Koenig nodded. “It’s settled, then. Alan, once Helena returns with Simmonds, and I’ve had a chance to talk to him, you and I will head to Earth with him to make arrangements to get everyone home.”
Chapter 4
The Caldoran ship was quiet and dark when Helena and Jeremy arrived. The last time she had been aboard she had been awakened from suspended animation with a splitting headache which had quickly faded. She had been taken from the glass box which had almost become her coffin by Koenig. They had been friends then, not yet lovers, but beginning to acknowledge the attraction they felt for each other. The relief in his face and his hands on her arms as he helped her off the table reinforced her decision to turn down Captain Zantor’s offer to return her to Earth.
She turned to the left and saw Zantor’s cubicle and smiled to herself. The captain of the Caldoran ship had engaged her an a quietly dignified flirting match. It had been the first time she had enjoyed a man’s attention since the death of her husband. His extremely polite compliments had been charming and working with him had been a pleasure. When Commissioner Simmonds had insisted at gunpoint that he be taken to Earth in suspended animation Zantor had reluctantly agreed. Helena had been concerned that Simmonds would not allow Zantor to use his computer to prepare Simmonds for suspended animation. She had unfortunately been right, and Simmonds had contacted Alpha only a few hours later. The ship had been under constant acceleration, and the Alphans had nothing fast enough to overtake the alien craft and rescue him.
The chamber next to Zantor held Simmonds. Instead of laying prone as the Caldorans were, Simmonds was curled in a fetal position at one end of the cubicle.
<<He appears to be unconscious.>> Jeremy said through their mental link.
<< Sleeping, or perhaps in shock. It hasn’t been long enough for him to suffer physically. The commlock was out of range within a few hours of the time Simmonds awoke and called Alpha.>>
Jeremy noted the laser on a table outside the clear cubical and silently pointed it out to Helena. She nodded and he picked it up as she walked to the controls for the chamber. Simmonds stirred as she passed her hand over the panel that opened the door, but he did not turn.
“Commissioner?” Helena said softly.
He jumped as if shot, and turned over, not attempting to touch the wall that was no longer there. His eyes were wide with terror. “You! You’re a hallucination,” he said.
“We’re quite real, Commissioner,” Helena said calmly. “Commander Koenig sent us to bring you back to Alpha.”
He reached out hesitantly, and felt for the wall which should have been there, then glanced across the chamber at the airlock.
“Where’s your ship?”
“That will all be explained.” Helena held out a hand to him. If she could make contact with him she would be able to render him unconscious and explanations could wait until their return to Alpha.
He took her hand reluctantly, still disoriented, and allowed her and Jeremy to help him out of his cell. The physical contact surprised her. He had strong shields, and had the potential to become a formidable telepath. She exchanged a glance and a thought with Jeremy. Could the years Simmonds had spent in the political arena have honed his abilities so well that he had learned to shield even his thoughts from others? Or was this some innate ability that he had?
It was not her intention to teach him how to use his mental powers, but she would now need to give him some explanations and rely on his cooperation.
Simmonds took a deep breath and seemed calmer now that he was out of what had seemed destined to be his coffin. He glanced at the counter where his laser had been and noted that it was missing. He said nothing about the laser, and shifted his glance to Zantor’s still form.
“His people shouldn’t be allowed to land on Earth.” Simmonds stated quickly. “Dr. Russell, you should revive him and tell him so now.”
Helena shook her head, answering, “No, Commissioner. Captain Zantor’s computers have been programmed not to revive him until they reach Earth. Did you allow him to have his computers scan you before you underwent the suspension process?”
“He told me the process was automatic. I made sure he was under first so he wouldn’t have a chance to change his mind. He certainly made no mention of any additional steps.”
Koenig had warned Helena to avoid an argument with Simmonds at all costs. To Simmonds the truth was a manipulable variable, and he would always win any verbal sparring match. Helena could see that with each passing moment Simmonds was regaining his equilibrium and grasping for control of the situation. Helena remained quiet and Simmonds changed the subject, looking toward the airlock.
“No matter. Why is the airlock closed?”
“We didn’t use it,” Helena stated briskly. She continued, “We’re from twenty years into your future. Some of us have learned to manipulate space and time to move from one place to another. It is our intention to return to Earth in 1999, and we were sent to retrieve you from the Caldoran ship to accompany us.”
Simmonds was used to maintaining his composure under nearly all circumstances, but this was outside the scope of his belief. “What kind of nonsense are you talking, Doctor?”
Helena proceeded calmly. “It’s not nonsense, Commissioner. With your cooperation we will return you to Alpha in the year 2019, then you will accompany Commander Koenig to Earth. That is what you were recommending we do: find a way to return to Earth.”
“You’ve found a way? To return to Earth? That’s marvelous!” His surprise and pleasure were genuine, but he also picked up another aspect of her explanation. “What kind of cooperation do you require?”
“Merely that you relax and trust us during the journey. There will be a short period of discomfort. It will feel like being completely cut off from all your sensory inputs, even your sense of touch. You must simply allow us to move you in the right direction. If you struggle we may not be able to bring you through.”
She felt him tense and his shields strengthen. To relax and give someone else control would be most difficult for him. She and Jeremy remained quiet, waiting for him to decide and to realize that the alternative was to remain here and die. She sent Jeremy a mental message to fully shield his thought from Simmonds, both now and during the transition. <<Give him no opportunity to learn any aspect of these abilities.>> Jeremy responded with wholehearted agreement.
“All right, Doctor. You have my cooperation. What do I need to do?”
Despite his shields she had the feeling that Simmonds would cooperate only as long as he wished to. When he no longer saw an advantage to cooperating he would again try to take matters into his own hands. She stepped to his side and took his hand in hers. Jeremy stepped to his other side and did the same. With a final glance at Captain Zantor’s still form she instructed Simmonds to close his eyes, take a deep breath and relax. As he did so, the three humans vanished from the Caldoran ship leaving its five occupants behind to continue their long journey to Earth.
Chapter 5
John Koenig slid into bed beside his wife. Although Carter had warned him that a trip from Alpha to Earth was exhausting, he had not fully appreciated that until he had done it himself.
“Mmm, you’re back,” Helena commented sleepily as he curled around her.
“Glad to see you missed me,” he replied jokingly, kissing the back of her neck.
“You’ve only been gone a few hours,” she said, moving closer to him and relaxing in his embrace.
“It’s been over a week for me!”
Helena smiled, eyes still closed. “How did it go?”
“Quite well. Simmonds argued admirably for us. Of course, whatever settlement he got for us, he got for himself as well. There’s still something about him I don’t trust, but we’ll be getting everyone home, then I won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“Does that mean you don’t plan to continue with the space program.?”
