Initiation Series: Series One Compilation (Terran Chronicles)

by James Jackson

  Patrick shoves with all of his might, causing both men to stagger back. His muscles glisten with sweat while his sleeveless shirt sticks to his back and chest. Both men regain their balance, then begin to circle each other, with Patrick in the middle. A growing crowd of onlookers encircle the men.

  A jeep screeches to a halt, out of which steps General Walker. He strides through the group, then once he sees who is there, says, “Patrick, will you tell me what in tarnation is going on here?”

  Patrick glares at Richard, then the shorter knife-wielding man. He replies as casually as he can, “Just a little disagreement, General. These fellas are about to shake hands. Aren’t you two?” He directs the last comment at the circling men.

  Richard glances at Patrick and the General, then drops his fists, “Yeah, just a misunderstanding.”

  He steps toward the shorter man, his hand outstretched. “I didn’t break any of your stuff.”

  The other man lowers the knife, steps forward, then says, “Die, you pig.” He lifts the knife as fast as he can, and drives it into Richard’s stomach, all the way to the hilt.

  Richard staggers backward, clutching at the protruding handle. He falls back, and lands heavily on the ground. Blood bubbles from his mouth, and his eyes go wide as shock sets in.

  Patrick stares at the smaller man. “Why?” He says, completely baffled by the ferocity of the attack.

  General Walker pulls a handgun from his side, but Patrick’s fist is quicker. With one blow, the shorter man is knocked senseless. He is out cold, even before he hits the ground.

  Walker puts his gun away then speaks into a radio. He walks over to the stabbed man, and says, “Hang in there, medicals on the way.”

  Patrick stares at the scene in total bewilderment, then says to Walker, “Well, I guess you’ll get to use that detention center we built.”

  Later that evening Cindy puts the report down, looks at Walker and says, “We’ve been lucky for a long time. This is the first serious incident since our arrival.”

  Walker nods and replies, “Yes, but now we have one man in critical condition, and another in a holding cell.”

  Cindy chews on her lip for a few seconds, then says, “I want your recommendations.”

  Walker leans back in his chair and ponders what to do. After a few moments, he replies, “The criminal should be deported back to Earth.”

  Cindy’s eyebrows raise up at his suggestion, “That’s quite harsh, don’t you think?”

  The General leans forward, “It just might deter others who think they can get away with committing crimes here.”

  Cindy slowly nods, then says, “You might just be right.” She glances back at the report, then adds, “Patrick wants the man’s contract pulled, and I have to agree. His wages ended the day he stabbed Richard.”

  It is Walkers turn to be stunned, “And you think I am harsh. Who knows how long until you go back to Earth.”

  Cindy turns her gaze to look out the windows. “Spring, General. I expect we will be leaving in the spring.”

  Winter Wonderland

  George sits on the edge of the bed next to his sleeping wife. Their quarters on the Terran feel bleak and bare compared to the beautiful scenery below. He holds her hand, and whispers, “Not too much longer and we will be going home.”

  Lisa stirs, then smiles, “You’re so sweet when you think no one’s paying attention.”

  “How are you feeling today?” He asks with care.

  She sits up, “Great! It only takes a week or so off the planet, for me to feel normal again.”

  “Five times now, you’ve tried to live on New Earth, and each time you get very sick.” George laments.

  She sighs sadly, “I am sorry to have disappointed you.”

  He gives her hand a gentle squeeze, “Oh no, you could never disappoint me. I should never have dragged you out here, to this place.”

  Lisa’s words come out choked, “All I have done is keep you from your work!” Tears well up in her eyes, then begin to fall down her face.

  George feels crushed, “You’re more important to me than anything in the world,” he smiles and tries to cheer her up by adding, “More than anything in the Galaxy!”

  She smiles back and says, “But not in the universe.” Feeling a little better, her tears start to dry up.

  “Well, that’s a tall order,” he says with a huge grin.

  “Sorry for crying, I don’t know what’s come over me lately,” her red rimmed eyes stare at him soulfully.

