Homecoming, p.6
Homecoming, page 6
Her son let the man go. She recognized him as one of the New Order soldiers. Many of them had relinquished their pride upon waking up and fell in stride with the people of Mecca. Then there were men like him who resented being amid the enemy. The man backed away and left the atrium. The other addressed Veronica.
“Why do we have to put up with them? They didn’t have to be woken up too.”
“Because they’re also human and deserve a second chance.” She tried to smile.
“Not in my book.”
The man went over to a group of people who patted him on the back. He was consoled and they all took a seat by the viewport.
“Four more years of this? These people are going to kill each other,” Caleb said.
“And all on your watch,” Christine added. “Don’t you feel powerful?”
The two went back to their table. Xander put an arm around her shoulders.
“You really need that coffee now. Come on.”
He steered her towards the barista station.
After sucking down two cups of coffee, Veronica was back on the bridge checking on systems. Alicia came in and observed the crew hard at work at their stations. She stood near the platform and leaned against it for leverage. Veronica was still not used to seeing the woman without the glasses and austere outfit. Then again, she was an assassin by trade.
“Heard another New Order guy caused a ruckus.”
“Nothing serious.”
“This is going to get worse as we get closer to Earth. People are starting to go stir crazy.”
“People always talked about being able to go into space and travel to distant stars. This is the dream.”
“Yeah. But no one wants to hear about the part where space is the ultimate isolation. We’re thousands upon thousands of rats in a cage with no outlet that doesn’t constitute instant death.”
“How morbid!”
“So true, though.” Alicia wagged a finger in the air. “I’m going on my rounds.”
“Please don’t hurt anyone.”
Her assistant pushed herself off the platform and smiled up at her.
“Why, I’d never.”
CHAPTER TWO
Observations
Commander Dubon could see from the data that humans were falling apart at the seams. It had only been a year since they arrived, and he was now hesitant to send the second relay of information. The evacuation ships had given full access to the scout ship and their reports poured in on a regular basis. His communications and logistics officers barely kept abreast of it all.
“Is the data file ready?” He asked the communications officer.
“You’re really going to send it?”
“I have my doubts but I feel if they knew what had transpired while they were away, it would humble them a bit.”
“That’s a whole lot of faith in humanity,” the tactics officer said.
“Don’t you agree, Commander Gragor?”
He saw the holoscreen light up and Gragor’s face appear.
“Even that’s a little much for me,” Gragor answered. “You are correct in them needing to know.”
“Are you still following behind our ships in your quadrant?”
“I believe they call it tailgating.”
“But your ship is cloaked. They don’t even know you’re there.”
“Semantics.” Gragor shrugged. “I have a request.”
“And what’s that?”
Gragor’s expression changed and his eyes narrowed.
“Keep an eye on Silas.”
“Oh, we are already doing that.” Gragor seemed to be relieved. “We don’t trust him either.”
“Good to know. What do you want from us?”
Commander Dubon looked up at him aggressively.
“If you happen to see any humans going out of an airlock, use your best judgement.”
“When are you sending it?”
“Within the hour.”
“So between thirty six and seventy two hours, the shit is going to hit the fan.”
“Correct.”
“Guess I’ll have my crew prepare for the worse.”
“You have my gratitude.” Gragor’s face disappeared and he turned to the communications officer. “Let me know when it’s ready.”
“Yes sir.”
The tactics officer gave him a dubious look.
Days later, the live feeds were taken over on all the evacuation ships and a recap of ten years from after the war began, the footage in a montage format, was broadcast.
“Oh my God!” Quelly covered her gaping mouth with both hands. “What is that?”
People huddled under the viewscreens in their sectors on the ship and stared up at the red mist of death traveling across the planet. They saw the landscapes scorched bare, trees and animals disintegrated. Acid rain fall from a multicolored sky. Scientists searching for drinkable water and trying to grow plant life in black soil. Territories popping up and then carnage.
Some of the people watching had to turn away. Quelly forced herself to stay and see all of it. This was why humanity was on the verge of being written off. Even after surviving a war with an advanced alien race, humans still couldn’t come together as one.
The next section of the footage showed the Litigator causing havoc with the weather. Then came the New Order. Quelly’s mood went dark. A rage built within her as the narrator explained.
“Five years after the war, we witness the birth of a faction calling itself The New Order. Their goal was to bring society back to its glory days. This would prove daunting as they tried to take over hostile territories. Their focus shifted to the ones with technology and communication capabilities. Another faction led by a former U.S. General named Chad Hoskins was also targeting the same strongholds. Neither faction succeeded.”
Bile came up Quelly’s throat from hearing Hoskins’ name. There was no love for him in most of humanity for the awful things he had done. The fact that he had survived was bad enough. Dunlop came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“That bastard just couldn’t let himself be blown to smithereens.”
