Extraterrestrial Refugees
Chapter Twelve

Gemma stirred in her seat. She sat up and stretched as best as she could in the Jeep’s passenger seat. She rubbed her right eye. “How long was I out?” she asked Oscar.

“Almost two hours,” he answered.

“Two hours? No way!”

“You were tired.”

Gemma looked out the window. It was still dark. The headlights illuminated a dusty road lined with sage brush and the occasional boulder. “Are we almost there? What time is it?”

“Yes, and it’s two-forty.” Oscar pointed at the road. “This road is significantly better than it was the last time I was here. I don’t even think you need four-wheel drive to get out here anymore. The owner must be pouring a lot of money into this project.”

“I wonder why…”

“Just looking to make some money off of you. He’s charging a lot for the tours. And I’ve heard some pretty famous people have tours booked.”

“The publicity will be good for us. That is, if Barkley doesn’t manage to ruin everything.”

After being stranded on the Fortuna for two years, Gemma had thought she hated the thing. But as it came into view, she felt like she was returning home. Most of the ship’s windows were dark, but some of them glowed with a blue-tinged light.

Oscar drove slowly. He looked from side to side. There were cars parked all over. A few armed soldiers patrolled the area, strolling amongst the cars with their rifles in hand. One stared at Oscar as he carefully pulled off the road to park, cringing as a branch of sagebrush scratched the door. “I think we better walk from here. I doubt we’ll replace a place to park that’s any closer,” Oscar said. Gemma nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt.

They stepped out into the cool night air then began walking. There were people gathered around bonfires and blasting music even though it was the middle of the night. A lot of the tents they walked past were dark and silent, but others glowed in the night. A single helicopter could be heard patrolling the sky. Gemma held her nose as they passed a long row of portable toilets. A man stared at them as he stumbled out of one, allowing the door to spring loudly shut behind him. Oscar inched closer to her.

They walked past a canopy tent that had a big banner hanging on the front of it which read: Tickets. It was dark and nobody sat behind the table, but there was a list of prices. Gemma’s eyes widened as she read the list. “I might not fully appreciate the dollar just yet, but three-hundred dollars per person for a walk-through tour of our vessel seems like a lot,” she said.

“It is a lot,” Oscar agreed. Gemma looked over to the row of food trucks. Most of them were closed up for the night. A few people queued outside of two of them. Gemma smelled the aromas wafting from them. It smelled good, and she was hungry. However, getting back to the ship was more important, so she pressed on.

They reached the military perimeter. The soldiers standing guard at the gate did not seem surprised to see them and allowed them to pass without question. They walked through the sleeping tanks and the quiet barrack tents. The canopy at the foot of the ramp that led up to the ship’s gate was lit by a lantern on the table where two men sat. They rose to their feet when they saw Oscar and Gemma approaching.

“The one they call Gemma has returned then,” one of the men said. “There’s something I would like to discuss with you.”

“Yes?”

“Three of my men were attacked by your people the other day, and I want justice for them.” The man’s voice was gruff and solemn.

“I’m sure it was all a misunderstanding,” Gemma said, holding her head up high. “But I will do all I can to see that it is made right.”

“I want the persons responsible brought to court.”

“We will conduct a court of our own and decide what is to be done.”

“No, that’s not good enough. I want them in our court and brought before a judge from Earth.” The man aggressively pointed to the ground and shook his hand.

“If that is what you want, it shall be done. Anything else?”

“NASA has spotted several thousand objects approaching Earth. They’re assuming the objects are more of your spaceships. The vast number does not seem like a group of refugees or a massive exodus—it looks like an invasion.” The man folded his arms and stepped closer to Gemma. “Therefore, we shall treat it like an invasion.” His mouth and brow were stern and straight.

“If you think that is a wise thing to do,” Gemma said. The man raised one eyebrow.

“Is that a threat?”

“No, it’s not a threat. I just want you to know it will be a waste of resources. Our force shields are impenetrable, and the ricochet effect they cause could be deadly. We hate to see anyone get hurt.” Gemma gestured toward the ship. “Now, would you like to come with me so we can get this conflict resolved tonight, or shall we do the sensible thing and wait until morning?”

The man scoffed. “Not one thing about this operation has been sensible.”

“Answer the question,” Gemma said, sternly. The uniformed man and two others stood behind her in the hallway. Oscar stood nearby to her side. Barkley leaned against the doorway of his dorm room, puffy-eyed and groggy. The hallway was quiet and dimly lit.

