“You won but you don’t want to go? Why?” I asked Chris.
“Because.”
“Oh, that was eloquent.”
“No, I mean because the ticket is good for only one person.”
“So?”
“Bailey.”
“What about her?”
“We’re getting serious.”
“You’re telling me that you are giving up surviving to go and hang out with your girlfriend?”
“I love her dude,” he said.
“You’re eighteen. You have no idea what love is.”
“Yeah? I bet you I do.”
“What is it?”
“It’s what Bailey and I have. You remember when I first asked her out. She said no and I was devastated. If a girl can devastate you by just saying she won’t even go out with you, then you’re probably in love.”
“Bull,” I said. “I vote you take the ticket and get off this drowning planet before you become just another casualty.”
“I’m not taking this ticket,” he said with absolute sincerity. “Either you do, or I give it to some bum on the street.”
“Give it to me,” I said. He passed it to me and I put it into my wallet. “I’ll think about it.”
“Fine. That shuttle leaves in three weeks. The shuttle people need an answer by the end of the week. You better think fast.”
“I will, don’t worry.”
“You better. Now, I gotta go. Bailey’s waiting for me. We’re going to see some flick about the end of New Earth. You want to come?”
“I’m still trying to deal with the end of the old one. I don’t need a Hollywood version of it in my head.”
Chris laughed and said, “It’s just a movie my friend.”
“I know but it holds no interest for me what-so-ever.”
“Did I ever tell you that you think too much?”
“Only every day since fifth grade.”
“Okay, just checking. See ya man,” he said and left the room.
“See ya!” I called after him.
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A few minutes later I walked downstairs to get a drink of water. I heard the sound of the TV and sighed. These days that was all my father did. He sat on the couch, watching the news on the TV, and yelling updates to me. He could have just looked out the window and seen exactly what the news anchors were telling him.
“So, let me ask you something,” a news anchor was saying.
“As long as it’s in my field I’ll try to answer,” a woman replied.
“How long do you believe it will be before this state, Florida, is gone?”
“Is that with the water levels rising as fast as they have been in the past week or faster?”
“Which ever you think is to be more a reality than science fiction.”
“If the ocean continues to rise as is or faster I believe that the state of Florida will be gone in a year.”
“A year? That’s so soon though.”
“Not really. Scientists have been telling the people since as early as 2000 that the world was in danger. We just didn’t listen. And I only meant that the water level will be over Florida. The farther you go up towards the mainland buildings and cars and such will still be above water. If you’re on the point of Florida then, well, I hope you have some kind of insurance.”
The news anchor gave a nervous laugh and said, “Do you believe there’s any hope for this planet?”
“Sure I do.”
“You do? What?” His voice was filled with surprise and relief.
“The only way everyone will be safe on this planet is if they get on a shuttle and go to New Earth. Hopefully the government there won’t make the same mistakes as the governments of this planet have.”
“Bah!” my father said and the TV went quiet. “Max, was that you coming down the stairs?”
“If it wasn’t you’d either be dead or robbed. Or both.” I said.
“Don’t be a smart ass. Listen, if you ever get one of those shuttle lottery tickets I want you to take it. Don’t worry about me. Just take it for yourself.”
“I know dad. You’ve told me before.” Did Chris call and tell him that he gave me a ticket? I wondered.
“Well, I’m just reminding you. You heard the man on the TV. A year. That’s all we have left. I’d move us somewhere else, but we have no money. No one wants to buy a home that’ll be underwater in a year anyway.”
“I know Dad. It’s okay. We’ll figure it out in a year. Lets not worry about it right now.”
My father sighed then got up from the couch. “I’m going to go and take a nap. Wake me up for the 11 o’clock news, will ya?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks,” he said and then he went upstairs.
I waited for him to close his door before taking out my wallet. I opened it up and pulled out the lottery ticket. It read, “To lucky winner 12. Congratulations on winning the colonization shuttle. You will be going with a group of 1,000 to start up a civilization on New Earth. Old Earth does not have much longer and we wish to try and preserve our race. This ticket is good for only one (1) person.”
“Should I take it?” I whispered.
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“Well, it had no good actors but at least the visual effects were stunning,” Chris said to Bailey. He wrapped his arm around her and continued to walk towards the street to get a taxi. With the gas, ethanol, and hydrogen prices so high almost no one drove. It was all public transportation.
“Can we walk?” Bailey pinched his side and smiled.
“You want to walk? We’re like thirty miles away from your house.”
“Just for a while? It’s not like it cold or anything. Actually, it’s quite beautiful out right now.”
He smiled at her, “Yeah, we can walk. But only because you’re so damn cute.”
She laughed, “Sorry.”
“You should be,” he teased. “Most people I can say no to and that includes Max. You, however, are a different story.”
She smiled and they continued to walk. There weren’t many people on the street and only a few taxis. That wasn’t odd but the night in particular was. It was the first really nice night. For the past three months it would be sweltering during the day time and stormy at night. Tonight there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze was blowing.
“You know I love you right Chris?” Bailey whispered.
“Really?” he smiled. “I had no idea.”
“I’m serious.”
He looked at her, “Yeah. I know you do. You know I love you right?”
“Yes.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked. This isn’t going to be good news.
“I--” but before she could answer Chris’s cell phone rang.
