A New Dawn, A New Day

Sundays have been publishing day for about a year and half, but it's time for a change. I'm going to switch things up with a blog post on random days. But, don't worry The Librarians aren't going anywhere.

The First Alexander: Part III of III

Karen had woken up that morning, and headed into the kitchen for her morning coffee. She told me later that she knew something was wrong when that smell of freshly brewing coffee wasn't wafting through the house already. She knew I was up since I wasn't in bed when she woke up.

But that familiar and welcoming aroma was missing. I remember when she walked in the kitchen, she hardly noticed me.

She said, “Good morning,” but walked past me half asleep. She even kissed him on the head, but went straight for the coffee pot.

“Do you want some coffee?” she asked.

“Sure,” I answered.

I didn’t say anything else. And as the dark, rich smell of caffeine began making its way into her nostrils, she started to take in her surroundings.

Karen finally realized that something was bothering me. My hair was disheveled and I was still in my pajamas. I remember she commented on the dark circles under my eyes, and I told her I hadn’t slept well.

That’s when she noticed the box.

It sat on the table in front of me. That metal box, covered with engravings that remind me of Egyptian hieroglyphics and an open space in the middle of it, just big enough to slip a hand inside.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“A present,” I said.

“A present for you or from you?”

“For me.”

“From who?”

“From him,” I told her.

“Him who?” she said. But I think she knew who I was talking about. She just wasn’t ready to accept it. I know she felt much better after he left the first time.

“He came back,” I said, “the one that survived.”

Karen didn’t say anything for a while. She understood why I was so tired; why I didn’t even make the coffee.

“What is it?” she finally asked.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” I admitted. Then I slid the box between us and looked Karen in the eyes. “But I can show you.”

I told her to focus on the question, “How big is the universe?”

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“Trust me. Just think of that question, over and over again. Then place your hand on the top of the box.”

She nodded, but didn’t put her hand on it right away. So I put mine inside the box first. The engravings began to light up as if it was coming to life. Karen was afraid, but she trusted me. I could see her repeating the question in her head, “How big is the universe? How big is the universe? How big is the universe?”

Then she placed her hand on the top of the box and closed her eyes.

We were immediately linked. Every thought she had, I had. It felt as though our minds moved outside of us and into a strange and infinite library. It’s like floating through the information like a ghost until you come upon the answer to your question. It wasn’t something we could read or see. It was just something that we now knew.

Then we fell away from it all, until we were back in the kitchen. She lifted her hand just above the top of the box, and I pulled mine out from inside it. All the lights on the box went dark, and we just stared at each other.

Finally, I told her, “You can ask anything you want. If he knew it, we can know it.”

“Anything?”

“Anything they knew, yes.”

“What are we supposed to do with it?”

“Well, it’s a library.”

She sat there for a bit, and then reminded me, “I always wanted to be a librarian.”

“I think you’ll get that chance.”

The First Alexander: Part II of III

Here I was again, sitting on the porch and looking up at the sky.

I spent most of time these days wondering if it ever happened. Did some ship really crash on my land? Did one die and one survive? Or was it just a dream?

It seems so unreal like I’m remembering a movie, not my life. I want to laugh at myself and then head inside the house or get to work in the greenhouse. But I can’t. So I walk down to the grove and look at the scars on the trees.

The sap is dry and hardened like a scab. Those old wounds won’t reveal what it was that caused the damage, but it proves to me that something did happen. It tells me that it was real, not some movie.

It’s the only proof I have. The rest of it’s gone. The only thing left of the beings is an empty grave, and not one shard of the metal from the ship remains. I don’t know what happened to it all. One day it just disappeared.

I’d been taking care of the one that survived for at least a week. I had laid him out on some hay bales in the barn, dressed his wounds, put out some blankets, food and water. I never saw him touch any of it, but each morning the food and water was gone. The animals could have taken it for all I know, but I kept bringing him more just in case it was helping. I’m still not sure why I was trying to take care of him; it just felt like the right thing to do.

He had a long cut across his midsection and every day I would clean it up and redress it. I thought it was looking better, but I couldn’t really say. I had no idea what I was dealing with.

That morning I headed back out to the barn with some of my breakfast and fresh bandages. But he was gone.

No trace. No sign of anything. Not a footprint in the dirt or a door left ajar. I quickly headed out to the crash site. All I found was a big hole in the ground. Nothing was left of the ship. I ran to the grave site and that, too, was empty. I remembered the night before I thought I saw something in the sky, but I’d been seeing something every night. I figured it was just my imagination again. Maybe it wasn’t.

Every day since all I do is think about what happened, try to convince myself it was real. Most days I sit on the porch and look up at the sky, then walk out to the crash site to look for something that was left behind. But I never find anything. The only things left behind are the scars on the trees.

The sky was getting dark and my stomach started growling, so I headed back to the house. After dinner I sat out on the porch again, looking up at the sky. Finally, my wife came out.

“Still looking up?” she asked.

I smiled.

“Let’s get to bed,” she told me. I slowly got up and headed inside, but not without looking back one last time.

Of course, I couldn’t get to sleep. This wasn’t the first sleepless night I’d had since the crash. I would usually just lay there and keep my eyes closed. I didn’t my wife to worry anymore than she already did.

Then I felt something. I thought it was a breeze, maybe I’d left the window open. I opened my eyes, sat up and immediately froze.

There he was, standing at the end of the bed. I could tell because he had a scar that cut across his midsection.

In his hands was a metal square that looked like a box. 

The First Alexander: Part I of III

They were right about the eyes.

They were large black eyes with no lashes, no lids. I couldn’t tell if they were watching me. I couldn’t even tell if there was life behind them.

Then it moved. One of the beings lifted an arm and moved it to cover the cut across its midsection. It was such a human reaction. Cover the wound, put pressure on it and stop the bleeding.

My first instinct was to run, but for some reason I didn’t. Just like in the war, I took a deep breath and started dealing with the mess in front of me. I didn’t think much after that. I just did. I carried the one that moved back to the barn and dressed the wounds. Then I got some water for it to drink. As I got closer with the cup in my hand, I thought of all those movies I’d seen. Would the skin start boiling if I poured water on it? Did they even need to drink? What was it that crashed on my land?

I didn’t want to think about it, so I just set the cup next to the body and headed back out to the crash site.

When I got back, the other one was still not moving. The eyes already started to look different, like a grayish film was building up on them.

It reminded me of Tom.

His eyes had the same film when I found him. It must have been hours after the IED went off when I finally came to. My mouth was so dry I could hardly open it, let alone call out to anyone. I stood up and started to walk around the blast site, looking for anyone who was still alive. Anyone who could help me make sense of this. Anyone I could save and share my guilt with. But there was no one. Every neck was still, lifeless, without a pulse. I remember Tom the most. It’s been years since the war ended, and I still dream about him.

He was the only one whose eyes were still open. They had that film. That look that said there was nothing left behind them. I think that’s why I buried it, the one that never moved.

I don’t even want to be buried myself. I’ve got it in my will; I want to be cremated. I told my sons to take a hike out in the mountains and let my ashes fly with the wind. I’m hoping I’ll blow through a grove of aspens. After all these years they’re still my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for the ponderosa pines. Well, any of the conifers are special. They keep the forest alive through the winter, reminding me with their green needles that life will return to that cold, frozen ground.

But there’s something special about the aspens. Maybe because I know they’re not alone, just like I always hoped we weren’t alone.

Now I know we’re not.

It's time for a change of pace.

The Librarians has been organized into books with a new chapter published each Sunday. But for the next few weeks, readers will instead get a series of short stories. Each one will reveal something about the Alexander family by focusing on one character or one relationship. These stand-alone moments will be followed by Book Three, likely starting in September. 

Summary for Book Two: The Odyssey

At first, the Alexander family was focused on healing their wounds.

Kate took over the job as Librarian and Keeper of the Box. William returned to the post of Commander, and his wife, Sun Alexander, the Council Chair and matriarch of the family, was just looking for a path forward.

At first, Sun struggled for confidence. It became clear that her stoic personality was partly to blame for her son’s betrayal. But with the help of her husband and daughter, along with the reality that something more dangerous was on the horizon, she found a way to lead the family toward a path of survival.

Shortly after everyone started to move on and prepare for war with a dangerous enemy on the far side of the galaxy, the Nekuia, one of their members was kidnapped.

