Environmental Disaster Novel Part 2

I walked into the building with my father next to me. He was amazed at everything and though I tried hard to be calm, cool, and collected, my amazement was equal to his.

“Where do you suppose we go?” he asked me.

“My guess would be over where all the people are standing.”

My father rolled his eyes and said, “Why don’t you ask. Just to make sure ya know?”

“Sure,” I said and walked over to a cute girl with brown hair and gray eyes. “Excuse me. My father and I were wondering if this is the right line to stand in for the shuttle?”

“This guy,” she said pointing to the man standing in front of her, “told me that it’s the right line. So, yeah,” she smiled, “it is.”

“Thank you,” I said. I waved over to my father and then turned back to the girl. “So, did you win a lottery ticket or purchase a shuttle ticket?”

“Are you kidding me?” she said with a smile, “Do I really look like I can afford that price for a ticket? No. I just won the lottery. I’m glad too because I hear that all debts that I, or you for that matter, owe here on this planet will be paid off by the government. My new laptop and car… bam!” she laughed, “I don’t owe anything on them anymore.”

“Looks like I should go and buy anything I can now.”

“You’re allowed a computer up there. At least that’s what I hear.”

“I’ve got one already. Still, if I knew that before I’d have bought a nice house for my father. They told me when I entered that I can’t leave again.”

“Really? How’d they know you were here for the shuttle?”

“My father blabbed. He’s proud of me. I don’t know why. It’s not like I won the ticket I have.”

“You didn't? Then how’d you end up with it?”

“My best friend. He decided there were other important things here on earth than his own safety.”

“So he gave the ticket to you? Wow, some friend.”

“Max!” my father called. “Come here real quick.”

“I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” she said and moved up in the line.

I walked over to my dad and said, “She was kind of cute. What’s up?”

“I’m leaving. You could, you know, show compassion or something.”

“You wanted me to do this, dad. Remember?”

“Yeah, I remember. Still, I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other. I don’t know much about space travel and what not but I remember learning that it takes light years to reach planets. That’s a lot of miles. By the time you reach new earth…”

I didn’t like where this conversation was going. He was right though. I hadn’t put much thought into this part of my plans. I knew, at least I thought I knew, that I was never going to see my father ever again. I also knew that by the time I reached New Earth, he’d be close to deaths door. It wasn’t a pleasant thought and I didn’t want to speak it or dwell on it. Especially with him.

“Dad, I am going to miss you. I mean, you’re the best parent a kid could ask for. After Ma left us you had to pick up the slack and handle me. You always did the right thing, even if I thought it was wrong. I’m sorry about all the trouble I was. Just don’t let this,” I pointed at the line, “be the end of you. I’ll be okay. You shouldn’t treat this like something bad is happening. I’ll carry on our family’s genes and make sure that we don’t ruin our second chance.”

Tears dripped down Theo “Red” Jacobsen’s face. “A simple ‘Love you’ would have sufficed.”

I laughed, “I love you, dad.”

“I love you too, son. Don’t worry about me. I’ll live. This world is going to hell but it won’t get there until later. Be careful.”

“I always am.”

He smiled and gave me a hug. “She should be here with us too.”

“No, she shouldn’t. She left us. Even if she was here for some reason I wouldn’t even look at her. As far as I’m concerned you’re the last of my family.”

“I’m missing so much of you’re life. You’ll get married, have children, have a real good chance on New Earth. It’s not fair. Tell them about me, will ya?”

“Dad, I’m eighteen. I’m not planning on starting a family the moment I touchdown there.”

“Still…”

“Don’t worry. They’ll know all about you.”

“Thanks.” He let go of me. “Listen, there’s a storm coming. Normally, I wouldn’t care but they say it’s going to bring--”

“Just go, dad. Don’t make this any harder.”

“Okay.” He looked at me. Then he pulled out a camera. “I know you hate them, but just give me a really good one.”

I smiled and the flash from the camera and the lightning outside went off. “Better hurry,” I said.

“Good luck.”

I nodded and he stood there looking at me. I knew he wouldn’t leave until I said or did something else. I gave a final look at him and walked back into the line. When I looked back, I saw him leaving the building.

“Tough saying ‘G’bye’ huh?” the girl I was speaking to earlier asked.

“Even tougher when you know it’s for good.”

“Yeah, I hear you. I had to say good bye to my mom and grandma earlier. Where was you’re mom?”

“She died. A while ago.”

“Oh,” she said and looked away.

“It happened when I was young. I really don’t remember her,” I said trying to break the awkward silence forming. It held.

“Next!” a counter girl yelled.

The girl walked up to the counter.

“Name?” the counter girl asked.

“Gaia Lowell.”

“Purchase or ticket?”

“You mean am I buying a ticket or did I win one?” Gaia asked the woman. The woman nodded. “I won one.”

“Please go to the doors on you’re right. Next!”

“I’ll save you a seat.” Gaia said to me.

“Okay,” I said and walked up to the counter.

“Name?”

“Max Jacobsen.” She typed my name in to a computer.

“Purchase or lottery ticket?”

“Lottery ticket.”

“Please go to the doors on you’re right. Next!”

