Chapter – 28
My sister, dear April, had finally passed into the final stage. She was no longer withering. She was now dying. It became all too clear to us when she vomited from her empty stomach. She could barely drink water anymore. The alien environment of Earth would soon take her life.
I came to learn of this shortly after I returned from the upper levels. Both my brother and Jenna were leaning over April, now lying on the ground in the recovery position. Even in the dull green light, her reduced condition could be seen. My parents were a mess. Robert and Mary stayed in their corner. Mary was clutching her apple tree tightly, as if it brought her some measure of comfort.
My father seemed broken up by the sight, but my mother was looking about for food or water.
“What does she need?” she asked Cain, pulling open her pack. “Water?”
“No,” Cain said, feeling April’s pulse. “It could only upset her stomach more.”
“It’s the air,” Jenna said reflectively, not heard by anyone else. “It’s making her sick.”
There was nothing that could be done about that, I realized. Cain soon caught on.
He sighed and bowed his head. “It must be the air,” he said. “The best we can do is leave April down here with the apple tree, and no more than one person as company. That’s all I can suggest. Maybe…it’ll help.”
“There must be something we can do!” my father insisted. “There must be something we can give her!”
“We don’t have anything!” Cain shouted angrily. He was always too emotional for his own good. The inability to help someone always tortured him.
An argument soon broke out between Cain and my parents. It was meaningless, full of disparity and nonsense. Mary clutched the small tree tighter at the mention of it, and Robert stood. Jenna stayed at April’s side, a caring hand on her shoulder. I remained where I was, largely unaffected by all that was happening. I waited patiently for my thoughts to organize themselves, then asked the most appropriate question.
“If I got her to the ship,” I asked, “could you help her?”
All conflict stopped as suddenly as it had begun. The calmness of my voice confused them all, while my words raised countless questions.
“What?” my mother said to me. “What are you talking about?”
I largely ignored her, looking at Cain. “If I got her to the ship,” I repeated, “could you help her?”
There was a very long pause as everyone watched me. Eventually my father spoke.
“Abel,” he said. “Son, the ship is gone. Everything on it is lost. You know that…” He looked hurt by what I had said. He must have taken it as a distasteful game of some kind.
“Cain,” I said. “Could you do it?”
There was another silence before Cain spoke, very quietly.
He nodded weakly. “Yes.” He nodded more resolutely, seeing the seriousness in my eyes. “Yes, I could help her. I’m certain of it.”
Still everyone stared at me, eyes on the brink of tears, but for the first time there was a glimmer of hope.
“Alright then,” I said with equal calm. “Everyone, gather your things.”
__________
Our path was defined. For so long we had placed our lives in the hands of best guesses. From junk heap to junk heap, from planet to planet, from structure to structure. Our target always seemed to be a pinhead in the distance. Not today. This time our destination loomed over us, so daunting and massive it took up the entire sky. Now it didn’t matter how accurately we moved through the City of Ghosts. Our target couldn't be missed, and there would be no going back.
I led our company. My feet made the path that everyone else followed. Jenna was behind me, followed by my father, carrying April. My mother and brother followed them, keeping a good eye on April. She had regained consciousness a few times. We needed to hurry, for her sake. Mary and Robert stayed at the back of our group, looking around nervously. They didn’t want to be here, and argued against climbing the mountain. Even when I'd seen Jenna's memories, they spoke no more openly about it than they had before. They would follow because they had no choice.
As we walked, I looked to my right and left. It was still very early morning, and much of the city was still shadowed. In these dark places, the glittering ghosts could be seen. They stood in groups, watching us pass by. No one else saw them, save Jenna. There must have been hundreds of them. They offered simple gestures of goodbye and good luck. I waved back discreetly. Jenna did the same, but she managed a smile where I couldn’t. These ghosts didn’t seem prone to smiles.
