Earth's Last Days: The Invasion

Drell paced his cell. It had been three days since anyone had come in besides the guards bringing them food. He was hungry. They only gave them one meal a day. When he asked for more, the guards told him that prisoners only got one meal a day.

Gaf watched his brother, not saying anything. He remembered that Council Leader Niki had told them that the dome would be done in three days. They had just received their third meal, telling him that it had been three days already. The dome should be finished, and they will be sent to the surface soon.

Gaf watched the door to the cell's long hallway slide smoothly open. Council Leader Nicki, Fleet Commander Lerian, and two guards walked in. They were heading toward Drell's cell. At least that's what it looked like.

The group stopped in front of their cells. They turned not to Drell's cell but to his instead.

"Stand with your wrists out," one of the guards ordered.

Gaf held his wrists out. He knew they were going to bind them. He wanted to cooperate, not giving them any reason to harm him.

The barrier went down, and the guard bound him in bar shackles, then escorted him out of the cell and down the hallway.

"Where are you taking my brother!" Drell yelled. He was fearful for his brother, but it was overshadowed by his anger for being in the cells.

Everyone ignored him. Gaf glanced at his brother and then at the open door in front of him. He said nothing, afraid to make a sound. He didn't know what was going to happen to him. Whatever it was, he didn't want to make it worse.

The guards led him to another room and sat him on a chair, not removing the bar shackles. The female council leader and the fleet commander sat on the opposite side of the table from him, looking at him.

"Besides your brother, do you have other family amongst your group?" Council Leader Niki asked. There didn't seem to be any anger in her tone.

Gaf shook his head. "My family is my brother, his mate, and his daughter."

"We want to train you to use the dome. We want to take you to the surface and teach you so that you can teach others. It has been taught to one of your group, but he did not want to return to the surface and removed himself from the equation," Niki stated cryptically.

Gaf's face paled. "He killed himself?" he asked in disbelief.

Niki nodded. "We figured if you had family, you wouldn't do the same. The dome is meant to protect you, not keep you confined. The other did not believe that and ended himself. As I told you before, those inside the dome control the dome. Those inside can determine who enters and leaves it. It is for your people's protection, not your people's confinement."

"I will not harm myself. I will accept learning to operate the dome if you allow me to do so," Gaf stated. "Was he the only one?" he asked quietly. Because of the extent of asking him to train, he felt that there might have been more.

Council Leader Niki took in a sharp breath. "No. He was not the only one. Three others did the same. We don't know why. All we know is that they did not want to go back to the surface. One other was male. The other two were female."

"Was one of them Drell's mate?" Gaf asked. Fear for Neve seeped through his question.

"No, we told her he would only be held until the dome was finished, and then he would be taken to the surface with everyone else. She understood the reasons he was being held. Your family and his are safe. They are preparing to go to the dome, but since the one we trained ended his own existence, we need to train another," Council Leader Niki explained. "If he hadn't, you would all be in the city now."

Gaf nodded slowly. "You may train me without fear."

Niki nodded to the guards. One of them stepped forward, unshackling him.

"Fleet Commander Lerian will teach you how to operate the dome. Learn quickly; we can't keep the planet sedated for much longer," she warned him.

***

Drell watched the door to the corridor to the cells slide open. He was hoping to see them bringing his brother back in. He worried for Gaf's safety.

It wasn't Gaf. Two guards accompanied Council Leader Niki.

Stopping at his cell, Council Leader Niki smiled at him. "You and your people will be sent to the surface soon," she informed him.

"Where is my brother?" Drell demanded. "I want to see my brother!"

Council Leader Niki folded her arms, staring at Drell, and waited, not saying anything. The hall door slid open, and Neve, with Wix in her arms, entered.

"Don't touch the barrier. It will shock you. I don't want Wix to get hurt, so don't let her too close to it either," Council Leader Niki told Neve, only briefly turning to look at her before turning her gaze back on Drell. "Your brother is learning to operate the dome. He has given us no reason not to trust him. Once he's finished and can operate it sufficiently, you will all be taken to the surface."

"I thought you were training someone else!" Drell barked out. His face darkened in anger.

Wix flinched, making Neve back away.

