30 Day Image Prompt Competition

Day 19 Prompt 2 - The New World

         “How is everyone?”
         Carlie smiled to herself as she came to stand by his shoulder. He had shown no acknowledgement of her approach yet he knew she was there even though she had made no sound.
         “Settling. Tarik arranged for shelters to be set up whilst Liza gathered up some of the food supplies and set up a catering block. She’s ensured that everyone has had a meal and a drink before they settle down for the night.” She looked across at him. His face was firm, resolute as he stared out over the quiet sea. No lights could be seen anywhere other than the reflection of the stars and the twin moons in the dark velvet sky above. “There are a lot of frightened people back there, sir.”
         “I know, Carlie. It’s been a hell of a week for them. For all of us.” He rotated his shoulders under the great long coat, grimacing slightly as his own wounds made themselves felt again. “You okay?”
         “Battered and bruised but still kicking,” she replied with a slight smile. It was perhaps her most truest statement ever spoken and one that was also her mantra for the time being. A statement to focus upon and keep the bad thoughts at bay, for now.
         “Good. Let’s go and see what our situation is.”
         Together, they walked along the shoreline to where the flickering flames of the campfires welcomed them. Large, canvas survival tents had been erected around the campfires, their flaps open revealing the lines of bunk beds that had been set up. Some of the beds were occupied by those exhausted by the day’s events. Others had young children huddled together for security, too wound up to settle down to sleep.
         Around the campfires people stood or sat on makeshift benches. In a sea of people they appeared lost and alone as they contemplated what they had survived, and those who hadn’t. It was a sobering time after what had started out as a time of celebration.
         He was soon spotted as he neared the campfires. People stood, started to walk towards him. Questions tumbling from their lips as well as being blazoning across their faces. Questions they believed he had the answers to.
         “Captain Santos? What happened up there?”
         “Where are we?”
         “What are we going to do?”
         “Did any of the other ships survive?”
         “Do you know what happened to my family? They weren’t on our ship?”
         “Kyr? We need to talk.”
         Kyr looked at the last speaker, a tall older man dressed in an engineer’s overall, smeared with oil and soot, blood staining raggedy edges where the overall had been torn. “Later,” he mouthed before turning to the gathering crowd. He stood silent, his face impassive as he heard their questions before raising his hand for silence. The crowd shuffled and jostled each other before letting their questions drift away on the night air.
“I know that all of you have questions about what happened today and I promise that I will try to answer them all in due course.” He looked across the waiting crowd, seeing their faces, their pain and confusion. He wished he could produce the answers they desired but, whilst he could answer some of their questions, he could not answer them all.
         “What can you tell us, Captain?” One man stepped forward, a spokesman for the group who stood waiting behind him. The night air hummed with anticipation as they waited.
         “As you know, the convoy was attacked as we left the planet. As the captains had agreed, the ships split up with their own military escorts to maximise our chances of survival somewhere. During the attack, we lost radio contact with the other ships. I don’t know whether that was due to a problem with our equipment or the equipment on the other ships.” He refrained from saying that the other ships could have been destroyed but it was there, hanging in the air over them and he knew that they were aware of it.
         “Have you been able to establish any contact?”
         “Not yet but we’re working on it. We took a direct hit to our main engines which meant that we could not outrun our attackers. It was at that time I ordered all non-essential crew and passengers to the survival pods. Rather than remaining a sitting target for whoever had ordered the attack, I ordered the crew to seek out a planet that would support life. This one was identified and we managed to bring the ship through the atmosphere and land without too much loss of life.”
         “Can we leave here?”
         “I don’t know, yet. The ship took a lot of damage and we need to see what repairs we can do with the equipment we have.”
         “What about where we are? Are we safe here?”
         “We did not see any signs of life in this area other than wildlife. We were able to destroy the attackers’ ships but I don’t know if they were able to contact others to tell them where we are.” Kyr raised his hand and rubbed at the back of his neck. He felt drained and exhausted but knew that he had to be strong for these people. They looked to him for answers and decisions and all the things that he did not have at the moment. “We’re going  to have to stay here for the foreseeable future but I will do all I can to keep you safe until we know if we can go home.”
         The questions started up again, firing at him like bullets from a gun. This time it was Carlie who held up her hand for silence. “Please, one moment. You know as much as we do at this time. As soon as we know anything further we will tell you. All we ask is that you have some patience for a few days until we know more.”
         People looked to each other as they weighed up what they had been told. It was difficult for them to accept that not all of the answers were there for them but they were prepared to accept it, for now. One by one, they nodded their consent before drifting away either to the waiting tents or to sit around the campfires contemplating the past, the present and the unknown future.
         “Captain?” A woman came forward, placing a scratched and bloodied hand on the leather sleeve of his coat. “Thank you, for everything that you’ve done for us. You, and your crew, have saved our lives three times over so far. I know people are more worried about their present situation to say thanks, but I’m offering it on behalf of everyone. Thank you.”
         Kyr nodded to the woman. “Your thanks are not necessary but are appreciated. I’m just sorry that I am unable to give everyone what they want at this time.”
         “You’ll find your answers in due course. In the meantime, you’ll be the guide for everyone as we make a new life here. You’re a good man, Kyr Santos, even though I know you don’t believe it of yourself.”
         Kyr stiffened slightly as her words hit home, striking at secrets deep within himself that he kept hidden from everyone close to him. Even though he had been the captain of a crew of two hundred, he had never considered himself to be a man worthy of being a guide to others. To him, his past was too dark to be a beacon for others to follow. However, circumstances now appeared to conspire against him, forcing him to be such a man. He could only hope he could live up to their expectations.
         The woman walked back to her tent leaving Kyr and Carlie standing on the beach. Feeling exhaustion weighing at his limbs, Kyr rubbed the back of his neck and looked out across the sea. Without the two moons in the sky, it could almost be like being back at home, standing on the lake shore at his cabin in the mountains.
         “Beautiful sight, isn’t it?” Carlie asked as she stared at the moon’s twin reflections.
         “It’s peaceful after a day like today,” Kyr replied in his gravelly voice.
         “Do you think this is going to be our home? That we’ll be stuck here?”
         “I don’t know yet, not until I’ve spoken with Mack. If it is to be our home, we need to find out everything we can about it. Should they come after us, I don’t want to be unprepared. Nor do I want to have these people living somewhere that’s dangerous for them. They’ve had enough of that.”
         Carlie reached up and brushed a gentle kiss across his stubble roughened cheek. “You’re a good man, Kyr Santos. Don’t ever let anyone tell you any different.” With a smile, she turned and headed over to the small tent that had been set up for her.
         Kyr watched her leave before returning to look out across the sea, his mind already making plans for whatever the future could throw at them. They would come out of this, he vowed, whether by leaving or by staying. They would survive and those who had threatened them would pay.