I wrote Android, Age One, about 1993.
Shortly after I wrote the story, I found an online link to ZDNET, publisher of PC MAGAZINE and other amazing tech stuff. Downloading was a kind of new idea that the publisher wanted to showcase on a free CD which they often used as a free gift for new subscribers. Several short stories, including mine, were sent to subscribers all over the world. My first fan soon contacted me to ask when I would write another story. He lived in Estonia! It was several years before I wrote anything new on the web.
Android, Age One, a science fiction story
Android, Age One is a science fiction adventure based on a real event.
The author created the character, Android, from a child born with a
genetic anomaly called leukodystrophy. The trait occurs in the nuclear
family of the writer.
The fictional setting for the story reflects recent studies tracing
human female mitochondrial cell structures. The studies indicated
all humans living now are descended from as few as two females who
lived on earth more than 200,000 years ago.
The story: Author: Anthony Chipoletti
Android is a child born to Onion Deergada and Noore Giandade.
There is a hidden anagram message. See panel below Chapter 7.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Onion's Run 200,075 years ago
Chapter 2 The Tremors and the Trek 200,085 years ago
Chapter 3 Onion's Motherhood 200,075 years ago
Chapter 4 Onion's New Husband 200,060 years ago
Chapter 5 Onion's Father as a Young Man 201,015 years ago
Chapter 6 Onion's Childhood 201,005 years ago
Chapter 7 Onion's Pregnancies 200,083 years ago
Chapter 8 Onion's Brother 200,082 years ago
Chapter 9 The Race 200,081 years ago
Chapter 10 The Funeral and Marriage 200,080 years ago
Chapter 11 The Reunion and Remarriage
Chapter One - Onion's Run - 200,075 years ago
Onion Deergada jogged gently along a quiet path in the pine
forest. Cool air floated blousily past her trim figure. Her
thoughts refreshed themselves. Android died five years ago,
at the age of three, however the memory of his sleeping body
pressed upon her shoulder even now.
A more recent memory flashed into the peaceful path. Irene
and Dare, Onion knew her speed would never match Irene's.
Still, the thought of having Dare to herself was compelling.
Her marriage to Noore failed since Android's death. She and
Noore were unable to conceive a divorce.
"Mom!" Nira called.
"What are you doing here?" Onion resisted the intrusion.
"We're going swimming. Do you want to go with us?"
"Gram is bringing Rode home soon. I'll have to watch him."
Onion felt a chill. She knew Rand would be home alone too.
Chapter Two - The Tremors and the Trek - 200,085 years ago
Daily, for almost six months, strong tremors shook the earth.
Large calderas were erupting thousands of miles west of Onion's
village. The high winds carried the dust eastward.
Unable to control his direction, Noore Giandade sailed far to
the east of his home. His small craft was at sea when the first
wave of tremors started. Powerful currents from the west forced
Noore's path for hundreds of miles. He landed at Negro Coast.
"Hello, friend," Onion's voice greeted Noore.
"I have caught some fish to be cooked," Noore responded.
"You are welcome here," Onion encouraged.
After Noore arrived, the community realized the extent of the
damage caused by the earthquakes. They gathered in the village
circle and made plans to relocate.
They travelled by land to the east for several weeks. When they
settled along the Great Rift Valley, Onion knew she would
have a home here for many years. Large herds of deer and buffalo
trended by. Many fish wended the cool streams. The villagers had
appointed Onion's father, Radoni, to provide them with food. He
was an excellent hunter and fisherman.
In addition to Noore, four extended families survived. Onion and
Irene were the only unmarried females of child-bearing age. When
the community settled, Irene chose to marry Don, whom she had
known since childhood. Onion was growing closer to Noore.
Radoni spoke gently to his daughter. He told her he and her
mother were growing old. They could not provide for her needs in
the future. Onion smiled to herself. How comforting Radoni
believed in her future. Her mother added they would help to
take care of the children.