We couldn’t see any dust storms approaching, and intended to reach the mountains before the sun could burn us. The mountain was farther than it appeared, but there was no time to wait. Another day couldn’t be allowed to pass by. If we were burnt, so be it.
As the hours passed, I redirected us toward the lowest pass of the mountains I could see. I was also confident that my ship had landed very near the far side. This was more a feeling than a fact. Maybe I got this impression from memories of our landing, or perhaps it was another of my mind’s conjuring.
The ship was there somewhere. That I knew.
As we came closer to the mountain’s base, the sun ascended into the sky. Cain warned us to cover all exposed skin, and we did. I was hasty, forgetting to cover a sliver of skin on my wrist. It stung painfully to the touch after a few minutes, and I scorned myself. The others seemed to be faring better, though we were all soaked in sweat.
It was midday when we reached the mountain. It was a glorious moment for my family. We all stood next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, looking up the endless heights together. We had never climbed such a thing before, and had no reason to believe we could. We had little food, only a few days’ worth of water, and weak bodies. Still, we had motivation. The condition of my sister was all we needed.
In a group, without a word, the Orions rushed the heights of the Mystery Mountains. Ledge over ledge we forced ourselves up. Whenever someone tripped or grew tired, a hand shot out to keep them steady. We fashioned ropes, and took short, unfulfilling breaks. We only needed to look upon my suffering sister to find the strength to go on. It came in limitless amounts for me. I depended on my sister more than anyone, and furthermore…my ship was out there somewhere.
__________
I must have seen them a thousand times, much as I saw them now, but this time was special. The stars were different this evening. Now, as I looked upon the infinity of wonder, I could picture the distant stars as rain, suspended and frozen in time. As I craned my neck upwards, I almost felt the urge to close my eyes in anticipation of the falling water.
I've only seen rain a few times in my life. Every time it did, I would run into the open and point my face upward. Every time I felt cleansed. Looking up at the stars now, in a strange way, had the same effect. I felt safe here.
We reached an incredible height on our first day, climbing beyond even the tallest structure in the city. We needed rest, and so we were here, on the most beautiful slope. There was a cave for us to gather in, and still a place from which to stargaze. My family, having only just settled down, was doing the most unexpected thing.
…They were laughing.
My father was telling a story, one of the many we'd all heard before. April was conscious, and feeling able enough to take part. It was becoming cold, but my mother and father were cuddled tightly, as were Cain and April. Mary, Robert, and Jenna had their own arrangements. I would be fine, with a thick blanket wrapped around me. Besides, I needed some time before sleeping. I needed personal reflection. When on my ship, and most notably back on Mars, I’d always found a quiet place for myself. The time I spent in these places was of great benefit to me, though I don’t know why. Here, at least, away from the laughter, I got the essence of solitude, while still smiling at the story being told in the background.
/> As I’ve been told, it’s nearly impossible to understand your own achievement until you have the chance to see it. You have to look at where you began to understand where you currently are. I did exactly that. Amidst the hundreds of thousands of stars in the sky, there was one with a dull red tint that stood out…
It was deceiving from this distance. When judging by this red dot alone, one could imagine the planet had never been touched. It looked so innocent and virgin, out of reach and unstained. I found it painful to see now, the place where I was born and raised. It was my home, though I saw so little of it. I was, in reality, made of Martian soil, of Martian air…of Martian life and soul. This small dot in the sky couldn’t show the millions that once lived there. I couldn't see the Great Gardens, the rare lakes, or the craters made from nuclear blasts.
Another tragedy.
I found a place to lie down, and closed my eyes. I was grateful for the opportunity to sleep.
There was no question in my mind we would reach the top. There was no question in my mind that the end of our journey rested beyond this mountain.
I wasn’t worried. Maybe everything I had ever wanted would be handed to me in a few days. Maybe I’ll find nothing but the certainty of death. Either way, I climbed to my end proudly. Looking back at all the years passed, all the challenges overcome, I felt content. Above all, I was tired, and wished only to rest my head in a place I wouldn’t leave.