Father Adam woke with a start, his heart pounding. Sitting upright abruptly from the nightmare he’d been living, the glow of light from the outer room reassured him momentarily before his surroundings reminded him where he was. On the moon. Surrounded by people he knew little about and aliens who asked him questions he didn’t know how to answer. Falling back onto the firm mattress, he restrained himself from pulling the covers over his head. Instead, he pretended for just a moment that it was Christmas morning back in Iowa.
His mom would be making pancakes while his dad read the paper aloud to her. His sister’s kids would be straining at the bit to open presents but Kit would just smile and make them wash up and get dressed first. The scent of pine from the big tree in the living room would fill the house. His brother-in-law Tom would catch Kit under the mistletoe and dip her back for a long kiss while their three kids made gagging sounds at the sight.
“Okay, so you’re not home and there’s no tree or any of the scents of home. And instead of going to celebrate mass in the old church a mile from the farm, you’re going to be offering mass for the most eclectic group of people you’ve ever met. Some Catholic, some Protestant, some out and out Pagans and the person who bothers you the most, an Avatar of a Goddess from antiquity.” He brooded for a moment but not even thinking about Ruth could stop the rush of Christmas spirit well up in his soul.
Sliding out of bed, he slid to his knees and crossed himself before bowing his head and offering the first of the day’s offices. The familiar prayers grounded him in the rituals of the past that he still found so relevant today. He never questioned his faith when he was praying, only when he got caught up in the day to day routine.
He snorted and finished the prayer. There was nothing routine about his life these days and he wished fervently that he’d never had that terrible dream. When they’d returned from the arctic and communications had been restored, the first person he’d called was Bishop Fogerty. He still couldn’t believe that the man had told him that his place was with the people consorting with the aliens.
But he obeyed his orders and followed them down to the desert. While he dressed, he thought of the questions that young Trisston had asked him. Why was he the only one who could talk to God? Who was Jesus? If he was a man then why did they worship him? Why were there three Gods? Why didn’t he pray to the Great Mother? Why did he kneel and bow his head to pray? Why did he close his eyes when he prayed?
What clan did he belong to? What was a Pope? What were the little wafers for? What did it mean when he said amen? What was the white collar for? Did God ever talk back to him? If he wanted to know what was going to happen, why didn’t he just ask Ruth?
He snorted derisively and fastened the white band in the back before settling his collar over it. Instead of his army uniform, he wore his formal blacks, settling into the attire of his calling. Dismissing the uncertainty he felt over some of his answers to the young Ikiiri, he strode out into the empty common room of the two-bedroom suite. His room had a bed and a chest of drawers in it with a small round table and two chairs nestled into the corner. His roommate was the Master Gunnery Sergeant from Colonel Griffin’s unit.
A snore wafted out of the other bedroom and he used the bathroom to relieve himself, glad that the other man was not yet awake. Leaving his quarters, he oriented himself with a look at the computer screen set into the wall. They were several doorways down from the meeting hall in the spoke labeled ‘Family’. Deciding to see if there was any breakfast prepared, he headed for the dining room.
The smell of freshly perked coffee brought a smile to his face but when he entered the large room, there was no one to be seen. Helping himself, he turned at the noise of someone pushing one of the carts out of the storeroom. It was Joe with a cart full of supplies.
“Father Adam, good morning. You’re up early.”
“Good morning, Joe. I’m afraid I don’t know what time it is. Is there something I could help with?”
“It’s 0500, Father. I’m just getting the supplies set up for the cooks. Breakfast isn’t until 0600 so everyone will have time to eat before your sermon.” Joe ducked his head and began to struggle with the heavy sack of flour.
Adam set his cup down and helped the elderly man unload the flour, sugar and salt sacks onto the back counter. They worked carefully but soon the supplies were lined up for easy access, the mixing bowls and pans were laid out ready for use and the ovens were preheating. Stepping back, they poured more coffee for themselves and got out of the way of the four women who appeared. The chorus of ‘good mornings’ filled the air then breakfast was begun.
