“I know you don’t want to hear this, and I wish I could explain why over the phone, but I can’t.”
She heard a voice, muffled, in the background on Liam’s end of the phone call.
“Hold on a second, Ann.”
The line went silent, but still connected. He put her on hold. How could he ask this of her? It was all hands on deck to get ready for an early launch. He couldn’t expect her to sit on the sidelines while others did the hard work. She fought back the urge to hang up and board the hovercopter anyway.
“I’m back. Listen, how about you go to Dallas and work there? You can video chat with Dustin and your team here in Orlando and they can mimic everything you do there.”
“What the hell is going on, Liam?”
“When I know I’m on a secure line I can tell you, but please trust me on this.”
“Damn it. Fine. I’ll go to Dallas. I want an explanation, though. I deserve one.”
“I agree. And you’ll get one. I’ll message Dustin and let him know the situation. Thank you for doing this.”
“I’ll hold my ‘you’re welcome’ until I know why I’m doing this.”
“Understood. I love you.”
She sighed. She knew he wouldn’t ask this of her if it wasn’t important. He cared about her. “I love you, too. I’ll call you when I’m settled in Dallas.”
She hung up before he could reply.
“That didn’t sound like she took it well.”
Liam glared at Percy. The two had met up moments before Ann called him. Percy was about to tell him what he learned at the WWLO headquarters.
“You better be right about Dallas being safe.”
“Whatever is going on with the two of us does not extend to Ann. I wouldn’t put her in harm's way. There’s no WWLO personnel in Dallas anymore. They were unable to infiltrate the facility and couldn’t get organized to do any damage pre-launches. Currently, it’s safer than here.”
“Then we need to do everything possible to stop them now.”
They were talking in Liam’s office. Once the news leaked the previous night, he knew the press would swarm his home looking for answers so he returned back to his office. A comfortable leather sofa sat along a wall that he managed to sleep an hour or two on. Percy woke him up only minutes ago.
“Tell me what you learned last night,” he demanded.
“I learned Foster has balls of steel. I couldn’t believe he walked right out there to the White House gates. Did you see Blake’s face?”
“You know what I mean. What did you learn at the headquarters?”
“You can imagine their disbelief when I told them about the aliens. Some believed me, most didn’t. Then the news leaked and Foster had his social media speech to the people. Everyone believed me then. We talked about options. I tried to steer them in the direction that abandoning our attacks was the best choice, but I couldn’t exactly give myself away so that went nowhere. Instead, like I thought, they decided to accelerate their plans.”
“What’s their timetable?”
“Two weeks.”
“Shit. That’s soon. Any information on plan B?”
“I couldn’t get any. I asked and they simply told me I knew the rules.”
“That’s alright. We stop plan A. No way in hell do we allow them to blow our ship. Then we can worry about plan B.”
Percy moved over to the sofa and sat. “I think I know our next step.”
“And what’s that?” Liam asked, crossing the room to stand over Percy.
“We need to go to Columbus. We have to tell Foster and Blake. It needs to be in person, I don’t trust any connections coming out of Orlando.”
“You’re right. We need the commission on our side. They have to know the danger. And we can’t hope to stop them by ourselves. What are we going to do, raid their entire HQ alone?”
“They’d outnumber us twenty to one. And Liam, we need to hurry. I told you Dallas was safe for now, but with the new timetable who knows how long that will last? In three days it might be a different story.”
“Let’s get to it, then. I need a pilot I can trust who can get us both out of here quietly.”
Debra Sizemore sat in front of Liam’s desk facing him in his office chair while Percy stood off to the side, leaning against a wall.
“Why do you need me to fly you to Columbus? I have dozens of pilots that can do it.”
“We need you, Debra, because we can trust you. I don’t know those pilots, but I do know you. This trip cannot be on an official log and we have to leave as quietly and quickly as possible.”
“You say you trust me, but here you are trying to sneak around. So how can I trust you? This seems suspicious.”
Percy laughed. “She’s got us there, Liam.”
“I know what it looks like. I can’t tell you everything here. I’m sorry. Just know that the security of this entire operation is at stake.”
“Security? Isn’t that what this new guy is for?” She glanced at Percy who couldn’t help but flash a smile back at her.
“That’s why he’s going with us. Please, Debra.”
She considered the two of them. Although she didn’t know Percy, she had a good relationship with Liam. She made her decision to put faith in him.
“Alright. Meet me at the Z48 hangar in fifteen minutes.”
“The Z48s? Wouldn’t a hovercopter be less suspicious?” Percy asked.
“Not this morning. I have my pilots doing extra training on the Z48s today. I will call ahead and make sure one gets left behind. I can access the logs remotely and make it appear that it’s scheduled for routine maintenance. My people will then move it to the garage where it will sit outside the doors waiting for our maintenance team to arrive to work. Once the shuttle is left alone, we will get inside and take off as I alter the log again to show that the craft is scheduled for a long duration test flight. The flight will still be logged, but nobody will see us leave and neither of us will be on the manifest. Our logging system for the hovercopters would be much more difficult to manipulate.”