  He gives her hand a gently squeeze, “I have caused you a lot of stress these last few years, and for that I am truly sorry.”

  Lisa stares at her husband, “Everything changed for us when that meteor destroyed Manhattan.” She shakes her head and sighs.

  George takes a deep breath, then turns his attention to the Gamin bodysuit that is attached to the ship’s power grid. “It really all started when I put that thing on.”

  Lisa looks at the alien suit, “You have made a good friend though,” she points out.

  He smiles, “Sharz! He has become a good friend, hasn’t he?”

  “You bet, and if it were not for that, I doubt we would even have this colony.” Lisa chimes in.

  He sighs, “Now don’t you start. If anyone else were in my shoes, they would have done the same things that I have done.”

  Lisa stands up and shakes her head, “You keep telling yourself that, Mister.” She stares long and hard at him, “I am very proud to be your wife.”

  George does not know what to say, so he changes the subject, “Do you want to see what we’ve been up to these last few months?”

  “You bet. Cindy has been keeping you very busy.” Lisa replies, acting cheerful for the first time in weeks.

  George shakes his head while grinning, “Sometimes, I think Cindy would have me work twenty-six hours a day.”

  George glances at his suit, then decides to leave it. The pair walks hand in hand to the bridge, where they find John in a deep discussion with Joe, Radclyf, and Hayato.

  Lisa notices the serious expressions, then says, “Hey, where have you guys been hiding?” She glances at Radclyf and Hayato, and when they don’t respond, says, “Yes you two.”

  Radclyf glances up, offers a curt smile, and says, “Uh sorry, didn’t think you meant us. Uh, how have you been?”

  “Good, thank you.” Lisa replies, then adds, “But really, where have you guys been? I haven’t seen you on the planet, and I hardly ever see you on the ship.”

  Radclyf looks at the others for help. When all he gets in return are blank expressions, or shoulder shrugs, he replies, “Well, we’ve been installing a system to defend against boarding parties.”

  Lisa blinks in surprise, “Out here?”

  “You never know. We would rather have it and not need it, than...” he shrugs his own shoulders, and leaves the rest of his phrase unsaid.

  George steps closer to the group, and asks, “John, are you able to fly us down to Hawking? I would love to show Lisa what we’ve done to the town.”

  Lisa smiles, “It would be nice to see what’s been keeping my man away from me all this time.”

  John glances at the others, then upon receiving nods, says, “Sure, the snow is particularly beautiful from the air.”

  “Snow?” she says, with surprise, “Oh I have to see that.”

  The three of them leave the Terran in the survey shuttle as its open forward section offers the best view. John and Lisa occupy the two front seats, while George slides the right-hand chair as far forward as it will go.

  John flies down through the cloud cover, and breaks into open skies right over Barbara’s radio telescope. Lisa gasps at the sight. The mountain tops are covered in deep snow. It fills crevasses, and covers rocks, adding a smoothness to the mountains Lisa has not seen before.

  George points at a wide slope, “There is a work request for a chairlift and a ski run for that slope.” he laughs, “Not this year, I told them.”

&nbs
p; Lisa stares at the massive building before them, its skyward pointing dish is devoid of snow. “That thing is huge!” she exclaims in awe.

  John nods his head at George, “Your man here, assembled the whole facility in two weeks.”

  George sighs, “Really!” He looks at his wife, “He is exaggerating, as usual. I get credit for things I don’t even do, it’s not fair to the others.”

  Lisa smiles at George, but says nothing.

  John flies the shuttle around, then hovers in one spot, aiming at a huge hole in the mountain. He lifts his eyebrows and says, “George built that too!”

  Lisa stares at the wide tunnel in front of them, truly amazed. George sighs, “It’s just a hole through a mountain, it’s not a big deal, really.”

  John grins cheekily at George’s discomfort, “Don’t listen to him. That tunnel is protected by overhangs in case of rock falls, or an avalanche. Plus, as you can see, there are actually two tracks running side by side that incorporate gravity lift technology. Then add to that, he installed sonic anti wolf-cat devices at both entrances.”

