Earth Overshoot Day

Chapter 11

A white horse galloped up the weed-encrusted brick pathway leading to the building in which Henry was hard at work.

"Nelson! Are you in there?" shouted the bearded man in a confident voice. He tied up the horse on a fence post. "Your secretary said I could find you here."

He walked into the building. It had changed a lot since Henry had started working there. Everything was cleaner and more organised and it no longer reeked of dust and abandonment.

"Hello, father," said Gerald on a forced tone. "Is Nelson here or did that ridiculous secretary of his lie to me?

"Honestly. I don't know how he does it. How doesn't Nelson pull his hair out everyday.

"Oh, how are you sir? How was your journey? Oh, I'm sorry. Nelson isn't here. He's off overseeing Henry's word at the old Rocketeer Factory. Can I draw you a map?

"That man is ridiculous!"

"Who is ridiculous, Gerald?" came a voice from inside the rocket Henry had been working on.

Nelson dropped down to the floor from the raised door.

"You've done a good job fixing her up, Henry. Thank you. We appreciate your help."

"Anything for you. Besides, it was good to get my hands on a ship again. I miss it you know."

"Yes, yes. How sad, father. Now that we're all finished mourning could we please get down to business?

"Your secretary kept me long enough. I'm sorry you have to put up with him on a daily basis. As soon as we've sorted out this business I'll replace him for you. But now? Now we need to launch this ship."

"Whoa. Wait. Bertie? He's the best secretary I could ask for. He does what's required of him and so much more. You are not replacing him."

"If you insist. Just remember that my offer still stands when you wake up. You might see things differently after a year's long nap. Father, have you finished there?"

"I have. She'll fly as if she was never impaired. There will be some manual authorisation and steering required because I had to use older technologies but we have just the man to fly it. You may have heard of him. Jonan- actually, you'd know him as Starshoes."

"He will do nicely. Have you talked to him?"

"I have," said Nelson in an irritated tone. "He happens to be dating my secretary you hate so much. If it weren't for that we would never have got him."

"Is that so?" asked Gerald, a funny look on his face.

"It is so. I'm actually surprised that they haven't got married yet. They adopted a little girl not too long ago."

"Really?" he asked with a sneer. "Well, I guess we'll have to do something about that, won't we?"

Gerald glanced up and down at the newly-repaired spaceship.

"We launch tonight."