Ark II - 7. Never Forgotten

Joel felt his world coming back into focus. He was getting used to that feeling that it hadn’t happened. Was he in stasis? Was it ten years later? “Athena, has it been ten years?”

“Yes, Commander,” Athena’s calm voice replied.

“Still finding it hard to believe,” Sara Beth commented from her pod.

“And you do,” Joel said back a little irritated.

“Yes,” Sara Beth answered. “Because it always is. When I studied the science of the Stasis Pods, I learned that all the people in the pods had no sensation of the passing of time.” She shrugged. “It’s an effect of science. I’d be more alarmed if there was no stasis. Meaning something went wrong.”

“Oh,” Joel gave a wavering nod. “Excuse me for not studying pod science.”

“You’re excused,” Sara Beth grinned continuing with her stretches.

Joel was doing his even as he propelled himself out of the pod. Okay, he wanted to beat Hank out of stasis. He always was ahead of him before. There was always the concern that something could go wrong with the pods. There hadn’t been any incidents with a stasis pod in fifty years. Well, the added seven years they had been in stasis when they first started, plus the ten…oh, yes, the ten years they just went through. It was a long time ago. These were supposed to be the latest and best pods…at the time. He felt relief seeing Hank’s and Rita’s pods open and Hank was doing his stretches.

“I was used to having your quick wit and face after reviving from stasis,” Joel grinned.

“Aw,” Hank smiled. “You missed me.” He grudged a nod. “It has been years! A decade since we saw each other!”

“He’s always that way,” Rita grumbled but with a smile. “I married a morning person. He always bounds out of bed.”

Sara Beth drifted up behind Joel looking over her husband’s shoulder, “Stasis isn’t sleep, but the principal is the same. He rouses quickly. It’s in his nature.”

Joel turned to Sara Beth, “tell me, doctor. If stasis isn’t sleep, why do we get drowsy just before we enter stasis?”

“The gas makes you go into stasis,” Sara Beth explained. “Being drowsy isn’t sleepy. The gas and pods is the closest we could get to suspended life function. You don’t sleep. You don’t die. It’s the closest we can get to suspended life.”

“So, a person about to have a heart attack or brain aneurysm will have the heart attack or aneurysm once out of stasis?” Joel asked.

Sara Beth nodded, “the pods and stasis gas has been used in many cases medically. We see a patient is in trouble, put them in stasis and then remove the problem before it becomes fatal.”

Hank nodded, “I thought it was to keep crewmen from killing each other on the way to Mars or one of the mines on the asteroids.”

Sara Beth smiled, “That, too. Have you seen the old transports for the mining ships or…” she gasped, “those cramped moon capsules? Compared to those, we live in luxury.”

“Lots of leg room,” Joel nodded and smiled at some of the other scientists that would be telling what the verdict would be about Epsilon. Dr. Nayef Rees was there.

“Doc!” Hank said happily. “If I haven’t said so, that was a great night with the Jordanian Arabian Night! The food was delicious! Thank you.”

Nayef smiled, “I’m glad you liked it.”

“What about your Welsh side?” Sara Beth asked.

“There are plenty of dishes,” Nayef said. “Welsh Rarebit, which you call Welsh Rabbit,” he raised a finger to stop any objection, “there’s no rabbit used, Cawl, Bara Brith, Glamorgan Sausages.”

“I know there are some great things to eat from the United States’ South,” Kurt Mueller grinned.

“He cooks very well!” Sara Beth spoke up quickly. “He makes great Southern Fried Chicken…” she lowered her eyes, “which I only approve of occasionally because of the fat content and cholesterol.” Then she smiled, “He makes wonderful She-Crab Soup, Cooter Soup, Catfish Stew…”

“Fine, but no grits!” Joel stated firmly. “I can make Shrimp and Grits, but I just mostly eat the shrimp.” He pointed at them. “If we start these traditions, I will expect everyone to share their culinary culture! We have the supplies. We aren’t wasting any of it.”

“Explain what a grit is,” Ansh Bhatt asked.

Kurt nodded, “I never understood that either.”

“It’s ground corn, which isn’t bad,” Joel pressed a fist into the other hand, “white or yellow corn and…” he saw they all were staring at him. He sighed, “Fine. I’ll make the Old Charleston-Style Shrimp and Grits. Okay?”

“Can’t we have She-Crab Soup?” Sara Beth asked and looked at the others. “It’s delicious.”

“She-Crab Soup was originally cooked with fresh crab,” Joel said to her. “Fresh crab…as in they were moving just before you opened them up to get the meat out and put it in the pot!”

“The crab we have is fresh,” Sara Beth defended. “They were caught and put in the new stasis containers and shipped to the Ark.” She looked at everyone. “He might even show us how to shag.”

Joel saw the raised eyebrows, especially with Nayef and Leah so he quickly added, “Not the British shag that means recreational mating, but shag the dance done on the beaches in South Carolina to Beach Music.” He looked at Sara Beth, “And is better barefoot and in the sand!”

“I don’t know,” Nayef chuckled. “Recreational mating can be a kind of dance.”

“Mom?” Ian called from his pod.

Sara Beth floated back to her sons’ pods, “I’m not gone, sweeties. I’ll never leave you.”

“We can discuss this further later,” Joel grinned. “We have work to do.”

