Next Generation Next Generation Helena Koenig watched as the young pilot carefully and skillfully docked the shuttle with the Rock. He turned and smiled politely at her.
“There you are, Dr. Koenig. Turn around is twenty-four hours for me. Will you be returning to Alpha then?”
“I’m not certain, Steve. I’ll consult with control and catch whatever shuttle is heading back next.”
The pilot nodded and turned back to his post-flight checklist. Helena unbuckled her safety straps and pushed back the chair. The pilot looked so young. He was barely older than Sam.
Helena moved aboard the Rock and into a corridor that led through the commercial area. A wide plaza with a high ceiling and sweeping arches was filled with people headed through the terminal. Commercial passenger flights docked here and exchanged passengers from all over the world. It was quicker to fly here from Hong Kong or Manilla, switch flights and return to Rio, or Istanbul than to fly such distances on conventional aircraft. Her family had been using that method to fly between Australia and Florida for years.
She followed the signs for the Starways Community. She took an elevator up to a second floor of the plaza, and caught a moving walkway that took her past a number of exclusive shops from all over the world. She turned down a hallway with plush carpet and large screens that depicted space scenes as well as moving landscapes from all over Earth. At the portal to the Starways Community, the cleverly designed airlock required identification, but she touched a button on the brooch at her neck. The piece of jewelry was a distant relation of the old commlocks of Alpha and allowed her to communicate as well as identify herself. The portal opened immediately and she paused to consult a map of the community at a communications post. Soon she arrived at the door to her parent’s new apartment. She pressed the doorbell above the brass plate with “Thompson” engraved on it in fancy script.
The door opened quickly.
“Helena!” Her mother greeted her with delight. “Robert!” she called. “Helena’s here.”
A door to the right opened and Robert moved into the spacious living room. “Well, Cupcake!” He moved slowly. Helena noticed he still favored that one knee even in the lower gravity. “This is a surprise.” He enveloped her in a bear hug and she relaxed into her father’s embrace.
“I had some free time and decided to drop by and see how you two were settling in. I figured you weren’t quite ready to have the entire clan descend on you, but I wanted to know how things were going,” she explained.
“John didn’t come with you?” Susan asked.
“Not this time,” Helena shook her head. She looked around the apartment. “This is just beautiful.”
Susan took her arm. “I’ll give you the grand tour. And you can use the spare room.”
“Oh, I don’t want to trouble you.”
Robert patted her shoulder. “Don’t argue with your mother, Helena. It’ll give her something to do.”
Helena looked at her parents. “You two aren’t bored here are you?” The move to the Rock had been a hard decision and by the end of the year, they would be here permanently.
“Oh, no, no, of course not,” Susan assured her. “Robbie and Chrissy have dinner with us nearly every night.”
“She’s spoiling them.” Robert inserted.
“They’re family, Robert.” Susan insisted. “And Alan has utterly spoiled me. This apartment is incredible, and every time I suggested something, there would be a whole army of workmen in here following my orders to the letter.”
“My little general,” Robert chuckled.
“And you, Dad?”
“I’ve made the acquaintance of enough golf partners and card partners to keep me busy—and out of your mother’s hair.”
“He’s behaving himself quite nicely.” Susan confirmed.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Helena smiled and put her arm around her father. “Okay, show me around.”
Susan turned her from the polished tile foyer and into the large living room. Across the back was a wide set of French doors which showed a lush garden and patio beyond. Through the windows Helena could already identify a small magnolia and gardenia bushes, her mother’s favorites. The living room was tastefully decorated with comfortable furniture. There were chairs next to the window that allowed one to sit and overlook the garden. There was also a nook with a sectional sofa that faced an entertainment wall.
The kitchen was larger than any other Helena had seen on the Rock. Most had a tiny refrigerator and many were a simple panel on the wall with everything built against one wall. Susan’s kitchen had counter space and glass covered cabinets, a full size refrigerator and double ovens. When Helena looked at her mother, she smiled. “I just asked Alan how he expected me to cook Thanksgiving dinner in one of those dinky little things they call a kitchen up here. So he went to work and changed things around,” She shrugged.
Robert smiled and shook his head. “I think Alan redrew the plans about a half a dozen times, but Susan got her kitchen.”
“Mother,” Helena said. “We don’t expect you to cook Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Nonsense,” Susan said, dismissing the subject. “Where else would you go? One of those fancy restaurants on the concourse? Or the ‘community room’?” Susan shuddered at the thought and led Helena to the spare room. It contained her father’s desk at one end and the oak filing cabinets that had always been in the house at Miller’s Bluff. There was a bar on one wall with an antique mirror above it. Dark plaids and landscapes gave the room a manly feeling and Helena was certain that this was her father’s special retreat.
