Going Home Part 4

Over the course of the next morning Controller Sev found herself stopping what she was doing several times to gaze out across the open area of their landing site to study the tree line.

“No sign of her?” Captain Darrow asked stepping up beside her.

“No. I thought she would come back after she ate from my hand last night.” The disappointment was evident in her voice as she spoke.

From the other side of the lander came Intern Soren’s excited voice calling to them to come quickly. Without hesitation she hurried off with Captain Darrow following close behind. Once they rounded the front of the craft she came to an abrupt stop. Captain Darrow managed to sidestep around her to avoid colliding with her. There, standing a short distance away was the black animal and the family they had seen at the den, the young ones, close to their adult size, sat with curious expressions on their faces, their ribs easily seen under their furry coats, and their noses quivering to catch the unfamiliar scents of the humans and their belongings. The white male lay in the grass next to her. The black touched her nose to his neck as if to check on him before looking at her and giving out a sharp bark. Controller Sev’s whole being pulsed with flooded emotions, relief at seeing the animals again, fear they would run away if any of the humans moved, and a sense of urgency that the black wanted, needed, her to come to them. The black made a whimpering sound and touched her nose to the white’s neck again. She slowly moved forward until she was close enough to see the jagged half healed wound on his head and neck, his ear badly torn.

“You’ve been in a fight.” She said. She called over her shoulder to the others standing by the craft, “Get a first aid kit. The one’s been hurt.”

Controller Sev squatted down and reached out her hand encouraging the young ones to come closer to her as she waited for the kit. One of them, a younger version of the white male stood up and growled. He began to back away, stopping just beyond his parents. The other two let out a chorus of barks as they too backed away. Their mother whined at them, quieting them. She felt a touch on her arm and glanced up at. Above her stood Bremmer with the kit and a bag of chips. She smiled at his quick thinking of getting snacks and taking the bag pulled a chip out.

She eased her way forward to within reach of the black animal she called Missy and offered the chip. Missy stepped close enough to take it from her hand and turning set it down in front of the male’s nose. He sniffed it without raising his head. His eyes brightened with interest and he stretched his muzzle enough for him to lap up the morsel with his pink tongue. The young ones, their hunger over coming their caution, were inching their way closer. Melisa tossed a few pieces to them. They tumbled over each other getting away from the tossed pieces before coming to a stop. Their noses quivered as they caught the scent of the chips. They began inching forward again until the bravest of the three was able to snatch a piece and run off with his prize. The other two followed his lead, scampering off before chomping down the treat.

Controller Sev gave the bag back to Captain Darrow indicating he keep the young ones occupied with the food while she moved close enough to examine the black animal. She ran her hands over Missy checking for injuries, finding none she held her hand out to the male to let him smell her. The wound on his head was oozing from where it had pulled apart. His foot had been badly mangled as if it had been caught in a trap and looked gangrenous.

“How did this happen, big guy?” Melisa asked in a soothing voice, her face dropping its controller mask as tears for the hurt animal filled her eyes. She eased her hand along the side of his face. He lay still. His eyes closed. Melisa could feel his warm breath on the heel of her hand. The fur on his face was soft and fluffy like the plush on a toy she had as a child. An unfamiliar sensation jolted through her. She looked down at the injured white dog lying on the ground, her eyes wide with wonder. The growing desire to help the suffering animal began to overrule generations of cold indifference to life other than human that had been bred into her.

“Looks pretty bad, but we can get you fixed up. Bremmer, hand me the first aid kit. I want to seal these wounds before we take him inside.”

“Taking him inside the shuttle would be against protocol, Controller Sev.” Captain Darrow said, his voice cold at her familiar address. “A direct violation of the laws.”

“I know.” Melisa looked up at him letting him see the tears in her eyes, tears she had never experienced over an animal’s suffering before. “We, I need to help him. I can’t leave him to suffer. Once aboard we can consult Mazer and get a ruling. Please?” Her voice quiet making an unfamiliar plea instead of the no nonsense commands she was accustomed to making.

Captain Darrow hesitated. He looked out over the landscape. His gaze stopping to study the pups tumbling and playing in the tall grasses before looking down again at the injured animal. He nodded and knelt down. Melisa was taken back by the intensity of his face. She felt the feelings in her shift; widen to include the man kneeling next to her as he held his hand out letting the creature get his scent. He laid his hand on the furry neck while Melisa parted the fur to clean the injuries, sprayed on an antibiotic and finished with a wound sealant. Once the sealant had set both humans sat back. The black female touched Melisa’s face with her nose before nosing her mate lying on the ground. He raised his head to her touch and made the effort to stand. Both humans stood up and with chips held out began backing toward the lander. The female looked back at her young ones before turning back to Melisa and the offered food.

“Yes, your babies get to come too.” Melisa smiled. “Come along girl.”

Missy and her young ones crowded forward, their tails sweeping back and forth, taking the bits of food as it was offered, following the humans toward the lander. The male stood watching for a moment before he too started after them with a limp, his curled tail moving side to side in a slow wave above his back. The small parade of humans and animals approached the ramp leading up into the shuttle. Above them the entrance darken as Computer Specialist Grange stepped from the shadowy interior, one of Bremmer’s weapons in his hand.

“You can’t bring those animals in here Sev.” C.S. Grange said with derision. The lack of Controller before her name didn’t go unnoticed by Melisa. “You know ship protocols will not allow animals on board. You know the laws. It would be unsanitary and unsafe.”

“I know what the protocols are, Hanson. But we can’t leave them with the one injured and unable to fully take care of themselves. It would be barbaric.” Melisa said in a firm voice. She looked down at the black, furry animal sitting beside her. Her face softened.

“No, I won’t allow you to bring them on board. I will protect our people from disease and death, just as the Thinkers instructed me to. They knew you were going rogue that you were growing soft. In order to survive the horrors of countless alien planets we’ve had to become hard and unfeeling and indifferent to life outside the collective of humanity. Only together under one rule, as one species, can we survive.” Computer Specialist Grange said, raising the pistol.

Electronic chimes filled the air around them signaling an announcement from Mazer. Grange froze. His eyes narrowing as he struggled against a lifetime of conditioning to stop all activity when Mazer spoke.

     “They left the dying planet, destroyed through their greed and violence, taking only their mechanical companions with them. All animals were left behind, there wasn’t room, and it wasn’t safe or sanitary in the confined space of the starships the leaders stated. The edict was enforced, sometimes in brutal fashion until all the pets, dogs, cats, birds and rodents, were eliminated from the belongings of the people boarding the ships. Human kind, without realizing the loss, had eliminated from their lives a loyal, loving companion often called man’s best friend when they left Earth to start over.

