by Trent Falls
“He yelled something at me at the spaceport. That they took his little girl.” Aiyana added as she looked blankly out onto Hutchinson Square.
A few cars rolled by below on the city square. People ate lunch in the small green lawns of the park.
“A contact of mine told me Carn’s niece, Julie Stevens, was kidnapped a few days ago. That’s all I know.” Howe noted. “I don’t want this man in my city, Ana. I don’t want his problems.”
“I’d like to talk to him.” Aiyana noted plainly.
“Go ahead.” Howe replied. “I don’t see what that will accomplish. Besides, don’t you have history with this man?”
“Yeah,” Ana grinned. “Once upon a time we were going to get married.”
Howe stopped his work, directing his full attention to Aiyana. As his COO, she was sharp and had a tempered strength. She was made that way after years of work in the colonies, especially in New Australia. It was why he hired her in the first place. To see Aiyana wistful was somewhat of an unexpected surprise.
“John left New Australia to take care of his niece.” Aiyana added. “If he’s come here, others might too. I’d like to see what’s going on.”
Howe looked up from his seat at Aiyana. He was silent in thought for a moment.
“Okay.” Howe replied. “See what’s going on.”
Aiyana nodded. She stood up from Howe’s desk and walked back towards the elevator.
Howe returned his attention to his work.
Chapter 11
John Carn; ten years younger.
John didn’t know exactly what he was in for when he returned to Earth. He packed for a long visit, knowing that he would have to stay a while to take care of his now deceased sister’s final business. He would have to see to her funeral and attend the reading of her will.
Wendy – dead! He couldn’t believe it. He remembered their youth; the good times and the bad and being an awkward freshman in high school. Wendy was his cool older sister and a popular senior. He remembered their childhood in York, Pennsylvania. The fall leaves. The hills. Driving around on a Saturday night. All the times they spent at the Merchant Diner. He remembered talking with Wendy on one of her trips back from college. The discussion had been about John joining the EEF. John remembered their winters together with their parents. He remembered Wendy after she had met Lieutenant Andrew Stevens. Andrew and Wendy’s wedding. The funeral for John’s mother after she died in a car accident. Several years later the war would break out. John wasn’t able to return home to help bury their father.
And here he was, on approach to the West Palm Beach Spaceport on a transatmospheric passenger shuttle. It was late afternoon. Water droplets streaked by his ovoid window as he looked outside. The shuttle was turning down through an amber and orange hue cloud. The light from the sunset glowed off the cloud like fire. The ocean was about ten thousand feet below – a deep black green with the reflection of the late afternoon sun streaked across its surface. A few dark matte patches amongst the reflective black of the ocean suggested the forms of land masses. They looked to be part of the Yucatan Peninsula perhaps.
The shuttle descended lower, finally remaining at about 2,000 feet over the ocean as they entered the initial approach phase for landing.
John looked around the cabin of the Virgin Galactic space shuttle. It resembled any other airliner or passenger shuttle. The seats were an embroidered cream pattern with a maroon center. Each seat was just barely comfortable. It was easy to tell the seats had been used by thousands of passengers before John. A fan and light were set into the console above, which was also identical to the light and fan above the seat next to him and above every seat in the rows of chairs in front of John and behind him. A small three inch vid screen was set into the back of the chair in front of him. For five credits, he could watch an episode of the old Star Trek TV series – a favorite of John’s.
John didn’t feel like watching television, though. He was too grief stricken by the news of his sister’s death. He had remained silent the entire trip down from the space station, where he had transferred from the intergalactic transport that brought him home from Proxima Centauri Five.
John had also been told that Julie would be waiting for him at his sister’s house. A family friend had been staying there to watch over the child since the news of her mother’s death. Julie was only eight. He couldn’t imagine what the child was going through. John had only seen Julie four times or so since she was born, the first being at Andrew Stevens’ funeral. This time, Uncle John was coming for her mother’s funeral. With John’s parents dead and Julie left alone, he wasn’t sure who would take care of the girl. John thought the authorities had mentioned something about Lieutenant Stevens’ parents watching her.
