“Oh good God!” Nori realized suddenly. “You’re going to have those Crasel ruffians over here once in a while, aren’t you? They’ll be like bulls in a china shop and our furniture will suffer the consequences!”
Smiling, Adam studied his wife’s stunned expression. “We’ll call it poker night with the Crasel!”
“Sure you will.” Nori unfolded her arms and leaned down to kiss him again. “Why don’t you and Thomas go out into the neighborhood and find your children,” she suggested. “Supper will be ready in about a half hour. You can help them walk Tycho back to the house.”
“I’d like that,” he said, smiling at his brother. “Thanks again for giving him to us, by the way. I’ve always been a dog person.” Both he and Thomas stood up and paused while Adam put his jacket back on. “But hey…” he noted casually. “Based on what you’ve said in the past, I kind of thought that you would want to spend a lot more time with me now that I’m finally home. To be honest, I was hoping for the same thing. And yet now you’re just sending me out into the neighborhood after the kids, never knowing whether or not I’ll ever come walking back through that door again…”
His wife’s expression was precious. “Oh you’ll come back,” she told him. “You and Thomas and the kids will all get a nice family dinner. Then Thomas will go home, the kids will go to bed, and you and I will have… dessert.”
Something to look forward to, Adam thought silently as he and Thomas headed back outdoors. It was the most important motivator in the world, sometimes.
PROJECT WASTELAND
Pathfinder Series: Book Two
Epilogue: Looking Toward The Future
Planet Tranquility in the Proteus Galaxy…
President Dennis Kaufield was sitting on a rolling, grassy hill staring at the setting orange sun when Adam Roh found him. “What’s new Adam?” he asked curiously. His eighteen year old son, Joseph, was seated next to him and they were both busily engaged in watching the sun go down.
Adam chuckled lightly in response. “Not much,” he replied, pausing behind them. “How are you doing Joseph? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”
“Fine,” the rail thin, dusty-brown haired teen replied firmly. “I’m mostly busy with school work these days.” He smiled, and the expression looked great on his youthful, handsome face.
Studying the surrounding landscape, Adam nodded in response to the comment. “Do you two always come up here?” he wondered idly.
“Yes we do,” chuckled Kaufield. “Joe and I have a tradition of watching the sun go down. After everything we went through to get here, that sun and the free air we breathe have both become very important symbols to us.”
“Our time together helps me remember Mom,” agreed Joseph. “It’s how I honor her memory.”
“I haven’t been up here since a few days after we landed on this planet,” admitted Adam grudgingly. “Ten years ago there was so much to see and so many things to do.”
Kaufield laughed at him. “Then not much has changed.”
Sighing deeply, Adam sat down next to Joseph and began running his fingers through the thick green prairie grass. “Do you think we’ll ever decide to return to Earth?” he asked curiously.
The President of Tranquility’s ruling Council was silent for a moment before answering. “Truthfully, I don’t know,” he concluded finally. “I don’t believe anyone can predict what will happen at this point. After all, we gave up the Pathfinder to save the Wasteland, so we’re totally reliant on Noah’s people and the Proteus galaxy for the moment. They assisted us with the Kuth situation, but will be hesitant to intervene directly in our affairs.” He shrugged his shoulders helplessly. “That’s traditionally the role they play.”
“Bullshit,” growled Adam irritably. “For God’s sake, they open those Person-to-Point portals of theirs everywhere they’re needed, send armed guards through to protect and rescue unarmed civilians. They did it on Earth and then again in the Wasteland. In my book, that kind of action is the very definition of intervening directly in the affairs of others. Accepting and protecting refugees puts them over that line they claim to hold on to so adamantly.”
“I don’t want to go back to Earth,” Joseph said suddenly. It’s still devastated and saturated with radiation, and the Brotherhood of the Dragon will still be running things.”
Kaufield cocked his head idly and glanced at his son’s profile. “We have the technology and the know how to fight them now,” he pointed out.
“I don’t care,” Joseph said. “They created that cinder they live on… let them lie in the bed they made.”
Adam couldn’t help laughing at the young boy’s comment. “And they say I’m the cynical one?”
“I’m just being a realist,” countered Joseph firmly. “And that doesn’t mean I’m cynical, either. If I study hard in school and learn how to build things, I don’t want to leave a perfectly good home to try and get back the damaged old one. Where we live is not that important. Perhaps someday we might be able to visit, if we were able to negotiate diplomatically with the Brotherhood.” He glanced sharply at Adam. “But I don’t think they’re the types who will ever be able to control their egos or blind ambition. They deserve the home they made.”
For a moment, the three of them sat there, enjoying the bird song and the chill evening breeze.
“The last time I was here, you asked me if I believed in Intelligent Design,” Adam pointed out. “Do you remember that conversation, Mr. President?” He smiled mischievously. “I do.”
“Vaguely,” Kaufield admitted. “Considering everything that’s happened since, I’m afraid the details of your answer have escaped me.”
