The crew was stunned. Two years had passed since the captain had lost his mother. Her quarters were adjacent to his own, on the forward edge of the key personnel deck. No other quarters were as spacious or as lavishly appointed. Mrs. Argon enjoyed entertaining and did so unpretentiously. She had hosted every member of the crew at one social gathering or another and was greatly admired. Since her passing, the suite had remained unoccupied. No one would broach the subject for fear of hurting the captain.
“My, my, my,” Walt said, “the mysteries of Providence.”
“And to protect Adie’s privacy,” Jack continued, “the captain has arranged for the launch bay and central lift to be clear of personnel until she’s settled.”
Ari shook his head in amazement. “We are so blessed to have that man as our captain.”
The discussion continued unabated until Merrick initiated auto-braking.
A half hour later, they settled onto the ramp. Passing through the ship’s airlock, Merrick guided the Sparrow across the launch bay, setting it down squarely on its parking spot.
Brooke rose and released Ari’s restraints, carefully helping him to the floor. He took a step and winced.
“You going to make it?” Walt asked, concerned.
Ari rubbed his leg, and said, “It’ll loosen up.” He hobbled around the cabin for a minute, then gave Merrick the go-ahead to drop the ramp.
Brooke covered Adie with a blanket and disconnected the gurney from its pedestal.
They exited into the uninhabited launch bay, leaving Merrick to his post-flight.
Partway to the lift, Katie turned back, presumably to retrieve something. When she reentered the landing craft, Merrick was standing at the com/intel station sending data to the ship’s archive. Feeling the vibration of approaching footsteps, he turned in her direction. “Did you—“
“Forget something?” Katie interrupted. “Yes, I did.” She quickly closed the distance and wrapped him in a full embrace, rising to kiss him tenderly on the lips. She paused for a moment with her head against his chest and looked up. “I wouldn’t trade this day for anything,” she said. “And you...you are a very lovely man.” She broke eye contact and scurried out the back of the landing craft.
Breathless, Merrick felt for the seat, swiveled it, and took a break.
Katie hurried along, barely catching the others as they entered the lift.
“Find what you were looking for?” Brooke asked with a knowing smile.
Katie gave a nod, and on Walt’s command the lift began a slow ascent to Deck 5.
The crew encircled the gurney...silent, exhausted—eyes fixed on Adie. Their minds pored over the day’s events, trying to come to terms with the new reality.
Katie spoke up. “I’m so drained, and yet I feel—I don’t know—an overpowering joy—like we’ve done something truly honorable.”
“I know,” Walt said. “Glorious, isn’t it?”
Jack dipped his head. “This must be how the Lord feels every day.”
“Well put,” Ari said, holding onto Adie’s hand. “You know, before we split up, I thought I might offer a prayer of thanks, if that’s okay.”
The annunciator panel flashed “Deck 5” and the lift came to a stop. Walt locked the barrier and gave Ari a half-nod.
Ari smiled, seeing Brooke was first to bow her head. The others followed, and he began.
“Heavenly Father, there can be no doubt Who is responsible for the miraculous events of this day. Thank You for carrying us safely through this perilous mission. And now, here before us is this sweet soul—our sister from another civilization—my love...my life. Dear Lord, these wounds may ache, but my heart is full of joy. Look at her, Father. You know her inside and out—so beautiful. Even if she only stays a short time, I will thank you for the rest of my life.
“And this crew, Father—every one exceptional...thank You for giving them the wisdom, skill, and courage to persevere—for every word spoken and action taken to make Adie feel comfortable and welcome. They are honored colleagues, but more than this, dear friends.
“Because of this day, our lives will never be the same. Help us and our fellow crewmen to do everything in our power to make Adie’s stay a pleasant one. We are Yours. Use us as You will, and we will be sure to give You all the glory. Thank You, Father—Thank You….”
After shaking hands with Walt and Jack, Ari moved around the gurney and tenderly embraced each of the nurses. “Thank you—both of you.”
As Walt dismissed the barrier, Ari leaned down and kissed Adie’s forehead. “I don’t want to leave her,” he confessed with a pained expression.
At Walt’s urging, he slowly backed away and departed with the nurses for the med bay.
As she was leaving, Katie glanced back at Walt. “I’ll see you shortly.”
Walt gave a nod and stepped back into the lift with Jack. The barrier came shut, and they continued their ascent.
“Heading back to work?” Walt asked, his eyes on Adie.
“Yep,” Jack replied.
“…Heck of a day.”
“Yep.”
Walt took possession of Adie and exited at Deck 3, carefully guiding her gurney through the vacant dining area, past the kitchen, past the lounges, and down the long corridor to her new home.
Acknowledgements
With the seemingly infinite variety of stories written over the years, the prospect of producing an original narrative is indeed daunting. As such, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the good Lord, who gave me this story and the skills to deliver it.
A Special thanks to my wife, Nora, who is in many ways my inspiration for this book and has been most encouraging and helpful.
I am also beholding to a small cadre of people who provided editing support, mentoring, and motivation. Among these are Gail Fry, Robin Boardman, Molly Lofties, Ken Boardman, Rachel Boardman, and Annabelle Levithol.
Finally, at the risk of seeming insane, my thanks to the characters of the book, my ever-present companions over the past four years.
Cited Works
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. “Snow White and Rose Red.” Household Tales. The Harvard Classics. 1909-14.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. “Superman.” Action Comics #1 (June 1938), 1-13, DC Comics.
The Wizard of Oz. Dir. Victor Fleming. Perf. Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, and Jack Haley, Frank Morgan, Billy Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin and the Munchkins. Loew’s Incorporated, 1939. Film.
The Best Years of Our Lives. Dir. William Wyler. Perf. Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Harold Russell, Myrna Loy, Virginia Mayo, Teresa Wright, Hoagy Carmichael. MGM, 1946. Film.
Darrow, C. D. (2006). Monopoly: the property trading board game. Eastwood, N.S.W. : Hasbro / Parker.
About the Author
William Boardman was born in Bethesda, MD in 1951 and is a retired US Air Force photojournalist. His rich military heritage combined with an avid interest in world history and science fiction offer a unique perspective and a reading experience to remember.
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