Second Moon (The New World Book 2)

by Kurt Winans

  Now gazing upon the surface of the planet itself, Ross noticed there were a few subtle differences. Having spent a tremendous amount of time training for, and venturing into, space during his much younger years as an astronaut, Ross had a vivid memory of what Earth had looked like from orbit. Not surprisingly, it was now different. Throughout the course of what had been multiple and prolonged impacts on both land and water, some coastal areas had taken on a new shape. There were a few island groupings that Ross didn’t recognize, and there seemed to be considerably less land mass to the known continents. In that regard, what had been known as Florida was gone. To the west, the lower part of Texas also had a completely different shape. It was obvious that Rumley was much closer to the beach than it used to be, as the land area of Houston, San Antonio, Laredo, Corpus Christi, and all points in between no longer existed. Although unsure as to the exact location of the new coastline, Ross believed the former state capitol city of Austin was now also covered with azure blue water. The vivid color when compared to turquoise implied greater depth, so perhaps that had been the impact site of a major chunk from the moon or asteroid. If so, then it was an interesting coincidence. Many scientists had long believed that a similar impact some sixty million years before had created the Gulf of Mexico, and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

  With help from several orbital rotations by the alien vessel, Ross was able to identify where lit areas in the darkness revealed pockets of the surviving population. Not one of them was located far from the coastline of an ocean or sea, and that included what appeared to be a good sized settlement in what remained of Texas. Ross could have studied the intricacies of the planet surface and the new rings for hours as they spun slowly beneath his current position, but a telepathic question from his alien friend interrupted him.

  Turning from the window, Ross spotted the alien and moved in his direction. After shaking hands, Ross said, “Unless you have already chosen a specific location to land, then yes, I do have a suggestion. Could you please drop our small group off on the North American continent? Near the site of the 1897 crash that involved your father to be more specific. I can’t be sure if the area still goes by the same name, but when we departed twenty-six hundred years ago it was known as Texas. During a few of our multiple conversations throughout time, you expressed a desire to visit the site where your father crashed and died. Well my friend, by landing where I suggest, you could accomplish what had previously been denied by your superiors of the time.”

  For Ross, there was a separate motivation to select that particular location as opposed to any other. His proposed site would be close to his former home on Earth. More importantly however, was that there appeared to be a population center reasonably close to the site. That would be as good a place as any to meet with the citizens, and hopefully initiate the gene enrichment program. As the lone male recruit who would not be called upon to procreate, Ross figured there would be no need for him to venture to other population pockets of the planet. Without reservation, he could delegate some of the administrative duties of the program to Aurora and Janet. If all went well, those same duties could then be turned over to others living in the various population centers of Earth. Finally there was the thought of where he wished to reside during what remained of his twilight years, and his eventual final resting place. Based on his current less than perfect health at nearly eighty-one years of age, Ross knew that his time was limited. When the inevitable moment came, his desire, just like that of his father and grandfather, was to be buried in land that he had known as Texas.

  For the small group of scientists and other citizens that had excitedly gathered as witnesses, it came as no real surprise that an alien vessel had landed. From their perspective, it was a matter of when, not if, such a historic event would transpire. To that end, they felt honored that the landing had taken place in very close proximity to their community.

  The citizens of new Earth had benefited from the many writings and stories of the “before time” told by those who had entered the caves just prior to the apocalypse. The information provided those who survived with a blueprint of what not to do now that humanity had been given a second chance. According to all that had been passed down from one generation to the next throughout the centuries, the onslaught of asteroid and moon chunks that impacted the planet had simply expedited what some believed to be inevitable. Mankind had done a poor job of caring for their home world, and eventually, they would have perished as a consequence of that neglect. The natural resources of Earth, including the fresh water supply, were being abused without much regard, and the ever increasing toxic pollutants in the air were contributing to global warming. In time, such warming would lead to a dramatic shift in the atmospheric conditions, as ice covered regions of the planet had already begun to recede substantially. Instead of initiating a serious approach to rectifying the problems created by mankind’s less than subtle footprint, much of the technology and finances of the time were still being used for antiquated purposes. Perhaps the most glaring example of such misguided endeavors was that of the catalytic converter, as many still held on to the preposterous notion that oil was the most precious liquid commodity on the planet. In addition, there was a belief among some that any advancement in technology should be focused solely on the development and further enhancement of weapons systems. It was insane conceptually. The world that people knew and loved was beginning to crumble around them, yet many could only focus on aspects that would multiply the problems they faced. With an underlying current of mistrust among many nations of the world, and in some cases within regions of a singular country, humanity was beginning to spiral out of control.

