Part Twenty: total words uploaded to date = 37600. Total words written to date = 38800. The exhaustion kicked in over the last couple of days, and I found myself getting writer's block for the first time. I was forcing myself to write, but stopped when rereading what I had written left me somewhat bored and disappointed! Nothing that some well needed rest couldn't fix. Oh, and coffee - did I mention the coffee! Rest, then coffee. Now time to write, got some catching up to do.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The Mars landscape was a vast red covering as far as the eye could see. But it had started to show signs of life. Instances of green had begun to emerge from the dry desert environs. The vast amounts of work done to teach the Mars atmosphere how to rain - and the grounds how to accept it - had finally started to produce rewards. Life was starting to take it's first tentative steps upon the Mars barren and rocky ground. It wasn't much to look at, certainly only in small pockets around the main urban hub, and in test fields where they had first begun their experimental Terra-forming ideas. But it had begun, and everyone understood the significance of these developments. A self sustaining Mars would become a planet that would never be beholden to Earth; to the murderous rampaging tribes that still dominated the people's thinking and action. It may even lead to a Mars that could turn the tables, and become dominant enough to restore Earth to her former glory. But that would require a lot of work, and Esha knew it. She continued to sit in her office, behind her large mock wooden desk, real trees still being too large a luxury for the people of Mars. One thing at a time, she told herself. That has always been the way. That's how she wanted to leave her legacy. The view afforded to her from her office's vantage point gave her a sense of space and stillness most residents missed. The hostile Mars atmosphere meant all living spaces were enclosed, most within the outer dome enclosures of the city. Few had the luxury of being able to view the outside world, to be able to enlarge their mind's space to the space of the planet all around them. Esha found it liberating.
Penny called Esha on her video phone, “Jones is here to see you for you meeting.”
“Very good,” she replied. “Send him in.”
Jones entered the office, clipboard in hand, and took a seat opposite Esha, as was routine for their regular meetings. He always allowed himself to take in the view of the vastness of the Mars landscape that was visible from Esha's office, but never made mention of it. Straight to business was his mantra. At least that is how he wished to be perceived.
“Good to see you Jones,” Esha said as he sat down across the desk from her. “Anything to report, any news I need to know. Have those Earthlings destroyed themselves yet?” Esha asked jokingly, but it was all serious business. Earth still dominated Mars' affairs. Too much so, in her opinion.
“No they're still ticking away, still hell bent on destruction it would seem.”
“So no changes that I should know about?”
“No, the situation hasn't changed at all. It hasn't gotten any worse, so I suppose that's some good news!”
“Any news on the peace talks that had been scheduled for later this year?”
“They were cancelled. Each side is trying to jockey themselves into the best position strategically before agreeing to any form of ceasefire. Which is a recipe for more fighting, more carnage, and perpetual insanity.”
“They're behaving like spoiled little children that just need someone to come down there and take their toys off them,” Esha responded. The news was generally the same each time she spoke with Jones. The occasional variation, but hopes being dashed seemed to be the theme of their meetings.
“There was one story I just received from one of my contacts. It seems an advanced rebel army unit was readying an attack on the main stronghold east of Europe,” Jones explained.
“Where the main refugee camps are?” Esha asked him.
“Yes, where a lot of our children arrive from.”
“They were going to launch an attack on them?” she asked.
“It would appear so. This is all very recent. But that's not what makes this interesting. I wish to draw your attention to another part of the story. Something that has both the army and rebel forces in both confusion and hysteria.”
“Go on,” Esha said, her curiosity more than piqued.
“The headquarters that the rebels had set up was captured by two refugees, on their way to the camps. The last two survivors from the rebel's assaults on their home city.” Jones explained.
“Two people – two refugees – captured a rebel base?” Esha asked, starting to understand why Jones felt the need to relay this information to her immediately.
“And this is where it gets, well, weird,” Jones hesitated as he begun to explain the complexities in the story that had been relayed to him. “One of the army officers that accompanied them to the camps says there was actually three of them. Everyone else only saw two. Rebels and army both tell the same story. Anyway, what seems to have occurred is that two people – two females, one adult and one child – with the possibility of a second child, captured the rebels headquarters, stopped their forward movements towards the coast, and alerted the army to their whereabouts.”
