Contagium The Way We Were

  Chapter 8 The Great Compromise

  As Shoab and the exiled crew members departed the main transport ship the silence carried a heavy presence of desperation. The crew headed west as commanded. Michael's men drove the ship over three large bodies of water, one seeming to last forever, before deciding to land. After landing Michael, Mosh, Cynda, and Shoab met to decide what to do next. Michael with an apologetic scow spoke up "I'm sorry for not being able to stop Jeth."

  Cynda "How could this have happened?"

  Shoab "To be honest I'm surprise it took him that long to find out. With as many people that were on our side one of them had to give us up."

  Michael "I can't believe they didn't force Lisa off the ship. She was the one who said the all hands meeting would be the best place to detain Jeth."

  Mosh, Cynda, and Shoab dismayed at what they heard. Shoab raised his voice "You've got to be kidding me!"

  Michael "Her and I were pretty close. She would never betray me."

  Shoab "She absolutely betrayed you. That's why we're sitting here! Her and Jeth are inseparable. She's just as deceitful as him. I don't know if you've noticed she was probably pretty close to a lot of the crew."

  Michael grabbed Shoab buy the throat pushing him up against the wall "Take that back!" Shoab struggling to breath.

  Mosh forced his way between them "Enough! If we're going to survive we need to make a plan, and work together. Do you both want to make it back home or spend the rest of your lives quibbling over the past! What's done is done." Michael finally let Shoab go. Shoab fell to his knee gasping for breath. Michael pulled Shoab to his feet embarrassed for letting his emotions get the best off him.

  Cynda looked at Mosh "How do you propose we make it back home? We're almost out of fuel, and have no way to communicate back home. The only way to get home is to take control of the main transport ship and you saw how well that went. They out number us two to one."

  Just then Michael spoke up "We can build an army with the inhabitants."

  Shoab retorted "We're not going to ruin their lives here like we did back east."

  Michael "Between the northern and southern continents there would be enough inhabitants to help defeat Jeth and his crew. It's our only chance of getting home." Shoab mulled over the consequences thinking about Julie and his kids.

  Cynda spoke up "I agree with Michael. This is our only chance for getting back home. In the one compartment of the ship I saw a large container of the gene manipulation sequence. We have enough to propagate among the north and south continent."

  Mosh chimed in "Shoab, Jeth was reckless. We can enlighten them the right way teaching them the importance of law, mathematics, written language, the progression of our cosmos, and where we came from."

  Shoab hesitating for a second "Alright, I'm on board."

  Mosh "Great, first things first we need to find another power source for the ship. Michael, have your engineers look throughout the ship for any tools. Once we find another power source your crew can begin a recon mission to find more pockets of inhabitants to build our army. Shoab and Cynda, scour the local area to look for inhabitants."

  Shoab and Cynda grabbed their gear and walked to the exit. As Shoab and Cynda walked out of the ship they looked up along the ridge. A whole tribe of inhabitants were steering at them and the transport ship both frightened, and amazed. Shoab "Well, looks like they found us instead." They appeared slightly different then the inhabitants from the east. Their skin had a faint reddish hue. Shoab, knowing first encounters were important for building trust, pulled a piece of fruit from his back pack. He raised the piece of fruit slowly into the air to show them what he had. One of the inhabitants closer to the transport ship began sniffing the air to investigate. The inhabitant took another step closer, and then another cautious step closer. In one swift motion the inhabitant nabbed the fruit quickly scurrying back into the crowd on the ridge. As the days passed Shoab and Cynda continued to build trust with the tribe of inhabitants slowly introducing the gene manipulation sequence. Shoab and Cynda continued to expose them to the sequence in a controlled environment where the set and setting was most comfortable and familiar.

  Over the course of a year Cynda worked feverishly on designs for fighter ships for Michael and his men to build. The one day, Mosh called a meeting to review Cynda's designs and account for the available resources Michael's team located during their expeditions. Cynda began the meeting "After reviewing the quality and amounts of metal and crystal I've come up with this design for our fighter ships. Although not as fast as Jeth's ships they'll be able to out maneuver with their smaller size."

