The E&N Escape E-Book

Peter Holland

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: The Vancouver Island Mystery series
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 252

Beschreibung

Three teens are caught in an adventure for survival between their time, the past, and the future. Billy, Ricky, and Sarah use their magic, trying to hunt down and overpower the Magician who has caused the worldwide destruction.

Leseprobe

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

THE E&N ESCAPE

First edition. March 5, 2020.

Copyright © 2020 P.N. Holland.

ISBN: 978-1393080497

Written by P.N. Holland.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Also by P.N. Holland

Vancouver Island Mysteries

The Saxe Point Park Mystery

The Lost Boys of Lampson

The E&N Escape

Watch for more at P.N. Holland’s site.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Also By P.N. Holland

Dedication

The E&N Escape (Vancouver Island Mysteries, #3)

Acknowledgements

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

The Lost Boys of Lampson

About the Author

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Further Reading: The Lost Boys of Lampson

Also By P.N. Holland

About the Author

 

To my Grandchildren; Ariel, Emily, Zachery, Brenan, Leyland

and all of my followers who keep me writing.

YA Fantasy/Mystery

Three teens are caught in an adventure for survival between their time, the past, and the future. Billy, Ricky and Sarah use their magic, trying to hunt down and overpower the Magician who has caused this worldwide destruction.

The E&N Escape © 2018 by PN Holland

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, or events, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

––––––––

To my Grandchildren; Ariel, Emily, Zachery, Brenan, Leyland

and all of my followers who keep me writing.

Acknowledgements

The E&N Escape

PN Holland

Chapter One

Purple Eyes

“Why are we going up island on an old train, Billy?” my sister, Sarah, asks.

“I already told you,” I say, frowning at her while working my iPad. “We’re writing an historical essay on the E&N Railroad.”

“Yes,” Ricky pipes in. “What better way to get a feel of the journey than a trip.”

“But it smells musty and it’s so slow. We’ll never get to Nanaimo in time for my game,” she says as she fingers her iPhone.

“Don’t worry. There’s lots of time to get you there. It’s only ten o’clock in the morning and your game isn’t until three.”

“Yeah, we’re even buying you lunch.” Ricky wiggles his eyebrows.

“I know. It’s just so boring.”

“Well, read your book, or play on your iPhone or something.” I say, rolling my eyes. At that point, she is so immersed in her phone that she doesn’t answer. “I rest my case.”

“Billy, we need to get some pictures from the Kinsol Trestle and at Cliffside, where The Last Spike was driven in by Sir John A. MacDonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada,” Ricky reminds me.

“Don’t worry. That’s at the top of my list. You know, there’s something I’ve not done yet.”

“What’s that?”

“Walk the trestle. What do you think?”

“That’s swag, man,” Ricky says. He is obviously game.

“You guys are crazy,” my sister chimes in. “You’re not allowed to do that, are you?”

“Actually, you are.”

“Really?” Sarah shakes her head and goes back to her iPhone. Her fourteen years of experience not appreciating our adventure.

“Tell you what. You can film us.” She just rolls her eyes at me.

“How much farther is it?” Ricky asks.

“Well...” I answer, pushing the keys of the iPad. “...let me see. Uh, here we go, about thirty minutes away.”

“You’re not really going to walk the trestle, are you?” my sister asks. “You’ll never get them to stop the train.” She shakes her head, blond curls bouncing with each movement.

“This train is a tourist attraction now. Not only do they stop there, but they give you pamphlets, sell souvenirs and take your picture as you walk it.”

“What?” She looks shocked. “That’s just crazy.”

“No, sis, that’s capitalism. Everything is worth something.”

“It’s the only way they can afford to keep the old E&N running,” Ricky says. “They actually made a profit last year of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars or so. Of course, most of it was spent to upgrade the line and fix some of the old steam engines, but over fifty thousand tourists came to ride on it last year.”

“Come and walk the trestle with us,” I say.

“I don’t think so.” She giggles at something on her phone.

“Suit yourself, but there’s a cool souvenir shop on the other side.”

“The Kinsol trestle was built in the 1920’s,” Ricky says.

“Here, let me look it up.”

