Scorched Earth, Alien Wonders
Chapter 29: Tribute from Rosen

Over a year later, faint signs of renewed life were beginning to emerge around Suburbia’s hot-springs oasis, with short blades of green, weed-grasses taking root everywhere. The previously, semi-abandoned world, was now in its infancy of rebirth, and the oasis was surrounded by activity. People and prairie dogs, were coexisting everywhere. They were scattered over the changing landscape in small clusters to enjoy the wonderment of nature unfolding.

Shade-stations had been built close to the canal, and oasis. There were even a few people floating around on their hover-boards, with prairie dog pups hanging on for the ride. Several new settlements had been completed in strategic areas around the globe, as more people came back from Mars to facilitate the decades-long work to restore Earth’s ecosystems, and stabilize the planet.

It was a slow process, but deep-water extractions were becoming more common everywhere after engineers on Mars perfected a mechanical subterranean process called the Torie H2O Extraction System (THES). A method aptly named after its original architect.

That night at the Rabbit Hole all the town-folk were present for the night’s entertainment, including some new pups. In a show of respect for their elderly mayor, Buster helped Daisy—who wasn’t as spry as she used to be—climb slowly onto the center podium to address the crowd.

“This movie was mysteriously delivered to the Community Center entrance this morning, so I thought we would check it out, since we haven’t seen anything new for eons.”

Hundreds of entertainment devices hung along the walls, now powered by small, removable solar orbs, and the screens lit up when Daisy pushed the start button on her new, solar-powered remote.

Soft, strangely beautiful, flute music began to play. The scene opened with a view of twinkling stars and two pale, purplish moons shining low, in the night sky over planet Rosen.

Then town-folk were treated to a visual feast of stunning, time-accelerated, panoramic views across outlandish, sparkling, magical landscapes; seas with black-sand beaches, bluish-green aquatic features, and cities built with extraordinary designs—on through until the rise of Rosen’s bright sun.

The audience applauded.

Then the face of a chubby, Rosenian male, with indigo eyes, pale skin, and rosy cheeks popped onto the screen.

“I don’t miss the blistering heat of planet Earth. My toes have never been the same. I don’t miss eating dead bushes, and I sure as hell don’t miss shaker-quakes and sand storms...but I do miss all the town-folk of Suburbia. I will never forget you.”

An inset emerged, showing Tech Officer Fats Davis in his prairie dog disguise.

The audience cheered and applauded as they remembered their old friend.

Then a bespectacled Rosenian male came onto the screen.

“I don’t miss all the drama of planet Earth, the blasted heat or the never-ending dust, but I miss the town-folk of Suburbia, and it was an experience I will never forget.”

An inset emerged, of Jason “Doc” Jenkins.

The audience cheered, and applauded.

Then a Rosenian female, with red cheeks, and long eye lashes, appeared on the screen.

“The truth is...I miss everything about planet Earth...well, maybe not the face-melting heat, but I miss a lot. Especially, my wonderful, kind-hearted, town-folk friends in Suburbia. You’re the best!”

An insert emerged, of Communications Officer Shasta Brown.

The Audience cheered and applauded loudly.

The face of a male Rosenian with big ears showed up.

“I hated the heat...I hated sleeping in the dirt...I hated the absence of anything decently edible...there’s very little I miss about planet Earth. I do miss the town-folk, but this will shock you all...what I miss most...is Big Bang Theory episodes with Sheldon Cooper...seriously.”

An inset emerged, showing Second Officer Gerry Moore.

The audience laughed, cheered and applauded, but true to his character, it was hard to tell if Moore was actually serious or just being sarcastic.

The wall devices went black.

Then a news-alert banner scrolled across the screen with white letters on black background that read:

Empress Osette has officially named Steven Wilder the Rosen/Mars Ambassador of Trade. The first agreement was an exchange of aluminum for mushroom hydroponic technology. Wilder is a highly respected Mars official, who currently travels between Rosen, the Red Planet and Earth, where his wife Sara, daughter Cassie and son James reside at the new Earth Recovery Institute.

The screens went black again. And just as everyone is thinking the show was over, two majestic, blue dragonflies swirled onto the screen from one side. They flittered up and down then swirled around each other as soft, instrumental music began to play.

The dragonflies circle around again in a lofty dance then they flew off the opposite side of the screen and disappeared.

A strange, disheveled face emerged. It was a scruffy, gray-haired, male Rosenian, lacking facial color. He looked all around and gazed in the direction of the dragonflies.

“C’mon, Torie and Arthea. Give your old servant, Qualdron, a break. If anything should happen to either one of you, Empress Osette would banish me to a salt-swamp barge off the coast of Nigeria. I don’t know where she got that idea...or where Nigeria is, but I don’t want to go there. Come back, guys.”

He went off in search of the two enamored, bot-shifters flying around in their favorite form, as the acoustic music grew louder until the audience recognized it as the haunting melody of Foreigner’s Waiting for a Girl Like You from their favorite movie, Footloose.

Then a scene materialized that revealed two, lone Rosenians, walking hand-in-hand along a dark sand beach stroked by frothy waves. The close-up showed a tall male, putting his arm around the shoulder of a slender female, and their indigo eyes were only for each other, as they strolled along talking, teasing, hugging and laughing.

The distinctive couple stopped and turned to each other.

Then as the dreamy, sound of strings from Govi’s “Amber Waves” swelled through the air, he leaned in and gently touched her nose with his. They wrapped each other in their long arms, and shared a deep, passionate kiss, before turning to stroll slowly off into the fading, yellowish light of Rosen’s setting sun.

An inset emerged, showing a funny-looking pair; Special Forces Captain Stanley Memphis in his prairie dog disguise, and Dr. Lithia Jones as a draxian monkey.

The audience went wild, with cheers and applause.

The music faded into the background, as these final words scrolled across the screen leaving not a dry eye in the house:

And that, dear Daisy, is your happy ending.