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TWO MONTHS SINCE the unknown terrorists attacked and the wounds were only beginning to heal. The dead long buried and new hires brought on board in their place to continue the project.
Liam shifted his weight as he stood on a dais along with other senior staff members behind the president. Foster spoke to the crowd and the media at the memorial ceremony on the STS Five campus in front of the scorched remains that once housed his office and where one hundred and thirteen lives were lost. They decided to clean up the debris, but leave the remaining structure standing as a show of support for those whose lives were taken. Also, with a ticking clock on the world, the time and effort to take it all down seemed pointless.
For ten minutes President Foster had been speaking, naming each of the deceased along with a quick note written by their family members.
It was now late spring and the Orlando temperature was practically setting fire to the air. Not for the first time that afternoon, Liam wished NASA moved their location to a place like Minnesota after Cape Canaveral and Houston flooded instead of fifty-five miles inland.
Sweat rolling down his cheeks, he stood diligently in his military dress uniform looking down at Ann who sat near the front row. With a ping of jealousy he watched her take a drink of water. Beside her sat his old friend, Percy Alvarez. He and Percy fought alongside each other during the African Water War. Percy came to visit him soon after he got home from the hospital, saying he saw the explosion on the news and knew he had to come check on him. Liam immediately recruited him to help lead his new security efforts on the campus and his friend jumped at the chance to join the team.
Together, they revamped security; adding multiple checkpoints to even get on site, a two fence system with landmines in between, a specially trained K-9 unit, and a slew of other new security protocols that did nothing but annoy many staff members. Entering and leaving the premises required a full body scan and pat down for all personnel.
After the ceremony concluded, the crowd—sans President Foster—retreated to a nice, cool air conditioned atrium. Friends and family toasted to the deceased and the alcohol did its best to turn a somber event into a cheery one.
“No drink for you, my friend?” Percy approached Liam who’d been sitting alone at a table sipping on water. He took his own seat while taking a drink of a beer.
“Ah, no I’m afraid not. Haven’t touched the stuff in nine months. Long story.”
“To be heard another time. Listen, not to sound disrespectful, but was there a reason we couldn’t have just had the memorial ceremony inside? Here? In the AC?”
“Foster. He wanted the photo op of the remains of the building behind him as he spoke. Said it would play well to the cameras.”
“That son of a bitch,” Percy said with a smile. Years ago both Percy and Liam served under President Foster—then a military general—in Africa. That connection helped Liam land his current job with the STS.
“Yes, he is. But neither of us would be here without him. We can’t forget that. How’s your new apartment coming? Get settled?”
“Settled enough. With this gig I have a guaranteed seat on The Hawking so it’s not like I’ll be here long. Couple years max.”
“Are you going to miss it here? Earth?”
“Do you mean am I going to miss government rationed meals and a hundred degree days in fucking January? Honestly? Some of it I will. Some of it I’ll be glad to never think about again.”
“I know what you mean. I took a vacation a few years back. Went north to Alaska to do some camping. Temperature dipped cold one night. I was freezing. I didn’t know what to do because I definitely didn’t pack for weather that cold. I layered up in a few shirts. Two pairs of pants on. Percy, I saw snow. It didn’t last long, only about an hour and it was gone. But I tell you, it was the most amazing thing. There is still some beauty in this world. I’ll miss that.”
“You think there will be snow on Proxima?”
“From our best guesses on the habitat there? No. Remember, it’s tidally locked. One side of the planet is a hot mess. The other frozen. We just got to find that sweet spot right on the edge. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance the ozone layer on that planet is destroyed. Proxima is just our first stop, don’t forget. If it’s a bust, we just pick somewhere else and go back to sleep.”
“Do you think it will be a bust? I mean I’m along for the ride either way. But you’ve been here for what—five years? You should be an expert.”
“Ha. No, not my area of expertise. The astronomers chose Proxima b as our first stop. They’re the ones who know all there is we can know about that planet and star system. I just make sure the ship gets built. I’m no astronomer, or engineer, or any of that. But, if I had to be real, based on what I’ve gleaned over the years, I do think it will prove to be a bust. Like I said though, that’s just stop number one. When you only age when you’re awake you have a lot of time to travel the galaxy.”
“Well, I suppose anywhere is better than here. I made the mistake of telling my barber where I worked the other day. I thought he might stab me with the scissors. The media says people are behind us a hundred percent, but I don’t buy it. Have you been out there lately? The jealousy is real and it will only get worse as the reality sets in for these people that we’re leaving them behind to die. Especially when they don’t get picked for the lottery.”
“You think it will be bad? They have to know the odds of getting chosen in the citizenship lottery are slim to none. Twenty-five thousand per ship. Ten thousand of which are crew and pre-selected experts. People who are really needed. Only fifteen thousand can be chosen in the lottery. I wouldn’t put my eggs in that basket.”
