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Chapter 31

Time took on an elastic feel for Charleston soon after he and the others completed their first survival challenge. Each month became divided in two, one part with Gala and the other part without her. If he were coming off a survival challenge, the two weeks with her stretched out before him like a blissful eternity.

But soon after, their days full of classes and familiar routine moved faster and faster until it was suddenly time to return to one of the domes on Forest or Lake Branches with Arkhangelsk. At every new challenge, time once again seemed eternal, only not of the blissful kind.

However, after a few days of exploring and struggling for food and shelter, time once again jumpstarted and caught up with Charleston and he remembered how much he loved being a ranger and the challenge would be over before he knew it.

In this way, a year passed. Their eighteenth birthday had come and gone with little fanfare, but now they were going to celebrate it with their first ever dance. The Planners had explained the nature of the dance, called Prom for some inexplicable reason, as something that had been common on old Earth to mark the threshold between childhood and adulthood. As part of the festivities, the Podkind had spent the previous day searching through the History and Culture Museum for outfits to wear.

“You look, uh,” Charleston began, standing now in Savannah’s cabin as she put the finishing touches on her outfit. She wore a dress of various shades of bright pink. It only had one shoulder for some reason, the other one left bare, and there were sparkly stones placed in floral patterns across her torso. And it was poofy, billowing waves of pink cascading down one shoulder and flowing along the bottom of the dress. “Uh,” but he couldn’t finish the sentence without laughing and he didn’t want to laugh at Savannah.

“Shut up,” she snapped. “You look like a fool, too.”

Charleston looked down at his outfit. “I like it,” he said with a shrug. He was wearing a white jacket over a turquoise button-down shirt and shockingly colorful pants that were as billowy and puffy as Savannah’s dress. The jacket had weird cushions on the shoulders whose purpose was a mystery and the sleeves were permanently rolled up almost to his elbows. The pants had enough material for two people and they kept getting bunched between his knees when he walked. “I can’t wait to see what Ragnar’s wearing,” he laughed.

Savannah gave him a glower, then turned back to the mirror.

She had changed considerably since becoming captain. Gone was the lanky girl who chewed her lip and in her place was a tall, curvy woman with arms and legs that rippled with muscles from their training. Her black hair was curled in small waves and shone as if a light was pointed at it. The horrible dress accentuated these changes in a way Charleston hadn’t really noticed before.

“Like what you see?” she asked in a sultry voice, turning towards him and placing a hand on her hip.

“Savannah!” Charleston nearly shouted and quickly looked away, his face flushing. He’d grown considerably, too. He was taller and thick with muscles, though he was still leaner than New York and Ragnar by a lot. He’d also let his hair grow down to his shoulders, though he couldn’t grow a beard the way the Viking could.

She laughed and kicked off the shoes she’d been wearing. They had high, pointed heels and looked very uncomfortable. “Do you think Ragnar will like it?” she asked with a smile.

“If he doesn’t then maybe he should be dating New York,” Charleston replied, still marveling that Savannah and Ragnar, son of Ragnar, had paired up. The guy still believed he was a Viking, for one, but he’d also spent his first weeks on the ship calling Savannah a wench and a whore. Not to mention the beating she’d given him.

There was a knock on the door and New York stepped in followed by the Viking himself. New York, as massive as always, was wearing a dark blue jacket over a multicolored checkered shirt. His pants were a lighter blue than the jacket, but they were of the same material. Jeans were what they were called, he’d informed them when he’d picked them out. He had on black boots and was wearing a weird sort of hat with a strange logo on it that cast a shadow over his green eyes and ever-tan face.

Ragnar, meanwhile, looked like the Viking he thought he was. He was wearing heavy leather pants with armored pieces around his ankles and knees and sturdy boots. His thick, muscled chest and arms were bare except for a series of leather straps, some of which held the armor padding he wore on his upper back and shoulders in place, while others seemed to have no purpose other than to accentuate his muscles. Leather wrist guards completed the outfit.

Charleston let out a whistle. “No fair!” he said. “I want to wear Viking armor!”

“Charles Town not Viking,” Ragnar said. “Charles Town big flower,” he added appraising Charleston’s outfit and smiling. He’d grown a thick, bushy yellow beard to complement his long blonde hair, which he currently had in a braid.

“Very funny,” Charleston replied. “Ragnar, son of Ragnar, discover humor,” he said, mimicking the large Viking. “Soon, he discover fire.”

Ragnar looked puzzled. “Ragnar, son of Ragnar, know fire already, silly flower.”

