+++++
The X-37C launched from the Negev atop an Atlas Centaur rocket; fourteen hours later it autonomously mated to Hyperion's docking platform, and twelve people disembarked. Sherman led them into the small base's toroidal living quarters; the new crew held on while it spun up to .7g. An Autonomous Transfer Vehicle launched from the X-37s cargo bay and matched spin, then docked with the toroidal base while Sherman monitored magnetic fields around the earth -- and the moon.
"They're here," she said. "Far side of the moon, stationary."
"You don't have the range for that kind of transfer."
"Something tells me I won't need it," Sherman said as she looked at the hi-band radar.
"What is it? What do you see?"
"Hyperion 3, if I'm reading the returns correctly, but the magnetic fields are changing again." She smiled as she looked at the screen. "I love it when I'm right," she whispered...
"Hyperion Platform, this is Hyperion Base."
Sherman looked at the rest of the crew. "Transfer now," she said.
"But we're not scheduled..."
"Transfer now, while we have time, before they have time to react. Prepare to launch as soon as you're on board."
"Yes, Ma'am."
She smiled at the mission commander, a decent woman with an iron Will. She'll need it, she said to herself, then she turned to the radio. "Actual to Base," she said, "go ahead."
"NORAD reports two ASAT launch vehicles leaving earth atmosphere, both from Baikonur II. You should have two hours fifty minutes before the first is in intercept range. KH-11 and KH-14s have preliminary indication multiple ICBMs are being readied for launch. The Americans have ordered their Ohios to MFD, and the Chinese have just filed a protest, noting American missiles are being fueled in their silos, the Malmstrom wing is mentioned."
So predictable, she sighed. So childishly predictable.
"Notify me when they launch," she said, smiling, then she switched to another frequency, and began transmitting in the blind -- while at the same time she began the remote fueling sequence in the ATV.
+++++
Her eyes were bandaged, the nurse told her, and would be for a few days.
She asked about the retinas, and any vascular involvement, and the nurse told her to relax, the operation had gone well and no complications were foreseen.
"You have a visitor, not family. Would you like to see him?"
"Please..."
She cocked her head, listened to this new, unseen world, she was even conscious of sniffing the air and her mind's ability to compensate became a sudden wonder...and she felt the change rush through her body.
'Yes,' she thought, 'it's him. He's come to see me...'
'See me...'
'See me...what else do I see now? Something...someone...'
"Ben, I can't see you...where are you?"
She heard his laugh, knew where he was now, and could even see the smile on his face, but there was something else, and someone else too.
"This is amazing," he whispered, "this watching you watching me with your other senses. What do you see? Inside?"
She reached out, touched his face -- 'he's so close! But so are they...' -- feeling small changes in air density as his words washed across her face. "I saw your lips, forming a smile out of nothingness, feelings leaping across space and time, like seeking like in the cold and the dark, life seeking life across the stars..."
"What?"
"I see life now. Out there...life...in the stars. But, it's here now."
"Who do you see, Jeanie? What is it...?"
"They're here, Ben. They're here, and they understand."
"Understand? Jeanie? What are you talking about?"
"The owl...the owl knows, Ben. She's talking to me now. To us, and for us. All of us. She's talking to them now..."
Smithfield was beside her now, too, looking down at this woman, this blind woman. "How does she know?" he asked. "How did Sherman know you would tell us what's happening -- up there, and what's going to happen -- here?"
"They see. They understand. She wants me to tell you not to worry. It's all a part of her plan."
"Her plan?" Ben asked, looking at Smithfield, both men lost now.
"The first missiles have launched...targeted here, in the desert, and at America..."
Ben started to leave the room -- but Smithfield held him back...
"Wait," the old man said. "Just wait...it's too late to do anything now."
"There's nothing to worry about," Jeanie said. "Nothing's going to happen."
"But..."
"The ASATs have located the base...200 kilometers and closing now...impact in 17 seconds..."
"My God, Sherman is still up there," the old man said, looking at Ben.
"10 seconds..."
"Call the Prime Minister!"
"Five seconds..."
"What could he..."
"Impact. Hyperion platform is destroyed."
"What about all the missiles? Where are they?"
--
"Jeanie?"
"Dr Curry?" Smithfield said quietly, anxiously. "Can you hear me?"
--
"Jeanie...? Oh, Jeanie, where are you...?"
