“That’s not—“ he started.
“I know it’s not necessary. But please, it would be very important to me.”
“Very well.” Ka’thak’s eyes started to flutter. The conversation had taken much of his energy and his wounds were still too severe. “Give me an hour and I’ll tell the priests to prepare the ceremony.”
I nodded and kept my gaze on the floor. “Thank you, sir. I’ll wait in my quarters for your summons.”
A few hours later I heard a knock at my door. I had stripped off the stinking uniform I wore in battle and bathed before changing into the only outfit I thought fit for the occasion—the robe that I had been given so many moons before. I opened the door to find two aliens in ceremonial clothes. Gold bracers glinted from their wrists and ankles and they both wore feathered bands around their heads. The elder of the two clutched a stone staff in her hands. They beckoned me silently.
“Let’s go,” I said. The priests nodded and we walked down the corridor in silence. They led me to a small room that was elaborately decorated. The walls were clad in bright green moss and large stones were set in a design that formed a rough altar. It must have been a snapshot of their planet, brought along so everyone who entered this room could find spiritual peace. At the foot of the altar stood Ka'thak, dressed in a robe of his own. He was leaning heavily on a long black staff. If he was still in pain from his wounds, he was trying to hide it.
“Come in David.” Ka’thak gestured toward the altar. “Are you sure you want do to this?”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s not necessary, you know. You are one of us. I have commanded it, and thus it is so. Perhaps you will come to feel more a part of our society in time.”
“You’re probably right, but I’d like to do this. For me.”
“Very well,” he conceded. “Let me stand aside, then, so that these fine priests can do their job.”
“Do I kneel...or?” I got my answer from Ka’thak as he walked past me thanks to a gentle shove of his hand on my shoulder. The stone of the altar was cold against my knees. I bowed my head and waited as the priests stepped in front of me. One dipped their claws into a container full of red paint and scraped them down my forehead, over my nose, and over my mouth. The marks left a trail of crimson that made my face look like it had been slashed open. The priest opposite her spoke in their native tongue. I had picked up enough of the language to get the gist of what they were saying. Invoking the elements and their gods. I stayed kneeling, not knowing exactly what I was supposed to do.
One of the priests splashed my head with some kind of sweet-smelling oil. The sensation brought me back to my baptism as a Catholic, all those years ago. The priest had done the whole thing in Latin. It made as much sense to me then as this did now, but I knew how important it was to treat the whole thing as solemn. The priest tipped a claw under my chin and tilted my gaze up. He said something in his language.
“He says you need to repeat his words,” Ka’thak said from his seat behind me.
“Sure, but I’m sorry for anything I mispronounce.”
The priest laughed. “Just do your best, little brother.” He spoke some kind of prayer, line by line. I did my best to imitate him, but I caught Ka’thak and the other priest’s snickering as I butchered what I was saying. When the priest was finished speaking he told me to rise. Ka’thak thumped over to me, leaning on his staff. He pulled my right hand out and dropped something small and heavy into my hand.
When I opened it I saw that he had dropped a metal pendant stamped with the shape of some kind of gigantic animal on it. “They’re called...” Ka’thak paused while he struggled with the translation. “They’re called wolf bears. We used to have them on our planet before everything happened. It’s traditional for warriors in training to kill one before they’re initiated into our forces. Since you can’t do that, consider this a free pass. It signifies that you are one of our people. One of our tribe. And nothing can ever sever that bond.”
I smiled and clasped the pendant around my neck.
“Thank you, my brother.” I embraced him. I turned to the priests and bowed my head to each of them. “And thank you, honored priests.”
“Don’t sweat it, kid.” The elder of the two laughed. “Glad you’re with us. But you seriously need to work on your speaking skills.”
“That’s fair enough.” Now I was dedicated, mind, body, and soul. Nothing could make me feel like a stranger ever again.
38
Alexandra
Two frenetic weeks had passed since we had retaken the alien ship from the human invaders. It was a productive and painful two weeks. Our foremost problem had been finding a way to explain to a ship full of a thousand people that the President of the United States had been deposed. We were initially met with some resistance from the soldiers on board but thanks to Lieutenant Hasko, the men were swayed easily enough. No soldier ever wanted to serve a dictator and once they heard what had transpired I had a small army at my disposal, ready to help.
We had to rip everything apart, from the manifest to the supplies. That meant two weeks of sleepless nights for me as I dredged my way through the entire project all over again. Jackson offered to help, but I only handed him the simplest tasks. He was needed on the aliens’ ship to ready them for their voyage.
As for my duties, the first one was to eject everyone from the human ship. Wright had put this passenger list together himself and I was going to be damned if I let a single person he favored have their place without earning it first. I then returned to Earth with a small company of aliens to invite those who could help us most onboard. It was chaotic, and I received more than one death threat. I had asked Ka’thak for one of his warriors to serve as a guard. Given the state of things, I didn’t feel like I could trust anyone else.