Adam grinned briefly at the response before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the antique silver watch that David had given to him as a gift. “What I said then doesn’t much matter any longer,” he decided, showing the object to Joseph. “For the record, I do believe in Intelligent Design these days.” He watched the young man study the watch closely, examining it curiously. “I went into the Wasteland to find out, you see,” he continued, noticing Kaufield also glance toward David’s watch. “And this time, I brought back proof.”
Together the three of them breathed in the flower-scented fresh evening air and continued to watch the sun set.
Project Earth
Pathfinder Series: Book Three
A Novel By:
Todd M. Stockert
Text Copyright © 9/2014 by Todd M. Stockert
All Rights Reserved
Book Three – Project Earth
PROJECT EARTH
Pathfinder Series: Book Three
Prologue: The Beginning Of The End
Planet Earth, near Qumran, approximately A.D. 27
Jesus of Nazareth continued walking slowly toward the south, taking his time to study the terrain as it grew less and less fertile with each passing mile. Rocky outcroppings were significantly more pronounced now, protruding through the dirty brown soil that was quickly thinning in favor of the golden desert sands. Occasional gusts of hot wind blew across his sweaty brow, and he reached up and stroked his bearded chin thoughtfully as he continued purposefully walking straight into the heart of the Judaean wilderness. The western shore of the mighty Jordan was far behind him now, as was John the Baptist.
It had surprised him, initially, when John so publically and boldly stepped forward to declare him to be the promised Messiah, the next King of the Jews. John had even professed to be unworthy of unlacing Jesus’ sandals. In the end, though, John had finally consented to Jesus’ request for a Baptism and plunged him deep into the mighty Jordan’s waters. Normally very critical of the many ‘sinners’ who regularly visited him, John continued to reap adulation upon Jesus, stirring up the gathered crowd until the latter had smiled softly and turned to continue on his way. Behind him, more and more people from the crowd surged into the line of sinners awaiting the Baptist’s services, more eager than ever to take their turn.
Things were all falling into place for Jesus these days. The only real remaining obstacle to clear was to win the battle between his instinct for self-preservation and his resolve. This would take some doing, which was why his current destination was the desert. He needed to challenge himself, to push his body and mind far beyond the normal limits of human endurance in order to properly prepare himself for what would come next. The Roman Empire was powerful and its leaders cruel beyond imagination, seemingly impossible to oppose. Those who managed to gather up their courage long enough to stand up against the slavery, the oppression and the tyranny were usually prepared for failure, followed by a slow and brutal death. And yet, the man from Nazareth thought silently to himself, and yet even the smallest crack in a dam holds the potential to release all of the water that would normally be so easily contained.
Jesus’ self-assigned task was to discover a way to create such a crack, something that would resonate across the known world, something that would bring an inner peace to mankind for generations to come. Peacefully he pondered the matter carefully while striding almost eagerly even farther into the desert, pausing only to take a quick sip from a leather flask that he carried within the folds of his light tan robe. Soon it would be hard to find even traces of drinkable water. It was currently the heart of summer after all, a time when the precious few water sources in the desert were toughest to locate. He would need to find at least something usable, otherwise the lack of hydration, combined with prolonged fasting, would make survival impossible.
He pushed the matter of water aside momentarily, allowing his thoughts to drift back to the more immediate task at hand. The most powerful weapon possessed by the Romans and Herod’s governing religious hierarchy was the unending fear of punishment. Rebels and dissenters weren’t simply killed off by the Emperor’s soldiers, but instead were subjected to lengthy periods of torture and imprisonment followed by the certainty of a slow, painful death. Many torture sessions and executions were held publically, to demonstrate that any and all opposition to the established authoritarian structure would be met with swift retaliation. The bodies of those put to death were often left on display for weeks, so that the rest of the Jewish people could see the rotting, diseased carcasses for themselves.
Inhaling the fresh afternoon air deeply, Jesus paused to study the world around him, painted in sunlight. The blue sky overhead was almost completely clear – only a few tiny wisps of cloud cover were visible near the distant horizon. Life could often be easy and peaceful and enjoyable, but only for the very rich, privileged and powerful. Everyone else labored long and hard, forced to pay enormous taxes to the Temple leaders and to Caesar. In the end, most everyone he knew was struggling on a daily basis simply to provide for their families. And yet time and time again, even the smallest opposition to those who ruled over Judaea was met with severe and painful punishment.
How does one man destroy that kind of power? How can one man overcome huge armies of obedient, blood thirsty soldiers?
Deep down in his subconscious, the beginning of an answer was already partially formed. He strongly suspected what would be needed, and also what was eventually going to happen to him. Obviously no one could ever hope to stand against that kind of tyranny without consequences. And yet, if one was willing to do so and suffer the penalty, he truly believed that a lasting, positive result could be achieved. All that was required of him was to find that crack in the dam of the Roman Empire. He needed to take their power of fear and punishment away from them and return it to the people. In the process, he also wanted to guarantee that all of them knew in their hearts that they would never again be alone.
Continuing to think the matter over carefully, Jesus of Nazareth continued his leisurely stroll toward the south. There, powerful challenges that no other man would ever face awaited him.
