Contents
Dedication
Copyright
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To my husband, Jordan,
and my kids, Logan and Hunter.
Have questions or comments? Email me at:
[email protected]
I would love to hear from you!
© 2019 by Adalyn Ramsey
Cover Design © 2019 by Adalyn Ramsey
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
1
“ATTENTION! ATTENTION!”
The sound of a gavel falling on the podium rang out through the cavernous space, and Counsilor Heinrich Elida peered out at the crowd. The Speaker stood at the center of the congregation on a raised dais. Her lips pressed into a thin line and she turned slowly, meeting the eyes of one onlooker after another with a grim determination, silently measuring their support from the way they stared back at her or avoided her eyes sometimes.
This would not be easy. The opposition was fierce, but her team made a tough decision based on difficult circumstances.
The second wave of grumbles and whispers finally settled down as the echoes of the gavel fell quiet. The sound of shuffling papers and clicking cameras from the gallery replaced them for a few precious seconds before she found the courage to speak again. She spoke in a measured and slow tone, careful to make every syllable count before the protestors broke in again.
“Good evening and thank you for gathering here tonight. As you well know, our preliminary reports on the planet designated Nero 821 were released earlier today. It is the first planet we have identified in the goldilocks region of its star that is also within reach of our newest deep space transport ships. There have been many questions about the future of this new planet and who will be the first to inhabit it. Many local governments and special interest groups approached us with offers to develop the planet into something grand, worthy of this new planet. They proposed everything from a high-end oasis in the sky to more industrial type endeavors. While those proposals were intriguing and appreciated, it is my job to tell you today that we have selected a different path for the future of this new planet.”
She gave the crowd a meaningful look, hoping it conveyed the gravity of the situation so that her next move would come as less of a shock.
The Speaker turned sideways, extending her hand to Elida, who stood just beyond the stage behind a thick curtain. His wide nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep breath and murmured a prayer of thanks to the sky, then he stepped up onto the platform and grasped the woman’s hand. A gasp in the back of the crowd and a moment of confusion followed before a small smattering of people began applauding, although the rest never picked up their appreciative gesture.
The Speaker waited patiently for the chattering and applause to stop before continuing. Elida could feel the tension in her muscles as she stood facing him. He stood still, his head bowed gracefully and his hands clasped in front of him, but he too was tense. Finally, he raised his head, opening his eyes and defiantly staring out into the crowd where the first murmurs of dissent had greeted him.
A chill settled over the room and it was quiet enough to hear the Speaker’s soft breaths wafting through the microphone in front of her.
“The time has come to pay what is due to the Helechi people,” she began, but a roar of anger cut her off.
The gavel fell over and over; the sound clanging through the loudspeakers and making ears ring. The crowd never returned to silence, but she pressed on with the practiced manner of a woman who has spent her whole life being spoken over. It was Elida who would really have to face the tough crowd.
“For decades, our government has made empty promises to the Helechi people about how we would repay them for years of subjugation and slavery. We passed ineffective laws and made bogus claims as to how we would give them what was due. But this. This new planet represents a once in a millennia chance to set the record straight!”
Her voice rose in a crescendo, and cameras clicked wildly as she made her statement, overshadowing the grumbles and catcalls of those who refused to accept this turn of events.
“After decades of waiting, we finally have something big enough, valuable enough, meaningful enough, not just to restore years of lost wealth to our brothers in the Helechi tribe, but also to give them the promise of tomorrow. Heretofore, the planet known as Nero 821 shall be the sole property of the Helechi people, who shall rule over it with their tribal government as they see fit. My administration will outfit them with enough gear and resources as befits a budding colony, and we intend to support them as they make the most of this great gift that the galaxy hath presented us. Thank you.”
Elida beamed with pride, tears in his eyes and chin quivering as she came to him. With a smooth gesture, she leaned in and hugged him warmly, whispering her sincere congratulations in his ear. He nodded his appreciation, and as she backed away, he raised his hands over his head triumphantly for the cameras to catch. The crowd raised their voices, some in appreciation, some in anger and disgust, as the man stepped up to the podium to make his own speech.
Outside in the streets, where onlookers of all kinds lined up to watch the announcement on the big screens, fights broke out and barriers were shoved aside. The security detail assigned to keep the peace was quickly overwhelmed and calling for backup.
Inside the auditorium, Heinrich Elida’s voice rose in a tremulous waver, his words barely distinguishable amid the stomping of feet and the frenzied chatter. Photographers captured the event, Elida in all of his glory, forever memorialized at the precise moment when humanity paid its debt to the Helechi tribe, and righted its wrongs.
