by Aaron Hubble
Tulan took hold of his arm and pulled him toward a low bench set against the wall. She gestured for him to sit and then sat next to him.
“Very few know what the people in this room know.” She looked into her hands and then at Calier. “This is not the first time the humans have visited Aereas.”
Calier’s mouth fell open. “Humans?”
The woman dipped her head. “That’s what they’re called, the name of their people.” She hesitated and then began talking.
“Thirty-one years ago, a much younger Tulan was a sentinel in the forest of Sho’el. From my watch tower in a tree I saw the ship land in a clearing in the forest. I didn’t know what it was, so I went to investigate. That was where I met the humans. They met the Ma’Ha’Nae leaders at the time. We were able to communicate through their technology. We never allowed them in the city. They didn’t know that we were a different sect of the Am’Segid living in the forest. In fact, we told them we were from a city far away.”
From the leather bag that hung at her side, Tulan produced a small circle of fabric that was embroidered in bright colors and symbols. Calier could see the depiction of a ship in the middle.
“They gave me this,” Tulan said smiling. “The ship on the patch was the one they arrived in, but I don’t know what any of the words mean. The humans were unable to stay long, but they promised to return. They never did, as far as I know. They found their way back four weeks ago. I didn’t know it was them, but after you described the humans I knew those who had pledged their friendship to us were back with a much different agenda.”
“Why didn’t the Ma’Ha’Nae tell anyone?”
“You must understand, there is still a great deal of distrust when it comes to the Great Cities. Many of the elders thought that coming out into the open with such information would only result in our persecution. So we chose to remain hidden and keep our secret. I thought the secret would die with me, but now everyone will know.” A small, humorless laugh escaped her lips. “In a sense I feel responsible for what has happened. Perhaps if we had alerted the cities about the aliens, they could have been more prepared.”
Calier shook his head. “I doubt that, Mother. We could have done very little to prepare for what was unleashed against us.”
Tulan laid her hand on his knee in a motherly way. “Now you know my greatest secret. Something even my husband did not know. It feels good to get it out in the open.”
“What happens now?” Calier asked.
“Exactly what the Eldest said. We gather, and then we fight.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Epilogue
2109 A.D. Earth - In the city formerly known as Beijing, China
Bobby watched as his men marched members of the Continental Peace Federation out of the science and research building located on the outskirts of what had once been Beijing and into waiting trucks. He smiled as a neatly dressed but confused-looking researcher was led past him. Poor guy, came to work this morning expecting to crunch numbers, or mix chemicals, or whatever, and ends up staring down the barrel of a gun right about break time.
Man, he loved his job.
“Lovely sight, isn’t it?” The voice came from behind him, the heavy Australian accent adding a bit of natural levity to the comment.
“Too right, mate,” replied Bobby.
The stocky figure of Charles, his second, sidled up next to him. “What did I tell you about trying to talk like an Aussie? Your god-awful deep southern drawl murders the King’s English.”
“Right. And when was the last time you spoke proper English?”
The men just smiled, the comfortable silence of comrades who had spent many days and nights working side by side settling between them.
The last of the researchers were loaded into a truck and Bobby watched as it rumbled up the service drive and disappeared. He wondered how many of them would be willing to share what they knew. As researchers, they were probably well taken care of, the CPF having assigned high value to the work they conducted. It meant they received extra food, extra amenities and probably much better accommodations within the city. These days, that meant a lot and influenced what those loyal to the CPF were willing to share without persuasion.
But there were always a few renegades in every group. A few people who had seen things or experienced life outside the CPF cities and didn’t like the world the CPF was creating. Those were the people who would willingly talk and would happily join the resistance. Bobby hoped there were a couple like that in this group, because this facility was a treasure trove of valuable information. Their intel had told them this facility was being used for advanced planning, whatever that truly meant, and the higher-ups often made trips here. That alone made this a hot target. And now it was the property of the R3.
Charles leaned against the gray wall of the building. “When we successfully hit a target like this, I always like to imagine the look on the faces of those suits in the CPF Unity Council, or whatever they’re calling the people who make all the decisions. I’ll bet their heads will just about explode when they hear about this one.” He laughed for a moment. “You know, Bobby, I think we just might do this. We just might free the world.”
