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  Syra reported to the Zhian Council one last time while being present on the planet of Zhian.

  “The Zhian Sphere awaits you, are you prepared for your journey?” Zerk asked.

  “Yes, I am ready, and all system is ready,” Syra replied.

  “Have you chosen the ones that will travel with you to the planetary system we have assigned you?” Zerk asked.

  “I have chosen them, and they are already aboard,” Syra replied.

  “You are the last to leave, you have been loyal to us. We chose you because of that,” Zerk informed Syra.

  “Now hurry, you must go!” The Zhian Council all spoke at once.

  Then, as Syra turned to take one last look back, each council member terminated his or her holocom presence one by one and darkness filled the room. It was always formal with them and no good-byes were ever necessary.

  As she exited the conference room, she wondered how many actual passes it had been since those 12 members had been alive. Zerk himself must have been older than time itself. Very little was known of him other than he had headed the Zhian Council and she had never known of anyone else who did.

  All of them were once Zhianites just like her, or at least it was what she understood it to be.

  The Zhianites were going extinct. With no new births in her lifetime, it wasn’t just her planet that was dying, it was her race!

  She understood that the Zhian Council and Zerk had been replaced by hologram likenesses many passes ago when they expired.

  Syra’s parents had both been transferred when they had expired. She longed to hold them and be held by them, but that was something she had never experienced in all her life. They were always there whenever she needed them where ever a Holcom Unit was. They were there for her even as a hologram. It was not the same, but she was happy to have their likeness with her always.

  Syra returned to her private quarters and began preparing for separation from the tower for her short trip to the Zhian Sphere where she would live and command for the rest of her life. She had spent her life preparing for this day and it felt unreal that it was now unfolding.

  The first thing she had to do was to make sure her private quarters and pod had been undocked. With all systems passed, she had separated her pod and would arrive shortly afterward to the Zhian Sphere and Syra would begin her systems checks officially aboard her vessel.

  All pods belonging to those traveling with her were coming in now and docking. But when she looked around, she did not see Zee10 nor have a security clearance request or coordinates to merge with Zhian Sphere from him.

  If he could not make it in time, she could not search for him. That was not a part of her orders and she had never disobeyed an order!

  The sky over Zhian was slowly clearing up and many had already escaped their fates had they stayed. Syra slowly moved the Zhian Sphere out of its dock. She was not one to have emotions much less express them, but she thought that if something has happened to Zee10, she would not be able to function properly as a captain until she could regain her senses.

  Syra was starting to feel a crushing blow to her emotions when suddenly over the system com, a message came that Zee10 was now docking.

  Zee10 had only moments to spare before all ports were to be shut down and locked!

  To make this journey without the most critical part of her operations would have stacked the odds against her from the beginning.

  When Zee10 rushed into the command center where Captain Syra was, she turned pale but with cheeks as red as her red crystals!

  Zee10 was vital to her operations, but he was also a friend. Syra had to quickly lower her emotions to include disciplinary action should it become necessary.

  “Why were you late? I thought you were already aboard!” Syra demanded of Zee10.

  “I had to return for some things we will need for our journey, and I had to make room for them in my pod,” Zee10 answered sternly.

  With that said, everyone went to their stations immediately. With a crew of 24 men and 24 women, and more than double that same number in bots were now aboard and ready for the journey. The bots aboard held the highest rank of all on Zhian.

  Syra gave the order for liftoff, and her vessel broke its hold from its stationed port adjacent to the main tower of Zhian.

  The Zhian Sphere was above the planet of Zhian before Syra could blink an eye. The order was given, and they took one rotation around the planet Zhian one final time for last minutes checks and confirmation.

  It was noted that Zone One was vacated, Zone Two vacated, Zone Three vacated and now Zone Four vacated.

  There were no signs of life on the surface, no signs of life in any towers, all four zones clear of life and any activity.

  The planet Zhian was no longer habitable for living creatures such as they, thought Syra and therefore it was fitting to leave their homeworld. Never had she felt sadder than she did that day looking back at Zhian from space as she prepared her vessel for the journey to Earth.

  Syra received the final message from the main core systems of Zhian. The entire Zhian Council wished Syra to be safe in her journey and began the countdown!

  It was just a few moments later, Syra noticed her com systems began to receive large blocks of data so fast she expected it to just shut down from an overload. This was an unauthorized intrusion of her ships core system and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

  The data continued to transfer even as she moved out of the planet’s orbit and was in the void of space did it finalize its download and transfer.

  It was only moments after her systems were filled with this unknown data, that she received an emergency alert that came across her console!

  “Warning, systems overload. Shutting down unnecessary power usage for minor adjustments,” The female computer coms voice said.

  It was immediately afterward, that Zerk, the council voice said, “We the Zhian Council have boarded your vessel, we will contact you once more for specifics.”

  Did council board my vessel? Syra thought but had no time to question this and moments later, the Zhian Sphere was again at full power.

