Prologue
Lafeyete marched through the thick bush of the jungle, with her rifle at the ready, along with her marines in their new woodland camouflage uniforms and a few scientists in their plain dark green uniforms. Silence in the jungle, besides from the occasional tweets and small movement in the plants from what seems to be small animals.
"Lieutenant," called one of the scientists, looking at her atmosphere reading around her wrist, "I believe the air is breathable."
"Are you sure, Abigail?" Lafeyete asked still looking around.
Abigail then took off her helmet, first holding her breath but then deeply sucked in the air around her and inhaled. There was a pause, as everyone watched her. Abigail then looked at Lafeyete and smiled. The others then took their helmets off.
"Yeah I'm sure." Abigail said. "According to my readings, it's much cleaner than Venus."
"Either way." Lafeyete said continuing into the jungle, while she removes her helmet. "We should find a place to camp. This place gives me the creeps."
As the day got dimmer, they got even lost. It seemed like Lafeyete was walking her group in circles, but thanks to the coolness of the Earth's breeze, something she has never felt back home, managed to allow them to keep walking.
"Damnit." Called one of the privates as he slapped himself. "Something keeps biting me."
"I believe their called insects private." Abigail said looking back. "We don't get them anymore back home."
"Are they dangerous?" asked the private as he looks at the black remains of the dead bug, which he then wipes on his pants.
"No..." Abigail replied. "They shouldn't be."
They then hear small movements in the bush next to them.
"What the fuck?" Another private stopped in her tracks and pointed her rifle at the bush.
"Getting paranoid there, private?" Lafeyete stopped to look at the private.
"No ma'am." The private said. "I just thought I saw something dart towards me."
"It's probably just a small animal." Lafeyete said
"Yeah..." the private shuddered, "but it looked evil."
"Just keep moving private." Lafeyete turned to keep walking.
Abigail jogged up to Lafeyete.
"We're lost are we?" she asked her.
"Yea..." Lafeyete answered quietly to her, still looking around. "We're being followed as well."
"Excuse me?" Abigail quietly snapped at her.
"We have been for about an hour now." Lafeyete then darts her eyes towards a tree darkened by its shadow. "There's two up there."
Abigail discretely looked up at the tree where Lafeyete is looking and see two shadowy figures of a bird or lizard.
"What is it?" Abigail asked.
"I dunno." Lafeyete answered, as she watch the two figures jumps out of the tree and into another.
"What do you think their up too?" Abigail asked as she darts her head to the right to see another bush move.
"I believe they're stalking us." Lafeyete said still looking at the two figures that are in the trees. It feels like it was looking straight at her, into her soul, but she had no fear, she just stared right back at the figures, but there was nothing she could do, she and her troops are surrounded, and only she knew that. Her troops and the scientists are paranoid enough to be on an alien planet, there's no need to make them even more paranoid by knowing the fact that unknowns might ambush them. The only way she could do is to keep her troops on the open path and move a quickly as possible into either open land or shelter where they could rest in ease and she had to do it quick, it wasn't as bright as it was when they landed six hours ago. If it goes dark, they would be screwed.
"We have to find somewhere to stay the night." Abigail said to her. "A cave or just a piece of land where we can make tents or something."
"Tents would be a bad idea for this area." Lafeyete said as she stopped to decide which way to go when the path spilt into two ways. "Heads or tails?"
"Huh?" Abigail said in confusion.
Lafeyete took out a coin, it was the same one that her and Abigail found together back home, it was their lucky coin because it was this coin that made their relationship to what it was today, and it was the coin that decided almost everything that had two options. "Heads we go right, tails we go left."
Abigail looked at her options, the right was bright, for now, but dense with thick bush with a small pathway, left was gloomy, darkened by tall thick trees but the path was wide and open. Both choices had their advantages and disadvantages, but if they were being followed by aliens, it would be better if they had the cover of darkness and an open path to be prepared for them, although having as much light as possible would be good too, so that they could see where the aliens would attack.
"Tails." She then said.
Lafeyete flipped her coin and caught it in her hand. She opens it to see heads.
"At least we can see where we're going I guess." Lafeyete said and went right.
"I guess..." Abigail sighed.
They continued right, walking in single file deeper and deeper into the jungle, as the daylight got dimmer and dimmer.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Abigail said.
Lafeyete ignored her; she continued to get swallowed but the jungle, looking around to see if she could spot the figures. They were nowhere to be seen, but she could hear what seemed liquid running, something very familiar like she heard in school before.
"Do you hear that?" Lafeyete asked Abigail.
Abigail's face lit up with joy then said, "Yeah, it's a river."
"What does that mean Ma'am?" asked one of the privates.
"Water..." Lafeyete said and started running towards the sound.
They all ran for a while towards the sound to see a small, shallow riverbank. The water was crystal clear. Everyone was panting and filled with joy to see it.
"You think we can drink it?" panted one of the privates.
Abigail didn't bother to get her water measurer out and just drowned her face in the river and started drinking. She then tossed her long, dark wet hair back and took a deep breathe of fresh air and relief of cool water. The privates and scientists went for the river as well and started drinking. Lafeyete smiled and started walking down to the bank until she heard something behind her. She raised her rifle and pointed at the jungle.
"What is it Ma'am?" asked one of the private who seemed to have heard the noise as well with his rifle ready.
Lafeyete didn't answer but just looked around. The private then slowly walked towards the jungle with his rifle at the ready. Then, in a blink of an eye, two feathered creatures jumped down from a tree, with their razor sharp mouths wide out and knocked the private onto his back, with them on his faceless, bleeding chest.
Chapter I
"In other news," the anchor reported on the thin television, mounted on the metal wall. "Gas levels have rose 40%, raising in heat temperatures. The population of United Falindoria has dropped 98% due to the green house effect, cause by Quad-Tech factories. As for the population of Luritan, has died out, leaving no survivors. The area is now inhabitable with acid rain on a daily occurrence. As for the famous historical town, Teutonia has decayed from the rain. A priest from the temple of Cartinology says that this is the end of years and the end of our beloved planet, Venus."
Melody turned the T.V. off and took a sip of her bright blue energy drink.
"End of years huh?" she looked at her empty T.V screen then at her grey cat sleeping peacefully on it's pillow. The apartment wasn't much to look at, it was the same as all the others in her neighborhood; dark metal grey steel walls, dim lighting to save energy in these tough times, besides the fish tank sitting in a metal shelf just above the television which is right under the light, should provide enough to the small living space. There were only two rooms, one small kitchen that can only fit one person and a bedroom that had enough space for a twin bed, desk and a small wardrobe.
"Lets hope there's some news about the program to Earth." Melody then grabbed her gas helmet and tank then put her dark red acid suit on. "Don't wait up on me honey, and don't eat the fish again." She smiled at her cat giving her a blank expression. Melody then opened the door that leads her to oxygen camber.
"Close living door." She told the house computer. The door closed behind her then sucked out all the oxygen in the camber into the house. Melody then turned on her oxygen tank.
