Ark II - 2. Say Goodbye

Sara Beth and Joel finally went to bed. As they readied, Joel looked at his wife who was more than just his wife. She was his best friend but that wasn’t the whole magic. They had promised to be strong with everyone else, but vulnerable to each other. Honesty and telling each other everything. She had this air of confidence that she radiated to everyone. Joel knew that was not always true. She stressed over and labored so hard over the candidates she and Joel had and was overseeing that met the criteria she had been given and knew they had the needed qualifications needed on the Ark. Joel had even suggested maybe it was too hard and they should let it go. Sara Beth refused to even consider it. She and Joel had been chosen to do this. He remembered when they first met. He was in the Black Hills Military Academy. He and a buddy went visit the city 0f Chicago. They ran into some students from the university there. Sara Beth was literally breath-taking. Having gotten there after winning competition after competition to get the money for school. Beauty and brains. She was driven. A friend had also accompanied her and Joel along with his friend has spent the day together. Joel and his friend had come wearing their uniforms as cadets and Joel had adhered to the Code of Honor. His grandfather claimed to be the last Southern Gentleman. He had a real Southern accent as well, sounding a lot like Clark Gable when he portrayed Rhett Butler in the historical, classical movie Gone With The Wind. Joel had a slight accent, so he was told. His Grandpa, his mother’s father, had been the only other sole surviving member of Joel’s family. Joel had learned many behaviors from the man. One of those things was to treat women as ladies. His grandfather had insisted he treat women as he wanted them to know what he thought of them. Something he valued. They got along fine, but he feared he would just have the one day. He was thrilled that she corresponded to his messages and even agreed to some additional dates after that first meeting. He was always conscious of her busy schedule when in medical school. She was a huge fan of flowers and strove to bring flowers that were fading from the world back from near extinction. They always had roses and orchids in their home. Botany was another degree she had gotten because of it. She also worked with wheat, rye, and corn to make them hardy and would increase their yield. On the Ark were many fruit and vegetable plants that she and other scientists had tweaked and made better. Becoming a doctor was just who she was. When he asked her to marry him he had prepared himself to be turned down. She had no surviving family after they had been killed during a home invasion when Sara Beth was an infant. She was fortunate to have been given good foster families all her life. She had three during her childhood and early teenage years. The reason for the three families was her intelligence. Her brains were scary. Knowing things her foster parents couldn’t fully understand was frightening to them. An elderly college professor had mentored her and guided her to seek better and better schools. He showed her which directions to go to pay for her future education. She got duel degrees in Botany and Pre-med. She continued her degrees in Botany and Medical School. While she did her residency as a doctor she also got her doctorate in Botany. They married in a small ceremony after he graduated from the Academy. Sara Beth moved with Joel to the walled complex west of Asheville, North Carolina. For Joel, that just felt like coming home. He was in the mountains where he had grown up. The walled off community had everything behind secured walls from houses, recreation facilities with tennis courts and a large swimming pool. Sounds great, doesn’t it? It was crowded. The grocery store inside the walled community got truckloads of produce, meats, and other needed items. The trucks were rolling tanks with armed guards driving and riding on the trucks to make sure what they brought to the community actually got there! In his time with the joint service of the Canadian and United States Forces guarding these trucks were one of their duties and there were communities like the one that Joel and Sara Beth lived in all over the world…if you could get in. It wasn’t cheap. The government wanted taxes to keep the peace. The trucks had to be bought as well as the groceries…and that was before you paid for the groceries! Both Sara Beth and Joel could cook and took turns making meals. They took into account the schedules of Sara Beth and Joel’s duty. When Joel had been approved for officer training they were both excited. The six months of school to be an officer was to weed out the men and women who could not measure up to the required duty. Ten might go in and three would graduate. It was grueling and demanding both physically and mentally. He had to prove himself physically as well as excel mentally and test well scholastically. He missed Sara Beth! She was the reason he kept on with the training. To make it in this world, he had to do it. For her and their future children. Sara Beth was fanatical about their health. She insisted on the best meats, vegetables, and fruits were the only choice for them and her family. Yes, Sara Beth raised many plants as well as her flowers. She grew the corn, tomatoes, beans. (Which Joel could barely stand. Remember? String beans were okay) Sara Beth raised fruit trees, all in the garage and a room in their house! The yard outside had some of her flowers but it was very small. Even those residents in the closed community could steal. It had some dirt she had cleansed (not sterilized) with the necessary nutrients in the soil. She also got together some she grew in hydroponics which used no dirt at all! That would go a long way on the Ark and when they made planetfall. Who knew what the dirt on their new world had in its soil? If there was even microbial life on the new world how would it affect any crop they grew? They would be busy! Not only was she doing all those things with her Botany, she also worked on her rotation medically curing all forms of sickness and injuries with her other Humans around her. Frankly, Joel had more admiration for her because of that. Then he comes back after being deployed after Officer Candidacy School and finds out Sara Beth is pregnant!? He was worried before!? He was worried almost nonstop when his wife was carrying Joel Junior! She refused to let him carry that “junior” part of his name but agreed to Joel’s middle name Kevin. She was in her early twenties then. She took her medications and exercised like it was a religion. Not too much to harm herself or the baby, and not too little as that would be pointless. She was confident with her superiors. Gone were the days of those endless hours of rotations for their new doctors who would work to the point of exhaustion. There were enough people to cover the shifts. She had the grades and graduated at the top of her class. If they wanted her at their hospital, they had to agree to her terms. She was chosen for a very prestigious hospital in Atlanta, which with the modern underground rail system got her there in fifteen minutes from Asheville. That sounded great! The rail was put underground to speed things up, but also to add security. The police and military had men and women posted at key points along the route. That didn’t stop the thieves and bandits, no. Sara Beth was six months into her pregnancy with Kevin when thieves managed to stop the train and broke in to steal whatever they could get. The security forces secured the train and killed several of the thieves and injuring three other thieves. It was Sara Beth that saved those three from dying because of the attack. Sara Beth worked her whole shifts up until she went into labor. Joel was there at the hospital with she gave birth to eight pounds and three ounces of Kevin. Hospitals were now fortresses, too. Drugs were closely guarded. Human trafficking was a major problem still. Now that they were on the Ark it would take a while to realize they were safe. All of the residents on the Ark were sane and had no criminal records. That didn’t mean they were absolutely safe. Could any of them cheat on their spouses? Sure. Were any of them pedophiles? They were Psychologically tested and none seemed to be that way. Insane jealousy? Sure. Crimes because of that? Again, sure. That would be after they got to where they were going.

