The Ice Warrior

Chapter 52

"Silv, is everything alright?" Justin asked the moment he entered the control room.

Silv had a strange feeling that he was not talking about their impending doom if the Government found them but about her own feelings. It felt as if he was trying to ascertain that she was alright, which she found rather odd.

Odd because they had much bigger issues to deal with than her bottled up emotions. Though she knew that one day they might burst out once again, she thought it better to deal with problems as they popped up.

"Everything is as okay as it can be for the rebels who escaped from the Government and are hiding out on an alien ship," Silv responded.

She was happy to note a ghost of a smile that escaped Justin at the unexpected reply. Still, there was no time to ponder why seeing him smile made her feel so good.

"Is that everyone?" Silv asked.

"Yes, all the able humans are here," Jamie said.

"Arthur call. I come." Wir Eis said, appearing next to Arthur.

"Thank you, Arthur," Silv said, realizing that she had forgotten to tell Arthur to call Wir Eis out loud.

"Happy to serve Miss Silv," Arthur replied.

Being so closely connected with Evanescence was starting to be disorienting for Silv. It was becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between the thoughts that had to be voiced out and the thoughts that could be expressed telepathically.

"Wir Eis, am I right in assuming that you are the official leader of your people, and it's up to you to make choices for them?" Silv asked.

"Yes, we connected. All as one." Wir Eis said.

Though Silv didn't fully understand the meaning behind Wir Eis's answer, she understood enough to be reassured.

"Alright, so there are a few decisions that we have to make now. The Government forces are closing in, and we need to do something about it." Silv said.

"What are our options?" Jamie asked.

"We can wait for them to find us and risk them discovering our new home, or we can attack first," Silv said.

The loud murmuring which filled the room was expected, but Silv still found it annoying. They were losing precious time when they had none.

"Alright, calm down!" Joe exclaimed.

His authority was so strong that everyone stopped talking immediately. It made Silv wish she had that kind of power, but she assumed it was something one mastered with time and by earning people's respect.

As it was, Silv had received more respect from the aliens than she had from her own people. However, she assumed it was only natural since she had spent more time with the aliens than her own people except for her grandmother and Denis.

"What do you suggest, Silv?" Joe asked.

That one question made Silv respect Joe even more because it made it clear to the others that Joe, the person they all held in high regard, respected her. That, in turn, made her more trustworthy in their eyes.

"I believe we should do everything in our power to stop them from finding this place.

"From what I've gathered, this place has a great potential to be our new home, and we can't afford to let them learn its location," Silv said.

"So, we attack?" Justin asked, following Silv's train of thought.

"That was what I had in mind, yes. We can distract the soldiers and maybe even incapacitate them for a while until we find the way to make our new home safe." Silv said.

"That sounds dangerous. What about Jack and the others who barely have any fighting abilities?" Jamie asked.

"Hey, don't let Jack hear you say that!" Justin warned playfully.

"But seriously, what about those who can't fight?" Jamie asked.

"Safe room," a robotic voice said.

"Speech still not fixed. Evanescence say recreation room become safe room." Wir Eis explained.

"You mean that room that can sense what we need can also turn into a safe room?" Silv asked to confirm if she understood everything correctly.

"Yes," Wir Eis replied.

"Well, that's settled then," Jamie said.

"Not exactly," Silv said seriously.

"What more is there to discuss?" Jamie asked, confused.

"You keep forgetting that we, humans, are guests here. If we wish to use the ship for our own needs, wouldn't you think it proper to ask Evanescence and Wir Eis for their permission?" Silv asked.

Jamie looked sheepishly at the large alien as if only then realizing their position on the ship. Thus, he grew quiet, unsure how to proceed.

"You are right. We apologize." Justin said instead of his brother.

Wir Eis just nodded his head, though Silv was unsure of the meaning behind the gesture. After all, on their planet, it could mean something completely different.

Thus, she chose to use the most direct approach she could think of to get the answers she needed.

"Wir Eis, Evanescence, do we have your permission to steer you to suit our purposes and possibly attack our enemies?" Silv asked.

"Affirmative," Evanescence immediately said.

"Silv, help Evanescence. We help Silv." Wir Eis said.

Silv couldn't help but note that Wir Eis never mentioned other humans. It was clear they were doing all that for her, and she hoped that she wouldn't be the cause of their demise.

"Okay then, that's settled? We attack the Government forces before they attack us?" Silv asked for confirmation.

"Yes," was the unanimous response.

"Evanescence set the course for the enemy forces. Keep the invisibility cloak on." Silv said.

"Affirmative," the ship replied.

"Does anyone have any flying experience?" Silv asked.

"We do." Justin and Jamie said at the same time.

"Of course, you do.

"Okay, you can take the shuttles and see how many people you want to bring with you. The rest of you will be the ground forces." Silv said.

"While you stay safe on the ship?" someone asked.

Silv couldn't see who it was, but the disdain in their voice was loud and clear. They despised her for being the type of leader to tell people what to do and not lead them into battle.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I will be staying on the ship since I am the only one who Evanescence listens to and who can guide her to the right place and ensure your safety. If any of you want to give connecting with an alien ship telepathically a try, you are free to do so. If not, do your part, and I'll do mine. Hopefully, that way we'll get out of this alive." Silv said.

Her answer was followed by absolute silence. No one seemed to know what exactly to say at that moment.

"You heard her! Does anyone want to do her job? Does anyone want to take charge of an alien ship and keep everything organized?" Justin asked his people.

There was an authority in his voice that Silv had never heard before. It left a deep impression on the humans. It was as if they were both scared and respectful, and Silv wondered what Justin had done to deserve that level of reverence.

"I don't hear you!" Justin said as the silence persisted.

"Does anyone want to do her job?" Justin asked.

"No, sir!" they answered at once.

Though Silv found the formal address odd, she was satisfied that she wouldn't have to deal with the rebellious humans even though she was supposed to be the one to rally the troops.

"If that's solved, let's go!' Silv said as everyone scattered to their respective tasks.