"Open death door." She smiled; she still can't believe Lafeyete and Abigail convinced her to program such a command into the computer. Then the second door opened to a chalk red ground and a vanilla sky. She lived on the first floor of her apartment, that were just a small metal cube, which was stacked under other, metal cubes with a small lift sticking out which goes up 20 floors. She see's her upstairs neighbor coming down from the lift and placed her trash on the side of the street for the garbage truck to come by later. She gave a wave in her dark blue acid suit and Melody waved back as her neighbor got back into to the lift. The sun was no longer visible in this area anymore, not like it was visible anywhere else but Linnior, that's where all the rich bastards were but even there the sun was only barely visible. Even the side of her apartment building was starting to wear out from the acid rain. Melody sighed then got on her hover bike, revved the engine then headed to the space station.
Venus was once a beautiful planet, the last war ended almost 10,000 years ago and ever since, beside the occasional robbery, mad killer and domestic violence, things have been peaceful. However people got lazy, and wanted more things to be done for them. So companies like Quad-Tech made robots and hovercrafts for the people and all of these machines ran on ethanol. Where the rich only saw it as a profit, and the many didn't care as long as it worked. Only a handful saw it as a death sentence to the planet, and now the people of Venus are all suffering its wrath. Acid rain happens on a monthly occurrence and the oceans boiled into steam, as the temperatures raises from the green house effect from the factories pumping out clouds of sulfuric acid. All of the forests that once pumped life is all but extinct, and the people of Venus has to rely on woman made oxygen to survive, but even that's about run out. However, in sadness and hopelessness, Brigadier General Orabelle Ravensdale with her team of scientists and the 88th Venus Marines Space Force, found Earth; untainted and just as beautiful.
Just before Melody turned into the station, she passed by a factory where there was a group of protestors in bright yellow acid suits, in front of the factory gates.
"What do we want? Clearer Air! When do we want it? Yesteryear!" They chanted.
Melody ignored them and showed her pass to the guard at the station gate.
"Morning Lieutenant Colonel." She saluted, as Melody drove into the gunmetal building, passing by guards with rifles around their shoulders in their orange acid camouflage suits. She parked her bike in her usual spot next to the fancy black hover car, then made her way to the locker rooms.
"You're late Colonel." Major Bryce Nightingale said leaning against his locker watching Melody walk through the air lock. He was always on her case on being punctual. Even though he had a cute face and a skinny body, a lot of the officers and cadets would miss judge him for being weak, stupid and fragile, but for a man he was able break one of the cadet's arm and put her into shock for not taking him seriously at boot camp. However, Melody knew him before boot camp, so she is very aware of how skillful he is, as well as his flirting skills to get what he wants. Besides she knows him too well to know that he's too much of a good solider to cross anyone who is higher ranking than him, especially in a society run by women.
"Good morning to you too Brycey." Melody chucked her helmet at him.
"Please don't call me that at work ma'am." Bryce mumbled as he catches the helmet and placed it above the lockers.
"Well, everybody else doesn't care, so why not." Melody smiled as she got out of her acid suit and put on her navy blue VMSF jacket. "Any news on the squad that went to Earth?"
"Yes." Bryce sighed. "We seem to have a problem."
They both walked into the dimly lit command room where they were playing the feedback from one of the marine's head camera on the main screen.
"Abigail? Abigail!" the second lieutenant shouted. "Watch your back!"
Melody froze at the sound of the voice, at the sound of the name. That was Lafeyete, and something was behind Abigail.
Lafeyete then sprayed her rifle behind Abigail, but a feathered reptile still jumped her from a bush and it used its biggest toe claw and stabbed her right in the heart.
"Oh shit!" Lafeyete yelled. "Everyone fall back to the cave! Now!"
Lafeyete then shot the reptile that was chewing on the sergeant's face, and then started to run back with the rest of the troops.
"Command?" Lafeyete was now talking to the command center. "Command, this is second lieutenant Lafeyete. We have been ambushed! I repeat we have been ambushed by a group of creatures. We have no idea how many there are, they got Abigail... oh god... Abigail..." Her voice shattered with the panting from the running.
Lafeyete then looks back with her head camera, to see two of her marines getting jumped from the sides by four more feathered reptiles. As soon as she looked back to see where she's going, she and what was left of her marines were quickly surrounded by what appears to be the feathered reptiles. It had a long snout with arms just shorter than theirs but had two long powerful legs that had a toe claw that was about six inches long; it also had a long feathered tail that swung side to side. The reptiles looked up at them with its yellow eyes moving up slowly, and then there was a rumble on the ground and a mighty roar. The reptiles looked up behind the second lieutenant, then what appears to be the leader of the group let out two yelps at the other reptiles, stared at Lafeyete in the eye and then retreated back into the thick jungle.
"What the fuck was that ma'am?" One of the marines asked.
"I dunno private." Lafeyete replied panting, then looking back to see trees coming down towards them like bowling pins.
"Command?" Lafeyete continued to try to reach the command center. "If you're getting this video, Earth is an extremely hostile environment, do not send anyone here..."
More trees came toppling down and another mighty roar shook the ground.
"I repeat Earth is an extremely hostile environment!"
"Ma'am we have to get out of..." the privates words was quickly silenced, with screams of pain when what looked like a giant reptile that was two stories tall with stubby arms and a powerful set of legs and jaw. Lafeyete could see the private's legs still dangling from the giant's massive mouth, the private was still struggling and screaming but the monster opened its mighty mouth and finished its meal. The other marines froze in horror while one of them threw up in disgust. Lafeyete was speechless and couldn't say anything until the giant turned to look at the marines.
"Open fire!" Lafeyete called out, and everyone fired their rifles at the giant reptile, however their guns were useless against its tough skin and it took one step to flatten one of the marines and went for Lafeyete. The screen then lost signal.
"Holy shit." Melody whispered.
"Lafeyete..." she thought to herself. "Abigail..." She started to think back at the times they had at boot camp. Them and their silly coin, always deciding either or. Melody and Bryce would always laugh at them about that, but they still did everything together. They didn't deserve to die like that. Melody looked at Bryce and he was covering his mouth trying to hold back his tears, after the gruesome event that was laid before his eyes.
"When did this happen?" Melody asked.
"5 hours ago." Orabelle replied turning around too look at Melody, with her arms crossed.
"Orabelle." Melody smiled, trying to forget what just happened and not break down in front of her commanding officer. "You don't look a day older."
"And you're late again." Orabelle said with her eyebrow raised. "Also that's ma'am to you."
"Yes ma'am." Melody stood up straight. "Sorry ma'am."
"Wha... What were those things anyway?" Bryce asked.
"We don't know yet." Orabelle said. "All we know that they're hostile and that Earth is still not safe to colonize yet. Technical Sergeant Nadeau, if you please. Melody... Bryce... I'm sorry, I know you guys were close to them."