“Me neither. If you hadn’t asked me to join security, I was thinking of going to find a cabin somewhere where it can still get cold every once in a while. Just going to ride out the end of the world in peace and quiet.”
“I would almost envy you. It’s going to get bad here. Real bad. Did you know the birth rate last year was down another fifty percent? Children inspire hope. Without children all that will be left are angry, depressed adults fighting for the last can of beans.”
“It won’t be long before those adults are fighting at our gates. And I’m not talking about the terrorists. I’m talking John and Jane down the street.”
Liam nodded. He understood exactly what Percy meant. They saw the same thing in Africa fighting back rioters crying out for the last drops of water. Percy must have read his facial expression.
“You’re thinking about Africa. I’m not going to lie, I’ve been having the same thoughts. What we did there—Liam, I’m scared we’ll have to do it here. But I’m a realist if nothing else. It’s not a matter of if but when there will be mass riots on the other side of that gate.”
“Why do you think I recruited you? Not many could understand what might need to happen. Let alone have the ability to follow through.”
“I honestly don’t know if that’s a compliment.”
“More of a statement, Percy. Nothing more than that. You’re my security guy. I trust you to do the job.”
“I’ve got a few guys—ex-military like us. I think they’d be a valuable asset.” Percy leaned closer and spoke more quietly. “If it came down to it, they know how to pull the trigger.”
Liam considered. Somehow this conversation made a turn into a topic he knew must be discussed, but wasn’t prepared to have that discussion here and now. He thought about telling Percy to schedule a meeting in his office Monday, but instead leaned in close as well.
“We are talking about murdering our nation’s own. There could be children in that crowd. If it even came down to that of course.” Liam suspected it would, though. Desperate people were dangerous. After the lottery, things would go downhill quickly. There would be riots at the gates. People would be attacking the convoys transporting assembly pieces to the shuttle pads.
“It will, Liam. We both know it. My guys know the score. The fate of the species is at stake and if it comes down to stopping a few bad people trying to hitch a ride to ensure nothing happens to that mission, they know what to do.”
“Yeah, I get it. Bring them in next week. I want to meet them. If you’re on the STS payroll you get a seat on a ship and what an incredible privilege that is. I want to make sure they’re up to the task.”
“I’ll bring them in. The lottery is in six months. After that, all bets are off. We will be ready.”
The two friends changed the subject to a new, happier topic. Ann came and went several times, Liam kept drinking his water, and Percy made three or four stops at the open bar. Meanwhile, something was itching in the back of Liam’s mind. Just out of reach of being able to scratch. He tried not to think about it.
The sand squished underneath his feet as he ran over it. Waves crashed just feet away on his left, the rising sun reflected on the water. Seagulls flew overhead and a light breeze cooled his skin. For Liam, nothing beat an early morning run on the beach. He found it relaxing and it was one of the few times he had to himself. Sure, he could be running through a forest or a city park, but something about the beach kept him coming back. It reminded him of simpler times, though he had conflicting feelings toward past generations. He envied them that they could enjoy environments such as these, and he hated them for being so careless with it.
A tap on his shoulder.
He stopped running and shut down the virtual reality system. He removed his visor and gloves and turned around to face Ann who held out a fresh cup of faux-coffee. Real coffee wasn’t a thing anymore except for the rich. He never had the pleasure of drinking real coffee so he lacked the knowledge to know what he was missing out on, but rumors circulated of bringing back real coffee on the STS ships in the farming sectors if they could find the space to plant the beans. He hoped it was possible just so he could try it.
“You’re up early,” Ann said as she handed him his cup.
“Needed to clear my head. What’s your excuse?”
“No reason. Body does what the body does. Come sit on the porch with me.”
He followed her through the house. They moved in together officially six months ago. There was quite a disagreement about who would move into whose house. His was bigger, but hers was closer to work. He compromised by moving into her house. She did let him set up his VR-Trek in the spare bedroom which suited him fine.
It was only six in the morning so the outside temperature was still relatively decent compared to how high it would rise in the afternoon sun. Birds chirped announcing the rising sun as a jogger ran by on the street outside. Liam didn’t know how they did it. Not everyone could afford a VR-Trek, he supposed. Although people hadn’t used fossil fuels for energy in five decades, the air was still too polluted for him to run outside. He watched the jogger round a corner and run out of sight.
Ann motioned for him to join her on the porch swing. Careful not to spill his hot faux-coffee on himself, he sat next to her. Sometimes she would start swinging as he came down causing him to fall on his ass. Thankfully, his ass was safe this morning.
“I’m proud of you, Liam,” she declared with a serious tone. She rested her hand on his knee. “I really am. Yesterday there were plenty of chances for you to take a drink, but you stayed away.”
“Well, I did promise you, didn’t I? It would be a lie to say I wasn’t tempted, though.” And he had been. The bottle had been a magical cure-all for numbing his mind after he returned to the States from overseas. Too often he found himself thinking about the horrors he faced. Too often he silenced those thoughts the only way he knew how.