--
"...Ben...?"
"Jeanie, can you hear me?
"Yes, of course. Did you go away? I heard you, but then you were gone. Where are you?"
"Here...I'm right here."
"Who's with you...I sense someone's with you now...?"
"A friend, Jeanie. Just a friend..."
"I was dreaming...having a dream. I could see so many things, so clearly..."
Smithfield walked over to the little window and looked out into the night sky. He looked up, expecting to see -- any moment now -- the arcing tracery of incoming ICBMs, then fierce glowing suns lighting up the night. He looked higher into the night sky, thought about Hope Sherman up there, dying alone in the womb of the infinite, in the cradle of all her dreams.
He wondered what it would be like to live in a world without Hope.
What would happen to our dreams now? Would we ever really be able to walk among the stars -- without Hope?
What did she say when he talked to her, before she broke off the link?
"The stars are waiting, Grover. They're waiting for us, but they won't wait forever."
Six Months Later
[Log entry SailingVessel Gemini: 17 June, 0700 hrs GMT, Friday morning.
COG: at anchor;
SOG: 0.0 kts;
Temp: 71f;
Winds: light and variable, viz unlimited +10nmi;
Barometer 29.95 steady since 2300 hrs last night;
GPS: N43.12.02 W05.30.02.
Still anchored in the Calanque d' en Veau. I took the tanks to a dive shop in Cassis yesterday, planning to make a few more dives later this afternoon. Weather holding, no rain in the forecast. Expecting to hear from Phoebe and Dr Mann today, if they're going to come down for a visit. Kind of hope he does. There's someone I want him to meet.]
Collins took Charley aft and she thought he was about to let her piddle on her astroturf pad, but he left it draped over the stern-rail -- and she looked up at him like he had lost his mind. But then he looked at the sandy beach a hundred yards away and her heart leapt; then he ran -- and dove off the stern, sliding noiselessly into the crystal clear water.
He surfaced and shook the water from his ears, wiped the stinging salt from his eyes then looked up at Charley. She was on point -- her rear legs spread wide, her right front paw tucked up close to her breast, her nose aimed at him like a laser beam. He cupped his hands together and squeezed, launched a jet of water at her -- and she lowered a bit more, the hair on the back of her neck rising too...and he turned around in the water...
And there she was, waiting for him.
"Lovely to see you again, my friend," he sang as he looked at the little markings under her eye.
She came and leaned into him, and he leaned forward too, resting his face on the side of her's, the familiarity of her skin like a kiss now. He rubbed his hands against her face, then he turned back to Charley.
"Come on, girl. You can do it."
Charley looked at him, then circled furiously, standing up once -- conflict clear in her eyes.
He lowered the tone of his voice then, and she felt the way she never liked to feel, because she could never resist him then. "Charley. Come!"
This was imperative command, not a request...and she understood at once and launched herself off the aft deck -- splashing down a few feet from him. He started swimming for the beach and she thrashed at the water, then settled down and swam along just behind him.
She sensed the other just beneath the water, then she saw the blowhole surface in front of her face, and when her feet and hands found new footing she relaxed. Clutching the fin, she scooted past him, riding the most wonderfully surreal surfboard in existence, and she turned and grinned at him -- felt like singing, too...
He caught up with them in the shallows and played with them both along the water's edge, then he pulled an old tennis ball out of his pocket and threw it far up the hill. Charley dashed up a steep, narrow path until she found the ball, then she turned and looked at him. He was staring now, far out to sea, then up, looking up to the sky, and she looked up too.
What is it? What does he see? What does he know?
She heard the other's noises then, and turned to watch. She was on her side, looking up into the sky as well, then she slipped under the surface and was gone. Charley watched, wondered what it all meant, and wished she could understand the others -- but their music was so strange.
"Come here, Charley girl," she heard him say, so she grabbed the ball and took off down the trail, ran up to him and sat beside him. He gently took the ball from her mouth and tossed it back into the water, and they played for the longest time...until he heard Liz up on deck, calling her.
They swam out together, he doing a slow side-stroke, keeping his eye on her as she paddled alongside, then he lifted her up and put her on the aft platform. Once on deck he dried her off, and she turned on her back and let him rub her belly -- the very best thing of all -- then she hopped on deck and walked into the cockpit, feeling very proud of herself.
