Life on Mars?

by Francis Plestor

their own thoughts, all taking in what Limur had just told them, all making for their own space to feed and figure.

  Dorian was a little dazed. He fed to feel better. A three-way squeeze split, he would never have thought of it, but it made absolute sense. Three smaller squeezes could go on with confidence. Two bigger squeezes might struggle and each need to split again into squeezes that were barely viable. The three made a perfect solution. He looked up and Lipshule beckoned him over. “I am hoping that you and Sulara will agree to join our squeeze,” were Lipshule’s first words to him.

  “Begging your pardon,” Dorian paused, “but what of oldener Limur? He said nothing of the squeeze he would be joining.”

  “Ah,” it was Lipshule’s turn to pause. “You do not know yet, do you?”

  “Know what?” Dorian was unsettled, he felt an icy chill creep through his body.

  “It was while you were away retrieving the lost squeeze, Limur discovered that he had the sickness. So much has happened since, I guess no one has given it a second thought but, of course, you wouldn’t know. I am so sorry; we should have thought to tell you.”

  Dorian was momentarily dumbstruck. The sickness was the end. If you had the sickness you could not go on. His mother had been taken by the sickness when he was but a youngling. Both Dorian and his father had had to go on for all of these years without her and now…..once you had the sickness your time was over……..was it to be his fate too eventually?

  “Does everyone else know?” Dorian asked

  “No, just the oldeners. We are to announce it at the first squeeze in the next feed cavern.”

  “Has he long?”

  “No, not long.”

  Dorian stared off into the cavern. He tried to imagine the end of his time, but could not bear to let his thoughts touch that black abyss.

  “Dorian…Dorian.” Lipshule’s voice brought him back to the present.

  “Sorry Lipshule, you were saying?”

  “I don’t mean to press you, but we have much to plan and do. I need to know if you will agree to be our senior older under myself and Garnewa. I have been much impressed and much taken by you. I believe that you will make a fine oldener one day. What do you say?”

  “I am honoured, oldener Lipshule, that you should think so highly of me and I find that the short time that we have spent in close company has taught me great respect for you and your opinions. I would be delighted to accept your offer and will do everything I can to support you in your endeavours to lead the squeeze.”

  “Thank you Dorian, you do not know how happy it makes both Garnewa and I to know that we can rely on the support of you and Sulara in the squeeze and how much we look forward to sharing our time with you both. Now, do you have any ideas on who else we might need?”

  “If you have Sulara and me, then we will definitely need Transmuga and Juma,” Dorian said as a smile creased his face.

  “Consider it done,” Lipshule replied.

  The rest of the wake was spent organising the makeup of the three separate squeezes. Who should and who could go where. It did take time and at times tempers frayed, but they managed it in time for the squeeze or more precisely the three squeezes. Dorian had not caught sight of his father for the rest of the wake. He wondered if he would see him again.

  It had been decided that each of the three squeezes would take up a separate position in the cavern and so, this time, the cavern hosted three individual squeezes beneath its massive roof. Next wake they would be off to their new feeding caverns.

  There was a nervous excitement in each of the squeezes; everything seemed new and different. Squeeze splits often generated this atmosphere but this time it was intense. Many new acquaintances had to be made and many new youngers brought to heel. It was an interesting time to be around; it might even just receive a mention in their histories.

  Next wake they all fed well and slowly the cavern began to empty as they each filed into their designated tunnels on their way to their next feed cavern. Dorian and Sulara had agreed to take the rear guard and ensure that no one got left behind. As they journeyed they would sweep up any stragglers and make sure they made it to their destination. For now they were just waiting for the last few to make their way into the tunnel.

  “Older Dorian.” The unmistakable voice of Limur stopped Dorian in his tracks.

  “You go on. I’ll catch you up in a minute,” Dorian said to Sulara, as he turned to face his mentor.

  “You know don’t you?” Limur enquired resignedly.

  “I have been told,” Dorian stated flatly, without a hint of emotion in spite of the mixture of anger and frustration he felt building inside of him.

