The Outer Moon (A Sapphic Sci Fi Adventure)

Chapter 35

               The prophets didn't react well to the video and the live stream broadcasts. Within six hours of their broadcast, over sixty nuclear missiles were launched from various points around the globe. They didn't do anything, as none of them even got to the upper atmosphere before they were destroyed by the various ships deployed around the planet. If it was supposed to intimidate Pepper and the rest, it didn't come close. One of the prophets also released a video condemning the settlers, though it was the one that usually lived on the move, and it was plain to see that it was hurried and filmed on the move. Nothing was heard from the other two.

There was nothing for them to do with Earth, as they had sent emails to the people that they were hoping to take on the return trip but had to wait until they all arrived at the pickup site, which was in Australia again. With so many people and so many ships to pick them up, it would take time, but it would be much more secure with all the air support this time around. If any more missiles were fired, they would be dealt with quickly.

In the meantime, the Aspis moved over to Mars, where the long process of picking up most of the colonists got underway. There were a few people who wanted to stick it out, a little over 200, but that still meant that they were bringing back over 1700 people from the colony. The people sticking around were some of the original colonists, and Mars was their dream, so it made sense. They offered to leave the cargo ship for them, but they declined, as none of the people staying were pilots. They did leave communication gear though, so that they could establish trade and let them know if they changed their minds.

Part of what was brought up from Mars was several hundred empty shipping containers, as there were many empty ones from previous resupply missions that hadn't been returned yet. With the number of people that would need temporary housing, those would be a great addition to the return trip, and they were all loaded into the cavernous hangar bays of the Aspis.

Pepper and Vanessa were gracious hosts for their many guests, and it became a party of sorts. Of the newcomers, over 300 were kids, and so Jason, Scarlett, and Cash had a blast meeting everyone. It wasn't easy finding spaces for everyone to sleep, but it was all worked out. The accommodations they had back on Mars were hardly luxurious, so they didn't mind the temporary living arrangements.

But the true stars were Kajna and Radali, and everyone was thrilled to meet them. Of course, the language issues then became a problem, but that wasn't hard as Pepper and Vanessa started handing out the translators and helmets and everyone started learning the Antuhsas language. If they had been amazed by the ship and technology, the prospect of learning an entire new language in days was awe inspiring. Matteo, who had struggled to learn Spanish from his grandmother as a kid, was almost in tears at how easy it was.

Needless to say, the Aspis was a happy place. With all of the technology spaces on the ship, some of the new residents were getting a head start on learning about the different aspects of the ships too. Elle quickly got the hang of flying the giant beast, even with most of the ship's stations unmanned, and some of the other pilots did the same. With the number of pilots, they actually had the majority of the bridge manned before they were back in Earth's orbit and ready for the smaller ships to go down and make their pickups.

There had not been any word from the prophets since the missile attack, though there were several reports of gun battles around the globe, though it was unknown if that was people fighting for or against the prophets, or something completely unrelated. But so far, Australia was untouched, and had promised no issues with the pickups. The decision was made to give them the second cargo ship and keep the other one in reserve just in case another country made a show of deserving it. So far, any country who had fired missiles was off that list.