The Mother of All

by Dana S Reiner

  The closer we got to the tower, the bigger the cliff appeared to be. The energy from the waterfall seemed to breathe a little life into my father. He clutched his bag and turned towards the cab.

  “Alright, team. This is our final tower until we return back to campus,” he said with a smile.

  When we landed, we had an excellent view of the cliff, waterfall, and what seemed like endless streams of water. The view was priceless, and I only wished everyone in the world could experience this. I felt like the waterfall had such a positive impact on everyone.

  We grabbed our packs and everything we thought we would need for the night. My father was slow to exit the chopper. When he finally unlocked the door to the tower, he immediately sat down and began grabbing his head.

  “Team, I think I am going to stay back on this one. My head won’t stop throbbing; I think that maybe I should just rest up a little. I will release an aerial drone shortly. Marina, would you and Abdi mind just collecting a few samples and maybe just release an Ani-cam or two?” said my father.

  Marina nodded as she handed my father some water.

  “Sure thing, Craigio,” said Marina.

  Donald and Abdi began walking down the spiral staircase to grab some Ani-cams and their research suits.

  Marina and I assisted my father with his sleeping bag. He gradually made his way to the floor, still clutching his messenger bag after releasing the drone.

  “Alright, Craigio. Rest up and we will be back in a few hours,” said Marina.

  I knelt towards my father, giving him a quick hug. He immediately opened his eyes and let out a soft smile.

  “I love you, Layka. I am so proud of the woman you're becoming. Just think, next summer you’ll be old enough to do your own research,” said my father as he rubbed my shoulder.

  Marina and I raced to put on our research suits. Abdi and Donald were both fully gowned, each holding an ani-cam, ready to exit the tower.

  When we exited the tower, the roar of the waterfall could be heard in the entourage. Donald immediately released his ani-cam as it scurried deep into the jungle.

  Hundreds of pollinators could be seen flying around, birds, invertebrates, and some small mammals all flying from flower to flower.

  I began to wonder about the importance of pollinators and how they were so vital to the ecosystems of the world. I approached a tree by a nearby spring that was covered with an abundance of orchids. I lowered my head to smell one of the pretty flowers, when the flowers immediately dispersed from the tree. I quickly realized that they weren’t, in fact, orchids but beautiful butterflies. They gracefully flew above the team, hovering in the air.

  Abdi released another ani-cam. He and Donald both attempted to catch a butterfly. It was nice to see the two of them enjoying themselves. Marina gathered a few soil samples while Donald and Abdi continued jumping around.

  A light rain began to fall. I thought this was our cue to head back to the tower, but Abdi suggested we swim in the nearby spring. Marina didn't seem fond of the idea.

  Abdi and Donald both faced the spring, waiting for Marina's confirmation, when I snuck up behind them and pushed them both in. The both immediately resurfaced, overwhelmed with laughter.

  “You little brat,” yelled Donald.

  Abdi just shook his head with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen on his face.

  I immediately cannonballed into the spring. I knew my research suit would keep me dry, so I didn't bother removing it.

  Marina slowly made her way into the spring, intentionally splashing water on the three of us.

  “Are you okay, Marina? You seem a little stressed?” said Abdi.

  Marina nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders.

  “I am fine. I am just worried about Craigio. He hasn’t been feeling right and the poor guy never stops working. Plus, I really miss C.C. and just want to get back home,” said Marina.

  I really empathized with Marina. I could tell the research trip was beginning to take its toll. The last few days have been draining. Abdi began comforting her and thanking her for all the aid and help she had provided.

  “If it makes you feel better, Marina, we can fly back to headquarters tonight. I am kind of anxious to get home myself,” said Donald, exiting the spring.

  The four of us gathered our supplies and began heading towards the Electron tower. I took a handful of photographs and basked in the beauty of the jungle one last time.

  When we entered the tower, Donald immediately rushed up the spiral staircase to notify my father of our early departure.

  I glanced over at Marina who seemed to be overcome with joy. She let out a slight smile as she removed her research suit and said, “I am so ready to get home.”