As I had with President Lee, I pulled a list of those who were best skilled in their fields. Physicians, researchers, scientists, physicists, humanitarian experts, psychologists, engineers, farmers, and artists all made the initial list. A thousand of humanity’s best minds. I won’t lie and say that it was easy. There were nights where I lay in bed and sobbed, knowing that I was judge, jury, and executioner for millions upon millions of people. Scratch that. Billions. I was leaving behind near eight billion people to a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. People who deserved a second chance at life as much as the people I selected. I would live forever with that guilt. Was it worth it? I couldn’t tell you. It was a responsibility I had chosen, not one that I earned. Some of those being left behind had already disappeared into the ether. Others gathered to live out their final days. I prayed for their peace.
After I had compiled the list and contacted each candidate, I set about setting up a series of implicit bias and ethics tests that each candidate had to complete. Nothing was perfect, but it helped eliminate those with glaring racism, sexism, or homophobia issues. The tests had the added bonus of helping me compile personality profiles on each person. They were extremely helpful in assigning jobs. Among the candidates were a number of people who had military experience in addition to their specialization. I was initially opposed to letting anyone with military experience join the list but it was Jackson who reminded me that as abhorrent as violence was, it was sometimes necessary. We eventually reached a compromise. No career politicians and no career soldiers. I wanted people who could do more than one job. Once we arrived at our destination, we would all be called to do more than we had on Earth.
Ensuring that the majority of passengers had as few biases as possible also made sure that they would be ready and willing to cooperate with the aliens and each other, after we arrived at our destination. After a number of long discussions, Ka’thak and I had agreed that his ship would accompany ours and we would land on a new planet together. From there our two civilizations would cooperate to assist each other in setting up a new colony. The decision would be made from there as to whether or not the aliens wanted to stay in proximity to the humans. I si
ncerely hoped they would, but I couldn’t begrudge them if they wanted to go their own way. After all that had transpired, they certainly deserved some peace.
Along with our human passengers, I solicited and collected hundreds of thousands of DNA and RNA samples from around the world. Plants, animals, bacteria, even viruses were painstakingly stored and categorized in an easy to understand database. I sent a team to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to essentially raid the place. Anything and everything that was able to be farmed for food or utility was given a spot aboard the starship. Frozen embryos of both animals and humans were set into huge cryo bays to be unfrozen when we reached a suitable planet. Genetic diversity was the key to reestablishing our biome and we planned backups for our backups.
Neither humans nor aliens knew where we were headed. Ka’thak and I planned to coordinate our flight paths through our piloting teams until we found somewhere that could sustain us. It hit me that the voyage ahead could take years, maybe even decades. Even with the advanced drives of the alien designed ships, there were just a few places in the known universe anywhere like Earth. There were no guarantees that any of them were still there, never mind viable for both species. The ships would travel together in a bubble of space-time, emerging once a month for communication and any necessary supply runs or repairs. It was going to be a long trip with more isolation than I felt comfortable with.
I sat on the bridge of the human ship in my newly designed uniform. During a meeting of leaders who would act as a de facto government until we could arrange a proper vote, someone had suggested special garb for us. I hated the idea, but majority vote won out and so here I was, clad in an outfit only fit for a Starfleet commander. I raised my radio to my lips. “This is Governor Alexandra King,” I mumbled the title. “Oh Lieutenant Colonel David Jackson, do you read?’
A booming laugh across the miles. “Governor?! Shit, Alex, what did you do this time?”
I rolled my eyes and used one hand to cover my eyes. “Shut the hell up Jackson, you know perfectly well what I ‘did’. Due to my status as biggest nut job on the ship, they decided to give me all the responsibility. That is, until we can properly arrange an election. Which I will be making sure happens posthaste.”
“Careful now, keep talking and they’re liable to give you the position permanently!” he teased. “Are you ready to get this party started over there?”
Was I? I knew we had to leave but the finality of it all was daunting. The truth was, there was nothing left to do. We were loaded and as ready as we would ever be.
“Let’s light this candle,” I said softly into the radio.
“Ad Astra Per Aspera, little sister. We’ll see you in a month. Gods carry you as quickly as they can.”
“You too. And David?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t be here. But let’s save the tearful stuff for when we next meet, okay? You can buy me that beer you owe me.”
I laughed, a chuckle breaking through tears of sorrow and joy.
“Sounds good. Good luck.”
The radio line shut off. I took one long, last look at the floating blue ball that was my home planet and gave the order. The starship rumbled and the light of stars outside distorted as we left behind a dying Earth to start our new life in the stars.
THE END
Elizabeth’s Author Notes
And so we come to the end of the Supernova Cycle with Alex and Jackson on their own separate but intertwined journeys.