 

They descended again to the Habitat Ring which had been transformed by simply adding touches of nature. The natural light and sounds from Earth in birds and the wind. Like Kevin, Joel knew they were simulated but he relaxed more. Like he told Kevin, this was to be their home for a while. Sara Beth’s planned additions of plants would help it become more than a ship in space.

Robbie and Robot were waiting in the Communal Dining Area. They had gone back into stasis a little after lunch, so about one in the early afternoon on Earth Time. Since Joel was doing the South Carolina traditions for dinner, why wait? He ordered his pulled pork mustard-based barbeque and onion rings. He noticed Sara Beth was grinning but didn’t say a word.

School again would be taught by Robbie and Robot. It was really a school. Robbie and Robot could keep up with the different levels of teaching required by each student. Was Human teaching better? They’d see.

 

In the Control Room the scientists studied the images that Athena had gathered with great detail. Hank reviewed all the layouts of the needed engines, generators, and every mechanical device needed on the Ark. Rita looked over the programming and computer memory and all things Athena. Sara Beth looked over every pod on the Ark and its resident. Joel read the messages from Earth. Things had not gotten any worse, but hardly any better. The death toll was rising after the bombing and there were plenty of people that were willing to take the credit to further their own agendas. Even one environmental group stating the Human Race squandered what they had been given and since no one was doing something about the exploding Human population, they were. They claimed the killing of billions was justified and necessary to thin the population. The Earth would recover, they said. It may take thousands of years, but the world would remain. By the time it did perhaps the survivors would do a better job. Joel shook his head as he read that message. While he agreed about the population, setting off a nuclear device was not the answer. Radiation and mutations were going to be happening, not to mention the animal life in those areas of China. The panda had been extinct in the wild for a hundred years but survived in zoos and other animal facilities. They had panda DNA onboard.

Nature held a delicate balance on Earth. Predator and prey, yes, but it was a balance achieved over millions of years…billions even. Joel wasn’t a Biologist, or Botanist. He didn’t fully understand about animal behavior but the combined minds on the Ark had a Herculean Task to do it on their new world. That would take a great deal of time. Terraforming wasn’t impossible, but to bring all the lifeforms on the Ark back would take attention to detail.

Joel was pleased that they had launched another Ark. It was bigger than the one they were on and held more of the life in her insides. The complement of people were again scientists to do the job, but also five hundred active military personnel. The scientists numbered four thousand and held approximately seven hundred for their children. The age group for the was their thirties to their middle or late forties. It seemed the launch was done in a hurry. The radiation and violence were all over the world now and they wanted as many unaffected samples as possible of plants and animals they could get away. The target for them was Tau Ceti. Say what you will, the people of Earth were determined to have some of Earth survive. According to the time stamp on the messages, the launch happened six years ago. They planned another Ark.

Mars had become independent. They had begun terraforming Mars in the beginning and then quit. There were domed cities and cities underground. They grew their own crops and was now very restrictive of anyone landing on Mars. They didn’t have the diverse animal life or plant life on Mars. Bees for pollination, birds too. They had a functioning system. They were even exporting those crops to the mining colonies on three of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. There were robot mines on Io and Thede. There were robot mines in the asteroid belt on Ceres which was a dwarf planet in the asteroid belt. Many of these asteroids were mineral rich.

It did matter! Human Beings were now a spacefaring species carrying themselves now deeper into the galaxy. They carried all the good and bad with them. The Ark was carrying the best minds on her in hopes they could try again elsewhere. That didn’t mean there wouldn’t be problems. Evil people could be very smart. Joel knew they couldn’t form a utopia, but perhaps they knew enough not to be foolish this time.

He sent the messages and broadcasts to everyone; those up from stasis and those that would revive…later.

He noticed the science minds were looking as if they concluded any deliberation and was ready to talk about it. Joel may not have the degree, but he could read people.

“What do you have to tell me?” Joel asked turning his chair toward them and got up.

Xolani nodded and grinned, “It’s very promising. We need to get closer to do more readings…”

“But the third planet looks very promising,” Adam added but held his hand out for caution. “It has water!”

“A lot of water!” Kurt Mueller provided excited by the news. “It even has an atmosphere!”

“It does?” Joel asked feeling the nervousness like going on a date for the first time. “Signs of life?”

Larisa Bhatt shook her head, “We’re too far away to say for sure…” she hit a button on her desk and a whole planet appeared and it was not Earth. It did have clouds that hovered over a grayish ball of oceans. There only a few landmasses, but there was land. What was also telling you it wasn’t Earth was the ring around the planet! It was enough to see it this far away. Joel knew of the gas giants in the solar system they left had rings, but…

“It has a ring!” Joel smiled.

“Yes,” Kurt said happily. “It could be a failed moon, residual particles that didn’t form a moon during the planet’s formation.”

“Though it has two moons that did form!” Larisa said. “There is very little wobble of the planet.”

“Meaning no real seasons,” Joel said.

“We think the rings have something to do with that,” Adam volunteered.

“A little smaller than Earth…” Xolani cautioned.

“You said point ninety-three percent of Earth,” Joel nodded.

“Right,” Xolani nodded. “The mass is right for a planet that size. You’ll weigh slightly less.”

“Ran’s radiation levels?” Joel asked and shrugged at them. “I’m getting attached to Epsilon, so Ran is what I’m calling it.”

