Chapter 28: The Book Opens

  Rhys was sad that it was his Dad's last night at home already.  "I don't want you to go."

  Tristan ruffled his son's hair.  "I know you don't.  But I need you to be brave and take care of your Mom for me."  Tristan grabbed a book from the shelf.  "How about I read to you for a while?"

  "The story about the Death Aliens from Outer Space that come to our planet and..."

  "Turn everyone into brain eating zombies!"  Tristan finished.  "Definitely that one."

  Rhys whooped and spun around, then he stopped, and moved closer to his Dad.  "But, " he whispered in his Dad's ear, "Mom doesn't want me to read that book at night.  She says it'll give me nightmares."

  Tristan looked at his son, "Does it?"

  Rhys scowled.  "I'm not a sissy!"

  "Well then, we'll keep this story to ourselves!"

  "Cool!"  Rhys quickly changed into his pjs and climbed into the bed.  Tristan settled himself beside Rhys and started to read.

 

     Tristan quietly left the room, and almost ran into his wife in the hallway.  "Is he asleep?" she whispered.  Tristan nodded.  "What story did you read to him?"  She asked him curiously.

  He shrugged.  "Some kid story."

  The next morning when Rhys woke up, his Dad was already gone.  He slumped into his chair while he ate his breakfast.  He missed his Dad.  After eating Rhys went to find his younger cousins.  They were playing with blocks.  "You're doing it all wrong!" he exclaimed.  "You're not supposed to eat them!  Let me show you..."

  He sat down at the little play table and showed them how to properly use the blocks.  Reilly and Maya watched Rhys with a great deal of curiosity, they handed him their slobbery blocks to help him build.  "Yuck!  No thank you!  You keep them, those are your blocks!" Rhys played with them until the sound of the school bus honking pulled him away.  Soon thereafter, Reilly and Maya lost interest in the blocks and began to fuss.

  Kona picked Reilly up and carried him upstairs, Rylan followed with Maya in his arms.  As soon as Reilly saw the toys and books on the floor he squirmed and wanted down.  Kona let him down.  Maya broke into a fit of giggles, and Kona turned around to see what she laughing about.  "Uh, Rylan, be careful with her there..."

  "No worries Gramps."  Rylan laughed. "I've got her and she loves it."  Rylan threw his daughter in the air, a little higher this time.  She shrieked with joy.

 
   When Kit got home from work, his routine was pretty much the same.  He would spend several hours with just Reilly.  They would  play and goof around.

 Kit would work on Reilly's walking skills...

  and his speech.

 
    Once Reilly was settled into bed for the night, Kit would use the time to study.

  Life flowed in a comfortable pattern, one day turning into another, until the fateful day where everything changed.  It started, ironically enough, with Kei's birthday.

  While her family swore to her she didn't look a day older, and Chaine claimed she looked even more beautiful than she ever had, she knew it was all lies.  She had viciously plucked out the grey hairs that dared to grow, and she had tried all the creams she could find to smooth out the little wrinkles that were appearing.  All to no avail.

  
 Kei decided an outfit change was just the thing.  She had worn the same style of clothes most of her life, she was due for a change.

 

     She came out to show Kit, who frowned at her.  "What?  What's wrong with it?"  She twisted around to look at her backside.  She thought the red dress looked pretty good.

  "You don't exactly look like a grandmother."

  Kei perked up.  "Exactly!"

  Kit shook his head.  "Mama, you don't look old, you still look fantastic, I don't know why you persist in obsessing over your appearance."

  Kei patted his cheek.  "How sweet of you to say so.  I'm thinking of dying my hair, purple.  Definitely purple." She decided.  "What do you think?"

  "I like the color of your hair, I think you are being crazy again."

  "Hmph.  Fat lot you know.  Did I tell you I quit my job?"

  "Really?  You just up and quit?  But what about..."

  Kei waved her hand.  "My time is over.  With my help by giving up certain pertinent information, the Police have managed to cut crime in this town by half.  And yet the crime I want solved is going to be forever unsolved."  Kit rolled his eyes.  This was a familiar story.  "Don't roll your eyes at me Kit!  Your father meant the world to me, and I failed him."

  "You didn't fail him.  From what I understand, he didn't want you to pursue anything."  Kit pointed out.

  Kei sighed sadly.  "He always wanted to protect me from myself.  All I have of him though, are you kids, a prom picture, and one note he wrote the night that he died."

  Kit started to reply, when something that she said clicked.  "You have a note of his?"

  "Yeah, just basically a recap of our last conversation."

  "Could I see it?"

  Kei regarded him curiously, but shrugged and went back into her bedroom.  She emerged a few minutes later with a faded yellow note scrawled with black ink.  Kit held the note in his hands and stared at it.  His father's writing.  He started to read it, and his mind automatically picked up the code hidden within the message.  "Unbelievable."  Kit whispered.  "I found the code."

  Kei frowned at him.  "What code?"

  Kit kissed her on the cheek and gave her a quick hug.  "I gotta go Mama, I'll explain things to you later!"  Kit ran upstairs.  Kei was going to follow him but Chaine's voice stopped her.

