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

by Heather Heckadon

  “Yeah, really. I shouldn’t be a part of this. I don’t live here. I live on Circadia. This isn’t my war. It’s theirs—the people who live here. This is their fight. I don’t need to question whether what I’m doing is right or wrong. All I’m morally obligated to do is show them the facts. What they do with that information is their decision.” I felt immense relief as a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I’d been unsure of what I should be doing this entire time on Earth or if what I was doing was right, but now I knew. I knew where I was supposed to be and what I needed to do. “I’m going back to Circadia.”

  She giggled. “You’re delusional, aren’t you? You realize that Circadia belongs to The Divinity, right?”

  “Will you stop me from going?”

  She sat silent for a moment. “No. I won’t stop you from going back to Circadia. However, I want you to understand that you have no entitlement to the lands there. When we need them, we will take them.”

  I nodded. “Understood.”

  She threw her hands up. “Well! That was easy enough. See? We just needed to talk woman to woman.” Her face wore a victorious smile, and she extended an arm to shake hands.

  I shook her hand confidently. The Divinity soldiers escorted me back to my plane where Jane and Chris waited anxiously inside with their faces pressed to the windows. My escort knocked on the door until it opened and the steps lowered for me. I told them thank you and said goodbye. Once I was inside, the entrance closed behind me. Everyone rushed to their seats and Jones went to the cockpit.

  It was silent until we were in the air and headed in our previous direction. Jane was the first to speak; her voice almost a yell. “What happened back there?”

  “We reached an agreement.”

  “An agreement?” Chris prompted. “What kind of agreement?”

  “For starters, we’re going back to Circadia.”

  The cabin erupted with Chris’s and Jane’s exclamations. “What?” they yelled in unison.

  “I told her we’re going back to Circadia, which is true. I need to speak with the Herrold brothers immediately. We have to go back to Mumbai. Who wants to tell the pilot?” I looked at both of them and quickly realized neither of them was going to do so. I rose from my seat and walked down the aisle to inform Jones of our change of plans. I smiled and closed the door to the cockpit behind me.

  When I emerged, Chris was waiting for me. “You can’t do this!” he pleaded.

  “Yes, I can. And you’re going to help me, Chris.” I patted him on the shoulder and walked back to take my seat.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  When we arrived back at the base, the staffers greeted us and escorted everyone to the main building through the darkness cast by the clouds of debris overhead. The brothers stood in the conference room with a familiar guest to meet with us.

  "Hello, Aella. Back so soon?” Ross asked.

  "Yeah, change of plans. Axel Cason, so nice to finally meet you." I extended my hand to shake with the man I'd been trying to meet this whole time.

  "Nice to meet you as well," he said. "You're not easy to find, about like me, so I figured I would wait for you here. Your channel is almost bigger than mine now. Figured it was time for me to post an interview. You know, before I lose any more views." His smug smile said it all. He was happy to be here whether he'd admit it or not. The unbiased news reporting had suited him well for the most part, but not this time. This time, I could tell there was personal motivation.

  I laughed and looked at Phillip. "I have a lot to speak to you about before my interview if you have the time."

  "Why me?" Phillip asked.

  "Jane shared some information about some previous projects here. I think they're still valuable, and I'd like to discuss reinstating one of the programs."

  His eyebrows raised and his eyes went wide. "She's talked to you extensively then?" His cheeks turned the brightest shade of pink.

  I winked. "Yeah, she tells me everything, but only the good stuff!" The snort that came from my nose was appalling as I cracked up at my joke.

  "Well, then." He pursed his lips. "We can speak in my office. Ross should probably accompany us. These ideas and plans were as much his as they were mine."

  Ross nodded and shook hands with Axel. He followed Phillip toward the office, which left Axel and me alone in the empty room. We made eye contact and held it for a moment until I turned to follow them.