“Joe, do you know where I’m to set up for mass?”
“Sure, Father, we thought the Great Hall would be big enough to hold everyone. We started decorating it last night before we went to bed.” Joe led him out of the dining room and down the short curving corridor that ended in the large room of the day before.
Something new had been added to the convex curve of wall. Something soft and thick hung down from the ceiling in a waterfall of pale green that stretched from one doorway to the other. Adam touched it gingerly, feeling the texture cling to his fingers briefly before letting go. Several items were hung haphazardly here and there on its surface and his gaze roved over them, trying to figure out their significance.
A long, broad feather in gray, tipped in white.
A brown pine cone.
A faded creamy white blossom from a yucca plant.
A playing card – the ace of hearts.
A sturdy white handkerchief embroidered with an ornate ‘S’.
A crayoned picture of a mountain with a coyote baying at the moon.
A silver locket – open to show two pictures from the 1940’s.
A Susan B. Anthony silver dollar.
A baby tooth.
The last one made him smile and he wondered which of the children had finally lost their front tooth. Stepping back, he let his eyes roam over the array and thought about what each of the items might mean to the people who had placed them. Hopes, wishes, memories or perhaps they were all of the above, he decided. If there was one thing that he might choose to place here, what might it be?
“We have a table here, Father, that might serve as an altar.” Joe’s voice broke gently into his thoughts. “There’s grape juice and wafers if you want to offer communion.”
Adam checked over the supplies and picked up the wooden chalice. “It looks like this has seen many years of use. What a beautiful pattern in the wood.” His fingers traced the twisted stem with gentle fingers. “And so light, it hardly has any weight at all.”
“I don’t know what it’s made of but Elder Running Elk gave it to me last night. It is his offering to you if you wish to use it.”
“It will be quite perfect. I’ll thank him later.” Adam placed it back on the tablecloth that disguised the folding table in chaste white folds. “This will be fine, Joe. I’m curious about the wall and these unique decorations.”
Joe nodded. “It didn’t seem right somehow to just bring the old traditions with us. We’re starting a new life here built on our past. So, we’re asking everyone to give something of their past to the wall, to remind us of our beginnings while we move into the future.”
“What an interesting idea. I find myself wondering what I would choose to place here. Is there a pattern to what is placed where?” He asked.
“No, just where ever it feels right. It doesn’t have to be done right away. Some may have to think about it and some may never feel like putting something up. But it’s more interesting than Christmas decorations and will last all year long.” Joe smiled his eyes on the silver locket.
“Are they your parents?” Adam was curious as to what belonged to whom.
“Yes. I was born in 1940 and those pictures were taken just before my father shipped out to Europe. He never came home and I grew up always knowing that I was his last gift to my mother. Money was tight and she had to work outside the home even after the war was over but I never felt as if I was second best to her career.” Joe gazed into the distance of memory. “Hard times but never a lack of love. In that, I was a very lucky child.”
“Joe.”
The call seemed to come from the wall and Adam watched Joe snap to attention, his faded blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Yes, ma’am. I’m in the Great Hall with Father Adam.”
“Is everything all right?” Adam recognized Ruth’s voice and he tensed.
“Yes, ma’am. Breakfast is almost ready.”
“Oh good, I’ll meet you there. Good morning, Father Benson, I’m looking forward to your homily.” Her disembodied voice came directly to his ears.
“Thank you.” It had never occurred to Adam that she would come to the service. For a horrible moment, he couldn’t remember what he was going to talk about. Then the bible verses he’d chosen came back to him and he sighed.
“We’d better go and get in line, Father. You’ll probably want some time to pray before the service starts. Will it be a problem that we can’t use candles?”
He hadn’t thought about it but now that he did, he shook his head decisively. “The flame is just a symbol, Joe. As with all the other symbols of the mass, it’s what is in our hearts that the Lord sees and hears.”
