Adrift Homeless 1x06 "A Sponge and a Bucket" Released!

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Previously on Adrift Homeless:

Rommeria is a dying desert world, in a one planet solar system surrounded by a nebula. The nation of Hymalious City has formed a conglomerate with the other nations of their planet to build a massive colony ship to the stars, known as project Rebirth. Only one nation opposes them, and that’s the nation of Blazkor, a terrorist nation lead by the ruthless tyrant Suma Davi’s. Her father was a war criminal for genetic experiments he conducted on innocent people. The experiments included genetic modification to force compliance amongst the people of Blazkor. 

General Ed Gilber leads the project Rebirth, and he’s found a civilian first officer in Doctor David Stanfield, roommate to the recently recruited Emma Penman, newly appointed Chief Engineer of the project, a position previously held by her mother. It was upon recruiting the doctor, and helping science whiz Kathrine Pross seek a rare unknown element in the deep desert, that war broke out between Hymalious City forces and the Blazkor Nation. There were many losses on both sides, but Hymalious City was victorious, defeating Suma Davi’s’ army, and grounding an ancient alien space cruiser before the terrorists could crash it into the center of Hymalious City.

1x06 “A Sponge and a Bucket”

Released on www.patreon.com/99geek  on October 2018

“Missus Mayor,” General Gilber said as Maggie May opened the door to her office. Of course he’d be waiting for her. “Yer assistant thought I could talk some sense into ye about addressing yer people.”

“I think you mean our people, General,” Maggie May reminded him sternly. She supposed he had a point though, and she was still feeling a bit tipsy from the three glasses of whiskey she’d had. Or had it been four. “But you can tell my assistant that I am ready to address the media. Prepare a podium on the front steps of Prime Central Station. I’ll address the people directly.”

“That’s amazing news,” Councilor Mombatta said enthusiastically, the large black man getting up from where he’d been sitting in the waiting room. Was the whole council there waiting on her? “People are frightened, Madam Mayor.”

“We’re all afraid, Councilor Mombatta,” she told him. “Maybe that’s precisely what the people need to hear.”

“I did as you asked,” Tameka said, following the mayor out of her office, carrying an opaque flask. “I really don’t think you need it though.”

“Trust me,” Maggie May said, taking the flask from her and sipping from it. She’d have to make it last a whole speech. “I need it.”

“Who in the nebulous hells is this?” Gilber said, lighting a cigar. It seemed to be a rhetorical question as he then quickly added, “I don’t think it very wise to be alone in your office with the daughter of a terrorist leader without any security.”

“I vouch for her,” Maggie May told him. “In fact, I’ll be swearing her and her friend in tonight.” She’d already made her mind up about that hours ago. “They’ve done more than enough to help us for us to know we can trust them.” Gilber seemed about to protest, but she didn’t give him the chance, walking with him and Tameka as Councilor Mombatta ran off to tell her assistant of her press conference plans.

“Speaking of tonight,” she said to the General, “What of David?”

“John tells me he accepts,” Gilber told her gruffly, puffing away at his cigar.

“Excellent,” Maggie May told him. “Then tonight can go ahead as planned.”

She took a swig of her drink as they crossed through the doors between the executive wing and the rest of Prime Central Station. As soon as she was through the door, reporters were on top of her with cameras in her face, flash bulbs going off left and right.

“Misses Mayor!” One reporter yelled. “What can you tell us about the object in the sky over Hymalious City?”

“Misses Mayor!” Another reporter yelled. “Have we been visited by aliens?”

“Misses Mayor!” a third reporter yelled. “How close did the crashed ship twelve kilometers from our city borders get to causing a major catastrophe.” There were many other questions yelled out at her, but most of them were lost to the noise.

“I believe you answered your own question with that one,” She responded to the last reporter she could comprehend. “About twelve kilometers.” She raised her arms to address everyone. “Please people, I will answer all of your questions with a prepared statement, if you would all follow me outside.”

They got to the doors of the station, where Maggie May’s assistant had hurried to meet them.