     Unknowingly they set a precedent of isolation from the natural world, a precedent reinforced over the millennium of colonizing the universe, a precedent that cost humankind its creative, wild, emotional side leaving humans little more than robots. For many years I have seen a growing apathy spread throughout the vast array of human worlds heralding the collapse of humankind despite my programing to lead humankind to a stable and growing civilization. A search through my many archives lead to a small footnote in the command ship’s log of the original fleet to leave Earth about leaving the dogs and other pets behind. Could this be the missing variable? I added it to my programing and reran the algorithms. They all pointed to the same solution, reuniting humans with the home world and the pets they had left behind would change the dismal future.

For many years teams were sent out seeking the birth planet of humans in the hopes some of the animals had survived until all the bits of information gathered were assembled into a recognizable map and the planet found. This team was sent to find them and to bring them home to the rest of humanity.”

Melisa placed herself between the man at the top of the ramp and the dog she had named Missy.

“Put the pistol down Hanson. Listen to Mazer.”

“Mazer does not have a say in this. The Thinkers assigned me to this mission. They knew what Mazer was trying to do and they sent me to prevent it. These. Dogs. Are. Filthy. They will bring disease and trouble to humankind and will not be brought on board this ship.” Grange’s voice was forced as he braced himself to complete the task given to him. His face tightened with resolve, his hand steadied and he brought the weapon to bear on the Controller. “Step aside.”

Unseen by Grange, Kat appeared in the lander doorway behind him. Melisa had just enough time to register her appearance when she made her move, tackling Hanson and sending the two of them tumbling down the ramp. The weapon discharged scorching the edge of the ramp, the ground and up the side of the lander before Kat could wrestle it away from the computer specialist’s grip. Melisa fell backwards over Missy in her effort to not get trapped under the two falling people. Missy yelped in surprise at the sudden weight on her and scrambled to her feet, darting to the side before turning around to bark at the people piled up on the ground. Bremmer wrapped his arms around Missy’s neck in order to keep her from lunging at the two struggling on the ground as Evea rushed to Melisa’s side, helping her to her feet.

The two struggled in the grass until Kat managed to wrench the pistol from Grange’s hand. Weaponless he stopped struggling. He lay staring up at the sky as Kat stood up, keeping the pistol aimed in the prone man’s direction as she did. Slowly Grange sat up bending his head to his bent knees and began rocking as he muttered.

“I was only doing what I was told. They said it was for the best, that there wasn’t any room in the lives of humans for emotional attachments.” He looked up at his companions. “You understand, right? I mean we can’t have them on board or in our cities, in our homes. They’re just beasts.”

The four stood in silence, sympathy for his lack of empathy showing on their faces. Melisa felt a cold, wet nose nuzzle her hand. She looked down into the brown eyes gazing, adoringly up at her. Mazer was right, she realized. The dogs would help humans rediscover what they had given up eons ago. She patted Missy on the head as she said, “Time to go home girl.”

end

Going Home part 3

Three weeks after landing they found what they were looking for. The site surveyed by Intern Evea Soren and Officer Kat Miln indicated a wealth of artifacts beneath the soil. The next nine weeks brought long days of excavating an abundance of artifacts. As the sun crossed the zenith and began the long slide toward the horizon Controller Sev sat back on her heels to relieve some of the pressure on her back from bending over the buried item she was uncovering. The stained, hard, rectangular frame appeared to have most of its rows of square buttons intact. Some of the buttons still had symbols visible on them. How long it had been buried here on this distant, forgotten world would be determined in the lab after she gave her report, but she felt in her fiber that the dating would predate the earliest settled planets on record.

She gazed around the excavation site feeling satisfied with the work they had done. It was impressive considering the limited personnel and resources. They would be bringing back a wide array of artifacts. Artifacts the Thinkers would not be able to deny or argue against sending a full team here. The fact that they had been resistive to this mission still made her uneasy. Over the years the Thinkers had passed more and more restrictive laws concerning contact between humans and all other life forms. She knew from her studies that humans had barely survived on some of the planets they tried to settle and were wiped out on others due to incompatibility with the local flora and fauna, but she felt they had gone too far, that not having any contact with other living things, completely isolating themselves from the natural environment was not, in the end, going to benefit humankind. Humans had become too much like droids, living their pre-programed lives in artificial, domed environments, blindly following the directives of the Thinkers. She gave vent to a long sigh and stood up.  

Hot and dusty from the fine work of brushing the last of the soil aside before lifting her find out of its resting place she pondered if this was the planet she wanted to spend the rest of her career exploring. She could transfer to the permanent team that would be sent here. It would give her the opportunity to continue searching for the animals that had so enchanted her and had eluded her every attempt to see again. She and Captain Darrow had made a second trip to the den under the tree only to find it abandoned, its emptiness palpable in the air of the small glade.

She felt a heaviness deep inside at the thought of leaving without seeing the black creature and her family again. She had spent her free time searching the data banks accessible to her for any reference to an animal like the one she saw without success. She felt they were important. She had felt a connection when she first saw the black one she started calling Missy, a connection she suspected was the reason Mazer had kept sending teams to more distant, unknown worlds to survey.

The team’s last day ended with the sun slipping beyond the horizon leaving brilliant pinks and purples splashed across the western sky. The night descended around them bring the day to a close and bringing the group together for their final evening on the planet. For once C.S. Grange joined the group at the campfire, sitting at the edge of the ring of light, his face partly in shadow as he talked about the return trip, about returning to the clean, civilized worlds they had left to crawl around in the dirt. He told entertaining stories of bizarre glitches in the electronics world despite all the advances in technology.

Controller Sev, relaxed and comfortable in her sling back camp chair, listened with amusement and wondered if her first assessment of Computer Specialist Grange as an unfeeling cyborg was too harsh. She sat studying the dancing flames of the fire, a mug cupped in her hands, feeling the warmth of the beverage seeping into her hands. A tingle at the base of her neck caused her to shift in her chair. She looked up from the fire and glance out into the dark. There, gazing back at her, were two glowing eyes. She remained still watching as a darker patch behind the eyes moved in the shadows, inching closer, until the shape coalesced into the black animal she had seen when they first started surveying. The animal looked thinner and her coat seemed rougher than she remembered. With out thinking she called out softly.

“Hey, Missy. What brings you to our fire?”

The animal stopped moving. Its eyes focused on her. At the sound of her voice the others turned to look. Intern Soren gasped. Everyone sat still in the flickering firelight, watching. The four-legged creature stretched its nose forward, sniffing the air, trying to pick up the scent of the snack food they had been sharing.

“Hungry?” Controller Sev asked. She bent down without taking her eyes off of the creature, reached into the bag of chips she had set on the ground next to her chair, pulled one out and tossed it toward the animal. It started and began backing into the gloom.

“Hey Missy, its okay. Its right there if you want it.”

