Earth's Last Days: The Invasion

Aleigha paced the small space of her and her mate's quarters. "Tell me again, what happened to your planet?" Aleigha asked her mate, Guard Commander Drevick.

"Council Leader Tosh told us it had become uninhabitable," he stated. "I saw it for myself. It was close to that already."

"Are you sure? Did you see the planet itself when you were brought onto the ships?" she asked.

Drevick was quiet for a moment as he thought about it. "No. We were taken through a protective tube onto the shuttles. The helms of the passenger shuttles were closed. We only saw inside the dome and inside the shuttle."

"I don't trust Council Leader Tosh's word. We are fortunate that my sister killed him. I have a feeling you were all lied to. I bet there is nothing wrong with your planet. I want to go there and see it for myself. I think it's possible he used lies about the planet to get your people to go to Earth so you could invade it. I think he used those lies as an excuse. I think it was all a manipulation," Aliegha said evenly. "We need to talk to Vorik."

Guard Commander Drevick nodded. "Ok. Let's go talk to Council Leader Vorik."

*** *** ***

Guard Commander Drevick and Aleigha stood at the council room's door. Finn was asleep in her arms. Drevick carried the empty carrier so she could put him down when she wanted to.

The door to the council room slid smoothly open, and they walked in. Council Leader Vorik was looking at a small screen. He looked up at Aleigha and the guard commander.

"Is there a problem?" Council Leader Vorik asked, looking between the two.

It was Aleigha who spoke. "I want to see your home planet. I have a theory. Seeing your home planet will tell me if I'm correct or not. Let's just say I want to test my theory," she told him.

Council Leader Vorik sighed. "What's your theory?"

Aleigha set Finn in the carrier before sitting down. Guard Commander Drevick sat beside her. She looked at Vorik. "I want to see your home planet," she repeated.

"That's not a theory. That's a statement," Council Leader Vorik pointed out.

"I think Tosh lied to all of you to get you to invade Earth. I think that it was part of the plan for Commander Grev to get Earth for himself. Krem and Nevle both said once that they all had to leave the planet because the air was becoming unbreathable. There was no vegetation producing oxygen. The water had dried up, and the life on the planet had died off. They both saw the planet for themselves. All of it. They were moved to the disks and brought to Earth because they had no choice. Did you witness the same thing with your planet, or were you just told it was happening?" she asked Vorik.

Council Leader Vorik thought about it for a moment. "I was sent to Earth before the planet died out. I did not witness it for myself," he stated, then looked at Drevick. "You came with Tosh's group. What did you see?"

"We were brought from the domes to the passenger shuttles through the tubes. We did not see outside the dome. We only saw inside the dome and inside the shuttle. I can't say that I witnessed it. We were brought aboard the ships in a way that we did not actually see the planet," Drevick explained.

"Did you see through the plasma domes, or was something hindering you from seeing outside of it?" Aleigha asked, cutting into his explanation.

"They were thick. The view was distorted. I cannot say what it looked like outside the domes," Drevick admitted.

Aleigha turned back to Council Leader Vorik. "I think Tosh lied to all of you to get you to invade Earth. It seems to me that he didn't want you, any of you, actually to see the planet. The domes you used on Earth were not distorted. We could see outside easily. If they were distorted, then there had to be a reason why. The way the second group was brought to the shuttles to go to the ships tells me that Tosh didn't want anyone to see the planet. I think there isn't anything wrong with your planet. I think Tosh lied to you about it."

Council Leader Vorik pressed a small button on the panel in front of him. "Fleet Commander Lerian, report to the council chambers immediately."

"On my way," Lerian stated through the communications.

Council Leader Vorik sat back in his chair. He appeared to be in deep thought. "I think I need to see it for myself also. Lerian came with me, not Tosh. He saw the same thing I did. I want to speak with him about changing course. We need to find out how close to the second planet we are and get his opinion on what your theory is. Either way, we're going back to Ramesia to see what we all left behind. If we're close enough to the second planet, we can scan it first. If not, we can change course immediately."

The door to the council room slid open, and Fleet Commander Lerian walked in.

"Have a seat," Vorik gestured to Lerian. "Aleigha has a theory that I want to test."

Fleet Commander Lerian nodded as he sat down in a chair at the council table. "What's the theory?"

Council Leader Vorik looked at the fleet commander. "First, how far are we from the second planet as opposed to Ramesia?"

"Ramesia is closer. Why?" Lerian asked. He was confused by the question.

Aleigha turned to the fleet commander. "My theory is that Tosh lied to all of you about your planet to get you to invade Earth. You left the planet before you saw anything. You were only told that it was becoming uninhabitable. Drevick came with Tosh's group. The domes were distorted, so no one could see clearly what it looked like outside of the domes. When they were taken to the ships from the planet, they went in a protective tube that hid the outside from view. When they were put on the shuttles, they did not see the windows at the helm. The door was closed. No one saw it for themselves. I think that Tosh lied to all of you to get you to invade Earth. The only way I will be satisfied is to see the planet for myself. I also want to interrogate the pilots of the shuttles that flew the Ramesians to the ship because they did see outside when they flew the population to Tosh's ships. They have to have known if the planet was really dying or not. If they don't really know, it's because of the controlling serum. It has to be."