Joel gazed at Sara Beth as she put the gown on she preferred to wear because she occasionally got cold at night. Not to mention, it looked beautiful on her. That was part of the reason she wore it. Joel wore lose pajama bottoms to bed and that was it. He was staring, but that was okay. He was objectifying her, but she was his wife! Lusting after your wife was a good thing. If he lusted after someone else, or someone else lusted after Sara Beth that would be wrong. Then again, if they tried anything with Sara Beth they might not get away without injury. Not just from Joel, but from Sara Beth!

Sara Beth knew what she was doing as she turned around. She knew Joel was looking at her even though it looked like she didn’t notice. Putting her hair back to put the ribbon around it while she slept, caused her to raise her arms showing off the pink, sheer, silky covered breasts that were firm and erect. They were bigger than they had been in the past. She breast fed all three boys! He didn’t know the exact numbers, but she had been pretty well endowed when they first met. He knew his hand could cover her whole breast when they first married. After Ian, each breast filled his hand. He guessed a thirty-four in bust before. A thirty-eight after Ian. Now it was perhaps a thirty-six. Who cared? He wasn’t complaining. She was beautiful. She said cow’s milk was fine later, but Human milk was so important for Humans especially in the beginning of life. She was healthy and could give the needed immunities and nutrients needed for her babies. Her hips were a little wider…she’d had three children! It showed on her body, but Joel thought it made her more beautiful. She worked hard after every birth to get her figure back. That wasn’t just for Joel but to allow her to work more efficiently. She would ask if she looked alright to Joel. He honestly said his breath was taken away every time. That was absolutely true! Her eyes met his and she smiled knowingly. “I hope you never get tired of looking.”

Joel shook his head coming closer and smiling at her warmly, “That is impossible. The sun on Earth will rise in the West before that happens. I forget to breathe when I look at you.” He put his arms around her. “You are my whole life.” He swore.

“As you are mine,” Sara Beth told him. Then she looked a bit guilty and asked, “Not to interrupt the subject of this conversation, but can’t we wake the boys on our next waking period?” She hurried on, “I know we agreed to let them stay in stasis until we get there, but it will be the last time we will wake still inside the solar system…”

Joel smiled, “They won’t have much to see. We’re not using any gravitational slingshots to cut back on the needed thrust…”

“That’s not the point!” Sara Beth argued. “We’re leaving our planet and our home solar system…”

Joel nodded kissing her to stop her argument, “You’re right.” He agreed quietly. “You’re right. I think we should wake everybody and give them a chance to say goodbye. We talked about what to do when we get to wherever. We never asked about leaving the solar system. We can ask them. If they don’t want to they can go back into stasis. I don’t think many will not want to do that.” He chuckled. “We can even make it a going away party…a sort of bon voyage party.”

Sara Beth brightened, “That would be so wonderful!” She looked up slightly, “Athena, can we schedule a wake up for everyone on the next scheduled maintenance?”

“Certainly, Dr. Nesmith,” Athena’s voice assured.

Sara Beth said now excited about the new plan, “We have enough supplies to provide needed finger foods and drinks for everyone. No one should be hungry unless they went into stasis hungry.”

Joel chuckled, “We’ll ask Hank and Rita about it before we go back in stasis again.”

Sara Beth threw he head back and laughed, “You know that man just loves a party. He’ll love it!”

“Yeah, he will.” Joel grinned.

“A party!?” Hank repeated excitedly when Joel and Sara Beth asked him and Rita. “Hell, yeah!!”

Rita rolled her eyes and then shook her head, “Yes, but I don’t know how well the Stasis Pod will handle a drunk resident.” She looked at Sara Beth, “What do you say, Sara Beth?” Her tone was lighthearted.

“Aw, come on, Baby,” Hank begged his wife. “We’re not gonna be driving.” He threw his hand out and said expectantly, “We don’t have to get drunk…”

Rita’s eyes widened, “You!?” She said it as if the possibility was not possible. “We have plenty of booze in storage…all top shelf. I can’t even remember a party you’ve been to where you didn’t get at least a little buzzed.” She looked at Sara Beth and Joel and said in mock confidentiality, “Fortunately, he’s not a mean drunk. He gets a little sillier and obnoxious, but not mean.”

“I have never been obnoxious!” Hank declared.

“Believe that if you want,” Rita smiled. “Dr. Nesmith?”