Both of them ignored her, Melody with a face of determination for the next mission, but Bryce had his eyes closed with tears still running, he had his head down, like he was praying, he's was always been a strong believer of Cartinology. Melody, on the other hand, had no care for gods and demons.
"We've tried sending probes into earth's surface." Nadeau continued. "But, we can never get any readings on these creatures. We either lose contact with the probe or it just gets destroyed or the information just gets lost. This is actually the most information we can get from the Earthlings."
"Have you tried sending in more probes, Annabelle?" Melody asked.
"Funding isn't really our strong point." Annabelle sighed. "We only have enough left to build the ship for the civilians to go to Earth, but I'm not sure wither it's safe enough to even turn a new leaf."
"How about Mars?" Bryce asked.
Everyone was looking at him like he was crazy. Bryce looked around realizing what he just said, and went red.
"Yeah..." Melody continued Bryce's thought; she knew exactly what he was going to say. "What about Mars? We've sent probes there as well and they sent out excellence results with detailed information about the surface. The oxygen levels aren't that high, yes, but we know that we can start growing plants there. With the plants, oxygen levels will raise."
"No!" Annabelle snapped at Melody. "That's impossible! Do you know how long it took for the probe to even reach there? Almost two years! We're pretty much screwed with no options, and with this economy we only have enough fuel to just get to Earth!"
"Of course, sergeant!" Melody snapped back at her. "But Earth must have some form of fuel, that can help us take off to Mars."
Some scientists nodded in approval, but some shook their heads.
"She's gone mad." Melody could hear one of the scientists whispered to her friend.
"Look," Melody calmed down a bit, after verbally attacking Annabelle, "from what I see, we don't have much time or much of a choice. People are dying every minute; we have to do everything and anything we can to survive. It is clear that we can't live on Earth with the Earthlings roaming around the place, but if we work together. We can live through our stay on Earth then move to Mars. I mean who knows, we might even find a better source of energy on Earth."
"You're fucking crazy!" Annabelle yelled. "Did you not see what that monster did to the second lieutenant? Our weapons are useless against them!"
"If you have better ideas then feel free to say it Anna!" Melody barked. "I dunno about you but I believe I speak for everyone here, that they want to keep on living to find new wonders of our universe!"
There was silence in the command center as sounds of rain rapidly tapped the roof of the building.
"We have come so far!" Melody begged. "A billion years of Venusian history and a billion years of Venusian knowledge cannot be lost because we didn't have the guts to take the chance of our only window of hope to salvation and to correct the fuck ups we allowed happen to our beloved planet."
Annabelle glared at Melody, while the others looked at her with risen heads.
"I think that's a good idea." Orabelle agreed.
"General?" Annabelle protested, but was quickly silenced.
"Like she said," Orabelle continued, "We don't have much of a choice now, our planet is dying because of us. A better source of fuel can really help, plus who knows we might find something that can clean up all this shit in our air and return home. Ok Lieutenant Colonel, we'll do it your way. Let's start a new project and get work."
Chapter II
153 days has past since the launch from Venus to Earth, the oval shaped space ship now slowly floats towards Earth, which is in their grasp.
"We're almost there." Bryce whispered as he woke Melody up, who was fast asleep in her seat. They could see the blue planet in the distance glowing bright blue as the sun shines on it; they were both in the command deck of the space ship that's carrying the people of Venus. There were few other pilots behind them either sleeping or monitoring the status of the ship.
"It's beautiful..." Melody whispered to herself. "Shame we're just going there to take its resources."
"Yeah." Bryce chuckled to himself. "But if it can work we could just stay behind and live there while the rest go to Mars."
Melody smiled at Bryce, and held his hand. "Sounds like a plan."
Then a red light started to blink and Melody answered the call.
"What is it Master Sergeant?" Melody asked
"Ma'am." The sergeant replied on the small screen. "We have a problem. The General's dead and the fuel tanks to the engines have been sabotaged."
Melody looked at Bryce in shock.
"That's not funny Jenny." Melody told the sergeant.
"It's not joke ma'am." Jenny said. "Annabelle killed the general in her sleep and sabotage the engine fuels."
Lights for the fuel then started to rapidly bleep to let the pilots know that they are low on fuel.
"Where's the Technical Sergeant now?" Melody asked.
"She's in custody, but..." Jenny was interrupted to the sound of gunfire.
"Stop her she's escaping!" Melody can hear one of the privates yell in the background. Then another shot hits Jenny killing her, then the signal lost.
"Bryce, take control." Melody commanded. "I'm going after the Sergeant."
Melody took her pistol out of her hostler and ran out of the deck to take the lift down to the prison cell. She checked to see wither she had a full magazine then shoved it back into the gun, pulling the slider. The lift slowed down and the doors opened to see dead bodies littering the cells and a clicking sound at the end of the dark hall. There was a light flicking on and off and Melody could see Annabelle's face staring at the flame as she clicks it on and off.
"Sergeant?" Melody calls out with her pistol ready, pointing at Annabelle.
There was no response. Melody moved closer to her and calls out again.
"Sergeant Annabelle?"
Annabelle then left the flame burn; slowing looks at Melody, then point her pistol at her.
"Why did you do this Anna?" Melody continued.
"We're all going to die anyway, Colonel." Annabelle chuckled to herself. "Might as well end it here, than get eaten by some alien monster."
"You don't know that Anna." Melody replied still pointing the gun at her. "Just drop the gun down and see if we can get any help for you."
Annabelle gave out a demonic laugh as tears ran down her cheeks. Melody took a step towards her, but Annabelle quickly shuts up and points her gun at her and Melody came to a stop.
"Ah, ah, ah..." Annabelle said with a smirk. "Don't even think about it."
"I have a much better aim that you." Melody said. "We both know that.
Annabelle chuckled, "but you won't kill me... We both know that."
Melody gave out a sigh of annoyance. It was true, she never wanted to kill one of her own, and it was never in her nature. Though it killing wasn't unfamiliar to her, but to kill one of her own. It was crazy. Annabelle is totally taking advantage of the situation.
"Annabelle..." Melody said. "Please come back to us. We can't afford to fall apart now."
"Oh..." Annabelle replied. "But it's too late, for that."
The ship gave out a small tremor.
"Annabelle," Melody said again, "please... don't do this."
"And who are you to tell me what to do or what not to do?" Annabelle snapped. "Don't you see, oh Melody the savior, I'm doing everyone a favor, the whole population. At least... this way it'll be quick... they won't feel a thing...they won't know it has happened until it happens."
Melody widened her eyes. "What did you do?"
"Did you know I've always hated you and your... boy..." Annabelle tilted her head.
"What the Fuck did you Do!" Melody screamed at her.
Annabelle chuckled. "Ah... so, very simple. You know how everyone was suppose to wake up today?"
Melody heart dropped and she lowered her gun.
"I prolonged the hibernation..." Annabelle continued. "They won't feel a thing. None of them, not even the children."
The ship then gave a heavy jerk.
