by L M Lacee
Melody grinned. ‘Because that is who she is, and she likes you. You seem to like piloting her, and you never go all frigid when she speaks to you. It makes her feel normal, so she makes sure you are looked after. Don’t make a big deal out of it please, it would upset her.’
Trina said. ‘Nikolas, eat your food and thank the ladies.’
‘Because that is what she wants me to do?’
‘Yes.’
‘Alright.’
He went back to eating, smiling with each bite. Melody looked at Trina and saw the tears in her eyes. She leaned over and whispered. ‘I find their simplistic view of us, charming.’
Trina smiled. ‘I know, I just love the way they appreciate the small things, that we don’t think mean much, you know?’
‘I know.’
Peyton knew Melody and her guards would wait in the shuttle for her. Leaving her alone with over three hundred and fifty women in the cells, who for various reasons would not be leaving with them.
She looked at the women in the cells and saw Marta standing against the bars. Her face screwed up in anger and disgust as she stood next to a woman who thought she could screw her way through the galaxy. Which Peyton admitted wasn’t a terrible thing but the killing and robbing was.
Sadness etched her voice as she placed her hands together and said. ‘I am sorry, I really am. I had hoped you would be willing to leave Earth for a better life.
Unfortunately, your prejudices and your unwillingness to compromise with either your behavior or your perceived entitlements prevent you coming with us. Every one of you, in your own way just take from the whole and leave nothing but disaster and pain in its place.’
‘Who are you to say so?’ A hard unyielding voice asked from the back of a cell.
It was a woman who had beaten the three young children in her care almost to death because they had eaten before her. Melody wanted to shoot her, she had been so angry with the woman but Brenda had pleaded for leniency on her behalf so she had jailed her instead. Brenda believed the woman had not been in her right mind.
Peyton knew Brenda was wrong about the woman, she had known what she was doing when she hurt those children. She was just that type of person. Esther called her evil and Peyton agreed with her, especially when she promised to kill Melody if she was released.
Peyton did not know how she felt about the prospect of this woman and some of the others possibly ending up on pleasure planets or even dead. She just knew that a woman who would beat little ones over food that was readily available, deserved some kind of punishment.
Maybe it would have been kinder for her to have taken her life. She had wrestled with that decision since writing the list of who was to stay. These women were not all criminals, and those that were, well justice would find them, eventually. The others were just untrustworthy, not a reason to die by her hand.
Marta screamed. ‘Who gives you the right to deny us?’
Peyton did not answer either question, there was no answer to give, at least none they would understand.
Instead, she said. ‘I could never trust any of you. Not one of you will change, and I have no use for bullies or narcissistic women like you. I know we have some self-centered people coming with us, but unlike you they have no malice in their hearts which sad to say, you all have. Some of you would not go with the ships that have already left Earth, not because you thought it was wrong for women to be sold. No, you refused and hid at Runnerdale because you thought coming with us would give you more than you were offered to go on a ship.
Still more of you wanted to make deals with the Government, by turning us in. Making us stay here to be bred and turned into whores for the highest bidder or sold for the babies we could produce. It will be hard for the women who begged me for mercy, on your behalf, to learn how willing you were to trade their lives for yours.’
She looked at each woman and saw nothing, no remorse, no desire to dispute what she had said, nothing but contempt. ‘As you can see, there is no mercy or forgiveness, your plans were never going to work. There was no way I would ever have permitted it.’
Peyton glowed as bright as the sun filling every corner of the cells and dazzling the women’s eyes, they heard her say. ‘So, leaving you all here to your own fate will be a speck on my conscience, which I am willing to bear, to safeguard my people.’
With that, her hands opened and a pile of dust brighter than white snow appeared. She blew a steady stream of the dust into the air, and within minutes every woman slumped to the floor unconscious. Peyton stopped blowing, then walked along unlocking the cell doors as she went.
Eventually, the women would wake, and they would be able to leave to live their lives as they saw fit. She hoped they would all have long and happy lives but for that to happen they would have to change and she feared they would not.
When she stepped from the jail cells, that same voice reminiscent of a winter’s day washed through her mind. Justice Served.
THIRTY:
With a heavy heart Peyton returned to the shuttle, collecting her guards that had not boarded as she went. Her last stop took her to her home, a ranch style dwelling she had inherited from her grandparents.
She was sad to be leaving her sanctuary and the memories of her grandparents behind. She and Melody stepped down from the shuttle and she took in a deep cleansing breath then said. ‘I guess it is time to say my goodbyes.’
Melody sat on the top step of the porch and told her. ‘I will wait here.’
‘Thanks, I won’t be long.’
She shrugged. ‘Take as long as you need Star girl, we will wait.’
‘Okay.’
Peyton walked around the house to where the two graves lay side by side, under the huge old tree. She waved her hand, and each grave was encased in clear crystal, two small headstones appeared with the names of her grandparents on each.
