The Apotheosis by Darrell Lee

Author:Darrell Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press, LLC
Published: 2019-04-09T00:00:00+00:00

THE MORNING AFTER

The sky was clear and the sun was up when Julia woke. She made her usual protein shake for breakfast and changed into a tank top and BDU pants to feed the bonobos. Sean’s door was closed and she listened for any movement within. She heard none. The sand on the path was wet and the footprints that had been there in the loose sand were washed away. Julia passed near the main house on the way to the storage building and it, too, was quiet and still. The generator behind the laboratory building, which had been running for the last two weeks, was turned off. Those two must have been up late deciding what to do with Raymond’s money. A nice problem to have.

Julia moved from crate to crate, inspecting each of the fruits before she put them in the cart. None smelled bad or had any unusual coloration. When the cart was full, she pulled it outside and closed the doors to the building. Then she headed down the long path to the bonobo enclosure. The bonobos were in the metal tree. The oldest Juju clone sat on the lower left-hand branch, just as Juju had. When the clone saw Julia approaching, she climbed down from the tree, came to the wire mesh, sat on her haunches and extended her left hand to Julia. The other bonobos stayed in their places. Juju’s clone peeled and ate the banana Julia gave her and extended her left hand again. Julia handed her a second banana, and it was consumed also. The clone returned to the tree on all fours and climbed to the lowest branch on the left side of the tree. Julia was dumbfounded. The clone had replicated Juju’s request for the bananas, moving and acting exactly like Juju.

When Julia got back to her duplex, Sean’s front door was still closed and his apartment quiet. She changed into her running shoes and shorts and decided a good run along the beach would help her think about the behavior of Juju’s clone. After her run and shower, she went back to the porch. She went quietly over to Sean’s door and listened. No sound. She knocked lightly three times. No sound and no movement. She knocked again. Still no response. She turned the door knob and gradually opened the door and looked inside.

“Hello?”

No sound came from inside the apartment.

“Hello?” she said louder.

Sean’s swim trunks and T-shirt from the day before lay on the kitchen floor, still wet and sandy. Through the doorway of his bedroom, she saw Sean lying on top of the bed naked, without covers, his back facing the door.

“Sean?”

He didn’t move. Julia came into the bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. She could see him breathing deeply. She touched him on the back.

“Sean, are you okay?”

Sean startled awake. “What?”

“Are you okay? I was worried about you. It’s almost lunch time.”

“I’m okay.” Sean sat up. “I was just tired, I guess.”

“Were you and Raymond up late last night making big investment plans?”

“Yes.

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