* * * * *
Adam jumped into the opening, the heavy door slamming shut overhead.
Below, he stood erect and was surprised to feel the hair on his head
brush the ceiling.
He was frightened, but he calmed when he realized there were many
places on the ship he hadn't been before. Mecteacher revealed them
to him, but very slowly, and he supposed he would not be told about
_everything_ for many years. As he recovered his sense of balance, he
became aware of a faint luminescence around him. It seemed to have no
source, but was stronger in the distance.
He began to explore, groping at first, then more smoothly, efficiently,
as his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness. A long corridor opened
up before him and what appeared before to be an illusion of distance
actually _was_ distance. He guessed he was near the engine compartment
and vaguely sensed that the luminescence had something to do with the
nuclear engines that Mecteacher told him moved the ship.
It was warm in here. Not physically warm but friendy warm, like when
Mecmother spoke her comfort. The similarity almost made him cry, for he
understood, even in his seven years, that Mecmother was but the image
of his real mother who lived long ago and said those words of sympathy
to a child yet unborn. He wanted her now, even her image, but he didn't
call because he'd have to explain why he was hiding from his cousins.
He shivered then, thinking that Mecfather and Mecteacher knew where
he was and would light up their panels red. He thought, "Are you down
here, Mecfather?" Nothing answered, so he spoke the thought, and again
the walls stayed dark.
That was why it was so friendy warm in here, he realized. His
mecconscience was left above!
Deciding that the others might miss him, he retraced his steps, located
the trapdoor in the ceiling, pushed it open and ascended. The others
were sitting on the floor, dumbfounded, as Adam climbed out and
slammed the hatch shut.
"How did you get down there?" Joseph asked.
Adam remained silent. After a moment, Eve and Mary lost interest in the
question and started skipping a length of rope.