---

 

This writing was accepted for publication in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN# / ISBN# issue/book “Reaching for the Stars” Down in the Dirt, v201 (11/22) Order the paperback book:

Order this writing that appears in the one-of-a-kind anthology The Paths Less Traveled the Down in the Dirt September-December 2022 issues collection book		get the 422 page September-December 2022 Down in the Dirt 6" x 9" ISBN# perfect-bound paperback book:

Order this writing in the book Running Out of Time the 2022 poetry, flash fiction, prose, & art collection anthology		get the one-of-a-kind poetry, flash fiction, prose, artwork & photography collection anthology as a 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:

Adam and Amber Escape the Planet

Peggy Gerber

    Amber clicked open her email and bellowed, “Adam, come quickly! We did it! We won the lottery.”
    Adam jumped off his exercise bicycle and raced into the kitchen yelling, “Where is it? What does it say? Show it to me.”
    With shaking hands, Amber tipped the computer towards her husband and held her breath as he read the email slowly, savoring each line. When he was done the newlyweds fell into each other’s arms and began dancing through their apartment, giggling “We won, we won, we won.” They could scarcely believe it. In just a few months, they would board the Horizon IV and travel to the earth-like planet Jordana. A planet free from the pandemics plaguing the Earth, one after the other since 2020. Free from the viruses that were traveling the world, wreaking havoc, changing and mutating so rapidly scientists could not keep up with vaccines and treatments. Free from a world where people lived a half-life, working from home, streaming all their activities, going out for supplies and medical care by government appointment only. Children grew up playing in virtual playgrounds, young people dated in chat rooms and antidepressants were passed out routinely to ward off anxiety and depression.
    When Amber was finally able to calm down, she grabbed her phone and called her mother. She said, “Mom, tell me again how you used to go to concerts and movies and weddings. How when you hiked with friends in the woods you were actually in the woods.” Amber had always listened intently to her mother’s stories and was desperate to experience a different kind of existence.
    After the call, Amber sat down and smiled smugly at her husband. She was the one who suggested they enter the lottery. Adam was against it. He knew how slim their chances of winning were and was reluctant to part with the ten-thousand units of bitcoin it cost to enter. Eventually, Amber’s constant begging and pleading wore him down and he gave in. As a prerequisite for the lottery, the young couple needed to go through numerous medical checks to confirm their good health. They were subjected to fertility testing and genetic sequencing to establish they were fertile and free from disease. They spoke with psychologists individually and together to certify they were compatible and psychologically stable enough to leave behind friends and family and build a completely new life.
    Sixty days before departure, a cleaning crew came in and disinfected the couple’s apartment. The future travelers were ordered to isolate inside their home for the two full months before their voyage, stepping outside for any reason would immediately void their contract. It was crucial to the safety of the mission that all passengers be free from disease. To assure their compliance, the Space Alliance fitted Amber and Adam with ankle monitors to track their every movement. Their needs would be taken care of by the Alliance and all their good-byes and last-minute messages to their families would have to be done electronically.
    The night before departure, the couple were enjoying their final dinner on Earth when Adam’s phone rang. Adam had already said his final good-byes and was puzzled to see his brother’s name on the screen. When he answered the phone, his brother cried, “Adam, I don’t think Mom’s going to last the night. She is begging to see you. Please come.”
    Adam hissed at his brother, “Jake, don’t do this to me. You know how guilty I already feel. I’m leaving tomorrow. You know I can’t come.”
    Jake murmured, “Mom’s laying in bed sobbing. She is crying for you, Adam. For God’s sakes, you’re not even going to be at the funeral. You have to come.”
    Adam began pacing the floor, muttering to himself and rubbing his chin stubble. He turned to Amber and said, “I don’t know what to do. I think I have to go.”
    Amber began shrieking, “No, no, no, no, no, no. Adam, don’t jeopardize our trip. You are going to ruin everything.”
    Adam shouted, “How can I leave her like this? For heaven’s sakes, I was in her bubble for twenty-four years.”
    Amber collapsed on the floor and howled, “Adam, your mother wanted this for the two of us. She’s not thinking straight. She doesn’t know what she is saying.”
    With tears spilling down his face, Adam opened his computer and keyed in the code to release his ankle monitor. As a premier technology specialist, he had bet Amber ten units of bitcoin he could figure out the code weeks before just for fun. He won the bet never imagining he would use it. As he pulled off the device, he looked at his wife and whispered, “If I get caught, please go without me. I love you so much.”
    Around midnight, Amber heard a key in the lock and jumped up. She sobbed with relief when Adam walked through the door. He looked at her and grinned, “Nobody saw me. We are going to Jordana.”
    Early the next morning, a freshly disinfected limo arrived to take the couple to the launchpad. As instructed, they left all their belongings behind and said good-bye to everything familiar. After an eighteen-hour drive, they arrived at their destination and were escorted straight to the pre-flight area. Once there they took showers and dressed in their government issued uniforms. Next they were met by the ship’s doctor and given an exam. They answered questions about how they were feeling, their vitals were taken, and they signed a document swearing they hadn’t left their home in sixty days. They were cleared for take-off.
    Holding hands, the couple boarded the Horizon IV and were directed to lie down in incubators so technicians could prepare them for a two-year period of suspended animation. When all the passengers were confirmed to be asleep, the ship took off.

*****

    Two years later, after a perfect landing, the incubators unlatched and the travelers blinked open their eyes. The groggy pioneers shook off sleep as they lined up row by row to exit the ship. Amidst the jubilation, there was one passenger that was not celebrating. Adam moved down the line slowly, his feet heavy as lead. His throat was killing him. As he disembarked, he began to cough.

Copyright of written pieces remain with the author, who has allowed it to be shown through Scars Publications and Design.Web site © Scars Publications and Design. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted without express permission from the author.

Problems with this page? Then deal with it...