  Upon entering the office, I noticed the two brothers appeared nervous. They looked at each as if searching for an answer that neither one of them was capable of producing. "Hey guys," I said shyly. I wasn't sure how to begin the conversation. It was their project. Their program. Not mine. I had no right to ask them to do anything, but I had to. "So, Jane and I were talking, and—"

  "Here we go." Phillip chuckled.

  I smiled, then continued. "She told me about an old project you guys had called The Nucleus." I paused to see their reactions when I named the project.

  Their eyebrows raised, and Phillip’s head dropped. "Where are you going with this?"

  "From what Jane told me, The Nucleus Project was a potential attempt to colonize new planets. Possibly even outside of our galaxy. Is that correct?"

  Ross opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. When he finally spoke, he gritted through clenched teeth, "It's supposed to be a top-secret project. One no one was supposed to know about." He looked at Phillip with a side-eye that could kill. "The technology and the ideology behind the entire thing is extremely controversial."

  "Controversial?"

  Phillip shied away from his brother's glare. "Extremely. It poses the questions of 'should we?' Along with 'why?' and 'how? A lot of those questions aren’t easily answered and make some people uncomfortable."

  "Isn't it easy? Maybe not then, but now..."

  "Things have changed considerably, and maybe you're right. Maybe the answers are easy now, but I still have to ask, why?" Ross leaned in with his elbows firmly pressed against the worktable. “Why do you think it’s a good option?”

  "When we came here, I was scared I wouldn't be able to control myself as I wanted. I worried that I would be driven by my emotions and lose myself—and I did, but not how I imagined."

  Phillip turned his head to the side.

  "I found myself fighting a battle that wasn't mine to fight. I came here for Circadia. I said I didn’t want to lose myself, but I did. I came to Earth for Circadia, but then I saw what The Divinity was putting people through, and everyone who was suffering, and I wanted to fight. I wanted to raise a rebellion and rid the world of their tyranny, but that’s not why I came here.” I bowed my head. “We still have a common enemy. It’s a well-known fact that The Divinity funded and sent Leslie Marshall to take over Circadia. They gave him orders that took my home from me. I understand they were orders, but he didn’t have to obey them.”

  “So you still think Leslie is the one to blame?” Ross questioned.

  I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts. I had it so clearly in my head, but I needed to present it in a way that they would understand, too. “Have you ever heard of the Milgram Shock Experiment?”

  They shook their heads.

  “The Milgram Shock Experiment examined the justifications used during the World War II Nuremberg War Criminal Trials. They based their defense on the premise that they followed orders from their superiors and were obedient to their orders, and therefore shouldn’t be charged in the case. The accusers wanted to see how far people would go when ordered to do so by an authority figure. The people in the experiment were told by a fake scientist to shock another person in a room at various levels, starting at the lowest voltage. Unbeknownst to them, the person in the other room didn’t receive the voltage. With each new level of “shock,” the person in the other room increased their cries and pleaded with them to stop, telling them it was hurting them. Then the scientist would instruct them to increase the voltage. A few people quit and said no, but most people were obedient t
o this fake authority figure and followed through with producing pain for a stranger.” I drew a deep breath. The Milgram Shock Experiment was hard to explain without actually seeing it, but I thought I got the point across.

  “Okay?” Ross Herrold pursed his lips, then raised his hands to show confusion.

  I rolled my eyes. “So, people do as they’re told, even if it’s not right. The court ruled that the people in the Nuremberg War Criminal Trials were still responsible for their crimes because they could have stood up and said no.” I let the silence hang in the air so they could grasp the concept. “Which means although The Divinity ordered Leslie to do what he did, he’s still responsible for actually doing it.”

  “So you don’t think The Divinity plays a part in Circadia now?” Phillip stood in astonishment.

  “No! I think they’re totally responsible! But, they’ve committed bigger crimes in the larger scheme of things here on Earth. The people here will make them pay for what they’ve done. So who will hold Leslie accountable?” I sat back in my chair.

  “So...what are you suggesting?”

