Chapter 17

Burrrpp, Burrrpp, Burrrpp

Molly’s eyes shot open. Whatsit? Drool moistened her right jaw. She wiped it with clumsy fingertips.

Burrrpp, Burrrpp, Burrrpp, her wake-up alarm sounded.

A red light blinked at her right peripheral. Oh. Molly sat up, touched her iComm link. “Access message.” The text illuminated before her.

Molly, you will be placed on Security detail today. Attached is your clearance code. It will transmit when you close this message and will lodge in your personnel profile. Don’t mention you already have it. Come find me as soon as possible. –G

“Save message.” The image shifted like a piece of paper being blown by the wind and grew smaller until it disappeared. Immediately, another red light flashed. Molly swung her legs onto the floor. She thought the code transmitted automatically. “Download file.” The red light continued to blink. Hmm. “Access, message.”

You will find the attached file interesting in your quest. –AF

“Okay, open file.” The simulated sheet blew away and drifted into an iconic file folder, and then it flipped over and enlarged. The image of an invoice settled in her visual range. Molly scanned the information. Cryogenic Supplies, Canisters, multi-layered pallets, and tubing. Her eyebrows shot up. Delivered to AA@AP Ent. The signature was illegible, just a scribble of initials. But, she interpreted the recipient—Austin Abraham at Abraham Project Enterprises.

Hmm. Okay, AF, whoever you are, you’ve got some interesting information. What does it mean, though? Maybe Gordon will know. Molly pulled her hair back and secured it with an elastic tie, ever present on her wrist. “First things first—Coffee!” She pulled on pants and a clean t-shirt, slipped on lace-up loafers, and opened the door to her room. The scent of coffee and sweet rolls filled the hall. She closed her eyes and drew deeply of its fragrance. This place can’t be all bad with smells like that early in the morning. She followed the aroma as a smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

Miriam sat at a high table, nibbling on a muffin. Molly nodded as she entered the common kitchen. One by one, the new pilgrims gathered for a morning start of coffee, juice, cereal, an odd-smelling milk, perhaps goat, muffins, cinnamon rolls, and fruit.

“Feels liked a hotel breakfast bar, doesn’t it?” Pam smiled as she sniffed an orange. At least it looked like an orange. When she cut it open it was purple but smelled ripe and sweet. She shrugged and sunk her teeth into the pulp.

“Yum,” she pulled the wedges apart and devoured the whole thing.

“Where’s the bacon and eggs?” Deuce entered the kitchen. Giggles rippled among those seated. He pulled out a chair and positioned himself to sit down. A bell dinged, and a bread box-type door slid open. Everyone stared at the box door. A plate with four pieces of bacon and two over-easy eggs sat in the opening.

“By golly!” He lifted the plate to his nose to inhale the steam. “Smells like bacon and eggs.” He shrugged, looked around, pulled out a fork from a basket, and sat down to eat.

Julio walked up behind Deuce and sniffed the air. “How’d you do that?”

“You got me.” Deuce shrugged and shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

“Hmm.” Julio walked over to the box. “Two pieces of wheat toast, lightly browned, two poached eggs, and shredded potatoes, lightly crisped, please.” After a moment’s wait, the bell sounded, the box door slipped open, and there sat a steaming plate of the same.

“Peasy!” Julio took his plate, grabbed a fork, and joined Deuce at the table. The others looked at each other as if they had one thought between them, jumped up, and lined up in front of the magic food box. Nothing was impossible. Every food requested appeared in the door, Omelets, biscuits and cream gravy, granola bars, and even prunes in heavy cream. That one caused an uproar of laughter and a blush in Miriam’s cheeks.

A man dressed in a light-blue barong button-down shirt, carpenter-style tan shorts, white socks, and brown leather sandals stood in the door of the common kitchen. His eyes scanned a transparent magenta clipboard in his hands. “Miriam?”

The laughter faded as everyone turned toward the voice.

“I’m Miriam.” She briskly wiped her hands on a napkin and swallowed.

“Ah, yes, well we need your group to gather outside, we will assign responsibilities and get everybody settled with their assignments.”

Miriam’s eyes swept the faces of her people around the table, “Of course, we’ll be right there.”

“Neat-o mosquito.” Mr. Socks-and-Sandals slipped out of the kitchen.

“Ah, man!” Pam shoved her elbows on the table and her chin into her hands.

Miriam tilted her head with concern. “What?”

“There’re mosquitos on this planet?” Pam smiled wickedly.

Everyone laughed. Chairs rubbed on the tile floor as Miriam’s group meandered toward the front door.

Mr. Socks-and-Sandals stood out on the lush lawn, a tall slender man stood at his side. He wore a black linen suit with a white half-collared shirt buttoned all the way up, but no tie. They solemnly watched as the pilgrims piled out onto the porch and crossed the lawn to join him. The two suns were already hot, and there was not a hint of a breeze.

“Why’d we have to come out here to get our assignments, the kitchen was just as good?” Julio whispered to Deuce.

Deuce shrugged and made his way across the lawn.