by L. J. Suarez
The four figures—a woman and three men—turned simultaneously to meet the Monads. The Committee was of mixed ages, none younger than forty. The man in the middle, who was well into his sixties, bore wrinkles on his face and gray in his beard that matched his short hair. Every settler knew him as the head of the Committee. He stepped forward toward Ava. Despite his calm demeanor, his face made it clear he hadn’t expect a group of Monads to waltz in.
“I see you brought some new friends back with ya,” Aaron Cooper said in a soft tone.
“I found them while scavenging about,” Ava explained. “Their ship crash-landed right before me. I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought them here.”
“You know about the no-contact rule, Ava,” Aaron said in a gentle yet stern voice.
“I know the rules. But the communication on their ship was destroyed in the crash. No way to know when their people would come for them. And it was getting dark. I couldn’t leave them out there alone.”
“Have you any idea what you’ve done?” said Sue, one of the Committee members. “You’ve jeopardized this entire settlement. The Monads will no doubt be looking for them, and they will find us because of you.”
“I know this is bad,” Ava said, slightly raising her voice in annoyance. “But what else was I supposed to do?”
“Leave them where they were,” Sue said coldly.
Ava scowled defiantly at Sue.
Alex, the second man in the Committee, remained silent, his face not giving away what he was thinking.
The last Committee member, Reed, turned to Sue and shot a disapproving glance. With his hair completely covered in silver, clean-shaven Reed was the oldest of the bunch. “Come now, Sue,” he said. “You should mind your manners in front of guests.”
Aaron turned back to Ava. “Well, this complicates things.” He walked over to Damari. Jarzon looked up at Aaron with his large, worried eyes while his hand firmly clutched his father’s. “I guess this is the part where I welcome you to our little town. You’ll have to excuse us; we don’t typically get guests around here. So…welcome to New Lazarus. Hungry?”
Damari looked toward the other Monads, then to Jarzon before addressing Aaron. “Yes.”
Aaron nodded to the guard standing behind the group and proceed to move next to the Committee leader. “My associate here will take you to get something to eat. You’ll be in for a real treat. Our chef is whipping something up real nice tonight. We’ll have bunks prepared as well. Until you’re returned to your people, you will all be our guests. Please, make yourselves at home.”
“We will not cause any trouble,” Damari said. “Thank you for allowing us into your home. You honor us with your generosity.”
A small grin crossed Aaron’s lips. “Don’t mention it.”
The guard made his way out of the tent, the Monads following behind. When they were all alone, Ava wasted no time speaking up. “I’m sorry, Aaron. Believe me, if there was any other way…”
Aaron cut her off with a wave of his hand. “It’s alright, Ava. For what it’s worth, you did the right thing.” He placed a hand on her shoulder as he looked her up and down. “You look terrible, kid. Why don’t you go get yourself cleaned up? The Committee and I have a lot to discuss.”
Ava let out the faintest of smiles. “Sure, I guess I could use a bath.” Ava turned and exited the tent.
As she walked through the settlement, Ava started to wonder whether she did do the right thing by bringing the Monad survivors here. She hated to admit it, but perhaps Sue was right. Maybe it would had been best to leave them at the crash site. Surely they would have been rescued in no time. But it didn’t matter now. The people of New Lazarus had gone through great lengths over the last two decades to stay off the Monads’ radar, given the history between the two races. Now, Ava feared she may have placed humanity back in the spotlight they’d never wanted to be in.
Chapter 4
With his long, shaggy hair down to his shoulders, Mace Cooper marched toward the tent where the Committee was gathered to get some much-needed answers.
What he had just witnessed was something he hadn’t seen since his youth. Just moments ago, he had crossed paths with a New Lazarus guard escorting an actual group of Monads through the settlement. Bizarre faces he’d thought he’d never see again. The sight caused Mace to pause, and all he could do was stare as they moved right past him. He was baffled by the sight, and so were many of the other settlers around him. The Monads seemed to have come from the Committee’s tent. At just shy of thirty, Mace had grown to become not only a cunning warrior, but also a prominent figure within New Lazarus. He was his father’s right-hand man, tasked with keeping the settlement safe from any outside threats. The settlers trusted him with their very lives, and he felt the same way towards them. Today, there was a real threat within. He adjusted his torn rags underneath the jacket made out of horalo skin as a gust of wind blew in from the mountains to the east.
He forcefully pulled the red fabric of the tent open and blurted out, “The hell is going on around here?”
The Committee were all speaking amongst each other, but immediately fell silent the moment Mace barged in.
“I take it you’ve seen our guests?” Aaron said, attempting to make light of the situation.
Mace moved in between Aaron and Sue. “What are Nads doing here?” Nads was what many throughout New Lazarus came to call the Monads after they left Empyreum. At first it was simply a game amongst the settlers in a kind-of “cutesy” way when the topic came up during conversation. Now just uttering their full name made some want to gag. Mace empathized with their disgust. “Their ship crash-landed inside the Gray Zone not far from here,” Reed explained. “Ava found them while she was out scavenging and brought the survivors here.”
“She did what?” Mace said in disbelief.