“I think I’ve been on my own too long to have the patience to deal with the politics again.”
She chuckled. “You’re probably right.”
“Is everything ready here?”
“I have the schedules all posted. Everyone is ready to go when you give the word. It will take ten days to move everyone back to Earth.”
“Everyone excited?”
“With a few exceptions. Maya is terrified of meeting Tony’s family.”
“She doesn’t have any reason to be.”
“No, and once Angela Verdesschi sets eyes on her grandchildren she’s likely to nominate Maya for sainthood.”
“You know her?”
“Yes, when Lee’s ship disappeared the press descended on me like a plague of locusts. The Space Agency assigned Tony to help me deal with it. He took me to Naples to his mother’s house. She was wonderful -- just what I needed. Under any other circumstances I would have been considered a prospective wife for one of her eligible sons of marriageable age, but I received honorary daughter status. She really is a dear, and Tony and I have both tried to assure Maya, but she’s still nervous.”
“Well, she’ll get over it soon. I’d like to start tomorrow morning.”
Helena nodded. “She’ll be too busy to worry.” She turned over and kissed her husband. “Let’s get some sleep, then.”
In Jason’s quarters some other unhappy Alphans were gathering. Joshua Devers appeared next to the bed in the small room. His friend Jason was already awake and sitting up. Amanda Verdesschi appeared next, holding her two year old brother. She sat between her two friends.
“Why did you bring Marco?” Jason asked.
“Mama’s upset and Daddy asked me to look after him. He won’t go to sleep, so I had to bring him along.”
Liana and Katie arrived next through the door. The three teens had been trained to used their mental potential and would be expected to assist ferrying Alphans back to Earth. Liana was considered too young, as was Katie. Joshua sighed. “What’re they doing here?”
“We want to know what you’re planning.” Liana insisted stubbornly. Five-year-old Katie held Liana’s hand and nodded.
“Nothing,” Jason stated firmly. “Go back to bed.”
Marco Verdesschi leaned out of his sister’s lap toward Liana who held out her arms and took him from Amanda. Liana perched on Jason’s desk and Katie climbed into his desk chair.
Katie looked at Amanda and said, “I don’t want to go away, Amy.”
Amanda took her hand. “None of us do Katie, but the grown-ups say we have to.”
“Why?”
Amanda shook her head. “I’m not really sure.”
Joshua leaned against the wall. “Well, my parents aren’t too happy about it.”
“My dad wants to go, but my mom doesn’t,” Amanda said.
“Well, they can take us back to Earth, but they can’t keep us apart,” Jason said. “Li, I heard Mom tell your dad and Katie’s dad we’d be together for Christmas, and they said that’s only a few weeks away on Earth. And Amy and Josh, you can come too.”
Amanda nodded. “Even being half a world away, if we create a bond now, we should be able to find each other, no matter what.” She held out her hands to the two boys.
Jason and Joshua solemnly joined hands. The boys had been inseparable for all their lives, and Amy, at nearly a year older than them had always been there too. The boys usually followed her lead. Jason turned to Liana and Katie. “You two take Marco to your room for a few minutes.”
Liana was about to protest, but Amanda, ever the ring leader added her weight to the request. “Please, Liana. We’ll make sure we all stay together, but I need someone to watch after Marco while we’re busy.”
Marco was already beginning to nod off, his head rested against Liana’s shoulder, his thumb in his mouth. Liana nodded reluctantly and let the younger children from the room.
Chapter 6
Helena Russell arrived at the receiving area for the tenth and final time with a feeling of relief and exhaustion. Although she had insisted that the teams transporting the other Alphans rest between transitions both to and from Alpha, and she had followed her own rules, she was still exhausted. She said her goodbyes to the life support technician that she and Jason had transported and smiled at her son. The fifteen-year-old returned the smile with more energy than she felt.
Before they could speak she noticed a well-dressed young woman hurrying across the large room toward them. “John?” the woman called out as she came closer. “Oh, John --” the woman stopped short as Jason turned toward her and she realized her mistake.
Jason was now as tall as his father with the same build and mannerisms. Helena understood how the woman could make the mistake at first glance. She also had a good idea who she was. Jason smiled at the newcomer. “I’m sorry ma’am, but I’m Jason Koenig. I think you must be looking for my father.”
John Koenig arrived at that point and Helena “felt” his presence before she saw him. John’s mind contacted hers immediately. <<That’s everyone, love. Why don’t we go out to dinner to celebrate?>>
Her response was not verbal. She accepted his dinner invitation, but let him know there was a problem to overcome first.
He walked toward them, confirming with a thought that this was indeed Marcia Gilcrest, his former fiancé.
<<I thought you were going to call her>>
<< I intended to, I hadn’t had time yet.>>
“Dad,” his son said out loud as Koenig approached. “I think this lady is looking for you.”
“Hello, Marcia.”
“John,” Marcia greeted him, confusion and fury warring within her. “What is going on here?”
“We’ve been away for twenty years. This is my wife, Helena, and our son Jason.”
Fury gained the upper hand. “How...dare...you?”
“Marcia, we’d been gone a long time. You had called off the wedding --” John began an explanation.
“We had an argument a week before our wedding. The wedding was postponed while you went off to your precious moonbase!”
There was nothing Koenig could say that would appease Marcia. Helena could see that. She wished she could leave, but knew that John wanted her to stay.
Marcia’s fury turned cold. She stepped forward and slapped him with all her strength. He didn’t try to dodge the blow. “You’ll regret this, John Koenig.” She said darkly, then turned and walked briskly away.
As she slammed the door behind her, Jason said, “Wow!”
Koenig reach out for Helena’s hand. She laced her fingers with his in support. “You really should have called her.”
“I forgot that she was still listed as my next of kin. I didn’t change it before leaving for Alpha. I suppose she was notified by the authorities.”
“I’m hungry, Dad.” Jason said, bounding along beside his mother.
Koenig smiled at his son. “Then let’s find something to eat.”
“Ice cream,” Helena stated firmly, linking arms with the two men in her life. “With chocolate syrup, whipped cream, colored sprinkles and wet walnuts.”
“Now that’s nutritious,” Koenig laughed.
“We’re celebrating,” Helena replied flippantly.
“What’s chocolate? What’s whipped cream?” Jason asked.
“Just wait, we’ve got lots of things to show you!”
Chapter 7
Six inches of snow lay on the ground. John Koenig stood at the bay window in Helena’s kitchen savoring a cup of real coffee. He watched as the barn door opened across the yard and his wife rode out into the snow on horseback. Well bundled against the cold, she turned toward the window and gave a smile and a wave of a gloved hand. Then she set off down the hill, the horse carefully picking his way through the snow.
