Abel

by Zack Metcalfe

  Chapter – 25

   

  Parents were eager to take their babies away from Jenna in the week leading up to the global evacuation. Without tears or ceremony, they quickly picked up the child, grabbed their coats, donned their masks, and left. They wanted their babies off Earth as soon as possible. Any number of disasters could still happen to the city prior to the evacuation, but the fleet of ships in Earth's orbit were safe.

  The days were spent like this, handing babies to impatient parents. Almost all important equipment was already gone. Jenna's manager, Tomas, was in a frantic mood, much like the parents. He seemed to think we were somehow behind schedule, which we certainly weren't.

  Nearing the day’s end, there were no more children. They had all been given to their parents, now making their way to safety. There was some reconciliation in today’s work, knowing that today's born might actually survive. That reconciliation was drowned by bitter reality however, as Jenna’s work took her deeper into the labs. Reluctantly, she entered the storage areas, looking for a spare incubator. The older model machine hadn't been used in years, but Tomas wanted it to come along.

  “Too many times,” he had said, “I’ve been in need of something I've thrown away.”

  Taking a deep breath, Jenna entered the storage area, lights activating automatically. She saw exactly what she expected to.

  In the room was a great deal of outdated equipment. There were spares and backups of every sort, none of which Jenna had ever needed. The incubator she needed was on her left, with wheels for easy mobility. Her gaze was drawn to something else in the room, something she put there during her last visit. standing only a few paces from her was a case, containing seventy two unborn children. They were the children given the lowest birth priority, the ones deemed unacceptable for Martian settlement.

  Her initial intent was to ignore them and walk on past. She feared them, the guilt they inspired, the guilt of abandonment. Yet somehow, upon seeing them, that fear went away. There was an understanding about them, even forgiveness. After a long hesitation, Jenna stepped towards them. Each step was slow and calculated, but soon she knelt before the case. Her hands were set cautiously on its smooth surface, then slid to the clips holding it shut. Opening it, she looked down at the dozens of storage devices. She fingered a few, pulling them from their protective slots and inspecting the names.

  As she went through the names marked on the side of each storage device, she recalled the reasons each was rejected. There were the weak immune systems, the dangerously dense muscles, the deformed lungs, the poor vision. It was unbelievable to Jenna that people would suddenly be held to these unfair standards, when the rich could afford the best children, and the poor could not. The children chosen to come were the ones considered best suited for the future of humanity. It was as if the unborn children in her hands weren’t human enough.

  Jenna could feel tears coming again. Hastily, she returned the storage devices to the case and closed it.

  “I’m sorry,” she said through shaking lips, then set the case down. Standing up, she walked over to the incubator and began wheeling it towards the door. Wiping her eyes on her sleeve, she held open the door and struggled through, Tomas quickly coming to assist her. He was too busy to notice anything wrong this time, and assigned Jenna more tasks. At this rate, they would be ready to leave Earth two or three days earlier than intended.

   

  __________

   

  The dream came again. It was vague this time. Jenna saw the tree, the mighty old growth lying uprooted next to its throne. She felt a connection of sorts. It spoke to her in a way she could only partially understand. It was talking about...being the same.

  Now Jenna sat up in bed, only two hours left before she would usually wake. Missing out on sleep didn’t bother her. Working while tired was nothing new. More chemicals in the bloodstream would make up the difference. The progress she'd made while missing sleep was more important. She had perhaps succeeded in answering the question of the pearls.

  Not how, but why had they come to her?

  The answer had eluded her the other day, when she entered the storage room, seeing the unborn children she was leaving behind. That abandonment made her think of the old growth tree. Jenna and the old growth were both parents to many children. For that reason, both Jenna and the tree suffered in times like this, when so many children were at stake.

  It may have been too simplistic, or even childish to think empathy was the only reason the pearls were given to her. Jenna was well aware of her naivety, but inwardly, she felt it was true. Jenna was in the unique position to understand the pain of the old growth tree, which saw its children die around it.

  The hours passed, and Jenna slipped the pearls into her pocket, getting out of bed. She bathed, ate, dressed, and made her morning beverage of stimulants, but she ignored the news. Because of this, she was able to leave home early, and enter the ocean of people piling into public transit. There were noticeable fewer people. More and more were leaving, finishing their preparations and ascending the space elevator. Those who still remained seemed edgy. Jenna saw it on each of them, a growing fear beneath each surface. It was affecting her as well, but perhaps for other reasons. These people probably feared the advancing riots, or the impending oxygen shortage.

