'Sacmis' (formerly 'Alien Abduction')

Chapter 66: The Council

The two moons of Sacmis rose slowly above the city’s skyline as the Ruling Council met in session. The sun had barely set and the blazing reds, oranges and purples of the sunset outlined every building in a halo of shimmering light. 

The council chamber, a perfect glass dome, was set on top of the city’s tallest building, offering a clear view of the lush plains beyond the city and the shining mountains in the distance. Below, Hoverpods sped between the buildings at every level and people could be seen moving along the white-paved streets. A keen eye would have noticed that almost all the pedestrians were men, stepping to one side as the occasional woman passed along, surrounded by her entourage of bodyguards and one or two privileged males.

It was a full session, no seat unoccupied, as the Council Leader stepped forward to the podium. Almost every member of the 500-strong council was female, with a handful of senior males sharing the platform with the Leader and her female deputies. One of the deputies called for silence.

“So - ” said the Leader, looking slowly around the chamber, “we understand that nothing has been heard from our ships. Neither the vessel stolen by the four renegades, nor the ship we sent to find it, commanded by Admiral Neest.”

She turned to look directly at one of the senior males seated behind and to her right at a long curved table.

“So what do we conclude from this, Fleet Commander?”

The man in question leaned forward to speak into the microphone set in front of his place. He was older not just than the Leader, but virtually everyone else in the chamber.

“It is hard to form any reliable conclusion, Madam Leader,” he replied. “Both ships might be lost, either damaged or destroyed. Or our second ship, failing to locate the renegades, may simply have extended their search and voyaged further, unable to return as soon as we had hoped.”

“There is, of course, another possibility,” said the Leader. “Perhaps one or both of the ships has found a compatible planet and is carrying out the mission for which our ships were designed: to harvest females and return with them to Sacmis.”

“That is indeed possible,” said the Fleet Commander, “and to be wished for.”

“Either way,” continued the Leader, sweeping her gaze across the chamber, “we cannot afford to wait with this…uncertainty. So I propose we mount a third mission to trace them.”

“Very well, Madam Leader,” said the man, “I will prepare another ship to follow.”

“Just one ship? I think not,” she replied. “I think we should send three: there is strength in numbers and if another planet has indeed been found, their mission will be doubly successful.”

“But that would mean half of our fleet will have been sent into the unknown,” protested the Fleet Commander.

The leader turned a withering look on him.

“The Fleet was built for one purpose,” she replied, “to provide women for our men and to safeguard the future of our race. The ships serve neither purpose if they just remain here.”

“And what if all our ships are lost, with all of their crews.”

“Then that is a risk I am quite prepared to take. I move that we vote.”

A moment later every hand in the chamber was raised.

© Adriana Nicolas 2015