Captive Sunset

March 11 2023, 7:01 PM.

Ring, ring, ring…

John startled, woke from a nap. “What the heck,” he said to himself while sitting up and rotating his body ninety degrees before placing his feet on the floor in front of the couch. He picked up his cellphone and tried to look at the time before answering, still feeling groggy. “Hello,” he said not able to read the contact name without his glasses.

“John, is that you?” asked Harry Wentz, Chief of Operations at JPL, Pasadena, Ca.

“Yes it is me. Harry,” recognizing his voice. They worked together for forty years before he recently retired.

“I have some worrisome news,” said Harry.

John found his glasses on the coffee table and placed them on his nose pulling the frames over his ears. “News, what news?”

“Do you remember the measuring equipment that you used to more accurately measure the earth and the moon rotations and speed?”

“Vaguely, that was years ago,” John said beginning to get a grasp on consciousness.

“I know and for years the data was incredibly accurate and reliable until now.”

“Harry, you remember the party I was the guest of honor at two weeks ago?”

“Of course I remember, it was your retirement send off.”

“You do understand the key word in what you just said, right?” John said sarcastically.

“Of course I do, retired, but John, we have nobody knowledgeable about it at your level.”

“I understand but what do you want me to do?”

“When you hear what I am about to tell you, I would be surprised if you didn’t beg me for your job back and I can do that.”

“I don’t want my job back. I have moved back to Eastern Oregon where my roots are to get away from the hustle down there.”

“I always saw you as someone who was married to your work, your career.”

“I was then. What is the news?”

“This isn’t just any old news. Our measuring systems has detected a slowing of the Earth’s rotation.”

“What? There must be something wrong with the equipment. Have you checked it?”

“Like I was telling you, I don’t have anybody to check it. You do realize the danger that this imposes on us all if it’s real?”

“Yeah, I do. How much slowing has been detected?”

“It’s small, just outside the standard deviation of the expected.”

“OK.”

“The problem is, it’s slowing is changing exponentially and will create a real danger soon! I’m afraid it will put a cosmic damper on your retirement anyway or I wouldn’t have called.”

“I see. What are you suggesting?” John eased back into the prone position with his feet up on the armrest.

“I wondered if you would consider coming back temporarily. If the hustle down here is a deal breaker, I will set you up there in Baker City and you can work remotely.”

“OK, you have my interest. I’ll need a secure laptop to connect and I will need administrator privileged access to GAIL.”

“Done, text me your address when we get off. She misses you, you know,” he says as if he is referring to an old girlfriend of his.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll talk to you tomorrow after I have a look at the data,” John smirked. It had only been a short time but he missed GAIL as well. GAIL was an artificial intelligence system developed specifically for use in astrophysics and John worked heavily with the engineers from the concept stage to insure that the interface was what JPL needed. He personally named it GAIL (Generative Astrophysical Intelligence Language) and selected the female voice that became it’s own signature. She could be quite soothing. He spent a lot of time talking and discussing science with it or her. He did see it as a she, possibly a way of replacing his deceased wife.

He had arrived mid afternoon to again live in the house he grew up in with its fond memories of his youth before he went to college. When his parents passed away he kept the house and had a local Realtor keep it rented.

When he entered through the front door he was so tired from the last leg of his two day drive he only made it to the couch before passing out. Now he could look the place over. It was still light out. Most of his stuff automatically updated the time but he still was caught off guard from time to time when he had a mixture of smart and dumb clocks in use.

He went out the front door, it creaked when it opened and when it closed. The house was built in the 1850’s when this town was young and alive. It was the capital of the Oregon Territory. The town soon became a railroad stop and silver mining town. When he grew up there it was kind of a dead town meaning it had ceased growing and was shedding the young locals as they headed off to college as he did.

Out on the front porch yawning and stretching his arms out in both directions he looked at the sun falling toward the horizon. A red pickup truck pulled into the driveway separating his property from the neighbor’s. That house was where Laura Green lived back in the day. He always had a thing for her but remained only a friend. She seemed to have a boyfriend the whole time he knew her growing up.

The driver side door opened and out stepped a woman. He looked at her in disbelief. Could it be Laura he was seeing standing there. He walked to the side of the porch to get a better view. He hadn’t seem her in years but it did look like an older version of her, a little like he remembered her mom looking. He wanted it to be her but he wasn’t sure why, kind of why he wanted to return here to reconnect with his past which seemed so dull then but exciting now.

“Hello,” he said loud enough for her to hear as she was gathering her things.

She looked up toward him placing her right hand up to her forehead to dampen the sun glare. “Hi,” she returned the greeting not sure who he was, figuring he must be another renter. She had seen plenty come and go over the years. The passenger door opened and a boy got out. He appeared to be twelve years old, give or take.

“Is that you Laura?” John asked her still talking loud enough for her to hear him.

She looked again, “Yes, I’m Laura.” she wondered who knew her name.

“Laura Green,” he continued, excited that it was her.

“Yes, who are you? I can’t see well with the sun behind you.” She continued to squint, her eyes completely puzzled by his identity.