“All very interesting,” Esha agreed. “Especially the bit about the second child. But exactly how does this affect us?” she asked him
“The child will be aboard the next flight to Mars, which leaves tomorrow.”
“A child that almost single-handedly took out a rebel force is coming here, to Mars? Do we have any reason to be concerned?”
“I haven't been able to discern a reason why the child herself would present a problem for us directly. However,” he paused before completing his statement, “the army are not happy with losing access to her. Or more to the point, losing access to her traveling companion.”
“Her adult friend?” Esha asked.
“No, the second child, the mysterious one.”
“I thought you said the army never confirmed her existence? Apart from that one officer.” Esha replied.
“Well they didn't confirm it, not officially. But the helicopter pilot corroborates the officer's story, and apparently there is internal video from the cabin that paints an interesting story. I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of that. Not yet anyway.”
“So why did the army let them go, if they are so interested in them?”
“They were forced to. The second child was somehow able to take control of the helicopter. She threatened to crash it unless they were flown directly to the camps.”
Esha listened intently to the story which was becoming more and more intriguing. She was fascinated to learn more about these two children and the one adult who managed to overcome both the rebels and the army. “And one of these children is coming here, did you say?”
“That is correct.”
“What about the adult in the group, what will happen to her? Do we know?”
“Apparently working at the camps now. But it's the second child everyone wants to know more about.”
“Why? Do they perceive her as some sort of weapon? A direct threat to their power structures?” Esha asked.
“Quite possibly they do. It seems they all fear her, but haven't learnt to fully respect her yet. She seems to be beyond their control.”
“And what do you make of all of this?” Esha asked Jones, wanting to know where they fitted into this whole game being played out around them.
“The second child is somehow connected to the first, to the child whose name is Ruby. If she comes here, as she is set to do, then most likely the second one will follow, in some capacity. Will that present a problem for us here. Not unless the Earth armies want her back.”
“Well maybe we should roll out the red carpet for her then. Rub their noses in it. Anyway, I look forward to meeting her when she arrives. Keep me informed. That will be all, thanks Jones.”
Esha watched as Jones exited the office, leaving her to ponder these latest developments. It was an interesting development, one that could provide Mars with a means to negotiate herself into a better position with Earth. That was always Esha's dream. But then maybe nothing would come of it all. Jones was a good intelligence officer. But this was all new, and sometimes stories become so altered through their travels that perhaps there was no mystery involved. Perhaps it really did all make sense. We'll wait and see, she thought.
Esha looked to where Jones had been seated. No one was there now. But for a moment there she was convinced she saw the figure of a child, a young girl. She shook her head, as if to remove the demons that were playing with her vision. “Protect the children.” Esha heard the words but failed to see the speaker.
“Who said that?” she asked.
Emerald appeared in front of her, standing back from the desk. “My name is Emerald. I am the mysterious one of whom you have been speaking.”
“Are you a friend?” Esha asked, finding herself suddenly concerned at the sight of this child in her office.
“If you are a friend of life, then you are a friend to me, and vice versa,” Emerald said, seeking to alleviate her concerns.
“Then we are friends,” Esha said. “What do you need from me?” she asked.
“Protect the children,” Emerald reminded her, as she faded from view, leaving Esha to make sense of these developments.
Chapters One and Two (Part One)
Chapters Three and Four (Part Two)
Chapters Five and Six (Part Three)
Chapter Seven (Part Four)
Chapter Eight (Part Five)
Chapter Nine (Part Six)
Chapter Ten (Part Seven)
Chapter Eleven (Part Eight)
Chapter Twelve (Part Nine)
Chapter Thirteen (Part Ten)
Chapter Fourteen (Part Eleven)
Chapter Fifteen (Part Twelve)
Chapter Sixteen and Seventeen (Part Thirteen)
Chapter Eighteen (Part Fourteen)
Chapter Nineteen (Part Fifteen)
Chapter Twenty (Part Sixteen)
Chapter Twenty One and Twenty Two (Part Seventeen)
Chapter Twenty Three and Twenty Four (Part Eighteen)
Chapter Twenty Five (Part Nineteen)
This fiction is my own work, written for Steemit
Image Credit: Unsplash.com
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