John didn’t imagine when he returned to Earth for Wendy’s funeral that he would eventually take custody of the girl.
The shuttle approached the West Palm Beach Spaceport like any other airliner. The captain called out final approach over the cabin speakers. Seatbelts were secured. Tray backs were stowed in their upright and locked positions. The green of Florida appeared below. The shuttle soon passed over the Lake Okeechobee. The surrounding farmlands appeared as differently colored squares set in an imperfect pattern across the ground.
Light was fleeting. The sun was setting behind them as they landed. The green fields below were replaced by endless suburbs, then a massive metropolis.
In a few moments the shuttle’s delta wings floated down over the homes and businesses below. It drifted over a busy street and a number of warehouses as it settled down gently to land. The shuttle’s landing gear screeched briefly as the wheels began to roll over the black runway. The weight of the shuttle was suddenly rolling with a swift rumble beneath them, shaking the cabin gently until the craft slowed and settled under its own weight.
“At this time the captain would ask you to remain seated until we reach the terminal…” the female flight attendant noted over the cabin speaker. “Local time is seven fifty one. The temperature is eighty three degrees with overcast skies. We thank you for flying Virgin Galactic and hope you have an excellent stay in West Palm Beach.”
The shuttle came to a stop at the gate a few minutes later. Passengers got up and pulled bags from overhead compartments. John waited for the fifty five year old schoolteacher that had been sitting next to him to get his bag and move away before reaching up to get his own carry on. It took several more minutes for the procession of passengers to slowly move up the two aisles of the wide shuttle and leave through the large pressure doors of the ship and into the jetway.
West Palm Spaceport was moderately busy at that hour. It wasn’t very crowded in the passages of the concourse. John was dressed in his dark green Marine Corps uniform. As the Marshall Service was an extension of the EEF Military, it was the suit he would normally use if he had to dress up.
John walked downstairs into the baggage claim area. There were several people waiting near the automatic exit doors holding up signs. One had the name “Carn” projected holographically from his PDA phone.
“I’m John Carn.” John walked up to the man holding up the holographic sign.
The man was dressed in a black suit, black slacks, and an off-white shirt. He had short brown hair with a beard and moustache. The man deactivated his holographic sign as John approached with an extended hand.
“Sergeant Jason Rutherford. Jupiter Police Department.” Rutherford shook John’s hand. “Do you have any bags?”
“Yeah, just one.” John pointed with his thumb over his shoulder towards the baggage claim area.
The two men walked in that same direction a moment later.
Sergeant Jason Rutherford. Jupiter Police Department. Suddenly it was all too real for John. His sister was dead. The police were likely looking into her death as a matter of procedure. A social worker was likely looking in on his niece, perhaps even talking to her at that very moment. John tried to remain professional. He took a deep breath. Even thoug
h they were a solar system apart, John was not too unlike Rutherford, his Earth counterpart. John, being the Marshal for New Australia, had handled cases like this in his own jurisdiction. Living on a frontier planet, he had handled much worse.
Still, this was his family. His sister. His niece.
Both men stood still behind the crowd of people that had assembled at the baggage claim conveyors.
“Tell me again, Sergeant. How did my sister die?” John asked plainly. “And I’m an EEF Marshal, so you can tell it to me like it is.”
Rutherford looked over for a moment at John. Many times, the details of a loved one’s expiration were sugar coated. Some details were left out entirely to spare the family from shock.
“Misses Stevens was in a secure laboratory. An argon containment tank ruptured. Your sister’s was caught unaware and asphyxiated.” Rutherford answered, taking a moment to pause. “I’m sorry.”
John took a deep breath. He pursed his lips together for a moment. “Did it take long?” John turned to look directly at Rutherford. “Was it quick?”
