Rooms, Page 24

  Next, she grasped Rad’s energy sphere, which was lying in his hands and held it above him and spoke in a commanding tone, “Remember what you see. Rad is not gone. He will always be with you.” And as she spoke, the sphere began to glow, and an image of Rad was projected into the air above his body. He had an easy smile and a peaceful look on his face. It seemed that he was looking into the eyes of everyone there. The vision of him held for a few moments and then melted away, leaving only stillness.

  After a minute of complete silence, Zeer and Sparks walked forward and lit the pyre. Everyone watched as the flames roared into the sky.

  ***

  A new day arrived. Twenty-nine days were left. After the morning meal, everyone walked up to a high point above the camp and spread Rad’s ashes on the ground overlooking the valley and the city below. They knew how much this place had meant to him, and this was where he should remain for millennia.

  Fawn walked down from the mountain in silence with Zeer and Sparks. Each of them caught up in their own thoughts, thinking about Rad and about all the people still living on the Earth. The situation was unbearably dire, and they had little time to grieve. Plans needed to be made to see if they could get into the Shelter. Zeer and Sparks decided that they needed to go down to the Shelter today to see what could be done.

  Before they could leave, though, Fawn took them aside. She needed to talk to both of them. “Zeer, what I’m going to ask of you now is going to be extremely difficult. Please listen carefully before you answer.”

  With Sparks looking on, Zeer looked at Fawn warily and said, “I’ll listen. What is it?”

  “Sparks, I know how much you depend on Zeer. I know how you how close you’ve both become, and with Rad being gone, you need to count on each other even more. Am I right?”

  They both acknowledged the truth of this and Sparks said, “Zeer is very important to me.”

  Fawn continued, “Yes, I understand. However, I need to take her home with me.”

  Sparks eyes widened. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, and Zeer’s anger flared as she spoke with furious conviction. “Absolutely not! Not now! What are you saying? How can you even think such a thing? You know how much work it will take to get as many people inside that Shelter as possible, and we don’t even know if we can get inside in time!”

  Fawn remained quiet as she listened and then said, “Believe me, I know. But as I asked, please listen.”

  With great difficulty, Zeer held herself in check.

  After a pause, Fawn said, “You were allowed to come here to do what you could. What you’ve accomplished under the circumstances has been amazing, but there are also extremely important things that need to be done on Loon. We have plans for you that will allow you to have a critical impact on the future development of the human race. And to that end, the knowledge that you’ve gained through the Room, from living on Loon, and by spending this time on Earth will be invaluable.”

  Fawn paused again to let both Zeer and Sparks think about what she’d said. She then continued. “Zeer, Sparks has many good people that want to help and work with him. This is their time and their place in the cosmos - their moment when they need to work together to determine their future. I’ll say again. It is their time. This is not your time. Your body and soul come from the future. That is where you belong. Please let me take you home.”

  Zeer looked directly at Fawn and unequivocally said, “No, Fawn! I will never leave while this is happening. Rad gave his life to help these people and to help the Earth. I will not do less! I’m staying!”

  Sparks had been quiet and had listened carefully after the initial shock of what Fawn had suggested. He didn’t understand everything that she was talking about, but he did understand her reasoning. He looked at Zeer, took her hand, and spoke with a calm compassion. “Zeer, you know you’re my friend, and I’m incredibly grateful for all that you’ve done for us. You, Rad, and I, along with our Terran friends, have done so much together, but Fawn is right. This is our time, not yours. We need to write this history ourselves. We need to succeed, or not, on our own, and I believe that with the help of everyone here, we will. Yes, Rad gave up his life for us, but even knowing Fawn for the short time that I have, I know that she would not ask this of you if she didn’t have a good reason. Go home, Zeer. We need you to be there. If you can help make sure that nothing like this ever happens anywhere else, ever again, then you need to go. It’s okay. I love you, dear friend. Go home to your time.”

  Sparks was her friend. He meant so much to her, and as she heard his words and looked into his eyes, she knew that what he’d said was right. She glanced back at Fawn and understood that she would not ask this of her unless there was a good reason. Her heart stopped racing, and then she recalled what she had promised before leaving Loon. She would come home when asked.

  “God, this is horrible… I need to be alone.” Zeer walked back up the mountain. She sat down near Rad’s ashes and wondered, ‘In twenty-nine days, what will happen here? What will happen to these people, to Sparks?’ She just didn’t know the answer.

  ***

  Zeer had remained on the mountain the rest of that day. The word had spread around camp about what was happening. Everyone came together and discussed the situation with Sparks, and they decided to meet with Zeer upon her return.

  Zoe came forward and met her as she walked back into camp. It had obviously been an awful day for Zeer. Behind Zoe, the fires burned, and the people sat in a group with Sparks and Fawn. When they saw Zeer, they all stood, and Zoe gave her a cup of tea, held her hands, and spoke these words. “Zeer, we love you. We love what you’ve done here. We love your passion and your care for us and for our world. We don’t know if we will survive, but we are determined to try. Fawn and Sparks are right. This is not your time. It is ours. We will either succeed or fail on our own. We want you to live and do good things for others. Your spirit needs to live on in your own time. I’ll say it again, Zeer. We love you, but please go home.”

