A chorus of voices began as passengers chose the topics they were interested in. Some turned their holograms off and reclined their chair to sleep. Levi wished he could be comfortable enough to do that. Charlat stood stoic while Levi made his decision. He would eventually watch all of them, he decided. “Flight to Ohmani.” That was a good place to start seeing as he was strapped into the thing.
The ship jerked forward. Thump thump thump.
The vision of the man disappeared and was replaced by a miniature version of the very same Spaceark he was sitting in. “The flight to Ohmani from Santa Fe Spacestation will take approximately twenty-two hours and forty-seven minutes. We will take off similarly to Earth-restricted aircrafts, ascending to 15 kilometers above sea level.” The hologram on his lap took off into the air. “After reaching this height the fission reactors will initiate, further propelling the ship into the exosphere. The ship will begin spinning faster relative to the decrease in gravitational force.” As the vision of Earth disappeared in the background of the hologram, the Spaceark began spinning like a demonic amusement park ride. Thump thump thump. His fingers gripped around one of the sleeping pills. Axella was watching the same video and taking another healthy gulp of her relaxation elixir.
“This will maintain an acceleration of gravity equal to 9.8 meters per second squared so that you may walk around the spacecraft normally.” He watched several hologram actors laughing and walking through the ship with drinks in hand. “We will make a straight trajectory towards Ohmani and arrive at approximately 8:00 pm, Ohmani time.” The hologram of Ohmani itself came into view, spinning like an even larger carousal of death at the same rate as the ship. The whirling ship disappeared into an opening in the asteroid and then both images vanished into thin air to reveal the original menu.
“If you have any more questions about the Flight to Ohmani, please ask now. Otherwise, simply say the title of another topic,” Charlat instructed.
“When was the last time a crash happened on a Spaceark?” Levi asked.
“An Italian ship ran into an unexpected debris storm three years and seven months ago, killing all 478 passengers, although an event of this kind is very unlikely. Statistically, you have a 99.68% chance of arriving safely at your destination,” Charlat informed him with a smile.
All Levi could think about was the 478 passengers. He decided to wait a little while before watching another one of these things. If they were as stressful as the last one, intermissions would be needed to keep his blood pressure in the normal range. He turned the program off for now.
The Spaceark was moving down the runway, faster and faster. He looked over and saw Bockie watching the other information sessions intensely while Axella had the rim of a glass permanently attached to her lips. At this rate, she would be passed out before long.
The Spaceark lifted off the ground and they began ascending. There was no turning back now. Thump thump thump. A few minutes passed in what seemed like an eternity. Levi did not know how far they had ascended because there were no windows. How was he going to do this for twenty-some hours? The pill. All of a sudden, the little blue tablet seemed like a plausible solution. Levi wrestled with the idea for several minutes when a voice came over the intercom.
“Ladies and gentleman, we will initiate rotation in approximately one minute. Please make sure you remain seated until we have left Earth’s atmosphere.”
“Hell no…and forget Lent,” Levi muttered under his breathe. I’m not Catholic anyways. Unlike Bockie he had his whole life ahead of him, and unlike Axella he wasn’t able to numb his anxiety with fermented liquids. Levi popped an entire pill without a second thought. The last thing he thought about before passing out was what Mister Eyebrows said to him back in Sacramento. If he couldn’t wake up with a glass of brandy in his hand he would settle for a pair of breasts in his face, Ryley of Hamza…whatever that meant.
…
Instead of breasts, Levi saw stars. Little white visions were dancing in his line of sight.
“Ow!” yelled a voice. “Your grandson just head-butted me!”
“Well you just electrocuted him. Seems fair to me,” Bockie snapped.
“I electro-shocked him with a Taser…and I had no choice. This young man would have been out for another couple of hours on the drugs in his system,” the man emphasized the word trying to convince Bockie that Levi was not to be pitied.
