Despair on Old Earth

By Donald C. Boseman

Jason Cane, the Vice President of the United States, and Dana Soukupová, the departing ambassador from the Earth-colonized planet of Parnassus, are in love. What no one knows is that Jason is making plans to move to Parnassus. But when Dana is gunned down in front of him, he decides to attempt to catch the killer.

During a chase that takes him from Ohio to Iowa and then Europe, Jason embarks on an adventurous journey, sometimes heartbreakingly sad and sometimes maniacally funny, where he meets diverse characters that include the world’s clumsiest security guard, a lisping robot, an ex-girlfriend who can’t let go, a dog that seems intent on driving him insane, a no-nonsense police officer who becomes personally involved, a pugnacious space marine, a misguided scientist, pesky children, a homeless person from the past, two female detectives who are weapons on legs and, of course, the serial killer. But will justice ever be served?

In this exciting sci-fi adventure, the Vice President of the United States sets out on a journey to find the perpetrator who gunned down his girlfriend, the departing ambassador from an Earth-colonized planet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Dec 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665715638

Donald C. Boseman

Donald C. Boseman has resided in eleven states, and made numerous trips to Europe to work while living in a tent. He currently calls Illinois his home. Despair is his first book.

Book preview

The First Chapter, in Which a

Murderer Swoops from the Sky!

W olfgang Yoshimatsu was descended from one composer and named after another. He would be the Parnassian ambassador to Old Earth for the next year, a position he dreaded. Parnassus had been settled more than two hundred years earlier by Old Earth’s intellectual elite, people who were sick of Old Earth’s stagnated culture and continuing downward spiral into stupidity. At the end of the twentieth century, there were over 6,700 languages spoken on the planet; by the twenty-sixth century, less than twenty remained and some of these were dying. Those which still existed were diluted so much with words and phrases from other languages (dead and current) that they could barely be considered languages in their own rights. Japanese had died around the middle of the twenty fifth century, several decades after Japan had become part of the Chinese Empire. Fifty years later, Old Earth’s nations consisted of the United States, Brasilia, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Spain, France, Italia, Greece (which traditionally resisted change), the Germanies, the Polish Territories, the Confederacy of Muslim Republics, Turkey, Israel, the Russian Empire, Kazakhstan, Pakistindia, North Africa, South Africa, the Chinese Empire, Thailand and Australia. Over the years, these countries had absorbed territories belonging to neighboring nations, either by conquest or diplomacy. Once these swallowed countries lost autonomy, it wasn’t long before their already heavily diluted languages and cultures were assimilated and generally lost to those of the dominant nation.

Thanks to computer-mapping of hyperspace wormholes, galactic travel became feasible. The people of Earth became one of only two races in the Milky Way known to colonize other planets, although artifacts found on one of those planets seemed to indicate the presence of other space-faring races. Earth’s first colonists founded New Earth, about forty light years from the Solar System, in the year 2213. Meanwhile, a group of intellectuals decided to learn the languages of their ancestors and study ancient cultures in order to reestablish them on another planet. The group grew as other intellectuals joined them. By the time they were ready to leave, there were over a million of them. They left in thirty spaceships for a planet sixty-six light years from what had become known as Old Earth and named their new home Parnassus. The land masses of Parnassus were almost evenly divided into forty countries, each with its own language. The plant life was incredibly lush and varied, but the dominant animal species were large, vicious reptiles, much like the dinosaurs of ancient Old Earth. Though a mammalian humanoid species had evolved millions of years earlier, they didn’t migrate far from their point of origin or become technologically advanced because of the big, deadly reptiles. The immigrants didn’t incorporate the native humanoids’ territory into theirs because it was decided to let them develop at their own pace, and develop they would! The big reptiles were being slaughtered by the immigrants and their progeny for food. It would have been impossible to settle Parnassus without eliminating most of the big reptiles. Within a year of the immigrants’ arrival, several million of the beasts were slain. Those carcasses which weren’t immediately butchered were transported to the polar regions, where they remained frozen until the colonists needed more meat. The colonists generally agreed that the tastiest of these reptiles was the Parnassian tyrannosaur, which was more than two meters tall and closely resembled Old Earth’s tyrannosaurus rex, but had longer arms. These were the most dangerous of the big reptiles. Wolfgang Yoshimatsu had three scars between his left eye and ear from an encounter with one. Other than that, his face was very handsome. He wore an orange kimono with a red and green dragon embroidered on the back. His wife, Kyoto, wore a pink kimono with roses embroidered all over it. Everyone in the old, dilapidated Capital City spaceport stared at them. Kimonos hadn’t been worn on Old Earth in centuries. Their seven year old son wore a simple light blue shirt and dark blue pants. There was laughter as they wove through the crowd with their baggage, following arrows on the walls guiding them to the exit.