  Then everyone behind Zoe walked forward and one at a time held Zeer close. Some spoke quietly to her; others simply shared a moment, letting her know how much they cared and would miss her.

  Zeer was overwhelmed. She stood and accepted everyone into her arms. When they were done, Sparks held her and asked, “So, dear friend, do you understand how we feel about you and what we want you to do?”

  Through her sadness and longing, through her desperation and fear, and because of her love for each of them, she said, “I understand. I’ll go home in the morning.”

  34

  Home

  A month had passed since Zeer’s return to Loon. Many people, including her closest friends and the entire History Cluster, had welcomed her home. She had come back to her Cluster and had taken time off to reintegrate and recuperate from the unbelievably traumatic events on Earth. She spent time with Landree, Dominie, Brit, and Shee talking, listening, and doing her best to wrap her mind around what had happened and why. She deeply missed all those she had come to know on Earth, while understanding that their beautiful spirits were gone and had been for hundreds of years. She thought of Sparks, and of course, she thought of Rad. The memories were still raw and her sadness still present.

  One afternoon, she contacted Landree and asked him to come to her flat. She’d decided that she had to look back in time to see what had happened on Earth after the thirty days had passed. She still held out some hope that Earth’s history might have changed in some way. She knew that Sparks and the Terrans would do everything that they could to avert the impending disaster, but she didn’t want to go back to that time by herself. It frightened her. She needed her old friend.

  Landree arrived and asked her what she had on her mind. She explained, and he wondered, “Are you sure you want to do this? Maybe you should give it more time.”

  “Landree, I have to see what happened. I know that they probably weren’t able to change anything, but I need to know.”

  They to
ok out Landree’s sphere, and he steered them back to Earth at a time that coincided with the end of the infamous thirty-day period. They both gazed wide-eyed as the sphere showed them city after city and guided them across vast plains to mountainous terrain and deserts, solitary valleys, oceans, and rivers. Nowhere were they able to see even one human alive. Patches of meager trees and plants still clung to life; water was as polluted and tainted as before, and they gazed upon the same atmospheric brown blanket that had enveloped the planet prior to the toxins release. They saw raw areas of deforestation and huge open mines, which still festered like open sores on the planet’s surface. But they saw not a single person alive. The humans that were visible were on the ground, still, and dead. Silent and motionless figures could be seen in the cities, in small villages, and along solitary, deserted trails and paths. Some remains floated in rivers, in the ocean, or on beaches. It was desolation and death on a scale beyond comprehension.

  Zeer couldn’t look any longer, couldn’t believe or understand how anyone could do this. “Why? Why, Landree?”

  “I could list reasons, Zeer, but I there’s really no way that I could ever comprehend it fully. I can only say that what happened on the Earth during that time was pure evil – an evil beyond anything that any of us on Loon could ever fathom. I am utterly and totally ashamed of the people who sent our ship into space, but I’m also very proud of who we are now and how our culture has developed over time. We are not what the Visionaries would have expected, and of that I am very gratified.”

  They sat and held each other. They talked awhile longer, and then Landree walked away, leaving Zeer to gaze out upon her new, miraculous home. So much was going through her mind as she reflected on the people of Loon, the wondrous and diverse ecosystems that existed here, the rich plant and animal life, and the Scree. This planet and all of its organisms gave her comfort and hope. She loved this place. She needed to heal.

  ***

  Several more months went by, and Zeer was doing her best to move on with her life. Each day she could smile a little more, was more engaged in her work, and was able to spend more time with her friends.

  There had been one friend, however, whom she had not seen since her return, and that was Fawn. Not only had Zeer needed time to get over what had happened, but the part that Fawn had played during Zeer’s final days on Earth was something that required a change in perspective before she could talk with her again. In the final analysis, she had agreed with Fawn, and Sparks, and the others in the camp, but it had been an excruciatingly complex and painful decision - a decision that she would carry with her always.

  ***

  There was hardly a time of day on Loon that didn’t contain something memorable, no matter the season, but today was very special. It was a crystalline spring morning. The air was fresh with the smell of green and the warmth of the rays from the sun covering Zeer like a blanket, easing her into her day. She sat on her deck, looking out at the new growth on the nearby trees and plants and the freshly budded flowers surrounding the History Cluster. The colors were vibrant and new - the view, stunning, as always. Her hands were cupped around a warm ceramic mug of tea. She’d eaten and almost felt whole again.

  As she sipped some of the steaming liquid, she heard a knock at her door. She stood and walked over, wondering who might be here this early. She opened it, and Fawn was standing there, waiting.

  Zeer didn’t quite know what to say for a moment, causing Fawn to smile and ask, “Can I come in, Zeer?”

  “Uh, of course…of course you can. Let’s go out on the deck.”

  They sat together, and Zeer offered Fawn some of the tea she,d made. And just as she did, she thought of Zoe. It had been some time since she’d said that name to herself.

