I drifted off to sleep and was tormented by horrible nightmares all night long. If I wasn’t being burned alive in the complex, I was being surrounded by people on the street and torn limb from limb.
Morning was a relief. I woke before the alarm, hurrying to get to the showers before anyone else did. I craved for some hot water and it was in limited supply.
I washed quickly and made it to breakfast before most of the satellites were up. I even beat Garrick who had taken to rising earlier and earlier each day.
As I mulled over my oats and tried to pretend they had some taste, one of the satellites hurried into the nearly-empty hall. He seemed hot and bothered about something. I was instantly on edge, dreading what he was going to say.
Everyone stopped to listen to him. “We’ve had communication from our leader, Krom. He is on his way and will land tonight after dark. We are to meet him. Everybody be prepared for a journey.”
The satellites all nodded and talked amongst themselves, a few followed the speaker out as he hurried away. I remained where I was, waiting to share the news with Garrick and see what he made of it.
I had to admit, I was a little excited about actually meeting one of our leaders. He would be coming directly from Trucon, I would finally be able to see what my people were really like. I couldn’t trust how the satellites acted, they had been on Earth for as long as us. Even though they pretended like their time here hadn’t changed them, you could tell by the way they relied on their iPhones and knew all the songs on the radio that they had been affected.
When Garrick did finally join the table, he completely disappointed me. “So?” Was all he could say as he shrugged and plowed into his oats.
“This Krom guy is like our president, you’ve got to admit that’s kind of cool,” I argued.
“He’s also the guy who sent two teenagers in to negotiate the future of our planet. I’m thinking he might be more Bush than Obama.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Perhaps our leaders weren’t as infallible as I had imagined them to be. I guessed time would tell.
We spent the morning in the bunker, watching the satellites panic and ready the place for the auspicious guest. They wanted to make sure everything was perfect for Krom, ensuring not an iota of dust or grime was present.
At one stage I tried to steal a moment of Kyle’s time to talk about my meeting with Rob but he wouldn’t stay still long enough to listen. He was in a flap just as much as the others. I could understand them wanting to impress our leader, but there were still lives at stake. It only added to my frustration.
By mid-afternoon, we left the bunker in a convoy of vehicles. We had to cross three state lines until we reached the Arizona desert. If I thought the bunker was hot, the desert was even worse. Even though the sun had already started its descent, the heat lingered.
In every direction there was nothing surrounding us except orange dirt and the occasional cacti. As it got darker, they looked like lone little soldiers standing out on the plains.
There was no traffic out here, there wasn’t even a proper road that brought us here – which was kind of the point. Humans didn’t normally tread on these grounds which made it a perfect place for Krom and his craft to land.
I wouldn’t admit it to anyone but I was terrified of what was going to happen. Knowing I was an alien and seeing an actual alien was a whole different ballgame. The whole concept was as new and frightening to me as any human. The only difference was I knew they came in peace and what they wanted here. A human could only speculate.
We stood by our cars, Kyle and Garrick next to me and the other satellites in front of their own vehicles. We had no lights on and it soon grew completely black. The stars twinkled brighter here than at home. A million of the blinking little lights dotted the sky, looking so beautiful and perfect.
A flash of brilliant bright light lit the night sky, completely eclipsing the stars. I had to squint so I could keep watching. The light started off large and then zeroed in until it was a pinpoint on the ground in front of us. My nerves were on edge, it was show time whether I was ready or not.
The light continued to blaze, growing slightly bigger again to form a perfect circle in the middle of us. I looked up, following the beam. A black disk hovered above us, drawing closer to the ground. It was huge and completely silent. There were no propellers, no engines, no turbines. Whatever was keeping it in the air was completely hidden.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away as it landed with a soft thud on the ground. The lights shut off, leaving us in darkness again. To think I had travelled here in one of those ships seventeen years ago completely blew my mind. Thank goodness I was only a baby at the time, I might have completely freaked out about it.
With a hissing sound, the door opened and white light revealed the rectangular opening. I held my breath, imagining what kind of green men would come down the stairway. I had seen all the documentaries the humans made, I had heard the stories of the aliens. I always assumed they weren’t like us because we looked so humanlike. But standing in the dark staring at a spaceship, I suddenly wasn’t as confident.
A figure filled the doorway, the light from behind giving him an ethereal glow. He looked more like an angel than an alien as he glided down the stairs.
Kyle stepped forward to greet him, standing still in front of the man. Lights on the outside of the ship lit up, giving us light to actually see each other in.
To my surprise, Krom didn’t have green or grey skin. He was taller than Kyle but not freakishly tall. For all intents and purposes, he looked just like any regular human. Nobody would look twice at him if he walked down the street, as long as he changed his clothes anyway. The silver and black suit would be the only thing to set him apart.
A few of my concerns had dissolved into the back of my mind but many still lingered. Krom might have looked like us, but that didn’t mean he thought like us. I could be looking at the man who would declare war on Earth and cause humans to suffer.
