Variations on Humanity

by Paul Eslinger

  “Why?” Judith asked quietly.

  “They don’t trust outsiders and they believe outsiders made them sick.”

  “Can you understand the language?”

  “No,” Sam replied. “But Dulcis is providing a real-time translation.”

  Moments later, the translation came over Judith’s earpiece. It was slightly disconcerting to hear the words in her left ear and then the translation in her right ear.

  It took several minutes, but Hugo finally prevailed. The guards moved aside. Hugo gestured for the others to follow him and then stepped through the gate. The guards shut it so quickly it almost hit Trixie as she followed Sam.

  Chickens, goats, cows, and dogs lived in the village and no one had cleaned up after them. Judith tried to ignore the squalid conditions while she stepped closer to Hugo. She decided to pretend she hadn’t understood his conversation with the guards. “Has anyone died?”

  “No.” Hugo shook his head and removed a package of exam gloves from a side pocket. He pulled on a pair and donned a mask. “But several are very sick and a few may die soon. Where do you want to start?”

  “With the worst one.”

  Sam and Trixie remained outside when Charles and Judith followed Hugo into a hut. The conditions inside were little better than outside. A young woman, probably still a teenager, lay on a mat covered with filthy bedding. She was sweating and the bedding looked like she had thrown up on it. A dejected-looking older woman sat cross-legged on the dirt floor not far from the bed.

  Judith glanced up at Charles and noticed his pale, puckered face. She decided to give him something constructive to do. “Please get me a pair of gloves and one dose of medicine.”

  She pulled on the gloves and turned towards Hugo. “Can you ask the girl how she is feeling?”

  Hugo spoke to the girl and then looked at Judith. “She has a fever, she has been nauseous, she has a bad headache and she has coughed up blood.”

  Even though Dulcis provided a translation, Judith kept working through Hugo without revealing her understanding of both sides of the verbal exchange. “Ask her if she will take a pill.”

  Hugo nodded and began speaking. The teenager refused to take any medicine and Hugo turned to the older woman in appeal. After a lengthy exchange, the old woman spoke sharply to the sick girl. Hugo finally turned to Judith. “Yes.”

  “Do you have any water?” Charles asked as he handed Judith a small pill package.

  Hugo asked the same question to the old woman. She produced a small stoneware pot containing tepid water and a long-handled dipper and handed them to Hugo.

  The girl pushed up to a sitting position and regarded the pill Judith was holding in the palm of her hand with dull eyes. Judith looked at Hugo again. “Tell her to swallow it without chewing.”

  The girl finally gave a nod of understanding at Hugo’s explanation. She opened her mouth rather than reaching for the pill, so Judith placed the pill on her tongue. She then held the dipper so the girl could sip the murky water.

  “How did it go?” Sam asked when they emerged from the hut.

  Judith shrugged. “Hugo was persuasive. The patient, a girl, took the medicine.”

  “How many more are sick?” Trixie asked with a pale face.

  “There were seventeen confirmed cases as of yesterday,” Hugo responded.

  It took nearly four hours to make the rounds of all the sick people. Only one, a middle-aged man in the early stages of the disease, refused to take the medicine. When they finished, they gathered in the shade of a tree and Charles handed around high-energy snacks and bottled water.

  Judith regarded Sam and Trixie rather than eating. The two had moved from hut to hut with them, but they had stayed outside while Judith and Charles worked with Hugo. “You must have been bored stiff after the first few minutes.”

  “No.” Trixie disagreed while she opened a small bag of nuts. “At least a dozen people tried to get in the pickup and the chariots.”

  Charles looked startled. “They didn’t get in, did they?”

  “No.” Sam chuckled. “The guy who tried to break a window on the pickup was quite surprised when his hammer simply bounced.”

  Trixie waved towards the village wall. “Several vehicles drove by outside and people in more than one took pictures. They all left without trying to come into the village.”

  “What now?” Hugo asked as he sipped water from a bottle.

