“What are those, Mom,” the child asked as she looked through a large hatchway at the other end of the corridor. She could see group of large rectangular boxes arranged in stacked rows.
“I don’t know what you mean, Delta. What are you looking at?”
The child pointed to the end of the corridor.
The woman squinted as she looked into the cargo area. “Those are crates with supplies for the surface, Sweetie. Do you see those rectangular shapes on the sides and ends? Those are openings for doors and windows. They get knocked out after the crates are emptied so people can use them for houses.”
“Houses?” Delta giggled at the thought of living in a box, even if the box was uncommonly spacious.
“Yes. Houses. That was another of John’s ideas.”
“John is really smart, isn’t he, Mom?”
“He’s the smartest man I know, Sweetie.”
A hatch opened at the end of the corridor that was farthest away from where the woman and child hid in the shadows. A lone male human in a military uniform stepped through and pulled the hatch closed again.
The woman peeked out from her hiding place once more and then moved back into the shadows before the man could turn to see her.
The man began walking slowly toward the woman and child. The woman waited until he was upon them and she could see him without leaving the safety of the shadows before she spoke.
“It’s about time you showed up,” the woman whispered.
The man was expecting her to be close by, but, he was still startled by the voice coming from the shadows. “Holy shit, Maggie. I thought you’d be in the main hangar by now.”
“The main hangar is locked up for the day, Billy. I didn’t dare try to enter. We need to hurry. It won’t be long before they discover I’m not in my quarters.”
The feline child stepped out of the shadows to look around prompting Maggie to tell her to stay close.
“So, she’s the other passenger,” Billy said, “You’re playing with fire again—”
Maggie interrupted what was certain to be a lecture about her patent disregard for authority since Chamberlain was found missing. “I need to get to the surface before anyone notices we’re gone.”
“I checked the schedules. The only cargo drops for the next thirty-six hours are to the continent. I can’t get you to New Oz from here.”
“I guess we’ll just have to take our chances in New Phoenix,” Maggie replied. She motioned for the child to join her. “Can you get us on the next drop shuttle, then?”
“I can, but how will you get back to the compound? I can’t get you on a flight to there from the continent without somebody reporting it to Dennis. It’s doubtful your friends will be able to get you there without being discovered, either. Please stay on board the Ark, Maggie. I won’t let anything more happen to either of you.”
“Delta and I will be much safer on the surface, Billy.”
“If the two of you don’t know anything about John’s disappearance, then prove it,” Billy said. “You two should stay here. Let Dennis finish questioning the child and that will be the end of it. If you stay here, I can protect you both. If you try to disappear, you’ll be on your own. Yuen has a whole damned army at his disposal. Besides, if you make it to the compound, your friends can hide the two of you only so long before folks who don’t hold your views discover you’re there.”
“You haven’t done much of anything, so far, Billy. I can’t let Yuen and his group of mad scientists do anything else to our child.”
“Maggie, don’t do this. Give me a chance. You know I’m trying desperately to change things. Please don’t make me put you under arrest.”
“Don’t threaten me Billy. Yuen has far fewer supporters among the colonists than John does. If you fools don’t stop man-handling the rest of us in the name of the greater good, you’ll lose your footing, even among the felines. What do you think will happen once word of these atrocities gets back to the civilians? You’re a good man, Billy, and a smart one. Open your eyes. Chamberlain isn’t insane and he wants this mission to succeed. I can’t say the same for Yuen.”
“Maggie, there are things about this situation you aren’t privy to.”
“Then enlighten me, because it looks like what you and Yuen are perpetrating here is genocide. John is right. We should be talking to these people. They’re humans, Billy.”
Suddenly, the corridor lights flickered on and the hatch to the hangar deck opened again. Half a dozen men in uniform stepped through. “Colonel Black Bear,” one of them said. “General Yuen wants this wrapped up immediately, Sir.”
The surprised Billy turned around. “Just who the hell are you, Soldier, and what gives you the right to break in on a confidential conversation?”
Maggie motioned for Delta to stand next to her. “William Black Bear, you son of a bitch. I’m not letting that bastard hurt this child ever again.”
“I’ll handle this, Maggie.” Black Bear turned around to talk to the soldiers. “This is a private conversation and you weren’t invited. Now leave. That’s a direct order.”
“Colonel Black Bear,” the soldier, a captain, said, “I have orders from General Yuen to place this woman under arrest and take this feline to the sick bay to complete her evaluation. I’ll step back outside, if you want, but I’ll be reporting to the general when I do, Sir. I don’t want to, but I’ll arrest you as well, if I have to, Colonel.”
“Understood, Soldier,” Black Bear said. “Give me five minutes.”
The captain motioned for two of his men to flank him while he approached.
“Did you not hear me,” Black Bear asked.
“Yes, I did, Colonel, but I need to take the feline into custody this minute. General’s orders.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Black Bear grumbled. “I’ll make sure of it.”
The pair flanking the captain lunged for Black Bear and each grabbed an arm. The three that remained at the entrance pointed their weapons at Black Bear’s head.