"Looks like we've been caught in Earth's gravitational pull, Colonel." Annabelle looked up. "Have a fun ride."
"Wait, don't!" Melody yelled, but it was too late, Annabelle pointed at the side of her head and pulling the trigger, spraying her brains to the side of the wall.
"Shit..." Melody looked at Annabelle's body then received a call from Bryce.
"Colonel we need you at the deck now."
Melody took another look at Annabelle's body, sighed then took the lift back up.
"What's the problem Major?" Melody asked as soon as she got out of the lift; too see the front windows burning bright orange and red as they dove into Earth.
"We've lost all control." Bryce yelled trying to steady the ship. "We've lost all fuel and heading straight for Earth. We don't have enough power to get the civilians out of hibernation and into the escape pods. I'm sorry Melody, but we couldn't think of anything else to do."
"Excuse me?" Melody questioned then two marines grabbed her. "Get off of me, what do you think you're doing?"
"I'm sorry Melody." Bryce continued. "But you have to live for us."
"What?"
The marines then dragged Melody and threw her into an escape pod.
"What's going on Captain?" Melody screamed through the window of the escape pod.
"I'm sorry ma'am." The Captain apologizes as she got back into her seat then jettisons the escape pod out of the ship.
Melody fell back into a seat, and then started to try to get to the communication panel, but the force of the gravity of Earth was too strong. The escape pod then slowed down and started to free-fall towards the North Pole. Melody took the chance to contact the space ship.
"Bryce." She spoke into the microphone. "What the fuck did you do?"
"I'm sorry Melody." Bryce's voice came through the speaker. "But we're coming in too hot and is about to crash into land. The ship is too heavy to control right now and the only functioning escape pod can only fit one person. Do you still have Project V.E.M with you?"
"Yes, but..." Melody calmly said, grasping her miniature information pad around her neck. "I don't want to be alone Bryce."
"I know..." Bryce softly replied. "I'm sorry but I've set your escape pod to crash somewhere in the ocean at the tip of the Earth and it's going to freeze you to keep you and your work safe. There's nothing we can do, we all decided you have to live for us."
"But why me?"
"Because..." Bryce paused. "Because, you're the only one, out of all of us, that have survive this."
"But, what about the things we were talking about?" Melody sobbed. "What about us living together on earth."
"I guess we'll have to do it another time." Bryce sighed. "I'm going to start the hibernation process in your escape pod."
"Wait. I..." Melody hesitated.
"I know." Bryce replied then activated the freezing process, and Melody was quickly frozen in the escape pod as it crashed into the ocean of the North Pole. As for the space ship that held what was left of the people of Venus, crashed into Earth turning it into a mushroom cloud that ignited into yellow and orange burst of flames sending out multiple earthquakes, and destroying all life that existed on the land. The grey clouds that came from the flames covered the Earth's atmosphere in a thick layer sending the Earth into an ice age. While all life died in the cold, Melody's pod sat at the bottom of the North Pole Sea. Melody just sat in her chair frozen and still holding to the project around her neck, sleeping and waiting.
Chapter III
"God... why do we have to do scuba training in the North Pole at the coldest time of the year?" The ensign complained.
"The North Pole is the closest to the States, Ensign." Replied the commander.
They floated slowly in their metal diving gear down to the bottom of sea.
"Besides." The commander continued. "It's good training, once you get use to these waters you won't have to worry about being cold anymore."
"God." The ensign sighed. "Kill me now."
They reached the bottom then started to look around in the deep dark sea. Everything was pitch black; they could only see each other with the lights in their helmets pointing up at their own faces.
"How long do we stay down here?" The ensign continued to gripe.
"One hour." The second ensign looked at the time that appeared on the screen in his helmet.
"What is the point of this training?" The first ensign sighed.
"It's to see how well we function in deep cold and in the dark, Ensign." The commander replied. "It's a psychological test."
"I hate the fucking sea," the first ensign continued, "Especially this deep in it, fucking hell."
"Then why did you join the Navy Seals, dumbass?" The third ensign asked.
"It's the best of the best, man!" The first ensign snapped at him. "They're the ones who get to be the hero and kill the big, bad wolfs!"
"You?" Scoffed the third ensign. "A hero? More like a big pussy that's about to piss his pants."
"Hey fuck you." The first ensign shoved him.
The third ensign lost his balance then landed against something that gave a loud metal thud. The Seals looked at each other then back at the third ensign, who was slowly getting back up.
"What the fuck was that?" The second ensign whispered, taking out his underwater beam rifle.
"I dunno." The third ensign replied, now touching the thing that he just fell against. The commander started to move up to where the ensign was and took his flash light out. He looked around it and found half a window sticking out of the ground. He then shone his light into the window.
"Guys check this out." The commander waved at them, and they all turned their flashlights on and slowly walked towards him. With all their flashlights on they could see the metal object more clearly. It was an egg shape object that was sticking out of the ocean floor. They all shone their lights in and saw what seems to be a body frozen in the pod.
"Is that a person in there?" The third ensign asked.
"Don't be retarded dude." Answered the first ensign. "It can't be. It must be some trash people dump into the sea. It always happens."
"No..." The third ensign examined the pod. "It can't be trash, look at the markings."
He shone his light around the pod to see words painted in black across the pod, in a different language.
"What the hell does it say?" The first ensign asked.
"I know every language in the world, old and new." The third ensign answered. "But I never seen this one."
"And by the looks of it." The second ensign shone his light into the pod again. "This is beyond our technology."
"Either way." The commander said taking his radio out, to contact the ship. "We have to report to the captain back on the ship. The ETTF might want to take a look at this."
"What makes you think it's alien?" The first ensign asked.
"Well according to my orders." The commander said trying to reach the ship. "If any military personal of the United States of America finds an unknown, they are to report it to the ETTF."
"It was passed five years ago, in 2017." The third ensign said still examining the pod. "Ever since the first aliens attacked us. We were just lucky we had the technology to defend ourselves. Now that our planet is a potential threat to others, we will need every advantage possible."
"You think the thing in there will help?" The second ensign asked.
"Dunno." The third ensign looked into the pod, shining his light at the still body. "Lets hope so."
Chapter IV
"Have they figured out what it is?" Arthur asked with his arms crossed as he watch the de-hibernation camber slowly warmed up the frozen body.
"No." Ronald replied looking through the little detail on his tablet. By my guess it's a human female, but according to our scientist and archeologists she's been sitting under the North Pole for pretty much 65 million years."
"She doesn't look like a dinosaur." Arthur said.
"No..." Ronald sighed. "She doesn't."
"Then where did she come from?" Arthur asked.
Ronald shook his head as the de-hibernation process finished and the mechanical arms carefully picked the female up and placed her on the surgery table. The doctors then quickly did an x-ray scan on her body.
"Sir." One of the doctors called to them in the observational room. "She's human."
"That's impossible." Ronald said.
"Permission to shock her, sir?" The doctor asked.
"Yes. Do it." Ronald told the doctor.
