by Don Viecelli
“Thank you, Leroy. There’s still a lot of work to do before the drug becomes available, but I’m sure it will be approved. We’ll keep in touch.”
They all shook hands and left the office. Jack and Ingrid kissed each other in the hallway and went their separate ways. They would meet later at Jack’s place. Jack went to his office. He had some lose ends to tie up on the case. Ingrid had arrangements to make on leasing a new production lab on Ares for her drug. Leroy offered to travel with her since his office was on the space station anyway. There was plenty of work to do for everyone. The excitement around this new miracle drug was building. It was just the beginning.
Chapter 31
A few days later, Jack and Ingrid left Jack’s apartment and walked to the nearest police shuttle station. Commissioner Faulkner was gracious enough to offer the use of a police shuttle for what they planned to do today. Ingrid carried a silver urn with her father’s ashes in her arms. They planned to fly to the lookout center on a ridge overlooking the Valles Marineris canyon. It was a few miles from the city. Ingrid wanted to spread her father’s ashes in the wind above the canyon.
The memorial service for Doctor Leif Johanson had been held two days ago. It was well attended by the local dignitaries. Many of them had worked with the doctor and knew him well. Others attended because of the recent news in the media about the doctors’ discovery of the “fountain-of-youth” formula. It was on the front pages of every news media on Mars and was speeding its way across space to Earth. The media was espousing the fact that the drug could reverse aging and make one young again. Ingrid’s picture was everywhere and the press was clamoring to interview her. She was becoming a celebrity. At times, Jack felt he was acting more as her bodyguard, than as her closest companion.
They both managed to reach the police station without being recognized. Jack went to the front desk and requested a police shuttle, fully equipped. They would need thermal suits for venturing outside. He returned to Ingrid. “It’s all set. Follow me.” He led the way to the shuttle. Once inside, He helped Ingrid put on her suit. “Are you comfortable?”
“Yes. I’m ready. Let’s go before the dust storm gets worse.”
Jack piloted the shuttle to the canyon lookout center. It was a doomed facility with a large landing area for visiting shuttle-crafts. The facility was used mostly for tourists who wanted to walk outside and experience the grand view of the largest canyon system on Mars. Jack found an open spot and parked the shuttle. They put on their helmets, checked their suits and stepped outside. They walked to the lookout area.
On a clear day, one could see for fifty miles or more along the valley floor. Today, the distant view was obscured by swirling dust. It was still dust storm season and it would not end for several more months. At least the wind had died down some and they could see the valley floor stretching out before them through the filtered sunlight. The limited view was still awe-inspiring. The reddish colored dust particles suspended in the atmosphere just made it look more mystical.
“This spot is fine,” Ingrid said softly over her microphone. They paused and looked around.
“I agree. I’m sure your father would approve.”
“This is where he wanted to be. Someday, millions of people will live and work here. It will be another living, thriving planet, with air, water, rain and sunshine just like on Earth. Our children will live here someday, Jack. It’ll be beautiful.”
Jack heard the emotion in Ingrid’s voice. He looked at her face. There were tears in her eyes. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’m ready.” Ingrid closed her eyes and said a prayer to her father. “I wish you were here, Dad. I miss you.” She opened the lid on the urn and slowly poured out her father’s ashes. The wind instantly caught the gray ashes and dispersed them upwards and outwards over the great valley below. Silently, the ashes mixed with the red dust of Mars and became part of the wind. The ashes would travel around the planet in a constant swirl of dust for centuries. The ashes would never rest in one place until the planet was completely terraformed.
After a few moments, Jack grabbed Ingrid’s hand and they walked back to the police shuttle. They returned home in silence.
*****
The murder investigation of Doctor Leif Johanson was concluded at the end of Mar’s summer. There was no trial. Former Detective Tom Wilkerson aided investigators and pleaded guilty to all charges and negotiated a reduced sentence with prosecutors. He received a thirty-year sentence with a possibility of parole for good behavior after ten years. He was sent to the penal station orbiting Earth.
