by John Jonas
CHAPTER 11
There are two large landing pads that serve as cargo docks on the outer edge of the colony on Eos, formally known as Eos City, where ships can land and unload the supplies that keep it functioning. Fuel for energy generation and food supplies are the most important arrivals lately; cargo ships have dwindled down to a trickle since the invaders arrived. Each ship that lands is greeted with enthusiasm after being scrutinized and cleared for arrival through port security. The pre-landing security procedures were not needed in the past, but with Gavilon under control of these alien invaders, screening of each ship arriving became necessary. Ground based weapons were installed, long range sensors constantly scan the skies and nearby space for unannounced visitors, and a group of armed volunteers has been formed as a defense force. The colony on Eos has become an armed encampment and its inhabitants, whose survival depends upon a surrounded and controlled planet, are now focused on expelling the alien invaders. A clandestine resistance exists on Gavilon in the shadows; gathering intelligence, organizing resistance to disrupt the alien activities, and making supply runs to Eos. A command structure has been set up here on Eos; headed by a decisive, larger-than-life man known as Calek. He used to be the Vice Director of Eos City until the invasion; when the Director was killed and his ship was destroyed trying to return to Eos, Calek was unanimously promoted to Director. Now he is in charge of the colony and also what is quickly becoming a military resistance force.
Calek is sitting at the head of a long conference table with six of his assistants, who he has named the Resistance Council. They are made up of the most qualified and capable members of the colony and were the first ones to settle on Eos, which took an amount of grit and determination not often found in most Gavilonians. The Director and his Council were being briefed with the latest status update from their spies on Gavilon. A tall, thin man of about twenty was standing at the opposite end of the table from Calek; holding a laser pointer and reading the latest status briefing, while standing in front of a screen that was hanging on the wall. At the moment, a map of Vendorra was displayed.
“We have five underground bases set up and running, all of them are marked on this map.” The man used the pointer to indicate their locations on the map.
“The total number of men and women that make up our force on Gavilon is sixty six. We still have six ships that continue their biweekly supply runs and have become proficient at avoiding enemy fire. The aliens have ninety-nine percent of the population under their control, by what means we have yet to discover, and they are using up the planet’s resources every day. Oxygen and fresh water are rapidly being diminished by the alien’s activities; they have forced the people of Gavilon into growing some kind of plant-animal hybrid that appears to be how they reproduce. Eighty percent of the Eastern Province is now occupied by these growing operations and the population in the Western Province is the supply chain for them. Our forces there are doing what they can to interrupt the aliens but we are terribly short on manpower.” The man reading the briefing sat down.
Calek was the first to speak.“We cannot continue like this, we will lose this fight. These aliens are like parasites that eventually kill the host. We must find a weakness or Gavilon will cease to be a livable planet. How are they controlling the people? If we can discover how they are doing it we may find a way of stopping it.”
The man to his left spoke up, “There is a small number of Gavilonians that have not fell victim to their control, which makes up our resistance force. If we can find out why this is, we have a chance of fighting it.”
Another man across from him said “We have a ship coming in on a regular supply run that has an additional passenger aboard that may shed some light on this. I’m told it is a woman that returned from the Eastern Province after working there, and one of our teams in Vendorra captured and sedated her. She is a controlled slave like the rest of them and we thought if we studied her, she could shed some light on the problem.”
“That is an excellent plan; when is the ship scheduled to arrive?” asked Calek.
“It is in the process of landing now, Director.”
“Good, put her in the lockup and let me know when she is awake.”
His ship has only been on the ground five minutes and there were already a dozen people in the rear cargo area in the process of unloading it. Terand had climbed down the stairs and was walking in the big hallway of the Administration building when a woman security guard approached him.
“The Director would like to see you in his office.”
Terand wanted to go clean up and get something to eat, but decided it could wait. “Which way is his office?”
The guard turned around and motioned with her hand “If you’ll follow me I can take you there.”
After a two minute walk and several turns they reached Calek’s office; the Director was sitting at an old desk that had seen better days. On the wall were three monitors displaying various locations of the Colony, including both landing pads.
“Terand, my old friend. How was the trip?” Calek said as he stood to shake the pilot’s hand.
“About the same as the last one, except the aliens are getting a little more accurate with their cannon.” he said as they both sat down.
“I hear you brought us a prisoner.”
Terand shook his head slightly “I wouldn’t call her a prisoner, she’s more like a victim. My brother talked to her and it appears that she’s brainwashed. Before we sedated her, she was saying that the aliens are doing good things for the planet and she was more than happy to help them.”
Calek pointed to one of the monitors, it showed the woman being rolled in on a stretcher. “There she is now. A Med Tech is going to wake her up after they put her in the lockup and I’m going to talk with her when they do. You want to observe?”
“No thank you sir, I need to go to my quarters and rest up for a day or two.”
Both men stood, and Calek said “Very well, Terand, and good job. I’m glad you are on our team.”
The woman had only been awake for a few minutes, but she already knew something was different. She had asked the man that was present when she opened her eyes where she was, he did not respond; he only walked out of the cage she was in and left.
Her cage was in the middle of a large, dimly lit room; with the exception of the bright light directly above her cage. In it with her were a small bed and a chair, which she was chained to. Just now, two men entered into the large room and walked toward her cage. One of the men seemed to be in charge while the other carried some kind of weapon, his guard maybe. The large man approached her and asked “Do you know where you are?”
“No, I do not. Why am I under restraint?”
“I’ll ask the questions, if you don’t mind.” Calek said. “You are on Eos, I’m Director Calek.”
The woman stood and said “On the moon, Eos? No Wonder!”
Confused, Calek asked “What do you mean by that? ‘no wonder’”
She said “The fog is gone, and I can see.”
Calek put his hands on the bars and said “Please elaborate, what fog?”
“When I was on Gavilon, it was like I was in a fog. I seemed to have tunnel vision, bordered by some kind of mist on the edges. Everything I did was like I was in a dream, and I had no control. I watched myself doing things like I was an outside observer, as though another person was in my body. Now it’s all gone and I can see.”
Calek thought this was promising and asked “Do you feel in control of yourself now, because you’re away from Gavilon?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
Calek turned to the guard and said “Release her.”