MARS: Renaissance

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MARS: Renaissance Page 20

by Matthew Ellis


  The driver came to the step and rang the doorbell. Scott answered the door in his best business suit. He wanted to make it appear that he was running a business, and not stockpiling supplies for a new society.

  The driver said, “I’m here to pick up your shipment.”

  Scott replied, “Good, the stuff is starting to pile up again. Hope you brought an empty truck.”

  The driver replied, “Always. We know that you’re not messing around when you call us for a pick up.”

  Scott said, “It’s all here in the living room and kitchen. I think I got everything out of the other rooms.”

  The driver said, “Alright, I’ll get started.”

  The driver spent the next six hours loading his truck with the boxes in Scott’s house. Some weeks it took longer, but never longer than nine hours. This particular load was very heavy, but all in neat boxes. Other weeks, the loads were loose, bulky things, many of which fell to the sides when lifted. The drivers weren’t happy those weeks. Once the boxes were loaded into the truck, the driver went back into the house to have Scott sign the delivery log.

  The driver asked, “Is that everything?”

  Scott replied, “Sure is. It’s not too big this week. I’ll try to keep you busy all day next week.”

  The driver laughed and said, “I think you keep me plenty busy. I just need you to sign here.”

  The driver presented Scott with the digital delivery log. Scott signed it and handed it back to the driver.

  Scott said, “Thanks for helping me out with that. I guess I’ll see you next week.”

  The driver said, “I’ll be here like clockwork. You’re my favorite destination. It is never a boring day when you’re on my route.”

  Scott said, “Well, I’m glad my business makes someone happy.”

  The driver walked out the door and returned to his truck. Scott closed the door to the house, and waited for the driver to leave. Once the driver was clear, Scott called Scout.

  Scott asked, “Can you hear me out in space?”

  Scout replied, “You’re as clear as crystal. The satellite link between Mars and Earth makes for perfect phone calls. I just wish radio and TV signals were as clear. Space is so boring.”

  Scott said, “You’re not making me want to go.”

  Scout said, “I’m just telling you what’s real. I only tell the truth, and sometimes the truth is not very pretty.”

  Scott said, “I know, and that’s why I’m checking in with you.”

  Scout asked, “Is something wrong back on Earth?”

  Scott replied, “The shipping company is on to us. They are starting to get suspicious about the hangar becoming so full without anything moving. They think that we’re stockpiling items.”

  Scout said, “That’s not good. We need to figure out some way to throw them off of our trail before they go to the authorities.”

  Scott said, “We really need to do something before General Rich gets wind of our stockpile. He could do some very serious damage.”

  Scout said, “I’m surprised that he hasn’t messed with our supplies already. That’s the quickest way to hurt us.”

  Scott said, “Don’t say that too loudly. He might get ideas.”

  Scout said, “He’s too bound by protocol to openly mess with our stuff. Even the military isn’t allowed to steal and destroy property without just cause. Fortunately, he doesn’t know what’s inside that hangar.”

  Scott asked, “So how do we keep it that way?”

  Scout replied, “We should have a secondary storage facility where we can dump things. That way the hangar doesn’t get too filled. Set up a pick-up with a different delivery company to move the supplies to a storage facility.”

  Scott asked, “Where do you want the secondary storage place to be?”

  Scout replied, “Somewhere close to the hangar, but far enough away to not rouse suspicions. I would prefer for you to put them in a big city where it would not be uncommon to have a stuffed storage locker.”

  Scott said, “So you think I should put the supplies in a storage facility in Albuquerque?”

  Scout said, “That would be a good choice, but so would El Paso or Las Cruces. Even Lubbock and Tucson aren’t terrible choices.”

  Scott said, “Alright, then. I’ll talk to you in a few days to give you an update on our progress.”

  Scout asked, “How is the progress of the rest of the team? “

  Scott said, “We’re doing well. The dues are still rolling in, and we’re still recruiting new members every day. The colony has about 150 people so far. How’s the progress of the robot team coming?”

  Scout said, “The robots are chugging right along. The planet now has a thicker atmosphere, and the colony is taking shape. The biodome’s nearly built, and so are the housing units for the team. All of the roads are in place, and it has a viable traffic control system; all we have to do is activate it.”

  Scott asked, “So we’ll have a recognizable city when we arrive?”

  Scout said, “I wouldn’t go that far, but it won’t take a great deal of adjustment to get used to our new home once we arrive.”

  Scott said, “Then we’ll begin the ultimate perfect society.”

  Scout said, “No society will ever be perfect so long as humans are in charge of it. We’re flawed creatures, and can only come up with flawed solutions. Hopefully, though, we can fix some of those flaws.”

  Scott said, “It’ll be better than what we have here on Earth, though. Not much is worse than the misery of this place.”

  Scout said, “I like to think that my idea is superior to the system of money that the ancients imposed on us.”

  Scott said, “I can hardly wait to join you up there. How much longer until the first colony ship can leave?”

  Scout replied, “Well, it’ll take about two years to terraform the planet, and that’ll be done with the three supply ships that you’re sending us. Then, it’ll take about three to four months to get the ship back to Earth. So, we should be ready to receive you in about three years.”

