Herculanium, p.32
Herculanium, page 32
The cab slowly pulled up to the cemetery’s main entrance rotunda, joining buses and other cars in taking turns offloading their passengers. The Necropolis’ façade was a giant arch flanked by two towering saint statues, their hands outstretched in greeting. At first glance, it resembled an amusement park, complete with monorails speeding by on elevated tracks.
“What’s your name, mate?” asked Jayna of the cab driver, pulling money out of her wallet.
“Max,” he responded with a smile. “My name is Max.”
Preston smiled and turned his head. That name was more than familiar.
“That’s a nice name,” she said. “Well, Max, I’ll make it worth your while if you wait in the parking lot until we leave.” She added another wad of bills to the original fair and balled it in his hand. “I’m taking you at your word that you’ll be here and not run away with me money. We’ll be gone for a few hours, but I’ll stay in touch via phone.”
He stared at the money and smiled. “You got a deal, lady.”
“Micky. My name is Micky.”
Preston’s eyes widened like dinner saucers. He stared at her as if had just seen a ghost. “What did you just say?” he whispered.
She ushered Preston out of the cab and tapped on its frame twice, reminding the driver again to wait for their return. They were quickly motioned by a passing policeman to stay clear of the curb, as other cars were pulling in with more mourners.
“Are you alright, Preston?” she asked, confused by his unwavering stare. “I just told the man my name was Jayna. You know that wasn’t a pick-up line, right? I was just establishing familiarity to make sure the wanker doesn’t leave us here.”
Preston shook his head. “I’m sorry, I must’ve been hearing things. I guess a place like this can do things to you.”
Now he had truly seen everything, he told himself again. Not only did they have to pay to get inside the cemetery, but its winding walkways were also lined with concession stands and gift shops of all possible themes. The choral sound of different funeral processions could be heard nearby, playing simultaneously in different locations. Mourners used the cemetery’s winding monorail system to visit their deceased’s graves, which were located throughout the vast area.
“Necropolis?” asked Preston, reading the cemetery’s complimentary guide.
“It’s an old Greek term, meaning ‘city of the dead.’ Historians have used it to describe Egyptian pyramids, which were actually tombs for the pharaohs.” Jayna used the guide’s map to navigate through the crowds and locate the site’s Hall of Records.
“It feels like we’re in a Disneyland for dead people. All we need is a walking mouse corpse to greet us.” Preston laughed at his own inference.
“I’m sure there are plenty of mice here,” she added with a smile. “They’re the ones eating the bodies.”
Jayna immediately flashed her military identification badge as they ascended the steep marble steps and entered the Hall. “Official military business,” she told the entrance attendants. “Please let us through.”
The large crowd and long lines awaiting to use the Hall’s search engines groaned and jeered collectively, frustrated at the two’s instant passage through security. Preston, too, was surprised at their easy entrance.
“You can go anywhere you damn well please with that badge, can’t you?”
“That’s right,” she said with authority. “Fringe benefits of being in the military. It’s great at strip bars, too.”
Upon entering the Hall’s research room, they found all the computers fully booked and occupied, with a waiting list an hour long. Jayna was unimpressed.
“Official Combattra business, ma’am,” she said, tapping the nearest user on the shoulder. “I’m afraid I’ll need to commandeer your computer. Time is of the essence; I thank you for your cooperation.”
The woman barely had time to protest, before Jayna confidently “guided” her out of the chair and took her spot. The room custodian and Preston both shrugged their shoulders at the frantic woman, who ran out of the room to complain.
Jayna stroked the keyboard like a master pianist, effortlessly pounding the buttons while flipping from screen to screen. Preston had never seen anyone type so fast, and with such grace and expression.
“We have access to the cemetery’s massive library.” She squinted at the flat monitor. “If there is anyone here that you’re related to, we should be able to find them. Please remember that this is Necropolis West, which covers the westernmost states, including Hawaii. Literally everyone within those states’ population districts is buried here.”
She paused and looked at Preston, concerned with his reaction. He was leaning on the back of her chair with a determined look about him.
“You ready?” she asked.
He nodded.
“I need names to begin the search. Who should I look for?”
“I’ll give you several. My dad’s name was Enoch Jones, and my mother was Petra Wilkins. My wife was Erica Spain. See what you can find with those names.”
Jayna’s hands resumed their concert performance, again fluttering on the keyboard while flashing through multiple screens and windows. With her head perfectly stationary, her eyes darted from one end of the screen to the other, changing directions at will and comprehending paragraphs of information in a glance. After what seemed like long minutes of flash research, Jayna finally paused and smiled.
“I’ve found them.”
Preston leaned closer to the screen. “You what?”
“I found four graves positioned together, three of which have the names you just gave me.”
He could feel his voice breaking into sections with each syllable. “Whose…whose name is on the fourth grave?”
“A ‘Maxwell S. Lee.’ Friend of yours?”
The first tear was as cold as an ice cube as it streamed down his face. “Yes.”
