A Medal For Mary - Rob Astor (read aloud books .TXT) 📗

expression drew blank and she stared at Jeanclair. “This is the second time she died,” Mary said. “I’m sure of it.” Her voice was a hollow whisper. “I remember all the pain I felt before.”
“You know very well that is not possible.”
“No. I know it happened.”
“It must have been a dream, my sweet Marie,” Jeanclair said. “None of this has happened before. Pardon me please, but, you must get a grip on reality.”
Mary turned away. How is all this happening again? She shifted position, brushing up against a stack of newspapers. They loudly fell over. “Sorry,” she whispered. Carefully, she set a few aside and read the headline. “New Zimlliaan ships arrive, take up permanent residence over world’s population centers.” Mary then read the date of July 17, 2061. July. “Look at this.”
“What?”
“The date is wrong,” she said. “Jeanclair, don’t you remember when they came?”
“Marie, this happened only weeks before. You were with me in the suite. It was July.”
Mary shook her head. “I know, but, it can’t be right. They came in August, right after our anniversary. I remember. It was a beautiful summer day. When the attacks began, I felt like those were the last days we would ever have together. A week later, we had a party for Alexis…” Mary’s throat tightened. She swallowed, closing her eyes. “Alexis was so beautiful. She had such a wonderful time. We tried to help her get over her anxiety about not being able to return to France.” Jeanclair’s mouth form words. “You must think I’m going insane, I know,” Mary said. “But, I’m telling you the truth. I remember this all so clearly.”
“They must have been dreams,” Jeanclair said.
“Why do I dream of the New Zimlliaans so much, Jeanclair? Can you tell me?”
“Their coming to Earth is the biggest news in all recorded history. I’m sure you are not the only one to dream about them.”
“But, what about the war?” Mary asked. “Why did I dream about it so long before it even happened? And, what about the Nazis? Why did I dream about them?”
“Don’t you remember?” Jeanclair asked.
“Remember what?”
Jeanclair sighed, his expression going soft. “My great-great grandparents were taken to a Nazi death camp. The Americans liberated them in 1944.”
“Oh God,” Mary gasped. “How did I forget that?”
“This has all been very stressful.”
“I have this really strong sense of déjà vu. I’m sure I lived through this event before. Except, the last time, we weren’t discussing my dreams. I was all broken up over Alexis’ death.” She rested her head between her knees.
“What is wrong, my love?” Jeanclair asked, holding her hand. “Tell me.”
“All of this feels so wrong. Something tells me none of this should be happening because it already did. It’s driving me crazy.”
“Do you remember what happened next?”
A thump against the door made them jump. There was a second and a third. “Oh God,” Mary whispered. Jeanclair held his hand over her mouth. Crackling laser fire shattered the glass. Mary let a muffled scream slip beyond her lover’s fingers.
A black clad arm reached in, pushing the chair aside. He threw the door back. “Both of you, stand up!” The New Zimlliaan held his gun steady as they slowly got to their feet. Mary whimpered. Jeanclair put himself in front of her. “Over here. Now!” the alien soldier barked.
Starting forward, Jeanclair clipped the gun with his left leg and tossed himself on top of the New Zimlliaan. They wrestled, rolling and scooting across the floor, knocking stacked papers over. The gun was a few yards from Mary. She started after it. A second New Zimlliaan entered the room, shooting Jeanclair square in the back. Mary screamed as his body was tossed away by the soldier. Jeanclair’s eyes were wide and glazed. Blood flowed from his mouth.
The second soldier grabbed Mary. She swung her arms wildly. “No! Oh God, no, Jeanclair! This is the second time I’ve lost you here.”
Mary twisted and flailed, struggling against the New Zimlliaan. His companion raised his weapon, slamming the stock down onto Mary’s head. There was a sharp pain and her world went black.
* * *
Klexi placed the plant into the ground, stealing a glance at Lynn. He buried the roots and wiped sweat from his forehead. Klexi glanced the androids. Gonouf was at its zenith. Right on schedule, the robots turned their backs. “Lynn,” Klexi whispered. “Time to go.”
Lynn stalled for a second, looking to the androids’ gleaming metal hulks. This was it. Ten minutes to freedom.
Klexi and Lynn dropped to their elbows and knees and scuttled toward the nearest irrigator. Lynn’s heart raced. Klexi kept a close watch on the androids and his wrist watch.
At half the distance, Lynn couldn’t see any of the yellow natives, but, he heard them chanting. Klexi pulled his rope and hook from his pant’s pocket and held it in his right hand. Almost there!
The shadow of the floating irrigator was a welcome relief to the red sun. It hummed loudly, vibrating the ground as it moved slowly over the plants. Mists of water from sprinklers hit their scorched faces. Klexi tossed the rope up. There was a slight metallic clank as it caught and held. The New Zimlliaan glanced one last time at the androids who were still unaware and began pulling himself up. Forearm muscles knotting, he agonized to reach the top. Klexi hauled himself over the edge, resting a second to check on the guards. Their backs were still to them. Klexi motioned Lynn up. “Hurry! It’s been seven minutes.”
