OGENUS EARTH 🌎 🌊 {Dystopian Sci-Fi Adventure}

Glycerine

Meg's nerves twitched beneath her skin as the Black Marlin prepared to land in Arc City One's shipping bay. They were pulled behind Matthias' ship, using a magnetic tether. It had felt like a surprisingly short trip.

The Syrascusia was an impressive craft, and at least three times the size of Harrison's ship, affording them the engine power to make the journey in a fifth of the time.

What should have been a joyful homecoming had been tainted by the disastrous news they were going to deliver. Not only had they given Gayle the codes she needed to overtake Arc City Two, apparently the progressive learning system built to save humanity was trying to murder them all.

Arturo didn't speak for the rest of the journey back to Arc City One, choosing instead to sequester himself in the back of the craft. He used a screen and keyboard projected from MAX's breastplate to read through data and write up his thoughts. Meg wasn't sure how to be of help, so she dallied in his general area on Olivia's old bunk.

While Arturo feverishly pored over information, Meg had managed to find a lengthy piece of string coming from a frayed blanket. It made for a less-than-satisfying six-hour game of cats-cradle.

Harrison and Big Joe had been in deep conversation at the front of the ship, but Meg couldn't bring herself to go up there. Who knew where Harrison and Big Joe were off to next? Now that their duties were fulfilled, all that was left was for them to collect their prize and run off to their next adventure.

Matthias and her crew landed their vessels in the hidden Legionnaire hatch on the Eastern wall of Arc City One. The door was cloaked to give the Arc Sphere's a tactical advantage in the event of an external attack.

Unlike the shipping bay, this access point opened into a gaping rectangular hole to allow for several ships to dispatch in under thirty seconds (the time it took to power the protective ultrasonic barrier.)

As they exited the Syracusia, Matthias noted that per her instructions, every last Aegus ship aboard Arc City One was locked and loaded in place.

The seafarer's landing pad was encased with thick glass to protect their huge fleet of watercraft from the ocean. They hung in tight rows from huge metal beams, looking every bit the dark horse arsenal needed to protect a large country.

Matthias barked orders to escort their entourage to where Persephone waited, quietly willing herself to remain calm.

Ben anxiously rocked from one foot to the other, trying to find the figure of his daughter in the press of seafarers headed their way.

"We will take them back to the Quorum's War Room," Persephone informed Matthias, scanning the group behind her.

"You don't want to debrief them individually?" Matthias asked, her brow quirking upwards.

Jamie, one of Matthias' crew, felt a cold sweat break out on his back, the beads of perspiration crept down his skin to prickle his intuition.

"I want to see their mental state first." Persephone told Matthias. "I have a feeling Arturo has something big to tell us."

Ben's eyes jumped from one woman's face to the other while they spoke. He was trying to concentrate on their words, but he was too excited. He was a moment away from holding Meg, from physical confirmation that she was alive and safe.

"Welcome back." Persephone greeted them in her even tone.

"Thank you," Arturo answered with a nod.

Ben shoved his frame past the line of Seafarers to pop out of the group and find his daughter. She couldn't hide her shock or the tears that leaked onto her cheeks at the sight of her adopted father.