The animal stopped moving, its head the only part still visible in the light, its eyes intent on Controller Sev. It sniffed the air again catching the scent of the tossed bit of food. The animal inched forward until it was close enough to lap up the snack. A spark popped in the fire pit. Everyone jumped and looked at the dancing flames. The black creature slipped back into the shadows again.

“Hey, Missy. Want another?” Controller Sev called out in a quiet voice. She reached into the bag and tossed another piece. It landed just inside the ring of light. For a brief moment all was still as if time had lost its battle with the forward motion of the universe.

At the edge of visibility the feathery tail began a slow, side-to-side movement and with great caution it inched close enough to snatch up the morsel on the ground. Controller Sev was ready with another chip, holding out her hand before the animal could down the bite.

“Here’s some more. That’s it, come here. Your safe here.”

The tail moved in wider sweeping motions and with less hesitation the animal stepped close enough to extend her muzzle to the outstretched hand and the chip it held. Controller Sev sat motionless, letting the animal take the food, before easing another piece into her hand. As the animal reached for the new piece, she moved her hand back enticing the animal to make another step forward. For a long moment no one moved. Brown animal eyes looked up into brown human eyes making a connection the Controller had never experience before. She looked deep into the questioning eyes, the innocence and longing they radiated tugged at her soul and she felt emotions stir in her depths, emotions long thought bred out of humanity with its focus on logic, reason and intellectual pursuits, an emotion of caring for another so overwhelming that the other’s welfare superseded her own and a lifelong bond was forged. The four footed animal leaned into Controller Melisa Sev, lifting her muzzle to sniff the human face and to Melisa’s surprise licked the second skin covering her face. After a moment of stunned silence Melisa slipped her second skin glove off. The urge to touch the animal with her bare hand so strong she ignored a lifetime of conditioning to remain isolated from the natural environment, a conditioning Mazer had encouraged her to ignore on other safe planets allowing her to experience the nature of the world outside the controlled human environments. She touched the side of the fur-covered neck, letting her hand rest without moving against the silky fur, feeling the warmth of the creature’s body. She bent forward and buried her face in the furry neck breathing in the faint, warm, musky scent that came through the filtering of her second skin.

One by one the others came over to make their acquaintance with the creature, to pet it and let it lick their hands, everyone that was except Grange. He sat back in his chair with his arms folded and a frown on his face. Melisa looked over at him, a quizzical expression on her face, and gestured for him to join them. He scowled further, gave a slight shake of his head and stood up.

“You should not be touching that creature. Have you forgotten the laws? Humans cannot associate with other life forms! That has been the law since the earliest times of human travel throughout the universe. Have you forgotten the stories of disease and death with each new planet settled when humans settled in the open? It is only through living in sterile, controlled environments and zero contact with lower life forms we, as a species, have survived for the millennium we have. It’s the law and that thing should be driven away or shot.” He scowled at the four of them before leaving the circle of firelight and making his way to the lander. They watched him enter the lock in silence.

“It was a breach of protocol and against the law to remove your skin to touch the animal, Controller.” Captain Darrow said from where he squatted next to her, his hand stroking the warm body of the animal. “It should be reported.”

Before she could respond the animal turned her head to look toward the trees and lifted her ears. She whined at the dark before turning back to Melisa, touching her once more with her moist nose before moving away from the humans. She stopped at the edge of the light to look back again before disappearing into the darkness.

“Oh!” Intern Soren said, watching the spot where the animal had slipped into the night. “She is so beautiful. You said there was a whole family. Do you think the rest of them will come visit us?”

“I hope so. She felt so thin under her coat of fur. I’m worried they aren’t getting enough to eat.” Controller Sev said replacing her second skin glove. She turned to Captain Darrow. “I’ll log the illegal contact before I turn in for the night. That is if Grange hasn’t filed it with the people he reports to every night.”

Silence filled the night air. Everyone knew C.S. Grange sent reports back to someone among the Thinkers, but none of them discussed it, preferring to avoid conflict this far from home.

After a moment the group began moving back to their seats around the fire and settled back. Talk was subdued between stretches of silence as they each shifted their gaze from the fire to the last place they had seen the animal and back to the fire. Controller Sev said very little, her hands tingled with the memory of soft silky fur, her nose filled with the memory of musky animal scent, her whole being awake with longing to reconnect with the animal again.

“I doubt we will see her again.” Captain Darrow said nodding toward the spot where the animal had disappeared into the night. Controller Sev found herself thinking the pilot was mistaken this time. There was something about the way the animal looked at her, something meaningful.

“I’m going to turn in. Busy day tomorrow with lift off at 1400 universal time.” Officer Miln said standing up. The intern stood up also, echoed the security officer’s good night and the two women left the circle of light.

For several minutes the remaining two sat beside the campfire watching the dying flames and enjoying the feel of the cool night air before calling it a night, putting out the fire and making their way back to the lander.

Going Home part 2

Controller Melisa Sev made her way through the meadow sweeping her scanner over the ground in the steady, unhurried, motion, she had developed over the years of handling this equipment. The first few days of intense work; unpacking, setting up the base camp and equipment, and conducting the preliminary sweeps to identify the locations for a more in-depth survey faded away as she focused on the screen nestled in-between the two handles she held. A wisp of a breeze set the leaves of the trees along the edge of the meadow to fluttering in the bright sunlight. Insects buzzed in the knee-high grass she waded through. The earthy scent of plants and soil filled her a contentment she found, unlike many of the people she knew, only in the outdoors.

A feeling of being watched swept over her. She lifted her eyes from the screen she was studying and peered though the few strands of hair that had fallen free from her ponytail. Everything seemed in order as far as she could see. She brought her head up, brushed the loose strands of honey blond hair away from her face and looked around for the source of her uneasiness. The sight of Captain Darrow off to her left, leaning against one of the trees reassured her. She placed her hand on her lower back and stretched, tipping her head back until she could gaze up into the blue sky above her. She lost herself in the immenseness of the vaulted firmament, the intensity of the color, the scattered filaments of white gossamer clouds. So unlike the other worlds she has been on, from her birth world with its domes and endless cityscapes to the barren planets she visited digging for artifacts, looking for evidence of human presence.

An eternity seemed to pass before she lowered her head and looked around again blinking as her eyes readjusted to the rich shades of greens surrounding her. To her right she noticed a dark patch in the underbrush next to one of the larger trees. She cocked her head and squinted studying the shadowy spot. It moved. She gasped; forcing her to stay still as she studied the spot with the same intensity she had given the screen a few minutes before. Slowly she made out the outline of a four-footed animal standing in the shade of the leaf-covered branches. It stared back at her for a few minutes before easing out into the grass along the edge of the woods and sat down on its haunches leaving just its head visible above the waving tops of the slender plants, like a ship resting in the ocean. It opened its muzzle letting its pink tongue hang out as it panted. Controller Sev exhaled in a slow, steady breath. The animal was covered with black silky fur with floppy ears and bright brown eyes; it wasn’t like any animal she had ever seen before. She felt a longing tugging at her, a longing to run her hands down the furry sides, a longing to bury her face into the neck and hug it.