Israel in the Time of Christ
PROJECT EARTH
Pathfinder Series: Book Three
Chapter I: Gifts From The Future
Planet Tranquility, in the Proteus Galaxy…
(Fifteen years after the Pathfinder Project)
Adam Roh hurriedly made his way up the sidewalk toward the small, yellow-painted cottage that served as his brother’s home. His brother’s children would be over at his house by now, he mused silently. Not surprisingly, he met his sister-in-law, Kari Roh, as she was exiting through the front door. Her arms were wrapped around a laptop case and a bundle of technical manuals and she clutched them tightly to her chest while flashing him a small, mischievous smile. Pausing next to her and standing nearly a foot taller, he glanced down toward the slender, attractive brunette with a raised eyebrow. “What is going on with Thomas these days?” he inquired politely, refusing to react visibly to her obvious amusement. Often times, she was known to try and bait him just like his brother. “I haven’t seen him in a while, and his call sounded urgent.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Kari chuckled while continuing to smile through a lovely sprinkle of freckles. “He’s been experimenting with something, but he won’t tell me specifically what yet,” she replied sincerely. Although she had aged along with the rest of them since their initial voyage out of the Milky Way, she was still a very beautiful woman with a mind nearly as intelligent and sharp as Thomas’ own. Kari was an astronomer by profession, one of Earth’s best and originally hand-selected for the original Pathfinder project that had unexpectedly saved them from a devastating planetary war. “I have to get to the Science Lab before 2700. Dr. Markham is waiting to look through the latest data files that I crunched for her.” She glanced briefly back toward the small home. “He’s waiting for you inside.”
Adam’s mind briefly centered on her ‘2700’ time reference as he watched her go, waving casually in response. After living on Tranquility – a planet in a galaxy so very far from Earth’s own – for more than fifteen years now, it always seemed at first glance that all of the changes should be comfortably ‘old hat’ by now. But he still found their imperfect redefinition of the daily clock a puzzling enigma that remained, for the most part, unresolved.
Tranquility’s solar day was thirty-one hours, seven more than the standard back on Earth. Thus Kari was hurrying to reach the nearby research facility and its massive Science Lab prior to the 27th hour of the current day. For a month or two after first arriving the Earth refugees tried to cut the day in half, with 15 hours and 30 minutes serving as the new ‘noon’. That had proven to be an unwieldy, complicated solution to the new day length, so everyone finally agreed to just keep count of the hours. Their revised clock struck zeroes at midnight and from there they just continued to add hours and minutes until they reached 30:59.
Compared to the multitude of problems they had confronted during the process of relocating more than a billion refugees from Earth, it would seem at first glance that this would be a very minor thing. And yet the matter still bothered Adam once in a while – serving as a subtle, daily reminder of just how many things had changed in their lives. Most of the folks he met and visited with barely remembered that there had once been an a.m. and a p.m. Once another fifteen years or so passed, the concept might even be relegated totally to their historical archives. Such a simple concept, its origins based in Latin, like most other things from Earth. And it was already almost forgotten.
Ante meridiem, he thought silently to himself as he stepped up to the porch to his brother’s house and knocked loudly on the front door. Before midday. Post meridiem… after midday. Such a very simple thing, and yet it bothered him that it was so easily passing into history.
Everything about Earth seemed to be.
“Come in!” he heard from somewhere deep within the house’s interior, his brother’s response to his persistent knocking. “The door should be open!”
Eager to discover what his notorious younger brother was up to, Adam eased the door open and walked into a small, brightly-colored living room. The carpet was simple, mostly white with splotches of dark brown, black and a caramel color here
or there – something that immediately struck him as a good idea. Stains wouldn’t show up easily on a floor like that, and when you had kids it seemed like there were always spots to clean. His wife, Noriana Roh, constantly urged him to clean them as soon as she discovered them. It seemed sometimes as though she had radar built into her head that could detect them as soon as they appeared. In fact, these days he spent far too much of his time in the pursuit of eliminating them.
The furniture in Thomas’ home was stained a deep chestnut brown and appeared simple but decorative. As people settled into their new roles on this planet so many light years away from their former home, their confidence was slowly returning along with the pride they took in doing their work well. Woodworking, in particular, was fast becoming a popular pastime. New cities and smaller towns were sprouting up all over this, the largest most populated continent, and Adam expected the mass migration of people from other parts of the planet to continue. Many people of other ethnicities had initially chosen to live elsewhere since the planet held no shortage of workable land, but it was quickly becoming clear that President Dennis Kaufield and his advisory Council were the best leaders around. No one brought new cities and communities to life as fast as they did, and an entirely new economy had sprung into being almost overnight. It was a wonder to behold, seemingly miraculous after a mere fifteen years away from Earth.
“Where are you?” growled Adam somewhat irritably. He was a notorious, unapologetic grouch and – fortunately for both him and his family – everyone was used to it and considered his moodiness as part of his ‘charm’. Still, it bothered him that his brother hadn’t bothered to come out and greet him at the door.
The Pathfinder Trilogy Page 83