Lynn began climbing, pulling with all of his strength. His sweaty palms slipped. “Klexi, this wasn’t one of my best activities in gym class,” he said. Klexi tugged on his end of the rope, using all of his strength to help Lynn’s ascent go faster. Hand over hand, ever upward Lynn strained. At last, the metal of the hull was over his head. Klexi's hand came down, helping lift Lynn to his goal. Lynn lay on the edge as Klexi stashed the rope and hook into a leg pocket.
“Time to get out of sight,” Klexi said. He slid down the side of the inclined tank into the water hopper. Lynn followed. The oppressive heat vanished as he plunged into the liquid. Dirt, grime, and stench washed away. Lynn stayed down, letting the water cleanse and refresh him. At the surface, he gasped a breath, standing in the neck deep vat, unconsciously taking swallows to quench his burning throat.
Unaffected by their extra weight, the irrigator floated over the field, watering the crops. “We did it, Lynn,” Klexi said. He grinned and chuckled. “In a few hours, we’ll be free.”
“I have to admit it, Klexi, I had my doubts,” Lynn said. “Now that we made it this far, I think it might actually work.”
* * *
At the end of the expected period, a few of the androids turned back, surveying the field. A strong wind gusted. Dust obscured much of the view. “Switch to infrared.” They spotted the yellow aborigines merrily working. “The New Zimlliaan defector and the human slave are missing,” one said to its electronic companions. As the wind died down, they scanned the field. Some of the guards searched the work area, unable to locate the fugitives.
The commander left its post, walking quickly toward the ziggurat. Javen and Jadyn analyzed holographic data. “Sir, pardon my interruption.” Javen looked at the machine. “The traitor and the human have escaped.”
“Send a detachment of troops out to the colony borders. If they don’t find anything, dispatch a hunter android.”
The guard nodded and exited the chamber. Javen watched the young woman’s face. A cheek muscle twitched. Her eyes contoured with an unreadable expression. What kind of happy fantasy is the plant feeding you?
* * *
Time spent in the water passed slowly for Klexi and Lynn. The New Zimlliaan grasped hand rails along the incline to take a quick peek to see how far they were from the agricultural base. Under them, New Zimlliaan soldiers jogged along in heavy black uniforms. Klexi slid back down to Lynn, the water level just below their shoulders. “They know we’re missing,” he reported.
“Great,” Lynn mumbled.
“It’s not bad,” Klexi said. “They don’t know we’re up here. They’re searching the fields below us right now. We just have to keep quiet.” They stopped talking, listening to the hum of the irrigator as it carried out its preordained task. Slowly, the water continued to lower. Klexi kept watch on the time.
What felt like an eternity later, Klexi climbed up to the side again. The irrigator cleared the edge of one field and began floating over another. New Zimlliaans stood along the former’s edge, facing in the direction leading back to the base. Klexi smiled, sliding back down. “We’re clear,” he said.
* * *
The water in the huge storage tank was nearly gone when Klexi climbed up to the side a third time. The irrigator hovered over the end of a field near the abandoned settlement. “C’mon up, Lynn. We’re there,” he said.
Lynn climbed up the rungs and leaned against the edge next to his companion. “Why aren’t the soldiers following us?”
“It’s more practical to send androids out this far.” Klexi stood on the side. “Let’s go.” He leaped off, landing with a tuck and roll maneuver. Lynn copied as best he could. They stood, walking toward the stone buildings.
“So, this is the place you wanted to send the signal from?” Lynn asked, brushing dirt from his faded clothes. Klexi nodded. Lynn walked beside him, studying the complex. “Klexi, how long will it be before an android is sent out to find us?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe a day.”
“Then we have plenty of time to get off this planet, right?”
“Yes.” Klexi led the way to a building similar to Javen’s ziggurat command center. Inside, the sun’s rays illuminated perfectly preserved equipment despite all the sand. Klexi chose a main computer system and flipped power on. He called up a triangular holographic display listing contact codes. “Is there any way we can go back and save the woman?” Lynn asked.
“We’ve made it this far. We can’t risk getting captured now.”
“Damnit, she belongs on my world.”
“We can’t. They already know we escaped. If we go back, we’ll end up dead.”
“Which is exactly what’s going to happen to you losers anyway,” a deeper voice snarled. Klexi and Lynn spun around. Leon walked toward them, pistol aimed in their general direction. “I don’t know what the hell the two of you think you’re doing,” he said, “but I sure as hell guarantee Javen will want to discuss it with you.”
Klexi raised his hands up, stepping back from the computer banks. Lynn stayed close to