Trouble in Orion's Belt; A Stellar Journey
Chapter 14: The Red Planet

The group made their way through the stellar tunnel in a seemingly endless trek. There was a unified sigh of relief when Brad announced that Simon had emerged from the end.

The observation deck of Brad’s house was dark and apparently the Biocontainment Field was in nighttime mode. It was lighted only by computer and other machines in the room in one digital display or another.

Brad found the switch to the cross sections of lights that were aligned on the clear overhead dome.

“I don’t know about any of you but I think that it feels good to be home.”

“Amen!” Dana said immediately. I thought we’d never get through to the other side of the portal.”

“I second that,” Donna heartily agreed. “I can’t wait to get back to my garden.”

“Well, I have to agree with the both of you,” Bob said; “even though if we hadn’t gone we’d barely be past the asteroid belt on our way back to Mars.”

“Well, it was a memorable experience for me,” Dave said. “I feel like I played a major role in the growth of an extraterrestrial civilization.”

“You are playing a major role,” Richard corrected, “they will be working on interplanetary navigation for years to come.”

“And decades of interplanetary travel will follow,” came a voice from the far side of the room.

Everyone turned to the direction of the voice and saw Aumrill glowing with a triumphant smile.

“Those of you who wish to be teleported just tell me your destination and it will be performed immediately,” Aumrill announced.

“Just send me home,” Simon requested, “there are some studies I wish to catch up on.”

Simon had no sooner spoken than he vanished.

“Home sounds like heaven at this point,” Dana said. Bob kissed her cheek and they both vanished.

“I’ll be visiting with Donna for a day or two,” Julia told her.

“And I need to go home and check my garden,” Donna added.

“And I need to help mom in the garden,” Jul joined an expression.

Jean walked next to Julia lightly grasped her hand and kissed her cheek.

“And I must say my farewell to a friend.”

“Yes you must,” Julia responded

And the four of them vanished.

“I really need to get back to my family,” Dave said earnestly.

Dave watched the observation deck fade and his living room faded into view. His wife and one of his daughter’s were startled but apparently happy to see him; hugged and kissed him. He noticed but didn’t remark on how young his wife looked at the moment.

Richard was uncertain as to why he was left behind in the observation deck.

“I am going to leave the two of you alone while I go check on something,” Brad said as he hurried down the stairs.

Richard found himself on top of a dark mesa somewhere in the Martian desert with Phobos scooting across the Martian sky. He looked over to Aumrill who was peering over the edge of the Mesa as if to the horizon. She turned and looked towards Richard.

“You wished to speak with me?” she said in a soft tone.

“Aumrill, you amaze me. You seem to know what I’m thinking even before I think it. I was bored with my life and then you came up with a proposal that would undoubtedly change that; but you allowed me to believe that it would be an archeological expedition. I continued on because I had no choice but to see it to the end.”

“Ah, but Richard,” she said smiling, I told you everything. You only assumed it was an archeological expedition because that is your profession. You believe I can read your mind; that is not completely true. I am good at reading your intentions because I know you so well, But Richard, in all our knowledge we are still learning of each other.

“I assumed that you would be delighted in learning of this new species. And they are a very young species Alnilam is only four billion years old and this species had only emerged six million years ago. They advanced quickly because they had a relatively easier survival ratio as opposed to other planetary species.”

“The reason that I chose you for this mission is that Earthers are relatively young in exploring the cosmos.”

“I do feel privileged and grateful in that you chose me, but I am still bewildered in the fact that you focus so much attention on me.”

“Awe, but Richard, I though that you knew . . . “

“I don’t understand; knew what?”

“We did not arbitrarily choose you; we were studying you from the moment you arrived thirty-seven years ago. We realized in only a short time that you were different from your colleagues. You were seeking the ‘truth’ and you continued seeking it even after you had found it.”

“We were horrified by the expedition because the truth seemed to have a destructive effect on your colleagues; and you survived by some miracle of fate.”

“You returned to Earth and were unrightfully accused of orchestrating the horror.”

“We were impressed in the fact that your incorrigible nature kept you from straying from your search for truth.”

“We knew that you would try to return to Mars and we intervened to provide you with a means to do so.”

“We were further impressed that you chose to remain and on Mars long after you proved your innocence and later proved our existence to the authorities of Earth.”

She then approached him and put her arms around him; he was startled but hugged he back. He smelled her skin for the first time and her warm body next to him. She was a no doubt a woman and alive in every cell of her body.

She pulled back slightly and placed her hands on either side of his face then lightly kissed his lips. And then she laid her head on his shoulder.

“You see Richard it has always been the Martian way; we stand together as a family. And now my dear Richard you are a Martian.”

She kissed him lightly again; the way a mother would a child. Then she pulled away and smiled. She stood about two feet from him.

“The Moirae will most likely have a ship built in five years; would you be willing to go back and witness the event?”

“I will be happy to do that Aumrill.”

“And in one-hundred years possibly check with them again?”

“Hmmm, I’ll have to think about it and get back to you in ninety-nine years.”

Aumrill chuckled and held her hands out on either side.

“Oh, and Richard, by the way; I am not your mother,” she said as she faded against the star filled sky.

As with all of her exits Aumrill left him standing alone atop that dark starlit mesa; as if to give him time to reflect on the meeting.

Richard watched the star filled sky fade out and the brightly lit hominess of his living room. Shortly Donna and Jul were on either side to give him a kiss on the cheek.