Chapter 11

Branching Out

The New Wilderness: Early Summer 2031

Dr Khundi was right. After mapping Seti’s brain, they determined that, in spite of the perfection of his DNA, he wasn’t wired right. Nanosurgery tools were introduced to his spinal fluid and guided to their operative sites in the brain. The surgery corrected the problem, and his hormonal balance was immediately restored.

Seti’s behavior changed overnight. Instead of being a hostile loner, he became very cooperative and empathetic. When they took him to the baby Mammoths the day after his operation, the creatures flocked around him like a nursing mother. He had that affect on birds and other animals, too. He, uncharacteristically, enjoyed the trip home, engaging Albert and Anne in lively conversation about what he was seeing in a whole new way.

Dominic and Seala greeted them with proud smiles. The gardens were in and growing. Sprouts were already peeking through. After hugs, everyone started talking at once. Finally, after everyone was through, Seti spoke: “Sealy and Dom, I apologize for being so mean. I don’t know what it was, but something made me upset and angry all the time. Now that I feel better, it’s hard to understand why I felt like that. Am I forgiven?”

Seala rushed to hug him. “Oh Seti, you’re my brother and you’re forgiven.” Ping hugged them both.

“Forgiven.” Dom extended an Indian handshake. Seti took it with a big smile.

Albert was indeed pleased with the way the place looked. With all these good hands, the little farm could produce more for a needy world. They would work hard all day on various projects. Then, in the evening, they’d swim and enjoy a good meal before study and bed. Seti enjoyed hanging around now, so it was hard for Dom and Seala to sneak off together. They still ended up nude for a swim with the whole family those hot evenings. Seala made it hard on Dom by flirting when no one was looking. Sometimes, he’d have to leave, embarrassed.

“Dom. Where are you going?” Anne would inquire.

“Oh, nowhere, Mom. ….Just have to check my traps.”

Seala would grin and giggle silently, and then she’d sneak off too, if she could.

Every two weeks or so, Albert and Dom took what they had gathered and made to town. It was a time to talk.

“Dom, have you thought about college? I’ve been thinking that, while you’re a big help here, good at your studies, and have all the time in the world, it would be good for you to attend college away from home like I did.” Albert threw it out casually as they walked.

“I’ve been thinking about it too. I’ve already mastered some college courses offered by Michigan State. They’re not very hard. I am worried though, that I might get caught up in campus life and neglect my studies. I’d like to go to Cornell, like you.” Dominic had been thinking about it.

“It isn’t like when I went there. With all the curricula available on eCom, most students get their degrees without ever attending. You’d be in an enclave, a bit isolated from the real world; but then, you are here, too. I think you might be too young, yet. Why don’t you take the SAT and see how you do?”

“Okay, Dad. I’ll take it this evening when we stay at the Ishpeming house.”

“That’s incredible,” Albert thought. “I start a conversation about college and already he’s got it nailed down where he’s going to go and when he’s going to take the SAT!”

“Great idea, Son. Fewer distractions than at home.”

Dominic took the SAT after they had enjoyed the special at Martha’s. That heavy food could put you to sleep, but it energized him for the task. By morning, they had the results. Dom got 797 on the numeric and 785 on the verbal. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to get him into almost any school he wanted. Perfect scores were rare and suspect since the Higher Education Reform Act of 2004. The SAT was strengthened, and made only available on the Internet. All programs claiming to teach the test or prepare for it were shut down. And, most important, strict accreditation requirements immediately shut down the diploma mills that offered degrees for money. The World Registry, created by the United Nations in 2006, combined all copyright, trademark, and credentialing. Encrypted official transcripts were posted. There were problems in China, the Moslem countries, and a few other places where so many people had the same names, but a World Registry Number, similar to the Social Security Number with four more digits, tied to a retinal and voice scanners, was introduced. Identity theft and fraud was severely punished. Cheap, ubiquitous voice and retinal scanners soon made this type of fraud nearly impossible.

When they brought the news home, Seala was disappointed. “Dom can’t go to college! We need him here. Who will do the heavy work?”

“You will!” Dom smirked, winking at her.

“Don’t worry. I know I’m getting to be an old goat, but with all these revived organs and supplements, I feel fine. We’ll manage just like we did before you came.” Albert explained. “Young Lady. You will be going to college soon, too.”

