Nathan Hystad - The Survivors - Books 1-3

I shook my head, to which he nodded, understanding what I meant by that.

“Before we get into this, what’s happening down there? Are we under any new threats?” Mary took over.

“None we haven’t faced before. Watch.” He hit a button on the table and a projector lowered, flashing a video on the white wall at the left end of the room. He motioned for us to have a seat; someone came in, bringing waters and coffee. It was like being at a meeting with one of my larger clients. If a bar graph showing projected sales had been brought out on a slideshow, I wouldn’t have been surprised.

I took a sip of black coffee while the video started. It was news coverage, dated at the bottom. Within six months of us leaving, and the colony ship with Magnus, Nat, and Carey also gone, the world was in turmoil. China teamed up with the US and other world powers, and they forced a treaty on the rest of the world. Most joined without complaint. Others fought it. Images of the dead in the Middle East flashed on the screen, and I watched, not letting myself look away. In the meantime, a second wave of colonists was sent, about a million in total.

Two years later, the world was in a much better place, though still assaulted by the odd threat or bombing. Eventually, they became less and less, the penalties harsh to anyone not playing their part in world peace. We saw a speech by Dalhousie five years after we left, saying anyone could go to Proxima with the third wave, which would be a whole fleet of vessels if needed. She looked older than she had, tired. Her voice had lost the lift and hope, but her eyes still shone with pride.

The newscast showed us two dozen vessels leaving; over half of Earth’s remaining population was heading for Proxima, which they were touting as Eden. Images of Eden overtook the screen and I was leaning so far forward, I nearly slipped off my chair. It was gorgeous. Lush grass covered rolling hills alongside crystal-clear lakes.

Mary reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it.

We saw the creation of the station, where exploratory ships docked and new technology was tested in space. It was a massive undertaking, and more than impressive in its vast scope.

A priest was interviewed in one segment, spouting out some new religion. It was a little off-putting, but he appeared to have a lot of support. A camera flew over fields all over the world, showing healthy crops. Stats of world hunger being under one percent crossed the screen. Poverty didn’t exist, everyone had access to clean water, and illness was way down.

“This is amazing,” Nick said, eyes gleaming as they showed some state-of-the-art hospitals around the world.

“No sign of the Bhlat?” I asked, looking for a reaction from Chen. He sloughed off the question with a wave of his hand, and I didn’t like that one bit.

“I still can’t believe you’re all here.”

A mural panned onto the screen, a reporter interviewing people on the anniversary of the Event. People were crying, remembering their losses. The mural was of Magnus, Natalia, Mary, and me. Of course, they’d left out the hybrid that helped us.

Then they talked about losing us on our wild goose chase of Leslie and Terrance. It was surreal to see people speculate on what had happened to us, and then debate on the value of us even going on that journey.

It was a barrage of information for missing seven years, but for the most part, I was impressed with the state of our new world. I was also happy to know the colony was doing well. Seven years. My pup Carey might not even be with us any longer, and if he was, he was an old man. I’d only had him for a year but felt like part of me was intertwined with him. That I lost that time to spend with him was heartbreaking.

“Do we have contact with the colony?” I asked.

“It takes about a month to relay the messages.”

I nodded, accepting this as reality.

“What do you think?” Chen asked, a glimmer in his eyes.

“I can’t wait to see one of those hospitals! You really found a way to reverse cancer cells?” Nick was almost dancing in excitement beside the table.

“They did. Once we dug deeper, we found so many things the Kraski didn’t even seem to think important any longer,” Chen said.

“Is Dalhousie still here?” I asked.

He shook his head slowly, before taking a sip of his coffee. “She left to New Spero, in Proxima, with the last wave of colonists. We have an elected world government. Valerie Naidoo from South Africa is in charge. World President Naidoo, if you will. Speaking of which, she’d like to have a meeting with all of you.”

Mary smiled at this, and I appreciated the forward evolution we’d taken. Leading this healing planet would be a lot of work, but they finally had the mindset and resources to do it.

“Now what can you tell me about your adventures?” Chen asked.

I started in on our planned story. Meanwhile, our ship was translating the data we’d found on the Bhlat outpost.

T he wheat fields stretched for miles in the remote South African meeting place. As we’d lowered to the Earth, I couldn’t help but feel how different it was on our planet. The air felt cleaner, and even though our technology had vastly improved, there was something that made me feel like we’d stepped back into a simpler time. Food, shelter, happiness for everyone. It was a mantra I could get behind. I looked and made sure Nick had the ring I’d brought along on his finger, turned inward so the green gem wasn’t visible. Slate had an earring on him, though I couldn’t see it. Clare was staying in the ship.

“Quite the place,” Mary said as she landed the ship on a dirt pad. A building stood a short way away, and three Jeeps sat parked beside it. “You sure all this is necessary?”

“Looks like this is a low-key meeting. We’re survivors, and we didn’t make it this far by being naïve.”

Mary rolled her eyes at that. “Well, maybe at first we were a little naïve.” My pointer and thumb separated about an inch, and she laughed at this.

“Watch your backs,” Slate said, giving us a hard look.

“Don’t be so paranoid, we’ll be fine,” Nick said, clapping him on the shoulder.

The air was warm… dry.

“Greetings, heroes.” A woman waved to us from the building’s front door. I recognized her from the pictures Chen had shown us: hair cut short, smooth skin showing a youthful strong woman leading the world.

Mary waved back, and we crossed the space. Guards became visible.

“Beautiful earrings,” I said to Mary. “They look as fetching as ever.” She laughed it off, never quite agreeing with my over-concern, but still playing along. My own green pendant sat against my chest, cool in the heat.

Before we were in earshot, I tapped my earpiece. “Clare, be ready on my mark. If this goes south, and my instincts are leaning that way, execute the plan.”

“Done. I just hope you’re wrong,” she replied.

I patted my breast pocket, feeling a small circular lump sitting over my heart.

The guards weren’t wearing the EDU uniforms we’d seen in the station above Earth. Instead, they were more classic military. They had strange-looking semi-automatics, which I imagined had both bullets and pulse power behind them. I smiled at them and got no expression in return.

“We’re so glad to have you here,” the World President said, sticking her hand out to shake ours. Mary shook it first and said some pleasantry or another. I didn’t quite hear it as I scoped out the area. A tower a few hundred yards away looked to be housing another guard.

When it was my turn to shake, I was surprised by the sweaty palm I found. I just smiled. “It’s a real pleasure to meet the woman who controls it all.”