The Circadia Chronicles: Omnibus: The Complete Colonization Sci-Fi Series

by Heather Heckadon

  Derek and Smith nodded, then stopped to look around and take in their surroundings. To submerge yourself in this world of gems and otherworldly beauty was a nice step back from the world outside. Not that the outside world wasn’t beautiful, but it was stressful. I hoped that one day that would be different, but even then, I had always needed a place to get away from everything. This place would always be that for me.

  It took a long time to reach the bottom of the crater with all of us being ever so careful to not fall backwards down the wall. When we reached the group of people at the center, setting up camp, it was heartbreaking. Tears fell from a lot of faces, but not enough. I stood back to do a quick head count and was baffled by the number I came up with. Forty-two. We had forty-two people left out of the sixty we had back at headquarters. My breath caught, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. I collapsed to the ground on both of my hands and knees, trying to catch air. Just breathe, I told myself.

  Finally taking a full breath of air, my lungs filled and the tears ran from my face onto the bejeweled ground, casting shadows of tears onto the other jewels and surrounding ground, multiplying. When I finally looked up, I realized everyone was looking to me. The struggle inside myself to hide was overwhelming, but when I looked around, I had a thought. No one else is going to stand up, it has to be you. You got them here, now get them out.

  Standing up, I took a deep breath in and looked to the sky. Earth stared back at me and granted me the courage to continue on. “Once again, Leslie has taken everything from us.” I let silence hang in the air for a few moments. “He’s taken part of our family. I’m so sorry for your losses. I understand, some of those bonds can never be replaced.” A tear ran down my face. I truly did understand. “And I don’t know about you, but I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want you to take it anymore. I don’t want anyone to take it anymore. I’ve had enough. We’ve given chances. We’ve given them the option out, and they didn’t want it. I’m tired of giving chances. I'm tired of giving them the upper hand. I’m tired of playing by the rules! I say we take action. Tonight. While it’s dark. While they least expect it. Without warning. Without regret. We go into their camp tonight, while they’re sleeping, and we end this. Once and for all. Who’s with me?” When I finished talking, I was out of breath. Huffing now. I wasn’t sure if it was the panic earlier, or the adrenaline coursing through my veins, but I knew I didn’t mind.

  Facing the smaller crowd now in front of me, I didn’t see any reservation. All of them nodded slowly, until they all seemed completely on board. One raised his fist in the air, and the rest followed. Their symbols of unity, the imperfect three intertwined circles, on each of their arms, raised high. It was power. Unity.

  THERE WASN’T MUCH PLANNING necessary for this attack. It was simple. Go in quietly, do the deed quietly. Leave quietly if there was anyone left. To kill someone in their sleep felt animalistic, and somehow colder than fighting someone in hand-to-hand combat. They had no chance. There was no game to be played. They just lost without knowing it. And despite the lack of planning, there was still a lot of discussion.

  People had moral difficulties with it, as did I. There were in-depth discussions about whether it was right or wrong. What circumstances made it right or wrong. Or whether we cared. Basically, everyone came to the same conclusion, that no matter their moral obligation, it was necessary and we had no other choice. It weighed heavy on our thoughts, but it didn’t stop us.

  WE WAITED THROUGH THE day for the time to come for us to go. We had to wait until curfew at Leslie’s camp, and then a little bit after to give people time to settle in and fall asleep. People shared whatever food they had and became a community once again. Runs to the lake to gather water were quick and efficient, and before we knew it, dark had settled over us. It was time.

  “Everyone gather around,” I said. People stopped talking and left their groups to form a circle around me. Once everyone was ready and listening, I spoke again. “Everyone knows what we’re doing here. Right or wrong, we’re all in this together. This is for Circadia. This is for the hope of a better world. Like we said, we don’t need a plan this time around. We just have to get out there to do it. Everyone ready?”

