The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series

by Jacqueline Druga

  <><><><>

  A cool breeze blew in through the bedroom window, lifting the curtains. It was a great breeze and odd for an August night, Ellen thought. She stood by the window, a brush in her hand, staring out to the empty street below. Her hair was still slightly damp from the shower, and she looked down to her watch. How peaceful and quiet the house was and Dean wasn’t even around to enjoy it. What he could possibly be working on at the clinic was beyond her. Maybe it had something to do with the twelve new members of the community. Ellen certainly hoped that they weren’t going to come into Containment, especially when none of them were toilet trained.

  Though there were times when a person truly enjoyed being alone, this was not one of them for Ellen. She could wait for Dean, but seeing that it was nearly eleven at night, he probably would just go to sleep when he returned. She could do what she used to do in the old world. Many of summer nights were spent just sitting on her front porch. More times than not, someone would also have the same urge and they would walk out to sit outside also, so would start that endless summer night conversation. A part of her missed that feeling, sipping a drink, talking away, looking at her watch, and seeing it had crept closer to morning than she thought.

  But there was one thing certain about Beginnings. It wasn’t filled with the night owls. Frank was pulling extra rounds. Robbie was beat and Henry ... she didn’t even want to consider him. Then she remembered, she had another friend, a new one, and that was who Ellen decided she would go see. Danny invited her by many times. Hoping that maybe she could entice Danny into a summer walk and one of those long conversations about nothing, Ellen set down her brush, slipped on her shoes, and headed over to Danny Hoi’s.

  <><><><>

  “Danny, we’re getting ahead of ourselves,” Henry spoke as he reviewed the papers scattered about Danny’s coffee table. He sat in the chair, elbows on his knees as he leaned forward. “One thing at a time.”

  “Sorry.” Danny plopped down the couch. “But I think we should do the first reprogram tomorrow.”

  “I’m not going near them when they smell.”

  “Robbie said he’d hose them down. He’ll be fine. You need to get over it, it’s body functions.”

  “Danny.” Henry rose is head very seriously. “I have stomach problems.”

  Danny laughed. “You do not. OK, back to the tracking.” Danny’s hand slammed down. “Preliminary tests I did this evening show that the chip you made works as well as the one taken from Harold the SUT ...” Danny started to snicker again.

  “What’s so funny about that?”

  “Harold the SUT. It makes me feel like singing. Remember that movie Howard the Duck? Get it? Harold the SUT, Howard the ...” He saw Henry was not amused. “Maybe not.” Danny shrugged. “What program are we gonna put into the first test one? I think we should do one of the ones you made. If it’s screwed up, we can just erase it. What do you think?”

  “Sounds good, however I am curious about the one pre-made program. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” Henry’s hand smoothed across the paper. “I’m looking at this, Danny. Can what you have planned to use, actually sustain what you have planned in size?”

  “Let’s hope. We’re doing what, five of these instead of one big one? Connecting them should be ...” Danny’s head lifted. “Was that a knock?”

  “It was light. Could be Dean.”

  At the second knock, this time a little harder, both Henry and Danny looked at each other in unison. ‘Nah.’

  Danny stood up. “I’ll be right back.” He walked to the door. He was so surprised when Ellen was standing there. “Ellen.”

  “Hi.” She smiled. “What are you doing?”

  “Working on the tracking system.”

  “Oh.” She folded her hands. “Are you really busy?”

  “Not for you. What’s up?” He opened the door wider for her to step in.

  “It’s a great night, Danny. I was hoping you and I could take a walk and ...” Ellen stopped cold when she saw Henry sitting in the chair. “Never mind.”

  Henry, who was taking a drink, lowered his glass as he stood up. “Hi, El.”

  “Henry.” A flash of a brief smile and Ellen turned back to Danny. “I’ll just leave.”

  “No wait.” Danny stopped her. “What’s going on? You said something about a walk and ...”

  “No. Forget it now. Work on the tracking. I didn’t know Henry was helping you.”

  “We’re working together on a lot of things.”

  “I see.” Ellen nodded her head. “Goodnight.” She started to leave. Again Danny stopped her.

  “El, I’ll uh ...” Danny looked back at Henry. “I’ll walk. Henry can review these alone.”