“And me?” Seti, always last, didn’t want to be left out.

“You, too. I expect great things from each of you. After all, you have forever to get it right.” He chuckled at his lame attempt at humor.

It was settled. They all knew that they were going to college. They hadn’t begun to think what they would do with it. They had a lot of time--more than they could fathom. They didn’t waste it.

On August 23, 2032, Dominic Repaul arrived in Ithaca with a single duffel with all his possessions to begin freshman orientation at Cornell. He soon learned that some of his classmates were as young as fourteen, and that he could hold his own in Soccer and Cross Country with the eighteen year olds. But it was in class where he really shined. His teachers loved the way this tall, skinny student with peach fuzz on his face took to complex math and science problems with relaxed ease. Others had implants, but none used them with the skill Dom possessed.

By the end of the fall term, he was at the head of his class. The winter snows had set in, so he and many others celebrated Christmas and New Year on campus. He missed home and Seala, but enjoyed himself too. After the wild parties during the holidays, he settled back into the winter term. On June 21, he boarded the Utica for home. It became a familiar routine for two more years.

When she saw Dom’s success, Seala set her sights high. With SATs nearly as high as he, she chose George Mason in the fall of 2034. On August 16, she and Dom set out together. They had some intimate moments before their dirigible, Toronto, docked in Buffalo. Dom took the train to Ithaca, while Seala boarded Scranton for Dulles. GMU had a van picking up students at Dulles, so Seala had made friends and found a roommate before they arrived. Thuy Tuam was a Vietnamese-American from Manhattan. Her father had made a fortune in water cabs and his floating market. There was a strange magnetism neither could explain.

Both girls found themselves in almost every class together. In their dorm room, there were many discussions of men, underwear, hair, skin, likes, dislikes, and the like. They went to every event, planned and unplanned, that they could fit into their busy schedules. Both beautiful in their own way, they attracted the attention of their male classmates wherever they went. Most dates were double dates. After a date, the girls couldn’t wait to jump into their nighties and discuss the merits of each guy before closing their eyes. After short periods apart, they greeted with hugs and kisses. It wasn’t long before they were kissing goodnight. Sleeping together naturally followed.

Seala kept Dominic fully informed of all this. He had been dating whenever his busy schedule allowed it, but he was basically alone with his schoolwork. In spite of all the technology, study was still a lonely prospect. He looked younger than his age. While coeds appreciated his intellect, they tended to prefer men who looked more mature. Looking at him, they never surmised of his maturity and experience. Seala’s holos were not only encouraged, they were very erotic. He found himself fantasizing about this Asian beauty, Thuy. It wasn’t until they spent Christmas in Saint Thomas, The Virgin Islands—Thuy’s Daddy footed the bill—that he got to meet her.

They met at Dulles. “Dom, this is Thuy. What do you think? Isn’t she everything I said?” Seala had just given him a bear hug and French kiss.

“Well, …. Hi, … Thuy. Ah, well, …, what do you want me to say?” Seala already knew what was on his mind.

“Tell her that she’s a Fox and that you’re so happy to see her!”

Dominic stretched out his arms to Thuy and she melted into his hug. “Whoa!” He thought to himself, “This is going to be fun.” Seala picked up every bit of it and smiled broadly.

“Okay, you’re a Fox, girl. Any more orders, Seali?”

With that beginning and a girl on each arm, Dom headed for the docked St. Johns, and their cruise to the islands.

When they arrived at the private beach house overlooking a crescent of blue green bay, edged with white sand and steep green mountain slopes, Thuy immediately began treating him like Seala. It was both amazing and wondrous to see her come out of the shower, drying off with a towel, to try on beachwear. When they got to the beach, they found that clothing was optional. The primary problem they all had was getting sunburn on their tender parts. At least Dom and Seala had something left of their summer tan. They cured the problem with ample sunscreen and covering up when they needed to. Porters offered umbrellas that were gratefully accepted.

The other problem was men. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry was staring, and, when the opportunity arose, offered to join them. Seala was well schooled in the, “Beat it, I’m gay,” approach. But Thuy seemed to like the attention. The black resort employees, used to dealing with willing single women, were a bit shocked at their sister’s rebuffs. Dom was amused by it all. He was sure those guys were jealous of him, a puny teenager, with two foxes. He was a million miles from his schoolwork—that was the point.

