Creptus Val Saga: Chapter 2

Creptus Val Saga: The Diary of Alana Astra

By Vanessa Miranda



Entry Two


The next morning I looked at the letter address to me, I found it was an invitation. A personal invitation from the tone of the matter. The letter came from an archeologist by the name of Earl Jenkins. The name sounded familiar and as I read on I came to find that he was a brief acquaintance of mother when he came to the store from time to time. I have never met this man in person, but along the lines when she was alive, she may have told him what I was studying and what my accomplishments were.

In this account, I have managed to keep this letter. It is disclosed here in:

Dear Alana Astra,

I want to be the first to say that I am sorry for your loss. I knew your mother for brief time and she seemed to be an interesting, intelligent and dignified woman. And I also know it must be strange to receive a letter from a complete stranger, so let me introduce myself. My name is Earl Jenkins and I am an archeologist that resides on site at the craterous Creptus Val. I shopped at your mother store once or twice to order some rare supplies on my expeditions and upon one such a time she mentioned you are currently majoring in Astrophysics and Galactic phenomena. An on off handed study, which is certainly quite impressive. I know you are in quite a bind right now and I have heard from the towns folk here in my travel from time to time that you just sold the store and are currently now leaving. However, I do have an offer for you. A group of similar individuals, such as you and I, are studying something that we have currently found at the major creator of Ulpes Bane in Creptus Val. The base of the small operation is in the small town of Spite.
It is an odd specimen, not rock but not alive either. We cannot tell what object it is from and there is a lot of speculation. And I must admit it is quite exciting a concept that I thought I’d tell you about this. Once everything is settle with you. Please, by all means, my number is enclosed on the back. Give me a call or if you wish, you could just write me back with your response. The main funder for this group insists on a time limitation, but I’ll bend the rules for ya. Told him that you were quite good at what you do and no one else. And I'll take it upon your mom's word on what she told me about your - rest her soul.
All and all I do hope you come and I think it would be good for you to keep your mind off what is going on.

Sincerely Yours,

Earl Bradthaw Jenkins.


Rest her soul? I thought and got the distinct notion that perhaps Earl had not been a mere acquaintance, but a friend. Mother had very few friends, if any at all.

This reflected in her very nature and how she raised me. Mother wouldn't let me stay with other children long enough for me to get to know them. Acquaintances that's what they are. This she would tell me constantly and forbade me from associating in other ways besides school. No sleep overs. No visits and after awhile any desire for me to have friends around dulled out.

Perhaps this is why, I myself, didn't have any friends but Naomi at the time. I didn't start trying to make them until I entered the Academy in Northern Val, away from the shop and mother. And even then friends are loosely termed.

More like acquaintances.

Regardless, the letter sounded sincere enough, but I resolved to contact him at the number after Naomi arrived, which she did two hours later. I wanted a second opinion and when Naomi took a seat at my clutter kitchen table that morning, she took a once over look at the letter.

“Sounds real ta me. I mean at least it sounds honest. I don’t see why you can’t at least hear what he has ta say?”

“It’s rather odd that he would choose to contact me now after mum’s death,” I said looking aimless at the window while pouring Naomi her coffee.

“Why’s that?”
“Don’t know, paranoia I guess. I don't know the man well.”
“Paranoia that is. He said he knew your mom," she paused and bit her lip in thought then she said "Now, don’t take this tha wrong way,” Naomi smiled as I gave her cup, “Your mom was good and all, but she was a bit ta….how should I say it?”
“Exactly and you don’t have to be shy. She was a demanding, cold witch when the store doors were closed.” I said while preparing the half shot of gin and the herbal tea, "her enemies were plenty and her friends were few."
"Enemies?" Naomi asked.
"Yes, like the next door neighbors pet. That cat-wolf breed from Uropa-the 5th moon. It would shit all over the entry way. I remember laughing historically into my pillow. Those were the nights," I had been on a tangent. Memories of my mother were usually like this.
“Uh. Yeah. I guess. That even normal?” I remembered looking back seeing Naomi taking a look at what I was preparing, no doubt taking notice of the Gin bottle.
“Yes. It was the old witch’s recipes. Numbs the pain.”
“You have pills for that hon.”
“And this is from a woman who bums off cigarettes.”
“True that. But she was still ya mom.”
As this, I said nothing but concentrated on the brew time. I did not want to think about my relationship with my mother at the time, but as the events unfold, my thoughts drifted to her and what practical things she instilled in me as much as I sometimes loath to say. And as I have said before life has cruel ways of bending the circumstances.