They had arrived at Helena’s home two days ago, receiving a warm welcome from Helena’s childhood friends Ted and Alice Blake. The Blake’s had known Helena since their days in 4-H club. The three had used the ranch owned by Helena’s father to launch their projects which eventually became fund raisers to put them through college. Ted was interested in agriculture and animal husbandry, and had determined early to marry Alice. Alice and Helena had been as inseparable as two young girls could be, but Helena was star struck, her goal was not just to leave her hometown, but to leave Earth. Alice was content to stay home, but managed to give her friend support without completely understanding her dreams. When Helena left it made sense to leave the care of the ranch to her closest friends. Alice had taken a degree in accounting and the couple ran an extremely successful operation of pure-bred Angus cattle. They purchased adjoining land and built a home for their growing family. Helena’s home was nearby -- just up the mountain -- and ready for her whenever she decided to return.
Koenig was glad they had come, although both he and Helena knew they would probably not stay long. Both had received numerous job offers within the International Space Commission as well as universities and private firms. He and Helena had referred several of the offers to other Alphans who would be well qualified for the positions. Helena had found positions for Eddie Collins and Shermeen Williams and some of the other younger Alphans with 20 years of experience and no credentials, but had not yet found a position for Jeremy or Carolyn Devers. There were also offers from the media. Fortunately, all those were referred through the space organization, and as remote as Helena’s Northern California home was, none of the media had arrived here.
Helena had invited John to join her on her early morning ride, but he had declined. He had very little experience with horses and was hesitant about riding over icy trails. Ted wanted to show her his prize cattle and Koenig knew he also lacked the expertise to enjoy looking at a herd of cows.
“She’s going to blow! She’s going to blow!” Jason came running from his bedroom holding a golden retriever puppy at arm’s length. The puppy was dribbling a suspicious yellow liquid and turned perplexed brown eyes on Koenig as Jason ran through the kitchen and out the back door and into the snow.
The boy yelped louder than the puppy finding himself out in the snow. Koenig felt his wife using his eyes as he watched his son stand barefoot in the snow. Before she could suggest it through the mental link they shared, a pair of rubber boots and a wool poncho appeared in the air by the boy.
“Thanks Dad!” Jason shouted pulling the boots on and shrugging into the poncho while the puppy chose an appropriate spot.
<<Remember Jason, when you go outside you have to wear shoes and a jacket.>>
<< Okay Dad, I’ll remember.>>
Soon boy and puppy returned to the warmth of the house. Jason talked his father into playing a computer game with him while the puppy curled up in front of the fireplace for a nap. Father and son had been playing for less than an hour when Jason began to grow restless.
“Can Zelda and I go play in the barn?” Jason asked.
Zelda, the puppy, looked quite comfortable in front of the fire, but Koenig agreed, with some surprise. Usually Jason could play the computer game he’d chosen for hours on end. “Just remember --”
Jason interrupted him. “I know, I know, wear a jacket and boots.” He scooped up the puppy and headed for the door.
Jason and Zelda spent most of their days playing in the barn. They were again in the barn the following week when Alan Carter and Paul Morrow arrived with their daughters.
The girls swarmed their Aunt Helena, both talking at once about Mickey Mouse, and Winnie-the-Pooh. They were wearing an eclectic assortment of Disney paraphernalia from “Little Mermaid” shoes to Dalmatian earrings.
Alan grinned sheepishly at Helena. “We took them to Disney World. They discovered the joys of shopping.”
“A week was enough for all of us.” Paul added.
“Where’s Jason?” Liana asked.
Helena smiled. “He’s in the barn with his puppy.”
The girl’s eyes went wide.
“A puppy!”
“Where is it?”
“What does it look like?”
“Can we have one?”
Katie put her arms around Helena’s neck. “When we go home, can the puppy come too? We never had puppies on Alpha.”
An awkward silence ensued. Helena put the child down and sent the girls out the door and in the direction of the barn.
As the girls ran off, the adults watched. Paul commented, “She’s been asking about going home more and more often.”
“Has she asked about Sandra?”
Paul shook his head. “I heard her tell a little girl she met on a playground that her mother didn’t live with us anymore.”
“Yeah,” Alan added. “Then Liana joined the group and spun this tale about how her mother had been eaten by space monsters.”
“I’ll have to admit, I missed the girls. Things are a lot quieter without Liana around,” Helena laughed.
On the other side of the continent Gerald Simmonds was ending a telephone call. As he hung up the phone he pondered the fact that John Koenig had certainly angered the wrong person this time. Simmonds had no personal feelings for Koenig whatsoever. Koenig was an able administrator and a gifted leader of men. Simmonds had used that to his advantage on more than one occasion. He also knew that Koenig’s dislike of political compromise hampered his ambitions, even though he had a keen grasp of the political nature of the space program and could use it to his advantage when he deemed it necessary. Simmonds had always seen Koenig as a tool to be used, not a threat. Marcia Gilcrest, on the other hand, was an ambitious political animal by nature. Her work in the public relations area of the space program was impressive and the pairing of her ambition and Koenig’s abilities had been perceived by Simmonds as a threat to his power base. When circumstances last August had revealed an opportunity to disrupt Gilcrest’s marriage to Koenig, he had prudently taken advantage of the situation. Koenig would never be able to resist that seductive black sleeve of command, even on the eve of his own wedding. Of course, there had been no way for Simmonds to foresee that this would be more than a delay of the inevitable. Marcia Gilcrest always got her way.
Then he had lost control of the situation-- something that before had only happened in his worst nightmares. Being stranded on Alpha with a group of people determined to make the best of their situation had been utterly frustrating; and Koenig’s leadership abilities outclassed him in that kind of situation. The chance to return to Earth was too good an opportunity to leave to chance, and he had pragmatically, if ruthlessly, done whatever was necessary to ensure his own success; only to have the tables be turned and find himself facing certain death in another situation he could not control. Dr. Russell’s rescue had been nothing short of miraculous, and although he had not spent a great deal of time on Alpha, her relationship with Koenig had been extremely obvious. He had only given a moment’s thought to the two women in Koenig’s life, relieved that the alliance between Gilcrest and Koenig was no longer a threat.
He had returned to his office in New York, and kept his promise to Koenig to assist the Alphan staff to return to a normal life. It had really been a small price to pay for the return to his power, his control, his life. Now, though, Gilcrest wanted to use him and his position of authority to repay Koenig for his rejection of her and his unfaithfulness. She had not told Simmonds so directly, but Simmonds had played the political game too long not to see the machinations behind the phone calls and directions he had recently been given.
