The Queen of the Underverse - Interlude: Earthside

Notes From Foto Dono: So my son has informed me—after I’ve written 101,227 words—that he’s only read up to Chapter 2. He assures me he’s enjoyed it so far, which is nice… except he then admitted he’s “not much of a reader these days.” He listens to audiobooks. (sigh)

Looks like I’ll have to make this into an audiobook eventually. Question is… how the hell do you even do that?

In the meantime, my main character is angry and stuck in a plot device that won’t let me sleep until I fix it. First an AI Rebellion, now angry main characters. The things I do for art.

—Yuunral Naretar (automated out-of-office reply). “I am currently not narrating for this author. Any narrative emergencies should be directed to the Department of Bad Decisions. We’re very busy.”

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Previously on The Queen of the Underverse…

Lost astronaut Rebecca Lopez has stumbled through the Doorwhere into a realm where memories and stories hold power. Seeking rest in a Queen’s bathhouse, she discovers her life written like a book—then realizes Queen Lyra may have rewritten her fate. Consumed by rage, Rebecca’s glow ignites, and she swears never to bow to any power that would keep her from her family.

Now - Far from the Underverse, life on Earth moves on—or at least tries to. Old friends struggle with fresh grief, children dream of impossible reunions, and somewhere above Florida, something impossible still waits in the sky.

Ye saga continues...

Interlude Earthside - Five Days After the Incident

Sarah Mitchel was back on Earth, in Ascension Sacred Heart, Pensacola. The Soyuz capsule had landed off the coast of Florida, and she was being treated for mild decompression sickness after her emergency exit from the spacewalk. She’d already seen Jessica, Maya, and—of course—Lloyd. Thankfully, she hadn’t had to deal with the press; Jenn was handling them. God, she loved that woman.

Jenn had been the first person she saw when she woke up Earthside.

According to Jessica and Maya, Sarah had been unconscious for most of the descent, occasionally calling out for Rebecca. Her crewmates said they’d gone into a ballistic re-entry—what normally took hours happened in minutes. The chutes opened, the retros fired, and they hit the Gulf hard.

Houston had called the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, and the Coast Guard pulled them from the water while the Navy secured the Soyuz.

It was Jenn who held her while she cried.

It had been five days since the accident—or incident. Someone, somewhere, would want to assign blame, but so far, no one was pointing at her or the rest of the crew.

The President had called. Sarah didn’t remember what was said; Jenn claimed she’d been polite.

She hadn’t heard from Mark yet. She hadn’t called him, and he hadn’t called her. They didn’t have to speak to acknowledge that Becks was gone.

They’d been friends since high school. Mark had even tried to ask her out once, before she set him straight. When the truth about her got around, school bigots cornered her. Mark had tried to play the shining knight—until they decided to teach him a lesson, too. In the end, she rescued him. They’d been friends ever since.

He was probably with his mom and dad. Good people.

I should call him. I should…

Sarah rolled over toward the window, wincing at the pain.

I can’t. Not yet. I’m not ready to face that pain with him—our Becks—gone.

She cried quietly. Goddamn Becks, why are you the only one who can make me cry?

The door opened. She heard the familiar clink of bracelets, the soft tread across the room, and then felt the weight of someone climbing into the bed. Arms wrapped around her. Jenn’s breath warmed the back of her neck.

“I miss her, too,” Jenn said simply.

Sarah let herself sink into grief again.

I miss her too.

After a while, she wiped her eyes and turned to face Jenn. “Thank you.” She kissed her.

“Well, I am pretty amazing.” Jenn’s smile was tinged with sadness. “When you’re ready, they say you can go home tomorrow.”

“That’s not how hospitals work,” Sarah laughed.

“It is when the government’s paying. But the food’s still worse than your cooking.”

“You bastard! It tasted like soap one time!”

“And I’ll never let you forget it.” Jenn kissed her forehead. “Do you want me to stay, or get you something?”

“Stay a bit longer.” Sarah took a deep breath. “You smell nice.”

“You smell wiffy.” Jenn sniffed at her neck.

“It’s why you love me.”

“No, I love you for your heart. Plus the wicked thing you do with your tongue.”

Jenn pinned her down as Sarah tried to demonstrate how wicked it was.

Knock-knock-knock.

Jenn sighed. “No rest for the wicked.” She disentangled herself from a grinning Sarah. “Next holiday, we get a room with locks on it.” She got up and opened the door.

No one. Just a hallway. A nurse waved from the station.

Jenn grinned, shut the door, and locked it. “Oh, hey, look, a lock!”

Mark hadn’t played the message. He already knew what was on it. Becks had told him about recording it—one for him, another for the kids when they were older. She’d done it a few days after Paul was born, in case… well, in case.

