New Earth: Project O.N.E.. R.D. Ph.D. Pittman

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СКАЧАТЬ Oh, sure.”

      His dad seemed perfectly calm, but Curt knew better. His dad had never been one to just stare at the night sky. The fear was there, underneath the surface calm, held in check by millions of details that needed to be taken care of.

      Curt knew this because he felt the same way. Whenever he stopped planning and really thought about what was coming, he started to tremble. He was doing it now. He held his hand to his chin to quell the nervousness swelling up in his stomach.

      Then his father put a hand on his shoulder. How’s Cynthia sound?”

      Curt was grateful for the change in focus. “She kind of balked because she said she had to work tomorrow, so she couldn’t stay late. I told her she may never be late again in her life, after tonight.” They both managed a forced grin.

      Cynthia greeted his father with a big hug and the three of them got comfortable in the den. His father then told her the whole story once again, with Curt sitting next to her, holding her close. Cynthia began to tear up. She tried to wipe them away during Alex’s explanation, but they kept coming. Finally she just leaned on Curt and would occasionally squeeze him for reassurance.

      His father then surprised him, telling Cynthia that her background included her parents, and that the powers to be were a little nervous about that.

      “I know, Dad,” she said. “I’m not going to let them get in the way of whatever it is they want me to do.”

      Alex nodded. “Good girl. I’ll let them know.”

      “If this world was coming to an end. I want to spend the rest of my days with Curt. Can we afford for me to quit my job?”

      His father looked a bit odd at this. “Ah, yes.”

      “So now we can plan our wedding Curt.”

      “The sooner the better,” His father walked over to Cynthia and gave her a big hug. “And it will be a big, fancy, outrageously, expensive wedding.”

      She giggled and put her arms around Alex’s neck and told him.

      “Oh Dad, I love you.”

      Cynthia wept the entire trip to their condo. Curt tried to console her but she couldn’t stop. How could she stop? She was way too young to be facing her mortality?

      “Cynthia, baby doll,” Curt said softly, “it’ll be okay, we’ll get through this.”

      “Oh Curt, everything we’ve done, all that we were planning…it’s for nothing. I’ve tried to be a good person, better than my parents. We’ll be no better off than they are. It’s just…so unfair.” Her sobbing turned to small whimpers as Curt held her in his arms.

      The next morning, Curt and Cynthia showed up at Alex’s back door fifteen minutes early, looking both subdued and resolute.

      “Is there something wrong?” Alex ushered them into the kitchen. “Have you been having second thoughts?”

      “No, we had a tough night, thinking about what may have been. It’s just a shock, not being in control of our own future anymore.”

      Alex had already spent a lot of time on this. He sat down across from them.

      “Listen to me, both of you; no one has ever been in control of their own future.

      But we can always make decisions in the face of…circumstances—where we go, how we go, what we do and don’t accomplish. Our ending story belongs to us, even if we can’t always write the context.”

      Cynthia seemed calm. Remarkably so. “But the context here is the end of the world.”

      “All right,” Alex said. “I’ll grant you that extreme. But what we do about it is still in our hands. We can sit around and wait for what is handed to us or we can meet the challenge and do what we can. I for one refuse to go quietly. I have the two of you to think about and your futures. I will give my life doing everything I can to ensure that you have one.”

      “Dad, I love you so much,” Cynthia said, “and you’re right we’re being childish.”

      “Did I say that? You’re scared about what may come. You have regrets about things undone or maybe unsaid. There’s nothing childish about any of that. I am on the same emotional roller coaster. But you can’t let it seize your survival instinct. Don’t let it take that spirit of accepting a challenge from you. If we’re going to die, then let it happen while we’re giving it our best shot.”

      “Dad we’re with you,” Curt said.

      “Good. Now a couple of practical things. Howard’s arranged to pay you two each $150,000 a year. You will start getting auto deposits next week in your checking accounts.”

      “That’s about ten grand more than I’m making now,” Curt said.

      “That’s a whole lot more than I make in a year,” Cynthia mentioned.

      “Especially if you forget about taxes and your 401Ks. I’ve got a luncheon with this Dr.Chenowith today, then tomorrow we all fly to Coeur d’ Alene and start earning our pay.”

      The drive out to Davis from his home was a reminder of how much agriculture there was in California—field after field of crops. What would it look like in three years?

      When he located Dr. Chenowith’s office and knocked on the door, a young woman opened it. Must be a graduate student.

      “I’m General Hanken; I’m here to see Dr. Chenowith.”

      “Sandra, there is an absolutely gorgeous man out here to see you,” she said.

      “Terri, behave yourself.”

      And then Dr. Chenowith walked out of her office. She was nothing like what he expected “Pleased to meet you, General,” she said. “Ready for lunch?”

      “Oh Sandra, are you taking him to Edna’s, I want to go please?”

      “Don’t be ridiculous,” Dr. Chenowith said. “You’re a grad assistant. You’re supposed to starve.”

      As Alex drove to the restaurant, she pointed out various sites around the Davis area. Edna’s was a small place—a private home that had been converted, from the look of it. But a vine covered patio with tables gave it some charm. It was a little chilly outside so she asked for a table in the corner overlooking the patio. The waitress took their drink orders and left the menus for them to look over.

      “General Hanken, this place serves classic American cuisine—, pot roast, meat loaf, fried chicken, and it is all excellent.”

      Ah, the stereotypes. “I’ll take your word for it. I’m more a Cordon Bleu man.”

      “Really? Give me a good steak any day. I hope Terri didn’t embarrass you.”

      “Not at all. Though, I can’t recall ever being called gorgeous.”

      “Well to be honest, you are very handsome man, not at all what I expected.”

      “What СКАЧАТЬ