The Lost And The Wicked

Chapter 2

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Enjoy

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CHAPTER 2

“Come again, Ritchart,” says Captain Glau. “There seems to be a problem with the communicator. I thought I heard you say that we were being fired at by Earth Alliance cannons.”

“No problem, Captain. You heard right.”

“Hail them immediately.”

“I tried. No response.”

Captain Glau rushes out onto the bridge. I stumble behind her. I suppose it’s times like this that a ready room comes in handy. The half-dozen crewmembers that are currently on bridge duty look up at me from their assigned stations.

Ritchart sits at his post, desperately pressing his navigator screen. He is a skinny man, too skinny if you ask me. He has black dreadlocks that reach to his lower back. He is dark-skinned, though at the moment he looks paler than usual.

The captain switches on the communicator. “This is Captain Glau of the E.A. Driftwood. Cease fire. I repeat, cease fire immediately. We’re friendlies.” She awaits an answer. Static is her only answer.

“Captain, we are picking up a password encrypted transmission.”

“Open it,” orders the captain.

Ritchart shrugs his shoulder in defeat. “Can’t. It’s encoded. Could take days to break.”

“Here, let me see that,” I say. I stare at the words and numbers that flash across the screen. My eyes dart back and forth. For a regular person, the transmission is a jumble of words and numbers. But I see a pattern. I have always been able to understand engines and numbers.

“It’s a code that uses the launch dates of the last three Earth Alliance colony settlements,” I blurt out, feeling a sense of accomplishment. “Ritchart, type the following access code: 5, 3, W, 7, Q, L, E, A.”

Ritchart does as I instruct and a face I recognize from a lifetime ago appears on screen. It’s Commander Larks, except he looks much different than I remember. His clothes are ragged and there is a nasty gash across his left cheek. His hair doesn’t seem to have been combed for weeks.

“This is Commander Larks, head of the Earth Alliance, or rather what is left of it. If you are hearing this message, then you have deciphered the code and are indeed human. It is imperative that you flee. We fought bravely, but Earth has been lost. Run, run, and keep humanity alive. I will be gone soon, but I hope this message reaches someone, anyone. Goodbye. I wish you luck on your journey.”

The face of the commander disappears, replaced by a red line that beeps at a steady pace.

“What was that?” Ritchart asks.

No one answers. Everyone on the bridge looks baffled by the cryptic message. You are indeed human… Earth has been lost… Run… What does it all mean?

Before I can make sense of the message, another shot slams into the ship. I fly clear across the bridge and crash into the hard metal wall. I taste blood coming from my lip.

Captain Glau clings to a console. “Damage report!”

Ritchart replies, “Propulsion system is offline, Captain. Five life signs just went out in deck three, and life support has been compromised.”