  “No. Night.” She waved to Henry. “Night, Henry.” She walked from Danny’s house.

  Danny shook his head so confused at Henry, then held up his hand to him and followed Ellen out. “Ellen, wait.”

  “Yeah?”

  “What was up with that?” Danny made it to her. “I thought you and I were gonna be buddies. I told you anytime you wanted to, I would make time to talk.”

  “I changed my mind about that. You’re great guy, Danny but what really made it great for me was that you had no connection to Henry what-so-ever. It was sort of like you were my friend. You were the only one in Beginnings that was just friends with me, not Henry. Maybe it’s a little juvenile, I don’t know, but last I heard, you weren’t getting along with Henry and now you’re working with him.” She started walking again.

  “Ellen, come on.” Danny stood looking like he was pleading.

  “Night, Danny.” She smiled at him and continued walking.

  Danny tossed his hands up in the air and let them fall with a slap. He looked at Ellen walking down the street, then at Henry who stood in his doorway. He felt for the first time like a real Beginnings resident, pulled like everyone else who knew Ellen and Henry. And in Beginnings, that was everyone. With a community as small as Beginnings, Danny felt it was a shame that a gap had widened so far between two of its people.

  <><><><>

  A glass of iced tea, a refreshing breeze, and a seat on the last step of Dean’s porch was Ellen’s scenario. Waiting for someone to walk by, watching—like the end to a Walton’s episode—the lights on the houses go out one at a time. Her position on the last step caused the rise of her knees. It was enough of a rise that Ellen could rest her elbows on her thighs, hold her glass of tea, and bring her mouth to it, slurping it in laziness.

  Mid-third slurp, Ellen ejected the ice cube from her mouth when she heard the footsteps. They were too heavy to be Dean’s. Ellen lifted her head to wait on the poor unsuspecting soul she would pounce on for conversation. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be Henry.

  The footsteps stopped. Did she imagine them? She heard the subtle clearing of a throat in the darkness, followed by a poetic whisper.

  “Stranded on her front porch. Looking really down ...”

  Ellen shook her head with a crocked smile. It was Frank. Was he doing that song from Grease making up his own words? No.

  “... what Ellen really needs is Frank Slagel a-round.”

  “Frank.”

  “Ellen ... Baby ...” he sang.

  “Frank.”

  “I’m in misery ...”

  “Knock off the Danny Zucco bit, Frank.”

  Frank laughed and peeked his head around the bend of the house. “Hey.” He walked up to her. “Porch watching?”

  “Yeah, but porch watching nothing.”

  “Beginnings sucks like that. No old man Cramer ...”

  “No late night barbecuing.”

  “Hamburgers on the grill.” Frank smiled.

  “No Mrs. Jargon with her spiked lemonade.”

  “Lemon-icers,” Frank corrected with a point. “Did you ever have one of those things?”

  “Many of times, especially when she fought with her husband.”

  “Strong.”

  “Very.”

&nb
sp; “Can I join you?” Frank asked.

  “Who’s with the kids?”

  “Robbie is staying there. Can I?”

  “Please. But you are forewarned that I will talk.”

  “Then I will listen.” Instead of beside her, Frank sat behind her, a leg on each side of Ellen. “What are you drinking?”

  “Tea.”

  “Can I?” Frank reached down for it and took it. “Wait.” He leaned down to her. “You weren’t doing that Ellen thing of playing with the ice cubes and spitting them back in were you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Just curious.” Frank took a long drink and handed it back to her. He heard Ellen snicker. “What?”

  “That never bothered you.”

  “You mean putting something in my mouth that was in yours?” He whispered in her ear, “Sweetie, we have been far more intimate than that.” He kissed her on the cheek.

  “I love you, Frank.”

  Frank’s heart stopped. “What was that for?” He rested his hands on Ellen’s shoulders, gently rubbing them, not wanting her to see the huge grin on his face.

  “I haven’t told you in forever.”

  “See, you don’t need to. I know this.” He kissed the top of her head. “But ... I love you too.” He felt Ellen lean back into him and he basked in that, wrapping his arms around her and holding her.

  “Did you ever wonder if we’ve known each other way too long?”

  “Never. We haven’t known each other long enough.”

  “Frank?” Ellen set down her glass. “You’ve known me since I was a teenager. Do you ... do you ever look at me now as old?”

