Between the Earth and the Stars Read online

  “Ky? What’s happening?”

  He glanced at me, his eyes a darker shade of blue. The other soldiers stared at him in question, and he turned away from me to help them. He grabbed Klive by the elbow and threw him into the room with mother before shuffling back down the walkway.

  It seemed like hours passed before the side door opened again. The woman with the stars on her chest held the door open for one of the soldiers.

  “General!” the soldier said with a nod, as some sort of ‘thank you’.

  My breathing accelerated as the General stopped before my cell, waved a white rectangular key and unlocked my door. Together, they walked in.

  “Why are you here?” the General said without delay.

  I knew she meant here on Earth, not here in this cavern, but I couldn’t bite my tongue. I spat my reply, “Because you put us here.”

  Her eyes narrowed. I couldn’t tell if she was amused or annoyed. “Let me rephrase. Why. Did. You. Bring. Your. Ships. To. Our. Planet?”

  She said each word slowly, as though I was hard of hearing.

  “Peaceful.” I paused. “Integration.”

  “Peaceful?” she laughed, turning to her comrade. “Did you hear that, Miller? Her spiel is identical to the others.”

  Miller’s eyes drifted up and down my body. “She’s young, ma’am. Maybe a little persuasion would bring out the truth.”

  I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew I didn’t want it.

  “That is the truth, I swear it. By your Gods and mine.”

  “Tell me about Orbum,” the General demanded, changing the subject.

  I furrowed my brow, wondering what that had to do with anything. “The planet I was born on?”

  Her eyebrows raised. “You were born there?”

  “Now, that’s interesting,” Miller said.

  “We lived there after our planet died. It wouldn’t have kept us alive long though,” I made sure to add. “Not like Earth can.” I smiled as sweetly as I could, despite the growing knot in my stomach.

  They looked taken aback by my explanation of our dire situation. Surprised even. My fear began to subside. I thought, maybe that’s all we needed to change our circumstance. All of this would turn out to be a laughable misunderstanding. one we would tell future generations as a bedtime story.

  “She’s just a child,” the General said to Miller as though I wasn’t there. “How many others up there are innocent like her, do you think?”

  “You’d be ignorant to think that brainwashed aliens are innocent,” Miller scoffed.

  “Fall in line, Miller. Nichols might be right.”

  Nichols?

  “Kyson?” I asked.

  They gave each other knowing looks before spinning on their heels and leaving.

  Moments later, they returned my mother to her cell. As she was taken past me, I studied her body for any ‘persuasion’ they may have used on her, but she didn’t have a scratch.

  Three years earlier

  I had always seen the best in people. My teacher back on The Stars LXIV told me I was naïve. She said I was blind to anything that wouldn’t make me feel good, but I didn’t think she knew me at all. I was adventurous, a free-spirit. I was curious, and, also, I liked people. If all that was being naïve, then I guessed that’s what I was. I wouldn’t hold shame for it.

  One day on The Stars I, during an extended school break, I ventured to the restricted area. There were two rules for me on the head ship: No getting in any adult’s way, and no going to the cargo hold. My parents hadn’t spent much time with me, and I was beyond bored with no company, so I decided to check it out. I was fourteen, and thought I was old enough to withstand whatever it was they were keeping there.

  Getting in the cargo hold was easy. I stole my mother’s all-access pass when she was sleeping, and set off before anyone was awake. I distracted the guard by rolling a handful of apples down the corridor and hiding in an office to the side. The guard ran past me to check out the commotion and I slipped in through the cargo hold with the pass.

  At first, I wasn’t sure why an empty room was restricted, but then I noticed a small access pad on the back wall. I tiptoed towards it and waved the pass over the pad. Nothing. I held the pass longer against it. Nothing. Knowing the access pad didn’t even respond to an all-access pass made me even more determined to see what my mother was hiding.

  I stepped closer to the pad and pored over it, trying to figure out what I was missing. Within seconds, a green light projected out and scanned my face.

