The Zooid Mission by Gerdean
EPILOGUE
 
 

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EPILOGUE

 

            The magnetic capsule enclosed them. 

            Audley nestled into Lanon and felt the quiet thrill that always came to her when she was near him.

            “It’ll be good to see Jesse again,” he said, drawing her even closer.  “Is he well?”

            “Yes, but he misses Cybelle.”

            “He’ll see her again.  Soul mates are always reunited.”     She rested her head on his shoulder and let fall the hot tears of joy. 

            “Hey!” he said, “You’re getting me all wet!”

            “Hey!” she said, sitting up, laughing and crying at once.  “So what?”

 

BACK AT GATEWAY, the receiving station secured the capsule.  When they stepped onto the landing, Jesse was there to greet them.  “God, Lanon, it’s good to see you!” he said, hugging him.  “It seems like you’ve been gone a long time!  So much has happened.” 

            The triad ascended to the deck where Sylvia and Brad met them.  The women squealed and the men all slapped each other on the back, grinning and hugging, until the initial emotional outburst subsided, then they all at once focused on the newest member of the JCP. 

            “How’s the baby?” Lanon asked.

            “He is alive and well!” she announced proudly, taking Lanon’s hand and directing it to where the baby was kicking.

            “He sure is!” Lanon agreed, having felt the thump.

            “Are you sure he’s a he?” Audley asked.

            Brad nodded.  “His name is Benjamin Wilhelm Blackstone Spencer Brothers,” he said with pride, “but all his friends call him Ben.”

            “And what do they call you these days, Brad?” Audley asked, pulling on a lock of his hair. “A hippie?”  It had grown so long, it spilled onto his shoulders. 

            “A dramatist!” Brad countered.  “What do you think?  You like it?”

            “I never thought I’d see the day,” Audley wondered aloud.

            “Brad is Theater Director at a JCP Artist’s Colony,” Sylvia explained.  “You must attend his next production!”

            “I should say we must!” Audley agreed.

            Jesse tore himself loose.  “You’ll have to excuse me, folks.  You’re welcome to come in and visit,” he said, heading for his apartment,” but I’m in the middle of something.”

            “No, thanks, Jesse,” Brad said, waving him away.  “You go ahead; we’ve got to get going too.  But when we heard you were back, Audley, we wanted to see you.  And it sure is great to see you again, Lanon.   Welcome home.”

            As the men shook hands, Audley hugged Brad, then Sylvia and the baby, then hugged herself in delight, then hugged Lanon.

            “Call me on your TASC, Aud,” Sylvia said, taking Brad’s hand.  “We’ll have a good long girl talk.”

            When their friends disappeared into the elevator, Audley and Lanon turned to follow Jesse into his apartment.  They found him in his bedroom, a suitcase open on the king-sized bed, selecting jump suits of the most regal colors.

            Lanon asked, “Where’re you going?”

            He beamed when he announced, “Switzerland!”

            Audley couldn’t help but notice how Jesse’s attitude had changed since this morning.  Whereas he had been somber, he was now jubilant.

             “Looks like you’ll be gone for awhile,” Audley said. 

            “For awhile, yeah.  It’s time to get the International School of Zooids up and running.  We’ve got our work cut out for us!” he expanded, filling his suitcase.  “Since we caught the attention of intelligent life in the universe, we get plenty of free advice about getting this planet squared away, but it’s us humans who have to do the work!  New people have to be motivated, selected, trained and assigned!”

            “You’re leaving Andrew in charge?” she pursued.

            “No, actually, thanks for asking.”  He snapped the suitcase shut.  “You and Lanon will be taking over for me.”            “What?” they both said in unison.

            “That’s right.”  He reached for his over-nighter and started packing it with shaving gear and toiletries. “The two of you are now co-administrators of the continental Jural Colony Project.”

            “Have you talked to the Board about this?” Lanon inquired.  “What do they say about it?”

            “The Board is individually and collectively tuned in to their own Monitors and couldn’t be more pleased with all these latest developments.  I tell you, you won’t believe the strides we’ve made since you’ve been gone!”

            He zipped the over-nighter shut and Audley took it, asking, “Like what?” 

            Lanon picked up Jesse’s suitcase and they both followed him into the office. 

            Then, as Jesse packed his valise, he explained, “Well, for one thing, Zenton has assigned a Probation Auditor to Penn State Reserve.  Since then, Phillip reports that PSR has exceeded its own expectations.  Three of the guests have applied to go through the Portal, inspiring a whole new course of study in metaphysics.”

