James Scotson: Planets Falling

A baby girl arrives to Theo, Eliza, and me shortly after the first snow. We name her Hope and the village celebrates her arrival. Bad feelings have wafted away, leaving a sense of peace, gratitude, and joy. The next day after Hope’s birth, Iggy returns with his children from the frigid lake. They bundle up and feast on the greens we’ve grown for them during the summer. We begin learning ways to communicate with our hands. Eliza’s ability to talk with them through their minds greatly improves our ability to talk. I’ve found that I can pick up bits and pieces as well, although I’m still more comfortable traveling in the minds of wild, unfettered animals of the forest than my companions.

Eliza and I spend each of our days wandering the lakeshore and working the earth. I’m delighted to learn as much from her as I teach her. We’ve built a garden together and we’re exploring the depth of our abilities to see beyond the world around us. Without the Raven, the lake’s less clear to me. However, I still sense the many doorways and with a little effort visit them, peering through at other worlds.

Today is Eliza’s twelfth birthday. The Raven swoops overhead, preparing to land before us. Eliza would prefer to spend the day with her friends and family, but I’m dragging her out over the lake, something I do most every day by myself. I am the keeper, after all. Someday, she and her sister will be responsible for the lake and it’s time for her to learn more deeply about the miracle at our doorstep.

With Gorian’s help, the Raven and the Fuerst visit us safely, although other vessels from the Institute dare not approach us. Gorian has mastered the bacteria — understands it and knows that it gives us freedom from the rest of crowded, conflicted, and angry space. Etch provides us with enough information and materials borrowed from the Institute to help ourselves without become spoiled.

“Happy birthday, Eliza.”

“Thanks Raven. Mom says that she has something special to show me.”

“Indeed she does.”

We skim across the lake looking into its depths. A swirling bank of stars hangs below us.

“What’s that?” Eliza asks mesmerized.

“It’s called a galaxy. It happens to be the one we live in. The portal we’re looking through is on a small planet with some very interesting plants. They’re intelligent and talk with each other.”

The Raven takes us to another spot where the world’s encrusted by dust.

“This is a world where the intelligent beings used up all their water and the planet died. Very sad.”

We spend most of the afternoon traveling from place to place. I explain how I learned of these places and how I’m able to travel into them with my mind — no need to make the physical jump. “I have a dear friend named Fromer. He’s similar to Etch. He walked into the portal and became part of it at great sacrifice to all of us. He’s the closest thing to a god I’ve ever seen in all my days traveling over this water.”

Eliza crinkles her nose. “Will I ever get to meet him?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

It’s getting late and Eliza’s tired. So am I.

“Eliza, I have one more thing to show you — a special birthday gift.”

The Raven cruises to a place both familiar and comforting. I stand up and sit her in the pilot’s chair.

“Eliza, I want you to meet your grandmother.”

A light appears and the cabin grows silent. The figure of my mother, as beautiful as she was the day she died, appears in the glow. She kneels down and Eliza runs to her.

The path to the future is complete. Somewhere out there, Fromer’s smiling.

Copyright © 2014 James E. Garvey Books

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