The doctor quickly took out the defibrillators then went up to the female placing it around her chest.
"Clear!" the doctor yelled then shocked her once.
"Nothing doctor." The nurse said.
"Turn it up." The doctor said. "Clear!"
But there was still nothing.
"Turn it up again." The doctor told the nurse. "Clear!"
The female arched up taking a deep breath, then she started screaming and flinging her arms as she push the doctor away.
"No!" she screamed. "No Bryce, don't!"
One of the guards quickly went up to her trying to hold her down, but was quickly knocked out with big uppercut swing, as she tried to get up and run.
"No Bryce!" she continued screaming as more guards came up to her pushing her down and holding her. "Don't leave me!"
"Someone knock her out!" Arthur called coming out of the room and one of the guards quickly took his rifle and knocked the female out with the butt of his gun.
"Damn." Ronald gave a sigh of relief. "She packs quite a punch, for a hot chick."
Arthur walked up to her and pulled the information pad from around her neck. He examined it, turning it back to front and tapped the screen. It turned on and said 'Project V.E.M'
"What's Project V.E.M?" Ronald asked as he looked at the information pad over Arthur's shoulder.
Arthur just shook his head then looked at the female as the guards cuffed her and carried her to the prison block.
Chapter V
Melody wakes up from drops of water, coming from the tiny cracked ceiling wall, tapping the side of her face. She was in a small dark prison cell, with a large metal door, one long metal bed that she was laying on and a toilet bowl. There were no windows and no lights, but the thin crack of dim yellow light shining from under the metal door. Melody sits up and rubs her face where the water was tapping her then felt the bandage that was placed on her forehead where she was knocked out. She sat up on the bed in her vanilla colored tank top and shorts, and rested her face in her hands trying to think the last thing she remembers.
"The ship..." She whispered to herself. "Bryce..."
She then hears a slide on her door open and what seemed to be a flashlight shining in, into her face. The slide then closes and she could hear the door open and there were three men in black combat uniforms. The one in front had his pistol pointing at her and on the other hand handcuffs with a thin blanket draped over his arm, while the other two had their rifles ready.
"Ma'am, face the wall and put your hands behind your back, please." The first guard told her.
Melody stared at them blankly, she couldn't make what they were saying or, in fact she didn't understand the language they were speaking, not yet at least.
"I won't repeat myself, ma'am." The guard said pointing at the wall behind her.
Melody at least understood that, she sighed then got up from her bed and faced the wall, she knew she would be able to break the first guard's arms take his gun and run for it, but not with the other two aiming down their sights at her. The first guard holstered his pistol, grabbed both her hands that was dangling from her sides then cuffed them together.
"Here, take this." The first guard said, covering Melody's shoulder with the blanket.
Melody looked back and nodded. The guard then took her out into the dark corridor that had endless halls of metal doors; some had something moaning behind them while some had quick jitters, of the alien language that resembled the guard. They walk towards the well lit, glass elevator and headed up into a bright white corridor. Everything was clean and glossy here unlike the floor that Melody was in. There was a nurse with a black eye holding some documents walking towards them. The nurse then moved stopped abruptly to see Melody walking towards her, which she then quickly darted to the side and stared at Melody with scared but curious eyes. Melody didn't acknowledge her but just continued down the hall.
The walk felt like forever, as she passes by windows with more people in them either too busy to notice her or looking at her as she passes by. Melody slightly looks back at the three guards to get a better look in what they were wearing, all were wearing black with black vests, gloves and caps along with a crystal clear ear piece spiraling up from their vest up around into their ears. The guard right behind her had his hand on her shoulder guiding her towards the direction to where they're taking her, while the other two held what looks like small rifles, that she never seen before. She knew every weapon that was ever invented, she had too it was part of her training. She even knew how to operate them, take them apart and put them back together perfectly. She could even do it blindfolded for fun if she wanted too, but the ones the guards had was completely alien to her. She ignored it and looked back to where she was walking and she sees more people in white and black uniforms stopping at what they're doing and looking at her.
They finally came to a stop at a room, the guard reached at pad next to the door, placed his hand on it and the door slid open. The room wasn't as lit up as the hallway. It had dozens of small black holes in the walls. The guard nudged her to go in and had her sit in a white metal chair with her handcuffs still on. Another guard then placed a cup of dark liquid on the white metal table, adjusted the blanket around her, left and locked the door behind them.
The room was dead quite as she stared at the white cup, as steam slowly drifted up from the liquid, and she continue to think back at what happened to her ship that crashed into Earth, about how Annabelle sabotage the ship because she lost her mind, about how her crew sacrificed themselves to save her and about Bryce.
Chapter VI
"Arthur, I'm going to assign her to you." Ronald said as they were walking down the corridor towards the interrogation room. "Find out everything about her. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir." Arthur saluted, and then went into the room where the female was sitting, she was staring at the cup. Arthur placed the folder on the table and took a seat from across her. He looked at her for a while; at her long dark brown hair that was scuffed up from the struggle she had in the de-hibernation center and her tired brown eyes as they continue to take her to the past.
"Hi." Arthur finally said. "I'm Agent Arthur Thompson, of the Extra-Terrestrial Task Force."
The female didn't say anything.
"According to this..." Arthur continued as he held up the information pad, looking at the back, "thing, that we had trouble translating, you are Lieutenant Colonel Melody Hollingberry, of the 88th Venus Marines Space Force. Am I correct?"
The female sniffed, picked the cup up and took a sip from it. She jerked her head back a bit, and then licked her lips.
"What is this?" She asked.
"... Coffee." Arthur replied with confusion that he could understand her without a translator.
"It's good." She placed the cup down and continued to stare at it.
"Are you Lieutenant Colonel Melody Hollingberry, of the 88th Venus Marines Space Force?" Arthur asked again.
Melody nodded.
"Can you tell me what Project V.E.M is?" Arthur then continued to ask, putting down the information pad.
"Where am I right now?" Melody asked.
"Tell me what Project V.E.M is first."
"I'll tell you." Melody sighed, now staring right into Arthur's blue eyes. "If you answer my questions first."
Arthur stared right back at her it was like a showdown. The quietness got the best of them as they looked at each other in the eyes.
"Ok..." Arthur nodded. "You're in Area 51."
"No, I mean which planet?" Melody weakly snapped.
Arthur looked at her for a while wondering if she was joking or not, then replied. "Earth."
"What year?"
"2022."
"That's impossible." Melody shook her head.
"Why?"
"It should be the year 4535002000." She took another sip of coffee. "Well, at least that was the year I was frozen."
"Where are you from?" Arthur asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Venus."
"Please don't play games ma'am."
"I'm not."
"There is no life in Venus."
"Nope."
"You're human?"
"Yup."
"Then you're not from Venus."
"I am."
"You're Human though."
"Yes..."
"You can't be Venusian."
"Very Venusian."
"But you're speaking our language."
"I guess."
"You're speaking English."
"What?"
