Chapter 12
Sad Farewells
Jenny returned home to say her good-byes, and collect a few necessities.
"I'm back!" she shouted, as she entered the house.
Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and hurried to the front of the house. Martin came out of his room and met Jenny at the top of the stairs.
Jenny's father, and Relli, met at the bottom of the stairs, in time to see Jenny ascending, and followed her up. They all congregated in her bedroom, where she hurriedly packed up some essentials for the trip.
"How did the water collection go?" Jenny's father asked.
"Good, the Traveler is loaded up," Jenny answered.
"How long does Born figure it will take, to move the comet off course?" Relli asked.
"Approximately four and a half days of steady pushing," Jenny replied.
"Pushing? What's he going to do, push the comet off course with his spaceship?" Martin asked.
"In a way. It's kind of hard to explain," Jenny said.
"And, you don't have time to explain," reminded her father. "Time is very valuable right now." He paused for a moment. "I want to meet Born, before you go, Jenny."
"Daaad!" Jenny protested. "He's super shy. He won't want to, and you just said yourself, there's no time."
"I don't care. I'm not going to let you go until I meet your traveling companion," he said sternly.
Jenny knew there was no point in arguing further. She recognized that tone in her father's voice.
"I'll ask him, but I make no guarantees," Jenny conceded.
"What about food? Do you want me to pack you something?" Relli asked.
"Sure, please, but not too much. Born says there is plenty of food on board, and that our nutritional requirements are very similar, so I won't starve."
"I need to get the gravity suit from the attic. I'll be back in a minute," Jenny mentioned, and she went up to the attic to fetch the suit.
As she packed it into her bag, Jenny thought how fortunate she was to have found it. Without the suit, none of this would ever have happened, and Earth would have no hope of surviving the fast approaching comet.
"Okay, I think that's all I need. I'll just go get the food from Relli and be on my way," Jenny said to her father and brother, and they followed her quietly downstairs.
"I'd say be careful, but somehow it doesn't sound appropriate," Relli said as she handed Jenny a small parcel of food.
"Thanks, Relli. Know what?"
"What?" Relli asked with a warm smile.
"You know how you keep reminding me that I was chosen for this task because of my qualities?" Jenny asked.
"Yes, I suppose I have been drilling that into your head over the last few days," Relli admitted.
"Well, I think you were chosen for this task as well, because of your qualities, and your abilities. I couldn't have made it this far without you. Thanks for your help, and your kindness, and your visions, and your firm but gentle guidance," Jenny said, embracing her, and the tears began to flow.
"Bye Jen, go get it, and save the world," Martin said, and he gave his sister a big hug. Jenny thought she might have detected a little bit of emotion in his voice, and a small tear in his eye.
Jenny wiped the tears from her cheeks, and looked at her father. "Okay, I'm ready, let's go."
Jenny and her father struck out towards the Traveler, while Relli and Martin watched them go. Jenny led the way through the fields.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth and change your clothes regularly," her father reminded. He was now fighting back the tears as well. He knew this might be good-bye forever. He may never see his daughter again.
"Don't worry, I won't forget," she assured him.
.
"Jenny is coming, and a male adult is with her," Obos informed Born.
"It's probably her father," Born said, slightly irritated.
Mr. Thompson stopped in his tracks when he got his first look at the Traveler.
"Wow, it's huge!" he exclaimed.
Jenny laughed. "That was my reaction when I first saw it too. You'd better wait here, and I'll see if he'll meet you. What if he says no?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," her father replied, with his eyes still glued to the Traveler.
"You and your bridges," Jenny said as she turned and walked towards the space ship. Born opened the door and extended the staircase.
"Hello, it's me," Jenny called, as she walked into the control room of the Traveler.
"And who is with you?" demanded Born.
"I'm sorry, Born, it's my father. He wants to meet you. Is that okay? He won't let me go unless he meets you first."
"Then maybe you shouldn't come," snapped Born. "This wasn't a part of the deal."
"Don't worry, he's a nice person, and I'll be with you. I've got you're suit with me," Jenny said, trying to soften him up.
"Well, that's some good news at least, but that was part of the deal. Meeting another Earth human was not," Born argued.
"Please Born, it will only take a minute, and then we can be on our way," Jenny pleaded.
Born finally, reluctantly agreed and Jenny motioned across the field to her father. Born took a deep breath as Jenny's father walked up the stairs towards the door.
"Hello, I'm Jenny's father, Roy Thompson. Welcome to Earth."
"Hello, I am Born. I've actually been to Earth many times over the last thirty-five years," Born replied.
Mr. Thompson stood a couple of stairs down from Born so he could look him in the eyes. "On behalf of all the citizens on Earth, I would like to thank you for undertaking this mission. It is a courageous and noble thing you are doing. I just wanted to meet you before Jenny left, to set my mind at ease a little, if that's possible. I don't really know where to begin. I want to ask you a million questions, but that will have to wait, and hopefully, I'll get the opportunity later on. This decision to let her go on this trip was very difficult for me. I feel so helpless, because the circumstances are out of my control. She's a good girl, and won't be too much trouble, although she has a way of getting what she wants, but I'm sure you have already experienced that."
Born smiled and nodded, and Jenny blushed slightly.
"It seems ridiculous for me to ask you to watch out for her, considering the danger of the mission that you are undertaking, so I just want to wish you good luck and I hope you're successful, and bring my daughter home safely. If you find that you cannot divert the comet, and that you must abort the operation, I would like you to consider doing me a very large favor."
Jenny looked up at her father, curious as to what the favor might be.
"If you must abort, and are unsuccessful, please do not bring Jenny home," Mr. Thompson concluded, as his chin quivered, and he fought back the tears.
"Don't worry, Roy Thompson. I will do my best to save your planet, and if I must abort the task, I will look after Jenny," Born promised.
"Bye Dad, don't worry, we'll do it, and I'll be back," Jenny promised.
"I know you will, hon'. I love you."
"I love you, Dad."
Mr. Thompson walked away, then stood and watched as the Traveler rose away from the ground. The hulking ship performed the seemingly impossible and floated straight up in an almost ghostly manner. Once it was 400 meters above the Earth's surface, Obos tilted the spacecraft skyward and lightly engaged the main thrusters. Mr. Thompson heard a whoosh, and moments later, a wave of hot air washed past him as the Traveler sped into the vast blue sky.
Jenny In Space: Chasing The Killer Comet Page 15