  Armed with that basic knowledge, many who survived the apocalypse began to slowly rebuild the civilization of Earth using a different model. As one of the byproducts of that initial belief system, science and technology eventually found a way to explore space again. Using small unmanned machines equipped with wheels for mobility and sensors for gathering information, a vast amount of knowledge about the two closest neighboring planets of Mars and Venus had been processed. Much like the NASA probes during the half century before the apocalypse, these modern day devices had successfully landed and probed the surface of the respective planets. The advancement of the current probes was their ability to return to Earth with samples that could be further studied. Several smaller research probes had also been inserted into the orbital flow of the rock debris rings that encircled Earth. It was a few of those probes that had detected, and then alerted, the scientists to the approaching spacecraft. Consequently, the people standing just a few feet away from the now landed vessel had been tracking it since it first settled into orbit.

  Their excitement heightened as a ramp slowly extended from the alien vessel. However, when the hatch hissed open a few seconds later, the collective excitement changed to shock. Silhouetted by the backlighting from within the spacecraft, two figures stood side by side. Although the shorter of the two was obviously some form of extraterrestrial life, the tall one next to it appeared as if it could be a male human. The surprise of the moment was intensified, when additional human forms began to muster behind them.

  Descending the ramp with his old friend into the fresh and cool air of the night, Ross inhaled deeply a few times while looking over the crowd, and then said, “Good evening everyone. My name is Ross Martin.”

  A woman that looked to be in her early thirties moved forward, gulped with obvious trepidation, and then replied, “Hello Ross, my name is Tori Nobles. It’s evident that you are familiar with our language, so you will understand when I ask a strange question. Are you human?”

  “Very much so, and judging by the puzzled look on all of your faces, that must be rather unexpected.”

  “Well Ross, yes it is. In fact, that’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one. Perhaps you could help us all understand by providing an explanation?”

  After shaking hands with the young woman, and then introducing her to
his alien friend, Ross began to tell their tale. He briefly informed her, and the entire welcoming party, of why he and the human contingent were on board the alien vessel. While doing so, the recruits, and members of the alien crew, began to make their way down the boarding ramp. As citizens of new Earth embraced the reality of initial contact with an alien species, and the mysterious humans, Ross took a moment to look skyward. With a smiling face he said, “It feels great to be back on Earth, and to once again gaze upon the star groupings and constellations from a familiar vantage point.”

  His new hostess replied, “Well I can’t speak for you Ross, but I have several questions about all that has transpired. Before we get to that though, can I offer you and your group some food and water?”

  “Thank you Tori, that’s very kind of you. And yes, I also have several questions.”

  After a hearty meal consisting of a seemingly endless supply of fresh vegetables, the question and answer session began. Many within the community gathered around for the exchange of information, and there was much that Ross, the recruits, and the small alien contingent learned. Among other things, they were informed that the modern humans were more scientifically advanced than those of the previous Earth. Each small pocket of humanity around the globe was interconnected in terms of communication via computer systems and powerful transmitting satellites in orbit. Although that aspect was similar to the past, the new global community took it further by freely sharing any advancement in technology. In simple terms, there were no secrets. There were also no national borders, as the global map was no longer comprised of individual countries. The entire population of the planet, now numbering less than twenty-thousand, lived under one unified flag of humanity. Also of note, was that everyone lived within fifteen kilometers of the globally altered coastline.

  According to the historical discs and holograms that contained the ancient writings of the cave dwellers, and those who emerged from them several years after the apocalypse, people killed each other over fresh water. Then sometime later, pounding rain became overly abundant throughout the entirety of the planet surface. Mother Nature flexed her muscle and demonstrated superiority over her domain, as she literally flooded the planet for nearly a century. That attempt to self-cleanse was successful, as the engulfing massive dust clouds from the asteroid and moon impacts eventually settled from the sky. More recent historical writings and storytelling revealed how the level of the oceans slowly rose nearly two hundred feet because of that atmospheric cleansing.

  Within a few centuries, the turbulent weather patterns of the planet had fully subsided. The fresh water supply from rain or snow became scarce again, and most of the land turned arid. With no other viable choice, the people moved close to the sea. Although the technology had not been widely used before the apocalypse, the knowledge of how to desalinate the ocean water existed. By consulting scientific journals from the past that had been preserved, a new wave of scientists and engineers were able to construct a workable desalinization plant. They shared the knowledge with others, as it obviously became a crucial aspect of continued survival. Eventually, each community could produce a virtually endless supply of fresh water via the process of transforming the nearby ocean salt water.

