Madeleine E. Robins and Becca Caccavo
How’s it going?
Hello?
Emma?
Where are you?
hey mama llama. sorry bout that, dead zone was extra dead Dead, huh?
As a dog.
You’re in Texas?
mexico. south-y
Where are you now?
around guadalajara? at least the road signs have been saying so. Stay away from the Mexico City sinkholes.
but moooommmmm…
I’m serious. There’s rioting again.
yeah mom, i know.
How are you guys?
good. alexis has a cold. all good tho long as the snow lasts
we can just tow him behind us on skis lmao.
crossed into guatemala last night.
how are you? how’s the school?
I’m okay. School’s smaller than it was. Reika and her family left for Canada. Rolling blackouts: Oakland City Council threatened to sue the state. State laughed. The usual.
Not too close to the coast, are you?
no we heard about the flooding. wanted to go thru tegucigalpa,
but it’s lakefront property now.
how’s mycroft?
Fine. Misses you. Hasn’t been made into a pie yet.
thank goodness for that.
That cat has 18 lives.
How are you eating?
OK. we glean, run into farms where we get fresh food
when we can.
got plenty of canned and dried tho.
we on that oregano trail
**oregon fucking autocorrect
Now who’s not funny?
So where are you, Emma-lem?
Lemma?
Dammit, Lem, say something.
sorry had to take alexis to hospital
Is he okay?
no. medico said he was sick before we left US so, you know.
rest of us are okay
You staying in—where? until he’s better?
hes not going to be getting better. i knew this would be hard,
mom, but…
Jesus, honey. I’m so sorry.
i know mama
left him in central nicaragua
Need to get to cabo de hornas before spring tide get too high.
hope you have a map.
I might have to close the school.
what mom no
I might. No one has money. Tom Chun paid with a chicken last week. Good eating, but not good for taxes.
the school is your dream
And the city was poking around talking about licensing, anyway. They don’t care, just want the fees. Which I can’t pay.
what would you do?
I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe move out to Redding with Uncle Lou.
and…the house?
It’s just a house. You’re not coming back from Antarctica.
but its our home
Sometimes you gotta let go.
I’m sorry. That sounded bitter.
Lem?
Please answer.
Emma
Please answer. Where are you. Are you okay?
Lem
im here i’m okay we got held up at border to panama
When?
thursday.
no, friday morning.
Are you okay?
yeah they were looking fr plagues n shit
we’re okay Im okay.
Plague? I thought that was just in the north.
they’re trying to keep it out out of here. had to wait
for blood tests
So you’re not carriers. Well, that’s a mercy.
Boiling the water?
oh absolutely, darling, just like at home.
Will you hate me forever if I say you could still turn around and come home?
won’t hate you…just won’t turn around.
last boat to king george goes in november.
Will they let you in?
of course, without a doubt.
I wish there was something here for you.
i’m not going away from there, mom. i’m going
toward antarctica
school is still in session?
More like day care now. The older kids are all working.
older like how old
All the kids over 7 are working the Oakland garden.
Still have some toddlers and kindergartners. And runny noses!
sorry I didnt text yesterday got stopped in Pasto in Colombia
mom
mama
you are really really scaring me mom
mom please
I’m okay.
I have that bug that everyone’s getting.
what? bug? which bug? are you okay now?
Don’t freak out. It’s not plague. Just fever and feeling tired.
And I’m better today.
What happened in Pasto?
roadblock looking for contraband.
they didnt know what to make of the reverse
osmosis machine lmao
held us over night on the good
side though—FINALLY A SHOWER
But you’re okay? Where are you guys now?
in ecuador been trading goods and art and stories.
its beautiful here. so green
I remember green. :)
When I was a kid there were trees and whole hills of yellow flowers in the springtime. I’m sorry you didn’t have that.
What did you trade?
some books some old tech just stuff. some ska-doodles
No medicine, I hope.
no mom im not dumb
Have you been in contact with the settlement?
ya via radio twice a week
How are things there?
Mom its amazing. the excavation sites—theyve found the first
sign of a city under the tundra! The hydroponics are in their third
harvest. The research station has launched a low-orbit seeding
platform—makes me feel like we have a chance.
Humanity, that is. and us guys in the van, too
It’s good you’re going.
that’s the first time youve said that mama, whats going on?
Feeling a little blue. I haven’t shaken this virus.
Had to close the school. Can’t keep up with the kids.
but you’re okay right? you’ve kept the gaerden going
and have been eating ogod food?
wait no! closed school for good?