Susan indicated the Murphy bed in one wall, and assured Helena that it was all ready for her. There was a small bath that opened off the hallway into this room and when the door to the living room was closed, the bedroom and bath became a small suite in itself. Susan opened a door in the back of the room and stepped out into the garden.
This was certainly not part of any design Helena had seen for these apartments. She had thought that the French doors in the other room led to a small faux garden with silk plants. Now she saw that Alan had converted an area almost the size of another apartment into one domed room. The curved ceiling was painted in some kind of reflective paint that fooled the eye. It glowed blue, almost like the sky. The garden was quite real, with lush southern plants that her mother loved, several small marble statues, stepping stones, and a small lap pool. One end of the pool had an exercise area with one of the latest exercise gadgets that could be used for weightlifting, walking, stepping or cross country skiing. Helena had stressed to her parents that although the low gravity would help her father’s arthritis and heart condition, women became even more susceptible to calcium loss and exercise would be crucial to their continued health. Her mother had always loved to swim, and her father could exercise daily with her. There would be no weather considerations here.
“There’s a whole array of computer controlled lights above the apartment,” Robert explained. “They light up this room indirectly, and are set up to simulate sunset, night and sunrise. It’s amazing. Robbie was the one who thought them up and installed them. Alan paid him some kind of bonus for the idea which thrilled the kids completely.”
“How are Robbie and Christie doing?” Helen asked. Mel had described the lighting to her. Once the neighbors saw this apartment, there would be other exercise rooms similarly converted to gardens. A cosmopolitan group, one thing the Starways community members had in common was plenty of money. Melissa had dreamed up this idea with a consortium of people and Alan was only one of many of the designers of the retirement homes. The Thompsons had spared no expense, and their neighbors were of similar mien.
“Wonderfully. Christie says she gets around fine here in the lower gravity section. They come over for supper and then she and I usually swim together,” Susan explained. They walked along the smooth pathway among the flowers and stepped through the French doors into the master bedroom. The spacious bedroom had plenty of room for her parents’ large rice bed and matching dressers. There was a small reading area near the windows and a huge master bath with two dressing areas and closets and a garden tub. All the fixtures were efficiently ergonomic in design, but still pleasing to the eye. The aging couple would be able to live here for many years to come, as planned.
“The place is beautiful, Mother. I can see you must have had a lot of fun decorating it.”
“We won’t talk about the price tag associated with that fun,” Robert said as they returned to the living room.
“Oh, Robert,” Susan laughed, knowing he wasn’t really serious about his protest. Never in their long life together had he paid the slightest attention to their bills. “We’re going to be very comfortable here.” She and Helena settled on the sofa for a chat and Robert retreated to his study away from the girl talk.
The sun was setting in Vero Beach and Alan sat on the balcony, cold beer in hand. When Susie’s best friend had invited her to spend the weekend in New York City with her mother and two other girls shopping and seeing a play, Mel had given her permission and she and Alan had taken Friday off. Alan had expected a leisurely weekend with his wife. Mel had other plans.
When Robert and Susan moved to the Rock, Melissa went to her father and bought back the condo in Vero Beach she sold to him twenty years ago when she and Alan first married. Robert and Susan used the condo as a vacation retreat and a base of operation when in Florida visiting the grandchildren. Susan had completely redecorated the apartment and Mel had never liked what her mother did with her former home. This weekend, Mel planned to reclaim the condo on the beach.
They dropped Susie off at school on Friday morning and headed for the condo. Susie would be leaving with her friend for New York directly from school. There was a truck at the condo from a local charity waiting for them. Mel led the men to the apartment and instructed them to take everything. They took furniture, appliances, linens, pictures from the wall. The few personal items that Susan had wanted to keep were already gone. Handmade gifts from the grandchildren had been packed carefully away and sent to Miller’s Bluff which would remain in the family as part of the family trust. Melissa had been determined that the apartment remain hers, not part of the family trust, although Alan had been rather pleased when she had put his name jointly on the deed with hers. The condo had been Mel’s before they met, but he and Melissa had spend some terrific times here before, and just after, they married. She knew that he loved the place too.
As soon as the condo was cleared, the MacBride brothers showed up with a truck full of supplies. The four brothers were partners in the contracting business their father had started many years ago, but it was a much different business now. Most of their work was on the Rock. The brothers had constructed Robert and Susan’s apartment. Alan always preferred working with them over any of the other companies they used.
The truck was quickly unloaded, paint, wood flooring, new tile for the bathroom was all brought upstairs. Alan was handed a mask and a power paintbrush and Mel gave him and each of the brothers a kiss and vowed to be back later. Mac, the oldest, was showing Alan the plans as Mel took the keys to his Corvette and disappeared from the remodeling party.
“I know that look,” Lou, the youngest brother said warily as he watched Mel leave. “She’s going to go shopping and it’s going to be expensive.”
