The Season of Passage Read online

  'Only you or Gary would visit this late,' he said. 'And Gary never knocks.' Major Gary Wheeler was the pilot of the mission.

  'He bolted in on me this morning while I was in the shower,' Lauren said. 'He had nothing on but a towel. I acted as if nothing was the matter. I think he was insulted. He mumbled something about being out of toothpaste and left.'

  'Sounds like our Gary.' Jim knew Lauren had come for a reason. 'Have you heard any word on when the man is supposed to arrive?'

  'The man' was the President of the United States.

  Lauren brightened. 'Yeah, that's what I came to tell you. Dean called and said they would be here within the hour. I thought you might want to put on a suit.'

  Jim nodded. Dean Ramsey was the head of NASA. 'I appreciate the warning. A shame most of my good clothes are in storage. But I'll see what I can dig up.' He paused. 'You look fantastic. You'll make up for the rest of us. I've always thought blue was your best color.'

  'Thank you.' Lauren fingered the collar of her blouse. 'All my clothes are packed away, too. In fact, this is Lucy's top.' Lucy Delgado was their cook. She squeezed carrot juice, diced cucumbers, and raved about how fasting was a spiritual experience. Before Jim left tomorrow, he was going to stuff his empty cookie bags in Lucy's pillow case.

  'I bet the president's going to wonder why he's sending such a beautiful woman to another planet,' Jim said. Lauren smiled. Jim continued, 'Is Gary presentable?'

  Lauren lost her smile and groaned. 'No, he's despicable. He's in his cut-off jeans. He said he's kissed enough ass these last two years. I warned him that Dean didn't give a damn that he was a hero. But Gary just laughed. He's got a Budweiser T-shirt on.'

  Jim chuckled. Gary had recently been promoted to Major. He and Lauren were the only civilians among the Nova's crew. Since Gary's climb in rank, he had become more contemptuous of authority than ever.

  'He might get cold feet at the last second and change,' Jim said.

  'I doubt it.'

  'In that case we can only hope the president isn't a Coors man.'

  Lauren laughed. 'Have you ever met the president, Jim?'

  'Once, at the White House. I was invited there after I won the Nobel Prize.'

  "What's he like?'

  'Strange as it may sound, he's like you and me. And everyone else. He's not a bad fellow. He doesn't know anything about geology or archaeology, though. He wasn't even sure what I had won the prize for, but then, neither am I. But we did have a long talk about the Beatles.'

  'The musical group?'

  'Yes.' Jim reflected fondly. 'There never was another Beatles. But the sixties were great years for music. The Stones, the Doors, Simon and Garfunkel. Are you familiar with any of their music?'

  'I've listened to the Beatles, but that's about it.'

  'Friend has recordings of all of them in his data banks. I'll pick out some stuff for you. Wonderful music. The Doors would be great to listen to on Mars.'

  Lauren had other things on her mind. 'Gary thinks the president's coming to tell us something top secret. Something about what really happened to the Russians.'

  'And what do you think?' Jim asked.

  'I think he's just trying to get on good terms with us. The next election is a few weeks after our return.'

  Jim silently disagreed. Unknown to Lauren, Commander William Brent had called him that afternoon from the orbiting Nova. Bill's wife, Jessica, and Mark Kawati - the final two members of their crew - were helping their commander with final systems checks. The previous week, before leaving the Earth, all three had received a private visit from the president. On the video screen that afternoon, Jim had sensed concealment on Bill's part. Bill had been told something. They all had. The timing was logical, Jim thought. Once in space, the government could censor all interviews, or cancel them altogether. And Jim believed there was something secret that had yet to be revealed. Why else would the two most powerful nations in the world have suddenly bent their every resource to go to Mars? Why now?

  'You're probably right,' Jim said.

  Lauren was shrewd. 'But you don't agree with me?'

  'I'm sorry. I'm as bad as everyone else. I love a mystery. I'm hoping the president spoke to the Martians this morning, and that they're expecting us.'

  Lauren wrinkled her nose. 'You sound like Terry.'

  'I take that as a compliment. I read his manuscript.'

