The Chronicles of Syra Omnibus

by Carolyn Davidson Hicks

  That is when Cynthia presented her plan to Syra about the relocation of the camp. She had already been concerned about the people and was looking for a new home for them.

  There was just no way of knowing when time would run out, and they needed to get them now.

  “Leave your plans with me before you go, we’ll do what we can to at least get some sort of temporary shelter until they can rebuild,” Syra replied.

  The conference call ended, and everyone was in total shock. It was difficult to sleep that night for thinking about all those people they had left behind. They had thought they would be just fine for a very long time.

  Early the next morning, Ellead and Ohtron parked themselves inside the Ark Royal’s cargo bay. Some rescue equipment was also placed inside the cargo bay.

  Then Dr. Trexien, the lead medical bot, brought along a couple dozen service rescue bots to assist him. Two dozen rescue travel pods and plenty of medical supplies to handle just about any emergency were aboard.

  The captain did not plan to be on Earth any longer than necessary because this was a rescue mission that was more dangerous than anything they had ever done before.

  Cynthia and Bart were more than ready and had already boarded long before Hannah and Charles or the other crew from the Caldiron Ranch.

  By now, everyone was very anxious to get to Earth and to save those living at the retreat as quickly as possible. Although they all knew the rescue could take days since the Ark Royal would need to have a large area cleared before landing and that would have to be done by Ohtron and his bitrons.

  Everyone on Earth II was worried for the safety of the crew and the Ark Royal. As they lifted off, James Caldiron said, “Fly high my friends, fly high and Godspeed!”

  Syra was holding James’ hand as tightly as she could but kept a brave look on her face. Inside she was a nervous wreck and worried sick for all of them.

  No one would agree to allow Syra to return to Earth. It was just too risky, but inside her heart, she was already there helping save as many lives as she could.

  The captain gave the command, and the shields opened with just enough room for the Ark Royal to break through and reach Earth II’s orbit and then she shot through the wormhole and was gone.

  Syra rushed back inside the Central Command Center to monitor the mission. There would be no rest for Syra, James, Zach or Zoey until this mission was complete, and they were all back home safely.

  The Ark Royal popped through the other side of the wormhole and was now above Earth. She swooped down over the old Caldiron Ranch in Nevada and everyone was saddened to see the buildings that had mostly crumbled under the tremors.

  But their mission was the retreat, and they were there in only a matter of minutes. Now circling overhead, Ohtron was released, and he instantly hovered over one area that only needed a few trees downed in order for the Ark Royal to be able to land safely.

  His bitrons were equipped with saws and they went to work and downed enough trees to allow the captain to land safely!

  The bitrons returned to Ohtrons underside and were now locked into place. Ohtron continued to hover until the ship was safely resting just above the ground.

  The firing started up again when a bunch of rebels saw the huge ship land and thought they could bring it down. The shields were on and the ship pinned them down as soon as they started firing again and returned the favor!

  Ohtron and his bitrons were also heavily armed and flew the area swooping in and out and finding every hideout those men had.

  As each band of rebels was discovered, they quickly dispersed and ran for cover. When Ohtron could confirm that the residents were, in fact, hiding in the lodge, he dropped the pedestals and the entire retreat was now under the ship’s shields.

  At this point, everyone could move about freely and help was on the way to attend the injured that had been pinned down in several places for a while now.

  Dr. Trexien sent his bots with stretchers in every direction looking for the wounded and sick.

  The whole area looked like a war zone between the damage done from three hurricanes and then the attack of those running for cover that had headed inland.

  Cynthia was in shock because it had only been a few weeks and the place was barely recognizable. The greenhouses had been destroyed.

  The diesel and gasoline tankers had already exploded because of gunfire. Most of the supplies in the underground bunkers had been moved to safety near the lodge and that was their only source of food and water.

  Everyone knew that they would not have lasted much longer because there were thousands of refugees on the run from the recent hurricanes and they were hungry and angry. They would have continued to come in waves until they had beaten down every defense the retreat had.

  The most critically wounded were removed first and were taken to the hospital ward inside the Ark Royal. No one at the retreat had had any sleep or a decent meal since Cynthia and Bart had left just a short time ago.

  The dead had already been buried and families were devastated over their losses. This had made them grow to hate the reverend for what he had done. No one knew for sure just how many out there knew about the project and would soon arrive.

  One resident said he believed the cards were always stacked against them from the beginning. Cynthia had to agree, and that was when she cried.

  The ones not wounded immediately started to load the Ark Royal with their belongings and also packed up everything in sight.

  The supply storage units were emptied out. All medical supplies, building supplies, and anything useful were removed.

  Cynthia had told everyone there to leave nothing behind for those bastards and they didn’t. Those men were still firing against the shields around the retreat knowing full well not a single bullet was getting through.

  It took three days to empty the retreat of all that was worth anything and nothing would be left behind to steal or reuse. Beds, furniture, cooking gear, bedcovers and everything that was usable from the lodge was removed and stored in the Ark Royal.