“My granboy does not do drugs. He was drugged and you cannot prove otherwise.”
“How old is he?”
“18.”
Levi’s vision was returning slightly and now the security badge on the man’s uniform was shining brighter than the dancing stars. His head felt like it was spinning and he wanted to throw up. What was in that pill?
“And is he an adult?” The security guard asked.
“He is eighteen.”
“Here on Ohmani parents can decide whether their children are legally adults at eighteen or twenty-one — unless his transfer GPA is under a 3.0, then he has no choice but to become a Delayed. Keeps our kids competitive,” the security guard added in explanation.
“That is none of your business,” Bockie barked.
“Actually it is. If he is an adult I have to follow a certain protocol for drug charges. Those pills he took are illegal. The government passed them out because they made people fall asleep fast. They didn’t really care about the symptoms that would occur when you came to. Remember everyone taking them during The Great Rescue were supposed to sleep during their watery or fiery deaths.”
“I can’t remember details because I am old? Humph,” she spat. “He has horrible grades.”
“In that case, who is his mother?”
“Her.” Bockie pointed to Axella, who was on her hands and knees over a metal mixing bowl, her chestnut hair curtaining her face. Levi heard her vomit.
“That is his mother?” The security man asked with a surprised tone. “Was she drugged too?” he asked exasperatedly.
“No, dimwit. Haven’t you ever seen a drunk person before?”
“So your grandson is drugged and your daughter is drunk? What am I supposed to do with them?” he asked. “This ship needs to be cleared and turned over before its return flight. Even if I let you all go and you start getting to where you’re going, you’re guaranteed to be stopped by airport personnel and taken in for questioning. You all look…suspicious.”
“I will take care of it,” a familiar voice sounded, his bald spot now overpowering both the security badge and the wispy stars.
“Mr. Wharran?” the security man asked surprised. “Sir, are you sure? I can easily call someone.”
“No, I will handle it. This is their first flight to Ohmani and I believe they were just a bit nervous…country folk,” Vernean added.
“Ah.” The man hyperbolized his reaction like he had reached a new stage of enlightenment…or like he was kissing ass, Levi thought. The security guard looked at Levi. “He is going to be woozy for a while and may experience hallucinations. Just get him to bed as soon as possible and it will pass before morning. Well, Mr. Wharran, have a nice visit as always sir.” The man turned on his heel and walked away.
“Oh my God, Levi!” Kierra. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his shoulders and fingers began lacing through his hair. “Shh, it will be alright,” she cooed.
“We do not need your help,” Bockie said, dismissing Vernean’s offer.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. The man was right…you all will be stopped and one of them probably arrested by night’s end. I can help you,” Vernean said.
“Well, aren’t you high and mighty Mr. Important-God-Philanthropist. I do not need your help. I’ve spent ninety years without the help of a man and I don’t need to start now.”
He smiled, getting used to her abrasiveness. “I believe you have issues with trust, Ms. Avondale. Although I may incorporate your creative honorific into my official title eventually, for right now I am simply a father who will exploit
his power as a favor for his daughter.” Vernean looked lovingly at Kierra, who still sat nursing Levi like a wounded animal.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she said candidly.
Bockie sat contemplating their options. Levi looked up at her, trying to force his muscles to shake his head. He would rather go to jail than be coddled like a baby. Instead, Levi just made a face that made him look even sicker. Axella heaved again into the tin bowl.
“Fine,” Bockie surrendered. Vernean’s offer seemed less like charity after admitting it was Kierra who wanted to help.
“Alright then. I will ask my security team to escort you all out of the spaceport. Kierra tells me that your family will be staying at the Stellar Grand. I am also there for the duration of the conference so you may ride with me.”
Two large, burly men boarded the Spaceark, pushing hovering chairs. They lifted Levi and Axella into each one and then looked at Bockie, concerned. “Ma’am would you like us to get another chair for you?” one of them said in a caring timber.
