Daniel thought his life had ended until he was offered a unique opportunity, a chance to make history.
It all started harmlessly enough but quickly got out of hand. Soon Daniel would find himself birthing new life.
=^..^=
She told me to relax and tell her exactly what had happened as she finished hooking me up to the black box that I'm sure I'd seen in movies.
But of course I couldn't relax. Earlier that night, I had killed someone.
I took a deep breath before continuing,
"I.. I was right outside the house" My eyes darted around the room. There was one other man inside the room and if I trusted my memory, two more outside.
"I didn't... I didn't hear the screams until I'm... scanned and the door opens" I continued, struggling to remember, still shaking from the events that had unfolded only about an hour earlier.
She was nodding, still tinkering with her little black box.
It unnerved me to see her so calm. I couldn't help but wonder what that box was telling her.
"I rush to the living room, and that's when I saw him grabbing my mother by her dress collar" I said trying to gain some composure.
"The man you are referring to is your step-father?" She asked looking up from her box.
"Yes, that is correct" I said while nodding. I'd tried to stop myself from sweating, worried that it would make them think I was lying. I was failing.
"Please, continue" She fixed her gaze back to the box after gesturing for me to proceed.
"He is yelling at her. I can't remember what exactly he's saying but she has her hands on her face.." I paused. I could feel my heart beating in my chest. "I didn't know what else to do, I had to stop him"
"What did you do?" She asked with her focus on me for the first time tonight.. I instantly wanted her to go back to looking at her box. I studied her eyes, was that boredom I saw in them?
"I" I swallowed gathering strength "I took my mother's ceramic angel from the counter to my side, and I hit him in the back of the head. I don't think he ever knew I was there" My head dropped.
"Why was that the first thing you did? Why not tell him to stop? Or try to restrain him" She asked.
Surely she was toying with me. She'd seen me. She knew what I looked like and what he looked like. I'd have had as much success trying to restrain a freight train.
"Because he never listens. He just hurts me then goes right back to her!"
I hated her for making me go through this. I hated him for hurting my mom every other night. I hated my mom for marrying him. But in truth, I hated myself even more for being too helpless to protect her or myself.
"I had to stop him" I told her finally with tears rolling down my face. I hated myself for crying so much. Dad hated it when I cried.
She stood up abruptly.
"Well you did" She walked over to me and took of the small headset I'd been wearing. "... permanently. The good news is the system says your testimony is true" She placed the headset on the table "The bad news is the system says your testimony is true".
She almost seemed saddened which was the first bit of emotion I've gotten out of her. She started walking towards the door. The silent man finally moved.
"We'll have to keep you here until the system decides what to do with you." The man knocked on the door and it is opened. "I wouldn't hold my breath though. Stories like yours never have a happy ending".
=^..^=
We did't have prisons anymore. Only detention and/or rehabilitation centres. All of which were temporary. Which is why it came as a shock to me that I had been there for over eight months.
The year was 2042 and our planet was just about filled to the brim with humans. With over nine billion people and rapidly rising, it was no surprise that the system was created. A way to get rid of unneeded baggage although that's not exactly how they put it.
"Ensuring a viable planet for our future" I think those were the words they'd used.
With over 60% of all arrests ending in the death penalty, with a murder charge, even if it was self defense, I still should have been the first to go. I had seen people with larceny charges given the serum. And here I was. Still kicking.
"Putting a strain on the already non-existent resources" some guards would tell me to my face.
It didn't make any sense. At least not until she paid me a visit last night. Miss Caitlyn Alcove, she'd called herself.
From the start of the conversation, I told myself not to trust a single word out of her mouth. Mostly because of how cagey she was about herself.
We had talked for 20 minutes and I still knew nothing about her or what she did except that 'my world needed me'. I didn't trust her but for some reason, I was needed. I wasn't in a hurry to have that status changed.
So I agreed to hear her out - not that I had a choice - and no sooner had she left, had guards entered my small room, blindfolded me and threw me in a vehicle.
One thing you have to now about modern day America is that not that much has changed from 10 years ago when it all went to shit. There were still three classes of people. The high, the middle and the low.
What had changed however was that those people were now separated. And not how you used to have rich areas and poor areas in the history books and documentaries. I meant full blown segregation.
You would need a permit and a reason to cross checkpoints. The higher your class, the better your residential area.
Now my family and I, off my father's veteran allowance lived in a middle class area. No thanks to my step father who was only ever good at spending the little my mother made.
One thing you started to get used to was the smell. It's not bad or even noticeable until you changed zones.
I had been in the low area before. My stepdad worked there in law enforcement.
One time when I'd been running errands with him, he told me he had to make a stop. God the smell was bad but my mind which had been on hyper alert could only focus on the ghastly environment.
Mud and dirt made up the floor which stuck to my boots. The wooden and zinc structures that passed for houses here had gone past disrepair and even barely qualified as accommodation.
The worst part is those were the lucky ones. Even in those conditions some were still homeless and beggars on the street. My step father would flatly ignore those that begged him for money. Of course they could tell that we weren't from there. It was easy to see that we weren't like them.
Of course this didn't mean that we were safe. Your status could change. If you become rich enough in your zone, you could buy a pass and make a trip to the administration headquarters. There was one in the middle zone of all states.
If you could afford to buy a house and you could prove that you had a sufficient income stream to maintain life in that zone, you could move up. That was the new American dream.
Of course the ladder didn't only go up. If you fell too far behind and could no longer afford a home and lifestyle in the high or medium zones, you would be "relocated".
"How much for the girl?" I heard someone say as they grabbed my arm. "Only a night"
I had recoiled from the shock as my step father laid him on the dirty floor with a left hook. I was only 13 at the time.
This however was a stark contrast from that moment. The air smelled much better than it did in the middle zone where I've lived my whole life. That's how I knew that I'd just crossed into a high zone.
=^..^=
It didn't take long for us to reach our stop. I was left blindfolded as they led me out of the vehicle and into the building.
"Hey, where are you taking me?" I asked
"Quiet!" One of the men holding my arm yelled sharply.
The floor made a sound like marble where my boots hit it and that's how I knew I was in a really fancy place. I heard multiple footsteps around me and I wonder what they needed so many guards for.
At 5'5 and just under 140 pounds, I hardly warranted the maximom security. Maybe all the bombings and assaults on government buildings had put them on high alert even when dealing with a non-treat like me.
They brought me to a room, took off my blindfolds, and uncuffed me before walking out with not so much as a word back.
It took me a second for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room. When it did, I noticed that there were four other people in the room. 3 men and a woman.
"G'day miss" One of the men said and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
This was my greatest regret. Puberty's refusal to visit me or if it had, the opposite route it had taken. I've always been quite feminine in stature.
Even worse was my face. I wish I could tell you that I looked like a pretty boy because that would have been a lot better than the actual truth. You see I took after my mother. Heavily. Her ethereal beauty had been copied and pasted right on my face like my father's genes never even put up a fight.
I knew this but it still hurt whenever it was acknowledged by other people. Which was a lot. That was the reason why I began keeping my hair short. Not that it helped much.
"I'm a man" I told him while sitting up in my chair massaging my wrists.
"Surely not" he replied in what sounded to me like a forced British accent but don't quote me on that. I was hilariously bad at playing accents. Or faces for that matter.
"Oh I assure you" I follow with a forced British accent of my own. Stupid.
"Oh? Apologies, I thought you were another lesbian" He said laughing.
The woman in the room shot him a glare.
The room is bare except for the chairs, five of which are now occupied.
"John Mudridge. Pleasure" The man said stretching his hand.
I eyed it for a second before connecting with it. I didn't know who these people were or why we were here but it couldn't have hurt to atleast be friendly with them for now.
"Daniel Fahey" I replied.
"That grumpy fella won't tell me his name" John saidk gesturing to a large man sitting in the corner. "I wouldn't go near him, bad vibes" he whispered to me.
'Who still says vibes' I thought to myself but nevertheless, I'd heed that warning.
"This lovely lesbian's name is Heather" John continued.
"One more time I swear to God" Heather hissed through her teeth. It looked like she had just about had enough of him.
To be fair, she did give off that 'vibe'.
He laughed before raising both hands in a surrender gesture.
"And this charming chap..." He continued gesturing to a dark haired man with his head bowed. Even at the off angle and with a full beard, I could easily recognise him.
"GloryDays" I interrupted. How could I have missed him earlier "You're that guy" I couldn't believe it.
"Yes GloryDays, The Robert Harvey" John added smiling.
That got Heather's attention.
"Wait, who?" She asked losing her pissed off attitude, replacing it with interest.
"You really don't remember?" John asked genuinely surprised "He made quite a stir two years ago. The bomb attempt at UN's Applied Sciences?" He said trying to jog Heather's memory.
"Oh shit yeah I remember" she finally said.
Took her long enough. Who could forget? Everyone heard about it. For a while, they were all anyone could talk about.
Apparently he had embedded multiple miniature explosives in his skin. Some cop detonated an EMP shorting the circuits, saving over two thousand people - The expected death toll.
Everyone assumed GloryDays was multiple people but it was never proven.
I couldn't believe I was sitting right there with him. I had to know.
"How the hell could you do something like that?" I asked. It was intended as a rhetorical question so his reply came as a shock.
"You wouldn't understand" He turned abruptly to face me. I couldn't believe I was looking the Robert Harvey in the eyes. "No, you don't want to understand"
"But why would you? You live in the middle. Content. Blind. You know what the governments of this world are doing. Sucking us dry while they build colonies on Mars. We won't let them. No." He was shaking his head by the time he finished his rant.
"Okay chill dude, there were thousands of people in that building!" Heather replied "Low and middle class people. They don't deserve to die for trying to make a living"
"The sacrifices of revolution. We don't take what we do lightly" He replied sitting back in his chair. "But like I said, you do not wish to understand".
I didn't know where to stand on this. Whenever my friends talked about the state of the country, they only speculated. I had actually been there and it was bad. Robert was right. Those of us in the middle could never actually understand.
But on the other hand, nobody in that building had the power to change anything. And killing innocent people was never justified.
=^..^=
Nobody else said a word until a man carrying a case walked into the room. Smartly dressed. I could instantly tell he was a high zone citizen although I'd only met a few my entire life. He wasn't at all cautious as he walked into the room.
"Good day gentlemen, lady" he said briskly as he took the centre of the room. "My name is Will Ness and I'm here to instruct you on what we'll be doing here"
You know, I heard once that everyone in the high zones are attractive. So far, that theory had held.
"About time" Robert said looking up again. "I am wondering if this is another scheme to make me talk"
Will looked at Robert like he was going to say something but thought better of it. He placed a palm on the case, it beeped then made a light click. He opened the case pulling out tablets. Five of them.
He took a lap around the room handing each of us a tablet. I quickly swiped through mine. It was a four page document with the first having my information and the last, an outline of a palm.
"As soon as you sign those, we can begin" He said as he returned and assumed his position at the front of the room.
"An NDA?" John asked.
"Yes. What we are doing here is top secret. We need to know that it will never leave your lips regardless of what happens here" He replied calmly.
"How do we know that you're not about to do sick experiments on us?" Heather asked.
He sighed clearly frustrated. It was clear he wasn't happy having to deal with us and there were numerous places he'd rather be.
"I assure you Ms. Jones. It's nothing like that. But by all means, feel free to look through it"
Unlike the rest of them, I was actually skimming through it making sure it was just an NDA as they claimed.
Name: Daniel Fahey
Sex: M
D.O.B: 22 November, 2023
Class: Rehabilitation
I turned the page and I'm greeted with the details of the NDA. To be honest, it didn't look anything out of the ordinary. It mentioned something called 'The Initiative' but didn't elaborate on what it was.
"And if we don't sign?" I heard Robert ask. I looked up to see Will who sighed again. I hoped these idiots wouldn't make him lose his cool. I didn't want to go back to the rehab center.
"Then we ship you back to whatever hole we pulled you out of" He says flatly "And for you Mr. Harvey, I hear it's especially bad."
He took a few steps toward us before reposturing.
"I don't know why you'd refuse. Our offer is a godsend where you're concerned. Really, where anyone's concerned. I know upstanding men and women who would jump at this chance."
"Maybe" I said "But we don't know anything about it"
"Well you will soon" He said turning to me. "We're not asking you to commit to anything. I'm only here to make sure that when we do reveal specifics, you won't tell anyone about it"
I glanced through the rest of the document not exactly sure what I was looking for. I'd already decided I would sign it. I guess stalling was an act. A way to show that I would not be taken advantage of.
I swiped to the last page. Without thinking any more on it, I pressed my palm on the outline. The double screen flash told me that it's done. They had binding proof that I had agreed to whatever that document contained.
I don't know if the rest were inspired by my actions but there were no more questions as the rest of them pressed their palms on the screens.
"Good, we can move on" Will said. "We're ready". He added with a raised voice.
Almost instantly, the single door that had provided our entry clicks open.
'Of course they've been listening in' I thought to myself.
Will walked out the door only stopping to tell us to follow him which we did.
=^..^=
Outside the room was even more brightly lit. I wondered where they found the power since they claimed power as scarce as it was was now a luxury and couldn't be afforded to the low zones.
Two guards stood outside our door and armed to the teeth it looked like.
One of the guards eyed me as I walk past him behind John. I like to think he was searching my face for resistance or my body for any sign of weapons. No, most likely he was checking me out. I felt disgusted.
We walked down the corridor until we get to another door.
"Please go in" Will said as he walked off. Of course no one disobeyed. It was hard to miss the two guards who now walked behind us and kept close attention.
That room was bigger than the last and a lot more luxurious. Chairs and ornaments like I'd never seen before.
There was a large hovering thick glass table spanning the entire cuboid room leaving only space for chairs around it and space at the front of the room.
"I could get used to this" Heather said looking around the room as she walked in.
"This is really something" John agreed.
"Now just think of all those starving children in the low zones" Robert added. Dude just never let up.
But still, I had to admit he had a point. The world has evolved immensely in the last 20 years. Some would say America especially but only about 8% of it's 450 million people get to ever experience those advancements.
'Poverty capital of the world' they called us on the net. The obviously hadn't been in high zones.
I took a seat near the head of the rectangular table and not long after, Caitlyn walked into the room with Will behind her. Anyone of us that wasn't already sitting quickly did.
"Thank you for agreeing to hear me out, ladies and gentlemen" She said as she dropped her case on the table but remained standing. I don't know if no one else caught the 'ladies' but they didn't respond to it. So neither did I.
Force of habit? I mean she certainly knew my gender. I'm sure she knew me better than I knew myself with the level of behavioral analysis that the system provided.
"I met some of you earlier but why don't we all get reacquainted" She continued, scanning the room "Names, age, previous occupation and reason for incarceration"
She said this so casually as if it was meaningless small talk.
"What is this, an AA meeting?" Heather laughed.
"I promise Ms. Jones. There is a point." She replied calmly.
"Daniel Fahey, I'm uh 19, still in school" I pause "was still in school" I pause again, swallowing before continuing "I killed my stepdad for hurting my mom". I figured I'd get it over with.
When everyone turned to me shocked, I added "It was an accident".
"Cat's got claws" Heather said almost impressed.
"I wouldn't have pegged you for the type, Daniel" John said with a smirk. There was something about the way he said my name but it wasn't a big deal so I ignored it. "So everyone here is a criminal?" He asked Caitlyn.
I wouldn't have pegged him for a criminal either. His skin and looks by far the cleanest and healthiest of the group. His short hair styled and together with his young face gave him a look you'd find in the old movies.
"Criminals are executed immediately." She replied "The five of you are 'in need of rehabilitation'".
"Well" John said smiling as he looks around the room "That certainly makes this easier. John Mudridge, 29, Doctor, I gave some of my patients fake medication" He shrugged "Some of them might have died"
"Your patients, where did they live?" Robert asked.
"Why the fuck does it matter?" John replied.
"Low zones right? That's the only place that shit would fly"
"See that's where you're wrong, it was middle" John told him smugly.
"And that is why you were caught"
Robert would have had a response no matter what John told him it seemed.
"What are the odds that you lived in a high zone?" Robert continued.
When John ignored him, he took that as his cue. "Robert Harvey, 27, radio technician and I'm here for trying to kill assholes like him" During his whole self description, he never once took his eye off John. We were off to a great start.
"Easy gentlemen" Caitlyn said finally "We're all on the same side here. And if this goes the way I hope it will, your past won't matter any longer."
Caitlyn turned to Heather who takes that as a cue to begin.
"I'm Heather Jones, I'm 24, I worked as a mechanic and six months ago, I accidentally killed my boss"
"Another accident? Right" Robert scoffed.
When the room fell silent, Caitlyn asked "Would you please tell us what happened?"
Heather exhaled before continuing "It really was a mistake. He was a sexist asshole, and I was going to quit. I just wanted to teach him a lesson first. So I locked him in the garage and turned on a car. I was going to let him out and disappear but he was already dead when I opened it. Both lungs were already failing or something like that"
"Well damn" John chuckled as the same annoying smirk returned to his face "Women are scary. Remind me not to mess with either of you".
"Mine wasn't a mistake." An unfamiliar voice rang out. Deep and imposing.
'Irish? Scottish maybe?' I thought. I was still bad at it.
"They were getting on my nerve" The voice was threatening.
He gave me the creeps. I knew he could break every bone in my body if he wanted to and I wouldn't have been able to stop him.
He had a light beard and a short military cut. The same combo the corporations gave all their guards. His face seems to have settled in a permanent scowl. Give him a suit and one of those new fancy guns, and he'd have fit right at home at RAW's door.
The Research for the Advancement of Weapons had popped up sometime in the early 30s - a subsidiary of one of the early 21st century tech giants and now supplied over 70% of all the weapons in America.
Guns had changed since my childhood. Energy beam rifles or 'hoses' like we started calling them after the movies. Easy to use, no recoil, devastating power.
Most recently, guns with directed sonic blasts that could tear through tungsten.
The way it was explained to me is that if a directed frequency is high enough, it can shatter anything. The guns have a dial that lets you 'tune' to frequency and at a low enough setting, can simply knock a human out for a few hours.
Apparently very popular in the low zones where riots happened almost daily.
"Cillian Doyle, 39, I worked for a private military group and I killed two men in a bar fight." He smiled "Wasn't really a fight".
There was a pause before Caitlyn spoke again "In the spirit of fairness, I'll tell you who I am. My name is Caitlyn Alcove, 32 and I'm currently working as UN's aide to NASA on a joint endeavor we like to refer to as the Gaia Initiative".
"Shit, seriously?" Heather asks chuckling.
"Yes seriously, Ms. Jones" Caitlyn replied "Reveal the surroundings" She adds out loud.
The walls responded by becoming transparent and the world outside was absolutely stunning. Robots, people in fancy suits, aircrafts you wouldn't believe. It was like looking into the future. It looked to be a testing area. Everyone I could see was doing something or tinkering with another.
The crown jewel in the centre, a large craft that you'd only find in a sci-fi movie.
"Welcome to the NASA Headquarters in Washington." Caitlyn said with what I detected as pride.
I stood and walked up to the walls to get a better view. The shuffling of the chairs tell me that at least some of the others were doing the same.
"I needn't remind you that nothing you see here leaves the building"
"It's amazing" I said.
"It is" I heard her reply behind me.
"What is that?" I asked knowing I didn't need to clarify.
"That is the Pathfinder. A ship capable of intergalactic travel. One of three in the country and eight in the world. Let's all take our seats please. Much to discuss"
I took one last glance at it before heading back to my seat. The others too were in their seats not long after.
"Dim the lights" Caitlyn said after which the walls went dark and the lights dim "Let's get down to business"
When we are all settled, she began "Load Gaia 1"
A large screen appeared from behind her revealing a planet that at first glance looks like Earth. I quickly realize it's not. The blue, green ratio is all wrong. There is a lot more blue.
I'd wanted to be an astronaut once. To 10 year old me, this would have been a dream come true. Deep down, I'd always wanted to leave this planet. I'd always known it was broken.
But the chances of a kid from a middle zone getting into any program were slim. The chance of being chosen to leave the planet miniscule. Eventually I decided to be realistic and become a pilot like my father.
Mom had hoped that the news of my father being KIA if nothing else, would be enough to keep my brother and I out of the sky but it only fueled our need to be up there. Andy said he felt closer to dad when he was up there and soon, I was saying the same.
After Andy dropped out of school to join the U.S Air Force, I almost followed him but decided to finish school first. Maybe if I'd followed him, I wouldn't be here. I had yet to decide if that was a good or bad thing.
"You have been invited here because you all are uniquely suited for a top secret mission."
"Uniquely suited how exactly?" I asked.
She smiled before continuing. "9 years ago, we discovered this planet in the Andromeda Galaxy" She pointed to the sphere on the screen "It is what you would call a perfect planet. Breathable atmosphere, habitable zone, it is currently codenamed A021S or 'Gaia'"
"As you know, ladies and gentlemen" she continued "our planet is dying. Experts have calculated that we have less than 10 years before she literally can't take anymore. I'm afraid the child ban was a little too late"
5 years ago, the Survival Act was passed. It brought with it a new set of laws concerning water, food, power consumption and illegal sources of power but most importantly, the child ban. It became illegal to have children in the middle and low zones and you would need a permit to have a child in the high zones.
All men were required to take birth control and even if you got a permit, only one child was permitted. For a while, it had helped but without any enforcement in the low zones and the general fucked up nature of the world, we were already on course to critical overpopulation.
"But we have been given a chance, Gaia can support human life and we have the means to get there. How would you like to be the first humans on our new home?"
=^..^=
"I'm sorry, what?" Heather asked and I could immediately tell that we we're all in the same perplexed boat.
"Are you serious?" I asked not sure how to feel about all of it.
I'd had working guesses about what they might have wanted from me when Caitlyn walked through my cell door. Safe to say this didn't make the list.
"Why us?" I asked in desperate need of some answers. "What are were going to be doing exactly?"
"We've been vetting this planet since it was discovered. At this distance, our long distance scans are ineffective. We attempted sending probes through to gather that information but we are not able to get anything back."
"Wait hold on, that doesn't make any sense" Robert objected. "You already sent probes? There aren't enough years in human history for you to have done that."
"I understand your skepticism, Mr. Harvey but I assure you it has been done." She responded.
"How?"
"All will be made clear before your trip - should you accept - but for now I need you to trust me"
I could see the skepticism written on his face but Robert let her continue.
He was right of course. I didn't know the exact number but it would take atleast a million years for any craft we had to make that trip. And what? they'd done it in 9 years?
She paused, scanning our faces.
"This is the mission. Reach Gaia, test the conditions and survivability, if Gaia is indeed everything we hope it is, light the beacon. It's all very simple really".
"Let's say somehow we're able to get to this Gaia planet and light your beacon. It would still take several millions of years for that information to get here" Robert objected once more.
"I really do appreciate your critical thinking Mr. Harvey. That's part of the reason we brought you on board" She sighed. She tried to play the understanding role but it was still plain as day that she was getting over his interruptions.
"The beacon works with entangled particles. I assume you are familiar with the term" Caitlyn explained. "One of the pair will remain here on earth strictly monitored."
He nodded his head making sense of it. I too kind of understood. Of course I was sure there was a lot more to be considered but that was above our pay grade.
"We do that and we're free to go?" Heather asked suspiciously.
"Well not exactly" Caitlyn replied "We plan to begin colonization efforts as soon as we're sure what the planet holds. At that point, the six of you will be the leading experts on the planet. We will require you to provide valuable counsel during that time. But you will be workers of the U.S government and you will be free citizens on Gaia."
I instantly recognized how amazing an opportunity this was even if I didn't fully trust it yet. Life doesn't give you anything without a catch.
"Why us?" I asked.
"There are still too many unknowns." She said without missing a beat. The whole thing almost felt rehearsed. "I could try to list all the things that could kill you but we'd be here all day - and that is before you even made it anywhere near Gaia. We can't send our astronauts with the limited information and number of unknowns."
"And on the planet? Are there things that could kill us there? " I asked once again looking the beautiful gift horse in its mouth.
"Most likely. But atleast, you won't starve. You will be leaving with 10 years worth of food and provisions for a mission that can be completed in 2. It is a routine search and rescue op" She replied.
The group seemed to be pondering this but no one said a word.
"What is wrong with you people? I know men and women who would do this for nothing in return" Will says. "How can you not jump at the opportunity to be the first to step foot on a new planet. In a new galaxy!"
"I don't trust you suits and I don't trust this" Robert told Will.
"Then say no" Will replied. I could tell he was serious. There was nothing he'd have wanted more than to not have to deal with us.
"I'm in" I said which prompted Caitlyn to smile. There was no decision to be made here. There was nothing left for me on earth.
She placed a hand on her case, it makes a familiar beep and opened. She pulled out a tablet and handed it to me.
"Any other takers?" She asked seemingly confident that she had won us over.
"You're going to kill us if we don't accept, won't you?" John asked. I realised I hadn't heard from the loud mouth in a while.
She laughed a pretty rich lady laugh, "Don't be ridiculous. But rehabilitation does fail"
"Noted" John said "Fuck it, give it here"
And so she did. One by one, every last one of us in the room accepted the terms.
"I'm glad you see the reason in this. I know how you feel about us out there. But I assure you, you have my word that there is nothing to fear".
The relationship between the zones was a real issue. The enmity from low to high and the indifference from high to low. With all the recent bombings and riots, it told me that the situation was only worsening.
That said, when Caitlyn said those words, I desperately wanted to believe her.
"Well, what now?" John asked when we had all finished signing.
Will stood and nodded to Caitlyn as he left the room.
"Now the fun part" She said finally with a smile.
=^..^=
We were led down the corridor, through a door and greeted by the lobby of the building. I wasn't sure if it had been the same path I'd taken earlier but it has the same marble floor.
There were people, lots of them. Guards, suits, children. In the 8 months since it happened, I hadn't really seen anyone except the guards so this was the first wake up call that I'd made it out alive.
"Are you excited to see the spaceships kids?" A woman accompanying a group of children asked with a big smile. She used that voice you usually used when talking to children... or dogs.
"Yes!' the children chorused.
They were all very clean. All wearing what I assumed to be school uniforms. A plain grey and white outfit with a solid high neck and pants. The girls wore dresses in the same colours. I wondered if they even knew that their planet was dying and that they had no future. Their parents had squandered it.
"If you're good, one day you parents will take you on a trip to Mars! " The woman said cheerfully. "Are you going to be good?"
"Yes!" They chorus.
I remembered when I was that age. I attended a public school in the middle zone and dreamed of flying far far away. It's funny how things work out.
"Keep moving" One of the guards said alerting me that I'd stopped. The kids walked past me and I kept moving.
The sun was blinding when we finally left the building. I didn't know what exactly the time was but I knew atleast that it was early morning. The facility was even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
There were other large buildings just like the one we'd just exited and even more people out there than in. People of all ages and races.
In the distance I spotted some teens playing hover tag. I assumed they were part of the Mars program. We didn't send just anyone to Mars anymore. When they launched the first programs, not all the astronauts that were sent could successfully acclimatize to the change in gravity.
These kids were being trained in highly specialized programmes and their bodies prepared to inherit the red planet.
"No fucking way, the 2042 Exigen L-Spec?" Heather's voice snapped me out of my mind as she ran to the large fancy SUV that's just rolled up.
Before long she was all over the car, fawning over it.
"Step away from the vehicle!" One guard commanded as both raise their guns.
Caitlyn walked over to the guard and gently pushed the gun down.
"Stand down, there's no need for that. These people aren't criminals" She turned to the rest of us "Not anymore".
The guards obey and reassumed their positions.
"Please, this way" She said as she walked towards the car. We followed.
She walked over to the driver's door and as soon as she got within range, the car chimed, "Primary user identification confirmed, Caitlyn Alcove". Of course I recognized the voice. Everyone did. It was Alexa. Amazon's AI that was now a part of everyone's lives from when you were working, shopping and even when you were taking a dump. Alexa was always there.
The driver's door made an artificial sound as it raised vertically. Caitlyn stepped in and said something I couldn't pick up.
The passenger door mimicked the first and the back doors slid open to reveal a limo style lounge seat.
Heather of course was the first in and she was immediately sprawled over a section of the chairs. "I could get used to this" she said relaxing.
I couldn't help but feel like a cow being fattened up for slaughter. I said nothing however as I got in and neither does anyone else.
When all the doors are closed, Alexa chimed again "Set destination"
"Home" Caitlyn said simply.
I didn't even know when the entirely silent vehicle started moving until the world started to pass me by. I took one final glance at the beautiful facility retreating behind me. That turned out to be unnecessary because I would be here a lot over the coming months.
The journey 'home' was eye opening. The magnificent houses, the exquisite cars parked outside those houses. The elegant people driving those cars. It felt like a different planet.
I glanced over at Robert who I was sure was feeling justified over his actions two years ago.
We eventually come across a CNN broadcast in the sky. If I'd had my phone, I could have tuned in to the free broadcast and gotten audio playback.
I briefly considered asking Alexa to play audio but decided against it. Atleast I could see the headlines.
"Over 35 million Americans estimated living illegally in Canada"
"North-South Korea merger falls apart after shooting"
"Third bombing in 4 months leaves 17 dead"
'Everything is going to shit' I thought to myself as the broadcast faded into the distance.
=^..^=
Thankfully, not long after that, we're at our destination. It was surprising how fast you could travel when the roads were clear. That's not a luxury most people have anymore. The low zones are so jam-packed they don't even have cars outside of designated federal roadways.
We exited the car and walked up to a door where Caitlyn was waiting for us.
"Welcome to your new home. I hope you don't mind living together. You will be for the duration of your training" she informed us.
No one said a word. We were all still standing in awe of our 'new home'. Even John who lived in the high zone was entranced. I guess even among the rich, there were levels.
It was a large and exquisite building, and as criminals, you could understand why we wouldn't have been expecting this.
"Primary user Identification confirmed, Caitlyn Alcove" The familiar voice comes from the door as it clicks open.
I don't know what I had been expecting but the interior was very minimalist. The entire decor was either white, grey or black. There was a long white couch that spanned the living room but broke apart at two points to provide entry. A coffee table in the middle added the final touch making it a very simple but tasteful space.
"There are three rooms downstairs and four upstairs. They're all the same so take your pick" Caitlyn started and we all turned to her "Mr. Ness will be staying here with you"
'I was sure he wasn't very happy about that' I thought to myself. If I was being honest, I didn't think he liked us very much.
"I hope we can all work together and get to know ourselves better." He spoke. "You will be my crew mates after all"
"You're coming with us?" I asked surprised.
He nodded. "Of course, you didn't think we'd leave a multi billion dollar vessel and the fate of humanity in just your hands, did you?"
"There's going to be a full briefing tomorrow." Caitlyn said "Don't worry about that. This mission doesn't have a lot of time so after today, you probably won't have any free time. I suggest you enjoy your final day. Get settled in"
"Can we leave the house?" Heather asked.
"After you're fitted with trackers tomorrow, yes. Stay put today" She answered.
"Trackers?" Heather asked again.
"Nanites. You won't even know they're there. You should be careful however, you stray too far, and they're programmed to explode."
After giving us some time to let that sink in, she continued "You shouldn't worry. Unless you're thinking about escaping, you really have nothing to worry about."
=^..^=
"Hello" I heard her again as I stepped into the room. She really was everywhere.
I don't reply. I am used to dealing with the invasive Alexa on my phone and computer but talking to your house is a different experience. I heard talking houses had been available for quite some time. But with the power shortages, I was sure they were among the first excesses to go.
"You are now in setup mode" Alexa prompted "What would you like me to call you?"
"Uh Daniel's fine I suppose." I pause "Actually scratch that, Dany".
That's what mum called me. I wondered where she was. If she missed me. If I'd ever see her again.
"Acknowledged. What would you like to call me?"
"Leave as default"
"Acknowledged. You can change any of my default home settings on your computer. Would you like a smart home tutorial?"
"No"
"Would you like to change your privacy settings?"
"Yes"
"Would you like to turn off microphone?"
"Yes"
"Sorry, this option is currently disabled by primary user. Would you like to turn off camera?"
So much for not being a criminal.
"Yes?"
"Camera turned off. Please note, if I detect an emergency, I am programmed to immediately restart visual recording. Would you like to hear our terms and conditions?"
"No"
"Do you agree to our terms and conditions?"
"Yes"
There was another chime. "Welcome to Amazon Smart Home"
I realized I'd just been standing there right at the door the entire time. I took my first step scanning the room.