“Hold that thought,” he said. “Hello?”
“Chris? It’s Max.”
“Max, I can’t talk right now.”
“I’m just calling to tell you that I’m going to do it. I’m going to get off this planet.”
“That’s great news!”
“I hope so.”
“Listen, we have to have some kind of party. I gotta go now though,” Chris said.
“Sure, man. Talk to ya later,” Click. The line went dead.
“Sorry.”
“Good news?”
How do I answer this? He wondered. Do I tell her about giving up the ticket to stay with her? Or do I just tell her that Max won a ticket? She’ll be mad about me giving up the ticket, even if she does love me.
“Yeah. Max called to say he won a shuttle ticket and he’s going to use it.”
“Really! That’s great. He’ll get off this damned planet.”
Now he knew something was wrong. She almost never swore. “Babe, what’s wrong?” he asked again.
“My parents! They’re leaving to go to New York.”
“So? They’ll be back.”
“No, ugh, you don’t get it. They’re leaving Florida for good. They don’t want to die in this state. They want to live for a little while longer. They don’t like knowing that if they stayed they would be dead in a year or so.”
They were silent for a minute. He didn’t know what to say. He knew what he wanted to ask but he dreaded the answer.
He asked anyway, “And you?’
“Huh?”
“What about you Bailey?”
“Oh,” she went silent. They continued to walk. He knew that was his answer but he wanted to be sure.
“You’re going with them?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” he said. He felt like he was shouting at her but knew he was barely audible.
“They’re my parents Chris. I love you and I love them. But they’re my parents. They said I could go with them and they’ll pay for college and they’ll let me live with them for free and everything.”
“They bought you!” Now he heard his echoes in the night.
“No! They just offered to pay for everything. I already told them I’d go with ‘em.”
“What about…” he let the question linger.
“I don’t know. Maybe you could come with us?” “My Gram and Mom. I can’t leave them behind.”
“See? You can’t be mad at me for going if you won’t leave. It’s the same thing.”
“I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at the situation.”
A cold wind blew and Bailey put her arms around herself. Chris took off his spring jacket and went to hand it to her. She smiled. “What about you?”
“I’m not cold,” he said and smiled.
“Yea you are. Put it back on.”
“No, either you take it or I leave it right here on the ground,” he said and let it fall to the ground. They continued to walk.
She laughed “You going back to grab that?”
“Are you going to use it if I do?”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I know. But it’s one of the reasons you love me.”
“Shut up.”
“What?”
“You don’t know why I love you.”
“True, but I can make guesses.”
“Go and get the coat will ya?”
“Sure.” He ran back and grabbed it off the ground. He walked behind her and put the coat of her shoulders. “I love you, Bailey.” He kissed her. His mind was everywhere. He knew that his future just grew a little darker but he was happy at the moment and to him that was all that mattered.
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“Mr. Rogo,” the secretary said. “Mr. Dranell will see you now.”
Rory Rogo got up from his chair and walked into the oval office. Taylor Dranell was of average build, had black hair, eyes of copper, and was tall. Hardly anyone stood over Rory’s 6’6” build yet Taylor seemed to tower a good two inches over him.
“You asked for me Mr. President?” Rory said.
“Call me Taylor, “ the president smiled. “Yes, I wanted to tell you to meet the captain of the Wanderer. I hear you’re a politician as well, is that correct?
“Yes, sir. I plan on running for the position of president on New Earth. I figure I’ll go down in history as the president of the first established colony in a different world. I figure it will be like Christopher Columbus but only more grand.”
Taylor chuckled. “ Ah, well. Good luck to that,” he said and then fell silent.
“Sir?” Rory asked.
“What do you think our chances are, Mr. Rogo?”
“For what sir?”
“For this colonization fleet. Do you think that it will succeed?”
“I don’t have a doubt about it.”
“Why’s that?”
“You probably know more to the ‘why’ than I do sir.”
“Still, I’m interested in someone else’s opinion. I’m tired of the space techs telling me of possibilities and light years and the blights here on Earth. I want a fresh opinion.”
“Very well. The biggest reason I think that this colonization fleet will succeed is that it there is no one there. I would understand your concern more clearly if there was a threat on this new planet. There isn’t though. No war to be fought or citizens to assimilate. It’s basically a case of build and live. Instant civilization.”
“You think that it’ll be that easy?”
“It better be. I hear it will only be citizens and construction crews going there. If there’s a threat then many will die.”
“You’re wrong about that, Mr. Rogo.”
“About what sir?”
“About only sending up construction crews and civilians.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve decided to send up some military. For security reasons of course. Since you will be the one flying the ship I wanted to set base with you. You will be the one in charge of the the military personnel I’m sending up. Is that okay with you?”
“I don’t see a problem with that.”
“Good. Then when the civilians elect president you will hand over, unless you become the president of course, the army to the newly appointed president. You understand?”
“Yes sir.”
“You’re dismissed.”
“One thing, Mr. Pres-- I mean, Taylor.”
“Yes?”
“What does Japan, China, Russia, Great Britain think of our colonizing a new planet?”
“What makes you think they know?”
Rory Rogo stared with his mouth open at the leader of the strongest country in the world. “Isn’t that dangerous sir?”
“Is it your job to worry about that Mr. Rogo?”
“No sir.”
“Then, like I said before, you are dismissed.”
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