Onion laughed. "How do you know I want to have children?"
"You love children," her mother encouraged Onion's good humor.
Chapter Three - Onion's Motherhood - 200,075 years ago
Nira and Rode gratified Onion's mothering needs. Well, Rode did.
Nira's fierce sense of competition made Onion wonder about their
relationship. Nira's challenges aroused discomfort in everyone
except Radoni. He encouraged her to play games and to fish with
him. Nira beamed at her success in playing games. She inherited
Noore's muscular body and strong jaw.
Nira's brother, Rode, had been found during a hunting expedition
by Noore and Radoni. His mother died soon after giving birth to
Rode during a lonely journey from the north. Onion and Noore had
recently lost Android to a fatal blood disorder and they adopted
Rode without hesitation. Rode, a fair-haired child, grew strong
and tan in the now sunny skies.
Irene's sons, Dane and Erik, were excellent companions for Rode.
Except for Nira's challenges, everyone treated Rode with gentle
encouragement. Rode admired Radoni and spent many hours learning
to hunt and fish. Irene and Don agreed to allow their sons to go
with Rode and Radoni on the expeditions. They had also agreed to
end their marriage after Irene and Dare made their relationship
known. Onion's anguish at her secret affair with Rand caused her
to envy Irene even more.
Onion's family and friends were celebrating Nira's 9th birthday.
Rand and his wife and children, Radoni, Gram, Noore, Irene, with
her two sons, and Onion's elder brother attended.
"I'm scared." Onion whispered to her brother, Anden.
"You're scared," Anden said loudly, "how do you think I feel?"
Onion realized the consequences of her decision to tell Anden
about her affair with Rand.
Chapter Four - Onion's New Husband - 200,060 years ago
Gentle rain cooled the mid-summer air. Onion and Jay had been
married for less than year. Onion knew her third marriage
would be a joyful one. Jay was so different from Noore and Gene.
Jay was undefeatable. His spirit was lightly humorous and he
held the same deep respect for God Onion held. In addition,
Jay and Radoni held each other in sincere respect. Jay was not
as wealthy as Noore and not as poor as Gene. Jay was generous
with his time. He devoted himself to Onion and the children.
At the same time, Jay was able to discipline the children and
provide a brave example to them. He was fearless and had been
injured many times while protecting the children during their
expeditions. He defended Onion during Nira's emotional bouts,
without attacking Nira.
Nira's son, Danny, was four years old. Nira was still a child
in many ways. Her self-indulgence grew more resistant as Noore
and Onion attempted to enforce their stoic rules on her. Rode
was far more supple in his emotional response to Onion. He did,
however, have a strong temper. Radoni's gentleness prevailed,
and Rode took the example to heart. In contrast, Nira persisted
in her challenges to Onion's patience. Nira chose to live with
Ned, an outcast from his own family. They kept a small puppy
and kitten for Danny to play with when he visited them.
Danny, like Rode, attached himself to Radoni. Danny chose to
live with Gram and Anden. Radoni continued hunting and fishing
at age 81! Rode spent much of his time with his intended spouse,
Niger, a lovely girl. Rode and Niger were bold explorers and
spent many hours searching the forest for hidden treasures.
Anden, in his mid-fifties, spent much of his time with Danny.
Danny was a delightful child, harmlessly mischievous, and
willing to include others in the possession of even his most
treasured toys.
"You can have it," were some of Danny's earliest words.
Offering anyone his well-worn toys, Danny always drew a smile
on even the most somber of faces.
Danny's father had been killed while hunting, long before Danny
was born. Rather than mourn his loss, Danny had a keen sense of
humor. He called Jay "daddy" and the father of his young friend,
Reed, "my dad." Reed's mother, born during the tremors, gave
birth to a daughter, near the time of Danny's fourth birthday.
