The Last Night Chapter 19 Settling In

The Last Night

Chapter 19

Settling In

54

  “All of a sudden I feel like the cowardly lion in the Wizard Of Oz.” Wyatt said as they started walking down the remarkably ostentatious portico. 

   “Wyatt your more Wizard than coward.” Siss said smiling at him.

  “You know The Wizard of Oz?” 

  “Yes, I love old Earth literature, I consider myself a bit of a literary archaeologist.”

  “Well, Siss, or should I say ‘Doctor’ Sain, you’re just a great big know it all, aren’t you.” 

  “Martha! Cradle your tongue.” Forrest chided.

  “My IQ is quite high, so my interests vary widely and my depth of knowledge is just as deep as it is wide. Is that a bad thing in Terran culture?”

  “Not at all.” Forrest answered, “if your IQ, your education and interests help my son, it’s a gift. Isn’t that right Martha?”

   “Yes Siss, I meant no harm. Just a little intimidated. I guess.”

  “Intimidated? Wyatt came from you. That makes you every bit as special as he is. I’m the one who’s intimidated. I, I’m not sure what you people even are, no insult intended.”

  They looked at one another, not knowing how to respond to that. Then.

  “We must have been scanned a dozen times since we landed.” Wyatt stated. “And they didn’t detect the ring, and our conversations have been loud and much too telling. But nothing.”

 “What are you saying Wyatt?” Siss asked.

  “It’s shielding us. That’s obvious.”

   “The ring?”

 “Yeah Doc, the ring.”

  “That’s good to know, “Said Forrest, “I guess.”

  “It wants us to study it. It knows. It wants.” Said Martha.

55

   “Then it is alive.” Siss mused aloud. She was suddenly cut off.

   “Newcomers, or shall I say treasured returnees, welcome back to Terratu.” The voice, another AI ‘personality’, boomed from everywhere. They had been so absorbed by their conversation they hadn’t noticed they had reached the end of the portico and were now standing in front of a rather unassuming glass door situated at the center of a gleaming mirror like alabaster wall that curved up into the cathedral ceiling where it subtly fused with the much more elaborate architecture. 

    Forrest reached out and pressed his right hand against the door. His hand passed through the glass as if it was spun from fog. “Okay, not locked.” He walked in leading the others.

  “Good,” said Wyatt, as they stepped out onto a busy sidewalk. It was cluttered with people, which is to say Terran (Earth Origin) and Alurian.  

  In many ways the scene was quite familiar to him, not that his Terratuan past had fully reconstituted itself in his mind. Terratu still felt more like a remembered dream, than reality. 

   Despite the fact this was an alien world, thousands of light years from old Earth, it still bore haunting similarities. The white ceramic store fronts, gleaming like plastic beneath the overarching glowing yellow vaulted ceiling still bore the same utilitarian sameness as old earth businesses and offices. Each unique according to its service but clearly designed by the same builders.

   There were no alleyways separating the various store fronts but there were deep brown ten-inch thicks bands rising from the light brown sidewalks. The most impressive aspect of the hidden city was it size. The ‘city’ streets and sidewalks stretched out seemingly forever. While its populace an even mix of Terran and Aluran walked and galloped by, busy with their business, completely unimpressed by its’ enormity. 

   Forrest still leading the way, turned left walked to the nearest corner, stopped and waited for several hovercars to whizz past. He then crossed the shiny black asphalt street and continued toward the administrative district.  

  “There,” he said pointing toward a large three-story ornate ovoid, that reminded Wyatt of a giant Fabergé’ egg.

  “Why do people in authority love to rub it in our faces.” Martha asked.

  “Just their way of reminding us, who’s boss.” Siss said without hesitation. “Bureaucrats whether they be Terran or Aluran all cut from the same piece of used toilet paper.” 

56

  “Yeah,” replied Wyatt, “and just like toilet paper, kinda hard to live without.”

   Siss laughed, “Let’s just keep that sentiment to ourselves.”

  “Yeah,” said Forrest, “My old wildlife management job may no longer be available. And really wanted to go back up top.”

  “And I miss my kids,” said Martha, “just hope none of my students are missing.”

  “That’s right Mom, you were teacher.”

  “And you were one my worst students. Remember?”

  “Yeah it’s starting to come back. Just hope it doesn’t push my other life away.”

   “Your ring will never let that happen.” Assured Siss as they approached the over decorated entrance of the Reassignment Office.