“Yeah, we’ll need some of the historical details for our report. Mrs. Owens wants at least a ten-page document.”

“Indeed, and with references. When is it due, again?”

“Two weeks from Friday, I think. Don’t you have the assignment details there on your laptop?”

“Oh, yeah, just a sec. Friday, the seventeenth in History 12.”

“Alright then, I also have a Political Science debate to write before then, how about you?”

“I’ve got to research for a Chemistry lab experiment on mixing organic compounds.”

“Sounds like fun. Just don’t create any Methamphetamines.”

I laugh. “It’s not that kind of lab, Ricky. Back to the task at hand, it says here that the Kinsol trestle was about 187 meters long and 38 meters high, one of the highest one’s ever built.”

“That’s pretty cool. It would be fun to bungee jump off of, eh?”

“Yes, I guess if you’re suicidal.” Ricky snickers as I read further. “They started rebuilding it in 2010 and on July 28, 2011, it was reopened as part of the Trans Canada Trail. The new tracks have only been on it for a few years. Before then it was like a glorified bike path. Now it’s a tourist attraction almost as popular as Butchart Gardens in Victoria.”

“When were the tracks put in?”

“In 2018, even the Prime Minister was there, sort of like the Sir John A. Macdonald ceremony. They put a spike in and everything.”

“Really? Trudeau was there?” Ricky asks.

“Yeah, at the same place, Cliffside, and there’s a second plaque there as well.”

“Good thing cameras are on iPhones and iPads these days, eh?”

“Yup, sure makes it easy. We should be at Cliffside any minute.” I look out the right-side window. “No signs.”

“Don’t worry,” Ricky says, pulling a brochure out of his pocket. “It says here that the train stops there. We’ll be able to get out and take pictures.”

“That works for me.”

About ten minutes later, we arrive at Cliffside. Sarah, totally absorbed in her iPhone, stays on board as Ricky and I hop out. I can hear the steam jettisoning out of the engine when we step down the metal stairway to the gravel beside the tracks. The cool, fresh air is a relief from the smoky smell of the train. A small group of tourists follows us up the path to the site of the Cliffside plaques. A small kiosk sits beside them filled with souvenirs; miniature plaques, flags, postcards, pictures, and of course various trinkets, candies and toys. I take several pictures of both plaques from every angle I can manage while Ricky inspects the kiosk goodies. We buy some trinkets to use in our class presentation later. With the train stopped, I can hear the water from the river below swooshing over the rocks and fallen trees. The air is cool with a hint of winter coming, there’s snow on the mountains above the tracks.

At the souvenir shop, an unusual girl, about our age, stands off to the side eyeing everyone. She has large, bright purple eyes and an iWatch-like disk strapped to her arm. Her clothes look as if they are form-fitted to her body, like spandex, kind of sexy. Even her shoes have no separation. Weird. She has gold wraparound dragon earrings that glow as if they have tiny batteries in them.

We make eye contact; she stares for several seconds as if reading my mind before diverting her gaze. I gesture to Ricky, who waves more pamphlets, and glances back at me. He casually steps toward the girl without eyeing her. She turns and bats her eyes at him as he walks past her. She raises her eyebrows and smiles at us. My hackles go up and I reach for my wand in my pocket and step forward.

“Hi,” I say, smiling back. “I’m Billy, and this is my friend, Ricky.”

“Hi, I’m Azandra. Happy to meet you,” she replies, and reaches down to touch the iWatch thing on her arm. It’s aimed at us so I suspect it takes our picture. Ricky quickly snaps a shot of her with his iPhone just as the engineer steps down from the train and shouts, “All aboard!” People start filing forward as we talk.

“You have very unusual eye color,” I say. “Are they contacts?”

“Yeah, sort of, although a little more sophisticated,” she answers.

“What do you mean?” Ricky asks.

“They’re not just contacts. They’re more like tiny computers.”

“Really? What do they do actually?”

“It’s complicated. I couldn’t begin to explain it all. They’re like cameras with special abilities. I think we better get onboard before the train leaves.” She turns, grabbing the ladder and rushing up the stairs. We follow but lose her as she zips ahead and into another car.

“Billy, there you are.” My sister tugs on my arm.

I turn and snap at her, “What?” My gaze searches for the purple eyes.

