Chapter 18

So, at the convening of potential companions on the day of departure, truth in advertising requires I tell them that not only is there no possibility of ever returning to Earth, even long-term survival on the new planet isn’t a given. There’s pretty much no question that little tidbit will cut into the number of takers. On the other hand, those who do choose to go will be making it clear they’re willing to risk it all, exactly the kind of spirit we’ll need to be successful.

Well, we’ve gone too far to change course now. At least I have. I’ll lay it all on the line and hope for the best. If I wind up being the only non-Ennahai to go, then so be it. I can’t really believe that will be the case, though. If there’s one thing that’s always been true about mankind, it’s that we have an innate drive to explore anything new, given half a chance. How could a true pioneer spirit resist a challenge like this?

Besides, there’s that other element of human nature; as soon as one person voices his or her commitment, others who might be waffling a little bit might follow suit rather than appear to be lesser persons. Vain, competitive creatures that we are, we don’t like being upstaged.

With that in mind, I thought I’d better start looking for qualities in my potential recruits that I hadn’t been all that concerned about before. The kinds of skills and technical knowledge that are highly sought after in a high-speed, computer driven society like we live in aren’t necessarily going to be of a lot of value when we’re struggling to survive in the wild. I recalled the conversation I had with Grandfather way back when I first brought up the idea of seeking out technically and scientifically accomplished men and women to accompany the Ennahai on their one-way journey. I see now that when he asked what qualities I wanted to see in my group, he was seeing a much broader, far more realistic picture than I was.

But then, he is about seven times older and infinitely wiser than I am.

Once I was faced with the reality of the situation, the thought crossed my mind that the age restrictions we were imposing probably weren’t too smart, either. For obvious reasons we couldn’t take kids, but if we were going to make our way in a raw, unconquered wilderness, we would need people with more than just technical and academic smarts. We’d need wisdom, which I define as smarts with a lot of experience behind it. We’d still need breeding stock to begin populating our new home, but maybe a few people with sixty, seventy or even eighty years of accumulated knowledge would justify a few of the slots we were trying to fill ... that is, if they were fit and healthy sixty, seventy and eighty-year-olds. While the rest of us were popping out babies like crazy and providing for our families, surrogate grandparents were going to be valuable additions to the community, and I don’t mean just as nannies. They’d be the teachers, the source of knowledge and lore tying us to our Earthbound progenitors; they’d be our living history.

At the first opportunity, I got together with Steve, Rosa and Gilleena to review what we’d been looking for on our background checks. They all agreed immediately that the inclusion of some older people was the smart thing to do.

I didn’t know how much we could actually determine about who might have good survival skills from the computer screen, but there might be something in the general impression that would be helpful. Most of it, I hoped to glean through our e-mail communications, and those were going to have to begin sooner rather than later.

Our discussions netted a couple of plusses, in my opinion: One was that we got a lot more interested in what people actually did for a living, what kinds of careers and hobbies would be the most functional in a bare-bones situation, and two, I’m pretty sure I saw Steve’s eyes light up when I said we were going to be landing on the new planet with not much more than the clothes on our backs. He’s so much a back-to-the-earth guy that I think that prospect woke something primitive in his brain. Rosa saw it too, and I think it kind of scared her a little bit. She knew it was pushing him strongly toward going, and I don’t think she’s at all sure she wants to.

Anyhow, from then on, we were thinking about a whole different set of qualities as we read over the e-mail responses to our blog postings. And you know what? I started thinking that getting our hundred people wasn’t going to be nearly as tough as I thought.

As autumn of our last year arrived, I had to begin making plans for what I was going to do with my inheritance since it was due to be signed over to me in less than eight months. Since I couldn’t take any of it with me, I needed to unload it to some person or some group that could and would make good use of it.

The last time I’d met with Spencer, he said my total assets were worth sixteen point two million and change. When he told me that, my heart leapt at the thought of all that wealth (I could go out and buy my own S-Class), but the thrill quickly faded when I thought about its real value, what it could do for me and my adopted family. Aside from continuing to make the next few months reasonably comfortable for us, the property, the house and my monthly stipend were a transient convenience. The millions in the bank might as well be Monopoly money for all the value it will have to us once the shuttle leaves Earth for the primary ship.

I’d already decided that if Steve and Rosa decided not to go with us, everything would be signed over to them. They’d certainly get the most from the additional land, and I couldn’t imagine them wasting a penny of the liquid assets. Steve would probably quit his cop job to work full time on the farm.

But I was really hoping to see them on the new world. And if they did go, what then?

This is where I needed some of that wisdom I was talking about, so of course I went to Grandfather and Ninnith. I found them together in her rooms having tea one morning and asked for a few minutes of their time. I explained my dilemma and asked if they’d be willing to offer some suggestions.

Without any hesitation, Ninnith said, “Steve and Rosa have to be the obvious choice; that is, if they don’t go with us. Who else could you possibly consider?”

