Earth Overshoot Day

Chapter 7

The metal grid clattered and clacked as the two men walked over it. They had returned to Nelson's office to fetch his horse to travel to the Rocketeer Centre just outside town.

The oil-stained cement floor beyond the metal grid was covered in layers of dust. Nelson strongly suspected that no one had visited the Rocketeer Centre since the end of the war give years ago.

Spiders had spun their website in every corner and crevice and even between the pieces of the abandoned tea set.

Light streaked through the high windows, illuminating the dust particles suspended in the air and Nelson blew out the flame of the candle he was carrying.

Henry stared around the room, examining the abandoned silence of it all. He grinned, showing his white teeth when the pair approached the gigantic rocketship.

"It was scheduled to be launched just days after the bombs went off," Nelson explained.

"Those damn bombs!" exclaimed Henry. "The world would have been so much better without them. Our job would have been so much easier."

"I don't disagree with you," said Nelson. Slowly. Carefully. "but those bombs did save humanity. If it weren't for them that war wouldn't have ended until every last one of us was dead."

"Better dead than without technology," muttered Henry darkly, shaking his wrinkled face. "Maybe we should all have died. If we were stupid enough to destroy all we had we deserve extinction unlike all those species that were killed off generations ago."

Nelson, unsure of how to reply, simply opened the rocket door. "Take a look, will you? Tell me what you need to fix it. Your son will be sailing down and if all goes well and the winds are right he should arrive in about a month. You have until then to get this thing operational."

"And do you have someone in mind to fly it? What kind of qualifications does that person have?"

"If Gerald doesn't have his number own person, I know a man. He is a well-trained and very experienced and respected aironaut. You may have heard of him. His name is Jonan Piercewright."

"Oh yes. I've most definitely heard of him. He should be able to fly what I fix up without any problems. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know him?"

"He is my secretary's boyfriend. We've talked serval times."

"Tell me, is she pretty?" Henry raised his eyebrows and gave a creepy smile.

"He is pretty good looking, I guess. Not my type." Nelson shrugged and turned his attention back to the large metal contraption in front of him.

Henry nodded and approached the rocketship. He walked up the stairs, the metal creaking under his leather shoes.

"Pass me a candle, will you?" Henry called back. It's dark in here and I need some light to examine just how bad the situation is."

Nelson passed up a candle after lighting it and stood back, impatiently tapping his foot as Henry hummed and muttered inside it . His sounds were muffled by the padded interior. Finally he emerged again, ducking his head to avoid knocking it on the low doorframe.

"Well, how bad is it?" Nelson asked hurriedly, anxious to know just how bad the situation was and what Henry would need to fix it.

"I'm not finished yet!" snapped Henry. "I need more time!"

"Time is the one thing we don't have." Nelson said, his voice low and his words drawn out.

"Well, give it to me anyway or you can find yourself another Rocketeer." Henry stood and stared at Nelson until Nelson dropped his gaze. He started to slowly circle to rocketship, touching it and tapping it as he walked around and around.

Nelson grumbled under his breath but waited for Henry to finish what he was doing.

"It doesn't look too bad," he eventually concluded, wiping his hands on a stained rag. "The circuitry is fried of course, but everything else looks undamaged. The fuel cords are still intact and the tanks are even full. I do not think that this should be too tricky to fix even though I will have to revert to ancient methods to get it up into the atmosphere. Just how far does it need to travel?"

"Not very. Just into orbit and back. Jonan needs to complete a small task for us while he is up there."

"That won't be a problem. This is far less work than I thought it would be and many of the materials look like they could be reusable. I should be able to finish by the time my son arrives." Henry nodded triumphantly.

"Very good. Now tell me, what exactly do you need for this job? I will get it for you as soon as humanly possible so that you can get started."

"Well, firstly I require my own phone so that I am able to talk to my son when I wish." Henry narrowed his eyes when he saw Nelson's conflicted expression.

Nelson looked down nervously. "You will have to talk to him. Only the World President has the authority to give out phones. I will put in a good word for you and do all I can to get him to agree, but the final decision lies with him."

"Very well. And for the repairs I will need-"

"Wait a moment!" interrupted Nelson. "Let me just quickly get a price of paper and a pen so that I can make a note of what I need to get you."

Nelson jotted down the items that Henry requested and hurried out to get what he could, leaving Henry alone staring lovingly at the machinery in front of him, the worst of the madness having left his piercing eyes.