The Dance of Genesis (a short story)

 I wrote this short story last year in a day. It was on a day in which I didn’t have much going on and I awoke with an idea for a story. I tried shopping it around to several magazines after polishing it but didn’t have any luck with that. So that it’s at least out there, here it is on my blog.

I hope that you enjoy “The Dance of Genesis.”

* * *

           Jessie ran up the hill naked with a smile upon her face, her bare feet kicking the red dust beneath her. In the early morning she had just finished up her exams for the semester, and would be heading back to Earth for the holiday break. To celebrate the end of her arduous exams, Jessie rode her secondhand motorcycle a few miles away from the university. She was what many called a social butterfly, participating in many student activities and parties. But when Jessie felt the need to be alone, there was this small lake next to a hill where anyone else seldom ventured; here she would often go skinny-dipping, meditate, and simply enjoy the scenery.  

            Jessie reached the top of the hill and went to the edge of its cliff. Before diving into the lake, she looked out into the horizon. A slight breeze played with her short black hair as her eyes took in the view. There before her were miles upon miles of greenery amongst the red sand. There were also remnants of one of the first colonies of the planet. Just over five thousand years previously, the first colonists had come here to Mars to live, and eventually terraform the planet. Jessie knew that had she lived during those risk-filled times, that there was no way she could have ventured outside without a spacesuit, much less gone for a skinny-dip.  

            After looking out at the Martian landscape in wonder, Jessie raised her arms and then dove into the lake. She squealed like a happy little girl much younger than her twenty years as gravity pulled her towards the lake. She made a large splash into the lake, and then spent a long time swimming and diving lazily, enjoying a much-deserved respite from her months of hard work.  

            Eventually her cell phone rang. At first Jessie considered simply letting it go to voice mail and answering it later. She sighed though and decided to swim back to the shore, where she had earlier parked her motorcycle and left behind her clothes. She felt cold as she initially got out of the water, hugging her arms over her bare bosom. “This better be an important call,” Jessie thought bitterly.  

            Luckily it was strictly a voice call, not a video one, so she wouldn’t have to hurriedly put her clothes back onto her wet body. And Jessie saw that it was her Mom, so she wasn’t the least bit upset. She picked up the phone and began to talk into it. “Hi Mom!” she said. 

            “Hi Jessie,” said her Mom. “How are you? Did I call you at a bad time?” 

            “No,” said Jessie. “Not at all. I just finished up my exams earlier.” 

            “Oh that’s wonderful!” said her Mom. “I’m sure you’re relieved.” 

            “Yeah,” said Jessie. “I am.” 

            “Well I can’t wait to see you again in a couple of days,” said Jessie’s Mom. “It’s been months. And your brother is coming to. He has to travel farther of course, all the way from the Andromeda Galaxy. He even has to take a warp shuttle to get back here. You know how expensive those things are? I told him earlier that he should go on coach at least, but he insisted on first class.” 

            “He has a really good paying job in intergalactic finance,” said Jessie. “I’m sure he can afford it.” 

            Jessie’s Mom sighed. “I guess,” she said. They then spent the next several minutes talking about their respective lives before hanging up. Jessie considered continuing with her swim, but decided that it was best to start heading back to her dorm. She still had to pack for her trip to Earth. She put her clothes back on. This included her leather jacket, her favorite article of clothing. She then rode her motorcycle through the Martian landscape, the wheels kicking up red dust as it did so. 

            About half an hour later Jessie reached her dorm at Ray Bradbury University. It was one of the oldest universities on Mars. Jessie had of course heard of the writer, whose works included many science fiction stories taking place on Mars, written long before people actually began to colonize the planet. Jessie was double majoring in dance and Ancient English, but even with her growing knowledge of the language, she had yet to actually attempt to read any of Bradbury’s works. “I’ll probably get around to reading his stuff eventually,” Jessie thought as she parked her motorcycle.  

            Jessie walked up the stairs and reached her dorm, where her roommate Jackie lay on the couch in her nightshirt, flipping through their television. “Hey Jessie,” said Jackie. “How was your ride?” 

            “It was good,” said Jessie. “I had a fun time.” 

            “Cool,” said Jackie.  

