by J. L. Wood
“No luggage?” Michael asked, assisting her up the ramp and into the Welkin.
“No time. But I managed to get the paperwork and data files on L8. I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Michael motioned for Amy to follow him, and they took off jogging down the hall. “We couldn’t leave the L8 guru behind.”
Amy let out a laugh. “If only that were true,” she said.
Michael led her to a single room. She could only give it a quick glance, as Michael was pulling her toward a large chair in the back of the room. Amy stuffed the loose papers into her satchel and sat still while Michael buckled her in. She could feel the moisture in her hair and under her clothes from running errands around Houston, gathering whatever final data on L8 she could. It made her uncomfortable to have someone so close to her when she desperately needed a shower. She pulled away when Michael knelt down to confirm the straps were tight.
“I only bite a little,” he said jokingly.
Amy’s face flushed. “It’s not that. It’s just I can smell the sweat on me.”
“First time?” he asked, locking her bag into a cabinet.
“Sadly so.”
“Just remember to breathe. The ascent will be over quick. Talk in the lobby later?”
Amy nodded. “Sure.”
“Just follow the alerts from the captain,” Michael said as he rushed out the door. “He’s a cool guy.”
Amy fidgeted in her seat, then looked around the room. Although she had never been to space before, she had always wanted to go. The room she was in seemed expensive, unlike the economy flights that fit four or more to a room in brochures she’d once reviewed. It was equipped with everything she would need—a small bed that sat above a desk, a washroom, even a recliner that sat in front of a projected television. Everything looked new and perfect, similar to the Horizon Shuttles station. She just wished her first trip into space wasn’t under these circumstances.
The lights in the cabin dimmed, and the ship’s captain sounded through one of the speakers in the room. “Everyone, welcome aboard the Welkin. This is your captain, Michael Stratis.”
Amy’s eyes shot toward the ceiling in the direction of Michael’s voice, and she flashed a brief smile.
“We are getting ready for takeoff. Please lock all of your personal effects away and strap yourselves into your seats. We don’t want anything flying around once we leave our lovely Earth. The destination time to the transport portal is four hours, a little on the slow side since there’s a lot of traffic trying to enter. Once we are up, please visit the lobby to stretch your legs and meet your fellow passengers. We will be broadcasting a video throughout the ship of what to expect on Amity.”
Amy felt the ship vibrate, something she attributed to the ship’s engines turning on. She grabbed one of the chest straps on her safety belt and hung on to it. It’ll be over soon, she thought. Just breathe. Her stomach churned, and she slowly inhaled then exhaled.
She looked around the room for a distraction. To her left was a large window, its shade drawn. She knew she should be excited to look out of that window and into space, but the allure wasn’t there. Her mind flooded with the faces of her remaining family, all left behind, left to deal with whatever was to come. It was disheartening. She could only bring one person, her brother, who was working in the United Kingdom. She hoped he had made it. There was no way for her to tell until she made it to Amity.
“Takeoff in five…four…three…two…” Amy clenched the straps even tighter. “One…liftoff.” She could feel the shuttle accelerating on the runway, then a lifting. There was another jolt. As the shuttle shot into the sky, her bowels twisted in pain, partly from anxiety, partly from not being mentally prepared to handle the ascension. She could feel pressure in her chest and realized she was holding her breath. Slowly, she let the air escape and then squeezed her eyes shut.
The shuttle slowed, and Amy breathed a sigh of relief. She felt loose locks of her hair lifting in the weightlessness. She raised her hand and admired her small golden bracelet floating around her wrist. She felt light, and as she swayed her arms in the air, she momentarily forgot about everything.
“All right, everyone. We have made it out safely and are on our way to Amity Station. Please remain buckled in while we activate the gravity on board. When you hear the second chime, feel free to leave your rooms.”
When the speakers chimed, Amy felt herself sink. She shook her arms out, then unbuckled her safety straps. Slowly, she walked to the window and began to lift the shade, then stopped abruptly. “I’m not here to sightsee,” she whispered. “I’ve got work to do.”
