No more Freda’s, I thought ungraciously, though I kept the comment to myself as we orbited Earth. I knew for sure this world was Earth because of the sun and the moon, and the familiar shapes of the continents, but nothing man-made remained. No smog, no cities, no satellites, no International Space Station, nothing at all. Space junk didn’t orbit with us. I could tell where the cities and highways had been, though. Raw soil and rock stood out like scars and wounds.
“Oh, no, the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence are gone,” I said.
“No White House. No Eiffel Tower, Sydney Opera House, Taj Mahal, Gherkin, or onion domes,” Jack said.
Kek and Nok glanced at us and back at Earth.
“Nothing,” Suri said. “Pure.”
“Let’s go,” said Kitty, “I want to put my feet on Earth before I die. I’ve never been here.”
We went. The planet was really beautiful; I hadn’t remembered my home being so lovely. The lack of smog allowed the air to smell sweet and crisp. Where we landed, the weather was a little chilly. Rolling hills surrounded us, covered in small groves of pine and deciduous trees. The leaves were in full fall color.
I wanted to take a walk. We’d donned clothing which repelled insects up to five yards, and we’d been warned to stay away from animals because we didn’t know if the enhanced vaccines had gone endemic or not.
“There might be predators, as well,” Colonel Wad said. “They don’t recycle those.”
We took weapons with us, handguns, and went for a walk. We went into the trees. We went up a hill. Kek and Nok were having a fine first time on the planet which spawned their benefactors. Suri and Kitty helped each other; they weren’t used to rough ground. General Wad and several soldiers followed and flanked us. General Wad smiled widely. The deputies stayed with the ship.
The trees were beautiful. They made long, deep shadows, and the scent of soil and leaf litter brought back many deeply buried memories. I’d been out in the forests of KekTan, but I realized Earth made its own unique scent which permeated me and was familiar and comforting. I hoped when the Mek got home, they’d recognize this phenomenon about their own planet. Was it too soon? Had they been on their planet long enough to be sentimental like this? Maybe the Mek born on KekTan would be someday, when they returned to their home after a long stint in space. It felt like walking into mom and dad’s warm, dinner-scented home on Thanksgiving Day. My cells and the Earth seemed to be communing.
“Will people come back here, do you think, Jack,” I nearly whispered like in church.
“Oh, yeah,” he said simply.
We pulled ahead of the others, hiking toward a rocky outcrop. I wanted to climb it and look around.
When we gained the boulders I started up a low spot between two big rocks. Jack stopped and looked back. The others were walking close enough behind us, so I continued up. I’d forgotten how much stronger and more agile I was than Jack. I pulled ahead quickly.
Deena heard Carol coming. She broke away from Pakchikt and ran ahead.
What are you doing? Pakchikt thought. He raced after her. Caught flat-footed, he rued. Had he misjudged? Was Deena going to warn the prey?