Earth: The Future is History (6 page)

Noya unintentionally mumbles: “YOU don’t know
why.”

Realizing that she’s just said that aloud,
she quickly adds: “There must be someone, somewhere that knows why.
Some high-ranking official helping in the invasion’s planning…?
Moving on. What happened next?”

Filip: “The orbital module continued
operating. And not long after the terraforming unit landed, it
started sending back strange readings, abnormal spikes in its
communication unit. We had to move it to a higher orbit to avoid
whatever was causing the anomalies. And soon after, we started
seeing changes with the ashan population: they started travelling
vast distances to live closer together; at first, we thought it was
some kind of migratory behavior, but when they started building new
structures, developing new technologies; and we understood that…
well… we didn’t actually understand anything. At least that’s what
the W.A. reported… Maybe they know more about that as well,
professor?” says Filip jokingly, suggesting some sort of conspiracy
might be at work.

Noya ignores his remark and continues: “Back
on Earth preparations were made for an invasion force, but it was
unclear if it was going to be necessary, the leadership was
reluctant to make any kind of final decision. However, as a safety
net, technology was still being advanced for this purpose. We
waited and we monitored for years, watching the ashans slowly
transform into an advanced society, developing new technologies at
an astounding rate, building cities and connecting them with
advanced transport networks. The few images the W.A. released
suggested that they were all working together, the entire planet in
unison. Their only enemy seemed to be the wildlife. But with no
wars, no feuds, no territories to fight over, they advanced in the
hundred years we watched them more than we have in millennia. And
it happened right in front of our eyes.”

But Filip catches her attention and
interrupts her speech. The tall, well build young man has lost the
smile on his face. Now he seems worried, evasively looking down at
a device in his hand. Professor Noya squints her eyes as she tries
to get a better look, but he’s in the middle of the room, too far
to see what he’s holding; nothing stands out about him – all she
can see is his plain gray t-shirt and messy short hair; but now,
looking closer, he does seem a few years older than the students
surrounding him. Perhaps he’s tired or bored by the long history
lecture?

Although eager to make her point, she decides
a pause is better suited: “Before we take a short break, I want to
leave you with this: by this point in our history, Earth had a
little over eighty years before reaching the predicted deadline.
The year was 2221 and we weren’t any closer to saving our planet
than we were a hundred years before.”

The room is noisy again, all the students
standing up, making their way towards the exit. But Filip isn’t
moving; he’s just standing there, looking straight in Noya’s
eyes.

Alexei: “Let’s go
back to your answer about the related events on Asha. Again, what
does that tell you?”

Admiral Sterrow hesitates, hiding his true
thoughts from the President and all the councilmembers: “… Nothing
of consequence, sir… “

President Locke now seems very interested in
how the conversation is evolving, leaning forward on his chair,
with his elbows resting on the table; someone slightly opens the
door to the room, looks at the President and makes a subtle gesture
with his hand, receiving a short nod back.

Alexei doesn’t notice anything; he is too
focused on the Admiral. He slightly raises his voice, determined by
a rising sense of urgency to show Sterrow just how bad the World
Alliance is: “But it is of consequence, Mr. Sterrow! You just don’t
want to admit it; your loyalty towards the W.A., won’t allow it.
Brainwashed to believe in their cause and follow their orders
without question since you were a boy, taught to not seek deeper
meaning in crucial events. We caused their rapid development, we
caused their sudden evolution. In a way, the ashans are like our
children. And we simply decided to destroy them! We could have made
contact, talked to them, convinced them to allow us on their
planet. But the deciding military minds were too afraid we’d be met
with a negative response and that in the process we’d compromise
our chances of an invasion by revealing ourselves too soon. There’s
nothing we can do about it now, it’s too late. But when the
decision to invade was taken, there was still time! This falls
entirely on your corrupt World Alliance, Admiral! Our greatest
minds helped us put everything into perspective; now we clearly
understand what needs to change in order for us to break the cycle
of destruction! Now I need you to see it too!”

