“I doubt it’ll happen in your time, doctor.” Grandfather gravely replied. “Ohanzee?” his tone lightened when he addressed me. He already knew all my reasons.
“My reasons are similar to Aerd’s. Every time a new region is explored, there is a loss of life. Who knows how many sailors were lost before the North American continent was found, without looking into the unknown, the fate of the lost will never be discovered. Eventually, someone returns. This crew has about as much chance as the rest.” I folded my hands and slumped into my chair. I was glad not to have to say more, although I had said more than enough.
There was a silence after my impromptu speech that was broken by Sabin’s enthusiastic clapping. “Amen!” She smiled broadly. “I think that sums it up!”
Callahan glared at her.
“What?” she asked.
“Quell some of that enthusiasm. We don’t even know where we are going.” the lieutenant growled.
“Only you would be so stone faced after such an impassioned speech, you know that, don’t you, Pete?” Sabin returned Callahan’s glare.
“Insubordinate tramp.” Callahan mumbled under his breath, his face reddening.
“Private, that’s enough.” Grandfather warned before Sabin could further the situation. He also gave Callahan an icy glare for the unprofessional comment.
“Fine, Admiral. We’re all here, so what’s the mission?” Aerd asked, her eyes never leaving Sabin as she redirected the conversation.
Grandfather nodded and keyed something on the pad on the table before him. A three dimensional image of North America illuminated the center of the room. “Your destination is Seattle, Washington, the United States.” The map pinpointed the area, and then zoomed to the precise location. “Your objective is to test the soil and air to find out the contaminants present. It should take you no longer than a month to do so.”
“Why so long?” asked Callahan.
“Because we haven’t had success with satellite-to-surface communication. It’s an extended grace period. After a month, United Defense will consider your mission a loss,” Grandfather stated bluntly.
“Is the lack of communication why manned craft are being sent Planetside?” Sabin asked.
“Yes, several unmanned probes were sent, but no reports came back. We are unsure if the probes were destroyed due to atmospheric pressure or blown off course into an ocean or mountain. It could simply be too much cloud interference.”
“Then why send people?” asked the doctor, his face a mask of suspicion.
“For the reason Ohanzee stated: eventually, someone will return.”
“In that case, why Seattle?” Callahan asked.
“It is one of the five Epitome Points.”
“Epitome Points?” Aerd asked, her complexion paling.
“Perhaps the Archivist should explain that one, Sir.” Callahan stated, pointing to me.
Grandfather nodded.
“The Epitome Points,” I started, “are five cities that were heavily damaged before the Exodus. It was their destruction that finally woke people’s consciences to the planet’s plight.”
“So what happened in this Seattle place?”
“Seattle was targeted by the ACC, or Asian Country Coalition. A new bioweapon was released into the city. It was a type of nerve agent that shut down the body in minutes and thousands died before anyone realized what had happened. No one is positive how the toxin was released, whether it was by air or by water, and no one bothered to find out. The city was quarantined and eventually the whole state followed. The death count has never been totaled.”
“And we’re going there why?” Sabin asked, her eyes wide in shock.
“Because we need to know the condition of these hot spots.” Grandfather answered.
“Does that mean the previous crews went to Epitome Points?” I asked.
“Yes. The first went to London, the second to Bogota, and the third to Cairo.”
“What’s the last one?” Sabin asked, her eyes showing a little less white.
“Pardon?”
“With Seattle, that’s four. What’s the fifth?”
“Beijing was America’s answer to Seattle.” I explained.
“It would still be radioactive. No crew will be sent there.” Grandfather stated gravely.
We all fell into a somber silence. Each of us turned to his or her internal thoughts of the possibility of the crew not coming back. Grandfather allowed us the time for reflection before continuing.
Grandfather broke the silence. “You now know the severity of our ancestors’ lack of commitment to the planet that housed them, as well as their disrespect for the lives of their fellow humans. Now I ask again, do any of you wish to leave?”
