A Planet Called Eden
Chapter 9: Why Stories Are Sacred

Jack leaned back in the driver’s seat,crossed his arms across his chest, and stared out at the deepening night. Thefirst bright stars began to appear, one by one, and Jack found himselfinventing constellations in the lovely, unfamiliar patterns. Alpha the Dog. Theslightly crooked sword or spear thing. The hot waitress with one arm behind herback. The frosty beer mug. The dart with the bent tip.

Behind him, he heard Kim settle into abunk. Dominic threw his jacket on another. “You coming?” Kim asked Jack.

Jack didn’t look back. “I’ll take firstwatch.” First watch would keep him farther away from Dominic, which made it atleast somewhat less likely one of them would kill the other in his sleep.

“You’re crazy,” said Dominic. “You’reabout to drop.”

“So are both of you guys,” said Jack.

Kim quirked her head to the side and herbrow crinkled. “The sensors are online. We don’t really need a watch.”

Jack turned slowly in his chair. Heshrugged. “Nothing on this trip’s been what we expected. And the sensorshaven’t exactly been dependable, you know? Anyway. It can’t hurt.”

Kim shrugged, conceding the point. “ThenI call the last. I want some real sleep.”

Jack shrugged again. He found hispaperback in his jacket pocket and pretended to read. He wasn’t really in themood for pulp sci fi, but holding the musty old book made it easier to ignoreDominic. Or it did until heard Dominic rummaging around in one of the lockersand realized what he was after. Jack heard a click, followed by a chime. Heturned his chair around.

Dominic placed his hand on the grip of a weapon— a little too big for a pistol, and little too small for a rifle. Thecomputer’s automated voice spoke: “Mission Specialist Vance, Dominic,Recognized. Jack heard a snap as themagnetic locks disengaged and the weapon was activated. He offered the weaponto Jack. “Here. You might need this.”

Jack raised his eyebrows and regardedDominic. “Huh. Ray gun.”

Dominic sighed, and closed his eyes, andshook his head. “Just take the sodding thing, won’t you?”

Jack eyed the heavy weapon cautiously. “Whatthe hell do you think I’m gonna shoot? Way up here?”

At that exact moment, a shadow passedover dome of the rover’s windshield and a mighty SKREEEECH tore the night. Jack jumped in his seat; only his safetybelt kept him from cracking his skull on the ceiling. His heart pounded like afusion-powered jackhammer.

Dominic leaned down to peer forward and shrugged.“Anything you deem necessary.”

Jack glared at him again, and then turnedto look out at the night.

A huge creature with a long, pointed beakand a dagger-like point on the back of its head circled above them on leatherywings, dark against the blacker dark between the stars. It shrieked and Jackjumped again. He turned back to Dominic. “What the hell was that?”

“Pterosaur,” said Kim, who had joinedthem. “I think so, anyway. I’d have to look it up to be sure. It’s hard to tellin the dark.”

Jack watched as the flying monster circledagain, screeched, and sped away.

# # #

Dominic settled into his bunk. Sleepwould probably be a long time coming, but he figured he’d give it a shot. He’dwound up with the middle watch by default; every wink would count. Before heflicked off his light, glanced over at Kim. She was fingering her silver necklace,the one with all the religious symbols. Her eyes were closed and her head wasbowed. Her lips moved slowly, but she wasn’t speaking, not aloud, anyway. Whenshe realized Dominic was watching, she turned away, blushing.

Dominic smiled. “For a minute there, itlooked like you were praying.”

“Really?” Kim turned back to him and frownedthoughtfully. “I must have been doing it wrong, then.”

“They didn’t teach that in Sunday School?”

Kim shrugged. “They didn’t get a chance. Inever went. My parents weren’t exactly what you’d call religious.”

Dominic felt his eyebrows rising. “Butyou are?”

“I think so. Maybe. I’d like to be, Ithink. I guess I’m not exactly sure what it means. Not really, anyway.”

“Seems like that would be easy enough tolook up, yes?”

Kim shook her head. “I’m looking forexperience, not knowledge.”