  Lauren leaned forward, expectant. 'What did you think?'

  'It was one of the high points of my life.'

  'No. Seriously?'

  'I am being serious.' Lauren's fiancé was incredibly creative. It continued to amaze Jim that his work hadn't been discovered by the masses yet. He thought it was only a matter of time. He chuckled. 'I love the part at the beginning when Ricky is walking back and forth on the newspaper, reading it.'

  'That was great, yeah. What did you think when he found out his girlfriend had stepped on his best friend Joe?'

  'It broke my heart,' Jim said. 'The whole story was so sad, even though it was funny. The way Ricky kept talking about everything like an important person, when he was only a cockroach.' Jim shook his head. 'I think that book's going to explode.'

  'If it doesn't die on the shelves in the first month.'

  'Maybe when Earth is talking to us on Mars, you could read parts from it.'

  Lauren's eyes glowed. 'I've been thinking of that. But wouldn't it piss everybody in Mission Control off?'

  'Not at all. They'll laugh. They'll want to go out and buy the book. Do it.'

  'Maybe I will.' She tapped Jim's knee. 'I'm going to have

  to tell Terry what you said about the book. He'll be thrilled.'

  'I didn't think my opinion meant that much to him.'

  'Oh, he thinks you're a gem. Didn't you know that?'

  'No,' Jim said.

  'Don't give me that false modesty. Everybody thinks you're God. Doesn't it just drive you crazy?'

  'I honestly never notice it.' He had always disliked talking about himself. 'Will Jennifer be here tomorrow for the launch?'

  'Yes.'

  'How is she?'

  Lauren hesitated. 'Fine. She told me this morning on the phone that she wanted to see you before we left. You know, she talks about you often.'

  'I think about her often,' Jim said. He had met Jennifer Wagner only a few times, but those were times he remembered well. She was a remarkable girl, with her deep silent pauses and her soulful blue eyes. She seemed to light up the room the moment she walked into it. She reminded him of a Cinderella...

  How old is this place?

  Jim remembered asking that question. Two miles under the Earth. He had never received an answer.

  Lauren glanced at his desk. 'Did I disturb your work? Were you writing a letter or something?'

  'Something,' he muttered, touching his blank will. All of a sudden he felt cold. On his desk stood a picture of the Nova's crew. Lauren's fiancé had taken it several weeks ago. Jennifer had been standing by Terry's side when he snapped the picture. She had been pointing at them, carrying on. 'Say "Martians,"' she had said.

  'Jim?' Lauren said.

  Jim picked up the picture. It was covered with a glass

  plate, and for the briefest instant he saw a ghost image of Jennifer reflecting on the glass. As if she, too, had been captured in that instant.

  Martians.

  But the image was no longer laughing - only pointing.

  'What's the matter, Jim?' Lauren asked.

  'I was writing a letter to an old friend,' he said finally. He set down the picture. 'I'm glad you came, though. I'll get dressed in a few minutes.'

  Lauren stood, kissed him on the forehead, and stepped to the door. 'I'll come get you when the president arrives, if you want to stay in your room till then.'

  'That won't be necessary. I'll be down. My letter won't take long. I know what I want to say now.'

  'I'll see ya.' She opened the door and left.

  'Yes,' Jim said, alone again. For a
moment he thought of going after her, and asking her to stay longer, if only for a few minutes. But he didn't wish to bother her. The chill that had struck him continued to linger. Try as he might, he could not find a source for it. He picked up the blank paper on his desk. There was one name he wished he could put on it. But if fate struck him down in the coming months, then Lauren would almost surely perish alongside him.

  Jim took his pen and wrote:

  To whom it may concern,

  I, James Ranoth, hereby decree that in the event of my death, Jennifer Wagner, sister of Lauren Wagner, become the sole heir of all my possessions.

  James Ranoth 8-15-2004 Jim put aside the paper and pulled out the silver ring. He held it under the light of the lamp, marveling once more at its wonderful shine. He remembered the first time he had put it on, how he had anticipated something strange and exciting happening. Of course, he had felt no different. One of these days he was going to grow up, he thought. He was a scientist. The ring was an enigma, to be sure, but it was not magic. Why did he keep looking for such things?