  When she reached the labs, she found much of her work already completed. Her eyes widened at the sight. Most rooms had been entirely cleaned out. Someone came into view, one of the very few people still in the labs. It was Tomas. He had obviously been awake all evening, his eyes struggling to stay open, his shoulders droopy. On his face she saw the same fear, the same hurriedness.

  “Good news!” he said, with whatever enthusiasm he could muster. “We’re scheduled to leave tomorrow afternoon. Everyone’s departure time was bumped up. It’s good to know someone up there still cares about the people down here.”

  “What?” Jenna asked. “Why is everyone leaving early? Doesn’t that just make things dangerous, if everyone’s so rushed?”

  Now Tomas looked confused. “I think it is generally understood that staying here any longer would be far more dangerous. Don’t you think so?”

  “But, the city was supposed to have safe breathing levels for the next two weeks. Maybe even more with everyone leaving.”

  “Breathing levels?” Tomas asked, looking bewildered. “You think breathing levels are our biggest problem at the moment?” Seeing the look on Jenna’s face, Tomas’ eyes widened anew. “You haven’t been watching the news have you?”

  “Well…no,” Jenna admitted, worry stirring in her. She couldn’t imagine what would cause the fleet to leave early, if not dangerous oxygen levels.

  Tomas led her to one of the back offices, one with a news outlet. The screen was activated, and Jenna was given a seat.

  “They haven’t stopped covering it since it started,” Tomas said. “Once you’re done, I could use some help in the lab.”

  Jenna nodded, and Tomas left, allowing her some time. Jenna watched…

   

  __________

   

  Earthquakes…

  Floods.

  Hurricanes.

  Natural disasters of every sort.

  It started recently. Of course, storms had been on the rise for as long as Jenna could remember. The climate had become steadily harsher with each passing year, but nothing like now. The last few days were the worst in recorded history. Entire cities were washed away by tidal waves, shaken to bits by earthquakes, or torn from the earth by tornadoes. The most frightening fact was the magnitude. It was worldwide, and was only getting worse.

  Jenna watched, completely awestruck, for upwards of an hour, seeing image after image of chaos.

  Most space elevators were destroyed, whether because of the disasters, or because of overpowering riots and insurgent groups. Even some of the ships in orbit were affected. The UN made the emergency decision to leave orbit early. Who would live and who wou
ld die was going to be decided in 24 hours.

  Jenna could barely focus on her work for the rest of the day. Fortunately it was mindless work. She only had to shut machines down. It all felt unreal, that the Earth could collapse around her so quickly.

  In the evening, what was to be her last one on Earth, Jenna found herself in one of the most unlikely places. She was in a bar. Her wanderings took her there. It just seemed to her like the only place to go. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but she wasn't herself anymore. Perhaps the alcohol would make her stop trying to be.

  She looked out of place, sitting nervously at an empty booth in a far corner. She had been forced to shuffle through the crowds of people, many of whom were already in drunkenly good moods. Once she was seated, she ordered a drink. The overworked waiter looked like he had drained a few glasses himself, but managed to bring Jenna's order all the same.

  She found it easiest to focus on a single spot on the table while she drank, allowing the laughter and mirth to fade into the background. She stopped thinking for the first time in weeks, and her headache began to subside. She was there a long time before her trance was interrupted. Coming to her senses, she looked up at the young man standing next to her table.

  “Yes?” Jenna asked, blinking.

  “I was wondering if I might join you,” the young man asked politely. He was young. He was dirty, but his scent was masked by the awful smell of the bar. He was a desert dweller.

  “Okay,” Jenna answered, feeling she was in no danger. She didn’t know much about the desert people.

  The young man sat down, carrying a half finished drink in his right hand. He reached out his left in greeting.

  “I’m Jared,” he said.

  Jenna gave her name and shook his hand.

  “And what brings you here tonight, Jenna?”

  “I suppose…I’m here so I can’t think about tomorrow. You?”

  “For a last drink!” Jared said cheerfully, lifting the glass. “I’ve only had the chance for a city drink on the rarest of occasions. I thought it would be worth doing one more time.”

