Galileo (Battle of the Species) (7 page)

But Adam had no need to follow Renn's gaze to see which soldier he was referring to. “That? Oh, that was your mother,” he said.

CHAPTER 5

The Galileo

Renn felt weightless as the ship flew out of Earth’s atmosphere. He floated up a couple of inches before the automatic straps pulled his thighs and chest back down to the seat.

“Are we falling?”  Renn asked.

            “No, Buddy. It’s just the loss of gravity,” Adam said.

“I feel like I’m going to be sick,” Renn said.

The pilot then initiated the gravity and Renn and Adam relaxed into their seats.

“Better?” Adam asked.

“Yeah.”

Renn looked out the window and for the first time saw Earth as a whole, becoming further and further away until it blended with the many specks of light.

Renn’s hands were still illuminated with a light blue glow and he rubbed his palms at the tingling sensation, while the ship accelerated.

Adam took Renn’s hand and squeezed. “It’s over. Okay?”

Renn looked at his dad, as if for the first time. “Dad, why was Mom there? A woman who has never once picked up a communicator to talk to me, even if only to acknowledge my existence? And where are we going? And why was Mindeere attacked? And…”

“Renn…” Adam said

“Dad! Why was Mom there?”

“Agent Akerlund sent word that you were in danger and she came to make sure you got out,” Adam replied.

Renn glanced at the agent, sitting shotgun to the pilot, then back to his father.

“What happened to Mindeere?” Renn asked.

“Mindeere was attacked by the Eminites, those creatures who just attacked Earth. There were still a lot of Mindeerians who got away, but the rest…”

“Why Mindeerians?” Renn asked.

“No one knows why yet, Son. Eminites don’t usually explain themselves. All we know is that you're no longer safe on Earth.”

“So, I'm being hunted?”

“Yes,” Adam replied, bluntly.

“But I didn't do anything,” Renn said in disbelief.

“I know. It isn’t you,” Adam said, struggling for an explanation. “Mindeerians have always been the species one goes to for help, but if you defend someone from someone else, then you’ve made an enemy out of the ‘someone else.’ Needless to say, Mindeerians have made a lot of enemies.” Adam shook his head. “Right now, we’re heading for a port junction where you will take a portal to a school called the Galileo.”

“School?” Renn asked in shock. It was the most absurd thing he could think of right then. The idea of sitting at a desk and learning could not have been more ridiculous at that moment.

“You wanted to go to school in space, didn’t you? Haven’t you been asking me for years?”

“Well, yes, but not at gunpoint!” Renn replied.

“I’m sorry, Renn. I don’t know what to tell you. The Galileo may be the safest place for you to be right now,” he said.

“How do you know that?” Renn asked.

“Most high schools in space are on space stations like the Xavier, orbiting a planet, but the Galileo is a ship, constantly flying. Every few days, it jumps through a portal to another galaxy, and Cybernex randomly chooses the destination, so no one ever knows the ship’s location. The crew doesn’t even know until they get there. The ship runs itself and is monitored by the Quintessence.”

“You told me if something happens to you to get in touch with the Quintessence. Why?”

“Because it’s your mom’s ship,” Adam replied.

“Mom works on the Quintessence?”

“No, the Quintessence belongs to your mother.”

“Dad, you’ve never once answered a question about her. Why are you telling me now?”

“Because we no longer have a choice,” Adam said, reluctantly. “As long as she made no contact with you, they were never supposed to find you. You would never have known who or where she was, so you wouldn’t have gone looking for her…”

“They were never supposed to find me?” Renn said, shaking his head. “Dad, I’m not an idiot. I may not recognize an Eminite when I see one, but I know that Eminites come from Urland. If they’re not allowed to use portals, then they would have had to travel by ship, which means they’ve known where I was my entire life. They only just got here.”

“We had no way of knowing that,” Adam replied. “I’m sorry.”

Renn looked out the window, realizing he could no longer tell which bright spot was Earth.

“What about my friends?” Renn asked. “I didn't get to say goodbye.”

“You can send them an intergalactic message once you get to the ship,” Adam replied.