The Machinists, a radical group with a history of hurting the Alexanders, took Lucas, The Historian. The young and most naïve member of the council found himself on another planet. The group, headquartered on Mars, attempted to convince Lucas that they meant no harm and actually wanted to join with the Alexanders in the fight against the Nekuia, that far-off enemy they considered a much greater threat.

Sun sent Kate and her bodyguard, Eric, to Mars in search of the Machinists and Lucas. She wanted answers, but she also wanted something else. It was rumored that James, her deceptive son, had settled in the same neighborhood, called Prosperity Ghetto. It is home to those who don’t wish to be found.

Part of the problem is that Kate began to build relationships. It turned out the Machinists had been covertly watching the skyways ever since their previous encounter with the Alexanders forced them into hiding. And they had heard a lot.

Then there was James, who had been hiding out in the same Martian neighborhood as the Machinists since his exile, watching them while they watched everyone else.

Ultimately, Kate began to trust her greatest enemies: The Machinists and her brother. She was left dealing with the slippery slope of discovering how much she could trust people that were untrustworthy.

Meanwhile her mother, Sun, was looking at the long term and, Io, the Engineer, who was caught up in the present moment. She and her bodyguard, Omari, were sent to Jupiter Station on the Jovian moon, Europa, to greet the arrival of the Odyssey.

During the months-long journey, they began a romantic relationship that could be stronger than anyone is willing to admit. They also discovered issues with the Odyssey, its communications with Earth, and even Jupiter Station. They arrived at the station to find a world that was cut off from Earth and, oddly, many of the social norms attributed to human society.

It’s unclear what type of society Jupiter Station had created far away from Earth.

One of the biggest mysteries of Book Two is what the arrival of the Odyssey means. The ship was detected entering the solar system, but so far no communication has been made. Everyone knows the ship has arrived. What they don’t know is what is on that ship.

Chapter Thirty-Three: Arrival Day

The Brig was a rather large room with three walls covered with monitoring stations, communicators and lined with workers. One wall was covered with screens so large it looked more like a window. In the center of the room was a large glowing table surrounded by the commander and her officers, all of whom were engrossed in whatever was on it.

They did not even notice the Io and Omari enter.

“Where are we on the countdown?” Io asked as she approached the table.

“Two minutes and twenty-eight seconds,” the commander answered. “But as we discussed she could arrive even weeks after that.”

“Understood.”

For Io, the next couple minutes felt like years. Even though she had decided some time ago that the Odyssey was lost, she still wanted it to return. Somewhere inside she dreamed of the happy ending. Where the ship returned unharmed, there was no threat of war and she could be with Omari. She stood by the glowing table simply watching each second pass by, and dreaming with each one.

And when the clock hit zero she could hardly believe her eyes.

A small dot appeared on the monitor. A rhythmic beep rang out across the room with each second, tracking the vessel as it inched closer to home. Io wanted to celebrate the moment but found herself trapped instead, still waiting. So was everyone else in the room. They were waiting for a message to come over the communicator.  The Brig was silent for a long time, but no message came.

The moment of return was already marred by the silence. If everything was right, the crew of the Odyssey should have contacted Jupiter Station right away. This meant that everything wasn’t right. Something was wrong.

As the beeping continued to echo across the room, everyone prayed that it was just a broken communicator. Even though they knew it probably wasn’t.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Wait and See

“Any word from Io?” Sun asked.

“They haven’t found anything, yet. She and Omari are going to stay on board at least until the Odyssey reenters the system. If she finds anything in the meantime, she’ll contact me immediately,” Kate said. “Have you given any thought to James?”

“I have,” Sun answered.

“Should I return with him?”

“I’ll let you know once the fate of the Odyssey has returned,” Sun told her. “We cannot play our hand until all the cards have been dealt.”

“Very well.”

“Keep your eyes open until then.”

“Eric and Lucas are with the leader of the Machinists now,” Kate said. “And, Io plans to contact you first once she knows if the Odyssey has entered our system.”

“Good.”

“Until then, mother.”

Kate ended the transmission, but did not get up from her station for some time. It wasn’t the unknown fate of the Odyssey, the threat from the Nekuia, the strange behavior of the residents on Jupiter Station, the change in Lucas, or even a possible alliance with the Machinists that bothered her.

It was James.

No matter what he might be doing to help, the fact remained that he had betrayed the family. He had planned to destroy all of them, and he was still marked for execution. For the first time since her father helped James escape, Kate understood why. She was now thinking of helping him escape a second time.

*          *          *

For the past week, Io had helped the residents of Jupiter Station solve some basic issues with the tram’s operating system, and completed repairs on one of the Europan ice drills. What she did not accomplish was discovering what the station commander was hiding. Because of her schedule repairing things, she did not have a chance to explore the station’s layout. That task was left to Omari.

Several times he was able to sneak off and examine sections of the station, but he had barely scratched the surface of the massive outpost surrounding the moon like a ring. And, their time was up.

Io again dressed in her formal attire and headed off to the Brig. That was the nickname for the main operations room for the station. It’s high security and long shifts left workers feeling like they were prisoners. So everyone called it the Brig, even the commander.

Omari was waiting in the hall, and escorted Io. The two said nothing along the way, knowing they could easily be watched in the corridors.

Besides, they already had a plan. No matter what happened. 

Chapter Thirty-One: Jupiter Station

Io dressed in her formal attire, and did everything she could to look her best. As the docking bay doors opened to Jupiter Station, she straightened her shoulders and prepared for the crowd of station residents. But, only a handful of people stood inside the arrival bay waiting to greet them.

A short, thin woman in a dark blue uniform stepped forward and introduced herself as the Station Commander. She had long, dark hair braided down her back. In a way, she reminded Io of Kate.

“It’s an honor to have The Engineer on Jupiter Station,” she said, almost bowing before Io.

Without any fanfare the commander escorted the new arrivals away from the ship. They took a short trip on a tram-like car to a small briefing room, where they were given assigned rooms and details on the station’s current layout.

Most of it was complete with living quarters, science and research areas, training rooms and even entertainment venues. One-quarter of the station was still under construction, which was slow these days. Although much of the station’s supplies were brought in from transports, some of the key minerals and elements needed were mined from the moon. These operations were located inside and outside the ring.

It really was a grand station with seemingly endless places to go. Io had only seen a couple of silver walls and doors in her short trip to the briefing room, so she was already anticipating being able to look around. But, she couldn’t help but wonder about the lack of fanfare. She never enjoyed being under the Alexander spotlight, but she was told to prepare for it when she arrived.

“Are there any ceremonies planned for our arrival?” she asked.

“There will be plenty of time for pageantry,” the commander answered, “once we’ve confirmed the Odyssey’s arrival.”

Io wasn’t certain what she meant. Why would the commander be awaiting confirmation? Was she aware that the Odyssey hadn’t been heard from?

“What do you mean by, ‘once you’ve confirmed her arrival’?”

“We can’t be certain she’ll return until she’s back in our space,” the commander answered.

“We do have the reports,” Io said hesitantly.

The commander paused and turned to look at Io. She examined her face before continuing. “We will have time to prepare for ceremony, but right now I must admit we need your help.”

“My help?”

“Yes. We’ve had problems lately with the operating systems on the station, some of which you developed,” she explained. “We could use your help repairing them.”

The commander continued to talk about all the problems the station was having with the operating systems, gravitational issues, and the mining equipment on Europa was malfunctioning. It seemed the station was in much worse shape than anyone back on Earth imagined.

After the commander finished, Io asked her if they had sent word back home about their troubles.

“We expected your arrival soon,” she said. “And, no one else is better equipped to offer assistance.”

Even if Io was the most qualified person, they should have sent word. Equipment could be needed or preparations could have been made. Something about the situation just wasn’t right.

Instead of continuing to ask questions, Io requested that she have an adjoining room with Omari.

The corners of the commander’s mouth lifted slightly. Io quickly tried to negate her assumptions by requesting that the rest of her security detail be located on the same corridor. She told the commander her team needed to be in direct contact with her at all times. It was typical protocol for the family. But, the commander didn’t look convinced.

She did care for Omari, but her request was made because there was something about the commander that she did not trust.
After her request was granted, officers were sent off to change the arrangements. The commander finished reviewing the details for their stay on the station, and eventually escorted Io and her companions to their quarters.

When they arrived, Omari followed her inside to check the room. She asked him to scan both of their quarters for cameras, listening devices, explosives, anything and everything. Then she stood patiently in the center of the room until he was finished with her quarters. Once that was deemed safe, she sat on the bed thinking about the commander.

