Rooms, Page 26

  Landree noticed and believed that he knew exactly what was on their minds, and before they had a chance to ask, he remarked, “We have more to see, and we also need to listen to the research that’s been done by several of the Clusters. They’ll be able to tell us in much greater detail what’s going on there.”

  But the astonished looks on their faces remained, with their eyes were glued on the image of the Earth. What they remembered from when they were there was vastly different than what they saw in front of them now.

  Then above where they sat, they heard the doors swing open. They swiveled around and saw that many people were arriving and entering the hall. The seats were filling rapidly. This was going to be a very large gathering from all across Loon. They could see that several representative from every Cluster were showing up, not just the leaders. Then Rad and Zeer noticed Fawn, Dominie, Brit, and Shee walk in, and were glad to see them coming down to join them. It was about to begin.

  ***

  For several hours, with some breaks in between the sessions, everyone listened, watched, and learned about the current conditions on Earth. The real time view of the planet was zoomed in and out, rotated, and placed at different angles as each Cluster began sharing their most current data. And from everything that had been presented, there was little doubt that the Earth had undergone a huge, radical evolutionary change. Every perturbation that had damaged the ecosphere had diminished in intensity, and the Earth was again a living planet. The staunchness of life and the determined march of time had healed it more than anyone would have ever thought possible.

  And the most thrilling news was that they now knew that the drones had not entirely wiped out the human species. Some small, pocketed settlements had survived, and after years and years, they had begun to stabilize. The future looked positive, and at this point, nature was again very much in control, not the humans.

  The sharing of data and ideas ended, and Fawn walked down to join Landree near the globe. Above them, the projection slowly rotated in the focus of everyone’s attention. To a person, they had all been touched and were thrilled by what they’d heard.

  Fawn held up her hand to quiet the crowd and then pointed towards the Earth as she spoke. “This planet… The planet that spawned each of us… We owe her our lives. Our ancestors did their best to break her – almost completely destroying Earth’s ability to sustain life - but they failed. Corporate and individual greed, power, and the complete disregard for all life brought Earth to the brink of annihilation. Any action that sustained the status and wealth of the powerful was lauded, while most of the inhabitants of the Earth were simply abused, used, and tossed aside. So many suffered, and so many died. This can never, ever happen again. The Earth and the life on it must remain in balance. Man does not have the right to overpopulate or destroy their home for profit or for any other reason. As humans, it is our obligation to live within nature, not above it.”

  Fawn paused. The room’s silence demonstrated everyone’s total concurrence with her words.

  She continued, “Now, we must act. We must share what we know and help others realize how our society has developed in a way that embraces growth and change, embraces education, science, and technology, and yet does all that without destroying or degrading our planet. We must pass that on. And to that end, Landree and I have spoken with the leaders of every Cluster. We know that they feel the same as we do.”

  Again, there was agreement around the room and Fawn continued. “We all feel that we have an obligation to our birthplace, the humans that live there, and to all of the other members of our species that have spread across the galaxy. And with that in mind, I need to share with you two goals that we have decided to pursue.”

  Fawn waited for her words to set in and then said, “First, we will be adding to Loon’s diversity and its gene pool by slowly bringing selected humans here from various lifeglobes. Secondly, we will be sending out volunteers from each of the Clusters to travel to Earth and join with the small pockets of population that we now know exist. Once there, those that choose to go will share Loon’s history with the Terrans and become a catalyst for a strong, eco-centered development that will be healthier for that planet and for its people. As time passes, we should be able to return others from the lifeglobes to Earth as well.”

  Applause started slowly and grew to a roar as everyone at the gathering stood and confirmed their enthusiasm and support for this bold plan. Their hearts swelled with joy and pride at the prospect of helping to heal the stain that had been placed on human history.

  Then Landree spoke up and said, “We know that the people of Earth will write their own story, and we have no desire to create another Loon there. Loon is unique, in and of itself, just as all of us are unique. But, we can influence and help their civilization. This time Earth can be healthier, and its people can live happier, longer, and more productive lives.”

  The applause continued as the gathering came to an end.

  ***

  Zeer and Rad both asked to go to Earth and work. Their request was granted with one caveat. Because of all that they had done, everything they had learned, and all that they had experienced, no one had a more unique perspective on the lifeglobes, Earth, and on Loon than they did. They were asked to design and teach a course that would help the other volunteers prepare for what they would encounter once they arrived on Earth.

  They gladly agreed and quickly prepared to teach the course. Within the lessons, they spoke of the incredible spirit of the people that they’d known, remembering individuals like Zoe and Sparks and many others that they had met and worked with. They also taught about the Shelters, what the Chosen had done, and the types of difficulties that might be faced once everyone arrived. After many meetings and long hours of work for the volunteers as well as the teachers, the class was concluded with everyone being put into teams and given the location of their final destination once they landed on Earth.

  ***

  After and Rad and Zeer finished teaching the class, they had two favors that they wanted to ask of Landree and Fawn. The first was that they wanted to have the opportunity to visit R-131 before they traveled to Earth with their team. They desperately wanted to see their friends again and visit their old home. They were given permission for this with the understanding that they not divulge anything about Loon or about their mission to Earth. That information had to be given out slowly and carefully. Rad and Zeer easily agreed and decided that when they arrived on R-131 they would tell everyone that while they were gone they had been playing and progressing through the levels of the Old One’s Room. This had the advantage of being mostly true and something that their friends could easily relate to. Also, mentioning this would allow them to share some of what they had actually experienced and give them a good reason to return some time in the future. Landree and Fawn liked the idea and approved of their approach.