Jason Cane waited patiently in the red, white and blue government car. This car was bullet-proof, capable of ground or air travel and had an automated guidance system. Jason had light brown hair, deep blue eyes and fair skin. He looked younger than his forty-three years and was short but, due to a regular exercise routine, muscular. He preferred walking to driving. He was wearing business attire: a yellow, collarless dress shirt buttoned to the neck with a tourquoise stripe running down the middle of it and tourquoise cuffs. His pants were also tourquoise. On his left wrist was a silver band with a numeric keypad and a video screen.

Most Americans wore pullover shirts and pants in shades of brown or gray, but Jason liked bright colors, so the appearance of the Yoshimatsus in the drably dressed crowd in front of the spaceport provided him with a visual feast. Jason got out of the car and walked over to them.

Are you the new ambassador from Parnassus? Jason asked Wolfgang.

I am.

Welcome to Old Earth. I’m Jason Cane, Vice President of the United States of America. It’s my duty to escort you to your apartment next to the White House.

Your duty, Wolfgang remarked, but not your pleasure.

What do you mean?

I understand that Old Earthlings don’t like Parnassians.

You’ll find that I’m different, Jason told him. I’m artistic, well educated and listen to classical music. Where’s all your luggage?

All of our essentials are in these two... uhh...

Duffel bags.

Yes. I’m still learning English and some words have escaped me.

No problem, Jason said, opening the car doors for the family. I’ve been working with the current ambassador since her arrival three years ago. Jason invited Wolfgang to sit up front with him, then set the automated guidance system to take them to the apartment complex next to the New White House, with one stop along the way. President Brittingham was just reelected last year, so you can count on me to look after you and your family for the next three years.

I’m only here for one year, Wolfgang informed him.

But I thought Parnassian ambassadors served for three years. That’s how long the current one has been here.

Wolfgang raised an eyebrow.

So, Jason queried, what determines your length of service?

The Parnassian courts, Wolfgang said, smiling wryly. Parnassian criminals are sentenced to serve as ambassadors to Old Earth. The seriousness of the crime determines how long we serve.

Jason smiled. The new Parnassian ambassador obviously had a sense of humor. It would be a delight working with this guy.

While Wolfgang’s family conversed in Japanese in the back seat, Jason asked, You don’t really have crime on Parnassus, do you?

Not much, and nothing very bad. The last robbery on Parnassus happened over twenty years ago in New India. The last murder took place more than thirty years ago in New Bohemia. Crimes that serious are very, very rare, which is why they make history.

The current ambassador is from New Bohemia and she never mentioned that murder.

Well, Wolfgang reflected, it’s nothing to be proud of. Five people, including a child, were murdered and the killer was never caught.

The car stopped at a small park in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. Jason pointed out the passenger side window and said, See that obelisk in the center of the park?

That... what?

Obel... Long, thin stone thing. Wolfgang nodded as the car started moving again. There’s a plaque at the base of it inscribed with the words, ‘There are some things man is not meant to know.’ Do you agree with that?

Wolfgang thought about it for awhile as the car turned a corner, its traffic sensors humming softly. Finally he said, Man is the only creature on this planet capable of unlimited knowledge; therefore there is nothing man isn’t meant to know.

Jason smiled and said, You and I are going to get along well. That monstrosity was put up late in the twenty first century after a top-secret government experiment ended in disaster. I think the words are a quote from an ancient movie. It’s being destroyed next month, though, and I plan to be there for the event.

The car was entering downtown Capital City and had to stop for through-traffic at the intersection of Broad Street and High Street. Jason pointed to the Palace Theater and said, That building has been there for over six hundred years. He pointed across the intersection to his left and said, That’s the New White House. Modest, but impressive. It’s even older than the Palace Theater and once served as this state’s capital building.

This what’s capital building? Wolfgang asked.

State. Our country is divided into seventy states. They, in turn, are divided into counties, which are composed of towns and cities. You didn’t learn that before you left Parnassus?

Ambassadors to Old Earth are taught English or Russian and sent to the country that speaks the language for a month to get them accustomed to it. New America doesn’t have... states.

The light had changed while they were talking and the car was now pulling up to a gated apartment complex with a sign on top of the gate. The sign was painted royal blue with gilded letters that read: Ambassador Apartments. Jason lowered his window and aimed a remote control device at the gate. After punching an eight-digit code on the remote’s keypad, the gate opened.

The departing ambassador was of Czech heritage; therefore her name, spelled D-a-n-a, was pronounced like the English Donna rather than the English Dana.

