Memorize (Book One)

The Keepsake

It was a beautiful thing. It really was.

A long necklace: a titanium chain wrapped around the little branches of one of the leafy, dark red plants. Silky hues reflecting in the moist leaves. Tiny yet solid links tangled and twisted around the stem. And a pendant dangling softly.

Jay kneeled down and contemplated the object. Slowly, very slowly, he gave the slightest touch to the pendant, ever so softly. It was a deep blue roundish gem whose facets had been polished with the most extreme and exquisite care.

"Ahem, well..." said Starling, in a low tone. "D'you know what this is?"

"I don't," answered Jay, "but this... is... beautiful". As he said this, he started disentangling the necklace from the plant. He took great care of not touching the highly sensitive watering and monitoring system, carefully bending over the low fence as he untied the links one after another.

Finally removing the object from the plant, he stood up again, and held the pendant in the direction of the pod. Using the light provided by the stars and the low intensity beams emitted by the vehicle, he peered through the cobalt gem.

"Star, look! There's something inside, I think."

Starling held his right wrist up to the stone and brushed the end of his sleeve with the back of his left hand... The suits worn by colony-dwellers could provide light and many other convenient solutions whenever needed. An instant white light shone through the pendant that Jay was holding to the level of their eyes.

"I see translucent letters... Look: there's an H engraved in the middle, and a G and a D on either side of the H."

The letters were like air captured in the middle of a blue sky. The calligraphy was fine and slender. Suddenly Jay felt the air blocked in his chest. His heart started beating faster, and faster. He did his best to speak in a low voice.

"How the hell did this end up here? I wonder what it is..."

"I think I know what it is, actually."

"?"

"It's a keepsake."

"A keepsake?"

"It was used back in the Old Days, to... to remember a dear one."

"To remember?" Jay articulated slowly. "To remember..." He felt his eyes burning, as if something contained in them was trying to explode. It was hurting badly.

"But where does it come from? We don't use those here."

"Jay, I think it comes from...Earth."

"You mean it comes from where I come from? But...how would you know?"

Jay looked at the pendant again. That thing held some atoms of a place he had lived in. That thing was made of some earthly material. Was this even possible? Was Starling trying to tell him something?

"How does it matter, Jay? Come on now, let's get back. I'll drop this at the Composium tomorrow morning. Give it to me now."

"No!"

"Come on dude, we've got to go. Jay, we've got to go now."

Jay was clutching the object. He was holding it, holding a fine line that connected him in some way to a lost track. This blue gem was looking at him. It was calling him. And he couldn't hear it. He was nothing. He was lost beyond his own mind and body. He was no one.

The necklace was now drawing him towards the ground in a heavy embrace with pain. He fell down on his knees.

"Jay, hey, Jay." Starling kneeled beside him.

But Jay doubled up in agony. Masses of darkness surrounded him. His heart was pumping hard, yet his blood was freezing in his veins. He knew at that very instant that everything was lost. They were going to retrieve him. It was too late.

At that same moment, there was the swoosh of a Composium pod. Two Regulators clad in a dark red GloCo uniform were already by their side.

Jay rolled on his back, breathing fast, the necklace close to his heart. He took a look at his friend, then at the two men bending over him.

"Star, help me...please...don't forget me."

One of the Regulators, with much quiet and softness, held a steady hand on Jay 's forehead.

And it was over.