The Cosmotix 2198
Page 25
“What?”
She smiled at him. “I really did sing them to death!”
Epilogue
The funeral motorcade hovered for about five minutes as the crowd finished assembling at Neil Armstrong National Cemetery in Eagle, Tranquility. Mira always loved this place; it was where her father was buried, and she had such a fascination with the Apollo 11 Landing Site Memorial and Museum. She would often go there, just on her own, to stroll through the park and feed the colorful goosefish that swam and walked the lake, and get two ice creams at Sully’s, one for her and one that she would place on her father’s grave. He used to bring her there as a kid. Besides Concordia and the mining towns that she and Roy lived in during their early years of marriage, Tranquility was her only true home. Roy would bring her and the boys there as well, and Corey loved seeing that old fashioned lunar lander sitting there with the twentieth-century American flag nearby. Pel loved playing in the crater preserve and riding in the lunar rovers.
The motorcade settled to the ground, and Roy and the boys, dressed in white, were the first out of the lead limo. Mira loved everything white; she always felt it was the cleanest, purest color. She told Roy on several occasions that if her condition ever got the best of her, she wanted a white casket and nobody wearing black. Mira didn’t want to be mourned, she only wanted to be remembered.
Out of the second car emerged Mira’s family. There was her bio-mother Luna, her mother Bonnie, her sister Clarity, and her half-brother Kern, with several children who were also dressed in their best white.
The ceremony was held in the beautiful outdoor gardens, and the overflow of people showed how significant the story of Mira Jagger-Seven had become. UE military had a formidable presence there, and an unexpected honor was bestowed upon Mira and the family as a result of the one-day war. She was officially designated the first casualty and given full military honors, to reward solsys heroes Corey and Pel Jagger-Seven for their bravery in battle. The last thing Mira could ever have imagined in life would be such an overwhelming attendance at her funeral.
Generals McCalvin and Perez were both present, and McCalvin did a reading from The Purity Sessions. President Cardigan had considered being there as well, but instead sent Secretary of Planets Elgin Warwick. Cardigan needed to prepare for the World Ceremony next week to honor all of those involved in the battle, including the Foon team. It would prove to be the event of the century.
Reena thought it best to sit with Jim, Ari, and Jon, and they took their seats about halfway back on the right-hand side. She felt being in the family row would be a distraction, but she certainly wanted to be there in support of Corey and Pel. She wore large sunglasses and a hat, and changed her hair color to a soft brown to be less visible. With all the attention being given to this most unusual story of a playroc group becoming heroes, it was hard for any of them to be discreet, particularly her. Ari was soon to receive more attention than he had ever dreamed possible.
Corey sat between Roy and Pel and was listening to the beautiful eulogy being given by aunt Clarity when the vision of Pel during battle entered his mind. He could not understand what had happened. How was it that mom not only appeared in his dream when he was out cold, but she also gave him the solution to winning the battle? Was it only a dream, or was she really communicating with him from the other side? And how is it that he saw Pel looking monstrous, pointing his finger and saying, “remember it?” What was that, some sort of macabre miracle? He was fully awake then, that was no dream. Without that vision, he probably would never have remembered the solution, the solution that saved the world. Was all this some advanced form of waving?
Roy had never wanted the family to embrace waving, but Mira did. She used to tell Corey to watch out for his brother, in heart and mind and in thought. She would say things like, “What’s Pel thinking now? What’s going on in your brother’s mind?” And the answer to “Where is Pel?” could never be “I don’t know.” She would say, “Yes, you do, just open your mind.” He had thought about it before but had never put it together. She wanted them to explore it but didn’t want to cross her husband. Now, though… this was something that needed to be studied. Corey owed it to her. They owed it to her, even dad. What was possible? How much did mom know that she felt she couldn’t share with the family?
Clarity stepped away from the podium to a light applause. Corey couldn’t resist. He closed his eyes and focused on Pel.
Pel…Pel…do you hear me?
He concentrated, shutting out the funeral, the crowd, everything. Maybe now that he was older he could focus enough to get through. Every waving they had ever experienced was random and unpredictable, and though he realized this was a strange time to start, he could not resist.
Pel, do you hear me?
Pel?
Pel looked over at his brother, who had his eyes closed and his head down. He thought...
Pel, if you hear me, make the stupid face! Corey was yelling in his mind.
Pel, if you hear me, make the stupid face!
Pel, if you hear me, MAKE THE STUPID FACE! MAKE THE STUPID FACE! MAKE THE STUPID FACE! Corey felt a tap on his leg and opened his eyes.
He turned to see his brother making the stupidest stupid face ever.