  "New outfit?"

  Kei turned around and modeled the dress for him.  "Yes, do you like it?"

  Kit grabbed the book that Chaine had given him quite a while ago.  He sat down on his bed, the book in his lap, and the paper in his left hand.  "Let's see what happens..."  He rubbed the surface of the book, which brought up the keypad.  Kit nervously typed the code in it, and waited.

  He didn't have long to wait.  The outer layer shed like an onion skin, and the book fell open.  An image of a castle was projected in front of him, and it looked so real.  Kit reached out to touch it, but when he did the image warbled and his hand passed through it.  He startled at the sound of a man's voice.  "Kit this is Camulounum Castle, our ancestral home.  I know you have many questions, I have tried my best to answer the ones I thought you would ask.  Before I begin, a little how to on using this book."  The castle disappeared only to be replaced by the image of a man.  Kit recognized the face.  He carefully placed the book on the bed and stood up in amazement.

  "Are you...?"

  "Real? No, I am just a projection program."

  "You look amazingly like my father, and your voice, it is his voice."

  "He created me with his genetic information, so that is why I resemble him, and even talk like him.  He has given me the answers to a great many questions, so that you may ask whatever you wish.  The book, " the projection gestured to the book lying on the bed, "has all the blueprints and models, and just about anything you could need diagrammed in there.  All of it can be projected, so you can get a good look at it."

  The projection that looked like his father kept talking, but Kit was only half paying attention.  The same thought kept running through his mind over and over and over.  Chaine had told him the truth.  While half of him had started to believe what Chaine said, there had been that one skeptical part of him that hadn't believed.  Until now.

  Kit stared at the book in fascination, he couldn't believe the technology that was sitting right there in his room.  He heard his father laugh, and Kit swung his gaze back to his father.  He remembered that laugh.  "Kit.." the projection started to say, then it simply vanished.  The book lay closed on Kit's bed, looking harmless.

  Kit's door was suddenly flung open.    His mother stepped into the room.  She looked at Kit, who was staring at her.  "I could have sworn I heard your father's laugh.  I would know that laugh anywhere."

  Kit cleared his throat.  "Mama, I think you're going crazy again.  It's just me in here."

  Kei narrowed her eyes at her son, but Kit only looked back at her innocently.  "You are up to something."

  Kit rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I'm masterminding a plot to save the entire world from a maniacal Ruler who plans to enslave everyone using his special warriors the Nephilium."

  Kei glared at him.  "That is NOT funny."  She slammed the door, and Kit winced.  He would have to do damage control, later.  The projection popped back up, and Kit noticed the book was open.

  "How, no, first, why did you disappear, and then how did you get back?"

  "It is best, that no one else knows what this book does.  There is a lot of danger that surrounds the knowledge that is in this book.  As to your second question, the book is coded to you, since you opened it first.  I, well your father, " the Projection corrected itself, "did his best to ensure that you would be the first to open it.  Now you need only have the tiniest spark of thought, and the book responds."

  "So...,"

  "You really are a Prince, fated to be the next High King of all the lands, yes."  Kit shook his head.  "Yes, it is a lot to take in." the projection answered him.

  "I would prefer that you answer only if I ask you a question out loud."

  "As you wish."

  Kit started to ask another question, when he heard his name being called.  "We'll have to do this later.  I have some birthdays to attend."

  The Projection vanished.  Kit stared at the book, but finally turned and left the room when he heard his name called again.  It was not only his Mother's birthday, today, but it was also Maya's birthday,  his Gramp's birthday, and Reilly's birthday.   Kit couldn't believe how fast time went.

  Amidst lots of clapping and cheering, Reilly grew up.

 
  The family tromped down to the downstairs bathroom to clap and cheer for their Gramps.

    "Where's Rylan and Maya?"  Kit asked.

  Kei grumbled.  "That brother of yours!  He figured out that Maya is a chick magnet, that's what he calls it, and he gets lots of phone numbers and dates from women when he strolls along with Maya.  They went to some gathering downtown."

  Maya had the most important person with her when she aged up.  Her Dad.

 
  Kit was eager to get back to the book, but he would wait.  This moment was Reilly's, and Kit wouldn't miss that for the world.

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  Challenge notes---I'm celebrating!  No more toddlers for a while!  Yay!  Rylan and Nira are both in their respective careers, I just haven't written it in yet.  None of them get promoted very much, lol.  Bunch of slackers that they are! :P

  I thought Tristan reading Rhys to sleep was too adorable.   Even if afterwards I had to wake Rhys up to send him to his own bed---it's the thought that counts!   :)

  Kei ages up to an adult, and immediately has a midlife crisis.  I have had Generations since the day it was released, and this is the first Mid life crisis I have ever had to deal with.  None of my other sims have had a midlife crisis.  Kona didn't have one.  It is only fitting I suppose, that Kei has one!  I'm not sure what to expect, so this could be fun.  lol  She's actually not rolling very many crisis wants yet. 


Next: Chapter 29: Best of Friends