“Yep, just might. Then the real work begins.” Bobby thought about all the victories they’d had in this last year. Four major targets taken, along with scores of minor buildings and facilities and the capture of dozens of high-ranking CPF officials. There had been a lot of losses, a lot of sacrifice along the way. He’d lost track of how many friends died for the cause of liberating the planet.
The thought always struck Bobby strangely: liberating the planet. It seemed like something you would read out of a novel or see in a movie from a long time ago, before everything had fallen apart. Now they were one step closer to freeing the people of the world from what had become a tyrannically oppressive political machine.
Bobby looked at Charles. “I think it was Sydney.”
“What was Sydney?”
“Sydney was the tipping point,” Bobby said. “After we won the battle for the city, the rest of the continent was ours. We had a whole continent of our own to serve as our base of operations and that’s when things started falling into place.”
Charles nodded. “A lot of mates didn’t come back from that one.”
Bobby remained silent, sort of a small tribute to those who hadn’t made it back from Sydney and all the other skirmishes around the globe.
About that time a young man with sandy blond hair approached them.
“Sirs, we’ve found something you should see.”
Charles spoke to the young man. “Avery what did I tell you about that ‘sir’ crap?”
“Not to do it, si…I mean, to call you Charles,” said the obviously flummoxed young man.
“That’s right. Now, what did you find?”
The young man took a deep breath and excitement flashed through his eyes. “Plans for something big, and a ship or part of a ship. You need to see this.”
He was already running away, leading them into the building. Bobby and Charles jogged to keep up with the young man.
“This had better not be more road plans,” said Bobby. “They always seem to get excited about that stuff.”
“Youthful enthusiasm,” said Charles.
They entered the building, and it took a minute for their eyes to adjust to the indoor lighting. They walked past now-empty offices that only thirty minutes ago had been filled with CPF workers carrying out the regime’s twisted plans, and then down several flights of rattling metal stairs.
Emerging from the stairwell, Bobby found himself in what looked like a large, open warehouse. He stopped in his tracks at the behemoth taking up most of the open space. Bobby wasn’t sure what he was looking at, but it was huge.
A dark-haired man of Hispanic descent approached, grinning from ear to ear.
“It’s not often we can shut the two of you up,” said the dark-haired man.
Bobby tore his eyes
from the ship and looked at Fernando Polonco, one of the men who had been brought in to sift through and catalog the scientific booty housed in this building. He had been one of those who had readily joined R3 when the biomedical research facility he had worked at was taken by the resistance.
“Tell me that’s something awesome, Fernando,” said Bobby.
Fernando laughed and continued in his heavy Spanish accent, “That, señor, is definitely something awesome. What you are looking at is a faster-than-light engine.”
Charles finally looked at the man. “Shut up, Fernando.”
“When you say faster than light, you mean an engine capable of pushing a ship through space, covering vast distances in a short period of time?” Bobby was having a hard time wrapping his mind around what they had just found.
“Correct. I really don’t know anything else at this time, but I assume if they have an engine, there is a ship stashed somewhere.”
“Shut up, Fernando,” said Charles again.
“Why do you keep telling me to do that when you need the information I have? I don’t understand you Aussies,” said Fernando with a creased brow.
“Fernando, do you know where the ship that goes with this engine is?” Bobby asked, still staring at the hunk of metal and wires covering most of the warehouse floor.
Fernando smiled. “Not yet, but I’ve got all my people working on it.”
Bobby scratched his head. “Why would the CPF be building a faster-than-light ship?”
“The obvious answer would be to travel a long distance through space. Why they are doing that, I don’t know. What I do know is the CPF never does anything without a clear payoff in the end. They’ve found something out there, and they have a plan for it. The nerd in me really hopes its a new planet with freakish aliens, but the scientist in me says that’s impossible,” Fernando mused.
“A planet?” Bobby cocked an eyebrow.
Fernando shrugged. “A nerd can dream.”
Bobby laughed and slapped Fernando’s shoulder. “Okay. Good work. Let me know when you find out anything real. No more fantasies.”
“Unless they’re blond with long legs,” Charles piped up. “Then, please, do tell.”
Bobby shot Charles a withering look.
“What?”