Finally, Omari came back from his quarters. “Both rooms are clean,” he said. “I found a listening device in your quarters. And, a listening device and camera in mine, but all of them have been destroyed.”

“Thank you,” she told him.

Omari stepped inside her room, but still kept his distance. “Something isn’t right here,” he told her. “Perhaps we should depart immediately.”

“I have the same feeling,” she said. “But the ship will need at least a couple of days to refuel and restock for the journey home. Let’s see what we can found out in the meantime.”

Chapter Thirty: Home Sweet Home

The ship cleared Callisto, coming around its orbit to see Io. Just beyond that Europa came into view with Jupiter Station encircling the icy moon.

Io had been there before, but construction never really stopped on the space station. It had taken generations to build, and would likely take generations more to complete.

The station surrounded the entire moon like the rings around Saturn, forming a complete circle around Europa. Not all sections of the ring were finished, but the skeleton was complete. It was the first thing that was, and they had been filling it in ever since.

For the first time in weeks Io felt a pleasant, warm happiness inside. She wrote several papers about the station in her early schooling, and later helped design some of its structures and operating systems. She was eager to see her work in action. Then she remembered why she made the return trip. The mission was to either greet the Odyssey or calm the situation if it never showed up. And that moment was not long out.

Although the Odyssey would take almost a year to dock at the station, communication would be possible the moment it re-entered the solar system. Which means the station and the ship should be direct contact in less than a week. Even if it was incapable of communication for any reason, they would be able to detect its arrival in the system.

That would really be the moment of truth, when they would know if she was going to return.

“We’re beginning final approach.” Omari’s voice suddenly came over the communicator in Io’s quarters as she watched Jupiter Station grow larger on the monitor in front of her.

“Thank you, Omari,” she said. Io kept her finger on the communication button. She wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words, so she slowly lifted her finger and ended it.

Io had spoken only a few words to Omari since she watched the video of her parents. She was so comfortable in his presence, she was afraid that she would lose her grip if she spent too much time with him. Not once did he try to question it or intrude. It was like he knew just how fragile she was those first couple of weeks.

He even sent her the security plans for their arrival on Jupiter Station in messages she could view at her communicator. It gave her the time she needed to strengthen her resolve, or to build up the wall, before they landed.

Io felt herself welling up with emotion as the station grew larger and larger on the monitor. She was excited to see it again, but in some ways disappointed that the journey was over. She was nervous, anticipating what the fate of the Odyssey could be. But none of that mattered.

As the representative of the Alexander family, many people were anticipating her arrival. Io had to be an example of calm authority and completely in charge. There was no room for an emotional breakdown in this role.

She had to put her game face on for the people who called Jupiter Station home. 

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Any Ally Will Do

After weeks of solitude, Io was glad to be out of the Asteroid Belt. She wanted to contact Kate and let her know what she found. As soon as the captain gave the go-ahead, she was on the communicator in her quarters.

It didn’t take long to see Kate’s face on the screen.

“It’s good to see you, cousin,” she said.

“You, too. I take it you received my message.”

“I did.” There was a slight pause. Neither one wanted to mention the footage about Io’s parents. She still had not watched it and, truthfully, hadn’t thought much of it until now.

Kate decided to focus on the other part of her message, the one about the Nekuia.

“So, was the message from the Nekuia real?”

“It was,” Io told her. “I was able to trace it’s origin from their direction, but from where exactly I’m not sure. I can also confirm it was headed for Earth.”

“Can you tell where?”

“No. I’m not even certain if I’ll be able to. Right now, all I have are general trajectories. I might be able to learn more when we reach Jupiter Station. The equipment there is more advanced than what’s available on the ship.”

“When do you arrive?”

“In just a couple of weeks.”

“Well, let me know if you find anything else out.”

“Will do.” Io hesitated. She wanted to ask about them, but still wasn’t certain she wanted the answer. Then, finally she took a deep breath and said it. “So are you working with them?”

Kate would almost rather talk about Io’s parents than the Machinists. “Tentatively,” she admitted.

“Why?”

This was something Kate was having trouble understanding herself. Part of her wanted to destroy the Machinists immediately; and, part of her wanted to work with them. She was still fighting that battle inside. As a person, she wanted revenge for Io and herself. As a member of the Alexander family, she had to consider what would be best for everyone else. She had to keep all options open.

“They could be a resource in a war against the Nekuia,” she said.

Io understood. Somewhere deep inside she knew what position Kate was in. The Alexanders were still trying to understand the enemy, still mapping out the battlefield. It would be foolish to waste a potential ally at this point, any ally, even a hated one. The family had to consider long term survival, not just Io.

That’s when she remembered the other part of Kate’s message, the video of her parents.

“I’ve got to get going,” she suddenly told Kate.

“Why? What for?” she asked.

“Please, Kate. I’ll contact you again soon.”

Then it hit her. Kate realized what Io was going to do. “As soon as you can,” she said. “I’ll be here waiting.”

“Thanks.”

Io turned off the communicator and accessed the video footage Kate sent her. It was supposed to show what happened to Io’s parents after the Machinists kidnapped them. It was supposed to show her how they died.

Her hand started to shake as she reached out to the button and hit play.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Phone Home

All she could do is wait. Wait and wonder if Io got her message, and if she could verify the items sent along with it.

Kate wanted to know if the Nekuia really were sending messages to Earth because if they were, someone was receiving it. She couldn’t get that thought out of her head.

Months ago, all she could think of was revenge against her brother. Weeks ago, all she could think of was revenge against the Machinists. Now, she found herself living among James and the Machinists with an opportunity to get back at both. But all she could think of was who on Earth was talking to the Nekuia. Everything had changed so quickly.

Whenever she felt she was in control, the rules changed. She was beginning to realize that leading the Alexanders would never be about control. It would be about how quickly she could adapt.

Kate’s first reaction to the Nekuian message was disbelief. She had no reason to trust the Machinists. And, the truth was Kate didn’t have the technological background to understand how the Machinists could have captured the message, let alone how they decoded it.

But Io would.

That’s when Kate realized Io needed to know what was going on. She should have been the first call, and she was. Now it was time to make the second. Kate had to call home.

This was the more difficult call.

Io was traveling through the Asteroid Belt, so Kate couldn’t contact her directly. But, she could get a hold of the family back on Earth. She could talk to Sun face to face. And she would have to tell her that James got the drop on her and Eric, her bodyguard, on the moon. She would also have to tell her about the Machinists, and their current leader Trent.

After all, it was Sun who gave the order to kill Trent’s father. And it was William, Kate’s father, who actually performed the execution.

Then there was that small thing about the Nekuia.

Kate sat down at the communication station and sent word to Sun. In short order, her mother appeared on the screen.

“It’s good to see you, Kate.”

“It’s good to see you, too, mother.”

“Did you find him?”

“He found us,” Kate admitted.

“How?”

“He met us on the moon,” she told Sun. “He knew we were coming.”

“And Lucas?”

“He’s fine. We’re with him now.”

“Did they hurt him?”

“No.”

“How did you find him?” Sun asked. “Did James help?”

“In a way he did.”

“Are they still a threat?”

“No,” Kate responded. “The situation is not what we anticipated.”

“In what way?”

“They’ve been listening.”

“Who’s been listening?”

“The Machinists.”

“To whom?”

“To everyone.”

“To us?”

“Yes. To us,” Kate said, “and to them.”

“Them?”

“The Nekuia.”

For some time, Sun did not respond. She didn't end the communication, but sat stoically in her seat. Kate knew her mother was letting it all sink in. 

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The One Question

It was not easy for Io to let go of her feelings for Omari. She wanted to be with him, to love him.

But relationships in the Alexander family were never easy. And to cross that line with her bodyguard made matters even more complicated. She let herself believe in it while they were moving through the Asteroid Belt where communications were difficult and limited.

Then she heard from Kate.

Everything she had allowed herself to forget came back in one brief moment. It reminded her of all that was at stake. She felt like she couldn’t fool herself anymore; she had to let go.

Io went to Omari’s quarters. She kissed him one last time, and told him “I have to get to work.” He did not say a word in response. He grabbed her, held her tight and, eventually, let her go. Io returned to her quarters. She tried to work at first, but couldn’t focus. So she let herself cry. For a long time, she curled up in her bed and wept.

Then she got to work.