  A computerized voice crackled, “Arylia, the thirty-seventh of her name,” and then the back wall began to lift.

  From behind the rising wall, a red light shone so bright I had to step back and hold my arm across my face. When the wall was completely retracted, a glass wall took its place. Behind it, a large red sphere spun on its own axis, forks of red lightning sparking out of it with fury.

  Before I could lower my arm and perceive what the heck was in front of me, a hand cupped my shoulder and my knees buckled beneath me.

  Busted.

  As punishment for disobedience, I was sent back to my school ship early. The boarding students’ sleeping quarters were quiet. It was just me and Jak, brother of The Stars II captain. He was easily the best-looking male our age. I may or may not have had a small crush on him for a few months. Our parents would have been happy about the pairing, I’m sure. Two elite children from the first and second ships would be ideal for continuing the Soliun race. But, over time, he became too much killjoy and not enough smile. His mind was always preoccupied by doomsday scenarios, and he questioned every little historical motive our ancestors made. It was like his hope was eternally clouded by paranoia and doubt. He wasn’t allowed on his brother’s ship at all, only transporting to his family on birthdays and special celebrations.

  Despite my better judgment, I told him about my little escapade into the cargo hold.

  “Do you want to know the real reason I’m not allowed back on the ship?” He didn’t wait for my reply before continuing. “It was a wrong place, wrong time kind of deal. I got shunned for a conversation I wasn’t even a part of. How’s that for suspicious?”

  “What was the conversation?”

  I hated myself for asking, knowing I’d fed the beast.

  “Between my brother and his co-captain. About the inhabitants on Orbum.” He looked at me, eyebrows low, waiting for me to catch on to what he was saying.

  I took the bait. “There are no inhabitants on Orbum.”

  “Yeah, now there aren’t… because our people killed them so we could live there for a few years.”

  Out of all Jak’s conspiracy theories, this was the most outrageous. I didn’t believe him. How could I? Our people weren’t killers. I told him to use his imagination for something more substantial, like engineering studies.

  That was just me though, naïve.

  My heels thumped together in a constant beat. I was lying on my stomach, trying to get comfortable enough to sleep. I let my fingers follow the grooves over the polished rocks, wondering if it would be the last thing I got to touch, the last thing I got to smell and see. Even after telling the Earthlings of our true motives, we remained imprisoned, future unknown.

  A light tap reverberated from the bars. Curious, I rolled over.

  Ky waved at me, a small smile on his face. I searched for the tray, but it wasn’t there. He wasn’t holding a roll either. Beyond him, Klive was sleeping.

  I shuffled to bars.

  His weight shifted from foot to foot as he looked from the left to the right and back again. Then he looked at me, his eyes scrutinizing my face. I wanted to ask him what he was doing, what he wanted, but my voice seemed to be missing.

  He finally spoke. “They say you’ve come here with dishonorable intentions. What does that mean for us?”

  “That’s not true!” I blurt. “We came here for—”

  “Peaceful integration. Yeah, I know.” He sighed.

>   I frowned, leaning forward to whisper, “You have to understand. We came here thinking it was okay. That you would accept us. I guess we were wrong.”

  “Maybe we are wrong.” He swallowed hard, then said, “The department of defense have scheduled your termination for tomorrow.”

  “Termination?”

  His forehead fell on the bars between us. “Not just those of you here…” he clarified. “We have weapons that can take out every single ship in our atmosphere.”

  I clutched the bar to stop myself from falling. I could feel my heartbeat in my eardrums, as though a tribal drummer was sitting in the cavern with us.

  Kyson lifted his own hand. It hovered an inch from mine. He looked at me, his blue eyes transfixed on me, sharp enough to cut through every misconception. He could see into my soul, and I let him.

  He placed his hand over mine. The warmth of his skin comforted me. “Will you trust me?”

  “Yes,” I replied without even thinking.

  His other hand rose, a white, rectangle key shimmered in his grasp. I watched with disbelief as he tapped it against my cell door, unlocking it.

