by Kat Mayor
Mr. Conner ordered the families to line up. “The ship has docked. Begin the loading protocol.”
They gathered their belongings and lined up in an orderly fashion. Out of the darkness a large ship gradually materialized. The families began boarding.
The inside of the ship was divided into two compartments with a hallway between them. Each department was subdivided into individual pods, one pod for each family. The Grays went straight to their respective pod.
Louis Gray opened the storage compartment, and Charlie helped him put in their belongings. The pods were very sparse. They were designed for only two purposes: to store their things and to hold the sleeping chambers, which were nothing more than built-in cots with a clear cover over them. The covers opened, and the Grays climbed in. As soon as they were safely in place, the covers closed. The entire loading protocol took less than ten minutes.
Charlie closed his eyes and waited for the sleeping vapor to engulf him. The last sound he heard was the quiet hum of the engines. He hoped he would have pleasant dreams of Earth.
***
Michelle was scheduled to work the entire weekend before Christmas. Lilly was relieved. If her mom was home, she would insist on dragging her to a movie or to a restaurant.
She took advantage of the school break to sleep in. When she finally got up, she made a pot of coffee and grabbed a book. Catching up on her leisure reading over the holiday was usually a priority for Lilly, but her mind kept wandering. After five minutes of reading the same paragraph over and over, she decided to go for a walk. She put one of the CDs Charlie had made for her in her Discman and headed out the door. For the first time she could remember, Lilly could not wait for Christmas break to end.
***
Charlie awoke to the familiar sight of a violet horizon. The journey had taken almost two days. It would be Sunday night on Earth. He jumped out of the sleeping chamber as soon as the cover opened. He took his duffel bag out of the storage compartment and debarked. It took some effort to walk out of the ship. He had grown used to the lighter gravitational pull on Earth. Now that he was on Sentria, it felt as if he was walking through waist-high water.
A small group of friends and family members had gathered to welcome the travelers home. There were a couple of acquaintances of his parents and some former students from the learning center Charlie had attended, but most of the people he did not recognize. He was surprised to see Eve among the group. She nodded, and he gave her the Sentrian wave. He wondered who she knew who was returning from the mission. As soon as Louis and Helen were ready, they headed home.
***
Sentrians did not have individual cars like on Earth. Instead they traveled by a very sophisticated rail system. Its branches ran throughout all the major cities and many of its smaller towns. Charlie and his parents climbed into an empty car. Louis punched in the coordinates, and the car flew down the tracks to its programmed destination.
It only took ten minutes to get home. Charlie’s house was on a street with nine other houses. They were virtually identical. The only difference was that each was painted a different color. The car pulled up in front of a gray home on Vespa Street. Charlie climbed out of the car and walked up the steps to 396A J1.
As soon as Charlie unpacked his bag, he went straight to the electronic note board in his room. A few of his friends had left messages for him. Charlie retrieved the first message. It was his friend Daniel. “Silas, I’m glad you’re back. We have a lot to catch up on. Quite a lot has happened since you’ve been gone. Contact me when you’re able.”
Daniel was the one person he really wanted to see tonight. Charlie quickly scanned through the other messages. Most were from former classmates welcoming him home. One was from Eve, the girl he saw earlier greeting the returning ship. Charlie had briefly dated her the former spring season, but he quickly realized she was not the One. They both agreed it was best to go their separate ways. He thought it odd that she would leave him a message. Charlie closed the note board without retrieving it. Tonight there would be a festival for the Sentrian Holy Day of Reconciliation to commemorate God forgiving his people after their exile from Earth. He lay down on his bed, intending to rest, but after a few minutes he got up and took the picture of Liliana out of his bag. He wondered what she was doing.
***
As soon as Charlie arrived at the festival hall, he searched the crowd for Daniel. He was curious about the message Daniel left him. He finally found him standing by the refreshment table.