Uh oh.
“Just because I am old doesn’t mean I’m weak, you big buffoon. I’ve fought off every type of cancer you can imagine. I think I can put one foot in front of the other.”
The man felt three feet tall. “Of course, I apologize.”
Vernean, Kierra, Bockie, Axella, Levi, and the two security guards left the Spaceark in what looked like a very unusual group. Levi felt like he was in a dream – a fuzzy dream. His hover chair bounced along at what seemed like a very brisk pace. They were making their way through crowds of people who appeared to be parting like the red sea in front of him and shouting. Bright lights flashed into his eyes, further distorting his already blurry vision.
“We need more security, over,” bellowed one of the security guards behind him into his ear wig.
Levi heard Bockie spitting obscenities to his right.
He heard Kierra shriek next to his left.
“Keep them off my daughter!” he heard Vernean yell from somewhere.
“Sir,” he heard Hu yell over the chaos, “let’s take the back shaft elevator. I know the way.”
“Agreed. Take us there.”
They were moving faster now. What was going on? This was a very inconvenient time to be drugged, Levi thought. He took a deep breath and forced his eyes to focus on the situation around him. Reporters.
“Mr. Wharran, do you believe an intergalactic war could break out if The Great Rescue Treaty is not rewritten?” one asked.
“What do you have to say to the DSO about their dictatorship over the universe?” queried another.
Vernean did not answer any of their questions as they continued through the media mayhem. What were they talking about? Adrenaline started coursing through Levi’s blood, helping his vision and motor control return. He was obviously still experiencing hallucinations though. Many of the reporters did not look normal. Some had skin of unnatural color, while others had large necks like an African gazelle. Was that a tail? Levi shook his head and blinked hard, wishing to clear the fogginess. When he reopened his eyes he saw it – the unmistakable flash of auburn hair as they passed through the crowd. The same vision he had seen on the airplane. Levi’s heart skipped a beat. He tried to look over his shoulder to search for the mirage again but almost fell out of his chair.
“Relax, son. We’re almost there,” said the security guard squaring Levi’s shoulders and pressing him back into the seat.
After another minute of sensory overload, they walked through a secured door and the commotion suddenly ceased. An airport employee began leading them through an intricate maze of empty hallways. They swung around what seemed to be their twentieth corner before reaching their destination. An elevator. The group stepped into it and Levi felt the elevator jerk upwards. There were no windows in the metal cube but a whole minute had passed before Bockie spoke up.
“Where are we? Are you taking advantage of us?” Bockie asked in a daring tone. “It feels like we’re heading to a whole lot of nowhere.”
“We are underground…or above ground, depending on how you look at it,” Vernean explained. “The Spaceark came in through the metal crust of the asteroid, which is over a mile thick in some places. We are ascending over three hundred floors to the inside surface of Ohmani…so it will take a couple of minutes. We would have taken the more comfortable, public route, but I think it is obvious why that was not a possibility.”
“Yes, I remember. You are Mr. High-and-Mighty-Important-God-Philanthropist man. What was that ruckus about anyways? I watched all the information training videos and heard nothing about politics.”
“Those training videos were programmed years ago so it does not include current events. I am the committee chairman for some important negotiations taking place here over the next couple of weeks, so actually, most of your facetious designations are applicable.”
“What type of negotiations?” asked Kierra.
“Kierra, you should know that,” Vernean frowned, making Kierra’s cheeks turn red with embarrassment.
“Sorry, Daddy, I know it has something to do with the midaki.”
“That’s right,” he said a little prouder. “As a future astrobiologist, can you explain to Ms. Avondale what the midaki sects are?”