This series was an absolute blast to write, especially as my first foray into writing a trilogy of novels. One of the best pieces of advice I got along the way was to write the kind of books I wanted to read. I hope that you enjoyed reading this series as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you had fun, please consider leaving me a review on Amazon!
The Supernova Cycle was born with the help, encouragement, and plenty of kicks in the ass from my husband, without whom I would not have had the confidence to finish these books. I was fortunate enough to have married an author and this series is the first step toward my own career. It was a treat to build these characters from my own life experiences. I guess I should note that any resemblances of these characters to persons living or deceased are unintentional.
I don’t have a background in writing. I won a single “Young Authors” contest in middle school and didn’t type another word for years. I started out in the workforce as a professional sailor, playing pirate to tourists in a small town in Connecticut and crewing for the rich in Newport, R.I. on the weekends. I moved from that job to working in a hospital and discovered a love for psychology and social work. After getting a Masters in Social Work from Boston College, I changed tacks again and decided to pursue another great passion—technology. After working for a large corporation for several years, I decided that I would find a way to do it all.
I settled into writing as a way to change the way we tell stories and bring to life characters that break the mold of the straight white guy with a beautiful woman on his arm(TM). I seek to bring diversity and representation to science fiction by showing underrepresented people just as they are—participants in the big mystery we call life.
Alex and Jackson represented to me a conflict that lives within us all. Compassion and conflict are both necessary in life, and both of them had to balance these forces to navigate the apocalypse. They each faced unprecedented challenges in this tale and overcame them in the best ways they knew. During these unknown times of our own, it is important for all of us to try and exercise compassion whenever possible but fight when needed. Above all, we must hold kindness for ourselves and others.
Special thanks are due once more to Michael Anderle, Judith Anderle, Craig Martelle, Dakota Krout, Andries Louws, and so many others who provided their wisdom and advice. You taught me that there is just one trick to this whole writing thing—write the next book. I am eternally grateful and I can’t wait to tell more stories to change the world.
Kevin’s Author Notes
Finished at last! Or is it? Well, the tale is done for the time being, at least. There’s always the possibility we’ll see more of Alex and David’s adventures down the road. After all, both humanity and the alien race are still at risk while they’re in transit to a new home. Who knows if they’ll be able to find someplace safe to set their ships down?
So yeah, there might be more of this stuff coming eventually. It’s been a fun story to work on. I wouldn’t mind doing a bit more of it.
I’ve had some folks mention that they thought I must hate the military, to have written about soldiers like we did in these books. Well, no. In fact, I was in the Army for twelve years myself. I have a decent appreciation for the armed forces.
That said, because of that service I’m equally aware of the various failings involved in the military. I’m not above poking a little fun at them from time to time, too. Hey, they’re tough. They can take it, right?
Humanity has a lot of good and bad parts, same as our armed forces. We can be amazing, heroic, kind, giving, and compassionate. But we can also be filled with hatred and fear. It’s a bit like that compassion and fear are always at war with one another.
That’s a war we’ve attempted to put on display a bit in these stories. Some of the humans here show off the very worst of our traits. Others manage to demonstrate the very best, even when in extreme circumstances. Sometimes we can do horrible, vile things to one another. But at the same time, we’re capable of incredible good. Which part of our nature wins out is up to each of us.
Ah, but that’s enough of the metaphors! Treason is one heck of an epic finale for this trilogy, I think. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as we did writing it. If you loved the book, please go ahead and drop a review for it? Every review helps other readers find good stories, so we appreciate each and every one.
Thanks for reading!
Kevin McLaughlin
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Other Books by Kevin McLaughlin
The Ragnarok Saga (Military SF)
Accord of Fire - Free prequel short story, available only to email list fans!
Book 1 - Accord of Honor
Book 2 - Accord of Mars
Book 3 - Accord of Valor
Book 4 - Ghost Wing
Book 5 - Ghost Squadron
Book 6 - Ghost Fleet (2019)
Valhalla Online Series (A Ragnarok Saga Story)
Book 1 - Valhalla Online
Book 2 - Raiding Jotunheim
Book 3 - Vengeance Over Vanaheim
Book 4 - Hel Hath No Fury
Lost Planet Warriors (Military SF with light romance)
Book 1 - Desperate Times
Book 2 - Desperate Measures
Dire Straits - Free short story for email list fans!
Adventures of the Starship Satori (Space Opera blended with military SF)
Finding Satori - prequel short story, available only to email list fans!
Book 1 - Ad Astra: Book 2 - Stellar Legacy
Book 3 - Deep Waters
Book 4 - No Plan Survives Contact
Book 5 - Liberty
Book 6 - Satori’s Destiny
Book 7 - Ashes of War
Book 8 - Embers of War
Book 9 - Dust and Iron
Blackwell Magic Series (Urban Fantasy)
Treason Page 15