  People nodded in agreement. I turned around to grab my axe and began scaling the crater wall. Behind me, I heard people grabbing their weapons and tools, and they began to walk towards me. With a jolt, the footsteps behind me became inaudible due to the overwhelming noise of an explosion. Noticing the glinting light off of the jewels, I looked up into the sky to see a spacecraft entering our atmosphere. Rapidly shooting a glance towards the space team, I asked, “Are we supposed to be expecting anyone right now?”

  “...not us,” they answered.

  Turning my attention back to the sky, I watched as the parachute deployed, illuminated by the lights from the craft and landed remotely near Leslie’s camp. It was apparent the craft was carrying cargo and not people by the sheer size and the lack of windows. It looked just like the cargo hull they had sent before we arrived, silver and almost falling apart because it was cheaply put together, but this one was bigger.

  I stopped climbing and pivoted to look at Smith, who was having a lot of difficulty, and Jane just behind me. “This changes things,” I said.

  Chapter Thirteen

  We were invisible as we crawled on the ground through the woods. The tall flower weed and brush covered us under a blanket of darkness. Smith, Jane, and I were the only ones that left the crater to investigate. Everyone else stayed behind so we didn’t attract too much attention. Although, we figured most of Leslie and the crew’s attention would be on their new hull.

  Inching closer to the forest edge, we could hear their cheers. The sound of their joy brought about dread in my chest, and I knew we were in trouble. I didn’t know what that craft contained, but I knew it wasn’t going to be good for us or Circadia.

  We watched as they hauled a large wooden box as tall as most of the men next to it. Once it was removed from the large ship, they all gathered around the box and began to pry it open. So many men gathered around the large object that we were unable to see what was inside when they began to open it. As the whooping and hollering grew louder, we could only assume that they had got the box open. Visualization was unnecessary though, we realized, once we heard the engine roar. As the commotion grew louder, the crowd dispersed to show an ATV turning on its headlights and lurching forward.

  We all jumped with surprise. “Oh, what the hell?” Smith muttered. “What are we supposed to do about those?”

  “Nothing...” I replied. I had no more words than just that.

  They were mobile now. We had no idea how many there were, but we knew we had lost the fight. There wasn’t even a fight to be had. Watching as the army high fived and shouted their victory cries, I knew we were done. We would be running and hiding from now on. I turned my head towards Smith and Jane. I watched their eyes dart around, scared. Sweat ran from their brows, and their knuckles were both white from clenching. They were my friends, and seeing their eyes, made me want to melt.

  I had been so consumed with seeking revenge for everyone we lost, especially Garrett, that I’d forgotten those around me. They were important to me too. They deserved a fighting chance, and we weren’t going to find it here. Not now. I waved my hand at them to come with me. Sneaking back through the woods undetected, everything became clear.

  Once we were out of earshot, I looked to Jane and Smith. “Everything just got a lot easier for them,” I said. “We need to move.”

  “What’dya mean move?” asked Jane.

  “Yeah...” Smith said.

  “I mean the crater isn’t far enough away from them to stay safe. They’re going to find us. They’re not worried about being ambushed anymore. They’re not going to be tired anymore. They’re going to be relentless.”

  “We don’t even know what lies beyond the crater though, right?” Smith asked.

  “Nope,” Jane said.

 
“No... We don’t know. But we’re gonna have to find out. I know that’s scary, but I don’t see any other options. All we can do is use the softphone to continue to call for help from Earth and stay hidden for now. Until we can get the ship going to leave. I don’t want to, but what else are we supposed to do? We don’t have time or the manpower to fight this...” I said. The words burned coming out of my mouth. Maybe it was from talking so much lately, or breathing heavy from running and sneaking, or maybe it just made me sick to speak the words.

  “Sometimes knowing when to quit is half the battle,” Smith said. His eyes met mine, and I knew he was trying to tell me it was okay to let go, but I still struggled. “Sometimes it’s the braver thing to do.”

  Jane piped in, “You’re right.” Looking at Smith she nodded, her blonde hair bobbing up and down. “We got your back, Aella.” She looked at me, and I knew she stood with me no matter what. The feeling was power, even in our weakest moment, and I knew then I was making the right choice. We were making the right choice. “But,” she said, “how are we going to fit everyone on that ship? They said it will only fit so many people.”