I was mostly empty except for the large bed, the table which doubled as a computer and the large wardrobe which I recognized from the news. Apparently, It featured a 3D printer, clothes are bought off the computer and the clothes are printed instantly.
I sat on the bed not believing the day I'd had. 12 hours ago, I sat in a rehabilitation cell. And now here I was preparing to sail the stars.
After sitting for a few minutes, I felt the need for a good shower. Something more thorough than the rubbish I'd had to suffer through for the past eight months.
After playing "warmer, cooler" with Alexa for nearly 30 minutes, I exited the bathroom feeling refreshed. I had a towel around my waist. I walk up to the large wardrobe.
"Show mirror" I instructed.
The large wardrobe revealed a mirror which was basically just a screen and a high resolution camera. God forbid we use anything as pedestrian as an actual mirror right?
Being in here, it was easy to forget all about the shitty world outside. Would I want the world to change if this was my life?
I had always been small but I feel tinier standing there naked. My soft features mocked me. "Don't worry hunny, I was a late bloomer too" I remembered mum saying, not seeing the error in comparing the two of us.
Looking at myself in the mirror, it was so strange how much I looked like my mother. Like a woman.
'What is wrong with me?' I thought to myself. Maybe it was time to try one of those "Get Buff Quick" treatments. Was there anything I could do about my height? I'd have to check.
The only part of me that was remotely masculine was my flat chest. I brought the towel up to my chest and instantly hated myself. I returned it to my waist before deciding to get dressed.
I slid the wardrobe door apart and this caused the 'mirror' to automatically close.
"You currently have zero outfits." Alexa said. I could clearly see that. "Would you like to buy some?"
"You have.. ten thousand dollars in your account"
I slid the wardrobe doors back close and happily headed for the table.
The tabletop was a screen that could be raised to a 45° angle.
"Secondary user identification confirmed. Dany" Alexa said.
"Open Fashion" I was excited to see what options I had available to me.
"Opening"
The 'Welcome, Dany' on the table is replaced by 'Pick a category. Male, Female, Unisex'
I touched 'Female' out of curiosity.
'Shop by Product' appeared on the screen followed by 'Accessories, Blouses and Purses, Blouses and Shirts, Coats and Jackets, Dresses...'
I touched the 'Go Back' button and then 'Male'.
It took me a while to decide what I wanted to wear but when I did, I selected purchase and just like that, it was done.
The sudden humming of the wardrobe alerted me that the jeans, white tee, sweater and slides had begun printing.
"17 minutes, 31 seconds until printing is complete. What item would you like to print first?"
"Briefs" I made a mental note to do this before a bath next time.
=^..^=
=^..^=
=^..^=
7 Months later.
The six of us sat together on the porch outside the house late at night. Yes, even Will. Actually it had been his idea to lie under the stars for our last night.
None of us spoke but I was sure we all felt the same. A mixture of excitement and dread.
Training had concluded 10 days ago. We had all been thought all the essential skills needed for the mission as well as other general skills like building and farming.
Even though we'd have the on board computer for any information we'd need, they felt it was important that we had most of that information stored in case of emergencies.
Individually, they'd taken us on courses that prepared us for the roles we'd be playing on the mission.
I was to be the pilot. Well assistant pilot. Will would be the main pilot. I would be providing auxiliary and support functions. But still, I'd had to go through the entire course to make sure I was prepared in case anything happened to him.
Over the last seven months, I had learned the ins and outs of the pathfinder. Not as much as Heather our engineer but still. In truth, we were all really only there for human judgment. The on-board computer could handle most processes required for interstellar travel.
John was our doctor of course and Cillian trained in combat and protection in the event that we encountered hostiles.
In the last ten days, we had been dragged from press conference to courtesy visits. 2 days ago, we even met the president.
Now though, the real work was about to begin. Tomorrow we were being transported to Mars where the pathfinder already awaited us and from there we would begin our journey to Jupiter.
A partial orbit of Jupiter would help us generate the speed we needed to make it the rest of the way to the wormhole.
Sometime around month four, Caitlyn had finally told us the full story - or atleast what I thought to be the full story.
9 years ago, a stable wormhole had appeared a ways off from Jupiter and on the other side of it Gaia, A planet that suited our needs perfectly.
The thing is stable wormholes don't just occur by themselves. Someone put it there. God? Didn't matter. All that mattered was that humanity finally had a lifeline.
We'd immediately started developing crafts that could successfully make it though in one piece. The Pathfinders were the latest model.
They'd managed to send probes through but had quickly realized that this was a door that only opened one way. I had cried that day. The realization that I was leaving earth behind permanently. Leaving my mother and brother behind.
But what could I do? What could any of us do? There wasn't a choice. So we pressed on.
We'd wondered why they were using us instead of their own people? This was why. What would happen when a human passed through a wormhole? That's what we were there to find out.
Of course their scientists had assured us that we'd be safe. The stasis capsules would keep us safe as long as the Pathfinder held together through the wormhole.
They were "optimistic". As I drank the last drops of my beer, I wondered:
'Death today or a chance to stare down the universe and walk through its butt hole?'
=^..^=
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Hello, thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I know there's no tg yet but I'm taking it slow and just focusing on world building now.
I promise I have a wild ride planned for our hero and I hope you'll stick around for it.
Please let me know what you think so far. Share your thoughts. I'm listening.
The five of us were seated in a lounge area at headquarters. Will who'd ridden there with us at 6am that morning was now nowhere to be found.
We'd left with nothing but our smartphones since they had assured us that everything would be provided.
I stared outside the window at the grounds below. It was still early in the morning but many people were already hard at work.
From there I could see the stargazer shuttle that would be taking us to Mars being attended to. I still couldn't believe that I was about to leave the planet. And I hadn't even left the state yet.
In the distance, I saw another Pathfinder. Ours was already in orbit over Mars so I wondered who this one belonged to.
"Who do you that one is for?" I asked no one in particular.
"There aren't going to be any missions until our beacon is activated so probably no one" Heather answered.
"Some rich assholes" Robert interjected.
He'd calmed down with the 'Eat the rich' act over the past few months but occasionally, some glimpses of Glorydays would shine through.
"No, not possible" John disagreed "The experts are next. You know, the ones that will help us build a colony on Gaia?"
"I still can't get over the fact that we are going to another galaxy" I said still in utter disbelief. "I mean going to orbit would have been crazy enough for me but this..."
"Yeah well most likely we step into that wormhole and our insides turn to jelly" Robert interrupted.
"Have you perhaps tried not to be such a downer?" John asked him.
"I don't think so" Heather added her own two cents "Someone put that wormhole there. It's too big a coincidence to think that it just appeared out of nowhere."
"It is a miracle from God" Cillian stated. Over the months, Cillian would occasionally talk to us but not very often. He just liked to be left alone. But we all knew for a fact that if it ever came to it, he would protect every last one of us.
"Whoever it was, they wouldn't go through all that trouble just to kill us" Heather finalized.
Heather did have a point. Something out there was rooting for us.
"Or the lab coats misjudged their calculations and our ship will break into a million pieces" Robert countered. He really didn't let up.
I stared at him in horror. Of course he was right as well. A single thing could go wrong and we'd all be dead and NASA could just bring in the next set of recruits.
"Look, you made her scared" John said mockingly.
Another one of his running jokes. Ever since one of the workers had said "Follow me ma'am" to me, he just wouldn't let it rest and always referred to me using female pronouns.
Even worse is that lately, it had been spilling over to the rest of the crew mates.
I rolled my eyes at him.
Thankfully I was saved by Caitlyn's entrance into the room. She was followed by Will who looked exhausted.
"Okay team, attention please" She said. "The moment we've all been waiting for has finally come. You trained for this. You are ready"
She seemed proud.
"7 months ago, you were nothing more than a rag-tag group of criminals. Today you're the most important people on the planet. It's time for us to make history."
I looked around the room. Smiles all around. This was really happening.
"Launch is scheduled for 52 minutes from now. I need you all to get changed quickly and meet me down in the shuttle bay"
"Are you coming with us... to Mars?" I asked.
"Oh God no, that is a 4 month long trip each way. There's way too much to be done. I'll be here coordinating with your handlers at Mars station to ensure everything goes smoothly."
She turned to leave, "hurry and get dressed, your clothes are in the changing room. You know the way"
=^..^=
The clothes they had prepared were navy blue jumpsuits with the NASA and UN logos imprinted on the chest area. This was paired with white sneakers and was identical for the entire team.
The problem was my suit was tighter than I'd have liked and the fit was all wrong. It seemed to encase my body especially in the waist, butt and thigh areas not at all like the suits the other guys got.
As I checked myself in the mirror, I thought about asking for a different one but there was only 35 minutes left till launch so I decided to let it go.
"Honestly, your legs look great" I heard Heather say. I hadn't seen her standing behind me "So does your ass if I'm being honest".
"Hurry and finish getting dressed, we need to go" I told her in an attempt to change the subject. Heather who had only put her legs through the jumpsuit but had the rest of it hanging off her back agreed and walked off.
=^..^=
I got similar comments from John and Cillian as we walked through the halls headed for the shuttle bay. I did my best to ignore them and even eventually fell to the back of the pack because I couldn't help feel like they were staring.
We opened the door at the end of the hallway and revealed a large hangar. I stared wide eyed at the numerous ships of different shapes and sitzes that dotted the bay and the runway that sat just after it.
My attention was drawn to Caitlyn standing next to two black SUVs while having a conversation with NASA's Administrator and a few others. I'd even seen his portrait hanging at numerous locations in the facility next to a portrait of the president.
"There they are!" He exclaimed. "The people of the hour"
He smiled and closed the gap between us and gave each of us a firm handshake.
"I have a good feeling about this team" he said making sure the other people he'd been talking to could hear. Some nodded their agreement.
"There's no time. We will speak again when you get to the port."
He meant the space port of course. The journey to the wormhole was more like a relay race. We'd get to the port and then they would pass us like a baton to the next ship that would take us to Mars. The same would happen at the red giant where we would switch into the Pathfinder for the final leg.
"Get going. God speed" he said finally.
Caitlyn took over and shuffled us into the SUVs that would drive us down the runway to the carrier that was to begin phase one of our ascent.
=^..^=
When the car had parked in front of the massive aircraft, I marveled at the bounds of human engineering. The massive structure looked like a typical helicarrier with a few key differences. While it still had the flat runway on top, it had a streamlined design at the front that gave it aerodynamic properties and massive engines at the back.
The vessel we'd be boarding - Stargazer - however sat on the runway of the carrier. Caitlyn had to remind me to keep moving as I had stopped to gawk at it.
She led us into the base of the craft and using a seemingly endless elevator, we got to the top and proceeded to the smaller lone vessel that sat on its runway.
The inside was beautiful. The wide panoramic windows that made up most of the interior let us see perfectly what was going on outside the craft. I imagined that would come in very handy when we got into space.
"So this is it" Caitlyn said. We all turned out attention to her.
"This is the last time we'll see each other on Earth. I pray we will get the chance to meet on Gaia"
I believed she really meant that.
"We'll talk when you get to the port" Caitlyn added finally and turned to leave.
"Thank you for everything" I blurted out. I really did mean it. My life was over and she had given it back to me.
She smiled warmly at me and nodded.
=^..^=
Just before takeoff, our pilots introduced themselves and assured us it would be a smooth ride. They handed us earplugs and told us it could get noisy even with the insulation.
A few more minutes and countdown came up over the intercom signaling us that it was time for takeoff.
"10,9,8..." my heart skipped a beat in my chest.
"7,6,5,4..." God it was so loud. Even with the earplugs, I could still hear the roar of the engines
"3,2,1." The engines roared louder and soon the buildings in the horizon started to move. It had begun. My life was about to become even more unrecognizable.
Faster and faster we went, the pressure pushed me back into my seat. I strained to keep a rational thought as I feared my eardrums would burst.
Soon though we were airborne and I was finally able to put two rational thoughts together and be aware of my surroundings.
I realized I'd been gripping Will's hand who sat next to me tightly. Embarrassed I let go but he gave me a reassuring smile.
I let my mind wander outside the plane where I saw the Earth below retreating much faster than I expected.
This ascension proceeded for a few minutes until the carrier seemed to slow down almost to a crawl, the world outside was dark and I could see the Earth curve in the horizon. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.
Again over the intercom I heard our own pilots say: "Launch sequence beginning in T minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6..."
The Stargazer's engines had launched to life.
I felt a sharp lurch on the craft which caused me to jump.
"It's okay, they just released the mechanism locking us in place" Will told me. I relaxed
"3, 2, 1."
Once again an incredible amount of pressure pushed my back in my chair as we accelerated at lightning speeds. The craft shook violently as it got faster and faster.
I heard loud thumps outside of the craft and realised I was holding on to Will's arm. I hadn't expected this experience to be so scary. We'd done High-G training which I'd done reasonably well at but there was something about being in the actual moment and not a simulation that terrified me.
"We're just passing the trash layer. It'll be okay." He assured me. I knew that. They'd taught us all this. My mind simply wasn't in the right place.
When our shuttle had slowed to cruising speed, I knew atleast that it was over. The world outside was indescribable. Simply breathtaking.
"It's really something isn't it?" Will said after seeing the expression on my face.
I looked around the cabin and every last one of us was staring, eyes laser focused at the world outside. The earth from here was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It glowed like a blue jewel in the pitch black night.
I was never going to set foot on it ever again.
=^..^=
I don't remember how long it had been since the space port that had started as a small speck in the dark became the biggest structure in our field of view.
Soon though we were landing and guided through to clearance. We let Will do all the talking and the rest of us just stared in giddy delight at everything that was going on.
It kinda looked like a shopping mall. Except with massive glass panes that showed the vastness of space outside.
We were guided through several checkpoints and cleared at every one of them until we came to a level with hundreds of people.
Most of them looked like they were either there working or there for some business or another. I heard that at some point in our past, there had been tourist trips there but that had long since stopped.
Unfortunately, we wouldn't be there long as our trip to Mars was scheduled in 12 hours. Will showed us to our rooms and advised us to get some actual rest if we needed it.
While the rest of the team went to explore the port, I was feeling very rundown by the trip here so I decided to get some sleep instead.
=^..^=
We were about to get our first taste of stasis. Earlier we'd had a conference call with Caitlyn, the administrator and other heads of NASA and the UN. They assured us that the world stood with us and we were carrying humanity's hopes and dreams with us.
Caitlyn briefed us about our procedures at Mars Station told us finally that we'd speak again in 4 months.
We'd boarded Solaris VI not long after and were now being prepped for sleep.
Stasis was a relatively new technology, only about 5 years old but it was a staple of all our long haul mission.
The Mars missions which started at 7 months but were not down to 4 months were the first to implement stasis. We could bypass the long boring parts of the missions by putting the astronauts to sleep. It also helped to save weight on things like food.
The missions to Saturn's moons which clocked at 2 and a half years were next to adopt it.
Our mission to the wormhole would take a little less than 2 years at closest approach so it was a given.
As explained, we would be in Stasis for the duration until the last month of approach where we would do final checks and make sure everything was in order. That would be our final chance to abort.
If we, I mean if Will our captain decided to proceed then we will enter the special stasis capsules that have been designed to protect us against the gravitational and tidal forces as well as Hawking Radiation.
"Your turn" the doctor told me. The others were already peacefully asleep except Will and I. Our pilots would be the last to be put under but they'd be awoken for the final month of Mars approach.
I took a deep breath and to no one in particular, I said "here goes".
=^..^=
I coughed violently as Solaris' doctor brought me back to life. That's what it felt like. I was so disoriented I couldn't tell left from right. Even my eyes burned from the light exposure.
"Easy love. Just take it easy".
When she was sure I was okay, she unhooked me from the machine that had been keeping me alive.
"You may feel dizzy or the need the vomit. There's nothing to vomit so don't try to or you'll cough up your lungs" She warned.
"Are we here?" I groaned. My voice croaked and my throat hurt.
She handed me what looked like a juice box "Yes honey, drink this and when you're strong enough you can head up to the observation deck"
She moved on from me to attend to the others who were already up and sipping their juice boxes.
"Remember, no solid food for the next six hours" She voiced back at us.
=^..^=
I stumbled about as I followed the signs that pointed the directions to the observation deck.
It took me longer to recover from 'Stasis sickness' but now I felt strong enough to join the rest of the team.
The ships halls were narrow and cold. I guess I had to get used to it. This kind of environment would be my home until we made it to Gaia. Of course if Gaia turned out to be in habitable, it'd be my home forever.
I heard their voices before I saw them. Heather and John were bickering about something I couldn't make out. I turned the final corner and saw them but they might as well have been invisible next to the gigantic red sphere that spanned the whole view of the observation deck.
I couldn't get enough of this. No matter how much I saw, it never stopped being absolutely breathtaking.
"There's our sleeping beauty" John announced.
"Oh Dany, isn't this incredible? " Heather exclaimed ecstatically as she walked up to me. She'd heard Alexa call me that a few times and the name had stuck.
"It really is" I agreed with wonder filled eyes turning my gaze to the red beauty once again.
Even Cillian and Robert both seemed mesmerized.
"Oh yeah, Will wanted to see you". John told me.
"Me? why?"
"Who knows? He's up there" John gestured to the floor above us. "You can use that elevator"
"Thanks. I'll be right back" I said before taking my leave.
=^..^=
When the elevator door opened after a short climb I was greeted by a room that offered 360° panoramic views of space outside the ship.
"Dany, I'm glad you're awake" He said. He meant well.
"Thanks" I replied "This is so crazy" I said turning around and getting a good look at the endless night outside.
"I wanted to find out if you're okay" He sounded worried.
"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" I deflected.
"Well the journey so far has hit you pretty hard. More than the rest of us. I just want to know how you are."
"I'm fine" I assured him "No biggie" I let out a nervous laugh.
He studied me but didn't say any more on the matter.
"I want to show you something, look there..." he pointed ".. see that dot"
I strained my eyes, I couldn't see anything. It was just black. I shook my head.
With not so much as a warning, he walked behind me, took my right hand, leaned in to reach my eye level and pointed with my finger "Right there, see that dot?"
I heart was beating even faster than it had when we left earth. He was so close to me I could feel his breath on my neck.
After squirming I managed to nod.
"That's Earth. It's probably the very last time we'll ever be able to see it with the naked eye".
I was sure what he was saying was interesting but I couldn't focus on anything other than how close we were and his hand that still remained on mine, pointing.
Eventually, he'd turn me around, "see that?"
"Mars?" I answered quickly.
"No right there, in it's orbit" He came even closer as he precisely moved my finger to where he wanted me to look.
'What was happening?' I wondered while I desperately tried not to panic.
"The pathfinder" I said softly.
"Yes" he let go of my hand after which it fell back to my side. "in two days, we will begin the journey to our new home".
=^..^=
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I really do hope you all are enjoying the tale so far. I hope it doesn't feel too much.
I'm trying to get through all this as quickly as possible so I can get to the actual story which doesn't begin until they make it to the wormhole.
Anyway, I'd love to hear you thoughts. Cheers.
Mars station was an orbital facility that served numerous functions for both planets.
While it acted like a space port, it's main purpose was scientific research. Mars station was tasked with studying the planet's atmosphere and surface to aid in our terraformation pursuits.
Also, like so many other missions before us, we were using it as a launch pad to the farther reaches of the solar system.
Additionally, minerals and resources were received from the surface to be transported back to Earth and also the other way around.
"You're not going down to the surface are you?" Rudy asked through the corridors of the Station. He'd been sent by our handler to lead us through check-in and now to her office. "Cause there's currently a storm"
"That's classified, specialist" Will answered simply.
"Oh right" Rudy replied nervously "Sorry". He looked to me and smiled. I averted my gaze quickly and focused on the path ahead.
Landing on Mars was a bit different than landing on Earth. With only about 1% of Earth's atmospheric density, for us to get down to the surface, we'd have to free fall in a capsule which would then initiate a two stage sequence of releasing parachutes then engaging the RAD systems. Rocket Assisted Descent.
'No thanks' I thought to myself.
Unlike the space port on Earth, there wasn't as many people on Mars Station. Of course I couldn't know the exact amount of people but it couldn't have been more than 500 people.
I did my best to ignore the looks we got as we passed groups of workers. I guessed everybody knew everybody there.
"Here it is" Rudy cheerfully told us as we arrived at an office door. "I hope your mission's a success. Whatever it is"
"Thank you, Specialist" Will responded.
Rudy waved at me before taking off. I didn't think I'd see anyone around my age in space but there he was. Must've been one of those Mars program kids. Probably rich 1% parents.
I'd expected their children to all be stuck up brats but he seemed nice.. if a bit awkward.
"Come in" I heard a woman's voice after Will knocked.
We all shuffled into the small office door to reveal a room that was deceptively big on the inside. A dark haired woman in a blue suit sat at a large desk on the other end of the room.
Behind her was a thick glass pane that offered views of part of the station's lower levels and the endless darkness beyond.
"Pathfinder team, welcome!" she called to us while walking out from behind her desk.
While extending her hand to Will, she introduced herself "Sofia Chavez, Acting Director of Outer Solar System Affairs"
"I'm Will Ness, Captain of the Pathfinder" he replied shaking her hand.
"Oh of course I know who you are, all of you" She said excitedly "I've been waiting for you".
She glanced at all of us, "Heather Jones, Cillian Doyle, John Mudridge, Robert Harvey and Daniel..." she had paused slight but quickly recovered ".. Fahey".
"He have your ship in top condition and ready for your journey" She said as she walked past us and towards the door "Come, we'll use the conference. There's some people who can't wait to talk to you".
=^..^=
"Just two more days now, I'm sure you're very excited" Caitlyn spoke over the video.
Of course Sofia didn't actually mean 'talk' in the normal sense of the word.
Given the distance between us and Earth, that would have been impossible. What she meant was that they'd left a message for us and we could send a message back.
Currently it would take about 25 Earth minutes for message from Earth to reach us. That would get worse the farther away we got and obviously become impossible as soon as we crossed the wormhole.
"We're all very excited for this mission" Caitlyn said over the video. There were a lot of people in the background including the administrator.
"The pathfinder is ready, all systems green across the board, we've all been preparing for this moment. We believe in you".
And that was it, the message was over. Just like we'd planned, Caitlyn and Mission Control back on Earth would leave us messages at crucial points. Just before we left in two days and when we awoke from Stasis nearing the wormhole.
The pathfinder was constantly relaying reports back to Earth so if there were any issues, one of those messages would be for us to abort.
If the final message gave us the green light, there'd be no going back.
"This next message is for Mr. Ness alone so follow the Specialists outside the door. They will lead you to your rooms. Get some sleep."
"Yes ma'am" We answered and left.
=^..^=
A common misconception about stasis was that after sleeping for four months, you'd be refreshed and ready to go when you woke up. It was actually the opposite.
During stasis, the body was stuck in NREM stage 2 of sleep where your heart rate and breathing slowed and your body temperature dropped. The body was never allowed to enter deep sleep (stage 3) where actual recovery happened or REM sleep.
Research was still ongoing about the longterm effects of prolonged exposure to stasis. For now though, the experts only recommended getting some actual sleep after exiting stasis.
Which is exactly what I wanted to do at that moment.
The room itself was more like a prison cell than anything. A tiny compartment with a bed and a shared bathroom at the end of the section. Still it looked inviting enough due to how tired I was. Anyway I could deal with this since it was only for two days.
=^..^=
I ended up sleeping all night and felt a little more like myself when I woke up.
'Or was it all day?' I wondered. Obviously there were no day or nights up here.
After a quick shower, I decided to explore the station a bit.
'From tomorrow the walls of the Pathfinder, would be all I'd have to look at for the foreseeable future. This was my last chance to see something different' I reasoned.
The grey v-neck t-shirt and joggers combo I'd found in the closet had the exact same cut as my jumpsuit from earlier. These must have been 3D printed in the same measurements as all the other clothes that were provided to me.
The tight fit that seemed purpose built to assentuate the figure I'd tried to hide for so long which left me extremely uncomfortable as I wandered the halls of the station.
Still, I took in the sights. The best thing about Mars Station was all the greenery, and even better it wasn't even artificial.
I spent a lot of time exploring the open garden that had a variety of plants and trees I had never seen before. Some of them even had 'endangered' signs hanging nearby with a list of all the locations where they could still be found.
Eventually I made my way to a bar and settled in at one of the booths.
"Earth's dead already and we don't need it anymore. We need our independence" I heard a group talking and listened.
"The first true Martians have already been born. Do you want our kids to grow up in a world where 80% of everything they mine is sent to another planet?" Another agreed.
"We still receive food and supplies from Earth?" Another chimed in.
"For how much longer? They already can't feed themselves. I'd rather eat synthetic food if it meant we could finally be free of them already"
"But we can't just leave them to die..."
"Shh shh" One of the group alerted while looking directly at me. "That's one of them that arrived off the Solaris yesterday". They all turned to me and so I turned away.
The silence was deafening and their shushed voices told me they were talking about me.
When I heard a plastic, probably printed chair shuffle, I exhaled.
'Are they leaving?' I thought.
"Barkeep, a drink for our friend here" The one I assumed to be the ringleader called out.
Soon he had shuffled over and was now filling the chair across from me.
I stood to leave..
"Relax lady, I'm not gonna harm you"
I looked around, at the rest of the workers whose eyes were still trained on me. I looked at the other patrons who seemed to be minding their business. Or atleast pretending.
"So you've just arrived from earth eh? How's the motherland?" He asked with a smile. He was attractive and well kept. Another high zone asshole who secured a gig on Mars through his connections probably.
I didn't respond.
"You've just arrived but there are no scheduled trips to the surface all week... which means you're going further" he deduced. "Where? Europa? Enceladus?"
I didn't respond.
"Somewhere else then?" He pressed.
"You know I'm not going to tell you anything. What do you want?" I stood my ground.
He took a look around then leaned in,
"Listen, Earth's done. The elites are already offering their friends the opportunity to buy property on the surface. We have contacts, We can get you a place here on Mars permanently" He took one last look around "tell me what you know and what your mission is"
He sat back in the chair. "You look like a smart girl, you scratch my back, you know how it goes"
It looked like he was dead serious. Were they really already buying up property on Mars? They weren't even going to try to save earth or find another solution? Mars couldn't even support half of Earth's population even if it's fully terraformed in time.
Right now it would take what? Maybe 500 thousand? They were leaving everyone to die. Gaia was now our only hope to save everyone.
"Thanks but no" I said as i stood up. Of course I didn't need a place on Mars. I was leaving the Milky Way forever.
"Going back to Earth is suicide" he told me. "Leave a message with the Barkeep if you change your mind".
I left and didn't look back.
=^..^=
Robert had suggested we don't tell Will who wasn't around when I returned.
"He probably knows already that they are basically selling seats on the life boat and abandoning Earth and everyone on it. He's in on it" Robert stated.
"We don't know that. And even if he knew, he's still here risking his life to give us another option" I defended him.
"Yeah he could just chill on Mars with the rest of them" Heather supported.
"He's keeping a lot of secrets" John chose his side "It's smarter not to tell him everything we know"
Looking over to Cillian, we all prompted him to say something. Honestly I fully expected him to side with them. The last few months we've spent together, I've only known him to me cynical about human nature.
"I know people. I've known bad men. I do not think he is one of them. As long as he is making this journey with us, we can atleast know he's on our side... even if he is keeping a lot of secrets but then again, who isn't?"
The man of few words had shocked me. In the end, we agreed to not fracture the team before the mission even started and tell him.
"What about Caitlyn?" I asked him "Is she a good person?"
"She would do whatever it took to survive" He nodded seemingly please with his answer.
=^..^=
"Yes, property is being bought up on the surface faster than it can be built." Will had admitted. We'd accosted him the moment he walked through the door and I told him about the offer I'd received.
"I'm afraid if we fail, the focus will shift, and building more biodomes on the surface will become the priority."
I believe that moment sparked something within us. Humanity's fate rested on our shoulders. If Mars became our new home, only the very worst of us would survive. The greedy and the power hungry. We would lose all the best qualities of ourselves. We couldn't let that happen.
The next day, as we stood in the rising elevator that would take us to the pathfinder, we had a new conviction. We would make Gaia humanity's new home no matter what.
=^..^=
The Pathfinder was much bigger than the Solaris so the corridors felt that much roomier as we made our way to the bridge.
This was the first time I'd actually been inside it. Since it was designed to be used in space, it had only been suspended when we'd seen it on the ground at NASA. Two months later, it had been dismantled and sent into space piece by piece.
Of course I'd walked these halls about 500 times in simulations so the layout atleast was familiar.
As the doors to the bridge slid open, I heard a familiar voice ring out across the room's speakers.
"Hello, Pathfinder crew"
It wasn't Alexa. The Pathfinder Operations and Logistics AI which we all called Pola was the on-board AI built from the ground up to manage the ship's systems.
"Hello Pola" Will said as he gestured for us to take our seats.
"There is an incoming message from Earth. Shall I begin playback?"
Will's nod gave her the approval she needed which caused the massive viewport at the front of the bridge that had previously showed the Mars and the real-time space outside the ship to switch to a video of Caitlyn.
Unlike the usual design where the bridge would be at the front of the ship and the glass panes would provide a view outside, Pathfinder's bridge was somewhere in the middle to provide quicker access to the rest of the ship due to its size.
Although there were only 6 of us on board, this ship was intended to carry thousands of people across the stars. The size was wasted on us but would come in handy when the actual missions started.
A ship this size would have been impossible for such a small crew to pilot without Pola.
"Hello again" Caitlyn's video recording started, "All signs are still green so the mission is officially a go. Our wormhole is still as stable as the day it appeared with no signs of deterioration."
Unlike the last video, in this one it was just her in her office.
"I am so very proud of what you have achieved so far. I believe in you. We will speak again in two years" She smiled "For you, it will feel like tomorrow. Goodnight Pathfinder crew, have a nice nap"
And that was it. The mission was a go.
"Okay Dany, time for pre-flight checks. The rest of you can go inspect your equipment and make sure everything is perfect. You know what to do. Let's get moving, I'm sure the Martians are sick of us already"
I took my seat in the assistant's chair as the rest of the crew exited the bridge.
"Life support systems, check" Will voiced.
I read the meters and responded "Check"
"Navigation, check"
"Check" I responded again. Oh God, it was really happening
We went through every last system like the training instructed, solar panels and fuel cells, communication, temperature regulation, humidity control, air filtration, backup power, fire suppression and more.
All of this wasn't really necessary of course as Pola would detect any issues long before we did and Mars Station would have also performed their own checks but still we did. Just in case.
The last check performed was the Propulsion systems check which was usually the most rigorous. We went through engine checks, propellant flow,throttle control and most importantly thrust vector control that ensured our maneuverability.
All systems were green.
"Begin undocking sequence".
Carefully I pressed the buttons which detached us from the station. Last thing I wanted to do was rip out a section of Mars Station on my first day
I was sure that couldn't happen but still.
The ship tilted slightly then corrected which is how I knew we'd undocked. Well that and the screen in front of me telling me we had.
"Begin propulsion systems checks" Will instructed.
The first to be tested was chemical propulsion. I applied a bit of forward pressure on the control sticks, the thrust gauge lit up and the positional systems told me that we infact had moved.
The chemical propulsion system wasn't our main source of propulsion. This was only to be used in specific situations like accelerating out of port, getting into open space and occasionally navigating an astroid belt or debris field. The liquid hydrogen that powered it of course was a finite resource.
Our main propulsion would be the ion thrusters which were powered by the solar sails we would release later in our journey.
This was how we would cover most of our journey to the wormhole and then to Gaia.
The last system I tested was the Omni-directional control system which which ensured we could turn in any direction or rotate if needed. This also included the stabilization mechanisms.
When we were done with our redundant checks and we were sure everything was working perfectly, Will signaled me once again, a thumbs up back to him told him that I was ready and so we began our journey.
=^..^=
The solar sails were open, Pola had taken flight controls, it was time for Stasis. We all gathered in the med bay where John was already preparing.
John had been trained to put himself into stasis so he would help us then put himself under last.
"What if I fuck up and I'm not able to fall asleep?" He asked.
"Then we'll see you in two years" Heather laughed "Don't eat all our food though" she said seriously.
That was a real problem that had happened before but John had put himself into stasis multiple times over the past few months so we weren't worried.
It was actually incredible. The next time I opened my eyes, it would be 2045 and I would be 22.