  Captain Zee worked all day and night helping the residents load up everything they could. They would need it to rebuild their home on Earth II.

  By the time they were done in just three short days, there was nothing left but a few empty buildings and even they were becoming unstable due to damage from the hurricanes.

  The ship’s cargo area had tons of mattresses, all kinds of furniture, right down to the décor hanging on the wall of the lodge. Tons of tents and outdoor cooking gear and bags of seeds and all hydroponic gear was removed.

  There was literally nothing left to steal or re-use and when everyone was accounted for and aboard the Ark Royal, she lifted up high into the sky and began firing.

  Every single building, jeep, tanker, underground storage area, all of it went up in smoke and was literally destroyed in seconds.

  Even Captain Zee was impressed at his firepower. He had not tested it before and this was impressive, he thought.

  The Ark Royal could have spent years there on top of that mountain and maintained her safety! She could have housed all those people, fed them, clothed them and took care of them.

  Once Captain Zee had confirmed that the other three settlements of freedom did not require the Ark Royal’s assistance, she hit the skies and was in Earth’s orbit and into the wormhole in a matter of minutes.

  There was nothing left of the retreat settlement but fire, and according to the captain’s visuals, it would burn for days until the rains came again.

  The underground arsenal storage area had blown up and it left a hole half the size of a football field. There would be no use for guns or weapons on Earth II and those were destroyed in the fires.

  Meanwhile, back on Earth II, Syra watched the fires on her visuals from a satellite circling Earth from the mountain retreat and everyone on Earth II cheered!

  Captain Zee made sure there was nothing left for the rogues who just simply took whatever they wanted.
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  It was a quick trip and no one aboard the Ark Royal thought about anything because they were so busy just trying to regroup and to save each other.

  When the captain announced they were in Earth II’s orbit, everyone looked up at the monitors and were nearly overwhelmed!

  It was as if they saw their own Earth in its earliest form a few thousand years ago. No one expected to have to leave Earth but when they saw Earth II, they cheered until the ship landed!

  Even as the visuals gave them a fly around Earth II, they continued to cheer. Those who had been shot were drugged up but that did not keep them from cheering right along with everyone else!

  Cynthia and Bart rode in the area the patients were and they cared for everyone as they could.

  The Ark Royal landed on the mountain where the new settlement would be located.

  Cynthia was grateful for Dr. Trexien as she watched him ordering his staff to get the sick taken care of first while the healthy ones could unload their supplies where they would be building their new settlement.

  Syra had ordered temporary shelters set up and she knew that when the people arrived there would be chaos. Everyone was told as soon as they landed that Syra would visit them once they settled in.

  Some patients were too critical to be moved, and the Ark Royal became their temporary hospital.

  Meanwhile, over at the Central Command Center, everyone there watched over the visuals of how things were going on the mountain.

  The biggest problem Cynthia could observe was the children running around playing and their parents were forever looking for their children.

  This is when she decided they needed a daycare set up with volunteers so the adults could get things done. It wasn’t long before one of the larger tents was converted and the children placed in under supervision.

  Then there were all the pet’s folks insisted on bringing; they just could not abandon them and that was understood. Cynthia also asked for a kennel to be set up and this would eliminate some of the confusion.

  Ellead moved out of the cargo bay and found a perfect resting spot a little higher up from the camp and this is where Cynthia and Bart settled in for now.

  Ohtron was out working so fast, it was hard to keep up with him. He was always working continuously and never stopped.

  He had pulled out every extended arm he had to carry things that were too heavy for the humans and too bulky for the bots.

  At one point, he looked like a large spider and scared the life out of some of the younger children until it was explained that Ohtron was one of the good spiders, and all the kids saw him as a hero from that point on.

  One thing for certain, thought Cynthia, without those temporary shelters already set up for them, things would have been much worse than it was.

  The first night on Earth II was a long one and not many slept at all. The days on Earth II were first of all, longer. That meant no rest for the weary said one woman, and she certainly got a good laugh out of everyone who heard her remark the next morning.

  The bots had slowed down during the night to allow the humans some peace and quiet and rest time, but as soon as the sun rose, so did the bots with a vengeance! There was still a lot of work to be done.

  No one had ever heard so much banging and clanging as they did that second day. The heavy things needed to be pulled out of the cargo area of the Ark Royal and placed in a storage area already set up for them.

  With all that noise going on, it was a good thing the Ark Royal was as soundproof as a recording studio, thought Cynthia and Bart both as they stood there and could not help but laugh at this point.

  When she checked on the patients, she saw that they were all resting peacefully and healing well. Some were so eager to see Earth II’s sun and feel its warmth Dr. Trexien allowed them to be wheeled outside to see the location of their new home.

  At about lunchtime, the long tables were set up with lots of food and everyone was lined up to fill their plates when someone screamed, and everyone looked over to see what it was that had startled them so much!