The first night they joined the crowd at the resort’s hotel, where the party lasted until dawn. They dressed casually with sandals. Dom had never seen Seala look so stunning, like a super model, in the things Thuy threw together for her. Contrary to her attitude on the beach, Seala eagerly danced with every guy who asked. There was something very sensual about the way she moved to the native rhythms from the reggae band. He could see Thuy squirming as she watched, her black eyes as bright as diamonds. Dom could feel it too—the hypnotic spell of the music.

Sometime around 3am, when they returned to the beach house, the girls were quick to slip out of their clothes. Dom kicked off his sandals and pulled off his shirt. He sat on the edge of the bed while he watched the girls brush their teeth in the mirror. Seala came back, grinning, and began unbuttoning his shorts. He found himself engaged in familiar sex with her, while diamond eyes watched, first, from the mirror, and then, kneeling over them, from the bed. Thuy wanted to do whatever Seala did. It was extremely erotic for Dom, and he was up to it. So he let her.

After a few carefree days on the beach, in the town, and out on boats, balloons, fishing, and skin diving, their vacation was over and they returned to the reality of the northern winter and schoolwork. Dom kissed them both good-bye at Dulles. But, they were not forgotten. He often thought of those few carefree days in the sun and replayed them in his mind, until Seala showed up at the UP that next summer with Thuy in tow.

Seti headed the other direction. His SATs indicated an aptitude for interdisciplinary studies. Anne urged him to attend UC, Santa Cruz, so he did. After some counseling, he began studying for a dual degree in philosophy and religious thought. Whether it was his dark good looks, his way with language, or his strange ideas, he didn’t know, but he found himself extremely popular among his teachers and classmates. He stayed like a hermit by himself in the dorm, but friends invited him to so many places that he rarely found himself back there after the first term. Befriending the wealthy sons and daughters of movie stars and CEOs, he stayed on through the summer and didn’t return to the UP.

When the girls arrived at New Wilderness, Dom was surprised, but tried not to show it. He hugged them both in a brotherly fashion, then made himself scarce looking at experiments and traps in the woods all day while Seala showed Thuy around. He arrived too late for the evening swim, just before dinner.

At dinner, Dom politely listened while Seala talked of her first year at George Mason and Thuy talked of Manhattan and her father’s exploits. After dinner, Anne asked Dom to help her with dishes. As they watched the girls fishing off the dock, Anne spoke first.

“They are more than good friends.” Anne added to her expression by shaking a soapy spoon in their direction.

“What do you mean, Mom?” Dom played dumb.

“I have an eye for that sort of thing. Dabbled a bit in it myself. Speaking of dabbling. Do you miss your sister?”

“What do you mean, Mom?” He was trying to play dumber.

“It’s okay, Albert and I have known for some time. Do you think you two could sneak off all those times and not be noticed? If I were you, I’d enjoy it while it lasts. The way this world keeps changing, nothing is forever—except you. Thuy isn’t immortal like you two. Give her all the pleasure you can while she’s with you. Speaking of that, Momma Ping’s due in next week. I hope you can include her in your little tryst. She’s been quiet, but she’s a bit tired of old coots like your father and me.”

Dom nodded and kept looking at the girls out the window. He was too stunned to say anything.

Dominic A. Repaul graduated magna cum laude and first in his class at the end of the fall term, 2035. He was nineteen. Dr Khundi said that it proved that modern medicine and social practices had reduced overall human intelligence from what it had been in Neolithic times. It didn’t hurt that Dom’s genetic code had been perfected, either. Their genetic flaws limited so many intelligent people. No one knew how the Iceman, unaltered and without implants, would have faired. Forty years of analysis of his remains had shown him to be very skilled and resourceful for his time. Dom did inherit that.

Winter graduations had been eliminated to save energy and allow parents to attend when the weather was better. To celebrate, Dom joined Seala and Thuy in Tobago through the New Year. He began a fast track doctorate in Space Science in the winter term.

