I never thought I would find myself in such a peculiar situation. The year is 2030, and my wife Zahra and I are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our daughter, Celes Lina Goodman. In anticipation of her birth, we decided to spend our honeymoon in Zahra's hometown of New Delhi. However, instead of staying in the bustling city, we made an unusual choice—we opted to have a villa built on the outskirts, deep in the countryside, away from civilization.
The idea was to have a serene and secluded place where our growing family could find peace and tranquility. It seemed like the perfect plan. Even Francis offered to accompany us. Being a detective myself, I couldn't refuse his assistance. Little did I know that our honeymoon would turn into a mysterious and intriguing adventure.
As we arrived at the construction site, I noticed something odd about the workers. They were not human, but AI Raylorian construction workers. These artificial beings were highly advanced, capable of constructing the most intricate designs with utmost precision. The villa we had envisioned was slowly taking shape, thanks to their tireless efforts.
The AI construction crew was a gift from Zyra for the duration of the project. Francis was the one who made it happen. He definitely had our thanks. Now the two of us had a home we could be proud of and raise our daughter together.
Within the next few months, our villa was completed. Suddenly, a woman approached our villa's gates. A woman, dressed in a cloak of deep purple, stood before me, her eyes gleaming with determination. Her face was hidden beneath it until she lowered it. Revealing a light skinned face with a vertical color split hair. The colors were half black and half red. However, what was the most interesting about her were the ears. They were pointed—as if she was an elf. Wait! They don't exist! Hmmm, maybe in her reality they do.
"Hello, Othniel," she said, her voice carrying a hint of familiarity.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" I asked, puzzled by her presence.
"My name is Z'Rahna Kynnor," she replied, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "I used to work with your father, Josiah, many years ago."
My heart skipped a beat at the mention of my father's name. I had spent countless hours searching for any trace of him, but all my efforts had been in vain. "You--you knew my father?" I stammered, a mixture of excitement and disbelief swirling within me.
Z'Rahna nodded, her gaze intense. "I remember Josiah fondly," she said. "But my search for him ended long ago, shortly after our team was scattered throughout time."
Seeing the disbelief in my eyes, Z'Rahna continued. "You need to give up your search of him. He's lost to the Space-Time Continuum."
I suddenly felt a sense of hopelessness that my old man was somewhere out there, never to be found again. I still wanted to know, since Z'Rhana stopped looking for my dad, what has she been doing since then.
"I've been hunting Master Mwongo all these years," she explained. "He is a dangerous force, and the influence of his followers, mainly UMOTE and GUB through them."
"Is it true that the Zephyran are here on Earth, still?" Zahra asked. We both knew that what we did in Area 51 was only temporary. The Zephyran would put another stranglehold on it soon after they recovered from that loss.
"Yes." Z'Rhana answered nervously. "That's why we need to be on guard against them if they find us. I came here to make good on my vow to protect your family."
Her words resonated within me, igniting a fire of determination. I had spent my life solving mysteries and unraveling enigmas, and now, I had a new mission—to ensure that my family flourished. Z'Rhana seemed to be all in on making that journey a success.
I wanted to know more about Z'Rhana. Why the strange appearance? Was she not born a human?
"Erica Lunningham is to thank for my transformation." Z'Rhana explained.
I should've known Z'Rhana knew the good doctor. Only two humans have ever ventured beyond our solar system and if you happened to be a traveler of cosmos, you will run into either doctor or those associated with them. Fortunately for Z'Rhana, she met the more benevolent of the two.
"If it hadn't have been for her, I would've died from radiation poisoning." Z'Rhana explaned. "Where I found myself after our team was scattered was in a place Erin happened to be with some plant moss race known as the Gridth."
Good to know Erica is still the one to help others in need. I hope she stays like that. Then I began to tell Z'Rhana about Ivon and the threat he posed to our family but before I could utter a single word, she held up her hand, silencing me. A knowing smile played on her lips, betraying the depth of her knowledge.
"I already know about the Ivon, Othniel," she said, her voice cool and determined. "I know about the many evils he and his doppelgängers have committed."
So there's no need for debriefing her. I took she didn't wanna hear our missions where he was always there to get in our way. Still, I believed justice wasn't done until Ivon and those who supported his ideals were rendered inert.
"He's untouchable," Z'Rahna continued, her eyes narrowing with determination. "He's surrounded by Eric's Zephyran. But I won't let him continue to wreak havoc on innocent lives. There has to be a way to stop him and also Eric Lunningham."
I could see Z'Rahna was on a personal mission, a mission to stop the Ivon at all costs. And she revealed two key figures in her plan—2kReturner and the Forest Flower. Here I thought Zahra and I would have a break from our time-traveling detective work. Embracing those two names was in our future and it should be now rather than later.
"Until the mission is ready to go, I offer to be Celes' godmother," Z'Rahna said, her voice softening. She raised her voice once more, determined as ever as she continued, "I will protect her with my life, just as I swear to one day end Ivon's influence over the multiverse. Then, Eric is next!"
I couldn't help but admire Z'Rahna's resolution, her unwavering resolve to bring justice to a world plagued by the Ivon's malevolence. And so we willingly accepted Z'Rhana into our daughter's life, knowing that she would be a guiding light in not just our daughter's darkest hours but the entire family's.
In the months to come, Z'Rahna became an integral part of Celes' life, a loving and protective presence that brought comfort and reassurance to the Goodman household. She was also the one who delivered our daughter. Francis stayed around too. Celes found his jokes amusing.
"Uncle Karr is so bizarre." A young Celes would often say to him in front of everyone. Her words would incite others to laugh. Francis was always the bizarre one—even to Celes. At least he kept her happy. Celes had your average toddler temper tantrums but Francis knew how to calm a raging child with his jokes and overall goofiness.
As for Z'Rhana, she held fast to being the protective aunt. We wouldn't have it any other way. Her powerset was similar to Val's, minus the electrokinesis. She too was a telepath—perhaps an even better one than Val herself!
Until the day of our next mission, this is farewell. For now, our family is my main focus.