I went through the doors and almost ran right into Gaia who was standing right inside the doorway behind a line that was twice as long as the one we just waited in.

“I take it that there are more lottery winners than purchasers?”

Gaia laughed and said, “We haven’t been introduced formally, though I think you already know my name. I’m Gaia Lowell.”

I took her hand and shook it lightly. “I’m Maxwell Jacobsen, but most people call me Max.”

“Most people, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Max, tsk tsk tsk.”

“What?”

“That was a totally stupid way to introduce yourself.”

“It was?”

“Yeah. See, there isn’t most people anymore. We are no longer Earth civilians. We are New Earth civilians. The moment we stepped inside the building we became New Earth civilians. So, telling me that most people call you Max is really kind of silly because I’m the only person you’ve talked to since you’ve arrived at this place.”

I smiled, “Are you always in a good mood?”

“I try to be.”

“Well then, let me start over.”

“Please do.”

“My name is Maxwell, but I prefer to be called Max. Better?”

“Much.”

“So, now we just wait huh?”

“They have to process us. Long and tedious work.”

“They could’ve given us some chairs or something to sit on.”

“They could have except that would have been too nice. They want to make sure that we aren’t pampered civilians who will only complain when we get to New Earth.”

“Really?”

“Well, that’s my theory.”

I rolled my eyes. This won’t be such a bad trip if I get to hang out with her most of the time, I thought.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The phone rang. And rang. And rang. Finally, she rolled over and picked up the phone. “Hello?” she said with a yawn.

“Bailey?” she heard from the other end.

“Hey,” she said and found herself waking up. Chris had that effect on her.

“I can’t sleep.”

“Aww, what’s wrong?”

“What do you mean what’s wrong? Everything is wrong! You’re moving, there’s a freaking hurricane happening right outside, Florida is drowning, and my freaking best friend is about to be shipped off to another planet. Everything is wrong!”

“Calm down, Chris. It’s not all that bad. You’re just putting a negative light on things.”

“Oh, really?”

“Would I lie to you?”

“No,” and she smiled at the quickness it came. “I just can’t see how any of this is good.”

“Well, it’s not all good. We still have to talk about me moving and what we’re going to do. The hurricane and Florida drowning really sucks too. I don’t even think I could put a positive spin on that one.”

“See, nothings good.”

“Oh, sure, if you think you’re best friend being saved from a sure drowning isn’t a good thing. He’s also going to be part of a colonization fleet! Something people will read about for years in history books.”

“Still…”

“You’re just mad about losing you’re best friend?”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Yup, I’ll hate you forever.”

“I don’t like showing weakness,”

“I know. He’s you’re best friend though. You’re allowed when it comes to him...or me.”

“What are we going to do?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Live, love, do the whole American thing?”

“I mean about us! You’re moving.”

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. This was dangerous ground, she knew. She loved him and he loved her but handling this the wrong way could get more than feelings hurt. “We can have a long distance relationship.”

“Oh, yeah that would work. And then in a few months you’ll get mail telling you where my funeral is.”

“Chris!” she said sharply.

“I didn’t mean that I’d kill myself. I meant in a few months Florida will be totally underwater. Those still living here will be dead.”

“Still, I don’t like it when you think about death,”

There was a second of silence and then he said, “I don’t think a long distance relationship will work.”

“I know,” she said. “The only other option is you coming with me,”

“Or…”

“Or?”

“You could stay here with me.”

“Do you even listen to yourself?”

“What?”

“You just told me that anyone still living in Florida at the end of the next few months will be dead. I don’t feel like dying this early.”

“We could survive.”

“I can’t stay here, Chris. I want a decent chance at a life.”

“I can’t go with you, Bailey.”

“Why not?”

“I can’t leave my Mom or Grams.”

“Bring them too.”

“Grandma will never leave. Mom, maybe. Grandma, she’s in love with her house. She won’t leave it even if...even if the worst happens.”

“So, just you and you’re Mom then.”

“Mom won’t leave unless Gram does.”

“Then what Chris? What do you want me to do? You want me to stay here, hold you’re hand, and watch as the water rises? That’s not happening. I love you and I would give anything to be with you...but not my life. I won’t give up my life to die with the one I love.”

“I don’t know!” he yelled, startling her. “Okay? I don’t know. All I know is that I don’t want you to leave me and I don’t want to be hurt.”

“You may have to be Chris. I can’t stay. I won’t stay. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you’re going to come with me.”

“You’re going to make me choose between you and my family?”

“I would never. And you know that. No, I just want you to make sure you know what you’re doing. You are willingly dying to be with your stubborn family. They’re wonderful people, Chris, but they’re asking you to die with them.”

“They aren’t asking me to do anything,” he snapped and she knew she’d crossed a line. “I want to be with them. They would let me go with you if…”

“If what, Chris? If you really wanted to?” There was silence on the other end. “What are you afraid of?”

“I don’t want to lose them!”

“You’re going to lose them anyway, baby. It’s not you’re choice to decide when you lose them. The only choice you get is whether you lose yourself with them or not.”

“Bailey…”

“I’m tired, Chris. I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”

“Don’t hang up, Bailes.”

“Love you,” she said and hung up. She turned the ringer off and then rolled over. She didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------