The Voyage Home

by D. J. Holmes

  “I..” the man began. “Why should I believe you?”

  “Did you see the fiery streak in the sky earlier?” Sarah asked him.

  “Yes, it was a meteor,” the man responded. “The most impressive I have ever seen.”

  “It wasn’t,” Sarah said. “It was me.”

  “You,” the man said, almost choking.

  “Yes,” Sarah said. “Believe it or not, this is the first time I have set foot on Earth in eighteen years. I just landed using a small stealth pod.”

  He looked up into the sky. “The Elders will know. They will be coming. We have to...”

  “They won’t,” Sarah said, interrupting. “Didn’t you hear me say stealth pod? The Elders shouldn’t have been able to detect my pod.”

  “The Elders can do anything,” the man said.

  “They can’t,” Sarah said, breaking in again. “Besides, my pod was an Elder pod. It was built with their technology.”

  “But we are still in danger,” the man protested.

  “Think about it,” Sarah requested. “You saw my pod more than an hour ago. If the Elders knew, don’t you think they would be here already?”

  “Yes,” the man said slowly. “You’re right. We see their shuttles all the time. That still doesn’t mean you are telling the truth.”

  “Well I can’t give you any other evidence,” Sarah said. “I was smuggled away from Earth when I was a child, now I’m back. I don’t know anyone but I am here to find the Resistance.”

  “Because you have information for them,” the man said. “Information that is going to help defeat the Elders.”

  “Yes,” Sarah said. “Wouldn’t you like to see them defeated?”

  The man went quiet. He turned his back to Sarah and bowed his head. Sarah guessed he was thinking.

  “My name is Harvey,” he said when he turned around nearly a full minute later. He was holding out his hand.

  “Nice to meet you Harvey,” Sarah said. “Does this mean you believe me?”

  “I don’t know,” Harvey said. “But I will take you back to my farm. After that, I will help you get into town. From there you can find your own way to Washington.”

  “Thank you,” Sarah said. “Does that mean you aren’t a part of the Resistance?”

  “Yes,” the man said. “My work takes up all of my time. There is no need for Resistance fighters all the way out here. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to contact them. If you want, I can let them know someone is seeking a meeting.”

  “That would be perfect,” Sarah said.

  “Good,” the man said with a smile. “Then let’s be off. If we leave now we can easily be home in time for supper. My wife won’t know you are coming, but she always has something nice made for me. You can sit here beside me,” the man said as he sat down in his cart just behind the two animals that were tied to it.

  As he shook the ropes he had tied to them, they began to pull the cart. The sudden movement almost made Sarah fall over. She quickly sat down before she lost her balance. “I want to thank you,” Sarah said. “From saving me from those creatures. They would have killed me. I wasn’t expecting to run into such things.”

  “I owe you my thanks,” the man replied. “Those wolves have been harassing my farm and my livestock for the past three years. You killed half of their pack. I’m sure the rest will think long and hard before coming out of the forest again.”

  “Wolves,” Sarah said as she slowly formed the words. “They are wild wolves then. Are these two wolves domesticated?” Sarah asked as she pointed to the two creatures that were keeping pace with the cart.

  “They are dogs,” the man chuckled. “I suppose once they were wolves, thousands of years ago. Mankind domesticated them once upon a time.”

  “And these creatures?” Sarah asked as she looked at the two animals pulling the cart. “They are magnificent. What are they called?”

  “Horses,” the man answered. “Women always love horses. Both my daughters are mad about them.”

  Sarah could see why. They were beautiful. Their movements were so graceful, yet at the same time they exuded strength and power. Suddenly she was filled with questions about horses and dogs and the crops she saw growing all around her. It took them an hour to ride back to Harvey’s farmhouse and, by the time they got there, Harvey was convinced she wasn’t from Earth. He had never met someone so clueless.

  Chapter 33

  As Sarah stepped into Harvey’s house, she was taken aback by how primitive it was. Her journey on the wooden cart should have warned her. Yet she had not been expecting this. Like his cart, Harvey’s house was built entirely from wood. Inside, the house had no rooms, it was just one large open space with some small sections marked off by drapes that hung from the ceiling. Off to one side of the room, there was a large fire with wood logs stacked up near it. The other side of the room was dominated by a large table. Two of the corners of the house were screened off by drapes that hung from the ceiling. On the floor, there were a number of thick rugs. They looked like they were made from animal skins. The whole place smelled of smoke.

  “Vera,” Harvey called out as he stepped in behind Sarah.

  From behind one of the drapes a small woman emerged. She had a smile on her face but when she saw Sarah it vanished.

  “It’s alright,” Harvey said. “You will never guess where she is from.”

  “Where?” Vera said suspiciously.

  “Now, now,” Harvey chuckled. “That is no way to treat a guest I have invited for supper. Come and introduce yourself. This is Sarah.”