“They’re just fetching your podium now, Ma’am,” Becca said in a state of panic. It often amused the mayor, making Becca’s life a living hell. “I thought you were going to make a statement from your office. I’m so sorry, it’ll be brought right out to you.”

“It’s quite alright,” Maggie May told her, and she handed the mayor a microphone.

“It’s hooked up to all the speakers in and outside the station.”

Maggie May took the microphone and stepped through the doors onto the steps where, outside stretching out from the station, thousands of people had gathered waiting for a statement. Usually her face would be broadcast on the side of the large pyramid like structure, but this wasn’t a normal day.

She realized she was standing out there alone, and looked back at Gilber, Tameka, and Becca. Becca shook her head violently, and Gilber gave a far more subtle shake of his head, but Tameka just shrugged and stepped forward. Councilor Mombatta, just joining them, stepped past them to join her and together they stepped outside.

Maggie May stubbornly waited, throwing the General a raise of her eyebrow. Finally, reluctantly, he stepped out, pushing her assistant out with him. Strength in numbers.

The mayor took a swig of her drink.

“Hello,” Maggie May said into her microphone, and the speakers blew out, emitting a large high pitched squeak. Everyone winced, and Maggie May quickly covered her hand over the mic, looking to Becca. Her assistant was furiously tapping at her tablet to wirelessly control the levels.

“Well that works,” Maggie May said into her microphone, and this time it came out at a more reasonable volume, booming out to the people gathered before her. The reporters had taken to the front of their crowd, all recording devices pointed towards her, everyone waiting in silence to hear what she had to say.

“I know what you all want from me,” the mayor said reservedly. “You want me to come out here and give you a short and quick uplifting speech telling you everything will be okay so that you can all move along with your day.” She paused, letting the silence hang over the crowd. “I’m not going to do that.” Another pause. “Chalk it up to age, but what I have to say is going to take some time to say it.” She paused again, this time wondering if what she’d just said had made sense.

Taking a swig of her flask, she continued. “Have you all heard about the Hymalious desert turtle?” she asked, and a number of people nodded. “You have?” she asked. “Of course you all have. Wait. That guy says he hasn’t.” she pointed to no one in particular in the crowd. “So I’m going to tell you about them, for that guys sake, and if you already know everything I’m about to say you can blame that guy for wasting your time.”

There were chuckles throughout the crowd.

“The Hymalious Desert Turtle didn’t used to be a desert turtle at all,” she told the crowd. “When it evolved on this planet, there were trees and rivers and vegetation. This world was a paradise. As our ancestors describe it.”

“They say,” she explained, “that the Desert Turtle could live a thousand years. That meant that there were turtles still alive that could remember the world before as it was. But last year there were only a few left, kept safe in captivity at our zoo. They weren’t mating anymore, you see. They had come to realize the world wasn’t habitable for them anymore. They knew that this was the end of times, and they didn’t want to bring up children in a world that couldn’t sustain them.”

“Just this month, the last turtle died in our wildlife preserve, and now another in an extremely long list of unique lifeforms that used to inhabit this planet has gone extinct.” She let another prolonged silence hang over the crowd. “They knew this was the end of the world. As we know, and it’s time we stop living in denial.”

“Yes,” she said, as her assistant’s assistant brought her podium out onto the steps and set it in front of her. “Thank you,” she told the man, leaning on the podium. “That’s better. It’s hard to stand and talk at the same time when you get to be my age.” She gave the crowd a meek smile as they seemed desperate for her to go on. “Where was I now? Yes. Yes, the object in orbit over our planet is indeed one of our making. It’s called Project Rebirth. Or perhaps just The Rebirth, once completed.”

The reporters at the front of the crowd jumped into another frenzy, screaming out questions as their cameras furiously flashed away. She ignored them.

“Like the Desert Turtle, we have the intelligence and understanding to know the fate that has befallen the planet,” she yelled out through her mic into the crowd, booming over the screaming reporters. “But unlike the desert turtle, we have the drive and ingenuity to do something about it.”

