Graham Heights
Rainier
Chapter 28
The Faith of Children
The Faith of Children
Journal Entry - March 30th 2094
Julia Scott
Julia Scott
Meeting the Captain of the Creatos was less than eventful. He seemed uninterested in what we have set up here in the PNW. He was more interested in resources and intell. To put it bluntly, he wasn’t very friendly. He all but ordered us to stop flying our drone patrols and keep any activity in the bay to the absolute minimum. And under no circumstances were we to approach any of his ships.
He was also displeased with the fact that we did not have the twenty five children picked out by then end of the first day of contact. He blatantly said that if we did not comply with the request by the end of the third day, they were pack up and leave.
I was ready to call his bluff, I mean it had to be a bluff. Who in their right mind would go through all of this trouble to send an armada this far North and then just turn around and leave. The expenditure of resource and energy was enormous. That’s when the hair on the back of my neck stood up. No one would do that in this world, not without extracting a cost.
By mid morning the weather had turned gray, which made the two hulking dark ships sitting in the bay, all the more ominous. The ships had no visible guns or weapons, but the size and the fact that they were surrounded by a flotilla of ships, that did have building busting guns and god only knows what else, was unsettling. The colony had nothing that could even scratch to dark paint on those ships. This did not help the case of finding kids they could expose to the the strangers. It made everyone real nervous and nervous usually meant that people would withhold what was precious to them, like children.
Julia had another meeting with the captain at 1600 hours, that was another thing to get use to, 24 hour clocks. At this time she would have to have the remaining children ready for testing, which was going to be a real test of the elders ability to manage… that’s not it, convince, coaers their constituents to give up their children to a process that no one has seen and a people that we know nothing about. That was going to take some faith….
Julia’s assistant burst into the room, “You gotta see this.”
Julia got up and followed her assistant down the stair and to the main lobby. There in the lobby was a large group of people talking to the security guards. There must have been a hundred people down there, but they weren’t angry or confused. They seemed well organized and calm. Julia went down to stand behind the security guards to hear what was going on.
The older gentleman was talking to the guard. “As I have already told you, we are here to offer our services and children.”
Julia could hardly believe what she heard. She looked out over the crowd and there must have been forty kids in it. This was… not normal. Julia put her hand on the guard’s shoulder and he looked up, “I’ll take it from here.” She then looked up, “Your name sir.”
“Bartholomule Stone. Mam” Said a man in his late forties.
“Well Bartholomule, you are making a generous offer.” Julia said softly, “Why?”
Bartholomule looked Julia in the eyes, “We were told to.”
Julia bristled up, “This was strictly voluntary, I made sure all the elders knew that they were to use no coercion whatsoever.”
“No, No, No, you misunderstood, it was not the elders.” Bartholomew said adamantly. “God told us to.”
Julia was not a strongly religious person and only talked to “God” when she wanted or needed guidance. She never heard a response, so when someone says that they heard from God, she always took in with a grain of salt. Now she was faced with a dilemma. Here was the gift that she needed to keep moving forward with the One World organization, but were they crazy? Would they make good representatives to first contact?
Bartholomew was reading her mind. “We are quite sound in our judgements and not some overly zealous religious nuts.” He paused, “We know this world is dying. Almost all of the migratory birds and fish have died off. The whales no longer come to the sound. Our crops are slowly diminishing and the rain is either late or has radiation in it still.” he paused and swept his hand around the room, “We serve the God that created this all, and he mourns.” Bartholomew looked Julia in the eye, “We are ready to embark on this great new adventure.” He looked at his congregation, “They are ready to leave Earth and let her heal.”
Julia was still unsure of the circumstances behind this large scale altruism, “I must ask each of them if they are doing this voluntarily.”
Bartholomew stepped aside and swept his arm out over the crowd as to give his people away to her wim.
Julia shouted above the murmuring and sounds of too many people in one space, “I will only take volunteers, you are under no obligation to do this and if you are being coerced, you are encouraged to leave.”
No one moved.
A woman from the crowd spoke up, “We are here of our own free will.” The crowd agreed.
Julia wanted to be convinced, “What of the children, are they here of their choosing.”
A young adult female with asian eyes and clear complexion, most likely in her late teens said boldly, “Yes mam. We are.” Most of the rest just nodded that they were.
Julia thought to herself. “This is just too easy.” She turned to the guard, “We will need a medical, check that, two medical teams here ASAP and then to her assistant, “Call all of the Elders and have them report here with their staff. I want individual interviews with each candidate and their parents.”
Julia turned to address the crowd, “Please be patient we are having to bring in more staff to process all of you and evaluate which would be the best selectees.” She paused and then said in a less commanding voice, “Thank-you.”
The crowd softly clapped and acknowledged her gratitude.
Julia spent the next three hours talking with the final candidates, each were well mannered and level headed children ranging in age of twelve to seventeen. Both boys and girls were ready to experience what was going to happen next. Not that any of them had a clue as to the scope of what they were getting themselves into, they just knew that it was the path that had to be taken. That was the one takeaway, each of the kids that passed the interviews were eager to move into this new life. Not that they didn’t have questions or apprehension, they just knew… No, had faith that this was the right path. Julia was also convinced that this was the right path, but her faith was no where near as strong as the selectees. She almost envied them.
Julia’s assistant buzzed the intercom, “Mam, its time.”
Julia turned to look out the window at the flotilla of warships. She stood, not just physically, but mentally. She was going to deliver the required number of children to these strangers and pray it is the right thing to do. She walked from the room and down to the staging area. The children were dressed in the field coveralls that they were given during the inprocessing. They were a hodge-podge of different ages, heights and sex, but all seemed eager to go. The site of them made Julia hate herself and her job.
Jason Knorack walked up besige her, “They’re ready.”
Julia turned, “I’m not.”
Jason said and a controlled voice, “They are a good selections and we have worked for this all year.”
“That son of a bitch should have told us this up front.” Julia was angry.
“He was right not to.” Jason continued to push this forward.
Julia was a bit surprised and walked after him, “You were the biggest objector when Jordy told us about the kids, why the switch.”
Jason, “I hate surprises, but once you think about it, it makes sense.”
Julia conceded, “I don’t know weather to hate that machine or thank him.”
Jason, “I noticed that he had made himself scarce since the fleet arrived.
Julia, “You have to remember, he has no true emotions. He’s probably off gathering intel for the next village he is suppose to visit as he has handed us off to them.” She gestured toward the deacon building.
Jason stopped, stepped aside and let Julia take the lead, “I think I’m going to miss him.”
Julia nodded her agreement. “Let’s get this over with.” She didn’t want Jason to know that she felt the same about a machine.
As you know this blog contains two books of the Remnant Series. Graham Heights is book 3 of the series. Below is more.
Book 4: Obsidian Arrows
Book 1 is now available in paperback or kindle The Grey Abyss
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R. A. Legg
R. A. Legg
R.A. Legg © 2016. All Rights Reserved.
