After a lengthy discussion about the EMP bomb, the topic turned to the last flight. Every aspect of it was covered, to the best of the survivors’ memories. At one point, Karen pointed out, “Hey, this was almost a year ago. Do you remember everything that happened nine months ago?” Bill was glad to see some of the former spunk emerging from her. Damn, Karen’s back, he thought.
The takeaway on that part of the discussion was that it appeared Ben had done the best possible job, considering the circumstances.
Attention then turned to the sabotaged parachutes. Bill told the panel that every parachute aboard the plane had been deliberately cut.
“Are you absolutely certain all the parachutes had been deliberately cut?” a panel member asked. “Even the crash seat ‘chutes?”
The three survivors looked at each other, eyebrows raised.
“We don’t know. We only salvaged the regular parachutes,” Bill answered.
The three panelists looked at each other, obviously thinking the same thing.
As the panel was disbanding for the day, the lead panelist said, “It looks like Ben was the main one responsible for saving all of your lives during that flight. I’ll be recommending him for the Honor Medal with Crossed Tusks.” This was the highest lifesaving medal, indicating that one risked one’s life to save another. The crossed tusks were miniature replicas of mammoth tusks, something that most Explorers got to see firsthand during their many surveys.
He turned to Meri. “I think you deserve it, too, so I’ll be recommending one for you. You may not get it, but it’s still an honor to be nominated.”
Meri blushed, the red of her face almost matching her hair. “I’m honored, but Ben did most of the work.”
Bill couldn’t contain himself. “As I recall, there were two people who worked together to get us safely on the ground. If he doesn’t nominate you, I’m sure Karen will. And I know I will!”
The panelist laughed. “And, there you go.”
After days of interviewing (more like interrogation, Bill thought), the panels made their recommendations to the Commandant of the Corps. Even though the Clarks continued to live under the same roof as the Commandant, he never let on what the panels were saying or thinking.
Bill and Meri decided to take a break and visit the Cave Bear Cave, a beer garden on base that they used to frequent when they were Probies, or Probationary Explorers. Despite the fact that it was early spring, the outdoor patio was open, with propane heaters warming the patrons. Well, warming them enough. Spring east of the Cascades is anything but warm.
Bill had contacted Matt Green before heading over, requesting that he gather up as many of the old crew as possible and meet them there. When the couple arrived, with Jack firmly ensconced in a new front baby carrier, and joined by David Clark, Matt was waiting for them, along with his fiancée, Nicole. Jordan was there as well, along with Kim Brown, one of Bill’s original co-aerial surveyors. Both women gave Bill a hug, but it was apparent their attention was focused more on Meri and Jack.
Bill noticed the new scar slicing down Nicole’s lower mouth and commented on it.
“Yeah, not fun,” she said. “Dr. Benson said it’ll be another three months until they’ll do the implant, but after that, you won’t even be able to tell I lost the tooth.”
The evening passed pleasurably, aided by several pitchers of the local home brew. It almost seemed like back when they were all Probies, full of hope and excitement. Now they were veterans. Still full of hope and excitement, but tempered by the reality of the job. All had lost a friend. Some had seen death up close. Most had faced death.
As the evening began to wind down, first Jordan, and then Kim left. “Gotta be up early,” Kim said, giving both Meri and Bill a hug goodnight. “I’m really glad you made it. The Corps wouldn’t be the same without this geographic genius,” she said, nodding in Bill’s direction.
At one point, the group was approached by a man in his mid-twenties in the uniform of the Hayek Defense Force. “Bill?”
Bill looked up and immediately recognized him. “Sergeant Renard,” he said, standing to greet his former militia training sergeant.
“Just plain Pierre, tonight,” he said, grasping Bill’s hand. “Glad to see you made it back.”
“Me, too,” Bill laughed.
Bill introduced everyone. “Join us?”
“No, thanks. I just wanted to stop by and say welcome home. Glad you all made it back, especially this little guy,” he said, gesturing to Jack.
Giving Bill another handshake, he bid the others goodnight.