  “We aren’t,” I answered.

  Smith’s eyes went wide, panning to my face to gauge my reaction. Jane did the same, but I knew they knew just as well as I did, that was the only option. “How are we going to choose who goes, and who stays?”’ Smith asked.

  “I would say that decision will probably already be made for us when we get there. I hate saying that, but I don’t know how many of us will be left by that time. If there are too many of us at that point, I know I’ll stay behind to help people here. I’m sure there will be quite a few other volunteers to stay as well. I don’t know if you remember how rough the launch from Earth was here, but people didn’t handle that well, and this ride is going to be a lot worse. Some people will refuse to go just for that reason. Either way, we will sort it out, and it will be fair,” I said.

  “Sounds good to me, better than Leslie’s version of picking the elite for sure,” Jane said. “We better get outta here though, or no one’s going to make it very far.”

  “Let’s go back to the crater and tell everyone to pack up. We need to be gone by morning,” I said.

  BACK AT THE CRATER, not everyone was as supportive, but they followed orders and packed up. Just before leaving, I grabbed the softphone and called a local news crew from back home in Chicago. I was told that my phone call was not priority and that I could leave a voicemail. At first, I wanted to hang up out of anger, but instead, I waited for the tone to start my message. I thought for a moment, then spoke. “My name is Aella Toms. I was one of the first colonists on our neighboring planet, Circadia. My friends and I are here and we’re in trouble. Leslie Marshal has become a dictator here and has hired an army to eradicate us. We are holding on for as long as we can, but we are losing hope. We need help,” I said. “Please.”

  I disconnected the softphone and looked around at my surroundings. I wondered briefly if that would be the last time someone from Earth would hear my voice and whether or not they would even care. Wondering what life was like on Earth at the moment was a distraction I wasn’t sure I needed or regretted. It could be one of two ways. One, they could be happy living their lives and blissfully ignorant to our efforts and hardships here on Circadia, or two, it could still be hell from the fallout of the nuclear war, with the world leaders aware of our turmoil without a care for our safety or the future of Circadia. It was difficult to think about the stark differences of the two situations and be completely oblivious to the truth, but Regardless, I began the trek up the crater walls with my colleagues towards an unknown part of the new world. For better or worse.

  Reaching the top, I looked up to see the entire group waiting for me, parting to make a way to the front to lead. I stood up and forged ahead. I waded through the darkness, the brush in front of us only illuminated by the faint light of the half moon and Earth’s lights. Every step was a struggle and walking quickly became exhausting. We were blind.

  Stopping for a break, everyone panted and drank from their canteens that had been fashioned out of the scrap metal laying around from the breaking apart of the pods which had brought us here. Barely able to see the faces of the people directly in front of me, I gave up. I sat down in the dark without talking, as did everyone else. We sat like that for a good while, until we heard the engines again. Far enough away to not worry, but close enough to get moving again. Trudging ahead, we were silent as we listened to the ATVs search the woods we once inhabited.

  I imagined Leslie’s crew finding the crater and realizing that we were no longer there. The image of their growls and screams became vivid. The thought of them trying to figure out what our next move would have been plagued me, and I urged the group to move faster. “We need to move,” I said.

  Smith gave me a sideways glance.

  “What?” I asked.

  “People are trying as hard as they can. They’re moving as fast as they can. It’s dark, the terrain is rough...” he said.

  “Smith, do you not get it?” I asked. I was offended and upset. “If they find us, not only do we lose Circadia, but we’re probably dead. Do you get that?”

  “Yes, I get it. Everyone here gets it. Everyone here is scared just like you. Just know that they’re trying their best and keep encouraging them. If you’re gonna be their leader, you have to stay strong. Even when you’re scared. Do you get that?” he asked.

  While what he said pissed me off, I got it. He was right. I just hated hearing it from him. I needed to stay calm and be an example. Moving to the front of the group, I yelled, “Let’s go, guys! We got this, we just gotta keep moving and they can’t touch us! I know you’re scared but we’re fine. We just have to keep moving!” Everyone welcomed the encouragement and moved a little faster behind me. Throwing a glance towards my back, I caught a grin sliding across Smith’s face.

