Lilith

“I’m here to deliver a package.”

The Federation soldier doesn’t even look at me as he waves me through. My blue-grey Universal Postal Service uniform makes me as good as invisible.

I push the trolley carrying all the packages through the secured gate and take another look at the address. I need to be in some place called the HF Destiny.

“Excuse me,” I ask the soldier. “Can you tell me where this is?”

He sighs, looks at my tablet, and nods into the distance.

“That thing?” I ask, pointing at the massive freaking spaceship behind him.

“Yeah,” he says. “That’s the one.”

A spaceship.

A genuine, honest-to-god spaceship.

Feeling absolutely giddy, I make my way over to the vessel, admiring its size, its grandeur, its splendor. Delivering packages is far from a glamorous job, but sometimes you see some pretty cool places.

This is one of them.

If only director Williams could see me now. He said an orphan like me would never amount to much… yet here I am.

The Federation base is a hub of activity. All around me are soldiers, scientists and doctors going about their day. I could watch them work all day, but unfortunately, I have a slew of packages to deliver. I arrive at the foot of the giant ship and report to the guard on duty.

“Delivery,” I say, like I’ve said a thousand times before.

“You’re just in time,” he snaps. “We’re minutes away from take-off.”

Well, someone’s in a foul mood today!

“If you could sign for these heavy boxes, that would be great. What’s in here, anyway?”

“That’s classified!” the man barks. “Go put them in the cargo hold.”

I look up at the long ramp, having to crane my neck to see the entire ship looming over me.

“Are you kidding me? I can’t push my trolley all the way up there.”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

No, the soldier most surely does not. I don’t have time to stand here and argue with this jackass — unfortunately, I still have a truckload of boxes, and they’re not going to deliver themselves.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Hurry up!”

Grumbling, I start pushing the heavy trolley up the long, steep ramp. By the time I reach the top, I need a second to catch my breath. The view from up here is quite amazing, but duty calls. I head into the cargo hold, which is just as oversized as the ship itself, while I look for a good place to leave these boxes.

Meow!

I whirl around just in time to see a stray cat shoot between my legs and hide underneath a pallet.

Where did he come from? He must have followed me up here!

“Come here, you!” I say, dropping down to my knees. I reach out for the kitten, but it backs away from me. From the look of it the poor guy is hungry and scared.

I glance over my shoulder at the ramp. I really don’t have time for this. How long did that guard say I had? Minutes?

I tap the floor, trying to lure the little fellow out of his hiding place. “Come on,” I say. “Any day now.”

If he stays here… he’ll die.

A cargo hold is no place for a stray kitten. I’m no expert on spaceships, but because of my line of work, I’m quite familiar with cargo holds on planes and shuttles. And unfortunately, the cargo hold is not a priority when it comes to heating… or oxygen.

I can’t let that little ball of fur meet his maker like that. The guard will just have to postpone the launch for a few more minutes. It’s not like they can take-off with me still here… right?

Finally, after precious seconds, my luring has effect. The stray kitten hops into my arms, nuzzling itself against my breast.

“Ah, you were just pretending to be shy, hm?” I coo as I stroke its furry cheek. Feeling happy with myself, I turn towards the ramp — and to my horror, find it slowly being raised into the air.

“Hey!” I yell. “Hey! I’m still in here! Hey!”

It’s no use. The ramp is already too far up. The last few bits of daylight disappear as the ramp closes, coating me in total, pitch-black darkness.

Meow!

“Meow indeed, mister. Meow indeed.”

I stroke the kitty’s soft fur, trying to keep my act together. If not for me, then for the furball in my arms. I pray that they’ll do one last inspection and notice that I am freaking here. Or that they have some kind of sensors which can detect me.

The ship violently lurches from side to side. I hear a great rumbling in the distance that approaches quickly, like a freight train barreling towards me at breakneck speed. Seconds later, the entire ship seems to be trembling in its boots.

Okay, this is definitely not good.

I think we’re taking off.

An invisible force pushes me down towards the floor. The cat meows and runs off, back to its hiding place, while I’m left alone, an invisible elephant pushing down on my chest as the spaceship blasts off.

Oh crap.

I’m so not ready to go into space. Hell, even hover cars make me queasy! I prefer my two feet planted firmly on the ground, and I never take the highest express ways. However, the spaceship doesn’t care about my fears. It doesn’t hear me screaming, or feel me pounding my fists on the metal floor. All it knows how to do is reach speeds faster than light itself.

Everything turns black, the pressure simply too much for me.

* * *

Daruk

“Strike! Strike! Come, on strike! His left is wide open! What are you waiting for?!”