  Limur moved closer and gently leaned his head against Dorian’s before he continued.

  “I’m proud of you, my son. Your mother would have been proud of you too. Proud to be your parent, proud of the way you have grown, proud to have been a part of your life, proud to see you become older. I feel privileged to have been allowed the time to witness all of this. I am only saddened that I have allowed the responsibilities of my position within the squeeze create a gulf between us. A gulf that I have not had the presence of mind to bridge, always thinking that there would be plenty of time later.”

  Dorian looked through a veil of emotion at his once invincible father, the man that had taught him everything, the man he would like to become, the man whose time had now come.

  “Thank you father,” he said in an even voice. “You can never know how proud I have been that you are my father and I am your son. I only wish …” Dorian’s voice caught in his throat and he paused to collect himself. “I only wish that time allowed for me to show you.” The two of them embraced, their bodies entwined in mutual love and sadness, love of times past and sadness for future times lost.

  In the midst of their melancholy a third body insinuated itself into their embrace. Sulara had not gone on ahead and now all three of them were locked into a shared hug of love. “I take it you know too?” Limur enquired of her.

  “No, but it was not so difficult to guess.”

  He had been just like a father to her too and now she was his daughter in truth. They all three shared that intimate moment of leaving that would have to console them for the rest of their time.

  “Good feeding you two,” Limur offered in way of farewell. “Many younglings and much happiness.”

  Dorian and Sulara knew they had to leave; had to allow Limur the dignity to go alone. It is what he wanted; what custom dictated - those last few moments alone to reflect and remember his life.

  As they moved toward their exit tunnel Dorian turned to his father and said. “You will always be remembered in the names of our younglings and more so in our hearts. Farewell oldener Limur. Fear not, father, for you will be with her once again. Please give her my love.”

  “Farewell olders, Dorian and Sulara. Fare very, very well, my son.”

  Both Dorian and Sulara made their way in silence to their new feed cavern, their new squeeze, their new lives.

  It was strange to be in a new squeeze, strange but exhilarating somehow. Oldener Lipshule led the squeeze with aplomb and humour. His down-to-marrain manner signalled a change in their way of doing things; less formal, but no less disciplined. He managed the news of Limur’s sickness with appropriate gravity and respect, but was able to dampen the dispiritedness with the news that Juma and Transmuga had become older. Dorian made the mistake of saying, “That was quick”, without realising that he was broadcasting to the whole squeeze. It created a ripple of laughter that softened the mood still further and eased the burden of his father’s demise.

  The following wakes and rests came and went in a frenzy of activity. The younglings had to be brought on, the youngers needed further training and all in all the squeeze had to learn to get on and get along. There was training and testing of everybody. Lipshule wanted to create a tight squeeze; ordered, disciplined and knowledgeable. The more they knew, the better equipped they were to survive. Tha
t is not to say that they did not have fun. Dorian focused on building a fun element into all of the tasks, just as his father had done when he was a youngling. Morale was just as important as discipline and Lipshule certainly knew how to tell a tale. So at their squeezes they would have news of the day, histories as was traditional and then tales before rest.

  The histories had been updated to include the enormous feeding cavern and the rescue of the squeeze of the lost, along with the mysterious shafts that had caused that predicament to occur. Dorian was happier than he had ever been and his happiness just happened to come in the shape of the beautiful Sulara.

  He and Sulara had without mentioning it fallen into the habit of ensuring that they had time alone together each wake, time to talk, time to listen, time to share their thoughts and time to share their feelings. They were a team, partners in time and still so very much in love.

  After many wakes, many rests, many squeezes and many different feed caverns they found themselves once more on the move to a new feed cavern. Sulara was up ahead at the rear of the younglings and Dorian was following way behind with a group of mischievous youngers that he had seconded to bring up the rear. Suddenly they felt the ground begin to tremble. The trembling seemed to increase until the whole tunnel began to shudder and shake, the noise reaching a deafening pitch. Then a vicious wind stirred the marrain, tearing at