by Drew Avera
Lindsay stepped up to Geraldo and whispered in his ear, “Time’s up, sir, if you want to transmit this press conference to Earth.”
Geraldo nodded; part of the reason for filming the press conference was to remind Earth that humans still needed protection this far away from home. He just hoped it didn’t fall on deaf ears.
“Are there any more questions?”
The crowd was silent, but Geraldo knew Lindsay had briefed the media about what was happening, that time was short and questions would go unanswered. Still, the faces before him made Geraldo wonder if it was the right decision. It’s the only decision we could make. Thousands of people are dead and we are largely unprotected. Something must be done to help us if we can’t help ourselves.
Content with moment of silence, Geraldo finished. “Thank you for your time and may God save us all.” Geraldo was not religious, but he hoped the words would conjure an emotional response to anyone listening, anyone willing to help.
He turned and stepped away, knowing the feed was cut and the transmission forwarded to Lasister Station. It would be several hours before any word would be sent back as to the effectiveness of his press conference, but he walked up the stairs leading to his office, he looked out at the horizon, the burnt and smoking landscape of the Swarm’s invasion.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Lindsay following him. “Do you think it will work?”
Lindsay shrugged. “It’s hard to say, sir, but I hope so.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
“I’d rather not think about that possibility.”
Geraldo nodded, feeling the same way. He stopped at the top of the stairs and looked out at the horizon. “Corla used to be so beautiful,” he said. “There was no way we could support billions of people, but were we not a paradise of sorts?”
“We were, sir,” Lindsay replied.
Geraldo looked out, leaning his forehead against the window, drawing a deep breath. “I hope we will be again.”
The End
Author’s Note:
Hi, my name is Drew Avera and I’m an active duty Navy veteran and science fiction author. My writing career began with a dystopian fiction series called The Dead Planet Series before I moved into the space opera and military science fiction genres with my latest bestselling series, The Alorian Wars. To be honest, I think I’ve finally found my home in space opera which includes the awesome company of great authors like Nick Webb. I read Constitution and loved how he envisioned the future of space exploration and military presence in humanity’s ever-expanding universe. I think it is worth noting, the future will probably look a lot like society does today in terms of political agendas and human flaws, but with the backdrop of incredible technological advances and potentially longer lifespans. As I read Constitution, I was drawn to how similar the operation of the ship is to my experiences in the US Navy. Some of the names have changed, but that is to be expected as nations come together and create a singular military. What struck me was how realistic this future seemed, how the sense of urgency and the burden of command weighed on the characters, eventually leading to them finding something within themselves that is heroic. Though, I doubt any of them consider themselves heroes. You would be hard pressed to find a military person comfortable with that title. All in all, The Legacy Fleet trilogy is modern military science fiction that is edgy and relatable in a way that not all science fiction stories tend to be. I immensely enjoyed reading the series and feel blessed to be able to play in Nick’s sandbox with my story. I hope you enjoy it and want to dive deeper into my own worlds. If you like space opera then you will love The Alorian Wars. You can find my author website at www.drewavera.wordpress.com you can also signup for my author newsletter by going to http://smarturl.it/DAAsubscribe Thank you for reading!
The Original Legacy Fleet Trilogy by Nick Webb:
Constitution
Warrior
Victory
The Legacy Ship Trilogy by Nick Webb:
Independence
Defiance
Liberty
Other Legacy Fleet Universe Books
Available in Amazon’s Kindle Worlds:
Alt. Chronicles: Legacy Fleet
an anthology produced by Samuel Peralta
Ascendance: The Interstellar Life of Pigeon
by Saul Tanpepper
Meridian
by Moira Katson
Hammerfall (The Khorsky Trilogy, Book 1)
by David Adams
Vengeance
by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason
Invincible: The First Swarm War, Book 1
by David Bruns
Avenger: The First Swarm War, Book 2
by Chris Pourteau
Vigilance
by Will Swardstrom and Paul K. Swardstrom
Tripoli
by Aaron Hubble
Refuge
by Josi Russell
Colossus
by Jon Frater
Formidable
by Christopher J. Valin
Please sign up for the Legacy Fleet Universe new release announcements. Subscribers will get an exclusive Legacy Fleet short story written by Nick Webb when they sign up. http://smarturl.it/nickwebblist