Io and Omari were en route to Jupiter Station for the arrival of the Odyssey, the multi-generational ship. It had been sent out long ago in search of other life in the galaxy. The box revealed that other solar systems nearby had intelligent life. So, the Odyssey was built, complete with everything humans would need to survive there for generations.

A few times a year, the ship would send word of its progress. It became almost boring after a century of hearing the same stories so many people forgot about the ship, which worked in the Alexander’s favor. For the past few years, the ship stopped sending messages altogether. And after careful examination, they found out that for the past decade the ship’s transmissions had actually been reruns from previous years. This meant the fate of the ship was unknown. It could arrive with healthy, happy human passengers. It could not arrive at all. Or, it could arrive with something else on board.

No one knew.

The one thing the Alexanders did know at this point was that they had enemies in the galaxy. Enemies they had never known about. But the beings that gave them the box knew. This was the truth about the box. It was more than a gift; it was the key to survival.

Io spent much of her time working on the Nekuian message. Her main focus was finding out where it came from and where it was going.

She also wanted to know exactly what was in it. It seemed to be a simple, one-layered message but if it was really sent from outside the system, a more complex technology could be at work. Those challenges would be the next step.

The one thing she was avoiding was looking at the second item attached to Kate’s transmission. It was video footage of her parent’s capture and death.

The Machinists gave the footage to Kate to prove that they never intended to harm anyone. Kate told Io that she could dismiss it and never look at it. It was up to her.

Kate said she considered not even telling Io about it. But after she watched it herself, she thought that her parents were courageous and it might give Io closure. So, she sent it.

Io did not get rid of the footage; she hadn’t looked at it either. Perhaps later, at this point she didn’t want to think about it. Not yet, anyway.

Instead she chose to focus on the other item, the Nekuian message.

Kate told her that it said something about the box and the time table. She wasn’t sure whether or not to believe in it, but she wanted Io to figure it out.

So far, Io was able to prove that the message definitely came from outside the system. She could also prove that the message was headed for Earth. She was working on calculating the trajectory of where it was headed; trying to narrow down the location it could be received by. It was unlikely she would be able to find out. Once the message came close enough to the planet, it could be picked by most anyone looking for it. But she had to try.

For her, this one question kept coming back. It was the one question that continued to bother her. The fact was that if the message was headed for Earth, then someone had to be receiving it.

So, who were the Nekuia talking to?

Chapter Twenty-Six: Interrupted

Io rolled over and snuggled up to Omari. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in tight. His warmth was comforting. Maybe it was the isolation of moving through the Asteroid Belt; maybe it was the distance, just being so far from the Alexanders.

Something about her relationship with Omari was safe. She had never felt so safe in all her life.
The first kiss happened just after they crossed into the belt. The two had been discretely flirtatious all along, but no one crossed the boundaries until then. At first, she tried to pull away. She couldn’t even sleep that first night, thinking about the family.

What would they think? How would Kate react? Could they ever really be together? Was he just using her for something?

But by the following wake up call, she had pushed all those questions from her mind. It would take weeks to get through the belt. It was the most dangerous part of the journey to Jupiter Station. And, it was difficult to send and receive messages while traveling through it. Most captains kept the communications to emergencies only.

Io realized it might be her only chance to just enjoy being in love, if only for a few weeks. She decided to worry about the rest of it once they made it out the other side, if they made it out the other side.

So at this moment, she was only thinking of his warmth. She was enjoying the feeling of being in love and being loved.

She smiled and snuggled in closer, closing her eyes but hoping not to fall asleep again. Suddenly, the console across the room beeped. At first, Io thought it was the wake-up call letting them know the day cycle had begun.

“Message alert for Io Alexander,” the voice called out.

Omari quickly sat up and looked around. Io slowly sat up beside him.

“Message alert?” she said, reluctantly crawling out of bed. She sat down at the console, clicked a couple of buttons, and then dropped her chin.

Omari walked over, “What is it?”

“I need to see this alone,” she told him.

“Understood,” he said.

Io hadn’t heard him speak like that in weeks. The way he said it, “Understood,” was like a soldier obeying commands. It gave her the chills.

Omari quickly got dressed, and headed for the door. He tried to turn back to her and smile, “I’ll be in my quarters.”

The message was from Kate and sent from Mars. It was for Io’s eyes only and had two additional messages embedded within it. Io hit a couple more buttons and Kate’s face appeared on the screen.

“Hello, dear cousin,” it began. “I know you’re making your way through the belt, so I’ve sent this message, but I do want you to contact me as soon as you get to the other side. I wish I could tell you all this in a direct connection, but we just can’t wait.” Kate paused and took a deep breath. “Where do I begin?”

“Why are you on Mars?” Io whispered to herself.

“Maybe I should start by telling you why this message comes from Mars,” Kate said.

Io smiled. She and Kate always had a connection, which was another reason she knew that everything was about to change.

Chapter Twenty-Five: They’re Coming

By the time the ship arrived on Mars, James was thinking he had just about won Kate over. Little did he know, she was actually more distrustful of him than ever.

“Working with The Machinists?” she thought, looking out the ship’s window as they broke through the thin atmosphere.

How could that happen? No one in the Alexander family would consider that, if only out of respect for Io. No matter how dangerous they imagined the Nekuia to be. The fact remained that they killed Io’s parents, accident or not.

Kate could only imagine one way the Alexanders would work with The Machinists, if Io gave her blessing. It didn’t matter if they kidnapped Lucas, and somehow managed to convince him to trust them. It was really Io that mattered. And she was on her way to Jupiter Station.

They flew over several large cities coming in to the surface of Mars. Most looked run down, even from her vantage point.

It has been a long time since Kate had set foot on Mars, and she had never been to the Prosperity Ghetto. But she could swear that they were flying over it from the images she’d seen on Earth. The ship didn’t land in the Ghetto, but flew past it and crested a small crater ridge just beyond. That’s where the ship landed, in a small port out of sight, but not far away.

The captain came back into the passenger area, told them all about the gravity changes, the effects it would have on them, and, of course, about the dirty air.

“How long will it take us to acclimate?” Kate asked.

“Probably weeks,” he said. “But, you may never feel right.”

When Kate stepped out of the ship and into the small port, she could instantly feel the difference. She coughed several times and had to pause for a minute to recover. He was right, the air was dirty. She could almost taste the grit in her teeth.

This was nothing like the Mars station she visited when she was a child. And she couldn’t quite get the sense of her legs yet either. It was like being at sea, but worse. There was no horizon she could concentrate on.

Kate took her time walking through the small docking bay, and towards another gate. She followed Eric through and into the communication center of the station.

It was small, even smaller than she thought when they landed. But for some reason, she didn’t feel cramped by it.

A long wall of windows to her left was covered with a thin veil of red dust. To her right, several monitoring stations sat on tiered platforms. Screens, buttons, switches and lights covered every surface. Everything in the room had a purpose, not one inch was wasted space.

The group continued to move through the room and exited on the far side. She stepped through the next doorway, and had to squeeze out behind everyone. She wondered if the room was really that small.   

But it wasn’t.

She looked past everyone to see someone on the other side of the room. She did not recognize him. Eric and James turned around to look at her, and they all stepped back to allow her to move forward.

“Hello, Kate.” The man didn’t speak, and she looked around to see where the voice came from. Standing in the corner of the room was Lucas.

She instinctively ran over to him.

“Lucas,” she said. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he told her.

That’s when she took a step back and looked around. She started to wonder if anyone in that room was on her side.

“What’s going on here?” she asked.

“We’ve come to talk with you,” Lucas told her. “Trent didn’t think we should wait for you to come to us.”

“Whose Trent?”

“I am,” the strange man answered, reaching out his hand.

She ignored him, and looked back at Lucas. “What’s going on?”

“We’re afraid,” Lucas told her.

“Afraid of what?”

“We picked up transmission from deep space,” Trent said, stepping forward.

“What transmission?”

“They’re coming, Kate,” he told her. “And, they know you have the box.”

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Different Kind of Team

James entered the kitchen area of the ship, hoping to convince Eric to listen to him. He figured he would have a captive audience while Eric was preparing Kate’s meal. She hadn’t come out of her room since James last spoke to her.

“I told them,” James said.

“Told them?” Eric asked without looking up.

“Told them The Machinists were listening in.”

“Who did you tell?”

“I sent a message to the Alexander compound.”

Eric still did not look up. “How did you do that?”

