Aftermath

I have it on good authority that old Starfleet officers never die, they just become Science Fiction writers. And so, it's no surprise that Geordi LaForge, I mean Levar Burton, has written an adventure taking place in the United States during the next millenium. In the "aftermath" of apocalyptic turmoil, the survivors start rebuilding their lives and patching together the remnants of Society (does anyone remember The Stand?).

The survivors desperately need physical and spiritual healing, but medicine and hope are only available to the very wealthy. It isn't likely that humanity will survive, until Dr. Rene Reynolds invents a neuro-enhancing device that boosts the human immune system. This device prompts the body to heal itself of any and all diseases, without assistance from expensive doctors and their high-priced medicines. Now, the poorest of the poor can have medical attention. This is bad news for certain clinics and pharmaceutical labs. To ensure their continued control, they kidnap Rene and take possession of her invention.

After the abduction, Rene manages to send out a telepathic call for help. Jacob Fire Cloud hears her plea during his vision quest for the White Buffalo Woman. It doesn't matter to him that this White Buffalo Woman is Black. Believing in Rene's ability to heal all humanity, Jacob leaves the Rez to find and rescue her. Leon Cane in Atlanta and Amy Ladue in St. Louis hear Rene's call in their own ways and seek her out. Jacob, Leon and Amy meet in Chicago and pool their resources and talents to rescue Rene and recover her healing device. In that effort, they heal their own broken spirits.

This book begins as a simple innocent adventure, but it's not a dainty story. The undercurrents of racism and violence come to the surface periodically and culminate with an expose' of the kidnapping and slavery of Black people as organ donors for the wealthy. This book presents another cycling of the Black Experience in America, but it reads like the Holocaust meets Coma, but without the inventory tattoos.

I originally heard this story on tape and enjoyed it enough to buy the book. I read it carefully, to see which portions were cut to bring it down to three hours on tape. In general, the character backgrounds were intact. Some minor portions of their roadlog to Chicago were cut, but without diminishing the character development and credibility. On the tape, these omissions didn't detract from the story's flow; and it was an enjoyable way to burn up the miles while traveling I-40. I thought of it as "Reading Rainbow" for fandom.

<*> Ariann <*>