"English."
"I'm speaking Santaish."
"Sounds like English."
"Well we are talking to each other now, are we?"
Melody slowly placed the cup on the table, as they stared down in the quiet room.
"I wouldn't expect you be able to understand all this for a man." She insulted Arthur, but he didn't notice it.
"If you are from Venus." Arthur continued. "Why do you look like us?"
"We do, don't we?" Melody examined Arthur, and then said. "But, you do look a bit different from us."
"Excuse me?" Arthur asked.
"We don't have anyone on our planet with skin as pale as yours." Melody smiled. "And I'm kinda surprised that I'm being interrogated by a man."
"Well, here men are more dominating than woman." Arthur replied. "At least, it was like that in the past, not anymore. Things are more equal, now"
"Huh, really." Melody smiled, slowly nodded her head. "If I am on Earth, why don't you look like a reptile with a long feathered tail, trying to chew my face off?"
"I'm presuming you're talking about the dinosaurs?" Arthur asked.
"Is that what you call it?" Melody scoffed.
"The dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago."
"What happened to them?"
"Big asteroid, crashed into Earth, killing all life on land, sending it into an ice-age." Arthur slowly said.
Melody smirked then finished her coffee.
"What is Project V.E.M?" Arthur finally asked again.
"It wasn't an asteroid." Melody shook her head.
"What?" Arthur scoffed. "Yes, it was."
"No." Melody softly sighed. "It was my ship."
"Your ship?" Arthur laughed. "This is crazy."
Melody put her cup down then started to explain.
"We were on the verge of extinction, our children suffocated in the gas created by the rich snobs trying to get richer. We didn't have a choice but to abandon our planet, and seek refuge in another. Our first choice was Earth, we sent a squad of marines and scientists to scout the place out and prepare for our arrival. But, what you called, dinosaurs attacked them and wiped the entire team out, like an all you can eat buffet. Luckily, our people had detailed information about Mars, but we only had enough fuel to get to Earth. So Project V.E.M, also known as Project Venus, Earth, Mars, was designed to take us to Earth for a pit stop to discover and gather a new source of fuel, then head to Mars."
"Mars?" Arthur questioned. "Mars is nothing but a desert."
"Yes it is." Melody smiled. "But our probes tells us that it is possible to grow organic life, like jungles and forests there, with the high carbon dioxide levels. Once that's done oxygen level's will rise and we will be able to breathe without tanks."
Reached for the information pad then asked, "May I?"
Arthur stared at her, then slowly nodded. Melody then took it and activated the hologram of Mars.
"We've sent probes there." Arthur said looking at the hologram. "But we either lose contact with them or it breaks down, the only solid information we can get, to even move there is the icecaps in the north and South Pole of the planet, but even with that we're not sure if the waters are safe."
"It's safe alright." Melody expanded the view of the icecaps of Mars. "Just need to unfreeze it."
She then showed Arthur all the information and mock up designs for dome cities for the first settlers then Mars slowly terraforming into a blue planet just like Earth.
"This is amazing." Arthur said with eyes shining. "This can be very useful."
"What do you mean?" Melody asked turning the hologram off.
"The thing is..." Arthur sighed. "Earth is going through the same problem as what you said happened to Venus, global warming, shit like that. But with this information we can be able to start our move to Mars."
Melody stared at Arthur blankly as he stared off into space thinking of the wonders it can bring to Earth. However, Melody wasn't sure if she was ready to trust him his society run by men. She is also not sure how she sees her place in his plan to Mars.
"If you are Venusian." Arthur leaned forward closer to Melody. "Shouldn't you be speaking it some weird alien language, that should give us a huge headache translating?"
Melody nodded.
"Then why are you speaking English?" Arthur asked.
"I'm a quick learner." Melody smirked.
"Excuse me?"
Melody then lifted her cuffed hands then tapped the side of her head, with a grin on her face.
"Every military personal and businesswomen or people with money, are implanted with a translator. It basically listens or read the lips of each Venusian; in this case Earthlings like you. It then translates it in the brain. The translator then learns the language, which then translate it to me."
"So your speaking English right now?" Arthur asked.
"I guess."
"You're speaking English?"
"Not exactly." Melody shook her head. "I'm technically still speaking my language. It just sounds like your English."
"Handy." Arthur smiled. "Is it possible, with your information, you can help us move to Mars?"
"Why?" Melody asked squeezing her information pad.
"Because," Arthur continued, "both our planets are going though the same things. We too are suffering Global Warming from the rich trying to get richer.
Melody looked at Arthur's hopeful eyes as they gleamed at her tired eyes. She wondered wither if she could trust him or not and wither if she should share her work with these earthlings.
"I'm not sure wither I can trust you guys with these detailed information." Melody replied. "How do I know wither you are telling the truth."
"You don't." Arthur said reaching out his hand to her. "But on earth it is human to take a leap of faith to the unknown in order to explore and discover new and wonderful things."
Melody looked at Arthur's outreached hand; she then placed her information pad into his hands then said.
"Looks like both our races think alike." Melody winked at Arthur with a smile. "I guess Venusians and Earthlings are the same, but you guys just have lighter skins."
"That's something that still confused me." Arthur asked as he pockets the information pad. "We have been visited by Venusians before, but you said you guys has died out millions of years ago."
"Yes..." Melody wondered.
"The 'Venusians' that visited us." Arthur continued. "Were much taller than us but they all had blonde hair and white skins."
"They are such great liars aren't they?" Melody laughed.
"Excuse me?"
"Their Europians." Melody explained. "We had their kind visit our planet before, but all they wanted was to mingle with our men. You know who they say they was?"
"Who?"
"Earthlings." Melody laughed. "It was until we had better technology that we found out that earthlings were actually lizards, I mean, dinosaurs."
"So?" Arthur said in confusion. "They wanted to rape humans?"
"Horny fuckers the bunch of them." Melody sat back on her chair. "You really think a species who have pretty white skin and gorgeous blonde hair, would come from a planet that is even closer to the sun than earth."
"I guess we're just young and dumb." Arthur smiled. "But we did find something, that we kept from the public for a couple years."
"What does that have to do with me?" Melody scoffed.
Arthur looked at her then said. "Probably everything."
Chapter VII
They were walking towards another room. Melody looked at the sign above the door and it read 'Evidence Room'. Just like the guard, Arthur placed his hand on a pad next to the door and it then slid open to a huge room filled with random technology, and fossils. Arthur lead her to the one of the show rooms where there were dozens of small fossils, some she recognized as the reptiles that attacked the marines, but they were in pieces, some were just small animals and insects.
"This might interest you." Arthur turned towards her as she turned to his attention from the reptiles. "They were scattered, but they were bunched roughly in the same area."
Melody examines the fossil to see the rotten clothing that was still wrapped around the bones. Then she barely sees a torn up patch that was around what seems to be an arm.
"VMSF..." She whispers to herself, and then turns to Arthur. "Where did you find them?"
