by Kurt Winans
Ross interjected and added, “Brittany, I know that the conditions we have discussed may be difficult to entertain for some people. Some with strong religious convictions may even find them to be repulsive, but it won’t do us any good to bury our heads in the sand. Did you see the young woman and her little girl that I was speaking with before we were introduced?”
“Yes sir, I did.”
“That was Natiya, originally from close to Kaputsin Yar, Russia, and her five year old daughter Kristyn. She has now fully committed both of them to this endeavor. Natiya’s husband, Kristyn’s father, was killed three years ago while hunting a wolf creature. The team of hunters had nearly subdued the animal, but he was trampled by the beast before it gave up all hope. Unfortunately, Natiya was then left alone with a two year old.”
“That’s a tragic story sir.”
“Yes it is, but she is now ready to begin a new chapter in their lives. I have always believed that a person has the right to know exactly what they are getting into, so I was quite candid with her when she inquired about returning to Earth. Natiya is now aware of the requirement that you and I just discussed. Additionally, she understands that Kristyn will begin the same process in about fifteen years.”
“That seems extreme. Is it really necessary?”
Janet beat Ross to the punch, and added, “Yes it is. This attempt at gene enrichment will not be easy. In order for the plan to be effective, the children of today, including my young son Hank, and the children you bare, will eventually need to carry on with the same requirement.”
With that, Brittany was convinced. She said, “Very well. I accept the conditions and am willing to do my part, but only if I have a choice as to which men will eventually impregnate me?”
Janet replied, “Of course. No matter what the situation, a woman should always possess that right.”
Ross added, “I agree whole heartedly. This should not be looked upon as random or non-emotional sex. The parental couples need to care for each other at some level, but they also need to accept that the relationships can’t be monogamous.”
“I understand, and that seems fair enough.”
“Excellent. Will the two of you help Gabriela deliver the message of expectation to the female recruits?”
Janet asked, “What’s the matter Ross, are you chicken?”
“Perhaps, but I’m also realistic. Although Brittany took this all in stride, most would probably handle the expectations better if they were presented by another woman.”
Before noon the following day, Aurora, her husband, and two young women she had recruited from the midpoint village arrived. She reported that the four Peruvian runners and their escorts had gone onward to the Mayan city as planned, but didn’t know how long their return to the colony would take. That would depend largely on how well the respective recruits could keep up with the always lively pace of the runners.
Ross was pleased to see Aurora, and immediately filled her in on more of the significant details of the overall plan. She was glad to see her father taking the lead with the endeavor. From her perspective, it was one more opportunity for him to showcase his leadership skills. After listening to the pertinent information, Aurora asked, “Now that I understand the true level of expectation for those involved, what can I do to help?”
With no hesitation at all, Ross replied, “Can you take over the official record keeping? We need a list of names for all those that are participating, along with a breakdown of male versus female and the respective ages. Janet can help you with the information of those who have already signed on, and in time, Gabriela will provide the same for the Mayan contingent. As for our extended family, we will be seven if you and your husband are both going.”
“Of course we are going. He will probably enjoy the prospect of fathering another woman’s child, but don’t you mean eight of us?”
“No, it’s just seven. Jessica has decided to stay here.”
Aurora stood at the top of the boarding ramp onto the new alien vessel. One by one she spoke with each recruit when they approached, and then checked them off the manifest once she had verified their information. Ross and Gabriela were the last to come aboard. They had walked up the ramp with Jessica by their side. It seemed the only way to insure a somewhat private goodbye, as several hundred colonists had come to bid farewell.
Looking at Aurora, Ross inquired, “Are we all set?”
“Yes dad. The other ninety-seven are all on board.”
“Well then, I guess the time has come.”
Jessica nodded and moved to give Aurora a hug. Then she said, “You have always been a wonderful aspect of my life. I love you dearly, and am very proud of everything that you have done throughout your life. Good luck with whatever the future may bring you.”
“Thank you Jessica. You have been a fantastic aunt, and I love you too. There simply isn’t enough time to express how much of a positive influence you have been, but you must know that I have always admired your guidance.”
After hugging her niece once more, Jessica turned to Gabriela. She took her into an embrace and said, “I’m so happy that you and Ross found each other. You have taken good care of my brother, and I will always love you for that.”
“Thank you Jessica. You are very sweet to say so. Like Aurora, I admire you for your positive influence. You also have an inner strength that may be unmatched by anyone I have ever known. As for Ross, I love your brother with all my heart, but I don’t think it’s possible for me to love him as much as you do.”
“What an amazing thing to say. Thank you. I know Ross will always be in good hands with you Gabriela.”
Ross broke in by saying, “Ladies, I hate to interrupt this overflow of sentiment, but three of us have a flight to catch.”
Patting Gabriela on the shoulder, Jessica said, “Isn’t it amazing how he can ruin a moment sometimes?”
“Yes, but as you know, some things never change.”
