CH20 (100)

It was now 9 months later:

"I have 3 cargo ships and the Sun Rises in orbit. Captain Montgomery has contacted me and has asked for you and Rick to meet him at the shuttle landing zone. Two of the cargo ships are for the contractor." Lucy announces to Kate who was just leaving medical.

They were still doing PT with her and still giving her shots to her injured leg. Kate was walking fine and could actually run a little. Madison had hopes that Kate could get better still.

"Lucy where is Rick?" Kate asks just before leaving.

"He was in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. He is now in one of the main domes headed for the landing zone." Lucy tells her.

Kate grins. It had been Rick's turn to take lunch to the contractors. Kate had been in PT just after an early dinner.

Madison was not in medical but was always on call. Hence she had both girls and Matt.

Kate joined Rick at the landing zone. "Any clue what this is about?" Kate asks. Did Lucy tell him something she didn't tell Kate. Or maybe his imagination would give a clue.

Rick shakes his head. "I've got nothing. Unless the council wants him to go looking for still another colony planet."

Kate suddenly panicked for a moment. Oh please no! Kate had plans and it didn't include starting another colony.

Rick however had spotted it. "Relax; with the supply shortage we stand no chance of starting another colony this soon." Rick puts his arm around her and holds her close. "We're going to Tellus, even if they ask. You're going to see this doctor and we are picking up Alexis. I'm not facing the wrath of Emily or Kali telling them we're not going to go see their sister."

Rick was not going thru another dual temper tantrum.

Kate couldn't help but chuckle. Kate didn't want to go thru that again either.

They watched the shuttle land and Roy opened the door. "Come on in." And Roy went back to the pilot seat.

Rick and Kate entered and found him all alone on the shuttle. "Close the door." Roy asks of them.

Kate sat in the other pilot chair while Rick stood behind them watching Roy take off but not go into orbit.

"I'm feeling a sense of déjà vue" Rick has done this before and it was about weapons from the Oracle.

"The Oracle opened again." Kate offers as if she was reading Rick's mind.

"She did actually, but that's not why we are up here alone." Roy tells them.

"So what she did is not a big secret this time then." Rick offers.

"No, it will however change our lives profoundly. …. She gave us plans for construction of a new communications system. She gave this to us about 4 months ago. They have started trying to build them already. You with Lucy are likely to be the second to have one installed." Roy tells them.

"Lucy! Why Lucy?" Kate didn't understand.

"After the units are constructed a team will come out and retro-fit your satellite network. Since Lucy has control of yours they think Lucy will be able to put it to use best. Another system is being installed in the satellites around Tellus that is monitored by another AI unit" Roy explains. "They will be adding it to our warships as they are built since it is not too late to create the space needed for installation."

"You need to modify the satellite network? With what?" Kate didn't understand, what were they giving Lucy access to.

"If we understand it correctly it will allow real time communication between whoever has this system." Roy explains.

Kate's mouth falls to the floor.

"Real time, like in Star Trek? Some kind of subspace communication?" Rick's mouth was also almost on the floor.

"Correct. We don't understand where the communication signals travel. However we are already starting to call it subspace just like Star Trek since it's all we have to explain it." Roy tells them.

Rick and Kate are silent for a time. "Once this is in place it will revolutionize our communication network. Real time talk between ships anywhere. Between planets. Even for people who could have a satellite phone that access's the system." Rick could see it never stopping.

A Dick Tracy wrist phone that you could use to call anyone on any planet that has the system.

"We could be on Athos and talk to Martha on Tellus. Anytime of any day." Kate was slowly catching up to Rick.

"Audio, visual or both?" Rick asks praying.

"Both actually, so long as both sides have that capability." Roy tells them.

"YES!" Rick pumps his arm. "Gooooaaaallllllllllllllll." Getting Kate to cover her ears. It was just noise to her.

"If this is no great secret why are we up here going around in circles?" Kate wants to know. Subspace was big, but if it's not a secret, ….?

"Yea there is a reason why we are up here. …. The council sent me and my ship to Earth again. We got back a number of months ago." Roy tells them softly.

"OH, how are they doing?" Rick was interested. But why was that some secret?

"Before I get to that, you remember the cruise ship project?" Roy starts out with.