“I used Kate’s code,” he said. “Some things never change.”

Eric smiled. “I meant, how did you send a secure message?”

“It wasn’t secure,” James admitted. “It’s likely they were listening in.”

Eric stopped preparing the food, and this time looked James in the eye. “I thought if you could listen to them, you could get around their security,” he said.

“I can’t listen to them,” he told him.

“Then how do you know what they’re up to?”

James paused, unsure if he should tell Eric the truth. But, after a moment he realized he had nothing to lose. “I know someone,” he admitted.

Eric set down his utensils and walked right up to James, stopping inches from his face. “So, you have been working with them,” he said.

“No,” James told him. “I met someone after I got here.”

“And why would one of them tell you what they know?” Eric demanded.

“Because I told them what I know.”

“What?” he screamed.

“I told them how to get Lucas,” James said, trying to look away.

“Once a traitor, always a traitor,” he said, then pushed James against the wall.

“I did not do it to betray my family,” James said. “I did it to save them.”

Eric stormed out of the kitchen, and headed down the corridor toward Kate’s room. James quickly followed. “They want to help us,” he tried to tell Eric. “They want to join the fight.”

Eric paused outside Kate’s door as James came running after him. He caught up, and desperately tried to make his case. “Lucas is the one person who might listen to them,” he told Eric. “He’s in no danger. I’ll prove it the moment we land.”

Kate opened the door and looked at the two standing in the corridor.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Eric looked at James, wondering just how to respond.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Friends and Foes

After more than two weeks of silence, Kate was beginning to wane. She thought about talking to James following the first week. Keeping quiet was never her strong suit, and anyone can get antsy watching so time pass in silence.

But that was likely his plan, she thought. He knew the trip to Mars would take almost a month. She couldn’t leave or run away.

That’s when she remembered this was the reason she was sent here. Finding Lucas was ultimately what they wanted, but first they were supposed to find James. Sun predicted that he was on Mars. She thought either he was working with the Machinists and could lead Kate to Lucas, or he would know how to find them.

She was right. He did know.

And, Kate had been too distracted by her anger to use James for this purpose. Remembering this made her feel better. So, instead of being consumed by anger, she began devising a plan of how to get what she needed from James.

This time, she vowed she would use him.

When the dinner alarm sounded she got on the speaker and asked that dinner be brought to her quarters. This was typical of her. And, each time she did James was the one who brought it. He always came with hope in eyes. Hope that maybe she would speak to him.

And, this time was no different. There he was at her door with a plate full of food and hope in his eyes.

She said nothing at first. Then, just as he was about to close the door behind him, she spoke. “Are you working with them?”

James quickly turned back toward her and eagerly answered. “No, I’ve only been watching them.”

“Then you’re a listener, too,” she said.

He laughed. “I suppose I am.”

“So, you are with them.”

“No,” he said in defense. “Not at all. But I believe they want to work with us.”

“Us?”

“I think they want to work with the Alexanders.”

“There is no us. You are not an Alexander,” Kate said.

James left that argument alone – for now. He thought he’d have a better chance of getting back in her good graces if he didn’t argue that point.

“The Machinists are not looking for payback or power. They never were,” he told her.

“What are they looking for?” Kate asked.

“They are trying to convince Lucas to help them form an alliance.”

“What kind of alliance?”

“An alliance with the Alexanders,” James said. “They want an ally in the war against the Nekuia.”

“We’re not even certain there will be a war,” she said.

“Well, The Machinists are.”

“What makes them so certain if we are not?”

“They’ve heard something,” he said. “I don’t think it came from us, I mean, the Alexanders.”

“What do you mean?” she questioned.

“I believe they discovered a message that came directly from the Nekuia.”

“That’s impossible,” Kate declared. “No one has ever heard directly from the Nekuia.”

“I know that they heard something that changed them. And it didn’t come from the Alexanders. It didn’t even come from Earth,” James told her. “Something that frightened them so much that less than a day later, they decided to capture Lucas.”

Chapter Twenty-Two: Cause for Concern

“They were supposed to send word days ago,” she told him.

“I know, but I still think there’s no need for concern.”

“I’d hope that if I were missing for days you would take notice.”

William placed his hands on Sun’s shoulders, and looked her in the eye. “It’s not like you to behave this way,” he said. “What’s really going on?”

Sun swallowed her emotions before she answered. “Suddenly, I’m afraid of losing them both.”

“You sent her after him.”

“I know.”

“Was it not real until they left?” he asked.

“I was trying to do what I thought was best,” she told him. “But after she was gone, I could feel the emptiness.”

William kissed her softly, then pulled her close and held her tight. “I believe they are safe,” he said. “I just know they are.”

Sun smiled at him, and swallowed her emotions one more time before one of the guards entered the balcony.

“They have arrived, m’am.”

“Thank you,” she responded. The two walked inside to the council chamber where the other members had taken there seats for a meeting. Except, of course, for Kate.

As soon as Sun sat down, Maria asked “Where is Kate?”

“She is working, and will not be able to attend the meeting,” Sun told her. “Go ahead with your reports.”

Maria looked around the room, and then started her report first. “The Builder’s Guild has accepted the terms of the contract,” she said. “We will begin construction in three days.”

“The second prototype is almost complete,” Hermes chimed in next. “Io and I solved the power transfer concerns. We will present it to William in exactly one week.”

“Recruitment continues to rise,” William began. “And plans to assemble …” He drifted off as one of the guards entered the council chamber. William watched him walk around the table to Sun, and place a small glass-like square in front of her. It read, “You have an urgent message.”

Sun tried not to look concerned in front of the other members. But she was. Without looking up, she said, “Thank you all, we will adjourn for now.”

She quickly stood up, exited the room, and went directly to her office without even stopping for William to follow. She sat down her desk and opened her communicator.

It was not a live communication, which is what she was hoping for. It was a brief message sent with Kate’s security code.

“They’re listening.”

Chapter Twenty-One: Listen to Me

James slowly approached the door to Kate’s room on the shuttle and knocked. The metal twang echoed throughout and gave everyone notice that he was going to try and speak to her.

She hadn’t said a word since he revealed himself after takeoff.

“Can we speak?” he asked.

Finally, she looked over at him. “Where are you taking us?” she demanded.

“To the Prosperity Ghetto,” he told her. “Isn’t that where you were headed?”

She turned away, and didn’t respond.

“When you’re ready, I have much to tell you about the Machinists and Lucas,” he said, trying to tempt her attention with information.

Still, she did not respond.

He started to walk away, hesitating for a moment at the doorway. But the silence continued, so he headed back to the bridge.

Although, James was only trying to bribe her curiosity by mentioning the Machinists and Lucas, the truth was he really did know a lot. He had been on Mars for months, watching and learning the politics and secrets of Prosperity Ghetto. And, there were many secrets to learn.

The most important thing James discovered about the Machinists was that they listened. They listened to everyone and everything sending out signals around the planet and across the solar system. And in all the system, they were the only ones who were. This was their true gift, finding ways to capture any transmission.

The group had been hiding out in the ghetto for more than a decade, since their leader was executed by the Alexanders. They wanted to keep an eye on things, without making the same mistake twice.

James found out that the incident with Io’s parents was an accident. The group never intended to harm anyone; they only wanted attention to their cause. After their leader was killed, they went underground. They still kept watch over the system and the Alexanders, but had no intention of revealing themselves to anyone.

Then they heard it.

The first transmission about the Nekuia floated across the system, from Jupiter Station to the Alexander compound. It spoke of the Odyssey, and what might have gone wrong. So, they kept listening.

Eventually, they figured out everything. They know something is coming. And they know who it is. What they don’t know is what can be done about it. They need the Alexanders to do that. This is why they kidnapped Lucas. He was the most naïve, the least jaded. They figured he was the most willing to hear the listeners out.

Once James discovered this, he decided to try and make contact with his family. Maybe if he could bring the Machinists and Alexanders together, he could be forgiven. Maybe he could go home. Maybe even Kate would speak to him.

Now, he found himself in the bridge of the shuttle, reviewing life support levels and checking the navigators just waiting for a chance to explain.

For James, the real challenge wasn’t telling Kate what he’d found or his great plan to save everyone. It would be getting her to believe him.

Chapter Twenty: The Second Certainty of Life

Kate spent the day filing her taxes. She cried the entire time.

Chapter Nineteen: In Disguise

By the time Kate and Eric left for Shackleton Base on the moon, the Alexanders were constructing their third prototype ship.

