The Earthrise Trilogy (11 page)

"Good thinking," Steve said.

Clare added, "I was tired of looking at stars anyway."

The lift came to a stop and Shelley and Chris were there to meet them, with Rufus of course. "Come on," they said, pulling Steve and Clare towards Lark's doors. They all entered and Lark's huge doors closed them in.
 

"Well, that's it," Steve said, to Clare, "we're in the ark, and the doors are shut...What's to eat, I'm starved!"
 

❧

Life took on a whole new meaning in Lark. For one thing, everyone forgot about space. The stars were no longer visible against a black sky as a reminder, and Earth too, became just a distant memory. Work and life progressed, and the men in the moon prospered, and multiplied.
 

"Huuuuuun," Clare said, approaching Steve one morning.
 

"Yeessss?" Steve mimicked.
 

"What would you say if I were to tell you I'm pregnant?" She said, twirling his hair with a finger.
 

"You serious?" Steve asked.
 

"What do you think?" Came the response. It took a few seconds to sink in, and then Steve's face lit up and he jumped up off the sofa and started to dance around the room.
 

"I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant," he was singing at the top of his voice.
 

"Well, actually dear," Clare butted in, "it's me who's pregnant around here, but feel free to tell everyone within earshot!"
 

Shelley and Chris came bursting through the door, "What's up with daddy mom?" Shelley asked giggling.
 

"Has living on the Moon sent him gaga?" Chris asked, as Steve, oblivious to his character being maligned, kept dancing around the room.
 

"Daddy's quite all right," Clare reassured them both, "I'm going to have a baby."
 

Without so much as an intake of breath, Shelley responded, "Please make it a girl mom," she looked at Chris, "one brother is quite enough!"
 

Clare laughed, and they all jumped up off the sofa to join in with Steve singing, "Daddy is pregnant, daddy is pregnant."
 

The Hammonds, who lived next door, heard the commotion. "Wow," Lisa said, to John, "this will be the first human being to not be born on Earth."
 

"A genuine extraterrestrial," said John, "this is significant, I must go and get the others."
 

With that, he left to round up the rest of the Moon men and women. The singing had died down by the time everyone arrived at the Forester's door. They knocked, and Steve shouted, "Come in." They all burst in shouting, "Congratulations, well done, great news..."
 

"Why, what's up with you lot?" Steve said jumping to his feet, "Any one would think we were going to have a baby!"
 

A great cheer went up mixed with loud applause.
 

"No work today," John announced, "let's celebrate this momentous event."
 

There were more cheers and calls of approval. A party atmosphere invaded Lark that day, and little was done of any scientific value.

Some days later, John was disturbed by screams coming from the lake. He ran out to see what it was all about only to see Lisa, distraught, and standing over Katy who was lying on the ground at the waters edge. John took off towards them calling as he ran,
 

"What's wrong, what's happened?"
 

"It's Katy," Lisa called to him, "there's been an accident."
 

"What accident?" he said, breathlessly when he got to them.
 

"Katy was diving into the water when she hit her head on something. She wasn't spotted for four or five minutes. She's not breathing."
 

"Where's Sam?" John shouted just as Sam arrived from behind him. Sam fell down at Katy's side and put his head to her chest. A few seconds later he reared up and struck Katy a heavy blow to the chest. He breathed into her mouth several times and hit her again. He dropped his head to listen, "We have a heartbeat," he said, and Katy gasped in air just after he said it.
 

"Thank God, O thank God," Lisa sobbed, kneeling by her daughter. "You're OK now Kats, you're Ok." John picked her up and carried her back to their apartment and laid her on her bed.
 

"Just rest a while love," he said, "you'll be right as nine pence in no time."

A little later, John and Steve got together to talk about the incident.
 

"We must be more careful," Steve said, "every life here is precious, we can't afford to lose a single one. I don't like rules, but it looks as though we'll have to make some where the children are concerned."
 

"Agreed," said John, "we'll have to have some sort of supervision for them at the lake, I'll see to it."
 

"Good," Steve said, then, looking straight at John, he asked, "Are you Ok?" Steve's hand found it's way to John's shoulder. John let go and burst into tears.
 

"We nearly lost her Steve, our little angel." He sobbed for a while with Steve comforting him as best he could.
 

Katy made a full recovery and was back at school the following day.
 

"It was a close call," Lisa said to the class, "now what can we learn from this?"
 

She looked around for a volunteer to pick on.
 

"Daniel, how about you, what have you learned by this incident?"
 

Daniel looked a little embarrassed but said, "We should be more careful near the lake miss."
 

"Yes, good, but what else? Shelley, how about you?"
 

"We should never give up miss."
 

"How so?" Lisa asked a little bemused.
 

"Well, Katy looked to be dead, she had stopped breathing and there was no pulse, but Sam came along and changed what he saw. He didn't give up just because it looked hopeless."
 

"Excellent Shelley," Lisa complimented her, "that is wonderful, a lesson well learned. Now, is there anyone else?"
 

Chris' hand went up, "Yes Christopher."
 

"All life here is precious, we are the remnant of the whole human race, and we should face up to the responsibility of that."
 