As you probably know, my body would still age so I was essentially just losing two years of my life. But that was the mission.
"Dany, you're up first"
I wanted to protest remembered that this was the exact sequence Will decided on. I guess I felt like if John fucked up somehow, I wouldn't want to be the one as selfish as that was. Either way, I tried to trust him.
He hooked me up to the machine which would monitor my brain activity for the entire duration as well as wake me up when Pola decided it was time.
He injected me with the serum that primed me and then placed the breathing mask on my face.
"Can you hear me?" I heard but extremely muffled.
I was already so dizzy.
"Dany, I need you to count back with me from 10, 9, 8, 7..."
=^..^=
My body involuntarily jumped upright and I was hit with the worst headache I'd ever experienced. Everything hurt. All my joints felt like they would fall apart with every move.
"Lie back down" John guided me and placed my head back. The inside of the tube in which I lay perfectly molded my body which was designed to keep me in place during stasis.
"Is... everyone else up? " I groaned.
"You're the first" He said softly "First in, first out, you know the rules... except the doctor of course."
He handed me the same juice as before.
"Thanks" I whispered.
"If you thought you looked like a woman before, now with all that hair..."
"Don't finish that sentence" I interrupted. "And by the way you look like a caveman" I added.
He really did. Full head of hair and full beard. Far cry from the freshly trimmed hunk we'd left Mars with.
"How long do I have to sit in here?" I asked. I'd been in that tube for 2 years, my body needed out.
"You can leave whenever you no longer feel disoriented... But finish your juice" He called out as he went to tend to the next person.
=^..^=
I walked into the bathroom and beelined for the mirror. God, he was right. I marveled at the woman staring back at me. Atleast I looked older now.
My hair that barely reached my ears now went well past my shoulders. Even worse is that it was a tangled mess.
I inspected my chin. In two years, I'd only managed a little irregular stubble. So ugly. Even more than the hair on my head, those hair patches had to go.
Suddenly a loud scream coming from the med bay shocked me but then I realised it meant Heather was now awake.
Thankfully the bathroom had disposable and recyclable shaving sticks so I quickly took care of the stubble. I made a mental note to ask John or Heather to help me cut my hair later. In the meantime I brushed it as well as I could.
=^..^=
By the time I rejoined the crew in the med bay, I saw that Robert was now awake as well and Heather was on her feet drinking the juice.
The agreed stasis order - me, Heather, Robert, Cillian, Will and then John was being followed.
"I actually hate that a man is prettier than me" Heather said as I walked back into the room.
"Honestly now I'm not so sure she is one" Robert agreed. Robert who made it his life's work to disagree with everyone finally agreed on something and it was that I look like a woman.
"Can one of you help me cut this hair off?" I asked.
"No, you can't. It's beautiful. Maybe just needs a little trim and styling" Heather proposed.
"No thank you" I quickly shut down that idea.
Soon Cillian and John were both awake, neither failing to comment about my appearance. It didn't help that all my clothes were in this weird style.
"Welcome back Captain, now that the entire crew is awake, you should know that we are approximately 18 hours away from the wormhole" Pola's voice rang throughout the med bay's speakers.
"Alright team, let's get to the bridge"
=^..^=
The first thing that I noticed when I got to the bridge was Jupiter far off to the right. Although no bigger than a soccer ball at this distance, I could immediately tell that was it due to the numerous pictures I'd seen of it.
Morbidly, I thought about how even if I died here, I'd still be satisfied because of all the things I was able to see.
"You have a new message" Pola announced.
"Play it" Will responded.
It was Caitlyn again. She looked different. Was it just the hair that was different? Or did she looked thinner somehow? Or was it the bags under her eyes.
"Pathfinder crew, this is the last time you'll see my face or hear my voice until we meet again on Gaia. I have to admit, things on earth are getting bad.
Mission control has moved to orbit which is where I am now. The ground isn't safe anymore. I don't want to alarm you so I won't go into the details but I want you to understand how crucial your success is.
The president hopes to announce the viability of Gaia on Independence Day to help calm the people and buy some more time.
Your beacon lighting up before then is all we can hope for now.
We believe in you. Caitlyn Alcove signing off".
Silence filled the bridge.
Earth was falling apart and humanity with it.
"Pola, what day is it on Earth?" Will asked.
"It is May 16th 2045, captain".
"Show me the wormhole" he then instructed.
We then watched the viewport switch screens and display empty space. To Pola's credit she even added a marker on screen to show us exactly where it was but still nothing.
Following a long zoom in, I was able to make out some distortions on screen but very faint. The stars in a certain portion of space seemed to bend in a circular pattern, a phenomenon that wasn't present elsewhere.
In any case, it was time to prepare for it. After running all the systems checks and ensuring everything was still in order, Will told us to go get some sleep and prepare to enter the special stasis capsules. Back to back stasis without any actual sleep was a very bad idea.
=^..^=
"Daniel, you are needed in the med bay" I heard Pola's voice which dragged me out of sleep. What kept me awake though was that the whole ship seemed to be shaking. Softly but I could definitely feel it.
I put on my clothes and rushed to the med bay to find the rest of the team already there.
"Good, you're here" John said to me. "We're going under early"
"Can you believe it? Six hours away and the readings are already this massive" Will asked excitedly.
"This is crazy, how are we going to make it through?" Robert asked.
I could feel the Pathfinder groan and shake slightly beneath my feet.
"We press on" Will made it clear that we weren't turning back. "John, put her under... uh him sorry"
I didn't have time to worry about that. We were still 6 hours away and it was already this bad?
With no objections though, I let him put me under. The special capsules didn't use a mask. We were put into a rectangular box made out of ballistic glass and latched closed. This capsule was then supplied with oxygen as well as the gas that enabled stasis.
If I died here, I would still die happy.
=^..^=
I woke up with a panic. A loud alarm was blaring wildly all over the room and it seemed all over the station. The pleasant white lights of the medbay had been replaced with a red color that screamed danger.
I looked up above me and John was floating. He pushed off my capsule and floated to Heather's capsule opening that one too. One after the other, he opened all the capsules.
"What's happening?!" I screamed trying to get my voice over the alarms.
"I don't know, Pola's not responding" he yelled back.
I noticed I was floating as well. I turned to Heather who was floating out of her container but still seemed to be asleep.
John propelled himself to her again and pushed the stasis release button. Nothing. He pushed it again. Nothing.
"Something's wrong" He told Will.
"Stay with her" Will replied. "Dany with me".
I followed his lead as he pushed himself off the walls and any surface and made his way out the med bay. I followed suit. We'd done Zero-G training as well so we were equipped for this.
We navigated the winding corridors as we pushed forward toward the bridge. Thankfully the backup generator had kicked in so we had essential power to doors although this included the alarm and lights which were still red and blaring retriggering my headache.
"Pola!" He called out.
Nothing.
"Start reboot sequence" He told me.
I pushed my way to the Centre console, followed the instructions and waited. Surely enough , all lights went off for five seconds and came on again, this time their usual color. The alarm had also stopped in the bridge but I could still hear it coming from distant parts of the pathfinder.
"Hello captain" I heard and in that moment it was the most beautiful sound. My relief didn't last long however because the next, I was falling chest first to the floor. A thud to my left told me Will had fallen too.
I groaned from the pain.
"Pola what happened?" Will asked her.
"I... I don't remember" That was the first time I'd ever seen an AI stutter. "My final records are from 16 minutes to the wormhole"
The wormhole.
"Did we make it through?" I asked.
"My navigation systems are still rebooting. I will have a full report in 4 minutes"
I heard the bridge door slide open to reveal Robert.
"She's not waking up" He said.
Will scratched his head before bolting out the door and back to the med bay.
I followed.
=^..^=
Both John and Cillian were standing over Heather who seemed to be sleeping soundly in her opened stasis capsule.
When he saw us, John began "She won't wake up. I've tried multiple times. I think something is damaged"
"Well can't we repair it?" Will asked.
"I don't know how, she's the mechanic" he responded.
"Pola, what's wrong with her?" Will asked.
There was a slight pause. "Her capsule seems to be malfunctioning. Pinging its computer is not returning a response"
"Can you fix it?" he asked.
"It seems to be a hardware issue. You can access the capsule's internal components on the bottom right corner and I can try to guide you through the steps"
"Okay" Will agreed.
"Captain, if we short it for even a second, she's braindead" John warned.
"Well can't we move her into one of the other capsules?" Robert asked.
"If we unplug her, she's braindead" John repeated.
"So what, we just leave her there?" I asked.
"We can't do that, we need her" Will replied agitated. That was very unlike him.
"Yeah we do need a engineer" Robert agreed.
"No, you don't understand" Will reiterated. Where had the calm and collected guy gone?
"Then help us understand" I reached out and touched him arm.
He took a breath almost like he was preparing himself.
"Heather had a separate crucial mission. When we determined the planet's viability, she was to get pregnant and give birth. Even if we could survive, we needed to know if babies could too with the different atmosphere and gravity. Otherwise, we'd still go extinct if we couldn't reproduce."
I shook my head. What was he talking about?
"How was she supposed to get pregnant?" Cillian asked.
"There are vials of sperm from healthy males in storage" Will answered.
"And she agreed to this?" Cillian asked.
"Yes of course she did. You think I was going to get here and then force her?" His reactions had gotten worse. He wasn't having a good day.
I looked at her. Still sleeping peacefully. I guess she had her secrets.
"How would they even know if she was successful?" Robert asked.
"There's multiple beacons. There's even one for hostile wildlife" he answered.
Secrets. There was so much I didn't even know.
"We need to find a way to wake her up." Will decided.
"No" I stepped up and in front of him. "I won't let you get her killed over this. No, we find out if we even fucking made it, then if the planet is viable, we light the beacon and wait for the next team to show up. They'll have a engineer right?"
"We can't abandon the mission" He argued "We have to try atleast... and I'm still the captain"
"Captain" Pola's voice rang out. "I may have a solution".
=^..^=
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Hey again, what did you think about this chapter? I'm sure you all already know where this is headed. I felt confident letting this spoiler go early because the main meat of the story doesn't happen till much later.
I'd love to hear what you think though. Leave a comment. Thanks. Stay tuned for more.
"No! No!" I screamed while backing away "Absolutely not"
"You don't even know it's going to be you" John said. He seemed giddy about it.
"But I do. It's going to be me"
"Yeah you're probably right" He laughed.
"I'm not doing it" I made it clear "I don't agree to it"
Will who seemed to be pondering the whole time finally spoke "Is that even possible?" he asked.
"I mean, I've never done a uterine transplant myself but with the Autodoc on-board, it should be easy enough with very little chance of complications. That's if the Autodoc here is programmed with that procedure"
"The Autodoc in the surgery is running Version 5.12, the latest and most complete Autodoc library" Pola responded.
What were they talking about? They weren't seriously considering this were they?
Autodocs revolutionized the field. It was a kind of table capable of monitoring all aspects of surgery procedure including the patient's vitals. The key feature was the Augmented Reality headset that the doctor wore to receive real time instructions on the steps to take.
This paired with the gloves that tracked all actions and made precise adjustments allowed even the most mediocre doctors to perform successful open heart surgeries.
"So it is an option?" Will asked.
"Yes it is" John replied.
When Pola suggested that Heather's uterus be transplanted into one of us, I didn't think it would get this much consideration. I thought and hoped the absurd suggestion would be immediately thrown out.
Will who now seemed to only care about the mission was clearly becoming more and more in favour of it.
"Dany..." he started.
"No." I shook my head and took another step back. "I refuse"
"You need to do this for us" He pleaded.
"Why me? Why can't any of you do it?" I asked desperately with tears welling up in my eyes.
"Hey I'm doing the surgery, it can't be me" John excused himself.
"We all play critical roles to the mission. We can't afford to be indisposed for any amount of time. You're the least crucial here." Will explained. "I don't mean that to say you're not important but if we need to, I can fly the ship with Pola's help"
"I don't look like this by choice" My eyes begged but it seemed decided. Everyone was on the same page.
"It's this or we try whatever we can to pull Heather out of stasis. Your choice" He said finally.
=^..^=
I stared blankly into space as I contemplated my fate and what options were available to me. I was sitting in the med bay while John droned on about the processes it would take to achieve it. My mind however was entirely elsewhere.
What were the chances we could fix the stasis capsules without an engineer? I knew Will would atleast attempt it. Lately I hadn't been able to understand him. It seemed the mission was more important to him than any of us.
Maybe he was justified in taking that stance. The stake involved was the fate of humanity. Was I being selfish? Would I really condemn humanity because I was afraid of being more of a woman than I already was?
".... and by introducing FSH and LH hormones, we can Kickstart your menstrual cycle. Progesterone at the right moment should further prepare your new uterus for..." John paused at which point I realized he'd been speaking to me "you're not listening".
"Sorry" I muttered.
"It's okay" he placed a hand on my shoulder as I sat in the chair in front of him "I know how hard this must for you. I can't imagine losing the big guy down there"
This caught my attention "Wait nobody said anything about losing anything"
"Well yes we could perform a Cesarean to remove the baby but since this is for research purposes to discover the viability of human reproduction, it would be entirely worthless without a natural birth". John explained
I wanted to punch that stupid British accent out of his mouth but I knew he was right. What he had said made sense. I couldn't believe I was going to lose it before I even got a chance to use it.
"And what about Heather? Is it okay just removing her uterus without her permission?" I asked searching for something that could make this nightmare stop.
"They'll be able to grow her a new one when the medical teams arrive" He shut down my pleas "once they get here, they can regrow her a new arm if she wants"
Fuck. Was there really no way out of this?
"Whats that?" I asked about the injection John was prepping.
"Accelerated hormone replacement therapy" He told me "We need to prepare your body for the transplant and we don't have a lot of time if we want to inseminate you immediately we reach Gaia and keep the original schedule.
This implant will track your hormones and dispense the perfect doses"
What the fuck was happening??
Not long after John finished injecting me, Robert burst through the med bay doors breathing rapidly, "You need to come see this?"
As we began to follow, I asked John if Heather would be okay there alone.
"She's not going anywhere" he replied.
=^..^=
As we walked through the bridge door, my eyes darted to Will and Cillian who were staring at the wreckages currently being displayed on the viewport.
"That's outside the ship?" I asked.
We looked to be passing through a debris field but it wasn't made of rocks or dirt, it was made of thousands of broken pieces of space ships floating in the blackness of space.
"What's going on?"
Of course I knew the answer to that. We did make it through as Pola had confirmed earlier. We were in Andromeda. There was only one reason why there'd be broken spaceships flying around.
That was confirmed when Pola zoomed in on a particular zone. On one of the broken hull pieces, you could clearly make out the letters "HFIN".
It was the same partial inscription that was on the side of our ship.
"You sent us out here to die!" Robert accused.
"Would I be standing here next to you if that was true?" Will defended.
"Explain that then. Why are there pathfinders floating in space right now?".
"Those were model 3s. Not even half as durable as the model 5 you're standing in now" He reasoned. He seemed to be trying to diffuse the situation before losing the confidence of his team "We were confident this pathfinder would be strong enough and we were right"
"How many?" I asked. "How many others?"
He shook his head, "Just two of them. Worthy sacrifices that got us to this point. Humanity has a shot because of them"
"Throughout human history" he continued "Sacrifices have been necessary for progress. NASA will not apologize for doing what needs to be done to save humanity"
"We're expendable. Just like they were" Robert turned to us.
"You are" Will admitted "But so am I. We're in this together. I will do my best to protect you but the mission comes first always".
Well I knew that much.
When no one said anything, he sighed "John, are you making any progress?"
"Uh yeah, I've just started her AHRT regimen. It's a pretty aggressive treatment so tell me if you feel tired or dizzy." John said turning to me.
"Good, we arrive at Gaia in a month so we need to get that transplant done soon"
"Yes captain" John responded.
"All of you dismissed, Dany stay back a bit".
When everyone else had gone, I took my usual assistant's seat and turned to face him so he knew he had my attention.
"I'm sorry about this" He began "I've seen how insecure you are about your appearance so it means a lot that you would do this for Heather"
"I'm doing this for the mission too. I care about it too, you know?" I said back to him.
Will was back to his normal self. Cool and collected.
"I know" he agreed "You care about everyone back on earth as much as I do and believe me when I say that's who we're doing this for"
"I know" I replied softly. He was a nice guy. If it seemed like he didn't care about us, I needed to remember that that came from a place of utmost care about saving humanity.
"Listen uh I needed to tell you something" he said to me.
Uh oh.
"I'm listening"
"We lost the sperm samples" he said.
"Wait what? How?" I asked. Did this mean I no longer had to do this.
"We lost power to cryo. Pola estimates we were floating completely dark for up to 5 days. The samples are destroyed."
"That sucks" I said. I did mean that. While it might have been better for me, we were going to fail that one of our crucial missions.
"It's unfortunate but one of us here will have to donate. I know it can't be easy for you" He consoled me.
Suddenly what he was saying actually clicked. He wasn't talking about ending it. No, now instead of some random guy on Earth, the father of my baby would be someone on this ship.
I wanted to argue but I knew where it led. Me or Heather. And besides I'd already steeled myself to do what it took.
As an olive branch, he offered to let me choose who it would be instead of having Pola select the most genetically superior candidate. Not that that was much help.
I tried to calm myself. It was still just sperm. Nothing had changed. It's not like they were going to fuck me. They were still just artificially insemination me. God that whole thing sounded horrible.
"Okay" was all I could say. There was no point arguing anymore. I already had the first dose in me so it had already begun.
=^..^=
The next three weeks were pretty uneventful. At the end of each week, I'd have a session with John who'd check that everything was progressing optimally.
I didn't have a frame of reference of how it would work but honestly things were progressing rather quickly. My nipples became sore and grew only a few days later. By the end of week one, I was already a solid A cup.
At that point, I could still get away with going without a bra but that led to some uncomfortable situations with the crew. For some reason, they were hard and pointy, all the time.
Eventually I'd had enough and printed a sports bra.
"Everything looks good" John had said to me after the second week's session. "Physically and hormonally. Are you experiencing any side effects?" He asked.
My new breasts were still growing rapidly with no sign of stopping. "Just a little bit over an A" John had told me but they felt massive on my small frame.
I'd also decided to keep my hair at that point. Figured they were the least of my worries and cutting it wouldn't do any real good.
"Not really" I responded, "I'm just tired a lot and I feel like crying a lot more but I guess that makes sense given the circumstances."
"Feeling more emotional is normal" He answered reassuringly. "I'll print you some supplements to help with the fatigue"
"Thanks, hey are we done. Can I put my shirt back one?"
John had wanted to do other tests like heart rate and blood pressure tests so I was sitting on the examination table in only the sports bra.
"Yeah yeah go ahead".
I hopped off the table and felt my butt jiggle slightly. I looked over to John but thankfully he hadn't seen that. Everything was happening way too quickly.
Looking in the mirror, there was nothing remotely masculine about me anymore. John had commented that my hips were still more or less the same size but he seemed confident that that would pick up soon to my dismay.
"Anyway if it's still stubborn, it won't be able to resist the effects of pregnancy" I remembered him saying.
I turned to Heather who still slept peacefully in her capsule, "the things I do for you" I said under my breath.
After putting on my suit top, I exited the med bay and headed back for the bridge.
=^..^=
Will was asleep in his chair when I got back. He was always handsome but his crew cut never did him justice. Now that it had grown some more and he'd trimmed it to just around his ears, I thought he looked much better.
I moved a collection of hair out of his face and gently shook him. He sprung to life like a soldier at war.
"Hey hey hey" I tried to calm him down "It's just me"
"Oh hey" he sat up in his chair, "did something happen?" He asked.
"No, no" I assured him "let me take over, go get some sleep"
He sat up straight "I'm fine"
"Hey, no" I tapped his arm playfully "Get up before I carry you. I can handle a shift for a couple hours".
"You're undergoing treatment" he refused.
"It doesn't make me invalid" I laughed "I can handle it".
He looked at me skeptically but agreed. Reluctantly he got out of his chair and I basically had to push him to the door.
"If anything goes wrong..."
"I'll come get you" I smiled at him. He smiled back "Now go".
=^..^=
"Pola, show me Gaia" I said and almost immediately the empty space being displayed on the viewport switched to a close up of our new home planet. We'd been able to get proper scans done so we knew more about it at that point.
Gaia was almost 90% water. This paired with the fact that it was only around 80% the size of earth meant that there was significantly reduced land mass than we were used to. As more humans arrived, we'd have to look at ways to make the ocean our home as well.
Despite the smaller size however, Gaia was denser than Earth which averaged out its gravity to about 95% that of Earth's. Not unnoticeable but well within the range where human lives wouldn't have to change much to adapt.
The atmospheric components were also very similar. Gaia's atmosphere was made up of 60% Nitrogen, 30% Oxygen, Argon at 8%, CO2 at 0.06% and other trace gases.
We were still approximately 8 days away though so we'd know more when we got there.
"Show me Aurora" I said.
The viewport switched to a close up of the brightest star in space. My star. When we got a chance to really inspect where we were, we found out it was a four star system. And since no one had even been here, we got to name them.
I got to name the largest one as thanks for my sacrifice. The other stars became Elysium, Hyperion and Beatrice after Robert's mother.
=^..^=
Of course nothing happened. Nothing ever happened in space. It was always just a whole lotta nothing.
We just hung out together, watched old movies, played one of the numerous games on board and did our jobs. Lately that last bit didn't include me any longer.
It seemed the more my body changed, the less Will wanted me to do.
"What do you guys think I'm going to find down there ?" Cillian asked as we sat together in the mess hall one last time before beginning final approach and it would be all hands on deck. Hopefully even mine.
"Wouldn't it be crazy if we actually found intelligent life down there?" Robert proposed.
"It's possible." Will put forward "The planet's composition is basically ideal. If you do find any, I cannot stress enough that you remain friendly no matter what"
Protocol was that when we actually got to Gaia, Cillian would go down in a pod while we remained in orbit. If everything was good, he'd radio for us to bring the ship down.
Pathfinder wasn't capable of leaving a planet by itself so once it got down there, it wasn't going anywhere ever again. This way if Gaia turned out to be not what we were hoping for, we could try to scan for other potential planets and try our luck there or double back and see if the wormhole was willing to take us back.
It was a cruel plan for Cillian but he seemed up for it.
"I will be the first to step foot on a new planet. My name will be remembered like Neil Armstrong"
'That's the spirit' I thought to myself.
We all knew the procedure. If we came across hostile intelligent life, we were to remain friendly at all cost. Under no circumstances were we to draw first blood... or whatever was under their skin. It was their planet after all.
If we came across hostile wildlife then weapons free.
"As soon as we stabilize in orbit, John begin the transplant" Will ordered.
I crossed my arms, "shouldn't we wait until we know for sure that the planet is even habitable?" I asked.
"We're already way behind schedule. You should have already conceived by now" he explained "As soon as Cillian let's us know it's breathable, we're turning on the first beacon. 11 months from that moment, the beacon about the baby's health is expected. As it is, we won't make it because of your recovery time".
'Whatever' I thought to myself as I pouted.
"You're going to be a good mother" Cillian said. I didn't know if that was genuine or not. He wasn't the type to make jokes at my expense so it must have been but it was still weird regardless.
=^..^=
"Double check entry trajectory" Will told me again as we approached Gaia's geostationary orbit - the region where we could easily escape the planet's gravity if the need arose.
For the fifth time, I told him the trajectory was good and we were approaching at the right speed.
I waited patiently for his order as he carefully calculated the precise moment to begin. Through the viewport, I could see Gaia big and bold taking up almost the entirely of the screen. If we made a mistake and got too close, she would easily swallow us up and no amount of reverse thrust would get us out of her grasp.
"Begin engine burn" He instructed.
I slowly pulled back on the control sticks leaving the fine directional adjustments to Will. My eyes glanced briefly to him. So focused. He was so cute when he focused like that.
"And release" he exhaled happily.
I calmly returned the sticks to neutral and breathed a sigh of relief as well. After an extremely long journey, we had finally arrived.
=^..^=
I stared hopelessly at the mirror in my room. A lot had changed since the operation 3 weeks ago. I didn't think it was possible but now I looked even more like a woman.
I unzipped the dress I was wearing and let it fall to the floor. Doctor's orders unfortunately. Pants, even the IVA (Intra-vehicular Activity) suit I'd been wearing the entire trip were off the table until I fully recovered.
The now unobstructed view of my body left me sick. Just as he'd said, my hips had started growing sometime within the last 3 weeks. Not too much, even narrow by most women's standards but still undeniably female.
My breast's were considerably bigger as well. Their sensitivity was also so much higher that I'd had to switch to soft cotton bras to get some peace.
Less visible was the uterus that I now possessed. Nobody could see it but they all knew it was there and so they stared at my belly anyway. Sadly, my body didn't reject the foreign organ. Modern science was scary.
The final nail in the coffin was my flat bottom area. The little guy hadn't been much to look at but atleast he was there. Now he was gone forever. In his place, a glaring absence.
I let the cotton panties fall to the floor then reached into a drawer to retrieve the absolute worst part of my day. It was time to dilate.
=^..^=
"You are needed on the bridge" Pola announced through the speakers waking me up from sleep.
I groggily got up, put on my dress and made my way to the bridge.
I'd only been in there one other time in the last 3 weeks. For the first 2 after the surgery, I couldn't leave my room nor did I want to.
"Hey" I managed as the doors slid open.
"Good you're here" Will said turning to me "You look better".
"Thanks" I responded.
"We got a message back from Cillian" he announced happily.
It was about time. We'd been in contact with him for about 15 minutes after he touched down. He'd told us that the air was breathable and it felt great and he was going to map a landing area for us. That was three weeks ago.
Will had tried to get in contact with him everyday but there was nothing and we had begun to fear the worst.
"Restart playback" Will called out.
The viewport changed to a recording of Cillian in his drop pod:
"Pathfinder, if you can hear me, I am okay. I lost my radio trying to get to high ground."
God he looked terrible.
"There was a storm. It lasted 2 weeks, 2 whole weeks non-stop. I had to hole up in a cave, surviving on the rations I took with me. It ended last night so I was able to return to the pod this morning. And the days here are so long. The sky is clear so I'm heading back out to look for a landing zone. Watch out for my beacon soon"
"That's such good news" I breathe out. Losing Cillian would have been hard.
"There's more" Will alerted me.
The video which seemed to have been frozen continued "I saw what I can only describe as stone shelters. I don't know what to make of it yet. Anyway I need to get out there. See you soon"
=^..^=
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Thanks for reading. Would love to hear what you think.
"Wait there's really intelligent life down there" I asked still in shock over what I'd just heard.
"It would seem so" Will affirmed.
"But he hasn't seen any yet? Just their homes?" I followed up.
He nodded.
"Could they be extinct?" I asked.
"Possibly. Or they could have simply migrated somewhere else on the planet. We can't possibly know now?" Will answered.
I took a seat in my usual chair then thought aloud "I wonder if they're friendly"
"Would we be? If otherworldly beings suddenly showed up on earth and wanted to move in" Robert asked us.
"Maybe they'll treat us like Gods" John offered "I mean we are coming from the sky riding a great beast if you think about it".
"Or it could just be another North Sentinel situation. Nearly 300 years later and they still want nothing to do with us. Even as we try to warn them of the planet's coming demise" Robert argued.
"Speaking of that island, there was a secret mission a few years ago actually" Will started "Two children, a male and a female, were captured and were being transported to Mars to preserve their culture."
"What happened?" I asked.
"They killed themselves"
"Jesus" I heard Robert say.
"I guess what I'm saying is we don't know what kind of culture we'll meet here. We need to extremely careful."
=^..^=
After John and Robert had left to get back to their different jobs, Will and I sat alone in the bridge going over landing procedure again and again.
I'd be a shame if we came all this way just to crash and burn. One after another, we reiterated each step we would take to get the massive ship on the ground.
The most crucial portion of our descent was aerobraking. We'd enter the atmosphere at a calculated angle to generate enough atmospheric drag to slow down.
Soon though we had gone through all the steps enough times to be confident that we could land the Pathfinder safely. All we had to do was wait for Cillian's landing beacon.
"How are you feeling?" Will asked me as soon as we were done practicing.
"I'm alright" I shrugged.
"You can go get some rest if you want"
"I'm fine" I replied as I adjusted the skirt of my dress.
"You know, this could be the last time we ever see space like this. Wanna head up to the observation deck? See the actual thing, not through a screen?"
"Sure, that sounds nice".
=^..^=
We quietly walked through the halls of the Pathfinder together, neither of us saying a thing. Occasionally I'd glance at him and so would he.
We took the elevator at the end of the hall up to the very top and we were greeted by the most beautiful angle of the planet below.
Cillian was down there somewhere. Maybe alone on the entire planet, and maybe not.
"How many people can say they've seen a sight like this?" He asked rhetorically.
"It's so beautiful" I admitted. Pola was always taking high resolution photographs so we'd get a chance to see it again, even in virtual reality but never again in person.
"Yeah it is" I heard him say. "Dany I want you to pick me."
That caught me by surprise. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"To be the baby's father. Pick me".
A lot was going through my mind. I had forgotten about that decision I had to make. And since we were landing soon, time was running out to decide.
And what was he saying? He wanted me to pick him? Why? Did I want it to be him?
'I don't want it to be anyone' I corrected myself mentally.
But if it had to be someone, who did I want?
Absolutely not John that was certain. Robert? He could be very intense at times and I didn't want my baby to inherit his paranoia. Plus I didn't exactly consider him handsome.
That shouldn't have been important to me but it was. I rationalized it that I wanted my kid to be good looking as well.
Cillian was a good choice as well. A good physique and surprisingly kind and protective.
"Why do you want me to choose you?" I asked him curious about his reasoning.
He goes to say something but doesn't. After a long pause, he finally spoke:
"I want my child to be the first born of our new planet".
No.
"I'm sorry but I actually already decided to choose Cillian" I turned to leave.
"Wait..." he voiced urgently. I turned back to him and he turned his gaze to the space outside "I was chosen for this mission because I didn't have a family on earth. Both my parents died when I was only a boy and I was raised in foster care."
If he was pouring his heart out, the least I could do was listen so I did.
"I was recruited by NASA when I was 17. Less than a year until I was to be moved to a worker facility in the middle zone. Apparently I had excellent marks in both leadership and loyalty"
I nodded occasionally to show him he had my full attention.
"Since then, I've always wanted to start a family. I had the money, all I had to do was find a nice girl to settle down with and adopt one of the kids from Foster care like I'd always planned"
He pushed off the railing he'd been resting on that was right before the curved glass of the observation deck.
He turned to face me directly with Gaia in the background.
"I tried but all my relationships ended quickly either because I was too absorbed in my work or I just couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life with any of them"
He walked forward towards me, "I've never felt that way with you"
I stepped backwards, "But I'm not a girl or a woman or whatever"
"Dany you are. You're more woman than anyone I've ever met. Certainly more beautiful."
I took another step back "Stop, stop, I don't want to be a woman and I certainly don't want to be your woman"
He stopped his advance, "Okay. I won't ask you to be. I know it isn't fair to ask but atleast grant me my wish of being a father. And even more so, the father of the first born."
"I'll..." I paused and turned and walked away "I'll think about it".
=^..^=
Cillian's beacon came almost 2 hours later and it was back to business for Will and I on the bridge. He didn't act like anything was different between us and so neither did I.
"We've just passed the exosphere, prepare heat shields" Will ordered.
"Heat shields primed" I responded still closely watching the readings "Atmospheric drag looks good, approaching 900,000 ft" I read out to him.
"Okay, activate heat shields"
"Heat shields activated" I said after pushing the button "Total power output increased to 45%"
I studied the viewport which was displaying crucial information, my eyes remained glued to the gauge that calculated how high we were in the air. The numbers dropped rapidly.
"600 thousand feet, 500 thousand, 400 thousand..." Will read out.
"Shield capacity at 80%" I told him. So far everything was going perfectly.
"Approaching 200 thousand feet, exiting thermosphere"
I watched the viewport which was also displaying real-time views from the cameras outside changed from distorted red flames typical of reentry to a brilliant white that I hadn't seen since leaving earth. This alternated from white to blue and back and told me we were passing through the mezophere.
"Begin stage 1 burn" Will told me.
I followed my training and engaged the engines. This caused the ship to shake drastically as the thrusters fired on command. As a result, our velocity reduced.
"Deploy stage 1 chutes" He told me. I already had my hands on the button awaiting the order so I simply pushed.
