Interview with a Clone Chapter 22

Interview with a Clone

Chapter 22

By Mary E. Gerdt

All Rights Reserved

2012-2013

　

Chapter 22

Last Call

Part 2

　

Gigi let Alice lead the farewell interview. Alice’s voice was a tranquilizer to the eager, weary travelers. Every Martian settler was packed, ready to go, disengaged, mentally separated feeling I never want to spend another moment of my life wasted on this barren red planet….Well maybe a few felt that way. Maybe a few more than a few. Ok, everyone but Gigi.

As it neared Mars, the rescue ship radio started crackling, breaking through (yes they still use radios in 2064). I know you may feel like everything evolves forever. Gigi knew some things were best left alone, at their maximum function for the effort. Like radios. Easy, cheap, dependable.

Gigi’s mind wandered as Alice prattled on about nothing. The settlers wanted this life Alice talked about, this Earth life, not being special planetary guinea pigs. Many of the settlers had been escaping a life of poverty on Earth. Now, with the technology and minerals they were bringing back, they could settle again, only in a style of luxury.

Only Gigi felt longing for Mars as they concluded the interview and the rescue ship came into view moments later. “Bon Voyage,” was all Gigi could remember Alice saying from Earth before she signed off, a bouncing happiness in her clone voice. A strange feeling Gigi had, she could not explain.

The rescue ship staff were medical personnel and psychology trained, rescue trained. Yes they still need psychologists in 2064. People still have emotional trauma.

They carefully placed the settlers in quarantine pods after doing body scans, basic vital signs, photo, reassuring interviews and triage. The food was exceptional to the settlers. They had been eating synthetics since landing here. They sunk into the soft pod beds, took a tranquilizer and some food. Most fell asleep in minutes and dreamed of their favorite Earth memory. Most would never dream about Mars again. Except Gigi. And Alice.
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Addendum to
chapter 22
non fiction....perhaps stranger than fiction...
I accidentally pasted this letter below by why not leave it???
It is a bit of sci fi after all to think we should allow a gas pipeline through our town???
Not 2 our town ??
For Middlebury's benefit and the paper mill across the lake??
Dang. I sent this letter around...

Monday, February 18, 2013

I am writing to express my opposition to a gas pipeline being proposed to pass through Monkton, Vermont.

As a citizen of Monkton, I suffer high energy costs as well as taxes by the town which reflect energy costs at the school and municipal buildings.

So why on Earth would I want to see our precious beautiful idyllic town become transmission fields for gas to go downstream, to Middlebury and the paper mill in NY.

Why? We have a beautiful town. We all pay a fortune to live here.

Even if we could get gas to our school, municipal buildings, and residences,

We do not want to be transmission fields for a city and a mill across the lake.

I believe going down the other side of the lake make more sense. Then come across that way.

This is a bad idea.

I am opposed to the pipeline through Monkton, Vermont.

Mary Gerdt, Monkton, Vermont.