“Gather around,” Kyle called out, ushering everyone to come closer. Krom stood at the bottom of the stairs, examining our faces. I stood tall, trying to suppress my fear. I promised myself I would not show weakness, I would make our leader proud.
“Thank you for welcoming me,” Krom started. It wasn’t the computer equipment that gave him the loud voice, it was all him. His boom carried across all of us, we didn’t really even need to gather around to hear him. If he was going to stick around on Earth, he was going to need to find his inside voice, as my mom would say. “We have a great deal of work to do and tonight is just the beginning.”
I turned around to see all the satellites bowing to him. I quickly followed, wishing I had thought to ask Kyle of our planet’s customs and etiquette. There was so much I didn’t know about our people.
“Come now,” Krom continued. “We have much to do, we should be on our way.”
With a wave of his hand, the door of the craft closed behind Krom. Kyle led him over to our vehicle, and I silently panicked at having to spend three hours in the same car as him. Another thing I hadn’t thought about.
Krom didn’t touch the door handle, he just waved at it and it opened for him. He didn’t seem to have to touch anything for things to be done for him. If that was the kind of power that had been suppressed in all the project members, then I hoped they could restore it. As far as magical powers went, that was pretty cool.
Garrick and I rode in the back of the car, as quiet as church mice. Kyle didn’t say much either, just pointing out things to Krom along the way. He didn’t seem nervous at all to be in the presence of our leader. Which made me think perhaps he was quite high up the chain of command back on Trucon.
The steady rocking of the car made me sleepy as we drove. I rested my eyes and accidently fell asleep. I didn’t wake up until we stopped and parked near the bunker. I had to remember where I was after being jolted awake.
While everyone made a fuss over Krom, I snuck off to bed. I figured they wouldn
’t miss me, not with such an esteemed guest in the place. I noticed Garrick sneak off too, equally as impressed as me, obviously.
In the morning, the bunker was abuzz with activity. Krom was having breakfast in the hall, a legion of dutiful satellites surrounding him. He was getting acquainted with Earth food, he seemed pleased enough with the cuisine. It only helped to make me even more curious about Trucon.
I served myself and took a seat at the back, trying to be invisible. Not that it was very hard, everyone’s attention was completely on Krom. He didn’t seem to mind much, I could hear his booming voice echoing off the steel walls as he gave them an update on the weather back home. Apparently it was rainy and dark.
Garrick crept in, running his hand through his messy hair. His eyes were still half closed and sleepy. I waved, getting his attention as he stumbled my way.
“You look terrible,” I greeted him. “Hard night?”
He slumped onto the seat opposite me, holding his head up with his hands while his elbows rested on the table. “They talked all night. Leader this and leader that. I swear it’s like their messiah has come down to bless them with his presence.”
“He’s our leader, we should be excited.”
Garrick shrugged, nonplussed. “Looks like an ordinary guy to me.”
“He came here in a spaceship, that’s not ordinary,” I pointed out. I could understand his attitude, we hadn’t grown up on Trucon, he was just an ordinary man to us. But if we said that too loudly, the satellites would probably lock us up for treason.
Across the room, Krom stood. His voice carried over to us. “I wish to speak with members Amery and Garrick alone. It is time we started our work.”
Every eye in the place turned to us. My spoonful of oats stopped mid-air, my mouth still hanging open for it. I exchanged a look with Garrick, us? What could Krom possibly want from us?
A knot started pulling in my stomach, he was probably angry with us for not doing a better job with the Department. We had failed in our negotiations and he probably blamed us for the action he needed to take now. I wondered what the punishment was for that? A voice in my head said death but I didn’t want to believe it. Did they even have corporal punishment on Trucon? I really should have asked Kyle more about our planet.
Garrick and I stood, unable to hide from our fate. We followed after Krom into a private meeting room, closing the door behind us. I had hoped Kyle might follow us in but he didn’t. Nobody dared to tag along.
We sat in the cold steel seats, it was so quiet I could hear the others’ breathing. I hoped they couldn’t hear the way my heart was pounding against my ribcage.
“So you’re my project members,” Krom started, leaning forward to rest his hands on the table between us. The chair creaked as he moved his solid weight.
“We’re two of them, yes,” Garrick replied. “But there are thousands more still being kept prisoner.”
Krom nodded, his green eyes had a sad watery tinge to them. “It pains me greatly to know our children are suffering. You have my word it is my highest priority to get them back. They are our future.”
Garrick didn’t seem too happy with his reassurance. I’m sure he was thinking that actions spoke louder than words. At least that was running through my head so it had to cross his mind too.
Our leader didn’t wait for our answer. “Tell me what your lives have been like here. I’ve had updates from the satellites and the Department, but none from members themselves. Tell me, was it bad? Good?”
I exchanged a look with Garrick, he leant back, leaving it up to me. “I can’t speak for all the members, but I can tell you the experience I had. My parents have been wonderful, they have always treated me like a real daughter. They’ve done their best to make me feel human, like I wasn’t just an obligation.”
“Did the Department treat you well? Has this mistreatment being going on the entire time?”