"Yeah, you were going to build ships to allow people to visit the colony planets. We've even had one come here once. The people that came down told us that most everyone was going to Ariel with Athos in second place.

There just wasn't enough here for people to come see, unless they really wanted to rough it." Rick confirms.

"Correct. It has been a big hit. The first two completed construction about 12 months ago. The next two completed construction about 8 months ago. All four have already made several trips between Earth and Tellus. …. Each holds 1,500 people with about 300 crew. Maybe a little less I think." Roy tells them.

Rick's mouth is on the floor and his eyes are bugged out. "People from Tellus are traveling to Earth?" Rick is beyond shocked.

Even Kate has been left speechless.

"Not exactly no. … Actually it's the other way around. People from Earth are coming to Tellus. It's the primary reason for the supply shortages you are experiencing." Roy tells them.

"People from Earth are visiting Tellus." Kate asks wondering if she heard right.

"They are not visiting; they are being moved here, permanently." Roy tells them.

"Moving here? As in relocation? …. Why?" Kate didn't understand and Rick couldn't find his voice. His mind was still trying to catch up to be honest.

"When I went there I made contact with an Admiral Quast of the US Navy. He was in overall command of a number of ships that were out in your Pacific Ocean. They had been out there for somewhere around 3 years." Roy pauses.

"I don't understand. What does talking with a US Navy admiral got to do with cruise ships? ... Wait, 3 years?" Rick found his voice and he was lost in his thinking.

"Roughly 3 years ago the council sent the Moon Shines to deliver a message. I can provide you a copy you can watch later. … Essentially it told Earth that we were going to help protect their planet in the interstellar war headed this way, but the council wasn't going to help them. Not while they were still fractured into countless different countries.

They were hoping that the information that they were not alone and that there was an enemy coming would bind the planet together. Give the council one person or one group to deal with for a whole planet." Roy explains.

Rick and Kate were silent.

"Admiral in the Pacific. Cruise ships." Rick whispered out twisting his head. As if that would help him wrap his mind around what Roy was trying to tell them.

"It didn't, did it? Or to be more precise someone tried to force the result the council was hoping for." Rick had big fears over what Roy was trying to tell them. Plus he understood his planet. Well his old planet.

"I'm really sorry Rick, truly sorry." Roy twisted to look at him for a moment.

Rick's knees almost gave out from under him.

Kate scrambled out of her seat to help hold her husband upright, looking in his eyes. "Babe?"

"How bad?" Rick whispers out grabbing hold of Kate, who had her arms wrapped around him.

"We've been transferring people from Earth to temporary tents on Tellus for the last year. The process should be complete in about 6 months or so." Roy tells him.

Rick was looking thru Kate without really seeing her. "One year and 6 months. 1,500 people per ship. One month there, one month back." Rick tried to do the math but was failing badly.

"How bad?" Rick whispers out again.

"Except for a few hundred people on some scattered islands, Admiral Quast and his fleet of ships is all we found. The rest of the planet was heavily radiated. …. All of the major land masses are heavily radiated." Roy finally tells him.

Kate can't hold him up any longer and Rick slides down to sit on the floor taking Kate with him.

Rick is now looking into Kate's eyes as his start to water and tears roll out and down his face. "Gone."

Kate takes his face between her hands and gives him light kisses. "I'm sorry babe. I'm so very sorry." Kate is shocked but is more concerned for her husband.

"Rick sweetheart, talk to me." Kate searches his eyes. She needed him to stay with her, and not shut down on her.

"Gone Kate. …. All gone." Rick was staring thru her eyes, not into them.

While still looking at Rick. "How many?" Kate asks Roy.

"There were 3 aircraft carriers at 6,000 military personnel on each. There was a civilian cruise ship with roughly 4,000 people. Some miscellaneous military combat ships with another 6,000 military personnel combined. Plus roughly 250 civilians on scattered islands, barely scraping by." Roy answers his question.

Rick is silent for a time as Roy fly's around in circles as Kate searches Rick's eyes for any clue of her husband. "22,000 people give or take out of over 6 billion." Rick whispers out, not really believing it.

This time Rick looks into Kate's eyes searching for answers. "I'm really sorry Rick, so very sorry. It was not what the council was hoping for. …. They were hoping for a different outcome. Not this." Roy tells him honestly. The council had a fear of Earth, but never thought they would do this.

