But what if this planet would survive? What if we informed the home world of the true nature of these people? Where would I be or better yet, where would we be?
“I love her,” I said, “My body may be false and my purpose here may be a horrible secret, but nothing has changed my true identity. I’m sorry.”
There was silence in my head for nearly a minute.
“Thank you, Steine,” Rewan said, “Then I’d like to recommend that you just make sure not to hurt her. And I’m not just talking about physically.”
. . .
I worked like an animal the next day, cleaning out the stalls, milking the cows, shifting the tomato plants to prevent bruising, and finally assisting Maisy in peeling potatoes. I enjoyed her company especially as she explained to me all the details of why we were peeling so many of them. She was planning a meal that included scalloped potatoes tonight, but she also planned on keeping a large pot of potato salad to make lunches a little easier on her for the next few days. Beyond that, she planned on mashed potatoes for tomorrow and then at least three jars of canned potatoes for whatever she came up with later in the week.
I was still peeling potatoes at the sink when Evie blazed into the kitchen all excited. I nearly cut my thumb with the paring knife, worried somehow that Rodney had chased her home.
“Mom, I got the job!” she hollered, “I’m going to New York!”
“You what?” Maisy asked, setting down the potato she had been slicing for dinner tonight.
“I’m going to New York, Mom! I’m getting my own office on the sixty-first floor of the Empire State Building! The Empire State Building, Mom!”
I wondered for a moment if Maisy was going to have a heart attack. She gasped, grabbed a hold of the counter, then shook her head in a way I could only describe as frustration.
“W-when do you leave? When will you be back? How are you getting there?” she asked.
“Mother, listen to me! Have you even listened in the past year?” Evie asked as tears started to form in her eyes, “I am a WOMAN receiving a MAN’s salary of $1.42 per hour! I’ve had two raises in the past year because of my awards. Do you know who I am?”
“Evie! What’s gotten into you?” Maisy asked, approaching her quickly, “I was just asking you about the promotion.”
“I’m the number one Bilfield representative in the whole southern region, Mom. Correction, I used to be the number one rep. Now I will be the head claims adjuster for all of the western United States making $2.15 per hour in New York City,” she said.
“A seventy-three cent raise?” I asked.
Evie laughed and looked over at me. I think it was the first time she even realized I was in the room with her.
“Exactly, Cyan! I got the promotion!” she said, running to me and allowing herself to be wrapped in my waiting arms.
“I’m so proud of you!” I said, my lips just centimeters from her ear, “But I’m not surprised.”
“Be careful what you say, Steine,” Drexil said, “Sounds to me like you’re saying the words her mother was expected to say… but didn’t.”
“Why does Maisy look so angry anyway?” I asked.
“Her daughter is excited about leaving the nest forever,” Rewan explained.
“Oh…”
“When do you leave?” I asked.
“They want me to start as soon as possible. They sent a courier today to deliver the money for train ticket,” she said, “They even have an apartment already set aside for me!”
Then she took me by the shoulders and tugged me close. Her lips almost touched my ear as she whispered, “Come with me.”
I gasped. Her mother was pacing near the refrigerator and I wasn’t quite certain she hadn’t heard Evie’s request.
“What about your family?” I asked.
She pulled away just as Maisy looked over at me.
“My dad is struggling just to survive, Cyan,” she said, “I’m a single woman in New York who will be making more than I need to survive. Where do you think that ‘more’ is going to be headed?”
Her eyes remained locked with mine, despite the fact that her mother’s pacing had already noticeably stopped.
“I love you, Evie,” I said aloud for all to hear.
She pressed her hand to my lips, but failed in her attempt to quiet my words. Maisy was looking toward us, but her gaze fell on nothing in particular. If I had to guess, I’d say she was looking at Evie’s lower back.
“No,” Evie said.
“You don’t say ‘no’ to that,” I muttered as she drew her hand back.
“To what?” she asked.
“It was just a statement of truth,” I said, “Just a statement.”
“When do you leave?” Maisy asked with a sigh.
Evie released me and turned to her mother. She was still her daughter and appeared to understand her mother’s hurt. Evie’s downward gaze told me this much.
“Tomorrow, if the courier arrives as expected,” she replied, “There’s a train leaving for New York tomorrow night at 7:15.”
“Tomorrow?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, Mom, but I…” Evie said, losing her sentence in a flood of choked tears.
I wanted to step in, but thankfully her mother leapt forth at the opportunity. Maisy took Evie into an embrace, holding each other tightly as they both shuddered from the sobs.
“We need to go with her,” Drexil whispered to me.
“I plan on it,” I replied.
“What about the farm? What about John?” Rewan asked.
“Do you even need to ask?” I said, “They are well suited to care of themselves. Maisy is headed to what I can only assume is a populous place with a bunch of sixty-one story buildings.”
I received no response from anyone, either in my head or outside.
. . .