"80,000 feet" I called out to him
"We're about to reach the troposphere. Prepare stage 2 chutes"
"Ready" I confirmed.
"Deploy".
I pressed the button which caused the whole ship to jerk again and our speed to reduce.
"Prepare stage 2 burn, everything we've got."
This was it. We were approaching the beacon. Hopefully Cillian had long since cleared the area.
I maxed out the engine's power output and pushed the button as soon as we crossed 40,000 feet. One last time, the whole ship shook violently. I pitied anyone that wasn't strapped in.
Our speed dropped until we entered controlled descent and Will gently guided Pathfinder to its final resting place.
With one last jerk, Pathfinder came to a complete stop and I squealed uncontrollable.
"Yes! Yes! We did it" I unhooked my seat straps and ran up to hug Will who has equally as ecstatic.
When we separated and I had finally managed to calm down, he was smiling at me.
"You did great" he told me.
"Thanks, you too"
=^..^=
The viewport's cameras showed us our surroundings. We had landed on what looked to be a sand beach with a lush forest on the horizon. I wondered what secrets it held.
"Cillian, come in" I heard Will say on the radio and so I turned my attention there.
The bridge doors slid open after which John and Robert both walked through smiling. I smiled at them. We'd actually done it.
"Cillian, if you can hear me, acknowledge" Will repeated.
"Hello" Cillian's crisp voice came through the radio.
"Oh thank God" I said as we all breathed a sigh of relief.
"Where are you?" Will asked.
"Uh about 2 clicks out on a ridge. Beautiful landing".
"We're waiting for you, can't wait to see you again" Will said.
"Yeah buddy" Robert added.
=^..^=
"My scans show there are numerous life forms within the specified 500km radius. A remarkedly high population density compared to Earth" Pola announced.
"Any intelligent life?" I asked.
"Impossible for me to say" She replied.
We were all standing just in front of the airlock waiting for Cillian who we'd seen approaching on the cameras.
The outer door opened and we saw him walk into the airlock. He looked disheveled and malnourished. He seemed happy enough and full of smiles as the airlock door released and he proceeded into the decontamination chamber.
"No foreign antigens detected" Pola announced but even still he was decontaminated before the door opened.
"Good to see you again, Cillian" Will spoke.
"You too, Captain"
Robert went in for a hug but was stopped by John, "Let me make sure he's alright before anyone touches him. Let's get you checked out" John finalized as he headed for the med bay.
I waved to Cillian as he passed and he smiled and said, "You look good, Dany. The new outfit suits you".
I realised he hadn't seen me since I'd started wearing dresses.
"Thanks" I blushed.
=^..^=
"Yeah I ran into a lot of wildlife but the strange thing is they never attacked me" Cillian told us while John ran his tests.
"No predators?" John asked.
"No there were, I witnessed the larger animals hunting their prey but they just didn't consider me one" He explained "In fact they disregarded me and let me kill them without putting up a fight".
"That doesn't make any sense" Robert decided. We all agreed.
"And you don't recognise them?" Will asked.
"None" Cillian answered "They had a lot of the same features and structure as those on Earth but they all looked different"
"We'll need to get out there soon" Will decided "Looks like we still have a good amount of daylight so we can appraise the island and turn on the beacon today"
We all nodded.
"Dani, a moment?" Will asked while walking out of the medbay. I followed.
=^..^=
"It's time for you to decide" he told me "I want John to perform the insemination while we're out exploring. Who is it going to be?"
I'd already decided to give him what he wanted. Cillian didn't care any way so it seemed cruel to deny Will. It's not like we were getting married. It didn't mean anything.
"I choose you to be the father" I told him.
He nodded simply. I wondered what emotion he was hiding.
"I'll go meet John now to get started."
As Will walked off, I thought to myself 'Oh boy'.
=^..^=
"Are you ready?" John asked as I lay on the autodoc table wearing the robe he had provided.
"Do I have a choice?" I asked him.
He laughed. "No. But don't worry, it'll be over quickly. The hormones I injected earlier should have induced your ovulation so soon you'll be pregnant with the Captain's kid within the next few days".
"Ugh don't remind me" I groaned.
Will had left with Robert and Cillian a few hours ago so it was just the two of us in the ship. Cillian surprisingly seemed excited to get back out there.
"Okay can you just bring your soles up on the table?... Perfect, thank you. Spread a bit more..."
I obeyed his instructions because I just wanted this to be over and wanted my humiliation to end. Why was this happening to me? Why was I here in this position?
"I'm going to insert this catheter directly into your uterus so you may feel a slight discomfort"
He didn't wait for my acknowledgement however and immediately after, I felt the long narror tube go in.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fists resisting the urge to kick him.
True to his word though, it didn't take long and soon it was over.
"Done. You'll need to come back regularly so I can check if you're pregnant" He instructed "We might need to do this again if it fails but there's very little chance of that."
'Hope it works then' I thought to myself.
=^..^=
Will kept looking at me as we all ate dinner together in the mess hall. It had taken 14 hours more for night to fall.
Pola estimated each day to last about 33 hours. That was going to take some getting used to.
I caught Will staring at me again as I took another bite of my artificial mashed potatoes.
What was his problem?
"How'd it go?" I asked them.
"Cillian was correct" Robert began "The animals on this planet aren't aggressive to us. They're also quite big and terrifying so if they suddenly took a liking to us, we'll be in big trouble"
"And we still don't know why they don't attack us?" John asked.
"No clue" Will answered. "Anyway, the beacon is active so that part of our mission is complete. We still have to get to the bottom of the wildlife's behavior so we can activate that beacon or not. We also need to start planting tomorrow to understand the soil's viability. Lots of work still to do"
Thankfully nobody mentioned the insemination the rest of dinner although I did keep catching Will looking my direction.
=^..^=
For such long days, the nights here were remarkably short I thought.
Not long after I went to bed, it was already morning and the men all went out for their various tasks and I was told to stay in the ship "for my safety"
I'd spent the entire day in the bridge performing scans of the planet almost dying of boredom.
The guys were out there wading through the forests of a new world and I hadn't even stepped on it yet.
I'd been in space for who knows how long. I should have been out there stretching my legs not cooped up in here.
When I thought things couldn't get any worse, my ears were suddenly pierced with a horrible ringing sound.
"Ah!" I screamed and fell to the floor.
"Are you alright?" Pola asked.
"Whats that sound?" I forced through my gritted teeth.
"I do not pick up any audio signals"
"Ah!" I screamed again while squirming on the floor "Insulate the bridge" I instructed.
"Bridge insulated".
I could still hear it. Although it felt like it was coming from inside my head, my mind could pinpoint where the source was coming from in the distance.
"AH!" I screamed loudly.
"I'm contacting the captain" Pola alerted me.
I had to make it stop or I feared my head would split open. I followed the sound out the bridge and through the halls.
There was only one singular thought in my mind. Get to the source and destroy it.
I came up to the airlock to exit the ship but the door beeped red whenever I tried to open it.
"Open the door" I said in a pained voice.
"The captain's orders were that you should remain on the ship".
"Open the fucking door!" I screamed while dropping to one knee.
I heard the lock beep once more and open. I pulled myself out the door and out the ship.
=^..^=
The sun was blinding when I took the first steps outside. The discomfort of my eyes and ears almost made me pass out.
And then there was the heat. I noticed the four stars in the sky although only 1 at most was providing all this heat due to the distance and mild temperatures of the others. The others must still have something to do with the long days I reasoned.
I forced myself to focus. I had to stop the sound before it killed me so I pushed forward.
I don't know how long I walked and eventually I even lost track of my direction but I kept going. Through it all, there was a sense that I was getting closer and weirdly enough the sound got more bearable the closer I got and worse when I stopped.
Eventually, I came up to a massive, perfectly cut cube made of a black stone and I knew in every fibre of my being that it was the source.
I stood in front of it considering my options. It didn't give me time to think however as the excruciating ringing was back and louder than ever.
I raised my hand and the ringing stopped. I took too long and it started again. It wanted me to touch it.
That seemed like an astronomically bad idea but it wasn't giving me any choice. I feared if I walked away at that point, my head would have exploded. And so I did. I put my hand forward and placed it on the black stone cube. I blinked and I was inside it and the ringing had stopped entirely.
Endless black night except the glass walkway I was standing on. It didn't seem connected to anything, just floating. At the end of the walkway, a simple screen.
I heard cracking and breaking glass behind me. I turned to see more of the glass was falling apart leading up to where I was currently standing.
It was forcing me forward and so I obeyed. Reluctantly I walked until I was standing in front of the screen.
The screen came on to reveal a man. He looked human but different. Uncanny. Thin, frail, bulging eyes, skin hanging of his face like there was no muscle behind it.
He started speaking in a language I didn't recognise and paused.
"Okay" I heard come from the video as he spoke again. "Hello, if you are watching this, it means humankind is gone."
"450 years ago, our home planet died. After millenia of abusing her gifts, she gave up. And just like we always do, we abandoned her as well as 95% of our population and moved to Mars."
"For a while, we thrived. A new space faring civilization was born out of the ashes as we colonized all the planets in our solar system one after the other.
"However 120 years ago, an interplanetary war broke out which promised our extinction. In the end, hubris and pride would not allow us to come together."
"I speak to you from an outpost on Triton where my team and I have been working in secret for the past 22 years. Unbelievably, we conquered space-time 10 years ago and have been secretly preparing a planet we call Earth-2 for us to start over"
The man in the video paused almost like he was gathering himself.
"We do not deserve that chance. Our sins are too great and too many. To prepare the planet, we wiped out it's local population, a beautiful race of beings that simply stood between us and what we wanted. Like you would destroy a krothar nest to build a settlement"
"We genetically altered all remaining species on the planet to serve us as their masters. We do not deserve to inherit this world. So I am sending the gate entrance back in time, to a time before we lost our humanity."
"If you are watching this, you have made it to Earth-2 and Overlord has chosen you. I wish to ask for your help. I ask you to build a new species of humankind. Kind and loving with all the best qualities of us. Lead them away from self destruction.
"When you touched Overlord, you took its place. Over time you will come to understand what this means. Be better than we were."
I blinked and I was outside, standing in the sun again and my dress blowing in the wind.
What just happened? I turned around and watched the black cube crumble into dust.
I was so confused. Was any of that true? We go extinct? And what was all this Overlord talk?
Did they really wipe out the intelligent life on this planet? If they did that 500 years from now, why are they already gone now?
I needed to get back to the Pathfinder immediately.
=^..^=
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As always, I'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment, thanks.
'How do I get back?' I wondered. I looked left and right, dense forest on either side. I'd been so focused on following the source of the noise that I'd entirely forgotten to mark my path or even remember where I was going.
I'd decided on a direction as best as I could remember and waded through the trees. When the forest seemed to be getting denser I walked a different direction.
I must have been walking for 10 minutes to no progress. I wished I'd brought any device with me because atleast it would have a connection to Pola but no luck there.
I occasionally saw some animals watching me as I walked through the trees. I guessed they'd never seen a human before.
Although they looked vaguely familiar, I couldn't recognise any of them. Something interesting though was all animals I came across seemed to have bright blue eyes. A dominant mutation from an early ancestor?
I wasn't making any progress and this became evident when I arrived at a body of water I definitely hadn't seen before. Was I going to die out there? Come all this way just to get lost and die of starvation.
I turned around to double back and there it was. A small scaly creature no bigger than a rabbit staring straight at me with those blue eyes.
"Hello" I said trying not to spook it. "Sorry I don't have any food for you."
'I don't even know what you eat' I thought to myself.
Without a warning, it turned and ran in the direction I'd come from.
Figures.
Just before it was out of sight though, it stopped, turned around and stared at me again.
"What do you want?" I asked fully realizing that I was speaking to an alien creature in English.
'I guess I'm the alien here huh?' I thought.
It turned, took another step, stopped and turned back to me.
Did it want me to follow it?
I walked in it's direction and it took off again only stopping just before it was out of sight.
"Don't follow the weird alien creature, Dani" I sang to myself.
What other choice did I have?
=^..^=
I followed it through the forest my gaze occasionally shifting to the myriad of animals that populated the forest.
All of them stared at me with those same blue eyes. Still I followed the weird little creature. It was too late to turn back now anyway.
We walked for another six minutes before it jumped through some leaves. I pushed passed them and there it was, the beach.
I was so overjoyed to see the Pathfinder and even happier to see the rest of the crew who appeared to be searching for me.
"Dani!" I heard Will shout as he spotted me. The others turned their attention to us.
While using my fingers to brush off my dress which was now ruined, I answered "I'm here, I'm sorry".
He hurriedly closed the gap and enveloped me in a hug. He looked so worried. "I'm sorry" I repeated.
"Where'd you go?" He asked desperately "I told you to stay in the ship"
"I'm sorry" I'm hugged him back. I was so scared. I could have died out there.
"Let's get you cleaned up" He said breaking off the hug.
I turned to look for my little friend but it was nowhere to be seen.
"What are you looking for?" He asked me.
I composed myself, "Nothing" and made my way to the ship while apologizing to the others on the way.
=^..^=
A quick shower later and a change of clothes, we all sat in the bridge as I told them everything that had happened.
"What exactly did it say?" Will asked.
"Humans go extinct and the gate was sent to the past" I reiterated.
"The gate?" He asked again.
I nodded.
"Because something bothers me. Assuming it's true.. and really why wouldn't it be.. assuming it's true, none of that should have happened yet" he reasoned.
It bothered me too.
"And the original owners of planet, they're not wiped out until after the war in the future right?" Will asked.
"That's what he said" I clarified again "They'd conquered space-time for only 10 years"
"Then they should still be here. Where are they?"
Robert who'd been contemplating something finally spoke "Unless we're in the future".
We all paused.
"Time travel?" John asked "You can't be serious"
"It makes the most sense" Robert doubled down "Wormholes warp space-time. Theoretically they wouldn't just connect two points in space, they'd connect two points in time as well"
This was getting way too loaded for me.
"If we're in the future, is everyone back on earth already dead?" Cillian asked.
"In this timeline yes but as long as the wormhole still exists, they should still be able come here" Robert explained.
"Okay" Robert stood from his chair and walked to pick up a tablet. He fiddled on it a bit while we all paid close attention. Satisfied, she showed us a line he'd drawn on the tablet.
"Whats that?" I asked.
"This was our timeline" He picked a random spot in the middle of the line and called it 2032 and marked the end of the line as 2500.
"It's linear because there hadn't been any disruptions to the timeline yet. When they sent that wormhole back, it created a branch" He added a branch to the line.
"We're now here" He pointed to the branch. "Everyone else is still on the original timeline. As long as they wormhole still exists, both timelines are still linked and they can come over anytime".
It made a bit more sense now even if it was still science mumbo jumbo.
"What about the beacons?" Will asked "Do they even work anymore if we're in the future?"
"It should. Entangled particles should remain linked across time but that's just highly speculative"
"I still don't get how the beacon works" Cillian said.
Robert thought for a moment then spoke, "In Quantum theory, paired particles can exist in a super positioned state where they have both a positive spin and a negative spin."
When he saw our confused expressions, he added "Don't try to think about it too much. When one is measured, the other immediately assumes an opposite state. Basically, our beacon contains one of those particles. When we activate the beacon, the particle's state is measured and observed and the one back on earth also gets a definite state."
"I don't get it" I said.
"I'm with you there" John agreed.
"That's okay. Point is the beacon should still work" Robert confirmed.
"Then our mission is the same. Activate the beacons to let them know Gaia is safe especially now we know the local wildlife is friendly".
"Earth-2" I corrected. "They called it Earth-2"
"Right" he acquiesed.
"Let's get that soil tested" He said finally
=^..^=
"So I have some good news" John told me as I sat on the table in the med bay "... or bad news if you're a college girl having unprotected sex"
"I'm pregnant" I sighed.
"Ding ding ding" He was having such a good time with this whole thing. I hated it.
"Over the course of your first trimester, your estrogen levels will rise, this is normal"
I wasn't thinking straight. It felt like my entire identity was under attack. What was I anymore? A man? It didn't feel like it. A woman? Something in-between?
I was pregnant. Just like my mother had been with me. I was no longer anything like my father or brother who had been my role models all my life. The worst part is that didn't sound so bad anymore.
I even enjoyed wearing the dresses now. I could stop at any moment. I had recovered from the surgery and could print a regular ITA suit at any time but instead I kept printing more dresses. Even Heather hadn't done that.
What was wrong with me?
I had Will's child growing inside me. Oh God. I had a man's child growing inside me.
"Are you okay?"
I composed myself and smiled. "Yeah"
"As I was saying, if your breasts swell or get more sensitive over the coming weeks, that's completely normal..."
"Enough" I told him.
That was enough. I hopped off the table and left the med bay.
=^..^=
"Pola, where's Will?" I asked as I walked through the ship looking for him. He hadn't been in the bridge like I had expected.
"The captain is 700 meters northwest of the ship's main access. He is with Cillian. Shall I contact him for you?" she responded through her speakers.
"No nevermind" I quickly responded. "Why do you call him captain and call the rest of us by our names?"
"Would you like me to use your title as well?" She asked.
"No nevermind".
I thought about how it was weird for an AI to dodge a question but disregarded it. I wanted to be the one to tell Will myself and not have him hear it from John.
"Shall I ask Robert or John to accompany you?"
"No" I said simply. She was so fussy.
=^..^=
I met Will in a clearing some distance away from the ship. He was crouched while talking to Cillian and pointing at something in the dirt.
"Dany, what are you doing here?" He asked when he saw me.
"Looking for you" I responded.
Turning to Cillian, he said "You can head back, I'll handle it from here".
Cillian acknowledged and walked off giving me a nod as he passed me.
"Come take a look at this" He said excitedly.
I walked up to him and crouched, carefully closing my legs due to my knee length dress.
"What am I looking at?" I asked not seeing anything particularly interesting in the dirt.
"See these holes?"
"Mm-hmm"
"They're all over this area. A whole network of them. There must be a whole ecosystem in there and we don't know anything about the species that made these paths".
Just as excitedly, he showed me a transparent container filled with clear, crystalline stones.
He handed it to me. It was extremely light.
"These stones have almost no weight at all"
"What are they?"
"That's the thing, we don't know" He laughed happily. "A whole planet and we know absolutely nothing about it. Everything we think we know doesn't apply here. Isn't that amazing?"
I liked this side of him. Like a kid at the playground.
"It is" I admitted.
"I'm getting some samples back to the lab to see if Pola can make some sense of it"
"Hey, Will?" I started.
"Yes?" He answered but still mesmerized by the world in the dirt.
"I'm pregnant" I told him.
"What?" His gaze turned sharply to me.
"I'm pregnant" I repeated.
I watched a smile creep on his face as he slowly stood. I stood too.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, John just did a test"
He covered his mouth with his left hand and put the other on his waist. After pacing slightly, he said "Thank you".
He moved forward briskly and enveloped me in a hug, "thank you so much" he said again.
"I'm going to be a father" He struggled to say with his head buried in my shoulder.
When the hug had run it's course, he pulled away and I saw his watery eyes. I didn't know it meant that much to him.
Before I knew what was happening, I felt him place a hand on my belly and this caused me to jerk backwards. It felt way too intimate.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" He apologized profusely.
I recovered enough to say "No, I'm sorry. You just caught me off guard"
"I won't do it again" He promised.
"No you can, just let me know first" I offered with a smile.
"Can I?" he asked.
I nodded.
Slowly, he moved forward again and placed his right hand gently on my stomach. It felt like electricity shot through my entire body from the point of contact. I shuddered but tried to keep my composure not to scare him away again.
When I looked up at him, he was crying. This man that I'd known as my strong captain all these years was crying. I pressed both my hands on his and let him cry it out. What else could I do?
=^..^=
That night, something horrible happened. Cillian had come back from a hunt with some animal I didn't know. They'd killed, gutted and roasted it over a fire and we're now eating it happily on the beach.
They'd been so excited to have real meat that they hadn't even killed it painlessly. The sounds of its screams still rang through my head.
I watched them through the cameras from the bridge and stewed. Those innocent animals didn't deserve this. Of course I knew I couldn't tell them to stop. They'd eaten artificial food for years. The same one I was currently eating.
While it tasted well enough, it wasn't nearly as satisfying as the feast they were having.
But I couldn't do it.
Even worse it felt like they were killing a part of me. I'd tried to ignore what I'd been feeling because it didn't make any sense but it was hard to deny anymore.
I was feeling some kind of biological connection with the animals of this planet.
=^..^=
The next four months went in a similar fashion. Will and the others surveyed more of region setting up outposts for longer expeditions outward.
Although Pathfinder had several rover-like vehicles in storage, they were essentially useless due to the dense forest that made up the region.
All beacons were active so if Mission Control were still watching, they already knew that Gaia was perfect and Pathfinder could make the journey.
We speculated about when we'd see visitors from Earth but accepted that they were still atleast 3 years away.
"I can't believe I haven't had sex in all these years" John had vented sometime ago.
"I hear you" Robert agreed.
"I can't wait for the other teams to get here" Cillian voiced.
'Three for three' I thought.
"Yeah about time we start.. populating the planet... if you know what I mean" John said with a smirk.
"Ew" I voiced which got a laugh from everyone.
"I want them here so they can wake Heather up" Cillian clarified.
We all voiced our agreement. I felt bad for her. We were out here and she was stuck in stasis simply out of horrible luck.
"I just wanna hear what she says when she sees you" John told me and laughed.
The others agreed.
"I miss her" I said pouting a bit.
Will reached over and rubbed my shoulder. The others acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. It felt nice so I let it happen.
My belly was also getting quite big. Enough so that you could clearly see the protrusion in any dress I wore no matter how loose. I even found myself holding it a lot more often.
It provided a lot of comfort whenever I was stressed or nervous which was a lot recently. At the very least I was crying less than I had been the first few months which were a mess.
I also had a lot more energy now which I spent going on walks. Will still wouldn't let me do any work so this was the only bit of activity I was able to get.
My breasts were growing rapidly as well although I wasn't sure if it was from the AHRT or being pregnant. Frankly it didn't matter. The fact was that I'd had to print a new bra in a bigger size three times already.
I also thought I was putting on some weight which I'd been trying to do for years with little success but the problem was that the added weight was going to all the wrong areas.
I had decided to take a walk when I got bored that afternoon. I'd chosen a knee length floral dress that admittedly showed a generous amount of cleavage but I liked the style so I stuck with it.
I followed my usual route through the forest that Will had cleared for me a few months ago.
It was another beautiful day which we'd come to expect. There were winged animals flying in the sky ranging from small birdlike creatures to a massive species that soared through the skies and roared loudly.
'Good thing they don't see us as prey' I thought.
While most species on this planet stood on four legs, some even relied on six legs. Zoofle, an furry animal that kind of looked like a sheep but bigger which we'd named after the weird throaty sound it made, was hexapedal.
As I watched one zoofle rest in a tree, I wondered why nature had gone down that path. What evolutionary need could there have been for it to develop an extra set of legs? Certainly not for balance because it lacked any. And it just looked so goofy.
About half a kilometer farther into the forest, I noticed that animals had started to scamper away. With each passing second, the forest got quieter.
I decided to turn and head back to the ship but that's when I noticed a pair of eyes staring at me. Dark as night.
It slowly advanced until it was out of the shadows. It sneered aggressively at me. I glanced down and saw its sharp claws digging into the dirt. The massive creature was atleast 6 feet tall with all four legs planted on the ground. Its sleek black fur seemed purpose built for staying invisible while it stalked prey from the shadows.
It snarled and took a menacing step forward. I took one back and clutched my belly.
I had never felt fear like that since I arrived on this planet. My deep connected to all life on this planet had only grown stronger but I didn't feel any of it here. Just fear.
I had to protect my baby. Somehow I had to get away.
How did it go again? 'If it's brown, lay down, if it's black, fight back'?
I couldn't fight this thing and it definitely wasn't a bear.
It took a step forward and I took one back. I felt a tear roll down my cheek.
My baby. I couldn't let him or her die before they even got a chance to live.
'Somebody help me. Please' I muttered under my breath.
It took another step forward and I took one back. I must have tripped on something because I fell backwards and it immediately pounced.
I screamed with every fibre of my being and braced myself but the hit never came.
Out of the shadows another of its kind pounced on it and struck it out of the air. When I regained myself, she was standing on front of me, protecting me.
She looked almost identical to it except she was atleast a foot smaller.
She placed herself between me and my predator as it recovered and resumed it's aggressive stance.
It pounced on her, clawing and biting or trying to as she expertly fended off each attack and pushed it away from me.
It was bigger and faster and if I had to guess older than she was. With each hit she took, I felt my heart break over and over again.
What could I do? Nothing. I didn't want to leave her but I knew I had to get away?
I felt hands envelope me and pull me off the floor. I turned to see Will who was picking me up effortlessly and then running in the other direction back to the ship.
"We have to help her" I kept repeated but he paid me no mind. He ran and ran until we reached the end of the path and the Pathfinder and the rest of the confused crew came into view.
I could hear the roars coming from the forest still and even though I couldn't see anything through the trees, I knew she was losing.
"Will, you have to save her, please" I begged "She saved my life. You can't let her die".
He wasn't answering. He seemed singularly focused to get me to the ship.
"Will please!" I pleaded
In one fluid motion, he placed me in the hands of John, told him to take care of me and headed into the ship.
A moment later, he exited with two beam rifles, threw one at Cillian and shouted "With me"
A confused Cillian followed while activating the electromagnetic coils on the rifle. And just like that, the two of them disappeared into the forest.
=^..^=
The world around me seemed to freeze for a moment. I had never been religious but still I prayed to anything or anyone that was willing to answer.
"Please let them be okay".
A minute or two later, I heard the loud but familiar scream of the beam rifle accompanied by two bright burst of light.
I prayed harder.
=^..^=
My happiest moment would arrive when I saw both Will and Cillian exit the forest. The coils of their rifles still glowing from recent use.
I ran, I must have covered the entire distance of the beach in 2 seconds to hug him tightly.
"How is she?" I asked hopefully.
My question was answered when I saw the blue eyes peeking out of the forest. Gently I parted from Will and walked towards her.
Dropping to one knee, I outstretched one hand. Slowly she came into the light and I saw she was limping. Each pained step she took broke my heart all over again.
She limped all the way to me and just collapsed right there. Her quick breathing caused her body to heave up and down. I saw the claw marks and the holes were her skin had been bitten into and a tear rushed down my face.
She was going to die. I just knew it. She saved my life and my baby's life and she was going to die.
I turned looking for John, my eyes pleading before I did.
"Help her" I begged him.
"I'm.. I'm not a vet" He said.
"Just do something please, we can't let her die".
"I need to get it inside. Someone help me" John agreed.
Even with four, they still struggled to lift her weight but eventually they managed to get her on autodoc. Her breathing was so slow.
"Outside all of you" John commanded "Let me work my magic".
=^..^=
Will, Cillian, Robert and I all sat outside the ship's main access quietly waiting for any news.
It was dark now and John had been in there for who knows how long. It was getting cold. The floral dress I wore was offering little in the way of protection.
I must have shivered a bit because next thing I knew Will was walking into the ship. A few minutes later, he came out with one of his jackets and handed it to me.
"Thanks" I managed while putting my hands through the sleeves and covering up.
It was another half an hour before John would exit the ship with smiles on his face.
"Who's the best?" He asked smugly.
"You are" I told him even though I was half sure autodoc had done the heavy lifting.
"She'll live" he said "How did you know it was female" he asked.
I shrugged.
"She has two hearts, can you believe that?" He asked rhetorically. "Oh yeah she's pregnant. Like you." he finally said.
I didn't know what it was about that statement but it sent me over the edge. Soon I was bawling my eyes out with no end in sight.
Whenever I thought it was over, I would think about her risking herself and her child to save me and the tears would pour again.
The rest of them had left to give me some privacy and by the time the waterworks finally stopped, it was just Will and I alone outside the ship.
He hugged and consoled me again like he always did. Always there for me. I hugged him back.
He saved me too. And he saved her when I'd asked. I don't know if it was the pouring emotions or the hormones. But when I pulled away from the hug and saw his warm gaze focused on me, I couldn't resist.
I kissed him.
=^..^=
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Hey friends. Hope you enjoyed this one. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
I moaned as he pulled me closer. I still don't know what came over me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his settled around my waist. I didn't want to stop.
If Robert or any of the others were in the bridge, they would have been getting a steamy show but I didn't care. For those few mind-blowing minutes, it was like something inside me had snapped.
I gave into all the urges that I'd been denying for months. It felt right being in his arms like that with my breasts and belly pressing against my baby's father.
Maybe that's what the whole thing was about. Maybe I felt a primal desire for him borne from carrying his child. Regardless I was out of my shell but not for long.
I felt his wandering hands grab my breasts in search of my nipple and this had the immediate effect of pulling me back to reality.
Our lips separated and I jerked unsteadily backwards. His hand grabbed mine stopping my fall. I watched the look of horror mixed in with worry on his face.
Had I just pulled so harshly away from him to get out of his embrace? Was he so disgusting that I would rather hit the dirt than remain touching him? I imagined those were the words he was asking himself.
"I'm sorry" I said after regaining my balance.
His hand let go of mine and suddenly I felt empty. "It's fine" he dismissed.
It wasn't fine.
"My head's just so messed up" I explained hoping he'd understand. "It's like two different people are fighting for control"
"Dany, it's okay. I understand" He said again. His words juxtaposed his actions as he had now turned away from me walking towards the ship entrance.
I walked up to him and took one of his hands in both of mine causing him to turn again.
"I liked it. I'm just confused". I needed him to understand that. I didn't know why I was trying so hard.
"I'm tired from all the action today so I'm just gonna turn in early, if that's okay?" He said while moving his hand slightly which signaled to me to let it go.
It really had been an involuntary action on my part. I know I'd been enjoying it. I couldn't deny it but when he touched me, it felt like I was about to pass a point of no return.
Which was crazy to think because I was already pregnant. Wasn't that the point of no return?
It may have been delusional but even then it felt like I could still be Daniel again. That he was still alive inside me and I could deliver this baby and then undo everything that had been done to me.
But if I let him touch me like that, I was truly giving that part of me up forever. So why was Will walking away from me so heartbreaking? Did I want to walk passed that point of no return?
I was so confused.
Will never even looked back as he disappeared into the ship.
=^..^=
I sat outside in the cold clutching his jacket trying and failing to figure things out when I saw a pair of blue eyes approaching from the forest.
In the dark, he was nearly invisible due to his black fur. Only his eyes alerted me of his presence and that he was getting closer.
He was of the same species as both my assailant and my savior. Somewhere in-between the two of them in size. I stood and walked slowly up to him. He towered over me. I was sure his head alone weighed more than I did.
They weren't just mindless animals. They were so expressive and showed so many emotions, just in ways humans couldn't discern. What gave us the right to treat them as any less just because they communicated differently.
We came wondering it we'd find intelligent life down here. We did, and they were everywhere.
I outstretched my hand and looked away, trusting entirely in the feeling of mutual respect that he wasn't going to hurt me.
I felt my hand make contact and looked to see he had placed his head beneath my hand. I could sense his worry and fear. The feeling of an apex predator opening itself to you is a feeling I couldn't ever possibly describe.
"Is she your mate?" I asked. "Don't worry, she's okay. You'll see her soon"
He pressed his head against my hand again before turning and slowly disappearing into the night.
The ship was quiet when I finally went in. It seemed the day had really tired everyone out. I made a beeline for the med bay to find her sleeping on the autodoc. It didn't look very comfortable but she didn't seem disturbed by it.
"Pola, status".
"The creature has been successfully sedated. Its condition is stable. We do not have a name yet for this species. Would you like to select one?"
"No" I responded. "Let her sleep one more night before we force our will on her".
=^..^=
I had been walking to my room. I swear I had been at the start, so why was I now standing in front of Will's door.
I stared at the button on the door that would alert him to my presence. Pushing it would be my point of no return.
"Just go" I whispered under my breath "Go to bed please"
Why was I still standing there? Why was my hand moving by itself? Why was I pushing the bell? It felt like a bad dream but deep down, I wanted this.
I pushed the bell again before the door slid open to reveal Will on the other side. He wasn't even wearing a shirt. As if this wasn't difficult enough.
I took a step forward and he took one back. We repeated this motion until I was fully in the door and I could slide it closed behind me.
I had crossed the point of no return.
