Quast 3
Quast had used his ability to talk with other military ships to inform all of them what was going to happen soon. It was a one sided conversation since it was a broadcast and not face to face.
The cruise ship however was another matter. To tell them he had to travel to the ship and use the ships intercom system. Though a large number were present.
After he was done he managed to slip out and back to his carrier while most of them were left speechless.
There were 4 people on the cruise ship that were too far back to intercept him before Quast left.
These 4 were just as shocked as the others, however they were anything but silent. "Aliens that aren't aliens? And these same aliens are going to come save us after we have blown ourselves into a radioactive ball." Javi didn't believe a word of it. "I think he's cracked. The stress has gotten to him."
"Then we do what we do best, though I think both of us are a little rusty." Kevin tells him. And after getting a blank look in return. "We're detectives, and if they are coming, …."
"Time for a stake-out. We keep eyes on his carrier." Javi was catching on.
It was now three days later:
Kevin and Javi where in Javi and Lanie's room going over their notes. They had watched several of the smaller ships tying up to his carrier and offloading all personnel except a few and then they would watch it tie up next to the cruise ship and offload supplies and fuel.
The people on these ships were all sitting on the deck.
"He seems to be doing exactly what he told us would be happening." Kevin points out. "He's overloading his ship with people and then letting the smaller ships go and float away. Whatever it is its permanent."
"He said a day or two, so where are they if they exist?" Javi wasn't convinced just yet. Then Lanie came crashing into the room. "Something just landed on his carrier." Then turns and runs with Kevin and Javi hot on her heels.
Skipping the elevators to get to the sun deck they all run for the railing where Jenny was waiting for them.
Jenny just points. "We watched it land like a helicopter would but there are no rotors or even engines." Jenny explains.
It was bigger than any of the fighters or even helicopters they had seen on the carriers, plus it was all white.
The four of them were soon surrounded by more people, all looking out on the carrier. The decks below were likely filled with people also.
They all watched as the rear of whatever it was opened up and out walked two people. A little later some of the military people from the smaller ships started walking into it. Then they watched the rear end close back up and it took off shortly after.
Only to be replaced by another one just like it. Watching people on the flight deck walk inside and watch it take off.
This was repeated over and over again for hours.
"May I have your attention; this is your captain speaking. We have received a message from the command carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). … As you have no doubt noticed by now there are a number of shuttles picking up personnel to be taken into orbit and boarding the cruise ships that will take them to temporary housing on a planet called Tellus.
As explained the trip from here to Tellus is one month, followed by one month back. Each cruise ship only holds 1,500 people. However somewhere around their third trip back here they will be added by two more cruise ships of the same size.
What you are watching now will take place every two months until all of us are gone.
Admiral Quast has indicated that another ship is in transit that will be carrying food for our use. Once we determine just how much food has arrived based on the number of people we have left, we may be able to increase the amount of food available, daily.
Enjoy the show people, this process is going to take us likely around 2 years, and then we will all be gone and on Tellus for the short term. After it is ready you will all be transferred to a colony planet, where I'm told it is presently under construction. So we all will be the first tenants of the space." The Captain ends his announcement.
Kevin, Jenny, Javi and Lanie continued to watch as shuttles came and went for most of the day. Most of the passengers had given up watching but they had stayed.
"I just hope this isn't one of those Twilight Zone shows." Kevin comments offhanded. Getting looks from the others.
To Serve Man is a 1962 episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. The episode, along with the line, "It's a cookbook!", have become popular in pop culture.
The story is based on the 1950 short story "To Serve Man", written by Damon Knight. The title is a play on the verb serve, which has a dual meaning of "to assist" and "to provide as a meal." The episode is one of the few instances in the series wherein an actor breaks the fourth wall and addresses the viewing audience at the episode's end.
"KEVIN!" Jenny slaps his arm since he deserved it.
"Would you prefer the TV series 'V'?" Kevin offers instead.
A remake of the 1983 miniseries created by Kenneth Johnson, the new series chronicles the arrival on Earth of a technologically advanced alien species which ostensibly comes in peace, but actually has sinister motives.
"NO!" And Jenny hits him this time.
"Really bro?" Javi takes exception to his offerings.
The girls went to watch one of the movies that were available in the theater section of the ship. They all got lucky that some of the passengers had brought laptops and or tablets that had movies on them. It was easy to copy them into the ships system and play them for everyone.