Oh my God, Paul and Sarah… that was the hardest thing, Rebecca. I really hate you right now. I write about this kind of thing all the time, but that’s just fiction. This—this is you and our children.

“You were so goddamn close.” He wiped at fresh tears.

Thank God for my parents and NASA’s press people. They’ve kept reporters away—except for the one idiot who tried to sneak into the backyard. I’m not ready to be a single father. Well… there’s Mitchel. The fairy godmother. She’s probably gutted, too.

Lloyd had been by to say that all of Rebecca’s crew made it home because of her. The President had called, and she said nice things. He’d barely listened. The first couple of days were a blur of holding the kids and nothing else.

Mitchel’s probably pissed at her, Becks. I should call her. Drive to Pensacola. She’d probably want to talk. Or cry. Or punch me. Maybe all three. It might take the pressure off Jenn.

He looked at his phone.

It’s too soon. I can’t. Not yet.

Another wave of grief came.

His mom stepped into his office. “Sweetie, Sarah says she needs you.” She saw his face and crossed to him, arms open.

“I’m sorry, Mom, I'm getting your shirt wet.” Mark said, but she didn't let go of him.

“Oh, stop. My shirt will survive.” She wiped his face. “But Sarah really does need you.”

“I know. I need her, too.”

“Have you heard from Mitchel?”

“No. Jenn’s with her. I’ve heard from the rest of the crew.”

His mom made a thoughtful noise—she’d always liked Mitchel’s no-filter approach, even if her manners could be… situational.

Mark pocketed his phone. “Let’s go see Sarah.”

Sarah was at her desk, bent over a drawing. Mark came up behind her. She was sketching a door, hanging in space, with an astronaut knocking.

“Hey, sweetie, Grandma said you needed me.”

She looked up briefly, then back at her work. “I had another dream about Mom. She was trapped somewhere, trying to get home. I could almost see her… then I woke up.”

Mark felt his mother sniff behind him. He sat beside Sarah. “That’s a better dream than I’ve had lately.”

Sarah frowned at her drawing. “What if Mom is trying to get back?”

He hesitated, then told the truth. “Mom always said if there were a way, she’d find it. She saved her crew. She’d do anything to come home.”

I had a dream about mom.

He took a breath. “But sweetie, what happened… it was pretty bad. And even if we hope—she might not be able to.”

Sarah rested against him. “I want my mommy back.”

“Me too.” They sat together, looking at the astronaut knocking at the door.

“Let’s go see how Paul’s doing with Grandpa,” Mark said. Sarah nodded, and he lifted her.

Mark’s mom started to close the bedroom door—then paused. She thought she heard a small but quiet—

Knock-knock.

She glanced back into the room. Empty. Shook her head and shut the door.

Knock-knock.

The Doorwhere to Everywhere drifted silently in low Earth orbit.

Occasionally, a satellite would pass by—or clip it—adding a fresh speck to the halo of artificial micro-meteors. The Door itself remained undisturbed.

NASA, and by extension the government, didn’t talk about it. Amateur astronomers eventually spotted it, but it took a while.

Local astronomy club forums lit up:

Astro Noob: "Hey, this looks like an object in Earth Orbit?"

Old Timer Astro Guy: "It's just a satellite."

Astro Noob: "No, it's not moving. I think it's kinda big to be a satellite."

Mr. Doubter: "Oh, for goodness’ sake, it's not a UFO. That's what you're implying."

Angry User: "Listen, just because you don't believe, doesn't mean they're not real!"

Technical Nerd: "Guys, listen. I just stacked some photos from my mirrorless camera on a Celestron 8-inch. It's a Door.

Mr. Doubter: "Generative AI."

Technical Nerd: "I've got the metadata to back it up."

Astro Noob: "Yeah, it looks like a door."

Old Timer Astro Guy: "Who the hell would put a door in space in a geosynchronous orbit above Florida?"

Angry User: "Aliens!"

Mr. Doubter: "Oh, for the love of god!"

Who the hell would put a door in space in a geosynchronous orbit above Florida?

SPACE NEWS: Vandenberg conducted an unscheduled launch today to replace and enhance military communications and intelligence capabilities.

––To be continued

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Next Time on The Queen of the Underverse…

Rebecca’s fury burns hotter than ever as she confronts bonds she never asked for, forcing her to choose whether to sever them or carry their weight. Alone on the road to Amberford, her resolve hardens—while in the shadows, unseen eyes are already waiting.

Don’t miss Chapter 11 - Without Fire You’re Cold As Rock.

© 2025 Donnavon Evans

August 19, 2025