“We couldn’t confirm these planets before,” Adam said and waved at the image of the planet. “Athena’s telescopes could, and we’ll know more the closer we get.”

“Essentially,” Kurt said. “It’s a wet rock.”

“I think it could be perfect for us,” Larisa added.

“We all do,” Adam added.

“There are poles?” Joel asked and waved at the rear of the Ark. “We have animals and plants that require cold. While others need tropical climates.”

“It’s possible, my friend,” Hank began softly to his friend. “We may not be able to duplicate all the conditions of Earth and we may lose some species…” he hurried on, “not that we won’t try! We have all these people that can tweak the animal DNA and maybe the animals themselves will adjust.” He shrugged. “Which ever planet we choose we are going to change. Whatever planet will change all life we bring to it, including us.”

The idea of failure for any of the animals was not easy to accept so, he moved on, “What about meteor impacts or seismic activity?”

“It does have a molten core and there are plates,” Kurt answered. “Not much. It’s very stable. Epsilon A b is a huge gas giant. Its Jupiter times three.” He hit another button and a gray-blue world loomed. “So far, we’ve counted seventy-four moons and there are two debris belts, one between terrestrial planet four and Epsilon A b and between Epsilon A b and our trojan orbiting planet number six. It seems to be protecting the inner planets.”

“What’s the catch?” Joel asked with a narrowed eye.

“Catch?” Adam asked. “What do you mean catch?”

“The perfect planet? Don’t tell me there’s not a catch.” Joel insisted.

“There’s no catch,” Larisa chuckled and shook her head. “We will be using the generators to pump air into the atmosphere. Ran is a brown dwarf and only about seventy-eight percent of the sun Sol we left.”

“The dome we build the first settlement in will have the radiation shields.” Xolani said. “The Trioxygen Generator will be needed…”

“The Ozone Generator,” Joel nodded.

“Right again,” Xolani smiled.

The Trioxygen Generator was a heralded invention some scientists came up with in the middle and late Twentieth-First Century. It worked! The holes in the Ozone Layer were being sealed…temporarily. It dissipated and the generator had to be kept on. No problem, but with the conditions on Earth deteriorating keeping the generators up and running was difficult. The components that made up the generator were expensive, so were often stolen and sold. The idiots that stole these parts stole from their own survival. The crime, if found out was severely punished. Anyone caught fencing, buying the stolen items, were equally punished. The problem was there was a chain reaction that was started and could not be easily stopped.

“What gasses are in the atmosphere?” Sara Beth asked.

“Without being there,” Kurt began, “volcanos will send up carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen sulfide…” he was nudged in the gut by Larisa. Kurt grinned, “We assume. The list goes on. Unless there’s an unknown element…it’s a volcano.”

“So, those clouds?” Sara Beth pointed at the image of the planet they may want.

“Water vapor and those various gasses,” Kurt replied.

Joel nodded feeling excited now, “And we’re going to make it breathable! If we weren’t already on course, I’d say set course for that planet!”

“But we are,” Hank grinned, and stage whispered to Joel. “You confirmed that by our current position though you’d swear again we aren’t moving.”

“You’re done with your tasks?” Joel asked and saw Hank nod with a grin. “Good,” Joel waved him away. “You’re welcome to go back into stasis. Rita, Sara Beth and I will make sure Chloe and Rachel are tucked back safely into their pods.”

Hank’s eyes widened but the humor was in his eyes, “What!? And deny you my quality companionship!? Nah, I could never do that! I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Thank you for your self-sacrifice,” Joel grumbled. He held his hand up, “We can share this news with everyone with the added caution we need to know more in…” he looked at the other scientists, “ten years?”

Kurt nodded, “We’ll have better scans then.”

“Okay,” Joel nodded. “And we need to come up with a name. Think about that and when we decide to move and make this planet our new home, we name it then.”

 

Joel literally dragged Hank with him as they went through the Habitat Ring after insisting that Rita and Sara Beth stayed out of the Communal Dining Area. Once he got there, he told the young people being taught by Robbie and Robot to go to the Nesmith quarters and watch a movie or two. Or they could play a game, he didn’t care. They just had to go. He held his finger out pointing for them to leave.

“I wasn’t kidding,” Hank began. “I can boil water. I can heat up a can of soup. Make a pre-prepared dinner if it doesn’t require too many additions. What do you expect me to do?”

“I expect you to grind some corn,” Joel stated simply. Then he turned to Hank holding a finger up in Hank’s face. “You swear to me, you won’t breathe a word of what we’re doing to anyone. Swear it or I’ll throw you out of an airlock!”

Hank’s eyes grew and so did his grin, “What are you planning to do?”

“I tell you after you swear,” Joel insisted. “I mean no one; not even Rita!”

Hank’s face became uncomfortable, “She won’t tell anyone else.”

“I don’t care if she denies sex,” Joel said in mock seriousness.

“That’s inhumane!” Hank whined hoping to dissuade Joel’s instance that he keep it a secret from Rita. “Do you how hard it is to keep things fro…”

“Swear it!” Joel insisted grabbing Hank’s coverall at the chest and pulled him closer to Joel. “Swear it or I tell everyone I won’t cook because of you! Swear! Right now.”

Hank’s hands went up in surrender, “Okay, okay, I swear.”