            Jessie went into her bedroom and began to pack for her trip to Earth. While picking out which clothes to put into her suitcase, she admired the ensembles in her closet that she had worn for her class dance recitals. They varied from multicolored leotards to feathery skirts to flowing flowery dresses, depending upon the style of dance being performed. Some of the ensembles were quite scanty, looking like little more than the smallest possible bikinis with colorful beads glued onto them; luckily for Jessie, she had never been a shy person or someone who easily felt embarrassed, feeling no qualms about being half-naked while performing before a large crowd.  

            Jessie, like many college students, wasn’t sure what she would be doing for the rest of her life. She had always loved to dance, but knew that being a successful professional in the field would be a lot more difficult than earning a degree in the art form. Jessie also loved Ancient English, having fallen in love with its language when she was a girl of just twelve. She devoured the works of people such as Virginia Wolfe, Maya Angelou, Stephen King, and many more ancient writers that not even the most knowledgeable professor had heard of. But despite how much she loved reading and studying that old language, she wasn’t sure if a career in academia or translation was right for her.  

            “I guess I still have time,” thought Jessie as she finished up packing her suitcase.  

* * * 

            So far it had been a fun holiday for Jessie. She enjoyed her interplanetary trip from Mars to Earth, which involved riding two space elevators and a hyper shuttle in-between. She was loving her time in her family’s home on the beaches of Hawaii, spending much of it swimming and surfing with family (which included her immediate family and a couple younger cousins) and old friends. At night they would often BBQ together. To top it all off, Jessie got an email saying that she had passed all of her exams. There were a few things to get used to again, such as the much greater gravity of Earth compared to the Red Planet, but overall Jessie was having a wonderful time. 

            A week had gone by since Jessie had arrived back on Earth, and she had one more week to go before she was to head back to Mars. In the early morning she made herself a fruit smoothie and said to her Mom, “I’m going for a jog.” 

            “Okay honey,” said her Mom. “Have a good time!” 

            Jessie threw on her running clothes and went out of the house. She wasn’t planning on simply going for a morning run. Despite the fact that she had been on Earth for a week, she had yet to talk with Donna. She had been Jessie’s dance teacher since she was four years old. Jessie had been taking lessons at her studio from that age until she graduated from high school and headed off world. Donna had taught her all types of dances, from hula to ballet to tap. Jessie had always looked up to her, and as her student did everything she could to improve her dance and impress Donna. Even as a college student on another planet, she had sent Donna videos of her recitals.  

            After running for about twenty minutes, Jessie made it to the dance studio. From the big front window she could see Donna teaching a bunch of little ones ballet. Jessie smiled, suddenly waxing nostalgic about her first ballet lesson. She turned away from the studio, planning on grabbing a cup of coffee and drinking until Donna was done with her class. But before she could walk away, Donna saw Jessie outside the front window. She smiled and waved at her, saying, “Jessie! Come on in!” And so she went inside. 

            Jessie soon found herself, sweaty and dressed in a sports bra with shorts, standing before a bunch of little girls just learning ballet. “Girls,” said Donna. “This is Jessie. She was one of my best students at this school, and now she’s studying dance on Mars at the Ray Bradbury University.” All of the little girls looked up at Jessie in awe. “If you work hard just like her,” continued Donna. “Maybe you could do the same thing.”  

            “Did you learn ballet?” asked one of the little girls.  

            “Yes,” said Jessie. “I did, and Donna’s a good teacher, so make sure you listen to everything she says.” 

            “You know,” said Donna. “Since you’re here, why don’t you help me teach the little ones here?” 

            “Oh!” said Jessie. “That sounds great, but I’m still a student. You could do much better than me.” 

            “Nonsense,” said Donna. “You have more than enough experience to teach a beginner’s ballet class.” 

            “I don’t have any dance clothes with me,” said Jessie. 

            “There are extra leotards in the dressing room,” said Donna. “There should be at least one in your size. You know the way.” 

            So a couple of minutes later, Jessie found herself helping to teach a ballet class for four and five year olds. Once overcoming her initial nervousness, Jessie found herself greatly enjoying herself. When the class was done, everyone was reluctant to leave the dance studio, wanting to continue learning with Jessie. 

            “You did a good job,” said Donna.  

            “Thanks,” said Jessie. 

            “I got some free time,” said Donna. “Come have some tea with me.” 

