Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

94 ∞ two threats

Day Nineteen ∞ Tuesday evening

THE TWO SOLDIERS AT THE DOORS stood transfixed with slack jaws, staring at Mickmi's and Danny's new garb as they paused before them.

"General Davies is expecting us," Dr. Kruger said pointedly.

The guards snapped into action and opened the doors to bright stage lights. The four entered and Kruger showed them to a table and four armchairs to the right, diagonally facing the large, darkened room. Somebody out there muttered and another coughed as Danny and Mickmi sat down beside Dr. Bogdanov.

—Any idea who these people are? Danny squinted. He could barely make out the figures in the audience through the glare, except for those seated in the front row armchairs. Half of them were dressed in olive drab uniforms, and several lab coats sat on the right. Beyond, here and there, a badge, watch, or glasses glinted. Some appeared to wear a shiny visitor's pass like he himself still had clipped to his new shirt. They seemed to sit in groups, separated from each other. One figure moved between the seats near the back, apparently conversing with a few persons, a pale hat giving him away.

—High-ranking military... Government advisors... Ambassadors... Mickmi stood motionless, scanning beyond the glare. Astrophysicists, engineers...

Kruger excused himself and strode to the front of the stage area.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Thank you for coming. I'm Doctor Hans Kruger, head of the Xenobiology and Medical departments. The person who will be speaking to you today has for the past 24 hours been tested, studied, and interviewed by myself and my team of scientists and medical doctors—and Doctor Bogdanov here, head of Astrophysics—in as much detail as the short time allowed. The test results confirm that she has evolved beyond Homo sapiens sapiens... and is – by all indications – not – of our world... as we know it. I will allow her to introduce herself. I strongly recommend you take what she has to say very seriously."

Kruger walked over to Mickmi and said quietly, "Well, the floor is yours, Miss Wamba. Whatever it is, you better make a strong case for these people to act. Oh, and there's a projector over there if you need it," he added. "Just let me know. Do you need a microphone?"

"Nay... Thank you, Doctor Kruger."

—Good luck, Danny mouthed as she met his gaze.

She smiled faintly in response before striding to the middle of the podium, gems sparkling and dress shimmering as it flowed around her legs. Facing the audience, she lifted her head, standing silent and erect with her hands folded in front of her for several seconds.

"I am... Mickmi Lepantra Wamba," she said, her voice ringing clear across the auditorium, "Queen Lepantra, the Last Queen of the United Lands—"

Someone in the audience choked on a cough.

"—of The Earth That Is Beyond Reach, and the last representative of my People. I am from Anno 6665. I am – in essence... a survivor of – your – Earth's – possible – future.

"Nineteen days ago, an airplane of yours disappeared in a 'freak' storm in the Sargasso Sea—East of your Florida..."

"That's the Bermuda Triangle," Bogdanov whispered to Kruger who nodded.

"Nineteen days ago, I was in low orbit around my planet—Earth in my dimension—when I received... mental distress signals from everywhere... I... Before I could determine what was wrong, I witnessed terrible... global destruction... on a scale never predicted or... heard of before." Mickmi drew a deep breath and lowered her gaze.