Visit to Hades Prologue Challenge
Dinner was the usual fare… salad… meatless meatloaf… coffee… What Judy would give for a candlelight dinner in the moonlight… alone… with Don. She looked around the table and felt as if she was watching a movie. Don was sitting next to her, but giving all his attention to a disagreement with Dr. Smith. She didn't even know what they were arguing about. It was the same thing every night.
"I am impervious to your barbaric barbs, Major," Smith stated.
Don pointed his fork and replied, "We'll see just how impervious you are when we don't have enough cobalt ore to get off this rock…"
Penny and Will glanced at each other and giggled. Maureen gave them a warning look.
John raised his hands for silence. "All right! That's enough out of you two. Dr. Smith, it is your turn to collect the ore and I expect it to be done tomorrow without complaint. Is that clear?"
"A man of my stature does not stoop to manual labor."
"That may be true on Earth, but on this planet, all able bodied men contribute, and that's final!"
"Humph!" Dr. Smith stood and nodded to the group. "I bid you all adieu. I must rest my delicate back in preparation for your enforced labor. Good-night!"
With those last words, Dr. Smith stomped up the ramp to sulk in his room. Don shook his head. "Some day, John… some day…"
Judy rolled her eyes, "Oh, Don."
He looked at her. "What do you mean," and he imitated her, "Oh, Don."
"You argue with Dr. Smith at every meal. He's not the only one at this table, you know."
"But he's the only one who shirks his duty every day."
Judy was exasperated. "Well, I can think of one other person who ignores his duty to someone sitting right next to him!" She stood and threw down her napkin. "Excuse me!" she exclaimed and left the table.
Don was clueless. "What's gotten into her?"
"I think the tedium of this planet has gotten to all of us, Don," Maureen explained.
"I'll go talk to her," John stated and left the table. He found Judy in the galley, banging things around as she was cleaning up from dinner. "Judy?" She looked up at her father and he saw the misery on her face. "Have you and Don been arguing lately?"
She shook her head and turned away. "Arguing would be a step up from where we are now. The problem is that we do nothing. It's almost like we're brother and sister or something. Dad, that's not the kind of relationship I want."
"Now, Judy, you're still young. You've got plenty of time for a relationship."
"Dad, please don't start that again. I'm almost twenty-one years old. Time is moving on, but Don and I aren't. Maybe you and mom were right. I shouldn't have gotten involved with him."
"You know your mother and I have changed our opinion of Don as a suitor for you. He's a good man. I'm sure that once we get to Alpha Centauri…"
Judy was incredulous. "So I'm just supposed to wait? Suppose we never reach Alpha Centauri? What then?"
"We will get there, Judy, and when we do, I'll be happy to marry you and Don."
Judy turned away from her father. "Suppose I don't want to marry him."
"Well, Judy, it's not like you have much choice."
"Maybe that's exactly what my problem is..."