  His calmness made Jenna a little uneasy, and it must have shown.

  “I’m sorry,” he said hastily. “I didn’t mean to remind you...about tomorrow. Clearly you want to forget about…” he stopped himself from finishing.

  “No,” Jenna said. “It’s okay. I’ve just had a lot on my mind is all.”

  “I understand. It isn’t easy being left behind.”

  Jenna looked at him, only just holding her tongue. Jared thought she was being left behind.

  “Yeah,” was all she could think to say. A brief silence fell over the table, but Jenna’s curiosity took hold. “Why aren’t you bothered? The desert people aren’t part of the UN, so they weren’t allowed in the fleet. Still, you are very calm.”

  “I guess,” he answered, “I saw it coming. It was only a matter of time before it all collapsed. I also knew there would be nowhere for my people and I to go.”

  “But why are you here? I would expect someone like you to be in the riots.”

  Jared raised an eyebrow, and Jenna suddenly felt very stupid. She just insulted him, though she hadn’t meant to.

  “I don’t mean that in a bad way,” she attempted, tripping over herself. “I mean, um…”

  She was stopped by Jared’s laughter. It was good natured, and strangely comforting.

  “I took no offence. I just find it funny that you think rioting accomplishes anything. People are doing it because they’d sooner fight than accept death. I choose to die drinking. Maybe I’ll join the riots if the mood strikes tomorrow.”

  His dark humour was a little surprising, but Jenna was starting to gain an odd respect for this young man.

  “But regardless,” Jenna insisted. “Aren’t you afraid? Don’t you wish you were leaving with the fleet?”

  Jared’s good humoured face suddenly became very stiff. He looked away in silence for a moment, thinking over the question. When he answered, he did so firmly. There was no anger, just honesty.

  “Do you know what I wish, Jenna?”

  Jenna shook her head.

  “I wish, that there was no fleet at all. I wish that with all my heart.”

  The answer completely threw Jenna off balance.

  “But,” she stammered. “What about all the people it’s saving? Don’t you feel some need for people to escape?”

  “I feel for one people at this point, Jenna, and those people are the Martians.”

  “The Martians?”

  “As far as I’m concerned, that fleet isn’t saving billions of people. Those people are already doomed because of their lifestyles. They abused this planet until there was nothing left. No fleet will save them. They're a people who suck planets dry, hoping foolishly to move on to the next. They'll suck Mars dry as well, ensuring the end of the Martians, and themselves.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jenna admitted.

  Jared set down his drink and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Listen, it doesn’t matter how lush or resilient a planet the people in that fleet land on. They are doomed by the way they think. They insist on converting that beautiful planet into a giant artificial rock, and for what? They're mad! They will always fail. They assault the environment, and this is what happens when they finally win. Death.”

  It was strange for Jenna to hear. Whenever Jared was referring to them, he was referring to her as well. It was a blanketing statement, but she looked past it.

  “And,” Jenna asked, “What does this have to do with the Martians?”

  Jared nodded, continuing his explanation. “The Martians don’t do that. They don’t insist on converting their environment. Obviously they did when they first got to Mars. They made the planet more like Earth, until they could live there, but when they tried to live like Earth people, they couldn’t. It just didn’t work. They couldn’t fight or convert an environment that was barely there. So they worked with their environment. They adapted to what little they had. My people do the same out in the desert.

  "Trust me, the two ways of life don’t mix. Don’t you ever wonder why the Martians broke communications with Earth in the first place? They didn’t want anything to do with us, and I’m sure they aren’t enthusiastic about the fleet either. When the Earth refugees arrive on Mars, they will try to change things. They will try to convert Mars, and the Martians will try stopping them. The people ‘escaping’ in the fleet will share the same fate as those on Earth. They’re just postponing the inevitable. The true tragedy to me, Jenna, is that the Martians are being involved at all.”

  Chapter – 26

   

  Jenna woke late the following morning with a slight headache. The sun was in the sky, which told her she was late for work. Not that it mattered. Tomas had instructed everyone to be at the elevator by noon. Showing up for work wasn’t necessary.

  Jenna looked to her right, but didn’t see Jared, only a note left on the pillow next to her. She sat up, leaning over to read it.

   

  Jenna,

  Thank you for a memorable evening. Godspeed.