"In the bottom of the ocean." Arthur replied. "The cold must've preserved the clothing. VMSF, which we manage to translate, do you know these people?"
Melody paused, looking at the bones, thinking back at the fun times she had with Lafeyete, making fun of Bryce. Whistling at the boys that walked by, and the training they had together. Then their deaths smacked her in her face.
"Yea..." She answered. "They were our recon group."
"We also found a Velociraptor, in the area as well." Arthur said walking towards the broken pieces of bones.
"A what?" Melody questioned turning to Arthur to see the skull structure of the long snouted reptile that attacked Lafayete's group. She walked towards the skull along with its broken bones in a glass case a long with a few pieces of standard issue three-inch bullets that they used for their rifles.
"We called them Velociraptors." Arthur said again. "The name comes from their aerodynamic design of their bones. We believe they run in high speed to surround their prey."
Melody stared at the skull, and started to remember back to what these bastards done to Lafeyete and Abigail. Seeing the skull trapped in a glass casing like a trophy, gave her the satisfaction of revenge, when she saw them rip her friends apart and giving them a whole new meaning of horror.
"Good name..." Melody sighed at the skull.
"I'm sorry?" Arthur asked
"That's what they did to my friends." Melody looked at Arthur. "Our people just called them earthlings." Melody continued.
"Well we're the earthlings now." Arthur smiled.
Melody ignored him and stared at the skull again. He started to remember how her friends we ripped to pieces by these aliens. Lafayette... Abigail... A fitting end they came in together and they died together. Them and they're stupid coin, but it was their stupid coin, the coin that made all their decisions. Then there was Bryce. Bryce... Her love of her life. Gone, everything and everyone she was close to now gone, all died in the most gruesome way possible. It has been like that ever since her mother died from the psychopath. She was just walking her usual path from work. Melody was only five, and they didn't have much back then. They were poor and barely had two meals a day. Her mother was always tired when she came home from the three jobs she had, and her father was a useless house husband that didn't know shit how to take care of a child. Melody would get beat by him, everyday for things that were so insignificant. Her mother, bless her soul, though she loved her but she was always too tired to deal with the problems. When she died, her father just sold Melody into slavery, from a debt he owed from the triad, but that didn't help, the police found his bones in one of the acid lakes not half a mile from where she use to live. After she turned 18 she had no one, not even her master, he got tired of her and threw her back into the streets. For the next five years she spend her days looking for food in landfills and at night she had to fight off old triad enemies to stay alive.
"What are you thinking?" Arthur asked her.
Melody came back to the present and realized that she isn't in the room anymore.
"Sorry, what?" she replied.
"You like totally spaced out just now." Arthur told her as they were walking towards another room.
Melody paused for a moment, "it was nothing... Where are we going?"
"Just to see the guys in charge."
Melody walks into a bright white room; there was a clear glass window behind the desk, where she could see the skyline of what seems to be earth. It was odd, because the last time she saw earths landscape was from her escape pod, which was covered with clear bright blue skies and massive green lands as far as the eye can see. Now, Melody walks closer towards the window, there was no one in the room, Arthur just closed the door behind her and left her there. There was cluttered white desk placed right in the middle of the glass window. With a short white chair, askew away from the table, with a black leather jacket hung on top of the chair, along with two much shorter square white chairs from across the table from the main chair. The walls were white with a glossy clear shelf that had only a few books that were arranged A to G. There was a picture with a man in a leather jacket and a plane behind him, on the wall. As for the desk, as Melody got closer tot he window, she saw another but smaller picture of the same man, but there was also a beautiful woman, with pale white skin and long wavy blonde hair, there were also two young children with them, one of the a boy with dark brown hair with blue eyes, and a girl with blonde hair and brown eyes.
Melody almost walked into the window, it was so clear that she felt like there was nothing stopping her from jumping off. She looked down from the building, she was at least 100 stories high and the clouds were so black that she could barely see what was going on in the streets. All she could see was the grey clouds floating across below her and the plain steel grey buildings each of them trying to tower over each other. Just like Venus, almost like Venus, earth was being blocked out front he sun. It was like the smog was layered, the clouds below hear was dark grey, as for the clouds above her was just a lighter shade of grey. She could only just barely see the sun, just about to set behind the many towers that stretched across the earth.
The door then opened and Melody sees another man come in with what seems to be bread in his mouth.
"Sorry," the man said as he chewed off a piece of the bread and placed the rest of the bread on what seemed to be a small white coffee table that had a machine that made the dark liquid that, Melody was drinking in the first room. "Lunch ran a bit late, were you waiting for long?"
Melody just shook her head and stared at him.
"Please have a seat." the man presented his hand towards one of the two shorter chairs.
Melody nodded then sat in one of the chairs. The man sat in the main chair when Melody realized that there was a small cross on the table that looked very similar to Bryce's cross that he wore around his neck all the time.
"What is that?" Melody asked the man.
"That?" the man looked and pointed at the cross. "It's a cross of Jesus Christ. I'm a catholic."
"What's a catholic?" Melody asked still looking at the cross.
"It's just a religion." the man replied. "Like Christians and etc. does your planet have religions?"
"Yes," Melody said as her mind slowly drifted. "Yes we do."
Chapter VIII
"Girl?" a woman, a priest, she was in her black suit that had a big wavy, golden cross right in the middle of the suit. "Girl? Are you ok?"
Melody only had a breathing mask on; it was the only women made oxygen she could find that day. She was only 19, two more days she will turn 20 at least she remembered that. At least she was still able to hold on to knowing who she is.
"I..." Melody choked, there was not enough oxygen left, she only had been using it for three minutes. "I..." the gases from the air started to seep into the edges of the mask and going into her lungs.
"Oh my lord!" the priest hesitated and picked her up and quickly brought her into the church. Melody didn't even realize that she was about to die right next to a church.
"Bryce!" the priest yelled out into the dark empty halls. Melody sitting on the cold ground of the air lock the door to the outside has been sealed shut. She could feel the cool fresh air going into her lungs, but that wasn't enough. She ha already breathed in too much toxic gas from the outside. She started coughing, threw up even, and a dark red liquid, almost black, splattered onto the clean white air lock floor. Melody realized that her nose was bleeding the dark red liquid, she tool her finger to wipe it away but it jut kept on pouring out. The priest wasn't with her, but she could her shouting.
"Where have you been boy? Hurry up, I'll find the medicine."
Just before Melody blacked out she saw the boy probably only a year younger, but very handsome. He had his hands full of tissues and started to wipe the blood off Melody's face, and then everything went black.
When Melody woke up, she could hear the acid rain tapping on the window. It was night and electricity was limited to be dim. She laid still and looked at the ceiling and saw Jexi Cartin with arms wide open and looking down on her painted in the ceiling. Melody then turned her head to see the boy sitting next to her sleeping. It was him the handsome boy, he was the one would cleaned her up before she blacked out, the boy that the priest called Bruce. Melody then looked away and around the room. It was empty only her and Bryce, not many people come to church's anymore they seemed to have lost faith in god when the dark days fell upon them. As for the abandoned child that were left to the streets, either joined the gangs or was killed by them. It was either death by acid rain or Acid Lake. Melody was smart she didn't join them but she knew how to survive them, she was always a fighter and always will be.