  Scott said, “Too bad I didn’t volunteer to terraform. Fear kept me here on Earth.”

  Scout said, “If you had volunteered, I would’ve needed someone else to coordinate things back on Earth. I’m glad you stayed. You’re kind of like my governor in a faraway province. Right now, you are the most powerful member of the colony still on Earth.”

  Scott said, “I hadn’t thought about it like that. That’s some consolation. I still want to get to the colony on Mars, though. The challenge far outweighs the power.”

  Scout said, “I’m glad to hear that. I need everyone to be on the same page here, and being power hungry is not part of the overall game plan.”

  Scott said, “I just really want the new society to take shape. Humankind needs an option to the accepted wisdom of the Earth.”

  Scout said, “Good, now I need to get back to work. We have a few people who need extra supervision up here. Space can be brutal on a fragile mind.”

  Scott said, “That’s cool. I’ll let you go so that we can both get back to work. I have some things to attend to here as well.”

  Scout and Scott both ended the call and returned to work. Scout had to deal with Leona’s daily reports of the crewmembers that were beginning to crack under pressure. Scott had to find the best sales on the supplies that the colony would need. He spent a lot of time researching for his shopping trips. He looked for coupons and sales whenever possible, and for auctions when necessary. He spent the next month arranging for the hangar to be emptied into a storage locker and gathering more supplies that the colony would need once the colonists arrived.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  John

  John Johnson took Leona’s advice. He secretly had a crush on Becky Garcia since he laid eyes on her. He asked Scout to temporarily reassign him to the same work area as Becky.

  Scout asked, “Why do you want to work with her?”

  John replied, “I sort
of want to ask her out, but I need to feel her out first.”

  Scout said, “Oh, so you want to see if she’s interested in you before you put yourself out there.”

  John said, “Something like that.”

  Scout said, “Alright, she’s assigned to the maintenance crew. You need to find your own replacement on the weapons team, though.”

  John replied, “Will do, sir.”

  John left the bridge and began his search for a replacement on the weapons team. He asked his sister, but she was already assigned to weapons. Then he asked Jack White. Jack had been assigned to ship patrols, so he was not as essential as Jane was.

  John asked, “Hey, Jack, do you think you can do me a favor?”

  Jack replied, “It depends entirely on what the favor is.”

  John said, “I need to change jobs for a while. Can you cover me?”

  Jack replied, “For how long?”

  John said, “For a couple days. I need to deal with some personal issues with another crewmember.”

  Jack asked, “Is this person female?”

  John said, “I don’t want to say. I just need to deal with some personal issues in my life.”

  Jack said, “Then it is a woman. No one keeps stuff secret and turns red like you just did.”

  John’s face had turned beet red while he talked to Jack. Jack’s comment further embarrassed John and his face turned an even darker shade of red as the blood rushed to his cheeks.

  John said, “Just tell me if you’ll do it or not. This is uncomfortable as it is.”

  Jack said, “Yeah, I’ll cover you for a couple days. Go get yourself a girlfriend.”

  John said, “Thank you,” and walked away as quickly as he could.

  The next day, John reported to the daily briefing as usual. Assignments were given, and Becky was surprised to have been assigned to work with John. She had always seen John, and thought he was very cute. She privately fantasized that John would talk to her, but he never did. He had not even talked to her about the mission, so she assumed that he wasn’t interested in her.

  When Scout read the assignments, John’s heart leapt and then immediately sank. He had his opportunity, but he also had an intense fear of talking to a gorgeous woman. He always had a crush on her, but he thought that she was way too beautiful to be interested in him. He had always avoided interaction with her because he didn’t want to embarrass himself around her. Now he had to talk to her in order to do his work. He hoped he had the nerve to talk to her about more than just the mundane droning of work, and discuss romantic possibilities.

  As they walked to their first assignment, they went over their checklist. They were going to refresh the restrooms, which was a very important task. If they weren’t cleaned daily, the ship would reek of urine and feces. No one would put up with that for very long.

  John said, “Okay, let’s make sure we have everything we need.”

  Becky said, “Alright. First, we need paper.”

  John said, “We have six rolls here. Check.”

  Becky said, “Next, we need an LED light bulb to replace the burned one in stall 3.”

  John said, “Right here. Tested and working. Check.”

  Becky said, “We need trash bins to remove the trash and burn it for fuel.”

  John said, “Check, got them right here.”

  Becky said, “After that, we need to replace the soap in the dispensers.”

  John said, “I’ve got three refills right here.”

  Becky said, “We don’t go through that too fast, so one probably would’ve been enough.”

  John asked, “So we wait until the container is empty to replace it?”

  Becky said, “No, we pour partial containers into one to make it full. Then, we take the empty back for recycling. Then we put a new container in the dispenser.”

  John said, “Okay that works.”

  Becky said, “Let’s get to it.”

