Karl in Space: Part 3

Karl raised his hammer high into the air and brought it down hard on a protruding nail, driving the metal shaft deep into the beam of freshly hewn wood. He stepped back and wiped his sweaty brow while admiring his work. The new grand hall was coming together nicely and swiftly, and Karl turned around to seek the familiar and approving words of Garland. The old man stood off the side, resting on his cane, and merely smiled.

Karl had settled into a familiar pattern of daily life, rising early and spending his days in hard labor, living with the transplanted human colony. He lost track of the days, and Trevor seemed disconnected as well. Sometimes his co-pilot would join them in their labor and other times he would disappear back to the wreckage of the ship, a quixotic quest to salvage some glimmer of technological hope.

Karl, on the other hand had made his bed and was now lying in it. Literally.

He has spent his first several nights with the girl Kaila, sleeping in her bed while she kept to the floor. After several nights he asked her if she wanted to join him. She did. Together, resting side by side in the narrow bed on the thin mattress of foliage, they began to touch each other. He had kissed her lips and she responded. Moments later Karl had pulled her garment up and then they made love.

The next morning Garland greeted them when they walked outside. They were bonded in a ceremony beneath the sagging willow tree. Afterwards, as the custom dictated, Karl had felled the willow to make a larger bed for their home.

It was slow going, but Karl had dedicated himself to the task, much as he had fully committed to the space academy. He learned the craft and soon his hands were hard and strong from the woodworking.

Now, with the structure of the grand hall in front of him, Karl felt pride.

“It’s almost done, father,” he announced to Garland.

Garland smiled, but shook his head.

“Be wary of arrogance, son, the prophets did not bring us to this planet to boast. Isn’t that right, daughter?”

Kaila had walked up silently and joined her husband.

“Space knight, your work is skilled, but beware pride, as my father warns,” she said, then leaned in to kiss his lips.

Karl’s lips, dry from toiling under the sun, touched her moist embrace.

“Thank you, wife.”

As Karl looked her deep in the eyes, he saw over her shoulder Trevor, running hard across the field toward them. He gripped Kaila and drew her attention to his co-pilot.

“Something is wrong,” Karl said. “Garland, look.”

The old man turned as Trevor arrived, panting. He had spent the day out at the wreckage, close to five miles away with scant shade in between.

“Karl, the transmitter, it’s working,” he gasped.

Karl shook his head, feeling sorry for Trevor. He had delusions of getting home from an unknown point on the other end of the galaxy.

“That’s great, but it doesn’t help, we’re millions of miles out of range for that thing,” Karl said.

Trevor shook his head, about to speak, but at that moment the sky exploded with noise. Karl covered his eyes and looked toward the horizon where two helicopters approached. They circled the area and landed, driving huge gusts around Karl and the others. From one of them, a familiar face appeared. General Sharpridge, the man who sent them into space. The engines of the helicopter died down and Sharpridge looked around. As if in a dream, Karl approached with Trevor trailing behind. The general’s eyes brightened.

“Jesus, Lt. Weis, Lt. Kidd, it’s good to see you,” he grabbed Karl’s hand and pumped furiously. “We had just about written you boys off.”

“General, what are you doing here? How did you find this planet?” Karl managed to ask.

"Planet? Son, this is Earth.”

Karl was having trouble thinking.

“But we traveled millions of miles, the jump…” Karl stumbled, short of forming a question.

“Must be a mechanical error,” the General said. “We lost you when the transponder went dark. We suspected you burned up in re-entry.”

Karl shook his head, “But these people, the aliens…”

The General looked concerned. “This is some sort of kook ranch in Kansas. Lt., these people are beyond wacky. If I could airbomb them right now, I would."

“Trevor,” Karl turned to him. “How?”

Trevor shrugged. “I kinda thought so, but I didn’t want to say anything. This was kinda fun.”

From the distance another helicopter appeared and touched down near the others. The general patted Karl on the back.

“We got someone who wants to see you, son,” he said.

Cautiously stepping from the helicopter was Kate, her red hair kicked up in the wind. She saw Karl and began running, her little legs furiously propelling her forward. A tear fell down her cheek and she jumped onto Karl.

She was sobbing as she held him tight. “I thought I lost you forever.”

Karl put his arms around her and everything felt right. It seemed surreal, as if in a haze, but he smiled.

“Husband? Who is this woman who touches you like a lover?”

Karl’s smile dropped and he turned to look at Kaila.

Kate pulled her head from his chest. “Husband? What’s she mean, Karl?”

Karl looked at them both.

“Oh crap.”

“What do you mean, ‘Oh crap?’” Kate looked him in the eyes.

“I thought…I thought I was on another planet,” Karl said.

“So you got married?"

“Aye, he is my husband,” Kaila said. “And I’m with child.”

Kate looked at him again and stepped back. She had a different set of tears now. She threw her hands against his chest and screamed ‘Why?’ He grabbed her and pulled her close. It washed over him and he asked himself the same question. Why? What had he done?

Garland had watched the scene unfold without saying a word. He cleared his throat. “The prophets test us in many ways, my son. Now you must choose.”

The old man laughed.

THE END