Through the eons, there have
been several wars and dictators who poisoned land and people. Rulers decreed
restricted travel. Regulations were in place prohibiting anything but laboratory
created foods. Gardens, hunting and
fishing were restricted. Farmlands were burned and destroyed. Mankind was nearly
eradicated because of the leaders greed and need to control the masses. Great
sorrow emerged and deaths increased. A
few hundred thousand were able to escape the dying planet, but there weren’t
enough space ships for all humanity to leave.
Those that remained built cities underground. They saved thousands. The
rest perished.
As the poisons abated, the
planet recovered, travelers left seeds, animals and fish that evolved to
replace those gone extinct. Wildlife adapted to their environment and repopulated
the earth. The plant life expanded.
A few people came and stayed.
Through the centuries the lands
that had been hot, arid and nearly barren blossomed, again offering healthy soil
suitable for farming. Lakes, oceans,
ponds, and waterways attract birds, wildlife and fish. They multiply and
flourish.
Throughout these tumultuous
times, The House remained alone, waiting, until it would again embrace a
family.
TROUBLE
“The stabilizer is broken, we’re
in free fall, out of control. I don’t know if I can fix it.” Ardel quickly
turns onto the problem at hand. His long fingers are able to get into tight
spots. With dark brows furrowed, he concentrates on the worn unresponsive equipment.
I struggle to gain footing and
hear Ardel’s voice in my ear monitor. “Hey,
honey, gather all the specimens in the lab and transfer them into the pods. I
feel like we are running out of time. Boy, I’m grateful for those remote flyers.”
“Getting it done, sweetie,” I
multi-task as I mentally organize long lists from most to least important, as
all must be done quickly in order to protect our projects.
“O.K. Nearly completed, boss. Making
good time here. Keep focus there while I get this done, big boy,” I wipe away a
wisp of my blond hair that is dripping sweat into my eyes. It is irritating. “Aren’t
you glad I can bend like an acrobat so I’m able to maneuver this old space can? What was that loud crack, bang noise?”
“We are shaking around like
toys. The chickens will be laying
scrambled eggs if it doesn’t stop. What happened, Ardel? I’m having quite a
time getting anything done, let alone transfer all the live specimens into pods.
I don’t want to fly across the lab like a wingless bird,” I mumble away to
Ardel.
His voice deepens and he talks
slower when facing trouble. I recognize
the stressful change now. “The ship is in an unstable state because we lost the
gravitation system. Get your magnetic boots on. We’re being whipped around. I’m
sorry, sweetie. I feel like we’re in a tornado,” he grumbles. “I am trying to activate the floor magnet
now, so we can move about without gravity. The system isn’t responding.
Checking the chips and circuits to it now, hang on honey. Boy, I am glad we
don’t have to use the magnets all the time because they limit our mobility when
they’re activated. Aha, Got it. No more
flailing around,” he says. “I hate these boots,” he grumbles.
“I was grabbing the nearest counters
to keep from floating across the room until you activated the magnet. Thanks,
magic man, for a renewed, although cumbersome mobility. You know I’m not a
flowing form of elegance in antigravity. Nope, I’m downright awkward and
clumsy. These boots are no dainty answer either.”
Ardel
responds, “We’re lucky the magnet isn’t too strong, then, or you’d be stock
still, unable to move your dainty toes in those big magnetic boots.”
“For a second that put a
picture in my head, because you would have the same fate. No moving experience
for you, na-ha. I can’t imagine seeing you,
mister perpetual motion himself, and stationary. You would be miserable,” I say.
“This would be worse if we were
greenhorns. I’m so glad you’re with me, Jurnee, do you realize we have traveled
for fifteen years?”
“You make me think back to our
beginning times. I’d say we are well-seasoned travelers. Gosh, honey, you make us
sound old. Doesn’t it seem odd that this may be our last excursion?” I’m
rambling on. “If the old space can is truly worn out, we will spend our lives
on the planet we end up on. Right now that sounds tempting.”
“I wish this was a cinch. I’d
love to snap my fingers and get this mess fixed,” Ardel wipes sweat from his
brow and grabs the airtight mug for a swig of cold water
“I feel sorry for you, all
tired and frustrated. I could use extra hands too, honey. I wish we had some
robot handy that has lots of hands and can think like us? Oh, and I’m finished
safeguarding all the specimens for flight. Do you need help in there, big boy?”