Men and women from every corner of the Earth had volunteered, and the troop sizes were growing daily. It seemed everyone was willing to help the Alexanders get Lucas back. And, the best way to do that with numbers.

“The problem,” Maria pointed out at the last council meeting, “is that I don’t think the people believe they are going to have to fight.”

She explained to the other members that because everyone believed the Machinists were the enemy that in the long run no one was going to have to fight. Just showing up with a big crowd would be enough. After all, the Machinists were not that big of a group.

Maria warned Sun and William. “If they learn that you’ve been hiding something, it could backfire.”

William tried to defend the secrecy, telling the council that once the people realized the Nekuia were coming they would unite.

“But they still have to be convinced they are coming,” Maria added.

“The proof will arrive with the Odyssey,” he said.

“What if the Odyssey does not arrive at all?” she asked.

“That will also be proof.”

“No it won’t,” she told him. “Some people will choose to believe it was a mechanical problem, or that people on board panicked, or anything but an alien race attacking the ship.”

William did not say another word during that meeting. She was right. And, he knew it.

Sun said she would make a decision at the next council meeting, and then adjourned everyone.

Before they parted ways, Kate gave her own warning. “The Machinists already know. It is unclear how they found out or how much they know, but it is clear that the secret is already out. We can either tell the story, or let someone else do that for us.”

She left the next morning.

Kate and Eric traveled on a small cargo vessel under false names. They weren’t trying very hard to hide.

There were two main docking stations at Shackleton Base: one for passengers and one for cargo. The cargo docks also took passengers, but since it was low-key it was easier for the pair to travel incognito.

As the shuttle took off from Earth and headed for the moon, Kate pulled her hood over her face like any other weary traveler, and tried to get some rest.

But all she could do was replay the fight between her and James in her mind. She kept thinking of the moment when she had her blade at his throat.

Did she do the right thing by letting him go? Did she make a mistake? What was he up to?

She got no rest, which made her look even more like a weary traveler when the two finally landed on the moon. There was no grand celebration for the arrival of an Alexander, or even a small security party waiting for them. They disembarked with the others and walked off to catch the next ride.

Kate and Eric slipped through the cargo bay and approached the shuttle that would take them to Mars. This trip would be much longer than the last, so Kate was hopeful this time she would be able to get some rest. She and Eric were the only passengers listed on the manifest, which meant they wouldn’t have to worry about being recognized.

The two started to settle in as the shuttle departed the bay area. One of the pilots emerged from the bridge to greet the passengers, and most likely tell them some basic safety procedures. Kate pulled her hood down a little further over her face. She wondered if Eric would tell them who she was, or just try to play it safe.

As the pilot walked back, she watched him remove his cap like he was trying to be polite. But instead a holographic veil fell away from his face and revealed his true identity.

Kate immediately stood up. It was James.

Chapter Eighteen: Vulnerable

Kate sat cross-legged in the center of the room. Her long brown hair, braided down her back and, like her mother, not one hair was out of place.

Her wrists rested motionlessly on her knees. She was a statue, with her eyes closed and her focus on the future. All the doubts she had about her brother, all the fears she had about herself. She let them all breathe in her mind’s eye just long enough to snuff them out.

Kate could not afford to carry all that baggage with her to Mars. When the last drop of doubt fell away, she lifted her hands and reached forward for her staff, laying on the ground in front of her.

As soon as she laid her hands on it, she tumbled forward and rolled out onto her feet. She stretched forward with her left hand, holding the staff out and reached back with her right foot. Her body was elongated and moved smoothly across the floor.

This began an elaborate dance between her and her staff. She twirled it over her head and underneath her feet. She tumbled across the floor and in a balanced dance that looked more like a ballet than an exercise in hand-to-hand combat.

When she finished she knelt down on the floor and spent a few moments calming her breath and clearing her mind. Then she stood up and headed back to her quarters.

But she didn’t get far.

William was sitting on one of the benches in the atrium outside the council chamber. He stood up as she approached.

“I didn’t have the heart to interrupt you,” he told her. “You’re as graceful as your mother.”

Kate paused, swallowed her pride, and said, “thank you.”

“I wanted to speak to you about a couple of things.”

“What?”

“Well, first I think they’re listening in,” William said. “I don’t believe they have a mole, or Lucas has turned. And I’m certain that James is not with them.”

“How can you be sure?” Kate asked.

“For one,” he began, “they would know more. Just being aware of the Nekuia is nothing compared to the things James knows about this place and this family. Second, he would not have been so willing to surrender before if his treachery had been so deep. Besides – I’d still like to believe in him.”

Kate took a seat on the bench, and William sat down beside her.

“I must admit, I think Lucas sent that message.”

“Do you think they are getting to him?”

“No, I think they mentioned the Nekuia to him, and somehow he was able to send us word,” William continued, “although they might have planned on that. But, I’m certain he believed he was trying to warn us. Not trap us.”

“Do you think James is on Mars?”

“What better place to hide,” he said. “In all the galaxy, it’s the one spot where the people do not care who he is or who he was, the one place that the rest of the system does not care to look at or pay any mind. It is a place where he could hide.”

“Do think he’ll be waiting?” Kate wondered.

“Perhaps.”

“Do I want him to be?”

William laughed. “Perhaps.”

Then he stood up and reached out his hand to Kate. “The other thing I want to show you.”

She took his hand and the two headed off down the long corridor away from the main grounds of the compound.

“Where are we headed?”

“To the hanger,” he said. “The first prototype is complete.”

“The gunship is ready?”

“We test it this afternoon.” 

Chapter Seventeen: The Next Mission

Kate stood in the vestibule to the Alexander Library. The round room housed two glass walls within it, creating a small hallway from one doorway to the next.

Etched into the glass were two family trees. One tree depicted the first several generations of the family. It began with Paul, the one who was first given the box, and all his decedents to the day of the Massacre. The other tree began with the five survivors of the Massacre and their descendents to date, which amounted to only two generations.

Kate’s grandmother was one of those five survivors and her mother was the first born in that new world.

She stared at the tree and slid her finger up the trunk over her grandmother’s name, her mother’s name and her own.

James was next to hers, but her brother would never keep the line going. He was lost to the family. At worst he was a fugitive who would likely face execution if he was ever caught. At best he was a traitor who may spell the end of the Alexanders. Kate was still uncertain.

She wanted to believe he wasn’t working with the Machinists. She wanted to believe he wasn’t telling them about the Nekuia and didn’t help them kidnap Lucas. Even though her mother seemed to think he wasn’t, Kate just couldn’t be sure.

This meant it would be up to her. She’s the only one who could keep her branch of the Alexander family going.

For the first time in her life she felt an obligation to continue the line.

The only person she could think of having a child with was Eric, her bodyguard. She trusted him. And, she did love him.

The entrance doors to the vestibule opened and her bodyguard, Eric, approached. She let her hand drop away from the glass wall, and turned to face him.

“Preparations are underway,” he told her.

“Very well,” she said. “I’ll be in the training room.”

Kate walked away and headed off to work out. She let the thoughts of the family tree fall away as she headed down the corridors toward the training room. She needed to turn her attention to the next mission. She needed to prepare for a different kind of battle.

In just two days, she and Eric would be en route to Mars, in search of James.

Chapter Sixteen: The Root of the Problem

“We can’t be sure if they know anything,” William said. “All of this is speculation until we’ve completed the trace.”

“When will that happen?” Sun asked.

“By tomorrow,” he responded.

“Very well,” she said. “Then we wait.”

“But what happens if they do know?” Maria asked.

“How could they?” Fernando added.

The room went quiet. Not a whisper could be heard across the chamber council. Everyone waited for a response from Sun when Maria suddenly spoke up.

“It’s true Lucas could have been turned,” she admitted. She had already considered that his inexperience could make him an easy target for the Machinists. But, everyone knew what Fernando meant.

The most obvious way the Machinists would know about the Nekuia was if someone told them, someone like James.

“We may think we know,” Sun began. “But it would unwise to make any assumptions. It could be the obvious choices, or it could be someone we’ve never considered.”

She was careful not to mention the name.

“They could also have some kind of technology that allows them to eavesdrop on our conversations,” William suggested. “Even if they told us it was someone specific, we can’t trust that.”

He was also careful not to mention any names. “If Trent is anything like his father, he’s deceitful and captivating,” he added.