The President is now standing up, calm,
carefully tucking his shirt in, almost like he’s preparing to leave
somewhere. The councilman on his left keeps looking at him,
worried.

Alexei, sensing that something is wrong,
quickens his words: “I know you’ve read the report Captain Ayala
Herut made on the ashans and I know it raised some doubts, Mr.
Sterrow, about the people you swore to serve! I need you to think
for yourself, Admiral, if at all possible uninfluenced by anyone
else in this room!”

President Locke quickly changes his
expression; no longer calm, he is now puzzled, worried.

Another councilman, sitting close to the
Admiral’s hologram, so far entirely absent of any reaction during
the entire meeting, raises his head, suddenly interested in what is
happening, looking directly at Alexei.

Alexei keeps taking to the Admiral, his
entire attention dedicated to him: “Let me help you do just that,
let me help you open your eyes! I know you’ve read the Ashan
Report, but have you seen the uncensored version? The original,
just as Captain Herut recorded it?”

President Locke did not expect this; how did
he manage to get his hands on the very sensitive recording?! He’s
shocked, his eyes wide open, worried, agitated. He reaches forward,
trying to grab Alexei, but he’s too far. He quickly turns to the
councilman on his left: “DO IT! NOW!”. The councilman quickly
reaches inside his pocket.

With the sad realization that time has run
out, Alexei presses a concealed device on his wrist, calm,
contempt, looking straight in Sterrow’s eyes, trying to communicate
a final sense of urgency. At the same moment the councilman close
to the Admiral, immediately takes a device out of his pocket and
sends on a prewritten message: “Get her out! NOW!”. With the
message underway, he raises his eyes, looks at Alexei and makes a
subtle nod in confirmation.

Admiral Sterrow: “Unedited version…? The
original report was altered?! I’m leading the invasion of an alien
planet and you’re withholding information?! Mr. President?!”

But it’s too late. The meeting room is again
empty, all holograms gone, the ship’s computer informing him of the
obvious: “Connection lost. Trying to reestablish.”. But nothing
happens.

The Admiral just stands there, in the empty
room, thinking, trying to find some meaning to the rapid escalation
of the events he just witnessed, unaware of what is happening back
on Earth. But after only a few moments, the computer breaks his
concentration: “Transferring… File transfer complete.”

He starts walking to the console next to the
door to see what transfer the computer was mentioning. But just
before reaching it, the hologram reactivates and the council room
reappears. Sterrow turns around: this time it’s only the President,
alone, right next to where the Admiral was previously standing,
focused, his head slightly tilted down, his eyes locked on Sterrow,
his hands by his side, slowly moving from the heavy breathing:
“Admiral. You are authorized to begin the invasion effective
immediately! Your orders have been dispatched to your ship’s
computer.”. And with a low, deep voice, almost like an aggressive
animal snarling, communicates the final order through his gritted
teeth: “Get it done, Admiral!”. The hologram shuts down just as the
President is turning and walking away.

Sterrow takes a deep breath and closes his
eyes for a moment, instinctively accepting his order; but he
immediately remembers about the file received and with one hand he
checks the console. It seems to be a holographic recording called
“The Ashan Report”.

Determined to find out what was happening, he
starts playing the recording.

Thank
you for reading the first part of the Humanity series. If you
enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave me a review at your
favorite retailer. And if you’d like to tell me what you loved,
what you hated, or simply say “Hi” – check out my author page on
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/author/gabriel.dica

Thanks! Gabriel Dica

p.s.: Keep reading, you’ll find a short
fragment from the next book.