  “Why are you helping us?” I asked.

  “For your survival.”

  A few days earlier

  After the Earth’s outer layer was lowered, we retracted the Observatory’s arm and raced to the bridge. Everyone wanted to be together for that moment.

  The transition into the atmosphere was bumpy, but our anticipation remained unspoiled. We clutched onto chairs and dashboards and rode it through. When the turbulence subsided and the ship leveled, a light shone from the ground up to us.

  “We can’t control the helm,” Klive said, concerned. “They’re pulling us in.”

  My mother was more relaxed. She turned and smiled. “Let them.”

  I moved to the front window, not wanting to miss a single Earthly detail. The oceans were more beautiful than any picture I had seen. Endless blue water cradled every land mass like a mother’s hug. Mountains capped in white stood tall over valleys, sloping hills and plateaus. The closer we got, the more breath-taking every detail became.

  We landed in a clearing surrounded by tall pine trees. I peered upwards, staring at sharp green needles sticking out from rough bark. A flock of birds scattered into the sky. I watched them until I couldn’t see them anymore.

  “Klive, Gregor, Mathia, Jojo, prepare to disembark. We’re making first contact,” my mother commanded.

  I tore myself away from the window and chased after them.

  “Arylia, it’s best if you stay here. You know what you’re like!” She gave a small pout and turned back towards the exit.

  “Yes, I’m friendly, that’s what I’m like!” I said, still following.

  Father looked at me with sympathy and whispered something to her. She pulled her head away with a frown before saying, “Okay, but stay behind us and don’t do anything reckless.”

  Father nodded to himself, a tiny gesture to let me know he had my back.

  Everything is going to be amazing, I thought. The three of us are going to settle in. We will become a real family on a real planet.

  As we departed the ship, I stayed a few steps behind. Crisp air hit my cheeks, and a wonderful, fresh smell lit up my senses. I took a deep breath in. My lungs constricted and I spluttered at the shock. Mother turned and glared at me. I just smiled back, never feeling more alive.

  “Stay where you are!” a deep voice commanded from beyond the trees.

  We froze.

  “Something is wrong,” Mother said. “These aren’t our allies…”

  Kyson led the six of us through a maze of small alleys in the cave system. As we approached an opening about two meters in height, the scent of pine trees teased me. Was it possible we were going to be free?

  As we got closer to the opening, a figure stepped out. Instinctively, I grabbed my father’s arm. Together we watched as Kyson walked up to a man guarding the exit. They exchanged words, and then the guard turned around to face the wall. Kyson motioned for us to follow. I held my breath as tight as I held my father’s sleeve, and we walked past him.

  We stepped out into the fresh night air. With relief, I released my father’s arm and caught up to Kyson. “That was too easy,” I whispered.

  “Not everyone believes in genocide,” he replied.

  We walked through the forest back to our ship. I let my fingers graze over every plant within reaching distance. Some leaves were prickly and coarse, others were smooth and dewy. I pulled a smooth leaf and twined it through my fingers as I looked up. The sky was magical, like I was in a dream. Soft, wispy clouds flowed rhythmically in front of glistening stars and a crescent moon.

  Beside me, a chuckle rose from Ky. I could see his bright blue eyes, even in the soft moonlight.

  “What?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Nothing. You look like you’ve never seen stars before.”

  “Well, I haven’t. Not from here, anyway. I’m an alien remember?” I paused for a moment, before adding, “You’re such a mini.”

  “I’m a mini? As in miniature human?”

  “As in minuscule brain.”

  I rolled up the leaf and flicked it at him. The small ball bounced off his face and hit the dirt track beneath our feet. His mouth tilted into a smirk.

  Remembering the word the soldier used on him days earlier, I said, “Jerk.”

  His smile grew wider, lifting his face and squaring his jaw. “Now, that’s an insult I know.”

  I stared at him for a moment, wondering how he came to be who he was, how he came to be so… nice. Kyson, the boy with the kind blue eyes, who risked his life to save us.

