KL asked, "What would you like Tom?"
"I'd love a steak medium rare with a baked potato please."
"A green salad perhaps Tom," said KL
"Oh yeah and a glass of dark red wine would be nice too."
Tom took a big deep breath of nice fresh air. He looked around. Unlike the stark white of 2001: A Space … this room was a nice powder blue with white tiles on the floor. The ceiling was acoustic with an off white color. The chair was most comfortable as he settled in. He looked at LL who was sitting off to his left. He was dressed causal with Dockers on, a colorful stripped shirt with a golf sweater to appear like he just returned from the country club. KL on the other hand, was dressed in a waiter's uniform complete with white towel on his arm. The incongruity was he had on Nike tennis shoes. Tom, in a rare lucid moment guessed that the Nike's would not make any noise on the tiles.
Tom turned back to LL and smiled with sore teeth. He'd brushed like hell, but only removed the first layer of scum. Try again later he thought. LL was smiling back at him. Tom said, "I don't know how you did it LL and I don't know the reason why, but thank you for the diversion."
"As you humans say, 'we have no axe to grind' Tom. We were caught in a dilemma as to what to do or how to make contact with you humans. We obtained some videos and read a lot of history and decided we'd make a robot do the contact work for us. You see Tom; we would not be recognizable to you in our true form. Another saying you have and that is, beauty is only skin deep.
Tom was looking closely at LL as he talked. He noticed the eyes mimicked humans as they showed emotions. Hand gestures flowed with the conversation. It was identical to having a conversation with a friend back home. He was distracted with the arrival of his green salad. He chose a blue cheese dressing. Tom was astonished at the freshness of the greens and the red tomato looked like it just arrived from the hot house; and maybe it did.
Just as he was half finished with the salad, here came the steak sizzling on a metal hot plate. He meant to ask LL where they would find a beef steak out here in space, but shrugged it off while wolfing down the tender steak.
"We can tell you're not feeling well and that your skin needs repairing. We can help you Tom. We want you to be what you were before the trip. Our race of beings prides itself on knowledge. We don't get excited about physical things like gold and precious stones, or the desire to possess money.
In our society we share all knowledge and are born into a position for life. We don't question it because that's the way it is. Okay enough of that for now. What say we take a jaunt through the medical clinic and then you can get some much needed rest?"
Obediently Tom followed LL and his silent Nike's down a long hall way to a side room brilliantly lighted. A green clad doctor in surgery wear stood behind a flat stainless steel table with two white uniformed nurses.
All were smiling. LL said, "Don't be afraid Tom. We only want to put back balance in your delicate body. Also we'll increase the rate of new skin on your body. By the time you wake up from a nice long sleep, you'll be as good as new."
Tom decided to go along as he had nothing to lose. He stripped down to his shorts and lay on the table. He thought at first it would be cold, but no, it was nice and warm. The doctor went to work and soon a slow moving machine ran from head to toe over Tom's bony body. After that the two nurses took a spray nozzle that dropped down from the ceiling and dosed his entire body with a soothing fluid of some sort. When it was over, Tom did feel naturally sleepy.
LL gently led him to a large bedroom with a soft bed. Tom's head had hardly hit the pillow when he went out with a smile on his satisfied face.
Time, as we know it, and as Tom knew it, played no part in where he was sleeping in a fine feathered bed. When he woke up he felt the urge to use the toilet. He walked gingerly as before his skin hurt when he walked. But when he dropped his pajama pants, his eyes popped open, seeing a new set of skin on both legs. He pulled up his shirt and saw his belly and chest skin like the old days. After he made his deposit, which felt good for the first time in years, he looked into the mirror at clear blue eyes. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and then realized he wasn't hung-over from pills.
LL was waiting for him. He looked and was dressed the same as last time he saw him. Tom put on a bathrobe and followed LL to the dining room for breakfast. Breakfast was whatever he desired, he was told. Tom decided on some heart health bacon and eggs. LL laughed when he heard the irony of 'heart healthy' from Tom.
LL said, while Tom ate his breakfast, "What would you like to do after you eat Tom? I'm sure we can accommodate whatever you desire. As I said at dinner, we are knowledge based specie. I'd like the opportunity to ask a few questions if you don't mind. For example, when it rains a lot of people are unhappy, but humans can't live without water. Why then, are they unhappy when it rains?"
Tom laughed and said, "Mostly because people don't like to get wet and because a cloudy-rainy day makes them depressed."
"Depression I've read about. So Tom, if I was walking down the street when it was raining, I shouldn't be smiling?"
"Well, damn few would be smiling, that's for sure. Probably the only people that like rain are farmers; but then if it rains at the wrong time of year, they get mad as hell. Now I'm a city boy and don't like it when it rains as I get wet and smell like a dog."
"Do dogs smell bad when they get wet," asked LL.
"Yeah, they smell musty and dirty; probably like me when I first arrived here," laughed Tom.
"Thanks Tom. Now what would you like to do?"
"I think I'd like to go for a walk in a park, full of trees, and flowers blooming around a lake with ducks in it."
^^^^^^^^
Tom and LL took that walk in the park and many other things for only god know how long. What Tom didn't see was LL appearance changing to resemble his. Every nuance that Tom displayed LL copied. At the end of a period of time, LL knew all there was to know about Tom Baldwin. LL could talk, act, gesture, and write exactly the same as Tom.
One time after a hearty lunch LL told him that he was being replaced by a female member of their society. Tom perked up as he was beginning to miss girls. The next time Tom woke up, MM was there to greet him. She took him to the shower and washed all of his body. Tom was in heaven; he thought.
^^^^^^^
Tom's space ship just passed Mars on the return voyage home. A voice came across his radio welcoming him back home. Tom sounded excited and happy to be back. He made preparations to land in a few days.
At the landing site, where the ship would morph into a flying machine with wings and landing gear, a giant crowd awaited the home coming.
A news reporter said, "My friends, after almost six years in space, virtually alone, Tom Baldwin the Third returns to earth. The world waits as many questions will be asked of this pioneer; and I should add, rich pioneer. Here it comes now, ladies and gentlemen."
When the space craft came to a halt, Tom waited patiently for a tractor to pull him to a hanger. At the hanger the techs went to work opening up the hatch. When the hatch was broached, there stood Tom with an ear to ear smile showing sparkling white teeth.
The one thing the newscaster pointed out was Tom's long pony tail. He was clean shaven, clean of body and the inside of the space ship was neat as a pin. Tom was friendly, but a little reserved as the throngs of people wanted a part of him. Tom said, once the mike was in his hand, "Thank you all for your warm homecoming. I'm a little shaky from so long in space, so please give me a couple days and I'll hold a news conference."
That seemed to satisfy most as Tom went with some important government officials to a briefing.
One young reporter, a fresh out of college journalism major had looked on and saw that something was not right about the whole thing. The guy was in space six years and walked like he never left the gravity of earth. Oh well, I'll look closer at the news conference up coming.
That night in the hotel Tom looked into the mirror to check his
looks. He thought I hope I played that role correctly.
end
Peaceful Journey Page 2