Stormy Skies (On Hold)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Maggie

            “Maggie, I need you...”

            “Don’t leave me here...”

            “It’ll be the biggest mistake you ever make...”

                                                                         *****

            I wake up to an incessant buzzing noise. I turn over in my sleep, still hearing the haunting voice of a machine. Which machine it belongs to, I don’t know. I subconsciously realize the buzzing is still going on, and it’s not in my head.

            I realize you have no idea what I’m talking about. Well, my power is with machines. They talk to me. I don’t expect you to understand. If an earthling ever sees someone talking to a machine, well, they’d send them to a mental hospital. And since I’m just a 4-power, my control and communication with machines is limited to mechanical ones only. Since, the scientific definition is anything that makes life easier, and blah-blah-blah, something or other about forces, blah-blah. You’d think an alien who shares their soul with an element would know a lot about it, but I’m only going off of the human definition. Almnerixi doesn’t even use machines, besides our spaceships. By Earth terms, our machines are our powers. So my power is only useful in space travel. It’s a rare power, but not very important.

            I sit up in my bunk and see my UVC blinking its call light and vibrating on the desk. Groggily, I step up and out of bed, make my way over to my desk, plop myself down in my chair, and fumble to open the communicator. I brace myself, preparing for Evan’s loud, cheery voice.

            Instead, I find myself looking at a brunette human, a woman. I slam the UVC shut.

            If I wasn’t before, I’m awake now.

            My curiousness overrides my cautiousness, so I open up the UVC a tiny bit and peek at the screen.

            “Hello? Anyone there?” the human woman calls. I look at her closely. She does look a little familiar.

            “Oh! I forgot you’re a spy. I’m Valerie, Alexis’s mother here on Earth. Native of the Noxian tribe on home planet Almnerixi; ice power seven. Can you come out now?” the woman asks. I open up the communicator all the way.

            “Maggie the Spy speaking, machine power four. What can I do for you?” I smile; relieved it’s not someone working for Jacob who had hacked into my account.

            “Ah, thank goodness. I contacted your brother the other night to tell him about my travels. It’s to the same location as his. In case our conversations are being listened in to, I thought it’d be best if both mine and his locations would be kept secret. He told me to speak to you and tell you in person as well as him,” Valerie says. Well, secrecy’s not much use now that she’s revealed me as a spy, if anyone is listening in.

            “Well, thank you. It’s good to know.” As long as we’re spilling secrets, I might as well go ahead and tell the whole thing. “I’m getting purposely kicked off and I’ll find my way to Earth afterwards.” Still, I don’t tell her the whole plan. I can’t let them just throw me out into space. That would ruin everything.

            As always, my conversation is rudely interrupted by the sound of footsteps tapping outside in the corridor.

            “I must go,” I hastily whisper. I smile at the woman and quickly shut the device, and hide it under the bunk mattress. Just in time, because the door opens.

            “Soldier Maggie, you’re needed in the control room,” a stiff officer says stiffly as I get up from bending over.

            “I will be there immediately,” I say, bowing my head. Things are a bit tense...or so I am pretending. The officer stands there.

            “They need you now.” The floor shakes violently, as though we’re being attacked. But no emergency lights are flashing, so we must be docking somewhere.

            Docking.

            I’m getting off!

            “Oh! Yes! Let’s go! Right away, sir!” Judging in space-time, it’s been around six or seven Earth days since the accident. We’ve come to a port on a planet! I’m finally going to get to Earth!

                                                                         *****

            I arrive on the surface of the giant planet of Deyjen and find myself in awe. The buildings are dazzling white stone with massive skyscrapers rising above the clouds. The landing zone is stationed on top of one of those skyscrapers; probably a spaceport functioning as a hangar as well, judging by the size of it.

            Deyjen is a planet of industry. They manufacture products, and their people are like Almnerixians- they have magic. But they mainly exceed in architecture. Their structures can be seen throughout the galaxy. Well, the planets that know interplanetary space travel and know that there is life outside their planet know about their architecture.

            Andrea and Jake escort me with two of Jake’s officers to the ground and the guards of the port.

            “Have a safe travel to wherever!” Andrea says, smiling the coldest, fakest smile I’ve ever seen from someone. Jake waves and smiles similarly. I smile apologetically at them, keeping up my Maggie the Idiot act, and speak to them.

            “Well, this is goodbye.” I make myself look solemn. Andrea shrugs. She’s obviously not sorry to see me go. “May good luck be ever present in your war,” I say to them while crossing my fingers behind my back. I’ve learned that it’s an Earthling superstition, so I put it to good use.

            The young leaders bow their heads to me, as I do mine. They stand up straight and walk back in the spacecraft. I don’t have to be watching them to know they never look back. As soon as they become just a tiny black dot in the bright sky, I turn to the guards behind me.

            “I need to get on the fastest jet you have,” I say with a gleam in my eye.

            Look out Earth, here I come. 

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