  He stared back, the smile waning from his face. My heart fluttered, a peculiar urge rushing over me. It sort of felt similar to the crush I had on Jak, but more compelling. Like I craved something I hadn’t tasted yet. I slowed my pace, realizing these would be my last moments with him.

  My gaze fell to his lips as he opened them to speak. “There’s your ship.”

  I blinked a few times as my parents rushed around us. I didn’t even remember stopping, but there we were, standing face to face, about to say goodbye.

  “Did you do it?” he asked.

  I furrowed my brow. “Do what?”

  “Take down the shield.” He pointed up.

  “The outer layer? You opened it for us.”

  He shook his head. “No, we didn’t. Your ship destroyed it. That’s why we arrested you. But then, after I met you, I couldn’t imagine…” He paused and ran his teeth over his bottom lip, before continuing. “It was your eyes. They were full of fire. Something so fierce I couldn’t grasp it. They shone like a beacon of sadness, yet pure goodness. I couldn’t imagine someone as graceful and ingenuous as you doing something like that.”

  “I wouldn’t—” I started.

  “Arylia! We must go now,” my mother called.

  But would she?

  “Bye,” Ky said, cupping my shoulder.

  “Bye,” I repeated.

  “Be safe,” he said, hand still on my shoulder.

  I didn’t want to leave yet. I needed to prolong the farewell. “Will you get in trouble for this?”

  He grinned. “Probably. But trouble is my middle name.”

  “It is?”

  He laughed at my question. I guessed that meant no.

  I looked at the open entrance of the ship. Everyone was on board, waiting on me. “My mother says I’m trouble.”

  Ky’s hand unclasped my shoulder and drifted down my arm. He slid his fingers over my palm and squeezed. “I’ve no doubt you are.”

  “I should go,” I said, feet planted on the ground.

  He nodded, letting go of my hand.

  I lunged forward and grabbed either side of his face, planting my lips firmly on his. I pulled away, grinned, and ran towards the ship.

  I entered the bridge with a smile on my face. My mother was standing in front of the hologram screen that showed all th
e ships in our fleet. Most were lit up red, except for The Stars II and III, which were green.

  “They know we didn’t come here in peace. We need to advance our attack.” My mother pressed a button on the hologram dashboard and the screen changed from the fleet to a blueprint of our ship. She pinched her fingers over the cargo hold, and the screen zoomed to the bright red sphere I had stumbled upon years ago. She pressed a button that said: Engage.

  Immediately, a signal alarmed through the ship.

  “Flip to all ship comms,” my mother commanded.

  Klive tapped a button on the other side of the dashboard. The hologram screen switched back to the fleet and all the ships lit up green.

  “They’re hostile, they’re going to shoot us out of the sky. There’s no choice but to defend ourselves!”

  My mind reeled. Why was she saying two different things to our fleet? And what exactly did engaging that sphere do?

  “What do you mean we didn’t come here in peace?”

  My mother spun around, shocked to see me, yelling, “Get her out of here!”

  I sped down the corridor to the exit and stopped the door from closing. I leapt off the ship without a moment’s hesitation. Dirt kicked up behind me as I fled through the forest, my legs trying to keep up with the spinning of my mind.

  Everything I was suddenly became a lie. What I thought about our people was wrong. We spent years traveling to Earth not for peace, but for war. Were we that greedy to take it all for ourselves? And Jak, was he right? Did Orbum have inhabitants, too?

  I spotted Kyson as he weaved through trees back towards the caverns.

  “Ky!” I called, my heart pounding against my chest.

  He stopped in his tracks, and when he realized it was me, he ran my way. “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “I made a mistake,” I puffed. “My people… we’re here for war.”

  The blood rushed from his face. “What do you mean?”

  “They have a weapon.” I couldn’t fathom what the red sphere could do, all I knew was that we needed to stop it. “Do you have access to the beacon that brought our ship in?”