Reed, having lost his only-child status, came to play with Danny
more often. Jay's children, Mary, age six, and Jay, ten, were
constant companions. Behaviors imitated by the younger children
were not always those desired by the adults.
Chapter Five - Onion's Father as a Young Man - 201,015 years ago
Radoni was 24 years old. His five brothers and four sisters held
a party with many friends and family members. Radoni, the eldest
child, had worked ten long years to feed and clothe his family.
Their father had been injured then, and Radoni willingly became
the provider.
Radoni's brother, Neld, stood up.
"I wish to honor my brother, Radoni, for taking care of us."
"Alright, alright," Radoni blushed, "let us eat now."
Tribes across the Central Divide were rumored to be in battle.
Radoni's brothers talked of nothing else. They gathered every
day in the village circle to plan a journey to the north. Many
of the young men wanted to go in order to detect whether any fighting
might spread to the south.
Carrying their weapons and loading the carts and pack animals,
the men prepared for the dangerous trek. The women gathered and
wept for their loss. Memories of past battles and so many lives
shattered by war haunted the elders.
Again, Neld spoke for the group.
"I would like to express my gratitude to all who are with us."
Radoni, recently married, stayed in order to provide the people
with food and supplies. Radoni's son, Anden, was born within a
year of the departure.
A few weeks after the young men departed, travelers from the
north confirmed the rumors of a battle hundreds of miles north
of the village. Many tribes sought new territories and revenge
for conflicts long past. The expanse of the Central Divide and
the rich northern resources made a southern attack unlikely.
The conflict ended after several months of destruction. Many
young men did not return to the village. Those who did return
spoke of the bravery of their slain comrades. The villagers
were thankful the battle had not spread south.
Onion was born near the time the survivors returned. Some
men had severe injuries and the villagers made shelters to care
for the wounded. The small community expanded as new members,
displaced by the war, came to reside in the south. Warm climate
and open lands made the south attractive. Some of the men who
returned were accompanied by wives they had met in the north.
The conflict killed two of Radoni's brothers. Two surviving
brother's married, one to a woman from the north, and one to a
young woman from a nearby village. The youngest brother had
stayed in the village and now requested Radoni's permission to
travel far to the south.
A celebration was planned and gifts were prepared for the trip
of Radoni's brother. He was expected to remain in the south and
to marry a young woman whom he had met during her visit to the
village.
Chapter Six - Onion's Childhood - 201,005 years ago
Radoni's prestige grew as he continued to provide the community
with needed goods and services. Many of the young adults spoke
publicly about Radoni contributing to their families during
their growing years. Onion and Anden admired their father.
Onion's birth name was Marinde. At age 7 she had a disorder in
her body's ability to process food. Her shape grew from
a slim child to a bulbous onion. She never lost her good
humor and continued to call herself Onion. The disorder had
disappeared by Onion's tenth birthday. She spent more time with
Radoni and with other children. Radoni led the children in their
games and on expeditions.
Onion learned to run long distances and to exercise for strength
by watching Anden and the other children. Radoni organized teams
and encouraged both boys and girls to play. Children from nearby
villages joined the games. Radoni watched carefully to see
the rules were kept and the children did not get injured.
Anden, however, was injured many times during contact games with
the older boys. At age 13 a front tooth was knocked out, and a
few years later his nose was broken.
The northern territorial wars gave the survivors an incentive to
train the younger men as warriors. When Anden became an adult,
he was assigned to an outpost northwest of the village. Anden's
intelligence and physical fitness brought him many rewards as a
warrior in spite of his small stature. After several months of
training, Anden returned to the village and resided with Radoni.
Chapter Seven - Onion's Pregnancies - 200,083 years ago
The wars had also spawned the health care shelters, and a body
of knowledge about general treatment of illnesses. After his
military service, Anden worked and studied at the shelters.
