Aerospace I : The Lunar Cycle

Aerospace I : Lunar Warp

Lunar Warp

by Gordon Best

Introduction

These small novels are a cycle that lasted almost a year. 2014

Chapter 1 : University

Ernie and I met in University, agricultural studies. It might have been the first day. I was looking at my time table and trying to figure out where the Soils 101 lecture hall was. I heard him across the way stumbling and swearing up the steps. He found his way to me and almost knocked me over.

He said, "Sorry fellow. Had a rough night, now my clutch won't shove into gear. Looking for Soil 101."

A young fresh lass appeared. She pointed to room 206. "That is it. Easy as pie. I took it last year."

I looked her over with interest, as I grabbed Ernie's arm, and steered him to the door.

I said, "We should not be late. We will sit at the back. You look a little hung over."

"Thanks, appreciate it!" and we sat down for an easy course.

I was yearning for knowledge and knew all about different climate soils and mineral balances. I also understood how corporations were running the show. I was a little puzzled about where I would work after graduation. A square peg, but I found out that Ernie was doing agriculture in real life.

His family were native, and they lived near Candle Lake. Farmed co-op, 100 hectares, north of here. Grain, vegetables and some fruit. He did not normally drink, but could not refuse to join some local brothers the night before.

By the following day, we were fast friends. We are both delayed students. I am 24, he is 25. I worked hard down in the potash mines, five years sweating, and I saved my money. The last year was shear torture. My body was growing allergic to salt.

Ernie got sponsored to the university. His parents were very proud of him.

For two years we breezed through. We were just finishing that year's exams, when Ernie got a call to drop everything and come north. He was needed for greater things. I was unhappy and surprised. I did not want to continue my course without him. If Ernie was not going to be there... I threw over an offer to work in the potash and joined Ernie as he drove a rental car north. Ernie let his people know I was coming and put in a good word for me. I had no idea what was up.

We stood just outside of Meath Park, looking north off highway 55. Just standing by the car parked off road. A great deep hole had been dug and monster machines were dumping man-sized rocks into it by the hundreds.

We both stood there and finally I asked my thoughtful friend.

"What is the hole for? It must be 4km long."

"Three actually! It is 300 metres wide and 40 metres deep."

"And?"

"It is all part of an experiment. They're trying to imitate the lava tubes at Plato South."

"You part of this Moon bunch?"

"I guess so. But I haven't thought about it much lately."

"So what now?" I asked.

"We wait. Someone is coming from Candle Lake. You let me do the talking and don't stare."

I tried to do what he said. We found a couple of comfortable rocks, well out of the way and watched the comings and goings most of the day. Ernie left me at one point and came back with some food from town. We settled in again.

A young woman approached. I was curious. From one of the nearby farms? But she had a driver with her. I just about got up to talk to her, but Ernie gave me a look and I let him start.

"You are Doris." he held out his hand and touched hers. "I am honoured to meet you. I am Ernie."

I stood up. "This is my friend Basil. We were in school together. We would like to work together."

This was all very mysterious. He was treating her like a tribal elder. How was she in charge?

It turned out that Doris Ravenchild was very much in charge. Anyone who showed great ability was written into her books and if you failed her, she soon forgot you. She ran the shuttle base at Candle Lake. It was her and family that were helping the native peoples of the north.

She gave us our jobs that afternoon. The rocks continued being dumped into that giant hole.

Chapter 2 : Potatoes

Peru. She was sending us there to collect a good cross-section of the potatoe varieties. 200 good bunches would be enough. Then we were to return and try to grow them here under lunar conditions.

I was a little bit shaken. Was I going to be in charge of food supplies going out into space? Potatoes are the most versatile food, next to rice, in the world. Spuds, apples of the earth, karteflu, patata. I did not even speak Spanish. Nor did Ernie. It was my first trip out of Canada.

Ernie invited me up to his parents farm. Doris had arranged that a young woman from Saskatoon come to teach us Spanish. Rita got her own room and I had mine. She was young, sweet and single. I had barely started to think of her as a possible mate, when I noticed just how flustered Ernie was. I left him to it.

I have a good grasp for western languages. I have french and latin from high school and I can speak passable canadian french. Two weeks of Rita's lessons and using the pad exercises, I was ready to face Peru. Ernie was not so quick at it. Rita was a true hormonal wave for him.

We shipped out on a Monday. Doris arranged for our passports and we were on a plane to L.A. I traveled with a shoulder bag. Ernie brought much more but his luggage got lost along the way. He was doubly sad, because Rita was so far away. We settled into our hotel in Lima and laid back on the two beds in our room.

"You going to ask her to marry you?" I asked Ernie.

"She sure is beautiful. If I do marry, it will be someone like her." he answered.

"Talk to her. Every night, let her know that you are thinking of her. Don't let her forget you."

I was a little jealous of him. To be in love. There is no better feeling. Maybe some day it will happen to me.

We were five months in Peru. It was not just a few trips to the markets in Lima. We traveled inland. We needed motor bikes with knobby tires. Meeting people, who sometimes spoke other local languages and not spanish.

People grew special potatoes passed down through their family. You only heard about this because potatoes, of these rare breeds, were used as gifts between neighbours.

A professor Ramon Montez in Lima, at the University, was our assistant. He got all the permissions for us, helping us to get the tubers out of the country. We had to wash them clean and be very careful not to knock the eyes off. They were seed potatoes.

Doris told us to change our agenda. She had received about 300 varieties from us. She wanted us to collect maize (corn), squash and vine beans. The hardier cold climate types. 'The three sisters'.

When I first said those words out loud, Ernie burst out laughing. I asked him why.

"I have three cousins. They work out of Candle Lake. You don't want to tangle with them. Triplets, flaming red hair, mind readers. Don't mention that to anyone. They work up on the rigs. Lash down the freight in orbit. They handle the stuff being sent to the Chinese habitats, and the Canadian south wall."

At that point, I realized that Ernie knew a lot about the Moon program. I got him to tell me in our quieter times.

Ernie said, "You know that this is top secret stuff. I am not supposed to know. A lot of natives do know and the stories circulate. I am a little closer than most. I can filter out a lot of the lies." said Ernie. His mother was a cousin to Doris' mother.

So we traveled inland and high up into the Andes. The thinner the air, the better. I noticed some other plants like bamboo and hemp. I got cuttings just for my own interest.

When we got back to Canada, Meath Park, there was a complete transformation in front of us. A huge three kilometre long geodesic zome. Everything was complete and there were spraying thick black paint over the plastic segments to stop any sunlight entering the structure.

* * *

"They want it as close to the lunar lava tube as they can get." commented Ernie. "All the soil inside has been baked to kill any living parts. The light is artificial and the heat is low. Soils on our end will be below 17C. The air will never be allowed to go above 24C. There is a simple airlock we have to use, going in and out. We enter near naked and dress in standard uniforms that never leave the zome."

Life was getting very interesting. I had to start thinking like a Luny. (A Canadian resident of the Moon. Not a Canadian one dollar coin which is loonie.)

Chapter 3 : My Years as an Earth Scientist.

The zome was completely self-sufficient. I could show you the large water re-circulation tank and the thorium reactor just outside on the east end of the zome. There were pipe radiators, buried two metres down that keep the soil cooled at 15-16C. The air was fan forced, and cooled to 15-20C. At the other end of the zome temperatures were higher. We had nothing to do with the tropical section. A massive insulated wall separated us.

Some of the lava tubes on the Moon will be exploited for agriculture and habitat. Plato South has one operating but has a system installed that does not allow for warm temperatures. It is colder during the 14 days of darkness each month.

The thorium-reactor is a test case and if successful, a copy will be shipped up there in a specially designed shuttle. They will also be used on the orbital rigs, moving freight between Earth and the Moon.

Ernie and I spent the first week just familiarizing ourselves with the zome's interior. We ordered 12 large garden huts to be placed about. I wanted benches and tables in different locations, so I could do my work without coming all the way back to HQ. We got benches and gazebos for our comfort.

HQ was just a garden shed set up as an office, and we had several picnic tables under canvas. The workers could gather there and have coffee breaks. There was a shower area and public toilets, the composting type. I had my own 'tool shed' made up as a living quarters. It had two bunks, a little heater and a small kitchen.

I had something on my mind and mentioned it to Ernie. "Should the outside of our end of the zome be painted black? Black attracts heat but we need to keep the air cool." I let Ernie think about that one. Three days later the painters were back and the paint was white.

Visiting with Ernie at his parents' farm was a little uncomfortable. He was always with Rita and his mother would secretly hit on me. So I stayed at the zome.

There was only the two guards outside. On the weekends, the other workers were in Saskatoon partying or with their families. I had my home, in the zome, and I felt no need to socialize on weekends. It gave me lots of time to think.

We arranged the gardens in a square grid. The paths were a metre wide. The mounds or plots were two by two metres.

We brought in two very new mini-dozers with front loaders and backhoes. They would not ever leave the site. We used them for everything. Battery driven power houses. We dug out cold storage areas (basically root cellars) and I allowed for good ventilation control. The door would not open if the air did not test to a certain standard.

I had several custom wagons built that could be towed behind one of the dozers. These we used for planting and harvesting. Doris sent down rockwool cloths (rolls 40m long). They were rejects, materials from the conveyor systems belts. There was a lot of tunnel boring on the Moon and many kilometres of conveyor belt systems. The belts were made in Candle Lake. Some had faults that were too difficult to repair so we got the rejects.

These belts were slightly wider than one metre but fit nicely between our garden plots. So we were ready to start planting. We imported a ton of earthworms and 50 tons of gypsum dust (calcium sulfate, CaSO4.2H2O). It would have been nice to start with some good compost.

The potatoes that we started first were standard North American types, with some Icelandic, Norwegian and German.

The lighting systems also included radiant heat lights. These hung lower from the roof and were controllable as to where they pointed. Everything in the zome was connected to the controllers. Slow drip hosing was fed into all the active growing plots (and under the path clothes).

Every week we had a crew of thirty-eight young people come in from Monday to Thursday. They did a lot of the planting and harvesting as well as preparing new plots and installing irrigation.

When we found that most of the potatoes grew well, even without fertilizers, we planted all the Peru potatoes. As time went by, we composted the plots and added nutrients to the drip system. I understand that adding a small fish to each potato hole increased the growth rate of any plant, but we were not allowed to do this.

Everything was recorded and a database was sent on to Doris. The info was then passed on to a woman named Mary.

Then we planted our three sisters. First the corn, then the beans and squash. We had a system of hoses that could be moved along, using the young people's help. Here we also used the radiant heat lights.

But I was interested in something different. Doris encouraged me to follow my hunches. Fibres. Not everything can be made from rockwool fibers. They are amazing. I know that it is one of the Moon's first successful products. I had brought back from Peru bamboo sprouts, flax seeds and hemp seeds. Doris provided seeds from other sources.

So I sowed. While the other plants were growing nicely, I planted hemp in long rows, bamboo in our 2by2 plots and flax in two metre wide rows. At this point we broke the rules and moved in tons of composted material. We baked it well before hand. The flax I knew would not grow without extra help. It got lots of moisture and gentle winds. (there is composting on the Moon)

After most of the planting, we asked for and got ducks and geese, chickens and bees. This meant a couple of our garden sheds became chicken coops. A pond was built on the far side of the potato rows. I asked for some pond fish.

Doris came to take a look. It was three months after our starting. On seeing her from a distance, I was not seeing the little girl. She made a double take on seeing me.

I said, "I saw you as you entered and looked over here. What was it that surprised you?" I asked. She is very much out of my territory.

"I thought I saw someone. The way you walked. There is this friend of mine."

"And you are missing him. Badly I think." I said. I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her.

"Well we better get down to business." she said.

I walked over to her and put my arms about her. She melted there for a moment. Then I stepped back.

"You really needed that and so did I. I am just glad to see you, as my life has been rather lonely."

She looked me up and down. "Maybe I can do something about that."

So she told me about the woman that had just moved to the Moon, Mary.

"Mary will be in charge of all the data you send from here. She will visit every three months and do a complete survey of the progress. Because of the 18 day round-trip, she will physically come only once a year. The other times, I will send someone, who has some garden interest. They will wear a camera hat that Mary can communicate with. She will be virtually with you. I left the helmet in the HQ." Doris explained.

I was waiting. What had this to do with curing my loneliness?

"They will be single young women. You get to spend the day with them. I also want to leave you with some soybeans I have collected. Start planting them and the ones you brought back from Peru. There are so many uses for this plant."

She phoned the next time, a couple of hours before she came. "You got room in your life for me today?" she asked.

"Light of my life please come. I will be your Thai chef tonight." I answered. And I am a good chef. The secret is in the way you cut the vegetables and the heat in the sauce.

I was excited, when she came in the door. She told her driver to come back at 10PM. (that is when the lights go out.) We walked in the garden and she made comments on how it had grown so much. The composting had become fiercer and the soil was improving. I developed new rows for the expansion of the Peru potatoes. They were producing five to six potatoes for each seed planted. The third crop would prove that we had enough seed to start shipping to Plato South. Doris wanted to put them right on the shuttle.

"One hundred kilos of seed only replaces one passenger. Once a week. We can have most of the seed in place by the end of next year."

We walked hand in hand and it felt so good. We both knew that this was not a perfect match. But to have a woman in your arms. A beautiful intelligent young woman, with all of her, raging to be with you. I was almost helpless.

She came most weeks, either Saturday or Sunday. We never went near my hut, but toured the garden and found benches to sit on and places where the radiant lights were shining. I knew where the cameras were.

She showed me the 'eye kiss'. At first, I did not understand what she was doing. Our lashes brushed together and I started to notice my body heat building. The next time we did it, I put more into it and Doris started shaking in my arms.

I commented. "I don't believe it."

She answered. "Ditto."

So this was not going to be an innocent relationship. Still, I held off rushing her to my hut and taking her clothes off. We often were happy just sitting for hours, saying little. Each time she arrived, she had a new batch of seeds. This went on for two years.

She was not making it easy for me. There was something in her that was testing me. Every three months, she would send a most attractive young woman. Touring the garden on a Saturday morning. I would try to get my eyeballs back into my head and then show the fair one, how to wear the hat. It would be Mary that was talking to me and for a while I could forget the one in front of me.

One time the pretty woman left and I was sitting down with a hat on the table in front of me.

Mary said each time, "Was that the one? I saw her a couple of times in the washroom mirror. She forgot to take the helmet off."

"Doris is having her fun. I like the beautiful ones, the brilliant ones are even better. If this one really desired me, she would not have run off."

"I know. I would have stayed. That is, if I was young and single." said Mary. "Well, I will be with you in six months. Bye, bye."

And she was gone. But I knew through Ernie's slip, that she was a mind reader and if we wanted, I could be the hat.

A voice spoke in my head. "You want to try that? We can discuss it when I get there."

The next girl was long and slim. She showed great smarts but little social IQ. I liked the way she moved and I smiled to let her know. She still did not linger after the work day. I soon forgot her.

* * *

Mary entered the zome when I was in the farthest field. About 2 kilometres away. I felt her presence and the following explosion. It threw me up against the young bamboo plants and snapped a few off. When I lifted my head and looked around a voice spoke in my head.

"That is some greeting for a friend. You never greeted Doris that way." said Mary.

I had a vision of Mary picking herself up out of the alfalfa. I walked a little unsteady to the zome entrance. She was sitting on a bench holding her head.

I sat down next to her. "I won't tell Doris if you don't."

"Agreed. This would not go over well. We should not tempt fate."

I said, "Call me a fool but you are beautiful."

"I already know what you think. Now I have to be careful what I say. They tell tales that dogs yawn when their masters yawn. That must be what happened here."

"You love me and are wondering how you are going to get through this day without dragging me into bed." I said.

"Well, it is fresh to get everything out in the open. We must not touch each other. That I know. Did you know Anthony Perera is my husband and he was Doris' first."

I told her about the dirt on her behind but did not offer to remove it. I did however brush myself off and went into HQ to grab my notes.

"I don't believe there is any good reason for us to delay?" I said.

We did much the same as we had done the three months before. She was there and very much in my head. I stopped talking and only thought the words. She replied loud enough, that I heard her every word. So we continued like that. I had to catch my breath and rest my mind every half hour or so.

It was not just her thoughts in my head, but I was picking up her feelings. She had a fascination for my backside.

"Can you look somewhere else in the garden. I can feel your lust." I said.

"But you are much prettier than the garden." she thought.

I walked away and left her standing alone for a while.

"Sorry, I was being rude. This is all new to me. That you are able to read me so well." Mary apologized.

I prepared lunch and we calmed down, while she told me and showed me vistas of the Moon base. And how most of the tube was waiting for this field.

"Your methods here are ideal for the tube. You have been careful enough. I am confident that the same approach will work in our lava tube. By the time I return, they will be opening up the second tube. It has a small lake at one end. The two thorium-reactors we have set up are providing enough heat to keep the reservoir water temperatures above 13C. That water is used to first cool the reactors and then heat the soil in the tubes."

"It is good to have half an hour of calm." I stated.

She smiled. "It might be better for us to talk out loud. Keep us out of mischief. " she said. She talked of an experiment.

"So I will become the helmet. Should be interesting. And you will be safely a world away."

She just grimaced. "I don't think I will ever be safe from you." she replied.

We managed to complete the entire tour. I had started many rows of fruit trees. Peaches, plums, apples and pears. Cherries, apricots, walnuts and cashews. These were all woven into a long trellis, made from some of the young bamboo. My crew worked hard this last week and there were many rows.

"I like the fiber idea." said Mary. "We want to see what you come up with. Ask Doris to run down some older machines for carding, spinning and a cotton gin. The linen and hemp can be woven together. The bamboo makes a nice shiny material. Maybe it could be woven with the rockwool. The linen from flax is going to be a bitch. I am looking for an expert. One who can come and work with you."

"When you find her, I will drop you like a brick." I teased.

"Ah, such temptation. I did not know it was coming." There were tears in her eyes. I hugged her virtually.

"Thank you."

I just stood there for a long time holding her in my mind and kissing her neck and ear.

Her driver was standing behind her and she became aware. "I say good-bye for now. It was a blast."

I grimaced and she walk away.

Cancel the Helmet Experiment

I told Mary, as I was laying in bed, that she should just do the virtual visit as usual. After thinking about it, I knew it would be too much for my head. To go all day with someone else in my mind. Mary suggested that we try something after the new girl had left.