The footage jumped to the Litigator squaring off with Kevin before the Arenans came.
“These beings are called Arenans,” the narrator continued. “They are guardians that travel the galaxy and rarely interfere.”
“Look mom! Angels!” A little girl in the crowd yelled out.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” her father replied.
The little one’s excitement faded as they all watched the hostile Arenans put Metropolis and Mecca to sleep. She clung to her father’s leg and looked away, not seeing the rest of Earth being lifted off into space. What made everyone go silent was seeing the Litigator viciously destroy Earth; without prejudice. The planet turning dark, on the verge of death. Quelly couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face. It was such a horrific scene. The look on the Litigator’s face made it all the more awful.
And then came the Creator.
“A new Creator was commissioned to re-terraform Earth since the original Creator was not willing to take on the task. With the help of a Litigator already on the planet, the work is a success.”
Quelly leaned closer to the vidscreen, wrenching herself from Dunlop. She watched in wonder at the sparks of life spreading across the planet while the Litigator connected with Earth, sending out a loving apology so he could fix what he had broken. Swirls of blues, greens, yellows, and browns came together under white fluffy clouds.
New Earth was more beautiful than its older self.
Something within the feed caught the last evacuee ship navigator’s eye. He waited until the footage was backed up on the server then went to the section and watched it again. There was Mecca being bombarded with cannon fire by the New Order forces. He moved forward. The Arenans came and everyone, included the New Order soldiers were put to sleep. The same scenario happened at Facility Three and Metropolis. The navigator leaned back in his seat and turned to the copilot.
“Did you see what I just did?” The copilot simply nodded. “What do you think is going on inside those ships?”
“A whole lot of hurt feelings and chaos?” The copilot replied.
The navigator turned to the communications officer.
“Open a channel to the scout ship.”
“Done.”
Commander Dubon came on screen.
“What do I owe the pleasure?” He asked.
“The New Order.” Commander Dubon frowned. “Are they on that ship that used to be Mecca?”
“That is correct.” Commander Dubon answered, uncomfortable. “I understand what you may be thinking.”
“Do you?”
“Professor Veronica Headland is a capable leader. As are Professor Bartley and Terence”
“It’s not their leadership I’m worried about.”
“What would you have me do? Sequester them elsewhere? They are humans.”
“At least have someone keep a closer watch on Mecca, Metropolis, and Facility Three.”
“I already have other ships being observed. If you feel the need, then...”
“So be it. We will take up the task.” His quick response appeared to throw the commander off guard. “I will let you know if trouble starts brewing.”
“Excuse me, sir,” one of the officers from outside the bridge said as the commander blinked off the screen. “There is an urgent message from Professor Riggs.”
The navigator turned in his seat.
“What does she want?”
“For you to meet her in her personal chamber.”
“When?”
The officer looked uncomfortable.
“Now.”
“Fine. I’ll indulge her.” He got up and followed the officer out. “You have the bridge, copilot.”
In the professor’s room the navigator let out a sigh as he saw the feed from earlier frozen on the same images he had witnessed. She pointed at it, her eyes full of malice.
“These people,” she spat out. “They’re on our arks?”
“Yes. I also realized that.”
“We need to contact them. Professor Headland, Bartley, Terence. They need to explain this to me. To us.”
“I don’t think any of them had a choice. The Arenans swept everyone up, regardless of sides. If they were human and inside the region, they went.”
“What I want to know is if they were also woken along with the rest of the population.”
“I’m quite sure they were.”
“We have to be certain.”
“And if that’s the case?”
“Then they must be monitored closer than any others when we get back on Earth.”
“Agreed.”
The professor sat back in her chair and stared at him for a moment.
“You’re not arguing with me on this.”
“Am I supposed to?” He watched her demeanor change. “They are a threat to everything your race is trying to rebuild. We didn’t go through all of this for your sake only to have it sabotaged by a handful of ingrates.”
“Good. We’re on the same page. Now,” she stood. “Let’s have a chat with Professor Headland first.”
She went to the desk where a private channel had been set up. On the holoscreen that came up, she sent a request for a meeting to Mecca. The countdown for confirmation began from fifty hours due to the location of Mecca.
“I guess I’ll see you in a few days,” the navigator said.
He walked out of her room and headed back to the bridge. The New Order. He wanted to wring all their necks.
Veronica’s personal chamber was dimly lit to alleviate a headache. She stood at her desk hands on the countertop surface. The dim lights did no good after she saw the multitude of requests from various ships and knew what they all wanted. Her assistant stood arms folded and read each one with her.
“They are not going to like it when you tell them those shitheads are roaming around with the rest of us. You can’t blame them, really.”
“I just need to reassure them that I won’t let this happen again. Besides, most of them don’t even want to be a part of that movement anymore.”
