"I'm fine. Working in your lab has been a pleasure. I don't know what I'm going to do for work while you're gone. Not many people want an assistant who's over sixty, even temporarily. How long do you think you'll be gone? Maybe I have enough money saved to keep me going until you get back."
"Oh, no! I forgot to tell you the news. Being scatterbrained is becoming a habit it seems. Since I don't have any idea how long this will take, I made arrangements for you. Professor Michaels in Seattle wants you to work for him. I thought you'd like that. Your grandkids are there, aren't they?" Josie blabbered.
"Are you serious?" Helen replied, with tears flowing. "I finally get to be near the babies? Thank you! I can't believe you did this for me. But, what about you? Won't you need me when you get back?"
"If you still want to work when I return, you're welcome to your old job. If you would rather stay with your family, I'll be fine. I can't replace you, but I can hire a poor substitute," Josie declared. She would dearly miss the older woman. Helen was like a mother to her, as her own had been lost when she was small.
"You'll stay in touch, won't you?" Helen begged.
"Always. I need your advice and wisdom. But, don't say goodbye yet. We have a lot more to do before we split apart. I expect you here bright and early tomorrow. I've got to hurry, or Maxxus will blow his top because I'm late."
"He scares me," Helen admitted. "But, he's really nice to look at."
"Yes, he is." Josie's laughter echoed through the hangar.
The COM link was buzzing before she'd made it into the room. She dumped the armful of notepads, bills of lading, and her personal belongings in the corner. Her desk was already aboard the spaceship. One lone chair and the COM link remained. She sat down and answered, "I'm here, Maxxus. What do you need that my assistant couldn't help you with? It's half past two in the morning here and I'm exhausted, so speak fast."
"It did not work. The damaged waterfall now has no life-forms in it, and the dead area around the volcano is enlarging. I am making plans for the worst to happen. I do not like asking for more help, but for my people, I will. If the other areas begin to change, my citizens will be forced to come to the city where we are storing food. We will have to house them. There are not enough structures or homes for them all. We have some tents, but I am asking you to bring more," Maxxus replied gruffly.
"I'll make room. I told you the formula might not work. For once, I'm sorry I was right. If you have the correct ingredients, tell Kelan to try cutting in half line three and doubling line eight. With the information you gave me, it's my best guess for another try. I can't be exact without testing. My equipment is loaded, and I'll be pushing my suppliers to deliver the things you need immediately. I've ordered everything I can possibly think of that we might need. Don't hesitate to tell me if there's more. I wouldn't want to come all that way without something important."
"Have you found a reliable crew?" he asked.
"You mean ones you can trust? Yes, I have. You'll recognize a few. They've been to Talonia before. Half of the crew from the Outreach II volunteered. They say that they owe you and would love to see paradise again. Some had to drop other assignments that paid for this one that doesn't."
Maxxus was shocked. The crew of Outreach II had been through enough, yet here they were giving of their time and not being paid for it to return to a planet that was dying. They had survived a crash and a war but were still willing to risk their lives for aliens who had not wanted to be found. A piece of the wall around his heart crumbled.
"It will be an honor to welcome them back. They are indeed trustworthy. Their captain will be pleased to see them once again. Lydia loves Hesher and Talonia, but I am certain she misses her ship and crew. It is hard to relinquish that kind of authority without some regret, especially since her paradise is slowly disappearing."
"We'll fix it. It may take years, but we'll do it. I'm determined to stay until it's perfect or die trying," Josie vowed. Where such conviction had come from, she didn't know or care. She meant every word and hadn't thought about fame when she said them.
"I do not wish anyone to die, human or Talonian. I would send them all away before that happened. It would break me to do it, yet I would. Homes can be replaced; lives cannot. Replacing my brother as king has changed me. It is not the job I had thought it to be. I assumed I would be making decisions that were as simple as yes or no. However, there are areas that waver in between and that have no definitive answer. Too many involve my heart, and I am not prepared for that. I built a wall around it many years ago and now it is falling."
Silence filled both rooms. Both of them were stunned by the admission. Maxxus had just bared his soul to a virtual stranger, and that stranger found it mattered to her more than she could imagine.