“You came up with that plan that quickly off the top of your head? Impressive,” Liam said. “What about you?”
“I feel a sick day is in order. Keep it simple.”
“Very well. Lead the way.”
Cautious of them being spotted together on security cameras, the trio agreed to split up and rendezvous in front of the maintenance garage in twenty minutes, each taking different routes to get there. Liam worried the WWLO might have someone watching the camera feed, Percy agreed.
Liam arrived first in front of the Z48, abandoned just like Debra said it would be. He checked the time—7:45. The maintenance team usually came in at 8:00. He hoped the other two would hurry.
While he waited, he admired the vehicle. Slower than the Z56 crafts, it could still travel at speeds greater than five hundred mph (Z56s can top two thousand mph). The craft was bulky, roughly twenty feet wide and fifty feet long. The inside featured a row of seats on each side and handles stretching from end to end for standing passengers to grasp. In total it was rated to carry a hundred passengers. He’d only been on a Z48 twice for short durations and looked forward to an extended trip to check out the craft’s capabilities.
Percy arrived next, followed by Debra a minute later. At 7:55 they were in the air.
During the Relocation Years the city of Columbus, Ohio tripled in size from over one and a half million to almost five million people when it opened the refugee camps throughout the city’s suburban areas. Many refugees from New York and Boston resettled in Columbus.
When the decision was made to abandon Washington D.C. as the Atlantic Ocean flooded the streets of the old United States capital, Columbus was in the running for the new location along with Denver and Minneapolis. Thanks to some political backroom deals, Columbus ended up on top.
The Orlov virus then struck full force on the new capital not long after things were up and running. The new White House saw three d
ifferent presidents in the first year thanks to the virus’ unrelenting attack throughout the political ranks. Eventually the tripled population had reduced back down to the city’s original number before it opened itself up to the coastal refugees.
Now, Columbus was home to around eight hundred thousand people and falling. The nation’s birth rate the previous year was zero point six.
Liam observed the long-closed Ohio State University outside his window as they approached their landing pad on the White House lawn. The old Ohio Stadium featured visible signs of disuse. He heard that a century ago they used to have a pretty good football team that would draw in thousands. The university shut its doors thirty years ago and nobody’s gone through the trouble of demolishing it or repurposing its buildings. Only a handful of universities still operated throughout the country.
The landing went smoothly and they were ushered inside by the president’s secret service protection which, Percy assured him, had not been infiltrated by the WWLO.
The new White House was somewhat smaller than its predecessor and the outside sported a more modern design than the original, but otherwise it appeared similar enough. The architects tried not to verge too far away from the old design.
Liam, Percy, and Debra were marched through the east entrance stopping just outside the oval office’s door.
“Are you ready to tell me what is going on?” Debra asked.
“Once we’re inside you’ll hear it all,” Liam replied.
The door opened, Foster greeted them from behind his desk. “Donovan! Alvarez! Good to see you both. And I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”
“Mr. President. I’m Debra Sizemore. Z Fleet Commander for The Hawking.”
“Nice to meet you. Please, everyone have a seat.” Foster directed them to sit on one of two couches that faced each other in the center of the office. “When I got your call I must admit your secrecy piqued my interest. Tell me, what is this all about?”
“Sir,” Liam began, “I must admit a breach. The terrorist organization who bombed our campus several months ago has infiltrated the STS organization.”
Foster leaned closer. “How do you know this?”
“I told him,” Percy said. “Mr. President, I am—was—still am technically a member of their group.”
“Alvarez? Is this true?” Foster looked incredulously at his former brother in arms.
“It is, sir. They call themselves the World Will Live On. In a nutshell they believe if we had the world’s best scientists working on fixing Earth instead of escaping it, humanity would have a future here on Earth. They’re willing to do whatever is necessary to make that happen.”
“Liam, why is this man not in handcuffs?”
“Because, sir, he believes—and so do I—that he can help us bring them down. He’s had a change of heart.”
“And you believe him?”
“After much consideration, I do. Unfortunately, time is not on our side and we need any help we can get.”
“Tell me everything you know.”
For the next half hour they discussed the WWLO plans and what to do about it.
Chapter 6
A LONG WEEK transpired for Ann. Using the guise of a national emergency, President Foster grounded all air traffic within a two hundred mile radius of both Orlando and Dallas. The military also set up road blockades around both cities. Nobody went in or out without being thoroughly vetted. This was, of course, part of the plan to keep the WWLO trapped in Orlando and out of Dallas, but carried the unfortunate side effect of trapping her in the city as well.
Even though she wasn’t thrilled about it, she now understood why Liam sent her to the city. The final piece to complete The Christensen, the STS ship that was being constructed in Dallas, launched a month ago. The final assembly was taking place in orbit and the staff, including herself, would be launched to board the ship in only two days.
