A New Divide (Science Fiction)

by Sanders, Nathaniel

  "Surprisingly, he is enjoying the day like everyone else around here." My father pointed to the hill they were slowly making their way towards. "Someone said they saw him over there, gazing up at the sky."

  "What beautiful weather for such an important day. A good time to reflect on one's life," Zachary Wright said as he kicked the ball hard out into the sprawling fields. The children chased after it with tenacity. Wright smiled as he watched the group of children, and then he turned to my father and Virgil and spoke. "I suppose you gentlemen won't be joining us for the gravball game here in the next half hour? We may not have our great zero-gravity, stadium-grade sphere anymore, but our game on the field should prove to be entertaining nonetheless."

  Virgil laughed in response to Wright. "Ha, nah, man, they want the officers of the Alexandria back ASAP. They don't like us screwing around too much."

  "It's a shame. It will be a great game. Well then."

  Zachary Wright outstretched his hand to my father and Virgil. They each stepped in to bid the new president a farewell. "Good seeing you again, Virgil. Always a pleasure," Wright said as he shook Virgil's hand.

  "Absolutely, General, I mean Mr. President."

  "Mr. King, it was a pleasure seeing you again, my brother."

  "Likewise, sir," my father said in a humorless tone.

  "Tell that boy of yours he should join our team. We could use the help of a star player against you brutal Remoran players. He is still a Raydenite after all."

  "Will do, Mr. Wright."

  President Wright began to make his way to the crowd that was gathering in a field, not too far off, for the impending game between lower-ranked soldiers of the Remoran and Raydenite armies. "I will you see you gentlemen in the skies. After this game we will meet at our rendezvous point in Salaran space. Good luck."

  "You bet, boss." Virgil and my father began walking back towards the temporary Remoran base camp. Gazing up at the rainbow-colored sky, they could see Minerva, the brightest object in Rayden's skies after the suns. It smoldered with smoke, and debris from the eternal fires that now lit up the moon's surface. The Outlanders claimed that the moon would burn for centuries, due to the fact that we hollowed it out for our people. Many were afraid to live on Rayden due to its wild storms. Rayden was always viewed as a sacred planet, a spot for a vacation, never a home, until now. A lot of our people even worshiped it as an all-powerful being upon our arrival, hence why we are called "the Raydenites," or "the Outlanders."

  The planet would continue to burn until the fires would have nothing left to consume. However, they also say that when those flames stop burning, after scorching all of the earth, a beautiful forest would rise from the ashes, and Minerva will again rise, and inhabit the repopulated masses of the Raydenites.

  My father stopped and stared at the smoking celestial object in the sky. The cool breeze had drifted in from the sea that lay just a few kilometers to the south. Even this perfect weather could not soothe the weight that had anchored his heart.

  "Virgil?" he asked with a sad tone in his voice.

  "What's up, bud?"

  "What does my son think of me?" Virgil had to think about how he would break the news to one of his oldest and dearest friends. He sighed and lit up a cigarette; a strange feeling had washed over him.

  "Honestly?"

  "Yes, Virgil."

  "He hates you, John." My father diverted his stare from the sky and was caught in Virgil's compassionate gaze. "I'm sorry, John." He sighed as they continued to walk through the rolling plains of grass. The gravball game had begun behind them as they slowly made their way further, and further, towards the ocean.

  "It's my fault, Virgil, it's all my fault. I never should have left," my father said as guilt filled his conscience.

  "John, if you didn't leave, Collin would have been dependent instead of lost, much worse in my opinion. Self-sufficiency is so vital these days, partna. Wait. You haven't told him yet, have you? Have you forgotten your promise?" My father stopped in his tracks, and began to tremble as he took a swig from his pocket flask, and responded to Virgil defensively.

  "No, I haven't forgotten. I am just waiting for the right time, Virgil."

  "John. You have to tell him. He will find out eventually."

  "Well, why don't you tell him? You made a promise to them too, Virgil!"

  Virgil grabbed my father and quickly turned him around in a collective anger. "Because you are his father! You raised him as a boy. I made a promise to them and I have held up my end of the bargain so far. But what about you! Huh!"

