by Jean Kilczer
“I dreamed I was floating in space,” I told Chancey. “And then you and Shannon came out of nowhere.”
“That was no dream, tag,” Chancey said. “We saved your ass.”
“I owe you, Chancey,” I told him. “Doctor Stone, you were right about the weapon. It was never meant to directly destroy Earth.”
“And you were right, Doctor Rammis.” She leaned forward in her chair. “It was a lot more than just a simple hoax.”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
Shannon lifted my hand and kissed it. “We thought we lost you, lad.”
“Oh, you can't get rid of me that easily, lass.”
“No!” Huff said. “I will make it hard and troublesome to get rid of you.” He sat on the other side of the bed. I rested a hand on his forearm and he laid his head across my legs.
“The ships are returning to Earth from the colonies,” Joe said and got up stiffly. He went to a window and stared out. “Thousands of people are coming back to their homes, their jobs, their lives.”
“That's good to hear,” I said, but I thought of the millions who never had an opportunity to leave, and the multitude of animal species we could also have lost.
Joe turned from the window. “When you're up to it, there's a shipload of dignitaries from Alpha who want an audience with you.”
“An audience?” I asked.
“That's what they like to call it,” he said. “The politicians are a little more down to earth. They just want a photo-op.” He shrugged “The media is the real problem. They're tripping over each other's feet at Earth's SunPort, waiting for this ship to arrive.”
Chancey chuckled. “The hazards of being a galactic hero, tag.”
“Is there any way of sidestepping it all?” I asked Joe.
“Doctor Rammis, Doctor Stone said, “you should be honored.”
“Oh, I'm honored. I just don't like all the hype.”
“Hey, Joe.” Chancey grinned and patted his new beam rifle. “How about you let me beam them all? Promise, I'll use the stun setting.”
Joe smirked. “That's not a bad idea. On the other hand…” He glanced at the door. “There's a small visitor who's been waiting to see you, Jules. You feel up to it?”
“Oh,” I said. “Lisa?”
Joe grinned.
“Bring her in!”
He nodded and left the room.
“That's my daughter,” I told the others.
“Yeah,” Chancey shifted in his chair. “Joe told us. He said she takes after you.” He slid me a look and smirked.
“Maybe she'll outgrow it,” I said.
Lisa ran into the room, followed by Joe, with a present under her arm. “Daddy!”
She would have thrown herself on top of me but Chancey ran interference and scooped her up. “You got to be a little careful with Daddy, kid. He's in a delicate condition.”
“Come here, baby,” I said. I'd forgotten how cute she really was, with her blonde curls and her innocent blue eyes. She was taller than the last time I'd seen her. “You're growing, Squiggles.”
“I brought you a present.”
“Yeah. Can you open it for me? Daddy's a little tired right now.”
“OK.” She stuck her tongue between her teeth in a gesture I remembered from when I'd brought her presents, and ripped open the wrapping paper.
I lifted my head as she opened the box. Rows of green avocadoes and chocolate bars. “Wow, Lis',” I said. “How'd you know?”
“Grandpa ordered them all the way from Earth!”
“Thanks, Grandpa,” I told Joe.
He nodded. “Anytime you save Earth.”
“Can I have a chocolate bar?” Lisa asked.
“Only if I can have a kiss, baby.”
She leaned over me carefully and kissed my cheek, then took a chocolate bar.
Shannon was smiling at her.
“By the way,” I said to Shannon, “are you…uh –“
She shook her head. “I guess 'twas the wrong time o' the month after all. We could try again when ye be feelin' up to it.” She winked at me.
“Oh. That might be a while.”
A woman from the cafeteria shuffled into the room with covered dishes and laid them on the food tray. She was dark-eyed, with alluring features and full lips. She smiled at me as she rolled the tray closer to my bed. “Hungry, Mister Rammis?”
“Jules,” I said and smiled back. “Depends on the fare.”
Shannon cleared her throat.
“I think you'll like it,” the woman said. She handed me a note from the tray and brushed the back of my hand. “Here, read the note.”
Shannon stood up. “I think we can manage just fine from here, missy,” she told the woman.
The woman shrugged and sauntered out of the room.