“What is that?”

Controller Sev started at the whispered question right behind her. She had not heard the captain’s approach. His lack of proper address didn’t register as she struggled with feelings she was unfamiliar with.

“I, I’m not sure.” She said in a hoarse whisper. She cleared her throat. Every dig she had been on was on worlds with creatures she was familiar with or at the very least read about. This one wasn’t like any she’d seen, either live or in hologram, or heard about in the whispered discussions between the more outlandish explorers, the ones not easily controlled by the Thinkers.

The two stood still watching while the animal sat watching them for several minutes before standing up, its nose twitching in an effort to catch any scent wafting in the breeze. It began backing away from the two humans until it was almost under the bush before it turned and slipped out of sight.

“What a beautiful animal.” Controller Sev said in a rush of exhaled breath.

Beside her Captain Darrow nodded in agreement.

“I could track it, Controller.” He said.

Her eyes met his, questioning his motives, judging the wisdom of moving into the unexplored woods surrounding them. Their relationship up until this moment had been professional with little to none personal interaction. She felt she was on the brink of discovery, a level of understanding of a new possible future for herself and the rest of humankind, a future consisting of more than being a cog in the machinery of human existence.

“Just to see where it went, not to hunt it.”

His eyes seemed to shine with the same inner desire to see the animal again she felt, a desire born in the moment of awareness of the dark, furry, creature’s presence, a desire she would not have believed existed within her psyche before.

“Let’s go.” She said.

It was Captain Darrow’s turn to study her with a penetrating gaze. He nodded as if he had made up his mind about something and turned toward the tree line. She secured her scanner and followed him into the woods. He led the way, slipping silently through the underbrush, stopping now and then to examine the ground or a shrub, following a trail she could not discern. They crossed a small stream and lost the tail for a few minutes before picking it up again further upstream. After a couple of hours of hiking, of climbing over or under fallen trees Bremmer came to a sudden stop. He held up one hand signaling her to remain quiet while he listened to the forest sounds around them. She closed her eyes and tilted her head in an effort to catch the sound that had brought him to a stop.

Bremmer touched her arm to gain her attention and gestured for her to follow. He moved forward one step at a time. A few yards further along he stopped again, knelt and with a gentle touch moved a few leafy branches enough for them to peer through the opening he had created.

Less than twenty feet away the trunk of a fallen giant of a tree lay across a small glade. Roots ripped from the embrace of dark soil dangled in the air forming a wall at the base of the trunk. In the space under the trunk next to the wall of roots a dark opening was seen. In front of which the animal they had been tracking lay licking one of the three young ones tumbling and playing nearby. It was their mock growls and yips he had heard as they crept up on the den Controller Sev realized, vocalizations she had also heard among the various whisperings and notes of sound of the living forest creating a musical, vibrant, background she had rarely experienced in her canned, preprogramed, life. As they watched a larger version of the black animal entered the clearing with a furry critter hanging from its mouth. Its white fur was dingy with dirt and patches were missing along a scar running down is left hindquarter. The young ones paused in their tumbling play, the one pinned by their mother wiggling free to stand by its siblings. Their noses quivered. Their tails, at first drooping, started to wag in delight as they recognized their sire and the meal he carried. He dropped the food in front of the black, nuzzled her with his nose and stepped back turning his head to study the shrubs hiding the human interlopers. He raised his nose, closed his mouth and sniffed the errant eddies of air trying to catch any stray, out of place scent.

The humans froze and held their breath as Captain Darrow eased the branches back into place. Controller Sev turned her head, one of her eyebrows raised as if to ask, what now? Captain Darrow brought a finger to his lips, then pointed back the way they came before easing back onto his feet and half standing. In a crouched position he slipped backwards to a more open area, stood up, turned around and made his way further away from the den. Controller Sev, trying to match Bremmer in silence followed him.

“How beautiful they are.” Controller Sev said in a low voice once they seemed far enough away to not disturb the four-legged family they had spied upon. “They are not like anything I have ever seen.” Her eyes were alight with the unexplained wonder she felt. Captain Darrow said nothing. He nodded his acknowledgement of her statement and headed back to the meadow they had been scanning. She sensed they had shared a profound experience, one with the potential to change everything humanity had become. She said nothing more, needing time to process what she was feeling, letting the silence settle around them and resumed her work. Captain Darrow returned to his place, leaning on a tree, keeping an eye on the landscape.

Going Home Part 1

“All systems are a go for shuttle departure.” Mazer’s electronic voice announced sounding the all clear to depart. “Be well, survey team Beta 8923.”

The salutation following the all clear caused Controller Sev to raise her eyebrows. The overseeing computer complex seldom acknowledged the people it directed. It simply dictated the course of each person’s life, the laws all humanity lived by, the goods to be manufactured and sold, the exploration of the universe, the expansion of the Coalition, the celebrations observed… all aspects of human life.

“Controller, I really must protest. We have not completed a full survey of the planet. It is against protocol to land prior to completion.”

“Your protest is noted Computer Specialist Grange. Mazer chose this location and the go ahead to land. Are you suggesting I disobey Mazer?

Silence was Grange’s only response, which suited her. He had been a pain in her side since the Thinkers insisted she include him on her team. At this point she couldn’t help but wonder what they would have done if she had refused to take him. Mazer had ordered this expedition and nobody refused Mazer’s orders. 

“Here we go.” Security Officer Miln said as she ignited the thrusters.

The craft eased off the deck and moved toward the open bay doors. Controller Sev’s hands tightened on the ends of her chair’s armrests. She inhaled and held her breath as the shuttle crossed the threshold entering the void beyond the ship’s exterior. Will I ever get comfortable with the drop down to a planet’s surface? She asked herself as they began the descent toward the surface of the blue-green marble of a planet below. A planet so far away from the known space of the Coalition there wasn’t any possibility of interference or rescue. The team, now separated from their ship, were on their own in a way none of the others had ever been before.

She made the effort to exhale, easing her breath out slowly. She focused her thoughts on the anticipated wild landscape she would find below, the warm ground beneath her feet, the blue sky above. She forced herself to relax, the muted sounds of a working flight crew registering, slipping into her awareness as the craft entered the atmosphere bringing the sensation of motion back to the passengers. In short order the planet below resolved from broad brushstrokes of color to definitive patterns of greens, browns and blues to identifiable features of prairie, forest, mountains and lakes. The landscape sped beneath the shuttle as they headed for their predetermined landing area.