  My father stopped in midsentence. He thought on what he was about to regretfully say. He knew Virgil was right; he did not keep a promise he made long ago. Virgil awaited my father's response as he took a long drag off of his cigarette.

  "You are right. I broke my promise."

  "What are you going on about, John? Are you just repeating what I tell you? Or do you really understand?" Virgil asked in confusion.

  "I had a ticket to go to the game that day, the Olympic finals. The day Minerva was attacked by Arcoh's crusade." Virgil looked to my father, shocked at what he was hearing, and continued to let him speak. John took another swig of his flask. His hands began to shake, as he placed his flask back in the holster on his belt.

  "I missed my flight because I slept with the flight receptionist in her office at the gate. I missed my boy's proudest moment, because I wanted to get laid, Virgil. The result was so much worse than I could have imagined."

  My father sighed as he and Virgil continued to walk across the open plain. "I woke up the next morning beside her and I heard the news: Arcoh's crusade against the Outlander worlds leaves billions dead and Minerva decimated. I was overwhelmed with self-disappointment. That's why you see me drinking this flask. I drank myself into a stupor, and gained a physical dependence on this shit, because I had allowed my son to be captured by those brutes."

  Virgil grabbed both of my father's shoulders with the cigarette still in his mouth. "Listen, John, you can't keep blaming yourself. Collin doesn't and he's alive. Who says you missed his proudest moment? Collin could care less about that game he won, hell, it was the day the purge happened! You seriously think that's what is important in Collin's life now? You need to speak to him, John. The truth will set you free from this pain you feel in your heart. I am telling you; you just have to open your eyes and realize it. Come on, man!"

  Virgil turned away from John and stared at the mountains that were lying in the distance. The city of the first pioneers of long ago was now the Outlanders' capitol. My father took another swig of his flask and walked up behind Virgil. "I was so happy the day the season began this year." Virgil ignored him until my father walked alongside him, and eventually in front of him, obstructing his daydream glance at the mountain range. "I thought my boy was dead for the longest time. It may have only been a quarter of the year, but for a father, that felt like an eternity. I scrounged up enough money to take myself back into Arcadia again. I thought my son was gone, so I wanted to honor his memory by sitting in the same seats I brought him to when he was a child. When I heard the announcer call his name I was in disbelief, until I heard his voice over the speakers. I damn near had a heart attack. I was so relieved, that's why I saw you two at the diner. I knew you would be there, like father like son, memories and traditions stay with us forever."

  Virgil looked at my father and simply smiled at him. It was a long pause before my father suggested a new line of inquiry for the two of them.

  "You know, screw the command center. Let's go find Commander Wyman." Virgil smiled as he turned my father around and they headed towards the hills. When they reached the top of the hill they saw Mark, and me, sitting on a hill staring out at the ocean that lined up with fields of green and red grass. They were still about a quarter of a kilometer away from us.

  When my father saw me talking to Mark, a disturbing thought sprang in his mind. "Now that I've found him, the last thing I want is to let him go on this g
reat expedition, let alone fight those damn Crusaders. I swear I will do anything to keep him from their clutches again." Virgil stopped in his tracks and shook his head, as he took another long puff of his cigarette, which was about a half of the way ingested.

  "John, I know he is your child, but you have already let him go; you can't keep him from anything. Collin will do whatever he feels is right, regardless of what anyone tells him." My father then began to try and capture Virgil's attention by shaking his shoulder. At first, Virgil was still staring at the horizon of the ocean. "Hey, and you should know that because he is exactly like you, man. Why the hell are you looking at me like that?"

  "The sky, oh god, Virg. Look at the sky." Virgil diverted his eyes to the sky as he placed the cigarette in his mouth to take another puff.

  "What are you talking abo—" Virgil was so in shock that the cigarette fell out of his gaping mouth into the grass, which waved gently in the wind. It blew away and vanished into the rolling fields. They were both unable to grasp the unraveling situation above that would drop us to our knees. They then began sprinting in our direction.