"That's about what the aliens took from Earth and sent to Tellus." Kate mumbles out, thinking she had heard that number somewhere.

Rick focus's a little more on Kate's eyes. "What?"

"Our history tells us that roughly 18,000 to 22,000 people were taken from Earth and left on Tellus." Kate clarifies.

"And now 22,000 are all that is left of Earth." Rick comments off handedly.

"All military off the west coast. The only military people I knew were on the east coast." Rick whispers out.

"Like that crew that built us a bridge to get home." Kate comments softly.

Rick nods his head. "He was a good friend, even if I didn't see him that often. But then I had a lot of friends that I didn't see that often. … Now I never will I guess. …. All gone."

Kate uses her thumbs to wipe away some of his tears. "Babe." Kate searches his eyes.

Rick didn't even try to get up. "What happens now?" Rick is asking Roy.

"I assume you two have noticed that you've been getting 2 cargo ships roughly every couple of months." Roy asks them leading up to something.

"Most had been all supplies for Cyliene, along with a few more people." Kate has noticed.

"Correct. The council is trying to speed up construction of the floating city. They plan on relocating all of the Earth people to it when complete. Then build a second city for colonists from Tellus." Roy explains.

"That's why we have supply shortages." Kate gets it now.

"Correct. Even Ariel is getting fewer supplies. They don't want them staying in tents on Tellus any longer than necessary." Roy explains as he continues to fly around in circles.

"So this city is only going to hold 22,000 people, all from Earth?" Kate questions.

"No, it is anticipated that each city will hold closer to 30,000 people. The rest will be people from Tellus. Most will be there as farmers or fishermen. It may take a few years, but that is the plan." Roy clarifies.

"The council is going to give them one of our most state of the art cities that we just built?" Rick is shocked.

"To be honest it achieves two things. First the council feels guilty about how Earth took the message they sent. So they are giving them the best we can build. …. Second, putting them on Cyliene in their own city isolates them from everyone else." Roy explains hoping Rick doesn't take it personally.

"A second city filled with people from Tellus will combine the two. Interesting." Rick doesn't know if this is a good idea or not. But he can pray his people that are left have learned a lesson. A 5 billion plus lesson.

6 billion people, all gone. And Rick thought the nukes on China and Japan were bad enough.

"I am sorry Rick. The council knows word will get out eventually, but for now they are keeping why there are people in tents a secret. Access to their area is limited and the people are asked not to stray too far or talk too much." Roy explains not thinking it will work even a little.

"Is our schedule from here to Tellus affected by this?" Kate asks, since her doctor she has only seen of video chips is expecting her.

"No, in fact while they wait for the city to be completed, the cruise ships are going to go back to doing their job. One is scheduled to come here even. You are going to board it for the trip to Tellus." Roy tells them.

"Baby food on a cruise ship. Sounds appetizing." Rick was hot enthused, even though he was still sitting on the floor with Kate holding onto him.

"Actually each cruise ship has real food with a kitchen and dining areas. Just like your ocean cruise ships on Earth. They were based off of the design schematics Alexis came here with." Roy clarifies. "Some of your kitchen people you trained are actually on each cruise ship teaching still others."

Kate was grinning at Rick. "Alexis." Something she had done seemed to be everywhere.l

"Without those cruise ships there was likely nothing we could do for the people we found on Earth." Roy tells them. The coincidence of Alexis giving them just what they needed before they needed it was amazing.

Kate was still grinning at Rick. 22,000 people were alive and on Tellus all because of Alexis. Otherwise Rick, Alexis and Martha would be all that was left of the people from Earth.

How does Alexis keep doing this?

Rick was starting to feel a little better about all this. "Can we speak to this Admiral?" Rick would like to understand what the hell happened.

"I'll see if I can make arrangements while you are on Teillus. …. And I am happy to see you up and moving around so well Kate. You had us all scared." Roy twists to look at them.

"Thanks, … me too." And Kate kisses Rick to reinforce the point and help get Rick's mind off of the news they just got.

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I know, I know. Chapter 22 thru 26 will be all about Earth and what happened. Yell at me after you read it all. It's mostly about what certain people know at certain points in time.

Once complete you will have a capture of the bigger picture.

It is beta reader approved.