He fell off into a dream in which he was looking at Lieutenant Shou across a beautiful green field. She was in a white flowing dress, exposing her light brown skin, and her long black hair fell upon her shoulders. She smiled and reached out her hand to invite Devon to walk with her. He heard her calling softly, “Commander, Commander.” He wanted to take her hand, walk with her, and forget about the pressures of his life. He’d always taken on such responsibilities that he had forgotten what it was like to just walk with a beautiful woman at his side. He hadn’t had the luxury, as a military commander, to face the realization that he was a lonely man, but in the boring quiet of deep space, he had no choice but to face these suppressed feelings. Just as he was about to give in to the moment, he was awoken by the sound of Lieutenant Shou’s voice.
“Commander, sorry to wake you, sir.” This wasn’t the soft, inviting voice he’d heard in his dream, nor was it the calm, in-control voice of the real Lieutenant Shou. Something was different in her tone; it was urgency she’d never exhibited before. Her tone never wavered from the cool, in-control first officer that she was. He stared at her for a moment and allowed himself to complete the thought of taking her hand, feeling the sensation of her skin on his. For a brief moment, he was able to put aside the great Commander Devon, hero of the Sian war, and just be a man. It had been a long time since he’d felt as content.
His brief moment of peace ended abruptly with the words that would haunt him the rest of his life. Shou’s voice quivered with fear and uncertainty as she delivered the news.
“Sir, the object will impact our planet in forty-seven days, and it’s likely nothing will survive.”
3
THE FOLANDS
It had been three weeks since Will had last reported to Space Quorum Headquarters and observed his Telos rovers. Jonas had been keeping him up to speed on new developments—nothing special, from Will’s perspective. Several new creatures had been observed, and Jonas was proud to report their names, only to have to eliminate half of them from his records because of Fat Bob’s appetite. He cursed Will for landing rover seven right in Bob’s primary feeding area, but he had to admit that it was never boring.
Will’s com rang out and he knew it was Jonas with his daily report. He hit the button to accept the call and Jonas appeared on the screen.
“Good Morning,” said Will as he sat back in his chair sipping a drink.”
“Daddy, when are you going back to work?” interupted Edena, as she did each time Will spoke with Jonas.
“I’m not sure, Edena. I love being home with you, so I don’t expect it will be too soon. Besides, the Quorum owes me about ten years of vacation time that I never took.”
Hearing Edena in the background, Jonas was reminded of the envelope on Will’s desk.
“I have some good news,” said Jonas enthusiastically. “The Folands study permits we’d requested last year finally arrived. Walker and Davis have already left to begin their analysis of the plant life for chemical similarities to the plant life on Earth. The permit is extremely restrictive, so they’ll be back in three days.”
Once they’d found similar plant life on Earth, Will had immediately requested scientific access to the Folands under official Space Quorum authority. Even with that type of request, it had taken almost a year to gain this access.
Will responded with a slightly concerned tone of voice. “Walker and Davis are pretty green, Jonas.”
Jonas snapped back quickly, sounding extremely annoyed, “Well, boss, you might not have noticed that we seem to have a lack of experienced personnel at our disposal. Anyone of any quality has already been pulled over to Larsen’s project, and I seem to be running things, for lack of any authority figure.”
Will hadn’t considered that Jonas had been keeping the project together in his absence, and he started to feel guilty in his lack of acknowledgment.
“I realize you’ve been keeping things going, and I’m sorry I haven’t been more hands-on.”
“Listen, boss, you take your time and get your head on straight. Bob and I will hold down the fort.”
Will smiled and pictured Fat Bob and Jonas working together on his behalf.
“I have a present for you to help motivate you to get back to work,” said Jonas, waiving an envelope in his hands. “I pulled some strings with the blonde over at the Folands Conservation office and was able to get two civilian permits.”
Will couldn’t hold back his surprise. It had been ten years since he last visited the Folands with Janie, and every year he’d applied and been rejected for a permit to return.
“Jonas, I don’t know what to say. Please thank your mother on my behalf.”
Jonas appeared deflated, as his attempt to portray his manhood as the reason for these passes failed miserably. Jonas’s mother had worked in a powerful position in the conservation office, and he hadn’t known Will was aware of that.
Will wasn’t sure how she was able to get these, and quite frankly, he didn’t care. He now had a chance to share this beautiful place with Edena, who had dreamed of visiting Earth with her father. The Folands were the next best thing.
Several days passed as Will and Edena, both filled with excitement, left for the Folands. As the civilian transport approached the vast preserve from the west, Edena began to see the landscape change from the dull gray that was most of the planet to vivid green and the silver crystal mountains.
“Daddy, look. It’s beautiful!” she said, pointing out the window.