They guys stayed up on the sun deck getting something to drink and get some shade occasionally while watching the last of the shuttles leave before it got dark.
Now they all got to wait for the food to show up. Which started showing up two weeks later just as promised.
They all soon had fresh fruit and grains to make things like cakes, bread and pies that they hadn't had in years. There was frozen buffalo meat, fish, shrimp, tuna, even beef. And one more thing. ICE CREAM!
It was now 2 months later:
Kevin and Javi were up on the sun deck early in the morning jogging around the ship on the track when they saw a shuttle land on the command carrier.
As they watched it sat there for a few hours while ships and submarines tied up next to the carrier and unloaded personnel and food stores.
Themselves and a number of the passengers watched the shuttles come and go most of the day.
"May I have your attention, this is your Captain. As most have you have likely noticed the cruise ships have returned for the next transfer of people to temporary tent housing on Tellus.
We have been informed that when these two cruise ships return in 2 months there will be 2 additional cruise ships, meaning the transfer of people will increase at that time.
We've also been told that another cargo ship filled with food will be accompanying them. If or when that time happens we are thinking of opening the buffet back to 24 hours." The Captain ends his announcement.
They were all sitting on the sun deck drinking when they heard the announcement. "I still don't believe this. I've got a new job that actually pays well, with a boss that I like, though I miss Roz." Lanie pauses thinking back.
"Then the economy goes to hell, I lose my job and my boss and her fiancé disappear. I get a job as an ME for the police that pays almost pennies. Then I find out I'm rich, get detained and interviewed by the FBI about the very nice lady I worked for.
Only to find out you three are just as rich and interviewed by the FBI. Then I convince you three to go on a cruise with me, and it was Jenny's idea to go to Hawaii. I wanted to go to someplace closer so I didn't have to fly all day. Only to be reminded that we had money to fly first class, and pay for a suite on a cruise ship instead of an interior room sitting above the engine room.
Then we blow our planet to hell and gone and end up being told we are all that's left as we sail around the pacific ocean doing what the military tells us to.
Now it's aliens that aren't aliens." Lanie was chuckling but what she really wanted to do was cry.
Javi moved in closer. "It's alright chica. We're all alive and it brought us together. It's been rough but we're not gone yet." Getting a kiss from Lanie as thanks.
The topic changed to what they could expect compared to what they had now.
The regular Penthouse Suites, 494 to 598 square feet, each offer a king-size bed, separated from the sitting area by a privacy curtain. There's a walk-in closet; a bathroom with shower, tub and separate dressing area; and a living room with a Bang & Olufsen entertainment center and wet bar. The balcony has lounge chairs. The newer Penthouse Suites on Deck 13 are smaller, 363 to 416 square feet, but most can sleep six people and have huge, 245-square-foot balconies with lounge chairs and dining tables.
It was now 2 months later:
They guys had watched shuttle after shuttle land on the three different carriers picking up people to take out into space to the now 4 cruise ships that were waiting.
The number of ships in the fleet was slowing decreasing. The ship's captain had come back over the intercom system to keep them up to date. Reminding them that while the cruise ship and the carriers would be the last unloaded of people, the people that left before them would be living in tents.
It was only helpful since they were on a planet and likely had the entire planet to get around on, while they were stuck on a ship. However Kevin, Jenny, Lanie and Javi weren't complaining since their suite was likely a lot better than living in a tent, sleeping on a cot. No matter how much space they had on the planet.
It was now almost 1 year later:
The number of ships with people still on board was down to four. The 3 carriers and the cruise ship. All the other ships had been emptied of food and fuel. They had been forced to move a few times to avoid the clouds that may or may not still be heavy with radiation. Hence it never rained on them for the last 4 years.
They had received 3 cargo ships over the last year or so and the food on the carriers and cruise ship was now back to what it was when they first set sail, years ago. Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets. Even the individual restaurants on the cruise ship were open with specialties again. It was like being on a cruise again, just without the port of calls to stop at.
"May I have your attention please. The command carrier has informed us that the first of several shuttles from the 4 cruise ships has landed. Other shuttles are on their way down to the other 2 carriers.
Due to the space required for them to land our evacuation will need to take place on one of the carriers.
I'm told it will take 4 trips to complete our transfer to the planet Tellus. Meaning the last of us will be leaving here roughly 8 months from now.
