Darkworld: Earth

2.23.

Olivia called an end to the interview after ten minutes, proving the effectiveness of the strategy that Eodar had adapted. He cursed himself for the few slips that he had given them and he vowed that would be the end of the information that they got out of him.

He was escorted by SWAT out of the school. Several reporters and onlookers had heard that the school had been evacuated and were waiting with cameras and microphones, but they were on the other side of the building. Eodar, his senses on overdrive, could hear them shouting questions at the officers who were keeping the building secure.

He numbly got into the back of the squad car after one of the officers opened the door for him, and he sat on the uncomfortable plastic seat. The door closed, and for just a moment he was left alone.

He relaxed. An unsupervised moment was all he needed.

He released his nanites.

They quickly ate through his clothing. Through the plastics and metals of the car. They sought out the fuel tank for the hydrocarbons and the battery for the chemicals that were there. The wetware in his head quickly informed him of his options, and he selected one of the options which he believed would effect his escape the most smoothly.

The nanites coalesced on his body, forming armor that looked identical to the set that he had abandoned/destroyed in the forest. Unfortunately, it lacked the powerful strange-matter reactor, but it was still more advanced than anything found on Earth at this stage of its development. The hydrocarbon fuel cell was only perhaps 30% of the output of a proper generator, but it would work for now.

Until he ran out of fuel, at least. He would have to be quick.

He felt his weapon systems go activated. The car burst into shrapnel around him, causing the SWAT team and the other officers around him to duck and cover. And then he was gone, running at near superhuman speeds as he made his escape.

He saw the flash of weapons as they tried to hit him with tasers and bean-bag rounds, but he completely ignored the non-lethal attempts to disable him. He ran to where he had heard the civilians. The crowd gasped when they saw him and he fired into them with his impulse weapons, causing them to scream and disperse.

While the weapon was set to a non-lethal setting, it still resulted in several onlookers being knocked unconscious. Mostly, however, it resulted in a panic. Which was what Eodar was aiming for. He ran through the crowd and activated his stealth systems, vanishing to the naked eye amid the people who were screaming and running for their lives.

A solid Crack hit his armor a moment after his stealth activated. A sniper, using an infra-red scope, had tagged him. His armor held, but the impact jarred him. His armor tracked the trajectory back to an overlook position. He raised his arm and traded fire with the sniper. The windows of the sniper nest burst backward, and the sniper lost consciousness as the impulse weapon swept over him.

Once again invisible to the naked eye, Eodar ran through the crowd. He heard the sounds of helicopters and he looked toward the sky, but it became obvious that they had lost sight of him.

He ran six miles in thirty minutes, arriving at a mall. He hid in the bathroom until the mall closed, then robbed one of the clothing stores. He dyed his hair black, and he once more submitted to the agonizing process of changing the shape of his face.

He was found by the mall security officer, but the overweight man put up little resistance once Eodar knocked him unconscious with a blast from his impulse weapon. Taking the man’s keys from him, Eodar left the mall without issue.

He spent the next two weeks living on the streets, hiding as the city calmed down from the excitement. Eventually, he was able to pay another homeless person to pose as his father and buy them both a bus ticket into another state.

~~~~~~~

“I do appreciate the sensitivity that you used in attempting to bring my father in peacefully, General. I wish, however, that you had involved the Yonohoah in your plans. We would have given you the technology to neutralize the very weapon system which he used to escape your custody,” Eolai said to the gathered officers and aides. “I am relieved that there was no loss of life. My fathers or your own men. It brings me solace that although my father remains at large, he retains enough of himself to restrain his wrath.”

“It would have helped if we had known the full extent of his capabilities,” General Turnball said.

“We told you that he was dangerous. That we, the Yonohoans who love him, considered him to be a threat. Is it our fault for not speculating as to the full extent of his capabilities? The exact details of his training have been lost to time, General. And I believe that whoever revived him gave him weapons which the original scouts from his time did not have access to,” Eolai explained. “I had thought that if you found him, you would contact us for our assistance in neutralizing the threat that he posed. I see that I should have anticipated that you would want to resolve the situation yourself. Still, I thank you for not going in ‘guns blazing.’”

“I believe there’s enough blame to go around for everyone,” Mary said. “Yes we could have prepared better if we had more information, but yes the Yonohoans would have been more inclined to give us that information if we kept them in the loop. This is a clear case of a lack of communication and trust. The question is how do we proceed from here, gentlemen?”

“I can arrange for your response team to receive nanite-disabling weapons,” Eolai said. “However, I believe that the best solution would be to have a Yonohoan squad be involved in the next capture attempt.”

Turnball nodded. “We’ll keep you in the loop. When we find him again, and it’s only a matter of time, we’ll let you know. We’ll support your soldiers and let you handle the situation.” He paused. “Eolai, I hope you understand. Your father poses a threat to our security which cannot be overlooked. We cannot--”

“I more than anyone am aware of the danger that leaving my father unsupervised on Earth poses to your planet, General,” Eolai said. He shook his head sadly. “Let us just hope that the next time he surfaces, we are better prepared.

