Chapter 4 A Fistful Of Stardust

• Act IV: The Illusion Shattered
• Opening his eyes, the contours of a familiar figure materialized before him. Surely this couldn't be real. Jaxson lay in bed next to Nicole. Her warmth and the smell of her perfume were something he hadn't felt in a very long time. Lost in the depths of his grief, he had overlooked the precious fragments of joy that had once adorned his life. But now, he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth and just enjoy the moment. Was this merely a mirage conjured by his own desires and fears? As uncertainty gripped him, he was unable to move, afraid that any action would shatter the illusion, leaving him stranded in his solitude once more.
• As he looked at his wife's face. She was sleeping peacefully. So beautiful, just as he remembered her. He's missed her so much, missed the sound of her voice and the way she moves. Jaxson reached out and caressed her cheek. She stirred and started murmuring in her sleep.
• “Jaxson?” her voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he realized that this was really happening. “Are you awake already?”
• “I... I think so,” he replied, his voice unsteady. “Is this real? Or am I dreaming?”
• “Oh, it's real,” She sat up and stretched, then took a deep breath. “Hmmm. Can you smell the coffee? It smells amazing.”
• Jaxson sniffed the air and it indeed smelled like freshly roasted Ganymede Arabica. Nicole got out of bed and reached for her robe, the soft fabric wrapping around her like a comforting embrace. She went out the door, to where the enticing scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered.
• It all seemed too real. Jaxson couldn't help but wonder if he was still dreaming or experiencing some alcohol-induced hallucination. Had he finally drunk himself to death? Was this the afterlife, or a cruel manifestation of his self-destruction? Guilt clawed at his conscience, whispering that he was unworthy, as if the universe itself reveled in his torment.
• “Are you coming?” she asked poking her head back in through the door.
• “Yes dear,” Jaxson said, getting up and putting on his robe. “Just a minute.”
• He stood for a moment and looked around their bedroom. It was all so vivid. Activating the mirror, Jaxson gazed upon a face he almost didn't recognize. His eyes weren't sunken into his skull and his complexion seemed as healthy as it hadn't been in years. Maya, Jaxson thought to himself. He went straight to his daughter's room. Opening the door, he found her bed to be empty.
• “Jaxson,” his wife's voice carried over from the kitchen. “Breakfast is ready.”
• “Coming,” Jaxson responded.
• As he entered the kitchen, Natalie was sitting Maya down at the table.
• “Daddy,” said Maya, as a broad smile spread across her face.
• Jaxson felt overwhelmed. She looked exactly like he remembered, from her wild curls to her bright, curious eyes. “Maya?” he said making his way towards his daughter.
• “Come sit with us. Uncle Remy made pancakes.”
• “Uncle Remy? I don't remember you having an uncle Remy.”
• “Don't be silly, he's my favorite uncle. And he makes the best pancakes.”
• “Awww,” the heavy french accent was unmistakable. “That just melts my heart.”
• “Uncle Remy” Maya said as she darted off.
• “You,” Jaxson turned around and his heart sank, seeing his beloved Maya hug Remy Delacroix. “Step away from her!”
• Remy grinned, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Oh, Jaxson, ” he said, his voice silky smooth. “Is this how you greet your old friend?”
• “What are you talking about?” Jaxson said. “Do I know you?”
• As Remy snapped his fingers, Natalie and Maya froze in place, revealing it to be a simulation. He took a couple of steps towards Jaxson. “Remy Delacroix was the name I adopted after I had rebuilt myself from scratch. After you took down my organization. I barely managed to flee Proxima with the clothes on my back.”
• “Viper Valentino,” Jaxson said. “You always were two steps ahead of us. No one even knew what you looked like.”
• “You ruined my life, Jaxson. I lost everything because of you.”
• “So you decided to take everything from me...”
• “Not quite, but it certainly turned out that way,” Remy chuckled. “No, your wife and child were merely collateral damage. It was you who was supposed to die that night.”
• “Let me guess,” Jaxson. “There was never a murder case. It was all an elaborate ruse to bring me to Cassiopeia, wasn't it?”
• “Bravo Inspector,” Remy mockingly clapped and nodded his head. “I see your detective skills are still sharp. Yes, Monsieur Chevalier, Ruby, even Max. All mere pawns on my chessboard.”
• “So what's next? You gonna' kill me? Finish the job?”
• “Oh, I will do far worse than kill you. I have something special prepared for you. Right now you're strapped into one of my holo-suites. This program is custom-made just for you. You will wish you were dead, a thousand times over.”
• “You bastard,” Jaxson grunts, as he takes a swing at him. His fist passes right through Remy, revealing him to be a hologram as well, same as Nicole and Maya.
• “Enjoy!” Remy said with a grin across his face, as his hologram faded out of existence.
• The program resumed. Natalie was preparing dinner and Maya was playing with her dolls in the living room. It was the night they were ripped from his life. He had watched these images over and over on the security feed. Remy's words sounded true, as Jaxson wished he was the one that died that night.
• Natalie's hand terminal chimed. She glanced at the screen, and with a swipe of her hand brought up a holo-projection of Jaxson's video message.
• “Hey sweetie. I know I promised, but I'm not gonna make it to dinner. It's gonna' be a late night at the office again. Tell Maya I'm sorry. Love you. Bye.”
• “Not again,” Natalie grumbled, as she swiped her hand dismissively and the hologram faded out.
• Jaxson ran up to Natalie and tried to grab her attention. “Natalie, listen to me. We need to go. Now!”
• Natalie ignored him completely. Like he was a ghost. He went over to Maya, but she just kept on playing with her dolls. Jaxson's heart sank as he realized he has absolutely no control. Nothing he could do would help them. Not that it would have made a difference.
• Time slowed down as the detonator went off and the rapidly expanding super-heated plasma expanded to fill the apartment. He watched helplessly as Natalie and Maya were instantly vaporized. As he began feeling the heat on his face, Jaxson fell to his knees and gave himself up. As he was blinded by the blast, his vision blew out to white before fading to nothingness.
• As he opened his eyes, Jaxson found himself laying next to his wife. He felt her heat and smelled her perfume. It felt so real. He was afraid to make a move. Afraid that he might wake up and find himself alone again.