by Gwynn White
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Planet Z
Their planet is dying... or so they thought.
After the human race has depleted most of the Earth’s natural resources, Alexandra (Alex) Logan and her little brother, Jimmy, join their parents, both planetary astronomers, in a mission to try and save what is left of mankind.
* * *
The Mission?
Bring back conclusive evidence that Planet "Z" is the miracle they've been searching for - a planet that can sustain human life. Unfortunately, they soon learn that the wonders of this new place are overshadowed by the terrifying secrets revealed on their way to the planet.
I would like to dedicate this story to my patient husband and amazing daughters. So many hours have been put into this book and they had to put up with my ramblings about the plot and promises for just a few more minutes at my computer. Thank you so much for putting up with it.
* * *
I’d also like to dedicate this story to an incredible young man named Blayze Watkins, who wrote to me a couple of years ago. His enthusiasm for reading and writing is inspiring. It even gave me the extra motivation to finish this book before the end of the year. I am looking forward to the day we all get to see your name on the cover of a book, and not just in the inside. Never give up your dreams and stay amazing, my friend.
Kristen
Chapter One
Lunar Bay
Earth
* * *
Ejournal Entry # 1
Hello.
I stared down at the tablet on my lap, watching as the word “Hello” appeared on the screen.
Huh. I guess this thing really works.
It repeated my thoughts once again – “Huh, I guess this thing really works.”
There was a tingling inside of my head; I knew it had to be from the tiny probes in the headset that were scanning my brainwaves.
I don’t like this feeling. Not at all. It feels weird and I’m not sure that I like the fact that it’s typing everything that I’m thinking. Everything.
I frowned.
There it goes again.
No. It’s just too weird. Too creepy. Even for me.
Yeah, I think it’s time to shut down the Mind-Reading Mode and switch to Voice-Recorder.
I pulled off the headset and switched the journal to audio. Then I cleared my throat and began talking.
“Okay, I’m back,” I said out loud, thankful that the prickly sensation in my head had vanished. “So, this is my first ‘real’ entry into the tablet and the heck if I know what I’m supposed to be saying...”
The truth was that my parents were forcing me into it. They’d given me the tablet, last night, after dropping their first big surprise, which I’ve dubbed “The Z Bomb.” My parents are both Planetary Astronomers, and they have been assigned a six-month research mission in the Andromeda Galaxy, which is about two-and-a-half million light years from Earth. I was told that we’d be shipping out as early as next week and heading toward some uninhabited planet they’re calling ‘Z’.
I began talking again. “Planet Z. I wonder if ‘Z’ actually stands for zilch? Because that’s exactly what it feels like to me. Zilch things to do, except maybe explore; I guess that wouldn’t be so bad if we were visiting for a weekend, not one-hundred-and-eighty days. Yes, that’s what I said. One-hundred-and-eighty long… miserable… days…”
Sighing, I rubbed a tender place above my ear where the headset had sat, and continued. “Anyway, back to this Ejournal. They’ve explained that it’s mandatory. That I need to jot a bunch of crap down about my day, every day. Or, if I didn’t have anything I wanted to share, just talk about whatever came to mind. So… that’s what I’m doing right now, I guess. Anyway, when I asked them why, they explained that it could be a great therapeutic outlet for me. So, in other words – this tablet is a place to vent my anger without complaining directly to them. My parents. Fair, huh?” I rolled my eyes. “Well, when they saw my reaction, they explained that the mission wasn’t exactly their choice either, but extremely necessary. Necessary for the survival of all mankind. What little there is left of it.”
I walked over to my bedroom window and peered outside, into the darkness. Since we were on the ninth floor of our building, there really wasn’t much to see. Not even any stars twinkling above. Just the lights from the other buildings and the sky-bus, which was dropping off a couple in a neighboring pod station. I watched as it departed, now without a single passenger, and realized that it had to be much later than I thought.
I looked down at my watch. It was almost nine-o’clock and that meant that the Street-Curfew Alarm would soon be ringing. Not that anyone would be wandering below, anyway. The air quality was getting so bad that none of us could go outside without wearing our oxygen masks. We could, but within a matter of minutes, our lungs would begin to burn. Then would come the wheezing and coughing, making it feel as if one was about to shoot out a lung any moment. In other words, it was a very uncomfortable experience. Eventually, a person would just pass out. Coincidentally, this happened to one of my older teachers, Mrs. Bigelow, just last week. Fortunately for her, there were people around who’d managed to help her. She is still recovering in the infirmary, I guess.
Sighing, I turned off the tablet, pressed my face against the cool glass, and looked down into the street to see if I could catch anyone running between buildings. Once in a while, I’d see shadows of people trying to make it home before they were identified by one of the security cameras. If someone was discovered out there past curfew, they were usually issued a verbal or written warning. If it happened more than once, they were fined or, depending on the circumstances, sent to the Isolation Precinct for a few days. I’d only heard of one person who’d ventured out more than once and had gotten caught. He went to my school. Of course, they’d sent him to the Isolation Precinct.