In the aftermath of the tremors and in the richness of the Rift
Valley, the small community prospered. Onion and Noore married
and were soon preparing for the birth of their first child. The
child was a healthy girl. Onion called her Nira which was the
name of Noore's mother.
Two years after Nira's birth, Onion was pregnant with Android.
"You must eat properly," Gram advised Onion.
Since her childhood illness, Onion had managed to stay slim and
physically fit. Gram had gained much extra weight when she was
pregnant with Onion. Gram was worried Onion would not eat
well in order to prevent this. Onion, however, continued in good
health throughout her second pregnancy.
When Android was born, Noore named him Andoni after Radoni's
father. Within six months of his birth, Andoni became severely
stricken with convulsions. Treatment for the disorder could not
cure Andoni, however his convulsions were prevented by a strong
sedative. He remained in a comatose state until his death at age
three. Onion nicknamed him Android, meaning "mechanical doll,"
since he made no movements at all while sedated.
Anden continued to work at the health shelters. He discovered by
speaking with Gram other children in her ancestry had died
in early childhood. Noore recalled such disorders from the oral
histories of his homeland.
About the time of Android's first birthday, Onion experienced
severe depressions. She spoke to her brother about wanting to
end her life. Anden had learned about treatments of the combat
survivors for such symptoms. He arranged for Onion to be given
one of these medications at the shelter.
Onion resumed her distance running, and soon reported to Anden
she would not require further treatment. However, she did
not disclose Irene and Dare were supplying her with other
substances which they had purchased during visits in the south.
Effects from the substances and the burden of Android's disorder
pressed upon Onion's emotional needs. Her marriage to Noore had
been troubled by her depression and by Noore's inability to see
Onion's dependence.
By the time of Android's second birthday, Onion accepted help in
the daily burden of caring for him. Gram and Radoni brought the
child to live with them. Radoni's aged and disabled father also
lived with Radoni.
THE PATH TO THE ANAGRAM MESSAGE
The path to the anagram which inspired me started several years
ago. I was reading the book Whole-Brain Thinking by Jacquelyn
Wonder and Priscilla Donovan. In the chapter called Suspenders,
a panel refers to subliminal phrases which helped people to do
well at dieting, trying to quit smoking and calming thoughts.
The phrases most helpful were "Mommy and I are one" and "Daddy
and I are one."
I chose the phrase "God and I are one." Several years after I
read the book, I found a computer program which took phrases
and printed all the anagrams of the phrase. "Android, Age One"
and the names Onion Deergada and Noore Giandade are anagrams of
"God and I are one."
Chapter Eight - Onion's Brother - 200,082 years ago
Onion's brother, Anden, travelled to many nearby communities to
work and learn at their shelters. He discovered many women
who had survived the conflicts now worked as physicians. One of
these women, Jessica Lex, had collected a team of workers. She
offered Anden a place to work in her shelter. Dr. Lex authored
many references about blood disorders and kept a library filled
with medical information. Anden spent all of his time working or
studying.
Dr. Lex's daughter returned from a work-study session at a large
city in the north.
"This is Jaysee," Dr. Lex said.
"Good to see you," Anden replied. Jaysee was very attractive!
Dr. Lex had been wounded many times during the conflicts. She
rescued many people and treated their wounds, often ignoring her
own. Like many of the survivors, she was thin and tough. Jaysee
inherited Dr. Lex's toughness, however she chose to study music.
At their first meeting, Jaysee had not even spoken to Anden! She
nodded briefly and left the shelter to rest from her journey. At
the next encounter, she apologized.
"My mother says you spend all of your time working."
Anden could not speak for a few moments, surprised and pleased
to hear Jaysee's voice.
"I -um, I do a lot of reading and running. Do you like to jog?"
Jaysee and Anden agreed to meet at a competitive run a few days
later.
Chapter Nine - The Race - 200,081 years ago
Onion joined Anden and Jaysee at the bottom of a steep grassy
slope. Many other runners waited for the competition to start.
All of them were men!