On May 26, 2036, the whole family came together in Ithaca for Dom’s formal graduation. Seti came from California. Alice came from a Johns Hopkins project at the International Space Station. The keynote speaker was Dr. Maxine Greene, a Cornell Space Science graduate and commander of the 23^rd Mission to Mars. Dr. Greene outlined, from her first-hand experience, the success of the Martian effort. Settlement had been established. Plants had been propagated, grown, and harvested in Martian soil. Baby animals and humans had been born on the surface. Reduced gravity had caused health issues that were being addressed. The point of full sustainability was unknown, perhaps fifteen to twenty years off. She closed by asking the audience to remember:

“Lest we forget. Let me close by remembering those brave souls who sacrificed their lives in that ill-fated first mission. And, to the many who have lost their lives since. Progress is never without cost. Still, it is sad that we lose the best and brightest when they are vitally needed to carry us forward beyond the malaise of Earth. Never forget them. They were the shoulders we stand on.”

After a moment of silence and a military flyover, Dr. Greene received a standing ovation.

Dom, by nature of his scholastic position, was obligated to speak for the Class of 2036, even though he graduated in ’35 and was a member of the 2033-37 class. His scientific studies had not prepared him for this. A few notes projected on his visual cortex helped him get beyond his awkward beginning. He talked not of saving the poor, starving of Earth, but of the need for sustainability of humans in space. He spoke of the stages of sustainability: laboratories on Earth, settlements on Mars, Moonscape, the moons of Jupiter, near space orbit, solar orbit, and finally, deep space. He ended by stating that solar orbit sustainability would be achieved within the century.

He received a startling ovation he didn’t expect. As he returned to his seat amid the cheers of his classmates, he could see his family frantically waving in the distance. One of his professors reached out and shook his hand firmly. “Good speech, young man! We’ll never see sustainability in our lifetime, though—you shouldn’t get hopes up.” The arrogant old man didn’t know that the fuzz-faced kid he was talking to was immortal and smarter than he.

Albert had a special graduation gift for Dominic. He had rented a 1995 red Miata roadster that had been converted to a hybrid for a summer-long tour of the country. After bidding the family goodbye, they left the next morning.

They traveled light. A change of clothes. Rain gear. A pup tent and Coleman stove. Light sleeping bags. Some dried and some radiated food. And, most important—Anne’s good credit. Gasoline was $34 per gallon in Ithaca, higher in many places, lower in some. The Miata got 75 miles per gallon, so they traveled 750 miles on a $350 fill up.

After winding all day through the Adirondacks, they spent the first night in the Green Mountains. It was rainy and cold, so it was hard to get up and leave the next morning. By the time they reached Maine, the sun peeked out, and they took the top down.

New England remained as he pictured it. Although the family farm was all but gone, farm buildings and animals of hobbyists remained. In between, settlers and retirees had sandwiched their carefully planned and screened edifices. It all looked too ordered, crowded. Except for the mountain areas they’d left behind, this would be one of the last to return to wilderness, Albert thought out loud to Dom, who was enjoying his job of driving the car. That night, having seafood in a restaurant overlooking the rugged coast, Albert knew they were going to enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, the lobster they ate came from an Australian farm. There was local fish to eat, but it was unappetizing.

They skirted wide the great seaboard cities. They had seen them from the air, and wished to avoid the congestion and penalties for driving a car in the myriad public transport lanes of suburban freeways. The old state and federal highways were in good order and lightly traveled, mostly by freight haulers and public transport. Cutting across Massachusetts and Connecticut, they crossed the Hudson, then turned south toward Pennsylvania and the Poconos.

By that time, they had been on the road a week and a half. Stopping along the way, talking to locals and retirees, they pieced together a picture of rural life that wasn’t bad or good, just confined by economic restriction. Old timers remembered traveling widely and freely in their cars. Two guys traveling in a classic roadster rekindled those memories. They talked of family tours to Disney World, Branson, or Vegas. They talked, with almost religious fervor of Nascar races and the Indy 500. The races were still held, but people didn’t drive to them any more.

They stopped at the Biotech Center. Dr. Khundi wasn’t there. He was spending a rejuvenating month in Bermuda to restore his 105 year-old body to top shape for his last few productive years—Doctor’s orders. Alice met them and showed them around.