Alan chuckled. Lou was right. But Mel was obviously having fun, and as he looked over the plans and colors, he could see that she was returning the condo to the white on white motif it had when they first met. “And when she comes back with whatever she buys, the apartment better be ready for it,” he said, clapping Lou on the back.
Trent and Reg showed up shortly with a familiar looking old picnic basket and a cooler on wheels. They were greeted with shouts of welcome as the first beers were passed around. Reg was recruited to help with the tile in the bathroom while Trent was given a rubber hammer and a quick lesson in setting the whitewashed wooden flooring panels in the living room.
They broke for the gourmet lunch Trent brought along. All agreed the seafood salad, homemade bread and chocolate cake was much better then the usual faire at construction sites. After lunch, the carpeting company sent over a team of workers who installed thick plush white carpet in the bedroom while Alan helped two of the McBride boys to replace the counters in the kitchen. They finished just as the new appliances and living room furniture arrived.
Finally, the four McBrides, Trent, Reg and Alan retreated to the balcony with the cooler of beer. He chuckled at a thought.
“Are you aware that the net worth of this crew of apartment remodelers is somewhere in the tens of millions of dollars?” he asked his friends.
Reg, one of Melissa’s oldest friends and business partners nodded easily and grinned at Alan. “That would be true, amigo. But we weren’t about to say no to your wife.”
Alan took a long pull on his beer. “Why is that I wonder?”
“Two reasons, old buddy,” Trent suggested from one of the plastic chairs on the other side of Reg. “First, every last one of us here is a bit in love with Mel. Not that you have to worry much about Reg and myself. Lou here would be your biggest competition,” he punched the young man next to him in the arm. Lou was obviously blushing even in the fading light of the sun.
“And the other reason?” Alan wasn’t worried about competition anymore, neither from young bucks like Lou or his two gay friends, although once a long time ago, his jealousy of Reg nearly cost him Melissa.
Reg answered for his long time partner. “You can never tell when she might burst through that door,” he indicated the apartment door with his bottle of beer. “And make a suggestion that will make us each another couple of million.”
The others laughed, but Alan knew there was a lot of truth in the statement. Mel did seem to come up with amazingly successful business ideas.
The object of their conversation walked through the door at that point with a pile of packages. She put them on the new kitchen counter and joined the men on the balcony. Mel delivered a kiss to each of the men, then settled into her husband’s lap.
“You guys do good work,” she said taking the bottle of beer from Alan’s hand and helping herself to the cold liquid.
“We’re hoping you’ll consider giving us references, Chiquita,” Reg said. He held out his hand to her. “Look, a blister.”
“Oh,” she cooed over him, taking his hand. “Poor brave baby.” She kissed his finger as she would a child.
She surveyed her workers. Alan smiled as he watched her. His father-in-law called Mel’s mother Little General, especially recently when she was supervising the construction of their new apartment on the Rock. Melissa was very much like her mother. In fact, Alan remembered the first time he met Susan Thompson. She was just about the same age then that Mel was now. Susan had been a knock-out then, and Mel was still the hottest woman he had ever met, despite her impending status as a grandmother. He ran his hand from her waist down to her bottom. She graced him with a smile then said, “You all need showers.”
“Thanks a lot,” Mac said.
“Because I’m taking you out to dinner. Your mom suggested that Indian place you all like.”
“The Taj?” Lou asked.
“That’s the one. Your wives have all been notified and they’re waiting for you. Our reservations are for eight-fifteen.” She still held Reg’s hand in hers. With a squeeze of his hand she asked him, “Are you up to dinner out, my poor wounded worker?”
“Knowing how Trent feels about the food at the Taj, I’ll suffer on.”
Trent put his arm around Reg. “You’re such a trouper. That’s why I love you.”
“Then come, dear,” Reg said. “The Chiquita is right. You need a shower.”
“So do you,” Trent countered.
The others stood and all made their way to the door. As Mac opened the door they met a delivery man about to knock. “We have a delivery for Mrs. Carter?”
“Oh, good. Let these gentlemen out and you can bring it right in.”
Reg eyed the items in the corridor. “Definitely time for us to leave, gentlemen. The bedroom furniture has been delivered. The Carters may be late to dinner.”
The others laughed.
“We’ll be there,” Mel assured them. “We have all weekend to try out the new furniture.”
Helena enjoyed her dinner with her parents and her nephew and his wife. There was just something about home cooking. Even in low Earth orbit it was better than any commercial alternative. Robbie and his grandfather did the dishes while Helena joined her mother and Chrissy at the pool, which seemed to be their habit. Chrissy was hugely pregnant. She only had days to go before her due date. Swimming seemed to relieve the backache she’d had all day.
Shortly after the kids left for their own apartment on the residence level, Helena excused herself and headed for bed. She had some reading to do, and wanted to keep from interfering with her parents’ own schedule. By midnight she was comfortably asleep in the Murphy bed.
