6

6

“Please follow the blue hallway.” Spencer put his head under his pillow as a loud voice boomed over the room.  “Please follow the blue hallway.”  Spencer quickly sat up and looked around.  He saw the blackness of the room and realized where he was.  He looked down from the bunk where he was sleeping to see several people. milling around below him.

Spencer swung himself from his bunk and lowered himself to ground level where  he met up with his friends who were already down there. All that time the voice continued to boom overhead “Please follow the purple hallway.”

At the front of the room Arthur began to bring order to everyone who was just sort of walking around aimlessly.

“Everyone!”Arthur shouted and everyone turned to look towards him, “I think we should listen to the voice and follow the blue hallway.  Please follow me” Arthur motioned towards the new hallway that had appeared in the room and motioned for everyone to follow him as he began to walk down it.

Spencer and his friends were the first to follow Arthur down the hall and soon everyone followed them down the purple hall.  The hall continued for about a couple minutes and then opened up to some sort of mess hall.  In the hall Spencer could see about a hundred of the snakelike people milling about eating some sort of green chunky paste.  Unsurprisingly at this point the walls of the cafeteria were a glossy black.

Before anyone got confused Spencer noticed Rilfor walking towards them.

“Hello!” said Rilfor “Hope you guys slept well.  If you guys will follow me I can show you to some food.”

Everyone followed Rilfor through a door which led to a kitchen where several of the snake people were cooking the green paste that everyone in the cafeteria was eating.  Rilfor scooped some of the paste up and offered everyone a plate.

“Um, no thanks” said Grace

“Thanks” Said Jensen “I’m starving.” Jensen took a piece of the paste with his fingers and dropped it into his mouth.  “Not bad,” Jensen said.

Spencer took the plate from Rilfor “Thanks” Spencer then walked away and threw the plate into one of the sinks, Spencer didn’t have the heart to tell Rilfor he wouldn’t eat the green paste.

Most people refused the green paste, some like Spencer took  it out of kindness, and very few like Jensen actually ate the green food.

After everyone was offered food Rilfor led them to a table that had been sectioned off for the humans the table had been cut down to about half of its size so the humans could actually sit at the table.

“I’ve got a question” Colby said to Rilfor “What’s with all the black on the spaceship? it’s creeping me out.”

“Well” said Rilfor “While you humans may disagree with this the Adican people believe the color black is a symbol of strength and courage.  Some may think the color is a bit over used on this ship but I personally think it truly resembles the Adican spirit..”

Spencer laughed a little at the ridiculousness of the statement but quickly stopped himself as not to be rude to Rilfor and the Adican.  After breakfast Rilfor told them to head back down the white hallway until they were back at their room.  Rilfor began to leave but Grace stepped in front of him and asked “Wait!  Where exactly are we going?”

“We are heading home.” Rilfor said “To our home that is, the home of the Adican empire.  We will most likely arrive there in the near future”

“What about Earth?” Lily asked “Do you know what happened to it.”

“It went dark” Rilfor replied “We picked up signs of a nuclear war and it is now uninhabitable.”

Everyone went silent as soon as Rilfor told them what had become of their home.  Spencer just nodded but a wave of sadness washed over him.  He imagined all the people who were running in fear of soldiers and weapons as they were all killed.

“Will it ever be habitable again?” someone from the back asked their voice quivering.

“Yes” Rilfor replied slowly, “But don’t get your hopes up.  It will be able to support life in approximately one hundred million years.  Now I suggest you all prepare for landing.”

Everyone began to leave but Spencer stayed behind with Rilfor

“Is something wrong?” Rilfor asked.

“Maybe” Spencer replied “We need to talk. Now.”

Rilfor looked surprised as he listened to Spencer’s harsh tone.  Rilfor led Spencer down a long hallway until they reached a door.  Rilfor ushered him into the room.

The room looked much like an office.  It contained a table with several chairs as well as a few colorful items which Spencer guessed were some kind of alien plant.  The walls and ceiling of the room were the same glossy black as Spencer had seen throughout his stay on the ship.  The table and chairs were much too big for a human so Rilfor pushed a button on the wall that lowered the table down to Spencer’s size.  Spencer then watched as Rilfor walked into a closet and returned with a box that would serve as a chair for Spencer.  He laid down the box near the table then walked around the table and sat in a larger chair built for his species.

“There we go.” Said Rilfor to Spencer “Take a seat if you like.”

Spencer slowly leaned back until he sat against the box facing Rilfor.

“Well?” Rilfor asked impatiently “What do you want?”

Spencer was unfazed by Rilfor’s attitude and began his interview “How did you find us?”Spencer asked

“I told you back on that planet!” Rilfor said nearly shouting

“Space is a big place.” Spencer asked “I’m not really buying it.”

“Well I told the truth.” Rilfor said “We picked you up on our radar as we returned home.”

“Fine” Said Spencer “But why rescue us? I don’t believe it was just out of the good of your heart.”

“It’s true we didn’t just choose to rescue you.  We found out you had been shot down by weapons of the Corinian legion.  A common enemy of the Adican Empire.  We believed that if the Corinian’s want you dead you’re worth saving.”

“Who are the Corinians anyway?” asked Spencer “and why are you at war with them?”

“The Corinian Legion used to be part of the Adican Empire.  However a couple years back they seceded from the empire because they disagreed with our politics.  Since then we have been fighting a civil war.  They used to only be a militia force but now they have a substantial military and they’re giving us a hard time fighting them.”

“Sort of like the American revolution then” Spencer said.

“I am not familiar with the American revolution but if that makes it easier to understand then think of it that way.” Rilfor said.

“We didn’t even know who the Corinians were though.” Spencer said “So why would they have attacked us?”

“I am unsure myself” Rilfor replied “The first thing I think is they may have mistaken you for one of us because you were traveling in a patrol route we commonly use but even then they should have been able to identify you as a human spacecraft.”

“Once we arrive at your planet what will become of us?” Spencer asked

“You will have a few options,” Rilfor said “You can join us in the fight against the Coronal Legion.  You can die out here in space.  Or you can work as a slave for the Empress for the rest of your life.”

Spencer paused and sat still for a few seconds taking in the information. He then looked straight into Rilfor’s eyes and said

“You’re kidding me right?”

“No Spencer I’m not” Rilfor told him

“You can’t do that! It’s not fair!” Spencer shouted.

“I’m the one who just saved your behinds from that planet you were doomed to die on!” Rilfor shouted back.

Spencer was in distress now he couldn’t let Rilfor force them into a civil war they weren’t a part of “Then why rescue us?  Why rescue just to send us to die.”

“You will be a great asset” Rilfor calmly told Spencer “You humans are small and quick.  The Corinians won’t be expecting humans either.”

“Is there anything I can do to change your mind?” Spencer asked suddenly tired from all the shouting

“Afraid not” Said Rilfor “Orders from the Empress were to bring you guys directly to her and then out to one of our outposts where you will have a quick training before you join our ranks.  I’m going to have to ask you to go back to your quarters and get some rest, we’ll be arriving shortly.”

Spencer just nodded as he began to walk back to his quarters where everyone else would be waiting.  He was tired and wanted to get some rest but he had to tell everyone the bad news.