A collage of images quickly flooded his mind, and a lifetime’s worth of memories suddenly flattened him to the floor. He wept openly, grimacing and clutching his clothes like a lost little boy. Preston pounded his fists on the floor, tears expanding from his eyes like fireworks streaming down from the sky. He had all but given up on seeing his loved ones, and finding them now only deepened the hope and anguish bottled deep inside him. He was torn between celebrating his discovery and mourning their passing.
"I know where they are, Preston,” said Jayna enthusiastically. “They’re in the middle of the cemetery, in the oldest part directly in the middle.”
She wheeled around and found her friend nearly sprawled on the floor.
“I don’t want to go. Get me the hell out of this place.” His instincts told him to run, to escape from this smothering prison. He felt the tactile stench of death rubbing against his skin, filling his mouth and nostrils. The corpses were aware that he was there, staring from beyond their caskets. Preston was a child again, lost and in search of his parents.
“We have to go, Preston,” said Jayna, crouching down beside him. “This is their chance to see you, and for you to do the same. You owe this to yourself. At least now, you know you’re not alone. I’m here, and I won’t leave your side.” She gently rubbed his shoulders. “We’ll get through this together.”
Preston repeatedly wiped his eyes with his hand and sleeves.
“Come now,” she said with an assuring tone. “That’s a good lad.”
Preston stayed put, crumpled in place.
Jayna stood up, took a step back, and cleared her voice. “What part of ‘get up’ didn’t you understand, soldier?”
Preston looked up, bewildered by her tone of voice. His tears were still streaming down his cheeks.
“I gave you a direct order to get up," she continued. "Now get up off the floor or I’ll sling you over my shoulder and carry you off.”
It took a few seconds for Preston to shift his weight and crouch on one foot. He was visibly shaken, weak from anguish and slow to respond. He couldn’t understand the sudden shift in her demeanor.
The other computer users sat motionless in place, staring at the two and unsure of what to do next. They didn’t want to distract the officer’s ire and shift it to themselves.
“We have a mission to finish at the center of this shit hole. Now get your sorry black ass off the ground and come with me so we can complete what we were ordered to do.” Jayna took a step forward and glared at him. “Don’t make me hurt you.”
Preston finally stood erect, collecting himself and realizing what she was trying to do. He quickly tucked in his shirt and took a deep breath.
“Are you able to continue?” she said, standing face to chest with him and placing her nose directly below his. “Or should I stick your ass in the brig?”
“I am able to continue.”
“What did you say?”
“I am able to continue…Sir.”
“Very good. Walk with me, Private Jones. We have a train to catch, and I can’t do this alone.” She turned to the crowd behind her and sneered. “As you were.”
Preston couldn't believe this tiger was the same partner he’d had for months.
The monorail ride through the Necropolis countryside was as eye-opening as it was long. Preston and Jayna had no idea how large the compound truly was until they boarded and headed to its center, its oldest and most traditional landmark. Besides passing by numerous funeral processions and concerts overhead on the elevated tracks, they also saw the Necropolis was divided into different districts. The major religions of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism each had their own respective sections for ceremony and burial, evident by the individual monumental icons rising above the trees.
The tombstones were uniform within all the districts, however. Tall and slender, they were positioned nearly edge to edge with each other. When viewed from afar, it created the illusion of a wheat field that stretched across rolling flatlands and steep hills. According to Jayna, dealing with the burgeoning population called for creative solutions. People were now being buried feet first and then stacked deep into the ground. The practice of recycling soil and rotating bodies with other cemeteries was commonplace, with surprisingly good results.
The field of points began to slowly dissipate as they entered the center, giving way to a more traditional vista of tree-lined groves, headstones, and mausoleums. It was another familiar touch of home for Preston, who could still remember the peace and simplicity of the cemeteries of his time. They were the only ones to disembark from this monorail stop, with the other passengers returning back to the entrance.
Jayna and Preston descended the platform and paused briefly to soak in the ambience.
“This is so…strange,” said Jayna, wary as if she was staring at a murder scene for the first time.
“What’s wrong?” asked Preston with a smile. Was he seeing a sense of dread in his companion’s eyes?
“I’m not used to seeing so much green. There’s no machinery, no noise, no pollution. It’s just…nature. Are those birds in the trees?”
“This is what a cemetery is supposed to look like, my dear. It’s not that dump outside this area. A cemetery is a place of peace, reflection, and prayer. Technology doesn’t matter here; you can’t take anything with you when you’re gone.”
Jayna hesitated to move, unsure of what to do or how to act. “Kind of ironic that you find peace and contentment inside the heart of death, isn’t it?”
Preston put his arms around her shoulder and led her forward. “Where can I find my family?”
Jayna retrieved her site pamphlet and got their bearings. “It’s this way,” she said, pointing to their left. “About 200 yards.”
Preston followed her lead, staying on the winding paths and enjoying the shade the trees were providing. Jayna took a more direct route, walking directly over the graves and plaques as she hiked through the lawns and thickets.