“Yes!” she said enthusiastically. She then turned to Bockie, straightened her shoulders, and cleared her throat. “The midaki planet, Dedrake, which is much larger than Earth, contains four large land masses. Unlike Pangea, the single landmass that existed on ancient Earth, these land masses were never connected, thus leading to completely different evolutionary lines and completely different species. The land masses contain unique biodiversity, with a ‘sect’ of phenotypically unique beings that cannot produce fertile offspring with the others. One of the land masses did not produce an intelligent life form, but the other three did. They are called the Sydces, the Ryley, and the Hamza sects. Together, the sects are referred to as midaki, like we are called humans.”
“That was in the video, but you explained it very well my dear,” Bockie complimented. “Now about the politics.”
Vernean took a deep breath. “The midaki have only had the technology for space travel for just under a hundred years. That means they had been space-borne for about seventy before saving Earth during The Great Rescue. When they mastered their abilities for space travel, they created a government just for the purpose of space diplomacy, new planet terraforming, and self-sustaining space island construction. This government consists of three presidents, one from each sect, along with their own board of elected and appointed members of politicians, scientists and other field experts,” Vernean explained
“The midaki made it policy to only interfere with other planets with intelligent life if that planet was in danger of destruction. Earth was the first planet they saved and no other planet has been saved since. The Great Rescue Treaty was signed shortly after The Great Rescue. It basically states that they will help us keep our solar system sustainable if we do not travel outside of it independently. As you know, since then we have terraformed Mars, the moon, Europa, and of course, Ohmani; but now that humans have gotten their feet wet in the space world, many are getting itchy to explore space without the midaki holding our hands. People are frustrated that the DSO, the Dedrake Space Organization, is restricting human expansion and exploration and is hiding their wormhole and warp speed technologies from us. The Sydces sect leader, Mantys Ti, is particularly wary of including humans in space expansion. If negotiations do not go in our favor, some are even talking about starting a war, although I don’t know why...they would obliterate us. In any case, this conference is a meeting between the humans and the midaki to settle on an agreem—”
KABOOM! Everyone fell and hit the floor of the elevator with a hard thud. The metal shaft shook like a rag doll under the force of the blast and the air became thick with heat. Levi heard Kierra screaming ‘I don’t want to die’ over the resonating after-blast. Levi sobered almost instantly for fear of h
is family’s safety. He crawled over to Axella and Bockie who were thrown against the side of the elevator by the shock wave. He cradled his mother’s head, which had hit the ground during the explosion.
“I’m fiinne,” she slurred, waving Levi towards Bockie.
Levi turned to crawl over to his grandmother. She was already standing and brushing off her dress like she fell riding a bike. The security guards were helping Kierra and Vernean to their feet and checking for injuries. Levi helped Axella to her feet, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and allowing her to lean into his newfound strength. Everyone seemed to be okay. The panic slowly dissipated to anger. Levi turned furiously to Vernean, who was rocking his daughter in an embrace.
“What the hell just happened?” he snarled, although at no one in particular.
“I do not know,” Vernean answered honestly.
“It felt like a blast from below us…in the spaceport,” one of the security guards predicted.
“Like a bomb?” Kierra whimpered.
“I believe so, Ms. Wharran.”
5 THE LAS VEGAS OF SPACE
The elevator dinged and the doors opened, sending a rush of cool air into the hot box that could have very well been their coffin. They all rushed out like caged animals, thankful to be free on solid ground. They were still inside of a building, but Levi could now see the night sky out of a pair of double doors on the opposite side of the building. Levi corrected his thinking – it was not a night sky. There would be no stars visible, for they were now officially on the inside of the hollowed out rock. Fletch was right, he couldn’t tell that he was spinning. Fletch! Wasn’t he supposed to meet them?
“Why would someone bomb the spaceport?” Kierra gasped, breaking Levi’s train of thought.
“Simple…because the UN Ambassador for this peace conference just arrived. Whichever radical group decided to bomb the spaceport probably assumed that Mr. Wharran would be taking the train to the surface with everybody else. We’ve got to keep walking, sir.”
Journey to Ohmani (Across the Infinite Void Book 1) Page 6
