Chapter 15

“AF?” She paced her small room. Was Gordon playing a trick on her? An initiation, haha, we gotcha sort of thing? Molly puzzled over the message. A tap on her door broke into her thoughts. Deuce! She cracked open the door.

A sliver of Miriam’s face peeked through. She spoke softly, “Molly? Care to join us?”

Molly glanced at the time. It had not been a full hour yet. She flashed a warm smile. “Sure. I’ll be right there.”

Thirteen pilgrims sat quietly, waiting for the fourteenth. Heat rose in Molly’s face as she entered. Why did they need her present before they could begin? She sat. Deuce’s eyes met hers.

“Sorry,” she mouthed as she shrugged.

He returned the gesture.

Immediately, Miriam stood and cleared her throat. Her glare remained on Molly for a moment longer than necessary.

Always in trouble. Molly pushed the irritation aside. Hibernation lag.

“Well, Pilgrims, we made it!” Miriam clasped her hands in a single clap. The expanse of the Grand Canyon could not compare to the broad smile on her face. Her soul signature sparkled, and her words were carried by breathless effort. Definitely hibernation lag.

“We’re starting a little sooner than we had said, but you’ll understand why in a few minutes. Now, let’s join in thanksgiving.” Miriam bowed her head, and the others followed. Miriam prayed, expressing thanks for safe travel, and asked for blessings over the work they were about to do for the people of Omicron. Everyone echoed her final word, “Amen.”

“As I said earlier, we will be dined tonight, so when we disembark, please be dressed in your Sunday best. We want to make a good impression, don’t we?” Miriam giggled like a schoolgirl. “Please remember your protocol lessons, but be yourself and have a good time.” She swung her fist in the air before her torso.

Okay, now she was trying too hard. Molly sensed—nervousness. That was curious. Perhaps she would keep Miriam under surveillance as well as Deuce. One never knows. Moles could be anywhere, anybody, especially overly enthusiastic participants. Molly started. Technically, she was the mole.

Miriam looked up, from the corner of her eye, and paused. Molly, like everyone else, followed her gaze to look up in the same direction but saw nothing. Miriam waited. Her eyes darted from the ceiling to the recruits and back. A goofy smile slid from her face. Her forehead wrinkled down toward her brow.

The ship’s iComm system crackled. “Is this on? Tap tap tap ... Are you sure? Oh, oh, okay, Ahem, H-HELLLOOO Pilgrims from Earth!” A smooth deep voice spoke too loudly.

Deuce rolled his eyes and lowered his head. Apparently, he recognized the speaker’s voice. Molly couldn’t take her eyes off him. This could only be one person—

“This is Austin Abraham.” His southern Earthly regions’ accent rang through, elongating both names. “And I want to be the first to welcome you to Omicron.” Again the planet’s name was elongated in that southern drawl. “We are so happy to have you here, and we thank Gawd you have arrived safely with His grace and mercy.”

Deuce’s eyes shot up to meet Molly’s. She lowered her chin and rolled her eyes up as if she were peering over reading glasses sitting low on the bridge of her nose. Really? Deuce shrugged and widened his eyes then rotated his eyes up and over. Molly suppressed a smile. She’d never seen him squirm like he did now.

“Okay,” Mr. Abraham continued. “So we look forward to the hour you will disembark, and we get to welcome you properly! And I hope y’all are hungry ‘cause there’s a feast awaitin’ ya.”

Molly could hear the jovial smile in Mr. Abraham’s voice. But an oily feeling slithered down her spine. She tightened her limbs to suppress the shiver. Deuce didn’t appear to be happy by the greeting either. The others, however, exhibited elation. They cheered, girls hugged girls, and the men fist-bumped and patted shoulders.

“Until then,” Abraham spoke again. The recruits quieted. “Fare thee well sweet princes and princesses of Earth and Heavenly realms. Oh, I probably shouldn’t have said that. Huh? ... What? Oh. Well ... here, you turn it off.” The ship’s speaker squawked, clicked, and then went silent.

Deuce closed his eyes as he shook his head. Hayden shoved him over, and then grimaced and held his abdomen. Deuce glanced at Hayden with a crimson-stained face and a half smile. Hayden sat back in his hover chair with obvious discomfort. Of course, he would be excused from the cryogenic reviving exercise.

“Okay, well,” Miriam drew everyone’s attention. “We have hibernation fatigue to get over so let’s walk around the ship and get our blood flowing again, shall we?” Ever the cheerleader, she coaxed the sluggish participants to their feet. “Attendants, if you please.” A lively recording of spiritual music blasted throughout the ship. Its cadence was matched by Miriam’s walking pace. She, of course, led the pack.

Everyone stood, as Miriam had requested, in their Sunday best, waiting to disembark. All except Hayden, of course. He sat in a hover chair, waiting for a medical attendant to transfer him to the infirmary. He looked exhausted. The wing-like airlock door creaked and snapped as the three-year-old seal broke open. The attendants stood at attention on both sides of the door, just as they had when the fourteen boarded. Deuce seemed to hang back, so Molly took her time and let everyone push ahead of her. Her senses tingled with something familiar yet out of place. It filled her mind like a lingering perfume. She stared at the growing gap of the rising door.

First feet, then legs, then torsos waited on the other side of the ever-rising door. Strange sounding music, comparable to the Atlantic Island’s with drums, flutes, and other string instruments unknown to the pilgrims, played on instruments fashioned from wood. Its rich, hollow reverberations bounced off the hard surfaces of the embarking station. Silver-haired children stood with many flower bouquets. As the pilgrims stepped out of the ship, the children stepped forward and handed over their bundles. Awkward kisses were laid on one cheek then the other as the pilgrims bent down to accept the vibrant colored plumage.

Silver-haired adults stood behind the flower-bearing children, proudly claiming their offspring by resting their hands on the child’s shoulders. Wide canine grins were in full bloom as well.