The Last Night Chapter 15 The Archaeologist

The Last Night 

The Archaeologist 

Chapter 15

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    Wyatt was up and about the next day. Doctor Sain (Sain being her last name) found him standing on the observation deck, a dark brown bowl -shaped room twenty feet high and across.  Its curved ten by ten- foot window appeared to caress the handsome young adolescent, with a palm of stars and darkness.

  He turned at the ka lumping sound of her hooves hitting the highly polished metal floor when she entered the room. “You’re trying to go back aren’t you? Don’t let the Captain catch you.”

   “You mean Captain Kirk, I mean Jerk.”

  “Jerk I know, a rude irritating person, but kirk, what is that. I’m have a degree in ancient earth history but…”

  “An old earth TV character from the nineteen sixties.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Wyatt what year is it?”

  “Ah, the future?”

 “No. The present. The year is 4235.”

  Fortunately for Wyatt a table and two over -stuffed chairs sat right behind him. He eased into the nearest chair. “I need to sit.”

 “You’re sitting.”

  “Oh yeah, I am. I was born on earth…”

  “Stop. This is a conversation we and your parents should have on Terratu. It’s a shared territory of Terra and Alura. We, terra or Alura, formed it together centuries ago. We Alurans cherish knowledge. It seems your people, some of them at least fear it.”

  “So, no free exchange of ideas and personal experiences on this ship.”

   “Terratu is only a few days away. Once we settle in and the ship is off world again, we can talk. Okay?”

 

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 He nodded, “Days? No sunrises in space, no sunsets either. I knew that when I was four years old.”

  “You were probably on a ship when you were four. You don’t remember?”

  “I thought we were going to talk later.”

  “You’re right, but the archaeologist in me can’t resist. Ben, my late husband use to say the only reason I married him was just to study him.”

  “He sounds like a funny guy.”

  “Yes and sweet.”

 “Still hurts?”

 “Yes. I can’t get him back but maybe we can get your Ariel back. I will honestly try.”

 “There is no try only do.”

  “Another old earth allusion?”

 “A movie, Star Wars.”

  “Sounds prophetic.” She knelt by him. “You lived what, twenty -plus years on a planet that died a thousand years ago.”

  “Died!”

  “You didn’t know. No wonder you don’t remember, most don’t. Earth studies are so grim, few pursue them. It was attacked by the Strion Concord June first 3235. 

   “Drias was with us, but she wasn’t evil. She…”

  “Is a subject for another day, a Terratu day.”