by Sandy Nathan
She spun and headed for the group with a stride straight from boot camp. The others pulled away.
“Well, Veronica? Do you need our help unloading boxes?” Henry smiled at her.
“This was a military operation, Henry, not a bunch of kids going camping,” she spit the words at him, voice full of scorn. “Do you think we packed things in cardboard boxes?”
She opened the container’s outer doors. Metallic cabinets reached from ceiling to floor. The only free space was the narrow aisle down the middle and a four-foot space in the container’s front and rear.
“We packed both units ‘last in, first out,’ so that what we needed the most when we got out would be the first thing we got to.” Waving at the cabinet of medical supplies to the left of the door, she said, “Those are just the basics. We have more supplies and a surgical theater stored farther in. Unfortunately, the doctors are dead.” She repressed the urge to laugh.
Veronica opened a recessed cabinet on the container’s right side and pulled out a thick binder. “This is the printed manifest. It’s printed on fireproof plastic—virtually indestructible. The printout can’t be corrupted or become obsolete. But I’m going to bet that the electronic version is good.” She pulled a tablet computer with a metallic cover from the niche.
“There’s a track on the ceiling and the floor. The storage units move around the track electronically. We can also muscle them, if the power’s dead. They’re all labeled,” a wave at the writing down the front of the big chests, “in Russian, of course. Anybody read Russian beside me?” She looked at them haughtily.
“I’m fluent in Russian,” Mel said sharply. “The rest of us can speak some.”
“Good. You’ll need it. Jeremy? Is Jeremy here?”
He jogged up. “I’m here, Mom. Ellie’s not feeling well. I’m not going to stay long.”
“What do we need most, Jeremy?”
“Solar panels. Almost all the computers are out of juice. If we don’t get them recharged, we’re screwed. Then I’d say some way of getting off this cliff.”
“OK.” Veronica powered up the tablet computer, checking its readings. “Bingo. Solar panels are in the second container on the right. Jeremy, you’ll have to move all the computers.”
“It’s like a drycleaner,” Henry said, looking at the track on the ceiling.
“Yes, exactly like a drycleaner’s overhead track for storing and delivering garments. Except that our track packs a payload that our lives depend upon.”
Jeremy and the others carefully moved the computers out of the way.
She pointed the electronic tablet at a control on the wall. A light went on. She pushed a button. The hanging containers jerked, then settled into place. She tried it again. They didn’t move.
“Dead. We’ll have to muscle the units around so we can get at the solar panels. Just grab the outside edge and pull. I’m going to see if I can find some ladders.” She concentrated on the manifest while the others grabbed the first unit and tried to drag it along the tracks.
“Let me try,” Sam said. She glanced at him and then looked back at the monitor. When she looked up, he had the first hanging box moving around the track, heading to the other side of the container. He pulled the second box forward.
“Yes, there they are,” Veronica indicated the Russian script on the front of the box. “Solar panels. The box opens like this. Here they are: enough panels to power a community of eight. Now we have to set them up and get them going.”
Jeremy ran to the storage container that held the weapons and opened it. He’d wanted to do what he was doing since the unit had arrived. He was sick of feeling scared of the Bigs and looking at the others’ frightened faces. Jeremy returned, carrying an automatic rifle.
“OK, you guys. This is how we’ll handle the Bigs.” Pointing the gun at a tree by the river, Jeremy opened fire. The top of the tree cracked and toppled.
“Give that to me, Jeremy.” Veronica snatched the gun, looking like she’d like to slap him. “You don’t treat firearms like that. Or trees. You should see the camps, Jeremy, and what that monster did. You would never get excited about a gun.”
With that, she whirled, took the rifle out of automatic and fired three shots. The entire tree fell. “We have enough firepower to blow ourselves to eternity. Let’s just unload the crate, OK? We can go through the manifest and see what would make our lives better right now. There’s coffee, spices, and foodstuffs. Lots of things.”
They began to work furiously, Veronica searching the manifest and the others helping Sam move the containers along the tracks and open them.