“Say it,” Joel insisted further. “Say, I won’t tell anyone. I won’t tell Rita, Chloe, or Rachel!”

“I swear I won’t tell anyone,” Hank nodded their faces less than a foot apart. “I won’t tell Rita, Chloe, or Rachel.” He smiled now. “What are we making?”

“Old Charleston-style Shrimp and Grits, She-crab Soup, and Hushpuppies,” Joel released Hank’s coverall. “And I am also making Southern Fried Chicken for lunch tomorrow.” Joel went to get what he needed from Athena’s vast supplies to begin cooking.

“Why are you starting lunch now?” Hank asked curiously.

Joel nodded, “Because the chicken needs to marinate overnight,” Joel explained. “The chicken sits in a bath of buttermilk and seasonings overnight. In the morning I begin to make the seasoned batter to begin to fry the chicken…” he grinned at Hank. “I’ll need to make cornbread right before lunch. You’ll see.”

Hank followed Joel into the Preparation Area, “Do you remember that old restaurant? Kentucky Fried Chicken? Colonel Sanders?”

“Certainly,” Joel nodded. “It sort of dwindled down in the mid-twenty-first century. There are a few left on Earth. Colonel Sanders only had eleven herbs and spices. Nesmith Fried Chicken has twenty!”

“Really?” Hank nodded as he watched Joel get the things he needed, “Hushpuppies. Are they what the name implies?”

“So, I was told,” Joel replied. “In the past it was too hot and dangerous to cook indoors. So, they would cook outside to keep from accidentally catching the house on fire. The dogs,” Joel said to Hank grinning, “so, to quiet them down from barking getting excited by the smell, cooks made these round balls of cornmeal, fried them, and tossed them to the dogs. To hush the puppies!”

“Clever!” Hank grinned. “Very clever.”

Joel grudged a nod, “When you cook with fire things can burn. That’s why most wealthier homes in the South had a separate cookhouse.” He shrugged, “Some of the poorer houses, too.” He thought a moment, pausing what he was doing, “I think up North they had them, too.” He shrugged, “Oh, well.” He put the big bowl of corn kernels on the counter.

“So, no packaged mix for the grits?” Hank asked. “No canned corn?”

“Absolutely not!” Joel denied adamantly. “No man who considers himself a Southerner would accept canned corn or a mix for grits. Especially from Charleston. In an emergency maybe.” Joel sighed, “I just don’t seek out grits. I would never have instant grits.” He waved at the bowl of corn kernels. “Those are uncooked kernels of both yellow and white corn. They need to be ground coarsely.”

Hank saluted quickly, “Roger that!”

Just plain grits were nothing. Like plain white rice. Why? He did like when the roux, or gravy of the shrimp mingled with the grits. That was good but Joel never ate a bowl of plain grits. Adding cheese wasn’t enough. The shrimp wasn’t alone, no. It had half and half, lemon juice, Worchester Sauce, chicken broth, andouille sausage, bacon, red bell peppers, chopped onions, minced garlic, cheddar cheese, cayenne pepper, and the deveined shrimp…with that roux it was good. The She-crab Soup had to be made just before eating.

“Tell me,” Hank said as he began grinding the corn. “Your family can trace its roots back a long way in Charleston, South Carolina.”

Joel nodded with a grin, “Oh, yes. The first Nesmith arrived in Charleston in the mid eighteenth century.” He grudged a nod. “He married into one of the first families that had settled in Charleston in 1670. The Nesmith family made its fortune in shipping exports to Europe and England. We even lived South of Broad Street.”

“And that’s important?” Hank asked.

“For a Charlestonian it is,” Joel chuckled. “My Grandpa Ian was born in Charleston. He lived there until he was ten.” His head shook a little, “There were two hurricanes, the first really strong one hit and knocked down the levies letting the ocean waters in, flooding a very damaged city. Two years later a super hurricane destroyed what was left.” He said sadly, “Charleston is gone. So, is Savannah, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington…most of the barrier islands are gone.”

Hank smiled understanding, “The Great Lakes became an inland sea…my family was originally from Toronto. I can’t trace my family that far back. Really, the Cavills came from England at the turn of the twentieth century. Everyone lost a lot in the past hundred and fifty years.” He looked at Joel. “Am I still Canadian?”

Joel shrugged, “Are we still citizens of Earth? It is our planet of origin, but…”

“That’s why it’s so important we make a home out here.” Hank said. “Once we do that, we will be citizens of that world. It will be where we’re from.”

“Yet, to feel at home even here,” Joel nodded getting the pieces of chicken out to get ready to soak in the buttermilk and herbs. “We bring the sounds of Earth to make it comfortable.” He waved toward the Habitat Ring. “We have the lights reflect what we knew on the Earth.”

“We’re playing God!” Hank said dramatically. “We’re bringing plants and animals from one planet and putting them on another. Can we do that? We don’t belong there!”

Joel knew what Hank was doing. It wasn’t that Hank didn’t believe in what they were doing, he just was asking a philosophical question. “Should we destroy it all? Should we not try again?”

Hank grudged a shake of his head, “No. I think we have to try. I wasn’t kidding when I said I would prefer a world without crabgrass. I’d like a world without roaches, mosquitoes, flies…” he waved the tool he was using to grind the corn at Joel, “lions, tigers, bears…I know you’ve seen those nature shows where they show the predator chasing the deer or rabbit to kill for dinner. Don’t tell me you weren’t rooting for the fawn or bunny!”

