Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

108 ∞ briefing and distrust

Day Twenty ∞ Wednesday afternoon

WEAVER STOOD BACK, allowing everyone else to go ahead of him. Some things had changed since he'd left the location a few hours ago. The focus of the camp guards had shifted away from the activities within the bubble. Now they solely tasked with protecting the camp perimeter from unauthorized approach. And it seemed like Wamba's ship had... shifted? The two ends appeared to be closer to the bubble... or had the bubble shrunken in diameter? No, the distance from the brush outside was still the same...

Filing the observation away, Weaver strode up the ramp and entered. The hull melded shut behind him as he halted between Tillman and Danny, completing the semicircle. While he waited, he let his gaze slide around in careful observation, his trained mind taking notes.

The ship's interior had been reorganized—except for his seabag that was back where he'd left it. Artemae's virtual command interface was gone. A long roll of netting against the wall enclosed several metal poles. And the bench and table had been replaced with several marble-gray, rounded armchairs, forming two rows before them.

Yet the area looked more spacious than before.

Brows rising, he scanned the length of the visible interior again. The ship looks... wider... like it's— Damn, if she wasn't kidding. It's really grown!

"Friends," Mickmi stood in front of the chairs, waited for all eyes to turn to her, then gestured toward them, "before we proceed..."

∞

Jagg found himself at the center of attention after Lora's sister allowed everybody to introduce themselves—the five suited-up astronauts, her boyfriend who also wore a suit, Lora, and the two females whom he assumed came from the same planet as she and Lora did. He found it strange that she would be the one in charge when the blonde woman with the weird name clearly was the elder. Call her Selina.

What had the short girl said? That Mickmi was the queen? But he was still too hyped about being inside this sleek, alien-looking contraption to bothered by that. It didn't look anything like the starship Enterprise. The entire interior was evenly lit, barely producing a faint shadow at his feet. He couldn't see any lighting fixtures in the smooth, unsegmented surfaces—it was as if the ceiling-walls themselves were the light source.

Lora met Jagg's gaze. Although she remained poker-faced, he could tell she was relieved that he'd decided to join them. He gave her a quick hike of the brow before shifting his attention to Mickmi who'd stepped in front of him.

For sisters, the two didn't look much alike other than body type. Scanning her up and down, he'd say she was of slighter build. Suddenly he found himself locked by her green eyes, like she was reading him like a book.

Moments passed. Feeling oddly uncomfortable, he pushed his thumbs into the pockets of his leather jacket.

"I am aware," Mickmi said eventually, "you accompanied L'or Aug out here by your own volition. What know you about this mission?"

"Just that's it's important and you needed Lora." Jagg shrugged. "I dunno what a dude like me can do... But I'm here now." His instinct was to check his surroundings, even make eye-contact with Lora again. But the intensity of Mickmi's stare made it impossible for him to look away. This chick knew what she was about, no doubt about it.

"Aye... You are here now—voluntarily and involuntarily. Unfortunately, you had no opportunity to participate in the training. So you shall learn as we go and remain an observer for the main part of this mission. You shall adhere to instructions. Or else you may risk the lives of – not only all of us – but also of those – residing – on your planet. Understand you?"