"Gaf is well, my mate," Neve told him timidly. "He is learning quickly."

Drell gritted his teeth, looking past Neve to Council Leader Niki. "I thought...you...were training...someone else!" he said evenly.

"The one we trained chose not to go to the surface," Niki told him cryptically. Her eyes moved to Wix. It was clear she didn't want to say in front of the child.

The man in the cell beside him spoke. "He has gone to utopia?" he asked.

Niki looked over at the other male. She didn't understand what he was saying. She could only guess. "I don't understand what you're saying. If it means what I think it means, then yes, he ended this existence to go to Utopia."

Drell's face paled, understanding Council Leader Niki's reluctance to speak in front of Wix. He was grateful for that fact. Utopia was the term they used for death. His anger draining from him, he could only nod.

Council Leader Niki's comm link buzzed. "This is Council Leader Niki," she stated in the comm link.

"Gaf is able to operate the dome sufficiently. We can send everyone to the surface," Fleet Commander Lerian stated through the small device.

Council Leader Niki looked at Drell. "Because of your hostility, we will be sedating you so that we can move you to the surface. Neve and Wix are here to keep watch for you so you know you will remain safe. We have already explained that you will be only sleeping and will awaken after a time once you reach the surface."

Drell frowned, gritting his teeth, his anger renewed as he tried not to speak in front of Wix. He wanted to protest but couldn't with his child there.

Council Leader Niki lifted her comm link. "Sedate the prisoners and prepare to move them to the dome," she ordered.

A soft green mist entered the occupied cells. Drell and his men slowly slumped to their knees in their cells before falling to the side on the floor. They were all completely asleep.

Council Leader Niki turned to Wix, smiling. "Your father is fine. He is only sleeping. He will awaken inside the dome."

Guards suddenly entered the corridor to the cells, the barriers falling. The guards entered the cells and retrieved the prisoners to take them to the surface. Neve, holding Wix, walked behind them, keeping watch on Drell.

*** *** ***

Gaf was already at the surface. He was at the control panel of the dome. It was easy enough to control. He understood what its capabilities were. It made him feel much safer as he trained. He found that all those from the city who were not his own kind were taken out of the city and placed in another one. The council leader wanted to make sure that only his people were inside the dome and none of the 'masters' were there. He was grateful. He was not his brother. He did not like slaughtering them while they slept.

Gaf watched as a cargo shuttle landed at the entrance outside the city. The wide doors opened, and his people exited. Behind them, guards had all those who had been in the cells on stretchers, carrying them into the city. Neve and Wix walked beside one of them. This told him that his brother was in that one.

Council Leader Niki walked with a pair of guards. She stopped at Gaf. "We scanned the city. All those of your race have been brought to the city. Even those who are half-breeds. Protect them. It's not their fault that they are half of the 'masters' blood. We left messages to their families that they were taken to the city for their protection. If they choose to go home, you should let them. They should have a choice if they want to stay in the dome or not."

Gaf nodded. "Thank you," he said quietly. He was grateful for the help Council Leader Niki had given them.

Council Leader Niki continued. "We left the replicator that Council Leader Vorik gave to you. It is in the dwelling you chose for yourself. There are a lot of gardens in this city. Nearly every dwelling has them. Be sure to save seeds from the plants so you can continue to grow food. The replicator will not copy anything any longer. It won't give you weapons, either. What the menu shows is all it will give you. We have also taken out the ability to program items into it."

Gaf sighed. "I understand."

As the last of Gaf's people entered the dome, Niki and the other Ramesians exited. Council Leader Niki stopped and looked at Gaf. "Good luck, Gaf."

Gaf gave her the sign of respect. He had learned it from watching the others. She nodded slightly, smiled, and left.

He watched as the shuttle rose into the atmosphere and disappeared from view. Neve turned to him. "Will we see them again?" she asked. "I liked them."

Gaf turned to his brother's mate. "I hope not. I do not think they will be so forgiving a second time. I liked them too. They are very compassionate. They did what they could to give us a safe place. This dome should keep us safe. I only hope that my brother will not do anything to get us all killed on this planet. We are far outnumbered, and he angers too easily."