  ***

  Several minutes earlier: Silas and I had left our hut, and we were on our way to watch the gravball game in the field. That was until I seized a certain opportunity to speak with someone I had been avoiding since we left Remora—our Good Commander.

  "Okay, so if we're going to shave your head we have to do it right now," Silas whispered to me.

  "Yeah, so . . . I'm not doing that," I said in response to Silas's idiotic idea.

  "Quit being selfish, my friend. You got to think, not just what's good for you, but me, and my wallet," Silas said as I shook my head at him. Just then a group of young kids ran up to me. One of them had a gravball in his hands.

  "Collin! Collin!" The kids, no younger than eight, clawed at me, and were begging me to play.

  "Mr. King? Can you sign our ball?"

  "Of course, little dude. Who am I making this out to?" I asked the little boy as Silas shook his head in disappointment. I think he really thought I would go through with his plan.

  "Well, so much for my plan, dumb kids. Oh, let's go bother Collin King! He's the greatest player in the universe, blah, blah, blah."

  I rubbed my hands through the kid's hair when I handed the gravball back to him, after I had signed it. "The game is starting right now! Come on, we need you."

  "How are you going to deny that face, Collin?" Silas asked. At the time he could not have been more right. I threw the gravball up in the air as I looked to the south. I saw Mark sitting on a hill, taking in the beauty of the day. I saw this as an opportunity to finally talk to him alone. I knew I would have to let those kids down easy, so I threw the ball to Silas, who clumsily caught it.

  "He's taking my place, sport!" I said to the group of kids, as I began walking towards Mark.

  The group of kids surrounded Silas, and began pulling him towards the playing field. "Yeah! Thanks a lot, Collin!"

  Mark sat there gazing at the immaculate beauty of the sky. A layer of clouds had dissipated, and Minerva was clear and very pronounced. The largest object in the sky seemed so close you could touch it. A river of Remoran ships could be seen flowing through space directly towards us, on this world, but entering the lower hemisphere of the planet. They were attempting to gather information from the fireproof crusader outposts along the surface, in the hopes that it would help us in our assault on the kingdom's capitol. Especially, the facility that once housed the Hammer.

  I walked up to Mark and surprised him when I blurted out in astonishment, "Wow! It's quite a change of perspective seeing that place from here."

  "Seems so close, doesn't it? If you look close, you can see our ships evacuating the abandoned crusader technology to this world."

  I sighed and kneeled down on the grass next to him, joining him in his gaze at the soothing presence before us. I began to act a little anxious, and I finally mustered the humility to express my gratitude.

  "Mark, I want to thank you."

  "Whatever for, Collin?" he asked with a surprised tone in his voice.

  "Everything. I owe my life to you. I would be in some awful genetic engineering lab in Salaras, if you hadn't come along when you did." He finally looked to me and smiled. His medium-length hair gently flowed in the light breeze, which carried the fresh scent of the misty ocean.

  "All in a day's work, Collin; you don't have to thank me."

  I looked above and saw my burning home world, Minerva. The black asteroid moon of Minerva, like a black dot against the vibrant colors of the nebula. It was once again the star of the show. Minerva was a moon—that had a moon. Our technology on Minerva created a gravity well around the planet that kept this little asteroid suspended above the artificial atmosphere we created for it.

  Nearly half of Minerva's volume was filled by people, and the structures we build around, inside, and above. That's why we called it the "Hollow Moon," and that is also why it will burn forever. I wonder what we Raydenites will call it next.

  "So where is she?" Mark asked me.

  "Who?"

  "Oh, come on, Collin. We both know who I'm talking about."

  I let out a very slight laugh, and leaned back into the grass, now staring at the ocean far away. He looked anxious to hear my response. "She's up on Minerva right now, researching some genetic lab. Probably the one I was in. Or she might be back on the Alexandria by now, I really have no idea."

  He could sense that a tone in my voice had changed, as soon as he mentioned Helena to me.

  "You look disappointed," he pointed out to me, and we sat in silence for a moment until I decided to share something with him.

  "Can I tell you something, sir?"