Dinner that night went much better than expected. John took the news of Evie’s promotion far better than Maisy had. After a half hour of examining all the expressions and listening to all the table talk, I came to the conclusion that John was the type of man who wanted his daughter to escape the sweaty world of farming and to succeed in an air-conditioned office anywhere outside of New Mexico. Basically, he wore a gleaming smile of pride the whole evening long.
“Other than regular feedings and stall cleanings, we’re going to cut the workday a little short tomorrow, Cyan,” John said, setting down his fork and hovering over his almost spotless dinner plate, “And I think we can get that all done before breakfast, so let’s plan on a little party and then a trip to the train station afterward.”
“Dear Lord!” Maisy gasped, “Our daughter is moving away and you’re talking about a party?”
“Would you rather she spend her last hours with us moaning and crying?” he asked.
Maisy gasped again, then darted out of the kitchen. John chased after her, leaving me and Evie alone in the kitchen. I nudged in close to her, wrapping my arm around her waist and drawing her close.
“What do I do tomorrow, Evie?” I whispered, “I’m coming with you, but I doubt I can just hop on the train with you while your parents watch.”
“They’re going to figure it out the next day when you don’t show up for the morning stall cleanings,” she said.
“So, how do we present the fact that I’m coming to New York with you?” I asked, truly confused.
She shook her head, then rested that pretty head on my shoulder. I drew my arm around her shoulder and held her to me.
“I’ll slip the address into your pocket at the train station. Just figure it all out when you can. One way or another, I’ll make room for you,” she whispered, “I’ll leave it to you to figure out how to come to me.”
Memo
From: Harry S. Truman, CIC
To: Gen Brian S. Woods, Edwards AFB
The information you’ve sent in the previous two memos was reviewed by me, the Secretary of Defense, and my JCS. This device is definitely a concern to the security of our nati
on, especially since we can’t define its origin. We will continue to pursue the concept of getting not only a satellite in orbit, but also a man. We will present it to the public as a race against the USSR, which indeed it is, while withholding our ultimate goal of retrieving the unknown satellite from high orbit.
Until we accomplish the task of subduing the object, it is mandatory that all visible activity be contained at all installations in New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada. We must operate under the assumption that it can see and record all activity outside of hangars and buildings.
Orbital exploration has become a priority and you have been cleared by this office for all necessary funding required to experiment in this field. Deter all questions regarding this funding to the White House.
Sincerely,
H. S. Truman
President of the United States
Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces
Alone
John was a great guy to work for and in truth, probably a great guy to hang out with at the end of the day. But we didn’t seem to truly connect on the same level, so I doubt we’d be great friends even if we were the same age. Maisy was also interesting in her own way, but we just didn’t connect on the same level and I doubt we would connect even if she were thirty years younger.
As the days moved on, I found myself missing her more and more. Life consisted of nothing more than work, eating, and pretending to sleep at night. Life on Earth was nothing more than making sure John and Maisy were okay.
“Cyan,” a voice rose.
At first, I thought it was Drexil speaking in the back of my mind, but then I heard the barn door closer down below.
“You up there?” John asked.
“Yeah,” I said, rising from my bed and turning on the lamp, “Come on up.”
I heard his feet on the ladder, then saw his head pop up through the hole in the floor near the dresser.
“You weren’t sleeping were you?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t been sleeping very well lately, sir,” I replied, meeting him by the dresser.
He rose from the ladder and looked around my room. Then he walked over to the fan and switched it onto “high.”
“It’s muggy in here,” John said, examining my room.
“What’s on your mind, sir?” I asked, following his wandering gaze.
“Listen, boy,” he said, blowing out a long breath, “Maisy and I were talking. This barn is going to get pretty cold in the winter and it’s already a bit too warm right now. We thought that… that, well maybe you can go ahead and join us as a proper guest in the house.”
I was honored by his invitation, but I was frightened at the same time. I took his visit in my room for what it really was – he was looking for evidence of my leaving. I had seen his concerned looks the past few days and I knew John to be a very smart man. He knew I was feeling both lonely and restless. If he was as smart as I thought he was, he probably also knew that I wasn’t going to be staying in New Mexico much longer.
“Thank you, sir, but I don’t know,” I replied, shoving my hands in my pockets.
He nodded, then took a seat on my bed. The fan was doing very little to dispel the heat.
“What would you do there, Cyan?” he asked, matter of fact, “Where would you stay? What would you do for a living?”
“I don’t know, sir,” I replied, “I don’t know anything anymore.”
“Then stay here where you do know what tomorrow holds,” he said, “You’ll always have a plate at our table, you’ll always have a bed, and you’ll always have the company of people who care about you.”
“What about Evie?” I asked, “She’s all alone in a big city.”
“She’s tough, just like her mother,” he replied.
“I’m tougher, sir, and I think I love her,” I replied, “I know I love her and I’d never let anything happen to her. But here in New Mexico… I stand no chance of helping her in her time of trouble.”