  Yet it had that peculiar glow to it even when the light was faint...

  Jim put the ring up to his eye and peered through the center of it at the picture of the crew that Terry had taken. But he saw nothing unusual, only the confident smiles of his friends and partners. He laughed at his own foolishness. Here he was, one of the world's most renowned scientists, and he was performing a child's experiment...

  Except that the moment Jim took the ring away from his eye, the source of his disquieting chill crystallized in his mind. It appeared to emerge out of a gap in consciousness he wasn't even sure he had. It appeared amidst his other thoughts with a rough texture that felt oddly alien. Yet it carried a weight that told him it shouldn't be ignored. One thing for sure - the thought had entered his head the moment Lauren had entered the room; he just hadn't noticed right away. It was as if she had brought it with her.

  None of you are coming home.

  Jim slammed the photograph face down on his desk and quickly put the ring back in his pocket. He scowled at his own silliness. He took the will and folded it and placed it inside an envelope. Then he turned off the lamp and rested his head in his arms. His mind was confused and his heart was heavy, all for no reason. He loved Lauren, he loved them all. They were friends of his, bright and capable of meeting any challenge. They would go to Mars, he thought, and they would return, and everything would be fine.

  Yet Jim was unable to convince himself. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling that they were doomed.

  SEVEN

  Major Gary Wheeler was reading his fan mail and giggling. Lauren eyed him with both distaste and affection. They were in the isolation complex's living room. Gary sat with his bare right foot rocking over the arm of his chair. He had been reading the same letter for ten minutes, and Lauren was wondering what the big deal was. They'd each received thousands of letters a week. She read only a fraction of them, but Gary went through every one carefully. Kids made up the bulk of her admirers, and Gary got them, too, along with lots of women. There were some risqué females out there in good old America. They often enclosed nude photos of themselves. Gary had a collection taped to his bedroom wall. To give him credit, though, he spent more time trying to answer the children. He had even hired a secretary out of his own pocket to deal with the swarms of letters. He sent the kids brochures telling them how they could grow up to be great like him.

  Gary Wheeler was a child who had never grown up. In many ways he resembled Terry - he took nothing seriously. Yet he was far more innocent and wild than Terry, and undoubtedly had more fun with his life. Gary did not have Terry's cynical perception of the cruel things people were capable of doing, and so was spared much grief.

  He was ridiculously handsome, in a boyish way, and was incredibly strong. Lauren had seen him bench-press three hundred pounds. He was six-two, one hundred and eighty pounds of muscle. He did not own a comb; his brown hair did not know what one was. He had nice eyes - fresh blue, with a little hazel mixed in to honor his Irish mother. He walked as if he didn't have a care in the world, and sometimes he accidentally walked over other people, but he was quick to apologize - if he was in the mood. He was thirty-two, and he had come up fast, and that was not easy to do without ticking people off.

  He had joined the Air Force before coming to NASA, and he loved to fly jets more than anything in the world. As long as he still had his wings, the world could turn the way it wanted below him and he didn't complain - too much.

  Many considered Gary the most crucial member of the Nova's crew. Gary was responsible for flying the Hawk, the Martian lander. He would have the assistance of Commander William Brent, and the guidance of Friend, their computer, but ultimately it was Gary who would decide where and when - and even if - they would land. Lauren trusted him. She also liked him, quite a lot in fact.

  'I'm telling you, we don't have time for this,' she said. 'Dean told me he would be here within the hour, and that was forty minutes ago. You promised me you would change.' Actually, Gary had promised nothing of the sort, but she hoped he would fall for her lie. Unfortunately, he had not heard her. He continued to giggle. 'Was she good?' she asked, raising her voice.

  Gary glanced up. 'Did you say something, Lori?'

  'The president's arriving in a few minutes.'

  Gary waved his arm in dismissal. 'Their plane hasn't even arrived. Dean's just being an ass. They'd only left D.C. when he called.'

  Lauren wasn't sure how Gary knew this, but decided he probably had better information than she. She relaxed and pointed at his letter. 'Someone I know?' she asked.