Jack retired the week after his seventieth birthday. He had been a police officer for forty years. The Mars Crime Division held a retirement party on his behalf. Police Commissioner Arnold Faulkner, Inspector Leroy Madison, Ares Security Director Sam Connelly, Chief Medical Examiner Doctor Xie Zheng, Crime Investigator Team Director Ted Little, Ingrid and a dozen other close friends and associates attended the party. Captain Ed Stiles and several friends and relatives back on Earth sent Jack best wishes and promised to throw a party for him when he returned home. Jack was both honored and emotionally overwhelmed by the event. Commissioner Faulkner presented Jack with his detective badge encased with a gold plaque, inscribed with his years of service. Everyone wished him well.
Before the festivities turned wild, Jack was asked to give a speech. He could barely speak. He stood up and addressed the crowd. “I want to thank everyone here for attending my retirement party. It really means a lot to me. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. The police force has been my life and it’ll be hard to leave it behind. It’s been a real pleasure working with all of you. I sincerely wish you all the best of luck. As some of you already know, I plan to return home and prepare for the next phase of my life. It used to be; a person retired and looked forward to simple pleasures, and maybe pursued a hobby or two. My plan was to buy a place by the ocean and learn to sail. Well, times have changed, mostly due to new discoveries, and one new discovery in particular, made by this lovely lady sitting next to me. I would like to announce that Ingrid and I are going to be married. We plan to start a new life together and enjoy all the things that we missed over the years.” Jack pulled Ingrid up from her chair and they kissed. The audience erupted in cheers and everyone got up to congratulate them. The party continued on into the early hours of the morning until everyone finally went home.
*****
Jack and Ingrid were married the following month. It was a private wedding, attended only by a few close friends. Jack asked Sam Connelly to be his best man. He accepted with pleasure. Ingrid asked her close friend, Anna Roland, to be her maid-of-honor. The honeymoon had to be postponed. They planned to go back to Ingrid’s beach house on Bald Head Island in a few weeks. Ingrid was incredibly busy setting up her new lab on Ares. With Sam’s help, Jack found a new place to live on Ares so Ingrid could go to work and return home within minutes each day.
Ingrid finally received a new patent on the fountain-of-youth drug and began the process of gaining approval from the world medical board. New clinical trials were begun with the samples returned from the police department. Negotiations began with a large pharmaceutical company that would produce, test, sell and distribute the revolutionary drug. It would be a few more weeks before the new production facility on Ares was operational. Everything seemed to be moving ahead smoothly.
In the scientific community, things changed dramatically. As clinical trials were beginning on Mars and on Earth, Ingrid received startling news. The Nobel Foundation of Sweden had awarded Ingrid and her father, posthumously, the Nobel Prize in Biochemistry. The Prize Award Ceremony would be held in Stockholm on December 10th. The ceremonial King of Sweden would present the Diploma and the awards. Ingrid was greatly honored. She and Jack made plans to leave for Earth in a few weeks.
Jack and Ingrid decided to finally take their honeymoon in conjunction with the award ceremony in Sweden. They would spend a few weeks on Bald Head Island and tra
vel to Europe in November and sightsee. Jack made the arrangements. They would take a space cruise ship to Earth and enjoy the trip, but before they left, there was just one more thing to consider. Jack had given it a lot of thought. He was seventy years old. Both he and Ingrid wanted to have children, something they both missed the first time around for various reasons. Now they had a second chance. Jack wasn’t about to waste it. When Ingrid returned home from work, Jack would tell her what he had decided.
Jack made himself a drink and poured a glass of wine for Ingrid. He heard her open the door and take off her coat. Jack walked up and kissed her. “How was your day?”
Ingrid smiled as Jack handed her the glass of wine. “Busy as ever. The trials are going well. Thank God for the new pharmaceutical company. They say the production process in running smoothly. I think I can let them run things now.”