“If he’s anything like his father, Lucas is already dead,” Fernando interjected.

Sun did not say a word, but immediately stood up and walked away. She left the council chamber without another word spoken.

No one ran after her either. She quickly crossed the main entrance hall outside the council chamber and headed into the library.

Walking quickly past the Alexander family trees in the vestibule, the shelves and shelves of ancient paper books, the displays of by-gone printers, and into the depths of the library where the office of the Librarian was located. She approached the large wooden door and placed her hand on the glass panel beside it. A small communicator window appeared just above the panel.

Kate looked at her mother, and the large door opened. The screen with Kate’s face in it disappeared, and Sun headed down the long hallway. Before she reached its end, another large wooden door opened.

Kate sat at her desk, surrounded by small screens and large, paper books. One of those screens still showed the inside of the council chamber.

“I take it the meeting is over,” she said.

“It is,” Sun responded. With that Kate switched off her communicator and the screen went black.

“Fernando is just as crass as usual,” Kate added.

“He’s socially inept, but good with numbers,” Sun responded. “I want to ask you a favor.”

Kate stopped working, and looked up at her mother. “You never ask for favors,” she said.

“No, I don’t. But this is different.”

“What’s going on?”

“I’m asking because I know this is a task you don’t want, but you are the best and most reliable person for it,” Sun told her.

“For what?” Kate asked.

“I believe James is on Mars, and I want you to find him.”

Chapter Fifteen: Message in a Bottle

“We don’t know what they want,” Maria said.

“They’ve made no demands?”

“No,” she said. “They only said he is with them, and he is safe.”

The leaders of the Builder’s Guild sat on Maria’s communicator as if they were sitting in her office. She could see every wrinkle on their faces, every ounce of their fears, and every doubt in their minds.

“Is that exactly what they said?” one of the members asked.

“Why?” she wondered.

“Could he be with them?” he continued. “As in, on their side.”

“Absolutely not,” she responded. “We think that’s what they were trying to imply. Maybe they are simply trying to deceive us; maybe they just need to buy some time.”

“Time for what?”

“Time to prevent us from preparing for war,” she said. “The truth is we don’t know. But we need to be ready for anything. The one thing we know about the Machinists is that they are dangerous and they have no trouble murdering people.”

“We are only builders, Maria,” one of the members said to her. “We are not soldiers.”

“We don’t want you to be soldiers; we are only asking you to build. Build ships, great ships we can use to defend ourselves, ships we can use to defend the people. Even ships we can use to fight back.”

“We will help,” the leader said. He was a tall man with a thin face and sallow cheeks.

“We’re putting together a plan,” Maria told him.

“What kind of plan?” he asked.

“A rescue plan,” she said.

“Good,” one of the members barked out.

“What do you mean ‘good’? If we want to discover their plan of attack, we can’t send in a rescue team and hope for best,” another member shouted out in response. “We need to find out what weapons they have before we can take them on.”

“There is no action without planning,” the leader stated. “Let us start from the beginning and worry about the endgame if we get there.”

No one responded or shouted out.

“We will build your ships,” he told her. “Be well.”

“And you,” she said.

With that the communication ended. Maria sat back in her chair, placed her hand over her forehead, and tried to imagine what Lucas was going through.

He had been protected and sheltered his entire life. Not once did difficulty knock at his door. Until the day his father came home and said he had cancer.

With all the technology and advances humans had seen and discovered since the box arrived on Earth, cancer was still a something that had not been conquered. The box revealed secrets about the universe, secrets about physics, but it was not written by humans. It was not built by beings who knew the secrets of human anatomy.

That was still something humans needed to learn on their own. And cancer was something no one had learned enough about.

It was still something any person could die from. And Lucas’s father did. It was the first taste of real life Lucas ever experienced. Less than a year ago, he was suddenly sitting on the council with no real understanding of what that meant. He only understood it was a task he could not walk away from.

Maria wondered how someone so naïve would survive surrounded by some of the toughest men in the solar system, a world away from his own. She could only imagine him being swallowed whole by the Machinists.

That’s when the beep sounded. It echoed between her office walls like a siren, reminding her she had a message waiting. She finally opened the message. It was from Lucas, and it was only one sentence long.

“They know about the Nekuia.”

She was motionless, soundless, even thoughtless. What did that mean? Who knows about the Nekuia? The Machinists?

And was the message really from Lucas? Not just anyone could send her a message through that system, but it could still be accessed by a handful of people. And Lucas was kidnapped. He was naïve and weak enough in Maria’s mind to be taunted, to be tortured, to be turned.

The first thing she did was turn on her communicator and ask for William.

Chapter Fourteen: United We Stand

The family was coming together. Maybe it was the Nekuia, or maybe it was Lucas. Something inspired the Alexander clan to unite.

Most of them were too young to remember, but things hadn’t been this collaborative since the Massacre. A generation ago a small group raided the compound and killed most of the family. After that everyone worked together to rebuild, support each other and make the family great again.

This time they came together for different reasons. They knew someone was coming. They knew there was an enemy at the door. So, this time, they came together to defend. The point was to protect before anyone was lost, not to rebuild after they were already taken.

And Lucas was foremost on everyone’s mind.

The Machinists, who kidnapped Lucas, had taken him to their base on Mars. There was only one place on that planet where a group like the Machinists could grow and organize without so much as a rumor slipping out about their existence – the Prosperity Ghetto.

This was the area where the first colony was built. The first planet humans settled. When the Moon was still just a hub, people came to Mars. It soon lost its charm and began to erode until those looking for a place to hide called it home.

This was the one place in the solar system they could hide.

The Machinists believed the Alexanders lied about the box, lied about how they got it, and how it worked. They thought it should be something the world could access, not just one family.

But they were wrong. Only an Alexander could open the library stored within it. It was always meant to be limited. It was always meant to help humans ask the right questions, never to present them with the right answers.

The family knew this. They had been learning how to use the box for hundreds of years, and had just begun to understand its purpose – to help the human race survive.

But if the Alexanders were going to save anyone today, they wanted it to be Lucas.

The first step was to look for allies on the red planet. In order to mount a rescue, they were going to need friends. Maria, the Ambassador, worked her magic and a special team of soldiers was assembled for the task.

While they studied Mars, the ghetto and the history of the group, Hermes and the Engineering Panel continued their own projects.

These projects were the first steps in a war against an unseen enemy. An enemy the Alexanders could not see or hear or touch. The Nekuia only really existed inside the box. These mysterious beings from another world haunted them like ghosts. They knew the Nekuian system existed and, according to the box, there was a dangerous race of beings in that system, a race that only wanted to destroy everyone else in the galaxy.

The Alexander clan could not prove the Nekuia were real or even dangerous. All they could do was prepare for the worst, prepare to defend themselves.

The first blueprints for warships were complete. The factories to build these machines were already under construction. And the army grew larger everyday.

The family continued to prepare for battle, continued to work together. They had one enemy they could see and one they could not. Somehow seeing just one enemy, the Machinists, was enough to support both theaters. At least, for now.

Chapter Thirteen: To Know the Enemy

William pushed forward again. He swung high, but was blocked. He swung low, and was blocked again. Then he tried to stab forward, sending out a small bolt of electricity to shock his opponent.

But she knew all his tricks, and had already tumbled backwards gracefully and well out of reach.

Then Sun was on the attack. With William outstretched, she hit his staff hard to knock him off balance. She swung her glowing hot staff low, hoping to singe the tops of his shoes. But he had used the momentum she gave him from hitting his staff, and turned away just in time.

She continued to swing around, this time higher, and hit him square on the shoulder, but he blocked her. For a moment, that’s where they stood, facing each other. Her glowing staff only inches from his left shoulder. His staff starting to gain back electricity, glimmered as he held it straight up down his left side.

They were both breathing hard from the battle and glistening with sweat. Sun smiled, and William began to lean in for a kiss.

Suddenly the doors to the training room opened, and Kate walked in. William and Sun smiled at each other again, then backed away to face their guest.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have news that cannot wait,” she told them.

“Go ahead,” Sun told her.

“Hermes suggested we consult the box for designs for a gunship.”

“Yes, we know,” William said.

“His question was far simpler than you and I discussed.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” he responded.

“He instructed Maria to ask for battleships, specifically to fight the Nekuia. He thought that if the beings who gave us the box intended to help us fight them, they might have had such designs. And they did.”

“What do mean specifically designed to fight the Nekuia?” Sun asked.