“Silas,” Daniel said, waving his second and third fingers in Sentrian greeting. “So, how is Earth in 1988? It can’t be as good as the fifties.”
“Actually, it’s pretty great,” Silas/Charlie said. He poured himself a cup of pentab, an inferior facsimile of coffee. He grimaced as he swallowed it.
“C’mon, it’s not that bad,” Daniel said.
“Yes, it is.”
“You’re just spoiled by the real thing.”
“I suppose. I saw your message. So tell me, what’s been happening since I’ve been away?”
“Not here,” Daniel said, glancing over at the magistrate and his family. “Let’s go outside.” When they were out of the sight of the prying cameras, Daniel said, “I don’t know how much your parents have told you, or how much they even know, but the mission was very nearly imperiled while you were down there.”
Silas only knew that his parents had been working themselves to death over some near catastrophe. “Not much,” Silas told him.
“You know Jude’s family, don’t you? His father?” Daniel asked.
“Sort of.” Jude’s father worked in a different department than Louis. “My father hasn’t said anything about him.”
“That’s because they put him in isolation until the ship returned. He’s in deep trouble. Evidently he became too friendly with some of the Earthans and let some secrets slip. The magistrate and the elders had to scramble to cover it up. The adults have been doing everything in their power to prevent the Earthans from finding out the truth.”
“This is a really big deal.”
“Yes, it is a big deal,” Daniel said. “I heard they’re going to initiate new rules for those returning to Earth. Sorry, friend, but they are going to put all of you under the microscope. They’ll be watching everyone more closely.”
Charlie’s mood darkened. This was not good. It would necessarily affect his ability to see Lilly. “What’s going to happen to Jude’s father?”
“He’s already been sentenced. He’ll be locked up for the next five years. If he doesn’t get into any trouble in prison, they will release him for the last year of his life.”
“That’s harsh,” Charlie said. With only a forty-year life-span, a five-year sentence was brutal.
“They mean business. You watch yourself down there. Hey, did you hear about your old girlfriend?”
“Eve was not my girlfriend. We just dated a few times.”
“OK, OK, your almost girlfriend. She’s getting married to the magistrate’s son.”
“Henry? I mean Hosea?” Silas nearly choked on his pentab. “But he’s been down on Earth with me.”
“I know, but they evidently bonded through electronic communications.”
Charlie processed this information. Henry/Hosea did not seem Eve’s type, but then who was he to judge who someone’s soul mate should be? Hosea was an introvert, a loner. Eve was outgoing and social. She was also quite attractive. She had platinum-blonde hair and violet eyes, an exotic Sentrian trait. From his brief time with her, he knew Eve was very ambitious and had lofty political aspirations. Marrying the magistrate’s son would certainly go a long way toward attaining those goals. It appeared this arrangement was mutually beneficial.
“Eve’s mother and the magistrate’s wife have been busy making the preparations. The wedding is this Friday.”
“So soon?”
“Yes. The magistrate is taking Eve back with them to Earth.”
“That’s crazy. W
hy wouldn’t they stay here?”
“I don’t know,” Daniel said. “It seems strange to me, too.” His wife, Elizabeth, walked up to them with their daughter. “It’s good to see you, Silas.”
“It’s wonderful to see you, too, Elizabeth. Hannah is getting so big.”
“Yes, she’s growing like a J-aphthenia plant. I hope you’ll make time during your visit to come to our house for dinner.”
“I wouldn’t miss it. Name the date.”
“How about Wednesday?”
“I’ll be there,” Silas said.
The secretary to the magistrate walked up to the podium then. He motioned for silence. “We will now assemble in the temple for our service before the feast.”
Charlie joined his parents for the service, but he made a mental note to ask them later what they knew about the scandal involving Jude’s father.
***
The mood was light in the banquet hall during the feast. It wasn’t just a celebratory dinner; for many it was a family reunion with those who had been on the mission. As much as he disliked being separated from Liliana, Charlie had to admit it was good to see everyone. As the meal was ending, the magistrate walked to the front of the banquet hall to speak. Everyone grew quiet and turned their attention to him.