The power and potential Koenig and the others had shown by returning the Alphans to Earth could be viewed as threatening. Koenig had made a full disclosure of the newly learned abilities of some 50 members of his staff. He also had Russell’s report on the psychological profiles of those fifty people. She was a very competent woman, extremely thorough. None of the people Koenig and Russell chose to learn the abilities needed to return to the Alphas to Earth would consent to share these abilities or use them in unscrupulous ways. Simmonds knew Koenig and Russell well enough to believe them completely. However, a perceived threat could be as useful as a real threat.
Koenig was quite able to take care of himself. Simmonds was sure of that. Simmonds also did not care to be used as Marcia Gilcrest’s puppet, no matter how well connected she was. He looked over the roster of names and laid his plan. If Koenig were as concerned about his people as he always professed to be, a subtle timing of action would be all the warning Koenig would need. Simmonds could always blame any subsequent problems on a series of underlings. Choosing a particularly suitable name from the list, he activated his phone again, and began a series of calls and instructions that would fulfill his obligations to Marcia Gilcrest’s contacts while releasing himself from any debt he felt to Koenig and Russell for rescuing him from certain death.
The children spent the next two days playing with Zelda, usually in the barn, although their fathers coaxed them out into the snow for sledding one afternoon. On the third day, Helena and Alan were in the kitchen fixing lunch when they saw Liana open the barn door, slam it behind her, and run across the yard to the house. Jason was right behind her.
“Wait Liana,” he called.
“No,” she beat him to the door. “I’m telling, Jason.”
Jason made a running leap and caught up with her as she burst into the house. He grabbed for her arm. On Alpha, there were few stairs, so he wouldn’t have had to contend with uneven surfaces. On Alpha there was low impact flooring instead of polished hardwood. On Alpha there was no snow, and wet shoes were unheard of.
When Jason grabbed for her, he missed her arm and caught her around the waist. She slipped on the polished oak floor and Jason, off balance as well, couldn’t break her fall. Liana landed chin first on the floor. Jason just managed to dodge, and fell in a heap beside her. Blood from her split chin splattered everywhere. Liana gasped at first, the wind knocked out of her, then she shrieked with terror as she saw her own blood all over the floor.
Jason was on his knees beside her immediately, horrified and nearly as scared as the girl. “Li, Li, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you! Mama come quick. Li’s’ hurt.”
Helena came from the kitchen and was on the floor beside them immediately. Alan closed the door to keep the heat in. John arrived a heartbeat later from the study where he had been using the computer. Helena lifted the frightened girl into her lap and used her fingers to close the wound. She healed the cut almost before Liana stopped crying. John cleaned up the blood with a thought. Alan knelt beside Jason. “What’s this all about?”
Liana glared at Jason from the safety of Helena’s arms. Jason glared back, but he was still shaken by her recent injury, and had learned from past experience that his confession would be viewed with more compassion than Liana’s accusation. He sighed. “Josh is in the barn. He’s been coming here every day instead of going to school.” He looked his mother in the eye. “And Li’s right, you need to know now. He says he won’t go back, ever.”
Helena frowned. She stood, handed Liana over to her father and looked at John. “Call Jeremy. Let him know that Josh is with us. I’ll go talk to Josh.” She left the house. John placed a jacket in her hands as she closed the door.
Helena Russell entered the dark chilly barn quietly. The door creaked and one of the horses nickered softly in response. She stood quietly for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust from the snowy glare of mid-morning. Before she moved, a rustling came from a stall to her left and Joshua stood up with a sigh. Without a word, she held out her arms and he rushed into them with a sob as he had done as a small child with a skinned knee or wounded pride.
“I hate it here Aunt Helena,” he gasped between sobs. “I want to go home.”
Helena let the boy cry for a while, then they sat together on a bale of hay while he told her what his life had been like here on Earth. His grandmother had been extremely upset over the sudden appearance of a grown son and his family. Only a few months before she had fearfully and reluctantly allowed her seventeen year old son travel to the moon. He had returned a thirty-eight year old man with a wife and a fifteen year old son. She constantly declared that she was much to young to be a grandmother and barely tolerated having Carolyn and Joshua in the house. She gave them the feeling it was their fault that her little boy had returned as a grown man. At first she had insisted that her son return to his senior year of high school, but had settled for placing Joshua in school instead.
“This school has thousands of kids, Aunt Helena, and they sit them in these large rooms and none of them pay any attention to the adults. And the kids are all stupid! I thought at least the chemistry class would be interesting, but all they’re doing is trying to learn the periodic table. None of them even know the difference between atomic number and atomic weight. That’s baby stuff!”
For Joshua, that had been baby stuff. The children on Alpha had learned the periodic table as soon as they had learned their alphabet. Chemistry, geology and physics had been a large part of the curriculum for all the children.
“And they can barely read. They’re trying to read MacBeth in the English class, but they don’t seem to understand it at all. Remember a few years ago when you helped us stage MacBeth? We had so much fun! Although I still like Othello or Julius Caesar better.” He finished with a sigh, “Amy was such a good Lady MacBeth.”
“And you were a terrific MacDuff,” Helena said with a smile. Jason and Joshua had been MacBeth and MacDuff and had thrown themselves into fencing lessons with all the enthusiasm eleven year old boys have for violence and warfare. They had wandered the halls of Alpha for weeks with practice swords and cries of ‘Lay on MacDuff.’ “You miss Amy too.” Helena added, a statement rather than a question.
He nodded miserably. Amy had always been the ringleader of the triumvirate. Helena wondered if it would help if she called Maya and arranged for a visit, but that wouldn’t resolve Joshua’s current problems. Going home just wasn’t an option, and she certainly didn’t want the boys to decide to return to Alpha alone.
Katie crept into the stall from her hiding place and into Helena’s lap. Her comments echoed Helena’s thoughts. “When can we go home, Aunt Helena?”
Before Helena could reply Josh looked toward the barn door. “Mom and Dad are here,”
Half an hour later, the six adults and four children sat around the kitchen table with mugs of hot chocolate and bowls of chili for everyone. The boys both looked resigned and Liana downcast. Only Katie was still too young to grasp the details that John had been presenting to the children to prove that “going home” was not the answer. The children couldn’t possibly maintain Alpha, even though up until a few months ago they were being trained to do just that -- someday. Maintenance and upkeep would require supplies not available to them, and more time than a handful of people could possibly devote.
If the Space Commission was interested, Alpha could be staffed and supplied again by utilizing the people who had brought the Alphans home. But the Space Commission was now almost nonexistent. No new projects were being planned. Too many failures had occurred, the most recent, the loss of both Metaprobe and the Space Dock, not to mention the Moon had cost any future funding. Those resources were now being spent to repair the damage caused by the violent ripping away of Earth’s Moon. An active space program would not be seen in the lifetime of either generation seated at the table--if ever.