            The two women went to a corner of the room, where Donna made green tea. “So,” she said. “You seem to be doing well. I’ve seen all the videos of you dancing on Mars. You’re improving all the time, and you have great stage presence. And I can tell you’re definitely having fun with it.” 

            “Thanks,” said Jessie.  

            “You have two years until you complete your Bachelor’s,” said Donna. “Right?” 

            “Right,” said Jessie.  

            “Wonderful,” said Donna. “Do you know what you’re planning on doing after that?” 

            “That’s honestly the big question,” said Jessie. 

            “Well you are young,” said Donna. “You still have plenty of time to decide. Although I hope that no matter what, dance will always be a part of your life.” 

            “Trust me,” said Jessie. “Dance will always be a part of me.” 

            Donna smiled. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “There is one thing I would like to discuss with you. An opportunity.” 

            “An opportunity?” asked Jessie. 

             “Yes,” said Donna. “I was going to contact you in a couple of days if you hadn’t come to see me yet. A friend of mine manages entertainment on one of the Orion Starships and talked to me about this last night.” 

            “The Orion Starships?” asked Jessie. “You mean that cruise line?” 

            “Yes,” said Donna. “I showed her some of your videos from Mars, and she wants to hire you for a few months aboard the ship. You wouldn’t even have to audition. You could start in a couple of weeks.” 

            Jessie was shocked, and didn’t even know what to say. “That sounds great,” said Jessie. “But I have school again in a week. I can’t just drop everything.” 

            “Why not?” asked Donna. “It’s just for a few months. Surely you can take a semester off and just graduate a little later. Opportunities like this don’t come very often.” 

            Jessie thought about it. She would get to dance professionally, something she had always wanted to do. And here was an opportunity to do so. 

            “And besides,” said Donna. “Have you ever travelled beyond the solar system before? You should always strive to expand your horizons.” 

            Jessie had had very little experience with travel. She spent most of her childhood on Earth, mainly in her home of Hawaii (which granted was practically a paradise). Before going to college on Mars the only time she had ever been off world was to visit her uncle, who lived on a space station orbiting Jupiter’s moon of Europa. 

            “I think you should do this,” said Donna. “You’re young and should explore. There will probably never be a chance like this for you again.” 

            That afternoon Jessie talked with the entertainment manager on her phone, a woman named Theresa. She went over the types of dances and the responsibilities, along with compensation (which included room and board). That evening, after a little bit of nervousness, Jessie told both of her parents about the job. To her surprise and relief, both of them were supportive of the plan, saying that it was an amazing opportunity and that as long as she committed to eventually graduating, she should go for it. She also contacted her roommate Jackie, telling her about the job; since they might have different roommates by the time Jessie eventually returned to school Jackie was kind enough to put her stuff, like her motorcycle and dance outfits, into a storage unit. 

            “Wow,” thought Jessie. “I’m really doing this.” 

* * * 

            So far Jessie had been dancing on the starship for a little over a month, and loved every minute of it. She danced in three shows a days, six days a week. In addition there were also practices and rehearsals, and the dancers were highly encouraged to also exercise in the gym. But otherwise Jessie was free to explore both the ship and the different worlds they landed on. “This is the best decision of my life,” thought Jessie. 

            One evening Jessie was preparing for her next performance in the dressing room, along with a bunch of other dancers. Earlier in the afternoon she had worn a long flowing dress of pink and green in a routine that was deemed family friendly. Now she would be performing a dance that included a lot less clothes and much more shaking of the hips and butt. She and the other young dancers would be almost completely bare before the audience, each wearing only a black thong with some gold jewelry; Jessie felt no embarrassment about the exposure of her body, and had known ahead of time about the costume (or lack thereof) when first talking with Theresa. Oddly enough Jessie noticed that during this particular routine, it was mainly women who came to see it, and barely any men; maybe these women came to watch others be proud of their bodies and show off what they could do with them. 

            “Hello Jessie,” said a voice, one that sounded like it had come from a cute little girl or no more than six. This startled the young dancer as she was putting on her makeup. She looked about her to see if there was anybody else in the dressing room, but there were only the other dancers preparing and Theresa.  

            “Did someone else hear that?” asked Jessie. 

            “Hear what?” asked another dancer.  

            Jessie paused for a moment. “Nothing,” she said. “Must have just been my imagination.” She continued to put on her makeup.  

