Minds on Fire: Book I - The Revelation

The Ten Winds Bar

The two girls had left the bar and were now strolling through the streets of Mor Görüş.

"That's how I ended up suspecting my mother was involved."

"But did you ask her what they talked about?"

"What?"

"You saw the Pope come out of her office but you never asked her what they talked about? You just assumed she helped him?"

Sunflower looked down embarassed. She put her hood up when she saw patrols in the distance. "You don't understand. My mom has always been cold when she raised me and was always coy about her work. I never got the sense she loved me. I got more affection from the maids than her. The only times I saw her happy was when she was with my dad. But then he disappeared and the coldness grew. We've barely exchanged words in the last year. Now she knows I've been snooping around. I can't go back to face her."

"At least you have a mother to go back to," Avizina said coldly as she sped up her pace.

Sunflower jogged to catch up. "Hey wait, I need your help."

Avizina continued walking. "Not interested. Please leave me alone."

Sunflower's eyes grew wide in fear when she saw two patrols pointing in her direction. "They spotted me!" She grabbed Avizina by the arm. "Duck!"

The two Necromants opened fire in their direction without hesitation. Avizina ducked just in time and the townspeople started screaming. Sunflower grabbed Avizina's wrist and led her towards the hangars.

Necromants are not supposed to shoot at unarmed civilians! Avizina thought.

When they reached Hangar 51, there were patrols surrounding Sunflower's ship. They were trying to open it aggresively, leaving dents all over her doors.

"By the stars!" Sunflower whined. "I just spent three Lions on the paint job!"

"We'll take my ship. Follow me."

They turned back towards Hangar 18 and embarked quickly on Avizina's ship, The Peony Alma. 

They barely made it inside when the Necromants shot at the ship and it roared like a hurricane. Avizina ran to the cockpit and turned on the engines and the ion shield, which stopped the bullets from making further damage.

"Sunflower, I need you on the turret!" Avizina yelled.

"I'm on it!" Sunflower ran to the back, sat down and began shooting. The patrols took cover but the hangar and other parked ships were destroyed. I'm gonna owe a lot of people money, she thought. "Punch it!" she yelled and they sped away from planet Dünyä.

ⓄⓄⓄ

They flew to the nearby terraformed planet Demir. The Peony Alma landed on a patch of grass near a city. Avizina got up from the cockpit. She was still shaken from the encounter, but tried to keep her composure.

"Why did the Necromants shoot at us?" Avizina asked with a shaky voice. "We were unarmed and in a crowd of civilians!"

"Those weren't Necromants," Sunflower answered. "They were mercs hired to hunt me."

"Why?"

"Because I've been snooping around too much. Times have changed," Sunflower said with a sad tone. "The alliance is not what it used to be. People have become greedy." She explained everything. "The Federation has been selling weapons to Pope Comosicus and turning a blind eye to the mass killings of outer-rim planets. I've lived my life in blind privilege. I was made to believe we were special because we had the gift. It's all been a lie. You have to see my mother. I cannot go with you, but you have to see her. We don't have much time."

So many thoughts were going through Avizina's head. She did not like the Fede but she never wished revenge for how they treated her. She did not want to go. She was tired and exhausted and wished to be back home on Cor-de-Rosa.

"Whatever planet you call home might be their next target," Sunflower said. "It's only a matter of time. They're committing a galactic-wide destruction and the so called enforcers-of-peace are not doing shit."

"How did you know what I was thinking? That's the second time you did that."

"I'm a Mind-Reader, same as my mother. I know that what happened to you years ago still haunts you. You fear the pain will never go away."

"I've heard of people like you. The Sect often talked about it. They called you demons."

"You have a lot to learn. That's why I contacted you. The Akashic records revealed that you have knowledge that could help our cause."

Avizina did not listen. She shivered at the thought of her newly found home being destroyed by those monsters. She looked at the Navigation of Charts and searched for planet Dakka where the Chancellor resided. She contemplated for a minute but she finally agreed. "Fine. I'll help you."

"Great!" Sunflower said. "We can take the Sun's Highway to avoid traffic."

"Log day 15: It has been a rough couple of days. A lot of panic and anxiety, but a lot of open-minded people. It has been strange. I don't even know how to describe the interactions between us and them. I've met a couple so far. Kind folk." Excerpt from the Chronicle of Patricius Dascalu, History Professor, year 0 AA - from the Children of Planet Dünyä Manuscript