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.

=^..^=

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

As always, would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for reading.