  “I’ve been fighting the wrong fight. The people of Earth should save Earth, and the people of Circadia should save Circadia. I want to help them, but I need to help myself first.” I looked at both of them and searched their eyes for confirmation that I wasn’t crazy, but they both still looked confused. “What?” I finally asked after a moment of silence.

  “I think we both agree.” Phillip looked at his brother, who nodded. “But I still don’t understand. Where does The Nucleus Program come into this?”

  “I shouldn’t have ever got involved in Earth’s matters although this was my home before, but I did. I feel like I have an obligation to people here now. Once I take Circadia back, I can assist the resistance here by sending food and supplies, with your help, of course. But I want to give more than that. I was blessed with the opportunity to call Circadia my new home and start fresh. If things don’t go the way some people here on Earth want them to go, I need to know that they have another option. I want them to have some kind of hope. Somewhere they can call home, as I do with Circadia.” I felt a tear run down my cheek. “Everyone deserves a home and a choice, right? Sometimes having a choice can empower you to make the right decision. Sometimes having the power, and choosing not to use it, is the most powerful of all. I hope that if they know they have options and a way out, they will choose to fight for their home.”

  They sat quietly and still for what felt like decades. Occasionally one of them would squint as if in deep thought. Then another head tilt, and a silent nod directed at no one.

  Eventually, Phillip looked at Ross and started laughing. The break in the silence jolted me from my seat for a moment until I regained my self-control. Ross looked confused as he watched his brother’s apparent psychotic break as he laughed out loud and grabbed Ross’s arm. “Don’t you get it?” Phillip asked through his laughter. “This is the point of everything.”

  “What?” Ross’s eyes were wide.

  Phillip let out another joyful laugh. “This is it. Our whole lives, we’ve felt unchallenged. This is our challenge. This is the point of everything we’ve done. We’re going to find new worlds. We’re going to call them home. That’s what we’re here for. This is our purpose in this life. Finally, no one will say it’s controversial or shouldn’t be done. No one to oppose us or challenge us but ourselves.” He took a second to catch his breath, then turned his head to look at me. “We’re ready.”

  Ross let out a light chuckle as he glanced up at me as well. “I guess we’re in.”

  I smiled. “Good, because I have something else I need to talk to you guys about.”

  “You want us to do what mankind has never done before, and you have something else you’d like to talk to us about?” Ross raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Phillip nudged his brother with a grin. “It wouldn’t be Aella if there wasn’t more.”

  I drew a deep breath and sighed. “I’ll need resources to make this work.”

  “I thought you were going to send us resources?” Ross replied.

  “I am, but there’s still the Leslie issue. He’s still up there, and so are about four hundred soldiers.” I looked down at my shoes. “I don’t know how to get around that part yet.”

  Phillip cocked his head to the side. He gave me a sideways glance and scrunched up his mouth a bit. “Yes, you do. You know you do. We gave it to you.”

  “I know. I know you gave me control of the god rod.”

  “Then why aren’t you using it?” Ross leaned in, slightly more interested now.

  “Someone once told me that you have real power when you have power and choose not to use it. I thought it was dumb when I heard it, but it makes sense. I don’t want to use the god rod.” I stared into their eyes and waited for a reaction, but got empty stares back. “Did you hear me? I don’t want to use it.”

  Ross waved a hand dismissively. “We heard you but can’t believe it. You have the power to set things straight up there.”

  “I still have that power. I just have to find another way, which is why I’m asking for resources.”

  “What kind of resources? What’s the difference between going up there with a bunch of machine guns and dropping a god rod on them?” Phillip asked.

  “Oh, I don’t want guns. That’s a Leslie thing.” I laughed.

  “So...what’s your plan?” Phillip pressed.

  “Leslie used guns to take away our home. I would have access to plenty of them, right?”

  “Of course, whatever you need.”

  I nodded. “Right, but I don’t want to use them. That’s what Leslie used against us to take our home away. I don’t want to take his home away as he did to us. I want to offer him an option. I want to give him the option to earn his right to live or to perish. I fell in love with Circadia because it was so harsh. Leslie has yet to survive a deep night during Circadia’s circadian rhythms. I’m betting he won’t. I want to wait him out. Let the problem fix itself.”

