Thera (22 page)

His friend winked and said, “Noted, sir.”

As soon as he was out of sight, he ran. At the edge of Rivertown, he slowed down and continued as fast as humanly possible.

It was a large building, with wings on each side. Several people were in the street watching the blaze consume the building. Al asked one, “Is there anybody in there?”

The man did not turn to answer; his eyes locked on the spectacle before him. “That is our school, and there are kids in there. They are not sure how many.” Al heard the pain in the man’s voice as he finished, “—and there is nothing we can do.”

Samara was at the top of her class. She was popular and smart in a crafty way, and at ten years old; she was well known as a leader in her class. The guidelines established for the others did not apply to her. She played with a set of rules all her own.

Right now, she and two friends were ditching a class. They met in the empty halls after asking for a bathroom break and made their way to a large storage room full of spare furniture, old school projects, and carnival booths. It was dark, quiet, and included a ready-made place to play. A miniature house used during festivals waited for them.

She liked having meetings with her friends, to tell them about her newest toys and adventures. Her mother died when she was born, and her father attempted to compensate by giving her whatever she desired. Today she told her friends of the new hand-made doll carriage she received yesterday. The three girls were so engrossed in their discussion they did not notice the smoke until it started seeping through the door of the little house.

“I smell smoke,” said one girl. “And I hear a funny noise.”

Samara opened the door to see, and the tiny house began to fill with a dark fog. A low-pitched roar accompanied by a crackling sound further warned them something was wrong. Fear started slowly and escalated quickly as the smoke entered their lungs, and started them coughing.

She remembered something from one of the school’s safety classes and exclaimed, “We have to get on the ground and crawl out!”

The other girls were already gasping for air when they left the house and did not travel far before they collapsed. She stopped hearing their struggles, and soon after had gone as far as she could. Just before passing out, as her eyes were closing, a man appeared out of the fog. She would remember him as a giant, with bandages on his head and glowing eyes.

On his first trip into the burning building, he systematically checked each room he passed. His eyes allowed him to see the heat of anything living, and helped with his desperate search. The fire engulfed one entire wing, and the smoke was thick throughout, so even he had trouble breathing unless he stayed close to the ground. It took several minutes to find them lying on the floor in a closed room close to the center of the school. Al picked up one the girls and carried her out using his good arm. On the second trip, he decided it was taking too long, and he no longer cared about his injured hand. He picked up an unconscious girl in each arm and carried them to safety.

They came out covered in soot, the bloody bandage falling from his wrist and exposing the metal underneath. He lost his hat when he left the village, and the sooty bandages around his head were visible. No one noticed. All they cared about were the girls. They took them from him and rushed the three survivors to the doctor under a hail of gratitude. The parents of Samara’s friends thanked Al over and over, as they hurried to follow their daughters.

Chris arrived with pumps, hoses, and help. It was a good thing too because the last fire experienced by the town was long ago, and the fire-fighting equipment on hand proved to be neglected and falling into disrepair. Only one pump worked, and the hoses leaked.

With the equipment Chris brought, the people of Riverton pitched in and helped to put out the fire. Some manned the hoses while others formed a chain to the river and started a bucket brigade.

The sun was setting as they doused the last of the flames, leaving the building a total loss that would need to be demolished before they could construct another. Chris joined Al and some of the town’s people, standing in front of the burned out school watching the tendrils of smoke for the yellow of fire.

The people of Rivertown were pleased. No lives lost, and no other buildings damaged. It was an acceptable outcome for what could have been a disaster. One man wiped at the smudges on his face and said, “We can always rebuild the school, but you cannot rebuild a person.”

Chris looked at Al and winked. Al smiled.

The same man turned to Al and asked, “Do you know who it was you saved?”

“Three little girls. That’s all I know.”

“One of them was Samara Sands. The president’s daughter. He is going to want to meet you. That girl is the most important thing in his life next to Rivertown and its people. He is going to be very pleased to hear what you and your friends have done today.”

They loaded the equipment Chris brought and headed home feeling tired and proud. The three men that came with Chris hung onto the bars in the back and did not complain. The sun was setting with an explosion of color, and the wind blew in their faces cooling their overheated bodies. The last few hours were an experience that would generate stories long into the future.

The following day Theo Sands came to meet and thank the man that rescued his daughter. He walked into the command tent and asked quite politely to see the person responsible for saving the most important things in his life.

The captain approached the president and noticed the difference in attitude. It was like talking to a different person. This man was smiling, and having a hard time containing himself. Tobias could not help but smile. “Mister Clark is at the community center. However…there is something you should know. The man you seek is the ‘Cyborg’ that worried you so much. Were you aware of that?”

The president's smile did not falter. “I suspected as much. After discussing the fire with some of the witnesses, I was told he accomplished things impossible for a normal human being. Someone actually sent me a picture of him carrying Samara from the school! My daughter made sure I saw it.”

“So, you are no longer concerned about his being a threat?”

“Goodness no. I have come to thank Mister Clark. When I have finished with that, I intend on sitting down with you and arranging a partnership between our two colonies. I believe we can help each other.”

For the first time in a long while, the captain was speechless.

A week later, the two settlements threw a party. It was a gathering a lot like Al’s dream. Only better. Four communities combined to become one for an evening of celebration. The shuttles and dune buggy brought everyone that wished to attend, as it was going to be an affair to remember.

When the daylight failed, strings of multi-colored lights lit Rivertown, and many of the homes placed tables and chairs outside their doors, serving food and drink to the revelers wandering the town. They decorated the town square with flickering torches and a grandstand placed strategically in the center.

Kira was introduced to a soccer ball and drafted into a game. The other team did not have a chance. She learned what it was like to be carried on the shoulders of her triumphant teammates and was voted ‘Most Valuable Player.’

Robot Nine was introduced to the townspeople and made quite an impression on the children. They followed him around while he rolled through the streets on his errands, and wondered how he managed to stay upright while balancing on a ball.

Falkor played with the children, disappearing from one place when the children got too close, and reappearing in another. The sound of their laughter filled the streets.

As in the dream, Al was surrounded by his old friends and a growing number of new ones. They stood on the outskirts of the town square testing the local wines and tasting samples of the special fare prepared for the occasion.

Al was surprised when they called him to the bandstand, and they revealed the results of the naming contest, held for the new village. It was a name that had rousing support from all four communities.

The gathering celebrated many things. The naming of the village, the harvest, the newcomers, the saving of lives in the fire, and of course—Al Clark. He was the guest of honor.

In the middle of the festive ceremony, by the light of the torches and surrounded by friends, he learned the results of the vote. The village, from this day forward, will be known as—
Clarksville
.

Finally, after all their struggles, Al’s people had—a place to call home.

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Jonathan G. Meyer