Jason said, I’ll show you to your apartment and you can meet Dana Soukupová, the departing Parnassian ambassador.

I would be most happy to meet Ms. Soukupová, Wolfgang replied, grinning impishly.

Well, anyway, Jason went on, this is where galactic and international ambassadors to Old Earth’s western hemisphere stay. You’ll have neighbors from almost every nation on this planet as well as every planet colonized by Old Earth, plus some of the Hrixian worlds. Now, about Capital City. Late in the twenty first century, it was decided to move the United States capital away from the eastern part of the country, where it was too vulnerable to potential attacks. After several years of comparing different cities...

Respectfully, Wolfgang interrupted, we haven’t used any rest facilities since we were in orbit, so I’m sure my son needs to use one.

Both of us do, Kyoto added.

A tall, muscular man with light brown skin walked over carrying an electronic tray as they were getting out of the car. He was wearing a black uniform with gray sleeves and a gray collar. Jason introduced him, saying, This is Gus, the head of security at the Ambassador Apartments. He’ll need your right handprints so he can program your door to open only for you three.

Gus pressed a button on the slate gray tray and proffered it to each family member. A screen on the tray glowed orange when each person pressed it.

If you follow me, Gus invited them, I’ll use this to program your door.

I’ll wait here, Wolfgang said. "I’m anxious to meet Ms. Soukupová.

Here she comes now, Jason told him, pointing to a woman about his height with reddish-blonde, shoulder-length hair parted on the side. She was wearing a modest, light green dress and a pink backpack and carrying a teal suitcase. As she got closer, Wolfgang noticed a small silver stud on the right side of her face just above the lip.

You should have let me help you with your baggage, Jason chided her gently.

There’s more in the apartment, she said.

Dana, this is your replacement, Wolfgang Yoshimatsu.

Pleased to meet you, Wolfgang. What did you do to get sent here?

Jason, astonished, said, You were serious?

Wolfgang informed them, My boss fired me so he could replace me with his nephew. I lost my temper, beat him up, and here I am. But you served a three-year sentence! What did you do?

Said Dana, I got drunk after my fiancée broke up with me and tried to drive home intoxicated. I crashed into a parked car, then resisted arrest. It took three police officers to handcuff me.

Jason asked, Why did you never tell me about this?

I wanted to keep your respect.

Jason gazed at her with evident admiration and said, If it took three Parnassian police officers to handcuff you, I’d better respect you!

On our way to the spaceport, I’ll tell you all about it. There’s also something else I need to tell you about.

More than meets the eye here, Wolfgang remarked, winking at Jason.

I’ll help you finish packing, Jason offered, turning toward her building. He was in love with Dana and was secretly making plans to move to Parnassus. Dana put her bags in Jason’s car while the whine of another government hovercar was heard over their heads. Jason looked up to see the red, white and blue car turn about eight meters above Dana, the driver’s side tilting toward her. Then a beam of bluish-white light struck her in the face. She ducked and lifted her hands to ward off the beam, losing several fingers in the process. Jason punched some buttons on his wrist band while darting to his car.

Emergency, Code Green! he shouted into his wrist band. Ambassador Apartments next to the White House! Emergency, Code Green! Jason punched a series of numbers into the gate remote. The gate opened and would stay open until a special code was punched in to make it close again. Gus and Wolfgang ran toward the commotion as Jason took off after the other car, which was almost out of sight. Meanwhile Dana lay on the sidewalk with blood oozing out of a ravine cut deeply into the right side of her face. Smoke wafted out of the right eye socket and the metal stud lay in a pool of blood which was matting her hair. Several fingers were scattered about. Wolfgang stared in horror and rage while Gus vomited in the grass. Still, she breathed.

The Second Chapter, in Which Jason

Pursues a Human and Faces a Tiger.

J ason tried to follow the other hovercar, which headed over the Scioto River Bridge, then veered around several skyscrapers. He lost it behind the Capital City Currency and Stock Exchange Building, a seventy-eight storey behemoth built in the twenty second century. It was built to house a branch of the Federal Reserve Bank which had relocated from Cleveland. Aside from banking functions, the C. C. C. S. E. also assisted the then over-loaded New York Stock Exchange. This building took up an entire city block and by the time Jason got behind it, the other car was gone. All he could do was send an alert and return to the Ambassador Apartments, where an ambulance crew was placing Dana’s remains into a cryogenic chamber in the back of the vehicle. Wolfgang was still waiting at the site of the carnage and Gus was being examined by a robotic attendant.

Will she survive? Jason asked the attendant, a platinum robot with a green cross on its forehead and a red cross on its chest.