The Ashan Report. File #1. Year 2221

“Gazing through the window at the world
outside. Wondering, will mother Earth survive? Hoping that mankind
will stop abusing her, sometime.” … The music fades away as the
increasingly louder alarms come into focus - Captain Ayala Herut is
slowly coming back to reality after she briefly fainted, again,
from the huge forces her ship is experiencing. The cockpit is
shaking violently, the frame is twisting and growling like a
wounded animal desperately clinging to life; the ship is racing
towards the ground in an uncontrollable spin, despite the Captain’s
best efforts. Her whole body is constantly being pushed to right,
forcing her painfully into the side of her chair. Her vision is
coming back, but all she can see is a continuous trail of red
lights from the panels in front of her. With all her strength she
struggles to reach the controls, but it’s almost like the ship is
fighting back; the lateral forces are too high, beyond the ship’s
breaking point, she can’t move a single muscle; she’s pinned in her
chair, a passive spectator to the unfolding of her imminent death.
The ground is getting closer and closer. In total contrast to the
Captain’s state of mind, the ship’s computer is very calmingly
announcing the inevitable: “Warning. Altitude loss. Ten kilometers.
Warning. Altitude loss. Eight kilometers.”. The ship’s tail breaks
apart and the sudden difference in pressure causes the Captain to
be brutally thrown forward in her chair, only to immediately come
to a sudden stop because of her safety restraints. “Warning.
Altitude loss. Six kilometers. Warning. Altitude loss.
Four-thousand meters. Altitude loss critical. Impact imminent.
Eject! Eject!” But the Captain can’t do anything, not even reach
the ejection lever. In the last moment before the impact, she takes
a deep breath, accepting her faith…

John: End of simulation!

John opens the door to the training room and
with a big smile on his face he turns to Ayala: “I thought you said
there’s nothing that could possibly happen, ever, anything, to keep
you from landing on Asha!”.

Captain Ayala, trying to catch her breath,
breathing heavily, clenching her teeth as she’s starting to feel
the pain in the chest caused by the safety restraints, sketches a
small smirk from the corner of her mouth: “A micrometeorite?
Really?”

John: Yup!

Ayala: During reentry.

John: Yup!

Ayala: Just as I was making the final course
correction, the worst possible time to get hit.

John: Yup!

Ayala: Seriously! What are the odds of that?!
Is that even possible?

John: Sure it is! I mean, it’s in the realm
of possibility. Barely… Kind of…? Hey! You said you can handle
“anything”! Anything! So I got creative… All the other simulations
were boring; you were passing them too easily. At least this one
was fun!

Ayala: Fun, huh? As soon as I can move my
right arm, I’m going to hit you! Hard!

They both start laughing as Ayala is getting
out of her chair.

Ayala: John, you’re a hell of an engineer and
sim programmer, but please make it less painful next time, will
you?

They start walking towards the debriefing
room.

John: Ha! And what will you learn if I do? I
work my ass off to make these training simulations as realistic as
possible. Look, we don’t know what to expect on Asha, not really.
So yes, foreign objects hitting you on reentry while performing
sensitive maneuvers – now you know you have to eject a lot sooner;
fake die here so you don’t die for real over there.

John stops walking and faces Ayala, placing
his arms around her shoulders: “What have I told you, over and
over? Come on, say it with me.”

Ayala: Pain is my friend. Pain will keep me
on my toes. Pain will keep me alive.

John isn’t Captain Ayala’s superior. He’s
just a civilian. He is also a genius and an invaluable part in
designing Ayala’s ship – a prototype design with the sole purpose
to take her to Asha and back. And after the months he’s been
assisting with her training and supervising all the ship
modifications she was requesting, he is also her friend.

John: Oh! I almost forgot! There’s a General
waiting for you.

Ayala: What?! You should have started with
that! When did he request me?

John: I don’t know… A few hours ago…?

Ayala: I swear! As soon as I can move my
right arm…

John: I know, I know! You’ll hit me hard.

Ayala rushes towards the briefing room and
she almost stumbles and falls as she enters the room. General
Beckett is sitting down in front of a monitor, closely watching the
recording of her last training mission. Ayala’s commanding officer,
Colonel Sterrow, is standing behind him, explaining her
maneuvers.

Ayala: Captain Herut reporting, sirs!

The General keeps watching the recording and
with a serious, low tone addresses the Captain: “I see you just
crashed and died, Captain. What does that say about you?”.