Joel chuckled, “I have and yes, I wanted the fawn and bunny to escape and sometimes they did.”

“That’s damned right,” Hank ground the corn again a little more aggressively.

“Then they showed who the kill was for,” Joel grinned. “Usually, it was for her babies back in their burrow.”

“Are we ready to play God?” Hank asked helplessly. “Yes, the lioness or Mama bear killed for her cubs or her Pride of other lions, but do we continue this? Can’t we have a world where there are no lions or bears?”

“We’re the predators,” Joel said holding up a chicken leg. “Even my adorable children are predators. I’m doing what the mama lion and bear did. Providing this kill for my cubs. Ian loves a chicken drumstick.”

“We domesticated our prey,” Hank said.

“The deer and bunnies would breed unlimitedly causing themselves trouble in the long run,” Joel pointed out. “The cycle of life. They could eat their food supply away.”

Hank nodded, “Yeah, I know. We’ve done such a spectacular job in the past playing God. The starling problems because of their unhindered reproduction. The rabbits in Australia that went crazy reproducing when man played God there…”

“Kudzu,” Joel nodded and saw Hank’s blank look. “It’s a plant they brought from China and Japan to the United States. It over grows everything and chokes other plants out. It’s very invasive and doesn’t belong there.”

“That’s my point!” Hank insisted. “Do they have kudzu on the Ark?”

“I know they do,” Joel nodded and grinned at his friend. “You’re an Engineer but maybe you should be on the team that decides what goes where when we get there.”

Hank shook his head, “Oh, no, I’m not smart enough for that. Besides, we don’t know what sort of environment we’ll be able to create to have a species live there. I’d say the target planet now has way more water than Earth does even now! Does it have the seasons?”

Joel chuckled again, “I don’t know.” He looked at Hank. “We might have to consider putting some species on other planets. Keep them in stasis on the Ark and plant them later.”

“We’ll have a whole planet with lions and kudzu,” Hank nodded but clearly not liking the idea. “Great.”

“Don’t forget crabgrass!” Joel laughed.

“I won’t be going there,” Hank muttered. “What are you thinking about the name of the new world?”

Hank smiled, he had thought of that subject a good bit, “We started with Greek mythology and named the brain for the Ark Athena.” He paused a second. “I thought of continuing the tradition by naming the new planet Gaea.”

Hank was puzzled again, “And now you’re going to tell me why.”

“I thought of other names for Earth like Terra, Gaia, Erde, Tellus, but Gaea is the name for the goddess that came after the chaos and emptiness in the beginning.” Joel reported. “She brought forth the sky, mountains, and the seas. She gave birth to the Titans.”

Hank nodded thinking about what Joel had said, “Yeah, I can see that. Whatever planet we choose will be to bring order from chaos. I like the name Gaea.”

“And don’t you dare sell yourself short!” Joel said firmly. “You’re as smart as any of those other Ph.Ds. Smarter that some. You have plenty of insight.”

“So, do you!” Hank grinned. “They’ll listen to you.”

“I just want them to do a good job.”

“We have to,” Hank stated simply.

 

The real benefits to the Ark and Athena were with the cooking and preparation. The technology for the Stasis Cabinets had improved so much. Originally it was just for the crew of the ship to travel a long way. No Stasis Gas was used. The crates and cabinets had all air or gases removed. In the vacuum of space that vacuum sucked all the moisture out of…whatever. A living being had the very moisture if a person’s eyes sucked out not just the air in your lungs. Foodstuffs were instantly vacuum sealed. No moisture got in or out of anything. Time quite literally stopped for fruits, vegetables, and meats. The items were instantly sealed in this vacuum to keep food stores fresh longer. He got the shrimp and grits to put together and then prepared the She-crab Soup. The hushpuppies were last and then he made a small salad for everyone. There were many things about the South to be proud of. There were also things to be ashamed of. Joel knew not one person could escape that. This time they were remembering the Southern part of the United States, in particular, Charleston. Atlanta was still there, but Charleston was gone now.

He had the lights turned down to a bare minimum as he asked the others to come in the Communal Dining Area. The air was fragrant with what he and Hank had prepared.

“Tonight, we are remembering a city that is very special to my family,” Joel began. He thought because he never really knew Charleston it wouldn’t be so personal, but he felt the emotions surface anyway. “We are remembering a city that meant so much to generations of Nesmiths for almost five hundred years! And truthfully, you could take a picture of it starting in 1850 and ending in 2150 and it never changed! The people that didn’t want it to change. It didn’t! My great grandfather was born and buried there and was the last of the Nesmiths to do so. They mandatorily evacuated the city just before a devastating hurricane hit it followed by a super hurricane that destroyed it.” He blinked back tears that were threatening to flow. “I was raised on tales of the history and splendor of one of the oldest cities in the United States.” He did feel a tear come down which he brushed away. “We are remembering the South, but really we’re remembering…” he waved his hand behind him, “Welcome to a night in Charleston!”