  George sulks, “Patrick helped a lot with this one,” then seizing upon the moment, adds emphatically, “As he did with the radio telescope.”

  John replies innocently, “I just want Lisa to see what you’ve been doing, that’s all.”

  George stares at the landscape, then attempts to change the subject, “Look at the trees, and how the snow fills their branches. Look there,” he adds pointing into the forest, “the lake, it’s frozen over.”

  Lisa gazes at the wintery landscape, then also points toward the lake, “Is that a building on the ice?”

  As they get closer, George replies, “It sure is! That’s an ice fishing shanty. Ever since Emma’s people cleared the fish for eating, this lake has become a popular spot.”

  Lisa’s raises her eyebrows, “They must be dedicated, fishing in winter.”

  George smiles, “Not for me, that’s for sure.”

  John stares at the snow-covered landscape and shivers involuntarily, “Do you want to go and check out the Liberty’s hydroponics?”

  She turns, wide eyed, “Yes please, I have heard so much about them.”

  George says proudly, “And I had nothing to do with that at all. It was Emma’s doing, with the help of the colonists.”

  John grins at George’s comments, but remains quiet. John flies them over Hawking’s residential area, and says, “The construction crews put in a huge effort to complete all the housing before the first snow fall.”

  Lisa gazes at the thousands of houses that sprawl out from the town’s center. She squints through the mild snow flurries, then asks, “What’s that?”

  George follows her gaze, then replies, “The old tent city is being replaced by a stadium.”

  Lisa stares at the partially built stadium, awed by its size, and wonders aloud, “Are people still working on it?”

  George nods, and says, “Patrick has committed his entire workforce to the effort. He wants it done by spring.”

  John flies on, and lands the shuttle under the rear of the Liberty, He gets as close to its open ramp as he can, then opens their ramp. A blast of cold air rushes in, along with a wisp of snow. George immediately looks at his wife, concern on his face.

  Lisa takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and exhales, “I do like the smell of this place, it’s so fresh.”

  The trio walks up the Liberty’s ramp, the farther inside they get, the warmer it becomes. Mid-ship, they experience an almost musty, humid warmth, a stark contrast to the cold outside. Emma seems to appear out of nowhere, rushes up to Lisa, and gives her a huge hug, “It’s so good to see you again. How are you feeling?”

  Lisa sighs, “I am fine at the moment, but I won’t stay down here for long this time.”

  “Well then, you just have to see what we’ve been up to!” Emma’s excitement shows in her voice.

  Lisa glances back to George, “You boys can go and play if you like.”

  George and John glance at each other, then George replies, “We’ll tag along, if that’s okay, ladies?”

  George is curious about the fabled hydroponics system on the Liberty. Emma lightly holds Lisa’s arm, and leads the way. The farther they travel into the ship, the more it begins to smell as though they were in a rain forest. The ship is well lit, and the corridors clean, a testimony to the hard work of those on board.

  The group steps out into a large expanse, where Emma raises her arms high, and cheers, “Welcome to my little rain forest.”

  George stares upward, a number of decks have been completely removed to provide space for the hundreds of tree saplings to grow. He recognizes the smooth edges that are created by using a Gamin bodysuit to absorb material. He squints to make out the lighting on the distant roof, but cannot quite tell if it is Gamin technology or not.

  Emma catches his fixated gaze, and confirms his suspicions, “Patrick helped us out a lot.”

  George grins, then catches Lisa’s eye, “See, I told you I had nothing to do with this!”

  Emma talks excitedly, “Eventually, these trees will grow tall enough that we can weave paths between their trunks.”

  George stares at the base of the nearest sapling, and finds that instead of it growing in a pot, it grows from a hole in the deck. This hole extends to the deck below, which appears to be full of dirt.

  Emma catches his gaze once again, “Oh we had to cut through the deck here and there, but no matter, this ship is never going anywhere, anyway.”