~~~~~

While Eodar was scrounging for food in a dumpster, Captain Moon and the rest of the crew of returning heroes had finally been released from quarantine, and a press conference was scheduled. She was expected to give a speech, one which she was surprised to find herself looking forward to.

While Sarah and several others remained on Planet Totola receiving medical care, the majority of the crew was in high spirits and good health. The scans performed with the Yonohoan’s medical devices showed that their brain damage from the exposure to the Tunnel Drive was healing. Captain Moon was no longer scored at stage 2 of exposure, but rather an intermediary stage of 1.5.

She was still stepping down from command responsibilities for health and personal reasons. She had made her mark on history and would be content to rest on her laurels for the rest of her life.

The press conference took place at ESF headquarters, with every major news outlet in the world in attendance. Gabriel was sitting in a place of honor, and he was thoroughly dreading the moment that it was revealed that he was responsible for everything that had happened thanks to his discovery of the alien microwave signals.

The press conference began with one of the many spokesmen for the ESF giving a brief summary of the mission of the Seeker – to explore the universe from vantage points that were unavailable from earth, to seek out possible colony sites for the expansion of humanity, and to map the local region of space in a level of detail that was previously impossible.

He went over the milestones of the project, starting with the discovery of the mechanics of the Tunnel Drive nearly fifty years ago. He briefly touched upon the selection of the crew, calling them the finest men and women in service to their world and some of the finest minds of their generation. And then, finally, he introduced Captain Moon and handed the floor over to her.

Ji-eun took her spot at the podium and smiled. “People of Earth. I’m not sure if you’ve heard yet, but it turns out that no, we are not alone in the universe.”

That got a few small chuckles from the gathered media representatives.

“When Gabriel woke me up at four AM shipboard time to inform me that he had discovered anomalous radio signals coming from a nearby star, I wasn’t truly expecting to find what we discovered. Not one but two alien civilizations living together. Yes, many of you have interacted with the Yonohoans, but planet Totola is also home to their close friends and allies the Topoka, or, as we call them, Sulivans.

“And yes, they really do look like a popular cartoon character from a classic film. The resemblance is uncanny.

“First contact was met with many difficulties. Their computer systems were so advanced that they had a hard time dumbing themselves down enough to understand our own. Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding, one of our probes was destroyed. But through persistence and a mutual desire to come to an understanding, we persevered to secure the beginning of what I humbly hope will be a long and fruitful alliance between the Humans of Earth and their lost brothers and sisters among the stars, the Yonohoans.

“Some of you have expressed down that they are truly our family. That the genetic tests showing that they are a 99.7% match for modern humans from earth have been falsified. But their resemblance to us is not merely superficial. They, too, wonder at the nature of the universe. They, too, hold their families close and they love their children. They, too, reach out to one another with cautious optimism that their efforts at friendship are not spurned or used against them.

“I put forward, to all humankind, that the Yonohoans are our clansmen. That our alliance is a natural extension of the brotherhood between the humanity of Earth and our lost brothers and sisters who have been scattered throughout the stars by forces known and unknown.

“Our existence alone brings the Yonohoans great joy. Because we exist, they are less alone in the universe. They have no other reason for helping us. No other reason for loving us. They have extended their hand to us in friendship and brotherhood. I say to you now, do we dare accept it?”

She paused, then smiled. “And that’s all I have prepared. I’ll take your questions now.”

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