Soon, the table was occupied only by the Clarks, Matt, and Nicole.
“So, when’s the big date?” Bill asked. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he felt a sharp rap on his shins. Startled, he looked at his wife. “What?” he asked, confused as to why he warranted a physical assault.
Nicole picked up on the byplay and laughed. “No need to be so cautious. We had planned on getting married once this survey was up, but between losing a tooth and you two showing up, things are a bit discombobulated right now.” She turned to Matt. “What do you think?”
“Hell, I’d be happy tying the knot tonight,” he responded.
Bill smiled at that. Classic Matt. Direct, to the point, and completely lacking in tact.
“Well, mate, let me tell you. No wedding is happening until I replace this tooth,” she said.
Bill didn’t even notice the missing tooth. But, then again, he wasn’t a woman. What the hell did he know?”
“On the bright side,” Matt said, “at least I’ve got my best man back.”
Bill awoke early the next morning, feeling slightly hungover. Not the raging headache, dry-mouth, dry heaves, dizzy, blurred vision type, rather the not-feeling-on-top-of-his-game hung over. Coffee, water, and aspirin. That oughta do it, he thought, making his way into the living area. There was a carafe of coffee on the table, and Bill helped himself to a cup.
Damn, that tastes good, he thought as he took his first sip. It wasn’t until he had quaffed down half the cup before he realized he was alone. That’s weird. I wonder where Meri and Jack are? Man, was I that drunk I didn’t hear them leave? Come to think of it, did they get home last night?
Racking his befuddled brain, Bill concluded that, yes, all three of them had made it back to the Commandant’s quarters the night before.
As he sipped on the coffee, Meri came back into the suite from the main house, Jack on her hip.
“It’s alive,” she said.
“Yeah, barely. Where were you?”
“Talking with Dad. Seems they’re planning a ceremony for this afternoon. Part memorial service, part ‘honor the survivors’ thing. You up to it?”
“I will be. Get enough coffee into me.”
“Great. In the meantime, I’m going to take a bath. Can you watch Jack?”
“Yeah, but give me a minute to finish this cup and start another.”
Smiling at Bill, she came over and gave him a kiss on the lips. “Doofus.”
“Yeah, well, I’m your doofus,” he replied.
The afternoon’s ceremony was held in the base auditorium. Bill had first been in the building when he was going through Basic Militia Training. This time it was different. Rather than being one of about 250 people in the seats, he was one of a handful on stage.
The auditorium was filled beyond capacity. Had this been Earth, Bill was sure the fire marshal would have shut it down due to overcrowding and the lack of a quick exit. But, Earth’s rules didn’t apply on Hayek. There were even videographers; Lewis had told Meri and Bill that the event was being broadcast live.
A podium with a microphone was center stage.
Christ, I hope they don’t expect me to talk again. I’d rather face another Smilodon than that crowd, he thought, looking out over the assembled people.
Soon, Commandant Lewis was standing behind the podium with the Assistant Commandant, Lisa Ragnar, behind him.
“Ladies an
d gentlemen, thank you for joining us this afternoon. As most of you are aware, we’re here to honor four Explorers, one of whom is no longer present.
“Almost a year ago, Hayek and the Corps of Discovery was attacked by the Gaia Liberation Force, with the purpose of shutting down the gates. This terrorist action not only killed many of our members but also left some stranded on surveys. Those on secondary surveys were the luckiest. We were able to rapidly reopen the gates and give them the needed support. Unfortunately, we also had a primary survey taking place at the time, with three survey crews out, along with their Initial Point support crew.
“While we were able to connect with the IP support crew fairly rapidly, we weren’t so lucky with the survey crews. The sabotage by the GLF also took place on the individual survey crafts, as we have now learned. All three planes went down. Originally, we had presumed that the crews, twelve experienced Explorers, were lost to us.
“Less than a week ago, we were proven wrong, when most of the crew of 42/2 was discovered on the plains of Ti’icham on Planet 42. Unfortunately, one did not survive.