Sara Beth smiled back at them, “I’m gathering that’s a question about being drunk in stasis, not about Hank being obnoxious.” She laughed at them. “Medically, if he goes into stasis drunk he’ll stay drunk until he’s revived. Theoretically. No one’s been put in stasis drunk that I know of. Almost all body functions…”

“No!” Hank held his hand out stopping her. “Never mind. I’ll be good.”

Joel shrugged with a grin, “I won’t.”

Sara Beth’s hand flew sideways and struck Joel in the arm. “Joel! Our boys will be up! They’ll see you.”

“And?” Joel asked and reminded her, “Last New Year’s Eve, the party on Earth before we launched…they saw I had too much to drink. They thought it was funny!”

Sara Beth nodded, “That’s not the best example you’ll be setting for your sons and that’s just want I don’t want them to see! They will probably get drunk a few times in their lives but just not too soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Joel nodded. “However, I will have a drink or two.”

Sara Beth held up two fingers, “Two. That’s the maximum, Commander.” She pointed at Rita and Hank, “I have witnesses. You said what the limit is.”

Rita looked at her husband and waited for Hank to make some comment. Her foot was tapping in expectation. Finally, she said, “Well?”

“Fine,” Hank agreed with a voice of extreme reluctance. “A two-drink maximum for Joel and for me.” He looked mockingly hard at Rita. “Are you going to enforce that with all of Ark Residents?”

Rita’s eyes widened, “How can I do that? I’m not married to any other Ark Resident,” she leaned closer to Hank, “or the mother of their children.” She tapped her husband’s chest. “I am your wife.”

Hank nodded, “I won’t embarrass you.” He moved his fingers to crisscross his chest in the “crossing his heart” maneuver.

Rita’s eyes softened with love and sympathy, “Aw, Hank…you never embarrass me.” Then she grinned. “Now, Chloe! You’ve embarrassed her since she was ten!” She referred to their eldest daughter who was now twelve.

Hank chuckled and looked at Joel and Sara Beth, “I don’t need to drink a drop to do that.” He looked at his wife. “I really enjoy doing that!”

Sara Beth smiled, “She’s a budding teenager and you are her father. It’s just natural.”

“Rachel just adores her father,” Rita confessed speaking of their eight-year-old. “They both do, but Rachel is unashamed to show it in public.” She hugged Hank, “He’s still her Daddy.”

Sara Beth glanced up, “Athena, if we prepare some party dishes to put out for everyone they should be kept in the stasis cabinet.”

“There is enough room, Dr. Nesmith,” Athena said.

“We should prepare some hor’ doeuvres and some other finger foods,” Sara Beth suggested to them but really to Rita.

“Canapes!” Rita added excitedly. “This is a party!”

As with their meals they shared, Athena could cook and prepare any dish. Assembling had to be done by the person or people.

“Remember we had vegetarians onboard the Ark,” Joel reminded.

Sara Beth nodded, “We’ll have carrot sticks and celery sticks available.” She snapped her fingers, “Those great dips and cheese toppings.”

“Cheese plates! With crackers!” Rita added grabbing her husband’s hand, “You’re helping!”

“I am?” Hank asked as she led him to the Communal Dining Room.

Sara Beth turned to Joel, “Let’s go, Handsome.”

It was a bit odd to Joel to prepare foods for a party that wouldn’t happen for six months. From their personal perspective timewise, it would only be a few minutes. They quickly got the various dishes prepped and assembled to be consumed. There would be water, juices, and even punch that Athena had that could be dispensed. Not just liquors, but cocktails. Unlike the bars and taverns, she couldn’t add those cute little umbrellas or put a lemon wedge in. However, she could mix the best cocktail mixed correctly. The individual had to tell her to add or subtract whatever they desired. Sara Beth loved daiquiris. Athena was a great bartender, but she couldn’t be the artsy bartender who was to make it more theatrical for the customer. This wasn’t going to be the biggest party, but it was an important one. Joel was already planning what to say and what sort of presentation to give. They had the big party the day they launched, but they were still near the Earth. When they woke this time they should be near the orbit of Neptune. Neptune was on the opposite side of the sun now and could not be seen. As with earlier voyages into space, the ground personnel used gravity as a fuel. Or rather, they used gravity so the vessels didn’t have to use precious fuel to propel or stop. Gravity of a planet or moon would pull the vessel propelling it faster and the smallest amount of fuel was used to direct the fall to cause the slingshot out further. Giant gas balloons were used in the atmospheres’ of planets or moons to protect the vessel but cause the vessel to slow down due to friction. It was still used, but not the Ark. The continuous thrust for years or decades…even centuries. There were course changes that they accounted for, and Athena was given means and knowhow to make those changes. Once the ships reached maximum velocity the ion engines would shut down. If a suitable planet was found and agreed upon by the Planetary Scientific minds agreed, which had to be approved by Joel, the engines would again be used to slow the Ark’s speed. Even when they got to the planet of their choosing, depending on the planet’s condition, it could be another hundred years before it could support the lives from Earth. There was no magic or miracle involved. It would take worth and effort. The residents of the Ark were the very people to make the effort and work.

Joel, Sara Beth, Hank, and Rita did create things to eat by the others. Placed in the stasis cabinet and they did another check on the Ark’s systems and returned to the Stasis Pods.