“You look amazing,” Savannah said before Charleston could reply. She went up to him and kissed him lightly on the lips, one hand resting on his chest. Ragnar reached an arm around her waist and pressed her to him, extending their kiss into something that made both Charleston and New York uncomfortable. Ragnar had in many ways acclimated to his new life in this exotic strange world, but in others he was still all barbarian. When he went to pick Savannah up, she stopped him with a whisper. “Shall we go?” she asked, turning to her two friends with a flushed face. “The others are probably waiting for us.”

The four made their way through the ship and to the hangar where the rest of the crew had already gathered. They were to take Rainbow to City Dome and gather in the park there before proceeding to the Council of Nine Building where the dance would be held. They’d been allowed to go as couples, but they had to stay with their shipmates until the dance started.

Charleston and the others exchanged shocked and appreciative comments at the various outfits everyone was wearing, then set out for Rainbow.

“Why do you only have one glove?” Charleston asked Jacksonville as they went.

He was wearing a red leather jacket, black leather pants, and a colorful shirt. He had a silver glove on his right hand. He’d grown more wide than tall over the past couple of years, though most of it was muscle. And he’d let his hair spiral out into thick, dark locks like their father’s. “That’s all there was,” he shrugged. “Why are your pants so big?”

Charleston laughed. “I have no idea. Looking good,” he continued to Paris as he joined him and the others on the elevator. He was dressed almost normally compared to the rest. He had on black pants, a black fancy jacket, and a thin, black tie over a white shirt.

“Thanks,” Paris replied quietly, pushing a strand of his dark black hair behind his ear. He’d grown to be quite tall, though he was still just as lanky, and his face was perpetually pale to the point of looking sickly.

The elevator whooshed up the short distance to its peak, then descended to City Dome. Charleston looked out over the approaching park where most of the other ships had already gathered around the statue of Jonathan Stiles. It was a sea of color.

The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened. Sounds of dozens of conversations, excited exclamations, and laughter greeted them. Not only was everyone wearing strange clothes and oohing and ahhing over each other, but this was the first dance the Podkind had ever been to.

A wave of silence passed through each ship. Professor Stahl and Claire were standing in front of Jonathan Stiles.

“Happy belated birthday!” Professor Stahl shouted to the crowd, flashing her bright smile and looking pleased. “You’ve come a long way since your days in Podkind Dome as little podlings always under foot, curious about everything. Now you’re practically grown! You’ve been training non-stop for years and you’ve made amazing progress.”

Charleston exchanged a look with Arkhangelsk, who was wearing skin-tight black pants, if they could be called pants, a baggy sweater that almost reached her knees, and furry brown boots. The two of them had grown even closer over the past year of survival training. Each new environment challenged them in different ways and they frequently suffered hunger, cold, and even sickness together during their two weeks inside.

“And so the Council of Nine and the Planners want to reward you for your hard work,” Professor Stahl continued, “and, more importantly, to celebrate you and all that you’ve achieved. This is your day.”

She turned and swept one arm towards the edge of the park. Only then did Charleston notice the streets surrounding them. They were packed with people. At Stahl’s signal, they erupted in cheers and applause. The sound was deafening. It made Charleston’s chest swell with pride. He’d never experienced anything like it.

Stahl signaled to the first ship and they began walking along the main sidewalk that ran through the park. However, they weren’t going towards the Council of Nine Building, but rather away from it. The other ships fell in behind them one by one and they made a slow, stately circuit around the entirety of the park.

Charleston was in shock at this outpouring of love and appreciation and his face began hurting from smiling so much. He laughed and looked over at Savannah and New York. His large friend had tears in his eyes. Charleston did too. They’d been working so hard for so long, doing everything they were told without complaint, and they’d never received the kind of validation they were getting now. He hadn’t known how badly he needed a moment like this until it was upon him. The stress and pressure and emotion that’d been slowly building in him as their training grew more difficult erupted out of him. He laughed and cried at the same time.

Then his heart dropped and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Just ahead in the front row of the massive crowd was the tall, creepy man from the restaurant. He was openly weeping and cheering, but when he saw Charleston, he rushed towards him, arms outstretched.

Charleston barely had time to react. He smoothly sidestepped the man’s clumsy hug and pushed him back towards the crowd. The creepy man stumbled, then fell to his knees. The crowd around them let out a gasp, unsure how to react. Charleston’s shipmates were staring in confusion. Several people who’d been standing with the creepy man rushed forward, shouting and yelling at Charleston.