With a nod of acknowledgement, Jessica turned to Ross. She said, “Well big brother, the moment I always feared is upon us. I hoped to be better prepared, but what do I say to the person who has meant more to me than anyone else in all of my life? Gabriela said that I possess an inner strength, but you gave me the incentive. From our youngest days back in Rumley, you were the one who taught me that most things are possible if I could develop an inner strength. Your dedication to the service of humanity has been prevalent since our youth, and it will continue beyond this day. I love you for everything you did as my big brother to help me find my path in life, and that life will be less complete when you depart.”
Now fighting back his own tears, Ross hugged his sister and replied, “Well, it sure sounded as if you were well prepared for this moment. I doubt that I could say anything to top the touching sentiment you have expressed. You must know that I counted on your inner strength numerous times. Thank you for believing in me when Patty didn’t, and for helping me to take on the many challenges that confronted me back on Earth as well as on this moon. I will miss you more than you know Jessica.”
Jessica dried her eyes, smiled, and walked back down the ramp. A moment later, she along with hundreds of others, waved as the alien vessel began a slow rise from the surface. Having said their collective goodbye to Jessica sometime earlier, the Jensen trio of Colt, Janet, and Hank returned her wave from behind the large viewing window. As the vessel gained some altitude, Hank spotted Megan Crenshaw waving from near the waterfall. In spite of early difficulties, she had been a wonderful teacher and had become a good friend for Hank. He returned the wave, but couldn’t be sure that she had seen him do so. It became difficult for him to contain his excitement, as the vessel was now high enough to view the entire colony. Although the majority of the recruits had experienced the sensation of flight, young Hank was not one of them. Looking up at his parents, he said, “This is really cool!”
Colt replied, “Yes it is, but just wait. The view gets even better as we go higher into the sky.”
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“It does? That sounds great!”
Janet then crouched beside her son and added, “In a few minutes we will be able to see more than you could have ever imagined.”
As with Hank and Kristyn, there was a larger segment of recruits that had been born on this moon. They of course, were also experiencing flight for the first time. Gabriela had brought them all aboard before returning to the peninsula to fetch Ross. She believed that the Mayans would do well on the voyage, and like Janet, thought their genetic code would be of tremendous help once blended with that of some people living on modern day Earth. Gabriela wanted to check on how they were doing, so she asked Ross to join her as she did so. As they entered the compartment where all twenty of them had been temporarily placed, Ross greeted them in their native tongue. The men, as always, attempted to maintain their look of strength. As for the women, they presented no false bravado.
Wanting to show them all that could be seen from the viewing window before gaining too much altitude above their home world, Gabriela motioned for them to follow her. She suddenly realized that not only had the Mayan contingent never seen their world from above, but they were also unaware of what a window was. Back in their city, all the openings in the buildings for light and air were absent of glass. The substance was completely foreign to them. Turning back to face them all, she said, “You are about to see and feel a very strange thing, but there is no need to be frightened. Ross and I will show you a wall that is solid, but you can look straight through it. Even though we will be moving higher into the sky, you don’t need to be afraid. The world will be getting further away, but you will not fall through the wall.”
Ross looked at Gabriela and said, “I can’t believe I never thought about how they would respond to glass.”
“I could be wrong, but I don’t think any of us from the colony who made the initial voyage thought about it either.”
As the entire group approached the viewing window, Ross asked, “Excuse me folks, could we please create a space for our Mayan friends to look at their home world?”
Those near the window cleared a path, and the first Mayan to notice the see-through wall lost his composure. In spite of her proactive approach, Gabriela had been unable to prevent such a negative reaction. He, along with most of the Mayans, jumped back away from the glass. The next several moments were taxing for Gabriela, as her attempts to have them move forward didn’t produce results.
After observing the futile action, Hank emerged from behind Janet in a completely unexpected move. Walking up to a trembling Mayan woman, he slowly reached for her hand. Then he asked, “Excuse me Gabriela, but can you please help me communicate with her?”
Although somewhat startled by his request, she replied, “Alright Hank, what would you like to say?”
Now softly holding the Mayans hand, Hank looked up at her and said, “It’s alright. I was afraid too, but then my parents showed me that I couldn’t fall through. You can see more than if you were on top of a mountain from over there. If I promise to not let go of your hand, will you come look with me?”
Staring down at his innocent face and eyes, the woman nodded and squeezed Hank’s hand. Moving slowly at first so that he wouldn’t frighten her, Hank edged the woman closer to the window. He stopped a few feet away, and pointed at the colony and large body of water below. A moment later he put his hand on the glass, and made sure that she noticed he was pushing on it.
Colt proudly whispered to Janet, “That’s our boy, and I think he might just be a lady killer someday.”
With a stern glare on her face, Janet turned and replied, “That may be true, but I for one hope that Hank can enjoy a lengthy childhood before he learns to exploit that trait.”
Just then they heard Hank say to the woman, “You see. It’s like I told you. This can’t hurt you, and you won’t fall.”
Using a soft lilting tone to mimic Hank, Gabriela made sure all of the Mayans heard her translation. A moment later she smiled, as Hank’s pupil reached out with her empty hand to touch the window.
Feeling both proud and satisfied with the effort and skill that his younger brother had displayed to ease the tension, Ross turned to Aurora. He said, “Now that Hank seems to have this situation in hand, no pun intended, can you and I have a few minutes to go over the specifications of the manifest?”