Blayze Watkins.
Needless to say, he is now a legend. But, it’s not because of the risks he took or the fact that he’d spent time in the Isolation Precinct. It’s because of the way it had changed him. Where he used to be outgoing and friendly, Blayze is now sullen and withdrawn. He even stopped hanging out with his friends, including his longtime girlfriend, Emily. They’d been inseparable, but now, from what I hear, he’s cold and distant, even to her. He’s like a totally different person.
The other day when I noticed him standing in the hallway at school, our eyes met briefly and there was a fierceness there that chilled me to the bone. I don’t know him personally, but it’s obvious he’s going through some kind of inner turmoil. It’s sad because he used to be so sociable, but now he’s just… totally unapproachable. Of course, there are plenty of rumors about what might have happened to him. Some say that they forced him to watch movies, ones that sent subliminal messages to his brain. Others say that he was tortured and given drugs, making him angry and hostile. My parents said that the rumors were all nonsense. That Blayze had only been kept in a cell for a few hours, to reflect on his bad choices and personal defiance of the law. I wasn’t sure what to believe, but wished that he would get the courage to open up and talk about what happened.
To someone.
To anyone.
Even now, just thinking about it makes me angry. Although we’re basically strangers, it frustrates me to see him like this. Whatever the heck they did to him… it wasn’t right. Not at all. He’s definitely not the same person I remember, strutting around in school, his head held high, and a confident smile on his face. It’s all gone. He’s lost his happiness. His light.
All because of the Curfew Law.
My parents told me that the law was created to keep some type of reign on the city, so that there would be less chance of anyone committing a crime, or, as my mother
liked to put it – acting out some kind of “unsavory behavior.” Personally, I’d rather not step foot outside anymore. The air is so hazardous to everyone’s health. It’s depressing. There are no trees, or grass, or even weeds. The only flowers I’ve seen are the ones in old library books.
There is no life outside of these walls.
Nothing…
Not even a stray dog or cat. No birds or squirrels. They’d never survive. I think I may have once seen a worm when I was very little. But then again, it might have just been a dream.
There are animals, somewhere. They aren’t wandering the streets and they certainly aren’t anyone’s pets. They are raised specifically for food. Pigs, cows, lambs, and chickens, for the most part. They’re kept in secret animal compounds, somewhere away from the Lunar Bay. Nobody, except for the city council members and the highest levels of security, have any idea where the animals are being raised. It’s very “top secret.” My parents say that it’s the only way to keep things fair for our remaining population, which is below fifteen hundred. Because of the last world war, nineteen years ago, the city of Lunar Bay, which is located in northern Canada, is currently the only inhabited place left on the planet. Everything else was pretty much wiped out by militant groups and so-called freedom fighters, whose greed cost millions of people their lives. Fortunately, my parents had both been working in the scientific community of Lunar Bay, when the war had broken out. They’d taken refuge in specially designed underground bunkers, which had been built at the turn-of-the-century. Because my parents were both scientists, they’d been allowed access to the bunkers, along with special government officials, and those who’d helped fund the secret buildings to begin with. Almost everyone else was killed during the war or died from nuclear radiation. Regardless of them surviving, it was a horrible time and my parents still felt guilty for being part of the chosen few allowed to live.
My stomach began to growl. I wondered if we’d get any meat for the trip; I’d had a craving for roast-beef since last week, and I knew it would be awhile until the next shipment. Normally, we only received meat rations on the first Saturday of the month. Each family was allowed two pounds of beef, one pound of pork, and two whole chickens. Obviously, they’d have to send food and water. Bottled water, that is. The piped-in water was so contaminated that the purifying systems were having difficulties keeping up with consumer demands. We had to use it sparingly. I was lucky to get a seventy-five second shower every day. It was like running a marathon, trying to get all of the soap out of my hair.
“Alex?”
I turned to find my mother standing in the bedroom doorway. Like me, she was tall with auburn hair that fell just past her shoulders. “Yeah?”
She walked in and stood next to me at the window. “What are you looking at? Do you see someone out there?”
I looked back out the window. “No.”
“Good.” She frowned. “I don’t know why anyone would want to, anyway. It’s so… dreary.”
“You can say that again.”
She was silent for a few seconds and then asked if I was still upset about the trip.
I sighed. “What do you think?”
“It’s for the greater good. Deep down, you know that, too.”
I didn’t say anything because, deep down, I knew she was right. I just didn’t want to leave my friends.
“It’s only six months.”
“That’s a long time, Mom. Especially for someone who’s supposed to be graduating this year.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have a long time left. Not on this planet.”
Her words gave me goose-bumps. “How long do you think we actually have?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a year, if we’re even that lucky.”