While keeping eye contact, I criss-crossed my arms and grabbed the hems of my dress pulling it over my head. I dropped it to the floor and let him drink me in.
All of my body to look at and his eyes seemed glued to be protruding belly. I took a step forward and another one bringing us within an arms length to each other.
I reached around and unclasped the bra. Adjusting my shoulders I let it fall to the floor. Each action seemed orchestrated by someone else. Someone that had been kept locked away for so long and now she was ravenous.
My breasts were average but even still, free and unshackled from their cloth prison, they managed to steal his attention away from my belly. I walked even closer to him still maintaining the same eye contact. I could feel his warm breath.
I took his right hand and placed it on my right breast. The same one he'd touched earlier.
"I want you" I whispered to him.
"I don't want your pity" He said to me and backed away.
"I..." I was stunned. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.
"Look Dany, you had a hard day, emotional, I get why you kissed me. I also get why you pulled away and I get why you're doing this" He shook his head "You don't have to. I told you, it's fine".
"It's not pity" I tried to make him understand "I really want to do this".
He wasn't giving me a chance "You said it yourself, you're confused. And of course you are, you're a pregnant man".
That stung hard. Was he lashing out or did he really mean that? Did he want to hurt me because I hurt him or did he now see me as a man? And why did it hurt so bad?
"Just go get some sleep" He said finally, "you'll feel differently in the morning".
And for the third time tonight, he turned his back on me. There was nothing else for me there. I slid my dress over my head, picked my bra up the floor in a most shameful motion and left the room with his jacket lying there.
Quietly, I walked through the halls. Whoever had called it the 'walk of shame' when they'd had sex the previous night obviously hadn't experienced throwing yourself at someone and been shunned away.
When I got to my room, I locked the door and cried myself my sleep.
=^..^=
In typical fashion, soon it was morning. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have even considered leaving my room but I wanted to go see if she was awake.
I quickly got dressed in a loose maternity top and skirt combo and hurried into the elevator leading to the med bay floor all the while dreading seeing Will again.
"Where's Will?" I asked Pola while in the elevator.
"He left on an expedition alongside Cillian and Robert early this morning" She answered.
I guessed he was avoiding me too.
As soon as the doors opened, my eyes were drawn to her, very large and agitated and clawing at the access doors and doing quite a bit of damage.
"Hey hey hey" I rushed forward with my hand outstretched "It's okay".
She turned sharply and snarled but seemed to calm down a second later.
"Pola, open the access door".
The door swung open but she didn't leave immediately like I expected. Instead she approached me slowly.
I touched her head gently and then her neck as she rubbed my arm in what felt like an embrace. She sniffed my belly and then rubbed her head ever so softly on it. I placed my head on hers and it was the single greatest moment of this whole experience.
I'd seen the stars, traveled across them and even passed through a wormhole. All of those experiences paled in comparison to bonding with her like that.
"Kira" I said softly "It means 'shine' or 'sparkle'. May I call you that?"
She was so warm. So brilliant. It was in that moment I told myself I wouldn't let anyone hurt her or anything else on this planet.
=^..^=
Kira was long gone by the time the men returned. It saddened me but I was glad she was being reunited with her mate.
Will gathered us in the bridge to discuss what had happened yesterday. They'd gone out armed in case they ran into hostile animals but alas every last one they had come across had been friendly.
"Did you do something for it to attack" Robert asked me.
"No" I insisted "I was just standing there"
"It doesn't make sense" Will stated. He was obviously still avoiding me but he hid it well enough.
"If anyone, they should have attacked John" Cillian said "he's the one always fucking with them"
"I'm only testing the bounds of their indifference" John countered. "But yeah it is weird. They tolerate us at best but absolutely love her. Why would they attack her?"
"You know how they all have blue eyes?" I asked. They all nodded or gave some other sign of agreement. "That one had black eyes. The eyeballs I mean".
"That could be something" Will agreed finally acknowledging something I'd said.
"It sounds to me like whatever mutation the others have, that one didn't have it" Robert reasoned.
"Then there are many unanswered questions. Was it alone? How many others are out there? Why did it happen?" Will paced around the bridge "Could the rest of the planet be hostile? The beacons are already active. Are we bringing humanity to a planet filled with hostile beasts?"
"The beings on this planet are good" I disagreed.
"You were almost killed and you're defending them?" Will asked with a tiny amount of frustration seeping though. "We should be gearing up to go hunt those aggressive ones down at least. Atleast we know they're no match for our hoses."
"No!" I exclaimed. "We're the ones that came here. We're the invaders. We kill and kill, the same way we killed our planet."
He laughed "Overpopulation and green house gases destroyed earth, not wildlife control".
He had laughed at me.
"We..." I froze. They were all looking at me. "Do what you want" I said simply before exiting the bridge and eventually the ship.
=^..^=
I walked until I arrived at my usual forest path. I knew it was careless to be out there alone after what had happened yesterday but I just couldn't be anywhere near that ship anymore. Anywhere near him.
It seemed all he wanted to do anymore was humiliate me.
I followed the usual path while watching the trees for any eyes that weren't blue. I spotted the zoofle from yesterday. He was back and munching on a purple colored fruit.
We had a lot of naming to do. We'd have to start deciding what to call every last thing on this world. Eventually we'd build a working dictionary for the settlers that would come later.
I dreaded the other settlers' arrivals. I wanted Heather to wake up but I knew the more of them that arrived, the more of these beautiful animals that would be killed for food, pelt or worse for fun.
There was nothing humans loved more than an easy target. Every minority could attest to that.
'What should we call that fruit' I thought to myself as I walked.
I tested different words in my head searching for something that sounded right.
'Plumora?' I thought. The original owners of this world probably had a name for the fruit and now they're gone. Their language, culture and history vanished because a human pushed a button.
=^..^=
Eventually I arrived at the location where it had happened yesterday. There was a pack of animals feasting on the carcass. When they saw me approaching, they took off into the trees.
I inspected the area, the once majestic creature now looked nothing like it's former self. A little more than a puddle in the dirt.
I bent down to get a closer look, I could see the singed and burned flesh and organs, an obvious sign of where the beam had hit and passed through. It never stood a chance.
I heard leaves rustle behind me and I turned sharply. My heart had skipped a beat but it was only a small animal. Blue eyes. Harmless.
I relaxed as I watched it hop up to me, sniff my feet and then stare up at me with those eyes. So innocent.
How could I defend them again all of humanity, especially the cruel corporations that would exploit them, if I couldn't even stand my ground against Will and the others.
I was so pathetic. Constantly being saved by them and I couldn't even return the favour.
But what could I do? I was weak. But if I couldn't even protect them, how would I protect my child when I delivered them into this world in five months.
I thought about all the pain the animals here would go through when they faced humankind but could defend themselves like the animals back on Earth could.
I stared at the little creature with pity. Its genetic code was its prison. Its death sentence.
"I need you to fight back" I begged.
It just stared at me with those innocent eyes.
"Fight back" I repeated.
I reached forward with my index finger and pushed its head . It easily lost balance and fell in the dirt. It hurt me to see.
"Fight back" I repeated and pushed it again into the dirt. Still it clumsily regained its usual stance and just stared at me.
It was doomed. They were all doomed. Poachers would have a field day with them.
"Fight back!" I screamed at it and it hissed back. Baring its fangs angrily at me.
I outstretched my finger to push again and it lunged forward with a bite. With a quick action, I pulled my hand out of reach and it too stepped back in a defensive position hissing aggresively.
"Yes!" I screamed. "That's it. Protect yourselves"
I stood and did a quick turn around, a forest full of blue eyes watching me, "Fight back!" I screamed again.
In a second, the whole forest turned to chaos. All species named and unnamed clamoring and making whatever threatening noise nature had taught them.
I watched happily at the first show of aggression from these creatures. I raised both my hands out in the air and laughed maniacally as the forest erupted into shows of resistance and defiance.
"Dany!" I heard Will shout my name as he came into view. He must have heard me screaming. Even with all that had happened, he still came.
"Will" I said happily.
All the animals in view seemed to turn their attention to him and hissed angrily.
It only took one to charge at him for the others to do the same. When I realised what was happening, I was horrified.
"No stop!" I screamed at the very top of my lungs and as if on command, the charge stopped.
Once again, they stood dormant and gone were the ferocious beasts they had been only a moment ago.
=^..^=
"What the fuck was that?" Will asked as he walked back to ship and I followed.
"I don't know" I said.
"I heard you screaming again so I came to help and next thing I know, I'm being mobbed by half the jungle!" he was walking ahead of me and wasn't even turning to see that I was struggling to keep up.
"I don't know what happened either" I explained. We came in view of the ship and the others were standing outside which gave me a sense of deja vu. The only difference was that now my feet hurt from walking so fast.
When we reached the others, Will simply stated, "Everyone to the bridge".
=^..^=
Will told his version of events again which caused them to look to me expectantly for answers.
"I was just telling them to fight back, I didn't think anything would happen"
"Telling them how?" Robert asked.
"Fight back against who?" John asked
Lots of questions were flying in my direction and I was just as confused about what had just happened.
"Against humans" I said confidently. "What do you think will happen when everyone shows up? They'll all be hunted to extinction."
"I.. see where you're coming from but you're putting people's lives in danger" John told me.
"Their lives aren't worth less than ours" I argued back.
"They are" Will seemed fed up. I didn't care "Where is this coming from? They're animals"
"Are we just glossing over the fact that she can talk to them? And they listen?" Robert asked again.
"Yeah how can you do that?" Cillian asked me.
"I don't know" I told them again. "I've just been feeling a connection to them and they're there when I need them"
"This is crazy" John remarked. He had the same look of disbelief as everyone else.
"I know. I know it is, but it is because of this connection that I know that they're intelligent beings" I tried my best to convince them "They think, and feel, and love, and communicate"
I watched their faces carefully as they contemplated all I'd just said. It was my chance.
"Please, you have to help me protect them" I added as a final touch.
The group exchanged glances. Did they think I was crazy? Maybe we were finally going to use that detention room that the Pathfinder had.
My attention turned from Will to John to Robert and to Cillian. Not a word between them.
Will heaved a sigh. Ultimately it was his decision. I hoped deep in my heart that he wouldn't decide to punish me for last night over this.
He looked at me and after seemingly having considered all the options, he stated simply "Not over humans, but we'll do our best".
=^..^=
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I'm so excited about how far we've come in this story. Thank you for reading all the words. Hope you'll stay for more. Leave a comment.
Things didn't improve between Will and I until 8 months into my pregnancy. Over those months, we sort of just devolved into coworkers again.
He'd still kept me off work duties but suddenly it didn't feel like it was for my protection anymore.
In those months, I felt the loneliest I'd ever been. The men spent most days outside the ship exploring more of the region. They built shelters miles away and surveyed farther than I could ever hope to see.
All the while, I was stuck indoors or in the ship's vicinity while the pregnancy basically ruined my body. I was tired all the time and my emotions were all over the place. This caused me to not interact with the rest of the team even when they were around.
I didn't help that we didn't eat together either. We'd come to an agreement that even if they would keep using the animals as food, they would ultimately treat them with respect and make it painless.
They monitored the ages of what they killed and made sure they never put a strain on the population. That was the best I was going to get so I took it.
I never thought having a baby would be that hard. My back hurt, I had headaches, my feet were swollen and I peed all the time but in those beautiful moments when I felt him or her kick and roll, it had made it all worth it.
Every time I'd felt a kick, I'd start to tell Will about it but he never seemed interested so I kept it to myself or shared the moment with Kira whenever she came around which wasn't a lot. Kira had given birth two months earlier so she was always busy with the little ones.
Sometimes it would dawn on me how crazy it was that I felt closer to an alien predator than to the team I'd traveled across the stars with.
=^..^=
It had been a pretty normal day, I'd felt the occasional kick but the baby was being pretty quiet that day. I'd felt strong enough to take a walk which I'd been returning from when I suddenly felt sick.
I was also feeling a bit dizzy so I hurried to get indoors and off my feet.
My eyes locked with Robert's as I approached the ship and I asked him for help. He rushed to my side and asked what was wrong.
"I don't know" I responded, "I'm a bit dizzy and I feel like..."
Before I could finish, I felt an intense urge to throw up. I turned away from him and retched as a watery liquid passed my lips.
"Somethings really wrong" I felt my eyes water.
He looked worried and in over his head, "Let's get you to the med bay" was all he managed.
=^..^=
"Pola, find Will and John" Robert said as he placed me on autodoc. "Diagnosis" he added. We'd seen John say that enough times to know how that worked at least.
"John and the Captain have both been alerted to the emergency. Please note, the captain is currently on an expedition with Cillian" Pola's voice was muffled and sounded funny. I struggled to keep my eyes open.
I must have seen my dad standing over me because I called out to him, "Dad, you're here". I don't remember why I'd said that. My memories told me he was right there but obviously that wasn't possible.
"Autodoc diagnosis" Pola continued "Kidney and liver stress detected. Possible failure imminent".
It was getting harder to keep my eyes open. Robert was trying to tell me something but I couldn't hear him. I just wanted to sleep.
=^..^=
When I awoke, I was on my side facing Will and John having a conversation about something I couldn't hear. Will looked so dirty and John stressed.
They both turned to me when they saw that I was awake.
"You really scared us, Dani" John said. I studied him. He had meant that. In our own way, I think we cared about each other.
"Sorry" I whispered.
"How do you feel?" Will asked. He hadn't asked me that in a while.
"Sore, tired" I answered while adjusting in the bed. They must have moved me while I was out. "Is my baby okay?".
"They're fine, don't worry. But there's something we need to talk about". John assured. Of course he already knew the gender of the baby but I had asked him not to tell me.
"What is it?" I asked worried.
John took a breath before walking closer and sitting at the foot of the bed.
"I'm not an OB so I'm not 100% on this but based on the symptoms, your blood pressure is much higher than it should be and with the swelling and the vomiting, I believe you have pre-eclampsia".
I'd heard the word before but didn't know what it meant. All I knew was that it sounded bad and I didn't want it.
My eyes glanced to Will and then back to John, "what does that mean?" I asked.
"It's something that can happen in late stage pregnancy and usually causes high blood pressure" He explained "This can affect your blood vessels which can damage your organs".
"My liver and kidney?" I asked.
"And your lungs, yes, but none of that has happened yet". Will listened attentively but didn't say anything.
"And my baby's fine" I asked again.
"Yes" He assured me again with a reassuring smile "I'm prescribing you some blood pressure medication and we'll see how that goes"
"And if it doesn't work?" I asked not willing to leave anything to chance.
"We might have to induce labor early but don't think about that yet. Just take it easy" John made a decent doctor. Why did he have to go and rip people off and get himself arrested.
"Can I go?" I was feeling a lot better and the bed in the med bay wasn't exactly comfortable.
"Better you stay here tonight where I can keep an eye on you" There was a doctor's quarters connected by a single door to the med bay. "Just get some sleep".
What the hell. I decided to give that a shot.
=^..^=
When I woke up, the ship was still quiet and the lights were dim. I looked across the room and spotted Will sleeping in a chair in the corner.
I smiled at the sight. Just like that last time when I'd screamed in the forest, he always pretended to be angry at me but was always there when I really needed him.
Sure it sucked that he'd left me to deal with the pregnancy alone after basically forcing it on me but that was the mission. He had his job, and this was mine.
What did I want anyway? For him to hold my hand through it all? That didn't seem likely. Either way, I had done eight months without him so what was one more?
But still, him being there, sleeping in that uncomfortable fucking chair, something about that sight did it for me.
I shuffled to sit on the bed and the sound of that was enough to wake him up.
"Sorry for waking you up" I told him as soon as he was awake enough to understand me. "What are you doing there?"
That seemed to embarrass him because he didn't respond. The quiet act wasn't going to work for him anymore. I knew he cared.
My belly was so big now that even standing by myself was proving to be a mean feat.
He stood and began walking over to me.
"What do you need? I'll get it for you" He offered.
I smiled. "I need to pee" I kept up with my attempts to stand, "so unless you're planning on bringing me a bowl..."
He took my hands and pulled me gently to my feet.
"Thanks".
The journey to the medbay restroom and back should have been a short one but had somehow taken ten minutes. Everything was sore.
"I never want to do this ever again" I told Will as I exited the bathroom.
"Pee?" He asked with a smile.
"Haha funny" I said with a playful roll of my eyes.
He took my hand and helped me back into bed. Unnecessary but not unwelcome.
"Being pregnant sucks" I told him as soon as I was comfortable. Will took a chair closer to my bed.
"You're bringing life into the world" He replied "I think it's beautiful".
I scoffed, "feel free to get the next one then".
"Nah" he quickly dismissed the thought, "I couldn't do it."
"You'd think so but modern medicine is very impressive. I mean look at me"
"No one else could have done it besides you" he countered.
"So you did choose me to do it and not for whatever bullshit reason you came up with to justify it".
"Yes absolutely" he admitted.
It didn't bother me anymore. It did at one point. The thought that they chose me because I wasn't as much of a man as they were.
"But it wasn't because of how you looked" Will continued "Maybe it was a bit but not entirely. You just feel like a woman, if that makes sense"
It did. More than I'd have wanted to admit eight months ago but it made sense to me now.
"So what..." I had started to say something but suddenly felt a sharp pain in my head "... ah!" I whimpered.
What had I been saying?
"What's wrong?" Will rushed to my side.
"I'm okay" I answered shaking it off, "Just a little headache"
I went to say something else to lighten the mood but it was getting hard to breathe. I closed my eyes and tried to slowly inhale and exhale.
I felt Will who must have taken a seat beside me take my hand and rub it gently. That felt nice.
I felt sore everywhere. That felt less nice.
His right hand moved and began rubbing my back. I let myself fall and eventually my head found its place on his shoulder.
I stayed focused on my own breathing which was proving harder and harder every second.
"I think it's time to call John" I said. I didn't need to tell him twice.
=^..^=
John had checked my heart rate and my blood pressure and it was clear as day on his face that he didn't like the results.
At that point, I was fully laying down with my head on Will's lap while he made small circles with his palm on my back.
"Give it to me straight doc" I forced a smile.
"Well your blood pressure is still too high" John said. "I think we're going to have to induce labor early".
"Is that safe?" Will asked.
"The child's lungs might be a bit underdeveloped which is why I injected steroids earlier to aid their growth but it hasn't been nearly enough time"
"Can't we wait a bit?" I asked him. In the end, the most thing was my child's health.
"Your liver is already under a lot of stress. If you're having trouble breathing, it means fluids might be building up in your lungs. I'm afraid we can't wait".
"So what now?" Will asked with his hand remaining on my back.
"I'll prepare the solution, it's administered by IV so I hope you're not squeamish about injections".
=^..^=
Will and I traded war stories about earth to pass the time. He told me more about foster care and what it was like at NASA camp. I told him about normal people college which he didn't get to go to and I didn't get to finish.
"Marty was so bad" he laughed. I did too. "At literally every sim. Nobody wanted him on their team" He laughed again. "The guy could barely even open an airlock".
He was mostly just keeping my mind off things with stories.
"You know back then, they used to be manual?"
I nodded to show that I was listening.
"But to be fair to the guy, doing it in zero-g was no mean feat, I mean thank God for artificial gravity"
I'd been feeling mild contractions for about 10 minutes already. I didn't want to say anything because that would mean the conversation would stop.
"You're lucky you never had to live in space back then, it was brutal".
I didn't want it to end. He hadn't said 3 consecutive sentences to me in months and now he wouldn't shut up.
"Sometimes we'd come back to Earth after an extended trip and have to relearn how to walk".
A big one hit me and an involuntary whimper left my lips. Like a guard dog at attention, he was barking "John, get in here".
"Has it started?" John rushed in.
I nodded.
"Help me get her on Autodoc" he told Will.
As quickly as he could, Will approached me and picked me up gently from under my arms and knees before placing me on the medical table.
John checked my blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and more before asking me to place my feet on the table.
"Will, would you mind waiting outside?" John asked.
"It's okay" I said "He can stay... if he wants to".
Will didn't move so John began. He put on a pair of gloves, lubricated before heading out of my line of sight and underneath the gown.
I felt his cold fingers prodding around down there and tried my best not be seem too uncomfortable. After what felt like an eternity, he emerged.
"3cm" he announced "Buckle up, it'll be a long night"
=^..^=
He wasn't kidding. 8 hours later, the suns had been up for some time already and still only minor contractions few and far between.
"Hey" Cillian peaked in through the door. He was heading out with Robert since Will insisted on remaining by my side.
"Hey" I forced a smile.
He came full into view so I wouldn't have to strain to look at him.
"How do you feel?" he asked me.
"Awful" I pouted.
"I hope these two are taking good care of you"
"They're doing their best" I replied with a smile.
"We're heading out for a couple hours, thought I'd drop in before we left"
Cillian was really nice. I'd quickly found that the tough guy act when we first met had been just that, an act. 'Never show weakness when you get to prison' kind of thing. He was always very nice. Atleast to me.
"Good luck" I said.
"You too. See you when I get back".
=^..^=
Not even an hour after they left, the contractions started getting worse. I was feeling an intense pressure in my lower back which caused me to shift and turn with very little success.
John guided me through breathing exercises and other ways to relax. These did very little to help.
I squeezed Will's hand through the worst of it. He looked more worried than I did.
"Tell me a joke" I pleaded as I squirmed in bed.
"I don't know any jokes" he replied.
"William, tell me a joke right now" I forced as a particularly painful tightening in my abdomen caused me to squeeze his hand harder.
"Pola, tell us a joke" He tried.
"No!" I screamed partly as a response to the cheap trick he'd tried and partly from the pain "I don't want to hear weird computer humor right now"
"Fine, fine" he laughed "But when it's awful, don't say I didn't warn you"
I forced a smile trying not to focus on the pressure.
"I was in a bar back on earth and on the news, I hear.." he made a funny reporter voice "Breaking news! A midget fortune teller has just escaped from prison."
I looked at him questioning where he was going with this.
"This guy next to me looked me dead in the eye and said, 'So if I understand correctly, there's a small medium at large'".
I stared at him. He looked at me expectantly with that schoolboy grin of his.
And then it clicked. I let out a small involuntary laugh and shook my head, "that is so bad" I squeezed his hand.
"I told you" he laughed again.
"And we can't call them that" I playfully frowned at him.
"Sorry" he said still laughing. It was clear to me he found that silly joke funny. That atleast made me smile.
=^..^=
Nothing could have prepared me for the absolute worst pain I had ever felt in my life. Nothing else came close. For a period of 45 minutes, I experienced the most mind-numbing torment that I never thought possible.
I imagined this was what the Pathfinder felt when it passed through that wormhole. Waves of contractions that never let up.
I screamed and begged John to just cut me open and get the baby out.
'Fuck the experiment' I remember screaming.
"9cm. We're almost there. You can do it" John encouraged. I screamed at him some more.
Looking back, I felt most sorry for Will. He looked horrified and speechless. Props to him though, he never let go of my hand. Even as my fingernails dug into his skin.
=^..^=
By the time I was fully dilated, I think I was mostly numb from the pain. The worst was over. I knew that because nothing could be worse than that.
Whatever God made a feeling worse than that didn't deserve to be worshipped. I wondered whether all women had to go through this or if this pain was unique to me because my body wasn't designed to go through this. It must have been the latter right? The existence of multiple children by the same woman was proof that my pain was unique. Right?
'We'll never know' I thought to myself as John told me to get ready to push.
=^..^=
'I'm not strong enough' I remember thinking over and over again.
John was telling me something. I couldn't hear anything except this ringing sound in my ear. My head pounded like someone was dancing the salsa in my skull.
I read his lips, "PUSH".
I shook my head, "I can't"
"You can" he had said back. I was crying. I could feel the baby's head in my pelvis but I wasn't strong enough. My legs were so weak.
"You can" he repeated "You're strong".
"I'm not" the tears rolled freely down my cheeks. I was so tried.
"Contractions have slowed" John said while taking a few deep breaths "Take a break for a minute or two. Try to conserve your energy"
I was thankful for the break but it wouldn't make any difference. I wasn't strong enough.
"I'm sorry" I said turning to Will who was still gripping my left hand.
"Don't say you're sorry. Because you're going to do this".
My gaze glanced down to the bed. Blood everywhere.
"I believe in you" Will told me. I tried to force a smile but I didn't have the strength even for that.
"I believe in you Dany. And I love you" he said to me. "I want to spend the rest of my life together with you and our kid so don't give up"
He rubbed my hand gently. I could feel the beads of sweat dropping down from my hair. I was soaked. Tired. Dehydrated.
"I love you too" I told Will as John was returning. He looked disheveled. He had been going for as long as I had as well. I made a mental note to thank him when this was over.
"Okay Dany, I need you to give me ten solid pushes and I promise you you'll be holding your baby"
"Just ten? I can do this all day" I forced a smile.
"Attagirl" he said.
=^..^=
In the end, I almost gave up multiple times during those final ten. Well seven as it turned out.
The first time I nearly threw in the towel, it was Will bringing my limp hand to his lips that spurred me on.
The second time I nearly quit, it was John telling me that I was so close and that there were only a few more that kept me going.
The third time, it was the sound of my baby girl crying.
=^..^=
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That was one of the harder chapters to write. Please let me know what you thought about it.
Three years later.
I sat in a lawn chair watching Adya play with a young Fylis cub that was already twice her size. That was the name we'd given to Kira's species. The same one my attacker had belonged to.
We had run into 2 more variants, which was what we called the aggressive fauna that weren't under my control, but they hadn't been part of a dangerous species to begin with so it hadn't been a problem.
We agreed that the occurrences were few and far between enough that it didn't make sense for their existence to sully how were interacted with the other animals on the planet.
My control had also grown to the point that I essentially had full control over their behaviors. Will had made me test forcing them to act against their own interests.
That had been a horrible day. A skynx, a species with extremely dull pain receptors that could also fully regenerate lost limbs in a few minutes was chosen as the scapegoat. I'd made it eat it's tail. I still have nightmares about it.
The chair I'd been sitting in was made of wood since we'd entirely run out of thermoplastics and resins for printing. Most items in our cabin were made of wood as well except those that we'd moved in from the ship.
As we 'reclaimed' more of the forest as our new home, the distance from the Pathfinder's landing spot had become more and more of a hike so we'd built ourselves cabins.
It had left a sour taste in my mouth but I knew it was inevitable if humans were going to live on this planet. One change we made from Earth though was that we made sure to plant a tree elsewhere for each that we cut down.
That had meant a lot of trees when we cleared the area for our new homes and built them.
I watched Adya, her brown hair was nothing like mine. In fact she looked a lot like Will. I'd gone through all that torture just for her to emerge looking like a carbon copy of her father. I'd be lying if I said it didn't annoy me.
But I like to think she got her personality from me atleast. She was very well behaved and loved those animals to death. Sometimes it seemed to me that she could atleast communicate with them even if she couldn't command them like I could.
Adya Fahey. A very unusual name indeed. I thought back to those first few moments after her birth. What an absolute disaster.
We'd worried she might have been severely undersized since she was coming out early but that thankfully turned out to not be the case.
John had been worried about her lung development especially paired with the heavier atmosphere but that too seemed fine although John wanted to keep an eye on her to no objection from Will or I.
"You were ready to be born, weren't you?" I had said as I held her.
She'd stopped crying and just breathed rhythmically. She looked so peaceful.
"Do you have a name for her yet, mama?" John had asked as he watched me caress her gently. I was entirely mesmerized by her. She'd been a part of me for months and now there she was, in my arms.
"Yeah..." I started.
"Adya" Will interrupted. "It means 'first'" He told John excitedly.
John glanced over at me questioningly.
I'd wanted to name her Aurora, after my star. Will would have known that if he'd had any sort of conversation with me about her.
"Her name is Adya Ness" He reiterated.
Okay that was taking it too far.
"She's my daughter" I had said simply.
He smiled "Of course she is, it's normal for a child to take her father's last name".
"We're not married" I countered, "She's a Fahey. And how can you decide a name without talking to me? You have no right".
"Dani, she's my daughter too. We can get married if that's what you want".
"Look look look" John had said stepping in "Dani's probably tired, let's let her rest".
Even though Will seemed to listen to John, his expression told me it wasn't over yet.
In the end, I had let him have his name. He'd told me I could name the next girl Aurora as if I'd ever want to do that again.
I never agreed to have her be a Ness even when he offered to hyphenate both last names. He was just a sperm donor. She was my daughter and that was that.
=^..^=
Will and I were on and off for that first year after her birth never quite making it work long term. He loved his daughter with all his heart, that much was clear.
And if you asked him, he'd probably say he loved me too but he never acted like it. I don't think he ever forgave me for rejecting him but I always thought there was something more.
It didn't help that I rejected him again... not that it had stopped him.
Will had come home to find me breastfeeding Adya one night. She must have been around 14 months back then.
"You look hot" he'd said to me from the doorway.
"Thanks" I smiled.
"What do you say we let her sleep and we can... you know"
Understandably, that had caught me off guard. Will hadn't returned my advances. Even after he'd so romantically proclaimed his love for me when Adya was born.
When he'd asked me to share a cabin with him, I thought things would finally pick up. He'd said he wanted me close so he could protect me but how was he supposed to do that when he was always out exploring one corner of the planet or another.
To me it seemed Adya was his first love with good reason because she was mine too, but somehow exploring the planet came in second. Eventually I'd given up and just decided to live my life.
So it was definitely a shock to hear him say that.
"I'm still feeding her" I replied. I turned slightly in an attempt to get my exposed breast out of his line of sight.
"Feed her later" he replied walking over to me.
"She's gonna start crying if she's hungry" I said again trying to fend him off.
"Let me have her" he outstretched his arm "I'll put her in the crib".
"Will I'm not in the mood" I told him.
"Yet" he smirked before he dropped to one knee, leaned forward and kissed me. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and even taste it.
I knew I shouldn't have. Adya was still between us sucking on my left nipple and she should have been my focus but there I was, kissing him. I had thought I had gotten over my feelings for him but obviously not.
When our lips parted and I stared in his eyes, I was back exactly where I was so long ago. No progress made.
He took her from my arms and separated us before getting back on his feet. I watched him as he made his way to her wooden crib and placed her inside before turning back to me.
I adjusted my bra and dress strap to regain full coverage as he walked back to where I sat. He reached over and took my hand pulling me to my feet which caused him to stumble.
He laughed it off then kissed me again.
I tried to get into it but couldn't. His breath stunk, he was forceful and more than anything, I just wanted to go to Adya.
"You should go take a bath first, you stink" I said in between kisses. I figured a bath would clear his mind a bit and atleast make it more enjoyable for me. It would also give me the chance to finish feeding Adya and tuck her in properly.
"isn't that part of the charm? Think of me as a wild native and you a naive girl that wandered into my lair" He squeezed my butt tightly and gave it a slap which caused me to jump.
"That hurt" I told him.
No response. His hands wandered from my face to my breasts then waist. When I felt a hand slip beneath my dress, it finally dawned on my that while I did want to have sex with him, it wasn't supposed to be like that.
"I'm not in the mood" I told him again. That only served to make him more forceful. My hands searched and found his pulling them away from me while creating some distance.
I looked at him, for a second I saw him, the guy I'd fallen in love with all that time ago and I thought things might have turned out all right. Will wouldn't hurt me when he'd saved me so many times.
A moment later, that guy was replaced with a different one with fire in his eyes. He took my arm and forced me into a bent position over the chairs. I was so scared.
Every time I tried to protest, he only got more forceful.
"Will stop" I pleaded as I felt him raise my dress. I tried to kick with my legs but that did little to deter him.
Adya was crying.
He held me in place with his left hand as he fumbled with his pants bottom with the other.
I felt the cool air on my bottom and tried again to reach him, "I'm being serious, I don't want to do this".
"Don't be silly, you've wanted to do this for years..."
The sight of John dragged me back to the present. I smiled at him. We'd become really close. The exploration party usually included some combination of Will, Cillian and Robert so John and I had spent a lot of days together.
He also adored Adya. He always claimed the day when she was born was one of the most special moments of his life. Recently, he'd been talking more about having his own children, a sentiment both Cillian and Robert shared and one Will and I probably took for granted.
He joyfully hopped over to Adya, picked her up and lifted her high in the air. She laughed gleefully. The young Fylis jumped playfully around the two of them seemingly awaiting his turn that would never come.
"Were you missing me, John?" I asked from my spot on the porch.