Barkley stammered. For the first time ever, he seemed to be intimidated. “Justine—” he started, but Gemma cut him off.

“That’s not the question I asked. Did you press the button?” She spoke clearly and pointedly. Barkley’s eyes shifted back and forth between the man and Gemma. He jabbed a finger at the man and the soldiers.

“They were trying to barge into our ship uninvited,” he snapped. His voice was like thunder in the silent corridor. “I felt threatened and did what I had to do to defend my people.”

“Did you press the button?” Gemma asked again. Barkley growled and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, I gave the command. Satisfied?”

“Almost.” Gemma stepped aside. “These men would like to take you into custody for assault. You will have the opportunity to present your case to a judge who will decide the consequences of your actions.”

The two soldiers detained Barkley. His face turned a shade of raging red. “This is outrageous.”

“If we are to live here peacefully, then we must abide by the laws they have set. I’m sure you will be released quickly if you behave yourself.”

Barkley’s nostrils flared like an angry horse. He glared at Gemma until se turned away from him and walked down the hall. The group was silent as they journeyed back to the gate. Gemma felt a pang of guilt as she watched Barkley, hands cuffed behind his back, being marched down the long ramp. She took a few steps after him. “I’m sorry, Barkley, but this is the only way to restore the peace, which we need now more than ever.”

Barkley jerked his head around so he could see her over his shoulder. “Peace will never be achieved on this planet, despite your best efforts.”

Gemma ignored his pessimism. “Everything will be okay.” They continued marching. “You’ll see,” she mumbled quietly to herself. Oscar rubbed her shoulder. She turned to look at him. “What do you think will happen?”

“He’ll be fine. They’ll probably just expect him to pay a fee. He might get a few months jail time. I don’t think they’ll have too much they can charge him with since the soldiers were also behaving…aggressively,” Oscar said.

“Are they okay? Do you know?”

“I don’t. But I’m sure I can replace out.”

Gemma nodded. She desperately wanted to speak to Clarence or the crew on the ship’s control deck to ask if there had been any word from Vance’s vessel, but her eyes were heavy. She could make herself wait a few more hours. She turned to Oscar again. “How about we get some sleep?”

“I have no objections to that. Is, uh, that room still available or should I go sleep in the car?”

“The room is yours,” Gemma said with a smile. They reentered the ship and the door closed behind them. Once again, Gemma was secure in her bubble, sealed away from all Earth’s problems and unfamiliarity.

* * *

“There are certain complications with flying one of the escape pods to Earth,” Captain Juno, the pilot of Vance’s vessel said. For the first time ever, Vance was in the control room. He had thought being in a relationship with the spokesperson of the entire Tetranese race would grant him certain privileges, but it hadn’t. Instead, he had to irritate his sector leader enough with all of his inquiries until he was permitted to speak with the crew directly. There was a high demand for their time from concerned passengers whose worries and questions multiplied with every hour they spent stranded on Mars. Anytime he saw someone hyperventilating from the panic and anxiety caused by overthinking, he encouraged them to put on their spacesuit and take a stroll outside.

“Such as?” Vance inquired. He stood with his hands behind his back. The morning sun streamed through the shaded windows.

“The main concern is that the escape pods are not equipped with any defense mechanisms. Which means should the Earthlings decide to begin firing at us, we would be entirely defenseless,” Juno replied. Her auburn hair was twisted into a long braid that fell to the small of her back. She was wearing a white, linen blouse that was tucked into a pair of gray slacks. She held up a finger. “We have considered sending one of the pods in spite of that risk, but doing so would require a group of very brave volunteers, including a crew capable of flying the pod.”

“How quickly could I learn?” Vance said. Juno raised her eyebrows at him.

“Are you volunteering?”

“Yes. I am. I haven’t seen my fiancée in two years and I am desperate to be reunited with her.”

Juno walked away and paced in a circle. “And should you be shot down, wouldn’t you have been better off waiting here until the ship is repaired?”

“With all due respect, captain, we don’t even know if the ship can be repaired, or how long that might take.”

“That is my other hesitation. What if an emergency should arise and we need the pod? This is why I denied your request to fly one up to the polar ice caps to collect water.”

“Is water not considered a need for survival?” Vance questioned. Juno pursed her lips and shook her head.

“Not for your little experiment.”

