by Saxon Andrew
Melody’s smiled disappeared, “They both died within a few hours of arrival. The doctors didn’t understand how they had managed to live as long as they did.”
Andy’s eyes closed and he shook his head slowly, “And Gordon and Olivia?”
“They’re bearing up as well as you would think; they are both heartbroken. We buried Tyler and Mindy two days after they died.”
Andy nodded and said, “As soon as we get everyone on shore and find new homes for the babies, I’m calling a community gathering.”
Melody nodded, “There’s one child you won’t need to place.”
Andy sighed, “Olivia’s boy?”
Melody nodded, “They’re inseparable. I think he’s the only thing that’s keeping Olivia sane. She’s named him Deuce.”
“Deuce?”
“She chose to name him Tyler because they look so much alike. The young boy is her second Tyler so she calls him Deuce. I think she’ll eventually call him Tyler.” Andy nodded and took his other daughter and headed toward the end of the pier with Melody holding her arm around his waist.
• • •
The drums started beating at daybreak notifying everyone that a Community Gathering was taking place that evening at sunset. It had been three weeks since the fleet had returned and all the babies who had been saved were placed with families in the community. Many of the infants were placed with families that also had an infant of their own. It was suggested by Melody, so that the new members would have a sibling for them to grow up with. The Community greeted the request with open hearts and other babies were placed with families that had children of the same age for the same reason. The new babies helped the Community deal with the losses sustained in the war with the Destroyers.
The members of the Community began moving toward the inner walls of the original settlement early in the afternoon and the crowd was huge long before the sun set. A special place was reserved inside the walls for the warriors and naval crews that participated in the war. They arrived as soon as the drums started beating and they talked about the warriors that died and shared what they knew about them. It was a somber moment for them as they relived the loss of their fallen friends and comrades. Andy watched the people gather from the Holy Cave and Harvey said, “Are you sure about this?”
“I am.”
Harvey nodded and said, “Then I’ll make the preparations.”
Andy turned to him and smiled, “You have always been my best friend, Harvey. Thank you for all you’ve done.”
Harvey smiled, “Now don’t get all sappy on me. There is still so much to do.”
“I know. Just know that I recognize all you’ve done and it really means a lot.” Harvey nodded and left the cave with a team of Priests. Andy felt Melody put her arms around him from behind, “The babies are asleep. I think they want to be awake for the gathering.”
Andy chuckled, “You really do ascribe things to them that can’t be possible.”
“Watch and see if they don’t wake up within an hour of sunset.”
Andy pulled her around and hugged her, “You’re serious?”
“Just watch. You’ll see.” Andy hugged her tighter and wondered if she could possibly be right.
• • •
The sun was touching the horizon and there was standing room only inside the walls. The entire community had gathered even though many of them would be unable to hear what was being said. However, they knew the message would be told to those on the edges and it would be transferred among the huge gathering. The sun finally disappeared and a Priest lit the central fire. It began burning and, as it grew darker, the flames grew brighter.
Andy walked out of the Holy Cave and walked toward the platform a hundred yards from the cliff wall in front of the fire. Melody followed him holding the twins and remained at the foot of the stage. The crowd cheered Andy’s appearance and he bowed but then raised his arms. The crowd grew silent and he waited until the cheers outside the wall stopped. He looked to the right at the drummers and pointed his right hand at them. They instantly began a slow rhythmic beat. The crowd looked at each other wondering what was going on. Andy stood on the platform with bowed head and the gathering lowered their heads as well. Soon, two teams of Priests each carrying a casket entered the gate and started a slow procession through the crowd. They took a step with each beat of the drums and they slowly moved toward the central fire. There was only silence, except for the drumbeats and the distant roars of dinosaurs that could be heard in the distance, between the beats. The two caskets arrived at the fire and one team went to the right and the other to the left. The drums stopped as they lowered them to the ground in front of the stage and Andy looked up.
“The final enemy we have to face on this planet is now gone. We paid a heavy price to remove them and we would have failed but for the courage and heroism shown by the two whose bodies have been brought before us here. It was their flawless execution of their plans that led to our victory and it is with a heavy heart that we lost them in the fight. Their bodies have been brought here to be buried with the great heroes of our past. They will lie here with the Original Andy, Maxius, Harvey, Dottie, Inapay and the other great heroes that led us forward into this future we now inhabit. It is not only fitting for what they accomplished but it is also the just and righteous thing to do. Tyler and Mindy’s names will be recognized as two of our great heroes and their deeds will be written on their monuments.”
Every Warrior in the gathering yelled, “YOUUUU WHAAAAAA.” Andy smiled and nodded to them. “Now we are going to begin preparing for a final enemy that will be coming from the sky above us. They will be coming from another planet and we were originally put here by the Time Takers to face them and eliminate them. The Council will be asking you to make numerous sacrifices to get ready for their arrival and these changes will cause hardships for most of you. However, they must be done if we are to survive! Along with the new invaders, a huge rock from space is going to hit our planet causing an unimaginable catastrophe. We have to prepare for that event to insure we survive as a species. We will tell you more about what is coming later but the first thing I am asking everyone to do is to immediately start planting the pods that we brought back from the war. We will need as many of them as we can produce to survive the famine that will follow the devastation following the rock hitting Earth.”