  Everyone had been so busy, no one had a chance to look around at the surrounding beauty, but the Zhian Sphere resting high upon a mountain some distance away startled everyone.

  Several of the service bots had to explain that it was a spaceship that Syra traveled to Earth in, then on the Earth II. That it was what powers Earth II’s protection shields and everything else!

  And then for the first time in many years, these Earth refugee’s felt safe! Most of the younger ones could never remember a time they felt safe. It had been nearly 50 years since peace on the streets was visible.

  The drastic turning point for mankind was when civilians were divided for one reason or another that it brought about the second civil war.

  One new resident had to ask, “If we are so safe, why do we need that safety shield around our new settlement?”

  A service bot answered, “Because Earth II is still a young planet, and until more is learned of its plants and wildlife it is for the better!”

  Most of the wildlife was rarely seen anywhere near the Central Command Center or the two cities down in the valley, and it was simply a precaution.

  The bots were still clearing out the cargo bay and other areas of just about everything that wasn’t nailed down. “Did they leave anything behind?” One bot asked.

  Another bot asked, “Then what did they leave behind on Earth?”

  “Burning buildings and several large holes in the ground!” Cynthia answered with delight! She had donated most of that stuff from the many businesses she owned, and it was all these people had. They were not about to give any of it up to thieves.

  By day five, the cargo bays were empty, and all who traveled from Earth were now in tents and had a daily routine worked out so that they could get their new settlement built sooner rather than later.

  Many were still too sick to be moved from the medical bay of the Ark Royal, so they were kept inside with continuous medical care.

  Dr. Trexien was very proud of his and all his staff’s work they had done to save these folks. His surgical room had state-of-the-art with equipment never seen by man, and some patients were saying they saw miracles right before their eyes.

  The restore pod was only used on the most critically ill patients and it sped up their recovery enormously.

  Syra saw that the newcomers were struggling to build their camp, and it was a great task for all of them. So, amidst all the chaos, it was time for her to visit them and give them some words of wisdom and hope.

  That morning very early, she had a crew aboard her private ship, the Sheevah, ready to visit the new camp. When everyone saw the new ship coming in from above, they all stopped what they were doing and started looking upward.

  Sheevah began lowering herself to a clearing near the construction area and once landed, Syra stepped outside to a crowd of cheering new Earth II residents and spoke briefly.

  Dearest new residents, welcome to Earth II. I apologize that I have waited nearly a week to visit you. But it is my understanding you have had a crisis to deal with and I wanted to give you time to at least set up a temporary camp.

  We will have our grand celebration and have your official welcoming ceremony but for now, we have much work to do.

  I have brought you an extra crew to assist you and several replicators to speed up the process in your building supplies and labor.

  Please know that this is your settlement, set it up as you will. You will need to pick a leader who will join our Central Command Center as does each city here on Earth II.

  Now I will depart and allow you the time you need to settle in. Your leader, whoever you pick, will need to contact CCC as soon as possible and if any of you need anything, you need only to ask.

  The cheering was so loud no one could hear anything but cheers and clapping. That continued for a long time after the Sheevah had launched.

  Immediately after Syra left, someone in the crowd yelled, “Let us
pick a leader now! Who else fed us when we were hungry, clothed us and gave us shelter on Earth when we had nothing! Cynthia did, that’s who!”

  Cynthia and Bart both were working with Dr. Trexien to move patients stable enough over to the makeshift hospital that was one of the first stronger buildings erected when they heard the crowd.

  Both rushed to find out what all the commotion was and found themselves in the middle of an election!

  There was not a single vote against Cynthia being their leader and with no other choice, she accepted.

  “You did, after all, take them in as your own when you had over two dozen truckloads of supplies shipped to them in the old reverend’s compound over a year ago,” Bart stated proudly.

  “Then it is settled,” she said.

  “It apparently is,” he answered right away and smiled as he gave his lovely wife a huge hug and they both waved at the crowd.

  It was some time before the crowd settled down and when they did, Cynthia thanked them for the honor to serve them and promised she would work hard to make sure they never suffer as they did back on Earth.

  Everyone who attended that day knew the sacrifices Cynthia had made and respected her a great deal for it. Without her supplies, they would have perished. Without her leadership working with Bart Lawson, things would not have worked out as well as it did.

  It was decided that Bart would now be in charge of the security of the camp since he was formerly the Director of the FBI back on Earth; this pleased the crowd and they felt empowered to take back control of their lives and to succeed despite the old reverend’s plans back on Earth.

  Cynthia’s settlement was the only one outside the safety of the Central Command Center, but they could see those settlements from the mountain they were now residing on, and the Zhian Sphere was actually closer to their mountain than it was to the two cities and the CCC.

  This gave Cynthia and Bart both a lot of comfort just knowing the Zhian Sphere was so close to them.

  Ellead was now officially Cynthia’s ship to use to explore the mountainous area for expansion of their settlement and would prove to be a great help.