"Are you sure women are included in this?" Onion asked Anden.
"Anyone who wants to run can, however " Anden looked around.
"Women are going to run this race!" A thin tough male spoke.
"We're just beginners," Anden apologized, "we'll run behind the
other runners so we will not interfere with the competition."
The race began. About fifty men spurted up the hill. Anden,
Onion and Jaysee jogged comfortably in their path. At the top,
all of the other runners were far ahead. A clump of trees just
beyond the top of the slope introduced the real challenge of the
race. A steeper slope appeared to go up to the clouds!
"I can't even see the other runners," Onion despaired.
"We told them we would run last." Anden doubted.
Jaysee encouraged them.
"I have travelled hundreds of miles, this is just a few more."
Onion laughed. Anden warned Onion and Jaysee to drop out of the
race if they were too exhausted. Jaysee laughed.
"We will carry you home, Anden," Jaysee promised.
Onion ran gently for about eight miles.
"I am quitting." Onion stopped and sat on the cool damp grass.
"We'll see you at the finish line," Anden called.
At eighteen miles, Anden began to limp.
"I can't run," he stated without emotion, "I have blisters."
Jaysee stopped. Anden did not want to delay her.
"No, you can finish the race! Go ahead. I'll be fine."
All the other runners passed by after the midpoint turn of the
race. After walking a few miles back down the hill, Anden found
Onion still sitting in the grass.
"You have rested enough," Anden tried to be humorous.
Onion refused to get up. Anden pulled her arm and she stood,
then sat down again.
"Come on! Jaysee is waiting for us at the finish line."
Onion reluctantly reached her hand to the ground. As she lifted
herself, her finger struck a sharp rock.
"Aaauuch!," Onion screamed, "I think my finger is broken!"
"You will heal," Anden retorted, pulling Onion up.
Chapter Ten - The Funeral and Marriage - 200,080 years ago
One week before Android's third birthday, his breathing became
difficult. He had developed a lung infection and was not able to
resist it. Early in the morning, before daybreak, he died. Onion
refused to come to Radoni's home to see Android's body.
"I want to remember him alive," she pleaded.
Radoni prepared a funeral ceremony early the next day. Onion
and Noore attended. Nira stayed with Anden at Radoni's home.
"All gone, Android," Nira observed.
Anden wept.
After the burial, Jaysee wanted Anden to walk with her to the
village circle to buy a gift for Onion. They stopped at a small
cove near a stream. Jaysee had brought a blanket. They sat on a
soft grassy plain hidden from the path to the village. Jaysee
put her hand on Anden's arm. Quietly, they kissed. Comforting
each other's grief, they made love and held each other weeping.
They woke hours later and walked to the marketplace.
"Here is a lovely coat," Jaysee wrapped herself in the garment.
"It's really nice. Onion will love it," Anden agreed.
When they returned, Gram was curious.
"Where have you two been all this time? We were worried!"
"We're fine," Anden assured, "we bought a fine coat for Onion."
"The coat must have cost you a lot," Gram said, offering money.
"Don't be silly," Anden resolved, "Jaysee and I are both working
and we want to do something for Onion ourselves."
"Well, if you need money later, I'll help you," Gram promised.
The promise of marriage between Jaysee and Anden was expected by
everyone. Hundreds of people were invited, including Radoni's
brother in the south.
Radoni's brother and his wife brought their child, who was ill.
Only a few months old, she had difficulty with meals. Jaysee's
father, also a physician, offered to help.
Jaysee's father examined the child and found the tube from
her throat to her stomach was not formed properly. He performed
an operation to strengthen the tube and the child grew healthy.
Chapter Eleven - The Reunion and Remarriage
Radoni's family and friends gathered together every year. They
chose a large open area in the middle of the forest. Everyone
brought food and drinks. Some travelled hundreds of miles from
north, south and west to attend the reunion.