"You are assuming that she will leave." I thought.

"You can be a very scary fellow, Mr. Graves." she replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Most women like to feel close to her man. But you go beyond close. It is as if you move right in to the girl's body. You are an energy to be reckoned with." Mary said.

"Oh!" I replied. "I always thought that was what everyone does."

"No! I don't suppose you could lighten up?"

"No chance. It is normal for me. Just like you, I have to find that person who is comfortable with the way I am."

"You could be waiting a while." Mary thought.

I fell asleep. "Stay out of my dreams Mary!"

Chapter 4 : Cotton Ginny

I worked hard the next few weeks. Doris had sent me some equipment. They found a place near the compost piles. I stretched a canopy over them. I tried everything out. It did not go well. Then Marta Rodin arrived. Doris confirmed she was legit. She came out of Manitoba. She was from Le Pas, a french village in the north. She spoke with a gentle accent and I wondered if these were the lips of love.

But I had to get down to business. I asked how long she was staying. I fixed her a coffee and offered her some fresh maple cookies. I spoke for a while in french so she knew that I could help her.

She did not know the length of the assignment. It had all happened so suddenly. The money was very good. A job that she got little for back home. She was about 30 years old. Had worked in three different textile mills in New Brunswick and Maine.

I showed her the machines, I had been experimenting with. Then the rows of hemp and flax. She thought I could get a lot of product from the plants. They were ready to harvest. I then showed her the bamboo I was growing. She was not impressed. So I took her next door.

The hot side had a heap of bamboo. The crew here, were spending a lot of time, trying to keep it under control.

Marta said, "Now this is impressive. If we can get a couple of tons of this bamboo... I promise you the threads that you want. We will use a twill weave, with the rockwool threads. Produce something close to denim. But I will need to call a friend from Gimli. He has the skills to process this. I will give you a list of the supplies I need."

I told her to go ahead. Made an order that included a sewing machine and an advanced weaving machine.

Doris was saying on the phone, "And where is the woman planning on staying. I don't want her making house by her machines. That place is our santuary and I don't want any eyes about."

"You should get her a place in town." (Meath Park about seven kilometres away) "Her friend might want to stay with her." I added.

"Tell her I will pay any cab fares." said Doris. "And make it plain. No weekend working."

"As you wish commander. See you on Saturday?"

"I will call ahead." Doris answered.

I was relieved that Marta was not going to be allowed to gum up the works. She did start working late. Her friend stepped right in, and was a whiz at solving problems. His name was Gunnar Stephenson and he was big and blond and obviously was a great fan of Marta's.

They harvested the flax and saved the valuable seeds. I would send them on to Plato South. The hemp produced a few bales of fibre. The bamboo proved itself. The denim was good enough, that they made a dozen sets of jeans for use as part of our uniforms. Marta made a linen hemp weave and crafted a purple died dress, which she liked to wear, while Gunnar looked on. I sent pics to Doris. She sent back sizes, and an order for three dozen. The women in the offices, all wanted one. A full skirt down to the knee.

So when Doris arrived, one weekend, she was wearing that purple dress. She usually wore pants. This was dangerous stuff. When we sat together, I kept looking down at her bare knees. She knew what I was thinking. She was letting me know. Two and a half years had gone by. I pleaded, in my mind to have some mercy. Finally all my walls fell away.

I stood up and lifted her up, so I could put my arms around her. This was it.

My body and my knees started shaking. It seemed that the lights in the zome were flickering. I looked down at the beautiful Doris and she slumped in my armed. Completely fainted away. I called to her. I tapped her face, but she was really out. Then I threw the small woman, in the purple dress, over my shoulder.

I never thought, that this was the way she would come to my home. I laid her out on my bed and covered her. Then I got a cold wet cloth and held it to her forehead. Nothing could wake her. But she did not have a fever. I had never noticed her sick. I was not really worried. It seemed to me that work had piled up on her.

I called her driver and told him she was staying the night. He seemed a little hesitant.

"She is exhausted. The only place she can relax is here. I am looking at her now sleeping in my bed. Seven o'clock in the evening. She is out cold." I showed him. I spoke the truth. He seemed to understand.

She woke about noon the next day. I was outside in the garden, working on the database.

"What happened? How did I get in your bed?"

"You fainted. Exhausted I guess. It also shows that I am not your man. Just the thought has paralyzed your system.

I continued, "Mary told me that I was scary. I come on too strong."

I told her about my first meeting with physical Mary. "And she is married to Anthony."

"I know Anthony. He was nothing like you were yesterday." she commented.

"It probably explains, why I am a virgin at 29." I said it.

"I sort of knew that."

I fixed her an ample lunch and we talked about small things. Then I told Doris to phone her driver and tell him that she was staying another night. She obeyed me.

I sent her back to bed and arranged my other mattress on one of the lunch tables. I went in and kissed sleeping beauty, then went out to work on one of my new projects.

It is funny, that we know so much and say so little. Doris and I were now over. We had been lovers in the most sensual way. Every nerve was involved, even though our clothes stayed on. But we were people waiting for something else. We needed to be apart. It was hard to tell her that. I had to be the one to say. She was too weak to make the effort. Monday morning early, I woke her and told her to get dressed. Her driver was coming. I told her then over rich coffee.

I explained again, "I think it could be another week or so before you get your strength back. You have been playing with fire. If you had just held off wearing that purple dress. But it was a joy for me."

She had the saddest face. She said, "I am running out of ideas. The best girls I have sent do find you scary. And that surprises me."

"Maybe there is someone you would never think of sending?"

Then the driver arrived.

I worked through the next month without any pleasant interuptions, just Ernie and the workers. Then one Saturday afternoon I saw Rosa across the garden entering and looking around. I held my hand up and waved. She made her way towards me.

Rosa is Doris' aunt, sister of her mother. "I need to talk to you." she said, as she approached. "We will need to sit down."

I pointed to a bench and sat down beside her.

She continued. "What happened between you and Doris? She is definitely depressed, and she was so happy the last couple of years."

I looked at her. She was older, maybe 40 years. Very good looking. Lots of curves.

"You going to answer me?" she asked. Iron was in her voice.

"I can't answer you, but I can show you... You find me attractive. Maybe a good catch."

She was a little rattled. A few moments passed. "God, yes. But why do you ask?"

"Before I met Doris and that was before the zome opened, I never knew much about myself. My parents died when I was 17. After highschool, I worked operating machinery. Then Doris started showing up here, when I was alone on the weekends. She thought I was worth her time. In all this period, we never slept together. I am sure she wanted to, but something in me kept holding off."

"I don't believe it. You were not banging her all this time. She had a glorious time with Anthony." she said boldly.

"I started to understand, what was going on inside me. A talk with Mary and she helped me see straight. I am still a virgin."

She looked at me a long time, "Well, what is it you want to show me?"

I had already started. "Just go along with me and don't try to resist me. Then you will learn." I was without any doubt that this would work. We walked around the gardens and I told her about what we were doing here. At one point, I reached out and held her hand.

She gasp, but I gave her a look and she did not resist. About an hour later, I stopped and turned to her. She melted into my arms and I kissed her cheek and her neck. We walked on and I kept talking. I could tell she was not hearing anything, but the tone of my voice. I turned to Rosa again and ran my left finger along her jaw line. She turned red in the face and shook. I indicated for her not to say anything. I leaned over and pressed my right eye to hers. After a minutes she fainted.

I sat Rosa down on the bench behind her. I had been pretty sure it was about to happen. Because of Doris, I knew how to do it and that meant that Doris was extremely strong.

I laid Rosa down on the bench, and went to get a pillow and a blanket. She was out for another two hours. When she woke, I had a thermos of coffee ready for her and some cookies.

"You have been out for two hours. I told your driver to go into town until you called."

"I had no idea. What was that?" she asked.

"I was hoping you could tell me. Doris is too emotionally involved."

She sat there sipping out of the thermos cup. "I will try to explain the way I felt. At first I was struck by how desirable you are. It is not because you are so handsome. And you are. I was feeling rather normal until you held my hand. Then my innards started going wacky. When you held me and kissed me, I was lost and there was nothing I could do to stop you doing what you liked. Then we walked on and I was in a daze. When you stopped the next time, and stroked my jaw, everything broke loose down south. And then you kissed me with your eye. It was too much." she sat there shaking her head. "A storm ran through my head and then there was this explosion."

I waited a minute. "Now you can understand. Dear Doris held strong for years. She just kept coming back for more. She fed on it. Then she wore the purple dress and I lost all control."

She sat quiet for a few minutes.

"Well, thank you for showing me. It is something I will never forget." she gathered up her things and I walked her to the door.

"I must say that you are a very attractive woman and the man who gets you will be very blessed."

"Oh, I have a man, and I would appreciate you not saying anything."

I could not have done it, if she had not been attractive. There were pheromones flying from the time that I waved to her.

After this, I had to say good-bye to Marta and Gunner. They were moving to Candle Lake with most of the textile machines. They were working with the engineers to reproducing smaller and lighter devices. To be packed up and sent to Plato South. Then they would move themselves as well. They made a good couple.

Chapter 5: Kimberly

Now I was depressed and sad. Something had died. There was no help for me, and I would always be alone. Winter was well upon us.

Doris sent new girls to wear the helmet. But somehow I knew, someone else was doing the choosing. The young women did not have a lot of interest in the garden, and I could not get into them. Probably a good thing.

Then one weekend, when I was ready to take it easy. No plans. No projects. Just a light book to read and lots of sweets to chew on. Kimberly entered the zome. I had my head down and I was not facing in that direction. She stood single and quietly. Just a slim small young woman dressed in simple clothes, a wool dress down to her ankles. A dirty orange cap on her head. It was full winter outside and you could hear the wind howling across the roof.

I walked slowly over to see her. The storm seemed to be rising. I stopped in front of her and she was looking up at me.

"Doris said... I would find someone to show me around. I was on my way to Candle Lake... Just got this feeling." she stopped.

I was staring at her, and I am sure I did not say anything rude. She held out her right hand and I, the idiot, reached out.

It was me who fell to the ground. When I woke up, I could hear this wild cackling laughter. I knew that voice. But nothing was clear, as I tried to get up. Kimberly was standing over me with the phone to her ear, and a very puzzled expression on her face. I kneeled and staggered up, then headed to the HQ. I made some coffee and sat down watching the young woman listening, to this insane voice on the line.

I held up my cup and her empty one. She put the pad away, came over and sat down across from me. I filled her cup.

"Should we start over. My name is Basil Graves and you are?"

"I am Kimberly McLean, of the McLean family. Youngest daughter." she was just trying to get the facts across.

"And you are here... because you suddenly got curious, Miss Kimberly?"

"I guess so. But maybe I should have given it a miss. It has caused you some distress."

"Just in a days work for me. What did you do?" I asked.

"I work as a medicine woman in the Gulf Islands... I used to work with my teacher, but she died a couple of years ago. It is a dangerous place for a girl my age. I carry these tranquilizers patches at all times. Just for protection."

She was beginning to look sorry for her mistake. She said, "It was Doris on the phone."

Kimberly looked at me more closely. "I really don't understand... why I had that fight or flight reaction."

"Doris understood it." I smiled and the clouds moved away, the winds calmed and the lights flickered.

Kimberly had tears running down her face. Her body started bouncing as she broke out into a full wailing.

"I don't understand. What is going on!" she asked.

What else could I do! I stood up and went around to hold her in my arms. I stood behind her, as she cried. Then I sat down beside her. Held her as if it was the last thing...

She fainted, but it was only for a moment. Then she woke and looked serious at me. I sat back because she had stopped sobbing.

I commented. "You think I know what is going on? I have lived in this zome for the last three years. The world goes its own merry way. You are out there. You have lived on the Moon. You tell me what is happening?"

She just looked at me. "Mary!" she says out loud. "What is going on. God. Is anyone left with a sane word."

I called out loud. "Mary! You calm down and tell her something."

She said. "You found her boy and I am very happy for you."

I looked over at Kimberly and she looked at me. I got up and went for a long walk about the garden. When I returned, Kimberly had taken off her coat and made herself familiar with the HQ. There was enough food about. She fixed a meal for us.

Kim said, "Have a seat. Mary thinks you are my other half. I am not so sure. My life has been from one disaster to another. I don't trust that idea."

"You are right. It is easy to get into trouble. That is why I have been sequestered in this hole. Still trouble comes to me."

The food was good. The company was cute as mushrooms. God my heart was racing. Sweat was running down my forehead.

"Is there something wrong with the food?" she asked.

I reached over and held her hand. The world exploded as never before. When I woke up I was slumped over the table her hands were under my cheeks. She was coming around. I smiled and she smiled.

"I think Mary was right." I said. "You are my equal. My mate. My other half." It was welling out of me. The silly feeling that I needed to ask her. "I don't want to be separate from you ever again."

She smiled. "I was talking to Doris, when you walked away. She said you are a virgin. So am I. This is crazy but who ever said it wouldn't be?"

Something shift inside me. In my soul. She saw what I was doing. Then there was just us, no me, no her.

"Wooh!" Kimberly shouted. "What do we do now. I think we are stuck inside."

"I think I will get a broom and make myself at home." I said.

She moved in and I widened my upper bunk so we could sleep comfortably. We tried to limit our love making to the bed, as we kept passing out and only part way through. Just a few minutes.

* * *

She knew a lot of stuff. I had a large area still uncultivated, at the far side of the zome. She arranged to plant many of the seeds, brought from Lewis Island. They were mostly medicinal.

She was treating me with different plants. Medicines, to balance my system. I was a little low in iron and zinc.

There was a lot of stuff happening around us. Not that I really noticed. It was all Kimberly. Now I understood Ernie. He was gone to the Moon with Rita. Doris had a new boyfriend and they were off next week. He would help to build the wheelships going to Mars. Rosa phoned. She was leaving as well.

Rosa said, "You and Kimberly have started something. When you two got together it was a cyclone. I know it was you. You showed me."

"Have a good trip. He is a lucky guy to take my love away." I answered.

Khloe arrived about three weeks into our new arrangement. "I could not wait any longer." she said, walking slowly into the zome. Kimberly ran to help her. We sat around and I got to know Kimberly's next older sister. They were more like twins, two years apart. They finished each others sentences. But Khloe was noticing how her sister had changed.

She looked at me with a serious expression. "Where is my little sister? She is looking at me with different eyes."

Kimberly answered. "You just wait till it happens to you. Believe it or not we are one person. It is a mystery to me too."

Khloe was instructing her younger sister. "They want you back in the crater. People are getting sick. Take him with. I know Doris has plans for him. He is the expert on the new plants."

"You got any news about the wheelships?" So they talked and I listened. Then I fixed a big Thai meal and had fresh peaches and cherries in soya cream for dessert.

I fix up a bed near the weaving machine for Khloe. It was well covered and had drapes for privacy. Khloe helped out the next few days. It seemed that I was saying my good-byes to all the plants. I had apprentices, whom I was training. It was time to let them know.

The committee, that had taken over for Doris, was informed that we were ready. The day we headed north to the shuttle base, Khloe headed south. She had prepared herself for a two year stay as the medicine woman in the Gulf Islands.

The shuttle was one of the new ones. It was full, with all my plants and seeds in the back. It only left room for 90 people. The journey was eight days and that was hard on the passengers but light on fuel. It was a welcome rest for Kimberly and I. The lunar approach was up on the monitors and it seemed that everything was upside-down. My partner just vibrated with excitement.

Kim said, "Just you wait. When you meet my mother... I have to be there. I am going to be there for everything."

Mine and Kim's union wasn't like Mary and Anthony. We could not read each others thoughts. We could feel each other. It was so wonderful. Like when I am writing this, I have to think: is it Graves or McLean that is writing? But I don't know what that other body is thinking.

We put on our spacesuits, I needed Kim's help, and exited through the airlock, now attached to the backend. The rig held a hopper designed to carry people to the surface. After getting tightly strapped in, we were off. As the Moon got closer above our heads, we twisted over and the Moon found its right place for our landing in the large crater.

I was trying to hold down that bran muffin I ate an hour ago.

Chapter 6 : The Plato South Habitats

Habitat 5 is the place where Kim's family live. Her mother is Ali McLean, who with Doris, created the Canadian Lunar program. But the national government, does not recognize it and is even a little hostile towards it. They are humiliated, because Plato South is a native project. The truth is that it would have failed, if the national government or even the Saskatchewan government had been involved.

These two women, with a few assistants, cooperating with the Chinese space agency, were prospering. Much of the more recent help has come from the French space agencies. A railgun was built for both of their uses, up in Labrador City. That is where most of the freight packages are sent. A crew of native rig jockeys in orbit, have controlled the passage of freight and shuttles. Shuttles are sent up from China and from Candle Lake. Large tug planes lift them to 20km, where the shuttle breaks loose and continues the journey into orbit.

When the shuttle arrives at one of the orbiting rigs, it is strapped on just like a canister of freight. The pilots leave and return on another shuttle headed back. The shuttle returning from Moon orbit, is usually lightly loaded. The transfer rig has its own rocket power and control systems. They take their freight to Moon orbit.

Three of the rig jockeys are triplets, young native redheads. They were very instrumental in getting supplies to both the Chinese and Ali's secret habitat, at the south wall of Plato Crater.

We were on the elevator going up 40 metres to enter the Hab 5 airlock. Kim showed me and some other passengers, where to hang the suits. We were then standing in our underwear. She showed each one of the new arrivals, a locker where pants and shirts, shoes and caps, could be found. She did not bother to put shoes on.

She looked at my expression. "I have never worn shoes in the habs." I put on my shoes.

So I followed her into the corridor. It was over three metres high and the same wide. The ceiling was the original curve produced by the tunneling machine, the walls and floor straight. The floor had a rough texture to it. I needed it for grip in the one sixth gravity.

Her strides were long, as she tick-tocked her body down the hall. I followed as best I could. She was picking up speed. Soon she was moving way beyond me. I could tell she was enjoying it. We had not moved much for over a week. It was good to run. But I did not know how to stop. I was tipping forward. Kim slowed down and grabbed my hand as we came to a halt.

"Thanks, I was a goner there." I said to my love.

"Most of the bone breaks and heavy bruising happens in the first week. I was not going to have anything happen to you. Shall we go again?" And she was off.