He cursed to himself and tried to keep an eye on the creepy man’s friends while searching the crowd for a more serious threat. Everything Green had warned him about came rushing back to him. How could he not have seen the threat this situation presented? The Podkind were all in one place, out in the open, and with the entire city watching. This would be the perfect time for Jedidiah and his people to attack.

But nothing happened.

The creepy man got to his feet and disappeared back in the crowd without giving Charleston another glance. His friends continued to yell at them for a few moments, but the march towards the Council of Nine Building was moving inexorably forward, carrying Charleston and his shipmates past the commotion. They were again surrounded by cheering crowds of people as if nothing had happened.

Charleston shook his head, trying to dispel the sudden fear that had gripped him. The creepy man was a weirdo, not some portent of a greater threat. Still, the overwhelming feelings of pride and happiness he’d been feeling didn’t return.

They rounded the last corner of the park and the elegant spire that capped the Council of Nine Building came into view. It never failed to impress Charleston with its grace and design. The peresilium legs supporting the large oval structure perched atop it gleamed brightly in the sun. It was a beacon, they’d been told in Captain class, to all of New Washington that the Council was looking over them and protecting them.

They finally reached the entrance to the Council of Nine Building and left the cheering crowds outside to board the elevators to the top of the spire. Charleston breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn’t shake the feeling the creepy man’s appearance had given him that something was off.

When the doors opened at the top, though, all thought of the creepy man and Jedidiah vanished. The entrance hall, which Charleston remembered being grim and foreboding, looked magical. Candles and glowing orbs cast dancing shadows across the floor and walls. Tables full of odd looking contraptions were scattered about the large space. Opposite the elevator doors, a quartet of musicians played a soothing, welcoming song. A person wearing a fancy looking black suit with tails hanging from the jacket signaled to them to make their way down the hall, where another identically dressed man stood pointing the way through a set of double doors. They passed through these and were handed a glass of something yellow and bubbly on the other side.

Charleston hardly noticed the drink. His attention was riveted to the large room full of people they found themselves in. Dominating the middle of the space was an enormous fountain with an intricate marble statue standing high in the center of it, lights from the floor illuminating it from every angle. It was a statue of them, Charleston realized with a shock. Well, not of them specifically, but of the Podkind. Twelve teenagers stood in a circle, each in a unique pose. One was holding a bow and arrow and looking off in the distance. Another was squatting next to an engine, tinkering with it. Another stood with hands on hips, boldly looking forward with a smile on her face. Still another raised a spear. It was an impressive monument meant to celebrate them and their mission.

But that was just the most obvious thing that took his breath away upon stepping into the large ballroom. Lining the walls to either side of them was a multitude of tables laden with more food, and more kinds of it, than any of them had ever seen. The smells filling the room made Charleston’s mouth water and stomach rumble.

On the opposite wall from the entrance, a large group of musicians played something Charleston couldn’t quite make out over the din of conversation. To the right of the musicians in a far corner was a waterfall. Charleston did a double take when he saw it. A stream curved gently from the bottom of the falls, around the room, and eventually to the fountain. It was lined with intimate little tables and potted plants.

Charleston’s eyes naturally tracked up to the top of the waterfall. It was flanked with balconies. There were multiple levels to this room, as well as raised platforms suspended above the floor. No, they weren’t suspended, they were hovering, Charleston realized when he looked closer. There were no cables or cords, no base or support. They were large floating discs, each with its own table and chairs.

“Whoa!” New York said, giving voice to the feeling each was experiencing.

“Hey look!” Savannah said pointing. “It’s Jax!”

Charleston turned and saw a large screen attached to the wall between the first- and second-story balconies. On it was an image of Jacksonville at the controls of Red Ship.

“Look at that sexy man,” someone said from behind Jacksonville as two arms wrapped themselves around his waist. A head of red hair and a smiling face appeared next. It was Amorosa, the chief pilot from Gold Ship.

“Thanks, Rosa,” he said, twisting to return her embrace.

At the sight of the happy couple, Charleston searched the crowd for Gala. As he did so, he noticed their professors were in attendance, too. He also saw Jambon and Naima talking quietly by one of the tables that bordered the stream. Jambon was wearing light brown pants and a pink short-sleeve pullover shirt, its collar turned up. Naima, whose growth spurt had been more of a trickle, was wearing…something. It was tight, for starters, and had bright colors, though only on her torso. Her legs were covered in something equally tight, though black, and she had some sort of band encircling her head, her hair up and jutting to one side. When Jambon saw Charleston looking at them, he flashed a rude gesture.