“Of course we can dad. Should we do that here, or in a more private location?”
“Let’s step away without being too obvious. Then you can give me the breakdown.”
Throughout the next hour, Ross was reminded of just how meticulous his oldest daughter was. She began with the obvious fact that she, along with Ross and Gabriela, were not going to be part of the process. Janet was listed as highly doubtful, because she was at the high end of the established age scale. Reproduction, although still possible in theory, was not a requirement for her. Aside from that, Aurora felt that the other ninety-six, including her husband, could be used to help the gene pool. Of the one hundred on board, fifty-four were male, with forty-six females. Including the Mayans, and those of ethnic backgrounds representing five continents, the belief was that forty-three of the females could eventually produce offspring. As for the fifty-four males, their higher numbers were equal with regard to diversity. All except Ross were believed to be viable candidates for the eventual fathering of children. Aurora then stated the obvious when she said, “We used basic math in our selection process. The reason more males were recruited was very simple. A male can impregnate a female more often than a female can become impregnated.”
Ross couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her statement, and he responded with, “So that’s how it works huh? All these years, and I can’t believe I never realized that.”
Now smiling at her father’s playful response, she added, “But of course you are well aware of how that works.”
At the conclusion of Aurora’s briefing, Ross returned to the viewing window. A pleasant surprise awaited him, as he witnessed several of the Mayans conquering their fear. With Hank as their guide, Ross watched as one by one they reached out and touched the glass.
Several moments later Ross stood by the window with members of his immediate family, and soaked in the view. They gazed with amazement as the outer most marble of the solar system slid past. The blue planet floated peacefully within the black vastness of space, and although much larger, the sight of it reminded Ross of how Earth had looked during the return trip from his moon mission aboard the Discovery. Unfortunately, the current view didn’t last long, as the beautiful orb quickly shrank and faded from view when the alien vessel accelerated. As had been the case when they first entered the solar system tabbed by the aliens as ₹-593, Ross felt a blend of excitement and fear now that they had departed. During the upcoming six week voyage before Earth would appear in the window, there would be little else to do but get some much needed rest and think. Moving away from the window, his thoughts turned to Jessica. In many ways his sister was much stronger than he was, and there was no doubt in his mind that he had not yet begun to miss her.
Janet heard the compartment door behind her open, and the quiet footsteps that ensued. Turning to see that it was Colt who had entered, she asked him, “Is it time?”
“Yes. Our host has informed me that we should be able to see Earth in a few minutes.”
Knowing that Ross had been emphatic in his desire to view their home world during final approach, Janet awakened him. Her oldest son had been sleeping peacefully for several hours, which was a welcome change. Due to a persistent high fever and bouts of coughing throughout the previous four days, sleep had not come easily for Ross. Janet had provided the best medical attention that she could muster, but had been unable to break the fever or determine the exact cause of his ailment.
As the three of them moved slowly toward the viewing window, Colt provided Ross with a stabilizing arm to hold. From a pace behind, Janet inquired, “How do you feel Ross?”
“Better, thank you, but I hav
en’t fully recovered yet.”
At the viewing window, they, along with several others that included Aurora, Gabriela and Hank, waited with nervous anticipation. A moment later Colt spotted a distant tiny blue marble and exclaimed, “Look. I think that’s it over there.”
Glancing in the direction that Colt was pointing, Ross smiled and said, “What a tremendous moment for all of us.”
After finally locating the growing blue marble, Gabriela asked, “Why didn’t we see either Saturn or Jupiter during our approach? Those two planets are massive compared to Earth.”
Ross put his arm around her, and flashed back to when, as a boy, he had built a complex model of the solar system for a school project in Rumley. That memory served him well in the present moment, as he replied, “I remember that we couldn’t see either of those planets when we left the solar system to begin this incredible adventure. Think of this system of planets as being positioned on a flat surface similar to an old fashioned DVD. I believe that the reason we couldn’t see any of the larger planets in the outer reaches of the system then, or now, was because of our angle of orientation. We must have exited, and now re-entered, the solar system from either above or below that disk depending on how you want to look at it.”
As the alien vessel closed on Earth, Janet was the first to speak of a potential anomaly. She inquired, “Can anyone else see what appears to be some faint rings around the planet?”
Having no idea that the new look of Earth was vastly different from when many of the other passengers had lived upon it, Hank innocently replied, “I see them too mom.”
Once the alien vessel had settled into, and maintained, a gentle orbit high above the planet, Ross began a much closer visual inspection of what lay in front of him. There was no need to deny it; Janet and Hank were both correct. A few faint layers of rings could now easily be seen orbiting Earth. For anyone of old Earth who possessed even a mild interest in space, the rings of Saturn were a well-known fact. Ross theorized that like those rings, the ones now encircling his home world consisted of small rock debris. It was a reasonable assumption to believe that they numbered in the hundreds of thousands at a minimum, and were probably the byproduct of the asteroid impact into the former moon. What had not subsequently impacted Earth, or burned up entering the atmosphere, must have been captured into a lower orbital path. In so doing, the massive amount of debris would have assured the eventual and total destruction of Earth’s former satellite communication system.