She unlocked the cabinet and pulled out her satchel. The desk chair was secured to the floor. After a few moments of tinkering with the locks, she was able to pull it free. She got out her tablet and laid the papers on the desk, then removed the pencil from her hair and combed through the knots with her fingers before pulling it back again into a tight bun. “Okay…where do I start?” she muttered.
“Welcome, travelers, to Project Last Man Standing,” a woman said over the speaker system in a smooth and calming voice.
Amy turned in her chair to find the projected TV was playing a video. The woman in the video wore a dark-gray long-sleeved jacket with thin purple stripes running along the sides. Two purple patches were affixed to the front-left panel of the jacket, one of a symbol she did not recognize and the other what Amy assumed was the woman’s last name. The woman pointed to a map on the screen that showed Earth on the left with a white glittering globe near it and then a series of structures far to the right in the distance.
“We are currently en route to the transport portal. The portal is a man-made wormhole that will decrease our travel time to Amity in the safe zone by ninety-eight percent. Amity is a collection of three space stations designed by the NASA Collaboration that orbit 9b of the Greu exoplanetary system, in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Due to the immense power required to keep the portal open, along with the traffic from Earth, its lifespan will range from four to five hours until a new one must be created. We may experience long wait times, as only one ship may enter at a time. It is imperative that you follow the captain’s instructions and tightly secure your breathing mask before the ship enters the portal.”
The woman demonstrated placing a clear plastic device over her nose and mouth and pulled the straps tightly in the back. “The captain will inform you when it is safe to remove your mask. Once we reach Amity Station, our new temporary home, you will be given your job assignments and living quarters from one of the officers on board. Each room is equipped with learning materials to guide you during your stay. We request that you hold all questions until you review said materials. Safe passage, travelers.”
Amy tapped the desk with her pencil. “Greu?” she whispered. The name didn’t sound familiar, but she shrugged it off. She opened her tablet and began to reread the reports from Kinsley Hospital. The name Greu stuck in her head, and she finally caved. She placed her items in the desk and headed toward the lobby.
It was crowded. So crowded that Amy wondered if all of the passengers were in the one small space. There was a solemnity in the air; people huddled and whispered what they thought Amity would be like, but there were no smiles. They were leaving their homes and loved ones behind.
“Glad you came down,” Michael said, tapping her shoulder.
“Yeah, I was curious about Greu. I thought maybe someone here could tell me more.”
“Ah. Well, that would be me.”
“The cool captain,” Amy said, waving down one of the waiters for a glass of water.
“Sure you don’t want anything stronger? We have a full bar on board. Might as well indulge.”
Amy shook her head. “I need to keep a clear head. And shouldn’t you be flying the ship?”
Michael grabbed two glasses of water from the waiter and handed one to Amy. “We’re cruising, and that’s what I pay the copilots for. So, Greu. It’s the property of
the NASA Collaboration. No one was allowed in the area for over fifty years. They mined from one of the nearby planets and set up Amity there. It’s been functioning with people for nearly twenty years. It’s one of the biggest kept secrets. And now you know.”
Amy’s eyes widened. “And what’s the biggest kept secret?”
“That I cannot say.” He took a sip of water. “Some theorists may think we didn’t want to save Earth. That we decided to use it for all it’s worth and just find a second home. In time, things repair. The Earth would return to its natural wonder if we waited long enough.”
“Because that’s easier. Why focus on billions when you could narrow your scope, save a handful, and just start over. Would a cool guy think that?”
Michael smiled. “Cool guys think many things, but they also know their place amongst beasts.”
The waiter was making his way around the crowd again, and Amy pulled a glass of red wine from the tray. “I think I’ll indulge now.”
The ship began to shake, and Amy lost her footing. Michael grabbed her, but the wine glass slipped from her hand. Before it could hit the ground, the glass and wine began to lift, and so did Amy.