We rounded a bend, then stopped before a hole in the floor. In the middle of the hole was a pole that lead up and down. She grabbed the pole and slid down two levels. I followed and would have missed it but she grabbed and pulled me in.

"Just two levels." Kim said.

We stood in a similar corridor as above. We were walking back the way we came. The corridor soon opened and it became a mall area. Seven metre ceilings and lots of room for stores and restaurants to one side.

"This is where I spent most of my youth. Until that day my sister Julia came back from Earth. She asked Khloe and I to help an old medicine woman on Lewis Island... I went to school in this mall. Most of my lunches at Shaun's diner." We passed business offices, lawyers, doctors, dentists, shoe repair...

"By the looks of it, this shoe repair doesn't do children's shoes." I said. Kim laughed.

"The machines clear away the dirt and debris every evening, after lights out. That is after 10pm just like in the zome. None of the children wear shoes, and the younger ones seldom wear shirts."

I was noticing all the kids running around in short pants and nothing else.

"I guess it makes the laundry easier."

"You bet. Mom is not much of a domestic. She used to smile every time she washed us girls clothes and there was only dirty underwear and short pants. It was dad that made me start wearing a tee shirt. I was ten. Breast buds and all." Kim commented.

"I have noticed a few breast buds." I said.

"They will put their shirts back on, when they go back to class."

We were entering a more industrial area. Mineral companies, water purification experts, book binders, kitchen supplies, heating and cooling, beds and bedding. I gave Kim a shove and she laughed. Debit cards.

She explained, "Oh, we should go in here. You need a card. No one carries money. Standard Canadian currency. Your bank account has already been created. You are a rich man. We all start out with $50,000. Your job and mine will be ranked as high priority. That means ten thousand every month, automatic deposit. Others get about half that, whether they work or not."

So we got the card. It was really a chip injected into my left wrist.

When we reached the end, it was a four kilometre walk back, Kim showed me the pole and the little lever that I could stand on. I reached up and my body propelled up. This time I jumped off without incident. She just jumped up and pulled on the pole. Two levels without much effort. We were near the airlock. Back where we started.

"It is lunch time. Mom should be home. Two flats down." said Kim.

We stopped in front of a large door opening. Not much different than any other. Kim walked in first with me on her tail.

There was a crowd of people milling about. They all turned. A moment of silence and someone shrieked. A man caught her and sat her down. Five women left the room running. No one said anything.

Kim spoke, "I don't know what I was expecting. This is not it. Mom, Dad, Julia, friends, this is Basil my husband."

I bowed my head and tried to smile.

It was Alex who spoke up first. "I don't understand why people are being so rude." he came over to me and gave me a hug. This was Dad. He would become my friend.

I was glad the moment was broken. We were invited to sit down. Julia and Ali brought in the food and juices. Soon we were all sitting and talking.

Ali and Doris run everything. I was entering a matriarch system.

Ali explained to me. "There are people here, who are extra sensitive to people with your abilities. Others are not. You will get used to it.

Others will adjust their schedules around you. The ones that ran out. We warned them. Ego made them think they could take it. Doris and I had long talks about you, and we found a spot to put you in."

There was a mixed bunch of people about the table. Julia was Kim's oldest sister. She was with her husband Steven. Shaun and the bright redhead was Zoraida. Zoey was Kim's remaining sister and there was no man with her. She was looking at me with very intense eyes.

Kim spoke up. "Zoey, he is not an animal in a zoo. Be polite."

Zoey said. "Sorry, did not imagine you would come home with such a hunch."

"I guess that was an apology and I accept." I said across from her. She jumped in her seat, then settled down again.

Alex commented, "Well either I am the most insensitive guy here, or you are all crazy. I just see a man, that I want to know much better. My new son-in-law."

So we all got down to some sensitive eating. At the end, the room cleared out, and Kim was off with her sisters and there was only Shaun and Zoraida, Alex and Ali at the table. Steven was washing up.

"We have some things to talk about. " said Ali. "My friends Zoraida and Shaun are going to help me figure out just how to manage all this. You did not give us a lot of time. It has only been four weeks since you met our daughter."

"You all seem so serious. I am not a mind reader. I don't have magical powers. I always thought I was an ordinary guy."

Ali, shook her head. "Well cheer up. We don't deal well with ordinary. But you!" She looked over at Zoraida. "You figured it out yet?"

Zoraida said, "Give me some time. I am just a mind reader. What he has is little to do with what he thinks."

Ali looked over at Shaun. He was the super social guy. He had a frown on his face.

Ali looked to Alex. He was sitting back as relaxed as can be. "Hey, Basil. When this is all over, you want to come to my workshop?"

I said, "I suppose when new people arrive, it is good to sort out the talents. Give people jobs accordingly... I am willing to work very hard and I already have some ideas that could improve things."

Ali comments, "This is getting us nowhere. But it is good to hear you are an idea man."

Zoraida stated, "He has calmed down, but I think the trigger is sexual or emotional. I guess he just is not into us."

Alex laughed, "And you redheads are not used to being ignored. You should thank God. You could have been out cold on the floor. I noticed your sisters stayed away."

After an hour of this back and forth, Kim returned. My excitement on seeing her, seemed to spread through the room and only Alex stayed in his seat.

Then her father grabbed my arm and lead me out into the corridor. "We are going to leave all this for now. I don't understand what is going on, but these people have not been this worked up ever."

He headed for the pole near the airlock, jumped up two levels and I followed. There were a number of personal workshops along the mall.

"I guess it will be me who makes the decision of where you should live. You are going to be working in the lava tube. That is seven kilometres, using this level. At the end of this mall, 4km down, there are some flats not used. That will get you closer to where you will be working. I will order a flat fixed up nice. A honeymoon lodge. As time goes on, you will find more people like me, who have no reaction to whatever you got. We usually require flats to house 24 people. That will not apply to you two."

He stopped walking and stood in front of a shop with dusty windows. We went in. The walls were lined with musical instruments. Guitars, dulcimers, one sitar, one harp, a mandolin, some bongos, an accordion, and an auto-harp. About the floor were saws, a table saw, radial arm saw, band saw. Saw dust was thick on walls and floor.

He looked as if he was getting emotional. "I am a lucky man. All my daughters are good people, who have made good decisions."

"And Kim?" I had to ask.

"You have a right to know. She was always the most mysterious. A deep well, that I could not fathom. I love her dearly, and I am happy with the decisions she has made. You can't become your true self, without taking chances."

He was a wise and happy man. But he was not telling me everything.

"There is something you brought me here for?" I asked.

"You are welcome to come here any time I am here. You can use the tools. I know you are a tool guy." he hesitated. "We are going to Mars. Not me and Ali. Too much work needs done here. But the rest. Most of our 15,000 will be there in time. There is a wheelship just about finished. It will take a thousand. Within two years, maybe sooner, another wheelship, 5000 people."

"I see how it goes." I answered.

"We need more people and they will be coming soon. That means another lava tube with all the fixings. You will be helping with that."

"And?" I asked. The other shoe had not dropped.

"I may be out in left field. Ali does not agree with me. But now that I have met you. I think you are a regular guy and it is the world that has gone crazy. Women are sex obsessed and are out of kilter. That's why they are so affected by you. No one is genuine, but you are. A little intense maybe."

I laughed and slapped his shoulder. Then I laughed some more.

"You think Doris has this problem? I put her out for half a day."

"She found a great guy. But she was isolated in her work for so many years. No ordinary love life, so things got out of hand."

"I feel a lot better." I answered.

"And you should stay that way. It will help deal with stuff as time goes on."

"But that is not everything is it?"

"One other thing. Khloe came up with this one. She thinks that the two of you together, have formed a new person. Someone who has great powers. Because of the work that both of you do, I think that this power has to do with healing others. When was the last time you were sick?"

I thought, thought again. "I don't think I have been sick."

"The same with Kimberly." Alex said. "But there is something you can do. Study meditation, the two of you together."

Well there it was.

Chapter 7 : The Tubes

So we moved into a flat at the end of the corridor, that Alex's workshop was on. Kim and I cleaned the place and its many rooms. There was a large kitchen, a washroom and toilets next door. There was an upper floor which we cleaned and then shut up. They were not needed. Eight good sized rooms. They would not be heated.

We fixed up the rooms opposing the kitchen across the large living/dining room. These would be our apartment. The other rooms we cleaned and I kept one as an office. Kim wanted to share it with me. So we shut everything else and turned off the heat there.

The workers came in soon after and installed all the shower attachments, the washer and dryer, the plumbing fixtures in the kitchen, hydrogen burning stove, refrigerator, freezer and the basic kitchen equipment. The rest, we had to purchase with our own money.

We got free a bin of rice, one of soybeans, potatoes, some whole wheat floor, an assortment of local condiments. The rest we needed to buy ourselves. We were tired and happy. I wanted a party. Open House. But Kim thought a quiet couple of days resting was better.

We were scheduled to start work in Tube 2 in a week and we needed to check out Tube 1 before that.

Ernie and Rita came by. We made it a party. I had bought some snacks, thinking Kim would change her mind. She does not do that very often. Rita was not bothered by my presence. I asked them, after they had a look around, if they wanted to move in with us. But they had a place in Tube 1 and were well settled with lots of friends.

Ernie told me after, that he was well pleased with my wife. "But you married into the aristocracy. You are better placed than I am."

"I really don't care much either way. I just love Kim."

"Anyone who sees you knows that." he said, "It is like a force coming off the two of you. Happiness I guess."

I asked him, "You ever been sick, in your life have you had a cold or fever? I am not counting that hangover you had at the school."

He thought. I waited. "I can't say I have. I will ask my mother."

I remembered the rash I got from working in the potash.

The next day Kimberly took me on my first trip to Tube 1. We met with Ernie and he showed us around. All the work that I had been thinking of was done. He had a team and everything except the bamboo was growing madly. I told him to drop the bamboo but he wanted to try some other types.

Kim got him to show us a place where we could plant her medicinals. He had already got some from Khloe and was expanding with stuff the local people wanted.

"Just bring your stuff around and we will take care of it." said Ernie. I didn't see much for me to do here. I told Ernie about Tube 2.

Ernie said, "I had a look around, when it was barely a garden. Nice size, lovely lake. It will be a bitch to heat. We might loose a degree in the soil, when it is fully operational. We need a new reactor."

I answered, "And you will get one I am sure. Doris has ordered a dozen."

We found our way home. Kim wanted to show me the other habitats. There were four on the south wall. Four on North Wall. I would not be going north across the crater. The Chinese had that.

There were many garden caves. Some called them Atriums. Kim spent the evening showing me videos and explaining the construction process.

"They didn't take a lot of videos when Anthony was boring the tunnels. I was too young to be out there. A few pics got taken. The first habitat had to be done in a hurry. That is this one. Further east the second one was built. It was about a year for each one. But there are a lot of atriums, smaller and larger. Some are six kilometres deep. All together we have about a thousand hectares. My mom was a real rough neck back then. She went in after the tunnels were finished and with her team cut out the walls and floors. Making the facilities we have today. All the debris was removed to a distance, with conveyor systems. The walls were all sealed and double sealed. They did not leak air, when the atmosphere was pumped in."

Kim saw my eyes closing so she dragged me off to bed.

Lights came on at 6 o'clock am. That is the kitchen and living room lights. So we were up and about. A good morning to go exploring. Kim phoned her mother to explain where we were going. I understood there was good reason for this phone call.

"Zoraida will be coming with us. About nine alright?" Kim asked me.

I commented, "A spy I am thinking. She wants to figure me out. I don't really mind just as long as she tells me what she has found."

"Close enough. They have a lot on their plate. And they want to use people to their best." said Kim. "I think this business is the last thing that Zoraida wants. She has two small boys and a job of her own. Word is that she will be the captain on this first wheelship. It will be called the Ravenchild." She stopped talking because I was crying. We both sat down and she was holding me, when Zoraida walked in. I could hear her crying above my own.

I looked up and Kim's face was covered in tears. I looked over and watched as Zoraida turned and walked out into the corridor. Kim ran out and brought her back in.

Zoraida said. "I feel better, lighter somehow. You were thinking of Doris and I know you felt the hurt inside me."

I explained. "It was just the two people being mentioned in one sentence. I love Doris. I know you do too. Then hearing the wheelship being named for her."

Zoraida picked up her phone and walked out into the corridor. I looked at my beautiful Kimberly. We held hands and relaxed. I moved myself about inside her. She adjusted a little. Then we opened our eyes. Doris and Zoraida were standing in the doorway. Holding each other about the waist. They were smiling. They did not say anything, but Zoraida left then. Doris stayed.

"She is a busy woman and mother. I came running when the Moon moved. She doesn't think you two will be doing any harm. Even if a few tender souls faint away. How are you Basil? Got her good did you?"

"Hi, yourself, Doris. You got your man too. So I hear. He likes to fix printers. Looks like he fixed you as well." I replied.

Doris spoke, "Well if it isn't little Kim. I remember the first time I saw you, coming through the base with your sisters and Alex. You were like eight back then?"

"Stop playing about. You have seen me many times since. I was full height the last time." replied Kim.

"Oh, my God. It is true. My little Kim is gone." teased Doris.

"Call me Kim Basil. This is Basil Kim." I squeezed her hand. I was there 100 percent.

Doris walked slowly over to the table and sat hard on the bench. "Now I have seen it all." came whispered on the air.

I liked it, when Kim did the talking. There was an innocence and a kindness in her voice. I decided then, that she was going to be the front man. I would observe and adjust in the background, giving her the strength to go in and heal.

I went into the kitchen and got a coffee for everyone. Chocolate cookies? Why not?

I was trying to hold back my feelings for Kimberly. It would knock out Doris and we would not get anything done today. Kim came over to me and squeezed my hand.

"I know!" she said. Then I ran out into the corridor.

Chapter 8 : The Tour

As we walked together through the cross tunnels, my feelings were more stable. The three of us were headed for Habitat 2. I had not seen most of Hab 1 (once called Hab 5) yet, but Kim said there was lots of time to do that.

Kim and Doris were ahead. They were talking and laughing like children. I was behind carrying Kim's heavy medicine bag. I was wondering why we were bringing it. But it made me so happy to see the two of them together. The tension was broken.

Doris said, "I was so curious. I am the proverbial cat. Nothing could keep me away. This is a special moment, but I cannot explain why I say this."

We entered the first corridor, like the mall in Hab 1. It was crowded with noonday shoppers and school kids running around. We took a detour. Doris was going to show us the cave garden or one of them.

"Marta and Gunnar are working here this week. They have their equipment installed, up on the other end of this mall. It is the bamboo they are after." said Doris.

I looked over the long 4km stretch. It was a little like the zome, but narrower and the roof was closer. The left side of the garden was a solid row of bamboo. It grew maybe 7 metres high. We were walking down a path in the middle. The temperature was warmer than I was used to. The soil looked richer and the area was wet from a good soaking.

"See, I told you they were coming." I tiny voice was trying to get Kim's attention. Two little children stood before us. No shoes nor shirts. The girl a little taller than the boy. He was kind of dirty around his face. But he had a wide smile for Kim. I knew something was about and I tried to keep very still inside. Let Kim do the talking. Let Kim do the talking.

"They are like us." the girl was saying. "The woman can help us. I am going to ask."

Kim was bending at the knees, to be at their level. The girl might have been seven, the boy a little younger.

Kim opened her arms and the girl ran to her. They stayed that way a while. The boy stayed back and cried. I waited. Five, ten minutes. Let Kim do the talking. I shifted inside her.

"You are like us. My name is Katy. This is George." she said.

"I am Kimberly Basil and this is Basil Kimberly."

The boy stood very straight. A crowd had gathered without us noticing.

"I am George Katy and this is Katy George." said the boy.

The crowd gasped. The women cried while the men turned away.

Kim asked as she looked up. "Are the parents here?"

A woman stepped out in an emotional wreck. "I am his mother."

A man said from behind. "I am her uncle."

Kim said, "Good. I am a medicine woman and I have seen this once before. You need to be very kind to these two. Never force them apart. They would die."

Kim had their attention. "From now on the boy is George Katy and the girl is Katy George. They are a new creation, brought about because of all of us living here away from Earth. Time will tell, what their purpose will be. Give it a chance to happen. Never make fun of them."

Kim bent down again and gave them both a good hug. The girl then came over to me.

"Thank you for helping." She shook my hand.

As we walked on I heard people saying, they had never heard the boy talk before.

Doris was a little red in the face. "You two sure are not a disappointment. I wonder if there are other couples like these two?"

Marta waved in the distance. Behind her came Gunnar.

"What Basil. You got two women now?" joked Marta.

Gunner was just staring at Kim. Marta gave him a kick. "Come on Gunny! We got bamboo to harvest."

He turned his head as they walked away. Marta gave him another kick. "What you never seen an angel before." she said.

We walked on and found a bench to sit down and recover. I could tell Kim was tired.

"Give me my bag." she asked me. She pulled out a pouch of leaves. And chewed on one. She gave me one. Doris refused her offer.

"It is not any more narcotic than coffee. But since we do not have any coffee." Kim said.

I could feel my mind clearing and my breath improving.

There was a cry from somewhere up the path. People were gathering around a woman on a bench.

Kim stood up and started running. I followed behind with her bag. She was leaning over a woman, who was obviously in labour. She had lost her water and there was no question, someone had to help her give birth.

"Out of the way!" came Kim's commanding voice. "I am a mid-wife and this woman needs me."

"Who are you?" Asked a very possessive woman friend.

"I am a medicine woman and my name is Kim McLean." Everyone else stood back except that one woman.

Doris stepped in. "I am Doris Ravenchild and you need this woman's help." She spoke directly to the interfering woman. "You help this man find some hot water, and some clean cloths."

The woman now had fear in her eyes. She ran down the path and I went after her. She showed me the small kitchen and the kettles. I found the ceramic bowl and the cloths as the water boiled. Then I took off with a kettle and bowl.

"Bring the other kettle." I yelled back to her.

The birthing woman was laying relaxed on the bench. The child laying on her chest. Everything was a mess around her. She did not seem to mind.

She said. "I think he was in a hurry to see what the excitement was."

Kim waited a few minutes then clamped the umbilical cord.

She said to the crowd. "You don't clamp right away. The child needs time to get all its blood from the mother." Then she snipped with scissors from her bag. She did what cleaning she could, while the mother and child rested.

Kim asked, "Where is the doctor? Did nobody call him?"

