Diemos Struck First

Zae, Mina, and Bo were late to the EdCentre and had just hit the locker bay when the sirens went off. It was a good thing they were in the SafeZone because the doors slammed behind them.

Zae's phone beeped, it was Ma <it's chem - eat the bars in your packs, 1 an hour, I'll msg when you can leave the shelter>

<How long>

<Don't know, I’ll message you>

<Are you and DaTu safe?>

<Yes, we were downstairs: I was getting pickles and he was fixing the broken shelf>

"Was that Ma? What's happening?" Mina was the more vocal of the twins, but they both looked up to Zae as she was 10 years older than they at 15.

"Ma said they are okay, and she will message us when it is safe."

"But no one came?"

"I know, Bo."

"Why not?"

"I don't know. Here, Ma said to start eating these bars. She doesn’t want us to get hungry."

One bite told her that they were antiChem bars. ”Zae, they don’t taste good,” complained Mina.

“They must be stale,” she pretended to check the date, “but they’re still okay. Just eat them.”

As she handed out the bars, she had noticed none of their usual things were in the packs: Ma had suspected something. They had extra water bladders, jumpsuits, and her bag had a box that said, "don't open until told”. ‘Odd,’ thought Zae.

Zae decided a distraction was needed and asked, "How about I read another chapter?"

The twins nodded.

She pulled their history book up on her phone, "Okay, where were we?"

"Chapter 4: Escaping Earth" said Bo as they fluffed their sacks, using them as cushions against the wall.

Zae read until she was almost hoarse, and the emergency lights were dimming. They'd eaten another 6 bars, had 1 full bladder of water each, and were on "Chapter 11: Mining the Moons of Mars".

::beep:: it was Ma.

<Check your map,, follow the path marked in blue. Uncle Miru is expecting you. Put the jumpsuits on, they'll protect you. The moon has risen so you should have enough light to get there.>

<Ma, what does it look like out there?>

<Like normal, the troops cleaned up public areas and the trails. Don’t dawdle, the Rebels aren’t back out yet.>

<Yes Ma. Will you be there?>

<I hope so, Zae. I love you all>

The phone went silent.

Zae got their things from the packs, checked the map, then spoke. "Okay Ma sends her love. Here are your jumpsuits. We are going to Uncle Miru’s by the same path we took a few weeks ago."

"But Zae, it's dark.” Bo was no fan.

"I know, but Ma told us to go now. So, let’s get moving.”

Changed, more bars eaten, more water drank, they were out and on the path in 10 minutes. The moon provided enough light as promised.

"Will Uncle be there?" asked Mina.

"He will be.” The alternative was unthinkable.

They walked in silence, just walking. The twins' short legs kept the pace slow, but they neither stopped nor complained - they seemed to sense that tonight was not the night for it.

It had not seemed as long a journey as they remembered before they were at Uncle’s cottage – ‘cottage’ being a generous description: the front was carved into a large tree that had grown from the base of the mountainside; it was easily missed if one was not looking for it.

“Zae? Is that you?” A strong voice whispered out to them.

“Yes Uncle. And the twins are with me.”

“Quickly. Bessa has food for you, and the flavour won’t improve for the waiting.”

The door was shut and barred behind them, their travel clothes off, they were being vigorously and thoroughly wiped down, and changed into clean clothes before they had even chance to greet Aunt Bessa. She was their Ma’s younger sister: they were frequently mistaken for twins despite their 3-year age difference.

The food before them, while hearty, was again tinged with an undefinable taste that had been in everything they had eaten since leaving home – was it just that morning? It was Bo who finally spoke to what Zae already knew “Auntie, everything tastes funny today.”

“Yes child. You’ve had a long day, so I put some vitamins in everything just like your Ma does with travel bars” was all Bessa said as she gave Zae a look that said, “I’ll tell you later” and Miru just put his finger over his lips as if to say that was as much as was going to be said.

“Yes Auntie” said the twins in unison as they ate everything off their plates, hunger winning out over taste. Zae did the same. Bessa and Miru ate with them as they’d held the evening meal for the travellors.

Once fed, the events of the day wore heavy on the twins, so it wasn’t long before they were fast asleep in the spare room. It was then that Zae decided to ask some of her many questions.

“Okay, I think have figured out some of what is going on, but what is REALLY going on Uncle?”

“Zae, I cannot tell you much more than you’ve likely figured out: the rebels gassed some communities around Launch City since they couldn’t affect the City itself. They’re angry they weren’t Chosen, and think they’ll increase their chances of leaving if they kill some of the Chosen. Desperate people make dangerous choices.”

“But Uncle, The Chosen and RightBorn are already in The City. What difference does it make that they’re killing people in the surrounding area?”

“No child, only those for the first and second Launch are in The City. Everyone else is arriving over the next few days. That’s been kept secret to protect them. Someone must have let the information out.”