  “Where did you get all the soil from?” asks George, curiously.

  “We brought a few tons with us, then mixed local soil with it, making a blend that the plants seem to love.” Emma grins, then adds excitedly, “Come this way, there is more, a lot more.”

  Emma leads them to another area filled with baby fruit trees. Tags at the base of each, identify them as orange trees, apple trees, or pear trees. The next area she takes them to is filled with a variety of garden style plants such as tomatoes, beans, peas, and more. Emma leads them down another row of plants, stops, and proudly points. She leans in, then exclaims excitedly, “Strawberries!”

  George smiles, “You love your strawberries, don’t you?”

  Emma beams, “They’re the best.”

  “You’re doing wonders here,” says George with pride. “We’re going to miss you on the Terran.”

  Emma frowns, “Miss me?”

  “Yes, when we leave, to go back to Earth.” George explains.

  Emma frowns, “Why would I be staying here?”

  George glances at his wife, then back to Emma, “I just thought you would be staying here, especially seeing how much effort you’ve put in.”

  “If I stay on the ship, I can explore other worlds.” Emma looks around, then adds, “Besides, Peter would never be truly content playing colonist, and where he goes, I go.”

  George nods, then holds his wife’s hand, “Yes, we know all about that.”

  Emma walks back to the shuttle with them, and says, “Oh, it’s cold out here, wow. Now don’t you folks run off without me.”

  John replies, “We wouldn’t dare,” he shivers in the chill of the wind, and adds, “it’s pretty cold, what about the memorial?”

  Lisa glances at the two men, then asks, “What memorial?”

  George stares at the snowy landscape for a moment, then says, “We may as well,” he is about to suggest skipping it, until he catches his wife’s determined stare, “go and see it,” he ad-libs.

  Lisa tilts her head, “Good, because I don’t want to miss anything on this tour. It may be the last time I visit Hawking.”

  They enter the shuttle, then fly across the river. Raised wooden walkways meander in and out of the forest. A few walkways trek toward the ocean, and Emma’s now defunct, crop testing area. One leads toward the mountains, and the round building that rests at their foothills. John lands the shuttle, then says, “Here we are.”

  Lisa stares at the dome, with
its single spire, before her, “That’s a memorial?” She asks doubtfully.

  George takes her hand and says, “Let me show you.”

  They step out of the shuttle and into the cold. George motions to the building ahead, “We built that dome on a floating dock, which is anchored into the ground. When this area floods, the memorial will float on the rising water.”

  John shivers and says, “Well, let’s go inside, it’s warmer in there.”

  Lisa frowns curiously, but says nothing, instead she follows the pair. A large wall panel slides to one side, allowing them access. They are all surprised to see Robert inside with his camera equipment.

  George quickly says, “Sorry, we didn’t mean to disturb you.”

  “Oh no, it’s okay,” Robert replies, “I am making a documentary for the folks back home.”

  Lisa gazes around the room, “I thought my son was with you?” She asks as she notices the soft light that emanates from the curved ceiling. A central pillar in the center of the room radiates warmth. The names of the deceased glow on the outer walls, a dozen in all. The names seem to float over the walls.

  Robert glances up, “Your boy is in town taking pictures for me.” He starts to pack up his gear, when George tells him, “You don’t have to stop what you’re doing, my wife just wanted to see the memorial.”

  Robert replies, “It’s okay, I am pretty much finished here anyway.”

  George adds, “Good, will you be finished in time?”

  He smiles, “Yes, I will have a complete documentary for you to take back.”

  George frowns, “You’re coming with us, aren’t you?”

  “Me?” Robert says a little perplexed, “The President was quite specific, I am to stay here as the colony’s reporter.”

  George grins, “You’re part of the Terran’s crew now, and where we go, you go.”

  Robert’s smile broadens, “I like that, thanks, but the President won’t.”

  George slaps him on the back, “Welcome to the club, he doesn’t like me either.”

  Lisa reads the hovering names to herself, then says, “This is quite touching.”