Cloning of previously extinct animals was in full operation. Flocks of passenger pigeons had been restored to the growing prairie regions. Numerous ice age animals, including the Great Cave Bear, had been brought back from oblivion. Since the bear’s entire habitat in Europe had been destroyed, the four specimens cloned, two male and two female, would be confined to zoos. Two cubs were still there. They were huge. The weirdest creatures were the Dodos. Brought back as a curiosity, Dom enjoyed feeding twenty or so of the slow moving birds, scheduled to be shipped off to various zoos and amusement parks.

They had been tinkering with dinosaurs. Not only were they having trouble getting full DNA sequences from specimens millions of years old, they were unsure whether or not to reintroduce the creatures into the environment. A Jurassic Park scenario was more real than they wanted to contemplate. The probability that the creatures would be more destructive than beneficial was about 93% ± 5% error. Most scientists thought that dinosaurs would have to wait until a suitable isolated environment was available for them. It was doubtful that they would ever mix well with humans, in spite of our fascination with them.

Other human clones had been born, but without Dr. Khundi, they were unable to find out anything about them. Dom was sure that, if he searched eCom enough, he could find out. His implants were getting old, but they were still very powerful.

They left the Center and took I-81 to Staunton and the familiar road over the mountains to Green Bank. Albert couldn’t believe it had been eighteen years since he drove this way. This time, Dom was driving, so he could concentrate on the view. Things hadn’t changed much.

Dom did not experience the anxiety of brake fade in the mountains his father had. The torque of the electric motors and the regenerative braking in them made driving the steep grades a breeze. Dom was enjoying the thrill and view without the stress of brake failure as they wound around the curves like a finely tuned snake.

And then, the curved silver girders of the dishes of Green Bank loomed in the distance. Memories of Esther and robbing her grave crowded Albert’s mind. Dom was not cluttered with such thoughts. He just wanted to see the place his father had spoken of so often.

Now a National Monument, the National Radio Observatory had become a museum run by the National Park Service. All operations of the NRO had moved to space where there was less radio interference for the ultra sensitive listening devices. There were a few kids’ experiments going on, otherwise, it was as Albert remembered. Thoughts of Esther were around every corner. He could still smell her perfume. He was almost happy to leave, to put those memories behind him.

They took the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Smokies. Traffic was light. It was wilder than Albert remembered. And, there were more mountains. They left the Blue Ridge to the Black Mountains, and then wove through the Craggies, Pisgahs, and Balsams, to the Great Smokies and Tennessee. The laurel and rhododendron brightened every turn. Wildlife was abundant. Dom found himself braking, hard--for a mother bear and two cubs. It was a great road for the Miata. They camped to majestic views, sunrises and sunsets. This was as it should be. They would walk this way someday, on the Appalachian Trail, they promised. Too bad the throngs had carved up the foothills, a few short miles away, into a patchwork of refugee and retirement communities. Back tracking to Chattanooga, they turned south on I-75.

Atlanta, of all the great cities, had transformed itself well. Trees occupied a special place in a city that sprawled through spines of its public transit system like a spider invading the surrounding hills and farms for seventy miles on any side. Following Southern tradition, the pace slowed down and moved to the rhythm of the seasons. Hickory, oaks, and other hardwoods were replacing the fast-growing southern yellow pine in the urban forests. Peoples’ homes and crop growing coexisted and shared the sun. Pets were strictly controlled in favor of wildlife. Living and working was idyllic. Atlanta was a prototype of what the country could be.

The Piedmont was heavily populated with refugees from the coast. Storms and rising water had forced parts of old Charleston, Savannah, and St. Augustine to be abandoned. Levees and pumps could not save many historic buildings. Further south, the Florida Keys were gone and all the coastal cites were losing ground to the sea. The Everglades, only recently restored, was rapidly becoming a salt marsh. Creatures that liked salt water were thriving; those that didn’t were in retreat. Manatees were coming back from near extinction because propeller boats where banned in all coastal waterways.