One woman said. "He's up on the wheelship. There has been a couple of accidents."

"Can you get her to the infirmary? The nurse will know what to do."

Two men came with a stretcher and our job was done.

Doris commented. "I am ready for a long delayed lunch."

Kim had a change of clothes in her medicine bag.

So finally we went to the mall and had a very uneventful meal.

Chapter 9 : A Bright Golden Haze

So we did go to the other habitats and we saw all the gardens. We had dramatic adventures. Though we did not have the pleasure of Doris' company. Word got around and Kimberly had all the respect she needed.

Kim and I bought a love seat and we used it every night in the living room. We hugged, we talked. Soon we tried to set up a schedule, so both of us could get our work done in the evening. 6:30 to 8:30 we worked in our shared office. Kim had an area where she sorted and stored her medicines. She had a desk and kept notes in large paper notebooks. She also did work at a workstation. I had a desk with a large screen up on the wall showing Moon landscapes in real time. I planned my next day and chased down seeds that I would need, made phone calls.

Alex knocked on our office doorway. He smiled and commented. "Is this not cozy? Domestic bliss." Kim got up and ran to her father. I stood and we all went into the other room. Kim fixed up a snack in the kitchen.

He held up a leather bag with straps. "Brought this for you. I saw your eyes, when they looked around the shop." He took it out and placed an auto-harp on the table.

I hesitated then picked it up. I was a little rusty, but I got some fine chords on the first try.

Alex said, "Thought you could play. That is why I brought it. Does Kimberly sing for you."

"Dad, that was my secret! We just haven't had the time!" said Kim.

I started playing the chords I loved so much, and sang the words to my favorite musical.

"There's a bright golden haze on the meadow." Kim wobbled then came in with a harmony. It was the sweetest voice I had ever heard. We finished the first verse, then Alex joined in with the next. He had a deep base to my baritone.

When we finished there were people standing at the main door smiling and holding instruments. Most of them, I had never seen before. Alex nodded to them, so they came in and sat about the tables. A fiddle started playing a french tune. Then a flute and a recorder joined in. I strummed and Kim started singing in french. This went on for a couple of hours, then people just stood up and left.

Alex commented, "Now you know how we do things here. If someone starts singing, in your corridor, then feel free to join in."

No fuss and great joy. What a place. We did get a half hour in the love seat before lights went out.

When we left for Tube 2, Kim made me carry the auto-harp in its case. The instrument on my back and the medicine bag at my side. We headed for the tunnel that lead to our goal. Ali was to meet us there, and I was to advise on the chemical balance that the soils needed.

Kim took a look around and helped them decide, which type of housing should be built here. Shaun was consulting with Kim.

"It would be nice to consult with the people but most of them are still on Earth." said Shaun.

Kim replied, "How many?"

"Looks like 10,000. At a shuttle a day that means they will all be here in 70 days."

Kim asked, "How many free flats in the habitats?"

"I am not sure but Tube 1 has a full complement of 10,000. That freed up a lot of hab flats. But they have never stopped coming. Now we have the larger shuttles and larger problems."

Shaun suddenly grabbed Kim in a big hug and would not let her go. "It is so good to have you here. I missed you a lot. And to be talking to you, as an adult. It just breaks me up."

"Uncle Shaun." she cried out. "I will always be your little girl."

After that they carried on consulting.

"Some of these folk are going on the wheelship. 1000 for the first, 5000 for the second. There should be a big one every other year."

Kim said, "That is not enough to keep the population flat. We will need new habitats and tubes."

"There is a new habitat started. It is several kilometres east and has been placed there to give entrance to a new tube. These three tubes are all part of a single system. Collapsed regions have cut them off from each other. 2 billion years takes its toll."

"What is the capacity?" Kim asked.

"We are adding more agricultural areas. Lower ceilings, longer tunnels. We have been falling behind on agricultural capacity. If we don't move fast, all of our freight capacity will be used up with rice shipments. The new hab will have fifteen cave garden and smaller atriums. This, with the new tube, will give us double our present arable land." He held out his hand to include the present tube. "With the new tube, we can house 20,000. But can we feed them?"

"Where are they all coming from?" Kim asked.

"The cities. Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. God have they got problems. A lot of street people. Candle Lake is sorting them out and only the most wise are coming here. The rest can find work around Candle Lake. It will grow fast. Five zomes planned just south of there. And they will not be painting it." teased Shaun.

They came to some good alternative housing ideas. I went off with Ali and she showed me the grounds, still full of soil hills and piles of gypsum dust.

Ali explained, "We can't ship any more gypsum up from Earth, because of the food shortage. You heard Shaun. Rice is taking up the slack. But we have found an alternative source of calcium. It is right in the rubble between this tube and the next."

She was taking me east to the tube end without the lake. There we sat on the 200 metre pile. I climbed part way up. My eye caught the white and yellow rock. I scratched it with my nail. Tasted it. I saw large clear crystals on the side of broken boulders.

"It has calcium, maybe gypsum. What are you going to do with it?" I yelled down.

"We will set up a crushing plant here. Surround it with a cloth screens to keep the dust local. The people will have to settle at the other end."

"Does it make sense to find gypsum in a lava tube?" I asked.

"The lava must have ate through the soft rock. When it had drained out, the collapse happened. We think above most of the tube is hard granite."

"But that means that there must have been life of some sort. Have you found any fossils?" I looked around for a while without success.

Ali answered, "Haven't had time to look for any. But I have a woman coming and it is right up her alley."

"A rock hound? A Paleontologist?" I asked.

"She is an odd one. Can't get along with the university people. When she ran out of sources of money, she contacted Candle Lake. Yes, she is native. From Peru."

I had a lot of suggestions for the land. Some she had not thought of. But not many.

When Kim and I got home and had a good shower we sat down for a talk.

"I missed your discussion with Shaun. Did you come to any conclusions?" I asked.

She smiled and hugged me. "This is always the best part of my day.--Nothing definite yet. He thought that the high-rises in Tube 1 are the way to go. It can be done quickly, with available materials. You saw them. It is just a huge scaffolding, built to the roof and covered with cloth insulating materials. The floors are thin concrete."

"They are quite beautiful. The way they have decorated and painted the materials." I said. "The children love the 200 metre drops on the elevator poles." Kim made a face.

"There have been a few accidents. But children will take chances. I know, I did." said Kim. "We decided, and this is not final, that the construction will be similar. And in addition there will be large patios on each floor shared by a few families. This will give a chance for the people to socialize and the children can play within sight of their parents. Shaun seems to like it, and he has a team waiting to design and build it." she added. "Who knows. The people might start developing their own personalized potatoes in patio planters."

"My wife the design consultant" I said. She elbowed me in the ribs.

Chapter 10 : A Healing Hand

(Quetzalcoatl : feathered serpent ; cloud serpent)

(10th century prophet like Jesus, so the Mormons say.)

Again we were home one evening and music was coming down the hall. A sweet little fiddle. Kim got up and grabbed my hand.

"Get your auto. We are going to visit the neighbours." Kim said.

So I took my bag off the wall and we walked up, until we stood in the doorway of a neighbours flat. Near the kitchen a woman was standing playing a flute and an older man was sitting pressing out a french canadian folk song on his fiddle. Next to him sat a sad little boy, tapping away at the table not quite in rhythm, but enjoying the music. We walked in. A young woman sang and Kim joined her in harmony. I strummed, after I had found the key and listened to the words. Then I joined in. A young man came with a full base fiddle and gave the song a sadder tone, then a woman joined that I had seen around, with a guitar and played a little spanish flavour. We played for an hour then Kim gave me a sign and we faded away.

In the morning, Kim left the flat and returned shortly after.

"I just told the couple from last night. They can send their grandson to visit us, any evening after six. I have seen many children like him, and my teacher taught me some things that will help. Their son does not know what to do with the boy."

I just nodded and knew I was about to learn something.

That evening the boy, whose name was Sam, came peeking in. "Miss Kimberly, my gramma sent me."

"Come on in Sam. It is good to see you." and she made a fuss over him, and played some hand games and she sang in a beautiful voice. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

He agreed. I was in my office working. He came over and looked in as the door was not closed.

"She is a very nice lady." Sam said. I smiled.

Kim stood behind him. "Here is your drink. You should sit down at the table and drink it. It is hot."

He went over and sat down. Kim gave it to him. He tasted it and liked it. Soon it was gone and Sam was out cold, sleeping like a baby.

"Ok, my man. It is work time." she beckoned to me. "Sit on his left, I will be on his right. Now hold his hand and press up to him. Now close your eyes and let the energy flow through you. Don't try to stop it. Don't let your body shake, when it becomes intense. Relax. See the energy flowing from you to me. It will pass through Sam." Then Kim was quiet. We sat there for another five minutes. I could feel a strong force coming up through my toes and flowing out through my fingers. I shifted inside her. She jumped a little then. Let go the boy's hand.

"He is going to wake soon. It would be best if you were seen working in your office." Kim said. So I left.

The boy woke and I don't know what he was thinking. But he laughed and told Kim about a dream he had.

Kim walked him back to his home.

About a week later Kim followed with a similar treatment. She was putting a nerve tonic in the chocolate. Sam left feeling refreshed.

The next night, we joined a music jam at Sam's place. There were more people. Kim had a feather in her hair. An eagle feather. Some people were just sitting and listening. It was an hour into the music. I heard people talking under the music. The word Quetzalcoatl came up several times.

At home I asked Kim. "Is there a religious group in the hab, following Quetzalcoatl?"

"No silly, they were talking about us." she replied.

"Why am I being silly? Why is it about us?"

"It is a great sign of respect. Did you not notice, that Sam was beating the table in perfect time?"

"He is looking better. Sitting taller. He even looks older." I said.

"The medicine has done its job. Never have I seen it work so fast. That means our hands on, is effective." said Kim.

"And now what?" I asked.

"I want to open a clinic. Kimberly Basil, Medicine Woman."

"You could open it here. We got a lot of empty rooms. That room next to the office."

I talked to Alex and he agreed to help me convert the room. A week later he came in with a sign saying:

Kimberly Basil

Medicine Woman

Another man was with him, and they used a special stone saw in the rock outside. The sign could slide in.

Alex explained. "All signs have to disappear when the lights go out. The cleaning equipment will mangle it. But this glider seals the opening and it slides back out in the morning."

I went around to the other side:

Kimberly Basil

Medicine Woman

The two men helped move the wall that evening. My office was smaller. The next morning both Alex and Ali arrived, pushing two large glass front cabinets. Kim just stood there in shock.

We had a little trouble getting them through the clinic door. When set up, they covered the wall area we had just moved.

"Thank you very much Mom and Dad. This is too much."

"You have a job to do. I understand that you are very good at it. Who would have thought my little Kim would become a Cloud Serpent." said Ali.

Alex added. "The rumours are all over the base. You are the woman with super-powers. Get ready to be busy. We will try to calm the waters at our end. It comes from not having enough good doctors."

I was glad they kept me out of the discussion. I knew, they knew. I vowed not to open my mouth, when Kimberly was working.

Before they left, Alex said to me. "You can come by Tube 2 tomorrow morning. They have the soil ready for you. It might be best to start with the medicinal plants. I will send two people who are good at this first planting stuff."

Kim and I were sitting in our love chair. She said, "You called the committee in Candle Lake last week and did not tell me."

"I thought it was a good idea." I said.

"But you should have told me. I called a woman there. She thought it strange. I was repeating something you had already suggested."

"Sorry."

"You tell me when it involves our work."

"Is this our first argument?" I asked.

I had asked the people to keep an eye out. Especially for children, who thought of themselves as one person. Two people, but one person.

Chapter 11 : The Attack

Kimberly had to work alone for most of that week. I was off in the tube with my new team of three young men, planting medicinal plants, potatoes and three sisters. Ernie was able to supply me with heaps of seed. The new fruit trees, we transplanted on the fifth day.

It was around lunch time when Jimena turned up and called out my name.

"Basil Graves! I was told you would be here." she stood straight. A small wirey woman.

"Basil Kimberley now. And you are?"

"Jimena Montez from Lima. I am the geologist Ali called in."

"A relation of Ramon Montez?" I asked.

"My father. But we don't get on very well."

"It is because of him that this garden is here." I added.

"He is a good man. But that is not why I am here. Ali asked me to answer your question about the gypsum..."

She started to shake and then fell on her behind. She just missed a sharp piece of bamboo sticking out of the ground.

"What is this?" she screamed.

I had a vision of Kim and started running for the tunnel. I concentrated on putting each foot down, firmly. I ran like never before. My heart wanted to race. I slowed it down. Then I stood in the door of our flat.

On the floor was a man I had not seen before. Kim was kneeling over him, her breathing hard. He was out cold and his head was bleeding.

I put my hand on Kim's back and let energy flow to her. I combed my hand slowly through her messed hair. She stood up and turned around. Her face was scratched and there were red patches on her neck. I grabbed her and hugged her.

Men's voices came from the doorway and I turned to see two security guards.

"Do you need some help here?" The taller one asked. "Ah, we have been looking for this guy."

Kimberley explained. "I was here alone and this man ran in and attacked me. He had me around the throat. I managed to trank him. But he will be waking soon."

"You are some tough woman." said the shorter man.

"I worked out in the bush for years. Learned to protect myself." said Kim casually.

I push her into the love seat and sat down next to her. She fainted.

"She will be fine." I said to the men. "But you can take that one away."

They had him standing with his hands bound. "Sorry, it should not have happened. We have been a little busy." said the taller one. And they were out the door.

The next morning, in came Alex, Ali, Julia, Zoraida, Shaun, Doris and a tall older red haired man, in his fifties. I got the coffee ready. We all sat about the table.

"I want to introduce Ben Gordon. He is Zoraida's father and a special agent for this project." said Ali. "We have had him working for us, out of Candle Lake, the last four years."

Ben started speaking, "My daughters have been working for the program, this last eight--nine years. I was off working for the feds and private security out of Toronto. I have seen a lot of crap. Government and business for the most part. Lost all their compass bearings. I am trying to be polite. A vast chasm of evil is lurking out there. They want to swallow this Plato South base.

He continued, "They have everything to gain. Nothing to loose by shutting us down. Taking over our space. We have little defence. If I had been native or if they had found out about my native family, then none of this would be known to us. I am of Irish decent."

Ali spoke to Kim and I. "We are letting you know all this, because we want you on the central council. Kim, I know this is not your thing and I respect you. But we need one of you. Therefore we are asking Basil to join us. We need your answer now or we can't go any further. Kimberly you will have clearance, so Basil can tell you the details of the meetings."

"He is not very good at keeping me informed." said Kim.

"He will have to get better. We need you both. With Zoraida, Shaun, Anthony and Mary leaving soon, the council is getting thin." reported Ali.

Alex sat back in his very relaxed manner. Shaun was using a toothpick, to remove some breakfast from his teeth. Zoraida gave him a kick under the table.

"Ben has agreed to stay and take on security. What is your answer Basil Kimberly?" asked Doris.

I looked over at Kim. She had a scarf around her neck and a fair bit of makeup on her face. I tried to not let anger influence my decision.

"I suppose if I agree, then I can never get out. Because of what I know." I said.

"You understand well grasshopper." said Alex.

Kim laughed. "They will just send you to Venus orbit and forget you."

Ben explained, "We are not them. And we did not choose you lightly."

"Anyone who can knock Jimena Montez on her ass is alright with me." said Shaun.

I said, "That was Kim. I was neutral at the time." Zoraida laughed.

I finally said, "Ok, I am in. Now tell us what is going on."

Ali let out a sigh. That told me more in the next half hour than words. She would deeply be missing Anthony. I was the next best thing.

Ben explained what the feds and corporate Canada were planning. Canada was very much corporate America. They had tried to attack Candle Lake three months before. I had only heard the part about the oil sands catching fire and the shutting down of South Dakota. What I did not know, the target was our shuttle base. And 20 missiles were used.

He explained that our first point of defense was with people in the government halls. Ones who very much hated what was going on. When the time was right, they were willing to expose the authorities. "Corporate Canada, they were people that had quit or retired. We have a few examples right here in Rapid City." He pointed to the ion engine program and the giant 3D printers. "We got the thorium-reactors via the back door."

"It would not be possible to operate a 5000 man wheelship without a thorium-reactor or two. The temperatures in the lava tubes are 5C higher because of the same." said Ben. "Our enemies fear the worst. We are renewing the lives of so many street people. You know I mean the natives. The government policies have, at the highest level, been purposely trying to bedevil the lives of the native peoples. It is one hundred percent true. If you look at the way the Persians are treating their minorities. It is scarily similar."

"Ok, I understand that." I cut in. "What next."

"Well we could go on the offensive and take out the leadership. Just like in the movies. Or we can..." then Ben hesitated.

There was movement in the hall. Yvette and Xing Xing were standing there, with a security guard trying to get them out.

"Its Ok, Frank. Let them in." said Ali. "These two women are on the council. In our hurry, we did not call them down from orbit."

"Yvette, Xing Xing you know my daughter Kim and this is Basil her husband." explained Ali. It was all formality.

"They are the healers. Strong stuff. I lost my footing yesterday, when the brute attacked Kim." said Yvette. "We both agree, they should be on the council."

"We have another suggestion." explained Xing Xing. "One of us has to retire from orbit. You don't have a full time mind reader in the habs. Mary and Zoraida will be gone on the Ravenchild."

Ben asked, "When does it leave?"

"In four days." said Alex. "All the supplies are aboard, the sails are spread, and the reactors is at half power."

"I can work well with Yvette." said Ben, looking around the group. "Xing Xing wants to place herself with security in Candle Lake. This orbital work is shortening their lives."

Yvette comments, "Besides a certain lawyer has caught her eye."

Ali spoke, "Ben, you were saying about future defenses."

"Yes, we have to be doing more outreach programs, outside the native community. Build ground domes and invite young people to participate. Open agricultural programs, with native and non-native working side by side. We already have recognized Universities in Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Cape Breton and Candle Lake. Open one in Thunder Bay. Put a lot of it online. When the time is right, we send these non-natives back into the cities and towns. Let them reveal what they saw. A university in Sudbury, expand the one in Kamloops. The possibilities to use youth to educate youth. We teach in the inner cities. Tell the younger ones, 11 to 15, that there is a better life in the country and up here. We stop thinking native, non-native. From now on anyone in the community is native."