The plan was for her to board The Christensen and then rejoin with Liam and The Hawking in a few months right before they left Earth for good. In the meantime, she was to keep an eye out for any WWLO activity. She pled her case to Liam and Foster that she was a scientist, not a spy. They understood, and told her just to be watchful, no need to go out of her way to investigate things. Percy assured her there was not a WWLO branch in Dallas. One could empathize her doubt.
Mentally, she found herself struggling with the fact that in two days she would no longer be calling planet Earth home. That day was not supposed to happen so soon. She should've had eight more months and now she was being thrust onto another ship filled with strangers instead of alongside the man she loved.
Her alarm woke her ten minutes ago, but the strength needed to rise out of bed eluded her. She stared at the ceiling of her hotel room. The STS Two’s administrative staff put her up in the nicest hotel in Dallas. It would prove to be a stark contrast to the room she’d be living in in two days. Originally, she was to be in a two-person suite (suite being a term used lightly as even those were smaller than her current hotel room) with Liam. With her change in situation came a change in room and board. The single occupancy rooms on the ship were quite tiny indeed. There would be a very small bathroom (in an effort to save space, the toilet sat inside the shower), a kitchenette featuring a mini-fridge, microwave, one countertop stove burner (no oven), a twin-sized bed, and a table with two chairs. One hundred square feet total.
Though she desired to spend as much time in her large bed in her large room as she could, work beckoned. With a groan she climbed out of bed next to her on her nightstand a blue LED light blinked away signaling a waiting text message. This one from Liam.
Lottery scheduled in three days. They wanted to wait until the Dallas crew was in space. Announcement coming tonight.
Well, at least she wouldn’t be here to see that shit-show. The lottery went through many variations over the years as world governments bickered over the requirements. Eventually they settled on these statutes:
Age range 18-30 would receive five entries. 31-40 four entries. 41-50 three entries. 51-60 two entries. 61+ one entry.
Parents would receive an additional two entries per parent in the family. If one parent were to be selected, the whole family gets to go.
Religion would have no bearing on entries.
Sexual preference would have no bearing on entries. (This one caused a lot of problems. Not because people were bigoted toward same-sex relationships, but because they knew those who went would be needed to repopulate the human race. The compromise would be that if you were homosexual and selected in the lottery you must sign a contract that you would be willing to donate sperm if you are a male, or if you are a woman, you must be willing to carry a child from a donor.)
If you had an official certification in any survival skill you were awarded one additional entry.
Nations where the STS fleet was being constructed would not have preferential treatment. All people from all nations had an equal chance.
The results of the lottery would not be made public. Those selected had six weeks to register privately online. Once registered, a location would be given specifying where to meet to be bussed or flown to the nearest launch location. The problem was that people would inevitably riot at the gates of the launch sites desperate to not be left behind. Desperation, history had shown, could lead to terrible tragedies. The shuttles to the launch site may be swarmed. Hovercopters ferrying lottery winners could be attacked. They could only hope the militaries would be able to keep the process under control.
She pulled back the curtains revealing the Dallas cityscape from twenty floors up. A few vehicles moved around here and there, but largely the roads were empty. She imagined what it must have been like a hundred years ago. The morning commute in full swing with traffic jams blocking all major roadways, pedestrians heading to work, and kids being dropped off at school. The sun rose over the Texas horizon casting a beautiful orange light over a dying land. Ann’s hand pressed against the glass trying to feel
if there was any pulse left in the city.
She couldn't find one.
Her commute to the campus was quick, the newly implemented security measures to get inside the campus, however, were not. It took twenty minutes from the first gate to her parking space outside the lab.
The lab was a replica of what awaited her in orbit. She planned on only being there a couple of hours to make sure the inventory was complete and nothing forgotten. She also had to video conference with Dustin back in Orlando. Tomorrow she’d have the day off to prepare for the coming launch.
The campus was a ghost town for the most part. The Christensen would be finishing assembly in orbit that day and the STS operational fleet would grow to two. Many of the crew who were working on The Christensen had moved on to Cairo, Brasília, and Orlando.
After the first hour she finished her inventory checklists and video called Dustin.
“Ann, hello. Good morning,” Dustin said.
“Good morning. How’s progress?”
She hated that she wasn’t there. The Orlando lab was her baby. She trusted Dustin to hold down the fort, but she would rather be the one overseeing the expedited process.
“Moving along. Don’t worry, I can see it on your face. I got this. You’ll be with us soon enough.”
“Yeah, I know. I trust you to get it done, I do. But it’s hard not being there.”
“We all wish you were. Are you putting those Dallas botanists in their place?”
“Ah, I’m just their unwanted tagalong. They tolerate me.”
“Don’t be too hard on them. Took me years to warm up to you.”
She let out a short laugh. “I didn’t know you ever did.”
“Let’s compare notes. Make sure we’re still rolling on the right path. Though I do like being the one in charge over here, not going to lie.”
“Bet you do. Must irk you to take orders from me when I can’t even get back to the city.”
“I never said that.”
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