  They walked to the first restroom and started working. John dismounted all of the soap containers and began to pour the partial containers into one full container. Becky, meanwhile, worked on changing the trashcans. After that, she began to clean the commodes. John moved on to the light bulb. He got a ladder got into position to replace the bulb.

  At that moment, Becky asked, “Why did you ask to be assigned to work with me?”

  John replied, “What makes you think I asked?”

  Becky said, “Because I talk to Scout every day to discuss my issues.”

  John said, “Oh, then you probably know more than the rest of the crew about what’s going on.”

  Becky said, “No, I just know about me. He just told me that you had asked to work with me, but he wouldn’t tell me why.”

  John said, “Well, then I guess this is as good a time as any.”

  John came down from the ladder and faced Becky. Becky stood and took her gloves off while she waited for John to answer her question.

  Becky sarcastically said, “Okay, as good a time as any for what?”

  John replied, “I asked for this assignment for personal reasons.”

  Becky said, “Do you have an issue you need to resolve with me?”

  John said, “Sort of, but not a bad issue. It’s kind of difficult for me to say why I want to work with you.”

  Becky said, “We’re both adults; get on with it.”

  John said, “Well, I sort of have a crush on you, and I was hoping that I could ask you to go on a date with me.”

  Becky said, “Really, I thought you were so cute from the first time I saw you. I figured that you wanted nothing to do with me because you always ignored me.”

  John said, “You misread me. I wasn’t ignoring you. I was avoiding you because I didn’t want to make a fool of myself by trying and failing to talk to you. I always thought that you were too beautiful to be interested in a mess like me.”

  Becky said, “You aren’t a mess. I would love to go out with you. That is if we can find an ‘out’ on this ship."

  John said, “We could arrange a private date in the galley. I know that Shai does it for Scout and Kathy all the time.”

  Becky said, “That sounds wonderful. We have a date. You could’ve just asked me instead of requesting to work with me.”

  John said, “I know, but I wanted to get to know you too. I figured that the best way to get to know who you really are is to work with you directly.”

  Becky said, “Okay, let’s get back to work.”

  They continued with the daily operations of the ship’s maintenance. They finished the bathrooms soon after their conversation. Then they moved on to the floors and continued throughout the day with the rest of their duties.

  When the workday was over, John went to talk to Shai. He wanted to arrange a private dinner with Becky.

  He said, “Hi, Shai, can I talk to you?”

  She replied, “Sure, John. What can I do for you? Do you have a special diet request?”

  John said, “No, just need to arrange a private dinner. Can you do that?”

  Shai replied, “Just for you? I usually only do that for couples.”

  John said, “Actually, it’s for me and Becky Garcia.”

  Shai asked, “Is she dating you?”

  John replied, “She just agreed to go on a date with me. I never realized that she had a crush on me just like I had a crush on her. All I ever had to do was ask.”

  Shai said, “That’s all anyone ever can do at the beginning. The worst she could have said was ‘no.’”

  John said, “No, the worst she could have done was say ‘no’ and then tell everyone about it. Then she could have mocked me for being so foolish as to think that a beautiful creature such as her could ever be interested in me.”

  Shai said, “But she said ‘yes,’ so none of that matters.”

  John said, “I guess you’re right. So can you arrange a private dinner for us?”

  Shai said, “I can almost make it private. The next few days, Scout and Kathy
are scheduled for a romantic week together. I guess it’s some sort of anniversary for them. I can get you a private table at the same time and partition the room, but it won’t be as private as I usually get it.”

  John said, “That should work for us. We’re just getting to know each other, so we probably don’t need complete privacy.”

  Shai said, “Unless you get really lucky and she wants that for some reason. Maybe she feels an instant connection to you, and things heat up.”

  John said, “I really don’t feel comfortable continuing this discussion. I’ll be leaving now.”

  Shai said, “Sorry about that. I’ll have your private menu options for you at the daily briefing tomorrow.”

  John said, “Thank you.”

  John left the galley and returned to his quarters. In violation of Leona’s recommendations, John joined his sister in the bed. He thought he would be able to sleep better if she was with him. Even with the excitement of his upcoming date with Becky, he still felt uneasy about traveling through space.

  Jane asked him, “How did your day go?”

  John answered, “It went great. I have a date with Becky Garcia tomorrow.”

  Jane said, “So I’ll find alternate sleep arrangements for tomorrow.”

  John said, “I don’t want to discuss that with you. It’s kind of icky.”

  Jane said, “It kind of is, but our whole relationship isn’t normal. Most siblings don’t sleep together when they’re adults.”

  John said, “Maybe we should take Leona’s advice and spend the night apart.”

  Jane said, “I don’t feel like it tonight. Tomorrow we’ll try for sure, though.”

  John said, “That’s a good idea.”

  Jane said, “It may be difficult for me though. I’ve grown very accustomed to your presence at night. I may have some fear of being alone.”

  John asked, “Have you taken Leona’s advice?”

  Jane said, “Which part? I obviously didn’t take the part about not sleeping in the same bed with you.”

  John said, “And that stays a secret that only you, me, and Leona ever know. I don’t want to ruin my chances with Becky by letting slip that I sleep with my sister.”

 

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