“It is hard to say,” Tarlen said. “We have problems of our own. It is probable the Voraster will not be in this system much longer.”
“You what?” Janecia asked.
“There is a reason that family was trying to annex this planet,” Tarlen said. “No reason any of you would have known, but we have been leaving our world for many years and settling elsewhere. That family saw a living and growing world close to home and hoped to take advantage of it. We have been foolish in our stewardship of our world, and it is dying. Once we figured out what we were doing wrong, we tried reversing it, but the damage is done. We bought ourselves some time. Within the next few hundred years, we will call another world in another system home, and our planet will be empty. It is our sincere hope that once we leave, it will eventually come back around and heal itself, but our scientists are not hopeful. Someday, the citizens of this world will look up into the heavens and find a system with two other dead, lifeless planets because we will be gone.”
“I’m sorry,” Blake said. “Did you get help in moving relocating?”
“Yes,” Tarlen said. “We had settled another couple of worlds anyway, and the Unified Planets helped us find another to which we could move the existing population. It has taken a long time, and the focus has been on moving families together so they could collaborate to reestablish themselves once there. It takes a very long time to move five billion people.”
“I imagine so,” Blake chuckled.
“We were slated to go next year, so we figured we’d have a look at the legendary ‘other living planet’ in our system before we left it,” Tarlen said. “We got a closer look than we wanted.”
“So you all don’t even have the time or resources to invade us,” Janecia said.
“We don’t need to invade you,” Tarlen said. “We have a new planet that we’re looking to colonize, and we’ve put all our energy and resources into doing that. Start over here? Not only is there no reason to do so, but no one would remotely support the idea of it. Not when we already have buildings and infrastructures in place on our other planet that is only about a galactic month away. Yes, you are on our doorstep, but a one-way journey of a galactic month to where everything is ready is nothing compared to a short hop to somewhere you have to start over completely. I like what you have done with the place, but it is not worth it to us.”
“How long is a galactic month?” Perry asked Blake.
“That’s a unit of time based on the founding civilizations of the earliest confederation of worlds in an effort to standardize time amongst themselves,” Blake explained. “It’s probably the only thing that has remained the same through all the name changes. They used the world where they were based which had a thirty Earth hour rotational day (I can explain their clock, too, but that’ll take awhile), a moon cycle of thirty-seven of those days, and a full star rotation of approximately 407 days making a galactic year eleven galactic months. In Earth time, that makes a galactic year about 509 days, and a galactic month about 46 days or so. I remember that in 2521, the galactic year was 10630 measured from the very beginning of the creation of the first grouping of planets called the Planetary Confederation.”
“How do you remember all that?” Janecia asked.
“It’s certainly more than I knew,” Tarlen said.
“It’s a gift,” Blake said.
“Well, I suppose it is human nature to assume someone who glances your way wants all your stuff,” Perry commented.
“We just need to convince the local authorities that they’re in no danger from these Vrasten,” Blake said. “I imagine that will be no easy task.”
“They’ll just say that the Voraster will say anything to get back and prepare for the invasion,” Janecia said.
“They are really that irrational,” Tarlen said.
“They really are,” Janecia said. “I find it very irritating.”
“Are you very close to it?” Blake asked.
“Closer than I care to be,” Janecia said. “The hurt goes deep around here. Our best hope is to sneak in somewhere where a signal can be sent. If we’re done here, my mother is probably the hope you want. She is well versed in what is available, and she might be able to guide you in the way you need to go. You can see that it is not possible to reach your ship from here.”
They looked back at their ship, the guards standing at the door, and the others walking around it. If they wanted to get out of here without creating any waves, getting onto the ship by force was out, and they certainly could not sneak onto it. Even if they tried a distraction to lure the guards away, there was no guarantee that all of them would go, and it would be suspicious enough that they could be caught before a signal was ever sent. They did not even know the state of the communication equipment. Considerable repairs might be required before it ever worked. So many unanswered questions about this remained that haphazardly wandering in there would be folly.
“I think we’re left finding another avenue, Tarlen,” Blake said regretfully.
“I can see that,” Tarlen said. “I had hoped we could do this quickly without a lot of interaction, but that does not appear possible.
“We are already in your debt, Janecia, and now we are at your mercy as well. All we can do is trust you to lead us where we need to go.”
“I will do my best,” Janecia said. “Our first step is to get to that barn next to my mother’s house before sunrise, and we’re running out of time. You know how long it took to get around town before?”
They nodded. It was a long, dark couple of hours padding through people’s backyards.
“Well, we have to backtrack in that direction the entire distance, and go a bit further,” Janecia said. The only way to shorten that would be cutting in front of the Mirificus or cutting through town, both of which are not possible. I wish I had a better option, but it is what it is.”
“We trust that you’ll lead us right,” Blake said.
“You haven’t been wrong yet,” Perry said. “You’re very well informed.”