  The Zhian Sphere was traveling at speeds far greater than her vessel could normally operate. Something was happening and Syra and her entire crew were on full alert.

  Syra’s vessel was going through changes as they traveled through space so fast, objects appeared to move in slow motion, then suddenly Syra regained her balance as she adjusted to this new phenomenon.

  She had left her homeworld behind her and it was now far away, this journey would now change her life forever.

  Syra was saddened as she felt the disconnect from her homeworld. She knew she would never see it again and wondered what else was out there for her.

  book one

  CHAPTER two

  With nothing but darkness and an occasional small uninhabitable planet or star system seen outside her com center visual, the Zhian Sphere sped through space tirelessly.

  Each of the 48 citizens knew what was needed and each bedded themselves in their sleepers that would protect them for the long journey. They would not be awakened unless there was an emergency, or they had reached their new homeworld.

  Syra remained at her station for a time with Zee10 by her side making sure all systems were working properly as expected.

  The bots all took their stations and would remain there faithfully. They would continue their duties until they reached their destination and would do so until they received orders otherwise.

  “Captain Syra,” Zee10 said with urgency.

  “Yes Zee10,” Syra answered.

  “I do not believe we have full control of the Zhian Sphere,” Zee10 replied with a look of surprise on his face.

  “Zee10, that look on your face is so unbecoming of you!” Syra exclaimed.

  “I apologize for showing emotions, it’s one of the flaws in my programming!” Zee10 replied.

  “Well, what did you mean we don’t have full control of Zhian
Sphere!” Syra demanded.

  “I have not been able to access the central core systems for some time now,” Zee10 went on to say, we are traveling at speeds we were not equipped to do and that is concerning.”

  Syra immediately began attempting to access her central core system to no avail. Then, it became clear to her what was happening to her Zhian Sphere. It was now under the full control of the council or was heavily influenced by them.

  Zee10 noticed the power systems were not what Zhian Sphere initially had and had been secretly modified with a much more sophisticated system he was not familiar with. He knew the core com system of Zhian used the opaque crystals, but for what purpose he was unaware.

  It had also become clear to Syra, her Zhian Sphere was not just her vessel, it was everything that ran the planet of Zhian. They were in fact inside a flying planet!

  Then suddenly the central core systems com turned on and a clear message was displayed.

  “This is Zerk of the core com systems of the old planet Zhian. We are the Zhian Council. We control your vessel,” Zerk said.

  “But wait, what do you mean?” Syra interrupted loudly. All was quiet from the main core com systems and no messages were displayed. Syra just sat down in total disbelief!

  Syra began to wonder why she was chosen for this mission if the council was going to board her vessel without her knowing. What plans did they have that she was not aware of, and when were they going to tell her? she wondered.

  After a few moments of silence, Syra gave the order to search Zhian Sphere for any equipment or technology that was not there from before. All citizens were awakened to assist the bots in searches and to report back to her of their findings.

  It was sometime later that all sections of Zhian Sphere were searched, and a report was handed to Syra.

  “Zee10, report to me immediately!” Syra called over the com system.

  When Zee10 arrived, he noticed Syra looked upset and was very unsure of herself. He was not one to comfort any Zhian. He needed no comfort for himself, and it was one of the flaws he had often wished he did have, especially now.

  All reports had come in and Syra explained that the main core system was under the council’s control. All other systems were free to use for their survival and travel.

  But one thing for certain and Syra shared this with Zee10, the Zhian Council could not control the com systems for long without draining all power from themselves. Each control they took of her ship was temporary, that much she knew.

  Syra would work on a plan to disconnect the entire council should it become necessary for her to command her ship as she saw fit and not deal with their interference. The system’s main core could not be accessed while the vessel was in motion so that would have to wait until they could stop first before doing so. It was very risky to enter the core even with a bot and she had none she was willing to sacrifice to do so.

  Once Zee10 and Syra calmed down, “Zee10, you caused all of us some concern when you packed all those crystals and assorted items aboard your pod!” Syra noted.

  “It was necessary!” Zee10 replied authoritatively.

  With no apologies offered and not given, operations went back to normal.

  With things running smoothly and Syra tiring, it was time to report to her sleeper. Syra estimated she had been awake for a minimum of two intervals and so adjusted her sleeper accordingly.

  The Zhian Sphere continued on its path to the planet called Earth. All bots remained at their stations tirelessly monitoring all systems of the Sphere. Zee10 continued to direct operations and not call upon Syra’s sleeper unit unless it was absolutely necessary.

  Zee10 had nothing new to report to Syra and the Zhian Sphere continued to travel at speeds he had never imagined. He began to wonder and even analyze the speed of which they traveled.

  If the extra opaque and blue crystals he was told to bring aboard by the council could be combined for such speed, it was news to him.

  But it was not his concern and he continued performing his duties without question.

  The Zhian Sphere had been quiet for most of the trip and the bots remained at their stations unaware of the time and space that had passed before them.

