Snippets and Shorter Stories 2.0 Seeks Refuge

2.19 I have often wondered what the future will hold for us as human beings. If we did find life how would we react and how would we change as a race if we were not the only ones out there. Would we continue to be on top of the food chain or would we be seen as nothing more than animals. Deep thoughts people. They keep me up at night. Artist: Vasylina

Princess Lorona

The High Queen’s room shook as explosions and other sounds of battle sounded aboard the ship. The grand ship, Freedom, carrying the last human High Queen was under attack and they were losing. If the ship went down, no one would be able to protect Earth and the Shingarians would enslave the planet. High Queen Corba ordered her 9 month old daughter be brought to her. One of her guards plucked the sleeping child from her crib and handed her to High Queen Corba. She kissed her baby one last time then handed her to Ran'to, her Royal Captain and one of the seven Elite Angels chosen to guard the royal family. The princess looked so tiny in his arm and Corba’s heart broke to know she would never see either of them again. She steadied her wavering resolve and  handed him the Infinity Ring. "Go, Ran’to, take Princess Lorona and escape. Keep her safe and when the time is right, free our people. Take the teleporters, no, don't tell me where you will go. I trust you will pick a suitable location for her. Go now, before it is too late!" The steel doors to the throne room groaned as the Shingarians pounded it. It wouldn't hold much longer.

With a final glance at his officers and friends and the High Queen, Ran'to gripped the child firmly and used the the Infinity Ring to open the secret door behind the throne. He followed the staircase down to the Teleporter and looked at all the planets that would support human life. He picked the farthest one and set the coordinates.    

The blue Halos of Teleportation surrounded him and he folded his wings. The sounds of destruction and death slowly disappeared as more and more halos surrounded him. After a few minutes, the halos floated upward like cloud rings and puffed away. He breathed a sigh of relief as the oppressing feelings of the dying disappeared.

 

The first thing Ran’to knew of the planet he had chosen as refuge was the oppressive heat. He must have landed particularly close to one of the hundreds of volcanoes covering the surface. Black smoke replaced the blue shimmering halos and fire rained from the sky, singeing the ends of his wing feathers'. The tiny princess coughed and cried as she took her first ash and smoke filled breath. There was nothing Ran’to could do for her. She would have to adapt: he couldn’t make her lungs develop the resistance without risking her brain rejecting the sudden change to her body. When the last halo rose above his head, Ran’to took his first step into exile and didn’t look back. He had his mission and he would not fail his High Queen nor the future of the humans.