  Walking for hours upon hours, the scenery of Circadia unveiled itself the best it possibly could in the days of darkness. The skitters scurried through the trees, their eyes glowing yellow in the few lights we shined to lead us. We walked passed many lakes along their banks, and along the creeks, occasionally glimpsing movement in the water from an unknown source.

  “Stay out of the water,” I yelled back. No one answered or asked questions, they just nodded and kept moving.

  Once the group groaned to a slow crawl, I finally caved. We were no longer making any progress, just grinding our bodies into the dust without reason. Smith caught up with me from the back of the pack the best he could, limping the entire way. “You think it’s time to stop?” he asked. His face was red and he was guarding his left hip with his hand.

  I stopped and looked him over. Glancing over towards the rest of the group, many appeared worse than him. “Yeah,” I said. “We probably better stop for the time being.”

  “Alright everyone,” Smith called out, “we’ll stop here and make camp. Don’t get too comfortable, we’ll be moving again soon.”

  Groaning and moaning from the group commenced as they began to make themselves as comfortable as possible in the tall flower weed. Supervising as everyone laid their heads down for a rest, it was pleasing to see that the flower weed concealed almost all signs of the entire group while they stayed low to the ground.

  Creeping away from the rest of the group, I scaled the slightly taller hill just beyond the trees to gain a vantage point while still being covered by the tall weeds. I wasn’t tired.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Looking up through the trees into the sky, I stared at the large globe that was Earth. It seemed so familiar, yet so distant. I thought about what life would be like on Earth now that things had changed. We had lived off of nothing, experienced the worst of human nature, and were about to ship off back towards an Earth that was overpopulated with assholes just like Leslie. For a moment, I felt terrible for thinking that, there were still good people in the world and I knew that, but then I remembered that
even just one person with evil intent could have so much power over the many that were good and I didn’t feel so bad anymore.

  I knew it was something we could never change. It made me hesitant to go back, but we had no other choice. We had exhausted every other option. We had fought our fight, and we had lost. The only hope we had at redemption now, was telling everyone back on Earth what a terrible person Leslie Marshal was, and what he had done, and hope for some justice.

  I longed for the chance already, to come back to Circadia and try again. As crazy as it sounded, I would do it all over again if I was just given the opportunity. I would go into it knowing what I know now though, and I briefly wondered how that would have changed my journey this go around. Knowing what I knew now, I could pick out a few things I knew I would have done differently: the first being to open up to people more and make more friends. Even though there were bad people in the universe, people were what made everything worth it. Friendships, teams, and having a tribe to call your own couldn't even be described. The sense of belonging was huge, and if I had a second chance, I would have gotten to know more people and made more friends. The friendships I had would have been stronger, and the love I had would have been more engrossing. I would have let myself be more open to the idea, and invested more time in it. Especially now, knowing that I would lose it.

  Gazing up into the sky once again, I made a vow to myself. I would come back here one day. I would make Circadia a new world, full of people who wanted to be here for the right reasons, to create a new way of life. One where happiness was a given and self-sustainability was a requirement. Earth’s lights twinkled as if in approval. I looked back down at the ground and smiled to myself. It was time to start over.

  Then, a flash of light from above illuminated the ground below me, and I quickly shot my eyes up towards the sky. Rising just above the tree line, I saw a bright blast of light rising high into the night. I reached up to guard my eyes with my forearms until the light dimmed enough to see what was happening. It was our ship. Blasting to a million pieces. What the hell? Who was on our ship? I could hear the rest of the group panicking, trying to figure out who was on the ship. I ran down from the high ground to join in the commotion. Quickly, we realized a few of our members were missing. After lots of arguing and questioning, the only people found to be missing was two men from the space crew. They must have been scared to try and pack everyone onto the ship. It was going to be risky, and they weren’t willing to take the risk. They were deserters. We were undoubtedly stuck here on Circadia now.