“What the hell are you doing?” he yelled from across the bushes. “Don’t you have any respect for the dead?”
“You mean there are people buried under these cement slabs?” She abruptly paused in place.
“Well of course there is. We’re in a cemetery, for heaven’s sake. What do you think those were?”
“I don’t know; I’ve never seen graves like these before.” She immediately picked her steps and hurried to Preston’s side, looking around to see if anyone saw her transgression. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to desecrate anything. Or anyone.”
Preston smiled and kept walking on the path, per Jayna’s direction. It was the most peaceful place he had been to since waking up in the future. The path kept opening up new vistas and sensations hidden just moments before. The overcast sky did little to diminish its lush foliage or simple demeanor. The erect tombstones seemed as natural and belonging as the forest that surrounded it. There was nothing here but gentle stillness, separate like a world of its own.
Just as they had entered a clearing, Preston felt Jayna’s hand gently tapping him on the shoulder. “Your family is just beyond that hill,” she said. “I can’t go on beyond this point.”
“But I want you to be by my side. I want them to meet the kind soul who’s taken care of me all this time.”
“I am flattered, but this is something you’ll have to go alone. It’s too personal for me to be in there. There will be plenty of time to come back again. I will meet them, but it’s more important that they see you.”
Preston squeezed Jayna’s hand and nodded his head. She was right, of course. It was more his fear of what lay ahead, and the emotions he was to experience, that justified her company. He took a deep breath and proceeded forward, not wanting to look up until he actually saw the tombstones.
There were four plaques placed evenly on the grass beside each other, kept cool by the shade of a sprawling old tree. Empty flower receptacles lay rusted above the ground, another reminder of how old this section of the cemetery truly was. He expected himself to weep uncontrollably the moment he saw his loved ones’ names, to lose control again in grief and remorse.
Instead, however, he just smiled.
He gently brushed the leaves off the plaques with his hand, removing stray branches and other material that had cluttered its surface. He stared at each of the names for what seemed like an eternity, smiling at flash recollections with each blink. He should have brought flowers, he thought with regret. Despite the time differential and the remoteness of their location, he could tell all four were standing in front of him.
And they were smiling, too.
“I’m sorry it took so long to find you. I never thought I’d see you guys again. There are so many things I need to say, but I don’t really know where to begin. I’m just glad that you’re still around to remind me of all the love that we shared, and the precious time we spent together.”
Preston looked over his shoulder, and saw Jayna standing exactly in the same spot where he left her, wiping tears from her eyes.
“I don’t know what happened to you. I don’t know how you lived, how you coped; how you grew old, or how much you suffered by my leaving. If I could do things all over again, I wouldn’t have left. I would’ve stayed home and told each and every one of you, every day, how much I loved you, and how much you all meant to me.”
He squatted down and began picking up dried leaves, grinding them slowly in his fingers as he spoke. A gentle breeze coursed through the trees, rustling the leaves overhead in pleasant-sounding waves. The fragrant smell of rain was in the air, indicating it was soon to come.
“I didn’t mean to leave the way I did, and I didn’t know I was going to be gone for so long. I should’ve been there, taking care of you, growing old together instead of dreaming of what should’ve been. I wish there was something I could do to erase everything and start over.”
Preston knelt down on the soft, muddy grass in a prayer position, not minding the moisture soaking his pant legs.
“But life doesn’t work that way.”
ENOCH JONES.
PETRA WILKINS.
“Mom, Dad; I don’t think I’d ever really told you how much I appreciated everything you’ve done for me. When times got rough, you were always there. I couldn’t have gotten this far without you. Thanks to both of you, all my dreams came true.”
ERICA SPAIN-JONES
“Erica; sweet, sweet Erica, I miss you so much, babe. I wish you were here with me right now, to make sense of everything. I need you to bring out the best in me again. I can’t live here without you.”
MAXWELL S. LEE.
“Max, my guardian angel. I know you’re out there still watching over me. Take care of my wife and my folks. Make sure they are always safe, like you’ve always done.”
He awkwardly stood up and brushed the grass from his knees and shoes. He bowed his head and clasped his hands together, making sure to stand directly centered in front of his family. Instead of a waterfall of tears from sadness and anguish, he cried instead small tears of hope and remembrance.
“After all these years, we’re together again. I found my heart now, thanks to you. I have a reason to live, and a reason to come back. This isn’t goodbye; it’s just the beginning. I’m going to come back here a lot more often. I have a lot of making up to do.”
He kissed his fingers and touched each of the plaques individually, pausing for a moment to imbue them with his love. Raindrops began to patter the leaves above in a broken chorus.
“Please pray for me and give me strength. I love you all. Always please remember that.”
Chapter Ten
The train ride back was quiet. Preston kept his gaze outside his window, staring at the gray landscape scrolling outside his window. In his heart, he was still back at the gravesite, praying with his family. Jayna wanted to start a conversation, but decided he still needed quiet time to reflect. She held his hand and squeezed their fingers together, then patted his arm. Although she was officially off his case, she was going to make sure they remained good friends.