It was going to happen.
so what are you going to do…go to reading?
I don’t know. When I feel better I’ll make a plan.
im sending you healing love. i love you mom, so much.
Me too, you.
GREETINGS from catacaos peruuuu! remember miss lang from
4th grade she would love it here
Why?
its beautiful…it looks like every photo she had on the
walls of the classroom. the marketplace is insane
Insane?
so much beautiful fruit
Sounds delicious.
hey, mamallama
Hey, honey.
you still in oakland?
I am. I’m afraid
wait afraid of what is everyrhing okay?
Sorry, I got interrupted.
I’m afraid Mycroft is gone. He got out the window
last Wednesday and hasn’t come back.
no, mom, he could still come back
I hope so, Lem.
so its just you?
Actually, no. Hua Tran and Luke moved in last week.
They lost their apartment and I needed some help. So.
what do you need help with.
I haven’t been well.
mom what kind of bug is this? you’ve been sick for weeks.
Nurse thinks its one of the tick-borne ones. Bourbon or Heartland virus. Can’t afford tests, no retro-virals work on it. Don’t fret. It’ll work itself out.
Looks like gardening isn’t so healthy after all.
we stopped to work at a beautiful farm for a few days
so glad i took spanish—but here they talk mostly quechua.
on road south today. i’m learning so much, mom, every second.
had a close call today
What does that mean? Lemma!
were okay now
got stopped on the road by a local gang
they took most of the food and kaila’s and stephen’s tablets
didn’t find the trap door to the emergency food and money
What happened? Were they armed? Was anyone hurt?
tbh, mom, they just wanted stuff we handed it over
everything was fine we were amicable, given.
i bought this phone in cajabamba
Were you frightened?
Lem?
ummmm…i was fucking terrified but played it
super cool considering
guns and screaming—
we’re lucky only stephen got pistol whipped
Oh, God, baby. I want you home Now.
its ok mom nothign i havent seen in the bay tbh i just never told
you
we’re more than half way there mom
and we’re okay it was not fun but we got through it
I didn’t think you’d turn around. But
I hate having you so far away.
i miss you too. i love you.
heading for argentina, then into chile. figure we’ve got about
10 days til punto arenas then another few days to
get to cabo de hornos
So in two weeks you’ll be on King George Island.
yeh punto arenas is our last big city
we’ll be there in time for
spring Spring in Antarctica. Wow.
antarctica isnt what it was back in the day mom
I know.
Listen, Emma-lemma: you may not hear from me after you get there.
what? no, mom, the settlement has net amd cell reception
we can video-chat
mom
mom you there?
I’m here.
what did you mean before?
Before?
Oh. Nothing.
If I go to stay with Uncle Lou, I don’t know what the cell service will be.
mom you live in america. even when there’s no water or
food or governmentthere will always be internet and cell service
I just didn’t want you to worry. If you didn’t hear from me.
im not worried that, i know that woudlnt happen
Where are you now?
left villa carlos paz this morning. heading back to highway.
Mycroft came back!
He wandered in this morning looking like he
had slain a dragon and could eat a horse, but
he’s still alive.
YES!! i told you!
i fell in love with a puppy yesterday
that wandered up to the van
his eyes gave me the same feeling your hugs do
Are you going to bring him to the settlement?
i wish.
I can’t imagine you without a pet.
i’m saving the world for all the pups out there, mom
puntas arenas by tomorrow morning
coastal route is flooded so we’re going the long way
How’re your supplies holding up?
we bought more fruit and stuff
haven’t used the antibiotics since alexis
its only a few more days til we get there
mom we’re on the boat! the water is so blue.
we got to cabo de hornos and for once everything went
just the way it was supposed to
loaded all the supplies we had left and now im on deck
watching chile vanish
its gray and blue here they may call it spring
but it’s hot as hell!
mom i know me going was hard for you. it was and is for me too,
all the time.
but i’m so excited to get there and start creating and living my
purpose…in *antarctica* you know? ive always been obsessed
with the place
kay is already plotting data for the settlement long
distance. we have the chance to save the planet. its terrifying and
amazing
I hope you can.
of course we can mom! the planet is being saved right as we
breathe
I’m proud of you.
Remember.
be proud of yourself. you created me.
mama we sighted the shore—king george. it’s green, with gray
hills behind. and theres yellow flowers, mama. its so beautiful
youd love it. we’re going to fix the world.