“Well, my husband will probably want to kill me for staying out so late,” Janecia said, “so once I get you to the barn, I’ll have to check in with him, and probably get some sleep as you all will need as well. Let’s get moving though. We’re running out of time.”
Janecia guided them back the way they had come back towards the outskirts of town. She said they had a long way to go, but at the end of this journey, at least they could take a rest. Of course, the other burning question in their minds was concerning Michelle. They hoped that wherever she was, she was all right. They might be able to get some rest when they reached their destination, but she would not be in as good a place. They hoped that once they had this resolved with the Voraster, her release would take care of itself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Michelle still hurt all over. She felt herself passing back into consciousness after being hit with that stun gun again, and she dreaded what she would find when she opened her eyes this time. However, something was different. Under her hands was something plush and forgiving, and she was lying at an angle instead of on a flat, cold, hard floor. She opened her eyes slowly to find she was in a large office reclined on a couch. Her head rested on the couch’s soft arm, and she turned to see if someone else was with her.
Behind a desk, staring at her, was the skinny man with the minimal beard she remembered from the town square that afternoon. He looked to be around fifty or so with salt and pepper hair which had appeared to be brown in the light earlier from a distance. He smiled as she looked at him.
“Hello,” Harold said with a smile. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” Michelle replied.
“When one does what you have done, it is difficult to be sympathetic,” Harold said. “Assisting criminals is rather frowned upon in most parts of the universe, I’d imagine. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“It is occasionally difficult to identify a criminal,” Michelle responded. “I once kn
ew a criminal who claimed to be on the side of the law. There was no way to know otherwise for a time.”
“Criminals commit crimes,” Harold said. “Surely, this would make the distinction clear. You committed a crime by assisting individuals in leaving our detention facility without our permission.”
“Is flagrant abuse permitted in your detention facilities?” Michelle asked.
“Abuse interpreted by one could be said to be control of an uncooperative prisoner by another,” Harold said. “I understand you were not entirely complimentary regarding Captain Keller.”
“He seemed more intent on showing his strength than learning anything from me,” Michelle said. “I got a little upset by his methods.”
“Indeed,” Harold said. “Let’s talk more about your methods, though, shall we? You claim to be Michelle Palmer.”
“I cannot claim to be anyone else,” Michelle said.
“Michelle is a fairly popular name on our world,” Harold said. “Along with the names Perry and Blake. I imagine you know why this is.”
“I have heard a thing or two, yes,” Michelle said. “Apparently, they were useful to you at some point.”
“That is the story, yes,” Harold said. “The problem with a story like that is a lack of evidence to show they were real. They supposedly appeared on a spaceship in transit, thwarted a problem, and landed a crashing vessel.”
“You do have a crashed vessel,” Michelle said.
“Do not interrupt me,” Harold said. “Now, here we are a hundred years after that event, and you appear along with at least one other who is dressed strangely. Yes, the man we arrested earlier with the Voraster did not escape my notice. I would wager there is a third who is dressed equally strangely.”
“You would be correct,” Michelle said.
“Of course I would be,” Harold said cynically. “However, where there is legend, there are imitators. There are people who want to be noticed for pretending to be someone they’re not. These legends were clearly nothing more than overzealous passengers who did something heroic for their fellow passengers. Their devotion was admirable, but they remain either an elaborate story or people who disappeared into the mix upon landing. According to the stories, they claimed to be time travelers. This is, of course, absurd. But I imagine you would argue that here you are. Means nothing. If they were passengers, you are simply descendants.”
“So you don’t believe they existed,” Michelle said.
“I believe someone existed,” Harold said. “I believe there were three people who did what they did. But I don’t believe they were time travelers. I do believe, however, that you are using this legend to help these Voraster. You’re part of that group of people who think we should work with these monsters.”
“What makes them so monstrous?” Michelle asked. “I was only able to spend a very brief period with them, and they seemed fine to me.”
“They’re hiding it,” Harold said. “They want you to believe that they are simple and innocent when all they want to do is destroy us.”
“Why would they want to destroy you?” Michelle asked.
“They tried it before,” Harold said. “They attacked us as we were just starting to come out of our spacecraft. Hundreds of us were slaughtered by their ships flying overhead. Only the shield of the Mirificus protected us from the threat. Where was our trio of saviors then? We were left to fend for ourselves. A frantic distress call scared them away, and they said they would not bother us again. They promised.
“Their promises mean nothing. They can see our numbers growing again. They will thin out the herd once more. They probably have an armada up there just waiting for the moment. Some people want to make contact with them. They want to deal with them. I don’t want them here. They’re murderers.”
“Your family lost someone in that attack,” Michelle said.
“My grandfather was only five years old,” Harold said. “Their attack killed both of his parents, and both of his younger siblings. He remembered them. A brother and a sister. He hid behind a rock for two days staring at the bodies of his family before someone else came upon him. He told me about it. He told me how the sight of their bodies never left his mind. How all he could do during that whole time was cry. He didn’t know where anyone was. He didn’t know how to get help. For all that time, he was afraid he was the only one left alive on the whole planet. He thought he was going to die next. If you heard the fear that as an old man he still held from that event, you would be affected as well. They ruined him.