  “Sarah,” Vera repeated slowly as she gave Sarah a small smile. “My name is Vera. If Harvey has invited you, you are welcome.” Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  Sarah stepped forward and held out her hand. “Thank you for welcoming me,” she said. “You are most kind. I mean you no harm” The last thing Sarah wanted was to make more enemies than she needed. She guessed Vera thought she was a Blackshirt.

  “Come, come,” Harvey said as he sensed the tension in the air. “Sit down over here at our table and relax. Vera and I will get something prepared to eat.”

  “Thank you,” Sarah said as she followed Harvey over to the table.

  After he seated her, Harvey retreated to the other side of the room. As Sarah watched, both he and Vera began to work on some pots and pans that were by the fire. It looked like Vera had already begun to cook something. When both of them looked over to Sarah she got the impression they didn’t want her watching. Looking away, Sarah suddenly found something interesting on the wall to study. Though she kept her ear faced towards the fire.

  “What is she doing here?” Vera whispered.

  “I found her out in the fields,” Harvey replied, likewise whispering. “She killed more than half of the wolf pack that was living out in the forest.”

  “She is a Blackshirt,” Vera said. “Look at what she is wearing. You have killed us both by inviting her here.”

  “She isn’t,” Harvey said. “I know it’s hard to believe, but you have to trust me. She isn’t.”

  “Then who is she?” Vera hissed.

  “She is from off world. She landed on Earth today,” Harvey answered. “She is looking to make contact with the Resistance. She says she has some information that can help them.”

  “And you believed her?” Vera responded. “She is probably on a mission to find Resistance sympathizers.”

  “Come on,” Harvey said. “Why would the Blackshirts bother coming all the way out here? Look more closely at what she is wearing. It isn’t a Blackshirt uniform. It is something more advanced. And I saw her weapon in action. It is nothing like the guns the Blackshirts have.”

  “You can see it if you like,” Sarah said as she stood and approached Harvey and Vera. “You both need to work on your whispering.”

  Both Harvey and Vera froze. They looked up at Sarah with fear as she came approached with her weapon drawn. At the last moment, Sarah spun her pis
tol around and presented its handle to Vera. The move had convinced Harvey, she hoped it would do the same for Vera. “I would let you see my flight suit. But I can’t take it off, I’m naked underneath.”

  “That’s ok,” Vera said hesitantly as she reached out and took the pistol. She looked it over for a moment and then tucked it into a fold of her dress. “If you are who you say you are, you won’t mind if we hold onto this while you are in our house?”

  Harvey looked like he was going to protest, but Sarah spoke before he could. “That’s fine. I meant it when I said I mean you no harm.”

  “Then let’s eat,” Harvey said as he stood. “This soup is about ready. I’ll get some bread.”

  “If you care to take a seat again,” Vera said in a more neutral tone. “I’ll bring you a bowl.”

  “Thank you very much,” Sarah said. “I have had a very long day.”

  “So, tell us,” Vera said once they were all sat around the table with soup and bread in front of them. “If you are not a Blackshirt. What are you doing here? Why come to Earth?”

  Sarah had a spoonful of soup in her hand. She gulped it down before she answered. The taste made her pause. In such a primitive environment, she had been bracing herself for something bordering on uneatable. Instead it was delicious. “This is delightful,” she said. “Did you make it yourself?”

  “Of course,” Vera said, sounding displeased. “Now, why are you here?”

  “I will tell you,” Sarah said, realizing she had better answer Vera’s question fast. “I have information vital to the Resistance,” she began as she gave Vera an overview of her story. She told her about being born on Earth and how she was captured by slavers. She left out the specifics of how she got free and didn’t mention Destiny or Alexandra.

  Afterwards, Vera fired a number of probing questions at her. She seemed particularly interested in the Elder Empire beyond Earth and the other human colonies. Like the miners from Alpha Centauri, the scale of the Elder Empire overwhelmed her. Slowly though, she appeared to become more relaxed. “You are not telling us everything,” Vera said. “But no Blackshirt would make up such an extravagant story.”

  “I can’t tell you everything,” Sarah acknowledged. “For your safety and mine. But I do need to get in contact with the Resistance. Harvey said he could help me.”

  “Oh, he did, did he?” Vera said as she turned a withering eye onto her husband.

  “I only told her we might be able to send a message to the Resistance,” Harvey said as he held up his hands. “I didn’t tell her...”

  A hiss from Vera cut Harvey off mid-sentence. “Stupid farmer,” she said. Though her words sounded harsh, Sarah could hear some affection in Vera’s voice. “If I hadn’t already decided to trust her, I might have to shoot you myself.”

  “And you would too,” Harvey said, smiling. “I know you would.”

  “So you believe me?” Sarah said.

  “Yes, I believe I do,” Vera answered.

  “And you are a part of the Resistance?” Sarah guessed. “I have already found the contact I was looking for. Haven’t I?”

