He Without Sin

by Hyde, Ed

  ______

  Jared is off and gone now. He left soon after the trial was over. Mom has decided to stay here at the apartment as long as she can manage it. We know that we are welcome here now, and after she’s gone too. Mom makes a point of that. Well, it’s on the table, but I know Carol and I both would like something out of the city; out of any city.

  I find myself thinking a lot about the mission. Not so much about David, Brachus or his misadventures, or even most of the rest of the crew. I think about the people there mostly, and Dylan too. I think about the gorgeous planet they have to tame, to use, to develop. I think about their learning, step by step, how to grapple with their surroundings and each other. I wonder that they will have to stumble upon the same truths as every other civilization, and will have to make the same mistakes.

  I wonder if they think about us and our interactions during our time there. Whether David’s genetic meddling will pay off or not, who knows? The populations when we arrived, as David said himself, met or exceeded expectation. I can only hope that we gave them something to think about—a standard toward which to strive. Was our intent understood? Did it spread like we hoped? Did they get the message that there’s hope for a better life in the future? It would be nice to think that when we do return, we will be able to meet with them on equal terms and to welcome them into the wider universe of civilization.

  Oh, an important note to follow up on my last entry. The delivery that arrived at Mom’s for me was a crate that contained the remainder of my personal things from the ship. I went through them with Carol. However, the bulk of the crate’s contents consisted of three unexpected items— metal cases with handles, dented, with red grit still visible in the seams and scratches, along with a dirty cloth bundle, wrapped up tight. Someone had attached a tag to one of the cases’ handles which read:

  Shipley: these were unlabeled but were uploaded during your last mission using your ID number and never picked up

  I made sure Carol was with me when I opened them. We sat down in stunned silence as we let the reality of what we were looking at sink in. There were, as you may imagine, some long conversations about our next moves. In the end, I have to say that we implemented a satisfactory solution.

  The contents of ‘her’ case were delivered to the Academy anonymously as found assets to be disposed of as they see fit. The rest, well…

  We’ve both since retired and picked out a nice place to live, with plenty of room for family—hers, mine and ours. It’s near the edge of a beautiful forest within walking distance, down the bluff, to the sand and the sea. We call it Amara.

  Table of Contents

  Part I

  Part II

  Part III

  Part IV

  Part V