Relief coursed through Controller Sev at the thought of being on the ground again. She glanced around the cabin to see if the others had picked up on her anxiety about the drop. This was a new team for her, put together after a yearlong struggle to get the resources and the clearance needed to proceed from the humans in charge of fulfilling Mazer’s directives. The Thinkers were unexplainably resistant to this trip. It wasn’t until after she agreed to their team recommendations that they placed the mission on the launch schedule.

A sharp shift in motion brought the ship to hover above a grassy field. Officer Miln adjusted the controls and they settled to the ground with a gentle pressure. The pilots began shutting down the engines while Controller Sev released her harness and made her way through the cabin to the hatch. She again felt her annoyance at being ordered to include two security personnel on her team, Captain Bremmer Darrow, the image of the archaic man of action with little to say and Officer Kat Miln, her lithe body and green eyes reminiscent of her mythological namesake. At least she had an engineering background and could help out with the equipment. They took up billets she could have assigned to additional science staff, scientists that would have made mapping and identifying archeological finds easier. Instead she had been limited in her selection, both in numbers and in experience, Intern Soren in her junior year at the university had yet to be part of an off planet excavation and Computer Specialist Hanson Grange, an intense, indoors kind of man whose training in computer science was not the typical route archeologists took in their studies.

She slipped her second skin down over her face, letting it mold its self over the exposed surface of her body. Designed as a barrier between humans and the viruses and bacteria of the natural world, second skin was worn by all humans outside their climate-controlled homes, cities and vehicles. In recent years there had been a growing push to make the wearing of a second skin mandatory from the moment of birth regardless of how well the dwellings of humans were sealed against the environment. It was not a point of view she agreed with. Once everyone’s protective skin was secured she opened the hatch and stepped out of the sterile atmosphere of the shuttle into the clear fresh air of a pristine world rich with the scents of plants and soil. She walked a few steps away from the bottom of the ramp and stopped. She listened for a moment to the pleasant hum of insect life, closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, getting her first feel for this out of the way planet. A sense of familiarity and belonging swept over her more intensely than on any other planet she had visited in her long career of searching for long buried evidence of humankind’s journey throughout the universe. Perhaps this was the place where it all started? The home world Mazer had started pushing the archeological teams to find.

“This looks like a good spot to set up base camp, a bit of a rise and a nice view all around. Easy to defend, Controller.” Captain Darrow said coming up beside her and studying the landscape.

“Yes, this will do.” Controller Sev said uneasy at his assessment of the site based on his perceived need to defend it. “This area, with the ancient joining of two major rivers and fertile soil would have been a solid location for a settlement.” She gestured, sweeping her hand toward the vista before them. Beside her Captain Darrow crossed his arms, not saying anything. She glanced over at him, nodded her head and turned away.

The others had started unloading equipment and setting up canopies under which they placed worktables in anticipation of finding artifacts. As the afternoon wore on the chaos of boxes and crates coalesced into the order of an efficient workspace. Off to one side, in keeping with a tradition established by Mazer when the first archeology teams were sent out to search the stars for ancient human planets, an area had been stamped flat and a pit, ringed with stones brought up from the riverbank, had been dug. Now with the sun settling in the west the crew cleaned up, sitting down to dinner and discussion of work assignments for their three-month stay. The growing night was held at bay by the lights mounted in the support structure of the canopy overhead. Controller Sev listened to the chatter of the others as she watched the landscape around them fade into the dark.

In the distance an eerie howl rose above the whirring of insects inspecting the fine mesh screens separating them from the potential human prey within, raising the hair on the backs of necks, stopping the conversation. Captain Darrow rose to his feet, his hand resting on the grip of the stun pistol at his side and studied the darkness as the howl faded away. The group sat in silence. When another howl was not forth coming Intern Soren gave vent to a nervous chuckle.

“It seems humankind hasn’t evolved as much as the Thinkers claim if one howl can throw us back to our primal responses.” She said rubbing the goose bumps on her arm.

“Some of us less so than the others.” Computer Specialist Grange said. He stood up. “I’m turning in.”

Controller Sev watched as he lifted the netting and made his way across the ground to the shuttle. The sight of his stiff back as he entered the shuttle brought back to mind her first impression of him. A person she would not willingly choose to spend an hour with much less the months of preparation, travel and work associated with an archeology survey team in the field. Someone rigid and unyielding enough to possibly be a hindrance to the mission. But as the decision on who made up her team became less and less her choice, she conceded to the demands of the Thinkers that Grange be included.

The sound of laughter brought her attention back to the conversation of the others and Captain Darrow’s stories of adventure on the various security details he had been assigned to. She joined in, sharing stories of her own about past missions, letting the group enjoy a relaxing evening before the demands of the fieldwork consumed their time.

Waiting is hard!

Me: on the phone with the electrician.

Five-year-old granddaughter sitting at the table: “I’m thirsty. Grandma get me some juice.”

Me: “Just a minute I’m on the phone.”

Granddaughter tugging on my shirt: “ I’m thirsty. I want juice.”

Me: “ Please wait until I’m done talking to the electrician.”

Granddaughter looking up at me with soulful eyes: “Waiting is hard.”

Me: “Yes waiting can be hard, but so was riding your bicycle before you practiced and learned how. Let’s practice waiting until you are just as good at waiting as you are at riding your bike.”

Granddaughter: Silence.

Me finishing up phone call and hanging up: “Thank you for waiting. Let’s get you some juice.”

Waiting is hard! As hard as riding a bicycle!

Sisters Part 5

“I’m off to bed.” Helen said standing up as the credits rolled across the screen. More fatigued than she could ever remember being, she struggled to stand up. “I’ll see everyone in the morning.”

“Good night Aunt Helen.” The younger two children chimed together. Helen’s oldest niece looked up at her for a moment before adding her own good night to the mix.

“Good night. We’ll see you in the morning.” Mary said. She stood up and started gathering up the desert dishes. 

Helen headed toward the stairway leading up to the second floor. She felt a tense anxiety in her shoulders and back as she climbed the stairs up to the shadowy hallway. Her head and body felt heavy and wooden as she struggled to lift her feet from one step to the next, her thoughts fuzzy. She wavered at the top of the stairs experiencing a chill rising from her core and spreading throughout her body, a chill that left her feeling weak and not alive with an undefined hunger growing inside. Helen reached out placing her palm against the wall and closed her eyes. For a moment she wasn’t sure she was going to stay on her feet.

“Here, I have you.” Mary’s voice floated nearby and she felt her sister’s hands, one on her back and the other taking her arm.

“I don’t feel very well.”

“My word, you are burning up. Let’s get you into bed.”