“Well, you don’t have to bite my head off,” she says, crossing her arms and frowning. “How much longer is it to the trestle? I’m hungry, and you promised me lunch.”

“Relax. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” I turn and head back to our seats. All we hear is the light murmur of people chatting and the click-clack of the wheels below us.

“I wonder where that girl is going?” Ricky asks, saying what I was thinking.

“I don’t know, but I sure would like to talk to her again.”

“Yeah, I can’t get over those strange purple eyes. It felt like she was looking into my soul or something.”

“Who are you guys talking about?” Sarah asks.

“Just a girl we met at the last stop,” I answer.

“What was wrong with her eyes?”

“Nothing, it’s just, they were purple in color and she said they had unusual abilities.”

“What unusual abilities?” Her face scrunches up.

“We didn’t have time to ask her because she jumped on the train too quickly,” Ricky says.

“Sounds weird. What was she wearing?”

“That was strange too,” I say. “Her clothes clung to her like they were spandex or something. Even her shoes were part of the one-piece outfit. Do you know any girls who wear clothes like that?”

“Not really,” my sister answers. “My friend, Lolly, sometimes wears spandex, but usually when she’s doing her workouts or track training. I’ve never seen a suit that included footwear before though.”

“Maybe we can find her,” Ricky says. “She’s on the train somewhere.”

“Well,” I say, “there are only about six passenger cars. It shouldn’t take that long. You and Ricky go towards the back and I’ll move to the front. Text me if you find her or if you don’t, text me anyway when you reach the caboose.”

Ricky and Sarah take off one way and I head in the other direction, carefully looking at all the seated people on both sides of the train. I get one ugly look from a girl with green hair and piercing blue eyes as I stare a little too long. I quickly apologize and hurry on to the last car before the engine. Nobody looks like the mysterious, purple-eyed beauty.

Just as I’m reaching for the door to the outside rail, Ricky texts me.

—No sign of her from this end.

—Me neither. Come up to our seats. I’ll meet you there.

When we meet up, Ricky says, “I don’t see how she gave us the slip.”

“The only place we didn’t look is in the washrooms,” Sarah says. “I’ll check the women’s, you check the men’s.” Just as we get back, together the train whistle blows and the E&N starts slowing down.

“Well, that was a bust. I don’t see why she’s not on the train,” I say.

“Maybe she stepped off the train just before we got underway,” Ricky reasons.

Sarah shrugs.

“We must be coming up to the Kinsol Trestle. You ready for the walk of destiny?” I tease.

“Yup. How about it Sarah? You game?”

“Like, no,” Sarah says, “but don’t be long because you still owe me lunch.”

The sun is shining as we step off the train except for a mist rising around the trestle from the water below. Sarah sits on a bench under some trees beside a small café where several tourists are milling about looking at souvenirs, menus, and pamphlets. I take a look back as we reach the trestle. Nobody else is behind us. It feels a little strange as the fog surrounds us. A sudden chill wind creeps up and I zip my jacket up. I can’t see in front, behind, or below as a shroud of greenish electricity sparks all around us.

“What the heck?” Ricky says, pulling his wand out as we both stop about halfway across. “Where did everything go?”

“And what’s with all of that green static?”

Chapter Two

Missing

Sarah rises from the bench where she’s been texting her friend, looking for Ricky and Billy on the other side of the trestle, but all she can make out is half of the bridge covered in mist. Where are those stupid boys? She steps toward the overpass. I guess I’ll have to cross the river after all. She walks slowly through the wet cloud until she reaches the halfway point, stops and peers at the other side, afraid to look down. She shivers with the cold as she scans the souvenir shop, the restaurant, people walking all around, but the boys are nowhere in sight. In panic mode, she runs the rest of the way across, searching every place she thinks they may have gone. Frustrated, she takes out her cell, brings up her picture files until she finds some of the boys.

“Have you seen these boys?” she asks the souvenir vendor.

He studies the pictures carefully. “No, sorry. Were they on the train?”