John came down his front steps and walked toward her. The boy came around the far side of the car and joined her wondering who he was. “I’m John Lott. Remember me?” He approached her side so she could see him better. Not that seeing him 50 years later would help.

“Oh, wow, John,” she placed her things on her driver seat and opened her arms and embraced him. “What are you doing here? I almost forgot you still owned the house.”

“Well if you live there, then I am your new neighbor. I retired and left the rat race in Los Angeles. Returned to my roots here.”

She stepped back, “This is my grandson Billy.”

“Are you still married to…” not remembering the name.

“No. That ended long ago. I raised my son William here as a single Mom. My parents both passed away leaving me this house so here I stay.”

John looked over at the house, “Looks in good condition.”

“Yeah,” she turned to Billy and handed her stuff to him, “Would you take this inside for me dear,” she said to him and he happily carried it away. Turning to John. “Did you just get in?”

“Yeah.”

“No moving truck?”

“Nah, I have what it’s in my car. I left most of it behind and put the house up for sale.”

“Los Angeles, probably do well price wise I bet.”

“It should and it will help pay for my retirement as inflation eats up my work retirement account and Social Security checks,” he laughed.

“So have you brought along your family?” she asked inquisitively.

“Don’t have any. My wife passed away years ago and no children. Married to work mostly after that.”

“Sorry to hear that. Well if you are alone tonight and just in, as an old friend I can’t have you eating fast food your first night here, join us for dinner.”

“I’ll take that, what time?”

“Take about an hour, spaghetti. Nothing fancy. Come as you are.”

“Great, I will knock on your door in an hour then.”

“It’s so great to see you again,” she said as she went inside.

John walked around back to his yard where an old shed from his youth was locked and could use a coat of paint. “I wonder where the key is,” he thought as he approached the building. His memory of a key above the door just under the over hanging roof came to him so he reached and had a key in his hand. Inside a treasure of memories from years ago.

There was his old road bicycle. He pulled it out and wondered if he could get it working. A little air in the tires, a little grease and off he would go getting some needed exercise. There were some old gardening tools and other miscellaneous junk. Nothing of any value. He closed the door but left it unlocked.

Inside he cleaned up for his first date with Laura. As kids they hung out with others on the street but never dated. When they got to high school he didn’t see her as much anymore. He was a hard academic looking to college and career in science.

John stepped up onto Laura’s porch and knocked.

He heard Laura say, “C’mon in, the door is open,” so he entered and found Billy sitting in the living room with a laptop computer on his lap.

John didn’t want to disturb him figuring he was doing homework until he heard crazy sounds coming from it and Billy smiling with a look of satisfaction on his face.

“I won. It’s a new game. Do you want to try it?” Billy asked.

“I’m afraid I’m not very good at games,” he replied. Before he could sit down Laura entered.

“OK guys come in and have a seat at the table,” she had a pleasant smile for John. They sat at a round kitchen table set for three and Laura brought the spaghetti in a bowl already adorned with sauce and meatballs. There was bread also at the center of the table. Billy had milk in a glass. John served Billy’s plate and then his own while Laura brought in a bottle of red wine and two glasses and poured each before sitting down herself.

John waited until she filled her plate looking out the window at her garden. He could tell she spent time there as everything was well manicured. After she started to eat, John joined in. While they ate, he commented on how the inside of her house was much as he remembered it. She mentioned that her mother had recently passed away and liked it that way.

Billy finished his plate and asked politely to be excused but Laura said, “I want you to do your homework before any more games. Understood?” He agreed shaking his head and went back to his computer in the living room. “My son was fed up with raising him in the Portland school system so he schools here and goes there during his summer break. He has a good job there and doesn’t want to give it up yet.”

“What was your field of work? I know you left hoping to get into science and all.”

“I worked for NASA in Los Angeles. I was an astrophysicist.”

“Wow, sounds exciting. I guess you made the mark.”

“I don’t know, but I enjoyed the work. Found a job I would do as a hobby and got paid to do it. Pretty good.”

“Yeah, I guess,” she was impressed with his success. “Me, I work at the hospital as an x-ray tech. Its a living and I do enjoy helping people but I don’t think I would do it if I wasn’t paid. I could retire now like you but think I will work a little longer. It is something to keep me busy, you know?”

John nodded. She got up and removed the dishes to the sink. He looked out the window. It was approaching dusk and the sun was disappearing behind Rock Creek Butte to the west. “Beautiful sunset,” he said.

“Let’s sit outside, what do you say?” she asked him. They sat on her porch looking toward the mountain. “Remember we went on a class trip up there and Ricky Smith got lost?”

“Yeah, I do. The whole town turned out to find him. He was never the same after that adventure.”

After an hour passed he said, “I have to unpack enough to bed down tonight so will you excuse me?” he said to her not wanting to end there time together but being practical. The drive was also catching up to him.

“Sure, you should get settled. It is great seeing you again and I am glad you will be my neighbor.”

“Thanks for dinner. Next time I will take you and Billy to dinner. Good night.” He walked back to his home and entered a dark interior so he went to bed.