“My grandmother made him happy eventually. His children brought him joy. His grandchildren warmed his heart, but there were times I looked at him that I could see the pain of those times still weighed upon him. He said the Voraster were not to be trusted. No one who could cause such blatant harm and destruction could be called an ally.”
“Humans have caused their own share of destruction over the years,” Michelle said. “Tales I’ve heard spoke of times when people who were from a particular country were blacklisted just because of where their ancestors were from, even if they had never been there. Atrocities can be committed by anyone of any origin. Some Voraster did these things, but that is not going to be indicative of everyone from their planet. You can’t judge an entire species by the actions of a few of them.”
“Tell me, ‘Michelle,’ when did you arrive?” Harold said.
“You don’t believe I am Michelle,” Michelle said.
“All the same, when do you say you arrived on this world for the first time?” Harold asked.
“The first time?” Michelle asked and considered telling him that the first time would not be for over a thousand years.
“This time,” Harold rolled his eyes. “Recently.”
“This afternoon,” Michelle said.
“So you’ve been here for maybe fifteen hours,” Harold said, “and suddenly you’re an expert on our culture, history, and enemies? If I were to accept you as a native who has grown with us as we’ve grown, then you might have something to say about this, but if you are the legendary time traveler who decided to pop in on us poor folk within the last day, then you have nothing to say about the Voraster or their history with us. I don’t care how much you’ve traveled, or how much you’ve seen, what you’ve seen of us is next to nothing, so you have nothing to add regarding them.”
“Regardless of your situation,” Michelle said, “You would judge an entire species based on the actions of a few who are probably no longer even alive.”
“You know nothing of them,” Harold said. “They are entirely evil. They want to kill us. There is nothing benevolent about them.”
“And how do you know this?” Michelle said. ‘Did you talk to them?”
“I don’t need to,” Harold said. “History speaks for itself. A history you know nothing about. A people you know nothing about. An entire species that you know nothing about. Have you ever met a Voraster before today?”
“No,” Michelle replied.
“Then your input means nothing,” Harold said.
“Then why am I here?” Michelle asked. “You brought me out of my cell into this room to talk to me. Why? What is it you want to know?”
“You were observed with the following individuals: five Voraster, two of whom we have; a man in an overcoat that we have captured previously, who I would assume is supposed to be Blake; a man in a simple shirt and blue pants similar to you that matches the historical description of Perry; and finally, a woman who is a native of our world. This tells me that you were assisted very directly by someone who would betray the ideals of our world and help these Voraster overthrow us. I want to know, more than anything else, who this traitor is. I want to know where you were planning to go with five of these creatures after breaking them out that you would possibly think is safe. You were not acting alone. You couldn’t. Especially if you just arrived. Who is it?”
“I don’t really know that much about her,” Michelle said.
“Give me a
name,” Harold demanded.
“You know what it would mean if I were actually the Michelle of legend,” Michelle said, “and if I were accompanied by Blake and Perry, and we were working against you? I’ll bet you already know what that would mean.”
“Tell me who she is!” Harold screamed.
“It would mean that you’re afraid of losing,” Michelle said. “You know that someone who can do what the stories said is resourceful enough to defeat you and your pathetic war on these poor creatures who want what anyone in their position would want.”
“And what do you think they want?” Harold asked in frustration.
“To go home,” Michelle said.
“Who is the traitor?” Harold demanded.
Michelle looked in straight in the eyes, sat back on the couch, and folded her arms. “I don’t remember.” She did not know who Janecia was in the context of this world, but she gathered that the girl would be in considerable danger if this maniac ever got ahold of her. Keller might be a muscle-headed bully, but this one was the real problem. He was the one pulling the strings and making the demands. His fear was fueling everyone’s disdain for these aliens on their world when they had done nothing to warrant it. Yes, others from their planet had done wrong in the past, but regardless of her familiarity with their situation, she could not allow such blind hatred to decide whether someone deserved to live.
Harold looked at her calmly. His anger had subsided, and he only stared at her like he was thinking. Whatever was going on behind those eyes was not going to be good.
“And that’s your final word on the matter?” Harold asked.
“Why should I say anything on it?” Michelle asked. “You intend to do whatever it is you want with me. I doubt where I go from here will change based on my answer. You intend to try and find my friends and destroy whatever this native has done. I cannot see any benefit for me or this situation in answering your question. In fact, I can see only more harm coming from it.”
It was definitely a reckless move on her part, and part of her admitted that she was a bit more reckless primarily because she knew she would have to live through this. He was not going to kill her. Something about knowing for a fact that she was not going to die here made her bolder than she would otherwise have been. She was not sure how she would behave once this Mirificus adventure finally played out. They knew they’d survive it, but they were not sure how. Blake had been very particular about not looking it up.
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