What’s a long-time married couple who joins a Polyamory 20 years ago to do together? Hump it! Hard!
Not that kind of hump. Judy & Bob scrambled up the narrow trail cut through boulders & scrub pine. Runnign hard, breathing ragged. Judy notes appreciatively her husband still had a nice tush after all these years. This goes on for a half-hour as they climb more than a kilometer. Near the top, their steps felt lighter.
This wasn’t their imagination. Gravity was 70% of normal as they reach Lover’s Peak. There was a neat little tram station there, an elevator just below. It was a popular spot but this time it was deserted.
At the top they hugged & kissed. “You smell ike shit, Bob.”, Judy said. “I know.” Bob said, their ritual complete. He still had that Han Solo smirk. They stretched, drank water. There was a Coffee machine nearby, they ignored it. Yes, yuo can brew coffee at Lover’s Peak, so?
Judy went to the viewing port. Earth swung into view. Covered in dirty clouds with streaks of fire as some suitcase-sized ejecta returned home. A muted orange glow meant they were looking at the big rift volcano where Wyoming used to be. Fire & ice. Water and death. “I wonder what will emerge from the ashes 10,000 years from now?”, Judy asked. “Zombies”, Bob said & got a whack on his chest as a reward. Funtime’s over, this weekly run has a grave purpose. They stood next to each other. Judy clapped 3 times and both bowed, steepled fingers before their noses in homage to the dead. Tears flowing out of Judy’s eyes. “Mom, Dad, Anuki, Saito”, for Judy. “Mom, Dad, Kelly, Jim, Robert and Jeremy.” for Bob. Judy & Bob survives, standing together, with a family 5 miles away. They were the lucky ones. They had Trumbull to thank for being here to remember those who couldn’t make it.
That done, they took in the HomePlex. 50 miles long. 4 miles wide. A netted axis of zero-g. A large corrugated piece of clear material – Mendocino’s Surf Safari project. “D’you think the dudes will ever finish that?”, Judy asked. “You mean, before we grow old & die? I hope so, I’d love to try surfing.”, Bob said. “Didn’t you learn to surf as a Navy SEAL?”, she asked. “No, They never got the green light to film that thriller, Lt. Bob, Surfin’ SEALS-” Another whack, Ow! “You big baby!”, Judy teased.
Further down the cylinder, the desert scar of NoWhere, now Jerusalem. Nick says Gilead will attack in 2 weeks. We may not be doing this for awhile.”, Bob said. “Or ever again.”, Judy tensed. “Nick seems like a runner-“, SMACK! “Ouch. Wife, please save some of me for Zeke’s army?”, Bob said. A shove. “Dammit, Bob, don’t die. I’ve already lost enough!”, Judy said, tears streaming again. “Don’t worry baby, I gotta plan.”
“That’s what worries me.”
Leave a Reply