“Sir, if I may be so bold as to speak for everyone,” Aerd stood. “We all knew, or at least had an inkling, of the situation. We may not have known we were going directly to an Epitome point, but we knew that nowhere on Earth was uncontaminated. We know the risks and this new information doesn’t change that. I’m staying on and I’m reasonably sure the rest are too.”
A mumbled chorus of agreement came from around the table. I nodded my head as well.
“If that’s how you all see it. Then go and rest. You leave in two hours. All preparations have been made, correct?”
“Yes, Sir.” Callahan answered. “We were only waiting for the Archivist to arrive.”
“She doesn’t need any training?” Sabin asked, eyeing me suspiciously. Her cornflower colored eyes seemed to burn a hole in me and I had to turn away from her gaze.
“Training?” I asked, still not meeting her eyes.
“She doesn’t need any.” Grandfather stated. “The Archive makes sure all the Archivists are put through the paces in case such an occasion as this comes up.”
Oh, she meant the shuttle control and pressure training. My muscles tensed at the memories of being forced underwater to see how much pressure my body could take and the hours of isolation to test my fears. Due to these exercises, I was afraid of drowning and claustrophobic, but I could face almost anything put to me.
Doctor Ewert leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Are you alright?”
I nodded. “Remembering the training.”
“Oh.” He involuntarily shivered. “Yes, it is tedious. I finished this week.”
Grandfather looked around the table a final time. “Good luck and safe return. Dismissed.”
We all stood and filtered out of the room. I waited for Grandfather.
“You are now committed, Kohana,” he reminded as we walked back to his office.
“I was committed when I volunteered.”
The next two hours were spent in conversation with Grandfather. We spoke of my time in the Archive and the stresses he had as Admiral. It was pleasant and almost made me wish I could stay.
“Time for you to go to the Craft Port,” Grandfather lamented when our time was up.
“You aren’t coming down with me?”
“I can’t. It is against procedure for family to watch the departures.”
“Doesn’t the Admiral watch?”
“Yes. I’m in a catch twenty-two. So, I have decided, and been advised, that the debriefing was the Admiral’s farewell.”
“Oh,” I was saddened by this.
“Don’t worry. I’ll watch from the Dining Hall. The shuttle will pass on its way Planetside.”
“How do I find the Craft Port?” Suddenly I was worried about the maze of corridors of the unfamiliar satellite.
“I arranged for that. Sabin is supposed to be here.” As he said that, a buzz issued from the door. “Come in.”
Aerd stepped in pulling Sabin behind her.
“Aerd?” Grandfather asked surprised.
“Sir, not to criticize, but if you are going to have someone direct another person somewhere, make sure that person knows where they’re going first.” Aerd glared at Sabin.
“Can I help it if I forgot where the private offices are? I have
the entire UD defensive mainframe memorized, for Christ’s sake. How am I supposed to remember floor plans?” Sabin glowered.
Grandfather smirked. “It doesn’t matter as long as the three of you make your shuttle in time.”
“I suppose. We’ll step outside.” Aerd turned and forced a confused Sabin out the door.
Grandfather smiled and stood. “Well, Kohana. This is good-bye for the moment.”
“Yes.” I spoke softly as I stood. Reality was catching up to me.
Grandfather gave me a bear hug that made me think my ribs would crack before sending me on my way. That was the best way for it— short and sweet. It wasn’t as if we wouldn’t see each other when the mission was successfully completed.
I exited the office to find Aerd and Sabin waiting.
“Let’s go.” Aerd started to make her way through the crowded corridor. Sabin shrugged and followed close behind. I followed both of them.
The men were already in the shuttle when we got there.
“Aerd, you’re familiar with this craft aren’t you?” Callahan asked.
“Of course.”
“Then take the navigation terminal. Doctor, Archivist, just sit back and relax. I’m uncertain of how the trip will be.”