“Here it is—what I was looking for.” Veronica exclaimed, holding up the monitor. “The ladders! They’re in the sixth box back. There should be a couple hundred feet of chain ladders and I don’t know how much chain. All we have to do is figure out some way of anchoring them, and we’ll be able to go up and down and to the river. Could everyone keep your eyes out for a wooden box? It’s about this big,” she indicated its size. “There’s a book in it with roses on the cover that I especially want.”
Veronica was going through the foodstuffs when Jeremy ran to her, anguish on his face.
“Mom, it’s Ellie. She looks like she’s dying.”
17
Veronica and Jeremy ran to one of the old adobes, followed by the rest of the community. Ellie lay on one of the pads, hands drawn to her chest, convulsing.
“Oh, no,” Jeremy cried.
“Was she bitten by anything? A scorpion? A snake?”
He shook his head. “Oh, Ellie, don’t die.” Jeremy put his arms around her and spoke to his mother. “She was sick to her stomach last night. She said she was OK today and wanted to rest, but when I came back, she was really sick.”
“Henry, can you get my medical bag? It’s in the container.”
Jeremy huddled next to his mother and whispered. “I think she’s pregnant again, Mom. On her planet, they gave her special stuff when she was pregnant, but they didn’t send any with her.”
“What do you mean, they didn’t send any?”
“They didn’t send anything with them on the pile of junk. She ate some of the army food last night. It made her sick. But we don’t have anything else for her to eat.”
“They sent her here without medicine or food?” Veronica stared at Ellie’s little hooves. “She’s a different species than you. There must be complications when your blood factors come in contact, like the Rh factor in people.”
“They did tests on us when we first got there. That’s when Ellie got the medicine.”
“And they sent you here with nothing?”
“Yeah.”
“Goddamit! I don’t have anything in my medical supplies that can help her. Jeremy, get that satellite up now. I need to talk to your in-laws again.” As he dashed out, Ellie became waxen and unmoving. “Jeremy! Something’s happened to her.”
He came back and looked at her. “She does that when she’s really scared, Mom. Like a possum. She’ll come out of it.”
“OK. Go. Contact the golden world.” Veronica began looking under Ellie’s clothes. She turned to the others. “Can you let me look at her privately? I want to be sure that she wasn’t bitten by something.”
The others left, but Sam stayed.
“I can heal, lady. I have the Power.”
“You can heal her?”
“Maybe.”
Veronica spread Ellie’s legs and looked between them. There was only one opening. For conceiving and bearing children, she assumed. How did she go to the bathroom? Or did that opening work for all functions? Rage erupted inside Veronica. “She bore thousands of babies for them and they sent her off to die?”
“Lady, let me try.” Sam looked at Ellie. His expression said that he saw an emergency that Veronica couldn’t.
“Yes, certainly.”
He lay down next to her and wrapped her in his arms. He whispered in her ear, words Veronica couldn’t understand but she recogniz
ed as the cadence of the village’s old speech. She could see that whatever he was doing was helping; Ellie relaxed and brightened a bit.
“Mom, I’m ready to transmit.”
“Stay with her and Sam, Jeremy. Sam’s helping her.” Veronica ran to the storage container. Jeremy had it brightly lit inside. She sat at the computer and began.
“Elders of Ellie’s planet: Ellie is dying. You sent her here knowing that she would die.” Veronica was so angry that she set the broadcast on a broad band, so that her signal went all over the universe. She did make sure, however, that the Russian satellites were excluded. She was angry, not stupid. “I want a doctor now. I want him to bring whatever he needs to make her well and keep her well the rest of her time on Earth.
“WHAT ARE YOU? YOU FEEL SUPERIOR TO US, YET YOU DO THINGS THAT THE WORST PERSON ON EARTH WOULDN’T DO.”
“I have a few other things to say. I was appalled by the way you sent my friends home. On a floating garbage pile? You were saying that we are garbage, right? This wasn’t an intergalactic communication snafu where you were trying to say, ‘We come in peace and bring gifts?’