As before, Joel didn’t feel that it was that long at all! No dreams and no real rest, but his eyes opened again, and he did the stretching to get the gas that was to wake him up into his muscles and tissues. No needed yawns but waking his body from its time in stasis was needed. “I don’t know,” Joel began out loud to Sara Beth. “This whole process is anticlimactic.”

Sara Beth glanced in her husband’s direction, “Do you think so? In what way?”

“Athena,” Joel began. “Has it been six months from the last time?” His mind was telling him that was impossible.

“It has,” Athena answered. “One year from the day were began this journey after the launch of the Ark.”

“Wow,” Joel muttered shaking his head.

“What are you having trouble with?” Sara Beth asked with a smile.

“Something you can feel physically to tell the passing of time!” Joel said simply.

“You want something more dramatic,” Sara Beth chuckled as she stated the obvious.

“Well,” Joel thought aloud, “yes!”

“I could give you something to make you feel something,” Sara Beth informed.

“Nah,” Joel replied having really picked up his sons’ language, or as Sara Beth told him, their lack of language skills. “Don’t worry about me.” He waved and unfastened his harness. “We can’t have our party without doing our tasks.”

The technology had progressed so much in the past one hundred years. The trips to Mars had suspension pods, but they had injections given and wore the masks he was glad they didn’t use now. The science improved more and more with each trip. A trip that took twenty weeks was hard to do with everyone awake, breathing the air and eating the food they brought on the ship. It was supposed to be more cost efficient. Conserving space and storage was a premium priority. The pods and gas did the job better now.

Sara Beth smiled, “Yes, Commander.”

“That’s right,” he overemphasized the next word on purpose, “Doctor.”

Sara Beth smiled again, “Just letting you know I am well aware of who you are.” She shrugged, “Its not just a title, but I know you’re in charge…” then she looked directly at him, “…of the Ark!” She cocked her head. “It became a term of endearment later.”

“Yeah?” Joel asked loving the feeling he got hearing that. “Really?”

She propelled herself out of her pod and moved over to Joel’s pod. She leaned in kissing him tenderly, “Really.” She hauled him forward and out of his pod.

He knew no one was in command at home. Each of them had their strengths and weaknesses. No one person was in charge. Sara Beth insisted on certain behaviors and the truth was, Joel agreed. Joel was more tolerant of the slips that always happened with his sons. Discipline with any violations were taken care of by Sara Beth. He was reluctant to discipline them for being “boys.” They never hit them. Ever. The reasoning was if they did hit them to force them to do what they were supposed to, how did they explain that war and violence was wrong? A nation or group that waged war to get what they wanted was wrong. How could they use violence to guide their sons? When the boys were smaller and about to walk into danger without realizing it, a simple and light swat to jar their attention might be used. Never to hurt. Guidance. Not punishment. Joel and Sara Beth had to operate from the same book. Consistency. As he was about to drift past Sara Beth he felt the slight pinch on the right side of his butt.

“Was that sexual harassment?” Hank asked loudly as Hank and Rita drifted in their direction.

“No, Hank,” Joel laughed lightly. “If she was my superior or an employee to another employee, perhaps. If it was unwanted, it would be.” He grinned, “Since she is my wife and it is a sign of appreciation and love, or just lust, its not. She’s part of the two of us. We’re married and belong to each other.” He waved at Hank, “And you weren’t privy to our conversation before. And its just you.” He cocked his head at Hank, “Were you offended? Or jealous of me?”

Rita grinned and pinched Hank’s butt, “Now, he won’t be either.”

They descended to the habitat ring to do the required and desired status checks. Then they returned to the stasis pods and Joel spoke to Athena, “Athena, please activate the adult pods of all of the residents. I need ask them if they want to attend the party we’ve planned.”

“Activating the adult pods,” Athena repeated.

All up and down the rows of pods, the sound of the gas needed to revive the many residents in stasis sounded louder than just one or two of the pods. In unison all of the pod lids sprung open slowly.

“Can you broadcast my voice to all pods?” Joel asked.

“Broadcasting your voice to the open pods, Commander Nesmith.” Athena told him.

“Hello,” Joel began to say, “Commander Joel Nesmith here. No, we haven’t arrived at our new home. Sorry to disappoint you. Dr. Sara Beth Nesmith, our ship’s Engineer Dr. Henry Cavill, and his lovely wife Dr. Rita Cavill suggested we should have a party before we leave the solar system.” He saw some heads come up to look at him from their own pod. “I know we had one when we left Earth, but we wanted a party as we left the whole solar system. If you aren’t interested, you can simply stay in your pod and return to stasis and wake again when we get there!” He grinned, “Don’t worry about offending any of us that prepared some great nibble foods, hor’ doeuvres, punch, and other drinks as we bid farewell to our solar system.” The humor returned, “but if you’re not interested…”

“But we just got in the pods!” A man objected.

“Where are we?” A woman asked.

“One at a time,” Joel smiled and held up his hand. The speakers in the pods broadcasted his voice so he didn’t need to shout. “You entered the pods a year ago.” There were gasps of surprise Joel could hear clearly from all over the pod chamber. “I know, it doesn’t seem possible. I was just telling Sara Beth that after waking this time! We woke up six months ago just before Jupiter’s orbit path. Now, we are nearing the path of Neptune’s orbit. As Neptune is currently on the opposite side of the sun. Athena can show you, but…we are about two and a half billion miles away from the sun...and we’re traveling faster and faster every second!” There were more gasps of surprise and disbelief. “Now, Sara Beth and I are waking our three sons to attend this party. Every parent onboard need to decide if you want your children to attend. Let Athena know and she will begin to revive them.”