  “We go back and check on the first patient,” Judith replied. “She should be showing signs of improvement.”

  Although Nanda had explained what to expect after patients took the medicine, Judith was surprised by the immense changes when they examined the girl. Her temperature had dropped to normal levels, her breathing wasn’t labored, and she was sleeping restfully.

  “It worked,” Hugo said with an incredulous look.

  Trixie followed them into the hut this time, leaving Sam and Charles on lookout duty. “Of course,” she said. “It is designed to kill harmful viruses.”

  Hugo’s look morphed from incredulous to cunning. “How long did it take to develop this medicine?”

  Judith interrupted as she stepped between Trixie and Hugo with another pill in her hand. “It took a long time. Please tell the woman the girl needs to take this next pill about sundown. It will speed her recovery.”

  After a moment of hesitation, Hugo turned to the old woman and began talking. Finally, he turned back to Judith. “She will feed the pill to the girl at sundown.”

  “Good.” Judith gestured at the door. An hour later, they had made the rounds of all of the patients and doled out the additional pills. Friends and relatives who were ecstatic over the quick improvement in other sick people convinced the recalcitrant man to take the pill when Judith visited his hut a second time.

  “We’re done for now,” Judith said. “Let’s head back to town.”

  They were almost back to Pitoa when Hugo brought up a new topic. “The caller this morning said something about a vaccine. Did the second pill contain the vaccine?”

  Judith shook her head. “No, those pills are designed to treat an active infection and assist in the recovery process. We also have vaccines that will ensure they never get Ebola again or any of a very long list of bacterial or viral infections.”

  “Did you bring any vaccine with you?”

  “Yes. First, we will leave 250 doses of the treatments we used today with you in case anyone else gets sick. We will also leave 300 sets of vaccines. The vaccine uses a 12 shot sequence, with one shot per week. We’ll let you convince the villagers to take the shots.”

  “Why do you do this free of charge?”

  Judith smiled. “Call it a clinical trial. We’ll start marketing the drugs before long.”

  Chapter 11 – Icy Reception

  In Rapid City, Rhona looked around the waiting room at the dental clinic and then focused her attention on Diana. “Did you cancel all of the appointments for today?”

  “I talked to about forty percent of the patients and left messages for the rest.” Diana gestured at the locked door. “It must be working, no one has shown up.”

  “Thanks.” Rhona then looked at Joan and Kelly. “What are your plans at the moment? It may take most of the day to get the contract ready for your signature.”

  Joan shrugged and shook her head. “I’m still in shock.”

  Kelly jerked her thumb to indicate the two news vans still in the parking lot. “Maybe they’ll leave if we tell them we closed for the day and leave.”

  “Thank you, that would help,” Rhona replied.

  Moments later, Joan and Kelly donned their coats, grabbed their purses and headed outside. Rhona locked the door behind them and then settled back in one of the chairs. “I have to check with Laura on the final numbers, but you each will be making a lot more money than you made he
re. In addition, you will be included in the profit-sharing plan. Money shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Elaine shook her head with a wry look on her face. “There aren’t many places to spend money in Jetmore.”

  “That’s about to change. But, until it does, Laura has agreed you can use apartments in the main facility.”

  “What facility?” Elaine asked in a confused tone and then her face cleared. “Ah yes, we saw a news story about the delivery during the big blizzard.”

  “That delivery was a manufacturing complex. The living facilities were delivered back in 1905.”

  “The Patello twins,” Elaine blurted.

  “That’s right, they told us about a big hole workers dug in the limestone quarry,” Rhona agreed. “The Abantu have a modern underground living complex.”

  Diana sat in her chair and rubbed her cheeks with both hands hard enough to redden the skin. “Are you saying the Abantu actually lived in houses without indoor plumbing after traveling between stars?”

  “Yes.” Rhona had never thought about the situation in those terms and she was mulling over the implications when she heard a van start moving in the parking lot. She peeked out the window and watched the second van leave.