Father screams at Yano, the veins in his neck bulging, but my brother can barely lift his wooden training sword. His golden body is coated in sweat, a painful grimace on his face. Yano is much younger than me, and his body, though lean and defined, is yet to match mine in pure muscle.

With great effort, my brother lifts up his sword and swings it at me. I deliberately lower my guard, and allow the tip to connect with my shoulder.

“Argh, Daruk!” our father barks. “You’re not even trying! Yano will never learn like this!”

“He’s sick, father!” I say.

“A true Zoran is never sick.”

I lower my weapon, my cold, hard gaze fixed on our father. Respect for one’s elders is the foundation of our culture, and I greatly admire my father, the great warrior Goran… yet, the way he treats my little brother fills me with anger. Nothing Yano ever does is good enough for him.

“He’s sick, father,” I repeat. “We need to rest.”

Yano is bent over, his hands resting on his knees. “I’m fine,” he wheezes, but his cough and labored breathing say otherwise.

“You’re not.”

I glance up through the thick canopy of trees at the bright, fiery sun. The days are hotter and the nights cooler on this new planet. Both of us have yet to fully adjust to our new surroundings.

“It’s nearly midday,” I say. “Soon it will be too hot to fight.”

My father strides over and yanks the training sword from my hands. His icy blue eyes are filled with cold fury.

“Do you think the enemy will care if its midday?! Do you think they’ll care if you’re sick?!”

My lips are pulled into a tight line. I don’t respond.

“That’s what I thought,” father says. “A true Zoran is prepared for everything, at every time.”

He whirls around and, without warning, strikes Yano across the face with the tip of the sword. The blade connects with a sickening crunch, and blood flies through the air.

“Father!” I scream, eyes wide. “How could you?!”

He throws the blade down into the dirt.

“Always be on your guard, Yano. Let this be a lesson.”

Father strides away while I glare at him, fists balled, my body filled with righteous anger.

“Hit the mines, both of you,” he yells from a distance. “Don’t return to the camp without your shares.”

I help my little brother up, cursing under my breath. My brother averts his gaze, and he slaps my hand away when I try to look at his busted nose.

“Stop that, let me help you,” I say.

“Why should I?” he mumbles with a fat lip. “I’m a failure. It doesn’t matter.”

I grab his shoulders and force him to look up at me.

“Listen to me, little brother. You are not a failure. Never let anyone tell you that, and certainly not yourself!”

There’s a scowl fixed on his face, his bottom lip trembling. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says. “I can never measure up to you.”

“You are still young, Yano. You will grow. And even if you do not, then that’s okay. There are legendary warriors I will never compare to. If you always compare yourself to others, you will go mad.”

“Father does nothing but compare me to you.”

“Father is… father,” I sigh.

A proud, fierce warrior, well-respected… but a hard man to please. Our mother died in childbirth, delivering Yano, and I don’t think he’s ever forgiven my little brother for that. From what I heard, she was a beautiful, strong Zoran woman.

Unfortunately, Zoran women are extremely rare, even now. The Curse of the Emperor lives on.

“I will go to the mines to delve our share. You go to our secret hiding place and rest. Make sure father doesn’t see you.”

“No,” Yano protests. “I can do my own share.”

“No. You go rest. I insist,” I growl.

My brother sighs, looking away. “Why are you always helping me, Daruk? I don’t deserve it.”

“Because it is the right thing to do,” I answer. “You are my kin, Yano.”

“No, what I am is a sorry excuse for a Zoran warrior.”

I playfully punch my brother on the shoulder. “You’ll be twice the warrior father ever was, mark my words.”

Yano’s eyes widen. “If he heard that, he’d beat us both to a pulp to prove a point.”

I push my shoulders back and straighten my back. “He would certainly try, yes.”

“Don’t do that,” Yano says.

“Do what?”

“Antagonize father on my behalf.”

“You have that little faith in me, little brother?” I say, raising an eyebrow. “I could take father with one arm tied behind my back.”

“He’d crush you, and you know it.”

“Only one way to find out.”

“Promise me you won’t,” Yano says. “I’m serious. Promise me.”

“Fine,” I say. “I promise. If you go and rest today.”

Yano slumps his shoulders. “Alright,” he says, heading into the jungle, towards our hidden cave. “Alright…”

I place our training swords back in the rack and grab a heavy pick axe. Another day of grueling hard labor, smashing rocks and mining ore by hand awaits. I trust in the wisdom of the Council of Elders, but did we really have to leave all technology behind?

Would one simple mining machine really ruin New Exon?