“Athena,” Sara Beth began. “Broadcast my voice, please.”

“Proceed, Dr. Nesmith,” Athena said softly.

“This is Dr. Nesmith,” Sara Beth looked at the pods of her three boys. “They know this, but parents…remind your children to do the recommended stretches to get the reviving gas into their systems.” She chuckled, “That was my way of reminding you, too. You can stop broadcasting my voice now, Athena.” Sara Beth said, “Revive Nesmith pods three, four, and five, please.”

“Activating Nesmith pods three, four, and five, Dr. Nesmith,” Athena responded. She was speaking at the same time to everyone at the same time. It was confusing to Joel, but she spoke at a normal pace to each of the parents. Somehow she was understood by each. Some families only had one child. One family had four. The Nesmiths had the three, while only a few such as Matt and Mark, Connie and Nancy didn’t have any. There was one couple that had a fourteen-month-old. However, he had been widowed at twenty-five and left with a son to raise alone. He was a man gifted in Biology and Chemistry. He met a very intelligent woman when he was working on some experiments who was a Biochemist and Molecular Biology. They had a daughter together and upon hearing they were considered for the Ark, decided to get married. There were no couples here that were not married. The reasoning was that a happily married couple was more stable mentally and commitment was key. There would no doubt be the men and women who did stray from their spouse, but that would be more difficult as the other men and women they would stray with and have the affair was also married and the selection was a lot fewer. The children onboard would grow up and would do what happened in society. They’d have sex. Unplanned pregnancies were going to happen eventually. Even with the most current birth control it was going to happen. Jimmy had become enamored with Rachel Cavill! They were the same age. Rachel had dark brown hair that had tinge of red to it. She had the freckles on her face that Rita had at that age herself. Rachel was a beautiful young girl. Chloe was blonde taking after her father. A young girl about to become a young woman. Rita was not as worried about their daughters growing up as Hank was. The very thought that anyone even touching either of his “little girls” caused his whole face to change. He knew he was just projecting fear where there was no need for it, and it was perfectly natural. They would hopefully meet someone and have children. The idea of the artificial womb meant that no male had to touch Chloe or Rachel, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be grandchildren for Hank. The idea of the artificial womb was more appealing to Hank. There would be many discussions between Rita and Hank. Sara Beth wasn’t worried. Rachel could have done much worse than Jimmy. The two were smart, even though the raging hormones of a teenagers makes you to do stupid things in spite of being smart.

Joel and Sara Beth watched as their sons were becoming awake.

Kevin looked worried and asked, “Was there a problem?”

Joel frowned, “Why do you ask that? There were no problems.”

“But we just got in the pods,” Kevin reasoned. “It’s just been a few minutes ago.”

Joel laughed lightly, “Those few minutes were a year ago.”

Kevin’s eyes widened. Jimmy’s, too. It was Jimmy that said, “Nuh uh.”

Joel didn’t need to sense Sara Beth frown at his choice of word expression, but Joel grinned, “Uh huh, that was a whole year ago!”

“No way!” Kevin couldn’t believe it.

“Have I ever lied to you?” Joel asked. “You’ve been in stasis a year.”

“Wow,” Ian believed it, but only because he knew his father didn’t lie, so it had to be true.

Jimmy’s mind was working, and he had questions, “Does that mean I’m nine?”

Joel’s head went back a bit, “What?”

“If it’s been a year,” Jimmy led his father along his train of thought. “That means I’m nine!” He grinned. “Don’t I get a birthday party?”

Sara Beth chuckled, “Only if everyone on the Ark has a birthday party. You haven’t aged! I don’t mind aging, but I’ll skip these coming up.”

“Technically,” Joel nodded with a smile, “yes, you are nine years old now. According to Earth time. On Ark Time it’s just been a few minutes.”

“Wow,” Ian said again. “We aren’t there yet?”

Joel gave a nod, “No, we’re about to leave our home solar system and our home. Your mother and Aunt Rita thought we should all say goodbye. Even when we get to our new world, we might be staying in stasis while we make changes so that we can live and breathe there. Not just for us, but all the animals and plants we’ve brought with us. It could take another hundred years or more before we can move to our new world. We’ll have to adjust our thinking about time and days and months. We’ll have to change our thinking about time.”

“We did have a party!” Kevin stated. “We had that big party a week ago! Just before we launched!”

“Didn’t you just hear Dad? That party was a year and a week ago,” Jimmy reminded with a grin.

Kevin rolled his eyes, “Whatever,” He stated. “We had a party to say goodbye.”

Sara Beth shook her head, “So, you don’t want another party?” She knew better.

“Another party?” Jimmy asked happily, “I’m going!”

“Me, too!” Ian volunteered.

“Why not?” Kevin smiled and unfastened his harness.

“You know you have to stretch,” Sara Beth reminded.

They watched them go through the various stretches to get the gas they had inhaled deeper into their body, waking the tissues that had been in stasis. Sara Beth was pleased that her teaching and instructions were being followed. The gas entered the body and the alveoli in the lungs got the gas into the blood like it did with oxygen or any other gas. Getting the drug that revived people that had been in stasis got the medicine into the very tissues by stretching. The stretching got the blood to flow faster, and the medicine worked better! Even that one baby could do the stretching if she did it with her mother and father.

Everyone was going down the various lifts to the Habitat Ring. The boys were enjoying being weightless and liked as they went to the ring. The lifts were in the spokes of the Habitat Ring and the centrifugal gravity pulled the gently to the floor of the lift.

