BooksBarbecue
Back The Long Sunset Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Prologue
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. 28.
  33. 29.
  34. 30.
  35. 31.
  36. 32.
  37. 33.
  38. 34.
  39. 35.
  40. 36.
  41. 37.
  42. 38.
  43. 39.
  44. 40.
  45. 41.
  46. 42.
  47. 43.
  48. 44.
  49. Epilogue
  50. About the Author
  51. Copyright

The speaker took his place behind a lectern on the stage and was welcoming everyone when thunder rumbled in the distance. He stopped in the middle of it and waited for it to die down. Then he introduced himself and went immediately to the point. “I am sorry to have to tell you this, but we face an existential threat. There will be no problem for about fifty years, so, for now, we are safe. But a collapsed star is coming toward us, and eventually, we are told, it will destroy the planet.” The audience remained silent. “As bad as that sounds, our situation is not hopeless. Most of you know we have had visitors. Hutch, Ken, would you stand, please?”

They got out of their chairs to a round of gentle applause. “Our friends have offered to help us in our time of necessity, for which we are grateful.” The applause died off. “So you will be aware of what we are talking about, we have pictures of the object.” Several people were coming up from the rear, distributing them. “This thing, we are told, is a collapsed star. It is extremely heavy.” He mentioned again the amount of time before it would become an imminent threat. “We are going to evacuate to a new world.”

That brought a few howls, and voices demanding to know how they would be able to do that.

“Fortunately, we have help.” He explained the procedure that would be in place. They would be moved out of harm’s way. Taken to a safe place very much like this one. Everyone would have substantial notice before the process began. To the extent they were able, they would be evacuating by islands so, to the extent possible, they would not be separated from families and friends. Finally, he invited questions.

The audience wanted to know whether there was a possibility the object could miss them.

He said it was possible but unlikely.

Would they be able to get everyone off the world?

How could Alora let such a thing happen?

That question got passed to Arin. He stood. “I have no explanation. But I suggest we be grateful that she brought Ken and Priscilla to us.”

•  •  •

The following day, Hutch couldn’t resist going back to the beach with her commlink to capture the ocean and the crowd. She stayed close to the trees, out of sight, until she had what she wanted. Then she returned to the cottage and spent the next few hours talking with Kwylla without ear pods. Kwylla was determined to speak without the help of an AI when she reached Earth. And in the middle of it, Hutch realized she’d forgotten something. They went outside and she aimed the commlink at the temple, the cottage, and the surrounding woods.

Priscilla’s Journal

We have got to make this work.

—Monday, September 8, 2256

39.

East or west, home is best.

—H. G. Bohn, Handbook of Proverbs, 1855