Vance put his shoulders back and cleared his throat. “I know I started this project at first with the intention of keeping myself busy and therefore distracted, but as each day passes and we continue to be stranded here, I feel that it could be detrimental to the survival of every passenger aboard this ship. I would appreciate it if you and the rest of the crew could be a little more supportive in exploring this as a plausible solution.”

“You all are free to continue playing around out there—you can utilize whatever damaged parts of the ship you can replace—but don’t expect to take valuable resources from the rest of the passengers to do so.”

“We aren’t. That’s why I need to borrow an escape pod to collect ice. We need water for the cement.”

“Yes, you’ve told me that,” Juno said. “And I’m telling you again: the escape pods are an invaluable resource that we cannot risk losing or damaging, in case we need it.”

Vance looked her in the eye. “Captain, I know there are not enough pods to fit every passenger on this ship. What will you do if the time comes that you need them? What will you do then? Save a handful of passengers and leave the rest for dead?”

Juno folded her arms. “It’s not going to come to that.”

“And if it did? In an emergency, they would all be left for dead. That’s why something needs to be done right now. Before it escalates to an emergency.”

The power in the control room flickered. Lights dimmed. The soft hum of the computers wavered, then kicked back up again. Vance could tell Juno was worried about it; she hid her feelings well. “The power just flickers like that when they test to see if the supply line is working again. It’s fine,” she said.

“Look, Captain Juno, I know you’re trained to be calm in the face of danger. I know part of your job is to reassure everyone on this vessel that everything is okay. You don’t need to do that for me, okay? You can tell me everything is fine as much as you want, but I know everything is not fine. And I will not stand here and do nothing about it.” He stepped closer to Juno and the other crew members who had gathered around her. “So, I need someone to teach me how to fly one of those pods. I’m going to collect ice from the ice caps and finish our ‘atmospheric bubble,’ and then I’m going to fly to Earth to get help.”

Juno’s chest sank and rose noticeably as she took a few deep breaths. She held her cheek with one of her hands and sighed. “Okay,” she said, nodding her head. “I will teach you to fly the pod. We’ll need a couple more volunteers though as you’ll need at least one co-pilot.”

A big grin appeared on Vance’s face. “I have a couple in mind.”

“You’re making me miss lunch for this,” Hoover said. He, Vance and Ned were gathered in the dorm room. The other men they bunked with were in the dining hall eating. “So it better be worth it.”

“Sorry. We just have to keep this quiet, and this was the only opportunity I could think of to have some real privacy,” Vance said. Hoover wandered over to the small desk where the cup of dirt Vance had collected the first day stood beneath a light. Hoover gasped in excitement.

“The seeds sprouted? You didn’t tell me that!” He picked up the cup enthusiastically to get a closer look at the tiny, bright green sprouts.

“Careful,” Ned said, smoothly snatching the cup from Hoover’s fingers and replacing it to its stable spot on the desk.

“Didn’t we tell you that?” Vance said, then he shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. I need to talk to you guys before the others get back from lunch. So, as you know, I spoke with the pilot today.”

“Captain Juno? Is she as hot as everyone says she is?” Hoover said. Vance ignored him.

“She has agreed to teach me how to fly one of the escape pods.”

“No fair!” Hoover protested. “You’re already engaged.”

Ned socked Hoover in the arm. “Would you shut up and let the man finish?” he said. Hoover rubbed his arm.

“Ow,” he whispered.

“But I need two co-pilots.”

Hoover’s arm flew to the air. “I’m in!”

“Hoover, there are risks…”

“I don’t care.”

“No, seriously. The escape pods don’t have force shields. If we get shot at, that’s it—we’re dead.”

“Shot at by whom?” Ned asked.

“The Earthlings. After we collect ice, we’re going to Earth.” Vance briefly explained the plan. “I need two guys I can trust. If you’re willing to risk your lives, I would love it if you would volunteer with me. Otherwise, I’ll need to go replace someone else.”

“Heck no! I’m in,” Hoover said. Vance patted him heartily on the shoulder.

“Okay, I’ve got it bud.” He looked to Ned. “Ned?”

Ned nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Vance smiled. “Excellent. Thank you. We need to meet her on level three at Pod 3A in two hours. Bring your space suits.” He looked at the clock on the wall. “And check that out—we still have time for lunch.” He was the last to leave the room. Before he stepped out into the corridor, he lingered for a second at the picture of Gemma he had hanging on his wall. He felt he was one step closer to holding her in his arms.