Escape to Earth-Living Legends by Saxon Andrew

to walk around. This man had to be deliberately starving himself. The man walked up to his desk and stood a little straighter but it was far from being at attention. He raised his hand to his head in a mock salute. Michael didn’t return it, “Take a seat.”
    Jay pulled a chair out from the desk and sat down. He extended his legs and slumped in the chair as he put his right arm over the back. Michael stared at him in silence and Jay finally said, “I believe you have a message for me.”
    Michael leaned back and said, “How long did it take you to push the memory of Eric out of your mind?” Jay’s eyes narrowed and his arm came off the back of the chair. Michael said, “I knew him and you are nothing more than an embarrassment to his memory. Where were the three dots?” Jay’s anger almost overcame him but the question made him pause. He stared at Michael trying to remember and his mouth came open. He started to speak and then his mouth closed. Michael said, “The three dots were his three nieces that were all named Dorothy. Each of them were named after his mother. He loved those babies so much. Tell me he never told you about them?”
    Jay stared at Michael and his eyes went down to his lap. “Who was Lappy?” Jay looked up and his eyes were moist. “You don’t remember. You’ve forced everything good you knew out and left nothing but anger and pain in its place.”
    Jay blew out a breath and looked at Michael, “Who was Lappy?”
    “His younger sister who loved sitting on his lap and listen to him sing to her.” Jay lowered his head again and Michael said, “But I bet you do know who Fred was!”
    Jay’s eyes narrowed again and he sneered, “The Father who disowned him.”
    “You remember everything bad that ever happened to Eric and nothing good. You’ve erased the true essence of his being and left nothing but a dark hole in its place. Let me show you who Eric really was and how I remember him.”
    Michael pushed a button on his console and the wall monitor came on. Jay turned around to see it. He saw Eric standing in a small park at Fleet Academy and smiling, “Will you hurry up and get that camera going.”
    “Hey, give me a minute. You know how I am with machinery.” Jay recognized Michael’s voice. “Ok, are you ready?”
    Eric looked at the camera and started laughing, “Give me a minute. You look ridiculous.” Eric bent over and laughed and after a minute he took a breath and said, “Let’s get this done.”
    “Hey, you have to record me next. Don’t wear yourself out.” There was a pause and Michael said, “Recording….now. Mr. Yomogura, why have you chosen to be a warrior fighting for our survival?”
    Eric smiled and said, “Because I will defend those I love and humanity against those that threaten it.”
    “But why?”
    “Love is reason enough. Love is what drives all of us to be bigger and better than we can be alone. It is those that have given so much to us as we grow up that deserve all we have for their efforts. What I’ve chosen to do is worth doing and I’m excited at the prospect of making a difference.”
    “Aren’t you afraid of dying?”
    Eric shook his head and paused as he looked directly at the camera, “Everyone is afraid of dying and death deserves our respect. No one wants to die and I feel that way as well. But we will all die one day, there’s no avoiding it. I just hope and pray that I can make my life, and death, mean something.”
    “What message do you want your classmates to hear?”
    Eric looked at the camera and smiled. “Make your life count! Never accept giving less than your best effort at whatever you do. If you live this way, then at the end, you’ll die in peace.”
    Jay sat in his chair and wept. “I miss him so much!”
    Michael stared at Jay, “He was the only family you ever had.” Jay nodded. Michael sighed, “We were assigned to make that recording by our sociology teacher. Eric chose me to work with him because he liked