“How very true, Father.” Joe’s reply was heart felt and Adam wondered about the elderly man who had left his past behind to follow a woman he thought he knew from a past life.
Voices could be heard ahead of them and Adam quickened his pace. He suddenly felt the need to be with others in this alien world. The dining hall was beginning to fill up and the smell of cinnamon rolls was strong. Ruth was already sitting at one of the tables with a still yawning Peter. His brother and Colonel Griffin were just leaving the serving line and making a beeline to their table.
He and Joe received their trays and went to take the last two seats. Adam found himself at one end with Ruth at the other. He bowed his head for a prayer and looked back up to find the others holding still until he was finished. Taking up his coffee cup, he smiled and saluted them with it.
Sam broke into speech first. “Is there any word from home about the others?”
Ruth nodded and sipped at a pale golden tea. “Wolf called a couple of hours ago and said he was ready for pickup. Edward got in touch with him about some doctors you’d asked him to check?”
“We’re going to need more than just me, Ruth. Specialists in radiation treatment and trauma doctors just to start with. So, what did he say?”
“One of them is military, a Dr. Smithson from Washington, D.C.”
Seth almost sprayed his coffee across the table. “You have got to be kidding. Smitty applied to leave that cushy little billet?”
“Is that a positive or negative reaction, Seth?” Ruth raised an eyebrow and nibbled on her cinnamon roll.
“I’m not sure. Let me think about it.” He frowned down into his cup. “He’s pretty much a stickler, by-the-book kind of guy.”
“Not necessarily a bad thing in an environment that is so unforgiving.” Ruth pointed out. “Could he work under you?”
“He’s a Colonel but I have a year seniority over him. The problem would be his seniority over Sam.”
Sam smiled at him. “Not the first time that’s happened, Seth. I’m pretty easy going.”
“But we can’t afford friction.” Ruth shook her head. “The other two sound like better bets to me. There’s a Dr. Reinbeau from Switzerland whose specialty is radiation and a Dr. Freeman from Great Britain whose specialty is infectious diseases. Your father was pretty excited about Ben Freeman.”
“They worked together on a Legionnaire’s Disease outbreak in New Jersey. I could work with him.” Sam nodded.
“Good. I’ll let Wolf know. Now, the President wants to send up some of NASA’s astronauts. There are twelve of them to start with but I expect more to follow. This is, after all, what they trained for.”
“Did he confirm me as Moon Base commander?” Seth looked up at her with an arched eyebrow.
She grinned and nodded. Sam and Peter gave muted cheers and mock salutes. Adam could feel the relaxation that followed that announcement.
“He gave us your entire unit with the provision that anyone who didn’t want to serve on the Moon would be moved laterally to another unit. He expressed some concern about the civilians we brought up with us but I told him that wasn’t negotiable.” Ruth’s eye glittered in the bright light of the dining hall. “My next call was from your Prime Minister, Father Benson. He confirmed your appointment as base chaplain and when I requested his best engineering unit, he agreed. So some of your compatriots will be joining us shortly.”
“Thank you.” Adam didn’t know what else to say.
“We’ve got about a hundred new people to prepare for so once the festivities are over, we’ll be back to work.”
Sam swallowed hastily. “How many do we have room for?”
“Right now, about five hundred although our power could be stretched to accommodate a thousand. So far, we’ve received 3,526 applications of would-be settlers from around the world. And thankfully, the riots appear to be waning.” She finished her roll and sipped her tea while eyeing Peter. “You’ll be joined shortly by ten other pilots. Queen Terana is leaving us seven of the scout ships.”
“We’ve only modified one of them so far.” Peter stirred his coffee, his eyes unfocused. “But the next one won’t be so hard and the one after that won’t take any time at all. How many of the Ikiiri will be staying?”
“Six of her sons will be stationed here. Including Korath the Healer and Regani the Engineer.”