  “What now?” Elaine asked as Rhona faced back into the room.

  Rhona waved her hands in several directions. “I suggest you start making preparations to move. I’ll probably stay all day and tonight and head back tomorrow. We’ll pick up moving costs, so you can have professionals pack the house.”

  “You can stay the night at my place,” Diana blurted.

  A feeling of thankfulness swept over Rhona. “That’s great,” she replied. “I left Jetmore in a hurry and I didn’t make any lodging plans. I finished moving out of my apartment last week.”

  “Sure.” Diana’s confident voice trailed down to a weak whisper. “I have to break the news to Orval and Lisa.”

  Rhona chuckled and patted Diana on the shoulder. “I’ll let you broach the moving idea to your husband and daughter.”

  * * *

  Rhona was relaxing in a chair in Diana’s kitchen when Orval arrived home from work. He walked into the kitchen, hugged Diana, and smiled at Rhona. “Diana called and said she had a surprise when I got home. It’s nice to see you again.”

  Diana kept her arm wrapped around Orval, but she didn’t look up into his face. “The surprise has to do with Rhona, but there are several aspects to the surprise.”

  “There are,” Rhona agreed and lifted the cup of coffee she was holding. “I sold the dental business. I want you and Diana to move to Jetmore and work for me. Elaine is moving.”

  “Hmm.” Orval appeared dumbfounded. He glanced down at Diana. “You liked working for Rhona.”

  Rhona saw a smile start in the corner of Diana’s mouth and slowly spread over her entire face as she looked up at her husband. Diana said, “She offered me a lot more money than what I make right now. She also has a job lined up for you that comes with a big raise. Then, there’s the profit sharing plan. There’s only one fly in the ointment.”

  “What’s that?” Orval demanded.

  “We have to sell the house and move to Jetmore.”

  Orval’s frown made a crease down his forehead. “Rhona already said that. I’m confused. Do you want to take the job or not?”

  “I’m more than confused,” Diana responded, “I’m schizophrenic. One minute I’m ecstatic and the next minute I’m wading in the Slough of Despair.”

  “Who’s a better boss, Rhona, or Kelly and Joan?” he asked.

  Diana threw up both hands. “There’s no comparison, it’s Rhona. It’s just that we’ve lived here for fifteen years. It would be a big change.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “Have you talked with Lisa?”

  “She’s excited about moving.”

  “Oh.” Orval chewed on the side of his thumb, his face screwed up in concentration.

  Rhona gestured around the comfortable house. It wasn’t fancy, but it was tidy and well-maintained. “I am authorized to buy the house with an immediate cash payout. You don’t need to move furniture because you will initially live in a furnished apartment.”

  “What kind of apartment?” Diana asked. “I did some internet exploring of Jetmore when you were there for those three weeks. I didn’t know there were any apartments.”

  “These apartments aren’t open for public rental. The Abantu built them.”

  “Where?” Orval asked.

  “On Ceres,” Rhona replied with a wide grin. “They installed them in 1905. They build with a longer-term perspective than we do. They have a lifetime warranty–for an Abantu lifetime.”

  “How long is that?” Orval demanded.

  “Nanda is the oldest Abantu on Earth. She looks younger than I do and she was born the year Methuselah turned 600.”

  Orval’s frown returned. “Methuselah? From the Bible?”

  “Go read the book of Genesis. It was simply a backhanded way of saying she is over 6,300 years old. She’s the one who designed the DNA modifications so the Abantu look human.”

  “Hmm,” Orval said.

  Diana looked up at her husband. “Rhona says they will pay for people to pack and move stuff, and clean up after we leave.”

  He raised one eyebrow, looked at his wife, and then at Rhona. “Is there something dangerous we need to know about?”

  Rhona set the coffee cup down and wobbled both hands back and forth in the air. “Yes and no. A number of people don’t want the Abantu around, but we have ways to protect our people. You know why I went to Jetmore in the first place.”

