The Ship Finder: Young Adult Edition Page 27

  "Thank you, Ramon," Lena said. "On Earth we'll need money. The diamonds will be a lot of help."

  "You deserve it, Lena. So do Bill and Art," said Black.

  "I thank you, too," said Wilson.

  Black nodded. "Oh, and Bill, I'll be talking with you after the situation on Sunev stabilizes. I know you're interested in nano medicine, and the Ruling Council of Triod wants to partner with you to do more research."

  "Please thank them for me," Wilson replied. "I'm looking forward to investigating nano medicine."

  "Lena, could I have a word with Bill for a moment?" Black asked. "I need to discuss something about how he might use nano meds on Earth."

  "Certainly, Ramon," said Lena. She left the room.

  "I understand that Lena and Rachel McCoy are still a little jealous of each other. So, I’ve decided to give you some news that I’ll disclose to Lena when the time is right," Black said. "I’ve decided to make Rachel McCoy my aide."

  "That is good news," said Wilson.

  "We’ve vetted her, and she’s quite supportive of the revolution," Black explained. "I’ve also asked her to act as a liaison between me and you in regards to nano medicine while you remain on Earth. She’ll also keep me in touch with Lena and Tirac while they’re on your planet."

  "That sounds fantastic," Wilson said. "Have you made any decisions about how I could transfer some nano medicine technology to Earth?"

  "I just have some preliminary thoughts about it," said Black. "After the war completely ends, then I’ll devote considerable time and effort to figuring out how to handle technology transfer to Earth. Right now I have to concentrate on the war, so please excuse me. I’ll be in touch."

  "Thank you for telling me about this even though you’re very busy," Wilson said.

  "Have a good trip back to Earth, Bill."

  "I will, Ramon," replied Wilson. He smiled broadly and shook Black’s hand.

  Chapter 38 – The Future

  Lena, Terac, and Wilson sat in the Sailors' Saloon in the Florida Keys drinking beer. Silent for the moment, the trio listened as an old song played on the dollar disk player.

  Wilson had just returned from Bermuda. There he had rented three big safe deposit boxes in the Bank of Hamilton to store their $30 million in diamonds. He had also set up secret accounts so the three of them could deposit cash as they gradually sold their diamonds.

  Made of rough-hewn wood, the Sailors' Saloon was a converted barn. It sat away from the other local businesses. Rays of late afternoon sunlight shone through the rough bamboo screen that divided the inside from the covered, wooden porch. Dust specks floated in the sunlit air. Wilson felt good. He was a little drunk and warm inside, relaxed after the war.

  He considered, should I keep my medical practice in Northern California, or go elsewhere? Thanks to nano medicine, I've got a long life ahead of me.

  He put his hand in his right hip pocket and fingered a recent letter from Rachel in which she introduced herself as the liaison between him and Black in regards to nano medicine. A member of a Triodian research team on Earth had posted it by U.S. Mail for her. I can't wait until Black can send a capsule to Earth with her aboard it so we can begin to improve the health of Earth’s population through advanced alien nano medicine.

  He and Rachel had not seen each other since the war had ended almost a month ago.

  Because of the two women’s mutual jealousy, he hadn't told Lena anything about Rachel's handwritten messages. Wilson figured Rachel would eventually send a similar message to Lena and Terac about transfer of alien technologies to Earth.

  Lena sat on the bar stool next to his, and he gazed at her and smiled. A halo of low-angled rays of sunlight highlighted Lena's hair.

  "Art, I hate to break the spell of the music," Lena said. "But I'd like to speak alone with Bill about something."

  "Sure," Art said, and his mouth curled in a smile that he tried to block. He got up and opened the front screen door. His boots slapped the planks of the wooden steps that led to the street. The sound of crunching gravel faded as he left. The sun was hot, and the air was steamy.

  Wilson wondered why Lena seemed ill at ease. A tear dripped from her left eye, and she wiped it away.

  "What's the matter?" he asked.