Ewert and I did as we were told. There were only two seats that didn’t have terminals at them and we harnessed ourselves in quickly. Callahan took the copilot’s seat next to McLean and Aerd took the navigation terminal as she had been ordered. Sabin took the remaining terminal, although its function was unknown to me.
“Proceed with undocking, McLean.”
“Already have, Sir. Did it while you were organizing everyone,” McLean stated as he double-checked some of the readings. “There will be approximately two hours of calm space before we enter Earth’s atmosphere.”
Callahan sputtered a few moments before giving up his protests.
We settled into a calming silence, the only sound was the humming of the engines and the soft buzz of the terminal screens. The officers’ occasional corrections to course were the only topics of discussion.
That was, until Sabin asked, “Hey, Ohanzee, what happened at the other Points?”
I opened my eyes slowly to see the Private staring at me. “Points?” My mind had been in a meditative peace and hadn’t caught up yet.
“Yeah, the Epitome Points. London. Cairo. Bogota. What happened to them?”
“Lita, didn’t you pay attention in school?” McLean asked through gritted teeth as the shuttle violently jerked. “Blasted storm,” he cursed more to himself than the rest of us.
“We’ve entered the atmosphere?” Ewert asked.
“A few minutes ago. There’s an electrical storm or something going on, and we entered right in the middle of it.” Callahan confirmed.
“For your information McLean, I failed most of Earth history. If it didn’t deal with tactics, it really wasn’t that interesting to me,” Sabin returned us to the interrupted conversation.
“She did great in physical training though.” Aerd added, “McLean, hard to port!”
“Got it.” The shuttle shuddered forcefully and some of the supplies came loose from their rigging. “Damn, what are those?”
“Turbulence pockets.” Callahan grunted as we were battered around again.
“Where’d they come from?” McLean shouted; he turned to Callahan. “Forget it!” He unharnessed himself and went to Aerd’s terminal, where the sergeant had her head in her hands. He began keying something into the terminal. “You okay, Aerd?”
“Just a bump. Get the hell back to your seat Pilot!” she snapped as she pushed him away from her screen.
“Doc, take a look at this.” McLean turned Aerd to the doctor and watched the navigation terminal before returning to his seat.
“Just a bump!” Ewert gasped in indignation.
I looked at Aerd. There was a bleeding gash from her temple to her chin.
“Knew I should have secured the first aid kit better.” McLean quipped as he adjusted course again.
“Oh, the irony,” Aerd replied flatly. “Get off me, Doc, I can’t read the panel.” She pushed Ewert back.
“Forget the readings,” Callahan hollered. “McLean, roll with it. We’ll be off course, but it’s better than fighting this. Everyone suit up in case of a breach.”
We scrambled into our breathing masks and protective visors. The doctor protested as Aerd put hers on over the laceration. The cabin lights went dark and only the panels were lit, casting shadows of the crew’s silhouettes, before the craft impacted the ground and darkness enclosed upon us. Multiple sirens and sensor alarms broke the stunned silence.
“Is everyone all right?” Callahan shouted over the cacophony.
The force of our landing had broken the harness from my chair. In the darkness, I wasn’t sure where I was positioned, so I was startled when McLean spoke only inches from my ear.
“I’m fine,” the pilot answered. “Can’t see a bloody thing though. We should have emergency lighting.”
“Can you bypass it with secondary power?” Callahan asked.
“Maybe. If I knew where anything was.” McLean shifted, and in the process, knocked me from whatever perch I had ended up on. “Sorry.”
“No worries.” I tried to get my feet under me to stand, but the ship’s angle made it difficult.
“Hold on,” Aerd commanded .There was clicking from one of the terminals before a soft glow illuminated the cabin. “Better?”
“Yes,” Callahan responded.
“Haven’t any of you learned to stay harnessed in flight?” Leigh asked, looking down at the rest of us heaped together on the port side. The shuttle was steeply tilted and it was odd seeing her above us.