“That is so cool!” Kevin marveled as the lift doors opened on the Habitat Ring.

“Where are you picking up all these words?” Sara Beth asked.

Kevin grinned at his father, “From Dad’s movies he makes us watch! The ones that are from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries!”

Joel looked at his wife and shrugged, “Oh, come on, Sara Beth! The word cool is still circulating even now!”

Sara Beth shook her head but was still smiling.

The Habitat Ring was once again alive with life. People were talking and mingling, children were being a little noisy. Some children were chasing others and enjoying being alive!

“Athena,” Joel said. “You will have to put my voice on the whole ring.”

“Proceed, Commander,” Athena acknowledged.

“Attention everyone,” Joel’s voice began louder. “Everyone move to the Communal Dining Room, please. It’s big enough for everyone.”

All twenty-five hundred residents walked into the Communal Dining Room. It was big enough for them all to gather and meet or have a party. Joel had gotten a raised platform to act as a podium.

“Okay,” Joel smiled to everyone. “For the first time in known history, products of Earth are branching out into the greater parts of this galaxy. However you believe that men arose, we did it on Earth.” He looked up again slightly, “Athena, if you can show them what we left.” The image of the Earth appeared above them on a three dimensional seemingly invisible screen. There was no screen. Earth revolved slowly as the sun’s light hit the surface revealing the continents and vast oceans. Scenes of snowy capped mountains of the past, meadows alive with tall grass with bees and other insects buzzed to flowers and went to others, birds sang from tree branches, gentle deer grazed unworried, a fawn near its mother, a huge, powerful buck with large antlers kept watch, rivers flowed, lakes were shown, waterfalls showered, waves on the shore, schools of fish in clear waters swam around beautiful coral reefs, skies were blue…it was beautiful. (Never mind about the color blue in the sky. Everyone knew about light and the prism effect to make clear air “look” blue.) “This wonderful ship we are on was named for what it is. An ark. Just like the ark in the biblical account of the ark built and sailed by Noah and his family…” he chuckled, “I am certainly not Noah.” He waved at his boys and Sara Beth. “I do have three sons and we have more than two of each kind of life both fauna and flora.” He waved at the invisible screen. “Like the world God destroyed by the Great Flood, that was due to mankind’s behavior. Our behavior on Earth turned this, into this…” The scene changed from beauty to scenes of cities where it was crowded, scenes of factories pumping black clouds polluting the air, traffic backed up as people tried to travel, acres of garbage piled in junk yards, wars where guns shot, cannons fired, missiles launched, nuclear mushroom clouds rose in the sky, men held guns to a man’s head and fired, groups charged people in conflict to get what they wanted. Some Ark parents covered their children’s eyes to save them from seeing how awful it was. Sara Beth didn’t. Joel knew his sons had seen on the news and other reports just how bad it was. Why cover their eyes now? If any of their sons had a problem with it, Sara Beth and Joel would be there. Hell, Joel had trouble with it at times. He had personally seen bloody conflict after bloody conflict up close. “We are the product of star stuff. We are the children of our parents, from the Big Bang to the formation of our parent star Sol, from the formation of our Earth! We can never forget Earth or Sol as we carry them both in our very bodies.” The scene showed the sun blazing and showed the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter with its signature red spot, Saturn with its rings, Uranus with its rings, Neptune with its rings. Then another planet appeared. “I know, Pluto was a planet, then it wasn’t a planet, but gained the status as a dwarf planet later…” Joel shrugged and waved at the multicolored, dirt covered body that filled the screen. In its own way was as beautiful as any planet was, “Who cares? Its still there and is orbiting Sol! He should never be ignored. He can’t! He’s right there! We can never forget where we came from. We are looking for a new world and we will begin another version of Earth there!” Joel shuddered a bit and his voice cracked. “I am terrified! The responsibility given to us blows my mind!” He waved at the others, “You were chosen to be the people that can do this!” He balled his fists and shook them in front of him to stress what he said next, “You are the best chance Humanity has to be sure we don’t kill our new world. We won’t build a paradise or utopia. We are Human Beings. We’ll make mistakes. I will make mistakes. Hopefully, in teaching future generations what happened they will learn not to make the mistakes we did there!” He pointed to the Earth which appeared again. “We will bring what we’ve learned from those mistakes and teach those new generations to do better!” He smiled at Sara Beth and their sons. “Yes, I want my family safe and live pleasant lives.” He looked sadly at the others. “They saw the images we just saw. I don’t want them to ever forget why we did this. I will teach them the truth. They will never forget why we made this very difficult trip. Sara Beth and I had, and still have doubts about doing this, but what choice did we have? No, we can never forget why we did this.” He nodded another grudging nod. “Those that know me know how much I love the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries. I love the stories and its history. Right after a horrible war in the first half of the Twentieth Century, after the Holocaust, survivors vowed to never forget so it couldn’t happen again. I say, we on the Ark should never forget why we are doing this. We were facing a worldwide holocaust and we got away in time. I hope and yes, I pray that the Earth comes up with some way of correcting the damage we did to Earth and to mankind.” He shrugged, “I know there are plans for other arks to be built. A thousand years or ten thousand years from now future generations from this Ark will meet other sons and daughters from Earth. I know we’ll meet others. Humans from Earth will spread to the other stars and settle there. In a million years, men from Earth might be throughout this galaxy and eventually other galaxies. I heard once mankind was like weeds, you cut them back and they just keep coming back!” He shook his head. “We are not weeds! We are a hardy and prolific flower capable of beauty and yes, we can be tough to prune out.” He laughed. “By doing what we’re doing we’re helping that along. We cannot fail!” He grinned. “We won’t fail!” he smiled and waved at the invisible screen. He watched as Sara Beth, Rita, and Hank pushed carts around giving each couple a drink of champaign or sparkling juice if they were children or didn’t drink. “We need to say thank you and goodbye to what was our home.” Sara Beth handed Joel his drink and gave their sons their drinks. Joel raised his cup. “Now, a kind of toast. Only drink half of it. You’ll understand why in a second. Thank you for our lives and we bid you a sad, bittersweet farewell. We will never forget you. Goodbye.”