  Chapter 14

  Homeward Bound

  Three hours of rest seemed to help my father tremendously. The pale tint that once lingered in his scruffy face was now nonexistent, slowly returning to its normal golden-brown color.

  Although he appeared to be feeling better, the dark circles still clung underneath his eyes.

  “Feeling better papa? I was beginning to worry about you,” I said jokingly.

  He shook his head with a soft smile, apologizing to the team for not being able to help with the maintenance. “Anything abnormal out there?” asked my father.

  Donald had his hands full with a variety of bags, walking up the spiral staircase towards the rooftop. He stopped suddenly to briefly give his two cents. “Everything was going pretty standard until your daughter decided to push Abdi and I into the spring,” he said with a light chuckle.

  My father winked at me and let out a slight smile as he began gathering his belongings.

  I began to tell him about the new species of butterfly and how I mistakenly thought they were orchids. Seconds passed, when I realized my father wasn’t paying any attention to me. He was rummaging through his messenger bag, checking the status of his discoveries. Once everything was accounted for inside his bag, he zipped it close and began walking towards the spiral staircase.

  “Team, thank you so much for all your help. It’s been such a pleasure roaming the jungle with you all. It’s going to be pretty late when we arrive on campus and I haven’t heard if any of C.O.C.A. 's officials have arrived. Dr. Gruver expects the State of the Planet speech to happen within the next few days. She expects them to have new guidelines and revised protocol for the entire L.R.R. So just beware. Especially after all the chaos happening in America,” said my father.

  I grabbed my bags and began scanning the fourth floor for any belongings that I may have forgotten to pack, then I raced up the spiral staircase to throw my bags inside the chopper.

  I entered quickly and buckled myself in, this time a little heavy-hearted. Silence filled the chopper as I began scrolling through all the videos and photographs I was able to capture during our trip. I wondered where I would be this time next year, and if in fact it would be some realm of biochemical research I would be pursuing here in the heart of the jungle. I began writing down a bucket list of things I wanted to do with my parents to wrap up this summer. It was finally dawning on me that I was going to be an adult soon.

  It wasn’t long after I entered the chopper that I was accompanied by the rest of the team. Donald did his usual lap around the aircraft, then we departed for campus, soaring through the dark sky with a full moon floating beautifully in the air.

  Marina had a spreadsheet open on her tablet, entering some sort of data I assumed. A half hour into our flight had passed when Donald pressed the notification alert.

  DING!

  The cab was silent for a few seconds, waiting for Donald to speak.

  “Hey, everyone. I’d be lying to ya if I didn’t say that I am a bit scared of President Petrovich. I know she is easy on the eyes but something about her and her regime just scares me to death,” said Donald.

  My father and Marina both nodded their heads. I was unsure of what to expect from C.O.C.A. myself but wanted to be optimistic,
as usual.

  Abdi removed his headphones and began speaking softly. “It is pretty crazy to think how we have gotten here. I mean just thinking about earth as a whole. I know Olga means well. The leadership, knowledge, and Innovation she displays in her countries is second to none. She is such an extraordinary diplomat. It’s just that I don't trust her, either. I mean, look at all the history books. She literally comes from a lineage of warlords and she is the first leader to ever defeat the Americans,” said Abdi

  I thought about Abdi’s remarks. It was pretty remarkable to think how far C.O.C.A. has come throughout history. I can recall old maps that showed what was formerly Asia and Europe, mostly now all belonging to C.O.C.A. The addition of America makes it seem like C.O.C.A. 's “Continental Curve” is indeed inevitable.

  My father began to respond to Donald and Abdi’s concerns. “I know this is a scary time. We just have to trust in C.O.C.A. and believe that they’ll maintain some type of integrity. I mean we may never see their data or find out exactly how they seem to have mastered the advances in medicine and stem cell research or how they have found cures for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and the Seiler Syndrome. However, one thing is certain, their proof is in their people. They are always so happy. You have to remember; a lot of their citizens were previously in poverty. They now have a meaningful life. However, I will find out what I can, when I meet with Dr. Gruver tomorrow morning,” said my father.