            “That’s one way to get out of jail!” Audley laughed.

            “There are two new Midway Colonies in operation, with two more under construction to accommodate the number of anticipated grads in the next few years.”  He turned to Audley.  “I tell you this especially because Sylvia is one of our most prodigious workers.  She has become a master gardener and has been able to work miracles of development with the women and children of Midway through the simple act of planting seeds.”

            “I don’t recall Sylvia having such a green thumb,” Audley observed.

            Lanon interjected, “Seems to me it was Sylvia who saved the life of your plants on more than one occasion.”

            “Oh, yeah, my coleus.  So true,” she admitted.  “What else?”

            “Well, before Brad was smitten with Shakespeare, he taught Oscar how to modify all the TASCs throughout the colonies, so everybody is getting to know their personal Monitor, and that has given new impetus to many of the Zooid projects that we have underway.  Plus, Brad saved the IOF from extinction by introducing the manufacture of the viso-phone.  They are being mass produced and introduced by major telephone companies on the outside.”

            “Did I hear you say Oscar is still around?” Lanon asked.

            Jesse nodded, giving his desk a last minute check.  “Oscar is a new person.  He and Ellen announced their intent to Unite almost from the start; they are devoted to each other.  While they have been attending Marriage School, both of them have been working with Samuel in Sales and Resources.  Incidentally, Brad has been working with celestial artisans to elevate the level of plays and pageantry, and they have been very entertaining!”  He packed his portable TASC into the side pocket of his suitcase and checked his watch. 

            “Evidently, then, Supernal visitors are still coming around,” Audley noted.

            Jesse led his entourage with the luggage into the living room and fixed them all a tall glass of something cool and refreshing.  “Not a day goes by that we don’t have a new contact.  The universe seems to be delighted with the work the Zooids are doing.  They help us in ways we would never have dreamed.”

            “The Board members are all taking this in stride?” Lanon asked, amused.

            “Oh, Thomas gets his dander up sometimes, but he’s just naturally contrary.  He is having as much fun as the rest of them.”

            “‘Them’, Jesse?” Audley probed.  “Aren’t you having fun?”

            As she asked, Lanon peered at a spot in the distance, watching as it approached.

            “Of course I am!” he grinned.  “It just took some getting used to.  I had to go through some personal adjustments when I saw that I wasn’t going to be in control of everything all the time.  But once it all started happening, once I realized I had no choice but to let it happen, it has been one incredible adventure after the other.”  His eyes sought the horizon.

            “Any news from Angus?” Lanon asked, watching the spot in the distance distinguish itself as a ship.  “I’ve missed him.”  Audley followed Lanon’s gaze and saw it coming.

            “He’s been back twice since he left in Zenith.  And Flora plans to return in Ascent when the wildflowers are in bloom.”  The ship set down in the sand immediately outside of Gateway.

            “It would appear as though your flight is ready,” Lanon said with a grin.

            Jesse quickly grabbed up his luggage.  “I’d stay and visit longer,” he said, “but ... duty calls!”  The smile on his face was a sight to behold.  “Audley, the instructions are in the TASC.  And Lanon, you’ll know what to do.”

            The hatch of the ship opened and a small metal ladder extended to the ground.

            “Bye,” Audley said,  “Thanks for everything.”

            Lanon embraced his friend, “Thanks for the life!”

            As Jesse disappeared into the elevator, Audley and Lanon watched as Cybelle stepped out of the ship and descended the ladder onto the sand.  In a moment, they saw Jesse stride forward, drop his suitcase and take Cybelle into his arms.  He swung her around until they were both enveloped in the cape of her beautiful copper-colored hair.  In another moment, they were inside the ship and it was hurtling through the universe to the site of the future International School of Zooids, in Switzerland.

            For a long time then, Audley and Lanon stood side by side looking out at the planet of their mutual assignment.  Together they would face their task of seeing old become new, of bridging this world to the next. 

            Shadows deepened, sunset hovered, and a lone star appeared.  As the psychedelic rain of eventide came upon them, Lanon turned to Audley.  Assured of her full attention, he asked,   Now can we make love?”

            She opened to him, the whole woman.  “Yes,” she smiled.   Now we can make love.”

            Kissing her, he lifted her up, then carried her in, and laid her in the center of the king-sized bed.

 

 

The End





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