“You are a crazy old-bastard Dredge. You have always been overly dramatic, but this farce is in bad taste. Why should I believe any of your nonsense?”
“I can bring you reports and graphs with colored slides if you need proof to convince you I'm telling the truth.”
“Reports of what exactly?” I asked, moving in closer to my old friend.
“Acomet from the far belt is heading this way. We have two years, closer to twenty-two months. We aren't going to disrupt it. The government is going to let it hit the Pacific Rim. The Hawaii cliffs will be wiped out. The area is only sparsely populated now, but we expect atmospheric changes, earthquakes, and widespread devastation of our less cooperative neighbors to the east.”
“Jesus Christ, you're serious,” I exclaimed.
“We can't say that name anymore, Edgar, it is unlawful.” Dredge chuckled and shifted his weight off his bad knee.
“Like I give two shits, what are they going to do, kill me twice,” I snickered, taking another drink.
Dredge positioned himself between my shoulder and the room. “I'm convinced this will be the end of our way of life. They have been upcycling the West Tree, getting ready for more dormitories and habitable spaces. The East Tree in old New York is already being retrofitted with a shuttle doc pointingdirectly at the West Tree.
“A plan to connect them above the planet is in motion. Almost six thousand miles of connected space. Every scrap of metal is going up, but they won't finish it in time to beat the comet.”
“This was a scenario way back when I was a young man with old NASA. The prediction held that ice comets would bemined successfully with the right cargo holds. Still, mining might destabilize the remaining material, and send some larger mass objects out of orbit now-and-then.”
“About every two hundred years, some piece of garbage gets tossed over the galactic back fence. We have known for some time that Eris is off its already elliptical orbit and dragged significant amounts of material with it.
“We have been unable to colonize a new planet or clear the field of larger mass debris. The outcome is yet to be determined, but the rock we stand on today will look much different in two years.” Dredge put his hand on my shoulder. My old joints protested in pain. Even if I wanted to, I can't help save anyone.
“This is too much for tonight. I will have to think about all you have told me, discuss it with Constance. If what you are saying is true, their last name won't matter. We are all dead either way.”
“Please, Edgar, think about this matter quickly. I can make you my cousin. I have papers from my mother's estate with her thumbprint in blood. She and your mother had this document drawn up back when you and I were boys.
“Both our families held contingency plans in case something went wrong. I can do this, Edgar. I can claim all of them as my blood and get them out of harm when the time comes.”
“Dredge stop,” I put my hands up in surrender. “give me time to speak with Constance. You're making my head spin with all this crap.” I picked up my glass and held it high in the air. “Toast the day with me.”
My old friend wiped his forehead and stared at me for a moment before raising his glass to meet mine. “May you have food and raiment and a soft pillow for your head. May you be forty years in heaven before the devil knows you're dead.”
Dredge was telling me the truth or at least the version he truly believed. The enormity of his worries set firmly in the crinkle of his brows and the intensity of his gaze. It was his tell, something that gave me an edge over him at card games but now filled me with panic.
“Thank you, my old friend. I'll have a chat with Connie.” The retired rail master came over to shake my hand and wish me well. The man's name escaped me, but his face was familiar.
Dredge walked into the happy crowd with an empty glass in hand and the strength of a much younger man. A fire lived inside his chest, and I envied him. A righteous battle is good for the soul.
* * * *
“Constance, may I speak with you for a moment?” Dredge pleaded, offering up a fresh glass of synthetic blueberry juice.
I felt a tinge of apprehension at hearing his voice. “Of course, Dredge. The kitchen may be a nice quiet spot.” And there are sharp knives, I mused to myself.
“This is a beautiful ceremony eve gathering Constance. You have a way with these social requirements. My late wife was the same. Karine reminds me of her.”
“Out with it, Dredge.” Repeating my name like an imbecilic fool won’t garner you any favor old man. “What do you want to say to me?”
“I want your Karine to marry my Jason. I need you to talk to her and convince her that he is the right choice for her.”
“You mention your late wife so casually. Did you know she and I were classmates?” I took a drink from my glass and scanned his face. “Such a beautiful girl, she seemed to live apart from the world, free and unaware. As if the last doe was taken from the last green meadow and told it was to be a girl. So, it grew beautiful hands and shed its hide.
“We were awful to her, the girls in my class, we were jealous, and truth be told I hated her for reasons I didn't quite understand. But do you know what she did? She took an interest in everyone. She was thoughtful and kind, as