“Well, Aerd, since you’re the only one with sense, why not use the terminal to find out if the hull’s been breached,” replied Callahan, who had somehow become entangled in the console and his harness, as he cautiously made an effort to get his feet under him.
“She’s sound, Lieutenant,” Aerd responded after a few seconds.
“Can you straighten her out?”
The sergeant shook her head. “The engine’s underground. We hit and skidded.”
Callahan had found his footing. “Then let’s try to right this thing and assess the damage. Full equipment before disembarking.”
We already had on our filtration masks, and we put down the visors that would protect our eyes. I had to tuck my hair under my suit jacket to allow the visor to fit.
In a jumble, we stumbled out of the shuttle to step onto Planetside onto Earth. It took a few moments for the visors to adjust to the light. Where are we? The skyscrapers I had expected to see blocking the sun weren’t present, and I hadn’t realized my disappointment until Sabin shook my arm and pointed to the hill not far from where the ship had embedded itself. Markers dotted the landscape and a white monolith looked down on us. Tall grass shielded many of the smaller stones from my view.
The rest of the crew went to righting the ship while I surveyed the land. I could hear their conversations over the ComLink, but ignored most of it, picking the important tidbits out of the mundane chatter. I had dedicated my life to learning the history of the planet, but more than that was drawing me to this particular place. My heart began beating faster as I looked out over the desolate field and I felt an almost primal cry rise in my throat that was abruptly silenced when Callahan’s hand rested on my shoulder.
“Where are McLean and Ewert?” Callahan asked over the ComLink.
I jumped at the volume of his voice. I hadn’t realized I had wandered away from the ship and was halfway up the hill where the monument stood. Callahan must’ve followed me after the ship was righted. I was irked by the Lieutenant’s interruption. Why doesn’t he just radio them and allow me a moment to take in my surroundings? I pressed the com button and replied, “They went down the valley to view the terrain.” I had overheard them during my brief reflection of the land.
His helmet was
pointed toward me. The white sun glaring off the vision visor made it impossible for me to see his eyes.
I couldn’t wait to remove the protective visor and mask. My breathing felt shallow and the air stale after filtration. Only the essential oxygen with no scent or warmth was left after processing.
“Let’s return to the shuttle then,” Callahan urged after a moment.
I followed, amazed at the heaviness of my limbs. The colonies’ regulated gravity was less than Earth’s. All these new sensations and I’m not allowed to enjoy and wonder at them. I am to work and only work. Personal reflection is not allowed. Aerd and Sabin were already setting up camp, which was supposed to be my job; my steps quickened and I passed the Lieutenant on my way to finish the duty I had not started.
“Ah, there she is.” Aerd’s voice came over the headset, clear and firm. “I told you, Solita, our little Ohanzee wouldn’t forget her duty.”
“I’d say surveying would be part of her duty, Leigh,” came Saban’s reply. “What do you think Kohana? Anything of value?”
I shook my head. “I am not sure.”
Sabin shrugged. “Well, help us finish fixing up the shuttle. After all, there are six of us staying in it, and it was designed for four.”
“Why don’t we use the buildings?” I asked, expecting one of Aerd’s laughs that told me I was a foolish rookie.
Instead, she straightened and looked at me. I could only imagine the quizzical look in her green eyes. “Because,” she replied slowly, “that would make sense.” And then she laughed.
“Aerd, get back to work.” Callahan ordered sharply. “We can’t take off the masks if we use the buildings,” his tone softened as he answered me.
I looked around what was to serve as our camp. There wasn’t much to it. The four berths of the shuttle were already neatly prepared for sleep. A light ‘adapter’ blanket was placed on each. I wondered how it would be able to cope with real weather instead of the controlled environment of the station. The blanket was supposed to read a person’s body temperature and adjust itself to a comfortable level, but I was dubious that it could do so efficiently Planetside. A makeshift bed was made on the floor. Clearly five of us would be asleep while the sixth took watch.
After Tomorrow: A CHBB Anthology Page 35