"I see your friend was back this morning," Liz said.
"And I think you've been baking? Cherry?"
She shook her head. "Blackberry. That farmer's market in Cassis is incredible. I don't ever want to leave this place."
"Nothing says we have to."
"Are they up yet?" she whispered, nodding her head to the boat next door.
"I don't think so. Haven't seen anyone moving around just yet."
"I've never heard anything like that in my life. All night long; in-out-in-out -- my God, it sounded like the shower scene in Psycho. Please, tell me I don't scream like that."
"I frankly had no idea one woman could come so many times in one night. Hell, I lost count at fifteen."
"Well hell," she said, "he popped off at least three times."
"I know. I was getting envious."
She threw a hand towel at him. "You're the same age! There's no reason you can't..."
The companionway hatch on the boat anchored next to their's slip open, and the woman came up and shook her hair in the morning sun, then saw them and waved.
Liz waved back. "What's her name again? I just can't get it down..."
"Carol."
"Seems nice, but why do I keep getting the impression they're keeping secrets...?"
Collins shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because they are."
"Well, I've got some fruit cut up. Want some?"
"Coffee, scones -- and fruit? Wow. Breakfast of Champions! Sure, why not?"
"Sumner? What's Hyperion?"
"What?" His mood turned serious, dark eyes glanced to her, and he looked her in the eye. "What do you mean?"
"Hyperion? The name of their boat?"
"Oh. Some poem, I think, German, romantic. I really don't remember."
"Don't you think it's funny they just showed up here, and you used to fly with him and all?"
"It's a small world, darlin'. Keeps getting smaller and smaller."
She leaned close, then whispered. "Did you get any Viagra?"
He leaned back and smiled. "I'll never tell."
"Maybe after breakfast?"
"Now, there's a thought."
"I'll go fix breakkie. Wanna eat up here?"
"Sounds good, darlin'."
He watched her go below, then stood and stretched. He heard movement on Hyperion and saw Ted come up and stand in the light, that pink raspberry wound still livid on his shoulder. They looked at one another for a moment, then Collins pointed at the shore and Sherman nodded, walked aft and dove in; Collins shrugged and dove in, then Charley ran to the rail and watched them swim ashore, wondering if she should follow.
"How you feeling, Spud?"
"Man, I don't know about this shoulder. Hurts like the devil when I move it just so."
"Well then, don't move it like that!"
"Shit, Sumner. You shoulda been a doctor."
"Liz wants to know. Did you pop off two times last night, or three?"
"Shit, you could hear us?"
"Spud? I'm pretty sure people in Spain heard everything you two did last night. Now, what I want to know is this? What the fuck are you doing to her? I've never heard anything like it in my life!"
Sherman told him, omitting nothing.
"That's it? That's all you do?"
"Works every time. It's never failed me once."
"Well, I'll be. Whodathunkit. Oh, well, I got the tanks refilled. Think Carol'll want to come down with us?"
"Maybe. I'm expecting company in a few hours."
"Oh?"
"A mutual friend."
"Fuck. You don't mean...?"
"Yeah. The old man. He called last night."
"No shit? What's he doing here?"
Sherman shook his head. "Dunno. Said he had something important to give me, then he hung up."
"Oh, he always loved a mystery. So...how do you like the boat?"
Sherman turned and looked at it. "It's nice. Bigger than I would've chosen, but it's very comfortable when the wind kicks up. How long are you going to stay here?"
"I don't know. A week, a month, maybe the rest of my life. What about you?"
"I don't know," Ted said as he looked skyward. "For some reason, Greece sounds right."
"Lot of refugees around, so what ever you do, be careful."
"You ever think about maybe some place like Tahiti?"
"That's what Liz wants to do."
"Yeah? Carol too."
"It's a long way, Spud."
"Yeah? So? You gotta be somewhere next week?"
"Good point. Well said."
They laughed. "Long way from the Navy, ain't it? Do you miss it all?"
Collins looked back through time, at all the thing he'd done -- and at all the things he wished he'd never done. "No, not really. Only thing I'm interested in now is breakfast. All those yesterdays, Spud, they seem so far away, so long ago."
"Jenny?"
"Yeah. That's the one hole in my life I can't fix...the one memory that won't let go, I guess."
"Where'd you meet the girl?" Sherman asked, pointing at Gemini. "Sorry, can't quite wrap my head around her name yet?"