“What’s happening?” she yelled. There were a few screams from the fellow passengers, and Amy looked wildly at the crowd, everyone rising in the air, a few of the women doing their best to keep their skirts down. Nearly a minute later, the gravity returned, and they all fell to the floor. Glasses shattered and people cried out in pain.
Michael helped Amy up and instructed the passengers to remain calm. He stood still for a moment, listening to a voice on his earbud, his hand clasped over his ear to silence the murmurings from the passengers.
“Everyone, gather ’round,” Michael insisted. The crowd huddled near him, Amy still at his side. “I’ve just been told that the portal has failed and a ship has been destroyed. That disruption was a piece of debris from the ship hitting us, but we are fine. The portal is being stabilized.”
The crowd grew louder, and Michael held up his hands. “We need to remain calm. We are still en route to Amity.”
“Which ship was it?” Amy asked.
Michael’s eyes drifted to the side. “That is unconfirmed. Everyone, please try to enjoy the rest of your stay aboard the Welkin. The crew will take care of the mess.”
Amy followed Michael to a well-dressed man who was leaning against the bar in the lobby. Michael gave the man a brief hug and then darted out of the room.
“How do you know Michael?” Amy asked the man.
The man looked up, his light-blue eyes misty. “That goof? He’s my husband.”
Amy looked around the room at her fellow passengers. “Should I be worried? About the portal?”
The man leaned forward and hugged Amy. “Oh, honey,” he whispered in her ear. “It’s not the portal you should worry about. That was the Freedom Eagle. We just lost our president and the leaders of the NASA Collaboration.”
Amy pulled away. “No…that can’t be. I heard there are hundreds of ships leaving. What are the odds?”
The man nodded and looked at the crowd of people. “Yeah…what are the odds?”
– 27 –
Amity
The shuttle began its ascent to attach to one of the Amity space stations in the safe zone. Its thrusters periodically powered on as the ship changed its position to a ninety-degree angle, the crew carefully aligning the hatch to the southernmost outer ring of the station. Missy tried to open her eyes, but she felt groggy and sick. Her entire head was throbbing, as if a nail was being driven into her right temple. She pulled the mask off in an effort to gain some relief and then turned it over in her hands to inspect the inside.
They must have drugged me, she thought as she found a small purple square of a cotton-like material above the nose bridge and two sets of thin parallel air vents that ran along the sides. She became overwhelmed with the entire experience—the secrecy, the half details, being somewhere so unfamiliar. The thought of being away from Don returned. Tears began to fill her eyes. She pushed her face into the side of the bed to smother her sobs.
Missy could see the outline of her roommates through the sheer plastic barrier gathering their luggage from the rear closet. Damion stood in front of her barrier and hesitated before walking away. She wanted to say something to him, but she knew what she needed to know. He wasn’t fifteen, and neither was his brother, and there would have been no way for him to make his way to the shuttle through the spaceport. Delilah had snuck him on. He would have to be in hiding for the remainder of the time he was at Amity. It was no life for a child.
She unstrapped her harnesses and crawled out of bed. She thought one last time about Damion, dwelling on whether she should turn him and his brother in or drop it. It would hurt Delilah, but the boys would be hurt more with either outcome. She didn’t want that. What she had was leverage, and perhaps that was all she needed to find out the truth about Don. She smiled as she grabbed her luggage and headed to the lobby.
The travelers from the Malick gathered in the shuttle’s lobby, waiting for their room assignments and job detail. Missy stood at the edge of the crowd, aloof. She didn’t care about anything but finding out what had happened to Don.
“Michelle Wild!” Delilah called from the raised stage in the lobby. Missy jumped at the mention of her birth name, something she hadn’t heard in days. She dragged her feet to Delilah and held out her hand for the card.
“Such enthusiasm,” Delilah said sarcastically as she placed the card in Missy’s outstretched hand.
Missy folded the card and shoved it into her back pocket. “Fuck you. I know about Damion.”
Delilah shrugged. “Who’s that?”
“Don’t play stupid. Your son. He has L8, and he’s here.”