Albert and Dom only got as far as the Tampa-Orlando Corridor before turning around and heading west. The combination of entertainment complex and refugee density reminded Albert of Los Vegas. Northern Florida still grew many fruit and food crops, but the environmental stress reminded him of Southern California before the fall. The Kennedy Space Center had been abandoned to the Atlantic and a wildlife refuge. The Space Ferry launch system had made it obsolete anyway. A large museum and amusement center, west of what used to be Titusville on 50, was all that remained. Attractions like, “Experience the Tragedy of Challenger, First Hand” and “Three Stars, the Astronauts of Apollo 9,” turned Dom off. There was nothing for them here.

While I-10 still went through to the West Coast, much of Louisiana had been reclaimed by the sea. After a century of high levees and huge pumps to keep the water out, New Orleans had been moved to higher ground north of Slidell. Though restored, Bourbon Street never regained its old glory. Instead, they took a side trip to Memphis as they worked their way west. Memphis had taken the place of New Orleans as the blues party Mecca of the South. Elvis’s legend just kept growing. A huge statue of him greeted visitors crossing the Mississippi.

The highlight of Dom’s trip so far were their stops at the Marshall and Johnson Manned Spacecraft Centers. At Huntsville, Dom marveled at the primitive Redstone rocket that first got us in space. And Baker and Able, the two Chimpanzees who were space travelers where men feared to tread. That mistake wouldn’t be made again. They used Albert’s credentials to get past the kiddie exhibits to the astronaut training area at Waxahachie. Dom’s eyes lit up as he talked to the 44th crew in training for Mars. Albert knew what Dom’s future held from that point onward.

They had reached Santa Fe before Dom stopped talking of his plans to join the astronaut corps. Too much of a good thing, the artist colony that created the mystique had been overrun by the crowds fleeing Southern California and the Gulf Coast. After a side trip to White Sands, the mountains to Durango and Mesa Verde also proved to be crowded, but not so much that they ruined the landscape. Walking through the cliff dwellings gave evidence of how far we had come. The dwellings on Marscape were similar.

They managed, after that, to camp in the West Elk Wilderness in Western Colorado for a few days and avoid others. The Wilderness was alive with elk, sheep, and bear. Wolf evidence was everywhere. They could hear them howl at night. From there, they hiked through some of the remote areas of the Canyonlands.

Bypassing Los Vegas, they drove straight to the Pacific Coast. After stopping to see Anne’s relatives, they drove the coast road north to Santa Cruz to see Seti. It was obvious that Seti was enjoying his studies. They had to pull him away from his friends to get him to camp and hike with them in Big Basin State Park. There, camped amid ancient redwoods, they felt a spirituality and oneness with nature they hadn’t felt before—not even in New Wilderness. After eating, they sat around their evening campfire and talked. Wood was terribly expensive, but a fire seemed necessary.

After looking into the fire for some time, Seti began talking. “Dad, I’m not sure what it is, but I’m destined for greatness. You’ve seen how they flock to me. I feel it too. The more I study, the more I understand. My Egyptian roots are somehow connected to all of this. It is as if I have set in motion forces that planted these trees, enabled the Greek definitions of government and civilization, and our need to contact other beings. I am not of this world. I am extraterrestrial!”

Albert felt that he had to interject some fatherly advice. “You are immortal and possess a gift with people and animals I’m having trouble understanding, Son. But I have equal trouble believing that your source, Seti II, was, somehow from another world. Oh, I’ve read and heard the theories about parallel universes with simple portals to other time and space, but there is no scientific evidence of it. We humans seem to possess the ability to intuit science—Galileo, Newton, Von Neumann, and Einstein--all possessed it. But their theories keep withstanding later proof. Most of the paranormal theories that abound are no more demonstrate-able than simple parlor tricks, touted over and over to the masses, hungry for anything that will ease their hunger and pain. This old scientist has seen many miracles come from ordinary science—for example, you—than from all the spiritual cults that have come and gone. Those claiming the end of the world or passing on through to the other side usually end up dead. Remember, you may be immortal, but you can still die.”

“Okay Dad, I see your point. But I can’t deny what I feel inside. I just have to bring it out. After graduation, I’m going to Esalen for a while to get in touch with whatever it is. You are going to be proud of me.”

“But I am proud of you, Seti.”

“So am I.” Dominic offered his two cents. “I used to worry that you’d be self-destructive. But you’ve turned into the most empathetic person I know. Trust Dad. The only difference between my Neolithic origin and me is this science I have in me. It makes me very powerful—all this knowledge and time to use it.”