He laughed, "Don't flatter yourself, I'm here for Adya. You're looking a lot thinner than the last time I saw you, are you okay?" he replaced the little bundle of joy on her spot on the floor before coming over to me.
"I'm fine, you worry too much" I told him as he placed his backhand on my forehead.
"I'd love to have you over to the ship to run some tests"
"Ugh" I groaned "I'm fine, have a seat".
He obliged me.
"Four years and not one glimpse of snow" he started.
"Perfect weather all year round and how do I spend it? In this damn chair"
"I hear you" he agreed, "I'm too important to join them on the expeditions so I spend my days indoors like an old man".
"I'm only 26. I'm not ready to be old" I complained.
"Agreed, I could honestly do with a little action"
"I could probably get you a thornback to wrestle" I offered, "That could be fun".
He chuckled, "I'll pass thanks".
"Where's will?" I asked changing the subject.
"Oh he's at the north-eastern quarantine" John said after giving me an empathetic look.
"He doesn't tell me anything" I told him knowing he was wondering exactly that.
"I could talk to him" he proposed.
"Oh god no" I replied quickly "There's nothing going on between us. He doesn't have to tell me anything"
We both heard Will's watch beep. It was Pola. We all had these smartwatches but I'd stopped wearing mine a while ago. They were uncomfortable after extended use. Plus it's not like I ever went anywhere. If anyone needed me, they knew where to find me. In this chair.
"Incoming transmission from orbit" I heard Pola say through the watch's speakers.
We both looked at each other puzzled. That didn't make a lick of sense.
"Adya, come here sweetie" I called out. The ever obedient girl stood from the dirt, dusted off her dress and ran to me. The young Fylis followed which caused me to rise to my feet for the first time all afternoon.
The energetic girl ran and hugged me which easily brought a smile to my face. I picked her up and dusted the rest of the sand that she'd missed.
"Go home to your mama" I said to the young cub. A moment later, it was running into the trees and out of sight.
"That still freaks me out" John said. I wondered if he would be more or less freaked out if he knew I didn't actually have to speak to them. That was just for show. It was more of a telepathic connection.
"Transmission from orbit?" I asked changing the subject.
"Beats me. Pola's is finally losing it and needs a reset or..."
"There's people in orbit" I finished.
=^..^=
John had tried to convince me to stay while he went back to the ship but obviously I wouldn't have that. It had been a boring year. There was absolutely no way I would sit back even if Pola turned out to be mistaken. A system reset would still be the most exciting thing that had happened all month.
John agreed but insisted he carry Adya.
"John, I'm fine"
"I'll be the judge of that."
The forest looked different from when we first arrived but I thought we'd done a good job of maintaining it. There were still a lot of the blue eyed creatures out and about which was a good sign that we'd managed to keep most of their habitats intact.
I glanced over at my daughter and then to myself. Things were so different from when we'd left earth.
I was now like my mother in more ways than one. We both had beautiful daughters. Both our bodies had been changed drastically by pregnancy. I looked down at the wide hips I remember my mother also having.
And of course we both allowed ourselves to be treated poorly by men. I'd hated her for letting my step-dad treat her like that and here I was, doing the same thing.
=^..^=
The rover was already outside the ship by the time we arrived which told us the rest of the crew were already inside. They'd cleared enough paths to find some use out of those things.
Walking into the ship, I realised I hadn't been in there in atleast a few weeks. Which wasn't a bad thing. I much preferred living out in nature than in the cold halls of the Pathfinder.
We walked through the sliding doors of the bridge and were greeted by a video of Caitlyn on the viewport.
Except it wasn't just a pre-recorded video like I had initially thought, it was a video call.
I had noticed Will make a face at John and I as we walked in with him holding our child but that was of little consequence to me in that moment.
There was Caitlyn. After all these years.
"My goodness Daniel" she exclaimed "Will told me what happened but seeing it is an entirely different thing"
"Hi Caitlyn" I said with an awkward smile. "And it's Dani now"
"Of course, look at you oh my God!" she continued "You're a beautiful woman now, oh and a mother, can I see her?"
John stepped closer to the console where the camera resided.
"Oh hi John... you look.. the same" She said blandly.
"Well you look amazing, Cait" he replied charmingly.
"Flattery will get you very far John but let me see the baby... oh she's beautiful!" Caitlyn exclaimed "I can't believe you and Will have a child together. We'll talk more when I get to the ground".
"So you're here?" I asked.
"Yes, in orbit above Gaia. As I was telling the others, it's a good thing we made updates to the model 5 design. The model 6s made it through without any hiccups."
She paused.
"I heard what happened to Heather. You did the right thing leaving her. Dani, we will have to properly thank you for stepping up and completing the mission"
The mission that I initially knew nothing about.
"Glad I could help" I smiled.
"Voyager 1 is currently prepping for entry. We'll see you soon".
They were here. Humankind and all their wickedness and greed. In a year, how many of these innocent animals would be killed for one reason or another.
They would be hunted and slaughtered and their homes cut down. It was going to be Earth all over again. I steeled myself, I knew I had to do something.
"How many ships are here?" I asked.
"6 ships carrying 15 thousand each in stasis. Enough to rebuild society and ensure humanity's survival" Caitlyn said proudly.
"World leaders I assume?" I asked.
"Yes, and scientists, doctors, engineers. There's other people as well. The president insisted there be a free lottery to determine who comes as part of the first wave".
'What were the odds only the high zones got a chance to enter?' I wondered.
"The president's here?" I asked.
"Of course he is, and a number of other world leaders and dignitaries" she told me. "In fact they wanted to be the first down, some kind of 'paving the way' photo-op"
She sure was chatty. I wondered if space really did do that to you or if she was just really happy to see us again.
"I wouldn't be surprised if history remembered him as the first man on Gaia" Robert commented.
"Cillian's achievements will never be written over" Caitlyn assured us.
As the conversations carried on around me, there was one thought that I couldn't shake.
It was a horrible thought but how couldn't I think it? All that mattered to me was protecting this world... my world.
I stayed quiet even as the conversations ended when Voyager 1 began its decent.
I desperately thought of any better ideas, any other way out. But none came to mind.
'This is for the greater good' I thought to myself.
=^..^=
The viewport switched to a view of the sky where Voyager 1 had just broken through the atmosphere.
"Zoom in" Will said.
The Pathfinder'cameras zoomed and stabilized a moment later to show a close up of the massive ship descending at incredible speeds.
'15 thousand people' I thought to myself as my eyes watered.
Were they guilty? Probably not all of them. Collateral damage?
Their ancestors destroyed our world. They benefitted from the exploitation. Even as what remained of our world was shared, they got an unfairly large portion while everyone else suffered. Didn't that make them all guilty?
'Is this the right thing to do?' I thought to myself as the cameras panned out to show a flock of hundreds of Zylphi, a gigantic bird of prey approaching the ship.
They sat back and did nothing while their fellow humans were packed like sardines into the low zones. Didn't that make them guilty?
I watched as the Zylphi tore through the phase one chutes like paper.
They knowingly left 95% of humans to die on Earth while they ran to Mars. They abandoned the very planet they watched get destroyed. Didn't that make them guilty?
I watched through the viewport as Voyager 1 started stage 1 burn early in a futile attempt to slow down.
"What's going on?" Cillian asked.
They all turned to look at me with horror in their eyes. Mine remained glued to the screen. The work wasn't done.
They were going to kill my children to fuel their own selfish desires. Didn't that make them guilty?
"Stop it" Will commanded.
I watched the Zylphi tear through the larger phase 2 chutes and the phase 2 engines burn hopelessly in an attempt to recover. Their speeds were way too high. It was too late.
I watched the reverse thrusters fire at full power until the ship dropped below the horizon and the pathfinder's view.
A second later, a fire show so massive it must have rivaled the meteor that killed the dinosaurs.
We felt the rumble throughout the ship a few moments later.
I dared not look at their faces. My eyes remained glued to the explosion on the screen. There was something I'd never told them about the message from the future.
I'd never told them that I was chosen to rule.
"What have you done?" I heard Will's voice echo throughout the bridge.
What I had to.
=^..^=
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As always, would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading.
My head was ringing as overlapping shouts of confusion and disbelief filled the bridge.
I looked at Will for the first time. He was saying something. His mouth was moving. He looked angry... at me. I glanced over to the others, all in various states of disarray.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. I had to get the ringing to stop so I could think.
Every time I tried to think what to say, my brain attacked me with the same three words, 'you killed them'.
I had to get my shit together. What was Will saying? I tried to focus on just his voice.
"What did you do?" he screamed.
I hadn't thought this through. How had I rationalized the killing of fifteen thousand people?
'That's right, they were guilty I dealt with them the same way you would deal with cancerous cells. You remove them before they cause more harm.'
'Yes that's what they were. A cancer on the old world and the new.' I understood now.
'Not all of them were bad people. They were powerless and didn't deserve to die. Hadn't I said something like that to Robert?' I retorted in my head.
'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil... is for good men to do nothing. By that logic, they were complicit, weren't they?'
It felt like my mind was fracturing in two.
Will was saying something, focus.
"How could you do that?"
'To protect this world.'
'They deserved it.'
'I did it to save all the innocent lives here.'
'No I did it to punish them for their sins.'
'The work isn't done. We must survive' I accepted.
Which of these thoughts were mine? I didn't even know.
"I didn't do anything" I said out loud for the first time.
"You control them" Will accused. "I knew that was a bad idea from the start but it was you so I thought it was a good thing".
"Will, I need you to believe me" I walked up to him and took his hand "I didn't do anything"
I looked around the room, "How could you think I would do such a thing?" I asked them.
"She was here with us the whole time" John took my side "She couldn't have done that"
"Maybe they do what she wants even if she's only thinking about it?" Robert offered.
I let go of Will and stepped back away from the others. I didn't mean to cry, it just started. A part of me was even hurt that they would think I was capable of such a thing. How crazy is that?
"Fifteen thousand people" I said between sniffs "You really think I would want to kill anyone not to mention that many people"
"It doesn't seem like Dani" Cillian took my side. "We all know she wouldn't do something like that".
"Then what?" Will said looking very frustrated. "The president of the United States just died along with God knows who else."
"Variants?" Robert asked.
"That many of them?" Will countered.
"Perhaps the whole species is unaffected" Robert reasoned.
"Our job was to make sure the planet was safe"
"Nobody could have..." John started but was interrupted by Pola.
"Incoming call from orbit"
Will sighed "Put it through"
"Wait!" I shouted.
When the call didn't come through, I knew I had reacted in time. I wasn't home free yet.
"Did you tell them about what I can do?" I asked Will.
"Hadn't come up, why?"
"We can't tell them" I pleaded, "If they knew what I could do, they'd blame me just like you did."
"We'll explain the full story" Will assured me "You're not in control of all of them".
"That won't be enough, you know it won't"
He did know of course. The American government would be reeling from what had just happened. And people had gone missing for much less than suspicion of involvement in the death of a president.
"And even if they believe you, I'll spend the rest of my life being experimented on"
I walked over to John and took Adya who had been watching mindlessly from his arms.
Not once had she cried. The sound of the explosion and the rumble had even made her laugh.
'Her mother's daughter' I thought.
'No. I'm not a bad person. I am acting for the greater good' I forced another thought.
"Please Will, don't let them take me away from our daughter" I begged.
"Okay, okay, don't cry" Will said rubbing his eyes. He was stressed and who could blame him with everything that was going on. I was stressed too but I couldn't let myself slip up.
I couldn't let the innocent animals of this planet suffer. Or the cancer survive.
Which ones were my own thoughts? All? None?
"Pathfinder come in" I heard Caitlyn's voice. Pola must have patched them through. On Will's order? Was he going to protect me?
"Voyager 2, we read you"
"What the hell happened? We lost contact with Voyager 1"
"They seem to have crashed" Will answered.
"What? How?" she asked. I'd expected that. I expected there to be a lot more questions before this was over.
"They were attacked by Zylphi, a local species. Massive flying reptiles is how I would describe them. From here, it looked like they tore through the chutes".
"I don't understand, you told me that planet was safe" Caitlyn followed up requiring answers. I imagined there were those of higher ranks that required answers from her as well.
Will looked to me. I wondered what he was thinking but I would never find out.
"Although we haven't had any interactions with Zylphi since we landed, they haven't been any trouble so far. Our own landing was smooth"
"William I don't think you understand. The presidents of the United States, Canada plus another 23 world leaders and their aides were aboard that craft. There will be an inquisition"
He closed his eyes and took a breath.
She continued "Listen, just be on standby. I need to have a few uncomfortable conversations while the crew figures out a way to get us down safely".
She didn't wait for a response and immediately after, the call was terminated.
Will took another big breath and sat back in his chair. I felt for him. All the work they'd done for the past half decade had just gone up in flames.
Because of me.
"I need to think" Will said before exiting the bridge.
=^..^=
John had basically dragged me into the medbay for that checkup he'd been asking for. He forced me through all the usual tests he'd done over the years since I was pregnant but also a surprise addition.
As I laid on the bed that would feed me into the MRI scanner, I didn't like the feeling of uncertainty.
"What's this for?" I asked.
"Just a hunch" He replied cryptically.
"Care to explain your hunch?"
"Your headache"
I tried to sit up but stopped when I heard the machine power up. It was extremely loud and buzzing and it seemed to reactivate the ringing from earlier.
I groaned. I couldn't focus. My mind just wandered uncontrollably.
The scene of the explosion played over and over and only ever paused for my mind to wander off to something random.
A blue butterfly flapping its wings in the darkness. Falling into a black hole. The death of a star.
A war on Mars. I watched from space as lights and explosions covered the red planet's surface.
I watched the surface of Europa shatter into a million ice blocks. All the structures that we'd built over hundreds of years crumbling into the ocean beneath.
A mushroom cloud on Earth.
I stood in a room. There were 6 other people in there. They looked uncanny, frail, skin hanging off their bones.
"Hello?" I reached out. Nothing. He couldn't hear me.
They were all huddled around a console at the front of the room. They all scrambled around as they started what looked to me like an authentication sequence. One by one, they placed their eyeballs in the path of a laser and the console beeped in agreement.
I looked to the screen, "INITIATE MAD" and below that a counter that read "5/6".
A watched one man walk in front of the laser but he had his eyes closed.
I didn't know what any of it meant but it didn't feel good.
"Don't" I said. I walked forward and tried to grab his hand but mine simply passed through his.
"Don't do it" I begged him.
There was a pained expression on his face as he stood there trembling with his eyes closed. They all trembled. Some were crying.
"Hey, stop it" I stepped in front of him right in the path of the laser. It passed through me and reached his face. I watched him closely as the terror was slowly replaced with determination.
He opened his eyes.
White.
"Dani" I heard in the distance.
I stood in an entirely white space. It felt like nothing, like all suffering had finally ended. I wanted to stay there. I was tired.
"Dani" I heard again.
"John?" I called out.
"Wake up" I heard. It echoed. "Wake up"
I took a deep breath as my eyes shot open. I was still laying on the scanner bed.
John breathed a sigh of relief.
=^..^=
John and I sat together as I told him what I'd seen. We speculated at what it could mean but neither of us had a clue.
"You were probably just dreaming. Or your mind was playing tricks on you" John reasoned.
"Yeah" I agreed. It didn't feel like a dream though.
"You need to join us to eat" John changed the subject. Or did he? Maybe he blamed my lack of eating for what I'd just experienced.
"I do eat" I insisted.
"I admire what you're doing but you can't survive on just plants" He told me "You've lost 15 pounds since I last checked".
He looked worried about me. I was getting a lot of that lately.
"I feel them" I stressed. Four years later and I don't think any of them still understood "The connection I have to them is as deep and complex as what you and I share sitting here."
"You're already iron and calcium deficient. We don't know enough about the plant composition on this planet to put you on a healthy plant based diet. You have to eat meat"
"I can't eat them" I turned away.
"They eat each other. It's nature".
"Are we done here?" I asked.
He sighed and resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to listen to him, "We're done yeah sure".
I hadn't been able to print food for months. There was still some of the material left but now I only used it for Adya's meals. I knew he was right but I could hold out a bit longer.
=^..^=
I stood outside the ship and watched the smoke rising in the distance.
'You did that' I thought to myself.
'It was necessary' I countered.
'The worst of us are gone' I reasoned.
'Along with some of the best of us'
I was dragged out of my head by a hand on my shoulder. It was Robert.
"Can you believe that just happened?" he started.
"It's awful" I answered.
"Is it?" It wasn't a question but I turned to him anyway. He was looking out into the distance at the smoke.
"You shouldn't say that. So many people just died"
"How many people from the middle and low zones do you think were on that ship?" he asked.
My gaze turned again to the black smoke rising over the horizon.
"Is zero a good guess?" he asked.
I didn't answer.
"This mission was never about giving humanity a new home. It was about saving them. It always has been and always will be."
He was right of course. I knew he was right but my only goal was to deter suspicion.
"Me, you and Heather, we were always going to be the only ones not from the high zones to set foot on this planet".
He was smiling.
"I call it karma" he said before turning to look me in the eyes "You did the right thing" he said to me.
Shock.
"I didn't..." I tried.
"I watched you throughout. I know what sacrificing your soul for the greater good looks like".
I had to back pedal. Nobody could know what I'd done.
"I am on your side Dani, don't worry" Robert placed a palm on my shoulder before walking away.
=^..^=
I couldn't stay there. I needed to get away. So I just ran. Through the familiar winding paths of the forest. I passed several dozen wildlife watching me with those blue eyes.
Somewhere along the way I started crying but I didn't stop. I ran until I came to the pond I'd found so many years ago.
I knelt down in the dirt a few meters from the body of water. The short dress I wore offered no protection as sand in the mud pierced my knees.
Far enough away that no one would hear me scream. And so I did. A gun wrenching sound escaped my lips and in that moment, it felt like a final dying scream by the person I'd been that morning but would never be again.
How could I raise Adya now? How could I teach her to be good?
When I was out of breath, I stopped only to inhale a large quantity then scream once more. If my goal had been to destroy my voice, I was making good progress.
Maybe if I couldn't speak, I wouldn't have to lie to my friends anymore.
I cried and screamed until I couldn't anymore and it was only sobs that remained. I was weeping for a part of me that was lost forever.
When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded. Hundreds of the creatures I'd sworn to protect. They encircled me in all directions.
"Do you approve?" I asked. My mouth was salty from all the crying.
I don't know what I'd been expecting. If they'd answered me in perfect English, I still would have been as shocked as I currently was.
In unison, the forest erupted into squeals, roars, growls, hisses, a collection of the most beautiful sounds rang throughout.
I remembered the promise I made. I would not let anyone hurt them. What would that take? Rebellion? War? A more nuanced and diplomatic approach?
Either way, I had my goal and I had my resolve. First I would survive and gather strength and only when the time was right would I emerge again.
=^..^=
The Pathfinder crew all sat together outside the ship in the evening like we used to do.
"We need to head out to the crash site tomorrow" Will told us.
We all nodded our agreement. There wasn't any chance anyone had survived. There were actual bombs with less firepower than that.
More likely, even their corpses would be vaporized.
"I'll come too" I said.
"Absolutely not" Will replied.
"I'm still a member of this team and in case you forgot, I'm not pregnant anymore".
"Someone has to stay with Adya"
"John can stay with her. I'll pack her lunch and you can feed her right?" I asked him.
"I actually wanted to go this time" he protested.
"The team doctor is much too important" I said finally. "We need you here".
After it looked like he was done considering responses in his head he answered, "Fine".
Will didn't argue anymore either.
"Did you hear the sounds coming from the forest earlier?" Cillian asked.
"Yes, what was that?" Will asked.
I shrugged. They all expected me to have an answer when it came to the animals and I did but I obviously wasn't going to share it with them this time.
"There's a lot going on now that we don't understand" Will commented clearly frustrated "Four years of the same routine and now... more humans finally arrive and now it goes to shit. We still don't understand anything"
"Maybe they know what's coming" I said. I should have just kept quiet. Nothing good was going to come from talking.
"Maybe they know they're in danger and are trying to fight back" I added.
"And you haven't 'felt' anything different?" Will asked.
I shook my head, "Nothing".
"We'll have to re-test your control again on the journey tomorrow"
=^..^=
The call from orbit came later that night. We were gathered in the bridge as Caitlyn spoke on the viewport.
She explained that the team had been mulling over solutions and she reiterated that even though the shitshow that was happening in orbit was dying down in favor of exploring solutions, there would still be a full investigation when all the Voyagers landed.
"The boys are working on creating some sort of Kevlar-Nylon hybrid to create new chutes."
"Will it be strong enough?" I asked.
"They'll put it through all sorts of tear tests before the mission is a go. It would be helpful if we knew what the dragons' claws are made out of".
"Zylphi" Will corrected.
"Yes that, we're calling them dragons for now".
I knew I'd have to attack them again. If the creatures didn't attack after I'd been confronted, wouldn't that be suspicious?
While I didn't want anyone else to die, my own survival depended on this. I'd have to put my faith in the new chutes and hope they're strong enough.
'Please let them be strong enough' I thought.
'Maybe they shouldn't be' the thoughts flashed through my mind before I could stop them. My head hurt, my ears were ringing.
'Please be strong enough'.
"Are you okay?" I heard someone ask. The voice was so muffled, I didn't know who.
"I'm fine" I forced a smile.
=^..^=
John caught up to me as I carried Adya in my arms to my old room. Will decided we should sleep in the ship for the time being. We'd get our essentials from the cabin tomorrow.
"Uncle" I heard Adya manage to say excitedly.
"Hi sweetie" He touched her chin gently which made her laugh.
"Dani" He continued turning to me, "Pola finished the assessment of your MRI. I'm afraid we have a problem".
What now? What kind of problem?
"Whats wrong?" I asked.
"You see..." he paused "There's signs of a brain tumor. It's small but it's definitely there. Since it's so small, we can treat it. There are a number of..."
His voice faded out. That same ringing resurfaced. My head hurt. I squinted from the pain.
John touched me, he was saying something.
Ringing.
How could this happen?
'You deserve this' I heard what I'd now separated from my own subconscious as a foreign invasion.
My mind was under attack. But not by itself like I'd initially feared.
'You thought there'd be no consequences' I heard it say.
'I did what I had to' I tried to convince myself.
'So did they'
An image of the smoke flashed through my mind.
"Ahh!" I winced at a sudden headache.
"Are you alright?" John asked me panicked "Dani I'm really worried about you".
I laughed. Where had that come from? What was so funny?
I was worried about me too.
"What are my options?" I asked through the ringing.
=^..^=
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Hello again, thanks for reading. Share your thoughts, thanks.
John insisted on telling Will and the rest of the crew which abruptly halted any plans I'd had of going out the next day.
"Could this have anything to do with her abilities?" Robert asked as we discussed the situation the next morning in the medbay.
"It's the most likely culprit." John agreed "Either way, I want to get it removed quickly before it spreads to more problematic sections of the brain".
They were talking about me like I was a broken computer in need of repairs.
"How soon can you do it?" Will asked.
"Today hopefully. It's a good thing we caught it so early so we don't need to do any radiation therapy first" John answered.
"Will there be any side effects?" I asked. Last thing I wanted was to end up brain-dead or worse.
"The brain is unpredictable but I've done this before and with a lot more swelling. You may find it hard to focus for a few days or weeks but nothing much worse than that" He assured me.
"Today then" Will decided. "it's unfortunate but we have to cancel the expedition entirely since someone has to watch Adya and I'd rather not make that trip with just 2 people."
"Sorry" I told them. I knew they were trying to get to the wreck as soon as possible and this was ruining that entirely.
"It's not your fault" Cillian smiled at me.
But it was. I couldn't sleep last night and got to thinking. I couldn't shake the feeling that this whole thing was a result of controlling so many at once.
I couldn't prove it but my head had become messed up right after I let go of the Zylphi. And if that was true, what effect would continuous usage have?
If I was right? Would it get worse if I kept at it? Could I die? I had to be here for Adya no matter what.
'If it came down to it, what was more important? Protecting the species of this planet? Or being able to live a full life with Adya?' I wondered.
If I couldn't have both, what would I choose?
'You know what you'll choose' I heard echo in my head. I winced from the pain, 'Because you're selfish, like the rest of them'
I tried not to show my discomfort.
"Alright, get to it" Will told us "I'll try to get an update from Caitlyn. The rest of you can go, Dani hang back".
John announced that he was going to start preparing for surgery. Everyone else acknowledged and left the bridge.
When it was just the two of us alone, I studied Will. He'd let more of his beard grow over the last few years but now wore his hair much shorter than when Adya was born.
He still looked attractive but now looked a bit rougher than when I first knew him. He also looked older and more experienced since his frown lines had started to show.
"Come closer" he said.
He looked very serious so I obeyed. Adya was sitting on one of the chairs so I hoped it'd be alright. He just wanted to talk. About what, I had no idea.
I stood about 6 feet away from him and waited.
"Closer" he said again.
I further halved the distance between us now a little bit worried. He wouldn't try to rekindle some of our old feelings right there, would he?
"Did you do it?" he asked me plainly.
"Do what?" I feigned ignorance. I knew exactly what he was asking. I had been hoping we were passed this but I guess not.
"Did you destroy the voyager?"
"No I..."
"Look me in the eyes and promise me that you didn't."
Should I have? Was there a chance he would have understood and been on my side? Someone as Mission-focused as Will? He'd changed in the last half decade but definitely not that much.
"I promise you, I had nothing to do with it" I said with all the calmness I could muster.
There was no going back.
"Okay" he said finally "If I ever find out that you did it and just lied to me about it, I won't protect you. Not even for our daughter's sake".
He meant that. He had been looking at her playing when he said that last bit. I couldn't ever let him find out.
As he walked passed me and towards the exit doors, I felt the urge to speak up again. Something I'd always wondered.
"Why didn't things ever work out between us?"
He paused. I couldn't see his face so I couldn't gauge his feelings in that moment.
"Did you ever have feelings for me?" I asked again.
If he had told me then that he did, I would have fallen right back into his arms. There was still a massive Will-sized hole in my heart, a hole that yearned to be filled.
"Do you still see a man when you look at me?" I should have just stopped talking but that was something I'd never been able to do.
"I've never seen you as a man" he finally spoke "Even before you became the beautiful woman you are now"
"Then why?" I asked again.
"Dani, I don't want to talk about this" he dismissed me.
"No? I'm about to have my head sliced open and who knows what will happen after that so I want to know now why you checked out early"
"Nothing's going to happen to you" he said under his breath but just loud enough for me to hear.
"Don't change the subject"
"I don't want to be abandoned again" he exhaled.
I hadn't been expecting that. It didn't make any sense.
"What do you mean? I told you, I just wasn't ready back then"
"Dani, I don't want to talk about this. Go to the medbay" he said as he walked off for good.
=^..^=
John was done prepping by the time I arrived. He explained the procedure as well as he could to someone that had no clue about any of it.
"Don't be worried" he told me as I sat on autodoc. "I'll take care of you, even if you threw me under the bus yesterday"
He smiled at me and I smiled back. I knew what he was talking about. It had been a dick move if I was being honest.
"Sorry" I said.
"It's okay" he replied as he grabbed the breathing mask. "Just go to sleep and when you wake up, you'll be good as new"
I gave him a weak thumbs up as he placed the breathing mask on my face and pressed a button.
"Count back from 10 for me" I heard John say.
'10..9..8..7..6..'
It reminded me of stasis.
=^..^=
When I opened my eyes, I didn't know where I was. I could hear birds chirping. Actual birds. I looked around me.
A home, vaguely familiar but I ultimately couldn't recognise it.
Where was I?
The black leather chairs reminded me of old movies. There was an old TV in the room. I knew what it was because I'd seen it a lot in old movies. There were toys scattered on the floor.
I heard voices coming from the next room and followed them. It was a dinner room with a family eating at the table.
Mum, dad, Andy... and me?
I stared in awe. I couldn't have been older than 5 years old. Mum looked so young and so beautiful with a striking resemblance to how I looked now. We could have been sisters.
And there was Andy, younger than I could ever remember him. His dirty blonde hair was much darker than mine, leaning into the realm of brown like my dad's.
We were both dressed alike which was weird. From where I was standing, I could see we wore the same Lacoste polo shirt.
And dad. That was his face. It had been getting fuzzy in my memories since we lost him so early but there it was, plain as day.
"Dad..." I started to say but the next thing I knew, we were outside.
A runway.
Dad, Andy and I stood in a hangar in front of dad's Cessna.
I remembered this day, it was my 10th birthday. Dad finally agreed to take me flying. I was all smiles that day.
I looked nothing like the little boy that stood there adoring his father but the smile was the same on both our faces.
"You listen to me when we get up there okay champ?"
I nodded. So did the little boy. I was crying. That was his voice. I'd forgotten what he sounded like.
"You do exactly what I say" he continued.
I nodded again.
"Dad, he's got it. Let's go" Andy said impatiently.
I admired both of them so much. Even now that I hadn't seen them for years. What would they do if they saw me now?
"Dad..." I started to say again. I just wanted to speak to him one last time. Tell him I was okay. Ask if he was proud of me?
'Probably not' I realised. The things I'd done.
Before I could say any more, I was standing at his funeral.
Mum and I were crying. Andy was trying not to. He was the man of the house. I was sure dad would have told him as much.
I was only 11 when he died. Andy was 15. We were so young. There was still so much he was yet to teach us.
Just like I'd done all those years ago, I cried.
By the time I finished crying, I wasn't even at the funeral anymore. I was in my old home. My mum was wailing and my step-dad was lying on the floor bleeding out.
I watched myself holding that bloody angel. I had a look of genuine shock on my face. The first time I would end someone's life early but not the last.
Why was I seeing all this? What was even the point? Was I dying? Was my life flashing before my eyes?
"You have to run" she'd said to me as soon as she managed to compose herself.
"I can't leave you here" I'd replied.
"I'll be okay, just go"
"I'm not just going to leave you to them"
"Why don't you ever listen?" she said from her position on the floor. She was heartbroken.
In the end, I didn't go. Seven years later and I still didn't even know if that was the right decision or not?
If I had run, I'd probably have died not long after amidst all the chaos that ensued on earth but atleast my hands would still be relatively clean.
"Don't be embarrassed, it's an entirely natural process" I heard John say. I looked around the room and I was standing in the medbay.
John was standing at the foot of the bed watching me holding Adya. The version of me that lay in bed holding Adya.
I watched their interaction. I remembered this moment. Maybe an hour after I gave birth to her, I'd needed to feed her.
Will and John had both left to give me some privacy but I had called John back because I didn't know what to do.
"Make sure to cushion her head and neck" he'd said.
"Okay my nipple is in her mouth, what now..."That version of me had begun to say but then stopped. I watched the look of shock and then joy on her face "She's sucking" She laughed and smiled.
Her eyes alternated between Adya and John with a look of pure innocence on her face.
I wanted to be her again I thought to myself.
"But you can't be" I heard a voice say behind me.
I turned to look and the room around me had disappeared. Just black. The only thing in sight was the glass walkway that seemed to stretch to infinity.
On the path and walking closer towards me was... myself. She looked identical down to the dress we both wore.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am Failsafe, a core function of Overlord built to ensure its power doesn't fall into the wrong hands".
"You're the voice in my head"
"Yes" she walked closer.
"Why were you showing me all this?" I asked.
"I was showing myself. I needed to see who you truly were"
"I don't understand"
"I needed access to your memories which I can only get when you're in here."
She looked and sounded like me but had none of my expressions. No expressions at all.
What was this? A dream?
"You value life. So why did you do it?" She asked.
"To protect the innocent life on this planet" I answered "Nothing would change if they were alive and in control. They would destroy this planet just like they did the first one"
"I believe you" She turned around "I will leave Overlord in your control for now"
I watched her take more and more steps forward until she was only barely visible, "But remember, I am always watching"
Soon her footsteps had receded all the way and I was left alone in the quiet darkness.
Suddenly, the glass beneath my feet broke and I fell through. When I expected to hit the ground, I woke up in my bed.
=^..^=
I was disoriented and staring at ceiling when I opened my eyes. My head hurt. I slowly panned around the room. The medbay.
Was I back?
I saw my mum sitting on a chair in the room. She was asleep.
I'm not back.
This wasn't a memory. This was definitely the med bay. What was she doing here?
She looked older. Only by a few years but still older than I remembered. She was also wearing the NASA and UN suit we'd worn during the trip here.
I comically pinched myself. It hurt.
Could it be?
