In Search Of Elysium

Chapter 8

Evening Comes And So Do The Feds

As afternoon came to the Carpenter farm, families drove into the driveway and parked on the lawn. Ricky's mom and dad drove up with Grandma and Grandpa. Linda's parents arrived with Linda's three sisters. Cody, his Mom and Aunt and Kathy came to the farm with Kathy's Dad and sister Cindy. They gathered around the shed and hugged one another as they said their final goodbyes. Through tears the teens tried to laugh the sadness off with jokes about how they would be back before anyone missed them. Everyone knew it wasn't true, but they laughed anyway.

Kevin said, "Crew, let's start the engines. Dad, please have everyone stand away from the ship. I am not sure how much heat or radiation we will generate when we take off."

The crew climbed the steps and found their seats at the smooth, sleek control council. Kevin sat in the middle seat with Cody and Kathy on his right, and Linda and Ricky on his left. He motioned for Cody to move the ship ahead and it lifted off the cement floor and moved through the large open doors. Just then, seven black FBI vehicles and two small army tanks pulled into the driveway. Men jumped from the vehicles with their guns drawn. Carl yelled over a bullhorn, "Stop your engines, and step out of that ship. You may not operate this ship. If you do not comply, we will fire on you."

The parents, alarmed and afraid, cried out for the kids. Richard yelled, "There are teenagers in that ship! It is my ship!" But they were not listening to him.

Two tanks moved closer with their large guns aimed at the ship. It was a stand down of epic proportions. As a show of force, two jets flew low, trying to scare the crew into surrender. Carl walked toward the ship and stopped as if he had hit a glass wall. There was an invisible shield around the ship. No one knew its strength, but surely the big guns could stop the ship.

None of the five teenagers showed their fear, but Kevin could see it in their eyes. He asked Elee what they should do.

She said, "Relax, I will handle this."

In a voice of authority loud enough or everyone inside and outside to hear, Elee said, "Please step aside. We came in peace and now we will leave in peace. In God's name I assure you, we will do no harm, but you cannot stop this mission."

Carl cried out, "Get ready to fire on my signal."

In an instant, flashes of lightning came from the ship and struck out toward the federal agents. The guns in their hands fell to the ground as metal dust and they still held their arms as if ready to shoot. Two army soldiers stood waist deep in a mound of dust that was once their tank. They looked around in total surprise.

Richard and the parents cheered as they saw that the teens and their ship had disarmed the Federal Agents hurting no one. Several men tried to rush the ship, but bounced off the invisible shield.

In a loud voice, Kevin said. "Thank you, and now we must leave." The ship darted into the sky. Everyone stood with their eyes looking toward the heavens. There was no sign of them, just the sound of the cows in the barns and tractors in the fields.

"Carl, you can go now. I will advise you when the kids get back from their trip with my ship," Richard laughed as he yelled out to the FBI agent. "Don't worry about your guns and tanks; we'll sweep them up in the morning."

The parents seemed pleased that their teenagers were being protected by Elee and the spaceship. They no longer feared for their safety.

***

First Day In Space

There wasn't enough time to see what had happened. One second they sat in front of the Carpenter farm machine shed and then they were in the darkness of space. Kevin looked out the front monitor of the ship and saw a planet in the distance.