“She did what she thought was right, Mace,” Aaron continued. “They needed help. And I back her decision 100%.”
Mace was about to blurt something he would later regret; then bit his lip instead. He passed a hand down his face. “Since when did we start harboring Nads?”
“It won’t be long before the Monads begin searching for their people,” Sue said. “New Lazarus could soon be compromised.”
Aaron nodded thoughtfully. “That is a possibility. But it won’t come to that.”
“So what are we supposed to do with them, huh?” Mace raised his arms in the air. “Prepare a suite? Put chocolates on their pillows?”
Aaron shot Mace an annoyed stare. “Don’t be such a wiseass. Just keep your cool, will ya?” He addressed the other Committee members. “We’ll return the Monads back to the crash site in the morning. I’m sure there’ll be a search and rescue team looking for them by then.”
“The Monads may find us before we return the survivors to the crash site,” Alex stated.
“Which is why we must make haste before that happens,” Reed said.
“Until then, they are to be treated like any other member of this settlement,” Aaron said.
Sue, Alex, and Reed nodded.
Aaron turned to Mace. “I want you to handle this personally. Get in, drop them off at the site, and get the hell out. Nice and easy. Got it?”
Mace let out a frustrated breath. “With pleasure.” Ava cropped up in his mind. How can she be so careless, bringing these bastards to our home and risking our safety? Mace would have some choice words for her the first chance he got.
Chapter 5
Ava enjoyed a much-needed bath at her lodging. She felt refreshed getting all the dark sand and dirt off her body and slipping into warm, clean robes.
Afterward, she went to check on her Monad guests. Torches and candles were lit throughout the settlement as night fell upon them. As she walked through the busy market, Ava heard drums being played. Like every other night, an assembly of settlers had gathered by the courtyard to play an assortment of wooden drums and sticks for the settlers in passing. The rhythmic sounds coming from
the band’s instruments and the locals dancing and laughing along with the tune gave a festive vibe to the night air.
She crossed a wooden bridge that extended across a chasm leading to the other side of New Lazarus. Ava felt the cold splash from the nearby waterfall pouring innumerable gallons of water along the face of the mountain. She passed a lone guard holding a staff, standing beside an elongated, canopy-like tent with a wooden table underneath it. Sitting around the table were the Monad survivors, with some of the settlers hovering behind them and replenishing their bowls with fresh vegetable soup. It was the first time any settler had had guests from outside New Lazarus, which explained why they seemed to be overcompensating by giving the Monads the royal treatment. Ava was glad to see that.
Most of the Monads silently drank their soup, their faces giving away that they were very much enjoying it. Others carefully sniffed it before inserting in their mouths. A satisfying grin crossed Ava’s face as she watched a settler sit down with one of the Monads at the far end of the table and engage in idle chatter.
Damari and Jarzon sat at the middle of the table.
“How’s the food?” Ava said with a friendly smirk.
“It is…agreeable,” Damari said. Despite his best effort, his face gave away that he was enjoying the meal far more than he let on. He looked toward Jarzon sitting next to him as he took a spoonful of soup to his mouth.
Ava sat across from Damari. “Happy to hear it.” She turned to Jarzon. “Reserved only for very special guests.”
Jarzon grinned as he finished his remaining soup.
“Did you try our horalo steak? It’s one of our finest delicacies.”
Monads…do not consume meat,” Damari said.
“That’s right,” Ava said. “I forgot you guys are vegetarians.”
Damari set his plate down on the table. “We did not get the chance to thank you for coming to our aid. I realize it was a great risk bringing us here.”
“Don’t mention it,” Ava said. “It would’ve been rude of me to let you all be made into a horalo’s next meal.”
A grin appeared for the first time on Damari’s face. “That would have been unpleasant.” He seemed to choose his next words carefully. “I believe I can help improve your water filtration method.”
“Oh?” Ava said.
“There is something called a purifier crystal. Monads use them whenever we visit a foreign planet to make the water drinkable for us. I can use my NIs to manufacture one. All you would need to do is drop one crystal into your container, and the water will be one hundred percent pure. The crystal itself would last for one hundred years. It would improve the filtration efficiency.”
“You would do that?”
“It is the least I can do. For what you and your people have done for us.”
“I’ll have to run it by the Committee first, but can’t see them minding the help too much. Thanks!”
Damari gave her a wide grin before continuing to feast on his soup.
Ava studied Damari’s NI along both sides of his neck, which ran up to his face. “You know, when I was a kid I remembered your NIs being a lot smaller.”
Damari shot Ava a puzzled stare. He passed a hand across the NI tattooed along one side of his neck.
“Upgrade?” she asked.
“Yes, in a manner of speaking. There have been many changes since your people exiled yourselves to the Outlands.”
“So I see,” Ava said.
Damari scanned the room as if taking in his environment and took a breath in. “It really is remarkable what you have created here. The fact that you all have not only survived the harsh climates of the Outlands, but also built a thriving society, is nothing short of astounding.”
“It wasn’t easy,” Ava said.