"You're awake."
Melody turned to see that Bryce has woken up and he was putting what seems to be a bible next to her on the table. It was then she realized that there where two long tubes going into her arm. One was the maroon color liquid that she has been spitting out the last remember and the other was a bright lime color.
"What...what's that?" Melody asking breathlessly.
"That's your blood..." Bryce chuckled a bit.
"God... No... I mean the other one." Melody said in a sigh of annoyance
"Just the medicine." Bryce replied. "You breathed in a lot of the toxic gas. It was a good thing the priest found you just in time, just as your little gas mask ran out."
"Thanks...I guess." Melody weakly smiled at him.
"Don't thank me..." Bryce smiled back. "Thank the lord for guiding sister Karin to save you."
Melody wasn't much of a Cartinologist but she had nowhere to go and no family to back too. She knew she was welcome here though; it was the warm feeling that she hasn't felt in a long time. During that time she would work as a alter girl, cleaning the church, and lighting candles everyday to keep the halls nice a lighted. Once in a while there would be some people coming in to seek prayers from the sister and, or pray to the lord. Melody would never understand why they do that, no matter how many time Bryce explains it to her.
"The lord is great," Bryce would keep reminding her, "and she is all knowing and all loving. We are made in her image, and we are her children."
"Yeah ok..." Melody would say back. "But what about the situation we're in right now? How could there be a god if she let this happens."
"Have patience my friend, woman has destroyed our beloved planet is because of the Shevil's doing. She whispers lies and make us lose our ways towards our one true god."
"The lord... must be doing a very shit job if so many people just ignore the faults of woman."
"Melody please try not to swear in the church... Or else sister Karin would make a big fuss about it again."
"Right... Sorry."
"Yes everything may seem like going down the drains, but the lord has her plans, and we know she loves us. All we can do is trust in her, and hopefully there will be a salvation for us, like how she sent her only daughter to die for our sins all those many millions of years ago."
And it did happen, a few years later Melody and Bryce applied for the Venus marines space force to proved help to project V.E.M.
Chapter IX
The woman seemed to have dazed off after they're little conversation about his religion.
"Ma'am?" Ronald looked at her. "Is there a problem?"
The woman snapped out of her trance and then looked at him.
"No..." she said. "It's nothing sorry, please continue, with... Whatever."
Ronald raised a brow and then opened a file on her. "According to the report from Arthur," Ronald said, "it says that you are melody and you're from Venus."
She nodded when Ronald looked up at her.
"And that you have information that can help us."
Melody said nothing.
"I feel like it was the lord's will to guide us to you." Ronald said, placing the report on his table.
Melody stayed silent.
"I believe you can help us, to bring us out of our dire situation." Ronald continued.
Melody continued to stare blankly at him.
"What I'm trying to say is," Ronald said with irritation, then turning towards the grey sky, "I'm sure you have seen what our planet is going through. Global warming is on a massive scale, yet we cannot come together as one, as a planet to fight this cause."
Melody darts her eyes to the window again, to see that the sun is only barely visible though the light grey clot of clouds.
"Kinda looks like what my planet looked like the last time I saw it." melody finally said.
"You want to see your planet again?" Ronald turned around.
Melody nodded, and Ronald picked up the remote control on his table and pointed it to an area of the room. A clear hologram of Venus then beamed down, and melody turned around to see that Venus still looked the same, colorful chalk vanilla sky with clouds of green and light blue.
"Looked the same as before?" Ronald asked.
"Yea..." melody sighed. "Must be hard for you earthlings to image that it once use to be beautiful. Heck... it's hard for me."
"Earth was beautiful once." Ronald said, standing with his hands behind his back and facing the window again. "But then came the industrial revolution, everything changed then. Cars, planes, boats, machines basically. So many wars that has scourged our lands, our once most beautiful planet."
Melody listened as the man took the conversation to what sounded like what happened in Venus, the scourged chalk red landscape that made up Venus. She only seen it in the holo pictures of what Venus use to look like, in the church she was accepted in. Green lands, simple houses and farms. Bright blue skies, and crystal clear waters. She always wished that there were some kind of time machine where she could just go back to that time, and just live there and never come back. She was so relived to have found earth in the military program, where they wanted to move everyone there. She had it all planned, though the much observations and research about the planet. She would live somewhere near the equator where it was warm, and she would just live there with Bryce, with no care in the world. Just to two of them, maybe start a family and forget the troubles of the past. She always complained to Lafayette and Abigail about how lucky they were to be the first to go to the planet surface, but after what happened to the ship, and what she saw had happened to the earth, tainted like her planet. She seems to have lost all hope, it seems like no matter what kind of intelligent species you are, and they always seem to find a way to destroy a beautiful green planet. She felt like she wanted to give up, maybe she should've just stayed in her ice cocoon.
"So..." the man started to say. "We were thinking if you could help us with us problem."
"Can't you just solve it yourselves," melody sighed, "obviously this is a well developed planet with resources."
"Yes, but..." the man looked the ground. "We have pretty much used up a lot of our recourses. We've used up so much that there is many conflicts over tiny specks of lands."
"I don't see how I can help." melody said. "I don't see how I can do anything for you."
The man got back into his chair and opened up the report on her again. "It says here." the man said " that your planet, Venus, went to similar problems?"
"Yeah... So?" melody rolled her eyes.
"So..." the man put the report back down again and leaned back in his chair. "You must've had a way to use limited resources to transport a large group of the population to a different planet, right?"
"That's right..." Melody replied.
"Ma'am..." The man sighed. "Please I love my wife and kids, and wish the best for them. I really wish I can save them for a better future."
Melody looked at the small picture frame of the man's family, then she looked at him again and said.
"Love, it's wonderful isn't it? You feel all warm in your chest and your heart races every time you see that person. Every time you see that person, you just smile as your heart melts, no matter how shit your day was, that person will always be there for you. But it hurts, it sucks you dry, because you spend your whole life getting to know that one person. You know that person so well that you would do anything for that person and the person would do anything for you. Even die. And when that happens you just lose your mind and your soul gets ripped apart into a thousand pieces. Kicking and screaming you start wishing that it were you instead. But you can't do anything. There isn't anything you can do, it happened, it's past, and you can only move forward, and never see that person ever again, only in memory. A memory that would eventually fade as well, because time moves forward, you can't go back ever again, and soon you come to the fact that, eventually everything you loved would just leave you and disappear into dust. From that, you are completely hollowed out that you might not love anyone again, ever again, even in the next life. Love sucks. I wish I never had the ability to love. I wish I could just leave it all behind and never think about it at all. But I can't, and I never will. I'll always remember him. I'll always love him... Fuck you love."