  Then all alarm systems lights started to flash red and every bot reacted accordingly. They began to call upon the Zhianites they were assigned to serve, and they would soon join them.

  Sleeper units had begun the process of waking their inhabitants, but it would take some time for them to awaken and report for duty.

  However, Syra’s sleeper unit began the waking process first and when she had enough time to prepare herself, she sat in her captain’s chair next to Zee10 on the ready.

  Zee10 began filling Syra in on the status of their trip and the violent space they had entered.

  The turbulence was to be expected in this part of space, and the sphere required all Zhianites present and at their stations.

  Syra ordered the Zhian Enhanced Shroud activated and all weapons fully charged and on the ready immediately.

  They began getting hit from all directions from space debris of all sorts. Much of it too small to be of concern, yet some pieces were large enough to cause serious damage if it were not for the extra shroud that had been activated.

  The shroud continued to do its job and so far, no harm or damage to the sphere or its inhabitants were reported. This gave Syra much-needed relief as she realized she had been holding her breath for far too long, and immediately allow herself to fully breathe.

  The turbulence went on for quite some time and everyone set up shifts to combat the problem until they had exited the space they were in and out of danger once again.

  All alarm systems had now gone back to normal. All weapons went straight into standby mode.

  The shroud system went back to normal and out of full alert mode. This full alert system used a lot of power and needed to be recharged.

  Syra was proud of how everyone reacted. How they stayed calm and performed their duties. No one panicked, and this was good. Zhianites rarely had anything happen in their lives that exerted them emotionally or physically. They only knew of life and death scenarios through practice for the great exodus.

  The holocom chamber had given each of them a true practice for battling space travel and all they could encounter. It also offered interaction with what the planet Zhian once looked like. The Zhianites often visited the holocom chamber for recreation too.

  Sometime later, Syra had returned to her private quarters and enjoyed the cleanser for a time. When she felt refreshed, she ordered up some nutritional charge and was already feeling much more revived than before when she was called out in such a hurry to combat yet another emergency.

  Just as Syra was getting ready to enter her sleeper unit, a holocom call came in from her mother and father!

  “Syra, we apologize for not contacting your sooner darling,” Allieah said.

  “We only have a few moments my daughter to give you our love, and we are happy you performed well,” Arteemus said with such fatherly pride.

  But before Syra could get a word in edgewise, the holocom call was terminated and went silent. There was no calling them back, and Syra could not help but wonder.

  So, her parents and everyone else who lived within the Core System apparently were now aboard her vessel!

  Syra had already said her goodbyes to her parents and others so it was a complete surprise they were now aboard her ship.

  This was certainly unexpected. But it didn’t make any sense that even the council’s interactions were short, just as were her parents. When the council had made their announcement, they were aboard, and it was brief. Her parents had tried to contact her, but it too was brief.

  Syra would bring this point up to Zee10 for analysis, but a trip to the holocom chamber was in order and was long overdue.

  Syra stepped inside the holocom chamber; it had been a long time. She logged in, pulled up her favorite scenario with her Beast and had not felt such
excitement in several passes!

  The Beast was anxiously awaiting her. Syra was wearing her riding gear and hopped upon the Beast’s back and they rode long and hard across the land of early Zhian.

  Early Zhian was a place none had known of for many lifetimes before her. But was a beautiful place Syra had always dreamed and longed for.

  The Beast dropped Syra off at her favorite spot and she stood there on the edge of the cliff watching the sun begin to set. She could have just stayed there forever but her time in the chamber was short and was almost up, she would need to leave soon.

  A sudden breeze from the valley below brushed against her face and there was life all around her. Plush land beneath her feet and sweet smells in the air. She watched the two moons set perfectly in the sky and stars blinking in and out when suddenly, there was nothing but a matrix surrounding her.

  Moments later, she was back at her private living quarters and settled down into her sleeper for a long sleep until she would be awakened at different intervals.

  Once again, the Zhian Sphere continued its journey. All system was now running smoothly as expected. All citizens were now in deep sleep.

  The sleeper chamber slowed down aging and kept their bodies healthy. Any issues that arose, the chamber immediately went into red alert and was attended to by either the mechanical bots or medical bots. It depended upon which was needed if both were not.

  Zee10 continued to monitor their surroundings and project future issues and kept up with their speed.

  But there were times he wondered how Syra’s vessel could travel at the speed it had been maintaining. It made it difficult for him to carry out his duties when none of the operations made any sense to him.

  The Zhian Sphere was behaving as if it had a life of its own. Projecting issues far before they would have normally been noticed or discovered. Zhian technology was sophisticated and far exceeded the smaller planets in their system. It began calculating a cause and effect far before it had a chance to happen. Decisions would be made oftentimes derived from the end results of those calculations.

  The smaller planets in their planetary system were habitable but too small. They were also not like the early Zhian planet with many kinds of life roaming its lands. That was what all Zhian citizen’s longed for.