by Kyle Larson
“Hear about what?” was all Kelvin could muster, still deep in thought about the possibilities of the future.
“Someone called the Colonel just broadcast a message to all the Nine Kingdoms. He claimed that–”
“Mara, play any wide broadcast, searching for keyword ‘colonel’,” Kelvin said, rudely interrupting Amelia.
She didn’t call him out for it though and could tell her friend was very troubled. Amelia didn’t have any siblings, but she imagined losing one the way Kelvin seemed to have lost Aren must have been very hard. Amelia could sense Kelvin was not himself.
The transmission began to play, with the image of the Colonel’s ghostly face. Kelvin gasped at the horrific appearance of the Colonel, whose face almost looked skeletal it was so gaunt.
“Rulers of the Nine Kingdoms, consider this your first and last warning,” the Colonel began. “Your reign of tyranny is at an end. From this day forward, we will no longer be known as the Pirates of Mercury. We are not pirates and we are not the boogeymen your parents told you about. We are very real and we are coming for you. We are the Wanderers and your only option is to surrender your governments to the people. If you do not do this, we will do it for you. We will do it our way. Consider yourselves on notice. I am the Colonel and I bring the Wanderers. We are the Wanderers and we are coming for you.”
The transmission cut out.
“So they want to be called the Wanderers now,” Kelvin said, as he shook his head in dismissal. “My sister and Riz were talking about him. They sounded afraid of him, so I don’t think this is a good sign.”
“I just finished my first shift on the bridge and we picked up a scan from one of the Earth’s observational nodes, just outside the Antioch Belt. Their fleet is leaving the Antioch Belt and headed out into space. I’m sorry, Kelvin, I thought you’d want to know. Looks like this is happening a lot faster than anyone could have expected.”
Kelvin wanted to change the subject. It was bad news all around, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Earth and the other planets that had navy’s would have to start dealing with it now. All Kelvin could focus on was trying to unite.
“How was your first shift?” Kelvin said.
“Uh…it was good. It was really good, thanks for asking,” Amelia said, surprised Kelvin would think to ask with the bad news she gave him.
“I’m really happy for you, Amelia. Getting to do what you’ve always wanted to do. You’re going to be a fleet admiral someday,” Kelvin said.
“Oh, I don’t know about that. I’d be fine with being captain. I want to be the first ship to leave the solar system and explore deep space. Hopefully someday,” Amelia said.
Because the Nine Kingdoms were so big, many people forgot about the mysteries of deep space outside their solar system. It was studied, but the prospect of exploration didn’t seem necessary to any kingdom. They were concerned with their own people and problems. One of the last things King Erelm had been working on before Aren vanished was a program to start exploring outside the solar system. Amelia’s father had been advocating to take that up, but with the impending threat it seemed less likely that was going to happen anytime soon.
“Someday,” Kelvin said, with a sad smile. He wished he could promise his friend her dream would come true when he was king, but he had no idea how long it was going to take to deal with the Wanderers.
Amelia walked closer to Kelvin and gave him a hug. It felt good to Kelvin, as he realized how isolated he’d been since they’d come aboard the Monarch. Something as warm as a hug from a friend made Kelvin feel a hundred times better.
“We’re all behind you, Kelvin. You don’t have to do this alone,” Amelia said, as she stepped back from the embrace.
“Thank you for being my friend, Millie,” Kelvin said. “I mean, Lieutenant Chapman, ma’am.”
Amelia chuckled at the formality Kelvin added in jest, but she could tell he truly meant it as a compliment. The opportunity to serve aboard the Monarch as an official member of their crew was a big one for her. No one knew that better than Kelvin.
They said nothing and looked into the stars as the Monarch started to pick up speed. They watched the darkness surround the ship and looked to the infinite possibilities in front of them. For now, everything was fine, and they could forget about the uncertainty of tomorrow.
The future king and the future captain focused on the moment and the beauty of light that speckled the darkness.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The
End
To Be Continued In….
The Kelvin Voyages:
The Venus Gravity Warriors
I had a lot of fun writing this and it wouldn’t have bee possible without a conversation I had with my son, Jude. Jude and I don’t live in the same city, but we talk on the phone every now and then, and one day he told me he’d heard I write books. The books I’ve written are a little too old for him, so I thought maybe it would be fun to write a book he and other kids his age could read.
My son is nine as I write this, and I have a stepson named Kam who is sixteen. I’ve watched both of them grow into fine young people. Kelvin and Amelia are inspired by the many ways both boys continue to impress me with their inherently good qualities. Life is hard in this world and I often can’t imagine some of the modern day pressures kids face. Both Jude and Kam show strength and good decision making I don’t know if I would have been capable of at their age.
Kids are our future and I truly hope kids see the best of themselves in the heroes they read and watch on film. I hope Kelvin and Amelia can be examples, and I’m excited for you all to watch them grow-up.
There’s a lot more Kelvin and Amelia coming, so I hope you like what you read.
–Kyle Larson
July 12, 2018