Well I certainly was not expecting that. No one else seemed surprised.

People talked back and forth across the table. The conclusion was that we needed to build working communities and that required an attitude of service to others. It did seem wise. It would work under the radar. The ones causing the problems are older and living in the lost paradigm. They would not be expecting their children and grandchildren to jump ship.

"Does this all mean a delay in the program?" Kim asked.

Everyone looked her way. It was the first time she had spoken. She held my hand and I understood that she was going to do something. I relax. She took over. She pressed through and I let her. I trusted her. I loved her. She was me. We were one.

She could have taken it to the point of knocking them all out. But she just touched each of them with a segment of health. Just this inner circle. I was feeling stronger, as God was using me. I understood that now. I was Aaron.

Then she stood up. "I think I will make some lunch. Everyone is welcome to stay."

I joined her in the kitchen and held her, and kissed her. Zoraida came in and we turned.

"Well it looks like we have a new leader. Who would have thought. Little Kimmy."

Kim said, "Are you at all afraid of the trip out? A thousand people and only one mistake."

Zoraida answered, "I have a good flight pilot. She worked for NASA and now she is mine."

Kim said to me, "Zoraida is the commander of the Ravenchild."

Zoraida explained, "When we get to Mars orbit, Anthony will be in charge. I trust him." said Zoraida. "He will be in charge of the complete ground project. I hope we can get on with the Russians."

"Make friends, offer them the Moon. We'll be generous. Share our women. I mean that as a voluntary thing." said Kim.

"It had occurred to me. I will discuss much else on our four month journey with the crew."

Kim looked over at me. "Two women carrying the future race to Mars. Two women that love each-other deeply."

Zoraida's face went red. "But Shaun is my man and I will not shame him."

Kim answered, "Good call. Men and women are a sacred trust."

Kimberly, my Kimberly. Surprises walking in and out the door.

Chapter 12 : A Shift of the Light

There was a lot of fuss about Kim's contribution during lunch. She made the salad with a special addition. I brewed two types of premium tea. The sandwiches included cheese that I had brought from Earth in my travel bags.

Ali gave Kim a big hug as she was leaving but said nothing. But silence was speaking loudly.

Then, said Ali, "I do look forward to retirement. But this job is not for you."

"Mom, I would be as happy as a peach just to have a small business right here. It won't be me taking over for you."

"God, girl! You don't understand, what is about to come crashing down. The light is shifting."

The next morning I was off to Tube 2 and saw that my crew had been busy, even though they had no idea what I was up to.

One young man said, "You are married into royalty. Who are we to question your actions."

I had to straighten them out, but they did not seem convinced. Now that I was on the council, it took some of the wind out of my objections.

All the young bamboo harvested was weaved into a kilometre of trellises. Fruit trees of eight types were planted and lightly bound to the lowest rung. At lunch we were all sitting around with our boxed meals. As before Jimena Montez appeared and challenged me with a question.

"Why you run off when I come? I am good looking and I don't think I am that scary." she said.

"Sorry about that. My wife needed me. It was an emergency." I answered.

She relax and became more of a regular person. "You want to come down to the site? We can talk on the way."

"Ok!" I swallowed the rest of my sandwich and downed my coffee. We walked, we talked.

She said, "I did not believe it was Gypsum and it isn't. Anorthite. It has lots of calcium and aluminum. I think you have to be more careful with using it, on the gardens. But it is a true find."

"I will make a lot of tests before and after we spread it. My wife wants me to raise the soils' mineral levels."

"Silicon, Potassium, Sodium and Barium are mixed in, because it is not pure Anorthite." Jimena continued.

"I will take it. It is another step for this community to be independent of Earth." I said.

The woman was telling me that she needed to hurry. She was taking the next hopper up to the wheelship.

We arrived at the end of the tube and looked up at the hill of white debris. She ran up the pile and I could see, even feel, her heavy breathing, the sweat on her brow. It informed my innards there was something wrong.

I called to her. "Come down. Slowly!" I reached up my hand.

I said, "You gave me a great gift. Now I give you something." I held both her hands. Her face was pale. "Sit down over here." I said.

I explained, "Now deep breathe and calm yourself. Just follow my voice." I called on God, then called Kimberly. "I have not done this before but feel the energy coming from my fingers." I could hardly stand, because my feet were rippling so much. I let go her left hand and put my right on her shoulder. "Breath deep." It was like lightning flashing down. I could almost hear the thunder. "You are relaxed. You are sleepy." She fell onto the smooth rock. I put my sweater under her head. Then I placed my hand over her heart and felt for the heartbeat. It was beating strong and slow. I sat and waited. An hour later she awoke.

"You taking the next hopper up?" I asked. "You still have a couple of hours. I called security and they will help you get ready."

She looked a little disoriented. Jimena Montez was leaving for Mars, with a repaired heart. Not too many heart specialists on the Ravenchild.

"Your father will be proud. See you in a couple of years." I yelled at her back.

I arrived home very tired. Hoped I had done the right thing. I knew that confidence was needed. But I contacted Mary directly and told her what had just happened. She would make sure that Jimena saw the Doctor. I wished Mary and Anthony the best. She laughed and said she would never wish the council on me.

I told Kim over supper, what had happened. She said, she had a minute of paralysis, but did not fall down. "The child just saw me standing in front of the cabinet staring up."

She went on, "I have been thinking. There are three things that must be done in the next six months. I don't know where we will find the time. But if you have to, shorten the period you oversee work in the tube gardens. They are about to put you in charge of Tube 3."

Then she continued;

"Number 1; We must learn our relationship with God and agree on it.

"Number 2; We have to get into meditating every day.

"Number 3; I need to develop an outline for a youth program using what we have learned."

"That was a mouthful!" I said.

"The council agreed to something and it all sounded great. But they did not do anything about it. I look around and I am the only youth. Therefore I have to do it."

"Ok! You going to shorten our loveseat time? I need that and you do too. Energy out, energy in."

Chapter 13 : Thunder

The meditation started the next morning. Kim had brought two hard armchairs into our bedroom. She had painted a large blue circle on the white far wall, with a grey dot in the middle. Something for us to focus on, as we sat in these chairs each morning.

We failed miserably the first week. Six o'clock we woke, and headed directly for the showers. Then we dressed and sat in our well spaced chairs. We stared. We tried to clear our thoughts. It was a washout. Ideas and thoughts are hard to let go.

At lunch, I was now devoting half an hour in a quiet spot to reading the scriptures. During the day, I might have one ear listening to audio books, mostly history of the Messengers. There were a hundred good books. It became clear that nothing was focused in God's message, until the coming of Jesus. Before that the writings were mostly fairy tales and legends. Not that the truth wasn't clear. It just was not historical.

When Jesus spoke, the word cast its light on me. It was a confident voice, that would have him shot, if he returned. Then I began reading the Qur'an. I sat down with Kim in our love seat. Read to her chapter 13. The room was rocking. Kim was crying. It was getting hard for me to finish the surah.

Kim spoke as I finished. "It is all so clear. God is in his heaven. He sends his message through these people. They have no choice but to reveal the word exactly in their own language. They are believers too and wish to serve God this way. We are all servants. That is what we do here, if we are wise. Jesus spoke and they hung him on a tree. Muhammad spoke and they drove him out of his city. They tried to kill him."

I hugged her and put the book down. We sat quietly for a long time. The following morning meditation started going better. We would read a prayer before we started.

I started talking to my crew about what I was learning. One man handed me a book the following day and I took it home.

"Well, what is the title?" Kim asked. I was thinking Mormon or a end of the world text.

"It says the Book of Certitude."

We sat in the seat that evening and read slowly. This was different. It was a new message. It explained what we already suspected. This messenger claimed the same authority as the son. He was the father.

Kim was very quiet. "We didn't see this one. I wonder how many people in Plato South know about it? It also shows that we are on the right path. All our powers are directly from God, through the latest messenger. He controls the sun and the rain, as well as shines into men's hearts."

What could I say? Alex came the next day and we talked to him about assembling the youth. Kim said, "We will talk to them about service to the community. Giving them projects to work on. Kim is going to develop some study courses."

I said, "I was thinking of opening up the walls to the empty rooms. Make this space larger. Put in some more chairs and benches."

Alex stopped me. He stood up and asked me to follow him into my kitchen? He had a large knife in his hand. He walked over to a bare wall in the corner. He was feeling for something. Then he started cutting into the fabric. Soon he had loosened a doorway. Gave it a shove and we were looking into a dark space. The air was rushing through from our living room.

"It has been empty since we first moved into the habitat. Ali wanted it built. I sealed it and your flat door as well, until I knew who you were. It was a no brainer."

The lights came on in the space beyond the door. We walked in and I stood looking at a dusty open hall. No rooms, no kitchen nor upper rooms. Just two levels of space. 50 metres long, 15 metres wide, 8 metres high.

"It needs some cleaning. Some furniture." explained Alex. "There is a hall door. We will open it when the furniture arrives."

He explained, "There is a washroom and shower over in the corner. We will provide the fittings." he continued. Kim was standing behind me. Her eyes were sparkling.

"I remember now. You told us about the two flats that were built into each habitat. Waiting."

Alex said, "I was hoping Julia would be the one. She did her part and I am sure she is not finished."

Kim just remained silent.

Finally she said, "We are blessed Dad. We are the luckiest people in history."

Alex replied, "I always thought so."

It took us a couple of months to confirm our faith. Then Kim got to writing down the ideas for a program. At this point, I invited Ernie and Rita for supper. We got to talking about old times and much else. Rita revealed that she had been trained as a nurse in Saskatoon. She was now working with pre-school children in Tube 1.

Kim said, "I need an assistant badly. From one to five in the afternoon. If you are interested. I will teach you, what I have learned as a medicine woman." said Kim.

Ernie did not look happy.

"Could I try it three days a week? I don't want to quit my present job." Rita looked over to Ernie and he seemed to be relaxing.

I showed them the meeting hall. It was still dusty and waiting for life. I told them about the program of study and how we wanted to reach out to young people.

Kim said, "Some will want to travel back to Earth and reach out to the greater population. We send them to Earth, youth involved in this new life. Build schools and universities for natives, then treat everyone as a native."

Chapter 14 : Youth

The youth were gathering even before Kim had her materials ready. Rita brought five young people in to meet in our dining room one evening. I stayed mostly in the kitchen. Kim did her magic and talked straight talk, to the 15 and 16 year olds. Two girls and three boys, all with latin backgrounds. Brutus, Victor, and Mylor the boys. Ardelle and Maris the girls. This was the beginning.

For three weeks they came on Mondays and Thursdays with Rita. Kim worked her materials, keeping them strong on two counts. Learning to be of service to others, and the power of the one God in our lives.

Then it came to how were they to apply this service. First they were to find other youth and invite them to join the program. They did this well. The next week we had ten more, making it fifteen. I wrote up a little piece on the unity of God and his messengers, with quotes from the scriptures. Kim was glad to edit it and put it into a second book she was working on.

Two months in, we were asking the young people to write up their own thoughts. How a course should go. Then she started to give suggestions about gathering material for a future university and high school classes. Most of the children were apprenticing in different professions. We arrange with their bosses, to have them film aspects of their job description. Make comments on what they were learning. What they wanted to learn. Even ideas on how to speed up the work. We helped them set up a video studio, up on the mall corridor. A central gathering centre for all the electronic materials. Editing and storage would be done there. The local school could use these resources.

When Tube 4 was discovered, the youth recorded every moment from vacuum to clearing, ceiling to floor, sealing, all the layers of infrastructure, until the soil was balanced.

Girls helped with children's classes, teaching very young ones about helpfulness and the oneness of God. They introduced prayers and did not receive any complaints. Kim encouraged them to use songs and visual material.

In the third month, we opened the hall. It was our first graduation celebration. Neither I nor Kim would enter during sessions. The young ones, who first started were using the materials and coordinating the others. They made a committee to prepare books for the 11 to 15 junior youth groups.

By the end of the year, I only had to prepare the snacks, while Kim would sometimes make her special salad. The young people themselves would come in and take the dishes I left on the counter.

Kim met on these nights with parents, who wanted to know what their children were doing. We told them that at some point in the future, these boys and girls were going to be the saviors of mankind. Some would go to Earth and enter cities establishing study classes. They will at some point invite young people into farms and domes about the country. The new youth would go to native universities and even be regarded as native. Some will come to Plato South and others go on to Mars. The freed young ones, will all learn to serve their communities.

Those that do not leave the Moon, will find opportunities throughout the Lunar program. And it is all based on the unity of God and his prophets. Kimberly was so kind that parents were under her spell. I gave my prayers and support from the kitchen or my study.

Rita was starting her own groups in Tube 1. The council gave her a meeting space for as many as 40 to gather.

By the sixth month. We had a Book Four which concentrated on the history of the two messenger. Why they suffered. The children understood. They went out and sponsored dances, chess and card games, athletic meets. It was fun and expanded the friendships of our core groups. They had coordinators elected by themselves. No contact should be forgotten. Everyone was invited to many events. Sometimes they just came together for prayers. No adults.

At the end of the year it seemed too soon to be sending our young ones away to Earth. At first only persons who had been less than three years Moonside were allowed to go. It was just the shear agony of adjusting to full gravity that stopped them. But others begged us to go and with Candle Lake's experience in helping, we let them go as well.

Kim said to me one night as we sat in our love seat. "I am 19 years old and already feeling a need to retire."

"I would greatly miss the kitchen and the young people packing the hall next door." I said.

"We got one more book to go. I will keep this up until the Zoraida is finished." She was crying, because we had started something that was successful. The Zoraida was the next wheelship, already half finished in orbit. We were going on it. Maybe in another eight months.

The next Monday, a young woman came into the kitchen and asked me a question. Her name was Tara, she was small and shy. I asked her into the flat, and we sat at the table with Kim.

"I want to have an apprenticeship. But I don't know where to start. I work for my mother, in the afternoon doing alterations to peoples clothes. Mother is alone."

"Tara," Kim said. "Do you know about the cloth-makers Marta and Gunnar? They are very busy but if you are interested?"

The young one smiled. "I would love that. But mother will be sorry to loose me."

Kim made the arrangements. Marta was a little put off but after meeting Tara and seeing how hard she was willing to work.

I talked to Gunnar. "Let her carry a small camera and give her time to record all the stages of your work. It is part of the Plato South apprenticeship program. The young all study the videos."

Three months later, Tara came to us again with a question and a friend. There were waves of colour in the air. I looked at Kim and gave her a sign.

The quiet boy sat down next to his friend across from us. "He wants to help me with a youth program in Hab 2. I need help. There are a lot of young people wanting to take the books. I know I don't need permission, but I do need the hall in Hab 2 opened. Perhaps Marta and Gunnar can move into the flat next door." Tara explained.

I saw the boy place his hand on the table. I reached over and placed his hand on hers. Kim smiled. I held off with the reaction. The two children sat staring into space. Had I done the right thing?

Tara wailed in a low tone. The boy opened his eyes and smiled. I held Kim's hand and waited.

"He moved in. I wanted him to and now he is here." said Tara through tears.

We talked to them for a long while. Told them our story. How much a delight and a responsibility it was. How we kept it secret. One person behind. One out front.

The boy said, "Tara will be out front. We already understand a lot of things. We were waiting for the right moment." The boy's name was Wendl."

At the end, we agreed that the hall should be opened.

"But Marta and Gunnar are not the right people to live in the flat. Tara," I asked, "will you ask your mother to join you? You can run the same business from that spot. Wendl, you can invite your parents, family to help there."

They would come in quietly and talk to us whenever they had questions. It was a joy to be encouraging such a beautiful union.

"You know, we just gave birth." said Kimberly afterwards. "Our first teenager. May there be many more."

Wendl and Tara were seventeen and nothing could keep them apart from that day.

Chapter 15 : The Trip Out

Tara Wendl and Wendl Tara located our small children in Hab 2. The young pair had been having difficulties, but soon were regular visitors to the new Hall. Let us just call the complex of flat and hall, Hall 2. It was Tara who found the next two Eagle Couples. They paired for life. Sara Castor and Castor Sara, Linda Eugene and Eugene Linda.

Kim, Sara, Tara and Linda would get together, when I was away in Tube 4. They were preparing the last book. With a new pairing, young women were always dominant. They were of a certain temperament and all were still under 20 years. The book of instructions for Eagle Couples. Virginity seemed necessary but not proved.

We were leaving, so the other youth needed guidelines, both in spotting such a pair, and receiving proper support as the process unfolded.

Tara Wendl was to become a textile master. She was warp and Wendl was weft (or filling) in textile terms. This was the metaphor used in the book. Every couple produced a different weave. Different materials and patterns gave different strengths and styles. Hall 3 and Hall 4 were opened to accommodate these new couples and their families. A much more complex method was used in Hab 5. Three interlinked halls were sealed up waiting for the right time. On each end were flats also sealed up.

In the last year, as it was, we had seen a growth of 18,000 people in the Tubes and Habs. Water and minerals were plentiful. Soil was doing well. We had installed four more thorium-reactors. Tube 4 was so large that they had to put these reactors in closer proximity, to heat and light the location. A dozen tunnels were turned into water reservoirs. This water was used indirectly to go to radiators made of the new ceramic rocks found between the tubes. Cement pillars were put in place to shore up the weaker sections as the rock was removed. They were careful.

Radiators were the main way that all the flats and tubes were heated. The only forced air was in the corridors. That was why the flat doors were always open. This was the only entrance and exit for air. If an emergency air leak happened, some flat doors would shut automatically, an hermetic seal, keeping the air in. There were also doors every 500 metres through the hab corridors. The tubes had a different system. They were at worst far from danger, as the vacuum of the Moon's surface was seven kilometres away through the hab corridors.

We were saying our farewells. It was mostly with the young people and their families. They held a glorious party for us in Tube 1. Rita was master of ceremonies. Everyone was there. Except for people busy on the wheelship. There would be lots of time to talk to them over the next three months.

I had a final consultation with the council. They had two new members, women who had worked on the Candle Lake administration and were now getting a bit of rest in Plato South. I had three more suggestions and they were Kim's as well.

Ernie and Rita had proven themselves both with the tubes and with the youth. Tara was just turning 18. We very much praised her qualities. Told the council to find others involved in the programs.

I said to the council, "There will be well qualified people coming out of the programs. Some will not head for Earth and there will be people returning on a wave of success. Pull them into the council. Develop a voting system, so future councils will be elected every two years."