  “In a way. I was active in the Resistance when I was younger. I came out here to retire,” Vera said as she lifted her hand and stroked Harvey’s face. “Though you never really retire. I still have my contacts. Things have just died down over the last couple of decades.”

  “Died down?” Sarah queried.

  “Yes,” Vera said. “We were very active when I was a young woman. We carried out different attacks on industries associated with the Elder shipyard in orbit. Mainly though, we were involved in some large project that screened women’s DNA.”

  “What for?” Sarah asked intrigued. She hadn’t heard of DNA before Alexandra had informed her that hers had been altered. Was it just a coincidence that the Resistance had been involved in something to do with DNA around the time she was born?

  “I don’t understand all the science behind it. Just that we were looking for very rare women of child bearing age,” Vera explained. “That is all.”

  Sarah nodded. Mentally she filed the subject away, she would like to speak to someone about it when she met the leaders of the Resistance. “So, you can arrange a meeting with active Resistance leaders?”

  “If Harvey will go, I can send him out tonight to Remington,” Vera answered. “On horseback, he can be there and back again by midnight. I have a friend who lives in town. He can take you on into Washington. There he can arrange a meeting for you.”

  “Perfect,” Sarah said.

  “There’s just one more thing I need to know,” Vera said. “What information do you have?”

  “Technology,” Sarah answered. “I managed to get a hold of several advanced technologies during my travels. I believe they could help the Resistance free Earth. That’s all I’m prepared to tell you.”

  “I see,” Vera said. “And I suppose you can’t tell me why you think one world could ever free itself from the Elders? If they really are as powerful as you are saying, such an idea seems impossible. The Resistance has been fighting all this time for nothing. Killing the Elders who rule Earth is meaningless. There must be billions and billions of them in the galaxy.”

  “More like trillions,” Sarah corrected her. “And yes, I can’t tell you. But I think it is possible. It may take several generations. But with the information I have, it may be possible.”

  “Fine then. I can hardly pass up such an opportunity, can I? Will you go Harvey?” Vera asked.

  “Of course. It’s not like I haven’t snuck around after curfew before now have I?” Harvey said with a grin.

  “Then get going,” Vera said. “The sooner you leave, the sooner you can be home and I can stop worrying.”

  Quickly, Harvey shoveled the few remaining spoonful’s of soup down his throat. He stood and grabbed another piece of bread. “I’ll be on my way then. Don’t wait up.”

  “You know I will,” Vera said as she rolled her eyes.

  Sarah had to hide a smile. She appreciated Harvey taking a risk for her, even though she couldn’t comprehend if it was a big or small risk, and she didn’t want him to think she was ungrateful. However, the love that Vera and Harvey shared brought a smile to her face. It was like what she had seen between Melissa and Jake. As Vera stood to embrace Harvey, Sarah turned her back on them to give them some privacy. As she did, her mind went to Ranack. Will I ever have something like they do? she asked herself. She held little hope. I have a bigger cause, Sarah told herself. That should be more than enough.

  “So,” Vera said after Harvey had waved goodbye and stepped outside. “What shall we talk about until he gets home?”

  Sarah smiled. That was an easy question to answer. She wanted to know more about Earth’s history and about the Resistance.

  *

  “I think that is enough for now,” Vera said an hour later.

  “I... I still have more questions,” Sarah said, surprised by Vera’s abruptness. The farmer’s wife had turned out to be a treasure trove of information. She had been far more active in the Resistance than either Melissa or Jake and Sarah had been learning a lot. She hadn’t revealed anything about past operations, nor given away any names, but what she had been able to share had given Sarah a much better idea of how her people viewed the Elders. Almost everyone on the planet wanted to see them gone. Even if most had given up any real hope of ever seeing it happen.

  “I know you do,” Vera said as she reached out and patted Sarah’s arm. They were relaxing on two more comfortable chairs Vera had suggested they move to. “But there is something I think you will want to see.” Standing up, Vera moved towards the side of her house where the two couches were facing. Reaching into a drawer, she pulled out a small holo projector.

  “What?” Sarah asked, taken aback by the piece of technology. It seemed centuries ahead of anything else she had seen Harvey or Vera possess.

  Vera chuckled at the expression on Sarah’s face. “We’re not completely in the dark ag
es,” she said.

  Sarah didn’t quite understand the expression, but she guessed what Vera meant. “If you have the technology to make holo projectors, surely...”

  “We should be able to produce a whole host of other useful pieces of technology,” Vera finished for Sarah. “Yes, to a certain extent we do. You’ll see when you get into Washington. There is a lot more technology there. However, the Elders severely limit the use of technology. Farmers, and all those who live in farming sectors, are limited to very basic technology. We could greatly increase our yields and production efficiencies. But that would just lead to an increase in population. And the Elders don’t want that. In the cities, some other technologies are allowed. Ones that make it easier for the Elders or those who work with them, to manage the planet. Anything else is restricted.”