A Letter Home
By ElJay
Dear Mom and Dad and everyone,
I know it's been a long time since you've heard from me. Believe me, it isn't because I've forgotten you or that I don't care anymore. That will never happen - no chance, no way. I think about you all, every day, all the time. I still miss you.
But things have been a little nuts for me lately. Brendan probably told you about the try we made to free Earth (mostly him, but I guess I helped some). He probably told you that it didn't work too well; mostly because my back-up backed out at the last minute. I'm sorry to say that's true. But what Brendan probably couldn't tell you is that the rebellion has spread all through Dragan space.
Cuzo, you really did it! Earth may not be free, but a whole lot of other worlds are by now. One day, Earth will be one of them. I made Dylan promise me that much, at least. Beka will hold him to it, too. I won't be there to see it, I guess. But it won't matter; nothing matters, so long as it happens. I've figured that out, finally. Things usually have a way of working themselves out, weather we are there to see them or not. My friend Trance says that the universe wants to be in balance. You'd like her; she's really cute and seems kinda ditzy, but she's really pretty slick and smart. She's my best friend and we've had a blast together for the past couple of years.
Like I say, things have been a little nuts, recently. When I signed on with Dylan, I didn't really think a whole lot about his idea to restore the Commonwealth. Yeah, I know, the whole idea sounds crazy, but he's the kind of guy who can make you believe stuff like that could happen. Then a few months ago we had a little mishap, and it suddenly became a whole lot more important to fix things. We found out that about a bazillion Magog are headed towards this part of the universe. Think of the raids we faced way back when in Dunwich, then multiply it by at least a million. And here is Dylan and the Andromeda Ascendant trying like heck to save everyone. I don't know if even he can do it, but we've got to try. Again, I probably won't see it, but I'm doin' my bit while I can.
Yeah, I know this letter's kind of a downer. Sorry about that. I guess I'm just real tired recently. I think I'll close now. See you all soon.
I love you,
Seamus
* * *
He closed the flexi, sealed it and put it in his desk drawer with the others and a quick note for Beka and Dylan. They would do what he needed them to, when the time came.
"Harper, you know you don't have to do this. I'm certain we will develop a cure for the infestation before it's too late."
The avatar monitored his life signs as she spoke. The larvae were becoming more active recently and Harper was beginning to show the strain. He'd lost weight and wasn't sleeping more than an hour or two at a time. She had considered slipping something into his meals, but he had skipped food in favor of Sparky for the past day. The only thing he did remember was the lycoprene inhaler, but it wasn't helping as much as it had.
"Rommie, you can tell that to Dylan, but don't bother trying to lie to me. Trance and Rev haven't found anything so far, and they aren't going to before my little housemates outgrow their current accommodations. I've seen the scans; even the ones Trance doesn't want me to know about. I don't know how much time I have left, but I have some stuff I need to say to people. I'm not so good with the face-to-face, but I figure I can write it down and it's almost as good as if I could bring myself to say it aloud. Just do me a favor and don't open any of these until after .... And the one for my family - just put that into the pod with my body. I'll deliver that one myself."
He laughed a little before his voice trailed off. He turned his face away from her as a spasm of pain twisted through his gut. She held him as the latest wash of pain passed through his wiry frame, hiding her face in his shoulder so he couldn't see her tears. She contacted the rest of the crew with a terse message delivered to each of them via ship's comm in private mode.
"It's time."
The End
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