“What about Max?”

“Son, I'll take care of Max. Everything’s going to be okay,” Adam said, squeezing Renn’s hand again.

“Will I ever be able to go home again?” Renn asked.

“Yes, you will. I promise you that,” Adam said. “I’m not sure if it will be soon, but we’ll see.”

“But...”

“Renn, please. I know you have a lot of questions and I wish I had all the answers, but…all I know is that we've got to get you somewhere safe. Everything else can be fixed or arranged. We’ll figure it all out. Okay?”

Renn nodded, then heard a computerized voice resonate through the ship’s cabin.

“You are entering Port Junction CM-56. Please identify.”

“This is 3-2-5 craft Gamma 9-1 requesting permission to dock,” the pilot said.

After a couple seconds, the digitized voice returned. “Permission granted.”

“Control, we're transporting an endangered species and are requesting security assistance.”

“Please identify species,” the voice requested.

“Mindeerian,” the pilot replied.

“Assistance granted.”

When they docked, they found a dozen armed, black security-bots waiting to escort them. The port junction was massive, with white walls and holograms at every turn, displaying advertisements of popular Federation brands. Signs pointed to various solar systems for convenience, while myriads of species walked, slithered, and hopped around. Some of the portals had travelers watching hologram presentations, warning them about the dangers they might encounter on the planet they were about to travel to.

There were so many species he had only read about in books. The books, however, never mentioned the powerful smell that all these species could create. Renn wrinkled his nose, smelling rotting flesh, then fresh ocean water, then a wet dog that had rolled around in mud. The creatures were so close to each other that he couldn’t tell which smell was coming from which creature.

There was a cacophony of honking, hissing, wheezing, and barking, with occasional spoken words he could have sworn were in English. They passed a family that was so small, the tallest only came to Renn’s waist. They were covered from head to toe in coarse, black fur, but the smallest one, not yet fully grown, turned to look at all the clanking Renn’s robotic escorts were making, and looked at him with large blue eyes that would be considered beautiful by most species’ standards.

Renn followed his father and the agent around a corridor leading to the “M0 - R99” solar systems with the agent rushing them through. On walls, the Federation news was airing, broadcasting the news of the Mindeerian massacre. Renn could see everyone glancing at him, while he continued walking, and couldn’t help but overhear the thoughts when humans past him.

Awww, the poor thing.

At least he made it.

Oh look, a Mindeerian, I wonder if he can read my mind. I better not think about…oops.

The agent stopped at an info desk, where a female android animated as they approached.

“Please identify,” the automaton requested, prompting Adam to place his hand on the screen before him. It scanned his hand, analyzing his DNA.

A hologram screen appeared in front of them, displaying Adam’s personal identification information, which included a picture of him, his name, birth date, species, planet of origin, occupation as fisherman, and previous occupation as an intergalactic law enforcement agent.

Agent Akerlund spoke to the android, his voice tinged with impatience. “We need to get this boy registered for intergalactic
travel as soon as possible.”

The android looked at the agent and smiled. “I'll be happy to assist you,” she replied, and then looked at Renn. “Please place your hand on the screen. This will only take a moment.”

Renn placed his hand on the screen and the computer identified him as Renn Andreas, half human, half Mindeerian. Birth date: 06.12.5168, Parents: Adam Andreas, human, and Hollen, Mindeerian, Home Planet: Earth, Milky Way Galaxy.　

He stood there for a moment staring at his mother’s name. “Hollen,” he said under his breath, wanting to hear it spoken. He wondered if she was still in Searsmont and hoped she was still alive. There were too many questions he had for her, but at least another had been answered.
My mother’s name is Hollen
, he thought.

 “Oh, he's already registered,” the android said, looking puzzled.

“That's not possible. I’ve never registered him,” Adam said.

The screen blinked, bringing up another page displaying information about Renn’s middle school. It blinked again with more information about his elementary school. The screen flashed from page to page, with information about Renn, causing Adam’s face to turn white.

“Where did you get all of this information?” Adam demanded.