The captain reached out for Delta, who hid behind Maggie.
“Please come with me, Miss,” the captain requested.
Maggie looked around and weighed her options.
“You’re unarmed and outnumbered,” Black Bear said. “Let them have her.”
Maggie turned to shout at Black Bear. “I’d rather die and take the lot of you with me.”
When he saw that Maggie was distracted, the captain grabbed the collar of Delta’s school jumper. He pulled the kicking and screaming feline child toward the door.
Maggie went after the captain. Before she had taken three steps she felt a sensation in her hip like a bee sting. Immediately after she noticed the sting, she felt jolt in the same hip that knocked her to the ground.
Delta looked back at her incapacitated mother and screamed.
Chapter 48
12-May-2210
On board the SS Neil A. Armstrong.
Morning Grass picked up her tablet and tapped in her passcode. “Show hidden file folders,” she said. She then entered another passcode via the virtual Sino keyboard that presented itself on the screen.
She watched as a file folder called “Dream Journal” appeared. She placed her thumb on top of it and once the tablet recognized her thumbprint the folder opened to reveal a list of audio recordings Morning Grass had made over the past few months.
Morning Grass wanted to share the recordings with Russo and Stiles, but didn’t dare. Whenever she thought about it, her body began to burn as if she were walking through the pits of Hell.
“Open voice message file and use timestamp for filename,” Morning Grass said as she closed her eyes and dictated into her tablet everything she could remember about the nightmare.
As Morning Grass spoke, an intense burning grew in her fingers and toes. It spread up her arms and legs and then to her chest and bowels. Her last words were shrieked into the tablet and she barely got them out before racing to her shower and turning the wate
r on as cold as it would run.
Morning Grass watched the cold water turn her blood red skin slowly to blue and begged for whatever deity might be listening to either lessen the pain, or tell her how to rid herself of it. Slowly, she began to forget why she was standing in an ice cold shower in the middle of the night.
Morning Grass reached for the shower handle and turned it off. “What am I doing here?” She was wide awake and couldn’t remember the dream or recording it.
When Morning Grass had dried herself she walked to her bunk and saw the tablet sitting on her bed and powered up. She looked at the list of voice memos and saw it had grown by another entry.
Morning Grass set the tablet on her night table and lay down on the bunk. She spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, afraid to sleep.
Chapter 49
12-May-2210
“Dawn Marie tells me you may have had a small breakthrough yesterday, while the two of you were in your former dwelling.”
“I don’t know if I would characterize it as that, Colonel Stiles,” Morning Grass replied.
“Then how would you characterize it?”
“I said something out loud that just jumped into my head. I have no idea where it came from.”
“I see. Dawn Marie also told me you became uncomfortable when she asked you about it. Can you explain why?”
“I don’t know how else to explain it, Colonel. When this happens, I feel like something terrible will happen if I remember. I’m not supposed to remember.”
Stiles spent a moment silently contemplating Morning Grass and her answer. The feline looked fearful.
“Are you okay with me putting you under for a while,” Stiles finally asked. “I believe you’re blocking.”
“I’m not, Colonel. I swear.”
“You may not be aware of it, but you are blocking. We should discuss what went on in the settlements before you’re able to bury the memory deeper. You’re safe here, Morning Grass. I won’t allow anything or anyone to hurt you.”
“I know you won’t, Colonel. I just don’t feel comfortable with this.”
“I understand,” Stiles replied. “It’s up to you. I can only help you if you’re willing to be helped.”
“I have a question. What if you put me under, but didn’t allow me to remember what we discussed afterward?”
“That won’t help things,” Stiles said. “We can’t bypass the conditioning; we have to determine what caused it and break it.”
“I meant just so I don’t remember the pain when I wake up,” Morning Grass answered.
“That’s an unusual request, but I can do that.”
“Then you may put me under as long as you can promise me I won’t remember any pain I went through during the session after I come out of hypnosis.”
Stiles punched some notes into her tablet. “I’m going to put you under, now.”
Morning Grass took longer to go under than usual and once she was under, Stiles voiced her concern.
“I don’t like leaving a suggestion for my patients to forget what happens in their sessions,” Stiles said. “Can you tell me why you asked? Nobody can harm you. It’s alright for you to tell me.”
“I thought it would make things easier, Colonel. If I can’t remember the pain when I wake up, I might be able to tolerate the punishment. I don’t know why, but I know it’s bad for me to remember a lot of the things you want me to tell you about.”
“Like what, Morning Grass? What are some of the things you aren’t supposed to remember? Share some of them with me. I promise I won’t allow you to remember this session, once you’re awake.”
“I’m not supposed to remember that I have a human mother,” Morning Grass said. “But, you already know that.”
Stiles laughed at the childlike quality in Morning Grass’ answer. “Yes. We’ve already established that.”
“I’m also not supposed to remember who she is.”
“Is that a supposition or something you know to be factual,” Stiles asked.
“It’s a fact.”
“How do you know that’s a fact?”