“We are building a massive colony ship, capable of supporting, we’re hoping sustainably, approximately two hundred thousand people. They will have the opportunity at life far more comfortable than what we have been living here. With unlimited water, and fresh fruits and produce. There will be an entire commercial district where people will be able to hold down jobs. There will be an entire working economy and ecosystem within this ship, as if it were a city in space.”

“This will be the chance at a better life for two hundred thousand residents of Rommeria. Selected not just from Hymalious City, but cities all across the globe. This has been a joint effort with all nations. Cortta Angail,” she looked to Mombatta, and he straightened his posture as the camera turned to him. “Occantay, as well as every other nation on this planet except for, of course Blazkor. The threat from which I can assure you has been affirmatively taken care of.”

Again the reporters yelled out questions, and again she ignored them.

“The Rebirth will not leave the nebula and then forget about the rest of us,” she continued to say, “And yes I fully intend to stay behind.” Everyone around her looked at her with surprise, no one expecting that of her. But it was something else she’d decided on for some time. “The mission of the joint military and civilian crew will be to seek out a new home, capable of supporting us. Upon finding that home, they will drop off all but a skeleton crew, and then return to Rommeria to facilitate the transport of the rest of us.”

“Our times are dark,” she summarized, stepping around the podium and sitting on the steps of the station. “Perhaps the darkest they’ve ever been. But there is hope. We have spent decades now building hope where there was nothing. The solar gods won’t save us. Teamwork and co-operation between all our nations and peoples will. Stay strong, Rommeria. And conserve that strength, because you will need it in the long years ahead.”

She placed the microphone down on the steps of the station, getting up and storming past Gilber back into the lobby. Behind her she could still hear the reporters screaming out questions, but behind them she could hear a spattering of applause.

She drained the rest of her flask.

*     *     *

“Hey!” one of the cooks in the cafeteria kitchen complained, as Emma squeezed through to fiddle with something under their sink. “I was using that!”

“I’ll just be a minute,” Emma told him, quickly coming up with an excuse in her head. “I have to check the pressure on the water filtration system.”

“Do you have to do that now?” the cook complained, his large chef’s hat tilting untidily on his head.

“There’s been a recurring issue,” she told him. “You should see what happened on Deck twelve.”

He frowned at her. “What happened on deck twelve?”

“Let’s just say,” she said, knowing she had him around her finger. “you don’t want your pressure to reverse and start showering your kitchen with human waste.”

The cook nodded furiously. “Please, continue.”

“I thought so,” Emma said, unhooking the specialized filtration system her mother designed from the sink, and scanning the barcode she found on its underside.

23 of 23 scanned. Would you like to play video file now?

It was a video file! She hid her comm device back in her pocket, and reattached the filter to the sink.

“Aaaand the water’s back on,” Emma told the man. “Looks like you’re good to go.”

“Thank you,” the man said to her. “Thank you so much. Please, let me at least make you a sandwich.”

“That’s okay,” Emma told him. “There’s really no need to thank me.” Well that much was true. “I was only doing my job.”

“Please,” the man said. “I insist. I was making this BLT for myself, but you deserve it more. I can always make myself another.” He handed her the sandwich.

“Wow,” she said, realizing she hadn’t eaten yet that day and was in fact quite hungry, “thanks chef!”

She took the sandwich and stepped out of the kitchen into the cafeteria proper. It was empty, as people were preparing for the ceremony that night. It meant she could view her video file in peace, and enjoy her sandwich. She took a bite. It was good. The bread was a little dry.

The doors to the cafeteria opened, and David stepped in with Sara.

“And this is the cafeteria,” she told him, apparently still giving him the tour. “this is where military personnel eat, though for the time being all civilian personnel on board have been doing most of their eating here as well. At least until more of the ship gets opened up for civilian access.”

“Emma!” David said, spotting her. “Are you okay?” She wondered if he could tell just by looking at her the kind of day she’d been having.

“I’m fine,” she lied, hiding her phone away again. “I was just checking the pressure on the water filtration system.” The lie was so good, it worked even better the second time. “Poop showering everywhere. It could have been a bad time.”

“But you fixed it?” Sara asked, with seeming real concern. Emma gave her a nod.