“Oh?”

“I just … I think there’s a hole in allof our lives that longs to be filled. Maybe that hole is God-shaped. I don’tknow. I just … I need answers, Nick.”

“You’re a scientist. That’s pretty muchthe business you’re in, yes? Answers, I mean.”

Kim nodded. “Of course it is. I just … Ithink there’s more. Questions beyond what science was meant to answer. A deeperreality beyond the equations. Something … well, ineffable.”

Dominic sat up in his bunk. “If they’reall ineffable and what not, why bother trying?”

“Because I think that’s what we’re madefor,” said Kim. “Like I said. There’s a … a hole in our lives. We’re alwayslonging till we fill it.”

“What happens then?”

“I don’t know,” Kim admitted. “Maybe welong more, and for something even bigger. Everything we learn increases ourcapacity. Knowledge makes us bigger, so we can ponder bigger questions, andmaybe even bigger ones after those.”

She fingered her necklace again. Dominicnodded at the symbol charms, each one unique and shining. “You pretty much haveto pick one of those, don’t you?”

Kim quirked her head to the side. Her darkeyes were wider. “Why?”

“Don’t they kind of … contradict?”

Kim frowned. “I don’t know. Believing Godspoke to Moses isn’t the same as saying God justspoke to Moses, is it?”

Dominic smiled again. “So you believe Godspoke to Moses. Burning bush, stone tablets, whole nine yards.”

Kim shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know.Maybe. But it seems to me, the language of God is parable and story.” She ranher fingers through her dark hair. “That’s why stories are sacred. Does Godneed history to get the point across? Or just the stories? I think when youreduce sacred stories to mere history, you trivialize them.”

“So just metaphor then,” said Dominic.

Kim shook her head and scooted closer tothe edge of her bunk. “Okay, see, the word I’m going to quibble with is just. I don’t know if there really was some… some holy fire rising from that desert mountaintop. Maybe there was. But ifnot, it’s because the metaphor is for something so much greater, so muchfarther above our ability to comprehend, that the image, for all its majesty,doesn’t begin to do it justice. Metaphor isn’t less than true; it’s more than true. Greater truth.”

“That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”Dominic waggled a finger at Kim. “You’re looking for God.”

“Of course not. I’m looking for the capacity to look for God.” Kim smiled. “Ourdiscoveries make us bigger. What about you? Isn’t there a hole in your life?”

Dominic smiled, shrugged, and turnedaway. He flicked off his light without answering. A few minutes later, he heardscratching. He glanced over, and saw Kim scribbling in her notebook. Workingher equations again, he supposed. He crossed his arms over his chest andslumped back down in his bunk. Several long minutes passed before he closed hiseyes again.

# # #

At the controls, Jack’s face was stone. Hewatched the still night for a long time. The slightly crooked sword was higherin the sky. Upside down now, the bent dart looked more like an old-fashionedtobacco pipe. He thought about changing its name.

He turned back, just for a moment, just intime to catch Dominic staring at the holo picture of Anna. Dominic turned itoff quickly. Too late. Jack turned back to the window, shaking his head, tellinghimself that he didn’t have time to feel angry and sad. As usual, he didn’tlisten to himself.

He tried not to think about Anna, orabout that lifetime-ago night in that dive bar with Dominic, the last nightthey’d been best friends. The last night they’d been bothers. That didn’t work,either.

Actually, dive might have been a littletoo kind for Lacey’s Honky-Tonk in Houston, but it was favorite with astronautsand wannabes, mostly because the beer was cheap and the music didn’t sucknearly as badly as you’d think. The three pool tables were worn but crowded,and a neon sign that predated Project Mercury promised ice-cold abst Blue Rbbon.

The bar had been crowded that night. Jackhad been talking to a babe, a big-haired blonde with a little too much makeup(usually a promising sign). What was her name again? Jessie? Jessica? Joan.Something with a J. No, wait. Alison. Yeah, that was it. Jack had been about toclose the sale, but she’d just laughed and touched his arm. A few minuteslater, she’d left with her friends. She didn’t even leave her number. Jackshrugged and went to look for Dominic. This had to be Dominic’s fault somehow.No way he’d have struck out that badly if his wingman had been there to havehis back.