  “Yeah.” Orval glanced down at his wife with a worried look. “Diana gave me daily updates on your search for Keene. It was good to see his face again when you brought him back.”

  “So, will you work for me?” Rhona asked.

  “I expected Diana to start lobbying to move down there, but this came up much quicker than I anticipated.” Orval rotated both shoulders and swiveled his head. Finally, he stopped and nodded. “Diana told me your parents already moved there. Yes, I’ll do it.”

  Rhona bounded to her feet and hugged Diana. “Great. There are a few more things I will tell you when you arrive in Jetmore.”

  * * *

  There was a heavy overcast and three inches of new snow on the ground when Rhona stopped the pickup in front of Elaine’s apartment the next morning. Elaine appeared even before Rhona climbed out of the vehicle, dragging a huge suitcase. Elaine waved and called out. “Thanks for letting me ride with you. I’m ready.”

  Rhona smiled. Sam and Trixie had two chariots in Africa and Laura had scheduled the other two for other activities. Rhona could either drive back to Jetmore or wait three days for an airlift. Elaine’s company would make the long drive more pleasant.

  “I didn’t know they made suitcases that big,” Rhona commented as she helped Elaine lift it into the cargo compartment.

  “I bought a pair of them last night,” Elaine responded with a giggle. “I filled them both and I also have a regular size bag. I’m donating everything else to Goodwill and Zach is buying my old car. It was on its last legs, but he thinks he can fix it up and sell it for a profit.”

  They soon loaded all three suitcases and Elaine turned in the key to her apartment. Rhona looked over at Elaine as the AI guided the pickup out of the parking lot. “We’ll take highway 79 south past Hermosa until it joins 385, and then follow it to highway 26 by Bridgeport.”

  “That’s the way we went last time,” Elaine responded as she patted the seat with one hand. “This is more comfortable than your old car.” She gestured at the dash. “I’ve read about driverless vehicles. You already have a working model.”

  “It’s a bit more advanced than the others,” Rhona agreed. She was curious how the incredibly advanced engine worked but she hadn’t had tim
e to study it with Dulcis. Orin had delivered the manufacturing template for another AI and agreed to participate in Rhona and Keene’s wedding. Unfortunately, it would take four weeks to produce the first clone of Dulcis, and an entire year to finish the AI upgrades.

  Traffic was light after they left Rapid City behind. Snow began drifting down from heavy clouds and soon they were driving through a region with six inches of new snow. Road crews had plowed mounds taller than the vehicle in many places but only a little remained on the road.

  “This pickup handles well,” Elaine commented as they started up a long rolling hill. Small snowflakes swirled out of the low clouds and a side wind blew drifts across the road in places.

  “Yeah,” Rhona agreed. “The drive still works even if there isn’t any traction.”

  Even though Rhona was having problems seeing the road, the onboard sensors looked through the snow and easily tracked the visually obscured pavement. She glanced in the rearview mirror. They hadn’t met an oncoming car for miles–most people were smart enough to stay home in a snowstorm–but she could see the lights of a vehicle behind them. It was traveling a lot faster than they were.

  Elaine glanced at Rhona and apparently noticed something unusual in her expression. “Is something wrong?”

  Rhona made a gesture of dismissal. “It’s probably nothing. We’re going nearly the speed limit for good weather and someone is coming up behind us.”

  “Some people are crazy drivers.” Elaine leaned forward and looked over her shoulder. “I can see the lights.”

  Visibility dropped to a quarter mile as they passed a sign at the intersection leading to the small town of Buffalo Gap. The vehicle behind them was still coming closer, so Rhona activated more functions in the onboard AI. The windshield converted into a display that clearly showed the road in front of them for the next quarter mile. A smaller display showed the road behind them and the following vehicle.

  “Cool,” Elaine said while she studied the small display. Suddenly she frowned. “They will pass us in another minute.”

  “I hope so,” Rhona said as she initiated a call. “Keene, are you there?”