“I never dreamt that this day would come, but I take this opportunity as a sign in good faith, that the Speaker and all of her people now recognize us as equals, and that they mean well. This does not erase the sins of the past, but I hope it sets us on a new path for the future, and I am honored to be leading my people at such a momentous time. Please, brothers and sisters, pray for our success, that we may all partake of the fruits of this effort somewhere down the road. In a time when my grandchildren and great-grandchildren know nothing but peace among us.”
He paused for effect, and the photographers jumped on the opportunity, blinding everyone with their flashbulbs and shoving one another around to gain the best vantage point for their shot. Elida’s icy blue eyes shone brightly in the photographs, even at such a distance. It was one thing that identified the Helechi people so easily, along with their deeply browned skin tones and the muscular structure that only comes with generation after generation of hard labor.
Once more, Elida bowed his head in prayer, and the room grew ghostly quiet, but the moment passed quickly as the Speaker retook the stage and ushered him away.
“And that concludes this special session,” she announced hurriedly, the microphone squealing with feedback for a moment before she raced after Elida, creating a gap in the crowd wherever she stepped as if by some protective bubble. The security detail closed in around her, keeping a close eye on the raucous crowd, just in case.
“Well?” Elisabet asked curiously, eyeing Elida sideways in the corner of a quiet study off of her main office.
“Well, nothing, Liz. They aren’t rioting yet, but many of those people feel that this deal was undeserved. They will come for me and my people, accuse us of ste
aling the fruits of the government’s discovery. I won’t be satisfied until me and the rest of my people are safe on Nero, along with all the gear promised to us. No funny business.”
Elida had dropped his calm outward demeanor in the confines of the private room. He and Elizabet Buckley had a long professional history, and he would not waste energy playing coy with her. There was a deal to see through, and this was his one chance to solidify his place among his people and in the history books of Earth for years to come.
“Come now, Heinrich. I’m trying to do the right thing here. You know I will have a target on my back after this, and I’ll likely be ousted from my position at the first opportunity the opposition has. It took a lot of string pulling to make this happen, and we all need it to work out. I’m counting on you to turn Nero 821 into something even greater than any of those other proposals imagined. In fact, I tossed a few of my favorite proposals into your files so you can see them yourself. Maybe you’ll find inspiration as you plan your new city structure.” She smiled sweetly, although her arms remained crossed in front of her chest.
“I’ll get right on that,” Heinrich muttered sarcastically. “First, dig the latrines. Second, set up basic services for my people, and third, make sure you rich folk have a nice vacation spot to visit when you want to come to gawk at us and our little experiment from the comfort of a resort? Anything else I can do for you, your highness?”
The words nipped at her, cutting into the gracefulness with which she had conducted herself toward him. She sighed and turned away, knowing that Heinrich’s trust was hard-earned and there was plenty of time for arguing about the benefits of free trade and tourism to the new colony in the future. All she had to do for now was get him there and make sure the first structures were assembled in time for a quick flyover photo op that she had arranged with some of the most important news outlets.
Elizabet pulled the curtains open slightly, peering through at the crowd outside. They were marching and chanting from what she could see, but the security team seemed to have a handle on things. Regardless, it was best if they all got out of the building as soon as possible.
“Rest here. I’ll have someone get you when a car is ready to take you back,” she stated abruptly, turning on her heel and abandoning the man to the empty room. He grunted his acknowledgment, and his eyes followed her exit, but he made no move to rise for her, despite her position. This was his first statement as her equal, if, indeed, they were equals now.
Listening to the shouts outside the window, Heinrich couldn’t get a good read on how many supporters he really had. When Elizabet and the Central Government had first approached the Helechi people with the offer to give them land, it had thrilled him to think of the opportunity. But now, after months of careful deliberations, this deal had developed a dark underside that threatened to upset everything. Even his own allies had recoiled at the idea, some of them splintering into their own political groups, opposing his leadership.
Reaching down to the controller on the armrest of the chair, he flipped on a screen and started shuffling through news stations. Lively commentators were already dissecting the deal, giving their take on whether it was good or bad for the economy, mineral prices, and all the other key topics that they ranted about. Heinrich paused on one channel, noting that the speaker was a Helechi man like himself.
“All I’m saying is that we should approach this new planet with caution. I hope Councilor Elida has great success leading his first envoy there, but as for me and my family, we will hang back a while to see how things pan out. I can’t help but feel like Elida made a deal with the devil. From where I’m sitting, this just looks like one more way for the ruling class to push us out and reclaim what little progress we have made.”
Heinrich rolled his eyes and sighed. It was disheartening to see that some of his own had so little faith already, and he hadn’t even revealed all the plans he had set in place. A knock came at the door and he flipped off the receiver, turning his head to acknowledge Elizabet’s assistant when she announced that his car was ready.