“Yes, thanks anyway.” Sarah rushes around asking several people, but nobody has noticed them. It’s as if they’ve disappeared. She sits on a bench and looks back towards the train. Maybe I missed them when they crossed back. I spend too much time on this stupid phone. She stuffs it into her pocket, dashes back over the trestle, and searches the other side. Not a sign of them and not one single person has seen them. Her last option is to check the train. She scours every car and both washrooms, even when a gentleman yells at her as she enters the men’s washroom. She ignores him, pushing in the stalls anyway before slipping out again.

What do I do now?

She’s startled when the train’s whistle blows and the engineer hollers, “All aboard!” Should I stay on the train or get off and hope they show up? All of their stuff is still on the train. I’d better stay aboard. Besides, if they show up, they’ll find their way to Nanaimo and expect me to be there. She goes back to their seats and sits down. I hope they’re okay. She texts her friend Lolly, who has already arrived in Nanaimo with her mom.

Lolly—Don’t worry, they’re big boys, they’ll catch up with us later. They probably got distracted by some girl. LOL

Sarah—Okay, I’ll see you soon. You’re still meeting me at the train station, right?

Lolly—Yup, have you had lunch?

Sarah—No, the stupid boys were supposed to spring for it.

Lolly—Right. Well not to worry, my mom will buy it for us.

Sarah—Great. Thank you. See you soon.

Putting her phone back in her pocket, Sarah reaches up into the shelf above, making sure the boys’ backpacks are still there. Thank goodness, they are, along with Billy’s laptop. If he’d lost that mom would kill him. Her stomach growls as she curses the boys for her missed lunch. She sinks back in her seat, pulls out her iPhone and plays ‘Alysha’s Witches’, her favorite magic game. She started playing a week ago and is already on level 12.

Less than an hour later she is struggling to carry all of their backpacks off the train at Nanaimo Station. People, cars, and buses are all around. She looks, but can’t see Lolly and her mom anywhere. They’d better be here. Her panic causes her to trip on the stairs down from the platform and she cries out as she falls. A lady in front of her turns, reaches up and catches her, stopping her fall.

“Oh, thank you,” Sarah says as she straightens up, eyeing the woman who let’s go of her and steps back.

“You’re welcome. Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Sarah mumbles, trying to see the woman’s face but the sun is in her eyes.

“That’s a lot of luggage for one person. Can I help you?” Sarah is surprised when she notices the lady’s dragon necklace sparkling over her bosom and glimpses the woman’s face. Purple eyes? Yup, she has dragon earrings as well. But Billy had said that the girl he saw was young. This lady is at least 20, more likely 30.

“Thank you,” Sarah says as the lady picks up a backpack.

“Is someone meeting you?” dragon lady asks.

“Yes, my friend and her mom, but I don’t see them yet.”

“I can wait with you if you like. Could you use something to drink? Coffee or tea?”

“Oh, I would love a Pepsi, if you don’t mind.”

“Let’s go over to the café. I can see a vacant table outside. It will be nice to sit in the sunshine on such a beautiful day.” She turns, her necklace glinting back and forth as she hoists the heavy backpack over her shoulder with no problem at all. Sarah follows, noticing the tight-fitting clothing hugging the woman’s ample backside and the shoes like booties seemingly part of the outfit. Weird, but practical.

“I couldn’t help but notice all of your luggage. Are you moving or something?” dragon lady asks as they sip their drinks.

“No, some of it is my brother’s and his friend’s stuff. I’m meeting them in Nanaimo,” Sarah answers, a little reluctant to divulge the extent of her dilemma.

“Oh,” purple eyes says. “By the way, I’m Lenora.”

“I’m Sarah. Pleased to meet you.”

“Do you live here?”

“No, I’m just coming to play a soccer game.”

“Do you play for a school team?”

“No, it’s a community team, the Gordon Head Griffins. We play against various city teams on the island. Are you travelling up island to meet someone?”

“Sort of. I’m on a business trip.”

“What’s your business?”

“I’m a travel agent.”

“Oh, so you arrange trip details for people on holidays and business?”

“Something like that, yes; mostly foreign clients.”

“From other countries, like France and England?”

“Like that, yes, sort of.”

As they continue talking, Lolly and her mom walk up behind dragon lady. “You okay, Sarah?” Lolly asks as purple eyes turns to view them.

“Who’s your friend?” Lolly’s mom asks.