  “And your second favor?” Landree wondered.

  Zeer spoke for both she and Rad. “When we go to Earth, we would like to take our team to the area where we were when we were there before. We know that one of the human settlements that survived is located near there, and we might be able to find out exactly what happened to Sparks and the people of that time. We need to know. Please...”

  Landree and Fawn glanced at each other, smiled, and Fawn replied, “We thought that might be the case. Of course you can. We’ll help you prepare.”

  38

  Earth

  Placing the spheres back into their bags, Zeer and Rad, along with their team from Loon, stood gazing at their surroundings. The first thing they observed was that the air was unbelievably clean. There was a light breeze blowing down from the mountains that day, and the sky was clear and blue with icy cirrus clouds floating high above their heads. Where there had been broken buildings and meager dwellings, dirty water, filth, and so much human suffering before, now there was the green of lush vegetation and the sounds of birds in the distance. The buildings and concrete had all
been consumed and overrun by the determined progression of life.

  There was a small population of humans in the area that looked to be living in huts - huts whose design seemed very familiar to Rad and Zeer. They looked very much like those that Sparks and Rad had constructed in the mountain valley hundreds of years before. They were larger, more beautiful, and of a higher quality, but Rad couldn’t help but notice the architectural resemblance. Zeer noticed as well and said, “They look familiar, don’t they.” Rad agreed and smiled.

  None of the Terrans in the area had noticed the arrival of Rad and Zeer’s group yet, which is the way they had planned it. They didn’t want to just appear all of a sudden.

  Rad thought for a moment and then whispered to Zeer, “Let’s move through the trees over there and see if we can find where the Shelter used to be. Maybe we can set up camp there and decide on our best strategy for making contact with the Terrans. At least I think it was in that direction.” It was difficult to tell if he was correct or not with everything being so much different, but Zeer agreed and the team followed.

  Reaching the location where he and Zeer felt the Shelter would have been, they saw an area that was covered by a beautifully landscaped garden. In the center of it, there was a large sculpture made of wood. The sculpture was a spire with a massive, artistically carved base. The spire narrowed as it soared skyward. No one could believe they had walked up on something so unique and beautiful in the middle of a forest. The spire seemed to go on forever until it touched the clouds.

  Rad and Zeer wondered if any Terrans might be nearby tending the garden. They didn’t notice anyone, so they walked towards the sculpture to get a better look. As they reached it, they become aware of some words etched into its surface. Zeer and Rad took a moment and read it silently. Then Zeer asked, “Rad, I think our team needs to hear this.” He agreed and Zeer nodded for him to go ahead.

  He turned and got his team’s attention and then said, “As you all know, Zeer and I actually lived near here a long time ago, and this sculpture looks like a memorial to those who were here with us. There are some words etched into it that I’d like to read to you.” Then he turned back to the monument and began.

  “This sculpture, rising into the sky, is in remembrance of all of the Terrans who suffered so much and lost their lives because of the vicious holocaust that was perpetrated by the leaders of the so-called ‘Chosen’. It is also here to help us remember Sparks and Zoe and all of those who worked so incredibly hard to help so many Terrans survive. We honor, respect, love, and will always, always remember. Without them, our small settlement would not exist. We would not be alive.”

  Through the tears in their eyes, Rad and Zeer could see that the likenesses of Sparks and Zoe had been carved into the wood just above the writing. They reached out simultaneously and touched each of their faces; it was remarkable how much the carvings looked like them. They then knelt down and wept together as their friends from Loon stood behind them in silence.

  After a long sigh, Zeer held Rad’s hands in hers and looked at him. With a shudder, she voiced her fear as she whispered, “Rad, I’m afraid.”

  “Why?”

  “What about the progeny of the Chosen? What if they return as Harlequin promised? We don’t know where the Visionaries finally settled. We don’t know how their children’s children developed or if their descendants still intend to return to Earth. I can still see in my mind the look of evil righteousness in Harlequin’s eyes. I can still remember her words and her vicious rage.”

  Rad thought for a moment and then consoled her by saying, “Zeer, none of us knows the future, but that was so long ago. There’s also a good chance that Harlequin’s descendants are just hanging onto life and simply living on some rock, just as we were before Loon.”

  She smiled a little and said, “We’re home aren’t we Rad.”

  As Zeer spoke, Rad immediately thought back to the lunar planet that had been his first home. He had to smile a bit, wondering why that thought had come forward just now. In his mind’s eye, he remembered clearly the moment when he had removed his headgear. He hadn’t thought about it for a long time and tried to recall what had driven him to do such a thing. Then it came back to him. It was simply the overpowering desire to experience and understand the sensation of standing outside with both feet set in the dirt on a planet without anything between himself and his world. Up until that moment, his existence had always been inside a bubble, and it had remained that way until he’d been called to play the Room. That single, defining moment on that one particular day outside on a lonely outpost was truly the instant that his life had begun. That was his birth.

  Rad looked back into Zeer’s eyes, kissed her softly, held her close, and said, “Yes, we’re home, Zeer, and we’re standing outside in the open on this astonishing planet – alive and free.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bob Stegner grew up in Colorado and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. He has a master’s degree in education and has been a “ski bum,” a teacher, a published singer/songwriter and musician, has run his own school in Alaska, worked in educational technology, and was recently employed overseas for several years. He is now a published independent author and writes science fiction and fantasy. All of these experiences have added depth to his life and to the stories that he has to tell.

  Visit Bob’s blog at http://bobstegner.blogspot.com.