“You can’t be that naïve.” Alicia gave her a quizzical stare.
“I am not being naïve!” Veronica slammed both hands on the counter.
“Calm down. Just send a blanket reply and let them be butt hurt.”
“I don’t know what they want from me.”
“This is your facility. You run it how you see fit.”
Emboldened by her assistant’s statement, Veronica typed in a reply and sent it to all the recipients. She stood straight and waited for the sent signal. When it cleared, she slumped forward and covered her face with her hands.
“This is such a mess.”
Xander tapped the side of the doorframe and she looked up with relief. She went to him and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her back until she let him go.
“I have a solution if you don’t mind my input.”
Veronica cupped his face.
“Tell me.”
“Whenever we had someone who broke the rules, they were separated from the rest of the city. Now in space, we have not done this due to the situation. I think we need to bring back a sense of normalcy as far as Mecca is concerned.”
“How does that solve the issue of the New Order people?” Veronica asked.
“Because the only ones truly breaking the rules are them.”
“So, they would be segregating themselves.” Alicia nodded in approval.
“That is correct.”
“Genius.” Veronica kissed his lips and walked back to her desk.
Xander shrugged. “Common sense, maybe.” He said it under his breath. Alicia shook her head and tsked at him. “She’s overexerting herself and not thinking clearly.”
“And you recognized that. Good job.” Alicia patted him on the shoulder.
“That’s not why I came,” he protested.
Veronica turned around and her expression crumbled.
“I’m so sorry, Xander. What did you need?”
“You,” was all he said.
Alicia did a side turn around him. “On that note.” She left the room.
Veronica dropped her arms to her side and her body felt shaky. She went to her bed and opened her arms to him. He climbed in next to her and rest his head on her bosom.
“I have a really bad headache,” she started to explain.
“I know.”
His body seemed to melt against her and she hugged him tighter. That guilty felling returned and she fought a flow of tears. She lost. They dripped down onto his sleeping head even though she desperately tried to catch them all by wiping her face.
Alicia stopped in front of the personal chamber for Professor Heines and tapped on it twice. He opened the door and made a motion with his hand for her to enter. He was wearing scrubs over his bodysuit. She grimaced then went to sit down in one of the papasan plush chairs that surrounded a small round table.
“I take it, the other ships were none too happy?” Professor Heines pulled the other chair over and sat across from her. “What’s the verdict?”
“She sent a mass reply. Told them to shove it. She’s got this.”
“Oh dear.” Heines shook his head. “That’s not going to go over well.”
“Xander had a suggestion. Of course, he has no idea what it really means.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
“Mecca occupants who disobey the rules are put in a sort of solitary confinement to reflect on their wrong-doing.”
“Sounds fair.”
“Only in theory. It’s not solitary confinement.”
“Then what is it?” He asked, puzzled. She smiled big, tilting her head. “Oh.” He nodded then his expression turned to horror. “Oh!”
“There’s a reason why everyone in Mecca is so well behaved minus a few loose screws. No one wants to be in trouble. That would mean coming to see me.”
“Well, if the New Order people are the only ones getting in trouble, I see no problem with it.”
“Exactly.”
“Already sharpening your tools?”
Alicia turned sideways in the chair and threw her legs over the edge.
“Let’s just say, I’m full of anticipation.”
“Do you really believe Xander has no idea?”
She frowned at that and began to ponder the possibility. She wouldn’t put anything past that bio-engineered child of Veronica’s. He had her smarts, and a cunning that came from his father.
Professor Bartley was no stranger to the New Order. He had dispatched an entire unit himself when they tried to infiltrate and take over Facility Three. They had no idea how to deal with his kind. The feed gave him more information that filled in the blanks. He wondered how the rogue factions were in so many places at once. Hoskins being part of the equation made sense. His door slid open and Lillian came into his chamber.
“How are my people doing so far, doctor?” He asked her.
“Splendid. I think we can say all is well.”
“The Level Zero sector?”
“Amazingly well. They seem to like being in space and have no desire to test out their talents.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Did you see the feed? Everyone has been re-watching it.” She gave him a side glance. His eyes brightened. “That one particular piece. The other ships apparently sent Professor Headland a nastygram and she returned the favor.”
“Good for her. I despise people who tell me how to run my facility.”
“Do you think they’ll try to resurface once we get back on Earth?”
“Of course. And we will strike them down again.”
“Good thing there’s no one harping on the footage of our little battle. We have a grip of those assholes in here too.” Lillian folded her arms. “So, if that’s not what you’re worried about, then what has you so moody? I had to come up here because your handler said you refused to come down.”
“We know nothing about Arenans. I don’t trust them.”
“Join the club. Those things are not nice creatures.”
“Call it a hunch, but I think they made a deal with a devil.”
“And which devil would that be?”
