Bright Horizons

Chapter 7

04 August 2042

Emily Troy stood on her toes looking over the small crowd.

“Great,” she thought. “I look like a seven year old on the first day of school.  Why couldn’t he be taller?”

Her brother was only 5’ 8” tall, not exactly what someone would imagine of one of the most highly decorated Marines in U.S. history.  He was also very good at moving through a crowd unseen.  

“Hey sis!” Alex Ramirez said as he pinched Emily’s bottom.  

She gave a sharp yelp and slapped his shoulder as she turned towards him.  

“Jerk!” she laughed as she gave him a big hug.  

“It’s good to see you,”  he said gripping her so tight she squealed a bit. “How are my nieces?”  

“They are doing great! Marcy had the lead in her third grade play and Becky is this tall now,” Emily said holding her hand out right at Alex’s chin. “She is the second tallest in the entire fifth grade. And she loved the card you sent her for her tenth birthday, Alex, she was so excited that she slept with it under her pillow. I told Mom, and she said that she had gotten a call from you the week before, but was in such disbelief that she didn’t want to tell me until she could be positive that you had been released. Why did they let you out? Scratch that, you couldn’t tell me anyway. So anyway back to the girls, Marcy and Becky said to give you a hug when I see you, so here is a hug from both of them.”  

Alex hugged her twice and started to speak, but Emily cut him off again.  

“I was so excited when Dr. Berg called. I mean, to get a call from the head of NASA’s exobiology department saying he wants me to be his team lead on a new project. It’s just unbelievable.  I haven’t talked to him since we were in Argentina, and out of the blue he calls me. It’s so exciting. Rumor is that they found a couple of fossils in a meteorite on the moon. Do they know the origins of the rocks? Look who I’m talking to, why would you know?”  

Alex stood shaking his head. She was still his little sister. Even though he missed her 40th birthday last year it didn’t stop her from talking full speed like she had when they were teenagers.  

“Come on, let’s get in the conference room” Alex said as he started moving her towards the door of the auditorium.  

Emily thought it was strange to hold a meeting for a bunch of geologists in the Pentagon, but she also thought it odd that she didn’t recognize many of those wearing the guest tags.  

“Hi Emily.”   Emily caught her breath when she saw Kyle.  

“Kyle. Colonel Martin... why are you here?” Emily asked, clearly confused.  

She thought back to the first time she had met Kyle Martin.  

It was 18 years ago at a cookout at her parent’s house.  She was halfway through her Doctorate program and was home for a visit with her husband when in walked a very normal looking man and his pretty, very pregnant wife.  

Her father had seen him and waved him over.  

“Kyle, so glad you and Sandy could make it. This is my daughter Emily and her husband Brett.”  

“Nice to meet you both, thank you for the invitation General.”  

“Are you in the Marines, Kyle?” Brett asked without a hint of sarcasm.  

Emily had rolled her eyes at this question, as anyone who spent time around the military would instantly pick up on the subtle hints that Kyle was a Marine.