“It is clear many of your people do not want us here. They are frightened by us. And yet you have welcomed us to your home with warmth.” He turned to the rest of the Monads, whose eyes were all trained on him. Then he turned back to Ava. “We did not know what to expect when you came to our aid at the crash site, but we are glad we have gotten to know you.”
Ava noticed all the Monads smiling at her, quietly showing their appreciation. She returned the smile. “So am I.” Bringing Monads to New Lazarus was a clear violation of the Gray Zone treaty. Ava knew that. She didn’t know what the outcome of her actions today would be, but she was now more certain that she had made the right call.
* * *
The scout drone honed in on the location of its target. Moonlight reflected off the drone’s smooth, hexagonal shell as it blasted across an endless dune. Sent from the Capital city, the drone’s instructions were clear: locate the Telos Prime colony transport Jafner that crashed in the Gray Zone and locate any survivors. Orbital satellites had monitored the ship’s dangerous descent, yet no distress signal was initiated. Any contact to the ship was met with silence. Monad authorities assumed that the ship’s communications were likely compromised.
Another problem had presented itself. Since it was established long ago that no Monad or human could cross the Gray Zone under any circumstances, any form of rescue would present a grave challenge. Hence why the scout drone’s masters had sent it to find the crashed ship. The small drone would draw far less attention in the zone than an entire Monad patrol.
The drone’s green, circular targeting icon had a lock on a metallic object less than eight hundred meters away. Its engines suddenly burst with acceleration until coming to a complete halt right over the wreckage. While in hover mode, the drone activated its search lights, shining on the Jafner’s damaged hull. Several blue lights danced across the transport as the drone scanned for life readings. The results came back negative. Not only were there no life signs, but the transport was empty.
The drone spread its blue lights around the immediate vicinity. A pack of horalos were rummaging through the wreckage, likely attempting to find anything passing as edible. The drone concluded that the horalos must have eaten the bodies of the passengers. A salvage team would eventually be dispatched to retrieve the wreckage of the late star liner from the zone.
After its lights passed through scattered pieces of hull, the drone picked up on something it had nearly missed. At least a dozen footsteps marked the ground, starting from the Jafner’s breached hull and extending out toward the west.
The drone focused its scanners on the footsteps, taking several snapshots. It determined that the shapes of the tracks were not from any horalo, but instead were bipedal. The survivors had not only survived the crash, but had moved deeper into restricted territory. This would complicate the situation for the drone’s masters. The drone began to transmit the photos it took and any other data it collected back to Empyreum, and awaited further instructions on what actions to take next.
No doubt the drone’s masters would find this new piece of information intriguing.
Chapter 6
Today, Dr. Ionne had the distinct honor of hosting a group of very special guests. The director of the immaculate Science Institute hurried down the crowded corridor toward the astrophysics lab with her assistant Brax in tow. She pulled up a digital clock that materialized over her sleeve; she was already late. Tardiness was something unbecoming of a Monad of her position, especially one who was both head of the most advanced scientific research facility on Gaia and a member of the Inner Council. She was required to juggle many responsibilities at once—a challenge she gladly accepted.
“Are they here?” Ionne asked.
“Yes, and eagerly awaiting your arrival,” Brax said with a slight grin.
“Splendid,” Ionne said with genuine delight. She had been looking forward to this all week.
The doors to the lab made a light swoosh as they opened. Ionne and Brax found the room filled with the familiar faces of the Institute’s staff, and standing at the center were the distinguished guests. Seven precocious children turned to greet Ionne. They couldn’t be any older than eight years of age, based on Ionne’s estimate. Al
l their enlarged eyes brightened upon seeing her step into the room.
“Good morning, children.”
All the children said in unison, “Good morning, Dr. Ionne!”
“I apologize for being late. I hope you did not have to wait long.” Ionne clapped her hands together. “Now, is everyone ready for today’s lesson?”
“Yes!” the children chanted at once. They all hailed from the school at the East Vale district. They had received clearance to visit the Institute for the day, where they’d not only be treated to a tour of the facility, but also to a special presentation by the head scientist herself. Ionne was more than happy to comply, despite the countless other tasks that required her attention.
Ionne paced the room as the children patiently waited for the lesson to begin. “Can anyone tell me how the universe was first formed?”
The children remained silent for a moment, until a single hand raised, and a girl said in an innocent voice, “There was an explosion in the stars.”
A smile tugged at the edge of Ionne’s lips. “In a matter of speaking.” The lights dimmed within the lab, and a tiny, brilliant ball of light appeared over Ionne’s palm. She gazed at the floating sphere as its illumination reflected off her face. “This is where it all began. Over thirteen billion years ago, our universe was nothing but a tiny, hot, and infinitely dense singularity. The early universe was quite different during this period. As it started to cool, the conditions became suitable for life to begin.”
With a flash, the ball of light suddenly imploded in Ionne’s hand, releasing patches of blue gases that expanded throughout the room. The children looked at the holographic gases around them with awe.
Ionne continued. “There are many theories about the creation of our universe that have been handed down from one generation to the next. We are still debating among ourselves as to whether it was caused by an actual explosion, but we do know that this singularity aggressively expanded throughout the cosmos, creating all forms of matter, energy, space, and time itself out of pure chaos.”