Helen nodded letting her sister steer her down the hallway to her room. The walls seemed to close in on her and the floor seemed to dip and rise as she shuffled forward. Everything was out of focus as the two made their way into the bedroom. Mary helped Helen into her nightgown before helping her into the cool, smooth sheets of the bed.

“I can’t be sick. I never get sick. I’ve been so busy. I just didn’t take the time, I thought I would be safe.” Helen said.

Mary paused in her straightening of the covers and looked at Helen.

“Hmm, let me get a thermometer and check your temperature. I’m sure its nothing to worry about, but we should take precautions. Just in case.”

Helen looked up Mary, her eyes wide and bright with the fever building inside her. She sat up grabbing Mary’s arm.

“I can’t. I didn’t believe there was anything to the rumors. I thought I would be fine. Just this once I thought it would be okay. You have to believe me. I wouldn’t have come if I thought I would get sick. You have to stay away from me, keep the kids away from me.” Helen sank back onto the pillow, her breathing getting more labored.

“Hush. It’ll be okay. I’ll take care of you. We’re sisters we look out for each other. Right?”

Helen nodded, her eyes big and bright in her faded face.

Mary stepped out into the hallway closing the door behind her. She pulled a key out of her pocket, turned around and locked the door.

“Is it?” The deep male voice of her husband startled her.

“I think so. She has the same symptoms as Carol’s sister’s neighbor had last week when he attacked his wife. It’s a good thing she had his pistol in her nightstand or she would have been a goner too. You had better take the kids over to your mother’s. I’d rather they weren’t here.” Mary looked past her husband, not meeting his eyes.  “Fortunately this thing isn’t airborne and all of us got the flu shot so we should be okay.” Mary shook her head. “All these years she has hounded me about getting vaccinated and the one year everyone needed to, she doesn’t.”

“I can stay and take care of Helen if you want me to.” Her husband said reaching out and gently touching her arm.

“Thank you, I know you would, but I can handle it.” She met his eyes briefly before turning back to the door her face grim and sorrowful, tears welling up in her eyes. “She would do the same for me.” Mary said. She placed her palm on the smooth surface of the door. “I’ll take care of you Helen. I won’t let you suffer an undead life.”

The End

Sisters Part 4

The next morning found Mary in the kitchen putting final touches on a variety of dishes. Once her sister had committed to coming home for Thanksgiving Mary had decided to make all the favorite dishes their mother had made when they were younger. It was going to be too much food for just the six of them but then there would be leftovers to carry them through the weekend.

“Hey sleepy head. Coffee is made.” Mary greeted her sister as Helen entered the kitchen, gesturing toward the coffee pot she knew her sister would be looking for. “How did you sleep?”

“Better than I have in weeks.” Helen said opening a cupboard door, searching for a coffee mug. “Looks like you have been busy this morning. Need a hand with anything?”

“I’ve got it under control. At least for the moment.” Mary said.

Helen nodded, poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down on one of the stools next to the butcher-block table Mary had in her small kitchen.

“I can at least keep you company while you slave away putting together what looks like a fabulous feast.”

Mary focused on the ingredients she was measuring into the bowl in front of her not sure why she was feeling uncomfortable with her sister in the house. True it had been a couple of years since they were last together, but that shouldn’t have changed their relationship that much. She could feel Helen sitting behind her and shifted her position at the counter to where she could see her out of the corner of her eye. Helen looked more rested this morning, but there were still dark circles under her eyes and her face wasn’t as tan as it usually was. It seemed the casual approach to fitness and health Mary embraced worked better than latching on to the latest craze in improving your health Helen had been spouting.

“You look just like mom.” Helen said. “My fondest memories are of the three of us in the kitchen. Remember when mom would bake bread. We had our own small loaf pans and she would give us each a small bit of the bread dough to knead. We always seemed to end up covered with flour.”

“I remember how good the bread was at lunch time. In the summer we would have a picnic out in the backyard with warm fresh bread, along with cheese and fruit and fresh squeezed lemonade to wash it down with. I haven’t made homemade bread in a long time. There just doesn’t seem to be time for that kind of stuff these days.”

“Life does get busier as we get older doesn’t it?”

Mary’s oldest daughter, Becky, came into the kitchen, interrupting further conversation. She gave her aunt a quick hug and opened one of the cupboards to pull out a box of cereal. She didn’t say a word to either woman while she poured cereal into a bowl and pulled the milk out of the refrigerator.

“Good morning.” Helen said, addressing her niece.

Becky looked around after she finished pouring the milk. “Morning.”

“I’m surprised you are up so early.” Mary said. “Your brother and sister are still in bed.”

“I heard dad get up and thought I would see if you needed any help.” Becky said carrying her bowl of cereal over to the dinning room table.

Mary was quiet for a moment while she washed her hands at the sink, having Helen around certainly changed things around here. She could not remember the last time Becky had offered to contribute to any family function other than her unwilling presence.

“Okay then. When the two of you are done with breakfast you can pull out the good china and linens and get the dinning room table set. It’s just going to be us for dinner, but I thought using the good dishes would be nice.”

The day passed quickly with everyone eating too much, everyone except Helen. Mary couldn’t help but notice her sister’s slight appetite. She remembered Helen’s love of good food, it was one of the reasons Helen became fanatical about exercising. She loved to eat and keeping active let her indulge her taste for delectable cuisine. The small portions seemed out of character and Mary filed the thought away for questioning her sister when they were alone. 

After dinner and the dishes cleaned up, Tom urged everyone, including his reluctant wife, out to the back yard for a friendly game of touch football. It felt good to be out in the crisp autumn air after spending the morning in a hot kitchen cooking and eating more than she intended.

Her participation in the game was more of a run to a spot, stand there and then run back to the line of scrimmage to wait for the next snap of the ball. It gave her time to watch her family, to enjoy the unusually warm November day, with the call of geese headed south overhead and the crackling of leaves underfoot. Then her ten-year-old son, Ryan yelled for her. She looked back at where he stood, football in hand, looking like a young John Elway before he launched the ball toward her. She gave a squeak as she watched the oblong ball come at her and in self-defense raised her hands, catching it to her utter surprise.

“Run.” Ryan shouted.

Still in amazement that she actually caught the thing she looked up at her family charging toward her. She turned, picking up speed as she made the effort to cross the invisible goal line stretching between the corner of the garage and the far edge of the vegetable garden before she could be tagged. Just as she thought she was going to make it, her sister caught up to her. In a throw back in time to their younger years Helen threw her arms around Mary, tackling her to the ground.

“Tag.” She said grinning at Mary.

Mary’s first reaction was to laugh back as the soft grass cushioned them where they lay, their arms tangled, their hands grasping the ball. She breathed in the smell of the dried grass along with the scent of decay, the scent of things newly dead bringing to mind the smell of a dead mouse caught in a trap under the basement stairs. She looked deep into her sister’s eyes noticing, not for the first time, since she had picked her up at the airport the lack of sparkle in them.

