The energy, which was keeping the Galactus in real space, is now being blocked by the Retribution. “GO!” says Justice. “GO!” says Shiela.
And the group trades a chorus of “I love you”, as the Galactus fades into FTL space.
***
Coping With Loss
Staying would not have done any good – it would have just wasted the sacrifice that Justice and Shiela have made. The Retribution had used its FTL drive, and was stuck in real space for about an hour. There would have been no survivors if the Galactus didn’t leave.
Honesty had hit the FTL button, for the long distance pre-programmed FTL flight - it is a 4 week journey. It’s not likely that any chasing Verm warships will emerge close to the Galactus. And if they do, Honesty will be pleased to destroy them.
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The first week is nothing but crying. After that, everyone is quiet and the grieving goes on, but at a lower volume. Melissa and Honesty gradually become semi-functional again.
Melissa has lost her ‘once in a lifetime love’ in Justice, and her daughter/friend in Shiela. Honesty has lost her mother, and she had helped birth some of the lost wasps. And the wasps have lost 6 more brothers and sisters - almost half of them have been killed on this mission. Everyone comforts one another, as they grieve together.
***
The baby – Justice Junior – is the source of Melissa’s consolation. This is a part of Justice that she can hold onto. Melissa is so glad that she won the argument about naming him ‘Justice Junior’. Justice will not be forgotten and his work will go on.
And Honesty, the firstborn between Shiela and Danion, has a new mission in life. She takes up the battle for equal rights for Artificial Intelligence entities, which Danion and Shiela had been fighting.
The End
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Copyright Page
Text copyright © 2014 Terry D. Lefler
All Rights Reserved
Terry Lefler (04/21/2014).
Revision 2 (05/20/2014).
Revision 3 (03/14/2015).
The Augmented Human Rebellion
Book 2 - Retribution. Terry Lefler Design
‘The Augmented Human Rebellion: Book 2 – ‘Retribution’ is a work of fiction. All the characters, names and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or incidents is purely coincidental.
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Dedication
To my loving parents, Paul and Violet Lefler
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My thanks to my family, friends, and neighbors who continuously nurture my creativity, and encourage me in my artistic endeavors.
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And special thanks to my dog, Gucci, who takes me for walks every day, and loves me no matter what.
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About the Cover
The original background image was taken by the Hubble Telescope and is in the public domain. My thanks go to NASA and the Hubble Telescope Project for their awesome work.
The image is called “Erupting Star V838 Monocerotis”. Or “V838 Monocerotis – Light Echo of an Erupting Star”.
The modifications to the image, the graphic arts, and the layout of the cover are the work of the author
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About the Author
‘Retribution’ is the second in a series of 3 books depicting the Augmented Human Rebellion. The time for this episode, is 30 years after the beginning of the Rebellion – as depicted in ‘The Inception’. I hope that you like the books.
You are encouraged to leave feedback.
(P.S. - I have another novel entitled; ‘Tipping Point in the Alliance War’. Just do a search on ‘Lefler’ at Amazon.)
My background is in Engineering (BSEE) and Art (BFA in painting). My work experience ranges between engineering and art. Engineering has paid for the essentials of living, and art is the reason to live. You can see some of my work at www.terrylefler.com.
You can contact me directly at [email protected].
Thank You,
Terry Lefler
Retribution: The Augmented Human Rebellion - Book 2 Page 18