Mary answers a call and Anlo's face appears on the living room's flat screen. "Hey, Anlo. How's it going?"
"It goes well," answers Anlo. "Are Zeta and the children available?"
"No," answers Mary with a frown, "and they should be. Zeta and Jasmine walked to get Gabe from school, but they all should have been home more than an hour ago. That's just strange. I know Zeta wouldn't miss your call... Let me try her mobile phone..."
Mary pulls her own mobile phone from her pocket and dials Zeta's number. It goes straight to voice mail. Mary is now sure something is wrong.
"Anlo, I'm sorry," Mary apologizes. "I don't know what's going on. Zeta and the kids should be here," Mary tells him worried. "Try back a little later. I'm going to make some calls. See if I can find them."
Anlo can see Mary is very worried and he's worried too. "I will call back later."
Mary makes several phone calls and when it starts to get dark, she calls the police. When Anlo calls back, she informs him she called the police and is very worried about Zeta and the kids. Anlo feels helpless. He is leaving in a couple of days and there is nothing he can do to help.
The next day, the local police interview people that may have seen Zeta and her children. A neighbor woman saw a car pull up to them. The children had seemed happy to see who ever was driving. Zeta and the children got in the car. She thinks she heard Zeta say the word general, but she wasn't positive. Yet Mary was sure it had to be Zeta's in-laws.
Mary finally calls Zeta's in-laws to inform them that Zeta and the children are missing. Except Zeta's in-laws have information for Mary.
"Mary, calm down," General Wilma Clifton says confidently. "The children are with us. They're fine. And we know Zeta's fine too. We just spoke a couple of days ago and she said she needed a break so we came and got the children. I'm sure she's fine. She said she just needed to get away for a few days. Don't worry. She'll turn up."
Mary doesn't buy it, "What did you do with my sister!?!"
"Nothing," answers General Wilma Clifton much too calmly, "Mary, you're over reacting."
Then the police don't respond the way Mary is expecting or wanting.
"What do you mean you can't do anything," ask Mary exasperated.
"I'm sorry," the detective apologizes, "but at this time there's no evidence of foul play. Maybe Ms. Clifton did just need to get away for a bit and will turn up in a day or two."
"I know my sister," insist Mary. "She would never just disappear like this. She tells me everything. She's not close to her in-laws. They hate her. She wouldn't tell them if she needed to get away. Plus, she didn't take anything. All her clothes except for what she was wearing that day are here. Her bags are here. Her shoes are here. Her toothbrush, her hair brush, her comb are all here."
"Ma'am, we're going to continue to look for your sister," assures the detective, "I believe you when you say she wouldn't just take off. But her in-laws are important people and there's no evidence of any foul play. So all we can do is continue to search for her."
Anlo calls a short time later. Mary answers his call with a long face. "Hi, Anlo," she greets flatly, "The only good news I have for you is that the kids are safe. The Generals have them. But Zeta's still missing. The Generals claim Zeta asked them to take the children while she got away for a while because she was stressed out."
"You do not sound like you believe this," notes Anlo.
"I don't believe it," states Mary with conviction. "Zeta and I have been best friends since we were five. We tell each other everything. She wouldn't take off without a word to me. She didn't pack a bag for herself or for the children. All their stuff is here. And all the police can do at this time is continue to search for Zeta. I feel so helpless."
"I feel helpless also," admits Anlo. "I leave with my companions for home tomorrow. I do not know if it will help, but I will speak with President Manhunter. Perhaps she may be of assistance. I will remain in touch and hope for good news when next we speak."
About an hour later, Mary answers a call. Her jaw nearly hits the floor when the President's face appears on the screen. "President Manhunter," she says stunned.
"You must be Zeta's sister, Mary," says President Manhunter.
"Yes, ma'am, I am, her foster sister to be exact. I was placed with her family when I was four. Her parents raised me. Zeta and I are best friends." Tears streak Mary's face, "We tell each other everything. Zeta and her children are the only family I have."