“How dare you treat my people like that? You got what you wanted from my son and his wife and my friends. Have you no gratitude?
“My son is a nicer person than I am in many ways. He said you sent all that junk as a gift, because you knew he’d make unbelievable things out of it.
“Well, if that were so, you should have giftwrapped it. Or sent a note.
“I want that doctor now.
“Oh, the last time we chatted, I told you that I was broadcasting just to you. Not this time. The whole universe can hear this.” She raised her voice and spoke into the mike.
From over by the ancient dwellings, Jeremy shouted, “They’re here, Mom. Three doctors.”
“Thank you very much. I can’t help but notice that the doctors didn’t come until you knew all the galaxies could hear me.
“Thank you for your assistance.
“This is Veronica Edgarton.”
Sam stood pressed against the adobe wall of the hut, staring at three tall golden visitors. They stood by Ellie, apparently talking to each other silently. Jeremy knelt by her side, holding her hand.
“Hello, I’m Veronica Edgarton.” She walked into the hut, extending her hand to the tallest. “I’m glad to meet you at last.”
The golden creatures pulled away. They were nine or ten feet high, with long arms and legs. Huge eyes and slender bodies, which were slightly see-through and very luminous. They were naked and had no physical signs of any gender.
“In my country, it’s customary to shake hands when greeting a friend or potential friend,” she said. “Though of course, you may have other customs.”
The tallest extended his hand and lightly touched Veronica’s.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she said, wanting to wipe her hand. It was like touching warm fish. “All right. What’s the problem with Eliana?”
They looked at each other.
“We need her healed and able to live on Earth for the rest of her life. And we need whatever special food or medicine she requires.” She withdrew and stood next to Sam, who was shaking.
One put his hands on Ellie’s temples, another held her feet. The tallest had his hands between her legs, palpating her inside. He pulled out something that looked like a deflated seedpod, ruined and dead. He lay it on the pad and put his hand over it. The pod disappeared.
“Oh, no,” Veronica exclaimed. “She lost her baby.”
The tall one looked at her. It was a piercing look, but understanding. He turned his back to her and began doing something to Ellie that she couldn’t see. His body blocked her view. Whatever it was didn’t take very long.
He stepped away from Ellie, who lay peacefully in her bed. The three of them stood with their hands over her, humming. Veronica felt at bit dizzy. The sound of the monks chanting at Shri Rinpoche’s monastery was the only thing she could compare to the aliens’ song.
She lost awareness for a moment, but when she returned, the tall alien stood in front of her. The others had gone. He was saying something to her, silently. He was telling her that they had made Ellie well and that she should remain healthy. She should be a vegetarian, but if there was no other food, she could eat—and the concept cost him something to articulate, she could tell—flesh for a short time. He pointed in the corner. Sacks of food for her were stacked there, along with seeds so they could grow more.
He looked at Veronica, imparting an apology and a warning. The apology came from him, and was why he’d stayed to communicate with her. He was sorry for what had happened to Ellie and the way things had been handled. The warning came from the other elders. She was not to talk to them in that way again. She was not to call again. He started to fade.
“No!” Veronica called out. His fading stopped. “I will do whatever I must to help my people. And I will tell my truth. I have seen great evil done when people—and your people, too—hide the truth. If peace is to prevail, we must speak the truth.”
She held out her hand again, and this time he took it. Her hand wrapped around a translucent glow. He had a body and substance. “I hope we can be friends, and I thank you with all my heart.” She felt more than saw a flicker of a smile and then he disappeared. “Wait. What is your name?” But he was gone.
She turned to her son. “Is she OK, Jeremy?”
“She looks fine, Mom.” He knelt next to Ellie, holding her hand. She looked at him with brimming eyes.
“I’ll give you two some privacy.” Veronica backed through the doorway.
“What’s the matter, Ellie?” Jeremy said, lying down next to her. His wife’s rigid body said that something was terribly wrong. “What happened?”
“Oh, Jeremy. Is bad. Doctor.”