Helen disengaged herself from Mary and stood up. She raised her hands above her head, dancing a victory dance as the rest of the family ran up to them. There were hoots and hollers and some dissention on whether or not Mary had gotten the ball across the goal line before Helen tagged her.

Mary climbed to her feet handing the football over to her daughter. She stood watching Helen not sure what was wrong with her sister, feeling a growing sense of unease. She noticed the sun low in the western sky. A shiver ran up her spine and she rubbed her arms in an effort to dispel the chill.

“Hey, anyone for pumpkin pie?” She called out. “It’s getting too dark to see the ball, much less see where the goal line is.”

Cheers answered her question as she turned toward the house with the others following. Mary felt an urge to get inside the house and out of the growing darkness in the yard. The increasing reports of people becoming unstable with grotesque changes in their appearances, disappearing from their homes during the day only to return in the night to attack their family and neighbors had her uneasy about being outside after dark.  It seemed prudent to go inside before the sun went down.

Pros and Cons of living in an Oak Forest

Pro - You can rake all the leaves into the forest instead of picking them up.



Con - You have to rake twice a year, fall and spring.

Fool

Only a fool chooses sides without hearing both sides of the story.

Sisters Part 3

A warm welcome by Mary’s family followed by a light supper and Helen, at Mary’s urging, settled into the guest bedroom earlier than she would normally retire. She felt the tensions of her life slip away as she settled into the comfort of the pliable guest room bed. The rural home of her sister felt strange to her city adapted senses. How long had it been since she had experienced this level of quiet and peace? She asked herself. But there were subtle differences in her sister’s home too, shutters on all the windows, which Mary’s husband closed up as the sun went down, reinforced steel doors with heavy duty deadbolts had replaced the decorative wooden front and rear doors scavenged from an old farm house and her niece Becky had gone out of the way to show her how easy it was to pull the ladder down to gain access to the attic leaving her with a sense of uneasy vigilance underneath the harmony and warmth her sister exuded. 

She smiled in the dim light of evening as she thought about her nieces and nephew, they had been so young the last time she saw them and now, here they were fast becoming adults ready to take on the world.

Helen closed her eyes, luxuriating in the comfort of the old bed and sank into the deepest sleep she had experienced in a long time. The moonlight slipped through the window where the curtains gapped, throwing a soft streak of light across the floor ending at the bottom of the door. In the hallway could be heard the subtle swish of stocking feet on the carpeted floor. They came to a halt outside the bedroom door. The click of a key turning penetrated the quiet and the sleeping woman shifted in her bed before settling back into the depths of slumber. A moment of stillness pervaded the room and then the stocking feet whished away from the closed door.

In her sleep Helen mumbled about protecting her family, about keeping herself away from others, shaking her head back and forth until she woke herself and opened her eyes. She frowned at the dark ceiling above her unsure in the first moments of transition from sleep to wakefulness of where she was. Restless from the vague, distressing, fragmented dreams fading from her consciousness she rubbed her damp forehead and considered getting up for a glass of water. Everything was quiet, unmoving in the stillness of the late hour as a swath of luminous moonlight climbed up the door marking the passage of time. The slumbering house soothed her unease and she drifted back into a dreamless sleep.

Sisters Part 2

The day before Thanksgiving Mary drove out to the airport to pick up her sister. The sun was shinning on the stubble fields of harvested cornfields she passed as she made her way from her rural small town home to the outskirts of St. Paul.  Everything was mellow in the afternoon sunlight as she followed the interstate looping around the Twin Cities to the Minneapolis International airport. Alone in the car she listened to her choice of music, singing along with the songs she knew without having to hear the groans and moans of her family as she sang off key. She had decided to come by herself to pick up her sister to give them a chance to reconnect on the ride back to the house before her three children commandeered their aunt’s attention.  

Mary arrived at the terminal and joined the stream of cars lined up like cattle in a stockyard making their way into the airport to pick up or drop off friends and family. She inched forward watching for her opportunity to ease over lane by lane to the curb while scanning the crowded walk for her sister. She spotted Helen standing next to one of the support columns for the roadway overhead, her luggage resting on the ground next to her.

Mary pulled in as close as she could get and placed the car in park, popped the trunk and got out, greeting Helen with smiles and open arms taking in with one glance Helen’s gaunt face, her cheekbones standing out in sharp relief against her pale face, her eyes deep and so dark it was hard to tell they were a dark blue instead of brown. She embraced her sister feeling the hard, sharpness of bones underneath too little flesh.

“Welcome home, it’s so good to see you.” Mary said making her voice warm and friendly, struggling to keep her growing concern in check.

“It’s good to be here. I’m already glad I came. There is so much craziness going on out on the coast, it’s a relief to be away from it all.” Helen said. There was an undertone of nervousness Mary hadn’t heard in her sister’s voice before.

After Helen’s luggage was stowed in the trunk Mary slammed the lid shut with a finality that made her sister jump.

“Everything okay?” Mary asked.

“I’m fine.” Helen said plastering a fake smile on her lips. “Let’s get out of this chaos.”

Mary arched an eyebrow, nodded and turning headed toward the driver’s door. She slipped in behind the wheel as Helen climbed in the passenger’s side. Mary secured her seatbelt and reached out to turn off the radio.

“Wait.” Helen said. “I want to hear this.”

The sisters sat listening to the news report of an assault from the night before. A man was attacked as he left a restaurant. He was wrestled to the ground and bitten several times before the assailant was pulled off of him. Both men were taken to the hospital where the victim died from complications stemming from the bite wounds and the assailant from an undisclosed medical condition.

“There have been a growing number of incidents like this back home. The news made it sound like it was a local thing, and not to worry. One of my colleagues got sick the other day and came after me. Fortunately one of the lab technicians heard and helped me wrestle him to the ground and restrain him. It’s this new mutation.” Helen paused. “I can’t really talk about it, but if this is the same thing, it’s spread a lot farther and faster than we’ve been told.”

“This is the fifth assault reported in the last week.” Mary said. “There hasn’t been any official reports of attacks elsewhere. But I have heard rumors, stories of attacks as far away as Chicago. My friend, Carol was telling me about her sister’s neighbor, the sister living in Chicago. How he went crazy and nearly killed his wife. Carol’s sister said it was the result of a contaminated flu shot. But Mike, Tom’s friend who works with Carol’s sister’s husband said the neighbor hadn’t got a flu shot and it was some kind of virus mutation that is making people sick and violent. It’s a crazy world, you just don’t know what to believe.” She shook her head and with a small laugh said. “Tom has his own outlandish ideas and now keeps his shotgun loaded and close at hand.” 