Andy paused and then smiled as he looked out at the silent multitude. “Tonight, we are going to celebrate the lives of those that died fighting for us and I want all of you to know that for the first time sinse the original humans arrived, there is nothing on the planet to fear any more. The warriors and heroes that died removing that enemy deserve to be celebrated and I call on all of you to do that…NOW!!” Andy pointed at the drummers.
The drums erupted and the gathered thousands erupted in cheering. The dancing began as Andy walked over to Melody and saw the babies’ eyes were wide open. He shook his head and Melody smiled. He took Linnae and began dancing on the stage and Melody joined him with Harmony. Olivia stood with Gordon in front of the stage and felt their sorrow at losing their loves. The little boy was with Olivia and he had both arms wrapped around her right leg as he looked out at the people dancing and yelling around him. Gordon looked at Olivia and took a deep breath. He saw her staring at him and he said, “I think we should join the Community and celebrate the honor given to Mindy and Tyler.”
Olivia reached down and picked up the little boy and offered her hand to Gordon, “I believe you’re absolutely right.” Gordon took her hand and they started dancing as their tears ran down their faces. They danced for their loss and they danced for their healing. They danced for the future.
Chapter Fifteen
Andy turned around and saw the large glider come overhead and turn toward the landing strip over the north wall. The electric motors were extremely quiet but they could be heard at low altitude. He squinted at the markings and saw it was coming from the community Olivia and Gordon were leading i
n the northern mountains. He smiled and hoped one of them had made the trip south. Gordon and Olivia had eventually found love with each other three years after Tyler and Mindy died. They both shared a common loss and that loss brought them together. The warriors had spent two years dismantling the two high walls around the community and using the stones to construct landing strips on each side of the community’s center.
The gliders were developed a year after the destruction of the Destroyers but landing strips were required to use them. While the warriors were building landing strips, the others were sent out to find sites to move the majority of the community to safety on high ground. The construction of those new sites was still underway. Those still living at the original site were tending the crops to grow enough food to sustain the new communities after the coming calamity. There was still much to be done.
Andy knew Harvey wanted to see him but he wanted to see if Olivia or Gordon had come on the glider. He walked through the new opening in the north wall and saw the empty Cursor Pens. Most of them had been ridden north by their riders; the gliders weren’t strong enough to lift a three thousand pound dinosaur. He saw the glider turn and start moving back toward him and he smiled. So much had changed.
The numbers in the community had grown swiftly after the war when the ships were sent out to find settlements around the shore of the ocean. It took three years, but finally, all the surviving humans had been brought to the community and assimilated into its culture. He looked up at the sky and wondered how much longer he had before the aliens arrived. He worried that time was running out. He saw the door open on the glider and Olivia and Deuce stepped out. He was always shocked at how much Deuce looked like Tyler. The resemblance was uncanny. He knew Linnae would be excited.
He shook his head. Melody told him that the twins had flipped a shell to see which one of them would get Deuce. Linnae won the toss and it appeared Harmony was ok with the result. He heard steps behind him and he saw Linnae running toward him from the fields. How did she know Deuce was on the glider? He shook his head and put his arm on her shoulder as she caught up with him, “I love you, little girl.”
“Oh Daddy, I’m not a little girl anymore. I’m eight years old.”
“You’ll always be my little girl.” Linnae smiled and hugged him around the waist as they continued toward the glider.
They arrived and Olivia hugged Andy, “How’s it going?”
Andy saw Deuce walk up to Linnae and say hello. She smiled, hugged his neck, and yelled, “May I take Deuce to see the fields?”
Olivia looked at the ten year old Deuce that was blushing. She nodded and he ran after Linnae who had turned and ran toward the farms. Olivia shook her head, “Andy, I really think he’s going to be chasing her the rest of his life.”
“If it’s left up to Linnae, I know he will. She likes him a lot.”
“But they’re too young to be interested in each other.”
Andy shrugged, “I no longer know what’s too young or too old. I do know that both of them will be our future leaders. She couldn’t make a better choice.”
Olivia chuckled, “You’re right. I’m just glad we don’t live here so he can focus on learning everything he’ll need to know.”
“Did you come to pick up some pods?”
“I did. I want to see Melody before we have to leave.”
“She’s at the house. Harvey wants to see me so I’ll go take care of that and see you later.”
“How is Harvey doing?”
“He doesn’t appear to age at all. He’s going to be disappointed if you don’t stop by to see him before you leave.”