‘Well, Grandpa, Grandma the time has come for me to say farewell. I promise to remember every lesson and piece of wisdom you taught me. I swear I will fix injustice when I see it. I will care and protect the people who are unable to care for themselves. Grandma, you should know I do not leave alone, the sisters I told you about are coming with me. Grandpa, just so you don’t worry, the Warriors are coming with us as well. They are like you, fearsome, protective, loyal and kind. We will be safe with them.
Grandma, there are lots of women to feed us like the ladies Helen, Brenda and Esther. Helen makes good hot cakes, but they are not as good as yours. Umm! Maybe you should not mention that, she can be a little testy about her cooking. Now a friend of mine will come by every now and again to check on you and make sure no one has disturbed you.’
She looked at the house then down at the graves. ‘I will not return or at least not for some time. So if I have not said it before. Thank you for my life and all the love you gave me. I hope you know how grateful I am and how much I loved you both.’ Again she looked at the house and stated. ‘Well, I have to leave, there are so many people depending on me’ She took a deep breath and then admitted more to herself than to her grandparents. ‘I am not sure I am ready for this, but I guess it is too late now too chicken out! Wish me luck, wish us all luck. Know I will love you forever and carry you in my heart for that long.’
With one long look at the graves and a snap of her ident band to record the headstones. She turned from the two people who had saved her life, given her the courage to trust herself and taught her to love.
As she walked back to Melody, she thought about how lucky she was to have shared her home these last ten months with Darby, Heather and Melody. Together they had made a new family with many happy memories. Ones she knew she would cherish forever, and as she and Melody entered their home for the last time, to find Darby and Heather waiting for them. She knew it was just the start of many happy memories to come.
‘Aww! You are here.’
Heather told her. ‘Where else would we be.’
They hugged as Darby asked. ‘Did you ever th
ink we would get here? Be brave enough to go to a new world?’
They all shook their heads. ‘Yes... No... Maybe!’ Heather answered.
Melody told them. ‘I kept waiting for someone to stop us, you know?’
‘Yeaah!’ They all agreed, as they pulled apart.
‘Well!’ Melody gave them all a blazing smile then said. ‘Heather checked we left nothing behind. I turned off the power. Darby withdrew all her tech stuff and started the download of the message to every communication device on, in or above the world. Peyton took care of our prisoners?’
They turned accusing eyes on her, and she laughed. ‘Unconscious… Seriously!’
Which eased their sadness, and with lighter hearts all four of the women looked around one last time, then quietly left the house. Runnerdale was eerily quiet, no one other than the unconscious women, were left in the town. Darby stepped into the shuttle with the ever patient Nikolas. She nodded to him and said to the waiting guards. ‘It’s weird out there!’
Melody entering after her stated. ‘Much too quiet!’
‘Makes my skin tingle.’ Heather murmured as she entered behind her.
Peyton stood by herself and held her face up toward to the sun as they all watched and listened from the shuttle. She called out. ‘Sunshoona, thank you for your help and guidance. I hope we will meet in the future. Know we take your love and counsel with us. Please keep safe the ones we leave behind. If you have time please care for my grandparents?’
Four flat boxes made from oak appeared in her hands. Startled she juggled them a little as she heard Sunshoona’s voice in her mind tell her.
I thank you for your kind words. I will be sure to care for those remaining as well as your loved ones. These gifts are for you and the sisters of your heart. For, your courage and in the hopes you never forget where you were birthed. Go with all our hopes dear… dear Daughter.
‘Thank you.’ Peyton replied, then she stepped into the shuttle.
Heather asked. ‘That was nice, did she answer?’
‘She wished us happy travels and gave each of us one of these.’
She passed each of the women one of the very beautiful boxes that had their names burned into the wood. In place of Peyton’s name was an etching of the sun and planet. By unspoken agreement, they decided to wait to open the gifts until they were on the ship. Buckling her harness she said. ‘Okay, Pilot Nikolas take us to our ship.’
‘As you wish Madam.’
Peyton softly murmured as she looked down on her home and town for the last time. ‘Time to say goodbye and hello to something new and exciting. I hope!’
THIRTY-ONE:
When they arrived on board the Warship, Darby and Heather gave Peyton and Melody the grand tour of the large ship, it seemed they were going to be traveling on the largest of the Warships.
Darby informed them Kerol told her this ship usually carried the Jenersar royalty. Thanikis had been granted permission to use the ship for his trip to Earth, which cast suspicions on the rumors that he was out of favour with the Emperor.
As they traversed the confusing passageways Darby gave them a quick explanation on the levels they did not visit. The lower levels were for maintenance and engines. The next levels were docking and cargo holds that housed the shuttles and the one man fighters. Then there were levels for the utilities and communications as well as for Medical and of course the command level where they piloted the ship from.
On each of the living levels were dining rooms or shipteens, the name for ships mess halls, as well as gyms and training areas. The ship was enormous, and most of the women walked the passageways with a tablet open, displaying a ship's map. Luckily there were always wall screens to guide a person from one place to another. Peyton knew she would be using them frequently.
The cabins were small, not much more than a bed and bathroom called a cleansing room, which did not have a water shower. Water like storage was of a premium on a space ship which Heather emphasized to Peyton and Melody.