  I sat patiently, unsure of what to think of my father’s response. The digital monitor showed we were still hours away from home. The entire team sat quietly, deep in their thoughts. I grabbed my headphones and began to listen to some music. I was asleep before I knew it.

  I woke to Marina waking me up, bidding me farewell.

  “It was very nice to see you, Layka. It’s unbelievable how much you’ve grown these last few years. I’m going to try and get a flight out of here in the next few hours and just wanted to say goodbye. You’re going to make a great scientist one day.”

  I gave Marina a hug and thanked her for everything.

  “Say hello to C.C. for me,” I said as I grabbed my pack and waved goodbye to the team.

  My father informed me that he was going to help everyone unload and wouldn’t be home for another hour or so.

  As I began walking towards our house, I was met outside by my mother. She was dressed in plaid pajamas; her gentle smile was a breath of fresh air. She wrapped her arms around me and rocked me back and forth. She kissed my forehead before helping me with my bags.

  As I walked inside, I was met by Àna who was beyond excited to see me. She licked my hands and rubbed her body against my legs, letting out light whimpers with every move.

  “Papa said he’d be home shortly. He was just finishing up something with the team. Apparently, Dr. Gruver might be stopping by sometime in the morning to chat and get a synopsis of the maintenance trip,” I said as I began to pet Àna.

  My mother locked the front door and started unloading my bags to wash my clothes.

  “Why don’t you go shower up and get some rest, sweetie? It's two o’clock in the morning, I’m sure you’re exhausted. I will mute the intercom system so your father doesn’t wake you,” said my mother in her calm voice as she sorted my clothing.

  I raced to my bedroom and immediately turned on my shower. With a thousand things on my mind, it felt great to be home. The warm shower was a soothing way to end the trip. By the time I actually jumped into my bed, the clock read 02:35. I brushed my teeth and immediately fell asleep.

  Chapter 15

  Dr. Janet Gruver

  Nightmares about C.O.C.A. left me tossing and turning in damp sheets. I woke to Àna barking loudly in the living room. The clock read 07:31. I was extremely tired and glad I had no obligations for the next few days. I closed my eyes attempting to fall back asleep.

  The smell of coffee seeped through the vents of my bedroom. I pulled my blanket over my head in an attempt to make myself more comfortable. I assumed my father was already awake, anticipating the arrival of Dr. Gruver. I tossed and turned in my bed for a half hour or so before facing the harsh reality that I wasn’t going to fall back asleep. I began looking at all the pictures and videos that I had taken of our maintenance trip. My mother once made a calendar for my father and I that had a series of pictures for each month of the year. I wanted to do something similar for the research team with all the pictures I was able to capture on our trip.

  DING DONG!

  The sound of the doorbell quickly drew my attention. I didn’t hear Àna bark, which meant my father must have put her in the garage to avoid her interrupting his and Dr. Gruver’s conversation.

  I could hear my father and Dr. Gruver exchanging greetings. I couldn’t make out precisely what was being said, but my curiosity grew with every passing second. I knew that my father was probably expecting me to sleep until noon. As I tossed and turned in my bed, curiosity began to overwhelm me, thoughts of my father and Dr. Gruver’s conversation were so intriguing. I was so curious about what Dr. Gruver had to say about C.O.C.A. and this new discovery. Suddenly I recalled that my mother had muted the intercom system. So, without hesitation I gave way to the overwhelming temptation to eavesdrop on their conversation. I pressed the listen button on our household intercom and remained as silent as possible, trying to hear and process every word.

  It was Dr. Janet Gruver’s cute soft voice that I heard first.

  “...No thank you, Craigio, black coffee is fine. I am glad you and the rest of the team have arrived safely; the maintenance checks always scare me. How were the towers? You’ll have to forgive me, Craigio, I have been so unbelievably busy preparing for the arrival of C.O.C.A. officials that I haven’t had the opportunity to read the log entries from the team’s maintenance trip. Were any of them damaged?” asked Dr. Gruver.

  I could hear my father’s spoon clinking against the side of his mug as he mixed his usual cream and sugarcane into his coffee. Though I wasn’t there, I could just about imagine the facial expressions he had on his face. He inhaled deeply before responding to Dr. Gruver.