Lisa was taken aback, she hadn't expected such answers.
 

"Class," she said, and paused, leaning on her table, "I have a confession to make." All ears pricked up. "I had not realised just how much you have all grown up in the time we've been here. It's obvious to me now that you are more aware of our situation than I am. I apologise for not giving you credit for who, and what you are."
 

This last sentence cost Lisa some tears. The class gathered around her but it was Katy who spoke.
 

"And I apologise to you all," she sobbed, "I was careless and could have caused you all much pain. We are here for a purpose, and I nearly let you down by not fulfilling mine. I'm sorry."
 

There were hugs a-plenty until it was time to end the lessons. When Lisa got home she hugged John and said, "I have not been the teacher I should have been to the children, but today, they have become my teacher. I am so humbled John, just to be here."
 

John held her close and said softly, "Whenever did you hear of a teacher admitting to being taught by children? You certainly are the teacher they need, and I'm proud of you."

❧

Time passed, and everything settled down after the accident. Clare heeded Shelley's request and gave birth to a daughter. They named her Hope, because she was the first human being to be born in space, and in her, and the others that would follow her, there was hope. She was a positive sign that the human race was not only surviving, but also growing.
 

They held a service to celebrate Hope's birth, and Steve stood to speak. "Friends," he began, "today is a truly momentous day. We have seen the rebirth of humanity, and this little child is living proof that we are doing what General Hammond envisioned we would do, we are expanding. Hope is the first, but there will be others...There must be others." He said, looking around. A few of the older ones laughed.
 

"I'm reminded of the story of Noah, and how he heard from God that disaster was coming. Noah was told to lay in provision for the survival of the human race, and he did so. It took him 120 years, but time and humanity has moved on, and our Noah, General Hammond, did it in ten. Who's to say that he didn't hear from God? The ark he built certainly seems to be a miracle. The only difference is, that he didn't live to sail in her. Let us all stand, and acknowledge that in this little child, Hope, both General Hammond's vision, and God's will have been fulfilled. God bless us all."
 

"God bless us all." Came the hearty cheer.
 

Later, when they were alone, Clare said, "You know Steve, you're getting better at making speeches."

❧

"What is it Bill?" Steve responded when Bill tugged his sleeve.
 

"Eric and I have been talking, and we think it's time to enter the sealed chamber in the power level, and take a look at this gravity idea."
 

"You know, I'd forgotten all about that, let's do it!"
 

The three men set off for the power level. On reaching the sealed doors, Steve entered the code and they opened up. "Wow," Eric gasped, "just when you think you've seen everything, this happens."
 

The entrance to the sealed chamber led out onto a balcony looking down over 500 feet to the floor below. They couldn't see much else because of all the pipes and coils.
 

"I've never seen coils as huge as that," Steve said, "just look at how thick the cable is."
 

"What do you reckon Eric?" Bill asked.
 

"Magnetic...It's got to be magnetic."
 

"You mean some sort of powered magnet?" Steve asked.
 

"Not exactly," Eric answered, "give me some time to study the plans will you."
 

"Sure thing," Steve replied, "let us know when you have something."
 

"Will do," Eric said, wandering off into the bowels of the huge machine.

A couple of hours later, Eric emerged very excited. "I know what it does," he shouted, "it's brilliant."
 

"OK, calm down and let us in on it," Steve said, grabbing Eric's shoulder.
 

"It's a series of coils," Eric began, "only not coils as we know them, they're enormously powerful pulse coils-"
 

"Pulse coils?" interrupted Steve.
 

"Yes, and they're laid out in a line for about half a mile. According to the plans, they fire in sequence from one to ten and loop back to one. As far as I can see, everything is ready to go, but it doesn't look like they've ever been powered up."
 

"They're untested then," Steve said.
 

"Yes, I guess so."
 

"Hmm," Steve murmured thoughtfully. "There must be a reason they were never tested."
 

"There may not have been time," Bill suggested.
 

"That's probably it," Eric agreed.
 

"Right, this is what we'll do," Steve said, "Eric, spend some time really checking this thing out, and when you're sure it's safe, we'll fire them up."
 

"Sounds good to me, see you later," he said, and was off, back into the bowels of the machine.

It was three days later when Eric sought Steve out to bring his report. "Steve, I've figured it out and it's real simple."
 

"Vinkle's things always are," Steve joked.
 

"It works on the molten core by firing incredibly powerful pulses in sequence. The pulses are intensely magnetic and so attract a narrow section of the core pulling it upwards. As the sequence fires, the raised section of core moves to follow the coils. It's like running round the edge of a swimming pool, eventually, it will start a rotating motion in the core-"
 

"And that will start the Moon rotating!" Steve jumped in excitedly.
 

"In theory Steve, in theory."
 

"How long do you think it will take?"
 

"There's only one way to find out," Eric replied with a grin.

The next day a meeting was held to inform everyone what was about to happen.
 

"We don't know exactly what will happen when we fire up the coils," Steve said, "I suspect that we won't feel anything for quite some considerable time, but we just don't know. So, if there are no objections, we'll fire it up today."