Shannon uncovered the plates. I sat up. Mock steak. Mashed potatoes swimming in butter! Salad. How'd they know?” I said.
Joe nodded toward the note.
I opened it and read it aloud.
“Hey, Julie,
I told the tags on the med ship that if they wanted to keep you happy to just give you your favorite meal three times a day.
Remember when you said that me and Kit were trying to populate Cape Leone all by ourselves? Well, she's going to have another baby. Thanks for the creds, tag. Stop off on my planet sometime. They've got a new drink at the Leone Grill. They call it Loranth Sunrise. Got a kick to it like a grunithe in rut!
Your buddy,
Jack Cole.”
I looked up. “Jack. He's a good friend.”
Joe went to the window and rubbed his chin as he stared out. “Alpha's having some trouble on Denebia. It seems the peaceful Denebians are under attack by an alien race we've never encountered before.” He turned. “These alien tags communicate by telepathy and – “
“You want my answer in writing, Joe,” I said softly, “or will a verbal response suffice? Because if you like, I'll sign my refusal in blood.” I cut into the steak, tore off a piece and chewed.
“Just give it some time,” he said. “When you're feeling better, you might decide – “
“Joseph!” Doctor Stone said, “Doctor Rammis is an astrobiologist. That's his real work. Isn't that right, Doctor?”
But not on Halcyon. I thought of Willa and felt tears burn behind my eyes. I blinked them back and took Lisa's hand and Shannon's hand in both of mine. “Doctor Stone, do you think the Los Alamos National Lab would be interested in a project on blackroot? I could have a sample mailed there from the lab on Halcyon.”
“Blackroot?” She lifted her brows. “I think they would be interested in any project you offered to head, Doctor.”
“Shannon? Huff,” I said, “how do you tags feel about visiting Earth?”
Shannon smiled. “I'd like to see me homeworld, but the truth is, lad, I miss me family back on Fartherland.”
Star-crossed lovers, I thought. There was no work for me on Fartherland's small mining town of Gorestail.
Shannon lowered her head. I think she knew it too.
“Does your homeworld have ice?” Huff asked.
“Sure. And if it's summer in Los Alamos, Huff, we'll make ice.”
He wagged his head. “Then I will visit. But I yearn to return to my homeworld, and to my clan. Now that I have honorary credits from Alpha, I can help my people buy the necessaries of life.” He looked at the box of avocadoes and chocolate bars. “And presents of checkerboards for our time of slacken.” He drew back lips in a sharp-toothed smile.
“That's great, Huff,” I said. “That's what you always wanted. I'll help you find blue checkers on Earth. Chancey? What're your plans? Care to visit the homeworld?”
“Maybe a short vacation. I figure W-CIA's going to have an assignment waiting for me.” He rubbed his chin and smiled that broad, toothy grin. “Maybe on Denebia.”
“Sounds like fun,” I said with a sarcastic edge and closed my eyes.
“Hush, now,” I heard Shannon whisper. “He's fall
ing asleep.”
I wasn't.
Spirit? Star Speaker? Sye Morth? I sent.
We're still here, Jewels, Morth sent. But it is the Loranth Calling Time when we in geth state choose new lifebinds. So I must say goodbye.
Well then, goodbye, Val Tir Sye Morth, I sent. And thank you for all your help. Maybe we'll meet again someday in new lifebinds.
If we wish to, we probably will.
Val Tir, Star Speaker said, choose your next lifebind wisely. Beware of bottom dweller binds.
I will, my teacher.
Spirit? I sent.
You are welcome for my help, as a Terran might say. But now I must see to the needs of my own homeworld.
Go with God, I sent, as a Terran might say. Gwis?
And I back to the bliss of Nirvana. Someday, but not very soon, I think, we will meet in the eternal, where suffering sinks to nothingness and all is peace.
Someday, Gwis.
I opened my eyes and stared at the window.
Somewhere out there, our sun was doing nuclear fusion to light and warm our homeworld. With any luck, it would continue to do so for another five billion years. After all, the sun is but a morning star.
END
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgement
Other Books by Jean Kilczer
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty One
Chapter Twenty Two
Chapter Twenty Three