            “Jessie,” said the voice once again. “We will meet soon. We will meet soon. We will meet…” 

            Jessie threw up. All of the other girls turned in her direction. They looked concerned for her, but Jessie was mortified by this happenstance. “Are you okay Jessie?” one of her fellow dancers asked. Theresa ran over to Jessie. While one of the dancers kindly helped to clean up Jessie, Theresa felt her head.  

            “Your temperature is pretty high,” said Theresa. “I’m taking you to the medical bay.” 

            “I’m fine,” said Jessie. “I just need to clean myself up. I can still dance.” 

            “You’re a great dancer,” said Theresa. “No doubt about it. But I don’t want you getting sick on that stage in front of everyone. I think the performance can go on without you for one night.” Jessie wanted to object, to prove herself, but didn’t have the energy to do so. Theresa helped her into a robe while the other girls headed for the stage, and she then escorted Jessie to the medial bay of the starship. 

            A medical android examined Jessie from head to toe, but found nothing wrong with her. “Could have eaten something bad,” said the machine. “And I’m no longer feeling a high temperature.” 

            “I heard a voice,” said Jessie. “I know that I heard something.” 

            “Could have just been hearing things,” said the android. “It can happen. If you feel the need, we can set up an appointment with the ship’s psychologist.” 

            After a moment of thought, Jessie declined the offer. Theresa took Jessie to her room, having her go to bed. She felt her temperature again. “Odd,” she said. “You seem like you’re back to normal. Still, I want you to get some rest. I’m taking you back to the medical bay tomorrow morning for another examination, just incase. We’re in space, and things can be unpredictable to say the least when travelling from one solar system to another.”  

            Knowing better than to argue with Theresa, Jessie said, “Okay.” Theresa left, and Jessie lay in bed, looking out at the vast cosmos through her window. “Could I actually have heard someone?” she mused. 

* * * 

            A week had gone by since the incident in the dressing room. Jessie had been determined to be healthy and continued with her dancing. With all of the activity going on in the starship, she barely remembered the mysterious voice. Jessie simply moved on. 

            The starship orbited the planet Cel-Bull IV, a mostly desert planet with a few lakes scattered about, along with ancient ruins. The planet itself had not been colonized until about fifty years previously, and the population (mostly archaeologists) was very much sparse. What drew people to it were the mysterious ruins, looking like a mixture of pyramids and geodesic spheres made of sand. Depictions of the alien race, along with ancient skeletons, had been found since humans had first set foot upon Cel-Bull IV. They were known as rendares. They looked like foxes with blue fur and antlers that stood upright at no more than three feet tall. Little was known about this ancient race, and so far no surviving members of it had been found on the planet. It was believed that they had all died out long ago, before they had a chance to develop even primitive means of space travel. 

            Luckily for Jessie, she had the day off. So when the starship was fully in orbit, she went down to Cel-Bull IV. The planet had few visitors and fewer settlers, so there was no need to build a space elevator; instead everyone went to the surface of the world via shuttle. The atmosphere was breathable, so there was no issue about having to wear spacesuits on this particular planet. It was a hot, sunny world though, so Jessie made sure to wear plenty of sunscreen. And she of course also brought her camera. 

            Overall Jessie had a good day. She went on a tour of the ruins, lead by one of the planet’s premiere archaeologists. She also got to swim in one of the lakes with the rest of the tourists; the water here felt especially refreshing, reminding Jessie of her secret spot on Mars. It was while diving underwater that she heard the voice again.  

            “Jessie,” said the voice. “It’s time that we meet.” 

            Jessie was startled, but not afraid this time. She didn’t feel sick like she had a week ago in the dressing room. If anything she felt a sense of calm. Jessie swam out of the lake and dried herself off, then put her clothes on over her bikini.  

            “Follow me,” said the voice. Jessie then began to hear the sounds of drums. She looked about her, and saw that none of the other tourists seemed to hear the voice. They all continued to swim and sunbathe while pop music was blasting from a stereo, all thanks for an android DJ. No one noticed that she was leaving the lake.  

Jessie continued to follow the drums in her head, and she reached an ancient entrance that was carved into the rocks, featuring columns and reliefs of the aliens known as rendares. The area was roped off, with signs that said, “No Entering Under Penalty of Law.” Jessie had never been much of a rule breaker, but after looking about her to see if anyone else was about, she crawled under the ropes and entered the cave. 

