facility, & we’re hot on their digitail.”

“What kind of radiation?”

“A kind I’ve never experienced in my three hundred seventeen cycles.” Since mastering their genome, the unremembered planet’s unremembered species designs their bodies to mature without aging—to the point of technical immortality. Accidents do happen. Realities do end. Immortality is a matter of perspective. “I’m wondering if it might’ve been some sort of scan.”

“Implying intelligence.”

“Exactly.”

In a different exact moment, Misha rushes through the wall, hastily pushing his way through the membrane. “What’s the emergency?! Do we need to print you another ear—nope, both ears are on your head. Looking, looking, looking. Nope, not seeing the issue.” The two remaining house-members enter the room from Misha’s opposing peripherals. “Where’s Jasper?”

A triplet of silent stares search the room for any subtle sign—ending on Rafe’s somber countenance.

Fear enrages Misha’s next question. “What happened to my son?!”

“We’re nearly there. It should be enough time for me to fill the lot of you in on my theories of what happened to Jasp’.”

Grams intrudes. “Did you message Pappy Jack at the capitol?”

Grandpa Rafe turns to her. “Yes.”

Sinking, Misha’s heart quickens heavily as if filling with sand. “It’s that serious?”

Though the word be the same, the solemnity it carries quiets the room. “Yes.”

Hello Steemians! This is a work in progress that I'm submitting to a relatively prestigious writing contest. Feel free to drop constructive criticisms. Over the next week or two, I'll be posting one new chapter per day. For the next chapter, follow this link.

https://steemit.com/writing/@iamscifi/infin-ite-ration-a-short-story-one-chapter-at-a-time-chapter-3