FULL NOVELXO Chapter Chapter Seventy-One - Nebraska
She glanced in the rearview mirror to adjust her hair. Over the years it had become more gray than blonde, but Jackie said it made her look like a ‘wise woman of the forest,’ which was supposed to be a compliment. She craned her neck at a passing farmhouse, trying to spot the number on the mailbox. Then she looked again at the long road ahead, marveling at the shear depth of the oceans of corn that made up the Nebraska landscape. She lowered the window to enjoy the smell of the crisp, fall air.
She spotted another farmhouse on the horizon, like a red island in a yellow sea. She could see an unused grain silo of untold years and several old vehicles in front of the barn. Among them, however, was the signature piece. Standing half under a canvas tarp was a beautiful reproduction of a twentieth century biplane. This was the house!
She was relieved that the old, red pickup was not in the driveway, but a handsome motorcycle leaned against the garage door, its chrome gleaming in the sun. A sign swinging from a wooden post read “Anderson.”
The car glided to a stop and settled lightly on the ground at Sally’s bidding. Her heels made an official sounding tap on the flagstone walkway. There was no keypad on the Andersons’ door and they didn’t have an electric doorbell. Instead, she turned a dull metal key on the door itself, which rang a quaint mechanical bell inside. She could hear the muffled sound of running feet almost immediately.
The tall, young man who opened the door recognized her long before she recognized him.
“Captain!” he shouted, as if confronting an angel.
She squinted at the boy, her older face contorting in disbelief. “Todd? Is that you?”
He nodded.
“Oh, God how you’ve grown!” she said, appraising him up and down. “And you’ve become quite a catch too!” she remarked with a wink.
He held open the door, almost pulling her in.
“Mom!” he shouted. “The Captain’s here!”
“Mercy me!” Carrie cried from the kitchen. “Why, it’s been a lifetime, hasn’t it?”
Carrie wore her age well, the weight she’d put on only making her appear more matronly. Her lovely red hair was painted now and much shorter than Sally remembered. She rushed over to hug Sally, throwing mock kisses in her ear. “Welcome! It’s been more than a lifetime!”
“It’s good to see you again, Carrie,” Sally said with a broad grin.
“If you’re looking for Dad, he’s at the air show!” Todd said. “You just missed him!”
“I know. I heard he’d be there, so I thought I’d come and find out how he’s been.”
Todd looked confused, and Sally understood why. She faced him with a sad smile. “You see, Todd, I’m not supposed to see your father again. It might bring back bad memories for him.”
“Oh, nonsense!” Carrie scoffed. “Why, I’d just as soon you stayed for dinner!” She looked up at the ceiling and mumbled to herself. “Now, maybe I can’t cook all that fancy stuff you and Jackie used to like, but my meatloaf’s legendary and that’s what I’m making tonight!”
She took Carrie’s hand and shook her head, her eyes filled with regret. “But how is he?”
“Good as gold! Eats regular now and doesn’t even sleep on the floor anymore. And it’s been years since I’ve had to worry about the trash. He’s all right! Even likes my cooking again! Truth be, I think that’s what fixed him.”
Sally smiled.
“Captain, isn’t it exciting about Captain Merryfield and the colony ship?” Todd asked.
“You mean he’s still gallivanting around the heavens?” Carrie snorted.
“Mom, don’t you know anything? Captain Merryfield led the first mission into the new fold in the delta-epsilon sector! Now he’s bringing a whole fleet of colonists to the new planet!”
“Well excuse me!” Carrie mocked. “I’m still busy with the old planet and tonight’s dinner!”
“Wasn’t it great what he did, Captain? With the fire, I mean?”
“He’s a brave man, Todd. More so than he ever thought he was, but I always knew he had it in him.”
“He saved half the crew of his last ship from a fire!” he told his mother. “He ran right into a burning compartment and saved everybody! He was a real hero!”
“Yes, yes, yes!”
“And now we know how to find the folds better, they’re showing up all over the place! The frontier’s endless!”
“Boys!” Carrie exclaimed. “At least you had the sense to retire, from what I hear, Admiral is it?”
“No, I didn’t have a military title with my last job. They just called me ‘Doctor,’ mostly.”
“You hear that, Todd?”
“Oh, he can call me Captain if it makes him happy,” Sally said, throwing Todd a playful grin. “After all, I found five of the folds myself.”
“And you figured out about the one on Earth, too, didn’t you? The one near Florida that goes to the water planet.”
