Anthony Carr stood inside the front door of his house in Greystones, Co Wicklow watching his daughter Jennifer, his son in law Tom and their daughter Melanie coming towards him. It was a beautiful April morning with an almost cloudless blue sky. The temperature was warm enough to dispense with coats for the first time that year so Melanie’s pink princess dress was clearly visible as she skipped up the driveway with her favourite teddy, Elizabeth, in her hand.
Jennifer was the youngest by eight years of his three children and the only girl. Everyone knew that she was the proverbial apple of his eye. As his two boys had grown up and left home by the time Jennifer had turned nine, Anthony and she had formed a close bond. Encouraged by Anthony, she had embraced some traditional male dominated activities with enthusiasm. Anthony displayed her national fly-fishing trophies in his living room with pride.
“Hi Dad,” said Jennifer and Tom as they reached the polystyrene decontamination unit, ushered Melanie into it and followed her in.
Melanie pulled down her face mask. “Hi Granddad”.
Jennifer immediately admonished her to pull her mask back up. “Too early. You have to wait until the decontamination unit has fully cycled.”
“Hello guys,” he said warmly. He pressed the button releasing the chemicals that would eradicate any pathogens and toxins from them before they entered the house. He grimaced as a yellow tinged mist descended upon them. When the light on the unit turned green, he opened the door and finally was able to hug them. This took a little longer than usual as he paused to breathe deeply. The now familiar smell of Jennifer’s favourite detergent made him smile as it assaulted his nose. He never had gotten around to telling her that the ‘Alpine Rose’ detergent smelled anything but like an Alpine rose.
“Come on let’s go in to see Grandma Sheila,” he said.
The four of them went into Sheila’s downstairs bedroom which had previously been used as Anthony’s study. The staff of the retirement home where she had lived for the previous two years had been evacuated a few weeks ago so Sheila had been sent home. When he collected Sheila, Anthony had thanked the staff for everything they had done for his wife since she had been admitted in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. Like all medical staff, their evacuation had been scheduled as late as possible, because none of their patients was going with them. Because Jennifer was a consultant heart surgeon, her family had also been scheduled to leave last.
Jennifer and Tom walked over to Sheila and kissed her, and Melanie came over to do the same. Melanie had always been very fond of her granny, her chocolate biscuit cake was by far her favourite treat, and she gave her a long hug and a kiss. Jennifer had tried to replicate the biscuit cake but Melanie had politely informed her that Grandma’s was better, much to Tom’s amusement.
Anthony had dressed Sheila and did her hair as best he could. He had decided after one now legendary attempt at applying make-up in the nursing home, to leave her face in its natural state. Sheila looked around in a panic, but when she saw Anthony she relaxed.
“Mum still recognises you,” said Jennifer.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Anthony. “I think that she likes familiar surroundings. If she sees anything she recognises, I think it helps. It’s not just my pretty face!” Anthony laughed at his own joke. “Let’s get onto the family photograph.”
Anthony was a keen amateur photographer. He had an excellent time delay system on his camera, so he slowly arranged a family shot without having to run to avoid being caught out of position. When Anthony was satisfied with the fifth attempt, he printed one copy, took the memory chip out and gave it to Jennifer.
“Pity you can’t take my camera equipment with you,” he said.
“I know,” said Jennifer. “There is so much stuff we had to leave behind already. The baggage limitations per family are strictly enforced, so there is no point trying to bring an excess.”
Anthony went into the kitchen and made coffee for the adults and hot chocolate for Melanie. He brought the cups into Sheila’s room and, as soon as he sat down, Melanie clamoured into his lap. “Granddad, can you tell me a story?”
“Of course I can, Princess Melanie. What one would you like to hear?”
Melanie thought for a moment. “The stormy night, please. That’s my favourite.”
Anthony smiled broadly. “Your wish is my command, your highness. It was a stormy night with strong winds and lashing rain. The roof tiles were jumping up and down making a lot of noise. The trees were swaying and creaking. Your granny was at an astrophysics conference so it was just your mother and me in the house on our own.”
Melanie looked up at him. “You know that I don’t understand big words like astrophysics.”
Anthony smiled. “She was talking about the stars in the sky with a lot of other people in a big room. Jennifer would have been about your age. Early in the morning, my bedroom door slammed open and Jennifer launched herself plus her favourite bear on top of me. She frightened the life out of me. ‘I’m scared’ she screamed and started to cry. She could not be persuaded to go back to her own bed. I went down to make a hot lemon and honey drink which we drank while we chatted for a while. She explained to me, in great detail, that it was very difficult managing three boyfriends in her class, which I agreed with her must have been difficult.”
“The boys in my class are silly. I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Long may that continue,” said Tom.
Anthony smiled broadly. “Eventually, Jennifer fell asleep. As a dad, you never know when your child will decide that they are old enough to sleep on her own and it will be the last time. I slowly snuggled down beside her and lay there without moving for two hours with her back pressed into my side just listening to her breathing. When she finally woke up, she asked me why she was in my bed, hugged me and demanded bacon and pancakes for breakfast, my speciality. I made it and we had breakfast in bed together.”
The story abruptly halted when there was a ding on Jennifer’s mobile phone signalling the arrival of the bus outside the house. Their transport had been arranged to leave from his house. The shuttles to the waiting evacuation ships were departing in two hours from Dublin Airport.