“Hi, I’m Lenora.”

“Hello, I’m Kassandra, Lolly’s mom. Thanks for helping Sarah.”

“Of course. Well, I really should be going before I miss my appointment.” She rises and glances back at Sarah. “Nice to meet you, Sarah. Good luck in your game.” Lenora blinks twice at them, turns, and heads towards the café parking lot.

“Thank you,” Sarah says as Lolly and Kassandra sit down.

“She looks a little different,” Kassandra says.

“Yes, did you see her clothes and those eyes? I’ve never seen purple contacts before,” Lolly says.

“I don’t think they’re contacts,” Sarah says.

“Really? I’ve never seen anyone born with purple eyes,” Kassandra says. “Anyway, what happened to the boys?”

“That’s the strange part. They were walking across the Kinsol Trestle when they disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Lolly’s mom raises her eyebrows. “Maybe they just got caught up talking to somebody.”

“Like a girl?” Lolly teases.

“But, I looked for them everywhere and talked to everybody. Nobody had seen them after the trestle.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Lolly’s mom says. “I’m sure we’ll see them in Nanaimo at the field. In the meantime, let’s get some lunch.”

Sarah raises her eyebrows and presses her lips together.

“It’ll be okay,” her friend says, giving her a hug. Sarah sighs as they rise, grabs her luggage and heads for the car.

Chapter Three

Somewhere Else

Oh, my aching head. It’s freezing!. What the hey? Where am I? Antarctica? I’m in the middle of a white, winter wonderland. Had I known I would have worn my mukluks. “Hold on, we were on the train, crossing the trestle. I don’t see the train, rails, or the trestle. Billy-boy, you’re not in Kansas anymore,” I say to nobody save for a lone wolf howling in the distance. “Brrrr, mouth full of snowflakes. Hmm, a long ridge of high trees ahead. I need to get out of this wind and cold, and find shelter before I freeze. “Ricky! Ricky!” I yell. No sign of him. This is like slogging through three feet of sand. “Ricky! Ricky!” I call again, listening as my words disappear into the woods. No response. I hope he’s okay. And what about Sarah?

Several steps along the tree line I find a path with what looks like footprints going into the forest. “Ricky! Ricky!” I holler again and listen. Nothing. I trudge along the path trying to stay in the footprints already there, to keep my runners from disappearing in the white depth. At least the trees are supplying some shelter from the snow and wind. Deeper in the forest, the dark is quickly surrounding me; nightfall is not far away. I need shelter, fire, and water. Searching for a protected open space among the trees, I trudge on, distracted by the strange animal sounds─deep howls and a weird screeching like some demented bird.

After several minutes, I break through the brush into a sheltered spot, perfect for camping. Looking around, there’s no sign of animals. Plenty of broken, dry branches on the trees for firewood and shelter allow me to tear off fir branches, pick up fallen twigs on the ground, and strip off the thicker ones for poles to make a lean-to. Next, a fire; piling up small twigs and birch bark I lean over them.

“Ignis,” I say, tapping my wand on the twigs. Flames leap up catching the kindling and bark. Good thing magic works here or I would be in big trouble. Now, I need water. Let’s see, take some snow and liquefy it, that’s the plan. I know there’s a spell for that if I can think of it. Water is ‘Aqua’ and thaw is ‘Regelo’. I pick up and roll the snow into a ball in my hands. “Aqua regelo.” After four handfuls of cool water I feel much better except for my freezing fingers, but they are soon thawed out from the heat of the flames.

Okay, now for some food, but before I can entice a rabbit to come to me, a glistening bluish object flies through the woods towards me. It stops about thirty feet from my camp, a shiny, circular metallic object hovering silently. My wand shakes when I aim it, ready for a fight as it slips forward making no sound. About twenty feet away it stops, a shiny hatch lowers from it and a person descends the ramp.

“Who are you?” I yell, but she ignores my cry, touches her hand to her right wrist, and sends a bright greenish light towards me. I cover my eyes expecting the brightness to hurt, but it doesn’t. It just warms me.

A voice starts speaking in my head. “Do not fear. I am Azandra. We met at the train. Remember?”

“Yes,” I say in my head, my wand still ready. “Where am I, and where is Ricky?”