“Did he do something to you?” Jeremy grabbed her shoulder.
“He make me better. But one thing he no can make better.”
“What, baby?” He stroked her shoulder and arm. “What is it?”
“He say I no have more babies.” The tears rolled over her lower lids and down her cheeks.
“Why? What happened?”
“I have too many babies. Hurt body. Is why I get sick. Is why baby die.” She rubbed her tummy. “We never have baby.” Her stifled sobs ripped through Jeremy. “Never baby for us.” He clutched her.
“Those bastards. They did that to you.” Jeremy wanted to scream at the goldies, but his anger ricocheted through Ellie. She cried harder, trembling. He stroked her. “Baby. Calm down. We’ve got each other. We’ll be OK. We don’t have to have kids.”
She looked at him, catching him in his lie. “I want babies. You want babies. Is not OK.”
He caressed her and whispered. “I love you, Ellie. I love you more than anything. When I was down here by myself, I thought I’d go crazy. I’ll die without you. Please, please don’t cry. I can’t stand it.” His chest heaved. “Please, baby. Just don’t cry.”
He had to keep quiet. Their house didn’t have a ceiling or doors; everyone could hear. He choked down his grief. “We’ll be OK, you’ll see. We’ll do something.” He cast around for any solution. “We can adopt!”
“What adopt?”
“It’s what your people did with our babies. It’s when you take someone else’s child and raise it as your own.”
“No babies here.”
He hadn’t thought of that. There weren’t any babies needing parents. Except … “Sam said he has babies.”
Ellie pushed up on one elbow and gazed at him. Tears glistened on her cheeks, but she looked hopeful.
“We can adopt one of Sam’s babies. Or a bunch of them, if you want. It will be all right, baby,” Jeremy’s face showed how much he adored her. “Don’t cry, Ellie. Let me hold you. I’ll make it better.”
He cupped her body with his and stroked her, kissing her face and neck, running his hands over her thighs and hips. “I love you, Ellie. I don’t care about anything but
you. I’ll do anything to make you happy.” He kissed her more deeply, his hands becoming insistent. “I love touching you, Ellie. Let’s love each other.”
But they didn’t. Both of them realized that Ellie needed to heal, in her body and her soul. And they realized that the goldies hadn’t forced them to produce so many babies. They had a part in what happened. Jeremy choked up, trying to hide his face from her. She knew exactly what he was thinking.
“No cry, Jeremy. I like it,” she said, petting his head. “You like it. So we do it lots. Make lots babies.” The corners of her mouth turned down. “Not know hurt me.” Her hand rubbed her abdomen.
“Oh, sweetie. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so …”
“Not just you, Jeremy. Me, too. No fault.” She put her arms around his neck. “I love you, Jeremy. Love you like crazy.”
Jeremy whispered, “I love you. Nothing matters if we’re together.”
“We together, Jeremy. Together all time.” The ghost of a smile brushed her lips. “And we adopt Sam’s babies.”
When Veronica turned to leave Jeremy and Ellie’s adobe, Sam was right in front of her. The cave was dark. Voices of the others bedding down murmured from various corners.
“Oh, Sam, I was so afraid.” She fell into his arms, leaning against him, wrapping her arms around him. His embrace was like none she’d known. Powerful, comforting, loving. He was so big. She let herself fall into him. She never wanted to leave his arms.
She heard Jeremy talking to Ellie behind her and remembered Sam’s age. She pushed herself away, looking up into his face. “I’m sorry, Sam, I didn’t mean …” She mumbled a bit more. “I’ll see you tomorrow, dear.”
In her little cubbyhole, she tossed and turned. I’m an immoral woman, she thought. She needed to get control of herself. She thrashed about, lost in the falling sensation she’d had in his arms. “That’s absolutely wrong. He’s the same age as your son.”
Sleep eluded her. She tried to repeat her mantra, but it wouldn’t stick. All she could concentrate on was Shri Rinpoche’s face. Help me, please help me, she prayed.