The Devers admitted that sending Joshua to school had been a serious mistake. Carolyn was devoting as much time as possible to finding the shattered pieces of her own forgotten life in the hopes that she could somehow contribute to her family’s independence. Although Jeremy’s mother was not helping matters, his father was devoting as much time as possible assisting his son in leading a normal life. He and Jeremy had been spending most of every day attempting to establish Jeremy as a legal adult with at least enough credentials to become employable while striving to put his career back on track. Sending Joshua to school seemed to be the better alternative to leaving him with a grandmother who was not quite maintaining her sanity during the current situation.
They were discussing the possibility of leaving Joshua with the Koenig’s until his parents had a chance to stabilize their lives when both boys looked at each other, startled, then they got a far away look in their eyes. It was a telltale signal that they were in telepathic communication with someone. They stood as one and headed for the living room. Jason touch his father on the shoulder as he walked past him. “Something is wrong.” He said cryptically as he hurried into the other room.
The boys had barely entered the living room, with the adults right behind them, when Amy Verdesschi appeared in the center of the room. She was holding Marco and sobbing. Liana squeezed past and took Marco from her. Amy touched both Jason and Jeremy briefly on the hand, then searched out John’s face in the crowd. Without speaking, she held out her hand, obviously wanting to establish a mental link with the physical contact.
Koenig took her hand and Helena could ’hear’ Amy’s news through the bond she shared with her husband. She mentally reached out to Carter, the Devers and Paul Morrow so all could grasp the situation at once. Aloud, Amy said, “Mama has been arrested.”
Chapter 8
The Verdesschi’s had left New York as soon as the Space Commission’s debriefing procedures had allowed, heading for Naples and Tony’s parents home. Guido Verdesschi Sr. was a mechanic turned car dealer. From humble beginnings as a mechanic he had begun purchasing and restoring collectible cars and now had a reputation of selling some of the most desirable automobiles in Europe. His sons had learned to drive in Ferraris and Shelby Cobras. Angela Verdesschi had been his childhood sweetheart and married him at the age of 18. From an apartment over his first mechanic’s bay to a spacious villa, she had kept house and raised his six sons with a firm hand. Guido adored her and could deny her nothing--except the one thing she truly wished for, a daughter. Their sons ranged in age from 13 to 30 and he had determined that six offspring were enough.
When Moonbase Alpha had been lost with all aboard, Angela divided her time between charitable efforts to help victims of the earthquakes and coastal disasters and lobbying for some kind of rescue effort to return her second-born son to her. Her lobbying efforts included her husband’s eclectic list of customers, government officials, churchmen, and even keeping candles lit at every shrine in Naples. Angela Verdesschi vowed not to rest until someone did something. When a miracle did occur and her son was returned she welcomed him home with open arms and the same formidable energy she had used to try to rescue him. She accepted the fact that he had been gone for twenty years-- from his point of view-- with aplomb. She welcomed her new daughter-in-law with absolute glee and thoroughly delighted in her two grandchildren.
Any trepidation Maya had felt about meeting her husband’s large and lively family melted as soon as Angela laid eyes on her and pulled her into a warm motherly hug. Because of the odd method of their return, Angela was almost exactly the same age as her second son and definitely not old enough to have a teenage granddaughter, but that had not stopped her from calling all of Naples to brag about her new grandchildren and busying herself in preparing a church wedding with all the trimmings to sanctify the union. Tony had anticipated his mother’s reaction and warned Maya, giving Maya a chance to prepare herself and enter into the spirit of the event with her own adventurous enthusiasm.
The wedding was scheduled for the last day of 1999 and there had been a flurry of shopping trips and decisions to be made. Tony spent a good deal of time trying to avoid the madness. Maya and Amy both enjoyed the mayhem and followed in Angela’s wake in worshipful awe of her.
That day they had spent hours choosing flowers to decorate the villa during the reception. They had marveled at the many different forms of decorative vegetation available. In fact, they were amazed at the myriad of choices for clothing, food, transportation, and everything else on Earth. After shopping, they had eaten at a cafe, meeting Tony and his father who were test driving a Testarosa for a client. After dinner they headed home. Tony and Guido were planning to deliver the Testarosa to the buyer in Salerno and be home late.
The three Verdesschi women had arrived at home to find three police vehicles waiting for them. Marco had fallen asleep in the car. The police had approached them and told Maya Verdesschi that she was under arrest. Everyone had been extremely polite. Maya had been confused, but had convinced Angela to cooperate. She had handed Marco to Amy and voluntarily left with the police. As she handed the sleeping child to his sister she touched her daughter to strengthen their telepathic bond. Amy would be able to link to her father when he returned and they would know exactly what was happening to Maya. But something had gone wrong at that point. She had lost Maya’s mental voice shortly after Maya had entered the car. It was not as if Maya had changed her form, or left the car by telekinesis. She simply was no longer responding. When Angela had called the police station, they knew nothing of the arrest. Amy was scared. She tried to find her father, but failed. Then she had used the bond she shared with Jason and Joshua. Their advice had been to come here for help. Seconds later, she was here.
Considering the impressions Amy had received, Helena feared that Maya had been drugged. Koenig believed the authorities lack of knowledge to be ominous. He touched Helena’s hand to strengthen their bond. Maya had been taken for a reason, the other Alphans might also be targeted. If Maya had been drugged, whoever had taken her was aware of her abilities and did not want her to have the opportunity to use them.
Koenig would return to Naples with Amy, Carter and Jeremy Devers. Helena, Paul, Carolyn and Joshua and Jason were to alert the other Alphans who had telepathic abilities. If Koenig gave the word, they would all return to Alpha. That would be a time and place where no one could reach them. He could feel the children’s pleasure at the though of returning home. It would be a temporary measure, he assured them. They could not stay.
Within minutes they were gone. Even from the other side of the world Helena would be able to hear her husband if there was a need.
John Koenig, Alan Carter and Jeremy Devers followed Amy Verdesschi’s mental trail to her grandmother’s home in Naples, Italy. They found their friend Tony on the telephone shouting in Italian and obviously becoming more and more distressed. He slammed the phone down with a curse that started in Italian and ended in English. Koenig touched him on the shoulder and his black mood was replaced with relief, but not pleasure.
“Amy told you everything?” He asked. Without waiting for a reply he turned to Amy. “Is Marco ok? I want you to go back to Helena’s right away, and take your grandmother with you.”
Tony’s mother burst into the room with a tirade of angry Italian. She had been using the other telephone to help determine Maya’s whereabouts with no more success than her son. She switched to accentless English with perfect ease. “No you don’t Antonio Marco Verdesschi. I’m not about to vanish from my own home! It’s my daughter missing as much as your wife.” She turned to Amy without a pause, “Is Marco ok?”