His question struck me as a sad one. Did he really think the Department had been hiding something for the entire seventeen years and tricked them with each update they gave him? I couldn’t imagine what depth of pain they would have suffered with those kinds of thoughts.
“The Department hasn’t had that much involvement with us. Besides our annual meetings, and enforcing the rules, it was up to our parents to raise us,” I explained as Krom visibly relaxed. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“You may.”
“Have our birth parents been kept up to date with what is happening?” I asked. Whenever I thought about Trucon, I always thought about my biological parents. The two were inextricably linked in my brain. It was impossible to think of one without the other.
A faint smile crossed over Krom’s lips. “They have. As I’m sure you can imagine, they have been very anxious over the situation. If I don’t get things resolved, I don’t think it will be worth going home. They’ll lynch me.”
I’m pretty sure he was teasing but he hadn’t mastered the delivery of jokes just yet. “Thank you.”
“I can also tell you they are very keen to come down here and meet you all. The years have passed slowly for them, being separated from their children.”
Garrick snorted, not buying it. He didn’t say anything though, his belligerent silence said enough.
Krom didn’t seem to notice. “But we have a lot of work to do before that can happen. So, down to it.” I cringed, expecting the punishment for our failure to be dished out soon. “After we get our members back, I’m going to return to Trucon. I’m going to need people to come back with me and teach our people about Earth. They need to be prepared to come down here and fit in. They need to be educated about the customs and practices here. You two have already proven yourself resourceful, therefore I would like you to consider coming with me. You can teach our people what they need to know.”
I stared at him wide eyed, that was nothing like what I was expecting. Garrick sat upright, listening intently now and losing his bored expression.
“You don’t have to answer now,” Krom assured us. “Just think about it. I need people to teach us and you two seem the most qualified. Plus, you would be able to see our planet before we have to leave it for good.”
The only thing I could think of was the massive opportunity to see where I had come from. His offer was definitely a game changer.
CHAPTER 4
My head rested on the steel wall as I took a few deep breaths. The quiet of the room was blissful after Krom’s loud voice echoing around the small meeting room.
I was trying to get my head around the possibility of going to Trucon. I had spent so much time over the years in a daydream as I wondered what it would be like. I knew virtually nothing about the place and yet it was my original home. I was born there, my birth parents still lived there. I would have the opportunity to meet them, talk with them, teach them.
But all that involved leaving Earth. I knew it would only be temporary but anything could happen in the time I was away. The thought of being distanced from my adoptive parents, Lola, my home, even Lochie, filled me with dread. I didn’t know if I would be able to leave them.
I knew I would be tossing up the decision until it was crunch time. Even if I decided now, I would quickly backtrack and talk myself out of the decision – whatever it was. I would switch between going and staying right up until the end. I was terrible with small decisions and this was as big as they got.
At least Krom hadn’t mentioned our failed meeting with the Department. I wasn’t entirely sure he would let that go, but hopefully Kyle had given him all the details about our imprisonment to soften the blow.
My tormented thoughts were interrupted as my phone tried to ring. It was nothing more than a murmur from the cell before it died. There was barely any reception in the bunker but it told me I’d missed a call from Rob.
I hurried through the bunker, relieved to have something else to think about. I climbed the steel ladder and crawled onto the grass outside. It was nice to feel the natural sunl
ight instead of the fluorescent tubing that flickered with the generator.
I called Rob back, hoping he was answering.
“Amery, good, thanks for calling.”
“I don’t get good reception where I’m staying, sorry.”
“I’ve got someone for you,” Rob said happily. “They’re coming over to my house tonight to talk it over. I want you there to explain your side of things. Can you come?”
I sighed with relief at having some good news for once. I had prepared myself for the worst and this was the exact opposite. “Of course I can be there.”
“Great, meet me at seven.”
“See you then. And thanks, Rob, I really appreciate your help.”
“No problem, soda pop. Don’t be late.” He hung up. At least someone was working on truly rescuing the project members. It was just strange that it was a human doing it.
I sat on the empty field for a while afterwards, enjoying being outside and alone. I tried not to think of Lochie, as much as my mind kept wandering there. It didn’t help that my shoulder was still a little sore from my last encounter with him. I would be glad when it finally healed and the bruises faded, then I wouldn’t have the reminder all the time.
Maybe it was a good idea to leave Earth for a while and get away from it all. I couldn’t hurt Lochie if I was thousands upon thousands of miles away from him. Surely then he would be able to move on and forget about me. Maybe I would be doing him a favor. Who wouldn’t want their ex on another planet?
The word ex only served to depress me even more than I already was about the situation. I didn’t want to be Lochie’s ex, I wanted to be his current. If I hadn’t lied to him, perhaps I would still be. I had nobody else to blame except myself.
I forced myself to return to the bunker, filling Garrick in on Rob’s phone call. He agreed to come with me, determined to help with my plan for the complex. It was good having an ally, I needed at least one on this planet.
Project Integrate Series Boxed Set Page 46