The attendant, which had a malfunctioning speaker box, turned to Jason and said with a lisp, It’th a good thing we wuh pwe-pahed fo a Code Gween. Othawise, it would be hopeweth.

Gus, who had been sitting on the grass, started to rise as the old robotic attendant made this pronouncement. The robot turned and struck Gus across the forehead with one of its nickel-plated arms as it did so, knocking him unconscious, then continued his examination.

That’th odd, the attendant pondered. He theemth to be thuffewing a thlight concuthion, but he didn’t have one two minuteth ago.

What is a Code Green? Wolfgang inquired.

As the robot placed a green healing pouch on Gus’s forehead, Jason replied, The color green represents life. A Code Green is a medical procedure involving the immediate salvage of fatally wounded people.

As Gus revived, the robot stood and said, That’th wight. If the human tithue can be fwozen thoon enough, it can be uthed to wecweate the entiah individual via cwoning.

Gus, now healed, got to his hands and knees as the robot finished the explanation. Unfortunately, the robot’s metal hand glanced the back of Gus’s head as the robot started returning to the ambulance, knocking him sprawling to the lawn on top of the healing pouch.

Did you catch the assassin? Wolfgang asked as Gus groaned.

No, Jason replied despondently, but I called an all-points land and air bulletin. Every police officer in the county will be looking for a rogue government car.

Rogue? Wolfgang queried. Do you know that for sure? A lot of people here don’t like Parnassians.

Whether it’s being driven by the rightful owner or not, Jason pointed out, it’s still a rogue.

A burly police officer with dark brown hair walked over. His uniform was almost identical to Gus’s except that the sleeves and collar were blue and there was a Capital City Police badge on the left side. There was also a name badge identifying him as Sergeant Clifton Cutlip. Gus had finally made it upright, but was rubbing the back of his head as the ambulance sped away.

Clifton said, I understand someone shot your girlfriend, Jason.

Jason blushed slightly and said, Yes, apparently with a laser pistol.

A laser pistol? Clifton asked incredulously. Only high-level police officers are allowed to carry those!

And only government officials are allowed government-issue cars like mine, Jason reminded him, yet that’s what he was driving!

Why would anyone want to assassinate a departing ambassador? Clifton asked.

If I knew that, Jason remarked, I’d probably know who is responsible.

Wolfgang said, I’ll be in my apartment if you need to see me. Or do you think I will be safe there?

Gus, with a hint of irritation in his voice, said, Your apartment was cleaned and examined thoroughly today and the door is programmed to open only to your family’s handprints.

Wolfgang nodded and walked toward the apartment building. Tears began rolling down Jason’s cheeks.

I’ve lost her, he sobbed.

You didn’t lose her, Clifton said, clasping his shoulders. You called in a Code Green before she was dead and the body was still warm when the ambulance got here. She’ll live again and may even be able to tell us who tried to kill her.

First she has to spend months in an incubator and develop like a normal embryo. Then she’ll be a baby again and have to grow like a normal human being. I’ll have to wait about eighteen years to have a romantic relationship with her, if she even regains her memories of her first existence, and that’s always dicey. Maybe the Parnassians have a more efficient way of cloning. I’ll ask the new ambassador.

Gus smirked and shook his head. The Parnassians won’t tell us anything useful. We all know how secretive they are with their technology.

Maybe for the sake of another Parnassian... Jason mused.

I know you like the Parnassians, Clifton reminded him, but have they ever shared anything with us?

They’re a bunch of snobs! Gus exclaimed. They think, because of their culture, they’re better than any of Old Earth’s other descendants. I’ve been a security guard here for over a dozen years and, other than you, the Parnassians don’t even associate with anyone except the Hrixians, and they’re like freaks of nature.

During Gus’s tirade, Jason began trembling and the left side of his face started twitching uncontrollably, as it always did when he was under intense stress. Trying hard to compose himself, he said, I need time to myself. If you find out anything, let me know.

Jason trudged off to his apartment, fighting the urge to slap Gus.

I think you’ve upset him, Clifton remarked.

He’ll get over it. The perpetrator will be caught, the lady will be reborn, and they’ll live happily ever after. I’m gonna make my rounds, then go to the gym for my daily work out. Wanna join me?

I’m still on duty for the next two hours.

Clifton walked back to his car and drove off. Gus turned toward the apartment building and slipped on the discarded healing pouch, landing painfully on his rump in the grass.

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Jason removed his shoes, as he always did before entering his home. His living room was almost bare except for an old-fashioned roll-top desk with a computer keyboard, an office chair and an orange videophone on a pole so he could talk to people while sitting comfortably at his desk. Jason wasn’t a pack-rat and didn’t need many possessions. He could get any information on