Fernando left, shaking his head and muttering something about incorrigible Australians. Bobby watched him go. His mind raced ahead of him. What if Fernando was right? What if there was another planet out there? It seemed ludicrous given all their rhetoric continued to state they would fight until “peace” was brought to the entire globe.
Yet, Bobby couldn’t help but think of all the easy victories R3 had experienced around the globe lately. It was as if the CPF’s focus was divided.
Charles looked at Bobby. “You have that look on your face, mate.”
“What look is that, Charles?”
“Its the one that always ends up with me in some sort of peril.”
Bobby smiled. “That’s the name of the game we’re in buddy.” Bobby regarded the hulking engine sitting in its massive cradle and then fixed his eyes on his comrade.
“Let’s go find ourselves a space ship.”
The End
The saga continues in Harbinger - Farpointe Initiative Book Three
Sign up to be one of the first to read it at: http://www.aaronhubble.com
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End of the Book Stuff
There it is, book two in the Farpointe Initiative series. If you liked it go ahead and sign up for my newsletter to find out what’s coming next and when (http://www.aaronhubble.com)
This was quite a learning experience for me because it was my first full length novel. The biggest lesson I learned was I need to plot out my books before I start writing. I’ve never plotted out anything before, but I also never tried to do anything this long. Sojourners was almost done when Tracie and I realized the story just wasn’t working. I stopped, started plotting, and deleted about a third of what I had written.
Fun times.
Not really, but like I said, a very good learning experience. It was hard removing those scenes that I’d spent a lot of time on and replacing them with something different, but the end result is much better than what I had previously. I’ve since read several books on plotting and outlining and the process is starting to smooth out for me, but I’m not quite there yet.
Maybe another good thing of this experience is I have alternate scenes that I may release on my blog for fans to read and see what might have been.
So, what’s next?
I wrote a cool little short story about Lucas (Andy Dillon) and Evie (the Pilot). It is an origin story. We get to see where they came from and how they got where they are. You can pick that up now over at Amazon.
Here’s how the series is shaking out
Book #1 - Ash - Available now http://goo.gl/g7WiWU
Book #2 - Sojourners - Available now http://goo.gl/g7WiWU
Farpointe Initiative Origin Story - Lucas and Evie - Available now http://goo.gl/g7WiWU
Book #3 - Harbinger
Farpointe Initiative Origin Story - The Wayfarer
Book #4 - Currently untitled
So, how would you like a free story? I have another groovy little short titled, Testator Run. It’s science fiction (shocker, I know) with a space ship, a grumpy old pilot, and a little android. I haven’t published it yet, but if you sign up for my newsletter I’ll send it to you for free. I think you’ll really like it. Just click here: http://www.aaronhubble.com and enter your info in the annoying pop-up or in the side column. I promise you’ll only hear from me once a month or when I have a new book out.
Hey, my deepest thanks for gutting it out to the end of this book. You’re next mission is to head on over to Amazon and leave me a review. I know it’s a drum I beat constantly, but it really is that important. If you’ll do that for me, you’ll be my hero.
Live long and prosper, my friends.
Aaron Hubble
My Thanks
There’s the author who has the idea and writes the book and then there’s the really important people who make it awesome. These are my awesome people.
My wife, Tracie Hubble, who is my first and most important reader. I freely admit if I have any success in this game, it will because she pushed and encouraged me when this was nothing but an idea.
Cher Schafer for reading and telling me the story didn’t have an ending.
Jamie Carson for suffering through early drafts.
Heather Traviss for being an excellent proof reader and fan.
Harlow Fallon for going above and beyond when I simply asked her to read my work and she came back with a content edit. Simply amazing. I can’t thank her enough. I learned so much. She happens to be an author as well, check out her books at: www.harlowcfallon.com
And to the fabulous Carol Davis of A Better Look Editing service for finding my mistakes. She’s suffered through three books and a short story without complaining. What a trooper. Check out her books and her editing service at: http://www.caroldavis.com
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About the Author
Aaron Hubble lives in Central Michigan with his wife Tracie and their two daughters. By day Aaron is a woodworker, turning big pieces of wood into smaller pieces of wood. All other times, he likes to let his mind roam the wide open spaces of the galaxy and write down the stories that he sees in his head. His wife tries to make sense of what he writes while educating their children and keeping her husband in line.
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