  "Of course," he said as I tried to gather my thoughts, my troubled thoughts.

  "I can't get close to Helena. Her boss threatened her career and her citizenship if she didn't keep up to the task on her duties. I guess he's the brother of one of the Remoran's Triangle members, or something, so there really isn't anything she can do about it. Honestly, Mark, I am happy in every aspect now except this situation. I mean, we are both miserable because of it. I remember when she used to take pride in her work. She told me, now, it feels like a weight on her heart and soul."

  I had failed to notice, but as I had been speaking to him, he had activated the transmitter above his right ear, and he was about to speak to Helena's boss.

  "Hello, Dilo Dispatch, can I speak to Evan Reselles, please? This is Commander Mark Wyman . . . Ha. No, it's quite all right, Cindy. It's just protocol to ask. I understand. Thank you, Cindy."

  I could only hear Mark's voice as he spoke to Evan, but being there to hear Mark fire him was perfectly satisfying.

  "Hello, Mr. Reselles, . . . no, it was 'Doctor' Reselles, but I regret to inform you I am revoking your license and position within the Remoran genealogy division . . . Why, you ask? Well, I suppose you have the right to know. I have come to discover that you have abused your position of power, and threatened one of my close associates. It wasn't the fact you made her work, it was the fact you threatened her . . . We all know what happens to Remorans who abuse their power, don't we? Mr. Reselles, . . . there's no need for that kind of language. Again, sir, I regret to inform you . . . Oh, ah, okay. Well sir, just so you are aware—I absolutely have the power to do this. Our conversation is being listened to, and action will be taken immediately to remove you from your seat of power. …Of course I know your brother. But he lives on Remora. You live on the moons, and on the moons, I am the law. I don't like doing these things, that's why I have a cabinet . . . Please stop crying, Evan. It is very unprofessional and immature to beg. What's done is done. I wish you the best of luck in your job search outside of Remoran territory. Farewell."

  Mark hung up the transmitter, and looked back out at the ocean. I was simply amazed by what he had done. I could barely think of the words I would use to thank him at that moment. "Commander Wyman, you are, without a doubt, t
he single most righteous person, I have ever met. Thank you, thank you, sir."

  "Like I said, Collin, it's all in a day's work, and will you please not refer to me as 'Commander,' or 'sir'? There is no need for formalities between us, just Mark is perfectly suitable," the Good Commander said as he looked back over towards me, the setting sunlight glimmering off his eyes.

  "So then, Mark, are we ready to depart?" I asked with an anxious tone.

  "I suppose we should keep to our schedule. Well, shall we, Collin, my friend?"

  We stood up and in the distance, somewhat far back, were Virgil and my father. They were sprinting in our direction. Virgil was attempting to shout to us, but we were unable to hear him.

  "What in the world are they doing?" I asked Mark as I leaned towards him. Mark shook his head and shouted back to them.

  "We can't hear you!"

  They continued to sprint in our direction, and began pointing up at the sky behind us. As Virgil neared closer, I vaguely made out what he was trying to say.

  "The sky is falling."

  We slowly turned around and gazed at the catastrophe that was about to unfold. "Oh no, no, no, no," Mark said, and I could say nothing, for when I turned around and saw it, I gasped, and stumbled slightly backwards. How did we not see that coming?

  The first we heard was a sound like thunder that coursed across the plains. It shot through the deepest of valleys, and echoed off the tallest of peaks. The sound was, at first, very quiet, but over the next several minutes, it would become almost deafening.

  The gravity beam from the stolen gravity cannon had been triggered, and it had plunged the black asteroid moon into the surface of Minerva.

  On Minerva's surface, the occupants could do nothing but wait, as their lives were swiftly taken from them. Once the incredibly heavy asteroid had been caught in Minerva's gravity well, the hollow moon was doomed. The weight of the world had impacted, and the force of a million nuclear weapons was released. The asteroid landed in the middle of the ocean on Minerva, creating massive tidal waves that consumed everything on the surface while a fiery shockwave completely incinerated absolutely everything it touched. Then the weight of the asteroid did the rest, completely obliterating my home world.