Some agreed. Ali said, "We are on much more solid ground now, and I am sure the young people will understand where things should go in the future. We can set a 18 year old voting age and have a district delegate elections."

I think Ali was seriously thinking of retirement.

Graffiti

I think it was the constant rumours that were reaching us of an artist in Hab 5, that got us to pay attention. Then Tara came to us and was in tears as she described the depth of the artwork she had seen on the walls in Hab 5. It wasn't a mystery about the young boy who had done it, but then another would add to it on the next day. And someone was supplying the paints and sealers.

Each painter was laying down a dreamscape. A place not of this world and it meant something to Tara and many others, who saw the walls. They had completed a 100m section of wall in several weeks and people were either outraged or enamored. I asked Tara if she could bring Ronny and Ivana to us. Ivana walked in with Tara in the evening of our last night on the Moon. Wendl brought Ronny in, a few minutes later. She was short and skinny and 13 years. Ronny was taller but plagued with a withered leg from polio that had never been treated, maybe 12 years old.

They were starring at each other. Tara introduced them as they had never spoke to each other before or even come close. You could see something growing in their eyes. I sat them down next to each other and we talked. I had video of the wall paintings on the screens. The artwork drew you in and the detail seemed to go on, no matter how deep you looked. They told stories.

I had talked to the council the day before. I explained to the children, that we would not stop them from painting and would even supply brushes and paints, but only if they stayed in the Hab 5 tunnels.

The truth was that not everyone wanted to be drawn into dreams every day. So only Hab 5. They are an Eagle Couple now. Like us they have now collaborated. They say they only want to bring their dreams forward into the light.

* * *

We took very little with us. Kim had her medicines and some medical tools. I had already been involved with the gardens on the wheelship. They were surprising similar to the tubes. Gravity however was Mars strength. It took a few days to adjust. The Zoraida had its sails spread, capturing the light of the sun in its solar materials. Sending electricity throughout the wheel, heating systems, lighting and ion engines fired, gradually moving the orbit further away from the Moon. One thorium-reactor was out on the rigging attached to the central hub. The other on the wheel for our use. They would reach there full activity as soon as we escaped the pull of the Earth and Moon.

Yvette was commander and I liked her. She had her woman co-pilot. A theme here? A NASA trained specialist who had jumped ship.

When we got together for dinner sometimes, it was the standard joke. All the Russians on Mars were grabbed up. The Americans were gone. Their base had been trashed and they ran from Anthony and his crew. The Chinese were on the opposite side of the planet and the French had yet to get their first wheelship completed. Even though we were going out of our way to help them.

I treated the wheelship as a habitat. It would function as such even in Mars orbit. Just like in Plato South, I paid little attention, to where I was, or what time had passed. Everything was the vegetables. The seed we had sent up, was planted and watered. By the time we arrived in orbit of Mars, 80 percent of the ground was under cultivation and the rest was in alfalfa and faba beans.

We moved a lot of our freighters and orbital equipment to dock with the Ravenchild. Most of the food that we harvested was sent down to stock the habs in the canyon. Our new freighter gliders were moving TBM tunneling machines to the surface on fabric wings.

Kim and I were two of the last to go down to the surface.

I expected some disruption as we stepped out of the freighter. Just because we were the Eagle Couple. But not much happened with that. Children were playing around, in a park on the canyon floor. They were not wearing their helmets and the ground was covered with small plants. I walked slowly with Kim by my side, over to the first of a string of pearl lakes. Here I found clover, the next was alfalfa, then there were crocuses and lupines. It was beautiful. Some very young children were running naked in the shallow water. I was amazed.

One little one ran up to us gleaming in water drops. He looked up. His eyes were riveted to us both. He yelled off to a girl not far. "Shelley, they came. Your parents have come."

Kim was looking over at a girl about eight years. She had a very tight space suit on and no helmet. Kim took her own helmet off and I was concerned. She grabbed my arm but said nothing. I took my helmet off and set it on the ground with Kim's.

Shelley ran up and looked us over. "Yep, you are my parents. I told everyone you were coming." The four of us just stood there. It was a very happy feeling. We did not want to break the spell.

Chapter 16 : A Mystery and an Eagle

I bent down and held out my hand to the naked Gav. Kim did the same with Shelley. We did not have to asked them to join hands. He was 7, she was 8. It was important to have a physical encounter. The body is a wire carrying information.

Because we were healers, Kim began to probe and saw two very healthy children. Their lungs were extra large and their hearts beat slower than the Moon children. I could see that the girl had not let the boy completely into her.

"He is a joker and it would be too confusing to let him in. The boy doesn't know how to keep his clothes on." said Shelley as we stood there. "Gav, go get your suit on. We are going in soon. I don't want to be blamed for your behavior."

The boy yelled back, "I take them off because you like it." Then Gav ran off.

Kim asked. "You like seeing him naked? I understand that. He is very pretty. You are the dominant one, he will do anything for you. Anything. For that, you, as the older one, must be very kind to him. He can mainly be hurt by you."

I added, "I would do anything for Kimberly and she has been very kind. So we are both happy."

Gav returned with the suit dragging behind him. He stood as a statue in front of Shelley. She went down on her knees and ran her fingers down either side of his back and over his bum. He shivered and smiled, then he put the suit on.

They ran off.

"It looks like we have work to do." I said. "Would you do that to me tonight? How about I take my clothes off right here?"

"Now, that would make us very popular in certain circles." Kim answered. She put her helmet back on.

A man came up from the road. He was tall and wiry. Kim ran to him and they hugged each other. We did not try to speak until we got into the hab.

"Anthony, I missed you so much. Khloe sends her love from the islands. She will be coming home soon. A man we were training, has agreed to take charge and Khloe will do my work in Hab 1." said Kim to the quiet man.

Mary came up to us from the corridor. "Well strangers. What is a beautiful couple like you doing in a place like this." she hugged Kim and lurched sideways. "I don't remember your hugs having such a kick to them." she commented.

"It is just Basil fooling around. He thinks you're suffering from depression. And besides he knew you were not going to hug him too."

"Not now I'm not. God help us all." she looked over at her husband. "Anthony you have not knocked me like that in a month."

"What happens if they both hug you?" Anthony asked. Kim laughed and I smiled at Mary. But I knew what Mary was about to say.

I interrupted, "You got the coffee on? I need to sit down."

Anthony led us down three flats and took a right. They were all there. Zoraida, Shaun, Shirlee, Uri and Marina (Russian leaders), Julia, Jenna and Steven. Now us four. I and Kim went around shaking hands.

Julia and Kim, as sisters, sat together. I sat a little apart, until I could understand the dynamics of the group.

"This is the council as it is." said Anthony. "We want you to be on it right away. There is talk of a storm coming and we have maybe two years to prepare. Then, we will not be able to function outside and the wheelships will be cut off from us."

And so it went. I learned a lot and needed to learn more. The next few days, in our rest periods, Anthony would show me around the canyon floor. Large white rectangular boxes pumped out oxygen and freed nitrogen. Bushes and trees were being planted.

We two were out in the fields. Anthony explained, "I tested the soil only a month ago. A big mistake not to have done it earlier. It has everything for growing all the root crops. Plant your Peru potatoes close to where the generators are. Try your three sisters. We should grow as much as we can out here in the next year or two. I am sure the quality will be higher than inside."

I said, "I am thinking of perennials. Flowers, bamboo, grasses, barley and flax. We need to find out what will survive the storms. Then we learn and rebuild."

"I heard a lot about you. Mary refused to say much and I respect her. And I see how well you are bound to Kim. Who would have thought?" and Anthony shook his head in wonder. "She was the kid. Just a bouncy little bundle making screechy noises. That work trip to the islands really changed her. Made her a woman fast."

I mentioned, "Mary wants to talk to me about the children. Gav and Shelley. It is best that we do it this way. She is listening."

Mary answered "So what?"

"I need time to meet all the families, meet the other children. Kim wants to give them all a good once over." I said.

Anthony answered, "Not a problem. We have about 400 right now. Many very young. New couples joined up after we arrived. Russian, native unions. Gav is Uri's child from a Russian woman. Uri is with Shirlee now. We have all 500 Russians with us. They will not be going home. I have a six year old boy from Mary. Julia has three boys from Steven. Jenna has one with Paul. Shaun has his two adopted boys."

"And Shelley says I am her parent." I added.

"She means you two are the parents of Eagle Couples. Are they an Eagle Couple?" asked Anthony.

"I am sure, but I need to meet with them again and also talk to Kim."

Anthony said, "We don't know where the girl came from. Shelley turned up on the Ravenchild. Two days into our flight, there she was, found stealing vegetables and fruit from the garden. She was five then or maybe four we cannot tell. Nothing has come to light. No desperate parents searching for her anyway. She now lives with Shirlee and Uri. Gav is there of course."

I said, "Shelley is very intelligent and both of them are healthy."

"She has read all the records and taken all the videos out from the youth programs on Earth and the Moon. She probably knows more about it than you do." said Anthony.

Mary breaks in, "She has no memory before the time she was found. There must have been severe mental trauma. Whoever left her there, knew that she would survive and we would take care of her."

"Where is Jimena?" I asked.

"She is living with a Russian. She is a good geologist." answered Mary.

Chapter 18 : Gav and Shelley

The next morning after meditation, I asked Kimberly, "I have this feeling that we must solve the mystery of Shelley's origins. Can we not meet with Uri and Shirlee? Get a look into that family? It would be a start."

Kim said, "Shelley is not Shelley. They gave her that name, when they found her. Shirlee was involved with her first interrogations on board the ship. Shelley was very young, but also had a good grasp of sentence structure." explained Kim.

I said, "You are concerned for her."

"I am concerned for them both. My heart goes out to them. I would like to treat them as a couple." said Kim.

"Why don't you say it? You love that little girl." her eyes were filling with tears.

Kim arranged it. A time to visit Uri in his flat the following day. An invitation to supper. Shirlee could not be there.

We walked through the corridors of Hab 1 until we came to the tunnel leading to the Russian section.

They had helped building it. The Russians had proved to be friends. Anthony gave them a gift worth ten times that of their own base. He was only partly acting on orders from Ali. He had grown to love most of the Russians and they responded to that love.

We could hear the many voices of families and children laughing. Mothers singing, while they prepared meals. Father's telling folk tales in Russian. That was my guess.

It was all so familiar and yet different. The spices were more basic. Cabbage and potatoes seem to dominate the menu. They were probably still in a grateful mood, to have these vegetables back, after living on emergency food for years.

We came to flat Uri. Kim looked in and Shelley rushed up to her. Kim lifted the girl in her arms. The boy was behind her and he saw me. I grabbed him up and held on tight. He was all clean and had new jean shorts and a blue tee shirt.

"It is a special day, so I put this shirt on. Uri said I aught to. Wear it before I grew out of it." said Gav. We walked in holding the children. Uri came out of the kitchen drying his hands on a towel.

"They have been excited all day. They did not want to go to school. But I insisted."

Gav said, "Shirlee has gone. She doesn't like me." I know he had been told to keep his mouth shut. But what boy of seven...

Uri explained, "She was a little upset yesterday. She says, she is too old to start raising a family." He did not look unkindly toward the boy.

"But there is something else?" asked Kim. There is always something else.

I interrupted, "But we can talk of that later. Is something burning?"

Uri ran into the kitchen. Kim showed the children some hand games and sang in her beautiful voice. I looked around and saw that Uri had the flat to himself. The rooms at the far end were not there. Just a wall. Probably included in the next flat.

He was still the commander over the Russians. They all had been offered free passage back to Earth. Only seven went. Perhaps they are staying in Plato South or somewhere in Canada. Candle Lake would have helped them with papers. Their wheelship, Lennon, still in orbit, has been taken over by a committee that includes Zoraida and Shirlee.

Uri said, "They are refitting it using supplies just arriving on rigs from lunar orbit. A thorium-reactor, to replace the decrepit reactor sitting useless on an outside spar. The heating system close to useless, new controls needed. But the body is solid. they built it for 400. We wanted to include soil and seed but our agency had other ideas. The ship carried a lot of equipment to be transported to the surface. The cargo left the ship, but only a part arrived on Mars intact. The transport vehicles did not all survive."

Not our fault. The russians built the landers and supplied the rocket engines. They were supposed to be preparing for another 400 people on another wheelship. We were ready to build it. We even received part payment for it. When the infrastructure on Mars was not completed, Russia cancelled any new trips. The Mars crew were asked to stay on and do basic research. If they had been doing agriculture on the ship they would have had the best of food.

When the russians started helping the canadians, Anthony's bright ideas had confused them. When they rushed to see what the Lunies were up to... The atmospheric generators working 24/7, had not occurred to them. Anthony was also quick to use the TBMs and get into a protected spot. Nothing would endanger us and we could grow all our own food. Just a series of mistakes?

The Lennon will be returned to lunar orbit. From there the Russians can use it as they wish.

We had a pleasant supper. Potatoes, turnip and a little duck meat. "I am treating it as a special occasion. I had half a duck in the freezer." said Uri.

"It is very good." answered Kim. The children were overcome by the idea of eating an animal. They liked the taste.

At the end, Kim offered to help with the dishes. I asked the children to show me around the corridors.

"We know everyone but not everyone likes us." said Gav. A bright wire at seven.

"Well you can take us to just the people who understand English. I have only a few words of Russian." I said.

So they ran ahead looked in each flat. Shelley said, "It is not good to interrupt, while they are eating. This is my girlfriends flat." and she lead us in.

There were a lot of people sitting around, some men picking their teeth and relaxing. The women were clustered about the kitchen and the dishes had all been cleared. A child about Shelley's age was wiping the long table with a cloth.

Shelley introduced me in English, "This is my friend Basil Kimberly. He is part of an Eagle Couple. New from the Moon. He does not understand Russian."

A man named Robert spoke up. "You are welcome here. Please take a seat." Shelley ran out into the hall with Gav and the girlfriend. I sat down.

"We have heard of this Eagle Couple. In the news from Plato South. So much going on there, and it helps us keep our English. Tell us something."

I usually left this part to Kim. I am too emotional. "It is a spiritual bond." Many people looked on and listened to this. They were pleased by my answer. A woman started crying.

"Maria has just lost her husband." said Robert. "And what is it like?"

"You have to understand that I had no idea anything like this existed. So when I met Kimberly..."

"You mean the McLean girl. Daughter of Ali McLean." asked Robert.

"Yes, I was working in a zome near Candle Lake. I was alone in a Tube like space, when she wondered in." The woman started wailing louder and another took her into the kitchen.

"Kim waved, I looked up and it is hard to explain. I don't know that I remember everything right. But the best description is that we were stuck inside each other. It was so amazing that we never wanted to separate again." the woman wailed from the kitchen. "There is nothing physical about it. But she was willing, so I married her. We have developed the quality of healing, which is mostly Kim's specialty. She is a fully trained medicine woman."

"And there are others?" asked Robert.

"Yes, we found two pairs in Plato South. There are other pairs. Each is like a single person with strong powers, talents that they can apply to many problems."

I continued, "You have an Eagle Couple here in your corridor."

There was a rising of chatter in Russian and then the question. "Who would that be?"

"Gav and Shelley."

"No, no! Not Shelley she is a witch." said a woman to my side. "She is bad with that little boy."

"She loves him. He loves her." I said.

Robert asked, "But any people can act badly. She is not good for him."

"We want to treat them. Teach them about their special trust. Shelley is still reacting to loosing her parents. You know she was found alone on the Ravenchild. No one knows where she come from. Shelley is not her real name. She lost her memory. An eagle will find a new mate when she looses one."

I had revealed enough. When the children returned, a lot of angry faces looking at Shelley. Gav was holding her hand and Shelley's friend was wondering what was up.

When we returned to their home, the children ran to Uri. Gav asked why the people hate them. Shelley was wrapping her arm around Uri's arm with true affection and need.

He looked up at me. I said, "I think I messed up. Said too much. I am sorry."

"Was this at your friend's flat?" Uri asked Shelley. The girl nodded.

"They are people looking for someone to make a scapegoat for their problems. I can no longer have the children here. I will come and visit them regularly."

"I don't understand." I looked over at Kim.

"They are coming with us. You wanted children? Well!" Kim said firmly.

There was no point in objecting. We packed up their few things and placed the clothes and toys in a wagon. We had lots of room at home and even spare beds.

Kim hugged Uri, who looked very sad. But I could see that he was reassured that the children would be better with us. I shook his hand and invited him for a meal tomorrow night.

The two children were excited to be staying with us, but we were not yet home, when I got a phone call from Mary.

"You were just with Uri. He has a situation. The neighbours are getting ready to attack and take the children. They are not feeling kind. Phone him man to man. Get him to believe you. He needs a strong team of body guards. Like now!"

I did not take time to talk to Kim. I phoned and Uri answered. I really don't know what I said. It is all a blur. My tone must have been tough. As we entered the flat, the corridor doors could be heard shutting. I had never heard that sound before. We were barely in and the flat door shut tight.

I then told Kim something about what was happening. We got the children to bed in one room. They were happy about that. Then I shut the door and asked Kimberly to sit down.

"That was a call from Mary. Uri has problems. Tomorrow is not going to be pretty. We might be stuck in here for a while. We have enough food, but what to tell the children in the morning."

"I guess we wait. The phones still work?"

"Mary will still work." I replied. We dragged our meditation chairs into the dining room and sat side by side waiting and waiting for something. Finally we went to bed."

I woke when the lights came on. Then I remembered last night. Went to the kitchen. Got the coffee ready. Poured some juice. Made the toast.

"Why is the door still shut." asked Shelley. "Is papa alright?"

"I am sure he is, but I don't know about the door. It is for our safety."

Kim came in holding Gav's hand. Gav said, "This is exciting. You guys sure know how to stir the shit."

I looked at him and then smiled. "Well, no one is perfect... Sit down at the table. Anyone want cornflakes, toast?"

And we waited. Kim played with the children and about 10am she started on Shelley, giving her a complete medical. The girl had to drink some bitter tea and take some vaccines using the painless system that she used for the tranks. After lunch, it was Gav's turn and he was a little squirmy-wormy, but he did not complain. Both of them asked good questions.

I tried a couple of times to make calls with nothing returned. I figured that Mary would get back to me when she was ready.