Will looked across Edena to see the view from her window, and it was breathtaking. The crystalline mountains rose high into the sky, and they were covered in tropical trees and plant life of all kinds. Waterfalls flowed down the mountains and shimmered brightly in the sun’s radiance. This tropical green and silver paradise, with the backdrop of the dark blue Sianese Ocean, was a sight Will knew only existed in one other place in the solar system. As his thoughts momentarily drifted, he envisioned what it might be like taking a transport high above some of the areas he’d observed on Earth. He immediately caught himself and swore that he wouldn’t let anything ruin his time here with Edena. The landscape seemed to go on forever, and he could see Edena was in awe of her surroundings.
“It is beautiful, sweetheart. I don’t ever want you to forget this moment,” he said, taking her hand.
Will remembered his first time looking out a transport window as a child and seeing this same view. It was just as wonderful a sight today as it was his first time—even better because Edena was with him.
“I wish Mommy could be here with us.”
“Me too, Edena. Me too,” said Will, grabbing the armrest as he heard the engines power up suddenly.
“Are you scared?” said Edena giggling, as the transport hovered over Sian Central Station, which was the gateway to the Folands preserve. “This is my favorite part.”
Will smiled nervously. “If the gods wanted us to fly, they’d have given us wings. My favorite part will be when this bucket of bolts is on the ground.”
“C’mon daddy, don’t be such a baby. I’ll hold your hand,” she said prying his fingers from the armrest, as the transport descended slowly.
Vehicles of all kinds took formation and waited for their turn to land on the mile long causeway. The engines whined even louder, and then finally powered down as the final jolt of touchdown was felt. Will smiled at Edena as he tried to compose himself and stood up to get their luggage from the overhead storage.
“That’s really strange,” said Will, as they walked from the transport into the station. “The soldiers outnumber the tourists.”
“What does that mean?” Edena asked.
Will watched curiously, as a soldier roughly patted down an older Cholan male. “I’m not sure,” answered Will, as he led Edena to a large waiting area that was created to get people to their hotels. Since the government took over the Folands after the war, there were no vehicles allowed that burned fossil fuels or had any impact on the environment. Large
cables were strung across the mountains, and solar-powered motorized shuttles could take visitors to all parts of the preserve. Will had reserved a room in the same place he and Janie had stayed ten years ago and knew exactly which shuttle to take. These vehicles traveled surprisingly quickly and usually provided an amazing view.
“Look, Edena,” he said, pointing to an immense series of waterfalls that cascaded down into a valley far below them. Edena appeared to be overwhelmed with the beauty of this place, as she said very little the entire shuttle trip and simply looked out the window. Will spent half of his time looking out the window and the other half watching his daughter, and hoping she’d remember this time they were spending together. He reached out and took her hand without saying a word. She smiled with a look of understanding that no words needed to be said. He knew she understood what this place meant to him. Memories he’d shared with her, when he and Janie came here. More recently, he had shared his thoughts that the Folands represented what life could be like on Earth.
They spent the next three days exploring the many paths that cut through the mountains, visiting the great falls that dropped almost ten thousand feet, and just being together.
“Why is it so hard to get permission to come here? Shouldn’t everyone be able to see this?” asked Edena curiously.
Will smiled because it was very complicated and no easy explanation could be made to an eight-year-old.
“Well, after the war the government decided that in order to protect and preserve this natural wonder, they had to put restrictions in place on who would be allowed to come here.”
“Were people doing bad things to this place?” asked Edena innocently.
“That’s the funny thing, sweetheart; men fought over this place and in the process had jeopardized the very thing they fought to control. I know it’s hard for you to understand, but the restrictions in place now are a bit extreme. It’s all about control and money and there’s very little conservation on the minds of those in power.”
Edena looked at her father with a pride she had never felt before. “Is that why you work so hard—to make Earth a place where everyone can go?”
Will was clearly caught off guard, he’d never heard it put so simplistically and was glad at some level she did understand.
“I’m proud of you, Daddy. I hope you can make Earth a place where you don’t have to have money or power to go there.”
Will looked up with tears in his eyes and held Edena close. “Maybe someday, sweetheart. Maybe someday.”
The three days went quickly, and Will and Edena were sitting by the ocean looking out at the horizon. “I have a special surprise for you tonight; we’re going to have dinner up there.”
Will pointed to the highest point on the mountain peak in the distance where there was a spectacular view of the entire surroundings. The Meinar Observatory sat atop a breathtaking peak that jutted high above the surface. The wall of the mountain leading up to the observatory was almost totally sheer, and its height took Edena’s breath away. It had a small restaurant that had become famous, and Will had called in one of his few remaining favors with a colleague to get a reservation.
“I can’t wait. What is that building up there?” asked Edena.
“It’s a building that was originally built to look into the night sky at the stars and planets.”
Edena’s eyes immediately lit up. “Can we see Earth from there?”
Will realized that he had shown Edena many pictures of Earth and she had seen what the surface looked like through the eyes of the rovers, but she had never actually seen the planet with her own eyes.