Everybody raised their cups and repeated, “Goodbye.” And they all drank at the same time.

“Now!” Joel smiled broadly, “Thank you, Athena. You have been a great friend.” He raised his cup again. “To Athena!”

Everyone laughed a little, but raised what remained and all said, “To Athena!”

“Now, you can drink the rest,” Joel chuckled and drained his. Then raised his arms, “Let the party begin!”

A song Joel liked from the Twentieth Century was Kool and The Gang’s Celebrate Good Times! They could choose other songs after this one, but for now this one began. “Yahoo! This is your celebration; Yahoo! This is your celebration. Celebrate good times, come on! (Let’s Celebrate)

Joel did a spin and leapt down from the podium, grabbed Sara Beth and spun them both around in a tight circle as Sara Beth laughed but allowed herself to be spun.

“Great speech, Commander!” Sara Beth told him and kissed him quickly. “You do have a way with words.”

Joel smiled at her, “I didn’t sound too wordy?”

Sara Beth shook her head, “I was moved.” She looked at the others at this party who were moving to the music now. “I know they were.”

“We’re never coming back,” Joel reminded her.

“They know that” Sara Beth said to him softly. “I know that. You reminded them what we were leaving behind and why. There will be no regrets.” Then she bowed her head slightly and laughed, “Perhaps some will be a little homesick. I will be.” She looked at Joel. “Our doing this is more important.” She glanced over as Kevin was dancing alone, but Jimmy was dancing with Ian. They were smiling and enjoying themselves. Joel had and will continue to teach them dance moves and how to use them. Sara Beth smiled at her sons. They were good boys who would grow into good men. “Is it fair?” She asked looking at Joel. “I don’t want to ruin the party mood, but is it fair that we can get away and so many can’t?”

Joel shook his head, “No, it most definitely is not fair.” He said sadly. “The memory of all those people when we took the space elevator to come to the Ark.” He sighed, “The wanted so much to escape the horrors they knew we were getting away from. They were so desperate for a chance to live they were even willing to commit murder. I can’t really understand that feeling. We both strived so hard, studied, and worked to even be considered for the Ark.” He grinned at her. “If we didn’t have each other, neither of us would be here. We qualified as a couple.”

“Two in one couple,” Sara Beth chuckled. “We made it…together.”

Their marriage was rare on Earth at this time. Men and women entered marriages too casually and disposed of them at the first struggle. Sara Beth and Joel had discussed the budding relationship extensively. The key thing they agreed on was to be honest. That meant completely honest with each other about everything. They never assumed the other knew what they meant, they told each other what they meant. They talked about expectations. There were times of adjustment. Again, Joel was raised by a man with rather old-fashioned ideas about what the role of a man was. Sara Beth made it clear no one ruled her roost! Big decisions were to be discussed and decided as a couple. They were a single couple made up of two individuals but acted as one. They had disagreements and didn’t hide it from their boys. They explained that Mom and Dad weren’t agreeing, but still loved each other. How were they going to understand how relationships worked if Joel and Sara Beth didn’t show them? Fortunately, those disagreements were not that frequent. The silent treatment was agreed should never be used. Joel or Sara Beth would simply state they really didn’t want to talk but said that. All questions not about what they disagreed about were answered. It wasn’t perfect. Whose relationship was?

Four people came over. The tall man and his son were Maori, residents of New Zealand. The rising sea waters threatened their coastlines like everywhere else in the world. Many Maori refused to leave. It wasn’t dangerous for them, but with New Zealand and Australia suffered. Australia had a green and fertile coast on the east side. The desert part in the middle just grew. The fertile area on the coast shrunk.

“Hello, Manu!” Sara Beth greeted the handsome man in his mid-thirties. “Etera.” She greeted the young man about twelve. “Andrea.” She greeted the blonde woman carrying the Ark’s youngest resident. Sara Beth smiled taking the baby’s little hand, “Hi, Kiri!” She babbled some sounds to Sara Beth.

Kiri had her father’s skin and his dark hair however, Andrea was blonde raised in what was left of the Australian Coast. They each had the white coverall. Kiri’s had no writing on it. Manu’s symbol below his Ark was a test tube container with something in it. Hers was fat lab container with some circles connecting them representing the chemistry. The same blue of Science was on their shoulders.

“Very nice speech, Commander,” Manu smiled at Joel. His accent from New Zealand clear. “Your accent was subdued, but there.”

Joel wasn’t bothered, “I don’t hear mine, but I hear yours!” He said smiling.

“How’s Kiri? Any problems reviving her?” Sara Beth asked Andrea.

Andrea had been very concerned about the Stasis Pods and the one Kiri was going into. She shook her head, “No, you were right Dr. Nesmith. It was perfectly fine. I was just worried.”