Jessie went deeper and deeper down into the cave, hearing the sounds of drums in her head increasing. As she kept walking downwards, Jessie saw that it was illuminated with glowing purple crystals. Her eyes grew bigger in wonder as she looked upon them. 

After about twenty minutes of walking deeper into the cave, Jessie entered a giant room. It featured statues of the rendares that were more than twenty feet tall, and in the center of it was a pristine pool with intricate mosaics on the bottom. Along with the crystals, a few flaming torches also illuminated the room. 

The sight blew Jessie away. She wondered if any of the archaeologists had ever entered here. “Does that mean that I could be the first person to ever be here?” she mused. “The first since the rendares died off?” 

Unfortunately, Jessie’s sense of awe and wonder soon disappeared. She could hear the sound of a giant door closing. And just a second afterwards, the flames were extinguished, and the crystals went dark. Jessie was now in total darkness, and she began to panic. “HELP!” she screamed. “HELP!” She breathed heavily in and out, and began to cry, something she had seldom done since she was a little girl.  

“I was so stupid!” thought Jessie. “I came into a cave without anyone knowing where I am. And now I’m lost!” She curled up into a ball. “Okay,” she thought. “Don’t panic. Even if you can’t get out of here before the shuttle leaves, people will notice that you’re gone. You’re one of the dancers, not just some random tourist. Theresa and the girls will see that I’m missing. And the starship isn’t leaving the planet’s orbit for a few days. So I have time.” She took a deep breath in and out. Jessie did realize two things though. One, she didn’t know if there would be fresh air since the giant door mysteriously closed. And second, Jessie didn’t have any food with her. The only things she had with her were the clothes on her back and her camera.  

“Hopefully I will be rescued soon,” thought Jessie. “At least before I run out of oxygen, or starve to death.”  

Jessie could then hear the sounds of bubbling. She then looked up and saw that the pool was illuminated. She walked towards it, and put one of her feet in it. It was warm and inviting like a hot tub. “Well,” Jessie thought. “It could be awhile before I’m rescued. Might as well enjoy the pool.” She stripped down completely, not even bothering to keep her bikini on, and soaked herself in the pool. “This feels so refreshing,” she thought.  

“I’m glad that you like the pool,” said the voice. 

Jessie’s eyes opened widely. “Okay,” she said, this time with a hint of anger. “Who are you? Tell me who you are!” 

“My name is Flora,” said the voice. “I’ve waited a long, long time ago for you.” 

“How long?” asked Jessie, utterly confused.  

“About two thousand years,” said Flora. “And you’ve been worth it.” 

“Two thousand years!” said Jessie. “But… why? Why have you waited two thousand years for me.” 

“Two thousand years ago,” said Flora. “This world began to die. The rendares were few in number then, and knew that they would completely perish soon. But there was one who changed himself in order to save this world. He was your ancestor.” 

“My ancestor?” asked Jessie. It seemed strange to say the least. How could one of those foxlike aliens be an ancestor to Jessie, a human? 

“Long ago,” said Flora. “A scientist created a human body for himself, and used his technology to transport his mind into it. Our people were just beginning to explore space, and had observed humanity through their telescopes. So he put his new human body into suspended animation. When he eventually reached human civilization, he mated with one of your ancestors, and passed along the knowledge that one of his descendants would need to help revive this world. As long as at least one of his future descendants eventually reached this planet, the plan would work.  

“And now you’re here! I could detect you when you reached this solar system. And now you can help recreate this world!” 

“But how can I help you with that?” Jessie asked.  

“Your rendare ancestor passed along an innate knowledge through the generations,” said Flora. “You have it within you. Tell me, do you like to dance?” 

“Why yes,” said Jessie. “It’s what I love to do the most.” 

“Wonderful!” said Flora. “Come to me, and you’ll know what to do.” 

Jessie crawled out of the pool and put her clothes back on, not even bothering to try to dry herself. She walked towards one of the giant statues, depicting one of the standing tall with a sword and a crown, otherwise wearing only a loincloth. And there before here was a flower inside of a glass sphere. It looked like a purple sunflower. “I am Flora,” said the flower telepathically. Jessie recognized the voice as the one she had been hearing lately. 

