Ephemeral-D - Human Diaspora

Training

Garret awoke and screamed in terror. Seated on the couch in his old house living room, the place was silent, everything seemed static and lifeless. Like magic, Mary appeared by his side crying.

"It's okay Mary, we're in my home."

"Garret, is that you?" Mary hugged him in happiness.

A woman approached them coming from the kitchen. Garret couldn't believe his eyes, Martha was there standing before them. Mary pulled a chair closer and seated smiling.

"You two must have a lot of questions, haven't you?"

"This looks like my home, but something tells me it can't be real. Isn't it?" Garret said.

"I can only say the truth, this is not your home and I am not your mother. You and Mary are in a simulation, to make things easier on your minds, we agreed that this would comfort you in the beginning." The Martha's avatar said.

"No way, this can't be!" Mary said.

"We, the Xemx, use simulations as an efficient learning tool, that is the way we train our own kids."

"Where are my real mother?"

"We know as much as yourself, yours and Mary's family were leaving the camp heading to Black Reef Bunker in our last communication."

Garret and Mary exchanged looks in disbelief.

"You are now part of a very important mission, to save humanity from annihilation and slavery. Each of you will learn how to operate a Xemx transport cruiser, your spaceships will save thousands of humans and take them to a new colony five hundred light years from here. Human scientists named it Kepler 186f. An Earth like planet suitable for your survival."

"Thousands, what about the other billions out there?" Mary said.

"We don't want to start a new war with the Pemakan civilization. The last time it almost lead us to extinction. We believe in the long run humans will prevail over the Pemakan threat and all we can provide for the moment are two transport spaceships to an uninhabited Xemx planet." The Xemx trainer said.

The fireplace flames crackled. They remained silent for some time until Garret break the trance in excitement.

"We have no time to loose then, what do we need to do to rescue our families and friends?"

"Easy there! Rushing will just hold us down. Time in the simulation is different, one hour in here is just a split second in real time, so, for now, forget your despair and lets focus on the task at hand."

Garret blinked and saw himself out of the spaceship, Earth in the background, he blinked again, now he was floating and seeing a group of stars and the vastness of the Milky Way around it. Martha and Mary materialized next to him.

"First you must know your place in the scheme of things. This is our local group of stars, the blue one, over there, is the Solar System, your home. I marked in orange the Pemakan systems and with green the Xemx systems, for last, in gray, the other civilizations. What do you see?" Martha said.

"Not much, I can't find Earth now with all the markings." Garret said.

"The Solar System lies in the middle of multiple dominions and the Pemakan sees it as an opportunity to grow its power in the region."

Garret blinked, the spaceship was back in view.

"This is the Teen Baan spaceship, it's not a warship but have basic defense mechanisms. Only one human can control it, once we do it, you can go wherever you want. The Mary's spaceship is on its way with our war fleet, we'll prevent Pemakan attacks as long as necessary to fill up the two transport spaceships and escort it to Kepler 186f planet." The avatar said.

After months of exhausting training in the simulation, Garret and Mary was ready.

"Can you hear us Garret?" A deep voice from afar said.

"Yes."

"Good. Are you ready for diagnostic logging?"

"Basic sustainability systems are Go. Energy modules paired. Navigation and defenses are nominal."

The words came as torrent.

"Excellent! Can you explain your current situation to us?"

"I am Garret, integrated human life form into spacecraft Teen Baan, starting my mission as Earth ambassador and vessel controller."

"That is correct Garret. At this moment Pemakan forces sieged Earth and blockade our activities there. We must begin preparations to rescue as many humans as we can. We're counting on you and on the other human controller already active as you are now."

"It's an honor Commander, entering planning mode now."

The war has begun, he thought.

At this moment, the Pemakan invader enslaved my family and friends. I have access to all available information from the Xemx databases. The outer arm of the galaxy is in turmoil. Pemakan civilization became more aggressive in their conquests.

...