“That’s good news. Our trip to Earth is all set.” Jack paused and Ingrid knew he had something else on his mind. They sat down in the living room.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, but I do have something to tell you. I’ve given it a lot of thought, what we talked about earlier, and I made up my mind. I’ve decided to do it. I’m ready.”
Ingrid leaned over and kissed him. She was obviously happy. “When do you want to start?”
“When we take the cruise ship to Earth. We have four weeks. That should be enough time.”
Ingrid hugged Jack tightly. “It will be more than enough time.” She added, “I’m ready too.” Jack knew what she meant.
He smiled broadly. Jack had decided to take the fountain-of-youth drug. By the time they landed on Earth, he would be a new man, a much younger man. He wanted Ingrid to be by his side as he went through the process. It was scary, really. He needed to know it was the right decision. Now he knew it was.
Chapter 32
Earth
The trip back to Earth was unforgettable. By the time the space cruise ship docked at the Magellan Space Station, the regeneration process in Jack’s body was complete. All signs of old age had disappeared. He looked as youthful as Ingrid. Every time he looked in the mirror, he saw himself as he appeared over forty years ago in the prime of his life. It felt very strange. He was not complaining, though, and neither did Ingrid as she watched with satisfaction the changes in his body. It just made their union more enjoyable, and so much more exciting.
They spent the next two weeks at their beach house on Bald Head Island. As a result of celestial orbits that occurred once every 15 years, it was the same month on Mars and Earth. It was early November, near the end of hurricane season and the weather was beautiful. It was sunny most of the time and the ocean was still warm enough to walk in the surf. They relaxed, enjoyed the warm rays of the sun and went out for dinner often.
They enjoyed the solitude of the beach after tourist season and tried to forget their frightful experiences on Mars.
The days flew by quickly. Soon it was time to go on their honeymoon. Jack had never been to Europe. They started in Italy, visited Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland, and then worked their way northward to the Scandinavian countries. Jack had not expected to find so much human history and places of interest and cities of importance. He enjoyed every moment and every city they visited. Ingrid, of course, had been raised in Sweden and had traveled to several European capitals in her youth and early career. She could speak several languages, and delighted in pointing out the sights and local customs to Jack.
They arrived in Stockholm in early December. They found a beautiful old hotel in the heart of the city and checked in. They had almost two weeks before the Nobel Prize ceremonies. Ingrid knew a famous restaurant in town where she and her father used to eat. It wasn’t far from the hotel and they decided to walk. They dressed warmly. It was dark and cold outside, being wintertime and it began to snow, but the snow fell gently and the city Christmas lights made everything around them look like a winter wonderland.
They arrived at the restaurant and were escorted to a small table by the window. The menu was in Swedish and Ingrid helped Jack pick out a local seafood dish. The food was excellent and they enjoyed the atmosphere. The place was romantic and Jack thought Ingrid never looked more beautiful. He couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel for an after dinner drink in the bar, listen to some music and go to bed early with Ingrid.
“Are you ready to leave?” he asked as he paid the bill.
She nodded in approval. “Wasn’t this lovely? I had such a lovely time. It brings back so many wonderful memories when I was going to university here.”
“Should I get a taxi?”
“No, I feel like walking. We can go back over the bridge, and I’ll show you where I used to live. It isn’t far.”
Jack agreed and they got up to leave. They walked out of the restaurant and took a left turn. Ingrid pointed down the street to a small bridge that crossed the river near the hotel. The snow had stopped falling and it was cold enough to see their breaths. He held her arm as they walked. Ingrid seemed lost in thought. Jack was watching their steps so as not to slip and fall.
They reached the bridge and started to cross. It was an old bridge, built of stone, barely wide enough for two car lanes and a sidewalk for pedestrians. It was darkly lit and they were the only ones walking on it at the moment. When they reached the center of the bridge, Ingrid stopped and raised her arm. She pointed to a group of buildings along one side of the river. “See that building, the one with the Christmas tree lights on the roof? That’s where I used to live while I attended university. It has a beautiful view of the city. Maybe we can drive by the place tomorrow and I’ll show you around.”