  “What?” Frank laughed. “Never. Do you look at me as old?”

  “You? You’re a Slagel. Like Joe, you’ll never get old.”

  “Where is this coming from?”

  Ellen shrugged and leaned on his leg. “Do I look old to you?”

  “Ellen.”

  “Do I?”

  “No.” Frank answered sharp. “You look great.”

  “What about my body, is it ...”

  “El.” Frank rested his chin on her head. “This body is better now than it ever was.” Frank ran his hand down her arm. “If you offered me that body of twenty years ago for the woman I hold right now, I’d laugh because every day you get better and better in my eyes. And you know what? You always will.”

  “Even when I’m seventy?”

  “Even when you’re seventy.” Frank’s hand slid to hold hers. “You’ll still be my girl.”

  Ellen’s eyes rolled slightly with a calm peacefulness at what Frank said. It was what she needed to hear. Maybe that was why she brought it up to Frank, because he always told her what she needed to hear. Seeing that it was turning out to be an old fashion summer evening, Ellen leaned more into Frank and enjoyed the feeling.

  <><><><>

  Dean was blind, not deaf, and he certainly wasn’t stupid either so why at that moment did Dean feel as if he had been treated as such? Was he a china doll that would break, a guinea pig, or an uneducated mind that wouldn’t possibly comprehend what was happening, let alone be consulted?

  Dean felt outraged as he stood in the storage room leaning against the wall. He went in there for more petri dishes. What he didn’t expect was to discover how much his other senses had started to kick in to compensate for his loss of vision.

  As he felt around for the dishes he knew were there, he heard his name mentioned. Jason’s voice carried from Andrea’s office through the heating vent. His voice not only conveyed Dean’s name, but the fact that he was dictating information that Dean should have been told, information that Dean should have known first. Jason was dictating his latest test findings, dictating the success of them, and finally dictating that his results would soon confirm the go-ahead for the hush-hush procedure that would give Dean back his sight.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  AUGUST 4

  Ellen’s mind flash back to the old days of high school, early morning dew, still damp from the night before rain, and a cloud of cigarette smoke from those who huddled outside. Of course in Beginnings, a cloud of cigarette smoke could easily be referred to as the Slagel smoke signal.

  Jason joined Joe and Robbie outside Joe’s office, smoking. Ellen thought it odd how they were all hanging outside instead of in. In usual Ellen fashion, nothing went unsaid. “Morning.” She walked up to the three men. “Morning, Joe.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Why are you three hanging out here?”

  Joe tossed his cigarette butt. “Enjoying the first cool morning in a while, I suppose.” Joe looked at Jason. “Remind me to ask Henry about this weather when he gets here.”

  Ellen quickly shuffled her head around the men. “Henry’s coming too?”

  “From what he told me,” Joe looked at his watch, “He should be here any minute with Danny.”

  “Danny?” Ellen questioned. “Well what is the big meeting all a ...” Ellen felt the kiss to her cheek. She smiled and turned to familiar feel of his lips. “Morning, Frank.”

  “El,” Frank said with a smile, biting his bottom lip.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I was thinking about last night.”

  Ellen grinned and spoke softly, “I was thinking about that too on the way up here.”

  “I loved it.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh yeah,” Frank said. “It was so much like old times.”

  “It was, wasn’t it?’

  “Every single second of ... of ... of.” Frank clenched his mouth and tilted his head. “Robbie, what the fuck?” He palmed his hand over Robbie’s face that had intruded into their conversation and pushed him out. “Go.”

  “What happened last night?” Robbie asked. “Come on tell me. Please. Did you two?”

  “No!” Frank snapped at him. “We talked, Go away. It’s none of your business.” Frank shoved him.

  Robbie snickered. “Right, I’m not buying it, this ‘I loved last night’ shit. You two were screwing around, weren’t you? You’re glowing.”

  “Robbie.” Frank grew stern. “For your ...” His words halted when he grunted loudly, feeling the hard nudge to this gut. He looked up as Henry walked between him and Ellen.

  Henry paused by Frank. “Thanks, Frank! Asshole! You’re glowing!”

  “What?” Frank questioned.

  “Deal’s off.” Henry pointed his finger.