  Mosh stepped up to the table where the design was sitting peering down through his glasses sitting on the edge of his nose. After a few moments he looked over at Cynda "Why didn't you add an automated ejection system? That will help decrease casualties."

  After pouring over her designs day after day Cynda couldn't take Mosh's criticism any longer "Since day one you've second guessed my work!" Mosh's eyes opened in surprise as he looked up at Cynda. Cynda continued her rant "What is it about me you can't stand!? Is it the fact I'm a woman? Always on my case about my designs. Just because I have not been around DASPA for a millennium like you doesn't mean I don't know how to do my job! You've proven you have absolutely no faith in me whatsoever."

  Mosh slowly looked down to the ground as he took off his glasses. His face grew long "In the early days of DASPA there was a young lady named Matilda. She was the head of all four scientific divisions. From my perspective she was unmatched in intelligence, leadership, and character. By far she was the future of DASPA. Tragically she passed away from a rare disease about 400 years ago. Since then I've never seen such talent until DASPA was lucky enough to hire you. I only have so much time left. I may have seemed harsh only because I want to make sure I pass on the most I can, to you, the future of DASPA. I've decided I'm not going back home. I'm going to spend my last days teaching the inhabitants of this planet. Before we left I recommended you take my place as chief scientist at DASPA. Cynda, I couldn't be any prouder of you, and I'm honored to have worked with you over the last 20 years."

  Cynda was stunned as she watched Mosh walk out of sight. Cynda looked up at Michael "Who was this Matilda? Did you know her?"

  Michael looked at Cynda "Matilda was Mosh's only daughter."

  Over the course of four years Mosh, Cynda, and Shoab greatly enhanced the tribe's knowledge in mathematics, law, and their understanding of the galaxy. The tribe often showed great gratitude and admiration for them. The women of the tribe would fashion their hair to resemble Cynda's. As a term of endearment they referred to Cynda as mother spider. Some of the more artistic ones created large cave paintings depicting Shoab in his space suit. Michael and his men began manufacturing the fighter ships using Cynda's designs. All manufacturing was conducted in mines to conceal their action from Jeth and his followers.

  One night Shoab called for a camp fire gathering to celebrate their achievements, and explain their role in defeating Jeth's army. As the fire crackled, all was peaceful. Shoab smiled as he looked over the multitude of inhabitants staring at him in admiration. Little ones huddled by their mothers and fathers. The stars shown with bright clarity. Shoab looked up at the grouping of stars containing his home planet. He wondered what Julie, and the kids were doing and if they were ok. With great sadness water began to form in his eyes. The great compromise about to take place would cause some fathers to never return home. If they didn’t make a stand Jeth would enslave them for eternity.

  Shoab turned to the crowed "I and my people are proud of your accomplishments. You have learned many things. One day my people will return home." Shoab pointed "My people are from this area. Just as you all hunt for food always remember that my people come from the hunter in the sky. We live at the center of the hunter's belt near the star of Alnilam. As the giant bear, and lion prey on your childr
en their is a great evil in the east from my planet that will do the same. We need your help in defeating this evil before it engulfs the entire planet. We're going to show you how to fly our ships that shoot lighting to defeat the evil in the east. Will you join me!?"

  Just then the elders of the inhabitants started cheering and raising their staffs in the air in a sign of loyalty while the remainder of the crowd joined in. Shoab felt a great sense of remorse for leading these people into war. He new it was the only way for them to gain freedom from Jeth, and for him to return home.

  Michael and his team continued recon missions finding more pockets of inhabitants throughout the southern continent. They continued to train the inhabitants how to fly the warships in combat. Cynda helped Michael established a second headquarters on the central west coast of the southern continent. Michael and Cynda continued to tell the inhabitants of their origins, and the hunter story to reinforce the inhabitant's role in defeating Jeth's army.