The command carrier has decided that the two other carriers will be emptied first. The cruise ship in its entirety will be transferred to one of what will be empty carriers to await transport. The command carrier and most of its 6,000 crew will be last.
Five months from now we will begin the process of transferring everyone on this ship to one of the carriers where you will live in crew quarters for one month waiting for the cruise ships to return and pick us all up. Passengers and crew combined." The captain ends his announcement.
It had Jenny crying. The end of a long nightmare was almost over. "What do we do when we get there Kev? How do we live?"
"It's a city and they will need police, and even if they don't we take it one day at a time. We're alive when everyone we knew isn't. We'll be fine." Kevin was hoping so anyway.
It was not almost 6 months later:
They had been on one of the now empty carriers leaving just it and the command carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) as the only ships that still had people on them.
"How did they get around on this ship? I'm so stinking lost." Javi was moaning. He was just trying to make it to one of the several kitchens so he could eat lunch. He still didn't know how he lost track of the others.
Javi finally found one of the kitchens and got in line for lunch, but didn't find the others. It must be the wrong kitchen area. Cursing in Spanish Javi sat down and ate his lunch then started making his way back to their room.
Finally catching up to the others just in time to hear the intercom. "May I have your attention. The first shuttle for our transfer has just landed. Several more are right behind it. We will empty this ship from bow to aft for all decks. If we get your cooperation we should complete the transfer in a couple of days. Otherwise it will take longer. As your board the cruise ship you will be assigned rooms at that time.
Bow today, stern tomorrow followed by seamen from the command carrier who will do a sweep of this ship to make sure no one gets left behind. Bow only, all decks at this time." The captain ends his announcement.
They were in the stern so they waited.
The next day they were up on the flight deck, which was not small feat. You could get yourself lost on this ship in a heartbeat.
They had their bags and watched two shuttles land side by side about a shuttle length away from each other, and watched the back ramp open.
They were the first ones on and Javi and Kevin soon found that you could stand just behind the pilots and look out the glass front. They left their bags with the girls and just stood there.
They watched as they took off and were suddenly out in space headed for something big. Getting both of them to hang their mouths open. They were actually in space.
Then they saw the ship they were headed for. "WOW!" They both commented at the same time.
It kind of looked like a super star destroyer from Star Wars. It was really long, kind of thin at the front and got thicker towards the back. While near the back was this big disk the wrapped around it connected to the main ship at 5 different points.
They seemed to be headed for a section that was sticking out on one side. While they watched they saw another shuttle approaching the ship from the opposite side. They watched as they entered some kind of bay area where the shuttle stopped.
In a few minutes the back ramp opened up and everyone was directed to an airlock.
There were people waiting for them. "Number of people? ….Place your palm on the pad and state your full name. … this is the key to your room, it has your room number on it. Don't lose it. …. This is a map of the ship I suggest you study it since you will be on board for the next month. …. Ship information is already in your room. It will tell you about what services are offered, name and location of the ships restaurants and what time they operate.
There is a mandatory safety briefing in 6 hours, do not miss it. Your room key will be scanned as you enter to guarantee your attendance. Unless you want to get sucked out into the vacuum of space.
NEXT!" Pushing Kevin, Jenny, Javi and Lanie along and into the ship.
They finally found their room which were next to each other but did not have an adjoining door.
After the safety briefing which was mostly about where to go to reach an escape pod and how long you could exist in one of these pods. They decided to go exploring with their maps in hand. The intent was to try and get lost and use the map to find their way back to their rooms.
Getting lost turned out to be easy. So was finding their way back to their rooms.
Much like their cruise ship this one had a buffet and three different restaurants, a movie theater, that according to the information they found in their room was showing the movie Star Trek, interestingly enough.
There were bar areas, dancing, library that didn't have any books. Just these readers that looked like pads.
There were even two pools and 4 jacuzzi areas, along with an exercise room and the main bar area that also served food was far forward with a wall of windows so you could look out into space.
It didn't hold the same number of people as their cruise ship but it sure looked like a cruise ship.
"I don't understand, the entire crew that I've met all speak English, though I have heard other languages, and this food. This is a steak with baked potato and greens with a salad to start. I thought we were going to an alien planet?" Jenny was confused.
"And all the movies on this list." That Lanie holds up in her hand. "Are all Earth movies. Wizard of Oz? Seriously!"
"Sounds like a mystery." Kevin was grinning at his partner.
"Something for 2 detectives to solve before we get there." Javi was in.