“But, there’s got to be more. All this doesn’t happen by accident. I must get in touch with whoever, whatever out there is guiding me.”

“That is a truly religious fear, Son. I, long ago came to the conclusion, perhaps from reading Sagan, that survival is a life trait that creates intelligence. Surviving, in itself, is an intelligent act. Survival begets intelligence. Intelligence begets survival—and doubt. Why should we doubt the power we have earned? Far better to use it wisely than to doubt why we have it or abuse it.” Albert was in one of his philosophical moods.

“But I support you and whatever you want to do. The Esalon Institute sounds like a great to do just what you are asking for.”

“Go for it, Seti! I’m just going to work my way up through the ranks until I can get out there and explore. I don’t know what it is, but the more I learn about the universe, the more I want to know, to experience for myself. I feel so comfortable here, especially at New Wilderness. It’s a stable home I can count on to be there for me. Still, there’s boundless adventure waiting out there in space exploration. I can hardly wait!”

The trip was proving very therapeutic. Not only was Albert able to regain a pace of life he hadn’t seen in sixty years, he sensed that this part of his earth was healing. He sensed that Dominic was getting far more out of the trip than he—a sense of home he would take with him. Two days later, after a conference holo with the girls at the cabin, they dropped Seti back on campus and headed north, following the coast.

San Francisco remained poetic. Parts of it retained that old charm locked in the style of the rebuilding after 1906. The great earthquakes of 2006 and 2019, respectively, with Richter Scale readings of 8.1 and 8.5 had rendered a new look to the rebuilt areas, but a certain architectural restraint prevailed, rendering the time tested look more prominent than the seismically engineered one. The structures in the high-rise center of the City had a fanciful look as flexible bridges joined the buildings high above the moveable bedrock below. Pedestrians were always sure of a wild thrill ride every time a minor tremor shook the streets far below. Special padding, and neck and headgear became standard wear for the fearful among high-rise workers.

The Golden Gate Bridge seemed timeless. Suspension bridges had proved their worth, and none more than the Golden Gate. All talk of replacing it was thwarted. It remained the quintessential monument to 20^th century ingenuity and industry.. And it had stood the test of time and the elements.

It was dangerous living on the coast. Seismic activity was up, along with volcanic activity. The coastal mountains were slipping into the Pacific, one landslide at a time. Still, people flocked there, stressing the natural tree and brush growth that held the slipping slopes together. Dry spells eventually led to wild fires. Torrential rains in winter threatened mudslides. The hillsides facing the Pacific were crowded, much more crowded than Albert remembered. There was sunshine and beauty here—and water. There was also sudden death. Several times that morning they crossed repaired road over areas where whole mountains had given way. Still, they came. Living in the south or the mountains was worse.

The narrow strip of ancient redwoods lining the Avenue of Giants was still there, a mute reminder of the grandeur that was once all of Northern California. Surprisingly, they were able to camp there. There was a spirituality to the way the slivers of light that got through brightened the dust of the ages. In the morning, the fog hugged the mighty trunks like low flying clouds. The only thing missing was some huge prehistoric creatures to match the size of the trees. It was hard to pack up and leave.

Inland could be more dangerous than the coast. Mount Lassen had ejected boxcar-sized boulders for months back in 2019. More recently, Mount Shasta had erupted, covering the whole lake area in three feet of ash. And, in 2025, Mount Rainer had blown, like St. Helens before it, sending pyroclastic flows for fifty miles in three directions and threatening Seattle. Continuing activity and lava flows had made many of the mountainous areas uninhabitable. Except for wilderness. Traveling as close as authorities would allow, they toured some of the devastated areas. Albert was amazed at the resiliency of nature. The eruptions fertilized the soil. With a little rain, everything was green and growing again. Fish and wildlife moved back into these areas as soon as the ground cooled.

Prevailing winds blew the ash eastward to the desert areas of Oregon and Washington. Apples, potatoes, and wheat, the traditional crops of this region, flourished, providing much of the food for North America. Further east, the open rangelands were proving more productive too. Under open range, protein production was up, twice that of fenced ranches. More important, the topsoil was once again being rebuilt, as wild grasses and animal dung created a rich bed for growth. The sod, broken up one hundred and fifty years before was returning. Root systems were reaching five feet deep, insuring a rapid rebirth of growth in the spring and preventing wind and water erosion.