"Mum?" I called out. Even if it was a dream, I didn't want to wake up.
She opened her eyes. She could hear me.
"Baby, you're awake!" she exclaimed as she got up and ran towards the bed.
The tears started flowing freely.
"Mum" I said again with outstretched hands.
She connected and hugged me tightly.
I could smell her. It was really her.
'Please let this not be a cruel joke' I thought.
I hugged her back and just cried.
"I never thought I'd see you again" I breathed.
"I missed you honey"
"Me too" I cried.
We just stayed there. I worried that the position would have been uncomfortable for her hut she didn't seem to care.
"How are you here?" I asked as we finally broke away and she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Mrs. Alcove came to meet me. Said I had a ticket courtesy of you. Oh my baby boy, I knew you would do great things... I guess baby girl now"
"Did they tell you what happened?" I asked.
"Yes they did although I always said you took after me a bit too much" she replied smiling.
I smiled too.
"And you gave me a grandchild!" She squealed happily "How wonderful. I never thought I would get one with the new laws"
I was happy she was happy about it. I didn't know how she'd react. This was a pleasant surprise.
"You've met her?"
"Of course, what a bundle of joy she is"
God this was all too perfect. When things were going too well, they had a tendency to crumble.
"Where is she anyway?" I asked
"Probably with your brother somewhere" She answered.
"Andy's here?"
"Of course he is. And his wife. Both my children are doing so well. When Michael died, I thought my life was over..."
"I'm sorry about what I did" I'd never told her that.
"It's okay honey. I shouldn't have put you in that position".
I didn't respond. For a moment, we just sat in silence.
"How do you feel?"
"Better" I replied. I did feel better. Even if my head hurt like hell, it felt freer. "Just a little headache"
"I'll get John" she announced as she stood up.
"Right, you've met him. How long have I been out?" It felt like I'd only been asleep for a few hours at most but that obviously wasn't possible.
"5 days I think" she answered as she walked out the med bay.
5 days? It didn't feel more than a few hours.
More importantly, I finally had time to think about everything that happened. Failsafe, was that real? Did I have any reason to doubt it?
Everything to do with Overlord was still such a mystery to me.
"I needed access to your memories which I can only get when you're in here." that's what she had said.
Where was that? I was just asleep right? Couldn't she have just gotten it while I slept last night? Was anesthesia different?
Could she have orchestrated the whole surgery? Was that even possible?
It took another five minutes for Mum to return with John and I was still no closer to figuring anything out for sure. Just speculations.
If Failsafe could give me a tumor? Could she kill me?
"You have to stop scaring your beautiful mother like that" John said as he walked through the med bay doors.
"Hi John" I said with a smile.
"It's like there's two of you" he said eyeing both of us.
This caused my mum to laugh. She was eating up his bullshit.
"Is that what you were telling the red head I saw you talking to?" she asked playfully.
"Miss Fahey, you know I only have eyes for you" John replied charmingly.
"It's still Mrs." she replied happily.
"Stop flirting with my mother John" I said trying to hide a smile.
He chuckled, "Don't be jealous Dani. It's unbecoming. So how do you feel?"
"Other than the headache, I feel fine"
"Good, let's get that bandage off".
Unfortunately, part of my hair had been removed for the surgery but nothing I couldn't style to cover until it grew back.
Mum and I talked some more. We talked about space and how it had been a terrifying experience for her. She kept thinking the glass would break any moment.
She hadn't known Voyager 1 had crashed until she got to the ground which was probably for the best.
She told me about what life was like after I was taken away. She'd tried to find me everyday but never had any success.
"Mum are you okay with me like this? I was your son" I'd asked somewhere during the long conversation we had.
"And now you're my daughter. Maybe you've always been. Either way, I still love you"
She hugged me.
When we separated, I wiped the tears gathering on my lashes.
"That other guy kept coming to check on you while you were asleep. I forget his name" I heard her say.
"Which guy?" I asked.
"Adya's father"
I could never understand him. There for me one time, avoiding me the next. Protecting me today and assaulting me tomorrow.
"Will. I should probably go let him know I'm okay" I said while pushing off the bed slowly to my feet. I felt great.
"Are you two together?" Mum asked.
I shook my head. She didn't say anything else.
=^..^=
I met Will on the way to the bridge saving me the rest of the journey. Mum had insisted on walking me and eventually I'd acquiesced. He looked pleased to see me atleast.
"I'm fine mum" I said as I got closer to Will.
"Alright sweetie. Hello" She acknowledged him before turning and walking away.
"She loves you" Will said as soon as she was out of sight.
"Yes" I agreed "I can't believe she's here".
Will looked disturbed so I asked, "what's wrong?"
"I owe you an apology" he answered after some thought.
"For what?" I asked genuinely confused.
"The Voyagers descended three days ago. The zylphi attacked them. The new chutes were strong enough"
"Thank goodness" I said. I really meant that. I didn't want anyone else to die. My mind was clearer now. I still stood by my actions with Voyager 1. The worst was over and the last thing I wanted was a repeat.
"I blamed you for that horrible event. Dani, I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?" he asked remorsefully.
"I forgive you".
=^..^=
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Be sure to let me know what you think about the story so far. Thanks for reading.
Stepping out of the Pathfinder was a mind-blowing experience. There were thousands of people walking around with tents dotting the entire beach. It reminded me of those old music festivals that held before the world went to shit.
One of the Voyagers had landed dangerously close to us but I could see four other Voyagers at various locations in the distance just peeking above the forest.
The forest itself had changed so much already. Trees 100 meters in every direction had been cut and replaced with lots for buildings under construction.
Those poor animals, not even a week and they had already lost their homes and had been pushed deeper into the forest.
At the very least, the meals I could see being shared among the new arrivals were synthetic so far but how long until they decided the creatures of this planet looked tastier?
I had to do something. I'd decided I had to find Caitlyn immediately and tell her about my concerns.
I walked intently down the beach while ignoring the numerous stares that I got but was stopped frozen in my tracks when I heard a very familiar voice.
"Sup dummy" The voice said.
I turned to see Andy in all his glory. He now sported a beard but other than that, he looked the exact same as I remembered. He also now filled out his NASA suit quite well which was a far cry from the boy that left home.
"Andy" I said with my eyes widening. I already knew he was here but somehow seeing him still caught me off guard.
"Oh my gosh, Andy" I screamed as I ran to him and jumped in his arms. He caught me easily and pulled me into a very tight hug that knocked the wind out of me for a moment.
"I'm so glad you're here" I managed to say when we let go.
"Couldn't let you have this whole planet to yourself" he said with a smile.
Standing on my own as the feelings died down, I suddenly felt self conscious. The flowing, white, knee-length dress I'd changed into after waking up was about as feminine as you could possibly get.
So much that "I did this for a job" was no longer a believable defence. Even more so because that job ended three years ago.
By the time I was done breastfeeding Adya, my breasts had settled at around a D cup. This paired with my hips that pushed a bit too far out and my long hair that went all the way to my back, I looked nothing like the brother he'd said goodbye to a decade ago.
"Come meet my wife" was all he said though as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and led me in a direction.
I knew it was her when she came into view because she was carrying Adya. I doubt anyone would let some random lady hold my daughter.
She wore her dreadlocks in a styled updo which made her look young and classy.
"She's pretty" I told Andy as we approached her "Much better than you deserve"
He laughed heartily.
"I know" he answered.
She gave a big smile and waved when she spotted us. This was Andy's wife. I decided to be on my best behavior to get off on the right foot. As it turned out, there would be no need because she was the nicest person on the planet.
"You're so beautiful" that was the first thing she said to me as we approached. "How are you two even related?"
"I got all the good genes" I said back with a smile.
Of course for the longest time and the duration of our childhood, that couldn't have been further from the truth.
Andy had always been very handsome with a very athletic body that the girls loved. He was also very funny and outgoing. The exact opposite of his shy, lanky, loser brother that kind of looked like a girl.
Now though, our attractiveness was more on par although on entirely different scales.
"Hi, I'm Imani" she told me.
"Dani" I responded.
"Of course I know that. I've been so looking forward to meeting you."
"Hope you're not disappointed" I said awkwardly.
"No way! Andy told me what happened but I didn't expect you to look like a model"
Andy and Imani exchanged a look which caused me to speak up.
"No need to be weird, it's okay. I was his brother, it's not really a secret"
"That's what I said" she agreed. "You're actually so pretty and you have an amazing daughter, I am so jealous" she gestured to the little girl on her arm.
"Imani really wants us to have a baby" Andy explained.
"Yeah but with the stupid laws..." she confirmed.
"Those laws shouldn't apply here though right?" I asked.
"That's what I'm thinking. I was hoping you could help us ask? Or see about a permit? I imagine you're pretty high up"
"Imani, she just woke up"
"I'm not really, I'm just a grunt to be honest" I replied. "But I'll ask"
"Thanks" she beamed a bright smile.
We all noticed Adya reaching out to me so Imani spoke again "Someone's itching to get back to mama, here"
I took Adya in my arms and held her close. To be honest, she was getting heavy and passed the age of being carried but I didn't mind. She'd always be my baby girl.
"Where were you going?" Andy asked me.
"To see Caitlyn" I answered.
"Oh we rarely see her these days. Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah, Will said she's in Voyager 3. That one over there" I pointed.
"I'll come with yoy" Andy decided. I didn't object.
=^..^=
As we walked past the beach and into what used to be a dense collection of trees, I tried my hardest not to let it show that I was upset.
The lush area of the forest had now been reduced to tree stumps. There was not a single blue eyes creature in sight. I thought back to that one Zoofle that I would occasionally see perched in a tree somewhere.
'I wonder where it is now' I thought to myself.
"What was it like?" Andy asked.
"What was what like?"
"Being pregnant and giving birth"
I blushed. That wasn't a conversation I ever expected to have with my brother.
"Why? Do you want to give it a try?" I joked.
"Funny. Just tell me."
"Being pregnant was fine. There were annoying parts but it was alright. Giving birth was literally hell" I explained. "There were times I didn't think I was going to make it".
"So worse than being kicked in the balls then?" he asked again with a smile.
"Really? That's why you asked?" I rolled my eyes.
"Oh come on, you can't blame me. You're like the only person that knows for sure. I have to know"
He was always such a goofball.
"I've never been kicked in the balls!" I said loudly. If there was anyone in the vicinity, I was sure they would have been very confused.
He stared at me in disbelief, "Never?"
"Never" I reiterated.
"That's crazy. So you're useless then? I guess I'll never know for sure" he jokingly threw his hands in the air.
"Giving birth is worse, trust me?"
"How would you know? You haven't been kicked in the balls. That shit hurts"
"Andy, I almost died. Giving birth is worse" I argued.
"I mean, you are a weakling. I'm sure I could have tanked it, no problem" He smiled.
"You're an idiot" I smiled back.
=^..^=
Voyager 3 landed closer to the pond and had scorched the surrounding earth.
I hoped and prayed the animals in the vicinity had gotten away in time. There were no scorched bones so that was a good sign.
Different strucrures were in the process of being built across several clearings that had been made in the area. I could hear people hammering away at wood that used to belong to proud trees.
I knew that that was inevitable in the end and I couldn't exactly expect humans to live out in the open without shelter but still there had to be something I could do.
Since Failsafe didn't seem to like the more aggressive approach, I would have to try it a bit more diplomatically.
=^..^=
The inside of Voyager 3 was gorgeous. Nothing like the bland halls of the Pathfinder, these looked more like a resort.
People turned around and some even left their job stations just to stare at Adya and I as we walked the halls.
Thankfully, the layout had remained the same and I was easily able to make my way to the bridge without having to ask for directions. That was where I expected Caitlyn to be.
There were guards posted at several doors. The same types that reminded me of Cillian but thankfully, none of them stopped me and only threw a simple "Ma'am" my way as I passed.
Andy though had eventually been stopped from going any further so we agreed he would head back to the Pathfinder.
I wasn't sure who was getting more attention, Adya or me?
=^..^=
I walked through the sliding door of the bridge and saw Caitlyn having a conversation with several other officials.
She paused whatever she had been saying and walked up to me.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let me present Dani Fahey, the first mother of Gaia" She announced.
A few dignified nods came my way which caused me to slightly bow my head.
"And this is Adya, the first child to be born on this planet. The first Gaian if you will".
The officials seemed more impressed by this as she even got a few claps.
"I wanted to speak with you" I whispered to Caitlyn.
"Wait outside, this shouldn't be long".
I nodded to everyone before turning and leaving.
=^..^=
Sitting in a waiting area close to the Bridge's entrance is where I first met Asher.
"Hello" He'd said to me before I even knew he was there. I had been too pre-occupied playing peekaboo with Adya.
"Hello" I said turning to get a good long look at him. Gorgeous. This caused me to smile involuntarily.
He had a tough, chiseled jawline that I swear could cut glass and tousled, black hair that fell perfectly into place. He carried his tall figure with an air of confidence that told me he'd never had to want for anything a day in his life.
"Hi" I said again.
He smirked, "Hi. I'm Asher, and you?" He outstretched his hand for a shake pretending not to know who I was.
"Dani" I shook it. I could play his game.
"You're her"
'Smooth' I thought.
"In the flesh" I replied.
"And this must be your daughter"
"Yep, that's Adya. Would you like an autograph?"
Maybe I shouldn't have said that but it didn't seem to phase him.
"I'd prefer a drink" he said charmingly.
That phased me and left me speechless.
"Would you care to join me for a drink?"
"I'm busy" I finally replied composing myself.
"So am I but I'm sure we can make time for each other".
Talking to the same people for the past 6 years had left me rusty. It wasn't like I had much experience in these situations before that anyway. Certainly not as the girl.
Thankfully, I was saved by a guard showing up to let me know that Caitlyn was ready for me.
I had been prepared to use the opportunity to escape but then it hit me. Will and I was never going to work out. He was my first real love and I'd have loved more than anything to make it work but whatever his issue was with me wasn't something I could ever hope to resolve.
This was a chance to get over him. Plus, it was just a drink. What could possibly happen?
"Fine" I said as I got up and carried Adya, "One drink".
He seemed please. As I walked passed him and towards the guard, I wondered if he was still looking at me. If he liked what he saw as he watched me walk away.
Just when did I start seeing men as potential partners anyway.
=^..^=
Caitlyn had been droning on about my appearance and motherhood since we took our seats in the bridge. This was before I'd even gotten a chance to speak to her about my concerns.
"You were always meant to be a woman?" She told me finally.
Was that a compliment? It sounded like a compliment.
"Thanks?"
She reached and touched my belly, I didn't stop her. Caitlyn had been fairly easygoing with us but still this was weird. Was she like this with Heather? Maybe it was a girl thing.
"What about Heather?" I asked. She hadn't been in the medbay when I woke up.
"Voyager 5. She's up but they're studying her for any side effects of extended stasis."
The record for longest time in stasis had been 41 months. Heather had broken that record by a large margin so we were in uncharted territory.
For the missions longer than three years, the astronauts had been woken up for atleast a week before being put back under.
"Can we see her?" I asked.
"I'll find out" She assured me "What did you want to talk to me about?"
I thought for a moment to gather my thoughts. This was my chance to make a difference.
"I wanted to talk about how we treat this planet" I began. "You must have noticed that all species here are docile"
"Except the Zylphi" she added.
I nodded, "Yes. If we let people have free reign, humans will wipe them all out the same way we did those back on Earth".
She nodded. She was following so far.
"If it was up to me, no one would be allowed to harm them for any reason" I continued.
"By harm, you mean kill"
"Yes" I affirmed.
"People need to eat, Dani" She voiced "The only reason they haven't started yet is because they don't trust that it's safe yet"
"The animals here are intelligent, and emotional, and they communicate in different ways. It's wrong to kill them. They have lives and families and they grieve"
"How do you know this?" She asked me. "Have you conducted any experiments?"
"No but I know it. You can perform the experiments and you'll see".
"We have. They're mindless"
That wasn't true. Over the years I'd seen them interact in complex ways with each other.
"Trust me, they're not" I stressed.
"Again, how do you know? All evidence points to the contrary."
"I..." I stuttered. Could I tell her how I knew? I couldn't know how she'd react. I also didn't want to throw Will under the bus by telling her when I asked him not to.
"I know about you" I heard her say but it didn't register immediately.
"What?" I asked when it finally clicked. What did she know?
"I know about what you can do. I know that you speak to them and control them"
"H.. how?"
"Will told me. Frankly I'm hurt that you would keep it a secret from me but I understand with what happened with Voyager 1"
Okay that made sense. Will must have told her after he decided and thought he had proof it wasn't me.
I still didn't know how or why they'd attacked again but I wasn't going to look the gift horse in the mouth.
"I'm sorry. I thought you would throw me in jail or experiment on me"
"Oh the experiments are coming" she adjusted in her seat "..but no jail yet so don't worry. What happened was tragic but it wasn't on you. We know that."
I breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that I had dodged the bullet.
"Any survivors?" I asked. I knew the answer to that.
"None. It was a horrific scene. Even worse is that we lost the entire chain of command down to the Secretary of Homeland Security. I wonder whose shitty decision making it was that put the entire US government in one basket. Suddenly I find myself in charge. What the hell do I know about leading?"
She took a pained breath.
"At the very least their families weren't onboard. The UN board, NASA administration, all.... "
Her voice trailed off as my mind remained focused on what she had said.
I hadn't even thought about their families. How could I have gone on if their families had died too? The children...
"Are you okay?" Caitlyn tapped me on the shoulder. "You look pale"
I shook it off "I'm fine, just tired"
"Go get some rest"
"OK" I agreed "About the animals..."
"Don't worry, we'll talk more about it later. See about what conservation policies we can adopt to protect them"
Phew. Good start.
I made a mental note to ask her what the stance on having children on Gaia was the next time we talked.
=^..^=
I must have still been weak from the surgery because my arms were starting to hurt from Adya's weight as I approached the ship.
There looked to be a party happening on the beach as I could hear music and could see people dancing as I approached.
I think it was starting to dawn on everyone that they had escaped the dying planet and now they could live the rest of their lives on a tropical paradise with no dangers.
Understandably, they were all in a jolly mood as they drank and danced with each other.
I wondered how many celebrities were here. Maybe we could even have one of those music festivals again. I worried for the planet but still, it was nice to see and talk to other people except Will, John, Cillian and Robert.
Speaking of the devils, I spotted them waving to me from the Pathfinder. They were seated on printed chairs placed in the sand and formed a circle along with Andy and Imani and one other girl that I didn't recognize.
I waved to them before hurrying to take the empty chair that I assumed was for me
John immediately handed me a red plastic cup filled with what looked like beer. I took it graciously. Beer was among the easiest and cheapest drinks to synthesize material-wise so it made sense that there'd be a lot of it to go around.
"Dani, meet Mia, Cillian's sister" John told me. He was all smiles as he introduced the redhead "Can you believe the big guy has a sister?"
Cillian grunted uncomfortably.
"Yeah, over 6 years together and you didn't think to tell us?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yeah and I thought we were close" Robert added shaking his head in mock disappointment.
"Cillian was always quiet about that sort of thing" Mia informed us but of course we knew that already.
He grunted again.
Her voice was soft and angelic and devoid of the albeit slight accent that Cillian had.
Honestly, they were nothing alike. She was barely 5'5 and had a very slight structure. She also had brown eyes where he had blue.
I quickly glanced over to Andy and Imani who were very involved in their own conversation. I glanced around and noticed the music was getting louder and the party more intense.
She was younger than you would have expected since he was already in his mid-forties. She looked to be about my age or maybe a little older.
"Is it just the two of you?" my mouth spoke because I got the chance to think.
"Our parents went back to Ireland. With the travel restrictions, Caitlyn couldn't get them to come" She explained.
"I'm sorry" I said realising that the answer to my question could only be a sad one.
"It's okay. Ireland is still fairly peaceful unlike the US"
I would later find out that nobody else's family had managed to come. I drew the long stick, Cillian got his sister, John's father had critical health issues that prevented his parents from making the trip and there was no word about Robert's large family.
"I'm sure they hadn't even tried to get them from the low zone" Robert had said "Not like they would have found them anyway".
Will was all alone and remained quiet throughout that conversation.
"So what's it like on earth right now?" Robert asked the question directed at Mia, Andy and Imani.
"People from the other zones broke through the high zones checkpoints one time. It was a massacre. I was in college when it happened so I was safe" Mia told us. "It's a good thing our parents were already back in Ireland when it happened"
"The middle and low zones are now one and the same basically" Andy told us "Military housing might have saved our lives"
"Things will only get worse" Will commented for the first time.
"I hope not" Andy spoke up again "The president... former president announced Gaia to the country. Five hundred voyagers were under construction when we left so people have hope again"
"Seven hundred and fifty thousand people?" Robert asked, "That won't make a dent".
"Yeah probably, but it's something. And there's also the Mars missions.." Andy spoke again.
"If they wanted to save everyone, they should have fought to save Earth. Leaving only saves a fraction" Robert said finally.
Everyone seemed to agree with him.
It looked to me like Andy still had faith. He was always like that, optimistic. Maybe that's why things always worked out for him.
After a while, the conversation seemed to devolve into politics between the guys that I had no interest in so us girls moved closer together to have our own conversation.
Mia told us about her boyfriend back on earth that wasn't offered a ticket since he wasn't family.
"The audacity of him to ask you to stay" I said in disbelief.
"I kinda get it though" Imani put forward a different opinion "If it was Andy and I, I don't think I'd want him to go either".
"Yeah but you're married" Mia argued.
"Yeah but even if we weren't" Imani added.
"You don't know what's real or not. He could break up with her at any point" I said.
"Exactly" Mia agreed.
"Did you atleast try to get married?" Imani asked.
"Yeah but they wouldn't have it. In the end, I decided not to risk it and come see my brother"
"Well, I think you made the right decision" I said to her "Men are fickle. There was a time when I thought Will would do anything for me, now we barely talk"
This seemed to pique their interest.
"So you two were together together?" Mia asked.
"On and off for a while" I answered.
"I thought it was just for the baby, I didn't know you guys actually dated" Imani said.
"It's complicated" I replied.
"I still can't believe you used to be a boy" Mia added. I blushed. "You're girlier than me".
"Don't tease her" Imani cautioned her.
I side eyed Adya to make sure she wasn't getting too far.
"I'm not, I'm just happy there's a girl my age here I can talk to. How old are you anyway?" She asked me.
"26" I answered.
"I'm 26 too" she said wide eyed. "No wait, I'm 28. Fuck stasis actually" she frowned.
"Atleast you're not 31 now" Imani said.
"Hot guy incoming" Mia announced excitedly "Act cool".
I turned to see and locked eyes with Asher walking this way. My heart skipped a beat. What the hell was he doing here?
The girls must have seen my reaction because Imani asked, "You know him?"
"Girl, you work fast" Mia said in a hushed tone.
I didn't get a chance to respond because Asher was already within earshot.
"Hello" he said as he approached our congregation.
There were various individual acknowledgements as well as some suspicious looks.
"Dani, hi" he said to me.
"hey" I responded.
"I was wondering if you wanted to join me for a dance and maybe that drink".
The whole group was quiet. I glanced around and they were all staring, even Will.
Why did Asher have to do this here?
"I would but I'm watching Adya right now" I said.
It was a lame excuse but it was the only one that came to mind.
"We'll watch her" Mia offered. I shot her a frustrated look.
I tried desperately to think of an excuse. Blank. Fuck.
"Sure" was all I managed to say.
=^..^=
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Hope you're still enjoying the story. As always I'd love to hear what you think of it so far.
I felt incredibly self conscious as he held my hand and guided me through the crowd. I didn't need to look back at the group to know that they must have been watching us closely.
I glanced over at all the different faces that now filled the beach. This spot used to be so empty. Now there were so many people having the time of their lives, some were even already passed out.
Most of them would have belonged to the high zones, privileged and pampered. So far they weren't being any trouble but really how long would that last.
The more we walked, the louder the music got until we were just outside the area where the dancing looked to be the most intense.
It suddenly dawned on me.
"I don't know how to dance" I said to him. It was true. I hadn't been much of a dancer back on earth and now, even more foreign, I was expected to dance like a girl while trying to balance on the shifting sand.
"It's okay, I can't either. We'll just goof off" He replied with a raised voice to speak over the music.
Of course that was a lie because while I was only managing to put together a little shimmy here and a shake there paired with the little I remembered from old dance movie scenes, Asher was proving to be a lot more of a professional.
"You're really good" I leaned in to say.
"yeah?" he replied "I try. You're pretty good too"
I gave him a knowing look inbetween my attempts at rhythm, "That's a lie" I told him.
He laughed "yeah it is, but your beauty makes up for it".
I blushed. I tried my best to keep up for a few minutes before reaching my limit. He had thrown in a couple compliments to keep me feeling fresh. I could tell he was experienced at flattery but eventually the novelty was wearing off.
I decided I didn't like dancing.
I breathed a sigh of relief when the music slowed down to give everyone a break. I thought that was the cue that we were done but he and the DJ unfortunately had other ideas.
He approached me with a cheeky smile and it eventually dawned on me what the slower music meant.
There was no opportunity for me to protest however because he was already taking my hand and pulling me close.
I glanced back in the direction we'd come to ensure that we were far enough away from the group for them to see this scene.
Why was I hiding anyway? There was nothing to be ashamed of.
I was a young woman dancing with a young man. There was nothing more natural in the world.
For better or for worse, being a woman had long since stopped bothering me. Whatever remnants of my masculinity that remained had been obliterated years ago.
I'd often wondered if Caitlyn walking through my cell door all those years ago was a net positive good thing. The answer was yes. Given the chance, I would absolutely do it all again.
'So be a woman and enjoy a handsome man's attention' I thought to myself as I pulled myself closer to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulder.
His hands rested on my lower back as we began to sway with the music.
"It's not fair" I whispered to him. The music was now low enough that we could hold an actual discussion.
"What's not fair?" He whispered back.
"You know so much about me and I know nothing about you?"
"What do you want to know?" his voice was soothing.
"Anything. Everything" I rested my head on his broad chest.
"I'm not that special" he replied. His entire chest vibrated as he spoke.
"I still wanna know everything" I whispered.
"Um I'm 35. I was Director of Sales for some company that nobody cares about now. Never married. When I got my ticket, I sold everything and came here. And I'm glad I did".
"Why?" I asked admittedly very naively.
"Cause it brought me to you"
It was cheesy and predictable but there was just something about his undying attention and admiration for me that pulled me closer. It certainly didn't help that I'd had such a shit time waiting on Will to say something like that to me.
"How'd you get a ticket?" I asked after thinking for a moment.
"My friend hooked me up" he answered.
"He gave you his spot?"
He shook his head "He had a couple"
"Sounds like a nice guy. Is he here? I'd love to meet him".
"No umm... " he paused "He was on Voyager 1".
I raised my head off his chest and looked into his eyes. Understandably he was sad.
"I'm sorry" I managed but internally cursed myself.
I killed his friend. Asher had been so nice to me and he would continue to be because he would never learn what I did.
"I'm sorry" I said again, this time with my eyes watering. That was all I could do, apologize. As if that would do any good.
"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't mean to make you sad" he said when he saw my expression. "Do you want to take a walk?"
I nodded. I was feeling very suffocated.
=^..^=
Neither of us said anything as we walked across the beach and towards the edges where the music was the thinnest.
"What was he like?" I asked punishing myself.
He gave me a short smile, "Funny" he answered, "Funnier than I could ever hope to be"
Every few steps, he'd think of something new and tell me more about Theo, his friend.
It turned out Theo Bouchard was the son of Canada's prime minister but he earned his place on Voyager 1 by holding a high enough position in some asset holding company that was one of the major bankrollers for the Pathfinder and Voyager missions.
I apologized a few more times throughout the conversation which must have seemed absurd to Asher since I wouldn't have had anything to do with it.
Eventually, Asher invited me to finally have that drink which I would have refused because it was getting late but it was clear he was very upset over Theo so I couldn't just abandon him now.
"Sure" I agreed. Seemed to me that I was doing a lot of agreeing where he was concerned.
=^..^=
Asher and I made the rest of the journey to Voyager 3's canteen which was empty. It seemed as it got darker, more and more people had heard about the full on rave that was happening at Pathfinder's Beach.
"All to ourselves" I spread my arms wide and did a twirl as we entered the empty canteen.
I caught him smirking which was better than the gloomy expression he'd had on earlier.
"What's your poison?" he asked as he made his way to the synthesizer at the bar.
"Champagne" I replied while searching for the perfect table.
"Hmm classy" he responded. I noticed him swipe a card after making his selection. That was interesting because we hadn't had to do that in Pathfinder's canteen.
He handed me a fancy glass filled with a bubbly liquid before taking a seat beside me.
I hadn't actually ever tasted champagne. Even if I had been old enough to drink back on earth, It was much too expensive. This was a first.
I took a sip, savoring the taste before swallowing. I took another. And another until only half the glass remained. I decided I loved champagne.
I noticed him watching me with an amused expression which caused me to blush.
"What is that?" I asked him in a desperate attempt to move on from that moment.
"Tequila"
I hadn't had that either.
"Whats up with you and the guy?" Asher asked me.
"What guy?" I replied confused.
"The really serious one. Just want to make sure I'm not getting involved with someone's girl"
Real considerate of him.
"There's nothing going on between us" I said taking another sip of the champagne and turning away.
"Would you like another?" He gestured to the empty glass in my hand.
It dawned on me that I had finished a drink from a guy I'd only met that day.
I placed the glass back on the table. He took it.
"Be right back" he said as he stood and walked in the direction of the synthesizer.
Why would he even just ask a girl that question randomly. Plus he made it sound like I was property which bothered me even though I knew what he meant.
"Here you go" he handed me a filled glass and retook his seat.
"Just so you know, I wouldn't be here talking to you if there was anything going on between Will and I. I'm not that kind of girl" I blurted out.
"I know you're not. I didn't mean to insinuate that" he seemed genuinely apologetic so I let it go.
"It's fine"
"It's just..." he looked flustered "I see myself having a real future with you and didn't want to get my hopes up".
That was sweet.
I tucked my hair behind my ears, "Will is Adya's father so we'll always have that connection but other than that, there's nothing between us" I explained.
"No offense but the guy is insane. I'd never let a girl like you slip through my fingers" He said with a charming smile. He was forward if not anything else which was a breath of fresh air compared to the smokescreen Will and I had.
"We could rule this planet together, you know? You and I" he continued.
I laughed "I don't think the rest of the planet would agree".
"Maybe" he took a sip of his drink "Maybe not".
I wondered what he meant by that as I took another sip. I decided I really loved champagne.
=^..^=
"It was getting late so Asher had charmingly offered to walk me back to the Pathfinder before returning to his room on Voyager 3.
Thats how I knew he was important. Or atleast that his friend had hooked him up with a really VIP ticket.
The Voyagers only had a few hundred rooms each. For the vast majority of people, they'd been in stasis for the entire journey and now resided in the tents around the landing area until the new buildings were done.
For people like Asher however, they'd been on more of a tourist trip, woken up at special times throughout the trip to take in the sights and spend a week or two in their rooms eating actual food and getting real sleep.
The music had died down by the time we got to the beach and most were asleep although there were still a few stragglers extending their good time a little bit longer.
"Here we are" Will said as we reached the entrance of the Pathfinder.
"Here we are" I replied.
Was he going to try to kiss me? Wasn't that what happened after first dates? Was this a date? It felt like one.
"I should head in. Thanks for tonight. I had a good time" I told him.
"I did too" he replied.
He was standing several feet away. He wasn't going to try to kiss me. It was an awkward realization when it dawned on me that I really wanted him to kiss me.
Was I that easy? Maybe it was the alcohol.
"See you later" I said while turning to the door.
"How about tomorrow?" He said. I turned back to see that charming smile. "Come out with me again tomorrow"
How do you even develop a smile that perfect? Surely he practices it in the mirror every morning. That was the only explanation.
"Sure. Goodnight".
I really couldn't say no to this guy.
=^..^=
Walking into the Pathfinder's canteen the next morning, I was greeted by the sight of mum feeding Adya which immediately brought such joy into my heart.
Seeing my mother taking care of my daughter wasn't something I'd been prepared for. As if that wasn't enough, Adya saw me and pointed, "Mama"
This caused everyone to turn and look at me. I sent a puzzled look back to them.
"What?" I mouthed.
Soon though, everyone returned to their meals except Mia who was making cheering motions and Will whose eyes lingered.
