Read Online The Blue Moon - Part 1 - Into the Forest by Nolan Bauerle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nolan Bauerle
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time.”
“Why? What do you mean?”
“Do you see those dark shadows moving along the fields? They’re created by those dark spots moving across the Rock Sun.”
Emmy looked and could just barely make out both.
“What are they?”
Shankar took a deep breath, but did not take his eyes off the spots moving in the sky. “Those dark spots are firesail ships. The Martians are here. We need to leave.”
Chapter 5
The Shamrock Forest
“HOW DID THEY get here so quickly?” Shankar said, thinking out loud. “How could they have passed through the Asteroid Belt already? They should’ve been slowed down by debris, held up by chaos.”
Turning to Emmy, who was looking for an extra backpack in a closet, Shankar said, “Pack lightly. They’ll be looking for us. They’ll be looking for you for sure. We need to be mobile — mobility is the key. Oh, we need food. Don’t forget blankets, it’s cold here.”
Shankar stopped pacing around the cottage, looked out the window and considered their situation aloud. “Our flight off this space-island is cancelled. All the smugglers are from Earth, Terrans in disguise. They’re going to be hiding their faces. They won’t be flying, that’s for sure. The Martians are already in control of the space around St. John’s. The smugglers are stuck here, just like us.”
Despite his concerns, Emmy noticed Shankar still wore a trace of a smile. “I warned them. It’s too late. The Martians are here. What’s Earth going to do now, send a diplomatic ship to ask for peace negotiations? Ha!”
Emmy jolted Shankar from his laugh by handing him a backpack filled with food, a blanket and some warm clothes. Her heavy copy of the Traveler’s Guide to the Solar System was the first thing packed in her bag. She laid out a blanket and placed the blue light in the middle. After wrapping the light in the blanket, she placed the package gently into the same bag. Once she put her grey coat on, she slung the bag over her shoulder and was ready to go.
“Ready?” Shankar said as he put on his warm coat.
“I’m ready. So, where are we going anyway?” Emmy hadn’t even asked herself that question until just then.
“The Martians are going to be active for the next few days. So, we are needful of a place to hide until we can leave St. John’s. That place looks good.”
Shankar pointed to the horizon, past the reflective fields and towards a pale, light green wall that stretched across the mountain ridge of St. John’s.
“The Shamrock Forest?” Emmy said. “Shouldn’t we make contact with some smugglers? Maybe someone has a plan to get away.”
“You don’t know Terrans. They’re hiding by now, for sure. They don’t like to stress themselves. The Martians will intercept any ship trying to leave from here. We’ll have to find another way off of St. John’s.”
“Why wouldn’t we try to get help? I mean, the ADF, or St. John’s Council?”
“Those are the first institutions the Martians will control. They might already control them. Those aren’t safe places. By tomorrow morning, the ADF will be destroyed or abandoned. Mars won’t let anything stand between them and the Blue Moon. They no longer care about peace treaties or St. John’s sovereignty or anything like that. We need to be subtle and sneaky — for now. The smugglers will be hiding. We need to find them.”
Excitement and fear filled Emmy’s thoughts. She would finally have a chance to leave St. John’s and search for her mother, but it was not freedom so much as fear of a Martian invasion that was getting her out the door. The only good news was her certainty that her mother deliberately left the guidebook behind. It wasn’t just a birthday present. From the moment she found it, Emmy constantly thought of traveling. With her guidebook and the blue light in her bag, she was ready to get on with her journey.
She followed Shankar out of the cottage and they were met with a gust of cold wind in
“Why? What do you mean?”
“Do you see those dark shadows moving along the fields? They’re created by those dark spots moving across the Rock Sun.”
Emmy looked and could just barely make out both.
“What are they?”
Shankar took a deep breath, but did not take his eyes off the spots moving in the sky. “Those dark spots are firesail ships. The Martians are here. We need to leave.”
Chapter 5
The Shamrock Forest
“HOW DID THEY get here so quickly?” Shankar said, thinking out loud. “How could they have passed through the Asteroid Belt already? They should’ve been slowed down by debris, held up by chaos.”
Turning to Emmy, who was looking for an extra backpack in a closet, Shankar said, “Pack lightly. They’ll be looking for us. They’ll be looking for you for sure. We need to be mobile — mobility is the key. Oh, we need food. Don’t forget blankets, it’s cold here.”
Shankar stopped pacing around the cottage, looked out the window and considered their situation aloud. “Our flight off this space-island is cancelled. All the smugglers are from Earth, Terrans in disguise. They’re going to be hiding their faces. They won’t be flying, that’s for sure. The Martians are already in control of the space around St. John’s. The smugglers are stuck here, just like us.”
Despite his concerns, Emmy noticed Shankar still wore a trace of a smile. “I warned them. It’s too late. The Martians are here. What’s Earth going to do now, send a diplomatic ship to ask for peace negotiations? Ha!”
Emmy jolted Shankar from his laugh by handing him a backpack filled with food, a blanket and some warm clothes. Her heavy copy of the Traveler’s Guide to the Solar System was the first thing packed in her bag. She laid out a blanket and placed the blue light in the middle. After wrapping the light in the blanket, she placed the package gently into the same bag. Once she put her grey coat on, she slung the bag over her shoulder and was ready to go.
“Ready?” Shankar said as he put on his warm coat.
“I’m ready. So, where are we going anyway?” Emmy hadn’t even asked herself that question until just then.
“The Martians are going to be active for the next few days. So, we are needful of a place to hide until we can leave St. John’s. That place looks good.”
Shankar pointed to the horizon, past the reflective fields and towards a pale, light green wall that stretched across the mountain ridge of St. John’s.
“The Shamrock Forest?” Emmy said. “Shouldn’t we make contact with some smugglers? Maybe someone has a plan to get away.”
“You don’t know Terrans. They’re hiding by now, for sure. They don’t like to stress themselves. The Martians will intercept any ship trying to leave from here. We’ll have to find another way off of St. John’s.”
“Why wouldn’t we try to get help? I mean, the ADF, or St. John’s Council?”
“Those are the first institutions the Martians will control. They might already control them. Those aren’t safe places. By tomorrow morning, the ADF will be destroyed or abandoned. Mars won’t let anything stand between them and the Blue Moon. They no longer care about peace treaties or St. John’s sovereignty or anything like that. We need to be subtle and sneaky — for now. The smugglers will be hiding. We need to find them.”
Excitement and fear filled Emmy’s thoughts. She would finally have a chance to leave St. John’s and search for her mother, but it was not freedom so much as fear of a Martian invasion that was getting her out the door. The only good news was her certainty that her mother deliberately left the guidebook behind. It wasn’t just a birthday present. From the moment she found it, Emmy constantly thought of traveling. With her guidebook and the blue light in her bag, she was ready to get on with her journey.
She followed Shankar out of the cottage and they were met with a gust of cold wind in
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