“Because when I try to remember, I feel like I’m on fire.”
“The burning is why you don’t want to remember, Morning Grass, it’s not why you don’t remember. Those are two different things. You can remember. All those memories are there. You just choose not to remember because of the torture you go through when you try. If you get nothing else out of this session, please understand that.”
“I’ll try, Colonel,” Morning Grass said.
“What was it you told Dawn Marie about the habi-crates,” Stiles asked.
“I told her my mom mentioned to me John invented them.”
“Does John have a surname?”
“I think Mom said it was Chamberlain,” Morning Grass replied.
“We all know who John Chamberlain is. Is it possible you’re only assuming she was talking about Chamberlain?”
“It was John Chamberlain my mother was telling me about,” Morning Grass said. “I’m not sure how I know, but it was.”
“Why do you think you can remember this particular bit of information,” Stiles asked.
“I don’t know, Colonel,” Morning Grass said. “I feel wicked for remembering it, though. I’m sure I’ll be punished.” Her eyes became damp. “May we talk about something else?”
“What would you like to talk about,” Stiles asked.
“Anything but my childhood,” Morning Grass replied.
“Well then, what can you remember about your trip to the settlements, yesterday? Tell me what you and Dawn Marie talked about on your way to your home. I want you to go there, now.”
“We were discussing what it was like to live in the settlements,” Morning Grass said. “I was showing Dawn Marie where Teacher and I raised our cattle and chickens. I also showed her where I did my gardening.”
“It sounds as if you two were having a nice conversation,” Stiles observed.
“For the most part, but not entirely. I also pointed out that we were walking through an area of the settlements where a lot of separatist sympathizers live.”
“Is talking about the separatists particularly unpleasant for you,” Stiles asked.
“Thinking about them certainly brings to mind things about my past I wish I could change,” Morning Grass replied. “I see their perspective as unreasonable now, but it wasn’t long ago I held those same views. I held on to them even as those close to me kept patiently trying to make me see how foolhardy they were and how bigoted I had become.”
“Can you explain to me what made you change your perspective so quickly,” Stiles asked. “A change like yours usually only happens as the result of an epiphany.”
“I don’t know if I can put it into words, Colonel. It’s as if the disintegration of my phase rifle on that night and my subsequent placement into the care of Major Russo were divine providence.”
“Just describe your feelings as well as you can. If you want to revisit and explain better at a later date that will be fine.”
“Okay, Colonel,” Morning Grass said with an enthusiastic smile.
“Is there an exact moment you can point to when your change of heart occurred,” Stiles asked.
“The moment I came to myself after I injured Corporal Lowell.” Morning Grass started to weep softly. “I’m so sorry for that. I would give anything to have that day back.”
“We all understand it was unintentional, Morning Grass. Major Russo and Private Haley both testified you were disoriented and dissociated when that happened. Please don’t dwell on it.”
“Dawn Marie was so angry with me,” Morning Grass cried. “I would rather have died than disappoint her.”
“Why is what Dawn Marie thinks of you so important,” Stiles asked. “Why do you bother yourself with impressing her and not other humans?”
“I want to make a good impression on everyone, Colonel. I am much closer to Dawn Marie than I am to other humans, t
hough.”
“You two are close now,” Stiles observed. “But, on that day you barely knew Dawn Marie. Before you went into the regen tank, you had only talked with her twice. Why should you care what she thought about you on that day?”
“Because she loves me,” Morning Grass said. “She was trying to help me.”
“Not everyone who helps you loves you,” Stiles replied. “Dawn Marie is a doctor. Doctors are here to help everybody. That’s what they do.”
“I know, Colonel,” Morning Grass said. “It’s different with Dawn Marie, though. I just know it is.”
Chapter 50
Russo was looking forward to a quiet dinner in her cabin. She managed to get off the hospital deck at the end of the shift without Haley or Morning Grass noticing she was gone. She went straight to the galley, grabbed a takeout meal and congratulated herself on making her way to her quarters without running into either of them.
Before Russo could unpack her meal, her locator signaled an incoming call. She picked the locator up and was only slightly relieved when she saw it was Haley and not Morning Grass.
“You disappeared before I could ask if you had dinner plans, so I wanted to check with you before I went,” Haley said.
“I decided to have dinner in my cabin, tonight. I apologize for not saying something, but I really didn’t feel like talking after the shift was over.”
“Did Morning Grass or I do something to offend you, Major?”
“Of course not, Kathy. It’s just been a tough week.”
“Is it anything you feel the need to talk about? I’m not Colonel Stiles, but I am a good listener.”
“Honestly, it’s something I need to sort out by myself,” Russo replied.
“You haven’t been thinking about Alex, have you,” Haley asked. “I don’t mean to pry, but you know you made a promise to tell me or the colonel if you ever do.”
“It isn’t Alex I’ve been thinking about,” Russo said. She winced when she realized the response would elicit more questions. Until her friendship with Morning Grass, Russo was closer to Haley than anyone else on board the Armstrong and shared some things with her she hadn’t shared with another living soul.
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