It must have been the tension, but we all laid down together in our bed for a nap around 4pm. Kim had put something in our snack drinks. She also locked the bedroom door and I did not even know we had a lock.

It was 6am when we woke. Kim said, "Mary spoke to me last night and suggested I drug the drinks. There was going to be a lot of noise."

When I went out to wash, I stopped and noticed big dents in the door. It tried to open itself, but the dents stopped it about half way. I did not hear anything, so I stuck my head out and was surprised to see a young man hauling a body onto a trolley. He looked up.

"Mr. Kimberly it is all clear now. But they sure were mad at you last night. Had to shoot this guy. I didn't but the commander did."

"You mean Uri had a gun?" I asked.

"All the Russians seemed to have them. There was nothing we could do, but wait on Uri and see how he settled things. He kept us busy all night opening and closing bulkheads. He and his men rushed into areas of their quarter and shot a few, wounded others because they were high and violent on vodka and drugs."

"But then someone got through to my flat." I commented.

"Mary said they wanted the children. I don't know why." said the young man. He waved and pulled the trolley, dripping blood, down the corridor.

So we waited another day and played with the children.

Chapter 19 : An Informing Council

There was a lot of description and a lot of video shown. We were leaving the judgment of the Russians, for the Russians. Uri had survived with only a few scratches.

I cannot go into the details, but the Lennon was in the world news for months. Then again, after it went out of control, and rushed past Earth. Likely two hundred were shipped out on the Lennon. Only Shirlee was available to pilot it.

There are now, in our entire complex, only 210 people from the original Russian contingent. You work it out.

Ali tried to get a ship together to chase after the Lennon, but it was no use. It is still out there on a crazy orbit around the sun. Zoraida and Mary know when Shirlee finally gave up and died. It is very sad.

It was four days after the attack, that Uri came around to visit his children and have my famous Thai delight. I had only imitation soya meat, but I did not tell him. He loved it and wanted the recipe. When the children were asleep, we sat down for a long talk.

"I did some things that I never thought I would have to. It was not my choice to have weapons on the mission. I am very happy with how the children are doing here. Will you be happy to keep them?" Uri asked.

Kim looked over at me. "They love you very much. They were always asking for you."

"If you allow me, I will visit until you are sick of me." he said.

I said, "You are welcome any time. I want to talk geology with you. We need to get the soil right in the cave gardens." I said.

Uri said, "And we need your help. I am going to set an example for the others. My people have not been doing well in the cave garden. I am ashamed to show you. Now I hope the garden will become an instrument of our health."

"You are going to become a gardener?" asked Kim.

"Yes, so I will." Uri answered.

His heart would soon be broken by what was going to happen to Shirlee. The garden would take three years to bring him back. His children would help him where they could.

We had to re-evaluate the program. How we were to proceed. I speak of the council. Marina attended but not Uri. Not for years would we see him in any official capacity.

* * *

Three months after the cleanup, Kim noticed the small eagles playing a strange game in the living room.

"Move over here Gav. How does that feel." Shelley was moving the boy about the room to and fro. "Is this it?"

Gav answered, "The wall starts here and it is cut right through to the bedroom wall."

Kim asked, "What is the game you are playing?"

"It is called 'feel the tunnels'." said Shelley.

"Can Gav feel with his feet?" Kim asked.

"Always, but it is hard to describe what we find. Like out by the highway." said Shelley.

"What do you see?"

"If we could dig down and see what it is. Then we could give it a name." said Gav. "We know what the tunnels look like."

Kim discussed it with me a day later, after giving it a lot of thought.

"They are divining rods, Basil. If you could get some samples of different minerals. Get Gav to stand near it or on it. They need to be educated in practical geology."

"They will be apprenticing soon. Why not have them become the detector we do not have. Sweet job." I said.

It worked better than I hoped. They were smarter than I. It was only a matter of time, before they found something valuable for the colony. I used them in the gardens to find minerals that we needed.

I was not there. It almost killed them. It was so big. One large crystal deep in the soil by the highway. Very large. They fainted as the crystal focused whatever powers they had and reflected it back. Just laying there, the two small children. Out cold and machines rushing by, headed for the distant habitat site.

Finally someone saw them and got them away from the road. He called Anthony and he called me. We got them away from the spot and into bed. It was a week before they had regained their energies.

Gav explained, "Cool, Basil. It was so strong. I got to go a long way down and see the red-brown thing. But it was hurting my head. Shelley was crying and pulling on me. But I could not move. Then the lights went out. It was making the vision stronger just like Shelley does."

Before we dug down to see what it was, Anthony had the road moved south a 100 metres. A long curve so we could carefully dig down. It took three days of digging and then the tip of some crystal stood out from the hole. I told them not to chip it. But they did. Just a small peice that fit in the palm of my hand. Warm and red-brown. I took it home. On entering, Gav and Shelley were staring at me. Their eyes wide open. I placed the piece on the table and asked them.

"What is it doing?"

Shelley answered first, "It is like we were blind before and now we can see."

I had not noticed anything myself. Neither had Kim.

The next day Kim had made a blue cloth bag out of basalt weave. She strung a thick lace through the bag and handed it to Shelley.

Shelley said, "I will wear it, because it is too strong for Gav." I wondered if I should return it to Anthony.

It was the children that used their smarts and pads to research, all those things that can be found in the ground.

"The pad does not say much about Mars. I guess we will have to write our own reports." said Shelley.

"Give me a copy and send the other to Anthony." I was serious and they were serious. So a new enterprise begins.

* * *

The 'Anthony' came into orbit.

The 'Zoraida' was a week later. We had to make room for 9000 people. We were opening new habitats, expanding the number of cave gardens. There was not a lot of time, to explore the valuable minerals we were finding.

We had produced a bumper crop of bamboo in the open Green Valley. That is what the colony is now called. Green Valley.

The bamboo was converted into threads and stored as bales in a dry warehouse. The hemp was less productive but we were happy with the results.

On board the 'Anthony', Xing Xing was commander. She saw to the off-loading of many new machines. Marta and Gunnar had brought their old equipment, with an additional barrow warp machine. Thousands of spools of thread from Plato South added to our supply.

Mineral testing and mineral processing machines were brought down with the larger freight gliders. And we wondered if they would make it because the upper atmosphere was disturbed.

Zoraida refit the Ravenchild and Shaun and the children joined her and a small crew to return to the Moon. The 'Anthony' turned about the next month and did the same with much less weight, with Xing Xing at the helm.

* * *

The 'Zoraida' did not stand alone in orbit. Because the Chinese wheelship had moved itself from an opposite position over their base on the planet. We were wondering about their timing and their intentions.

The move was an agreement made in Plato Crater, not a decision by the country of China. Ali and the council met with their northern equivilents. It made sense to join forces. We had found a valuable site in the valley and we needed help processing minerals. Minerals that had unusual properties. We had hundreds of kilometres of north wall in the valley. Only part of which could we ever process.

They came down, joined our work crews, and built two new habs. After three months, there arrived a giant wheel station, two wheels on a single extended hub. It was called the 'Xing Xing' which means 'I am a twin' in Chinese. It was Ali's idea and a tribute to her friend. Here were 10,000 people ready to stay.

The minerals were already found. We had the mountains of debris, forming a line 20 kilometres long. Just 500 metres south of the finger lakes. Debris that came from the tunneling and clearing operations, during the building of the habs. The crystals were still in the ground as we were afraid to extract them. Gav and Shelley had found a dozen of the big ones, and hundreds of smaller one. They were rare earth crystals each a little different.

The Chinese had recruited most of their experts, not from China but from Canada, France, U.S., Peru. Most had Chinese background but not all. Their common language was English.

By the time they had set up some test sites, they were ready to consider building large structures for their industrial processing. I went with Gav and Shelley to visit the bosses. They were outside in long shirts and brown jeans, white safety helmets. We stood there watching them for an hour. I knew some of them and I introduced Shelley and Gav.

I said, "You want to go forward? These are the two you need. They found the rare earths, they have a lot of ideas on how you can process them." I called Gav who was running up and down a gravel hill.

Shelley stayed by me. "What are the best minerals to separate from that pile?" I asked Gav.

"This is Ferric with traces of Zinc and Nickel." Gav ran over to another distant pile. On returning he wasn't even breathing hard. "Nickel is strong with iron less so." The men watched with mouths open.

"What are we standing over." I asked. I did not know myself nor did the bosses.

"There is a vast hoard of gold pellets going down 1km. It was laid down by a series of floods over a billion of years. Some layers of shale, when the flow was slowed." He replied.

"How much you guess by weight?" This was a new kind of question for Gav.

Shelley answered, "Enough to keep us in wheelships for hundreds of years. We can start to think about the mining of the Asteroid Belt."

Everyone had turned to her. I waited.

Chung, the head of supervision, said, "Is she connected to him somehow? What is going on?"

Shelley said, "We are an Eagle Couple. Minerals are our specialty. We see them with our feet." She looked down at her dirty bare feet.

I interjected, "But they also understand the subject on an intellectual level. They read everything. They understand what they see. I brought them here because they are ready to start their apprenticeship. Chung, we want you to be responsible for them, four hours each afternoon."

"Anthony told me about them and I did not believe him. If we dig this spot and locate that gold, then I agree." said Chung.

"It is very deep. You will have to drill if you want a sample soon." said Gav.

"How deep?" asked Chung.

"500 metres."

Chapter 20 : The Storm Years.

I would go out every afternoon with the children. They were going to work. I was just sight seeing. It was my joy to watch the first mineral processing factory being constructed. It was decided to do all the processing outside the debris piles. Far away but not out of site of North Wall habitats.

A concrete circle 10 metres high and much deeper in the soil, was growing before my eyes. This would be the anchor for a fabric bubble three kilometres in diameter and half that high. The fabric was brought in from Plato Crater. A joint venture with Ali's crew. Rigs locked into orbit and the whole thing transformed into a landing ship. This factory material was a special weave dreamed up by Gunnar. It required a more powerful railgun to get bundles into lunar orbit.

The whole thing was a true work of art and I did not want to miss the logistics of the whole project. When the textile had been carefully secured in place, around the concrete wall, atmosphere generators inside started up and it took only a couple of days to get the baby blue bubble to full pressure.

We entered the new factory via a wide tunnel under the wall. This would be the entrance point for all the heavy equipment. There were also tunnels of more normal size leading from our hab and each bubble factory would be linked together with tunnels and to other habs.

And the storm was coming.

But this was our best year. I supervised more now and other people did most of the work. The outside gardens were undisturbed by the factory activity. All root crops grew better that year than ever before. The bamboo was 20 metres high. The apple tree I planted served up only leaves. But we got a lot of the harvest in. The bamboo was left for wind breaks.

When the first high winds struck, I was far down the valley. I hopped in a dozer and headed for the last hab about 3km north. Many were not so lucky and had to shelter behind rocks and in the bamboo forests until the winds settled. The next day it was impossible and I made my way through the factory tunnels until I was at the first factory

But if you looked outside using the monitors, there was nothing but dust and driving grit to see. The bubbles had been built along a staggered line so as not to form vortexes. Whirling winds that would unhinge the one behind.

I met with the council the following week. It was clear that the storm was here to stay. Some crew were still up on the Xing Xing. They would have to hunker down and wait, however long it took. Chung explained that Gav and Shelley were suggesting that the processing could still continue.

"They want us to think like worms." said Chung. Everyone got it.

"Never need to go out on the surface. Brilliant!" said Julia.

Chung continues, "With Anthony's help we are going to build TBMs, that can tunnel and separate minerals at the same time. That means a lighter load on the factories. They will be doing better refining."

Chung continued, "Debris will still be thrown up on the surface and we haven't figured that one out yet. The storm is very strong and that wind, in an open tunnel, can cause havoc. There must be something we can do using opposing air pressure, water slury..." said Chung. The name Chung means wise one. And he would have to be, because lives were at stake.

We waited almost two years but we never stopped working and planning. In the middle of it all Julia died. Anthony was on loan to her, to help heal her wounds. Julia's husband had died in an accident the year before the storm and she was flagging.

A dream had spurred Anthony's efforts. One that showed a young goddess dressed, neck to toe, in intricate black body armor. She became known as the Black Guardian. To everyone she had appeared in a dream. That black clad goddess. In waking or when her energies allowed, Julia approach the recipient of the dream with a personal message.

It was only much later that we were able to piece it together.

Her funeral had to be held in the corner of a cave garden in Hab 1. Everyone was there. 13,000 Chinese, a thousand Russians, 20,000 natives. And we were now all natives of our new planet. Martians all. Giving tribute to a great warrior and a daughter of a warrior of the space program. This Black Guardian in our dreams.

Then Kimberly and the two children stepped forward and began to sing the prayer for the dead. I had my autoharp in hand. Their voices floated like angels over the crowd.

She had inspired so many to give more of themselves and to do something unique, to be prepared for a long storm and life itself.

The funeral marked the last year of darkness. Signals were difficult to get out. The internet connection was sporadic. We carried on even though it was not clear what was happening on Earth. We prospered, but the young people suffered the difficulty of not being able to go outside. We would tell them stories of Plato South and how few ever saw the stars. They were not impressed and I understand.

Chapter 21 : After The Storm

The four of us sat around the lunch table. Spooning barley soup and eating thick bread with thick crust. Olive oil and garlic wafted from the warmed bread. Six years and we had our first olives.

"We are adults now Basil. You don't need to treat us as children anymore." said Gav.

I looked over at Kim. "He is right, Basil Kimberly, my sweetness." She only said such things when big news was pending.

I looked at Gav and Shelley. The girl kept her head down in her bowl.

I asked, "Gav, what are you saying?" They were back from morning classes, and would soon be on their way to Factory 1.

He looked at me proudly. "I am banging her." he clapped his hands hard together.

Kim spoke, "Dear, I have been teaching them how adults treat each other with respect. They have a right to the enjoyment we get as well."

I just about got up and left the table. Kim spoke bluntly, "Now both of us have had sex, from the first week we met. Why deny them the same. Shelley wants a child. I have convinced her to wait a year. She has started taking medicines I have been using. Natural contraceptives."

I did stand up and start pacing at that point. "And why did you not tell me? Don't say it is woman's matters?"

She just smiled then told me to sit down. "I want a child, maybe two. Now that these young people are growing into adults. I want us to have children. You are 34 and I am 25. It is time."

I sat down and put my head on the table.

Kim said, "I was willing to wait. You said nothing. There was always the next emergency. But the storm is over and we have some good years ahead. If you don't say anything soon I am going to hit you."

I said, "I have always wanted children, more children. But you never brought it up. And we were so happy as it was."

Gav and Shelley would come home each evening, speaking of their experiences in the factories. They both headed for the showers, where now they felt free to be boisterous in their love play. I asked Kim, if she could not ask them to tone it down.

"They have been toning it down for years. Let them play. They know that in any other situation, they would have to be quiet."

"I don't suppose there will ever be a wheat field or an oak forest for them to run in." said I.

So we talked of tunneling and shale, gold nuggets and rare earths.

Gav said, "Even though the storm is over, the Chinese will continue to do the mining with tunneling. Anthony said that yesterday was a day of return. Some of the oxygen and nitrogen had been pushed east into the end canyon. There the gasses sat heavy and thick. Today they are returning with a vengeance. It is good we kept some of the atmosphere generators running during the storm."

I said, "The trees and plants are dead, but there are signs some of them will come back. We will cut the bamboo and see if new shoots push through."

"We got news today from Plato South." said Kim. We all looked her way. "The 'Xing Xing' is to leave orbit next week and will return here with the 'Zoraida' and 'Anthony' in four month's time. It seems the youth programs worked only too well. The tubes and habitats of Plato, are full to the gunwales. The youth have been waiting for the storm to end. When they get here, I want us to go back for a visit.

In three months Kimberly Basil was with child.

* * *

I had heavy feelings and the weather is a little gusty. The 'Xing Xing' returned to Mars orbit.

Kim says at dinner, "I have an important piece of news... Ali is dead!"

* * *

There was a large contingent of early Mars settlers, who came on board the 'Xing Xing'. All wanted to return to the Moon, in order to pay tribute to the great woman. Kim was very quiet that evening, as I held her in my arms.

Kim said, "There is only Khloe and Zoey left of us women. Dad is devastated. I am glad that Gav and Shelley are staying home. Our world is not their world. They want Uri to move in and I think he will."

* * *

When we entered lunar orbit, I spotted several wheelships. One ship was quietly sitting there, mostly finished in its outer construction. In bright glowing letters was the name: 'Ali McLean'. It was huge. It was hard to see it in details through our wet eyes.

When we arrived at the McLean flat. Khloe, Zoey and Alex were sitting there, going through a photo album. I stood back and watched the family's hugs and crying. Shaun came in and stood with me. The sisters made a big fuss as Kim's bump was now showing.

Kim said, "Well sisters, what are you waiting for. Maybe the man for you is floundering in Green Valley. More than 10,000 single men. And I have noticed Chinese mixed children are the most beautiful."

Alex finally saw me and came over. We hugged and discussed. I showed him I still was carrying the autoharp.

"Did you two bring the loot." asked Alex.

"Down on the surface and being transported to our most secure rooms." said Shaun. He was speaking of the gold. "The Chinese got their half."

"We have been a little stretched the last months." said Alex. I understood. Things were not as well governed, now that Ali was gone.

Anthony stepped into the room. Mary was behind him. He said, "I promise to stay and Mary wants to review all the books. We will try to get the best deals from China and Earth. Take your daughters to our new summer home. Mars is lovely. To look up at the sky, and breath the fresh air in Green Valley. Go for their sake. If you don't, they will stay to take care of you. We could use an instrument maker on Mars."

Anthony knew that Plato South needed a steady mind reader as well. He needed to find the money fiddlers and he knew by instinct that somehow such a case was in progress.

"How many going out?" I asked.

Zoey had joined us. "There will be 5000 on the Zoraida. She is a sturdy ship. 5000 on the Anthony. Both will be going first to Venus orbit. The solar Parasol is now at fifteen percent. It has to be upgraded and widened. 'Xing Xing' will take another load of Chinese. 10,000 men and women. And then there is the 'Ali McLean'." She stopped for a moment. Caught her breath. "It will take 15,000. A single wheel but a big one."

Alex continued, "This is going to take a lot of the young, from the youth programs on Earth. Earth is having its problems. They are threatening us with an attack. Harder to do now. Many of their children live here. Now that we have the gold, I hope the ships return immediately and take another 25,000. Can Green Valley handle it."