Melanie started to cry. “I love you Granddad, and you’re going to miss me so much!”” She placed her small hands onto his face. “You won’t know where we are.”
Anthony smiled fondly at the innocence of his granddaughter. “Of course, I will. Look at the ceiling.”
Melanie looked up. “Wow. What is it?”
“It’s a chart of the Milky Way which is a lot of stars. The blue circle is our solar system, where Earth is. The red circle is where you are going, a planet named Evac 24. The line between them is the route you will take. Every day, I will mark how far you have gone so I will know exactly where you are.”
Melanie brightened up. “I’m so glad, Granddad, I don’t want you to be too sad.”
Jennifer hugged Sheila for the last time and whispered her final goodbyes to her mother. She then took her father’s hand as they left the study together and walked to the front door. “Are you sure that you won’t change your mind and come with us?” said Jennifer. “There is still space for late deciders, who had qualified for evacuation. Many people in your position have chosen to go, you know.”
“No, Jennifer, it wouldn’t be fair on Sheila,” said Anthony. “I know she doesn’t really know where she is, but that doesn’t make any difference. I want to stay here with her.”
“I understand,” said Jennifer. “I’m probably being selfish. I just don’t want to lose you too.”
Anthony stopped and took his daughter’s hands in his. “You don’t have a selfish bone in your body. I am the one being selfish by staying. As well as not wanting to upset Sheila, I just don’t see the point in carving out a new life for myself and Sheila on board the evacuation ship. I am just too old to do it. It is doubtful that I would be alive when we get to the designated planet or be of much use if I made it.”
“Jennifer,” said Tom. “We need to get on the bus now.”
Jennifer started crying and clung tightly to her father. After a few moments, Anthony gently unwrapped her arms. They pulled up their face masks and exited though the decontamination unit. Tom and Anthony each took one of Jennifer’s hands in theirs. Anthony held Melanie’s hand. They walked four abreast to the bus.
Before Melanie got onto the bus, she held out her teddy. “Granddad, I want you to take Elizabeth. She will keep you safe.”
Anthony barely maintained his composure. “Thank you, Melanie but you should keep Elizabeth.”
Melanie shook her head. “Granddad, I have Elizabeth II in my suitcase.”
Anthony nodded his head. “Of course you do. I will look after Elizabeth for you.””
Anthony clutched the teddy to his chest as hugged and kissed them all. He moved back a few paces as the bus door closed. He waved enthusiastically and was rewarded with wild waving from Melanie, with Elizabeth II now clutched in her hand, as the bus pulled away. He strolled into his house with tears streaming down his face, inhaling the familiar smell from the bear. It was very difficult to watch the last of his family leaving for an uncertain future far away from Earth. He’d already watched his two sons and their families leave. It would have been easier if he was certain that the evacuation ships would reach their assigned destinations safely.
He looked in on Sheila and saw she was asleep. He went into the kitchen and turned on the radio. There was only one station left functioning: Evacuation FM. Anthony had always thought that someone could have come up with a better name than that. He liked ‘New Beginnings FM’ and had emailed the broadcaster with that suggestion but received no response. He listened to the music. He was almost asleep when a song was interrupted by a recorded announcement.
‘The last evacuees have departed from Dublin Airport. Thank you to everyone who has listened to us during the evacuation. To those who remain behind and especially to those who had no choice, we wish you the best of luck. Music will continue to be played, so please leave your radios tuned into this station.’
Anthony took a beer from the fridge. His thoughts turned to the detention facilities. People who had not qualified for evacuation permits and had tried to board a shuttle anyway were held there. Only people with competencies that would be of use on the evacuation ship and in establishing a colony qualified. As any remaining guards had boarded the last shuttles, he assumed that the centres were descending into chaos.
He brought his beer and Melanie’s teddy into his garden. He reckoned that the shuttles would have transferred their passengers to the evacuation ships by now. He breathed in deeply. It was the first time he had done so in the open, without the hated face masks, since the pollution levels had gone into the red zone worldwide. All people remaining on Earth had been moved to the UN controlled safe zone, where pollution and temperature were at their lowest levels. They had been assured that, with a reduced population after the Die Off Events and the evacuation, the Earth would regenerate sufficiently within a generation.
Shortly after, he saw flashes in the sky as the evacuation ships triggered nuclear detonations. These would build up the required velocity to bring the ships to their designated planets. Extensive research had been carried out to select planets that would be capable of sustaining life. It was still a calculated risk.
“Bye, Princess Melanie,” he said, waving the bear somewhat foolishly in the air. He started crying again. Anthony started tearing away the plastic sealing strips from the windows before he re-entered the house and opened them. He collected his phone and portable speakers and brought them into the study to connect them through Bluetooth. He had pre-selected the music he wanted to listen as the contaminated air began to circulate into his house.
His choice for the first song was easy. Anthony and Sheila were fans of 80’s music. ‘The Romance of the Telescope’, by OMD was their favourite song. Its title was very apt since they were both studying Physics with Astronomy and Space Science in University College Dublin when they first heard it. It had become their song.
Anthony pressed play. He lay down beside Sheila, placed Elizabeth Bear between them and put both his arms around her. He listened as the choral melody of the song started and, despite the circumstances, he smiled at the happy memories that it brought back to him. This was where he wanted to be. After a few minutes, he closed his eyes.
The End