"Anlo informed me that Zeta is missing. He is very concerned for her wellbeing, and so am I. Zeta isn't the type of person to just take off without notice to me."
"She's not Madam President, she's not," Mary sobs. "The Generals, her in-laws, have the kids. They claim Zeta told them she needed a break and asked them to take the kids so she could get away for a few days. But Zeta didn't pack an overnight bag for herself or the kids. She left with Jasmine to get Gabe from school and simply never made it back... I know they're lying. They hate Zeta. They treat her like crap. They think she wasn't good enough for their only son. Zeta would never turn to them for help. And if she had a problem, I'ld be the first person she would tell. The only problem she had was them."
"I am actually very aware of how the Generals feel about Zeta and their bigoted reasons for how they feel about her," President Manhunter informs Mary, "and I believe you. I'll send some agents to help the local police and I'll put the Generals under surveillance. If they had anything to do with this, and I think it's highly likely they did, it will be discovered."
"Oh, thank you, Madam President, thank you," says Mary appreciatively.
"Pray for Zeta and hope for the best," President Manhunter tells Mary, "I shall do the same. Good-night, Mary."
"Good-night, President Manhunter."
On Anlo's ship...
"
The Nokotoan recalibrated the oxygen saturation to the correct level, and checks the next pod. Anlo, despite his worry for Zeta, is carefully checking another set of pods. Everything has to be perfect. No one will be conscious for the actual folding of space. Being conscious for that could leave a person mentally unstable. The ship's computers will be set, they will put themselves into their own stasis pods, and then the ship's computers will perform the folding and take them home. Their pods will open and awaken them automatically after the folding is complete. Their passengers will be left in stasis until after their ship has landed on their home world. Then the pods will be opened one-by-one as the female passengers are matched to families that are eagerly waiting to accept them. The males that have come along will be assigned jobs and a place to stay. They will probably find their stay on Kotowahn very lonely once they learned there is a shortage of women.
"
"
"
"
"
They finish their final preparations for lift off, then they step back outside to say good-bye to their hosts. Anlo looks off in the distance sadly, in the direction he knows Zeta's home is even though they are way too far away to see it. A tear finds its way down Anlo's cheek.
"I wish I could promise you that we'll find her, Anlo," says President Manhunter. "But we have to be realistic. I've assigned our best agents to the case. We'll be in touch with one another. I'll inform you of everything we discover."
"Thank you, President Manhunter. Thank you for everything you have done for us and every kindness you have shown us," says Anlo appreciatively.
"Good journey my friends," bids President Manhunter.
The last hands are shaken and the visitors board their ship. President Manhunter, her three vice presidents and other cabinet members and EARO astronauts and scientists watch the ship lift off.
"Do you think Zeta Clifton is all right," a vice president ask the President.
The President's mouth sets in a grim line. She glances at the two generals who are out of ear shot and seem to be deliberately keeping their distance. But they had immediately put in for retirement like she demanded. The documents were filled out and submitted and they would officially be retired by the end of the month.
"They're not stupid," says the President. "I'm sure they planned this very carefully. We may never find Zeta's body. They've petitioned the courts for emergency custody of their grandchildren claiming Zeta abandoned them. That woman would never abandon her children. And it's impossible to just seem to disappear off the face of the earth like that. If she were alive somewhere, she'ld need to make a purchase or something that would tell us where she is."
Anlo points Zeta's continent out to his comrades. He isn't a blubbering mess. That's not the way of his people. But he is extremely sad and worried. Another tear escapes to run down his cheek. Once they're far enough outside the Earth's solar system, the ships computers are set to begin the folding process. Each of Anlo's twelve comrades hug him. They hadn't all met the woman Anlo had developed a quick attachment to, yet they all offer him comfort. Then they each climb into their individual stasis pods and close the door.