Stephen Sumner - Seeking Forever

Everywhere Jennifer explored, empty cryogen tubes, dead computers, empty rooms, empty corridors, until the ache in her heart swelled and swelled into a hard knot that choked her breathing into a sob. She sank to her knees and shook as the anguish mixed with frustration. She had no reason any more to doubt the ghostly voices in her dream of a night ago. She had seen where her husband and child had been stored. There was no one left connected to her previous life. There was no one left connected to her current life. She clutched her belly and wept, rocking back and forth for a long few minutes. She tried to envision her future and all she saw was a graveyard with headstones for all those she knew plus empty graves for all those she would come to know.

She withdrew her pistol from the holster and cocked the hammer, a round already in the breach. Slowly, moving the tip of the barrel to her head, she prepared to fire. A shadow fell across the floor behind her and was followed by a plaintive, “Don’t… please don’t?”

Without looking back Jennifer queried, “Garick, is that you? Have you come back from the dead to haunt me for my mistakes?” With bitterness born of self-torturing anguish she added, “You’re too late for that.”

“Will you let me explain?” asked Garick.

The gun fell to her thighs as she sighed. A few more moments of self-hatred and recrimination might be just what she needed, thought Jennifer. “Explain what?”

“I’ve loved you from the moment I met you. I was so lonely before you came along.”

“You’re a young man Garick, you’ll find somebody else. I would still be looking for ghosts from my past.”

“I’m older than I appear, older than you. I’ve been alive for seventy years, almost twice your age. The symbiont has kept me young as well as alive. I don’t know if the symbiont has had a chance to take effect in you yet.”

“You’ve infected me?” Fresh tears dropped from her eyes as she contemplated more than her share of the rest of a life having lost her loved ones, and having caused more death than anyone has a right to. Her pistol came up to her head again and fired as she heard Garick scream.

“Wait!”

Feb 7, 2247?

Jennifer opened her eyes slowly as they had difficulty adjusting to being open for the first time in 6 days. She wondered where she was, until Garick wandered in, and then she started wondering why she had to be still alive. He noticed her watching him and moved to her side and sat next to her on the bed, left foot still on the floor.

“I thought I’d lost you. I haven’t seen that type of reaction before, of symbiont activation that is. Are you feeling okay?”

Jennifer’s voice croaked, but she managed to ask the question, “When did you do this to me?”

Garick looked at her tenderly, and responded, “The night we made love before arriving at Lincoln. The others, at least the survivors, I implanted just before you. You were the last, because I was afraid of losing you from a bad reaction to the symbiont.” He touched her arm when she turned away from him remembering her moment of weakness to which he referred, “Jen? Jennifer?”

“How did you know about Camelot Forever? You’ve been here before?”

“Ironically enough, I was implanted here by Camelot Enterprises members, your husband and son actually, though they both died from symbiont reactions later. They spent 30 years trying to develop it, trying to make sure they would be meeting you when your team resurfaced. It was chance that brought you to me. Nobody would have greeted you here otherwise.”

“The others, you told them about the symbiont?”

“Yes, I did, they all knew the risks. The ones that did not want to risk it were encouraged to leave. The survivors have all departed. They will probably wander much as I did at first until they remember how to pass it along.”

“You might have killed me with it!” accused Jennifer.

“You were set to kill yourself, though, weren’t you? Look, I didn’t tell you because I feared you would reject the opportunity. You constantly drive yourself to the brink, and I feared what you would do when you did find this place. I did not want to lose you!”

The accusing look died in her eyes with the acknowledgement that he was correct, so she willed her eyes to close and spoke no more. He stared at her for a long while unable to determine how she was accepting the development. He finally turned and set his other foot on the floor.

“I don’t remember how to live anymore.”

“We can learn together, Jen. Will you let me be with you? Will you share your life with me?”

“I will have to think about it for a long while.”

Garick sighed. “I understand,” he said, “I’ll wait for your answer.” He edged to stand up when he felt her fingertips wrap around inside the crook of his arm, holding him down. He turned to look back at her.

“Until then,” Jennifer began, “please hold me? Like you did that night we were together?”

Copyright 2013 Stephen W. Sumner

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