“I love my daughter too, but how do you think I feel about the concept of you going to New York to live in an apartment with my daughter? Keep in mind that I’m an old-fashioned Christian man,” he said.
“You completely misunderstand me, sir,” I replied, wondering what he thought of me, “I wasn’t going to move in with her. I didn’t even move in with her while she was here.”
John laughed, then shook his head.
“So you’re going to ask to live in her barn in New York City?” he asked.
“No, I’m going to get a place to stay, get a job, and spend my free time courting your daughter properly, sir,” I said, “Have I disappointed you even once while I was here with you?”
He was silent, staring at the floor beneath him. I moved over to the window and opened it, hoping to bring in some of the cool evening air. John started coughing quietly, his shoulder shuddering as he kept his focus downward.
“I want to go to New York too, Cyan,” John said, choking out the words.
I realized in that moment that he was crying. Those weren’t coughs after all. I wasn’t the only one who missed Evie.
“What do I say?” I asked my fellow schizoids.
“I don’t know,” Drexil said, “Maybe we can all move to New York together.”
“That wouldn’t work because we’d need some money. By myself, I planned to steal a little along the way,” I replied, “But I don’t want to involve these two that way.”
“We were going to be thieves?” Rewan asked.
“Just a little bit and it would be in ways that we wouldn’t get busted,” I replied, “We’d only take what we needed.”
John rose from the bed and wiped his eyes. I turned to him and pulled him into an embrace, hoping this was at least somewhat proper.
“I’m sorry about everything, sir,” I said, “I didn’t plan on caring about her so much.”
“No, it’s totally okay,” he said, patting my back, “What are the chances of me talking you out of sneaking to New York?”
“For real?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he replied, “Maisy begged me to come chain you up if I had to. We can see it in your eyes. We know you love her and we know you lost something huge the day she left.”
I released him from my embrace and looked at the fragile man before me. His eyes were still shimmering from the tears.
“You can’t talk me out of it. I was going to leave tonight after you two were asleep,” I muttered, “I’m sorry, sir.”
“Don’t apologize,” he struggled to bring back his trademark grin, “You’ll find a duffle bag at the base of the ladder. It’s got two more of my shirts in it and another pair of trousers. I put another pair of socks in there too. In the bottom of the back is a ten-dollar bill. It won’t get you far, but it will at least get you started.”
“Thank-”
“Don’t, please,” he said, “The only thanks I want is respect. Respect my daughter, love her, and look out for her. You do this and I will consider it all the thanks in the world.”
“Yes sir,” I replied.
He kept his eyes on the ground as he turned to leave. That was the last time I ever saw John McHale alive. Two hours later, I was on a bus going north. John remained on my mind for quite a while after that night, and although he died of a stroke three months later, I refused to let him die in my heart.
Thus begins the story of Cyan and one beautiful Evelyn McHale in New York City. And let’s not forget that peculiar Mystic who also has an interest in Evelyn McHale…
Convergence
Book V of
The Mystic Saga
Scott McElhaney
CtynMech outpost XVII
27,520 light years from galactic core
Orion arm
INCOMING:
CtynMech reporting significant quantum fluctuations in your locale at such a rate that the sensors in the Cygnus arm are being triggered. Much of the activity appears to be coming from the vicinity of Biologic I though sensors are reporting what appe
ar to be aftershock-ripples emerging in the vicinity of Biologic III.
OUTGOING:
CtynMech acknowledges the warning and will shut down Outpost XVII. Will report to Biologic I to investigate.
Cyan
“What are we supposed to make of that ‘alien spacecraft’ in Canada?” Rewan asked.
“Uh, I think it’s a bit obvious,” Drexil replied, “The picture in this morning’s paper looks a little too familiar if you ask me. We’ve seen the drawings that Elix included in the Scripts.”
I sighed as I tried to focus on filing the folder labeled “George Wang” in the proper alphabetical sequence. I shuffled through the other files in the drawer, fingering past a few Walkers and Walters.
“Surely you have an opinion on this, Steine,” Rewan said.
“It’s definitely the craft from the Scripts,” I replied, “And I worry that it’s the very same craft.”
“What are you saying? That Elix himself is aboard that ship?” Drexil asked.
“Yes,” I replied, “And it scares me beyond all reason.”
I was grateful for the silence that filled my head as I inserted George Wang behind a Francis who shared his surname. I headed back toward the impeding stack of manila files that gave me both purpose and a paycheck in this world.
“If that’s the case, I think we have to do something,” Drexil said.
“Absolutely not!” Rewan inserted, “Imagine what would happen if we somehow rescued our savior. We are in a position where we have no method of ever returning to Legacy and history has demonstrated that Elix must return. If he doesn’t, there will be no Scripts. And if there are no Scripts, there would be no ‘Cyan’.”
“Wow,” I muttered aloud.
The Mystic Saga Omnibus (Books 1 - 5) Page 35