“Uh… we believe it took a few moments.” Rutherford replied cautiously. “I’m not familiar with the science of it all but a lot of the people at her lab that we interviewed said it was fairly quick. Like falling asleep.”
John took a deep breath. “Good.” He managed to speak. “I’m glad she didn’t… suffer.”
John took another deep breath. He let his mind try to relax before continuing.
“And how’s my niece?”
“I’m not going to lie to you, Marshal.” Rutherford took a more restrained tone. “She’s been hit by this pretty badly.”
“Shit!” John exhaled deeply. His eyes turned towards the ground.
“She’s been staying with a neighbor. DCF has been checking in on her, pretty much staying with her day and night.” Rutherford added.
“My sister was all she had left.” John breathed.
John saw his bag move by on the conveyor. He reached between the crowd and grabbed the large black duffel. Rutherford helped him back out through the crowd.
“Come on.” Rutherford led John away. “My car is just outside.”
Night fell as Rutherford drove John north on I-95. Rutherford, in a marked police car, was able to drive quickly. He was forced to slow down a bit as it began raining but they were still able to make it to Jupiter in about twenty five minutes. John remained silent during the entire trip. He could only think of his sister and his now orphaned niece. What that little girl must have been going through!
Rutherford drove John down Indiantown Road. The housing, the buildings, and the landscaping in general became increasingly prestigious around them. Strip malls, restaurants, and fueling stations gave way to high stone walls enclosing rich housing developments. The entries to these fortified neighborhoods all had entrances, manned by either human or robotic security. The more expensive developments all had human security guards, as the rich preferred a personal touch.
The marked police car turned right towards a beautifully hardscaped entry. Large palms were set around the artificial stone waterfalls at the entry to the development. John barely remembered the entrance to Wendy’s development from his last visit. It was Christmas the last time he visited. The lack of decorations made the entry a bit more difficult to recall.
The gate entry was split into two lanes. One was equipped with an RFID reader that would let residents drive right through the gates. Rutherford pulled up behind two cars waiting in the lane reserved for visitors. The crossbar at the visitor gate raised ahead. The black uniformed guard at the entry waved the first car through the entry. The next car stopped. The driver extended his driver's license to the guard for inspection.
“Nice neighborhood.” Rutherford spoke, trying to finally break the silence.
“Yeah.” John answered blankly.
The security guard flagged the police car through without stopping them. Rutherford raised a hand, waving lazily back at the guard.
Rutherford was right. The homes set along the street ahead were very luxurious. Nearly all were two stories in height. The lots were massive and meticulously manicured. The driveways were all comprised of rich flagstone pavers. The landscaping looked higher end, with soft lights aimed up at the tall palms and the sides of many of the homes. Even at night the neighborhood looked wealthy.
John instantly recognized where Wendy’s home was located. A number of cars were parked in front, with another police cruiser set among the vehicles.
The vehicle carrying Rutherford and John came to a stop in front of the home. Rutherford threw the column shifter into park. John turned his head to the right, staring blankly at the house - Wendy’s house.
“Maybe we should have stopped and got something for Julie.” John thought aloud.
“There’s only one thing that little girl needs right now. Family.” Rutherford stated, looking with John out to the home.
John stared for a few seconds more before opening the car door. Rutherford got out behind him. The car doors closed loudly in succession in the damp evening air. John walked up the drive towards the house. He realized the Mercedes VF-520 parked at the top of the drive was Wendy’s. The VF series was a dual road and repulse drive sedan. It was capable of flight. He remembered Wendy telling him of the car in vid letters to New Australia. She had loved the car. Someone must have driven it home from the lab.
The double doors at the covered main entry were mahogany, set in a regal pattern with central lights of clear crystal-like glass. A uniformed police officer sat next to the door. John was impressed, in a manner of speaking. Jupiter PD seemed to have made a big deal of Wendy’s demise. If someone had died on New Australia, John wouldn’t have been able to provide such service. He lacked the funding and manpower. Seeing the police there was incredibly reassuring and much appreciated.