  "You don't have a clue, do you?" She shook her head. "When Art broke me out of jail, I was very grateful," she began. "We became close, and that’s when I promised to go to Earth with him after the war and be his partner in an agricultural venture. I always wanted to do research in the Amazon because of the great variety of plants there."

  Lena’s voice failed, and she began to sob. She hugged Wilson, and her crying subsided.

  "What else is there?" Wilson asked.

  "I've been planning to start a hacienda in Brazil with Art," Lena revealed, "but he just knows and cares about war."

  "So, what does he do?"

  "That’s just it," Lena answered. "He doesn't know what to do with himself. Maybe I won’t go into partnership with him. That's what my Inner One is telling me."

  "If you don’t do it, where will you go?"

  "I was thinking of going to Northern California and working at Stanford, where I could do some research on rare plants," she replied, "but I did give Art my word that we would start a hacienda."

  "I believe you'll know what's best when the time comes," Wilson said. "I’ll help you to get a research position at Stanford, if you decide to move to California. I know some people at the university who’ll make it happen."

  A last few tears rolled down her cheeks, and she asked, "I’m still your friend no matter what happens, right?”

  "Yes, and you’ll always be dear to me," he replied.

  Wilson felt her emotion and his at the same time. He gulped a big swig of beer to fight back his own tears.

  Lena was weeping again, but in spite of her tears, she got up and hugged him for a long minute. She kissed his cheek, and it was wet. She released him, crying less.

  "I'm leaving now," she said. "Art's outside in the car. We're going to fly to Brazil and buy that hacienda because I gave him my word. But maybe you’ll see me again sooner than you think."

  "I hope to be surprised one day by you at my doorstep in California," he said. "You’re always welcome."

  She hugged him again, now with a stronger embrace. "Bye," she said.

  "So long," he replied. It won't last, Wilson thought. There's something about Terac that bothers me, but I can't put my finger on it.

  She let go of Wilson, turned, and walked to the screen door. She paused, looked over her shoulder, waved, and left. The door banged shut behind her. He felt more tears form in his eyes, and he wished his Inner One would help him read the future.

  Epilogue

  Wilson frequently exchanged letters with Lena through overseas mail. It's true. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, he thought.

  There was one major thing Wilson and Lena had in common, hatred of war. Nano medicine had granted them what seemed like never ending life and eternal youth. They had struggled through war, killing, and injuries, physical and mental.

  He recalled, we started out as mere acquaintances. Then we parted, and I learned how strong true friendship can be. War scarred our minds, ripped us from each other, and changed us.

  Maybe ants fight each other like human beings do. But few animals are as vicious to their own kind as people are.

  One day after Wilson had returned to California, he decided to walk onto the Golden Gate Bridge and look into the San Francisco Bay. He took the platinum medal he had received from the Great Leader and tossed it into the water far below him.

  Then he looked at the second medal that General Black had awarded him. He pitched it into the bay as well.

  Five weeks after Wilson had returned to Earth he received a message inviting him, Lena, and Terac to meet General Black and Rachel on planet Triod to plan the first contact between that planet’s people and the citizens of Earth.

  Wilson thought about t
he meeting, and he concluded, Something big is about to happen, but it's too early to say if it will be more good than bad.

  The End

  About the Author

  John G. Bluck retired from NASA in 2008 as a public affairs officer. Previously, he was the Chief of Imaging Technology at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.

  Before that, he worked at NASA Lewis (now Glenn) Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio, where he produced numerous NASA documentaries for television.

  Earlier in his career he was a broadcast engineer for the ABC radio network at WMAL-AM/FM, Washington, D.C. At WMAL-TV (now WJLA-TV) in Washington, he was a news film cameraman who covered local and national news, crime, sports, and politics, including Watergate.

  In 1976 he was named the National Press Photographer Association runner-up cameraman of the year in the Northeast. In addition, he was a member of the White House News Photographers' Association.

  During the Vietnam War he was an Army journalist at Ft. Lewis, Washington.

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