Fleet Commander Lerian's face was pale as he pressed a button on a panel on the council table. "Set course to Ramesia."

"Sir, isn't Ramesia uninhabitable?" the response came from the bridge, the tone even.

"I didn't ask for questions. Follow the order now!" Lerian hissed.

"Yes, sir," the response went from even to hard before the communication went silent.

Aleigha folded her arms. "Was that bridge officer with Tosh's group or yours?" she asked Council Leader Vorik.

"Ours. Why?" Vorik asked, studying Aleigha.

"His response and mannerisms seem off. Besides, he questioned an order, and his tone was wrong. Something about it made me feel like he didn't like the order given. There should be no reason for it. It was a simple order," she explained.

Fleet Commander Lerian nodded in agreement. "I will have to deal with him when I get back to the bridge. I think your theory about our home planet is plausible. I want to see Ramesia for myself as well."

Council Leader Vorik pressed a button on the panel in front of him. "Medic Renn, please bring an injector of truth serum to the council chambers."

"Human, Ramesian or Kreq, Sir?" Medic Renn asked.

Sighing, Vorik smiled sideways. "Ramesian," he responded, clicking off the communications. He looked up at Lerian. "It seems difficult for me to remember to ask for the correct one. I'm so used to just ordering it. Now we have three races, and I need to specify," he said, shaking his head. "Call the bridge officer. I want to hear what he has to say. Why he acted the way he did when you gave him that order."

Fleet Commander Lerian nodded, pressing the button. "Second Bridge Commander Bormn, report to the council room immediately," he ordered.

"That was your second?" Vorik asked, shocked. "I didn't realize who it was."

Lerian nodded but didn't say anything further. He remained in deep thought.

Moments later, the council room door slid open, and Medic Renn entered. He set the injector on the table. "Do you need me to administer it, sir?" he asked.

"Yes. The one that will be injected has not yet arrived. Stand by the door. Move behind him as he sits. Inject him when I give the signal," Council Leader Vorik told Medic Renn.

Renn nodded, then stood by the door. The injector was in his hand, yet behind him, unseen.

The door slid open again, and Second Bridge Commander Bormn stepped in. Vorik gestured for him to sit. Bormn looked around the room, seeing the fleet commander as well as the guard commander with his mate and infant. Behind him at the door, he noted the medic. His face paled.

Council Leader Vorik noted Bormn's face paling as he looked at the medic and then sat down slowly. Once he was seated, Vorik sat back in his chair. "Explain your response to a direct order from your superior," Vorik ordered.

Second Bridge Commander Bormn swallowed hard. "The order confused me. The planet is uninhabitable."

Council Leader Vorik nodded to Medic Renn, who quickly stepped forward, injecting the second bridge commander. Bormn's face went slack, his eyes unfocused.

Vorik leaned forward and began his questions.

"You paled when you saw the medic. Why?" Council Leader Vorik asked.

Without hesitation, Bormn spoke. "I didn't want to be interrogated."

"What are you hiding, not to want to be interrogated?" Council Leader Vorik asked.

"I am the only son of Council Leader Tosh. I have been acting as a spy up until my father was murdered by the human female," Bormn stated.

"Is Ramesia uninhabitable?" Vorik asked the son of Tosh.

"My father didn't tell me. I believe it is, but my father left things behind that must stay hidden from you," Bormn stated. His voice was monotone, his face slack as he stared at nothing in front of him.

"What did your father leave that can't be seen by us?" Council Leader Vorik continued his questions.

"My father left the details of the bargain he made with Commander Grev to obtain the blue planet. It contains all the information and what was done to control the population," Bormn responded.

Vorik noted that Bormn's eyes were already starting to clear. He continued quickly. "Were you given the controlling serum?"

"No. I didn't need it. I agreed with my father. Once he was out of power, I would be the one to control the population," he stated.

Aleigha, hearing this, quickly moved in front of him. "The death of all the bloodline is what is needed to sever the connection. Why is there no connection?" she demanded.

"I don't know," he stated. "Perhaps my father didn't trust me and did something to prevent it. Perhaps he felt that I would kill him to take his place."

"Do you still agree with your father?" Aleigha shot back. She could see his eyes clearing also.

"Yes," he responded.

"Can we trust you?" she asked quickly, trying to beat the serum's dissipation.

"No," was all he said. His eyes suddenly cleared, and he shook his head, trying to clear it.

Council Leader Vorik folded his arms across his chest. "It seems we have a traitor." Then, looking up at Renn. I need another injector.

Medic Renn went to the replicator. It was a medical device that was now programmed for only medical staff to order. He quickly ordered it. When it materialized, he looked over at Vorik and then Bormn. Vorik nodded. It was a silent communication.

Medic Renn quickly injected Bormn again and then stood behind him.

Vorik waited for Bormn's face to go slack before he continued. "Is there anyone else on this ship who was working for Tosh?"

"Yes," he responded in monotone. His eyes were no longer focused.

"Who?" Vorik demanded.

The second Bridge Commander listed multiple names. Some of the names that he listed were all of the shuttle pilots who transported the population to the ship in the last group. He also named a handful that went with the first group. It was a longer list than they had all hoped. Those Bromn named Guard Commander Drevick entered their names into his tablet. They needed to interrogate all of them. Vorik was happy that none named were any of his own friends this time.