  “It’s been a long time since we’ve been together, Zeer.”

  “I know. I’ve needed time, I guess.”

  “I knew you would, and I’ve been busy. I hope it’s okay for me to be here.”

  Zeer smiled. “It’s perfectly fine. I’m doing a lot better. It’s good to see you, Fawn. I mean it.”

  “I’m relieved and glad you’re doing better. I was very worried. How do you feel about being home?”

  “Loon and all my friends here have helped me a great deal.” Zeer thought for a moment and then spoke about what was on her mind. “I know you made the right decision, Fawn. It was just…just…very hard for me.”

  Fawn smiled at her and laid her hands in Zeer’s. “It was so very difficult in so many ways. I know. I wish things could have been different. That time in Earth’s history was such a terrible, terrible time, but you, Rad, and Sparks did so much to help. You had no way of knowing what the people in the Shelters were going to do. All of you did everything you could.”

  Fawn gave Zeer a reassuring look and then went on. “Zeer, I want you to know that I, too, miss Rad, dreadfully. And the deep sadness in my soul for the Earth and its people is something that I have lived with for a very long time – ever since I first learned of it from my teacher, Shar.”

  Zeer responded, “Yes, it was horrible for all of us. I just wish we could have done more.”

  “Well, actually, there’s more to be done, Zeer. I have a lot to talk to you about, but first, I have a task that I need you to perform. Can you come with me to the Womb?”

  “Yes, if you need me, of course I’ll go, but…why?”

  “I can’t quite tell you yet, but I would like you to meet me there in seven days at this same time in the morning. I’m sorry that I can’t say more, but I’ll tell you everything then.”

  Zeer looked at Fawn, wondering what this was about, but she agreed to go and asked herself, ‘Why is Fawn being so secretive?’ But then, she remembered that this was just the way Fawn usually worked. She didn’t want to share something until everything was in place.

  35

  The Womb

  The day had finally arrived when Zeer was to meet Fawn in front of the cave. The days and hours before their meeting had crept by at a snail's pace for Zeer. Of course, Fawn had communicated that it was going to be an important meeting, but Zeer still had no idea why, and the “not knowing” had become almost unbearable.

  Landree was outside waiting for Zeer when she left her flat. He brought her to the cave, and they stood at the entrance. They had only been there a few minutes when Zeer heard someone behind her. She turned around and was surprised to see Dominie, Shee, Brit, and a few other people she didn’t know walking towards her.

  Just as she was about to ask why they were there, Fawn exited the entrance of the cave and stood in front of them. They all turned towards her as she spoke. “It is such a glorious spring morning, and I want to thank all of you for coming today.”

  She paused for a moment while everyone acknowledged her greeting. “Today is going to be a momentous day for all of us, and each of you have played a vital role in this. You have to know how much I value you and your help.”

  Zeer looked around with a bewildered look on her face and saw that everyone else was smiling. She couldn’t help herself as she asked, “What’s going on here?” She seemed to be the only one that had no idea what was happening.

  “Zeer, please come with me.” Fawn took her by the arm, and they walked and sat down just under the arched entrance to the womb. “The time has come for me to explain why you’re here. I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you before, but we needed to complete some tasks ahead of bringing you here, and I can also tell you that you have a very important part to play today.”

  “Well?” Zeer was more than ready and motioned Fawn to continue.

  Fawn began. “When we were on Earth and Rad died, it deeply touched the people of Loon. He had worked so hard during all of the levels of the Room, had learned so much, and had cared so deeply. We knew that he would have been an extremely important part of our community, just as you are. His death stunned us and moved the people of Loon to do something that had been forbidden ever since we first settled here on Loon.”

&
nbsp; “What is that?”

  Fawn cleared her throat and continued. “As you know, all of the people on Loon originally came from the DNA of many renowned people that once lived on Earth. And once those individuals were raised to a certain age, their education began. The robots and computers, along with one human that had traveled on the ship from Earth, schooled them and taught them everything that they needed to know to survive on Loon. Then they were then sent to the planet’s surface with supplies and structures to live in, and those individuals developed the civilization that now exists here.”

  Zeer stopped Fawn for a moment and asked a question that had been bothering her. “Yes, I know, but I have to ask you something. I know that your ancestors from that ship came from the Chosen. Why is it that this culture is so very different from them?”

  Fawn smiled at this and gladly answered. “Yes, we are, thankfully, incredibly different. We are because of two reasons. One is that the first of our ancestors to settle here were brilliant, independent thinkers. The other has to do with our initial spiritual leader. She was the one human who traveled here from Earth and helped to make sure that we knew the truth of what the Chosen had done there. We are unbelievably indebted to her.

  “The Visionaries had planned on us being trained and educated in ways that went along with their beliefs. That way, if an Earth-like planet was ever found and a settlement established, the early settlers of Loon would simply live the way that the Visionaries prescribed and espouse the same philosophies about life. But it didn’t go that way, and we are all very thankful for that. What's more, I know that once our people met the Scree and learned how to communicate with them, they also had a significant impact on our beliefs.”