“Do you seriously think that this new planet is going to be some kind of miracle?”
“It has to be,” she said, looking back outside. “It’s the closest thing we’ve found to a match with Earth. I don’t know if I mentioned this, but Tom Davis and Jeremy Reynolds sent us samples of the water and some of the vegetation.” She smiled. “The test results have been pretty conclusive. It’s appears to be a thriving and habitable planet.”
Those were two of the scientists already stationed on Planet Z. “So, we could all live there without any problems?”
“That’s what we’re hoping for. They also said that the oxygen levels are very good, which means that you’ll be able to walk outdoors without a mask.”
I had to admit, that was something to look forward to. “I still don’t understand why we have to stay there for the entire six months if these guys are saying that it’s a great match. What are we going to be doing there anyway?”
“Honey, we can’t go by the early test results. We have study the planet a little more before uprooting everyone. It’s like leaping off of a cliff into a lake without knowing how deep the water is.”
My eyes widened. “Are you saying that this trip could kill us?”
She chuckled. “Goodness, that’s not what I meant. Not exactly.” She reached down and grabbed my hand. “Listen, we will be taking every cautionary measure to ensure all of our safety.”
“But you said –”
“I know what it sounded like.” She stared into my eyes. “Listen, we would never risk your lives for anything, Alexandra. Your father and I love you and Jimmy so much. You know that, don’t you?”
I relaxed. I knew that. They were so overly-protective of us now as it was. “Yes.”
Her eyes softened. “Honestly, I really think you’re going to enjoy this trip, once we get moving.”
“That’s what you keep saying.”
She smiled. “Just trust us, okay?”
“I do,” I said with a sigh.
She kissed my forehead and then turned to leave. “You should probably get ready for bed,” she said, looking back at me over her shoulder. “Oh, and I want you to start packing some of your things tomorrow. After school.”
“Seriously, you want me to go to bed? It’s early,” I said, looking at my watch again. “It’s not even nine-thirty.”
She looked around my room, a melancholy look on her face. “I suppose. You’re not a child anymore, are you?”
“Glad you finally noticed.”
She grinned. “Did you make any entries into your Ejournal yet?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Your homework is all done?”
“I didn’t have any.”
“Why don’t you read for a while?”
I sighed. I only had a handful of books, and I’d read all of them dozens of times. “Fine.”
“I’m going to take a shower. Let me know when you’re going to bed.”
“Sure. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s on a conference call right now. I imagine he’ll be popping in to say goodnight.”
“Okay.”
After she left, I switched the Ejournal back on and began talking again. “I guess I understand the point of the mission we’re about to take. To Planet ‘Z’. Our own planet basically… sucks. I just wish that we could wait until after I graduated to try save all of mankind. Or…” I smiled grimly, “at least let me experience prom.”
Chapter Two
Lunar Bay
Earth
* * *
Ejournal Entry #2
“I’m back, E.J! Can I call you E.J.? You don’t mind, do you? I didn’t think so.” I sighed. “I guess I’d rather pretend that I’m talking to someone and not just rambling into a machine. Feels a little less weird. Anyway, it’s Tuesday, day two of our new budding relationship. Are you excited? I know I am,” I said dryly. “So… I overheard my parents talking about their own Ejournals last night, and how the hard-drives could be ‘recoverable’ if something were to happen on the trip. When I asked them what they thought could happen, they told me not to worry. It was just part of the cautionary procedures for a research missions like ours. Now, I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound very
convincing to me. In fact, I’m starting to get this funny feeling of… I don’t know… doom? It’s making me nervous, Eej. Hey, you don’t mind if I call you Eej, instead of E.J.?” I smiled. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
My tele-communicator went off, startling me, and I shut down the Ejournal. When I saw who was trying to contact me, my eyes widened.
Blayze Watkins?
Why would he be trying to contact me?
I sat down at my desk and accepted his transmission.
“Hi, Alex,” he said, looking tense.
“Hi, Blayze, what’s up?” I asked, trying to hide my surprise. His light brown hair looked as if he’d forgotten how to use a comb, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept for a very long time.
“Are you alone?” he asked, his blue eyes darting around my room.
“Yes,” I replied, glancing over my shoulder. I was suddenly aware of what he was seeing – like the stacks of clothing on my bed, including my under-things. I stood up and backed toward my mattress, trying to block his view. “I’m alone.”
He scratched his chin. “Looks like you’re packing. Are your parents part of the research team going to Planet ‘Z’?”
“How did you know that I was packing?”
He smiled slowly. “Usually a suitcase is a good indicator.”
I laughed nervously. Of course he’d seen it. “Uh, yes. So, you’ve heard about the trip?”
“I overheard my uncle talking about it last night. He’s one of the city council members.”
“Oh. What was he saying?”
“Some interesting stuff. He mentioned your parents. Can you meet me somewhere?”
