First things first, I needed a shower. After checking in with the medical folks I made my way to the showers. A single bathroom had been left operational while the smart people figured out a better solution. I turned the taps as hot as they would go. When I stepped into the cascade of water I groaned. Every ache and pain that had concealed itself over the last week rushed to the surface. The knots in my back unraveled and the multitude of scrapes and bruises on my skin stung as the fresh water cleaned them out.
“Fuck.” It was like being born again. When I couldn’t take the scalding water anymore I turned the cold tap up and lathered up. The amount of dirt on my skin was horrendous; a veritable puddle of mud formed against the tiles. The grief I tamped down to warn the others of what was coming threatened to burst forth again. The hot water soothed the aches and pains but as I felt better, the flimsy walls I had put up around the mental pain started to crumble. I finished rinsing myself off and as I reached for the shampoo, the barricade fell. If you told me a year ago that grief could cause this much pain I would have laughed in your face. Now, it felt like I was slowly bleeding to death by a thousand cuts. There was no fighting it; the only thing I could do was hold on and try not to drown. Blessedly there weren’t other people around to witness my sobbing. My wife was still leading the shelter and in her absence, it was vital that I appeared steadfast. I turned the shower to shocking cold and gasped. The change in temperature was jarring enough to break me out of it and I stood under the water, letting it chill me to the bone. When I couldn’t take it anymore I twisted the taps back to hot and found the strength to finish washing. As my fingers wove their way through my hair I wasn’t shocked to find bits of twigs and grass tangled up in it. I dumped a pile of conditioner in my hands and worked it through, making sure to rinse throughly. Having a proper shower made me feel better almost as much as the banana bag. I dried myself off and went in search of a set of clean clothing. Unsurprisingly, a pair of clean scrubs was waiting for me on a stool outside the bathroom. Marcus must have taken off to clean up and left me a gift on his way. I smiled at raising such a considerate man. When all this was over, I hoped he found somebody to settle down with. He certainly deserved it.
While Jason, Nicole, and Marcus broke the news to the colonists, I made myself a cup of instant coffee and sat back down at the computer to work. Our fates were unknown, but I could still conduct myself as if things were going to plan. Since we didn’t have a hyper advanced 3D printer like the androids, I had to go about things the hard way. The DNA sample was easy to print and distill into a solution. I took three potatoes and injected a sample of the modified oil palm DNA strand into each. From those potatoes I harvested one eye and planted them into fresh pots. Another injection of the modified DNA went into them as well. Lastly, I set the printer to make as much DNA as it could with the couple of hours I had before sleep. I would preserve one in liquid and another in gel. I would pack both in a cool container to preserve them on the journey. If no miraculous colony of humans presented themselves we would need the backup. That’s assuming we made it that far.
I kicked my feet up on the desk and leaned back. A full stomach, getting rehydrated, and a shower had taken the stress out of my body and my eyelids felt heavy. There couldn’t be much harm in getting a few minutes of sleep while I waited for the DNA to synthesize. I leaned back and shut my eyes. The next sound I heard was the printer alerting me to the fact that it had finished the job. One of the trays served as a staging area for all six pots. I found an insulated cooler in one of the decommissioned refrigerators and packed it tightly with ice from the infirmary. Since the container was airtight it was unlikely the ice would melt quickly. Some cool water would serve in a pinch. I remembered Dad mentioning that he got drinking water from a nearby stream when Gabriel had left him for dead.
I returned to the surface to find order where I expected chaos. Word had made its way around camp like wildfire and there were lines of people packing supplies everywhere you looked. I sent a silent thank you to Dad. He had made such a difference in these people’s lives and the story of his death motivated people to move. I vowed to myself there and then that I wouldn’t let his death be in vain. No matter what lay out in the unknown, this colony would survive.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Eliza slept until the next morning when she woke up with renewed strength. Her shoulder was still a little tender but it was like my regular wife was back. In true form she insisted on jumping right back into