“The ones who gave us the box, they knew how to fight them. They just didn’t have the time to build an army,” Kate told them. “The Nekuia have a weakness, and now we know what it is.”

Chapter Twelve: Down the Rabbit Hole

Lucas woke up. Again, not knowing where he was. He remembered talking to the leader of Machinists. He remembered finding out who Trent was, and how he revived the group. Then they hit him with the sonic sleeper for the second time two days. And his ears were already starting to hurt.

He sat up and looked around. The room was small. One bed was up against the wall and a toilet sat in the opposite corner. It had no doors, no windows.

His heartbeat and his breath quickened. He’d seen plenty of rooms before that had no visible doors. But sitting there in an unknown place with no visible exit was almost too much for the young Alexander.

Lucas was just about to give in to his paranoia when a crack appeared in one of the walls. He started to calm the moment it did. Just knowing it existed was enough.

The crack grew vertically, then hit a corner and turned, creating a long rectangle. The door opened and Trent walked through.

“Hello, son,” he said.

Lucas looked up at him. “If you hit me again with the sleeper, you could damage my eardrums permanently,” he told him.

“As long as I have a choice, I won’t,” Trent said.

“And you didn’t have a choice the last time?”

“That’s a long story,” he said, taking a seat on the bed. “I’ve told your family we have you in custody.”

“In custody?”

“I am your custodian, and I will look after you.”

“You mean you have me held prisoner.”

“We only want to speak with you, Lucas.”

“About what?”

“The Nekuia,” Trent said bluntly.

“What?” Lucas asked. He was shocked that Trent even knew that word, that name. He tried to play off his surprise by acting like he did not know the word either. “The what?”

“We both know they exist,” Trent said. “But, unfortunately, not much more than that. That’s why you’re preparing for war.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s Ok. You don’t have to admit anything,” Trent told him. Then he reached out his hand. “Come with me. I’ll show you what I know. Then you will know we’re on the same team.”

“We’ll never be on the same team,” Lucas said coldly. “You’re murderers and we’re not.”

“Just come with me, son.” And he stretched out his hand a bit farther. Lucas hesitated at first, but then reached out and grabbed it.

The two exited the room together and Lucas found himself traveling down another long hallway. At the end was a sealed door. Trent opened it and the two walked through into a large room with windows, lots of windows.

Lucas could just see the light exploding on the other side of the door, but when he walked through he stopped dead in his tracks. He walked straight up to the wall of windows and just stood there, staring.

The vast red desert stretched out before him, and he knew. He finally knew exactly where he was. And which planet he was on.

Chapter Eleven: The King Has Returned

Five humans and one android sat in the council chamber and discussed how to protect the two members who were not there, along with everyone else in the solar system.

Io was bound for Jupiter Station where a dangerous alien race could soon attack. Lucas had been kidnapped by political fanatics from Earth who had already assassinated two members of the Alexander family.

“We must prepare for war,” William warned the group.

“If we just start building an army the people will rebel,” Maria responded.

“Rebel against what?” Kate asked. “We’re not anyone’s leader.”

“Everyone on Earth looks up to this family,” Maria said. “You know that.”
“I don’t care what they look to,” William interrupted. “If we want anyone to survive, we must prepare to fight the Nekuia.”

“He’s right,” Fernando suddenly interjected. “Maybe they’ll come next week, maybe next year. Either way, we need to begin preparing our defenses now. Or we’ll end up just like the race of beings that gave us that box.”

With that, everyone in the room sat back in their seats and kept silent – except for Sun Alexander, the council chair.

She leaned forward, and sat up straight.

“William, you will continue with your preparations. Only, I want you to double your recruiting quota. You will also create an engineering panel. Hermes, will lead the group,” Sun said.

“You want me to lead the panel?” Hermes questioned. After all, he was an android. He was Io’s companion and had been from the first moment she began building him. It wasn’t unheard of for androids to earn positions of power on Earth. But, it was still unusual.

“Yes. You can consult Io, and keep everyone on track. Your job will be to create gunships, warships. Our focus, for so many years, has been transports. It’s time we started making a different kind of ship.”

“Yes, mam,” Hermes said.

“Kate, you will keep in contact with them and be ready to craft any question that can help. They will have full access to the box, but they will need your help to use it. That box is a library, let’s start using it again.”

“I’ve also come across some old plans for a warship created during the first Battle for the Library,” Kate offered up. “It was never built, but it has some brilliant design details. It could help.”

“Good.”

Kate watched her mother continue to dole out orders. She told Maria to tell the people that the Machinists were back, and they had taken Lucas hostage. No one knew about Lucas. The Machinists had not made contact. But everyone on the planet would take notice. And, most important, they would all believe that it was the reason for the increase in military action.

Then Sun demanded Fernando, the Administrator, simply find a way to pay for everything. No matter the costs, he must find a way. He agreed without hesitation.

Everyone agreed. No one hesitated. Not even Sun who for weeks had struggled to regain her confidence.

When her son, James, betrayed the family and plotted its demise, she was unable to quickly rebound. The matriarch that had once ruled the family was gone, and a weakened version of her sat at the head of the council chamber meetings.

But, tonight that woman was gone, and Sun was back. She sat at that same table, and took control. She made a plan, she gave out instructions and she led the family.

Kate was finally starting to admire her mother again. Then a guard knocked at the chamber door, and entered.

“What is it?” Sun asked.

“You requested I interrupt if we received word,” the guard said.

“They have contacted us?”

“The leader of the Machinists is waiting on the communicator, m’am. He said his name is Trent,” the guard told her.

“Thank you,” Sun responded.

“M’am,” he continued. “There’s just one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“He looks very familiar.”

Chapter Ten: A Brave New World

Lucas slammed his head against the floor of the vehicle when it hit the bump. It woke him up. He kept blinking, rubbing his eyes and then slowly sat up.

He looked around trying to figure out where he was and what had happened.

The vehicle he was in was large, like the old transports. Some makeshift shelving and cages had been added to the sides, and the seats were two simple benches.

Four men sat up front, facing forward. No one turned around to notice him. They were all wearing the same uniforms as the reclamation company that worked for the Alexanders.

That's when he remembered what happened.

He was headed to an outside garden in the Alexander compound for a meeting with Fernando when one of the guards came by. He told Lucas that Fernando changed the meeting location to one of he shuttle bays and wanted him to escort Lucas there.

A shipment of historical artifacts had arrived and Fernando wanted their authenticity verified before he could pay for them.

It seemed a bit strange, but Lucas had no reason to doubt a guard in the Alexander army. Lucas was not one to doubt anyone but himself.

As he approached the shuttle bay he saw men in the reclamation uniforms working in the bay. It seemed logical to see them there. But almost the very second he stepped inside the bay area, he was hit him from behind with a sonic sleeper.

All he could do now was watch and wait. With a sleeper, he could have been out for hours or days. He could be anywhere on the planet. There was no way to know.

Lucas pulled his knees up to his chest, and hugged them. It was cold in the vehicle, but that wasn't the only reason. He was alone.  

Finally it stopped moving and three of the men got out. The fourth turned around and looked at Lucas, but said nothing. Then the back doors opened. One of the men took Lucas by the arm and guided him out.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. The air was cold and stale.

Then he looked around and could see down a long hallway until it disappeared around a corner. The floors, walls and ceiling looked like stone. Two of the men lead the way, and the other two just stared at Lucas until he followed. He could tell with the first step that he wasn’t walking on stone. The floor had some give to it.

They headed down the hallway and around the corner where Lucas could see a doorway at the end.

Still no one spoke to him.

The men opened the hatchway door at the end of the hall, and everyone stepped into a small room. Once the hallway was sealed off, the men opened a second door on the opposite wall. The air hissed through the hatchway. The air smelled different, better. And Lucas could feel the change in pressure. It forced him to step back and one of the men immediately pushed him back.

Everyone stepped through the second hatchway and into a large room with metal walls and no windows. As soon as Lucas crossed the threshold he could see  group of men and women standing in one corner. The man standing in front of the group looked familiar, but Lucas couldn’t place him at first.

He rubbed his eyes again, and took a long look. Then it hit him. He thought he was looking at the leader of the Machinists the Alexanders executed all those years ago. But it couldn’t be him. That man died. Lucas was sure of it.

Then he spoke.

“My name is Trent. And don’t worry, I’m not a ghost,” the man told Lucas. “I’m just his son.”