Chapter One

THE KI-ZEDUINI

JILL Chinn See / uReglimi
ON THE ISLAND OF HOPE
ZECHIA

 

I was dreading the arrival of the 'Retrieved'.  It was painful to view those shards of ZeSha who had spent nearly sixty E.Y. as slaves on the planet of Argale. Sixty years, yet hadn't aged a day, because the water contained elements I had not time to analyse, which kept them as they were the day their erssavi crashed on that world.

 

I had been forced to leave them at the cusp of convalescence. I had to find suitable islands to house them on Zechia. I had to insure that houses were built, the land planted.  Unhappily, I left them in th 'care' of unqualified and disinterested 'aides'. I gave strict instructions, but can't be sure how they would be interpreted.

 

There were no continents on Zechia, just thousands of islands, never inhabited. Giving the Retrieved Zesha their own island where they could slowly rehabilitate was ideal. Had I helpers or real assistants, I could have designated. But I didn't.

 

It was on me.

 

I  travelled the  distance to Zechia, searched and found useful islands. I had buidings erected as well as my hospital. Now in that hospital I wait.

 

Once the Retrieved arrived, I had to assess each of them. I was the only doctor. Although there were other humans with my qualifications, they didn't have my attitude.

 

I'll never forget seeing Marie cutting into Temi's leg, using no anesthetic or analgesic, as if he were an object, or those medi-tecs, I rescued from a Space Station, shrugging and saying; "They're Zerks," as if that excused incompetency.

 

This meant I was the only doctor.

 

On the island occupied by the Ark people, those chosen to survive when Earth ionised its atmosphere, were the most eminent surgeons, but I can't trust them. And trust was the major qualification.

 

I expected to have the Retrieved in my hospital at least a week. Those from VeRash who travelled with them could be settled, and when discharged the Retrieved could join them... that is If they had people they could join. If not, another problem.

 

I don't know if what I am doing is right, I only know that it is on me, and I am totally unqualifed, maybe incapable. But I try.

Chapter Two

 TICKING TIME ON HOPE

TIM DONEGAL

 

The day after I was moved to building privies was the day I got new clothes. The Zees handed us draw string shorts and a pull over shirt. Our body suits were rags, that's what we used them for.

 

The next day, I returned to fishing. Two hundred meters from shore when it started to rain. I had forgotten about rain. We hadn't seen rain for over a dozen years so got scared, rowed back to shore as if chased.

 

The Zees forced us to draw down, properly secure the boat, before we raced to our houses to get out of the wet.

 

I could see the roof I slapped on wasn't done well. It was leaking in about thirty seven places.  The Zees, who didn't seem to notice it was raining, came with something like tar, (which wasn't black). They made me come out of my leaky shack, pose in the rain, while they showed me how to pour the stuff on the roof, then cover it with sand.

 

They were as easy in the wet as in the dry, and when they'd finished my house, moved to the next, taking their time, I was anxious to get out of the rain, but drenched to the bone, forgot about it.

 

So I was out in the rain, on my roof, trying to get wet sand into a bucket, get it to dump, not easys. I gave up. I went in, stripped my clothes.

 

The tar stuff had dripped on the floor. I spent the rest of the day scraping up the tar stuff, then just flopped on the bed. The rain played all night, my belly complained. Hadn't eaten since dawn gruel. This was not good.

 

Morning, the sun too bright for spite.

 

The Zees had another cook out, and we stuffed. Arnie was asking the Zees to let us get prefab meals as emergency grub. Guess they agreed.

 

We spent the day roofing. House to house, back to the other island, making sure every roof was snug.

 

It was so strange to me now. Me, who'd be a Terran Space Fleet Officer, who lived on Class Ten Battlecruiser, to be here, on an island on a Zerk world, building houses.  Building houses, privies, boats, fishing....if I wanted this kind of a life I'd of moved to some minor corner of Earth...

 

Earth... I'll never see Earth again. I'll never be a member of the Terran Space Fleet again, it doesn't exist.  The galaxy is owned by the Zees, and here is where they decided we be. We be here, or die.

 

There isn't choice. We saw Earth, we saw the effect of the 'Last Resort' a top secret weapon designed to prevent invasion. If anyone is alive on Earth, they are living underground. And for what? So the Zees can't land?

 

I just have to take this now and live it and try to love it.

Chapter Three

 HOME YET?

JILL UREGLIMI
HOPE

 

I finally got down to the planet after a rain. The sun was out, drying, though there were muddy spots here and there. My house seemed to be a little 'leaky', but I couldn't be sure, as windows had been left open, and the rain could have blown in.

 

My oTays carried my items. I checked the sani, which was stolen from the Odin. But it worked.

 

I came to the front of my house, saw a furrow where a pipe had been laid, heard the dull hum of a pump, and then, my name. I looked over the veranda to see Stacy.

 

"I've just arrived," she said unnecessarily.

 

"I see that." I say, smiling, "Come up!"

 

I hid my annoyance. I had not, again! been told to expect her, and though it was obvious she had been my prime nurse, and should be utilised as my Aide, I would have liked to have been informed when she would arrive.

 

Was Temi trying to upset me? Did he want to leave my service? Was he building more barriers between us?

 

Stacy entered and I offered tea, the only consumable in the house. I'd sent the oTays with a list of foodstuffs. I believe I forgot a number of essential ingredients.

 

Stacy sat at the table, sipping her tea, explaining that omTay eRefka had sent her and eJovic ahead, along with their baby.I be haved as pleasantly as I knew how. Telling myself that perhaps Temi hadn't known they were landing. I'll hold to that myth.

 

As I washed the tea set, I invited Stacy to find a spot for

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 03.04.2022
ISBN: 978-3-7554-1068-3

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