Charleston smirked, then looked away. He wasn’t going to let Jambon ruin the dance for him. Just then, he spotted Gala speaking to Professor Thurmond and went to join them.

As they were exchanging greetings, a tinkling sound cut through the crowd. Professor Stahl stood in front of the fountain with a glass of the same yellow liquid in her hand. “Welcome to your Prom!” she said happily. “In the spirit of old Earth whose replacement you will find and after whose cities you were named, we invite you to enjoy this ancient custom, this rite of passage honoring and celebrating your entrance into adulthood. The glasses you hold in your hands contain a traditional celebratory beverage called Champagne. People all over old Earth drank it on occasions such as this one. But before they did, they raised their glasses to offer a toast, that is, to say a few words explaining what they were celebrating.” She raised her glass high at this point. “Please,” she said, nodding to her glass. Arms lifted all over the room. “To you!” she said simply, then leaned over and clinked her glass with that of Claire who, as always, stood in the shadows behind her.

Professor Thurmond touched his glass to Gala’s and Charleston’s in turn, then signaled for them to do the same, after which they all drank. It was like nothing Charleston had ever tasted, but not in a good way. It was crisp and tingly in his mouth and he almost choked on it when he swallowed too fast.

Professor Thurmond laughed.

“People used to drink this?” Charleston asked incredulously.

“It’s a bit of an acquired taste,” Thurmond smirked. “And it has alcohol in it, which may make you feel, uh, different, let’s say,” he added as Charleston downed the rest of his drink.

His stomach felt warm like it had when Violet had given him the flask of whiskey. He smiled at Gala, who appeared to be experiencing a similar sensation.

Charleston turned back to the center of the room, but Professor Stahl was nowhere to be seen. “How do we get up there?” he asked after a moment, pointing at one of the hovering discs.

“Do you want to get some food, first?” Thurmond asked.

Charleston nodded eagerly, and he and Gala headed off to one of the side tables, where they loaded plates full of lean cut meat, steaming vegetables, and several things they didn’t recognize, but which looked and smelled incredible. They returned to find Professor Thurmond speaking with Professor Slive. Charleston groaned inwardly. He hadn’t seen Frog Face since the Test.

“These people are getting out of hand,” Charleston overheard Slive say before he registered their approach. But when he caught sight of them, he frowned and shuffled off.

“What was that about?” Charleston asked.

Professor Thurmond shook his head. “It’s not important. Now, about those floating tables,” he said, snapping his fingers. Two large orbs detached from the discs themselves and glided down to where the three stood. In unison, they split open, their front panel smoothly flipping inside out to reveal a cushioned seat. “Your ride is ready, madam,” Thurmond said with an elegant flourish to Gala. “Sir,” he said, signaling to Charleston.

He turned and sat carefully down. Before he knew it, they were rising in the air. He looked down on Professor Thurmond and laughed. “This is awesome!” he shouted. They were twenty feet above the crowd now, and several of the Podkind were pointing. He waved and laughed again, turning to look at Gala, who was beaming back at him.

The orbs glided over to one of the floating discs and tilted at an angle, allowing them to hop out with ease, full plates in hand. A smaller orb zoomed over with a tray of drinks as they picked a spot at the large table. There was water, more Champagne, and several other beverages Charleston didn’t recognize. He and Gala took more Champagne and water. “To us,” Gala said, clinking glasses with Charleston, who smiled. He liked this toasting thing.

Before long, their friends joined them. Savannah and Ragnar flew up first, Ragnar looking grim and unhappy. Despite the two years he’d been living with them in Red Ship, Ragnar was still hesitant and suspicious of any new technology he encountered.

New York and Davidson glided up next, followed by Arkhangelsk and Paris, though not as a couple. They were at the dance together as friends. Skopje and his date, Luna, one of the engineers from Black ship, joined them soon after, followed closely by Jacksonville and Amorosa.

They ate and drank and laughed. The Champagne went to their heads, but after the third glass, the orbs no longer brought it, so the affect wasn’t long lasting. The excitement of being with friends, eating good food, and relaxing had a greater impact, and the room was full of boisterous conversations and loud laughter.

Soon, the food was cleared away, and the musicians, who’d been playing soft, classical music throughout the meal, struck up a more up-beat song. A space below them cleared of people and tables. Professor Thurmond and Professor Medina stepped out into the emptiness and began dancing. Other professors joined them and, after a few moments, some brave Podkind did, as well.