As night began to fall, Will and Edena caught the transport that would take them to Mount Meinar. They began the ascent that would take almost an hour. Mount Meinar was a massive peak on top of the canyon wall that made the surrounding mountains look small. As Will looked out the transport window, he noticed an area he’d never seen before. It was actually hidden by Meinar and could not be seen from the ground. It appeared to be a deep ravine that had no bottom that he could see. Even stranger, a large group of military were stationed all around the access points to this ravine. There was a definite military presence in the Folands but usually small groups of soldiers on basic security duty; this appeared to be a much larger operation. As the soldiers below became tiny dots barely visible, the transport came to an abrupt halt, and the transport doors slid open.
“Will, what a pleasure to see you. And this must be Edena. Welcome to the Meinar Observatory, young lady.”
“Professor Stanzic, thank you so much for making the arrangements for us to come,” said Will.
Lars Stanzic was a retired professor of planetary science and had taught Will for most of his years at university. He was currently the director of the observatory and had been for many years. He had an eccentric personality, which is why Will had always found himself so drawn to him. They had many things in common; including the unfortunate fact that many thought they were both crazy in their own ways. They’d remained close throughout the years, and Will had often sought out his counsel when times got tough, but after Telos fell apart, they hadn’t communicated until just before Will left for the Folands.
“Lars, as you’ve correctly guessed, this is my daughter, Edena.”
“Such a pleasure to finally meet you in person, young lady. Your father and I have made a terrible habit of communicating through electronic means and have let our busy lives interfere with our meeting sooner.”
Edena was apprehensive as Stanzic reached out to shake her hand. He stood six foot five, was extremely skinny, and had wildly gray hair that stood up on his head, making him look a bit mad. As Edena shook his hand, she sheepishly looked at Will as if to make sure it was OK.
“Let me show you both to your overnight quarters, and then we’ll get something to eat. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve invited Sam to join us as well.”
Sam was the son of a couple that worked for Lars. He was a bright young man, age fourteen, that Lars and his wife took in when his parents died in a tragic accident.
“Thanks, Lars. I look forward to meeting him.”
Will hadn’t seen his mentor in person in many years but he detected that something wasn’t right with him. He always had a preoccupied look on his face as if calculations were taking place just below the surface at all times, but this seemed different.
“Here we are. I’ll give you two a short time to get settled, and I’ll be back to escort you to dinner. Shall we say thirty minutes?”
“That’ll be fine, Professor. Thanks.”
As the door closed, Edena ran over to hold Will’s hand. “He scares me, Daddy.”
“Oh, honey, not to worry. He used to scare me back in university when we first met, but I’ve come to know that he’s harmless. You’ll see. By the end of dinner you’ll feel better.”
As Edena unpacked her bag, Will went into the next room to the communications console. On the screen a sleepy Jonas appeared, looking quite unhappy.
“Jonas, sorry to wake you. I know it’s late.”
“Actually, boss, it’s early—very early—as in I should still be sleeping because I have to get up soon to go to work to cover your—wait a minute. Can Edena hear me?”
Sensing Jonas’s frustration and desire to use profanity, Will quickly called Edena into the room.
“Hello, Jonas,” said Edena, smiling widely as she walked in and sat on the bed. She was very fond of him and saw him almost like a goofy big brother.
“Hello, Edena,” said Jonas with a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice over not being able to express his frustration.
“I thought you might like to see a familiar face from home,” said Will. “OK, honey. I need to speak to Jonas for a few minutes in private now that he’s calmed down.”
“Bye Jonas. See you in a few days,” said Edena as she left the room.
“That’s not fair, hiding behind an eight-year-old,” barked Jonas bitterly.
“I’m real
ly sorry for the interruption.”
“You should be! What if I was entertaining a lady friend?”
Will knew this was wishful thinking on Jonas’s part, but didn’t wish to offend him with an outright laugh. Not that Jonas wasn’t an attractive young man, but he hadn’t really put any effort into that part of his life, and Will knew it.
“What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until you got back?” said Jonas.
“I saw something strange tonight. Are you aware of an area of the Folands that is under stricter military control than the rest of the place?”
“Funny you should mention that. Walker and Davis were detained by the military while they were there, and it was almost as if they were specifically targeted. They had their samples confiscated and received a military escort out of the Folands for violating an area restriction—an area that sounds like what you’re describing.”
“Were they told why this area was off-limits?” asked Will.
“No, just that for their own safety, they needed to stay out of this restricted area, and because of the violation, their permits were revoked.”
“Revoked!” shouted Will. “They can’t revoke permits issued under Space Quorum authority!”
“Maybe they can’t, but they did.”
Will became even more animated. “I plan on filing an official complaint while I’m here. This is unacceptable.”
“Boss, the strange thing is that they claim they were in a public area the entire time. They also felt that they were being watched from the minute they arrived but couldn’t confirm this.”
Will took a deep breath. “Jonas, why would a couple of first-year quorum scientists be a threat to anybody here?”
Will paused, and Jonas could see his concerned look. “What is it, Will? I see you’re working on something,” asked Jonas.
Destiny Earth Page 3