  Phillip and Ross looked back and forth between each other. Then Ross ventured, “You need a way to keep him out while nature takes its course?”

  “That’s right.” I smiled.

  THE SILENCE IN THE room was deafening. I stared at the red light on the camera with a blank stare. I’d finished my message. My time on Earth was over, and it was time to move on. On to bigger and better things, and hope that Earth could handle its evils. Of course, I would help from afar, but it wasn’t my fight. Circadia was. It was time to go home.

  I stood, turned the camera off, and strode out of the meeting room. I walked down the whitewashed hallways that I’d recently called home in a sort of euphoria. It didn’t seem real, but it was. The corridors were empty since everyone was outside. When I reached the glass doors of the main entrance, I saw them waiting for me.

  I pushed the doors open and looked up at the enormous rocket waiting for me as I stepped out. The people gathered around its base looked familiar, so I broke into a jog to reach them sooner.

  “Aella, so glad to be going with you. The brothers told us you need some help reclaiming Circadia. They thought we’d be the perfect people for the job,” the farmer from Kansas said. The team of farmers stood behind him, ready. I smiled and shook his hand.

  I looked beyond the group to see Axel Cason with his regular backpack hanging from one shoulder and smirking at me. “What are you doing here?”

  “Wanted to see you off and give a few pointers to my man Chris here.” He wrapped his arm around my cameraman and video editor. Chris slightly shrugged away but laughed. “I would love to go with you, but I have work to do here. Chris will make sure everything up on Circadia is covered, and I’ll share it with the world here. I know it will be a success, so maybe it will inspire even more movement here on Earth.”

  “I think you picked the perfect person to cover history on Circadia.” I smiled. I looked at Chris. “I’m glad you’re comi
ng with us.”

  “Me too.”

  I smiled and nodded at both, then pushed past them and glanced around to see who everyone was. I noticed that I had seen most of them in passing but didn’t know them personally. I assumed they were mostly some of the Herrold brother’s techs, so I knew we would be in good hands. I turned to rejoin a conversation while I waited, then spotted a familiar face. Smith. He strode up to me with a small smirk. “What made you change your mind?” he asked.

  I scrunched up my nose and looked into the sky, then back at him. “Someone once told me that there was power in having power and not using it. Didn’t make a lot of sense at the time, but I think there might be something to it.” I pushed his shoulder and laughed.

  “There might, but we don’t know yet. Might be the totally wrong decision. You never know.” He shrugged.

  “Yeah, might be.” I shrugged too. “We’ll find out one way or another.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  One month later, New Haven, Circadia was established and thriving. Crops had flourished in the short time we had been back. The introduction of bees only accelerated the pollination and productivity of the plants. Livestock was faring well. The only thing not faring well? Leslie Marshall.

  Leslie and a few other crewmen had made camp right outside the enormous walls erected before the development of New Haven. There were only a couple of dozen remaining in his group, which was astonishing compared to the numbers we had left behind. I assumed they had either starved or had picked each other off as they grew tired of one another.

  I heard his voice while I delegated one of the small agricultural tasks inside the wall. “Aella!” Leslie shouted. “Aella, please!”

  I rolled my eyes and continued with my business. This had become pretty regular around New Haven. I wasn’t sure how they sustained themselves outside the walls. Based on the blisters we saw on some of the men's mouths, we assumed they’d tried their hands at foraging and been semi-successful at it. Enough to keep themselves alive at least. I didn’t care though. When I returned to Circadia, my goal was to starve him out, and I was doing just that. It was working. Of course, it tore at my heartstrings a tiny bit, but not enough to acknowledge his existence. I had expected to hear of reinforcements being sent from Earth when they got word we came back, but nothing had come. We’d watched closely for it, but nothing. I guess they thought Leslie had it handled, but they thought wrong.