  That created the blueprint for a new way of thinking about the environment. In spite of similar knowledge of the automobile and other gadgets from before the apocalypse, the modern scientific thought was to forgo such things. Instead, the focus centered more on intellectual pursuits, and in using technology as a means to produce abundant nourishment and shelter for the population. Hydroponics quickly moved to the forefront of scientific endeavors, and that, combined with the desalinization program, made everything else a distant memory. As a consequence, Earth never went through another industrial revolution, so the toxic and obviously noticeable air and water pollution problems of the past never redeveloped.

  Ross was captivated by all that had been presented to him, and when he learned that a handful of museums existed at various locations around the planet, he asked, “Is one of them close to this community?”

  Tori replied, “Unfortunately, no. I have never been to one, but our collection of historical disks and holograms contain samples of what can be learned at a museum. Every citizen has access to them, and they have been fascinating to study over the years. Sadly, the information from the pre-apocalyptic time is very minimal. I wonder if you could answer a question about your time that has puzzled me for years.”

  “I can’t promise you anything Tori, but I’ll certainly try. What would you like to know?”

  “Was it common for people to own automobiles that could transport forty to fifty people?”

  Realizing that she must be referring to an image of a bus that had probably been parked outside one of the survival caves, Ross replied, “No, the largest vehicles were not privately owned. Many people did own a car, truck, or van, but those models usually carried four or five people. Sadly, there was an excess of them in many parts of the world.”

  Tori nodded with understanding, then continued the history lesson of modern Earth. She told of the exploits of the scientific community, and how proud they were to have begun exploring space as in the time preceding the apocalypse. The historical records of the previous space program had been confirmed when one of the modern day probes returned from Mars with unquestionable proof. What had been the surprise was the content within the ancient probe. It provided detailed information about mankind and the civilization that inhabited Earth. One could theorize that such a probe was sent to provide a record of human existence, which could then be potentially discovered on Mars if Earth had been completely destroyed. Ross of course knew that such a probe existed, but that it also had not been public knowledge. He also didn’t want anyone in his current surroundings to become aware that he was the one responsible for it. As President, Ross had signed the executive order insuring that NASA would send a few such probes to Mars. That action had occurred during the last hectic months before the asteroid impact, and Jessica was the only other person still alive who knew about it.

  Before everyone called it a night, Ross answered many questions pertaining to the second moon and the pilgrimage that he had led. He spoke of how the colony had prospered, but only because of determination and perseverance. A strong community concept had eventually been developed, but only after convincing selfish individuals to search deep within for the broader picture. After his general overview, Ross seized the opportunity to ask his alien friend an important question. He wanted him to point out which of the thousands of stars in their current view was system ₹-593.

  Although Ross shared the location of the star with all those present, he didn’t reveal the entire thought message of his alien friend. What he had heard in his mind was, “Ross, look at the constellation that your species refers to as Orion. Below the three stars that make up the great hunters belt, there are three more that run nearly perpendicular to form his sword. Because you were one of the very few of your species who was involved with a cutting edge technology designed to discover what lay beyond your world, and then subsequently led the human endeavor to discover a new world, you could easily be described as the tip of the exploratory sword. Therefore it’s quite appropriate that the moon you and your people all lived upon is in orbit around the faint star just off the tip of Orion’s sword.”

  Early the following morning Gabriela and others were awakened by Ross, as he was suffering through a loud coughing spell. After checking to see that he was alright, Gabriela looked out the window and exclaimed, “Ross, come quick. You have got to see this!”

  Groaning with obvious displeasure, Ross rubbed the small amount of blood from his previously clenched palm while Gabriela wasn’t looking, and then slowly moved toward her. Once at the window, he replied, “Wow. You’re absolutely right, that is a magnificent sunrise.”

  Aurora joined them a moment later, and was also struck by the beauty of the morning light. She then added, “Amazing. Do you think it�
��s that beautiful every day?”

  Ross responded, “I don’t know, but the early morning light bouncing off the orbital rings like that sure does create a truly inspiring sight.”

  A moment later, as Ross dragged himself away from the captivating sunrise, Gabriela said, “That was a very nice thought projection last night from our friend about you being the tip of the sword. I agree with his belief of how important you were to our collective survival, and I’m surely not the only one among us who does. You should probably thank him for the sentiment.”

  Having now learned that he was not the only one to hear the previous night’s telepathic message, he replied, “Yes it was nice of him, and I was planning on walking over to his vessel to speak with him about it momentarily.”

  Ross stepped outside, but was surprised to see that the alien vessel was no longer where it had landed the previous evening. Only time would tell if his old friend would return, but Ross hoped he hadn’t left the planet before they had a chance to say goodbye to each other. Several hours later that question was answered, and Ross felt a sense of relief as he spotted the alien vessel floating quietly overhead.