“You can see my son worships you,” Carrie said with a parent’s mild embarrassment. “Why don’t you show the Captain your father’s present?”
Sally watched as Todd ran off. “He turned out well. I still remember when he was small! How’s Emily?”
“She lives in Texas with her husband, and I’ve got a grandchild on the way! Who’d of thought?”
“Congratulations!”
“And Mike’s still managing that seed business of his in Kansas. Boring compared to your life, I suppose. You being UN Space Commissioner for how many years?”
“Well, being UN Space Commissioner is more of a hassle than a job, but I did enjoy it for a while. And I personally offered Ian several chances for promotion. He wouldn’t hear of it, though.” Her eyes twinkled with admiration. “I’m so glad he’s doing what he loves.”
Todd emerged from the hallway, carrying a clear plastic tube covered with a paper bag. He set it on the table. “I’ve got a holo of you seeing him off on his first mission as Captain. That’s when you gave him that sword thing. And I saw it on the wall in his quarters when the news showed him last night!”
“I hope he never needs it. But if he does, I’m sure she’ll protect him like she protected me.”
“And I hear they let that Russian guy out of jail, too.”
Sally laughed. “Where do you get that? You’re talking about Vladimir Coronov, right?”
“Yeah, the guy that got arrested when you came back to Earth the first time.”
She shook her head, maintaining her smile. “He was never arrested and he never went to jail. He’s been living in Siberia since we got home, but that technically wasn’t even exile. He just chose to live there after he and that politician friend of his got thrown out of the space ministry.” She paused, trying to remember the details. “I heard he did construction up there. Now I guess he’s moved back to Moscow to be with his daughter.”
“It’s that movie they made about it,” Carrie said. “Not very accurate, I don’t think.”
“Scott didn’t see it, did he?”
“No, Rachel called us special about that. But I couldn’t really keep Todd away.”
“Does Rachel still check on him?”
“Not since last year. Heading up that VR safety board sounds like two jobs to me. I guess she had to let something go. But he’s all right. It was so long ago! He doesn’t need to get checked and prodded about that anymore.”
Sally smiled at her confidence. “I’m glad.”
“And what about you? How are you finding retirement?”
“Not boring!” She laughed. “Jackie and I are catching a flight to Japan tomorrow. She’s painting a series on Mount Fuji. I’m between planes right now, as a matter of fact. I was representing her in New York. The museum’s negotiating for the rights to show whatever she comes up with over there.”
“Well, why didn’t she come with __” She paused, her face taking on concern. “Wait a minute! You’re between planes, did you say? You mean you’re actually here?” She touched her experimentally.
“Yes, I have a car outside. I’ll drive back to Omaha for the six o’clock flight.”
“Well, why didn’t you just VR? The way it is now, you wouldn’t have noticed the difference. And they’ve got those terminals everywhere. Heck, I’d have paid for the connection!”
“Oh, no, you don’t understand. I’ve had my implant taken out. I can’t VR anymore.”
“Oh dear! Why?”
“No medical reason. Jackie and I just decided to do it.” She shrugged. “We wanted to experience life as it was meant to be. And, since I don’t need it for work anymore and we’re always together now, we figure we can get away with it.”
“Well, not me! Heck, the way I eat these days, if it weren’t for VR food I’d never stick to a diet!”
They laughed.
“Well, suit yourself, Sally. If it’s what you really want.”
“It is.”
Sally then noticed that Todd had been standing beside his bag, waiting politely for an opportunity to show it to her. “And, what have we here?” she asked with appropriate enthusiasm.
He pulled the tube from the bag. It was clear plastic and came with a wooden stand. Inside was a well-detailed model of the Kelthy. Sally’s face dropped when she saw it. She looked to Carrie with concern.
“He’s bound to see it sometimes. It was the most famous space flight of all time!”
“I know, Carrie. I’m just__”
“It turns, too!” Todd said, glowing with pride. “Just like all those old ships before the gravity control was standard!”
Sally looked at the model politely. “It’s lovely, Todd,” she whispered.
“Now, Todd, don’t you have homework to do?” Carrie said with some impatience.
“Well . . .”
“Git!” she ordered. “I haven’t seen the Sally . . . I mean The Captain in years and she’s going to have to scoot out of here pretty soon to catch that plane!”
“Okay,” he grumbled. “Nice to see you, Captain. And thank you for what you did for my Dad.”
Sally watched him begin to walk away. “Hey!” she called after him. “How ’bout a hug goodbye!”
