Chapter 1
There's a sudden deafening boom behind me as an explosion rocks the ground.
"they're attacking our town!"
A crowd of terrified, fleeing people surges around me. There's a high-pitched whine in my ears from the blast but I can still hear the terrified screams and shouting from the panicked citizens.
Oh no, the soldiers are destroying everything!
Why are they doing this? I want to stop, I want to hide but I can't there's an army after me.
This is all my fault! I start running trying to escape I look down at the device in my hand with a pang of guilt. Could it really be because of this?
I'm holding what looks like a small, unassuming box. I recently sent an encrypted message to The North Union reporting that this little box picked up signs of life beyong the edges of the galaxy. Today the Noty army came crashing into my lab....this has to be what they're after. If the Noty wants this, it can't be for anything good. I need to hide and fast!
I can hear the soldiers heavy boots pounding the streets behing me.
The light power is down, a pang of guilt hits me when I hear even more panicked shouting. I start running navigating the familiar streets with ease, even in the dark. I turn into an alley trying to hide out behind a garbage dumpster. "almost there" I tell myself.
There's a sudden flash of red light in the darkness. I stagger to a stop just before I collide with the end of a riffle.
My eyes find a pair of narrowed ones, only visible beyond a mask...Where did he come from?
Fear jolts through me I turn to run, my heart is beating so violently that it hurts. Please.... no....I was so close!
"Dalia, you have something that I want." The masked man says.
"you and that device will come with me, or everyone you know and love will perish."
I knew it, this really is my fault. I tense as a scream suddenly pierces the air, so loud that it rises above all the chaos. The masked man slowly raises a hand to point in the direction it came from.
"If you find yourself entertaining resistance, remember that scream" he said.
"It will come to exist in an echo of countless others if you so much as try escaping"
I gulp, I brought the Noty Army down on this peaceful town. I brought them down on my family and friends.... I can't let anyone else get hurt because of me. I let out a trembling breath as I raise my hands in the air.
"I'll go" I tell him.
My throat is so thick with fear that I have to choke the words out.
"the right choice" he says.
He strives over to me, pulls my hands down then I hear the zap of cuffs locking around my wrists.
"I want everyone back to the ship immediately!" he orders his crew.
"yes, general." one of his crew member reply.
Even as he grabs my arm and jerks me along behing him, I'm a little relieved to hear that he's keeping his word of leaving my town alone.