Olivia hugged Andy again, “I will. I’ll see you.” Andy nodded and headed back toward the wall. Olivia turned to get the glider’s crew to start loading bags of pods that were kept in the storage shed. Andy smiled; Olivia’s midsection was larger. It was about time they had a child.
• • •
Andy entered the Holy Cave and Harvey excused himself from a class of ten year olds. He walked over and shook his head, “Boy! Those kids can ask the most difficult questions.”
Andy smiled and said, “I have a few questions and I need your insight on whether or not you agree with me.” Harvey’s eyes narrowed and he nodded. Andy started walking toward the cave’s entrance and Harvey followed him. “Melody and I have been discussing what Andy wrote and she asked me some questions that started me thinking.”
“And?”
Andy sat down on the ledge next to the clearing and said, “She pointed out that if the Time Takers put us here to handle an enemy, how long would they have wanted us to develop our civilization?”
Harvey thought for a moment, “What are you suggesting?”
“Our ancestors arrived two hundred and sixty years ago.” Harvey nodded. “If we have a millennium to develop, wouldn’t we find a way to survive the coming asteroid impact?”
“I’m not sure.”
“It’s also a certainty that humans would spread out over the planet given that amount of time and would stand a higher probability of surviving the impact. According to the maps Andy drew, there is a giant ocean with land far beyond here. The Destroyers could have used their ships to move to that new place.”
Harvey’ eyes went wide, “You think it’s going to happen sooner than later?”
“I do. It will probably happen during our lifetime.”
“What did Andy write that made you think this?”
“The Time Taker was patting himself on his shoulder for having selected Andy to be sent back, even though his peers were against it. He told Andy that they would no longer interfere with what happened.”
Harvey saw it, “They determined that his community was going to survive.”
“That’s how I see it. They defeated the Atlantans and the genetically advanced humans that were brought here from the distant future. Once they made that determination, they knew they wouldn’t have to do it again and left.”
Harvey stood up and started pacing behind Andy on the entrance to the cave, “It makes sense. Two hundred years would allow them to attempt another colonization if the first one failed.” Andy tilted his head and shrugged. “This is not good.”
“There’s more.”
“Please tell me it’s good news.”
“Sorry, but Melody and I really believe the Enemy that is coming will arrive with the asteroid.”
“What?!”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense, Harvey! The asteroid might be what brings them here.” Harvey stared at Andy in silence. Andy took a deep breath and blew it out, “I suspect this enemy has found a new weapon and wants to use it to determine how effective it is. It is that new weapon the Time Takers want to remove. This enemy may see the coming impact and decide that killing us wouldn’t really matter in the larger scheme of things.”
Harvey thought for a moment and tilted his head, “Andy, what if the Time Takers had not brought our ancestors here? Would their enemy still come?”
Andy shrugged, “I do believe the asteroid is what causes them to come. I suspect they would have trialed this weapon on the dinosaurs if the Time Takers had not acted. Finding intelligent beings here will be irresistible to them.”
“If you had to say, how much longer do we have?”
Andy tilted his head to the left and back, “I’ve struggled with that. I do believe they would have allowed enough time to do it again if the first communities failed. I believe that would have been determined within seventy five to a hundred years. If the first groups failed, they would have time to bring another group. I thing they would think in prime numbers so the aliens should arrive in another fifteen or forty years. I’m prone to think they’ll come two hundred and seventy five years after the original colonists were brought here.”
“Fifteen years from now?”
“It could be three hundred years but that would allow us to spread out too much to be eliminated by the impact.”
“What are we going to do?�
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“Continue what we’ve been doing and speed up the process. By the way, why did you ask me to come here?”
Harvey had forgotten he had called Andy and he quickly said, “I’m concerned about your daughters.”
“What about them?”
Harvey sat down beside Andy and looked out at the clearing. “They were in one of my classes last week and I turned my back on them and thought that I really hoped everyone had done their homework.”
“Go on.”
Harvey looked at Andy, “I didn’t say it; I thought it. I immediately heard Harmony say, ‘We’ve done ours, Elder.’ I looked at her and she was pulling a book out her pouch; she wasn’t looking at me.” Andy sighed. Harvey said, “You know something?”
“Melody saw it first. They do things without saying anything to each other. She pointed it out to me and I began seeing it as well. We’re of the opinion that they hear each other’s thoughts. We’ve never seen them give any indication they could hear anyone else’s.”
“What does this mean?”
“Evolution speeds up when a species is under the threat of extinction.” Harvey stared at Andy and could only shake his head. “I think it’s time Melody and I have a discussion with them about what’s happening.”
“Will you tell me what you find out?”
Andy nodded and stood up, “I’ll probably have it tomorrow after Olivia and Deuce fly out.”
“Oh, are they here?”
“She said she’s going to stop by. Harvey, that boy looks like Tyler so much it’s disconcerting.”
Harvey nodded, “He was exactly what she needed to survive his death.”
“I know. I know.” Andy walked away from the ledge and looked up at the bright sky. How much longer did he have to prepare?