“You’re a mother,” Sara Beth said simply as that explained it. “It’s what we do.”

Then Etera frowned and waved his hand in front of his face, “She’s fine.” He chuckled. “She needs changing. Phew!”

Andrea grinned at him, “All babies poop.”

“And so do you,” Manu laughed.

Sara Beth thumbed over her shoulder at her sons, “Those three were champion poopers from the first day!” She indicated Jimmy. “Jimmy couldn’t wait until he was born!”

The boys were close enough to overhear the conversation, “Mom!!” Jimmy laminated in horror.

Sara Beth shrugged a reluctant regret, “Sorry,” She knew the possible events that would happen medically with pregnancy but all three were unique. Jimmy’s meconium insistent was not minor but dealt with. Kevin would not turn to come into the birth canal headfirst as every baby should. He had to be manually moved into position. Ian should be an athlete as he kept kicking her and always on her bladder. Yet, she had three beautiful children!

Diaper changing had changed very little in hundreds of years. The material to make the diaper had changed. The diapers they had on the Ark would breakdown allowing the pee and feces to be broken down and recycled.

Parties hadn’t really changed either.

True to his word, Joel limited his drinks to two. The finger foods were put out and everybody seemed to like them an enjoyed the party. There was continuous music and dancing, laughter and many conversations.

Ian came over to Joel and looked confused, “Dad, you said we were going very fast.” He waved at the large viewport in the Communal Dining Room. “We’re not moving at all! The stars are moving because the Habitat Ring is spinning, but we’re not moving at all!”

Joel smiled at his youngest son, “Oh, we’re moving very fast. The emptiness of space out here is so big it just looks like we aren’t moving.” He chuckled. “In a year we’ll be going even faster. A year more even faster.”

Joel felt another someone stand at his side and take a hand. He looked at Jimmy. With hair so much like his mother’s. Jimmy’s face looked more like Sara Beth’s father’s face, but all three of the boys were brothers and looked like they were.

“Dad,” Jimmy began. “All these people are doctors. Uncle Hank and Aunt Rita, Uncle Manu and Aunt Andrea…why aren’t you a doctor?”

They had decided that to give a more sense of family, the boys would give those that worked closer with Sara Beth and Joel should be called Uncle and Aunt. It was used in the South so a young person could call another adult by their name without losing the respect for the adult.

“Well, I didn’t attend school as long as your mother and the others did,” Joel began and felt an arm come around his waist.

“Your father could and should have the title of doctor,” Sara Beth said standing closer to Joel. “He carries the title of commander because he is in command of the Ark.” She turned and pointed at the partiers. “All of these people are very smart. Scientific minds that all of them will be required to make our new home possible. It is his job to make sure all of those minds work together and on task to do that job. I am in charge of the scientists and doctors in our group. Dana Carek is in charge of another. There is also Dr. Steven Combs who is in charge of one and Dr. Wei Ch’en who is in charge the last group.” She pointed at the Chinese man in his mid-thirties. “They are smart, but there will be disagreements and they can get heated. Your father is to keep these people together and have them work together to make certain the disagreements don’t become bigger. Your father is to make sure they all play together nicely.”

“Uncle Hank is in charge of the engines on the Ark,” Jimmy’s brow furrowed as he thought. “Once we get there, won’t he be out of a job?”

“Heavens no!” Joel laughed, “He makes sure everything mechanical works together properly. We will need him even more on the new world. Aunt Rita will be making sure Athena and any other computer needed work together well. No one will be out of a job. Trust me.” He glanced around. “Where’s Kevin?”

Sara Beth smiled and pointed to their first born who was talking with a blonde girl about the same age. Helvi Johansson was her name. Her father was a genetic scientist. Her mother was an oral surgeon and dentist. Very needed science among the residents. Helvi was playing it coy, and Joel could see Kevin was trying to be lowkey with his interest. Joel could tell Kevin was interested. No matter where Humans were, the behavior patterns were the same.

Joel sighed. It was going to happen. No, he wasn’t rushing Kevin and Helvi down any aisle, but his son was growing up. It was inevitable. He hoped for some more time with his child before he became an adult. This must be what every parent went through. Their children were Human. They were social creatures and yes, they would have sex. Humans were made to have sex. The nerves were geared for that, and their very brains were hardwired to have sex. His boys would have sex! There were religions that tried to control the drive. Joel wanted his sons to be careful and not jump to that sexual experience too quickly. His sons and he had “the talk.” Did they listen? Did they understand? Maybe on some level they did. Any of his sons probably experimented with their bodies…with other people and played doctor. Finding out what someone else had under their clothes. Showing that person what the boys had under their own clothes. It was perfectly natural. Joel still remembered Sandra, who at six to his seven…they were curious! Whoever their sons chose as a partner would be fine. Joel hoped to teach each son to think about more than having sex with someone who was willing. Look for a connection! It seemed Kevin was looking to start that connection with Helvi.

“Why would there be problems?” Jimmy asked.

Sara Beth grudged a nod, “Hopefully, there won’t be many. Scientists have a tendency to lose focus. They concentrate on the work in front of them and forget all else.” She laughed and touched her own chest, “I do it, too.” Then she touched her husband’s arm. “Your daddy’s job is to make everyone remember why we’re here. What the job is we hope to accomplish and work for a common goal.” She pointed at the others. “They are our hope for any future. We all have to work together.”

“We will have a future,” Joel stated.