  Gary's eyes sparkled. 'Curious, Doc?'

  She hesitated. 'I'm not sure.'

  'She has blond hair.'

  'I'm not interested,' she said quickly.

  'I've been saving this one for when we were on Mars.'

  'Is it dirty? I don't want to hear about it.'

  'I'm going to tell you,' Gary said.

  'OK.'

  Gary laughed. He leaned back in his chair and scratched his crotch. 'This happened three months ago. I had to fly out to Rockwell in California to talk to their engineers about the Hawk's boosters. It was a useless meeting. Anyway, I finished early and wasn't due back in Houston for a couple of days. This was a Friday. I called an old buddy of mine, Fred. You met Fred. He's that bald guy who got a hair transplant and then started to have migraine headaches. We went to a movie in west L.A. and then to a coffee shop. We were sitting there, eating pie, when this girl walked up to us. She was real shy and cute. She asked if I was Gary Wheeler, the astronaut. They always say it like that. I said, yeah, then she asked if I was going to be going to Mars soon, and we got to talking. I invited her to sit down. I liked her right from the beginning. So did Fred. Her name was Kathy. She was a physical therapist, and on weekends she worked as a volunteer at a children's spinal injury hospital. She told me about the place and asked if I could swing by the next day and meet the children and talk to them about our mission. You know how I like kids.'

  'Yeah,' Lauren said. 'Just out of puberty.'

  'Hey, my intentions were noble, at least at this point. The next morning Kathy picked me up at my hotel and took

  me to the hospital. The kids were excited. It was touching-there wasn't a one of them that could walk normally. Not that they were all down in the dumps. They seemed real together. They loved me. I gave a speech on what it was like to fly the shuttle, and to be weightless. There were some pretty sharp minds there - they asked good questions. I guess not being able to play and stuff, they read a lot. I was lucky I had a box of literature on the Nova from Rockwell. I passed it out, and stayed for a couple of hours and signed autographs.'

  'Get to the juicy stuff, would ya?' Lauren complained.

  'When we were leaving the hospital, Kathy asked if I wanted to eat. We went to a restaurant and then saw a movie. It got late. We had a few beers at a bar. I must have been feeling loose. You know how I never dr
ink.'

  'Excuses, excuses.'

  'I started to notice what a sweet girl she was. We talked for hours. She works a forty-hour week in an orthopedic surgeon's office. But she's so devoted to those kids. I really began to dig her. I thought she liked me, too. I know she did. She told me she thought I was special.' Gary paused. 'She asked if I'd like to come to her house for coffee.'

  'For coffee. Right.'

  'Yeah, with the beer in me, I didn't care if she served it with a little cream on the side. She lived with her parents, but on the way to her house, she told me they were out of town. That was all right with me.'

  'How old was this girl?' Lauren asked.

  'Twenty-five. Why?'

  'I was just wondering. Go on.'

  'Soon as we entered her house, she put the coffee on. Then she started to check every room in the house. It was weird. I assumed she was looking for burglars. She even went out into the garage. I started to look around myself. It

  seemed the thing to do. A few minutes passed. I began to wonder where she had gotten to. When suddenly she snuck up on me from behind and wrapped her arms around my waist. What the hell, I thought. I was surprised, though. I hope I haven't given you the wrong impression of her, Lori. Kathy struck me as very shy.'

  'Yeah. Sure.'

  'We started kissing. She leads me upstairs to her bedroom. There she lets it all hang out. Jesus, if she didn't have these tits under her sweater. She was an animal. She tore off my pants before I could undo my belt. I was having trouble keeping it together, and we had only just begun.'

  'This is gross,' Lauren said.

  'Yeah? I'm glad I got your interest. Now all this time Kathy didn't say a word. In fact, as soon as we'd gone into the bedroom, I heard someone knocking at the front door. I asked if she wanted to see who it was, but she didn't answer. She just kept doing what she was doing, and I forgot about the knocking. So there I was, naked in her bedroom, about to make the supreme public relations sacrifice for NASA, when suddenly...'