6 Chapter II The Autumn - Part 1

Several hours later. Time: 04:11

Planet: Saturn: Region: Saturn's Rings.

Day: October 22, 22,236

The group zooms out of light speed to the vast open space filled galaxy of Saturn and its moons. The planet's color and rings make a wonderful and magical sight. The many moons surrounding Saturn were somewhat viewed clearly.

Locus glanced at the mother and children as they were resting on the comfy seats, they were both asleep, the daughters were resting on the lap of their mother. He could still see the tear stains from the mother on her face and dress. Locus still remembers those screams of desperation to let her go, he reexamined the window to view the outside to avoid eye contact with them.

The Militia pilot traveled the spaceship closer through the Ring's debre carefully. A ton of small rocks, dust, and ice were scattered around, tough to dodge most of the time, but what appeared like a pathway was manually created to travel through.

When they flew further around the ring, Locus saw from afar, a miniature ship but as they got closer, it appeared bigger and bigger and eventually it was gigantic. It came into his mind that it must've been the Autumn spaceship he heard about.

"This is Alpha five-two checking in, Foxtrot seven-four do you respond?" A voice asked coming from inside the pilot's room. The voice was definitely coming from the Autumn spaceship, it sounded like it was from a radio,

"This is Darrow of the private commando squad, code named (Retrieval) assigned together by Captain Husky, requesting permission to land on the nearest open hanger."

The air traffic man returns by stating, "Copy that Darrow, we're detecting multiple signatures on your ship, care to explain briefly?"

Darrow explained, "As I was going to rescue the target, there was a woman with two children with him, he was adamant we take them with us, I don't believe they oppose a threat to us."

Silence filled the room.

"Understood. I think it's safe to say you can come aboard, proceed to dock in Bay 11, but I'll let captain Husky know about the situation."

Darrow flew the ship closer to the Autumn hangers bays. He carefully lands the ship on a large plat-form, next to a bunch of other Militia fighter spaceships similar to the ship they're flying in.

Locus grabbed his gear from the side, the other passengers woke up, the daughters questioning where they were. Darrow explains to the mother and children as to what was happening. Locus presses a red button which opens the ship's exit hatch opening up the wide view of the hanger bay.

He exited the spaceship and unexpectedly saw a ton of workers in orange suits walking about, there were some militia soldiers minding their own business, others were normal citizens if he guessed as they aren't dressed like workers.

Locus noticed a few people were staring at him, then mostly everyone was staring at him, they came over to him, whispering to each other often repeating his appearance. Before he knew it, he was trapped in a circle with tons of people wanting to know more about him. Locus was unsure of what to do, he was beginning to feel overwhelmed from the intense crowd.

"Get out of the way, show the man some respect!" A loud voice hollered throughout the hanger bay, the mysterious man-like figure kept pushing through the crowds.

A rather rough faced man with a deep scratchy voice exited the crowd and saw Locus standing in the middle of hundreds of people, an unknown tall armored body with a lost man inside.

The mysterious figure wore a dark green colored navy hat, with the same colored navy suit as the rest of the Militia soldiers. He came off like a drill Sergeant from his outward appearance and tone. He studied Locus, trying to get a reading as to what he is, then it hit him, "I can't believe your kind is still alive," he said with amazement as if it was something to be proud of.

Locus did not feel the same way as he was hoping there was more of his fellow brothers and sisters inside this massive ship, "So it's true then.'' The very words he hoped he'd never hear someone say floated about Locus's ears as a way of saying: You are all that remain you lonely piece of trash!"

"I still can't believe it," as the Drill Sergeant told him, "It's shocking to learn that your kind has survived. You must have a lot of questions but first follow me, I need to report you to the Captain," the Drill Sergeant commanded him.

Locus walked with him through the crowd. The crowds were so dense that it was physically impossible to move through, Drill Sergeant had a method for this moment, "What are you all looking at? Get back to work!" He shouted to the top of his lungs to scare everyone purposely.

Everyone rapidly ran away from him and returned to their stations faster than when they gathered around Locus.

Locus took a stroll with presumably the drill sergeant throughout the hanger bay. (As Locus thought it was just a scary loud man with a roaring voice).

"So this is the Autumn huh?" Locus said to him with curiosity as he had never seen a hanger bay of this size before. He was still impressed with the conditions they had to go through and still made possibly one of the best spaceships in the galaxy.

"It's the best spaceship in the galaxy, well we think so anyway. It's better than those Scar ships let me tell you. I won't beat around the bush sir, I will tell you answers, but before we get to all that, first tell me what you do know and then I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Deal?" The Drill Sergeant bribed him as it seemed to most people, but he never intended to keep information from the Captain and use it as a bargaining chip. No, he would tell him everything that has happened as he felt conviction to do so, "Last thing I remember was falling off a tall skyscraper and crashing on the ground. Next I stared up and saw tons of debris about to topple me and inevitably crush me. Then all of a sudden I saw a bright glow and then. Everything went black."

"This was during Chicago's fall right, the war twenty something years ago?"

"That's right."

"That was one of the largest battles nobody saw coming. After the invasion, I lost hope in that world," he briefly said tucking his hat slightly downwards towards his forehead. The people he lost that day became a motivation to him to work harder and be a better person than he was a long time ago.

"How could I still be alive if it was only twenty years ago?" Is what Locus kept asking himself to this moment, the question that if somebody could answer, it would save him the dread and grief he feels every step he walks, "I'm just so confused about all of this myself, I don't know what to think anymore."

"I still can't believe it myself, I can't say for sure how you survived, but it's like some kind of 'Divine' being saved you, or you used a sort of hidden ability." A hidden ability? Maybe that was the answer to his question, but what could he have that others don't? He's human just like everyone else he meets, just the difference is he's ten times stronger than any regular soldier, no matter how hard they work at improving themself. "Just be glad you're still alive after that battle. Anyway, my name's Sergeant Keith."

"It's good to meet you sir," Locus replied to him as they approached the elevator cylinder-shaped glass chamber, they stepped inside, Locus gazed up and down, seeing the endless bottom or top of the elevator. Keith's voice activated the controls, commanding the AI to move from the Hanger Bay and into floor 63. The elevator zoomed upwards like a rocket, less than a second pass and they arrived at the desired floor. Viewing down at the hall was a tall glass door, able to view the inside and see the many bright blue and green lights.

Locus and the Sergeant arrive at the Captain's Deck sliding glass door. Sergeant Keith grasped the glass door's touch motion control pad by swiping his index and middle finger aside, the door split in two, going both left and right at the same time, revealing the Deck's room.

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