Jack was just about to answer when he heard footsteps. It startled him and he quickly turned around. A man was standing in front of them pointing a gun. Jack’s first reaction was the man was going to rob them. He resisted the urge to go for the gun. He might shoot. Jack studied the man, memorizing every detail. The man wore a long coat and dark hat with a low, wide brim that covered his eyes. He looked dangerous and determined. But there was something familiar about the way he stood there holding the gun. Jack couldn’t place it and instinctively pushed Ingrid behind him.
“What do you want?” Jack demanded.
“What do you think?” the man said sarcastically. “We have some unfinished business!”
Ingrid screamed and almost fainted. It was Ivan’s voice. Jack was too shocked to say anything for a second. He couldn’t believe it.
“You thought I was dead, didn’t you?”
Jack found his voice. “We were hoping?” He still couldn’t believe Ivan was standing there in front of them. He knew they were in serious trouble. Ivan wasn’t crazy. He was a psychopath. He was going to have to act. He stalled for time. “How did you find us?”
“I knew you’d be here for the Noble Prize ceremony. I just had to find out where you were staying. I have plenty of old contacts in this city. When they found you, I went to the hotel and waited. I followed you to the restaurant.”
“Don’t hurt us, Ivan? I’ll give you whatever you want,” Ingrid pleaded, holding Jack’s left arm tightly.
“It’s too late for that. You had your chance. The discovery should have been mine. Instead, you took it all away. I don’t even have my company anymore. I can’t let you get away with that, now can I?” Ivan sounded cruel and unreasonable; hatred overpowering all reason.
“The discovery belongs to the world—not to you,” Ingrid answered bravely.
Ivan starred back. His eyes were blinded by rage. His body actually shook as he shouted at them, “Either way, you’re both going to die for what you did to me!”
Jack saw his opportunity. It was now or never. Years of police training and instinct took over. He did not think of the consequences, only what must be done. He pushed Ingrid away from him. “Run, Ingrid!” At the same time, he lunged for the gun in Ivan’s hand and twisted it violently upwards and away to one side.
Ivan yelled out in
pain, but managed to fire off one shot. The laser pulse missed Jack’s head by inches. He continued to twist the gun with both hands until Ivan was forced to let go or suffer a broken wrist. Ivan hit him in the stomach as the gun flew from his hand onto the pavement. Jack recovered and hit Ivan in the jaw as hard as he could. Ivan stumbled backwards, but was not knocked down. Blood flowed from his chin, but he was strong and determined. He would kill Jack with his bare hands. He smiled and rushed forward swinging wildly.
Jack blocked the savage punches and fought back. Ivan must have assumed he could easily overpower Jack from their previous fight on the space lab. But he didn’t realize that Jack was now just as young and strong as he was, until Jack hit him twice in the lower body and face before he could protect himself. Ivan fell backwards against the bridge railing, bleeding from another cut over his eye. Jack approached to hit him again. Ivan finally realized his mistake. He reached inside his coat pocket and pulled out a long stiletto knife.
Jack didn’t see the knife until the last moment. He tried to avoid the thrust to his body, but Ivan was too fast. He drove the knife deep into Jack’s left shoulder. Jack winced in pain and fell to the ground on one knee. Ivan stood over him and raised the knife to stab him again. Jack struggled to defend himself. Ivan had a crazed look in his eyes. He sneered at Jack. Then a flash of light appeared. Ivan felt a white hot, piercing pain. He grabbed his neck and looked in shock at Ingrid. She was holding his gun in both hands.
Then Jack heard Ingrid’s voice.
“Go to hell!” Ingrid pulled the trigger one more time.
The laser beam hit Ivan between the eyes. He fell backwards over the stone bridge railing. Ivan tumbled forty feet to the frozen river below, his eyes staring vacantly into space. Ivan never felt the impact as his body crashed through the ice and disappeared under the dark, cold, swirling water.