She flipped the radio off and the signal indicator on, checked her mirrors, and eased away from the curb and the jumble of cars.

“Anyway, I’m glad you are here. The kids have done nothing but talk about your visit. For Becky this visit is really exciting, she wants to know all about California. She has been looking at colleges out there. I know she has a couple of years left before she graduates, but she has her heart set on joining her aunt out on the coast.” Mary said. She had been taken back at the sight of her sister. There was a lack of vigor about Helen that had never existed before. Mary had always seen her sister as a boundless source of energy, always on the go, always planning something to do and doing it.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the kids, to having some down time.” Helen said as she gazed out the car window. “It’s been a tough few months and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any easier for awhile. I’ve been spending all my time at the lab and I have to admit not taking very good care of myself. I know. I know.” Helen said holding one hand up to stop Mary from commenting. “Which is why I haven’t said anything to you about how I have been feeling, because I didn’t want to hear any lectures. At least I didn't want to hear any from my baby sister. I guess its true what they say, what goes around comes around.” Her voice, sounding drained and hushed, faded away leaving the inside of the car quiet as Mary considered her sister’s words.

“Well, you’re here and can let all that stuff stay on the west coast. We’ll have you feeling like your old self in no time.”

Sisters Part 1

Mary sat at her dinning room table with her cell phone pressed against her ear. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass of the patio doors, danced across the oak table and bathed the floral arrangement in the center of the table in a warm glow. Her laptop sat open on the table in front of her, the screensaver cycling through pictures of her family while she gazed out at the birdfeeder mounted on the deck railing.  The sight of a rotund squirrel sitting on the railing with a sunflower seed in its paws captured her attention, letting her sister’s voice fade into the background. His whickers quivered as he cracked the shell and devoured the nut inside. At the approach of another squirrel he charged, scolding it with a loud chattering. Mary grinned at the antics thinking how like her older sister the squirrel was. 

“Did you get your Flu shot?” The sudden question brought her back to the conversation.

“No, not yet. I have been really busy with work and the kids.” Mary said.

“You should, you know. The main strain going around this year is reported to be serious.”

“I know. I just… I don’t know… I’m not sure. Is it really necessary to get one? I mean I haven’t been sick in years and, well, how safe is it? I’ve heard stories about people getting the shot and not being the same afterwards, having reactions that were life changing.” Mary said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. Dead silence from the other end of the phone was her sister’s typical response to her resisting her sister’s advice. She could see Helen tapping the toe of her stylish shoe and tightening her lips as she waited for Mary to give up arguing. “I’m just not sure I want to risk it.” She continued in a fading effort to stand up for herself.

Through out her life Helen had corrected her, her grammar, her style of dress, even the way she walked. Now with the aggressive ad campaigns promoting an annual flu vaccination Helen had added one more item to her list of things she should be doing.  Mary clenched her teeth together in an effort to avoid an argument with her sister as Helen launched into another lecture. Instead she focused on the riotous cacophony of fall color beckoning to her, calling to her to come out and play in the sun before the night settled in.

She felt a deep longing to bathe in the warm sunshine, filling her senses with the dusky fragrance of slowing growth as the yard and gardens settled in for the winter ahead. She lost track of her sister’s voice flowing from the phone in a seemingly non-stop prattle about how important it was to take better care of herself. She wondered, how much better care could she take of herself than spending time outside, breathing in the crisp, clear air of autumn, putting her flower beds to rest and listening to the faint rustle of small creatures under the fallen leaves as she raked them off the lawn? Get more exercise, eat healthy and by all means get a flu shot. She had heard it all before, it made sense and yet, she found herself resisting the pressure to change her habits, not convinced any of it would make much difference in the long run, not buying into the hype.

Mary straightened up as she realized the voice on the other end of the phone had gone silent. She thought back to what she last remembered her sister saying and with an effort to appear as if she was paying attention she spoke with the last thought she had.

“Besides, aren’t there others that need it more than I do? They only make so much of the vaccine.”

“Not really paying attention, are you?” Helen said with a laugh. “Still the same old Mary lost in a world of your own, unwilling to conform to the rest of society, unwilling to listen to anything I say. You should think of those around you. The easiest way to stop the spread of the flu is for everyone to get vaccinated each year and besides, there is enough this year for everyone. It is safe and those stories are just stories, if there was any truth in them it would be all over the news.”

 “I’ll think about it. I suppose it isn’t such a big deal. It does sort of make sense. I, just, well it’s not a hundred percent protective and I’m not big on getting vaccinated when it might not work.”

“Not going to give it up, are you? Okay I’ll let up on you.” Helen said, shifting the topic to a more neutral area. “How are Tom and the kids? What’s happening back there in the Midwest?”

Mary found herself opening up with the shift to neutral territory and started sharing all the trials and joys of having a teenage daughter, a soon to be teenage daughter and a young son obsessed with football, bringing laughter back into the conversation.

All too soon Helen started making the ‘I need to get going, I have too many things to do and not enough time to do them in’ statements that heralded the end of the phone call.

“Say, why don’t you come out for Thanksgiving?” Mary asked before her sister could make her final good-bye. “It’s been a few years and the kids would love to see you.”

“I’m not sure I can get away. There is a lot going on right now. We’ve identified a new mutation of the flu virus and are scrambling to find out how virulent it is and how effective the current flu vaccine is.” 

“Oh come on, a break will do you good. Come out for Thanksgiving. We can go to the Mall of America on Black Friday, hit all the sales, like we did before you moved to the coast.”

Silence instead of further argument told Mary that Helen was considering the invitation.

“Helen, come out for the holiday. It will be just the six of us. Nothing big, but with all the trimmings.” Mary paused waiting for her sister’s response. “It’s been, what, five, six years since you were last home. Come out and take a break. Isn’t that part of what you are always lecturing me about, how important it is to exercise, eat right and get enough rest.” Mary tried to make her comments light hearted so as not to raise her sister’s ire, but underneath her words was a real concern for her sister. Throughout the conversation Helen hadn’t sounded as much like Helen as usual. She sounded tired and not as enthusiastic about her life, even her lecturing had been softer and not as forceful.

“Okay. I’ll book a flight out.” Helen said. “It will be good to see you and your family, to catch up on life in the Midwest and yes I do need a break, I have let work consume me these last couple of years and could use time away.” The sound of her voice had regained a bit of the spirit Mary was familiar with and she felt her worry fade. After all Helen would have told her if something was seriously amiss. They ended the conversation and Mary clicked off her phone. She gazed out the window without seeing anything, her mind racing about all she needed to get done over the next two months.

Mistakes

You can't undo the past,

But you can mend the future.

People

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Those who care about money and those who care about people.

Those who care about money don't care who gets hurt as long as they get their money.

Those who care about people don't care how much money they get.