Delilah smirked. “My sons are with their father in the LMS bunkers back on Earth.” She paused. “Oh, that’s right, you don’t know about that. LMS wasn’t created for trailer trash, and yet here you are.”
Missy scowled at the reference to her past. “You don’t know me.”
“And yet I do. Now move along, or do I need to alert authorities that you are a terrorist as well? You’re swimming upstream, girly. The bears are waiting.”
Missy stared at Delilah. “I may be trailer trash, but I know a thing or two about bear hunting. There’s a head mounted in my family trailer to prove it. Maybe next one will be yours.”
Delilah looked away, expressionless, and flicked the cards with her middle finger. “Emily Daniels!”
Missy smiled. She had made it to Amity. There was an LMS bunker on Earth. She had to tell Mary, Jessica, and Justin somehow. She had to save them, because they had saved her.
She exited the ship and started down the short walkway toward Amity Station with her luggage in tow. Not able to resist not knowing, she pulled the card out of her pocket. Michelle Wild, Job Detail: Teacher, Room 615. “Always looking out for me, Don,” she whispered.
Her fellow passengers from the Malick began to walk around Missy in the short and confined walkway, and she realized that she was dragging her feet. She picked up the pace, following them to the entrance of the Amity Station: a small semi-oval pocket door. Once inside, she immediately noticed that the area was one large docking station. The exterior walls were solid metal, along with the floor and ceiling, but the interior was made of thick glass. Beyond the glass, nearly three dozen ships of varying sizes stood upright, large metal beams firmly affixed to the noses of the ships, holding them in place. Although she could not see beyond the metal barrier of the docking station, the doors to the room she was in were shut. She assumed their travelers were already offloaded and the travel corridor collapsed.
Missy watched as another ship that just finished unloading passengers, this one nearly three times the size of the one she was on, begin to rotate until it stood upright. Its exterior was dark gray, with purple lines running across the sides and a purple logo—similar to the one she saw a woman in an information film
on the ship wearing—planted largely on the tail end.
She proceeded, following some of the last people to exit the Malick toward the center of the docking station, where a second structure was attached by six glass walkways. When she reached the walkway closest to her, Missy’s eyes fixated on the structure ahead. It had a bulbous base with a long, thin cylinder that seemed to shoot into space. She tilted her head back as far as her view would allow her to see, and it seemed to go on forever. Large rings encircled the cylinder, each one connected by six rectangular glass spokes. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, and as new stars came into her view beyond the circular rings, she realized that the station was moving in a circular motion. It felt almost unreal to her, as if she would wake up at any moment and learn that her fate was to stay on the Malick until the crisis on Earth abated.
The trek to the bulb-like portion of the cylinder was long, and Missy wondered why there wasn’t a walkway conveyor belt. Perhaps this was a trip that they would only make once, but the thought made her question the definition of a temporary home. After what seemed like thirty minutes of walking, she entered the dome portion of the cylinder. Lush plants filled the inner dome, many hanging from the walls, some of them flowering, giving the room a sweet scent. Thin concrete pavers covered the walkway with dwarf mondo grass growing between them, and every so often their pattern was broken by large pots of blooming flowers and roses. A single jacaranda tree grew in the center, its long branches sprouting purple leaves, drawing the eyes of passersby. Several small painted glass bulbs hung from the tree, which sparkled in the overhead lights, each a different swirl of pinks, greens, blues, and purples. Missy approached the tree and sat down on one of the many benches near a water fountain. The splashes calmed her, along with the smell of fresh water.
She took in the sight of the sitting room, wishing Don was there, the both of them frozen in time, letting the moment last forever. All of the pain she’d endured in her life seemed worth it, being one with nature so far from home. She had never been in a garden so beautiful on Earth. As the flow of travelers began to trail off, Missy grabbed her luggage, careful not to be left behind. She fell back in line with the remaining passengers from the Malick and followed them to one of two elevators that sat directly under the edge of the cylindrical structure.