2
AS THE CAR pulled down the long driveway toward the secluded office building, Helechi people of all ages gathered. They closed in around the vehicle, marching behind it in anticipation of when Captain Elida would finally step out and greet his people. In front of the building, a small stage and yet another podium awaited him.
By the time he left Elizabet’s chambers, he had already made up his mind. He couldn’t wait a day to make a speech. He had to face his people and tell them the plan. He had to put their minds at ease. He had to win them over. Ready or not, now was the time to stand up and lead.
Wild cheers broke out as he emerged from the car, and he marched up onto the stage with the same unshakeable resolve that had defined his time as tribal leader. He deftly avoided the reaching arms of his friends and acquaintances, brushing past them without so much as a glance. They were hungry for his attention. They wanted to know if the rumors they had heard were true. Under other circumstances, he might have stopped to shake their hands or take photos with their babies, but now was not the time.
“Settle down, my friends,” he beseeched them, a thin smile growing on his lips as he looked with pride upon his tribe.
The crowd complied, giving him their undivided attention as he surveyed their eager eyes, drinking in their enthusiasm and using it to fuel his next words.
“You may have heard a great gift has been bestowed upon us this day. The Speaker Elizabet Buckley and the Central Government has granted us a chance to start anew. To build something completely our own. Something beyond the reaches of the tragedies that have occurred here on this planet. Something that will make our ancestors proud and give our young ones hope for the future. And I know, there will be a lot of challenges to come, but for once, WE will be the ones to reap the rewards of facing these challenges. No man will take our prize from us-”
“Why should we trust them?” A voice shouted from the crowd.
There was a low rumble of agreement among the people, and Elida’s smile turned to a frown. His people were wise, and they had a mountain of bad experiences to learn from. Their questions were not undeserved.
“I’m not asking you to trust them. I’m asking you to trust me. You have put your faith in me to lead this tribe, and my council has served you rightly. We will assemble an exploratory team for the first trip to Nero 821 in the coming weeks, and then we will formulate a more formal plan for the entire tribe to join us. Please, just give us time, and trust us.” He was trying to keep his voice even, but a bit of desperation was seeping into his words.
“What gives you the right to gamble our whole future on this? You should’ve held out for more!” the voice demanded.
“I will be frank with you. I took this deal because the tides are shifting here on this planet. I truly believe that if we waited any longer, there may not be another deal, now or in the future. Speaker Buckley is on our side. More than likely, her career will end, and this deal will be the cause of it. She sacrificed herself for us, and we have to make the most of it. If we squander this chance, we may not get another.”
The earnestness of his answer silenced the crowd. They watched him closely as he regained his composure and picked up where left off.
“As I was saying, we will assemble a team. This team will comprise several specialists who can help us survey and plan our new development. In the meantime, I will need a team of experts able to closely manage our current tribal matters in my absence. There will be a series of meetings taking place in the next few days, and my team will reach out to those of you whose expertise is needed as we move forward. For now, please excuse me. I must gather my advisors. Tonight is a night of celebration. Our people have been repaid, and I encourage you all to be merry and make the most of it!”
On his cue, fireworks exploded over the crowd, and they all turned their heads skyward to watch the colors sizzle and dissipate among the clouds. That was a little tr
ick he had arranged earlier in the day when he knew things were getting out of hand. All it took was a small distraction to help his people keep their focus on the things that really mattered. That way he would have the space to do what needed to be done. His advisors had suggested the trick was beneath him, but he knew that tricks like these could make or break a leader in his precarious situation, so he had gone for it. Funny how all these years later, fireworks still aroused patriotism in a people who were all but displaced.
With all eyes on the sky, Elida stepped off the back of the stage and hurried through the French doors of his building. The thick wooden doors closed behind him, and his guards stepped forward to lock them tightly. Through the doors, the sound of the crowd was barely audible. Finally, some peace and quiet to sort things out. Out of sight of the public, he shrugged off his heavy suit jacket and relaxed his shoulders. Now he could get down to the real work and stop playing to the people.
“Your advisors are waiting upstairs,” one guard announced, and Elida nodded, taking a deep breath.
Planting one foot firmly in front of the other, he mounted the stairs, pulling himself up to continue this long and arduous day. The people had wanted an effective military leader when they elected him, and that is exactly what they got. Now was his time to shine.
As Elida entered the conference room, all the Helechi men and women rose to greet him. He walked to the head of the table, pivoted, and then sat down with a sigh of relief. There was a sound of chairs scraping across the floor as everyone else settled into their own chairs and then shuffled papers. For the third time today, all eyes fixated on him, and they expected him to make an impassioned speech.
“What do you have for me?” he asked instead, tossing the grenade into the middle of the table and hoping somebody else would take a turn with it for a few minutes.
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