“Want to?” Gala asked, her eyes sparkling and her smile wide.

Charleston couldn’t help but smile back. “Sure!”

The large orbs returned as if on cue and transported them and their friends back to the ground, where they deposited them directly on the dance floor. Charleston had never danced before, but it didn’t matter. He was happy. They all were. Their mission and the stress of training had sloughed away as soon as they’d entered the large room. Their excitement and happiness was now in direct proportion to the pressure they felt every day. The room was crowded and loud, the music often disappearing beneath the sounds of laughter and conversation. The evening passed unnoticed into the night.

It was nearing midnight when the music stopped and a multitude of orbs glided through the crowd with trays of more Champagne. Once again, there was a tinkling sound and all eyes turned to find Professor Stahl standing in front of the large fountain, the lit statue overshadowing her. “Our evening of celebration draws to a close,” she said, still smiling, though her statement was met with audible groans from the Podkind. “I encourage you each to take one of the party favors on the tables by the elevators. They’re little mementoes from another time,” she explained almost wistfully. “But first I want to raise a glass once more in honor of each and every one of you. Here’s to your sacrifice, your dedication, your determination, and, most importantly, your mission.”

Professor Stahl raised her glass high, signaling the crowd to do the same, but before anyone could join her, a flash of blinding white light filled the room.

A scream followed.

Charleston looked towards the sound, but the intense light blinded him.

Another scream, then a sickening wet sound.

Shouts filled the room. Charleston felt someone bump hard into him. Through closed lids, he felt the blinding light disappear. He gingerly opened his eyes, but his vision was full of spots of light. He reached a hand out and grabbed for Gala. What felt like an eternity passed before his vision cleared. More shouts.

Charleston turned to see if Gala was okay.

“Look!” she said. Something in her voice terrified Charleston.

Professor Stahl was draped spread-eagle across two of the statues. One hand was impaled on the spear, the other on top of the bow. Her body sagged between them. Blood covered her face. Empty eye sockets stared sightless into oblivion. Her stomach had been cut open. Her insides dangled between her knees.

Scrawled in blood was a message.

“And their eyes shall be opened and their pillars shall fall.”

 

Chapter 32

 

Chaos and confusion erupted in the ballroom as more people’s vision returned and they saw the tortured body of Professor Stahl hanging from the statue.

“Everybody stay calm,” Professor Thurmond shouted uselessly as the crowd pressed back towards the far wall. He was moving with a purpose towards the fountain and Stahl’s corpse.

Charleston clutched Gala’s hand tightly, his mind racing. He wasn’t panicking like so many of the others, but his thoughts were dark.

“Jedidiah,” he muttered.

“What?” Gala asked.

Charleston didn’t answer, but instead set off after Tank.

“Char!” Gala shouted, not letting go of his hand. “Where are you going?”

“I have to see,” he said.

Gala made an indiscernible sound but didn’t let go of his hand. “We stay together.”

Savannah joined them, sweaty and disheveled from dancing with Ragnar. She didn’t say anything as she fell in step, her face grim.

They approached the fountain where Professor Thurmond was whispering heatedly with Claire and Professor Slive. Claire looked frightened, while Slive looked angry. They didn’t pay the teenagers any mind.

Charleston and the others stopped just short of the bloody scrawl on the floor. Professor Stahl’s wounds looked even more gruesome up close. New York appeared next to them, Davidson at his side. The five friends stared silently at the grisly scene, unable to break away from it, while Professor Thurmond continued talking with Claire and Slive. Orbs hummed through the air, scanning and searching for any sign of whoever killed Stahl.

“What’s the deal with this message?” Gala asked into the silence.

“Jedidiah,” Charleston said again.

Alarms suddenly sounded, but not from where they were standing. They were coming from outside.

“Something’s happening!” New York shouted.

“Jedidiah!” Charleston said a third time and dashed towards the exit and the elevators, Gala and the others a step behind.

“Do you really think he’s making his move now?” New York asked.

“I knew we should have told someone!” Charleston shouted back at Savannah as they skidded to a halt in front of the elevator. The quartet of musicians was nowhere to be seen. The various mementoes from another time that littered the tables now seemed to mock them with their innocuous uselessness.

“We did!” Savannah shot back. “I told Mom, remember.”

Charleston growled but said nothing as he waited impatiently for the elevator to arrive. Savannah was right, she had told Claire, but their mom didn’t seem to take the warning seriously.