Arriving at the ranch, they were welcomed warmly by George and the crew. It was mid August. They enjoyed a week under roof and riding horses on the range instead of the car on the road. The hot tub was great after long, hot days in the saddle. They did some big game hunting and Dominic shot his first bison, elk, and antelope. It was all properly butchered and shipped east—lean, fat free protein for the masses.

Three of the ranch hands introduced Dom to strip poker with a couple of local Blackfoot Indian girls in the bunkhouse one night. Keama and Leana were twins, about twenty-five, and apparently, regulars at the ranch. Even with his perfect memory, these beauties and the free-flowing Jack Daniels distracted Dom. He was the first to have to take his briefs off. They were cotton mesh anyway, and had seen a lot of use during the trip—hand washed many times. He was red-faced in spite of his tan, as Keama had to take off her bra and Leana removed her riding skirt with much fanfare, revealing sheer yellow panties. Dom wasn’t the only one showing his stuff through his underwear. When he lost, he was forced to stand up and take it off. His embarrassment was compounded by his excitement. The way Leana had been eyeing him and making sure he got peeks before anyone else had given him an enormous erection. He was then banished to the bunks, naked.

Leana made sure she was next, purposely throwing her game. She made much fanfare of removing her little panties. From where he sat, Dom could see that two of the guys who had shown no arousal before were finally being affected. She then came and sat beside Dom, her eyes flashing brightly, while the game resumed. As the game heated up, Leana began playing with Dom. Before long, he wasn’t watching the game any more. Everyone was watching them. Keama proved to be just as exciting as her twin. The girls seemed to enjoy multiple partners.

In the morning, Leana confided in him. “Hey, Dom. Thanks for spicing things up a bit. Don’t worry, we’ve had our shots!” She laughed. “We are both scientists—Keama is a zoologist and I’m a biologist. We’ve chosen not to marry so that we can devote more time to our work. These little parties with some of the local ranchers are beneficial. Instead of our scientific advice being a threat to their way of life, they cooperate with us readily.”

“You sound like my Mom.”

“Yes, give her a kiss for us, will you?” Leana gave him a kiss and left with her sister. Dom hoped he’d see her again.

They raced the expected winter snow eastward. The Miata, with 20,000 new miles on it, was not a good winter car. It was puny too, while passing through a milling buffalo herd, numbering in the thousands. After many miles and two such herds, they reached Minot and turned north. Not allowed to approach on the ground, they rented a two-person power balloon at dawn and sped the remaining seventy-five miles at twenty-five miles an hour. By 11am they were rewarded by the hulking sight of a small herd of elephants feeding in tall grass by a stream.

There were eleven of them. They were not all of the same genus but seemed to be getting along quite well. Woolly Mammoths and Mastadons together. Albert guessed that the largest was Woolly. The second largest, who looked different, was probably Dima. He couldn’t remember if these clones were sterile or not—they probably were made fertile to see if they could reproduce. They were not allowed to go lower than 50 feet, and the sky was full of tourists, so they waved goodbye and returned south. The high point was on the way back when they encountered two saber-toothed tigers feeding on a buffalo calf. There were no other airships around, so they lingered and watched the beasts tear at their prey. For Albert, it was a sight of a lifetime.

They arrived home on August 26^th. Two days later, with Seala driving, the Miata left for college. During those three days on the road to George Mason, Dom revealed his trip and renewed his love for her. That time alone was important. Dom was getting into his doctoral program and Seala was entering her senior year. She laughed when he told her about the girls at the ranch. She told him that she had been, “Horny as hell,” since Thuy left for Taipei on July 25^th. Dom couldn’t remember being more excited making love with her when they stopped for the night.

Before they both knew it, Dom was dropping Seala at the dorm, and then found himself driving alone with 37,845 new miles on the old car. Its tires were a bit worn, but there was no trouble on the trip. It was a good thing Anne was footing the bill and the hybrid system worked well. The mileage charge matched the mileage, a dollar a mile. The rental fee with discounts was $25,000, and Dom didn’t want to think what the gas debit charges were, although it was readily accessible in his short-term memory.

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