Delicate classical music began playing and a projection of the Charleston that was…the scene of the cityscape in the evening showed the setting sun with the spires of the many church steeples earning it the name “Holy City.” Rainbow Road was there for centuries with the pastel-colored homes that earned that name, too. The scene changed to an avenue of oaks that had long strands of Spanish moss billowing in the breeze. The columns of a stately plantation home stood at the end of the avenue. Pink, red, and white azaleas bloomed around the bases of the oaks that were so old, and so wide, three or four men wouldn’t be enough to cover the circumference. White magnolia blossoms in trees. Charleston Harbor with Fort Sumpter.

“It’s beautiful!” Larisa said almost reverently.

“Yes,” Joel nodded and added sadly, “it was. We destroyed it before we even left.”

Sara Beth walked over and said softly to Joel, “I thought your Grandpa Ian was your mother’s father.”

Joel smiled, “He was! Grandpa Ian was a Drayton. Grandma Doris was a Rutledge. They were both were from founding families of Charleston. They met in high school in Charleston.” He chuckled, “Dad married the last debutant for Charleston High Society.”

“And you married me?” Sara Beth asked in mock surprise.

“A Charleston Debutant is so…fickle,” Joel waved that off. “Being a Charleston Blueblood isn’t that important.”

“I’ve done your bloodwork before,” she poked him lightly on the chest. “You don’t have any blue in it.”

Joel smirked and shrugged, “You didn’t look at it right.”

“I guess I’ll have to look again,” she smiled kissing him.

Salads with those tiny shrimp and choice of dressings, a crab dip came out with crackers, She-crab Soup was served hot and creamy. Then the Shrimp and Grits! Everyone was loving it!

“Stop!” Greta said shaking her head. “I’ll gain too much weight!”

“Do I serve dessert before we exercise?” Joel asked with a grin. “Or afterwards?”

“Dessert!?” Sara Beth asked in disbelief.

Hank’s eyes widened, “I didn’t know about that!”

Joel nodded, “Well, I cheated on that. I had Athena make dessert and there are two choices. We have pecan pie and key lime pie.” He looked at Sara Beth, “Like I did with my mustard-based barbeque, I had Athena programmed with how to make both.”

“With the graham cracker crust with the key lime pie?” Sara Beth asked.

“Yep,” Joel nodded.

“Yay!” He heard from Kevin, Jimmy, and Ian.

They all had dessert! Hank, Kurt, Nayef, Ansh, Adam, Xolani…all the males got a slice of both! Their youngsters did, too. Sara Beth insisted they each do something strenuous the next day!

“Why wait?” Joel asked. “Athena, the proper beach scene and music, please.”

It was an early night on the beach. You not only saw the waves coming in, but you also heard them, too. Seagulls called in the background. The Embers, “I Love Beach Music” began.

Joel took Sara Beth’s hand, “You wanted me to teach them to dance the Shag. I taught you so, we’re on!” He waved at the smooth white floor, “Imagine this is loose, warm sand.” He and Sara Beth did the footwork, shifting back and forth as Joel did the twirl for Sara Beth. It wasn’t a frantic dance but done smoothly which Joel and Sara Beth had done for years and had done with practiced ease. Their sons knew it and were teaching others to do it. Kevin did it with Helga Mueller. Jimmy did it with Rachel Cavill. Lunga was trying to do it with Chloe. For a moment, the thought that they were on a ship in space traveling nearly at the speed of light was forgotten. They were friends having a good time enjoying an evening under a moon while waves crashed on a Southern beach. Other songs followed.

Nayef and Leah danced loosely toward them. Nayef smiled at Joel, “This put my Arabian Night to shame.”

“No,” Joel shook his head. “Remembering Charleston is good, but Charleston is gone.” He smiled, “Even if they manage to reverse what happened on Earth and they lower the sea levels, Charleston will never be brought back. Jordan can be brought back.”

“My Italian Night was based on Nana Maria’s recipe and her memory,” Sara Beth said to Joel. “This is because of your connection to Charleston. It’s a lot more personal.”

“Yes, but Charleston is gone,” Joel said. “It will never be back.”

“Perhaps,” Nayef suggested slowly, “there could be another Charleston? The whole new planet could be called Charleston.”

Joel shook his head, “It would be another Charleston but not the original Charleston.”

“Of course, not,” Leah nodded. “We could name the first settlement on the new planet Charleston. It would be in memory of the original Charleston.”

Nayef smiled at his wife, “Sure, that would be great! The original Charleston would be guaranteed to never be forgotten. We have a complete history, and you could even leave a personal narrative on Charleston. The original Charleston was one of the first colonies on North American soil. Our first new settlement on the planet would be perfect for the name Charleston.”

Hank grinned, “Joel has the perfect name for the new planet. Gaea.”

Leah’s eyes widened a little and then she nodded, “I think that name would be perfect!”

“You do?” Nayef asked her.

“The mother of the Greek Titans,” Leah told Nayef. “She brought forth the Earth from nothing. We’re not starting with nothing, but nearly nothing but rock and water. The name Gaia is from that and the Earth. It is the spirit of the Earth.”

“I really didn’t get in to all the Greek and Roman Myths,” Nayef said.

“Neither did I,” Hank agreed. “School was boring. I didn’t live in one of those closed in communities and went to a school for the public. The Human teachers were boring. The courses were boring…”

“Until he came in early for school and fixed a mechanical problem the school had been trying to fix,” Rita said proudly. “In two hours’ time he had it fixed! It worked! He was eight years old!”