"Just don't get us into trouble Kev." Jenny moans. Their luck was holding. No reason to go and screw it up.
It was now 2 months later:
They had all been living in a tent for the last month along with thousands of others, and it was hot and it was dry. It was also amazing!
They had gotten used to using the trains and their other mass transit systems. They had been forced to take a physical as soon as they landed. They had been taken by train to a medical center after landing; from there they were taken to their tent that the four of them were sharing.
Now all four of them were on one of the GETS trains which were faster and smoother than any bullet train they had ever heard about, let alone been on. The seats were nice too. Their pass allowed them to go where they wanted, pretty much when they wanted.
They had gotten off at a station that was for one of their major cities. They were told it was spectacular, and as soon as they got off they saw this giant spire of a tower go up into the clouds. It was just plain HUGE!
The guys were scanning the crowd trying to figure out how to get to it while the girls had their heads in the clouds as they walked blindly behind their men with their heads looking up.
Javi suddenly slapped Kevin in the chest and then pointed.
There was a family just getting off another GETS train coming from who knows where. Four girls, two were much older than the other two along with a mother and a father.
The father was doing what Jenny and Lanie were presently doing, looking up with their mouths hanging open. The woman had long flowing brown hair with a few curls while the man with them was taller than her and had broad shoulders and big arms. One of the older girls had bright orange/red hair while the other older girl had really long very black hair.
The adults both looked familiar. "Can't be!" Kevin's mouth was hanging open.
Javi took off running, yelling the name "Beckett. ….. BECKETT!"
It got the woman to turn first followed by the man and finally the girls that were with them.
Javi came running up and stopped just short. "Beckett?" Javi tried again since it wasn't possible.
Kate stood there with her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Es. …. Esposito?" Kate's eyes lit up not believing it was possible.
While they were standing there staring at each other Kevin, Lanie and Jenny catch up to Javi.
"Kate?" Lanie questions not believing her eyes.
Kate starts to snap out of it a little. "How, … What, … I don't believe it." Kate, Javi, Kevin and Lanie all try to say at the same time.
"How did you get here?" Kate finally asks.
"We were evacuated from Earth and got here about a month ago. They have us living out on the edge in a tent city." Javi answers her question.
"We heard there were some Earth evacuation people here, we were thinking about going to look, but the girls wanted to see the city first. … Oh my manners. Girls, this is Javier Esposito, Kevin Ryan, Lanie Parrish and, ..." Kate had to stop, she didn't know the other lady.
"This is my wife Jenny." Kevin answers for her.
"This is Rick, my husband, that I think you've already met. And these are my daughters, Alexis is the oldest, Emily and Kali. And this is Alexis's friend Elena. Say hi girls." Kate nudges Emily.
"Hi, ….Hi." Emily and Kali get out.
"You worked for mom while she was on Earth didn't you?" Alexis speaks up.
"Kate hired three of us as part of her company." Lanie confirms.
"I suppose we have you to thank for all the money we found in our bank accounts?" Jenny asks.
"We weren't going to get any use out of it since we were leaving. I hope it helped, someone needed to get some use out of it." Kate answers, already knowing Rick had done the same when he went back to Earth alone.
"It got us on a cruise ship out of Hawaii, that got us to survive and then get us here." Jenny answers for them, since going to Hawaii was her idea.
"Survive?" Rick asks not understanding.
"You don't know?" Kevin asks them. Getting both Rick and Kate to nod their heads. "We know a little." They both remember what Roy had told them.
"Sounds like we have a lot to tell you." Javi mentions.
"We're here because the girls wanted to give Rick a tour of the biggest city on Tellus while we are here. I've never lived in this city but I have been here a few times, so I guess that makes me the tour guide." Kate explains why they are here. "Except for Elena who lives here."
"That's why we are here. We've been taking trains every few days to look around." Lanie responds.
"You want to come with us? We can talk while we walk. Kate says there are restaurants inside that we can visit. You are welcome to come with us." Rick offers. He wanted to hear about this survive part.
Kate reaches out and takes Lanie's arm. "Please, we want to hear everything. We're here for another 2 weeks before we catch a ship to take us back home. Though I still have 2 trips to make to the medical center. …. Please, let me show you around. I think we have a lot to talk about." Kate pleads with the look in her eyes. Earth was Rick's and Alexis's home planet. She wanted them to know what these four knew.