I made my way over to the synthesizer and selected 'coffee'. One benefit of having the other ships arrive was that we'd gotten a refill of resources.
"Morning mum" I said taking a seat only after kissing Adya on the forehead.
Eating an actual meal again felt great. I'd gotten used to the plant based diet but even I could admit that it sucked.
Thankfully with the arrival of the experts from Earth, we'd soon be able to manufacture the raw materials the synthesizer needed. That development would go a long way to support my argument when I proposed a ban on using these animals for food.
Breakfast went by quickly and quietly and soon everyone had gone about their business. Will had suggested helping out with the construction which all the men had agreed to.
Mum was clinging tightly to her grandchild which allowed Mia, Imani and I to just hang out. We had initially considered a walk on the beach but the suns were high in the sky and scorching so we'd eventually just settled for the observation deck.
"How did it go last night?" Mia asked. She had clearly been holding on to that question for a while.
"Umm we danced..." I started.
The pair of them looked at each other and smiled.
"We talked, drank, and he brought me back" I finished.
"That's it?" Mia was disappointed.
"Nothing really happened. He was sweet and respectful. Suggested we hang out again today".
From my position in the observation deck, I could see the ocean for miles. I wondered what was on the other side. Eventually, people would build ships and set sail across. Just like the first sailors of earth.
Before long, we would make every inch of this planet our home. Such was the human nature.
"Are you going to see him again?" Imani asked.
"I don't see why not. Atleast I know he likes me" I felt self conscious talking about my feelings. This caused my gaze to fall to the floor to inspect my outfit.
I wore a pink blouse paired with a simple cotton skirt. I'd always wanted to print this very cute jean skirt style I found on the printer which I felt would go very well with this blouse but jeans were a very expensive material to print so I hadn't ever done it.
In any case, I shouldn't have been greedy. Most of the new arrivals still wore the standard issue except those rich enough apparently like Asher that were about to print outfits.
Meanwhile I had plenty. Four years worth of clothes. Granted, those clothes from the first two years, during the pregnancy and after, don't fit me anymore. But still, I had a large collection.
When we'd gotten our refill, Andy, Imani and Mia had been able to print a few but probably not enough. I decided I should offer my wardrobe to the two girls atleast.
"Do you like him?" Imani asked.
"I think I do but I've known the guy less than 24 hours"
"That is true" Imani agreed.
We ended up talking for a while. There was something easy about talking to them. I connected with both girls way easier than I could have ever done with the guys. The only person that could make this group better was Heather.
I had to see her.
=^..^=
I excused myself from the girls and went down to the bridge. I owed the life I had now to Heather in many ways. The biggest one obviously being Adya.
There were times I felt guilty over the years as I lived a happy life with my daughter while she was stuck in stasis. I couldn't shake that feeling even though I knew nothing that had happened was my fault.
Now that she was awake, I had to atleast say thank you.
"Pola, contact Caitlyn" I voiced out as soon as I walked through the bridge.
I didn't have to wait long because soon, Caitlyn's face appeared on the viewport. She looked to be in some sort of office but that didn't matter.
"Hi Dani" she said casually "To what do I owe the pleasure?".
"Any news on Heather?" I asked. "Can I see her?"
"I checked but the doctors said she's not to be allowed any visitors".
"Did they say why?" I asked again. It didn't make sense.
"Dani, you know I don't understand any of that stuff. If they have her in isolation, it's probably for a reason"
"She should be here with us. She's part of our team"
"I know" Caitlyn sympathized "But let's let the doctors work, okay?"
It wasn't a suggestion.
"Okay" I said anyway. It wasn't like there was anything I could do.
=^..^=
I ended up waiting the entire day and honestly, I was stewing. It had gotten dark a few hours ago and still not a peep from him. Had he changed his mind about me already?
I knew it was silly to keep letting people make me feel like this but I couldn't help it.
Adya was with her grandmother again which allowed me a bit more free time. I decided to dig in for a solitary night but was interrupted by a ring at my door.
"Open" I voiced.
A moment later, the door clicked and in came Mia.
"Hi, what's up?"
"Some guard just dropped this off for you" she said excitedly as she placed a box on my bed. It was a sleek@ black box with a red bow.
"What is it?" I asked.
"How should I know? Open it"
I pulled at the bow string which caused it to fall apart. I carefully lifted the box lid to reveal a navy blue fabric.
Pulling it out of the box, I realized it was a dress. A backless dress only held together by two extremely thin shoulder straps.
"It's beautiful" Mia commented.
It was such a flimsy thing. It didn't help that the low cut design would leave my entire cleavage in full view.
"Does he really expect me to wear this?"
"There's a note" Mia alerted me to the white card that had been below the dress.
'Meet me in Voyager 5, Suite 4, Door code 2023. Asher'
That was it, I wasn't going.
I handed the note to Mia. She beamed a bright smile.
"Who does he think he is?" I asked rhetorically.
"Someone with a lot of money. A dress like this would have cost a fortune"
"Is he really inviting me to his room? Just like that?"
"Looks that way" Mia answered "Are you going to go?"
"I shouldn't right?" I asked her.
"It's forward, I think. But guys like him play by different rules. You know he wants sex right?"
I nodded.
"Well do you want to have sex with him?"
"I don't know, maybe" I rubbed my forehead. This was stressing me out. "I just still feel like I don't know him".
"Girl, it's up to you. See you in the morning. Don't get murdered" She told me very unhelpfully.
She said her goodbye, blew a kiss and disappeared out the door.
=^..^=
I had put on the dress and was now brushing my hair in the mirror. It was worse than I thought. Sluttier. There was no way I was going to wear this through the ship and eventually the voyager.
I selected a jacket to pair with it and was now focusing on getting my wild hair under control.
I watched myself move in the mirror when I thought I was ready. A bombshell stared back at me. 16 year old me must have been staring in disbelief at who I'd become.
I'd always expected to grow up and bulk up eventually. That clearly hadn't happened. Now I was smiling back at the woman in the mirror.
I slipped on the jacket and made my way out the ship while doing my best to avoid any eye contact. The jacket did a solid job hiding my upper body, but left my entire bottom half in full view in the brightly lit hallways.
My caution paid off and I reached the end of the first portion of my journey without any alarms being raised and stepped out of the Pathfinder for the first time that day.
Surprisingly, the guard was still there and insisted on escorting me the entire fairly long walk to Voyager 5.
=^..^=
The guard whose name I'd managed to pry out stayed only a few feet away from me at all times and only backed away as we reached what I assumed to be Suite 4.
"Bye Alfonso" I said with a smile as I inputed the code on the door's keypad.
The beautiful and heavily ornamented door clicked alerting me that I was free to push it open.
The room itself was dimly lit but I could still make out the features of what looked to be a gorgeous and surprisingly large room.
It featured a dining table that seated up to four as well as a raised sleep area on the far side that required 3 small stairs to access.
"Hello" I called out.
Asher peeked out of a door that I realised was a bathroom. He was wearing a white shirt and black plain trousers. He looked very classy.
"Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right there" he told me.
I obliged and took off my jacket.
=^..^=
Asher walked up to me a few moments later with a sparkle in his eyes.
"Dani, you put Miss America to shame".
"I didn't know what to think when I got your invite" I said trying to keep my cool when he took my hand and kissed it.
"It's all very innocent, I assure you. I just thought a canteen wasn't an appropriate venue to host such a beautiful woman".
I blushed.
It was still a shock how everyone managed to accept me as a woman so easily. I don't think this would have been the case even a few decades ago.
"Hungry?" he asked gesturing to the table.
I smiled. "Sure".
=^..^=
We'd had a wonderful dinner and interesting conversation, the whole time he'd been a perfect gentleman.
It all seemed too good to be true. I adored him, I really did. I didn't want the night to end but it was clearly that time.
The meal was done and the talking points exhausted, there was only one thing on my mind. I wanted to fuck him. Sometime during the meal, he'd undone an additional button and it made me so horny.
"I should escort you back before they send out the search party"
Heartbreak.
"But what if you didn't go?" he suggested.
"Stay here?" I asked shyly
Asher chose to let his actions speak for him. I tried my best to keep my composure even as he stepped out of his chair and in my direction. He gently took my hand and helped me up after I slid the chair backwards.
The feeling of my heart pounding away in my chest told me I much preferred a man that saw what he wanted and went after it. No games. No deciphering.
He leaned in and kissed me and I melted in his arms. How had I fallen so fast for him. I didn't care. I felt the movement of his hands with my body even as they found their way to my butt.
I pressed harder into him as we kissed. My own hand found it's way to his junk and pressed lightly. He was hard already.
"Are you on birth control?" I asked.
"Mmh" he grunted "Freshly done".
I fumbled with his belt as we kissed, eventually prying it loose.
After he moved my dress straps off my shoulder, I hurriedly shimmied out of the flimsy fabric letting it fall to the floor.
"God you're perfect" he said with his eyes glued to my now bare breasts. He picked me up like I weight nothing and carried me to the bed.
I squealed laughing the whole way. I imagined how I must have looked as he placed me on the bed, the only thing keeping me from being completely naked was the black lace panties I'd chosen earlier in anticipation of this moment.
I readied myself as he quickly removed the rest of his clothes and climbed into bed with me.
Being with Asher that night showed me a whole new world of feelings I never knew existed. Whenever I would start to feel like my inexperience was getting in the way of his satisfaction, his passionate grunts would let me know otherwise.
It hurt sometimes when he would thrust deep and carelessly into pelvis but there were moments mind blowing pleasure that more than made up for it. Some positions made me feel loved and some made me feel sexy. Some were uncomfortable and some I felt I could last the whole night. I let him take charge and I'm glad I did.
By the time we went to sleep, I wondered how I'd gone all those years without experiencing that and now that I had, how would I go another moment without it.
=^..^=
I was awoken by a feeling of cold metal on my leg.
'What was that?' I wondered.
Even before I opened my eyes, I could still see Asher's muscular arms around me. It felt nice. I wanted to keep feeling him.
It didn't feel like it had been that long since we'd gone to bed. Was it morning already?
The cold metal poked my feet again.
'What the hell was that?'
I groggily opened my eyes but what I saw quickly shocked me awake. I sat up in a panic and shook Asher rapidly.
There were four men with guns pointed right at us. Their faces were covered but I could tell they were RAW agents.
Asher woke up only after I had shaken and called his name enough times. I couldn't place his expression in that moment? Confusion? Some form of fight or flight? I had no clue.
"Up" one of them commanded.
I was naked under the covers so I couldn't move. When he readjusted his scopes on me, I knew he meant business.
Slowly, I stepped out in full view of the four men but the fear no longer allowed me to feel any embarrassment. I put on my panties while they watched me closely. I hurried down the three steps to where I'd left my dress on the floor.
There was another man at the door. That made five. What the hell was going on?
As soon as the dress was over my head and in place, they held me down, tied my hands and placed a bag over my head.
As soon as I was met with that darkness, I could no longer resist the urge to cry.
=^..^=
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Hello again, as always, would love to hear what you thought about this chapter
They led me out the suite and through the halls. I couldn't see anything and I couldn't move my hands either. The helplessness finally allowed me to think.
'Oh fuck, they know'
How did they find out? My mind scoured for all possible ways they could have found out what I did. They didn't have any reason to suspect me right?
I was unconscious when the second attack happened? Were they just trying to scare me? To see if they could pry out an apology or make me break?
This had to be Caitlyn of course. She was the only person that knew what I could even do. Unless she'd told more people but would she? She know what it would do to me.
Did she suspect me? Or did she decide that I was too much of a wildcard and it would be easier to get rid of me altogether? Were they going to kill me?
Fuck. I didn't want to die. I finally had my family there. Mum, Andy, Adya and the others. My life was great. Somehow, after all that mess, I'd managed to manufacture a decent life here on Gaia.
I didn't want to die yet. More than that, I didn't want to leave my daughter without a mother.
"What's going on?" I heard Asher ask.
"Quiet" One of the agents responded.
Poor Asher. He got dragged into my mess. He didn't deserve this.
"Don't worry, Dani. We'll get to the bottom of this. I won't let them hurt you" he said to me.
Such a nice guy.
I heard a grunt and a loud thud as his body hit the floor. They'd hit him.
"Asher!" I exclaimed.
"Quiet, both of you" The agent said angrily.
There wasn't another peep from either of us for the rest of the walk. These guys meant business. Were they actually going to kill me? Whatever their plan was, it was working because I was terrified.
=^..^=
I heard a familiar sliding door and a moment later, we were forced through. The bridge? We hadn't ever left the ship, I knew that much.
The room was freezing cold. Where was I? I tried to listen for any sound to give me any indication. Nothing.
I was forced to my knees. It was happening.
'Should I fight back?' I wondered.
I couldn't take even one of those guys. Not even before AHRT destroyed what little muscle mass I had.
The bag was suddenly removed from my head and my eyes struggled to regain focus in the brightly lit room.
My eyes searched for answers. We were in what I could only describe as a lavish office. It looked to be modeled after the Oval office from those old movies. Very regal.
Asher was forced to his knees as well. He looked to me with a very concerned expression. My face sent an apology to him where my mouth couldn't.
Behind us stood the 5 agents. On the bright side, this wasn't the kind of room where you killed someone. The carpet itself looked very expensive. It'd be such a shame to get blood on it.
There was one more person in the room. A much older man. Maybe in his sixties. A few grey hairs ran through what was otherwise a pristine head of hair and beard.
I didn't recognise him. I was tempted to ask but decided it wasn't a good idea to do so.
"Miss Fahey. I apologize for the state of things. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. Untie them." His voice was deep and imposing and clearly accustomed to giving commands.
One of the agents walked up to me, loosened and removed the binds that functioned similarly to a zip tie.
I rubbed my wrists, thankful for the release of pressure that I didn't realise had been building up.
Asher did the same.
"Who are you?" I asked finally.
"Arthur Reeves" he walked all the way from behind the table to offer me his hand.
Figuring there was no reason not to, I reached and shook it. He took a few steps back and rested on the table.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news" he continued "Last night, a treasonous plot was uncovered. It came to light that Caitlyn Alcove planned and executed the Voyager 1 disaster that took the lives of the president and countless high ranking officials"
What? I was so confused. Something obviously wasn't adding up.
"She did this to overthrow and take over the government and she was almost successful in fact, until several corroborating testimonies were brought to my attention yesterday" he continued.
It didn't make any sense. It didn't because I was the one that destroyed the ship. Why was he trying to frame her for it?
"That's awful" I said. I had to play it cool and go along with it until I knew what was going on.
"Yes" Arthur nodded "We're still rounding up her accomplices so if you have anything to say on the matter, now is the time."
Were they going to try to pin it on me too? I was guilty but they didn't know that. No, if they wanted to pin it on me, why bring me here?
"Did she say anything about it to you?" he asked me plainly.
I looked around the room. Asher was watching me closely. I felt bad for getting him into this?
"She didn't. She doesn't tell us anything" I answered.
"Are you sure? Will Ness and the rest of Pathfinder crew already corroborated the testimony."
There was no way right? Will wouldn't do that, would he?
"Listen" he walked closer to me causing me to strain to look up at him. If I didn't feel self conscious enough with the flimsy and slutty dress I was wearing, I did in that moment. "You're a smart girl so I'm going to level with you"
I glanced over at Asher again who simply watched me like a hawk. I adjusted uncomfortably. It didn't help with how cold the office was.
"There will be a hearing tomorrow. Those who choose the side of justice will be pardoned. Will you take the stand?" he asked me.
I got it. There was to be no fence-sitters. He was asking me to testify against Caitlyn or join her.
It sounded like even if he was framing her, he still needed our testimony to seal her fate. Will's testimony would probably hold more water than mine. If he was here asking for mine, it probably meant they didn't have Will's or he hadn't even bothered asking.
"Do what they want, Dani. So we can be together" Asher pleaded.
I turned to Asher. I wanted to but how could I betray her? She gave me the life I had. Plus, I thought of her as my friend.
If I exposed everything that happened here during the hearing then I could still save Caitlyn.
He had to know Pathfinder crew knew the real story. We saw the attack and the subsequent crash from the ground. He was depending on our sense of self preservation. If the crew had actually decided to betray Caitlyn, then I was effectively condemning myself by siding with her. But I knew it was the right thing to do.
I decided to reveal everything at the hearing.
"I'll take the stand" I told Arthur. "Caitlyn was always very ambitious".
"Excellent" Arthur clapped happily. "You are making the right decision. Take them back to their room. Protect them" he ordered.
I felt one of the agents place a hand on my arm to help me up. I struggled to my feet. I didn't realise how much my knees hurt. I needed to get out of this dress immediately.
As soon as I was comfortable, I could formulate my plan on what I was going to say at the hearing.
"Father, she's lying" I heard a voice but I couldn't believe it. It was Asher's.
I turned sharply to look at him. Gone was the concern and now only disappointment on his face.
"How so?" Arthur asked.
Asher was his son? The realization as everything replayed back in my mind broke me.
"No" I said audibly. I was heartbroken.
"She's an easy enough book to read when you spend time with her. She's lying to you. She has no intention of joining us"
"Hmm" Arthur sighed "That's disappointing"
I couldn't speak, I just stared at him. Slowly the feeling of betrayal was replaced with anger. I wanted to tear him apart.
"We still need her. I hear how the people talk about her. Let's give her some more time to truly change her mind and join us".
Arthur seemed to think for a moment. My gaze remained glued to Asher. I clenched my fist until it hurt.
"Put her in with the others. It will be difficult but we can still succeed without her testimony" Arthur decided. "Let's see if she doesn't come to her senses as more and more of her friends die"
"Yes father" Asher said with that smile of his "We have her family and her daughter. She'll behave"
My gaze remained glued to Asher as he smiled at his father and then at me. My anger was turning into rage.
=^..^=
'I am truly any idiot' I thought as my mind raced remembering the last two days.
Asher and two of the guards had led me out of Voyager 5 and now we made the journey to the Pathfinder.
He'd handed me his jacket which I'd wanted to refuse but I had been freezing so I took it anyway. The large garment dwarfed my small frame.
What was Asher doing in Voyager 3 that day? What business could he possibly have had there? God I didn't even ask his last name.
I was such an idiot. He'd played me. I could have had the numerous creatures I could feel in the forest around us tear them to pieces but I had to make sure everyone was alright first.
"You probably feel like I betrayed you" I heard Asher say. "It wasn't personal".
I didn't respond.
"If it makes you feel any better, I did come to adore you" he continued.
As more words left his mouth, I considered forgoing my plans and just end him there. There were three fylises and a pack of dwesha stalking us. I'd asked them to follow as soon as we got into the forest.
Sometime ago, we had discovered that a Fylis with its sleek black fur wasn't the master of stalking prey. Dwesha, a ferocious, pack hunting creature with perfect camouflage that bordered on invisibility specialized in killing its prey before it ever knew it was there.
By far the most terrifying of all creatures on this planet was the sandwraith. A centipede, if it was twenty feet long and attacked from beneath ground with a paralyzing poison. That was one that I had never even tried to connect with.
The thought of the beast always sent shivers down my spine.
I wasn't going to connect with it today. No, I wouldn't need to, because there were more than enough to take back the planet from those that would exploit it like they did Earth.
But first, I had to make sure everyone was safe.
"We could rule together, Dani. Be my bride"
Ugh shut up.
"This whole planet can belong to me and you. My son in your belly will inherit this planet and all that's in it after us"
What?
"What?" I stopped and turned to him sharply.
The guard that was walking behind me pushed me forward, "keep moving".
Asher turned to him angrily, "How dare you? Do not lay your filthy hands on her"
"Apologies sir" the guard replied.
What did Asher say? His son? Where?
"You said... birth control" I was stunned.
He shook his head simply.
My heart sank. I had been such a fool. The whole way.
"Don't be sad" He told me "This was our destiny. When the Voyager 1 happened, father and I couldn't believe our luck. It was only natural that we partner with RAW's new chairman to take over".
I did this. It was all my fault. My stupidity and my actions caused this.
"You still have time to change your mind." he said finally. "Maybe when they're all dead, you'll see things clearly. You'll realise that I did this for us".
=^..^=
There were RAW agents with their big guns everywhere. It got even worse as we approached the Pathfinder.
Thousands of people were forced lying in the sand and restrained at gunpoint by RAW's militia.
They led me into the ship and I gawked at the sight. Hundreds more packed into the Canteen, forced to sit on the floor. Several RAW agents stood guard.
I imagined it was the same across the other Voyagers and landing sites. They had entirely taken over.
They led me passed the canteen and through several hallways.
We eventually came to a door guarded by two agents. They greeted Asher and readied their weapons as they opened the door to lead me inside.
The large room was filled with everyone close to me. The members of Pathfinder crew, my mum and Adya, Andy, Imani and Mia. All except Caitlyn. They all looked relieved when they saw me enter.
"Oh honey, I'm so glad you're safe" Mum said joyfully.
"Where have you been?" Will asked.
"With me" Asher stepped through the door sporting the most annoying smirk ever. "We've been... getting to know each other".
I looked straight at the ground. I couldn't look anyone in the eye. I was fighting the urge to cry. I was sick and tired of crying. All this power, and I still felt powerless half the time. If anyone else had been made Overlord, would this even be happening?
What did I do with all the time I was given? I got swindled by a playboy. It made me mad. At everything yes, but also at myself.
I felt Asher's hand on my waist. I couldn't react.
"Don't forget to return my jacket, babe" he said with a laugh.
I was so angry.
Asher kept laughing until he exited the room and the doors locked.
I couldn't look anyone in the eye or answer their queries. I just wanted to shrink and disappear. I was so embarrassed.
I felt a hug envelop me and I knew it was Andy. I held him tightly and let the tears flow.
=^..^=
It had been a few hours since they left us in there. Occasionally, we'd hear a weapon fire but generally it was quiet.
I just sat there in that room staring into space. I'd wanted to take off Asher's jacket but it was the only thing giving me some semblance of modesty since I still had that dress on.
More and more, I thought about the events and how it got to this point and my fury grew.
I felt them in my thoughts, the entire planet full of animals, all of them connected to a single point. Me.
I had been hanging back because I knew unleashing it would bring about so much death and destruction.
But I could no longer do nothing. If I stayed quiet, I would be placing Gaia in the hands of dictators. Failsafe would just have to understand.
'Attack' I let the command go. "Kill everyone with a weapon"
Even from inside the ship, we heard the screams and screeches coming from the forest.
I searched for the thread that connected me to her, 'Kira, come' I replayed in my head.
Not long after the wild screams began, human screams followed. I could hear all kinds of weapons firing. Ballistic, beam rifles, sonic. I could both hear the human screams as well as feel the pain of the animals that got hit. It broke my heart.
This went on for a while but as time went on, the screams slowly died down. I heard firing outside our door followed by pained grunts.
I could feel Kira just outside.
'Here girl'
Claws pierced the steel door and ran from corner to corner and kept going until all that remained of the door was pieces of steel scattered everywhere.
A bloody Kira ran into my arms. I checked her frantically and breathed a huge sigh of relief when I confirmed the blood wasn't hers.
Will was staring at me. They all were. The new arrivals were understandably confused but Pathfinder crew was now realizing the secret I'd kept from them.
There was no reach to my control of these animals. Verbal delivery also wasn't a requirement.
They didn't dwell on it long because a moment later, Will and Cillian were out the destroyed door and picking up the weapons left dropped by our formers guard.
I too stepped out with Kira and met eyes with her mate. A fellow Fylis.
As we walked, I realised just how much blood filled the hallways. Some much blood on my hands. But I kept moving. I couldn't stop to think because if I did, I feared I would no longer have the strength to continue.
We made our way back to the canteen where seven dwesha had finished off the guards there and now guarded the civilians who looked terrified.
I noticed two Dwesha laid dead on the floor. I walked up to one of them, knelt and touched it gently.
"Thank you" I said to it under my breath.
I walked to the front of the canteen where everyone could see me.
"Do not be afraid, the animals will not harm you" I shouted at the top of my voice.
"They attacked my husband" A voice screamed back "He was just trying to help"
I followed the sound and found a woman clutching a man in her arms. His arm had been torn clean off and he was bleeding profusely. The hand on the floor was still clutching a beam rifle.
He must have picked it up. Another person's blood on my hands. I was tired. I wished Overlord had chosen someone else. Anyone else. I wasn't cut out for this.
"John, can you help?" I asked.
"Yes" he hurriedly made his way over to the man.
'Stop attacking, protect the people' I commandee. The remaining dwesha who had originally taken an aggressive stance switched to a defensive one. I imagined all the other animals around the region were doing the same.
I had to end this before anyone else got hurt.
"Arthur Reeves and his son, Asher started this." I continued speaking to the entire canteen "They plotted to overthrow the government with RAW's help. Go spread the word and release the other captives ".
=^..^=
Stepping out into the morning sun, I was greeted by the chaos that had ensued after my order. Blood everywhere.
I am become death. I was a horrible person. A failure. My actions and naivete led us here.
'When this is done, I should ask Failsafe to take Overlord away' I thought to myself.
The one saving grace was that the animals of Gaia now protected the civilians on the beach.
As I walked past followed by both Fylis, I made sure to let people know that they were alright now. No harm would come to them.
"Where are you going?" Will asked me.
"Voyager 5. Arthur Reeves is the one behind this" I told them.
"I'll come" Will told me.
Cillian and Robert decided they would too. The work wasn't done.
=^..^=
Surprisingly, there were no guards when we reached Voyager 5. The halls were empty as well like a ghost town.
"Have they fled?" Robert asked cautiously as we walked.
"We need to check. I know where his office is" I insisted.
We walked the halls cautiously wondering where the next resistance force would come from but nothing came.
That was until I turned the final corner that would lead to Arthur's office but was faced with a barrage of bullets. Will managed to pull me back around the corner to safety.
It was those 5 RAW agents from earlier this morning. I just knew it. I got angry remembering how they'd treated me even while I was naked and helpless.
"They're guarding him" Will announced.
"We have to get through" I said to no one in particular.
Cillian peeked his head around the corner to get a look and they instantly shot only narrowly missing him.
They weren't going to let us pass.
I had come too far to stop now. I was tired. I wanted this to end.
I felt Kira by my side getting more and more agitated.
"No girl, calm" I said to her. Her mate came closer and I touched him too. I couldn't send either of them out there.
I had a plan.
I closed my eyes and searched for the dwesha. 'Come'.
"Get ready" I told the rest of the crew.
None of them felt or saw anything when four invisible dwesha crept passed us, around the corner and slowly, quiet as night, covered the distance being watched by the guards.
There were no bullets flying. To a human, a prowling dwesha was only visible with thermal sights. Unfortunate for them that they either didn't have any or weren't using them.
Seconds later, the screams and gunfire down the hall told me that it was done. Good riddance.
"What just happened?" Will asked
I walked boldly down the hallway. At the end of it, a pool of blood and dismembered bodies. It truly was a dark day.
I knocked on the door that I'd been led out of only hours earlier.
"Is it safe?" Arthur's scared voice came through.
Kira tore through the door easily allowing me to walk through. Arthur was standing behind his desk with a gun to Caitlyn's head.
"Let her go" I said.
"One step further and I kill her" he threatened.
"Go on, give me an excuse" I said menacingly to him. Asher may have know me well enough to tell that I had been lying. Let's see if his father was just as adept.
When Will, Cillian and Robert walked into the room with their guns, Arthur turned his weapon to me. Kira stepped up and into the path, I touched her gently,
"No please, step aside" I said to her.
The four dwesha had advanced slowly doing what they did best. They had surrounded him but he didn't even know it.
"You kill her, you die. You kill me, you die" I assured him. "And something tells me you don't want to die yet".
They had humiliated me. I think a part of me wanted justification. I had long since accepted that I wasn't a good person. No point in pretending.
The dwesha came into view and I saw the defeat on Arthur Reeves' face. He raised both his hands and allowed Caitlyn to walk out and towards us freely.
"Where is your son?" I asked him. "It's you or him".
Asher was the one I wanted. I was going to make him pay.
"Leave my boy alone"
"Pola, where is Asher Reeves?" Caitlyn voiced while looking directly at me.
"Asher Reeves is currently in the medbay" Pola's voice rang through the speakers.
I turned sharply and walked passed Will and the others. Both Fylis and All four Dwesha followed.
"What are you going to do?" Will asked as he began to follow.
"Don't" was my only response.
"Just come back safe to me" he told me finally
=^..^=
I made my way through the familiar hallways. The closer I got to the medbay, the angrier I got.
He betrayed me. Like a fool, I fell in love with him and it was just a ploy.
I heard a woman's screams coming from the direction of the medbay and picked up speed.
I reached the medbay to find Asher pointing a handgun at an extremely weak Heather who was sitting on floor and resting her back against the wall.
They both turned to me wide-eyed.
"Daniel?" Heather exclaimed incredulously.
I couldn't answer her just yet. My attention was held entirely by Asher who was pointing a gun at a frail woman that could barely move.
She looked so weak? Was it just the effects of Stasis? Or had they done something to her?
"Have you no shame?!" I shouted at him.
"What the hell are you?" Asher asked while turning to point the gun at me.
A camouflaged Dwesha pounched and bit his hand which caused the gun to fall. He quickly took the exit closest to him and fled out of the medbay.
"Pola, tell Will that Heather is in the medbay"
A ran up to Heather and helped her up to her feet and back into bed.
"Dani" She said weakly "Have you secretly been a girl this whole time?"
I laughed "It's a long story".
"Yeah no time for that now I guess" She coughed. She looked to the two Fylis and three Dwesha that stood patiently at my side.
"I don't know what the fuck is going on and you all have a lot of explaining to do but don't let that asshole escape"
I held her hand tightly. "I'll be back".
=^..^=
I followed the lead of the fourth Dwesha that had chased after him. Asher was bleeding. Through the Dwesha's senses, I could smell the blood as they tracked their prey.
It made me feel alive. Asher had ran aimlessly into the forest through a path that I now followed.
The fighting was done now. RAW had surrendered. I'd passed by numerous people that hugged themselves happily. I could not take part in their victory celebrations just yet.
Asher was mine.
Minutes went by and I just walked, following the scattered footsteps and smell of blood.
Eventually the short chase was over. I caught up to the Dwesha that now stood guard over a weak Asher. He was resting against a tree deep in the forest, his arm bleeding.
"What the hell are you?" he asked again. "You're a freak"
I was numb to his words.
"I can't believe I put my seed in you. What was I thinking?"
More words.
'Baby, if you're are in there' I thought to myself. 'I am sorry. Your father is a bad man and he must die'.
I took a step forward and be surprised me by pulling out a second gun I hadn't seen and shot.
Before I knew what was happening, Kira once again stepped in front and got hit. Her mate pounced at Asher immediately.
I turned away. As much as I thought I wanted it, it still couldn't watch the man I thought I loved get torn apart in the most gruesome fashion. The screams were enough.
=^..^=
My heart had sank for a moment as I thought I'd lose Kira. I'd let out a great sigh of relief, when it turned out that the small arms fire wasn't enough to pierce her thick hide.
She had saved me so many times. All the animals on this planet had saved me again and again and how had I replayed them?
So many of them had died in the fighting. I decided they deserved better.
As I walked out of the forest and Pathfinder's beach came into view, I finally understood what I had to do. I would issue one final order.
'Be free'
I didn't know if it would work but how could I keep them under my command?
'Be free' I repeated in my head.
Instead, the animals gathered from all over the area as I walked.
"Be free" I said out loud.
They just came and followed. The civilians on the beach watched as well. More and more humans came in from the different landing sites. More creatures came from all directions.
I noticed Will and the others as they led Arthur Reeves in cuffs towards the Pathfinder. Heather was with them too. I smiled at her, she smiled back. We had so much to talk about.
All species of animals came in and surrounded me. There was loud screeching as Zylphi dropped from the skies and landed.
They all lowered their heads for me.
"Don't cry" I told myself. It wasn't working.
The New arrivals took this as their cue and also began lowering their heads.
I looked around me. I realised I had now been chosen, not by some futuristic computer but by the real, living, breathing beings of this world.
And so I accepted my role.
I was Dani Fahey, the first mother and Overlord of Gaia.
=^..^=
The End.
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And there we have it. You made it to the end... or is it the beginning?
For real though, I appreciate you reading the whole thing. Now that you're done, please let me know what you thought about it!
If you looking for something else to read and haven't yet, check out "The Body Snatcher". It's also a completed story.
Again thank you for staying until the end. Till the next one. Cheers.