The android behind the desk maintained a fixed plastic smile. “Information is kept by Cybernex to identify travelers who have registered.”

“But he didn't register!” Adam yelled, watching all of the information flash by.　

Renn watched every detail of his life displayed on the Cybernex screen. Pictures of him growing up, the doctor’s report of him breaking his arm when he fell out of a tree when he was seven, his first kiss when he was ten… “Dad, why would they have that? We were in a field…there was no one there!”

“I don’t know! What the hell is this?” Adam asked.

The port’s security alarms blared when one of Earth’s cargo ships, cleared for docking, was surrounded by a layer of green light and imploded. A multilevel Eminite ship accelerated into its place as the port’s bay doors began closing, attempting to block the intruder’s entrance.

An enormous destroyer-bot pushed itself up from the top layer of the Eminite’s ship and jumped towards the port junction, slamming into the entrance with energy blasts guiding its way. It lifted its arms, crunching the doors, above and below it, creating a gap large enough for the Eminite ship to pass through. The massive bot took a step forward, releasing the doors, and ran down the landing bay towards the next set of doors before they too closed.

Security-bots ran into the landing dock, pointing their guns towards the third and final door that remained closed. The thunderous moan of metal filled the port, as the doors were ripped open under the destroyer-bot’s force.

The Eminite ship flew in,
unloading dozens of Aranea and Eminites that hid behind energy shields, deflecting the enemies’ blasts. They scattered around the corridors, dropping the shields long enough to kill, destroying anything that stood in their way.

“Is Renn Andreas clear for passage?” the I.A. asked, urgently.

“Yes,” the android replied.

“Let's go!” he said, looking at Adam. “That’s all we need.”

Adam closed his hand firmly on Renn’s and they all ran down the port hall.

“It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Renn,” the android said, staring at him as he ran.　

The android's words sent shivers up Renn's spine.
What did it mean by “finally?”
Renn thought, as if it had been anticipating his arrival.

Renn looked behind him and saw an Aranea turn down the corridor behind them and screech when they made eye contact. A dozen Eminites and Aranea followed, closing in on them. Some of the android guards stopped to fire, while the others followed Renn, Adam, and the agent down to their portal.

There were travelers all over, scattering and jumping into portals, whether they were prepared or not. Screaming, screeching, and roars resonated through the port junction while blaster shots ricocheted off metal walls and portals liquefied and solidified down the halls.

Renn looked ahead and saw a tall blue Olerian waiting at a portal fifteen feet ahead of them. The Olerian put an arm out, motioning them towards him. Renn looked back and saw the security-bots holding the Aranea back, but more kept coming.

When the agent arrived at the portal, he nodded to the Olerian and looked back at Adam. “This is Principal Lockrin, he’ll take Renn the rest of the way.” He looked at Renn. “Good luck, Kid.”

Adam touched the agent’s arm and squeezed, sputtering, “Thanks for everything,” before the agent ran back to join the ship androids that were having a hard time keeping the Eminites back.

Adam picked Renn up and held him close. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Dad,” Renn said, trying not to cry.

“Go!” the agent shouted, glancing back.

The Eminites lowered their energy shields, firing laser blasts that turned the security-bots into smoking mounds of wires and sparks. The security-bots, remaining by Adam and Renn, ran to join the others as the last robot said, “Please, hurry!” to Adam as it left.

Adam released Renn. “Go,” he said.

The Olerian took Renn’s wrist and pressed his hand on the identification scanner, dragging him through the cold liquid silver. Renn looked back and saw the Aranea had terminated the agent and the last of the bots, and were now charging his father.

The deafening sound of battle abruptly turned into delicate classical music when Renn exited his portal into a small white room. He caught his breath and looked around, seeing that the room contained only two portals, otherwise furnished with nothing but pristine white walls. The wall before him was engraved with one word,
Galileo
.

Renn turned around to the portal that had solidified into a wall of cold, hard metal. He placed his hands on it and rested his forehead against it, fighting back tears, hoping his dad had made it to another portal safely. He felt like he hadn’t taken a breath since it had all started, only hours before.