It seemed like only moments before someone turned on the lights and shook her shoulder.
“Cupcake?” her father called.
As usual, Helena was immediately awake. “Dad? Something wrong?”
“Not exactly. Chrissy has gone into labor and it looks like things are progressing fast. Robbie is asking if you could come.”
“Deliver the baby? But her regular doctor?”
“Is in OR. There was an accident outside earlier this evening. Everyone with trauma experience is on board with that emergency.”
Helena blew out a breath, remembering how it was in any emergency room she’d ever worked in. There would be periods of complete quiet, then everything would seem to happen at once. “Let’s go, then.”
She was up and dressed in less than five minutes. Her mother was in the kitchen pulling a mug of steaming coffee out of the microwave. Helena accepted it gratefully. “That’s exactly what I need.”
“Of course, it is,” her mother said with a smile. “I haven’t been daughter, wife and mother of doctors without learning a thing or two over the years.” She handed a mug to her husband as well and took one for herself. “We can drink while we’re walking. Chrissy won’t admit it, but she’s pretty nervous about this.”
Helena headed for the door, her parents right behind her. “Of course she is. It’s her first baby, and she’s so very young.”
“She’ll do just fine,” Susan said with complete assurance as she led the others to the elevator.
Alan and Melissa stepped out of the cab at the stroke of midnight. They had both had their share of wine and despite some vigorous dancing, neither one was up to driving. Besides, having a driver left them free to pay maximum attention to each other.
Alan tossed the driver cash and a hurried “Thanks, Mate,” and put his arm around Mel as they walked into the lobby, both humming the last dance tune they had heard.
The elevator doors opened quickly and Alan danced his wife into the elevator. He reached and punched the familiar number for their floor and pulled her into his arms. His hands were all over her and she moaned with pleasure.
“Mmmm,” she murmured. “Take me in our new bed.”
“With great pleasure, Love.”
They scattered items of clothing from the front door to the bedroom. Alan pulled back the white lace coverlet and pulled her between the white satin sheets that he had helped her put on the bed before they left for dinner. He’d been thinking about them all evening. He reached up and turned off the seashell shaped lamp above the bed and the bedroom was bathed only in the silver light of the full moon through the open sliding glass door.
He looked into his wife’s eyes, dark pools in the moonlight and smiled. He knew what she liked and he intended to spend the rest of the night leisurely pleasing her and satisfying himself. He lowered himself onto and into her and placed his lips over hers to deliver a long slow kiss.
It took Alan a while to realize the ringing phone wasn’t on the table next to him. It was still in his pants pocket, discarded at the bedroom door. He pulled himself out of bed, shook his head at the clock which read 4 a.m. and retrieved the phone.
“Hello?” He didn’t even try to check the face of the phone to see who it is. He knew he wouldn’t be able to focus.
“Hello, Grandpa,” a familiar voice said.
“Rob, your Grandpa doesn’t live here any more,” Alan said groggily.
Robbie chuckled. “What have you been drinking, Dad? I called your cel. Besides, my Grandpa is here with me. Holding his great-grandson.”
“He’s … what?” Alan lay back on the bed and bounced against Melissa. He switched the phone to ‘speaker’ so she could hear too.
His father-in-law’s voice boomed through the speaker. “Alan? You and Missy should be here. The baby is beautiful This was almost as good as when I delivered the boy here.”
“We’ll be up as soon as possible. By noon most likely,” Alan said.
“What’s going to take you that long?” Robert wanted to know.
“We’re in Vero. Most of that time will be taken up with getting back to the Cape.”
“Well, hurry up. Helena delivered him just a few minutes ago.”
“Helena delivered him?” Mel asked.
“What’s his name, Rob?” Alan asked his son.
“Robert Miller Carter, Jr. We plan to call him Mills.”
“Did you talk to your grandpa about that?” Melissa asked with a smile.
“Water under the bridge, little girl.” Robert replied, euphoria in his voice as he looked at his great-grandson. “Your grandpa would have been mighty proud of young Mills here. Mighty proud.”
Melissa had to smile. “You’re right, Dad. He would be. How’s Chrissy?”
“Doing great. I held her hand and so did Grammy. Aunt Helena delivered the baby and Grandpa assisted.”
“A real family affair. Maybe Mills will be the doctor in the next generation.”
“He can be anything he wants,” Robbie said. “I just hope I’m as good a dad as you’ve been.”
“You will be,” Alan assured his son. “We’ll be up there soon.”
They signed off and Melissa started to get out of bed. Alan grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. “What’s the rush?”
“We want to see the baby.”
“And we will. But first, I haven’t ever made love to a grandmother before.”
Melissa wrapped her arms around him and gave him that privilege.
Maureen Long
January, 2006