"Liz? A friend of a friend; it just kind of happened."
"Carol...just kind of happened, too. Life's like that, I guess. When you think the shit can't get any deeper, along comes a wind to lift you away from it all."
"Sometimes it just pushes you deeper, Spud." He looked up at the sky again, shook his head. "I was sorry to hear about your sister, by the way. Wish we knew what happened up there."
"It's probably better that we don't."
Collins looked at his old friend, nodded. "Maybe so, but I miss her."
"She loved you two, you know. I think she cried for a week when she heard about Jenny."
"Yeah?" He looked at Charley, standing now on the aft rail, looking at him. He could feel the need in those brown eyes...the need to connect, to love...to trust enough to love. He brought his fingers to his mouth and let slip a whistle, a real atomic bomb of a whistle, and Charley leapt back into the water. He saw sunlight explode like flying diamonds when she hit the water -- and then she was gone.
Collins looked at the water where she'd gone in...it was smooth now... and he saw no trace of her. He pushed off -- began swimming furiously towards the boat -- and he could hear Sherman by his side, both of them now swimming out as fast as they could...
Then she was beside them. On the dolphin's back again, grinning, her stumpy little tail beating the air so fast he could hardly see it...
They both stopped swimming then, and Sumner looked at Charley as she circled around them, in effect standing on the water. Sherman was treading water now too, looking at a dog riding on the back of a dolphin, his face scrunched-up like a wadded newspaper.
"Uh, is it just me, or did I just see your dog, uh..."
"What? Your dog doesn't do that?"
"Uh, yeah. Well, I don't have a dog..."
"Well hell, Spud...that was your second mistake..."
+++++
In the middle of the afternoon Sherman heard a helicopter flying beyond the entry to the cove, and he stood on Hyperion's aft deck, looking past the narrow entry to the sea...and there, the sleek gray lines of a ship appeared.
"56," he said as he looked at the numbers on her bow. "The old San Jacinto...I'll be damned." He watched as it's helicopter swung over the cove, and he could see the men inside looking down at his boat, and Collins' -- before it dove and raced back out to sea. Further out to sea he could just make out the faint gray contours of several more ships, and at least one aircraft carrier, as they slipped eastward...
...then two gray rigid-hulled inflatables roared into the cove, and the helicopter reappeared, now hovering just beyond the steep white limestone walls of the entry. Helmeted men, manning large caliber machine guns, stood on the bows of the inflatables, their guns trained on Hyperion...
Ted turned, looked at Collins standing in Gemini's cockpit -- apparently talking on a SatPhone -- then watched as he went below...
He turned again, looked at the boats racing in, then he saw Smithfield and walked over to the boarding gate and waited. When it pulled alongside the old man waved. "Hop on," the President called out over the engine noise, and when he was aboard the launch idled over to Gemini and Collins jumped aboard too, then the boat made it's way to shallow water and beached on the sandy shore.
"Come on, you two."
Smithfield was helped ashore by two Navy ratings, and as soon as both Collins and Sherman were ashore the boats withdrew back to the entry, blocking access -- for the time being.
"How're you doing, Ted? That arm any better?"
"Yes, Mr President. Thank you for asking."
The old man nodded his head, then looked at Collins, dour respect in his eyes. "You look well."
"I am, sir," but he saw visions of the man's wife pass between them and wondered if their relationship would ever be the same.
The old man looked around, saw a large rock and walked over to it; he sat and waited for them. "Goddamn hip's going out. Some jack-ass surgeon wants to put a new one in. What would you do, Sumner?"
"Me? Hell, Mr President, that sounds about as fun as fucking a porcupine up the ass. I'd pass, tell 'em to take hike."
"That's what I told him."
"Good for you, sir. Has it cut into your golf game?"
"Not yet. Guess when it does I'll have to go see him again."
"Yessir."
"Sherman? I wanted to have a word with you, and I thought it best to do this one on one, but then I know you two have never kept stuff from one another. And, well..." He stopped, unzipped his windbreaker and pulled out a small iPad. He started it, then opened a file and handed it to him. "You two go find someplace in the shade and watch that, then bring it back to me."
"Yessir," Sherman said, and they walked over to the shade of a stunted tree and sat in the coolness.
"You ready for this?" Collins asked.
Share the love
English