“It is a pleasure, my friends, to be with you; to have fellowship with you and break bread during this Holy Day of Reconciliation. I want to thank you all for the warm welcome you have given my family and all the families who have returned for a short respite before resuming their mission on Earth. Before we retire for the evening, I would like to extend an invitation to all of you for the wedding of my son Hosea to his lovely bride, Eve. As you are likely aware, the ceremony is this Friday. They make me very proud.”
The magistrate motioned for the couple to stand. Eve was on her feet immediately, and Hosea reluctantly stood with her. The hall erupted in applause. Hosea looked like he would prefer to sit under the table than to be the center of attention. After the applause died down and the couple took their seats, the priest walked up to the front of the hall and performed the benediction. Then he closed the services. “Go in peace. Serve the Lord.”
“Thanks be to God,” the people responded.
The magistrate’s family, including his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, exited the hall first. The elders’ families and other government officials were next to leave, and finally the commoner families filed out. Silas knew that, although it was worded as an invitation, it wasn’t optional. Attendance at Hosea and Eve’s wedding was mandatory.
***
“Good morning,” Silas told his parents as he sat down at the breakfast table. Louis was reading the Sentrian news on his PCD.
“Good morning, Charlie, I mean Silas,” his mother said. “Do you want a cup of pentab?” “No thanks, Mom. But you can call me Charlie. I don’t mind.”
“That’s a good idea, son. I think it best if we all call each other by our Earthan names so we don’t slip up when we return,” Louis said.
“Father?”
“Yes?” Louis did not look up from his PCD.
“What really happened on Earth this past month? Daniel was telling me Jude’s father is in a lot of trouble.”
Louis sighed and put his PCD down. “I suppose you might as well know. Mr. Lassiter made a foolish mistake. He thought he could help the Earthans by sharing some of our technology and formulas with them. Even worse, he trusted them to keep quiet about it. Well, they didn’t. Instead, they went to Mr. Jones and asked him if he thought this technology was possible. Being the pond slooth that he is, Jones ran straight to the elders with the information. We all worked overtime to discredit the Earthans and cover up Mr. Lassiter’s mistake. Unfortunately, a few Earthans lost their jobs, and Mr. Lassiter, of course, will be incarcerated for a very long time. Tragic, really.”
“I’m just glad you weren’t working in Mr. Lassiter’s department. You never would have turned him in, and then they would have found some way to blame you for the security breach,” Helen said.
Louis nodded and turned his attention back to his PCD. Charlie thought back to his electronic note pad and the message from Eve. Now that he knew she was planning to come to Earth with Henry, he was suddenly quite interested in what she had to say. He shut the door to his room and took the note pad to his bed. Eve appeared on the screen, beautiful as always. Her voice was alluring, seductive. Charlie could certainly understand why any male would be attracted to her.
“I hope this message finds you well and happy. We all look forward to your return for the Holy Day celebration. Because of our history together, I wanted you to hear this from me first. Silas, I’ve found my One. It’s Hosea. We are getting married soon after you return. I hope you will be able to attend. I haven’t given up on you, though. There’s still time for you to find your One, and then you will be just as happy as I am.”
Charlie rolled his eyes.
“I hope we can be cordial to each other. I will be returning with Hosea to Earth and will be attending school with both of you. I’m even planning on joining the band, just like you. The magistrate has given me an important role in the supervision of the younger generation while the parents are working hard for the good of Sentria. You might as well start referring to me as Evelyn, my Earthan name. Good-bye for now, Silas.” Eve/Evelyn’s image faded from the screen and the message ended.