Jack found Dominic at the bar drinkingshots of Irish whiskey. Jack felt his brow crease. There were a lot of emptyglasses there. Now what the hell was wrong with him? It wasn’t like he’d struckout. He hadn’t even tried talking to anyone. Well except for the bartender,anyway. Jack slid onto the stool next to him. Dominic slugged another whiskey.

Jack ordered another longneck and shookhis head. “Did you see that babe back there?” Jack held up his thumb andforefinger, just a few centimeters apart. “Nicky, I was this close, thisfrickin’ close to getting her number.”

“No doubt your reputation precedes you.”

Jack sighed. “We need to start hangingout somewhere where the babes don’t know us.”

Dominic kept his attention focused on hiswhiskey. “That rules out pretty much everywhere within about a seven-thousandnine-hundred and eighteen square mile radius of Houston, then, doesn’t it?”

“No kidding. Wonder what they’re drinkingon Jupiter Station?”

Dominic didn’t look up from his glass. “Tang,I imagine.”

Jack frowned. “You okay, man?”

Dominic finished his shot and help up afinger. The bartender brought him another. Dominic downed it without lookingup. “I am working very hard not to tell you what an astonishing idiot you are.”

Jack looked around, and then shook hishead. “Uh, did I miss a meeting here?”

Dominic turned and glared at Jack withbloodshot eyes. “Why on earth do you need that bimbo’s number when you haven’tcalled Anna in, what, three weeks?”

Jack held up his hands. “Jeez. I didn’tknow you were, like, keeping score here.”

Dominic poked Jack in the chest. “Anna’sspecial, Jack. If you’re too astronomically stupid to see that, then you bloodydeserve all the empty, lonely years that’ll be waiting when you finally manageto grow the hell up.”

Jack returned the glare. “Huh. Now thatyou mention it, pot, that kettle isblack.” Jack reached for Dominic’s whiskey. He frowned again. It was empty. Theabst Blue R bbon signed flashed on, turning the empty glass blue.

“If I’d met someone like Anna, you can bedamn sure I wouldn’t be here. Or anywhere else she wasn’t.” Dominic signaledthe bartender again.

Jack took a sip of his beer. “Well thanks.Mom.”

He took another sip, and another. Then heset the empty bottle down, turned, and left. Dominic didn’t look up. Jackdidn’t look back.

Jack had spent the next three or hourhours skulking through the empty streets of New Houston, hands in his pockets, scowling.He found another bar near the drowned quarter and thought about going in. Thebeers were starting to wear off. When he reached for the door and pulled itopen, he saw his reflection in the glass and stared at it for an uncomfortablylong moment. He let the door close in front of him and moved on. It wasstarting to rain.

He thought about going home. He didn’t.He thought about going back to the bar to replace Dominic, either to make thingsright or to beat the living snot out of him. Either one would do, really. Hedidn’t do that, either.

By morning, the rain had stopped. The sunwas up when Jack happened to replace a flower shop. It was already open. He stopped.For a long moment, he looked inside without moving. He took a deep breath.

Dominic,this is absolutely not because I in any way think you might be right.

He opened the door and went in.

Thirty minutes later, Jack was walking toAnna’s apartment, carrying a bundle of at least three-dozen red roses — allthey’d had. As he neared her door, he glanced up at her balcony, just to see ifher light was on.

Anna was there, wearing a bathrobe. Shewasn’t alone.

As Jack watched, Dominic took Anna in hisarms and held her for a long moment.

Jack didn’t know how long that embracelasted. He didn’t wait to replace out. He walked away without looking back.

He left the flowers in a dumpster andwalked faster, hands thrust in his pockets, head bowed.

He wondered if it was going to rain again.

# # #

In the rover, Jack watched the night, rememberingand thinking about holes in lives. His eyes were cold.