Amy nodded, unable to get a word in.
“Mama, this is John Koenig, Helena’s husband.” Tony made introductions.
“Oh, Helena! Such a lovely girl, I’m so pleased to meet you. Have you come to help look for our Maya?”
Koenig grinned, taking an instant liking to Tony’s petite energetic mother. “Yes ma’am. That’s what we’re here for.”
The doorbell interrupted the introductions. Koenig and Verdesschi looked at the door and beyond. With a glance and a thought at the others, Koenig made a quick plan, and the others dispersed. Amy faded down a hall, pulling her grandmother with her, ready to return to California at Koenig’s signal. Alan and Jeremy vanished to the outside of the house. Alan immediately reported that there were two people at the door and two more in the car in the driveway. Jeremy noted the syringe in the hand of one of the men at the door.
Koenig stood out of sight as Tony opened the door. The man at the door began to ask if he was speaking to Antonio Verdesschi. He didn’t have a chance to finish forming the question. Tony reached for his wrist and pulled him through the doorway. Koenig used his telekinetic power to rid the man of the syringe. Jeremy joined the two men in the car and sedated them with a thought. Carter shoved the other man at the door inside and against the wall. Jeremy locked the car and rejoined the others inside. He and carter read the surface thoughts of one man, then intruded deeper, pressing for their orders, plans and who had assigned them to the task. Koenig and Verdesschi applied the same probing to the other man. Behind them Amy spoke, “That’s the same two men who took Mama.” Additional mental pressure was applied and more information was received. The four telepaths exchanged a look and made their next step. Koenig and Verdesschi would retrieve Maya and return to California with her. Devers and Carter would remove the four security agents from the Verdesschi’s home. Carter’s suggestion that they leave the four on top of Ayres rock in Australia was vetoed by the others. Plenty of people knew what kind of abilities the former Alphans had, there was no reason to advertise. Tony suggested a cheap hotel in Northern Italy with plenty of empty wine bottles and memories of a night on the town. The suggestion appealed to Carter’s creativity and sense of humor and he and Devers left quickly with their four unconscious charges.
Within the hour a drugged and deeply unconscious Maya had been liberated from her jail cell, and taken to California. Helena assessed her condition and immediately determined to take her to Alpha. They would not only be safe from arrest, Helena had the equipment needed to treat her there. Carolyn Devers accompanied her to assist in Medical Center. Tony, Jason, Joshua and Amy came as well to maintain the technical details of life on Alpha. Morrow was busy spreading the word to the other telepathic members of Alpha’s former crew. The men who were detaining Maya had known that all those with telepathic abilities were scheduled to be arrested. Most of the Alphans were quickly packing up their families and returning to Alpha until the reason for the arrests could be found and the problem resolved.
Koenig was furious at the treatment Maya had received and was scheduled for the rest of his people. He paid a short visit to Gerald Simmonds office in New York and found him as abrupt and imperious as ever. He also received one surface thought from the man which surprised him, remembering the man’s innate shields. Simmonds never verbalized anything more than orders to leave his office, but the thought contained a name: Marcia Gilcrest. Koenig left the office without another word. He knew now that Simmonds had only been a pawn in another’s machinations --something which would frustrate and irritate him more than anything in the world.
Chapter 9
The apartment looked exactly as he remembered it. From her point of view he had last been in this room three months before. The terrace offered an exquisite view of the New York skyline, its lights as bright and constant as the stars had been from Alpha. The living room was decorated in impeccable ultra modern style, expensive and sophisticated, but impersonal and cold.
She was at the bar in the corner of the room when he arrived. It was obvious she had already had several drinks. “I knew you would come,” she said, unperturbed at his abrupt entrance. She poured him a Manhattan. It had been his favorite a long time ago. Liquor had been a scarce commodity on Alpha and Koenig was always on duty or on call. He left the drink untouched.
“Marcia, you’ve got to call this off.”
“Now why would I want to do that?”
“You’re hurting people, for no reason.”
She turned and gave him a raw wounded look full of pain and fury. “The way you hurt me, for no reason?”
“These people had nothing to do with that,” Koenig paced from pent up fury and frustration. “They’re innocent. If you’re mad at me, hurt me, not them.”
Filled with her own rage, she hurled her glass across the room. It shattered against the wall behind him. She stormed around the bar to stop a pace away from him. She was a small woman, elegantly coifed and wearing a flowing white and black silk caftan that looked as if it had been chosen to match the elegance of her apartment. It had, he knew. He had been with her when she bought it, and he found that he even remembered where the hidden zipper was that had allowed it to fall elegantly from her shoulders when they had last made love in her apartment. That had been barely three months ago to her. For him it had been more than two decades. It had been in another life, and the life he’d led since then had been filled with dangers and passions, pains and fears, hopes and dreams that he couldn’t even begin to share with her. Some experiences had been so alien they would be impossible to explain or to understand. He knew he didn’t even want to share his life with this woman.
They stared at each other for a moment. Each remembering from their own point of view the life they had briefly shared and lost. Her fury won over any affection she felt for him. It was a cold and calculating revenge seeking fury and she knew she had triumphed.
Her eyes narrowed, her voice low, cold and calculating. “I know you, John Koenig, and I know how to hurt you. I watched you come back from your missions and talk about your crew, your team, your people. You have always cared more about the well-being and safety of the people around you than your own. I’ve watched you willingly put yourself in danger when you could easily find others to do the job. I have done exactly what I needed to do to hurt you.”
Koenig stared at the woman in front of him in surprise. He realized that he had grossly underestimated her intelligence and powers of observation. He had believed that her motives for pursuing him had been narrow and petty, more practical than emotional. Now he wondered if he had not simply projected his own motives on her. He had enjoyed their time together, had enjoyed being seen with a beautiful, desirable, influential woman. She had been available whenever he had time in his busy schedule for her, and he had acquiesced to her plans of marriage without giving it much hope for success. He had loved Jean, his first wife, very much, but the marriage had been strained beyond saving by his ambitions for his career. He had never regretted his separation from Marcia. He had not even given it much thought. Others on Alpha had mourned for lost loves, lost relationships -- Sandra had regretted losing her love for years. It had nearly cost her sanity. Ben and several others had been eager to return and renew past ties. He had never had time to regret--no, he had never felt the need to regret his separation from Marcia, caused primarily by the fight on the eve of his departure from Alpha and secondarily by the Moon’s abrupt and unexpected exodus from Earth.
He sighed, and relaxed slightly. “You’re right, you know me better than I thought, and this is exactly the kind of thing that would hurt me most. Marcia, please call it off. I am sorry that things worked out so badly between us, but please don’t take it out on innocent people.”
