Fight For Flight

Prologue

Prologue

__________

Year: 3013

The planet Earth was shaking with the fear of its citizens.

In an army base, several metres below the Earth’s surface, red lights were flashing, sending strange shadows around the dimly lit arena. The sound of the alarm added to the sense of nightmare. But there was hardly anyone left to run around in panic. They had either gone home to prepare for their end of time or they had been lucky enough to leave the surface.

In the midst of the transportation hangar, where the roof was open to allow the harsh sun in and the escaping humans out, was a young couple who were pleading with a desperately impatient sergeant. He wanted to get out of there, now, even though the attack on Earth wasn’t expected for at least a couple of days.

“There’s no room. Only one pod left and it’s marked for the commander and his family,” said the sergeant. He had fought in many wars and yet never felt as panicked as he did now. He was sitting in one of the four-seater pods with five others. Outside the small spaceship was a young private, his wife and their one year old daughter who was clutching her mother’s neck as if she fully comprehended what was happening. The fear was catching.

“At least take our daughter,” said the woman, holding up her child who curled her fingers around her mother’s shaking wrists.

The sergeant hesitated looking back at his crew members. There were two army officers and three respected members of public who had been voted to go into the evacuation pods when the world had first learned of the alien attack.

“There’s no room to move in here, let alone space for a toddler.”

Tears were running down the woman’s face while her husband struggled to hold his own back.

“Surely you can fit her in the cockpit with the pilot. She’s not a hassle, she’ll stay completely still. Please, give us some happiness in this end.”

The pilot, Shay, poked her head out of the cockpit. “She can fit on my lap. Bring her in, Sarge.”

 The sergeant ran his hand through his balding hair and looked at the solemn girl being held out to him. She looked back with clear, light-blue eyes. He shivered; they were near the colour of ice and seemed to pierce his skull. It was strange for her to have such eyes when her parents were both brown eyed.

“Do you have her documents, birth certificate, health check?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ve got them here,” said the mother, smiling with hope through her tears. She handed the child to the man and rummaged through her satchel, pulling out a folder of sheets. She handed them over to him and he carefully checked them.

“Seems to be in order,” he said emotionlessly. “Hand her over then. We’ll take her to Second Earth.”

Second Earth had been discovered many years ago by astronomy scientist Judith Hope, via a spaceship buggy named Case. It was uninhabited by humans but full of greenery, oceans full of edible fish and clean, fresh air. Some of the World Leaders had begun erecting buildings and developments by sending over working robots but it still wasn’t prepared for a full fleet of humans, fleeing the wreck of their home. There was a lot of work to be done upon their arrival.

The mother began to sob while the father hugged his daughter tight and whispered unintelligible words into her ear. The last sentence he said to her was, “always be proud of who you are...” and then he passed her over to her mother, tears burning in his throat. The mother was shaking with sobs but held her daughter tight, kissing her on her forehead. Then she lifted the child upward, toward the sergeant, who took her unceremoniously and handed her to the pilot.

“We’ll take good care of her,” said Shay with a smile, even though her heart was aching for the parents. “I’ll make sure she’s taken to a good home.”

“Th-Thank you... so much,” croaked the man, his voice breaking. “Her n-name is Fiona MacKinnon. Thank you.”

He put his arms around his wife who clung to him, watching their daughter disappear into the cockpit. The sergeant wasted no time, immediately shutting the ship doors.

“Let’s get this thing out of here,” he growled and strapped himself into one of the spare seats. Two men were strapped to the floor due to the lack of seats but they were hardly complaining.

“Aye aye, Sarge. Say goodbye to the home of humans and hold on tight. We’re getting out of here!”

Shay checked the ship log and started the engine. She didn’t bother communicating to the deck captain to tell him that they were taking off. He was already gone with the large fleet ship that held the leaders of the world. The large electronic door on the roof was already open, the hot sun beating down on the ship.

“Say goodbye to Earth, MacKinnon,” she whispered to the little girl on her lap. Fiona stayed silent, her wide eyes on the screen in front of her that showed the path ahead.

Shay switched the ship into take-off mode and pulled the trigger. Faster than the speed of light, they were off into the Milky Way.