“You did promise. And I know I shouldn’t drink in front of you. I did yesterday, and I’m sorry about that.”
“My problems shouldn’t be your problems.”
“Yes they should. A relationship is about sharing the burdens. I’m afraid I tempted you and I apologize.”
“No apologies needed. It’s fine, really.”
She laid her head on his shoulder and squeezed his free hand. Orange light painted the eastern horizon as the sun continued its daily ascent. The two took a moment to soak it in and drink the steaming liquid caffeine.
“I’ve been thinking of going to see my dad,” she said. “You know he hasn’t been feeling well lately, and everyday we’re getting closer and closer to finishing The Hawking. I just feel like I may not have another chance if I keep putting it off. He’s already so lonely.”
“When would you go?”
“Soon. Maybe tomorrow. He sent me a video message overnight. I watched it while you were exercising. He looked weak.”
He turned to face her and saw the concern she held in her eyes. She cared deeply for her father. Her mother passed away years before she and Liam met and ever since her father lived alone in eastern Tennessee. He knew Ann wanted to visit more than she could, but work kept her too busy. “Don’t waste time on me, you’re saving the world!” her father would tell her.
“No reason to wait until tomorrow. It’s Sunday, we have nothing planned. I can get you on a hovercopter in an hour and you’ll be at your dad’s in no time. Surprise him, he’ll love it.”
“I can’t ask you to arrange that! That’s too much.”
“It’s no trouble. We always have pilots on standby—there’s a few currently on shift and probably watching movies on the base. One phone call and you’re on your way to the smokies.”
“I love you. Thank you so much. You’re too good to me, Liam.”
“I could always be better,” he said, thinking about the last night he drank. His eyes shifted downward. Ann noticed.
“No, don’t think about that. We’ve put it behind us, okay? You’ve been sober for how long? Neither of us want to go there again.”
“Okay. You’re right.” He put two fingers to his temple and floated them away. “Out of mind. And I love you, too. I’ll go make that phone call.” He kissed her hand and stepped back inside the house.
The screen door closed gently behind Liam leaving Ann alone on the porch. She turned her eyes back to the sunrise, the sun climbed a little higher since last she looked. What were you thinking, she wondered, drinking in front of him yesterday? That wasn’t the first alcoholic beverage she consumed after his last time drinking, but it was the first she’d done so in front of him. How quickly he forgave her. She could see the strides he was making in his recovery—especially after the explosion that almost killed him.
He’d been trying so hard to make amends for that one night, and here she was knocking back drinks—taunting him, so she thought. The STS commission banned alcohol on the fleet, so at least they both knew they could put that chapter behind them for good once they were outside of its earthly reach.
She needed to put those thoughts out of her head. In an hour or so she would be on her way to visit her father. She grew up in a small town in eastern Tennessee, right in the shadows of the Great Smoky Mountains. As an only child she often found herself hiking alone in the mountains marveling at the beauty of the forest and all it had to offer. She was close with her parents—only having a minor rebellious phase in her teens where she didn’t speak to them for two weeks. Sometimes she felt guilty for having such a happy home while millions of families around the world struggled day-by-day to find food and water.
During a particularly dry summer in her college years, an enormous fire engulfed the mountains near her childhood home. Luckily, their house was spared, but millions of acres burned to the ground—not to mention the numerous farms in the nearby area that also caught ablaze. The fire, in a way, inspired her and she became devoted to studying plants to ascertain which of those could survive the coming years and in what extreme conditions. She changed her major from engineering to botany so she could help change the world.
After graduation (the fourth to the last graduating class ever) she stayed at the university and worked as a lab assistant studying the environmental effects of plants native to the land between the two tropics if they were moved to regions above fifty degrees north and south latitude. The goal was to create nature preserves where these plants could be seeded in climates not natural to their native environment and note which could thrive in what conditions. Her work led to several small breakthroughs, enough to eventually secure a grant to lead her own team. She had an idea to create a chemical that could be injected into the plants that would enable certain species to survive in climates where they could not before. She recruited a chemist and a biologist and within three years they had a proven compound that worked for sixty-eight percent of plants. The injected plant could live in a colder climate and its seeds would grow and adapt with no need for a chemical injection.
It was this remarkable breakthrough that got her noticed by the STS commission. She oversaw the transplant of hundreds of plant species to temperate climates before she left the university for good and moved to Orlando where she became the lead scientist in the botany department for The Hawking. She hoped to seed at least a thousand Earth-native plants in alien soil if the Proximian environment could sustain them. But for now, it was time to return home. She must see her father.
Liam rejoined her on the porch several moments later, standing in the doorway. “I secured you a flight. It leaves in an hour and a half.”
She stood and embraced him. Her head rested on his chest. “Thank you.”
An hour later she zipped shut her suitcase, ready to go. Liam offered to drive her to the base and soon her home faded away in the rearview. The home she would never lay eyes on again.