Epilogue
It is hard for me, the author to describe what happens in the ensuing years after the incident on Kilgore Station. Not just what happens to Ransom, but to the entire world. Hopefully the reasons for this difficulty have been adequately explained in this book. I will do my best to describe the following meeting.
The year was 2048. Eighteen years later, in as much as people counted years anymore. The relativity of time had become more readily apparent to people.
The security officer walked out of the lobby of the hotel. "Security officer" being the modern term that best describes his job, but not quite covering all that he does. The officer had a good deal of work this day because of the doctor's convention that the hotel was hosting. Again, "doctor's convention" being a modern term that doesn't really explain all that's happening.
The security officer had to take time from his busy schedule to take care of this one problem. He stepped across the lanai which wound around the side of the hotel and down the steps made of blocks of emerald, jasper, chalcedony, and other common building materials. He stepped off the pathway onto the soft grass and made his way to the large garden that surrounded the hotel for dozens of acres in every direction.
A breeze blew through the leaves of the trees. The officer closed his eyes and spoke to the garden at frequencies invisible to the senses he was born with, using a language much more nuanced and complex than the base-consciousness English speech that he uses most of the time. Most of the time, that is, without taking the relativity of time into account.
When he got the information he desired, he opened his eyes and moved through the garden. He came upon her, standing underneath a tangerine tree.
"Jesse, your father is looking for you."
She looked at him with eyes that revealed her precociousness. "Hello officer. I was just looking for a tangerine tree. My father said that there were tangerines out here."
"There are many fruit trees in the garden. That doesn't mean you should come out here without your parents permission."
"This is an Apopka Gold Tangerine tree."she said. "Descended from the stock developed by Brad McClure of Apopka, Central Florida in 2013 while working for the HGP Biotech Corporation. He devoloped it by cross-pollinating genetically modified stocks already patented by HGP with a stock that he genetically modified himself. I found the tree. I just can't reach any fruits."
He looked at her and shook his head. She couldn't have been more than five years old and already she's able to pull obscure data off the Net and assimilate it into her life. Kids these days. He picked a tangerine for her.
"Is my dad angry?" she asked.
"A little."
"Where is he?"
"Right now, he and your mother are listening to their friend speak."
"Doctor Jesse?"
"Yes." he said.
"I was named after her!"
"Yes, I know. Your father told me all about it. He named you after his friend, Dr Jesse Cohen-Moore. Your mother didn't like the name at first. But changed her mind after she met Dr Jesse."
"You know my father?"
"Your father and I have been friends for a long time. I met him when I was your age. He helped my father out when he went to prison. I've been waiting a long time to see you. But you live on Earth, and I've been going to school on the Mars colony for the past few years. You've grown a lot."
The officer reached out and took Jesse by the hand.
"I'm sorry I made you come look for me."
"It's okay, Jesse. I've been working at the resort on this space station every summer for the past three years. Kids are always losing themselves, especially at the theme park next door."
"How did you find me?"
"The space station told me."
"The space station can talk?"
"Yep. You can talk to the self sufficient biosphere, if you know how."
The two made their way to the hotel. Jesse noticed that he walked with a conspicuous limp. "Did you hurt your leg?"
"No. I hurt my back, a long time ago, before I was born while I was still in my mother's womb. It's hard to walk sometimes. I still have a couple years of therapy left."
"Does it hurt?"
"Sometimes, praise God. I would never trade away that pain."
"I'm sorry if it hurt while you were looking for me."
He laughed. "You are a very considerate young lady. But it's okay, Jesse. Everything is going to be all right."
And with the faith of a child, she believed him.
The International Zone, Baghdad
March, 2005
The year was 2048. Eighteen years later, in as much as people counted years anymore. The relativity of time had become more readily apparent to people.
The security officer walked out of the lobby of the hotel. "Security officer" being the modern term that best describes his job, but not quite covering all that he does. The officer had a good deal of work this day because of the doctor's convention that the hotel was hosting. Again, "doctor's convention" being a modern term that doesn't really explain all that's happening.
The security officer had to take time from his busy schedule to take care of this one problem. He stepped across the lanai which wound around the side of the hotel and down the steps made of blocks of emerald, jasper, chalcedony, and other common building materials. He stepped off the pathway onto the soft grass and made his way to the large garden that surrounded the hotel for dozens of acres in every direction.
A breeze blew through the leaves of the trees. The officer closed his eyes and spoke to the garden at frequencies invisible to the senses he was born with, using a language much more nuanced and complex than the base-consciousness English speech that he uses most of the time. Most of the time, that is, without taking the relativity of time into account.
When he got the information he desired, he opened his eyes and moved through the garden. He came upon her, standing underneath a tangerine tree.
"Jesse, your father is looking for you."
She looked at him with eyes that revealed her precociousness. "Hello officer. I was just looking for a tangerine tree. My father said that there were tangerines out here."
"There are many fruit trees in the garden. That doesn't mean you should come out here without your parents permission."
"This is an Apopka Gold Tangerine tree."she said. "Descended from the stock developed by Brad McClure of Apopka, Central Florida in 2013 while working for the HGP Biotech Corporation. He devoloped it by cross-pollinating genetically modified stocks already patented by HGP with a stock that he genetically modified himself. I found the tree. I just can't reach any fruits."
He looked at her and shook his head. She couldn't have been more than five years old and already she's able to pull obscure data off the Net and assimilate it into her life. Kids these days. He picked a tangerine for her.
"Is my dad angry?" she asked.
"A little."
"Where is he?"
"Right now, he and your mother are listening to their friend speak."
"Doctor Jesse?"
"Yes." he said.
"I was named after her!"
"Yes, I know. Your father told me all about it. He named you after his friend, Dr Jesse Cohen-Moore. Your mother didn't like the name at first. But changed her mind after she met Dr Jesse."
"You know my father?"
"Your father and I have been friends for a long time. I met him when I was your age. He helped my father out when he went to prison. I've been waiting a long time to see you. But you live on Earth, and I've been going to school on the Mars colony for the past few years. You've grown a lot."
The officer reached out and took Jesse by the hand.
"I'm sorry I made you come look for me."
"It's okay, Jesse. I've been working at the resort on this space station every summer for the past three years. Kids are always losing themselves, especially at the theme park next door."
"How did you find me?"
"The space station told me."
"The space station can talk?"
"Yep. You can talk to the self sufficient biosphere, if you know how."
The two made their way to the hotel. Jesse noticed that he walked with a conspicuous limp. "Did you hurt your leg?"
"No. I hurt my back, a long time ago, before I was born while I was still in my mother's womb. It's hard to walk sometimes. I still have a couple years of therapy left."
"Does it hurt?"
"Sometimes, praise God. I would never trade away that pain."
"I'm sorry if it hurt while you were looking for me."
He laughed. "You are a very considerate young lady. But it's okay, Jesse. Everything is going to be all right."
And with the faith of a child, she believed him.
The International Zone, Baghdad
March, 2005
posted by Graham at 4:20 AM
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