CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Freedom

PART TWO…Destination …

"Attention, crew and civilians: The ships are set to dock at Earth's surface, continent North America, area six five zero, at hour eleven. Please lay or sit on a cushioned surface and await further instructions before leaving the ship. Thank you and welcome to our planet."

Vanessa banged her fists against the cold, metal door. "Give me my glasses!" she shouted, assuming they could hear her through spying devices, if not by sheer sound travel through the walls. "Damn you, my glasses!"

Her hands began to bleed, and before a droplet could hit the padded floor, the door shuttered open.

"Vanessa, please refrain from harming your person," the calm man asked gently, kneeling just inside the doorway as the shutter closed again.

She sneered and rushed to the window, tapping the plastic with her forefinger. "I want to see it. I've come this far, and I can't see it without my glasses, so bring-"

"Surely you understand, we cannot allow such items in your presence, as the materials they contain may pose a threat to your health." He privately envisaged the frames as shivs, the lenses broken into glass blades, slicing into human flesh and the plant creature's throat and wrists. He wasn't the first to think the same.

Growling frustration, she banged the window with her fists, much as she had earlier upon the door. "If I only get to see it once, let me do so with clear sight!" she half-commanded, half-begged. Sighing, she dropped her hands to her lap and let her shoulders sag. It was useless to claim that she wouldn't attempt suicide, and she hadn't ever tried to argue the point. Considering her position in this matter, it was perfectly logical that she would attempt to end her own life, regardless of the truth. And she herself wasn't even sure of the truth. "Tie me to something so I can't possibly do anything with them, but please…"

The man breathed slowly and pressed his fingertips into the cushioning beside his legs. "I'll see what we can do for you," he offered simply, pausing again before standing and exiting, ever the calm little bastard.

This left Vanessa breathless, heart pounding furiously as she stared blankly down into space, wishing she could tell which glowing orb was the one. Hell, she couldn't even know if they'd let her touch the soil, let alone if they'd kill her before landing. And even if they didn't kill her, they'd surely keep her in a way that she wouldn't see the outside world again. If she didn't see it now, she never would.

They were approaching fast, and by the time the men came, Earth was growing in definition.

These men were all rather large and muscular, but without weaponry for obvious reasons. Four grabbed her all at once as she stared into the void. Two wrapped their arms around each of her arms, hugging her limbs tight to their chests. Another grabbed her around her waist from behind, pressing one arm into the soft under her ribs and the other arm reaching forward to hold her folded legs still. The fourth stood behind her and to the side, swooping in above his companions to perform a secure headlock without making her lose consciousness. There was one more figure in the room, the soft-spoken man from before. He slipped her glasses upon her nose.

Strange that she didn't struggle or lose composure, but through those lenses she saw the Earth, and noticed that it grew to double every fifteen minutes or so. She could see the oceans and atmosphere, the green of some places and the dull of cityscapes in others. Without a word or a muscle twitch, she saw the Earth.

OXO

Oblivious to the events so far in space, Knives mounted his cart and whipped the reins against the toma backs, speeding off to see his Callisto. Finally, his self-imposed deadline was upon him, and he knew she would be pleased to see him once more. His heart skipped far too many beats as he rode towards her complex, the cart heavily laden with colorful and tasty treats from his greenhouse.

OXO

Tessla and Meryl gripped Vash's clammy hands as they walked to the exit. He was still crying, gasping aloud. But luckily the sound and sight was obscured by the thousands of other migrants from Gunsmoke who were clearly taken as well. Closer and closer, they could see the blinding green of a million blades of grass and a billion leaves softly swaying. The air hit them like a ocean wave, so humid and light in their lungs.

The delay in leaving was due to immigrants' reverence of the foliage. They didn't have the hearts to step upon the grass, like children thinking their hands would be slapped away should they reach to take a porcelain figure from a dresser. It took a lot of coaxing and shoving to persuade their movement into the single sun, greeted by the shining eyes of a hundred cameras.

There they stood, mere footsteps to the edge of the ramp. In moments they would be on Earth, standing in the fresh light of a welcoming planet, amongst billions of humans.

Vash sniffled and sobbed, eyes pried open in wonder as his heart felt it would explode for joy. There was fear as well, but who cares about uncertainty when confronting the beauty of nature for the first time? And what's more – there were flowers! And not just yellow flowers, but the red flowers Rem talked about, and pink and purple and orange ones, too! Too many colors to count, and more species than he remembered learning about. He felt the child and woman hugging him and heard their soothing voices, but it was all so surreal that he scarcely felt his feet shuffling towards the light.

A more commanding female voice broke through his joy, shouting at him louder and louder until finally he snapped free from his trance. Meryl and Tessla tightened their grips on him, stiffening their bodies around him as if creating a living, breathing, protective shell.

"Vash Saverem, come with me. Now!" the crewmember shouted, tugging him back into the maw of the ship. She tore him free from his daughter and friends, dragging the tall, heart-weakened man by the upper arm as though he was a ragdoll.

He couldn't bring his vocal cords to move, to articulate an innocent question. But he knew - and his heart sunk from the heavens to the fiery pits of Hades as the realization hit him – he had come this far, had nearly stepped foot onto hallowed soil, only to be found out as a criminal and weapon mere steps before reaching his goal.