So Eve would be coming to Earth in an official capacity as supervisor of the youth. There was something that bothered Silas. Why was she joining the band? He wished she would pick a different activity. Charlie leaned back in his chair and chuckled to himself. He had to admit he was partially amused and partially dismayed by her message. Amused that she thought he’d be crushed by the announcement of her pending nuptials. Dismayed that his power-hungry ex-girlfriend was returning with him to Earth in a position of authority.
***
With far fewer distractions than Charlie had, time was passing very slowly for Lilly. She thought it was pitiful that she couldn’t even think of anything to do for the two weeks Charlie was gone. What had she done before she met Charlie? It was only Tuesday afternoon, and she found herself in front of the TV, only minimally cognizant of what was happening on the screen. About twenty minutes into the program, she switched it off.
It wasn’t that cold. She could take a walk around the neighborhood, but she was lonely and wanted to be around other people. She grabbed her jacket and headed for the mall. There, she could at least walk around and people-watch. Even hanging out at the food court sounded better than sitting alone in an empty house.
She walked around the first floor of the mall and was about to hop on the escalator when she felt someone tug on her arm. “Beth, what are you doing here?” Beth was definitely not the “hang out at the mall” type.
“Ian just had to get a CD. Some wretched sellout band he likes. So pathetic.” Beth rolled her eyes. Now that Ian had a driver’s license, they no longer bummed rides from Lilly. “So what are you doing here?” Beth asked.
Lilly shrugged. “I was kind of bored at home and decided I’d get out of the house for a bit.”
“Gee, Lil. You’re really lost without Charlie.”
Gee, Beth. Thanks for noticing, Lilly thought. She blew out her breath. “Is it that obvious?” Beth nodded. “Man, I’m even more pathetic than Ian.”
“Please, Lil, no one’s that pathetic. C’mon,” Beth said. “You’re joining us for a slice of pizza at the food court.”
“Oh no. I don’t want to tag along. You two have a good time,” Lilly said.
“I insist that you come. You won’t be a drag; I won’t let you.”
“Mom,” Ian said as he walked up to them. “What are you doing here?”
“She’s joining us for pizza,” Beth said.
“Cool.”
***
Silas arrived early at Daniel and Elizabeth’s house for dinner. He wanted to know if Daniel had found out anything new about Eve and her positio
n on the mission.
“Silas,” Elizabeth greeted him warmly. “Daniel’s in the basement tinkering with the comfort controls in the house. Maybe you can give him a hand. They haven’t worked correctly since we moved in. Oh, and tell my dearest that dinner is almost ready.”
“Will do,” Silas said and walked down the stairs.
“Welcome, Silas,” Daniel said.
“Elizabeth sent me down to help.”
“I’m glad. If I don’t get these comfort controls working properly, my darling bride will end my life prematurely. She hasn’t been able to make a cup of hot pentab all week. Here,” Daniel said handing Silas a tool that vaguely resembled an Earthan wrench.
“Have you heard anything new about Eve coming to Earth?” Silas asked.
“Why the interest? I thought you two didn’t click.” Daniel naturally assumed Silas was jealous.
“We didn’t click,” Silas emphasized. “She sent me a message a few weeks ago. I finally watched it after the celebration. She had some very interesting things to say.”
“All I know is what I told you the night of the feast, but I did hear that the magistrate’s going to make a big announcement before the mission group returns to Earth. So tell me, what kind of interesting things did she have to say?”
“Well, according to her message, she’s coming to Earth in some kind of leadership role. She’s going to be in charge of the youth while the adults are working.”
“Your ex is going to be your supervisor?” Daniel asked. “I hope she doesn’t hold a grudge.”
“Me, too.” Silas didn’t really think she would. After all, she was about to get married. He was more concerned about how much control she would have over him and his peers when he returned.
“Daniel? Dinner’s ready,” Elizabeth called down. They put down their tools and went upstairs.
After saying a blessing, the guys knelt down to eat. They reclined at the table while Elizabeth was in the kitchen preparing Hannah’s meal. “Silas, I have someone I want you to meet,” she said.