“Today, we honor that lost crew member, Benjamin Weaver. For those who haven’t heard, Ben did an amazing bit of piloting, dead-sticking a Monarch safely into an alpine lake on the western edge of the Eurasian Alps. Ben’s actions saved the lives of his fellow crew.”
Looking down into the front row of the audience, he gestured. “Today we have Ben’s parents here. They made the trip from Earth specifically for this ceremony,” Lewis said as the older couple made their way up the side steps to the stage.
Spontaneous applause erupted.
Once the couple was next to Lewis, he held up several medals and certificates.
“Mr. and Mrs. Weaver, I’d like to present you with the Honor Medal with Crossed Tusks. This is the highest award the Corps of Discovery presents for those who risk their lives to save the life of another.
“You’ll see your son’s medal comes with three small metal acorns on it. That signifies that he saved the lives of three people at great risk to his own life.”
At this point, Lewis bowed his head briefly, and then, looking back up at Mrs. Weaver, said, “One of those lives was that of my own daughter. Words cannot express how much I owe your son. He was a great man.”
At that point, Ben’s mom broke down and started crying. Bill could tell that Ben’s dad was barely holding it in. The auditorium was so quiet Bill could swear he heard the ticking of the digital clock on the wall.
Lewis handed the first medal and certificate to Mr. Weaver.
“It’s tradition that anyone who winds up on their own in the wild and has to make their way back to the Corps also receives the Survival Journey Medal. We colloquially call it the Trekker Medal. He certainly earned this one.”
Again, another medal and certificate were handed to Mr. Weaver. By this time, Mrs. Weaver had composed herself, but that wasn’t to last long.
“Mrs. Weaver, Mr. Weaver. This is the hardest award for me to hand out. The Purple Heart. I wish it wasn’t one I needed to give.”
As he handed Mr. Weaver the third certificate and medal, a bagpiper at the opposite end of the stage began playing.
It took a couple of seconds before Bill recognized the song, “Amazing Grace.” Fitting, he thought. Listening to the mournful wailing of the pipes, Bill felt a lump form in his throat. Meri reached over and grasped his hand, holding on tight. Karen, on his other side, did the same. The three suffered silently, along with their partner’s parents. Bill’s eyes grew wet, but he didn’t release his grip on the hands of his companions to wipe away the tears.
Then, as the Weavers were about to return to their seats, Bill did release the hands of the two women. He stood and called to the couple. They stopped and looked at him.
Bill walked to them across the stage. “We’ve got some of Ben’s personal items that we brought home with us with the intent of getting them to you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small packet. Handing it over to Ben’s mother, he watched as she unwrapped it. Inside was Ben’s St. Christopher medal, his Corps ID card, the photo of Ben and his parents, and the small gold coin.
She smiled sadly. Looking up at Bill, she said, “Thank you,” in a soft voice, almost a whisper, then hugged him. It was obvious that Ben’s father wasn’t able to speak at that moment. He just nodded his thanks.
Bill then made his way back to his chair and Ben’s parents returned to their seats.
Once Bill was seated, Lewis spoke again.
“Ben wasn’t the only one on that trek.” Turning toward the three seated Trekkers, he gestured to them to stand.
“Allow me to introduce the three Explorers who have made, what is undoubtedly the longest trek in Corps history. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Survey Commander Karen Wilson, Co-Pilot Meriwether Lewis Clark, and Aerial Survey Specialist William J. Clark.”
The auditorium erupted in thunderous applause. It took almost a full minute before Lewis was able to speak again.
Lewis gestured for the three Explorers to join him at the podium.
“As you can imagine, each one has earned the Survival Journey medal, but, upon the recommendation of the review panels, each has also been awarded separate awards.
“Due to their continuous actions against threatening wildlife, each is awarded the Honor Medal. We present this medal to those who save another’s life with potential risk to themselves. They each did this on numerous occasions.”
In turn, Lewis pinned the medals on each Explorer.
