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.