Earth Is Mine

Chapter 6

There is a familiar heaviness in my chest, filling my lungs with pain like lead. I find it hard to breath, let alone think. My gaze is fixed on the white floor, I don't know how long I've been staring at it. 

All I know is that I don't want to feel this pain anymore. I want it to end. 

My nails dig into the floor and I feel the sting of pain reverberate through my fingers. 

They're all dead. Rosie, Matt, Jade, Josephine.

My mind draws dangerously close to thoughts of Lucian but I quickly shut him out. I can't think of the possibility. It would break me. 

I barely blink. I don't feel the officer forcing a needle into my veins, filling me with liquids to keep me alive. 

All I can do is lie against the wall and stare at the floor. I've seemed to have lost all function. I don't know how much time has passed but Rachel eventually unlocks my cell and walks inside. 

"You need to eat," She says. Her voice tinged with remorse. 

Food? I chuckle softly and then a laugh escapes my lips. What's the point?

She forces a piece of bread into my hands but I don't react. Instead I let it fall to the floor. 

I remember General Lyra's last message to us in the freezer about needing to save Earth. Why did she help us escape if she knew this was going to happen? 

What happened to the Generals and Luna? Surely Lazarus wouldn't have killed her.

I ignore Rachel who hoists me to my feet which isn't so easy with my dead weight. She struggles to hold me up and it doesn't help that she is about a foot shorter than I am and smaller sized. 

"We're taking you three to the air base," She tells me. "They're coming to pick you up."

Although I should have known this was coming, this makes my feet freeze and Rachel sways backward at the impact. 

"You mean we're being taken back to Pluto?" Joon asks her. "I thought Lazarus was coming here." 

"Sole General Lazarus is busy preparing for the shift of Central Command to Earth. He doesn't have time to pick up criminals," The Deputy Director joins us as we are lead down a long corridor. 

"We're being taken back just to be executed?" Remulus wonders out loud. "Why not just get it over with here?"

I shoot him a look. Why is he giving them unnecessary ideas?

A trip doesn't sound as bad as being killed here. Maybe we'd be able to crash the ship and burn ourselves into oblivion. At least then Lazarus wouldn't have the pleasure of killing me. 

"General Lazarus plans to broadcast your execution's throughout the universe. To make an example of you," Rachel says and the Deputy glares at her. 

"Do not entertain their questions Major," He shakes his head and walks ahead, leading the group of us out of the building. 

The harsh sunlight nearly blinds me when we walk outside. I squint at the barren lands around us and the light brown landscape. The heat hits my face and for a moment it makes me smile. 

I blink a few times and pretend my eyes are like the cameras on Pluto, recording our every movement. I want to capture this image, I want this to be the last thing I see before I'm executed. 

I'm shoved forward as an officer locks my arms behind my back in a secure metal contraption. They do the same for Remulus and Joon and force us into another large green military vehicle.