She turned away, heading back to the bar. Even without any of his telepathic powers, she had looked into his eyes and seen his soul. She knew he had a new-found respect for her, and was well aware that most of the pain he had caused her had been beyond his control, but her plan extended far beyond merely hurting a former lover. “I can’t, it’s too late.” She picked up a new glass and poured herself another drink.
“John, I know you’ve never had a lot of respect for my own career, but I am very good at it. I managed to sell the public on a space program that met with failure after failure. I am very good at marketing. Believe me, after this last problem it’s been a tough sell, not only to the public, but to those who control the money -- my main focus.
“By planting the seeds of thought that these miraculous powers which brought you back might have a dangerous side, and perhaps a profitable side, I’ve diverted attention away from the shattered space program you left us with. They may actually fund us out of habit with the other worries I’ve planted. If not, they’ll fund us to hunt you down and study your ‘gifts’. And Gerald Simmonds can take that funding and stretch it as far as it will go.”
She gave a graceful flutter of her hands, a sign of deprecation. “Oh, I know you never cared for his methods either, but it may surprise you to know that he and I are just as dedicated to a thriving space program as you have ever been. Not all of us are prima donnas whining for buckets full of money to throw at the stars.”
Marcia took her drink and walked to the glass doors leading to the terrace. She watched the skyline, and his reflection in the glass. “Go away, John,” she said in a tired voice. “Go far away and make it very expensive for Gerald to find you. It would be the best thing you could do for your precious space program.”
There was no hatred in her voice, she was once more pragmatic, ambitious and ruthless, but he could sense neither hate nor regret nor any other emotion. He prepared to go, marshaling the necessary concentration to travel telekinetically. The almost didn’t hear the quiet question she asked.
“Do you love her?”
It startled him, but he didn’t hesitate with his answer. “With all my heart.”
“And she loves you?”
“Yes, very much.”
The tone of his voice told her all she needed to know. There was an edge to her voice, tightly controlled to keep it from breaking. “I hope you’re very happy together.”
He was surprised, “Thank you Marcia. Goodbye.”
He vanished. There was no sound, his reflection simply disappeared as she watched. A tear slid down her cheek, but she ignored it. “I love you too,” she said quietly to the empty elegant apartment.
The door to Medical Center slid open with its customary whir. The light bouncy footsteps indicated the gait of one of the children. An additional clicking sound told Helena more. Without looking up from the bank of diagnostic instruments at Maya’s bed she said in her sternest voice “Get that dog out of my Medical Center.”
Carolyn Powell stifled a laugh as she watched from the other side of Maya’s bed. Jason reacted quickly, he scooped up Zelda, turned, opened the door and pushed her out in the hallway in one smooth motion. The puppy yipped once as the doors closed again. A flicker of a smile flashed across Helena’s face but was quickly replaced with worry for her unconscious friend.
“What can I do for you Jason?” Helena asked.
“Grandma Angie said to tell you that dinner is ready and you should come eat.”
Helena was about to refuse when Carolyn stopped her. “Helena, go on. Jeremy will have the blood tests completed shortly, then hopefully we’ll be able to filter out the drug. Leave now and you’ll be back in time to start the process. I’ll stay with her.” She turned to Jason. “Jase, can you ask Josh to fix a tray for me and Jeremy?”
Jason smiled. “Sure Aunt Carrie, it’s on the way.”
Helena sighed, “All right. Call me if there’s any change.”
Carolyn reached out and touched Helena’s fingertips, creating a light bond. “You’ll know instantly if we need you.”
Zelda greeted Jason as if he’d been gone forever, not just two minutes. She bounded in front of them, lagged behind them, and circled them with endless puppy-energy.
“Amy’s grandma is great. She cooked spaghetti and it smells fantastic.” Jason said, trying to make conversation with his exhausted mother.
“She is great, and a good cook too. She didn’t do it all by herself did she?”
“No, Amy and Josh and I helped, and Eva Sanderson brought Blaine and Casey, and Michelle and Tia Osgood were there and they helped too.”
Eighty-five people had returned to Alpha. That included the fifty adults with telepathic abilities, their children and some of their family members who might be in danger if left behind. Tony Verdesschi’s mother was among that group as well as his youngest brother, thirteen year old Arnado. Angela had spoken to her husband prior to leaving Italy with Amy and he had agreed that she and Arnado should accompany Tony’s family until everything was straightened out, and Maya was out of danger.
Nearly everyone was in the cafeteria when Helena and Jason arrived. Joshua was already heading out the door with a covered tray for his parents.
Tony waved to them and motioned to two seats at the long table where he and Marco were sitting. Helena nodded, accepted a full plate of some of the best smelling food she had ever experienced on Alpha, and made her way to the seat by Tony. Pat Osgood and eight year old Tia sat across from her, the Carters and the Morrows also shared the table. She fell into old habits easily. With the exception of Maya and John, the entire command staff was here. “Is everything ok, Pat?”
“All functioning normally. We have six of our power room staff here and have settled into shifts to keep an eye on things. I checked out life support as well, and with no emergencies we can handle things indefinitely.” He cut his daughter’s spaghetti while talking, used to the dual role of father and staff member.
Helena glanced at Paul who replied, “We have plenty of stores for three or four weeks. I asked everyone I contacted to bring along some food to stretch things out a bit. Everyone has gone back to their regular quarters and those without quarters have been assigned rooms as close to their relatives as possible. All the newcomers have commlocks with the usual visitors access.”
Carter spoke up next. “Long range scans show nothing out there. We’re not near any star systems and the space warp indicator is not showing any signs of activity. Externally, things look very quiet.”
Helena turned to Tony. “Maya is in very serious condition. The sedative they gave her is extremely powerful for humans. They gave her a very large dose. Unfortunately, it’s a chemical that is too small molecularly to be filtered naturally out of her system. Although her brain responds to the drug the same way our does, the drug is never eliminated by her waste system. We’re going to try running her blood through a filter to get rid of the drug.”
“That will help?”
“I hope so. She’s so deeply sedated that it’s beginning to effect autonomic functions like heartbeat and respiration. I’m really worried about her, but I haven’t given up hope yet.”
“We all know you’ll do everything you can, Helena.” Pat said. His own wife had been gravely ill some years ago and he’d nearly been insane with grief and worry. He still felt somewhat guilty over the way he had treated Helena.
She smiled tiredly in response. At that moment John Koenig arrived on Alpha. She knew immediately. The telepathic bond she shared with her husband which had felt empty and silent while they had been separated by space and time returned comfortably. John was exhausted, upset and discouraged. She immediately told him where she was and looked at the others. “John is back. He’ll be here shortly.”