She made a point of explaining this needed to be stressed to everyone as soon as possible. One thing they did not want to do was run out of water. There was a recycling system but it, like the Warship was apparently old. Darby and Heather showed them the showers which were sonic. Which meant a beam passed over the naked body and stripped the dirt and oil from skin and hair. It did demand a conditioning moisturizer was needed after each shower. This was easily achieved by touching a button in the shower, and a mist of the conditioner sprayed from the ceiling, covering a person from head to toe. It did not leave a residue and came in many scents.
Darby swore by it, saying her hair had never felt so good. Heather told them the conditioner doubled as a deodorant, she wore one called Ocean. Darby had selected the one labeled Rose, Melody chose the one called Musk and Peyton fell in love with the Scent of Vanilla. The deodorant or conditioner was different to what they used on Earth but not hard to get used to Heather assured them both, and the scents were subtle. Peyton liked the idea of not having to remember to spray on deodorant or perfume, as she usually forgot one or the other.
The names of the scents, Heather told them, Nina and her friends had decided on. When they had arrived on board, they were told the scents had no names because when the Warriors used the conditioner, they just selected whatever the selector was set at, and did not give much thought to what the scent was. On learning this Nina, Fern and the other scientists decided to name the scents. So they spent one night smelling every conditioner and voting on the name. Peyton said, that is what she would have done. Darby disagreed, saying she would have chemically broken down each scent and then named them. Which Peyton told her was just so mundane, that argument lasted until Melody broke it up, which was about five minutes after it started. It would have been earlier, but she was busy checking out the drying tube and fold away toilet and sink unit.
It was a sad reflection on the Warriors or the ship builders that the primary colors of the ships were gunmetal gray and black. The decor did nothing to lift one's spirits, if you were feeling sad or depressed.
It sort of made the women realize that the Warriors sour disposition on occasion was warranted. Especially if one had to live on a ship of gray and black for extended periods of time. Although Heather assured Peyton and Melody the ladies were bringing color into the lounges and shipteens, which certainly would relieve the atmosphere.
Darby told them cabins were being pained daily, much to the Warriors amusement. Hawk apparently was just turning a blind eye to his ships being turned from Warships to family homes. It seemed when he had gently reminded the ladies that the ships were for war. He was just as gently reminded that they were not for the foreseeable future and then he was asked if he had a problem with colour. He apparently had declined to comment.
THIRTY-TWO:
Four Warships, six Battleships, six transporters, four cargo ships and between one and two hundred one man fighters left Earth’s orbit. Destined for a shielded solar system in a part of a universe that had no idea the solar system even existed.
The people on these ships would be the first sentient beings to walk the world’s surfaces for over two million years. That thought had kept Peyton awake for most of the previous night.
When morning rolled around, thousands of light years had been placed between Earth and them. Which was Peyton’s first thought on waking as she lay in her new bed, in her new cabin on board a spaceship and smiled in relief. They had pulled it off and were really traveling through space and toward a future of their own making.
She thumped her pillow and then pulled it over her face and screamed into it, admitting that Esther had been right, when she had suggested the evening before that she needed to make a welcoming speech.
Of course she had politely insisted someone else could do it much better than her. That was when the three of them, Esther, Brenda and Helen had given her the look, which never failed to reduce her to a school girl and said. ‘No, someone else could not do it!’
Peyton grumbled as she got out of bed, damn it.
She showered, dressed and then tagged Commander Hawk and his second Kerol, as well as her sisters.
Melody said she would tag Netta, Helen, Brenda and Esther. Peyton told her to tell them to the meeting would be held in the room Commander Hawk had advised would be the best one to use. The war room. For some unknown reason Melody found this hilarious and would not tell Peyton why.
The war room she was surprised to see when she arrived there, resembled a large conference room with an enormous table that had at least fifty chairs surrounding it. In place of weapons, computers sat on side tables that ran the length of the room. This was basically all that decorated the room, it lacked a personality, but she supposed a room that dealt in death probably should. Although she wondered where the weapons were, she felt slightly disappointed.
Melody strode in with Netta and asked. ‘Why are we here?’
Peyton replied. ‘When everyone arrives. I will explain and thanks for coming.’
‘Weird girl, of course we came.’ Melody responded with a quick smile as she and Netta found seats along with the others who followed them in.
Peyton grinned when she saw the frown appear on Brenda face as she entered the room, she bet this room would be next on the decorating list. Darby was the last to arrive and as she hurried in she apologized.
‘Sorry, last-minute details.’
Peyton nodded as she stood by the table and addressed everyone. ‘Okay, so you are all here because it was impressed on me that I needed to make a speech. You are here as my support team and to remind me of anything I need to say.’
No one said anything, proving she thought they already knew why they were there. So with a nod to Darby, who with a few strokes of her fingers on her tablet, connected all the ships communications systems together. A holographic image of Peyton was to be beamed to each ship. Darby gave a nod to indicate that Peyton was broadcasting.