  “The jungle is beautiful, it is thriving and growing tremendously. Our advances in understanding photosynthesis have the jungle growing at an almost uncontrollable rate. As you can imagine, we did stumble across an abundance of new plant and animal species. We collected DNA samples from each of the newly discovered species via the carbon pens and Marina was proactive about collecting soil samples, as well. The drones at each site are still out of this world and are very beneficial for obtaining data. As far as each of the towers, the Electron Tower and its territory are as beautiful as ever; that waterfall never gets old. There is still no evidence of human life in the Ion Territory, although we do believe to have discovered a new species of boar. We will have to run the DNA samples to be certain, obviously. But it leads me to believe that there could have been some sort of airborne disease in the territory from the new boar species that could have aided in the extinction of the Chulele Tribe. The Aurora Territory is thriving, we may need bigger research boats out there very soon. The hippos are reproducing like crazy out there and as you know, they are extremely territorial. Other than that, I am sure you saw the aurora. How beautiful was that? The Pachanga Territory was pretty standard, we did observe a family of Rocha macaws and I did also come across a tuft of hair that I will analyze later today,” explained my father.

  “Awesome, Craigio! As long as you and the team have documented everything into the research log, I can go back into the log and put in a request for data analysis and new supplies. I just think the biggest issue is being able to have a trail of data that will aid in C.O.C.A.’s audits. You know their logic -- if it isn’t documented, then it didn’t happen. Which brings my attention to Chelene Cave and the Pachanga Territory. You and I both know that the safety of everyone on campus is C.O.C.A.’s and the L.R.R.’s number one priority. Which is why we obviously have strict protocol and Standard Operating Procedures. I know the answer to the qu
estion I am about to ask you, Craigio, but I have to ask you anyways: At any point while you were in the jungle, did you deliberately not follow protocol and put the safety of anyone on your research team in danger?” asked Dr. Gruver in a very concerned voice.

  “No, of course not, Janet. We were never in danger. Of course, the jungles of the L.R.R. are a very dangerous place. Did we encounter anything that put our lives at risk? Of course! That bull hippo was enough to send everyone into cardiac arrest, if it wasn’t for the research suits. Did I at any point deliberately put anyone on the team in danger or have I deliberately not followed protocol or Standard Operating Procedures? Absolutely not,” said my father.

  There was a period of silence in their conversation that lasted no longer than 30 seconds. I could hear Dr. Gruver taking a deep breath before carrying on with their discussion. “So, tell me then, Craigio. What happened in Chelene Cave?” asked Dr. Gruver.

  “That day at approximately 14:00, the research team and I entered Chelene Cave. We anticipated performing our standard cave maintenance check. We, without delay turned on the monitors that are found in the entrance chamber of the cave, Chamber Zero. Donald and Layka decided to be our eyes and ears from this level and to observe the monitors for any unusual seismic activity. Abdi, Marina, and I then began to leave the entrance chamber, to go assess and remap Chamber One. Approximately 30 minutes later, after maneuvering through the cave, we reached Chamber One. I released drone KB05 into what we thought was the only known chamber of the cave. My goal was to collect any additional data that would aid in us mapping and measuring the cave and its seismic activity. As the drone floated and gathered data, it suddenly came to a halt, displaying its blinking, green-notification light. As I approached drone KB05, I scanned my hand to validate the data notification. I then re-programmed the drone to explore the new cavity. If you look at the footage from the drone you will see that it moved forward for a couple hundred feet, before coming to a halt. The drone then lowered itself at a cliff and began mapping out the newly discovered chamber. We had plenty of supplies available to us, so I made the executive decision to go explore this cavity. Abdi decided to wait in Chamber One, while Marina and I decided to evaluate the situation. Marina and I used our cable gadget to lower ourselves down what I have been calling Casteel Cliff. After lowering ourselves down Casteel Cliff, we explored the floors of the chamber and gathered numerous samples of rocks, invertebrates, and anything we deemed necessary for science. After walking hundreds of feet on the floor of the