“I’m OK for now, No wonder volunteers for this
work have been hard to find,“ Ardel responds.
“I transferred the gardens and
critters into the pods awhile ago, just for insurance. I included all items
essential for living out of here. I’m
coming to ya, kid, like it or not so make room for me.”
“Watch your step, tiny toes.”
“Ha ha.”
“I’m tightening another section
of gear here. One more done, several to go.”
I watch him use a huge ugly
tool I wouldn’t know how to use nor want to. “Nice job maintenance man. Do you
realize we have cataloged items on 143 planets? I was sectioning and preparing
them for the journey when I noticed the numbers logged in.”
“I hear you, bun bun, my mind is
on food and I’m wishing one of us had learned creative cooking. Right now I’m
starving. I’ve been at this for hours nonstop,” Ardel hints for food.
“Well now, I’ll fix some
strange tough piece of leather in a packet for your delicate palate. I can’t
let my man suffer.”
“I’m sick of sweating over these
repairs with little to show for it, Jurnee. We need to orbit a planet soon, so
everything can be repaired. At least we could find out IF our old space can is
repairable. Besides I’m a wreck, tired, cranky, and hate not knowing if I can
get things working again. I’m feeling incompetent about now.” He says.
I watch him pick up another
tool to fix a short. This time the tool is small and looks like it has teeth.
Ugh. I turn back toward my destination, the galley, moving slowly, like my feet
are all but glued to the floor.
“With the huge machinery inert,
we are flinging across space like rocks hurtled from a slingshot. We’ve kept
the old space can going without a hitch, or should I revert back to calling her
the tin can? We can take every pod in one trip when we get into orbit and I’m
grateful they are in good shape for us. Tell
me where we are going, Jurnee?”
“Punch in these co-ordinates. Set
30 degrees clockwise from the sun, x=2,0,0, y=1,2,0 z=60,0. Keep it steady
right there. “
“I want to get out of here and feel
real ground under my feet. Here is your food.
“I know what planet will suit
our needs. It has the atmosphere needed to sustain our lives. The microprobe I sent has answered already.
Oxygen, big boy, it has real clean air, unfiltered and holds life. The microbe
was a wealth of information
“By the way, blue eyes, soon
we’ll be in orbit. She can orbit, can’t she? You know I am always concerned
when there is a break in the system. Phooey, I must breathe calmly to keep my
mind from racing away in panic.”
“Gee, baby, you’ll be fine. You
know how to work through the tension. I just fixed a small cluster of
connections. They had fried and I bypassed them. We can maneuver the old
fashioned way, thanks to the design of this equipment. We are in for a hard
ride, until we can get into orbit mode. Give me your time estimate,” Ardel asks.
“Eight hours and five minutes,
“ I answer.
“I’m beginning to believe we will have a
successful rendezvous with this planet,” he says.
I hear his long sigh as he sets
the co-ordinates. I watch his fingers move with perfect dexterity. “Do you know
how much I appreciate you right now?”
“Shhh, I’m busy. Hold it just for
a minute.”
I watch him work with intense
concentration.
“We can talk now,” he says as
he puts the tools into their portable wheeled compartment.
“Look, as we plunge toward the
planet it grows before our eyes as we get closer and closer. What a sight,
sweetheart. Not long now. I’m anxious to finish this trip,” I say.
“It’s taken us eight hours, three
and a half minutes. We have arrived. You are magic, mister. Are we ready for
the next big step in our lives?”
He looks at me and says, “ Oh,
yes. Let’s go together in one pod. We can make our decisions along the way
exactly where to land and find our new home, whether permanent or temporary,
I’m so thankful we made it. Which pod are we going in?”
“The one I painted with flowers
on the outside one day when I was feeling creative. You know that I still like
the silly artsy flower arrangement I painted. I remember thinking it was a
grand piece of Art at the time. How funny. Look at it. Kids can paint better
than me, but it was fun to do.”
“Well, I like it. I may not
give you any access to paint for awhile, though,” he teases.
“ You know I’m sneaky. If I get
a yen to paint something, look out. Let’s get out of here,” I say. The first thing
I’m doing when I get into the pod is get rid of these boots,”
Ardel says, “ I can’t wait.”
“It feels so good being free of
them, doesn’t it?” I say.