“Uh, sir?” the uniformed cop stood up at the sight of the uniformed Marine. He didn’t see Rutherford walking up behind John.
“It’s alright Charlie.” Rutherford stepped into the light of the covered porch. “This is Misses Stevens’ brother.”
“Oh, I’m sorry sir.” The uniformed cop replied.
“It’s okay.” John noted in a low tone.
John pulled the handle of the front door and walked in. The foyer beyond was large. The living area beyond the foyer was cavernous. The floor was finished in light brown ceramic tile. John’s footsteps sounded uncomfortably loud in the high ceilings of the foyer and living room. A television was on somewhere. He could hear the faint sounds of dialogue in the background.
The house was definitely decorated in Wendy’s spirit. Everything had a spark of his sister’s presence. The fall decorations on the counter tops and the kitchen table were definitely Wendy. The couches were a soft brown leather. Quilts and soft throw pillows were set on the couches and chairs. The home had a rather subtle country feel. It reminded John a bit of his parent’s home from when he was young.
“This way.” The uniformed cop, Charlie Hobbs, directed them away. “The girl was in the family room last time I saw her.”
John walked with Rutherford and Officer Hobbs to the far end of the living room. In his military uniform John felt somewhat imposing. He should have dressed more casually.
There was an amber glow from the passage into the next room. The dialogue grew louder as John, Rutherford, and Hobbs neared, accented by laughter of a studio audience. As they got closer John realized there was another voice; a real human female voice.
The large rectangular holographic television screen glowed at the far end of the family room. A kid’s channel was on TV, showing a youth-oriented sitcom. The room had more livable couches than the living room, though they were of the same style. A woman with graying hair sat in a recliner. She sat up attentively as John entered. Another middle age woman in a grey suit sat on the couch. She was African American, with long wavy hair. Sitting next to her was a young eight year old girl with long straight blonde hair.
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br /> John walked into the room slowly. Julie had her head down in a saddened expression. She didn’t notice John walk in.
Rutherford and Hobbs remained several paces back, stopping at the entry to the family room.
“Ruby.” Rutherford waved the black female social worker towards him.
Ruby looked up to see Rutherford. She then grasped Julie softly by her shoulders.
“Julie. There’s someone here to see you.” Ruby spoke in an almost singing tone.
Julie looked up. Clearly, tears had been streaking from her eyes. She was in light pink pajamas. It took her a moment to figure out who John was.
“Uncle John!” Julie jumped off of the couch.
John got down on one knee as Julie ran over to hug him. Julie hugged him very tightly. John held her with the same familiar compassion. Julie started crying, sniffling into his shoulder. The eight year old girl sobbed uncontrollably.
“Oh baby! I’m sorry!” John spoke to her softly, still holding her tightly.
“Mommy’s gone, Uncle John!” Julie whimpered. “Mommy’s gone!”
“I know, baby! I’m so, so sorry!” John held on to her.
Julie cried with the relentlessness of true heartbreak. All John could to was hold on to her. It was truly the saddest thing he ever had to endure. He couldn’t allow himself to cry, though, even as he choked back his own tears. He needed to be strong. He needed to be a stable adult for the child.
“Why?” she demanded through her tears. “Why… did she have... to go?”
John continued holding her against his shoulder, rocking her gently. “I don’t know, sweetie. I wish I could answer that.”
Julie continued crying. John didn’t know when her tears would run dry.
It took a while to get Julie to settle down. A day and a half earlier, the little girl had led a routine life. She had woken up, eaten breakfast, got dressed, and had her mother take her to school. The last time Julie had seen her mother was when she had dropped her off at the Watkins Academy, the private school Julie attended. She had an ordinary day. Julie ate a lunch that her mother had packed her.