Neld, married to a woman from the north, made sketches of the
scenes and wrote the names of those who attended.
This year, Onion and Jay celebrated their first anniversary.
Neld spoke, "Let us all wish Onion and Jay many happy years."
Onion blushed, "Thank you all for your good wishes."
Onion and Jay had been married in another part of the forest.
Jay's daughter, Mary, led Onion's path to a small bridge over a
stream. Mary carried a basket of flower petals and cast them in
front of Onion. The preacher stood on the bridge while Onion and
Jay approached from opposite sides of the stream.
Family and friends watched from a gentle slope on Jay's side of
the stream. A small group played songs of love and devotion. The
preacher spoke to the people.
"I have been a preacher for thirty years, my dear friends, and
this is the most beautiful ceremony I have ever seen. May you
all be blessed by it. And let us pray for the marriage of Jay
and Onion."
Radoni stood by the preacher to offer Onion's hand to Jay.
This ends the current sequel of Onion's life.
This is
OneDay, TwoDay
A Science Fiction Adventure
by Anthony Chipoletti
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter One - Background: Creation of Pora and the Home Planet
Chapter Two - Empirical Cosmology: Discovering Galactic Travel
The Story:
On the Home Planet in a future year, people share work roles.
Men are at Home OneDay and work TwoDay, women work OneDay and stay Home TwoDay.
The third day is a mutual day of rest.
Pora, Home's artificial moon, shines full, half dark, half light, at noon on the day of rest.
Pora appeared in the noon day sky on the mutual day of rest as a full moon except one half was white and the other half black.
Chapter One
Pora's dark crescent appeared in the midnight sky.
"It will be a good day," Shaina whispered to the child.
Her child, Alicia, slept peacefully in Shaina's arms. The satellite, Pora, gradually fattened it's shape, revealing more of it's partly hidden hemisphere. OneDay began. Shaina's work day would start at eight in the morning.
Shaina steadied the rocker with one hand and slowly rose. Alicia smiled slightly and took a smooth breathe of the crisp night air. Fragrance from the flowering vines gave Shaina a wave of pleasure.
Bar would be home soon. Work shifts ended at midnight, however much of the day was spent teaching or observing others in their work.
Baron Porashkova and Shaina met as students inside the space station on the satellite.
Pora University was founded by Baron's Great Uncle, Mischa. Uncle Mischa designed the moon and conceived the university as a place to learn the beauty and pleasure of life.
Home was engineered to support life by the ancestors of the Mother Planet. While the technical aspects of life on Home were documented, much of their history and past cultural patterns were lost when the Mother Planet was destroyed by natural forces. Originally a few thousand survivors, Home's population now numbered twenty million.
The Mother Planet and its natural satellite were shattered when they reached critical perihelion to the sun. Internal forces of Mother's lava pool vented through a caldera that ripped the planet from pole to pole. The force of the caldera opposed the position of the sun. Most of the shards of Mother were propelled toward the corona. All that remained of Mother was the ring of asteroids now less than a few thousand in number as the ring itself entered the sun. The age of the Mother Planet at death was about ten billion Mother years.
Home Planet's albedo was carefully engineered to maintain a surface temperature of seventy degrees Fahrenheit over the habitable zones.
Pora's phases were designed by Uncle Mischa's wife, Natasha. The hues of the crescents alternated at midnight. TwoDay dawned at midnight as Pora's light crescent grew fatter toward noon.
At noon on TwoDay, Pora appeared as a white half moon on the right hemisphere;
At noon OneDay, as a black half moon on the left hemisphere;
Midnight TwoDay as a black left-side quarter moon;
Midnight OneDay, a white right-side quarter moon.
If married, women shared in the same work role as their husbands. Unmarried workers shared similar work roles until marriage. In the marriage contract, partners agreed to choose the same work role with the right of either partner to choose different roles at any time. While most people married at some time in their lives, the right to remain single was socially acceptable and neither encouraged nor discouraged.