  Ellen stepped closer as Henry moved by. “Deal? What deal? Frank, do you have a deal with Henry over something?”

  “No,” Frank answered.

  “Yes,” Henry corrected. “Over you.”

  “Over me?” Ellen asked shocked.

  “Yes,” Henry said.

  “Tattletale.” Frank shoved him lightly.

  “Welcher.” Henry shoved back.

  “Hold it.” Ellen stopped them and spoke slow. “What deal? Is there a deal, Frank?”

  Frank’s mouth moved a little without saying any words. Then he took a second, twitched his head, and glared his angry eyes at Henry before looking back at Ellen, trying to explain his way out of it. “Yes. El, look I ...”

  “Stop.” Ellen held up her hand and faced Henry. “You,” she pointed at him, “have no right what-so-ever to be making deals over me. You hear me?” Angrily she stormed off into Joe’s office.

  Frank snickered at the gasping look on Henry’s face. “Back fired on ya, didn’t it, little boy?” Frank flicked Henry lightly on the nose and walked into the office.

  “Such an asshole,” Henry commented and walked towards Joe’s office. He paused before going in, allowing Frank time to handle that situation.

  Andrea’s cheerful voice caused Robbie to cringe and Joe wishing he had a place to hide. “Look who I found coming up here.” Andrea walked holding onto Danny’s arm. “Seems Mr. Hoi has been invited also.”

  Seeing the good mood and pleasantries on Andrea’s face, Robbie, escaped into Joe’s office before Andrea could say or do anything o
dd to him. He was still wincing after she asked him just that morning if he’d been brushing three times a day.

  With Robbie watching the slight Ellen and Frank bickering, Henry sulking, Andrea humming, Danny gloating and Jason snickering, Joe walked behind his desk. “If there’s a chair, have a seat. We might as well start this thing.” He watched as Ellen and Andrea took a chair then Frank and Henry tugging on the third, finally losing to Robbie who just sat in it. “All right, if we’re ready, Frank, start.”

  “What?” Frank asked as he took his normal stance by the filing cabinet.

  “Start, you called this thing,” Robbie said.

  “No I didn’t,” Frank said. “I merely told you like I was supposed to. Henry called this.”

  “No I didn’t. I told you, Frank.” Henry pointed at Andrea. “Andrea called it.”

  “Not me, Jason did,” Andrea replied.

  Jason snickered with a shake of his head. “Robbie’s the one.”

  Robbie threw his hands up. “All of you are confused. Ellen called the meeting.”

  “Me?” Ellen smirked. “Now why in the word would I call a meeting? I hate them.”

  Joe had enough. “Christ, each one of us passed the message along. Who in God’s name called this thing?”

  “I did.” Dean stepped into the room. “I called the meeting. I told Ellen and she started the ‘pass it on’. Thank you, El.”

  “Sure, Dean.” Ellen, chipper as she crossed her legs, swinging them.

  Walking by Ellen to Joe’s desk, Dean paused, listened, and stopped Ellen’s swinging leg. He stood before everyone. “May I, Joe?”

  “You called this thing.” Joe rolled his chair out some from his desk to watch Dean.

  Hoping that he actually was facing everyone, Dean began to talk. “I called all of you here for this early morning meeting because last night, each one of your names were mentioned. I overheard them mentioned by Jason. And ... and that is not all I overheard. Right now I’m pissed and I suppose that’s why I called you all here. It seems you people think so little of me that I’m not even privileged enough to know Henry has come up with a way that I can see.” He heard the merging of voices as they tried to explain. “Stop it!” Dean’s voice rose. “These are my eyes, not yours. I lost my sight. None of you know what that is like. Frank and Robbie, you knew of this because you set up the capturing of SUTs to use as practice on an invention that was spawned when Henry and Danny worked on the chip for me. Henry, you made something that could make me see? You are supposed to be my friend and you didn’t tell me? Joe, you run this community and you let these people run around with this conspiracy of sheltering me from this as if I were a child? Andrea, you gave Jason my notes. He went through my notes, read my stuff, used my equipment, and practiced it, trying to perfect a way to lobotomize me? You people sit back and make plans on cutting into my brain and I’m not allowed to know about it? That program, Jason, that laser program, I know it. I’ve run it. Don’t you think it would have been a little easier for you to come to me for help. El, did you know?”