Jessie smiled at the flower. Despite all of the chaos that had been happening, Jessie couldn’t help but love it. “You look beautiful Flora,” said Jessie. 

“Thank you,” said Flora. “And now you must perform the Dance of Genesis.” 

“The Dance of Genesis?” asked Jessie. “But I don’t know how. That’s a dance I haven’t practiced for before. That’s not even a dance I’ve ever heard of before!” 

“You may not have practiced it,” said Flora. “But it’s inside of you. Your ancestor passed the knowledge of the dance within you. Just do two things. First, pick me up and drop me on the floor hard. Enough to make the glass shatter.” 

Jessie looked at the glass sphere, realizing that it was the one thing that had kept Flora alive for two millennia. “Are you sure?” she asked. 

“Yes,” said Flora. “Do it!” 

Jessie picked up the glass sphere, and with just one moment of hesitation, threw it upon the stone ground. It shattered into thousands of pieces, and Flora lay on the ground. “Okay,” said Flora. “Now dance.” 

“I don’t know this particular dance,” said Jessie again. “I don’t know the Dance of Genesis.” 

“Just begin by moving your feet and body,” said Flora. “It should come to you soon.” 

Jessie took a deep breath, and began to dance. She danced the beginning of one of the routines she did on the starship. But soon, she could hear music playing in her head. It was the most soothing, most serene music she had ever heard in her entire life. And now, Jessie’s body was dancing effortlessly, performing a type of dance like she had never done before. Even after dancing since she was but a small child, Jessie found herself using muscles she barely knew she even had. Her feet moved faster and more gracefully than they ever had before. Her hands and arms moved like they were inviting angels into a place of worship. Her hips swayed like there was no tomorrow. Her hair moved about like the feathers of a dove soaring into the Heavens. 

Within five minutes of dancing, Jessie saw that Flora had grown, towering the statue next to it. Briefly she stopped, her jaws open widely. “Keep dancing!” said Flora. “Keep dancing!” And so, as long as Jessie could hear the music playing in her mind, she kept dancing. She was barely conscious of anything else, just doing a dance that hadn’t been performed in two thousand years, feeling totally happy and totally in the moment. No worries or troubles entered her mind; Jessie felt nothing but absolute happiness. 

Three hours went by. Jessie had done nothing but dance, not stopping since she first saw Flora become gigantic. She had felt no need to rest or even get a sip of water. But after three hours, the music in her head stopped playing, and her feet and the rest of her body thus stopped too. Much of the ancient structures within the cave had broken since the beginning of her dance, and there were now holes in the ceiling, allowing light to come in majestically. Jessie took a few pictures with her camera, and then began to climb out of the cave. She climbed the stem of Flora, and as she did so, Jessie remembered her Mom reading her “Jack in the Beanstalk” as a child. 

Jessie found herself soon out of the cave and on top of a small mountain. Her breath was immediately taken away. Earlier in the day there had been nothing but desert with a sparse amount of lakes throughout the entire planet. And now, thanks to her dance, Cel-Bull IV was a planet-wide oasis filled with forests and greenery. 

Jessie walked down the mountain and found her way back to the other tourists. None of them has noticed that she was gone, and there was still an hour to spare before the shuttle was scheduled to fly back to the starship. All of the tourists stood there, gapping at the new wonders that had seemingly magically come before them. 

“You did a good job,” Flora said to Jessie. 

* * * 

            All entertainment (including the dances) was cancelled until the starship was scheduled to leave Cel-Bull IV’s orbit. This was because everyone onboard was in the observation deck, looking in awe at the planet. No one had any idea how it went from being almost a total desert to a completely green world in less than a day. But everyone thought it was wonderful. In the years to come, scientists would come from several solar systems away to figure out how this had happened; none of them would guess that it was thanks to a young woman dancing with all of her heart. 

            Jessie had always loved to dance. However, as she grew from a gleeful child into an adult more aware of the ways of the Universe, she wondered if she could actually make a living from it. Even here, where she was working as a dancer on a starship, she wondered how long it could possibly last. Now, Jessie felt a big wave of confidence. 

            “Well,” thought Jessie, looking down at the planet. “If my dancing can do that, then maybe I have a shot as a professional.