“What did he find out?” Carter asked quietly.
“I don’t know yet, but it wasn’t good news.”
Jason had eaten his supper with the speed that only a teenage boy can achieve. He stood and gathered up his plate. “Dad can have my spot. I’m finished anyway.” He headed to the kitchen to help. Helena stood as well and met John as he walked in the door. He put his arm around her waist and brushed her lips with a quick kiss, then they moved toward the serving line. He acknowledged a few people’s greeting with a wave, but the Alphans had great experience judging their commander’s moods, and knew quickly to keep their distance.
Greg Sanderson was in the kitchen now helping to serve. Koenig reached across the serving line to shake his hand. The two were old friends despite rough times early in Alpha’s history. The handshake also opened a telepathic link.
<<Everything ok?>>
<<We’re fine. To tell the truth, I’m just as happy to be back. The kids were homesick and my mother-in-law is a classic.>>
<<We can’t stay here.>>
<<Something will work out.>> Greg replied and the short mental conversation was over.
Koenig took his tray and joined Helena. In seconds he shared her knowledge of Alpha’s status and Maya’s. The others all needed to know what he had found out on Earth. Helena shared his memories of his discussion with Marcia and made a suggestion, a meeting of all the adults after dinner. He asked his command staff, all of whom were nearly finished, to spread the word. They would meet in the theatre after dinner.
Two and a half hours later he felt more rested and more purposeful. He still needed sleep, but with Helena’s help and a one hour nap he felt much better. Maya’s condition had improved slightly. The blood filtration seemed to be working, but slowly. The chemicals were being filtered out, but the molecules appeared to resist being pumped through the circulation system. They were adhering to certain neurons, but Helena was optimistic that this could be overcome.
Sixty three people were at the meeting. Carolyn Devers remained in Medical with Maya. Her telepathic link to her husband would allow her to follow the meeting as well as call for help if needed. Angela Verdesschci and her youngest son kept the children in the rec area, recruiting the older pre-teens to assist in entertaining the younger ones. Liana was as enamored with Grandma Angela as all the other children and happily helped organize games with her friends.
Koenig had discussed what he would reveal to the others with his wife. Helena felt that the personal details could best be left out. He had felt that was deceptive, but agreed reluctantly. The results were the same, they could not return. He walked to the podium, thinking of the numerous times the Alphans had been denied a home and their hopes had been dashed. At least this time three quarters of the Alphans had found a home. He looked out at the faces of his people -- his friends. He had played kendo and pool, swam, drank, danced and eaten with them; performed marriage ceremonies, and changed their children’s diapers, they had been in dangerous situations together, solved life and death problems, buried and mourned friends. He had to admit, he was happy to be with them, he had missed them over the last few weeks. He lowered his mental shields, sampling the emotion of the crowd. It surprised him that he found no rancor among the group, no anger or annoyance. All felt optimistic, and comfortably at home. He smiled at them.
“Well, it seems we’ve found one more planet that just didn’t work out.” There was a murmur of laughter at the old joke. “Helena tells me that Maya will be all right. Her recovery will be slow, but she should recover completely.” The crowd’s reaction was one of relief.
“Maya’s condition was caused by ignorance on the part of the people who had arrested her. They did not avail themselves of Helena’s extensive research on her Psychon biology. We were all scheduled for arrest. It was part of an effort on the part of the ILFC to retain funding by studying our abilities. As a counter-plan, if we escaped arrest, the commission intends to secure funding to track us down. By leaving Earth we are actually helping the space program since we all are well aware of their abilities to stretch funding dollars.
“The Alphans we returned to Earth who do not have telepathic abilities are in no danger. They possess no information that the IFLC is interested in. They want a fully functioning telepath to study. Our friends and relatives are also in no danger. The IFLC is well aware that we are no longer within their reach. They may question our friends and relatives about our whereabouts but would not detain them”
“What about hostages?” Pat Osgood asked.
“They know we’re not anywhere nearby to learn about hostages, so there could be no negotiations. However, if any of your friends and relatives wish to join us they may do so.”
“Join us, where? Here?” Greg Sanderson asked skeptically.
“No, we don’t have enough people here to operate Alpha properly. This can only be a temporary measure. We’ll have to look for someplace else. Fortunately, we can go back to Earth moments after we left once we find a new home.”
“John,” Alan Carter spoke from the front row. He was sitting with Helena. “We haven’t had much luck with that in the past.”
Morrow seated on the other side of Helena answered. “But we have more flexibility now, we don’t have to wait for Alpha to come across something.”
Riley spoke up from the back of the room. “And while we wait, our talents can be used to prospect for necessities deeper than we ever could with instruments.”
Helena stood slowly. She had an idea, which she would have preferred to discuss first with John, but there was no time. “I have a suggestion.”
“Let’s hear it, Helena.”
“Luke Ferro and Anna Davis stayed behind on Arkadia. It couldn’t possibly have supported all three hundred of us at that time. But with our abilities to travel between here and there, and even back to Earth, we should be able to import enough supplies to keep us going until Arkadia could support us.”
Her suggestion surprised everyone, but the crowd began to buzz and murmur among themselves. Koenig smiled his approval at her, then turned to Sermeen Williams who was seated next to her husband Eddie Collins and their friend Jeremy Devers. “Shermeen, could Arkadia be habitable for us?”
Shermeen stood. “I haven’t read the reports about Arkadia in years, but if I remember correctly, there were no adverse conditions, just an absence of life. Some food crops grow quickly, others slowly. It could take years to get conditions ready to completely support us.” Her face took on a far away look as she envisioned large areas of land waiting to be planted. “It would certainly be a wonderful challenge.”
Her husband nodded agreement with her. “We’d sure like to give it a try.”
Carter asked, “What about Luke and Anna, they were pretty possessive about the place.”
Morrow snorted, “More like possessed.”
Helena looked into Koenig’s eyes. “They’ve been alone a long time. It couldn’t have been easy for them. They might not mind the company.”
Koenig smiled back at her. “We could at least ask. If they say no, then we’ll begin other explorations. We might have to do that anyway if it turns our Arkadia couldn’t support us.”
He looked at the rest of the crowd. “I’d like a vote on this. We’re talking about everyone’s future here. All those in favor of investigating Arkadia as our future home raise your hand.” Hands began to go up quickly. Eddie Collins and Shermeen Williams were among the first to vote yes. Riley and his girlfriend Lisel voted yes quickly as did Helena, the Frasers, the Osgoods, the Sandersons. Carter reluctantly raised his hand, remembering Ferro’s fanatical attitude. When all hands were raised Koenig smiled.
“It’s unanimous. We will immediately begin to investigate the possibility of making Arkadia our new home.”
End Part Two
July 19, 1997