I agreed, “Yeah, that was my first thought too, but I’m pretty sure Steve really wants to go. I’m not so sure about Rosa, though. If fact, I think they’re still bumping heads over it. What I’m asking is, what should I do with Uncle Sam’s inheritance if they do go? I’ve thought about a couple of groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists and Doctors Without Borders, groups that could really make a difference in the world.

Grandfather sipped his tea and offered, “Jesse, that wealth and this property are yours to do with as you wish, and those groups you just mentioned would be fine choices, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t remind you that not all Ennahai are leaving Earth. Thousands have chosen to stay behind, and these caves and this house are far superior to what most of them live in now. It would be a most generous gesture on your part to offer it as quarters for some of the brothers and sisters now living in relatively squalid conditions. As for the additional wealth, it could be distributed among the remaining clans to help with their daily needs. Of course, and for obvious reasons, you’d need to find some man or woman to be a legal and public representative.

“And here’s something else to consider: Thanks to your blog and our contributions to it, there are already many thousands of men and women who are convinced we really exist. Once the presence of the Travelers in our solar system is no longer a concern, perhaps our ‘coming out’ would be a positive and timely thing. Waiting around in a cave until we’re extinct on this planet is unbecoming to us as a people. We should spend our last years working to restore our Mother Earth in any way we can.”

I smacked myself on the forehead and exclaimed, “Now, why didn’t I think of that? Thanks, Grandfather, that’s exactly what I’ll do! All I need to do now is find the right person, and then I can get Spencer to handle all the legalities. Of course, explaining it to him will take some creative thinking on my part, won’t it?”

On my way back up to the house I thought, “Actually, before I do anything, I need to push Steve and Rosa to make a decision.”

A couple of days later, I was at the farm helping Steve and Rosa bring in the last of the root vegetables and haul a load of them back to the cave. It was a pretty warm day for late October and we were sitting on the tailgate of the Tacoma cooling off with bottles of water.

I risked prodding them to give me a yes or no, even though I knew it was a very touchy subject between them. But I couldn’t wait for a final decision much longer. Rosa was sitting between us. I put my arm around her shoulder and asked, “So, are you guys any closer to a decision on going or staying yet?”

They looked at each other, then looked down shaking their heads. It was a sure bet the topic had been under intense debate. Unfortunately, it wasn’t something that would lend itself to a compromise, and my two cents worth wasn’t going to be of any help. They came as a set, so it was both or neither. They’d go or they’d stay. It was that simple in the end.

Knowing I might evoke an answer I didn’t really want to hear, I bumped up the pressure. “OK, maybe we’ve still got a little time, but there’s something I have to get done fairly soon. See, before we leave, I have to dispose of my assets. There’s over sixteen million in cash, property and investments, plus over a hundred and thirty grand in my personal bank accounts. I have to tell you, I’m really hoping you guys are going to be with us on that ship, but if you decide not to go, I’m inclined to sign over the whole shootin’ match to the two of you.”

Rosa looked up at me and gasped, “Jesse! You can’t be serious! Why on earth would you do something like that?”

Steve said nothing, but he shot me a disappointed look, knowing I’d just made his argument for going that much harder. I felt bad about it, but I needed an answer.

Then I offered the option Grandfather suggested, the one where I turned everything over to the Ennahai who were staying behind. I explained how the house and caves could be used as a center for their Elders to gather and discuss issues to be made public as their existence gradually grew to be accepted by the outside world.

Proving they were real wouldn’t be much of an issue. Hell, you’d only have to see one of them naked, or run a simple DNA test to prove they were a different species. Once accepted, they could maybe lend the story of their plight to environmental protection groups to push the need for coordinated, worldwide action before mankind found itself in the same predicament; i.e., slowly drifting toward extinction in a toxic world of their own making. I had no idea if any of that was even possible because I was making it up as I went along. It sounded good, though.”

Steve grabbed onto it and asked, “Are you saying the remaining Ennahai are going to go public after the ship leaves?”

“Well, why wouldn’t they? Look, the blog already has a huge number of people convinced already, and once that ship leaves the solar system, there’s no escape for the ones left behind. Sure, they can continue to live hidden away in caves for another hundred years or so until they’ve died out, but what kind of a life is that for an Elf? If they can stir up some major shit around the world about what’s happening, then why wouldn’t they? Can you imagine the pressure on the governments and the captains of industry once their story hits the media? Jesus, everyone, every grown-up or child who’s ever read a Tolkien book will be up in arms!”

I must have sounded like I was on a soapbox, but I liked what was coming out of my mouth. Maybe I could stir a little shit of my own before I disappeared into the void.

Rosa made a decision on the spot, but not exactly the one I wanted to hear.

She took my dirty hand in hers and squeezed. “Then that’s what you’re going to do, Jesse! You’ll leave it all to the Ennahai, and we’d be honored to serve their cause in any way we can.”

Steve looked at his wife and chuckled, “If we stay, I’m with you all the way, wife. If we stay. My feet are getting itchier by the minute.”