Today's Reading
An eye for an eye hadn't worked to win the future. It wouldn't work now to convince people in 2140 that she was trying to save the Earth and everyone who lived on it.
But, if she died here, only Kayl would be left to try to carry on, to try to complete the mission she'd given herself and he had agreed to give everything to try to accomplish. And if Kayl died as well...
One way or another, one of them would have to survive.
"Five minutes until landing at Wallops," the cheerful voice of the shuttle's announcing system informed them. "The security level at Wallops is Code Red One. Please comply with all security instructions to ensure the safety of you and your fellow passengers. Local time at landing will be 1700. The weather is comfortable with scattered clouds and light winds. Everyone is reminded that failure to cooperate with all security instructions could unnecessarily endanger you or your fellow passengers."
* * *
LIEUTENANT KAYL OWEN HADN'T EXACTLY turned his back on a successful career in Earth Guard. Before encountering Lieutenant Selene Genji, he had been on a one-way road to nonpromotion and dismissal from the service, not because he couldn't do his job, but because senior officers in Earth Guard had tarred his father with responsibility for the loss of the cruiser Sentinel ten years ago. Since his father had died along with most of Sentinel's crew, and an independent investigation had absolved him of responsibility for the disaster, those senior officers had to be content with blaming Kayl in his place.
But then he had been sent to investigate a piece of wreckage that had mysteriously appeared out of nowhere, and he'd found a living survivor aboard it. A survivor named Selene Genji, who had turned out to have alien DNA among her genome. Suddenly, Selene Genji officially ceased to exist, all contact with her forbidden. Worried for her, Kayl had found means to communicate with Genji, convincing the stunned refugee from the future destruction of Earth that it was 2140.
He still didn't know what he would have ended up doing if he and Lieutenant Genji hadn't both been put on a sabotaged ship on its way to a catastrophic entry into Earth's atmosphere. After two more attempts to kill them both, he'd thrown himself wholeheartedly into helping her.
And ended up falling in love with the part-alien woman from the future who was trying to save a world that kept trying to kill her.
But the path they'd been on to try to save the planet looked like it might have hit a dead end. If the security forces at Wallops were expecting them and prepared for them, managing another escape might be impossible. And with shoot-on-sight orders still in effect, no one would listen to them before opening fire once they'd been identified.
The shuttle grounded. In other passenger compartments and the main passenger deck where hundreds of people were seated, the rest of those aboard the shuttle would be grumbling about diversions and delays as they prepared to debark.
Owen stood up, gazing at Selene. "We'll make it through somehow."
"Sure we will," she said, smiling.
They both knew they were lying.
He kissed her for what might be the last time.
"Stay close, Krysta," Selene said as they paused at the door to their compartment so Owen could figure out how many passengers had already left.
"Looks like about half are off. We should go now," Owen said.
He was in civilian clothing, hopefully looking unremarkable in every way. Selene, due to the unusual shape and size of her eyes, and the gleaming skin that came with her genetic makeup, had once again donned the sort of clothes worn by UV Aversives, who tried to avoid any exposure to the sun: a sun jacket covering her arms and neck, light gloves on her hands, large sunglasses, and a broad-brimmed hat with a flap hanging down along the sides and back of her head and neck. The outfit wouldn't normally attract much attention, however, the authorities knew about Selene's skin and eyes, and would be watching for anyone concealing those things. But there wasn't any alternative to wearing it except instantly giving herself away.
The three of them merged with the flow of passengers going out the accesses. The shuttle was parked well away from the terminal, so instead of entering the building, stairs were leading the passengers onto the surface of the spaceport. Kayl could see a ring of portable security fences already in position. The portable fences had a total of four gates in them, and each gate was occupied by multiple sentries with DNA scanners positioned. Beyond the fences, there were numerous security vehicles, groups of soldiers and security personnel, drones hovering, and a couple of warbirds making slow passes overhead.
...