Adam listened as they sorted out what needed to be done over coffee and rolls. It was informal to the nth degree and yet . . . their dedication to what needed to be done was absolute. Ruth deferred in some of the decisions to both Peter and the Colonel. He shook his head and saw by the clock that it was time to go and set up for the nine o’clock service. Bowing his head to the other end of the table, he excused himself and took his tray to the counter.
At the makeshift altar, he went through his pre-service ritual, clearing his mind and spirit to allow the feeling of fellowship to flow through him. When he rose from prayer making the sign of the cross and turning around, the hall was filled. It appeared that everyone on base was here, including the Ikiiri Queen and several of her sons. He swallowed hard and began.
“On this special day, we gather to celebrate the birth of Christ and rejoice at the great leap that mankind has taken. For those of you with bibles, please turn to Luke, chapter 2.” He paused and heard the rapid turning of pages. “And it came to pass . . .”
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“Very nice, Father. I look forward to your next service.” Ruth nodded at him, her single eye blinking. “Can we prevail upon you to hand out the presents for the children? I don’t think we’ll bother Santa.”
“Yes, of course, I’d be honored.” Adam couldn’t understand why she had asked him. She seemed to be going out of her way to include him in the celebrations.
“Good. Running Elk has asked for permission to hold a drum ceremony after lunch so we’d better do gifts first. Thank you, Father.” The half-smile seemed to be more a quirk of the lips than a full-fledged grin. She turned towards the offices. “Joe, we need to check with communications.”
He shook his head and wondered if he’d ever understand her before turning back to the children gathered in the center of their elders. The Marines disappeared at a high sign from their commander and Adam was left with the Apaches. Mary Two Feathers handed him a large. burlap sack full of boxes. He stood at the edge of the circle and pulled out each present, calling out a name and watching each little one come shyly up to get their present.
When Dakota’s name was called, she smiled widely at him and he saw the gap where her front tooth had been. Mentally, he matched the tooth on the wall with the beaming little girl. Once all the children had received their packages, Mary gave them permission to open their presents. Most of them were very utilitarian, a book or sweater and occasionally a puzzle.
Not what his nieces and nephews were opening down on Earth, he thought with a pang and wished he’d thought to get them all a little something just for fun. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Marines return. Their hands were all behind their backs and when Seth cleared his throat, the people in the circle all looked up with puzzled looks.
“We have a little surprise for everyone here. Let’s see . . . well, what a coincidence, there’s one Marine for every child. Could each of you come to each of us?” He grinned encouragingly and the adults nudged the children forward until they were standing in front of the men. “Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.”
And in unison, the Marines handed each child a teddy bear. Little eyes widened and soft ‘oh-h-h’s’ filled the air. Adam smiled at the murmured ‘thank you’s’. Dark haired Dakota clutched a brown bear to her chest with one hand while with the other she strangled the kneeling doctor.
“What is his name, Doctor Sam?”
“Why don’t you call her Sari. She is a little girl just your age and she gave her to me for you.”
“Can I tell her thank you?” Her innocent question seemed to disconcert him and Adam saw him blink away tears.
“When you go to sleep tonight, Dakota, say a little thank you prayer and she’ll hear you.” He smiled and returned her hug with such a sorrowful look on his face.
Adam wondered what the story was and why the Colonel at his side looked sad too, his gaze gentle on the young doctor. There was something else he had to think about. Maybe it was something in the way they talked to each other or the way they always seemed to end up next to each other but he was afraid that they were breaking God’s law. The brother was unknowing, or worse accepting of their perversion.
He sighed and decided to pray for them. Once they were settled in perhaps he could point out the mortal sin that imperiled their souls. And perhaps he was wrong and they were simply good friends. He would pray that was so. There were many here for whom he needed to pray. For a moment, Adam wondered if he had the strength but then he remembered to whom he was praying and he smiled.