Hank chuckled and looked embarrassed, “It was the best time I had at that school.”

“I bet you weren’t bored after that,” Leah said the obvious.

“No,” Hank grinned. “I was busy after that.”

“The school and other parents at the school had things they asked him to fix for them. They’d bring things in!” Rita said with pride. “By the age of nine he was asked to a school in Winnipeg for advanced students. I’m told the principal of the school he was taken from actually cried when Hank left.”

“Where would they find another like him!?” Joel asked and then said, “The naming things can be done when we decide to make planetfall.”

“Which we will know better in ten years,” Hank grinned and looked at Rita. “You know?” He looked at Joel, Sara Beth, Nayef, and Leah. “Rita is from St. Jerome in Montreal. She’s French Canadian!”

“Okay,” Joel replied only wondering a little why this was being brought up.

“Hank,” Rita said in a kind of warning to Hank which he ignored.

“Because inside this computer nerd is a great cook!” Hank informed them all. “She can make the best Tourtiere, Pate Chinois, even Poutine!”

Joel smiled at Hank but looked at Rita, “My French is a little rusty what is Tourtiere?”

“It’s a meat pie made with ground pork and ground beef,” Hank answered for Rita.

“Okay,” Sara Beth was enjoying this. “Isn’t Pate Chinois a Shepherd’s Pie?”

Rita nodded, “Very much like it. It has ground beef and mashed potatoes.”

“But better!” Hank stated.

“Why is that?” Nayef asked. “Because Rita makes it?”

“Exactly!” Hank pointed at Nayef.

“The Poutine?” Joel began, “Aren’t they French Fries?”

“French Fries deep fried with beef broth and chicken broth!” Hank corrected. “And don’t forget the cheddar cheese!”

“You’re proposing a Canadian Night?” Joel asked.

“O Canada, was our home and native land…” Hank began singing the national anthem for Canada, changed for the past tense.

“Okay!” Rita interrupted quickly. “I’ll do it!” She looked at them and then pointed at Joel, Sara Beth, and Nayef. “I’ll need help from anyone that can cook!”

“Gladly,” Sara Beth smiled.

“You know?” Nayef said to Joel in mock confidentiality. “This I can boil water stuff from Hank is just a way to avoid cooking.”

Joel grinned and nodded, “I know he can do more. Do something badly a few times and no one will ask you to do it again.”

Hank held two hands over his heart, “Oh, you cut me to the quick!” Then he smiled, “But you found me out. I’m not stupid.” He held his hands out helplessly. “I helped with the Arabian Night and the Night in Charleston. I know how to chiffonade.” He clapped his hand over his mouth quickly and muttered, “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“The fact you know what chiffonade is tells a lot,” Joel pointed out. “You ground the corn for tonight and tomorrow, but you did cut up the green, red, and yellow bell peppers.”

“Yes,” Rita smiled at Hank. “He’s a man of many hidden talents.”

Hank looked at Sara Beth, “I seem to recall someone saying that cooking was more than chemistry and the means to stop hunger. I agree.” He smiled and added, “This will be a night of,” then he said in a French accent, “perfection gastronoique.”

“We should be back in stasis tomorrow evening,” Joel informed. “We will have to wait ten more years.”

They looked at the others still dancing. Alan Rees was dancing with Rachel. Kim Rees was now dancing with Lunga. Ian was trying to dance with Robbie. Robbie was moving to the music but didn’t have the grace a Human could have. He was a robot.

“Should Sara Beth and I be concerned with an unhealthy attachment to Robbie by Ian?” Joel asked quietly.

Leah looked at Joel, “The fact that you ask means you fear there might be. Do you think he is?”

“No,” Joel answered truthfully. “I just don’t want him to have one. Do you understand?”

“I do,” Leah smiled compassionately. “This is a very unusual situation with Ian. He’s on a ship in space hurtling through space at nearly the speed of light. He’s really the only child his age out of stasis most of the time.” Leah put her hand on Joel’s arm, “You’re right to be concerned, but I don’t share it. I’ve spoken with Ian. I’ll no doubt speak with all the children onboard. I also think I will know him more than others because he’s out of stasis as much as he is.” She looked Sara Beth and Joel. “I agree with your assessment that Ian is a very sensitive child. He is also a very happy child.”

Sara Beth smiled and nodded, “He was always a happy child, even as a baby. He almost never cried. Only when he was hungry.” She shrugged, “The diapers we used kept the urine away, but feces he would fuss, not cry, but fuss. He woke up happy.”

“Yes, he did,” Joel agreed. “Waking with a smile and eager to start his day.”

“We never babied any of our boys,” Sara Beth said and shrugged. “He was just so easy to raise.”

“You are very lucky,” Leah smiled at that. “Robbie is a source of comfort for Ian. He’s big, strong, and he will defend Ian. Ian knows that. Robbie is also a playmate that can interact with Ian and teach him social skills. I sense Ian is a budding artist, too.”

“I think that, too!” Joel nodded quickly and then went on. “How anyone can tell if a child of five is homosexual or heterosexual is beyond me. I don’t worry if he will be one or the other…or both! I want him to be what he is.”

“Good!” Nayef said happily. “He will be whether you want him to be or not. Allowing him that freedom is very important.”

“All my sons have it,” Joel said. “With two exceptions.”