Few older workers changed work roles. Education and internships made choices of work roles clear to most people by age fourteen. Marriage was possible after age sixteen, however most people married after age twenty. Work roles allowed a high degree of independence. No entity existed beyond the informal work group. All personal accomplishments, such as patents and copyrights were held by individuals or small work teams.
Baron and Shaina were members of the light pressure team.
Heirs to a fortune of energy efficient technology, Home people rarely needed to produce goods. Most manufacturing processes were performed without intensive labor by humans. Fusion and the more recent light pressure developments gave eternal promises of energy independence. Many groups, including the light pressure team, worked and taught on Pora. Some groups, like the food production teams, performed on the temperate surface of Home.
Conceived without a moneyed economy, Home continued without tangible currency. Efficient production and a concentrated living area made banking a useless task. Credits for production with minimum human intervention and maximum return on investment were spread equally throughout the Home world. Tangible assets were food, clothing and shelter.
Political structures were unused, all Home people were considered to be of the same nation. Travel time was short enough to visit many areas of the planet within days. While days were 24 hours, the Home orbit of the sun was 660 days. Each orbit was counted as two years, OneYear and TwoYear. OneYear began at the autumnal equinox, while TwoYear launched at the vernal equality of day and night.
Much scuttlebutt on Pora revolved around a phrase of unknown origin: "We all live in an atavistic, astronautic astrolabe."
Suspicion was that the earliest adventures from the surface of the Mother Planet to its natural moon were the basis for the phrase. Rumors of long dead astronauts and their bungling benefactors gave rise to many fables of failure and success.
The ternary aspects of many ritualistic observances, such as the three day week, were said to have their origins in ancient religions which conceived a triune God.
Students at Pora University often muttered Latin phrases: "Abeunt studia in mores," which usually meant that the zealous pursued their private practices until they became everyone's public habits.
Of the ancient astronauts: "Ad astra per aspera," a reference to the horribly inefficient and dangerous methods of early space travel.
On social themes: "Abusus non tollit usum." This was believed to be a reference to the ancient rules of law that were abandoned when the primary causes of human violence were redressed.
PART BOTS
by Anthony Chipoletti
Part bots are a class of androids who have
lost limbs or other
significant parts.
Background:
When i was in the US Army, 1962 to 1963,
i worked in the Pentagon for
21 months.
There was a language room with tapes and
texts from about 7,000
different linguas.
People from all over the earth worked at or
visited the Pentagon from
time to time.
Many military personnel shopped and ate
meals in the concourse, a
shopping mall.
This story is dedicated to thousands of
children of military and
civilian parents,
whose limbs were missing in whole or part,
because
of the drug thalidomide.
Chapter One
A huge hologram colored the night sky.
It spun slowly and drifted a little,
like an ancient dirigible, or hot
air
balloon.
"PART BOTS! Replace your missing limbs here...
SPECIAL on entire hip
and leg assemblies!"
Commander Chase held his daughter in his arms.
"Put me down." Victoria was insistent.
"I want to walk over to the Part Bots place."
Reluctantly, Lawrence Chase placed his child
on the tarmack. The air
bus lifted off and
headed north to the wooded hills of Camp Zee.
On the ground, Victoria removed the belt from
around her waist. Inside
her hip bucket lay a
pair of thick gloves.
Commander Chase said,
"Do you want me to carry the bucket?"
Without a word, Vickie donned the gloves and
slung the bucket over her
shoulders.
The lower legs and unshod feet trailed through
the fresh mown grass
like a stringed puppet.
"Vickie!"
Echoing out of the underground staircase, the
voice magnified like a
rock and roll boom box!
Vickie and Major Chase turned to see Andrew and
his mother ascending
from the travel tube exit.
Andrew torqued up the four passenger electric
vehicle and squealed to a
stop near Vickie.
"Hop in!"