Stars

Part II (continued) - Generations

Aaron was sleeping when Keri, Jim and Lisa arrived. He had been sleeping most of the morning and was over due for lunch. Nurse Kramer led them into the room quietly and instructed them to remain quiet until Aaron was fully awake. Noiselessly, the three pulled up chairs and arranged themselves around the bed. It occurred to Keri that if Aaron awoke now, he might be taken aback by the circle of sullen faces surrounding him.

As it turned out, her concern was unfounded. He awoke slowly and seemed genuinely pleased by the mindful look on the faces that greeted him.

"What about the forest, Keri?" Somehow, she wasn't surprised that that was his first question"

"It's gone, Aaron. I'm sorry."

"Gone? What do mean? I mean, we can repair any damage... Jim, what does she mean gone?" Instinctively, he turned to his old friend and 'expert'.

"No Aaron, it can't be repaired, it's really gone. The dome had been breached, the structure was collapsing and the dome had to be ejected." He let that soak in a little. "It had to be done Aaron. If the dome blew while it was attached it would damage the surrounding domes, set off a chain reaction. It could have wiped out the whole Ark."

"Yeah, I know Jim. It's just that... gone." Aaron's attention was slipping. He could see the forest so clearly. The squirrels, the deer. His eyes closed now and he could smell the damp vegetation. Keri could see the tear forming in the corner of his eye. She was sure she knew how he felt. This injury would take much longer to heal than broken bones.

Their visit was a quiet one. The whole group remained about 20 minutes, Keri stayed until the floor nurse came to tell her that visiting hours were over. Actually, Aaron had been asleep for several minutes by then. Still, Keri had a hard time tearing herself away. She gently placed his hand under the sheets. Before getting up to go she leaned over and kissed his cheek softly. On the way home she realized that she knew what she wanted. Actually, she had known all along.

*****
The Arks had been in flight sixteen years, eight months, four days, six hours and twenty three minutes when Aaron and Keri became husband and wife. They were first generation. There would be many more before the ships reached their destinations. The area between the two worlds was anything but a void. Aaron's dome was the first of many casualties.

Many species were lost during the flight. Each loss was a blow to the travelers. Each plant and animal was unique. Everything had a purpose in the life cycle. Each species was important to life in it's own way.
Yet the ships held their course. Failure was never considered. There was no Plan B.

The journey continued.