Both Leah and Nayef looked at Joel puzzled.

“I insist my sons revere life. All life,” Joel stated firmly. “When they love, they find someone to respect, and who respects them. That’s all.”

Leah smiled, “I can say you’re safe with those exceptions. They all three have a sense of purpose.”

“And they clearly love you both very much,” Nayef added.

“For at least a couple of more years,” Hank muttered looking at Chloe.

“Don’t you dare say Chloe doesn’t love you!” Rita shook her finger in Hank’s face. “She’s just at that age. She adores you.”

Hank grudgingly nodded, “I hope she just still loves me.”

“She does, Hank,” Leah assured. “She’s growing up and trying to figure out how she fits into the universe. Her hormones are wreaking havoc with her brain, but I have no doubt she’ll figure it out.” She waved at her son Alan. “I hope Alan goes through puberty unscathed. I know Kimberly will be a challenge.”

Nayef looked around quickly, “I noticed not all of the groups are represented now.”

Joel looked about curious. He hadn’t noticed but he was right, “The only group not here in any personnel is Dr. Wei Ch’en’s group.”

“You are from my group,” Sara Beth said. “So, is Hank and Rita. Larisa and Ansh Bhat are from Dr. Dana Carek’s group.” She motioned toward the Muellers, “Kurt and Greta are from Dr. Steven Combs’ group.”

“Why?” Joel asked. “While we have plenty of supplies now, we can’t waste them with needless personnel. Do you think we should revive them to do nothing?”

“Not at all,” Nayef shook his head. “Everyone on the Ark has dual degrees, some three and four! You have a diverse collection of degrees, Dr. Nesm…”

“Nayef, please,” Sara Beth said smiling.

Nayef ducked his head and then looked up again with a smile, “Sorry, Sara Beth. You have a diverse collection of degrees. You have an Engineer,” he waved at Hank, “a Computer Scientist,” he pointed at Rita.

“I dread telling Dr. Ch’en about the bombings.” Joel shook his head. “He is Chinese, his wife comes from Mongolia. They got the blunt of the other bomb in China.” He shrugged, “Maybe that’s why I didn’t revive him.”

“Why?’ Sara Beth asked Nayef.

Nayef shrugged, “I just don’t really know much about him. We didn’t really talk before we left, and I didn’t talk to him when we had the party when we left the solar system.” He looked at Joel. “You had to speak with all the leaders on the Ark. What did you think about him?”

Joel frowned, “He was a bit withdrawn, but he was fine. Again, why?”

“I could be wrong,” Nayef held his hands up to them.

“Nayef!” Sara Beth growled.

“I watched him!” Nayef said louder than he meant to and then said quieter. “I observe behaviors and he seems fine.” He held up a finger, “However! Yes, I knew he was from China, and I knew China, Mongolia, and Southern Russia got hit by the blast if simply because it was next door. His country of origin has been pretty much destroyed. He left the Earth behind just like we all did. No one knows how we’d react. How is he going to react?”

“Dr. Ch’en is a bit awkward socially, but he’s brilliant,” Sara Beth was wondering what Nayef’s point was.

“His underwater habitats were a huge success,” Joel countered. “He built a series of habitats in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. He covered an entire island in the Caribbean saving thousands of people…”

Nayef again was holding his hand up for caution, “I know,” he sighed. “He and his team are going to be the ones to build a living habitat on our new world.”

“And also help us build our space elevator on the new world,” Hank continued.

“This is not about what he will do,” Sara Beth told Joel. “This is about who Dr. Ch’en is.”

Joel looked at Nayef and Leah, “You two are leaders in your fields.” He looked them directly in the eyes. “Something about him has raised a red flag for you to question Dr. Ch’en. We’d be stupid to ignore your warning.”

Sara Beth added, “To have the Board of Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Sociologists…all those Scientific minds who did not pick up on any odd behaviors and make a team leader is hard to believe.”

“Too many Chefs each with their spoons in a pot can miss things,” Nayef cautioned again. “I am not saying anything is wrong right now. Who knows what he…or how others will react when we tell them about what happened on Earth; it could be a tipping point. A fragile mind can easily crack.”

“He avoids Human contact,” Leah added. “He makes little eye contact except in the beginnings of a meeting with someone. I suspect he has a form of autism. He’s a savant. He has a photographic memory...”

Nayef nodded, “It would explain much about him. Communist China remained Communist in many ways and was furthering its own agenda even when we left.”

“He has a son,” Joel pointed out.

“Yes,” Nayef acknowledged. “A son with his Mongolian wife. Sex is a basic need for all Humans. Dr. Wei Ch’en may never do a thing…”

“After we come out of stasis in ten more years,” Joel stated pointing at Nayef. “I’ll have Drs. Ch’en revived, too. Is there anyone else on the Ark you would trust to help you interview him?”

“Dr. Tom Szasz,” Nayef answered without thought. “His great grandfather or so, was a sharp Hungarian Psychiatrist. Tom is proving to be just as sharp.” He leaned in. “He’s on Dr. Combs team and an excellent judge of Human Behavior.”

“We’ll revive him as well,” Joel decided. “You two will share with Dr. Ch’en what happened on Earth and monitor his behavior and note any potential problems.”

Nayef saluted sharply, “Yes, Commander.” He grinned.

Joel smirked, “Oh, stop it, Nayef.”