Zaden

ASSEMBLE

How did we get to this point? Africans, the first to the outer parts of the visible galaxy, light years from our planet in just a few weeks or months. It started with the invention of the warp engine. We were lucky to have a twisted eccentric billionaire who was fascinated with science fiction. He pulled as much as he could into funding young minds in the country to find a way to achieve it.

"The mad billionaire", the nickname he earned.
Oh! My god! If only they knew it would work. A decade later he did it, they invented the warp engine, space exploration was achievable. Light speed was no more a limit. From warp engines to portals, the mad billionaire turned the world insane.

Achievement breeds title, "the world's first Trillionaire", they called him. Every nation answered to him, he single-handedly made Nigeria a world power, made Africa a thriving continent yet again. Who would have thought that Africa's salvation would be born from madness?

I guess we all needed it.

It had been two years since its inception in the year 2100, space exploration. I'm light years away from home, this is just true insanity indeed.

"Captain, the camp is all set", said Ade

"I'm on my way"

It didn't take long to put up all the buildings required; sleeping quarters, mess hall, bathrooms, med-bay and my favorite, the captain's lodge. With how much we utilized nanotech and understood the energy that surrounded the universe, well.... You could practically move a mountain. I checked every building to ensure the transition from Nano size to normal was done properly. Made sure every medical, catering and other relatable personnel and droids were ready for operation. Once I was done, I ordered everyone to move in, relax and wait until the next day, which was in eighteen hours.

A day in Zaden was thirty-six hours.

Ade peered his head from the crowd as I gave out instructions. All he did was shake his head and smile, knowing my intentions was to rush into my quarters and sleep. Oh! I really loved being lazy, and not even a humongous planet could take it from me.

That night was very calm, like we were the only mobile organisms on the planet. Nothing came along, no emergency or disturbance. Zaden felt like a vacation.

"Captain, captain!!!" A loud voice called

"Ade, we have 36 hours in a day, leave me alone and give me 3 more hours" I replied as I pulled the sheets over my head.

"Captain, this is Joy, Second Lieutenant Joy Baraji"

I jolted from the sheets and flung myself to the door as I turned on my bracelet to put on my uniform. Only Ade knew of my lazy tendencies, I was not ready to have another junior look down on me.

"Lieutenant, did you hear me say anything?", I asked after opening my door.

"No sir, nothing sir, just muffled noises"

"Good, get everyone assembled"

"Yes Sir" she replied as she ran off to get everyone else ready. Although, I think I caught a smile off her face while she ran.

In few minutes, everyone had assembled in front of my quarters.

"Now it is my turn for the heart boosting speech", I thought to myself

I scrambled through my mind for inspiration to make my troopers shout and get, well.... "Gingered" in the Nigerian sense.

Everyone was waiting and I just stood there, this was my first time doing this and I wasn't about to mess it up.

"Troop, we are finally here", I said as I walked slowly from one end of my platform to another, thinking of what next to say.

"Let's make our people proud"

Everywhere was silent, no "Awo" or any other form of noise.

"Ah! I am not cut for this", I thought to myself.

I briefed them on instructions of what we were meant to do for the first few months of our two-year mission.
Our objective was to secure a continental site for the first human colonist to settle, and take care of any hostile organism we might encounter. Basically, we were to map out and kill anything dangerous. Once we had secured the land mass, next, was to signal the mothership.

Writing mothership feels awesome, it feels so sci-fi. Well... sci-fi isn't sci-fi anymore.

The signal would tell the MO-TH-ER SH-I-P to send in engineers for colony construction. After that, we just guard and relax. Simple and very easy.

I divided the troop into Five teams. The first team was to cover the south of the region, the next the north, the west and finally the east. I led the North team, second Lieutenant Joy led the south, Lieutenant James led the west, Lieutenant Osas led the east, and finally, Ade led the camp guard team.

"Joy, Osas, James and Ade see me in the weapons room" I requested after I was done briefing

*few minutes later*

Everyone gathered in the weapons rooms.

"Lieutenants, this mission needs to be done properly and in good time" I said as I placed my hands on a container placed on a table in our midst.

"Yes sir", they all echoed

I handed them, except Ade, microgenerators and took them into an inner room, where a bigger version of it was.

"What's that sir?" asked Osas

"The key to our mission", I replied

Honestly, I had no clue what it was, but apparently, it was the central generator for the colony's shield. We were to use the microgenerators to triangulate the distance required for the shield and mount them. This would put up the colony's outer defense. Any hostile was to be taken out. Interesting organisms were to be brought back for assessment.

"Lieutenants, make final checkups on your communication devices, we move out tomorrow"

"Yes Sir", they replied as I stepped out of the room to continue new streams of snooze.