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Lunch was a noisy affair and taken in two shifts then they all gathered in the Great Hall for the drumming ceremony. Adam stayed near the back wall and watched the tribal elders sit on the floor in a circle cradling their drums in their laps. Running Elk began the slow beat and after a few moments another joined in. Slowly, they added each drum until the air pulsed with the sound.
A hum started low and grew in volume until his bones ached with it and he shivered as if cold. Chanting words he didn’t understand, the elders invoked a deity he didn’t recognize. The women of the tribe moved slowly about the outer circle and their voices joined in the chant. Adam found tears stinging his eyes for no reason and he blinked rapidly to keep the moisture where it belonged. Finding the emotion too strong, he tried to find another focus and saw the Ikiiri as if for the first time.
They sat beyond the circle and swayed in time with the rhythm of the dance. It sounded like they were humming along and he wondered if that would bother the tribal elders. But the half smile on Running Elk’s lined face told him that the old man was aware and approved. Adam looked around and found Ruth standing by the doctor. Her face was calm but tears slid down her face from her single eye. While he watched, the doctor put his arm around her, his own face wet with tears.
Adam wondered anew just how tangled the relationships in the command staff really were. Sighing, he promised himself a lengthy prayer session. The deliberate distancing of his mind from the drumming had succeeded in breaking the spell they seemed to weave. He clasped his hands behind him and settled in to wait for an ending to the rather monotonous dance.
He’d have to make a note in his journal about the quaint ceremony. Perhaps they could be weaned from their pagan rites by letting them drum for his services? It might be worth a try. He’d have to ask Bishop Fogerty if that could be encompassed by Church doctrine. Somehow, he couldn’t see the Pope approving such an unorthodox practice. For a moment a feeling of homesickness arose and swamped his soul.
Instead of this bizarre place and celebration, he wanted to be home, surrounded by family and friends who understood the right way to celebrate this holy day. He wanted the sounds and scents of bells and pine not the drums and stone dust. He closed his eyes and reminded himself of duty. Oh, God, give me strength to endure. Help me to minister to these strange people and the aliens among us. Loan me your wisdom so I may help these souls to find you. Send your blessings both here and to those I love back on Earth.
While he was praying, the drumming finally stopped and he barely kept his sigh of relief to himself. Opening his eyes and pasting a smile onto his face, he watched Ruth speak with Running Elk. She rose on tiptoe and kissed his worn cheek, whatever she said bringing a smile to his face. Then everyone was sitting down together and Mary began a song. They all joined in and Adam felt as if he’d gotten part of his wish, even if it was just a carol.
He listened bemused when the Ikiiri joined in with their tuneful humming. Adam shook his head and joined in too. The children sang alone for two songs then Ruth requested ‘Abide with Me’ and the pure notes of the old hymn soared through the room and out into the corridors of the base. The last note lingered in the silence and Adam felt a shiver run up his spine. Too many odd things were happening and he wished they would stop.
Queen Terana spoke up. “Thisss isss mossst interesssting. I had no idea that you knew of the sssacred sssilenccce. My clan sssissstersss will be very excccited at thisss newsss.”
Ruth smiled at her. “The sacred silence – what a very good name for our holy day. I am glad to know our peoples share yet another tie, clan sister.”
“Yesss, thessse linksss will go a long way to exxxplaining the new thought I will bring back to my sssissstersss.” The Queen stood with her sons and bowed to Ruth.
Ruth stood and bowed as well. “ Your salt has been loaded. Safe journey home, my sister. I look forward to your return.”
“Then we will be on our way. The wormhole isss ssstable and will remain ssso until we return. I leave my sssonsss in your care, clan sssissster.”
“Thank you, Terana. I will take good care of all our children.”
The Ikiiri Queen bowed again and strode from the Great Hall, taking the others with her. Adam was only beginning to understand that they would soon be on their own with only their limited knowledge of living in space. He shuddered and took a strong hold on his courage. They could do it.
They would have to.
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The end of chapter 24