After our breakfast of coffee, gin-tea and some toast, she started to help me get some odds and ends organized. After about 5 hours in, Naomi decided to call it a break and I decided to contact Earl Jenkins after giving some consideration to what Naomi had said earlier. She was part of a major intelligence factor in the MRD and is trained to spot anything malignant in just about anything. If she would have spotted a tone in the letter that didn’t connect, it was not worth responding. And besides, I did look into it myself by talking to some of my neighbors that actually have done business with him. Thus, I dialed the number on the back of the letter.

A man coughed on the phone before answering, “Hello?”
“Hello, my I speak with Earl Jenkins please?”
“Is this who I think it is? Alana?”
“Yes. I how did you--”
“You have your mother’s lilt. How are you?”
“I could be better. But I do not wish to talk about myself. I have received your letter.”
“Right to the chase huh? Heh. Like your mom.” He paused and coughed once again, “Pardon me. It looks like I caught something. Anyway, I know it must be strange for you to be calling someone you hardly know, but rest assured, I have nothing but the best of intentions. I knew your mother a bit.”
“I see.”

“Alana. I know your condition."
I froze, "My what?"
"Your condition."
No he couldn't mean. How could he?
"How do you know this?!" I raised and glanced at Naomi who gave a look of concern.

"Damn gone. There I go again, not explaining myself. I'm sorry. You see a couple of weeks back when I came into town to visit your mother store, I got the news she had past away and her store was in your care. Then I ran into an elderly woman, which I believe is your neighbor across the way."

“Neighbor? Old woman? You mean Ms Gibbs,” I breathed a sigh of relief a bit and gave Naomi a signal that everything was okay. Ms. Gibbs knew me well enough since I was a child. She was maybe the only person I would be allowed to visit with once in a while when mother felt in a good mood. But Ms. Gibbs had the tendency to not know when to keep things disclosed. She was the only one besides Naomi that knew of my condition.

"So she must of blabbed off then. Couldn't you have explained this all in your letter?"

"I'm sorry I would have, but I didn't think it right for me to just mention it out of the blue. I had rather you just called me or when we met face to face we could talk about it in depth."

This had been an act of decorum on his part and that I could at least understand.

"So. What are these 'best of intentions?'" I resumed.

“You have brain cancer Alana, and it appears it's at it earliest stage. The best and only sign for a healthy recovery. I know a specialist in this field. He is a part of a group that handles archoglical findings but he's also a doctor and he’s real good about treating what you have. He’s a bit nutty at times but…”

“I don’t have that kind of money for a specialist,” I said. Even after the funds from my mother's shop, it wouldn't be enough. I arched my eyebrow to Naomi in which she whispered "What?"

“Whoa! Whoa! Hold on hon. There’s really no money involved. Let me explain. I told him we needed an astrophysicist in on this type of finding and that you were in a situation that you could not pay for this but, and if this is alright with you, you could barter for helping us out with the study.”

“I am in the mist of moving. How will be able to stay there in a sufficient time?” I said.

“It won’t matter, come here for a week or two and then go and do what you have to do. If after that time you feel it’s not worth your while, you are most welcome to leave the group.”

“It’s not that serious though.”

“Are you convinced about that, Alana? Tumors are prone to get worse. I promise you. This guy is good and if anything should go wrong or the like, I will take full responsibility.”

I did not answer him for a moment. I was scared. Not of impending death, but of the pain that it will cause, not if. And once again, another offer that looked promising. A chance in hell a moth landed on the palm of my hand.

I should have taken this as an ill omen then.

“What is this man’s name?” I asked
“His name is Samuel Eisen Grusfeld and has a brother. Jarvis Boyd Grusfeld. His father is a good friend of mine and majors in Exobiology and dips a little in Archeology and Philosophy. Name is Norman Grusfeld. Then there’s Rodger Blakely who is a big time assistant to my friend that informed me of this group. A strange fellow.”
“I have heard that name before. Norman Grusfeld, I mean. He published an article or two on biological concepts of dark substances in space, did he not?”
“Most definitely, and my daughter, Molly, is even in on the team. And then there’s me.” I felt Earl smile over the phone and it's not often one feels that. At this I eased. He seemed a decent fellow and in the days that came he became much more.

“It seems like a small group.” I said.
“Well, sadly, there’s not a whole lot interested in the project. Most skeptics think it’s nothing but hooha”

“Alright. I’ll talk with my friend and see if she does not mind holding down the responsibilities for at least a week. If don’t find this to my satisfactory, I will leave.”
“You have my word and don’t worry, I’ll be sure to relay the urgency you’re in to Norman.”

We gave our good graces and then hung up. My head hurt and I knew it was time, once again, for the medicine. I went to the cupboard and took the bottle and open it. Placed the pill in my mouth and swallowed. I grimace in disgust. This “prescription” was not treating the problem. Only the symptoms. I let out a heavy breath.

Gin would have been a whole lot better.