“You are in the future and your friend is safe. Somehow you were separated in the transfer.”

“Transfer? Really? What year is it?”

“Just wait and I will bring the orb to you and get you out of the cold, then I can explain everything. Okay?”

“Alright.”

I lower my wand and watch as she goes back in. The beam stops, the hatch closes, and the orb zips right up in front of me. Heat emanates from it as it glows like a big Christmas ornament. The hatch opens again and Azandra steps out and reaches her hand towards me. The inside looks warm and welcoming. With mixed feelings of worry and relief I accept her offer and step into the orb. The hatch closes and we rise swiftly above the trees. Funny, there is no sensation of motion as I watch the land and snow below whiz by, right through the floor. Great view.

“Billy, I’m sorry that you got misplaced, but you are safe now.”

“Okay, but tell me what year it is and what is going on.”

“It is the tenth year of the new age, or if you’d rather, in the old calendar, about 2066.”

“2066? What do you mean by ‘the new age’?”

“Well after World War III, the destruction caused an environmental collapse and a polar shift that changed the world’s climate enough to cause a new ice age.”

“What? World War III? Ice age?”

“Yes, after the religious crisis in the Middle East, in 2025, the Iranians and the Russians overran Iraq, attacked Israel and half of Europe. The USA, Canada, France and Britain entered the war against Russia, Syria, Afghanistan and Iran. North Korea sent nuclear missiles over China causing a million casualties and...”

“Whoa, I get it. How did a polar shift happen?”

“In 2029, a nuclear bomb set off a super volcano in southern Asia sending enough ash into the atmosphere to block the sun for several years, which caused the worldwide temperature to lower by more than twenty-five degrees. Then a huge 10.0 mega earthquake occurred in California in 2031, sinking the west coast, flooding the center of North America, causing tsunamis half a mile high to wash over the Pacific and smash Japan, Indonesia, China, New Zealand and Australia. Another massive volcano erupted in Alaska, which moved the earth’s axis more than 12 degrees, shifting the poles, sinking Japan, half of China and eastern Russia, while uncovering Antarctica. All of North America is covered with ice now. More than six billion people are dead since the catastrophe.

“Oh, my God!” The shock of her words hits me like a sledgehammer and I feel dizzy, my heart pounding.

“Are you okay?” she asks as I hold onto the wall.

“Why am I here?”

“We need you and Ricky to help us.”

“How can we help? This is the future, right? What can we do?”

“You are a wizard and have the ability to go back and forward in time. We need you to help us identify and stop a wizard who started this disaster, before he causes more havoc.”

“Seriously? A wizard did this? Change the future? That’s not possible, is it?”

“No, it is not, he just set things in motion, but you and Ricky can help fight him now.”

“Why don’t you and your people just use your technology against him?”

“We have tried, but it is no match for his magic. Your ability is extremely rare. As it is, we had to reach into the past to find you. We have not been able to find anyone in our time with your abilities, as yet.” I noticed tall buildings below us housed in a huge dome. A city glittered below our feet. Capsules like the one we were in, zipped all over the skies inside the dome. I could also make out trees, fields with crops, rivers, lakes and even small mountains.

“Wow,” I say. “What is this place?”

“New Albion, one of the few cities rebuilt after the shift.”

“What is the Earth’s population now?”

“About half a billion we are aware of.”

“What do you mean?”

“There are some who choose to not live with us in the protected cities. The Outlanders’ numbers are harder to determine. Our scientists estimate around half a million or so, not including the off-planet that is.”

“Off-planet?”

“Yes, we have five small colonies on the moon which were set up prior to the catastrophe, around 2027. They are working on several more domed cities as we speak.”

“Wow, the world has really changed. Anything else I should be aware of?”

“Yes, we have other allies. You may not be aware but there are several groups of aliens who have been monitoring and interfering in our affairs for thousands of years. Some of them are trying to help our race while others are trying to eliminate or control us.”

“My God, this is getting complicated, but I’ve been aware of ET’s since I was a child so I’m not surprised. How do we enter this domed city?”

“There are several hatches which can be opened by the inhabitants. They scan all ships before that happens. It only takes a few minutes and we will be inside.”