could taste his disappointment. He felt it was too dangerous and preferred for her to rise through the ranks of the Explorer's League as a science officer, or perhaps a geologist. He felt that would be the safer route. No, wait. It was a xenoarchaeologist, she recalled. Back then she laughed at him.
“But it wasn't safer, was it dad?” she mourned. No, it wasn't, would be his reply now if he could give it. He died as a member of the Explorer's League, yet she still lived as a member of the Defense Fleet. He died at the hands of Shai, the Scarlet Moon leader, when they invaded the Argus. “I would have been next,” she whispered to the picture. If it hadn't been for her wrapping her bound hands around a guard's neck, snapping it like a twig, she would have died by his side.
Ever since becoming captain of her own ship last year she had seen very little combat. Most of her duties had been keeping the peace between the Caelumites and Aquanauts, transporting prisoners to Carcer-4 and providing security detail for foreign diplomats. There were other captains more suited for the upcoming mission. Captain Daranan battled the Lumagom during their failed invasion of Sirus Minor. Captain Muriel defeated the Yakizi on Remeese. Several captains had been involved in battles ranging from minor incursions to interplanetary war. Lianne never before felt as inadequate for a task as she did for this one. The feeling left a sour taste in her mouth.
“I hope I make you proud.” She kissed the picture and returned it to the chest. After clasping the cloak around her throat, she turned to the picture one last time. “Saving this planet Earth better be worth the price we paid.”
Nathan came to mind. The Cartographer had been an important position in the Explorer's League for centuries. Only special individuals with unique talents could read and understand the Universal Map. That alone made Nathan an important asset for them. Kell must have locked the map for a reason. It had remained that way for years before Nathan came along. There had to be a reason for that. It was her responsibility to keep him safe as a captain of the Defense Fleet. What made him special, though? The answer seemed to escape her for now. During her brief encounters with humans in the past they seemed barbaric to her. They endlessly war with each other, covet power, lust after money and seem rather disinterested in worlds beyond their own. Nathan seemed different but was he really? It was human blood that ran through his veins after all.
“ You better be worth the trouble, Nathan.” She clipped her sword to her belt. “If not I will kill you myself.”
She slipped out the door.
The United Nations
Satou jumped in the pilot seat. For several minutes Kedge fumbled with his harness before finally locking it around himself with a grunt. I slid into the seat next to him.
“Here we go again,” Kedge grumbled
I flipped the switch on my bracelet. The Universal Map sprang to life, bathing the interior of the shuttle in a pale green light.
“What are you doing?” Lianne asked. Her features cast an eerie green shadow which looked more demonic than feline.
“I have to see something.” I squinted my eyes as galaxies flashed on the screen. I batted them aside with the tip of my finger. There was only one planet I was interested in. When I found the familiar blue-green marble (it glowed more like a green-turquoise marble within the color of the map). I zoomed in further. When I saw the flashing box over the western coast of Africa, I zoomed in further. Kell had left an annotation over the region. It was a section of Mauritania, more specifically an area between Mali and the Western Sahara. When I read it I almost fell from my seat.
“I knew it!” I exclaimed triumphantly, my lips splitting into a smile.
“What is it?” Lianne asked.
“Ales Banda was wrong about the time hole on Earth,” I explained. “Kell knew it but didn't tell anyone. He did, however,
“But it wasn't safer, was it dad?” she mourned. No, it wasn't, would be his reply now if he could give it. He died as a member of the Explorer's League, yet she still lived as a member of the Defense Fleet. He died at the hands of Shai, the Scarlet Moon leader, when they invaded the Argus. “I would have been next,” she whispered to the picture. If it hadn't been for her wrapping her bound hands around a guard's neck, snapping it like a twig, she would have died by his side.
Ever since becoming captain of her own ship last year she had seen very little combat. Most of her duties had been keeping the peace between the Caelumites and Aquanauts, transporting prisoners to Carcer-4 and providing security detail for foreign diplomats. There were other captains more suited for the upcoming mission. Captain Daranan battled the Lumagom during their failed invasion of Sirus Minor. Captain Muriel defeated the Yakizi on Remeese. Several captains had been involved in battles ranging from minor incursions to interplanetary war. Lianne never before felt as inadequate for a task as she did for this one. The feeling left a sour taste in her mouth.
“I hope I make you proud.” She kissed the picture and returned it to the chest. After clasping the cloak around her throat, she turned to the picture one last time. “Saving this planet Earth better be worth the price we paid.”
Nathan came to mind. The Cartographer had been an important position in the Explorer's League for centuries. Only special individuals with unique talents could read and understand the Universal Map. That alone made Nathan an important asset for them. Kell must have locked the map for a reason. It had remained that way for years before Nathan came along. There had to be a reason for that. It was her responsibility to keep him safe as a captain of the Defense Fleet. What made him special, though? The answer seemed to escape her for now. During her brief encounters with humans in the past they seemed barbaric to her. They endlessly war with each other, covet power, lust after money and seem rather disinterested in worlds beyond their own. Nathan seemed different but was he really? It was human blood that ran through his veins after all.
“ You better be worth the trouble, Nathan.” She clipped her sword to her belt. “If not I will kill you myself.”
She slipped out the door.
The United Nations
Satou jumped in the pilot seat. For several minutes Kedge fumbled with his harness before finally locking it around himself with a grunt. I slid into the seat next to him.
“Here we go again,” Kedge grumbled
I flipped the switch on my bracelet. The Universal Map sprang to life, bathing the interior of the shuttle in a pale green light.
“What are you doing?” Lianne asked. Her features cast an eerie green shadow which looked more demonic than feline.
“I have to see something.” I squinted my eyes as galaxies flashed on the screen. I batted them aside with the tip of my finger. There was only one planet I was interested in. When I found the familiar blue-green marble (it glowed more like a green-turquoise marble within the color of the map). I zoomed in further. When I saw the flashing box over the western coast of Africa, I zoomed in further. Kell had left an annotation over the region. It was a section of Mauritania, more specifically an area between Mali and the Western Sahara. When I read it I almost fell from my seat.
“I knew it!” I exclaimed triumphantly, my lips splitting into a smile.
“What is it?” Lianne asked.
“Ales Banda was wrong about the time hole on Earth,” I explained. “Kell knew it but didn't tell anyone. He did, however,
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