“Karen Wilson is also awarded a second Honor Medal for her actions when a cougar attacked Meri Clark, assisting in killing the cougar. She is also awarded a third Honor Medal for her actions when a short-faced bear broke into their winter cabin and threatened all the occupants. Wilson, along with the Clarks, engaged the threatening bear at close quarters and helped stop its assault.”
Lewis pinned the two medals on her chest. Turning to the audience, he said, “It’s tradition for Explorers to wear ribbons on their uniforms, indicating the medals they have earned. A second medal is indicated by a small metal acorn that is pinned to the ribbon.”
Turning back to the trio, Lewis continued. “Meriwether Lewis Clark is further awarded a second Honor Medal. During the trek, Wilson suffered from appendicitis. Meri, with Bill’s assistance, operated on Wilson, performing a successful field appendectomy. Had she not done so, it is doubtful that Wilson would have survived.
“William J. Clark is further awarded a second Honor Medal for his actions in shooting a cougar that had attacked Meri. Without his quick actions, Meri would have undoubtedly been killed.”
Turning back to Ragnar, Lewis picked up several more medals.
“While crossing the ocean, the three encountered a hurricane. Meriwether Lewis Clark risked her life to cut a broken mast loose from their outrigger canoe, preventing the canoe from being swamped. During this action, Lewis was twice tossed into the ocean. The quick thinking and actions of both Karen Wilson and William J. Clark, who risked their lives to pull her out of the water, undoubtedly saved her life. For this action, each is awarded the Honor Medal with Crossed Tusks.”
For the third time in as many minutes, Lewis pinned medals to the three.
“Meriwether Lewis Clark is awarded a second Honor Medal with Crossed Tusks. At one point, Bill fell into a river and was knocked unconscious. While unconscious, he went over a waterfall. Without hesitation, Meriwether Lewis Clark jumped over the waterfall, putting herself at great risk, and rescued him. Without Meriwether Lewis Clark’s quick reaction, it is doubtful he would have survived. William J. Clark is awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in the fall over the waterfall.
“William J. Clark is also awarded a second Honor Medal with Crossed Tusks for his actions in saving Wilson, who was still incapacitated from her appendix surgery, from being trampled by a herd of stampeding mastodons. At great risk to himself, he assisted Wilson in climbing a bluff, practically carr
ying her. Without his actions, it is likely Wilson would have been killed.
“William J. Clark is also awarded a third Honor Medal with Crossed Tusks. Near the end of the trek, when the short-faced bear broke into the cabin they had wintered in. Clark, after emptying his rifle into the bear, realized he had no other means of protecting his wife and son, so he threw his body over them, protecting them from the bear. Clark suffered wounds to his back from that attack, and is also awarded a second Purple Heart.”
With that, Lewis pinned the final medal onto Bill’s uniform.
Glancing down at his chest, Bill thought, I’m gonna look like a fucking Christmas tree if they keep this up. He also felt he didn’t deserve the medals. I’ll have to take that up with Jack later.
The ceremony soon wrapped up, and the award recipients were free to continue with their lives. Upon retrieving little Jack from “Aunt” Nicole, Bill and Meri sought out the Weavers. When they found them, Bill was surprised to find Lewis and Janice Goodland talking with them.
Commandant Lewis formally introduced the Clarks to the Weavers. The two couples spent the rest of the afternoon and evening together, with Bill and Meri telling the Weavers about their experiences with Ben.
Bill summed it up at the end of the evening, telling the Weavers, “You did a great job. Ben was a helluva guy, and I’m proud to have known him. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be alive, and our son wouldn’t exist. We owe him.”
He thought the Weavers left in better shape than they had arrived. When they had come to Hayek, all they knew was that their son was dead. They left knowing he had saved others. Not only that, but another whole generation existed because of his actions. While that would never replace their loss, it at least helped assuage their grief.
48
The day after the combination memorial service and award ceremony, Lewis came into the Clarks’ living quarters and asked to speak with Bill. “You can join us,” he added to Meri.
The Corps of Discovery Trilogy Box Set: Books 1-3: A multiverse series of alternate history Page 53