I said, "I can't see it. You must encourage the Chinese to bring more equipment to open more habitats. There are no lava tubes in the valley. If they bring 10,000, they build for 20,000. We can accommodate this bunch for now."

Said Anthony, "I knew long ago that I had a role with Mary. Alex take your daughters to Mars. Ali knew the moment we met, that someone needed to replace her. I have been in training at Green Valley. In time, there will be a million children running around in bare feet."

I continued as if I had been waiting for this moment. "I will see to the health of Green Valley, I and Kimberly. We will take the Eagle Couples with us. I understand there are 240. Every unit has an untapped talent, that we can help to unfold. We will dig for the gems. Look for the gold and crystals."

The air was chimering and Alex was smiling. "You convinced me boy. If ever I heard the truth, that was it. God be with us."

* * *

The next day we gathered for the memorial. Tube 5 was used, because we had the full compliment of the population in attendance. The three daughters stood at one point and each spoke from their hearts. Then they sang a simple prayer. Alex played the dulcimer. The food was amazing and many geese and ducks were sacrificed to lace the thick sandwiches. Fruit and berries were passed in large bowls. Everyone was fed and after many hours, they went home and we were left to clean up.

Then, a contingent of the young Eagle Couples, came in with the cleaning tools and the bins. A tribute to us as their parents. They were singing a simple song. "Let us clean the front yard, let us clean the back, For we are going home, for we are going home." The chorus was. "Green Valley calls us, across space, blue skies and olive trees await."

Us old people sat in shock. Suddenly we knew the flag had been passed.

Chapter 22 : Home Again, Home Again

We stayed for a few more days, giving time for everyone, to ship up to orbit. First the 'Xing Xing' left. Then the 'Zoraida' and the 'Anthony'. Finally we boarded the 'Ali McLean'. They were waiting for us. A vast crowd of youth spread across the garden area. We smiled and waved. It was hard to be personal with so many young people crowded about. Tara grabbed me (where had she come from?) and I held onto Kim.

"We need to get out of here. No one is in charge and I suppose that is to be you two." said Tara.

We followed her as she ducked into a passage and closed and locked the door. "Very poorly organized. The young people should have done it, but with Ali gone, not everything is as it should be. Your place will be just down here. Wendl has been getting it ready."

Inside it was all simple and without much refinement. "The showers and the toilets are installed. The kitchen has a H-gas stove and good counters. The beds are just mats for now. You do not have any other rooms, but the living/dining room is large enough to have a meeting of twelve." explained Wendl.

He handed me a piece of paper with a script typed message. "This is the speech, we think you would make, if you had time to think. I want you to say this. I also have a script for Kimberly." He held up a camera. I had to trust him.

I read, "When we arrived, we felt so blessed at the welcome you gave us. I understand that things have been taken from you. I hope this will make everything clear, as to who is in charge. The committee will organize you in such a way, this time next month, we will be ready to take on Mars. Thank you." That was what I said.

The camera turned to Kim. She thanked everyone and said that she would meet with as many people as she could during the trip. Then she listed the names of ten persons who were to be on the central committee during the flight.

"By the time we arrive in orbit, enough time will pass, to learn about your fellow youths. At that time, there will be a general election. I and Basil will not be eligible. The general council will be elected for a one year period. Its authority will be to organize the youth, and get on with the teaching of youth on Mars."

"I will be sending out invitations in two days. Tara and Wendl will bring you to us. Bye-bye." Kim concluded with a good smile. Tara and Wendl got in the picture.

Kim sat down with a huff. I sat next to her.

"We had to do that fast," said Tara. "We were deceived. There are not 15,000 youth on the ship but 25,000."

I looked up.

"That is why we have no authority. There are more than 10,000 persons who were not involved in the elections. They did not know, who the council was, nor that there was an election. Now you have put your authority to it. Those people out there were mostly the extra people." said Tara.

Wendl said, "We will leave you soon to get on with our work. First, shall we go next door?"

He lead us into the passage and on to the next apartment. It was a meeting hall, like in Hab 1.

"You can use this hall when we are not holding teaching sessions. We know you are needing to find special talents. Good luck to you." said Tara and they went back where we came from.

"Nice technique." said Kim. "But it is so exhausting."

"I think we handled that well." I replied.

* * *

Main meals like lunch and supper were done in a series of cafeterias. Dozens of them going completely around the 10km wheel. We traveled about the ship in the first month, getting to know people. Every group, every couple, every loner. We did not seek out the Eagle Couples. We talked and listened as the youths poured out their hearts to us. We healed, when we felt healing was needed. It was done with a friendly touch and I magnifying Kimberly's powers (nothing showy nor obvious). Some got special invitations, if we thought more work was needed.

The ship was organized on three levels. The level closest to the hub was slightly lighter than Mars gravity. The level farthest from the hub, was heavier than on Mars. The inner level was not complete. It only went half-way about the wheel. There were no people living above, only intense agriculture. Everywhere there was intense agriculture. There was a rivalry between groups to feed the hordes.

I got permission to go up on the bridge. It was just an office with a few monitors and some keyboards. No sign on the door. Kim opened the door and walked in. I was right behind.

"Mother!" she said. Then she fainted. I almost did not catch her. I dragged her to a chair.

I looked up at Ali McLean as real as life. Ali said, "Sorry about that. Kim-ber-ly. Wake up!"

Kim came about. She could not explain what her eyes were showing her.

A young man came with a cup of coffee.

Ali explained, "I was dying out there. You saw the chaos. We needed Anthony and I knew he would not come without being tricked. I never gave that fellow any time to think, and he did won-der-ful. We also needed Mary and where Anthony goes, there goes Mary."

"Well you could have brought me in on it." said Kim, now sitting up strait. "Did Dad and the girls know?"

"Yes, they did, but I was against the girls knowing. Shaun did not know. He can't keep a secret."

"But Mary would have known. How did you work that." asked Kim.

"It was partly her idea. Anthony had delegated most of his work. He was acting like the aristocratic gardener. Then he took that job as a glider pilot. What a waste! Mary was worried. And then there was that business with Julia. Took enough out of me, but he was there every day." said Ali.

"You look good mom." said Kim. "I was figuring how many people we would have in our flat. Now it is 14."

I made a face.

"On this ship you move in with us." said Ali.

We did keep the apartment for our meetings. From morning to night, we discuss the phenom of Eagle Couples. We listen and kept notes. We discussed each duo afterwards. Only in a few couples did we figure out their hidden talents. Many thought they knew the answer. But we had Gav and Shelley to make us cautious. It would become clearer when we landed.

Or that was what we were thinking until we met Titus and Nicol. A couple who met each other in a dome near Sault-Ste-Marie. On an island called St. Joseph. A long cold winter, but it was toasty inside. The people running the dome were not doing a very good job. The heating was about all that was working. Within months of Titus and Nicol's arrival, they found their love and unity. The dome started working better than most after that. Within a year it was the best agricultural producer in the dome world. Native boys and Hindu girls were getting on famous, and every night people went to bed exhausted and happy.

Then this couple left for Candle Lake. They quickly progressed and impressed, so Plato South was their next home. Within a week they were on the 'Xing Xing' and Kim and I became equally impressed and asked them to take over the apartment. Both 18 years old. They understood how people worked, how to motivate and even more so Eagle Couples.

Kim explained to me, "The girl practically reeled off my life's story. She said that since meeting Titus nothing about people is mysterious."

It would prove true as the months on board came to an end.

* * *

Twenty days, just to get the youth down to the surface. The numbers were never revealed outside the council. The true numbers that is. Ali felt that the Chinese were competing for power over Green Valley.

Ali said, "If I had announced that 25,000 youth were moving to Mars, they would have packed the Xing Xing with 25,000. I know they didn't, because Yvette keeps me updated on the Chinese movements. Your young people better do their jobs. Get the youth thinking more kindly than their parents."

Alex was sitting across the dinner table, smiling and enjoying having his wife back. The three daughter were ignoring her as they talked among themselves. It seem only I was really listening.

At first I thought she was talking about herself, "This old crate will have one more trip. Then I want to put it into permanent orbit around Mars. A station that is self sufficient for 15 to 20 thousand. It is a good thing to have one in orbit. We don't know what Mars has planned for us in future." Ali continued.

"But, what about habitats in the valley? We don't seem to build them fast enough." I asked.

"We will look around from up here. We have a whole batch of new gizmos. There are other places waiting to be found." she replied. And she was right.

Chapter 23 : Solid Ground

We came down together in the same freighter. Gizmos and new seeds took up the rest of the space. Alex, Ali, Zoey, Khloe, Kim and I. One happy family. As we stepped on the valley floor, Gav and Shelley were there to meet us. Thank God, no more crowds. Uri came up soon after with Chung following.

"Which one is Khloe?" asked Gav. Kim pointed her out. Both Shelley and Gav were taller than Kim.

Gav walked over to Khloe and held her hand. "I want to show you the man to marry." He pulled her gently and she followed a little embarrassed. "This is my friend Chung. He is the best."

Gav turned to Chung who also showed embarrassment. "She is like Kimberly. A medicine woman and you said your mother is a medicine woman."

Shelley looked at me then spoke to the group of gawking family. "Gav is always right. I should know."

Gav continued, "And Uri needs a wife. He is my father and a very good man."

Gav looked at Zoey.

After this Gav walked with Khloe on his left hand and Chung on his right as we made our way to Hab 1. Zoey and Uri were sneaking glaces at each other.

Shelley whispers in my ear. "We took the idea from you. You plant seeds. We thought to plant seeds as well."

I laughed out loud. Maybe a little too loud, as Kim jumped away from me.

* * *

They were ten good sized living quarters or expanded bedrooms in our flat. Each person/persons got their own through consultation. Kim already had clinic space and I my office. We renamed our home the McLean flat.

Kim and I invited Titus and Nicole, Tara and Wendl, to come in with us. They did agree. That made 16. The rules were now tighter. Every flat must have a population of 16 minimum.

We soon learned of Chung's stratagems. He was in charge of giving the final check on orders for factory supplies. The order said five dome covers but he changed it to nine.

"Sorry," said Ali. "That was my doing. I contacted him from the ship. He was so surprised to see my face that he must have thought it a vision."

"She did call. But I have never been this dishonest before." explained Chung. "My idea was to build two factory bubbles out on the west plain. The bases have already been completed. Not for factory work but for new Habitats. I figure that with agricultural space considered they could house 3,000 each."

I explained to those who were less informed, "The factory bubbles have a fabric roof and are three kilometres in diameter. Air pressure holds them up." I was figuring on my pad at the table. Zoey and Kim were getting lunch. I was glad to get back to my special coffee brew.

Chung continued his thought, "We planted a long and wide row of bamboo out there shortly after you left. We almost had to move the landing port. The bamboo has formed a wonderful wind break. I was thinking that bamboo and concrete would be good for building quarters for the youth. They will have tunnel connections to Hab 1 for when the weather gets bad."

I looked over at our youths around the table. "We are going to need a design team like yesterday and people with experience building with bamboo. It would be good to pull in some Chinese youth and offer them a place to move in. I was figuring maybe more than 3000 persons. But that is now in your hands. The vegetable gardens are a necessary part of any hab."

The large rig gliders landed the following day, providing nine dome covers. The entire machine would be dismantled and the parts used on other projects.

Ali was insistant that the 'big wheel', as she called it, be turned around quickly and that a crew return with 30,000 youth and families. "It was designed for that much. But, the rush we were in, stopped the last trip from its full compliment. This is the last trip for my flagship. It will then sit in orbit, reminding people that I am still in charge."

I hoped she was kidding.

I called up people involved in the construction of high-rises in the lunar tubes. There were a few good ones. I asked them over for supper, let them get to know some of the young people. They were to stay out of actual construction and if the young had any problems or concerns bring them to Chung or me.

Pink is not my colour. I am a blue guy, dark blue. The first dome was bright pink, the other light purple. It took a while to get used to it. But it did stand as a beacon to the future of Green Valley. My figures were much like Chung's, but I figured they had lots of room for the inclusion of 2000 children that were going to result.

Kimberly gave birth to our first, the following month. We called her Green, or more formally Verna. A fine girl, with the face of Ali McLean. Since we had returned, Ali had insisted that Julia's three boys join the flat. This was arranged with care as their foster parents had been reluctant. The final arrangement was that the family move into the flat next door where Doris and Clyde were in charge.

Clyde was the 3D printer king, who had manufactured the parts for the wheelships. He was now looking for a new project on Mars. I sent the youth over, when they were struggling with the building design.

Clyde suggested, "Why don't I provide you with a tubular frame, like the sections of the wheelships but with hundreds of holes that can be hooks for groups of apartments." He made sketches that allow the structure to reach up one kilometre. "We could imprint it with any design patterns you dream up."

And so it went. Clyde got a new 3D printer and the youth got a strong and safe home.

* * *

Lunch in the McLean residence. A month later. The same suspects.

"What have we been thinking?" says Chung, who has now moved in with Khloe. "We have this wonderful black man living next door and his brilliant wife. We can do anything now that a 3D-printer is working."

"What are you thinking?" asks Kim.

"Well we don't need complete bubble domes to enhance the habitat buildings."

"And?" asked Ali. We were all starring at him. He was looking like a younger man. He had changed his way of dressing and stopped wearing his old wool cap.

"We have concrete. That can be reinforced with bamboo strips. Buildings of any shape can now be built, strong enough to be outside during the storms. We can build structures that have bubble windows, glass bubbles in rubber frames. Build vast garden enclosures that don't need so much artificial lighting, except during the difficult years. Everything is connected by tunnels for safe passage. We could retire the TBMs. And they are getting a little ragged."

"Did Khloe whisper that in your ear last night?" asked Shelley.

So Clyde was brought in and a new era in our Green Valley started. The structures would be built west with a new highway and street lights. Valley soil was agricultural soil, so there was no need to add anything but a little gypsum dust and some worms. Composting would soon build in the more complex soils.

When the 'Ali McLean' returned, we were almost ready for them. The problem was that the Chinese children were joining in the youth programs. The passengers on the 'Xing Xing' arriving shortly after with an already informed young set.

Calculate! Our 30,000 and 8000 that we had not counted on. Back to the 3D printers.

And of course everyone wanted to move into a concrete dome with windows to the sky. We had not retired the TBMs but they were slowing down. The corridors of the Mars North Wall were now having more cracks and we were having more false starts with the tunnels, water and softer rock. Soon we would stop tunneling into rock all-together.

Chapter 24 : Green Valley and Blue Sky.

Well it was the air that sat around Green Valley that gave us a blue sky. Normally the sky was a dull orange-red.

The temperature where we were, was warmer than you would guess. The machines are a humming, atmosphere generators and thorium reactors, pumping out tons. A lot of waste heat is pumped from the habs as carbon dioxide gas. This is soon soaked in by all the planted bushes, trees and vegetables.

When the storms came, we thought we were ready. Our food stocks where not that full, but we hoped all the agricultural land would make it up. None of the new domes suffered serious damage and the habs were secure. The blue sky turned orange, then dark violet but mostly grey and black for the next two years.

A new lot of Chinese were on there way, when the storm struck. They could not turn back and the best hope was to stick it out in orbit. That was a problem.

Over supper, as the storm raged outside, Chung told us, "My people have done something foolish. First they delayed telling me and then I have this great shame of asking for your help. There are 28,000 people on that ship. You know what their agriculture is like. In a month, they will be here with all their reserves of food used up and only enough garden food for half."

Ali gasped, "God save us! We are stuck down here and the McLean has only 5000 to maintain the fields."

Alex spoke up after a long silence, "We can save them and punish them at the same time. We invite only the women and children to the McLean. Just like a sinking boat, they will jump to our lifeboat. Any men arriving will be executed."

"That is a little harsh." said Kim.

I stepped in to support Alex. I knew he was a wise and gentle man. "It solves two problems. It is probably the men on the ship, who have set the bad policies in place. The women will work hard for their children. Get our gardens up to full capacity."

Chung gave us all the info for the Xing Xing. There were 12,000 men and 10,000 women, the rest children under 16.

"We are talking of one to three years isolation. How many of our crew are men?" I asked.

Ali answered, "Most of them. 4300. They were looking foreword to being replaced when the storm hit."

I looked at Ali and she caught my point. "Yes, about 3500 are not married."

"And how many of the children Chung, are 14 or 15 and female." I asked.

"Should we not put a ban on fraternizing?" asked Uri.

Alex said in a sarcastic tone. "And how did that work in the Russian quarter?"

Chung finally said after looking through his notes, "About 2000 girls are 12 or older. Chinese girls are fertile at 11."

"And of course the Chinese boys are not going to be playing with their yoyos?" I added.

"If we say one child for each fertile female." Kim was making a face, but I gave her a sign, that it was something we needed to take very serious.

I reversed my thought. "Let us just say that every one of our free males produces a child. That is 3,500 babies. Have they got a doctor or nurse up there?"

"The married couples might have children as well." said Shelley.

I continued, "Well I say we develop adequate communications. Our doctors and specialist down here are going to have their workload increased."

When moments of clear weather happened we pushed all kinds of doctor and nurse info their way. Chinese mid-wives were on board, once the transfer was made. We educated them in the language of their choice and some became fully experienced medical doctors. They trained their children both in physical hygiene and proper diet. They were doing surgeries and whatever was necessary to save lives. It turned out the storm was under two years long but still 6000 babies were born.

I scratched my head over that one. But the men on the 'Xing Xing' were particularly passionate the last weeks before the transfer. And not just with their wives.

So we had a transfer of 34,000 people that next spring. Soon after that, arrived the 'Zoraida' and the 'Anthony'.

Only a thousand or so lifeboat women went back to their Chinese husbands. The others moved directly into native and youth habitats so that the programs in Plato North, on the Moon, just gave up. They became amalgamated with Plato South. The crater declared itself a country. Plato, Planet Luna (.plato.luna).

We started a process of integration among the older people. Then we had a census.

Shelley had her first child. Then Uri married Zoey. It certainly took him some time. He had truly loved Shirlee and it takes a long while to overcome a loss.

With the new babies, we had 219,000 or so. Many children were born Marside, during the storm. We were well on our way to a million. Green Valley and any other city in the canyon was now to be part of the new nation of Mars Canyon.

The End