The doors finally opened and the friends piled in, joined by Ragnar, who had finally caught up. He had a drumstick in his hand.

“You stopped for food?” Savannah asked incredulously.

The Viking shrugged. “Ragnar eat during dead lady’s speech. Ragnar still hungry.”

Savannah made a sound that could be interpreted in a number of ways, most of which weren’t positive, and the group fell silent, once again wondering as they had that early morning years before what they would find when the elevator doors opened on the foyer of the Council of Nine building.

There was nothing, though the alarms were louder now. It sounded as if the entirety of City Dome was screaming a warning.

Charleston rushed to the doors, again bracing himself for what he’d see.

They didn’t open.

He turned the handle and pushed again. There was a little give, as if something were barricading them from the other side. Panic flushed his chest as he realized they were trapped.

“Charles Town move,” Ragnar said from behind and Charleston felt a large hand pull him back.

Then the Viking leveled a kick so powerful the wooden doors splintered. A crack appeared, but whatever was trapping them inside was still there.

New York stepped up beside Ragnar. The twin towers that were his shipmates kicked out with such force that the doors didn’t just open, they flew off the hinges.

It was then they saw what had been barricading them in.

Another dead Planner lay on the ground before them. The man was missing his arms and legs. Charleston’s stomach heaved as he saw the limbs dangling from chains on either side of the entrance. Whoever had killed him had chained his body to the door to trap the Podkind inside. New York and Ragnar’s kick had dismembered him.

The friends stared at the mutilated corpse, unable to look away.

More alarms.

“Let’s go!” Charleston said. Wherever Jedidiah was attacking, he wanted to be there.

“Where?”

“After those!” he shouted, pointing at two armored orbs that had just come around the corner to their right. They were zooming across the park in front of them. More orbs were moving in the same direction from their left, as well.

“Where are they going?” Davidson asked as they ran. “And who is this Jedidiah?”

“Rainbow!” New York answered as they crossed the park. Orb after orb was boarding Rainbow.

“Why?”

But no one answered. They’d reached the statue of Jonathan Stiles in the center of the park. Another Planner hung dead and mutilated, eyes gone, insides on the outside, from the Founder’s neck.

The six friends stared in silence. People were beginning to gather and point. More orbs zoomed by.

“Let’s go!” Charleston finally shouted, snapping out of the shock and horror of seeing three Planners dead.

They dashed after the most recent pair of orbs and caught up with them just as the doors to Rainbow opened. Without hesitating, they pushed their way in behind the armored beasts. Charleston braced himself for blue arms of energy to force them out, but nothing happened. The doors closed, and Rainbow lifted high in the air.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Gala asked.

“There,” Savannah said, pointing.

Just below them was Space Branch. It was full of armored orbs.

“Is that one of our ships?” New York asked.

Charleston followed his friend’s gaze and saw the familiar figure eight shape speeding away from Space Branch. Just then, Orange Ship burst from its dome, guns firing at the multitude of orbs giving chase.

“They’re stealing our ships!” Charleston shouted as the elevator plummeted towards Space Branch.

The doors finally opened and the two orbs zipped out, the six friends in tow.

Space Dome was in chaos. Alarms were sounding. Confusion reigned as dozens of orbs flew through the streets on their way to the Podkind’s ships.

“Where to?”

“Red Ship,” Savannah said.

They rushed through Space Dome and to the Branch, where they found more armored orbs. Some were flying to and from the various domes, while others were guarding the entrances to the remaining ships. As they dashed towards their dome, the small military craft they’d seen before appeared in the sky around Space Branch.

They finally reached the entrance to Red Ship, but it was blocked by a half dozen orbs.

Savannah marched up to the nearest one. “Let me on my ship,” she commanded. “Now!”

The large orb was as silent as ever.

Savannah made to step past it, but it floated with her, blocking her way. She growled and went to move again, when a voice stopped her.

“They’re under orders not to let anyone in.”

It was Professor Slive. He strode towards them, a smug expression on his wide face, as if he’d always thought this would happen. How he’d managed to beat the Podkind here, Charleston had no idea.

“It’s my ship,” Savannah retorted. “And I’m not letting our enemies steal it.”

“Your enemies?” Slive asked in mock surprise. “You’re the prime suspects.”

 

The Podkind is a science fiction/fantasy novel written by Johnny Cycles. The next installment is scheduled for April 11th!

Photo by Ruslan Valeev on Unsplash