Futura Memoratia

Chapter 2 Novus (new)

“Well, love, it’s been twenty-four hours and I haven’t found anything to cause any concern.  So, I’m ready to release you,” Dr. Beckett was saying cheerfully as he perused her chart.

Emily breathed a sigh of relief and set aside the tattered paperback book she’d been reading.  There was something familiar about Beckett, she thought, as she watched him fill out the discharge papers.  He reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t identify who that might be.  She was sure she’d never met him.

He was friendly, surprisingly easy to talk to.  She liked him.  She usually stuttered and sputtered with most men—or said something stupid or wildly inappropriate—but with him she found herself fairly calm and easy.  He’d expressed an interest in her experiences with gate travel.  He disliked it too, though not for the same reasons.  

He was the first person she’d told about her perception of the gate that didn’t seem skeptical or dismissive—instead he seemed fascinated, prodding her for more details.  She didn’t normally share much in the way of her inner thoughts or feelings with others, particularly about something that personal, but he had such an affable nature that she found herself being more candid than usual.  He sat by her bedside talking with her and making her feel at home much longer than was strictly necessary, she thought.

“I’ll get the welcoming committee on the radio.  Someone will give you a tour, show you to your quarters, help you settle in and brief you on policies and procedures so you can start your work.  Pleased to meet you, Dr. Freedman,” he concluded with a warm smile and a handshake.

A young soldier arrived, friendly and efficient in manner.  He didn’t waste any time heading for her quarters, where he said her personal belongings were waiting for her.  He pointed out a few landmarks along the way, presumably to help her get her bearings.  She couldn’t stop gazing in awe at the architectural details, the stained glass, the decorative stonework, the views of the ocean surrounding the city.  She paid more attention to where she was going, though, after she bumped into a pillar that stood in the middle of a corridor.  She pulled up short and blinked, examining the green, bubbling liquid with reverence—that this sort of artwork had survived ten thousand years without maintenance.

“Here we are, ma’am.  These are your quarters.”  He indicated a blue light that was adjacent to the door.  “The scientists have these lights keyed to your unique biosignature.”  He shrugged, as if to say he had no idea how that was accomplished.  “You wave your hand over them or touch them to open the door.  You have a few neighbors, but not many yet.  This is a new section of the city, just opened for new arrivals by Dr. Weir.”

She tentatively waved a hand over the lights, watching as the door slid open.  The room inside glowed with golden light from some large, stained glass windows that dominated the small room.  She had barely taken that in, when the soldier was handing her a stack of papers and booklets.

“In here,” he pointed at one booklet.  “You will find detailed instructions on how to use the facilities.  It’s pretty important that you read that carefully.  They don’t exactly work like you might expect.”  

She looked at him quizzically.  Crap.  Was he talking about the toilet?  But he had already moved on to other things.  He handed her a tiny radio, meant to sit on her ear, and demonstrated how it was used.  He emphasized this was her lifeline to get help around the city, so she paid strict attention.  She felt flustered, rushed, and realized suddenly he was turning to go.

“Wait,” she said, clutching the shifting mass of paperwork to her chest with one hand so she could hold up the other to stop him.  “Could you come back in an hour and show me to my lab?”