The boy ran back to her, grateful for the attention. She embraced him gently, clapping him on the back. “You’re strong!” she remarked. And then she spoke softly into his ear. “Want to fly space ships like your Dad?”
He nodded vigorously.
“Study your math and physics! It comes in handy up there!” Then she let him go and watched him exit the room.
“Good!” Carrie exclaimed. “Now, how ’bout some coffee?”
Sally looked at her watch. “I’m concerned he may be back soon. You won’t tell him I was here, will you?”
“Well, I won’t, but I don’t know about Todd!”
“Ask him not to, at least.”
“If that’s what you want,” Carrie said with a sigh. “But I still say you shouldn’t be strangers! You and Jackie are both welcome here anytime!”
“I know, and Scott still means a great deal to us. But you know what Rachel said.” She motioned to the model. “And I’m not sure that’s a good idea either.”
“But after so long? And you know how kids are about adventure! He’s managed to collect every news clip and toy they ever made about your mission. You should see his room!”
Sally started to protest, but then just clasped Carrie’s hands. “Take good care of him.”
“Always do.”
It was almost dark when Scott’s red pickup bounced and creaked into the driveway. He looked for Todd’s motorcycle as he stepped down from the cab, noting its absence on the way into the house. He still wore a crew-cut, but it was now well peppered with gray. And, though his face remained smooth, his apple-pie smile had begun to fade through the years.
Carrie looked up from her knitting when he came in. “Well, you’ve been gone quite a while. Didn’t know they flew in the dark.”
“Had to stop by the barn on the way back,” he said, dropping his jacket onto one of the chairs. “Anything interesting happen in your life while I was gone?”
“Nope!” she said quickly.
“Well, I guess I’ll turn in,” he said with a yawn.
But, as he headed for the hallway, he caught a glimpse of the model ship silently spinning on the table. It wasn’t a surprise. He had known about it for some time. He stopped and looked at it in wonder, watching the flags of the four nations scroll by like a never-ending credit roll.
“Todd’s out, is he?”
“Out with that girl Erin again. At his age, I’d expect him back before eleven, but you know that won’t happen!”
He grinned at her. “Didn’t happen with us, now did it?”
“That doesn’t count!”
But, on his way down the hall, Scott threw a furtive glance back towards her, verifying that she had returned to her knitting. Then, seeing his chance, he silently opened the door to Todd’s bedroom and slipped inside. He emerged with a thick, yellow folder, shielding it the way an adolescent might hide a pornographic magazine. He then crept down the steps to the basement, taking each one with exaggerated effort, trying not to make a sound.
At a musty worktable behind the furnace he paged through the contents of Todd’s collection of Kelthy memorabilia, though he wasn’t sure what he was looking for. As he turned the pages, his callused hands caught on their edges. Carrie hadn’t noticed that he’d stopped wearing gloves while doing his hard work on the farm, and he’d made a routine of hiding it. So much could be overlooked if he just didn’t draw attention to it. Carrie was easy to fool. She saw the surface but not the substance. She saw the routines but not the actions. Just as she saw the trash going out on time every week, but never noticed the scraps of garbage missing from the kitchen bin, which he devoured silently, hiding his breath later with doses of mouthwash.
He paged through the official-looking holograms and photos of the Kelthy crew, the blueprints of the lovely ship, and the pages and pages of biographies. But then, in the back of the binder, he found a curious item. It was a print from an old painting of the ship and planet New Ontario. In it he could see what looked like a cartoon depiction of a woman fighting a devil-like creature over the planet, but he’d long forgotten what that meant. But there, scrawled on the side of the ship and almost impossible to make out, was what he’d been looking for all along. He lightly traced the outline of the broken chain links symbol that some part of him had been trying to reconstruct in his mind. He opened his shirt, examining his chest where his old mark had been so expertly removed. He’d forgotten what the characters looked like, let alone what they said. They’d taken even that much away from him!
He stared again at the symbol, letting it penetrate his mind. And then, as if by magic, he lightly wrote in the dust of his workbench those lovely symbols that had been hidden from him for so long. 4702. His old, worn face wrinkled as deep, silent sobs rose from within his chest. His eyes overflowed with tears and he stroked the symbol reverently, as if trying to reach across the oceans of darkness and years to touch those he loved so dearly and missed so much.
“Masters!” he whispered. “Brothers and sisters, please take me back!”
Then he closed the forbidden book and brushed away the scrawl, preparing to return to his bedroom unnoticed. But he stole one last look at the symbol before he mounted the dark stairs.
“Please don’t leave me here!” he added to his silent cry. “I want to go home!”