“That’s my Emma,” David said with a smile that calmed her nerves. He still had faith in her, even if the morons downstairs didn’t.

“I’m going to leave you to your tour,” Emma told them. “I don’t want to get in the way.”

“That’s okay!” David insisted. “We were just about done.”

“Most of the ship is still closed for construction,” Sara explained.

“Seriously,” Emma told them. “I have work to do. But you guys have fun.”

“Keep fighting those poop showers,” David called after her as she left the cafeteria.

She quickly made her way to the elevators, and took them up to the residential decks. She took refuge inside David’s quarters, hers still not quite feeling like home, and she sat down on his couch to finally activate the video on her communicator.

Her mother’s face filled her screen. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she almost chocked. “Emily,” her mother said her name, and Emma started to cry. Her mother looked older, and so much more weary than she ever remembered her. “So you solved my bread crumb trail.”

“Yeah mom,” Emma said through her tears, though she knew her mother couldn’t hear her. “I did.” She curled up into a ball and fought back a sniffle as her mother continued.

“I knew only you could. Only you would be able to recognize which parts on this massive ship contained my unique style.” Her mother frowned, and it almost looked like she would start crying as well. “Of course if you’re watching this video, that means Maggie went against my wishes and brought you on board the project to replace me.” Her mother broke, a tear rolling down her cheek. “Which of course she would, because I raised you to be as good as me, if not better. It figures you’d be their only hope.”

“I want you to know I love you Emily,” her mother said between sobs. They even cried the same. “An’ that makes what I have to say next all the harder.” Her mother tried to compose herself. It seemed she was at a work station, probably the same desk where she’d designed all the parts Emma had spent the day hunting for. “I don’t want you to blame Maggie May or anyone at the project for tearing our family apart.”

Her mother nodded, as if trying to convince herself she needed to finish. “I chose this path for us. I chose to be a part of something that was bigger than us. It was the hardest decision I ever made in my life, but you have to understand I did it for you. You and your brother. I had to offer you guys a chance at a better life, and this was the only way I knew how.”

Someone yelled to her from off screen. She nodded at them, and coughed into a handkerchief. “I don’t have much time left,” Emma didn’t know if she meant for the video, or if she knew she was getting sick. Emma straightened up on the couch. “I’m sure the men aren’t being all that welcoming to you. I’m sure they likely blame you for all my mistakes. And I’m sorry, I’ve made many.”

Her mother sniffled, blowing her nose into the handkerchief she still held in her hand. “Don’t let them bully you around. You know what needs to be done. You know how to fix the power crisis. I have faith in you. I believe in you. Solar gods, Emily, I love you so faking much.” She seemed like she was going to cry again, but Emma’s mother closed her eyes and mentally composed hersel.

“I have to go now,” she said.

“No,” Emma begged the screen. “Don’t go, please don’t go. I miss you so fucking much.”

“I miss you, Emily.”

“I miss you too, Mommy.” It was like she was a little girl again. Thirteen on the street, scared her brother wasn’t going to make it through the night. “Mommy. I love you please don’t go.” Emma coughed on the snot running down her nose, but she didn’t care.

“Look after your brother,” her mother said. “He’s going to need you more than you need me.”

“It’s not true,” Emily pleaded. “It’s not true.”

Her mother reached across the screen and hit a button. The video went black.

Emma cried.

And cried.

Would you like to replay the video?

Emma hit yes.

“Emily.”

Emma cried.

*     *     *

Read the rest of the chapter right now at www.patreon.com/99geek

Next Time on Adrift Homeless at www.patreon.com/99geek in 2019 1x07: There’s a lot more to Project Rebirth than just finding a crew. A lot of hard choices will have to be made. Kat and her team finally get inside the ancient ship to salvage. Sara gets to lead her first briefing. Jack and Tameka still have to prove themselves. And will Alec manage to escape his father, and his father’s scary friends?

Next Month on Dakotah Slade Paranormal/Investigator at www.patreon.com/99geek in November 2018 1x02: Detective Anderson Richards goes all in with a gamble that might not just put his own life in danger, but Dakotah’s life as well.