Zae sat there, thinking over everything of the day: the changed contents of their sacks, the messages from Ma, the fact Ma had known something would happen, the food and water that tasted horrible in their packs. The puzzle pieces started to fall into place.

“Uncle, Aunt – Ma knew that the attack was likely to happen, and when – rush hour when no one was near their shelters. She repacked our sacks: she took out our books, put in the bars, all that water, the jumpsuits. She even put that map on my phone. Then she made us late so we would be in the locker bay. How did she know?”

Bessa and Miru looked at each other, Bessa shook her head and Miru sighed: “Your Ma has been part of the underground since your father was killed when Diemos struck: she’s been integral to the Launch Program. That’s all I can say right now, okay?”

Zae sat back and discovered she was beyond exhausted; her questioning mind was no match for body’s need for sleep. She went to the spare room, and like the twins was soon asleep.

Midday upon them when Zae and the twins emerged from their beds. They dressed in the clothes Aunt Bessa had lain out for them and made their way to the table. They ate the food before them, again with the strange taste, no questions asked.

Aunt Bessa was packing odd-shaped items into their sacks when she reminded Zae “Don’t forget the box your Ma packed” who promptly fetched it from the pack they’d hastily dropped at the door the night before.

The mood was anticipatory as they packed up then climbed into the vehicle (another generous description – it was a converted ore cart that now had seats with belts and an engine/battery system). Down through the tunnels they went – it was much faster to travel through the mountain then around it. A journey of days was cut to hours, even though the travelling was rough. The twins slept through most of the ride, still tired from the day previous.

It wasn’t long before they were coming out into daylight “Okay, everyone grab your pack” said Uncle as they climbed from the cart onto the path.

“Where to now Auntie?” asked Mina, who had not bothered question anything when they’d left the cottage.

“To see Ma and DaTu.” It seemed enough for the twins.

They weren’t long on the footpath before they heard “over here” – it was DaTu. They heard him yet did not see him, so they kept walking to his voice. A minute later they saw another ‘vehicle’ - this one looked like a pile of leaves - the door opened “get in, quickly” – it was Ma’s voice.

It took them a couple minutes to pile in and get everyone seated because the twins insisted on hugs. But a quick “shush, time for that later, we must hurry” and they were moving.

“Why the rush Ma?”

“We are going to The City” was all Ma said. Zae missed the nod between Bessa and Ma.

The twins squealed “we are going to see the launch!”

Alpha Launch was going to be visible from where they were, they didn’t need to be in The City for that. Zae was very confused. But no one else questioned it.

DaTu was driving very quickly, much faster than was reasonable on the road they were travelling, and everyone was bouncing about. But time seemed to be of the essence, so they all hung on in silence.

Suddenly there was no more road, and the City’s towers loomed high in front of them – no one had noticed them getting closer, focused as they were on keeping in their seats.

“We walk from here, it’s not far.”

“Walk where Ma? We can see The Launch perfectly fine from here.” Mina was obviously done with walking.

“To The City, and we must hurry. They’re closing the Gate today. Bessa, my pack” Ma handed her sister the pack she was carrying and scooped up Mina.

Bessa grabbed Ma’s pack, and Miru grabbed DaTu’s pack as he picked up Bo. And off they went walking quickly but carefully.

Zae was never so grateful for the cross-country team as she was that day. Rough paths were easy terrain for her, mindless even. She was counting off distance in her head. And time.

Wait – Ma said they’re closing the Gate? So? That doesn’t affect them.

They couldn’t enter The City: the Gate would fry them instantly!

10 minutes to The Launch and not enough distance travelled..

“We have to go faster” said DaTu.

“I know. Zae, you and Miru go ahead, and push branches aside.” Miru handed Bessa his pack, and he joined Zae at the front.

“And Zae? Get the box out of your pack” Zae thought it a rather odd request, but she reached back, felt for the box, and grabbed it. Another cross-country skill – plucking bars from a pack while moving!

“Got it.”

”Open it.”

Zae was beyond confused at this point. Nothing was making sense. She opened the box – there were 3 boxes with heart-shaped lockets on chains.

“Yours has a ‘Z’ on it, Hand me the ‘M’ locket and DaTu the ‘B’ locket. Put it on and keep moving.

What the hell?! These lockets were for the RightBorn! They were genetically tagged.

Zae had kept moving, her feet doing what her brain could not.

5 minutes

As she nearly skidded into the guard at the checkpoint, Zae felt her locket vibrating – she looked down – huh? Okay, whatever. Better than fried if the locket wasn’t your own.

Ma handed Mina to Zae, “I have to go first.”

Zae took the squirming twin, watching as Ma confidently walked through the Gate into The City.

“Welcome Your Highness, Queen Alexina” the Gate spoke.

Ma’s the Queen?!

Zae heard nothing else: her brain was DONE! She felt someone’s hands keep her and Mina from hitting the doomed Martian soil as her brain forced her body to shut down.

We’re going to Europa.

We won’t be here when Phobos hits.

All went black.