campfire addition

Anastasia watched her brother’s craft maneuver the mountain range. Anatoly landed the craft well. He broke communication silence.

“I’m in, Anastasia.”

“Of course you are brother, I got you there. Okay, unload and get the hell out of there. Follow the same coordinates back. That’ll get you home.”

Anatoly laughed into the communicator. His sister would never give him credit for his awesome flying skills. However, he did have total respect for her. The term hacker was wholly inappropriate. He much preferred genius. Who else could have gotten into the very core of the federation's archive servers and downloaded flight plans and landing stations for earth. Then, audit the logs to take away any evidence of unauthorized access. Thus, allowing him to fulfill a lifelong dream, to visit Earth.

“Sure thing and dinner is on you tonight. This clients paid big for this job.”

“Ha! I have work to do. All these images you’re sending back, I need to analyze them. So, this is planet earth… how does it feel to be there?"

Strange, surreal even. I doubt we were ever told the truth in Federation history class. I mean I can see light of some kind. I want to get out and look.”

“Aw, Anatoly You’re not getting all nostalgic for the land of our fore fathers? It’s a festering mess. No life is sustainable on earth. You could, however, bring me back some rock samples, and I can tell you if my last statement is true. After all, history gets re-written all the time.”

He had stopped listening; his eyes were transfixed on the vista before him. There was light on earth, in all its ethereal beauty.

“Anatoly. Leave the cargo and get back. That’s an order.”

“Affirmative.”

The A&A Import–Export business was located in what is referred to as the Shadow lands. An area that is just outside of the domed city of Avengelus. It is home to the biggest landing station. A thriving commercial district that handled over forty-five percent of the whole galaxy's trading.
Ana, as she was usually called, watched the security screens as the man entered the store and approached the counter. She got up and walked through to the front.

“Mr. Jenson, a pleasure as always.”

“The pleasure is all mines. I assure you Anastasia. I trust the order was delivered?”

Ana did not like him. Their politics and agendas were extreme in their differences. Nor did she want to do business with him. However, her association with him secured them fifteen more licenses. They now traded in over fifty percent of the solar system, which made him a necessary evil that allowed her certain freedoms around the galaxy.

“Of course, Mr. Jensen.” Ana smiled as she answered him.

“Good, there will be many more jobs of this kind. I will be in touch" He smiled and turned to leave then stopped.

"Tell me, what did your brother think of Earth?”

“I believe his words were a stinking black hole.”

"Ana, Earth is romanticized. There is no new sun, no future life there, it is not nor ever will be a Nirvana. These believers are fools. I am pleased that Anatoly has seen earth for what it is"

His smile broadened.
Ana watched him leave.
She wondered if his smile would be so bright if he knew she was a believer.



Second campfire submission.




Anastasia entered the bar; the front hidden from plain view. It appeared to be an alley door between a Chinese herbalist and a Solar System travel bureau. Her nose twitched, by the pungent aromas that seeped out from the Chinese store.

we are an advanced civilization. We have eradicated the common cold, cancers and generic diseases. However, humans never change; searching for a cure for all aches and pains

She went straight to a booth at the far back. The bar-tender gave her a nod as she walked past. Her entrance caused a few heads to turn in her direction. She ignored them all.
Ana appreciated the privacy that the massive stone pillars gave. They obscured her from the prying eyes of the other patrons in the bar. The dim-lit interior added to the ambiance, although the flickering neon-light above the bar was intentional. It would have needed a keen eye to catch the bar-tender taking a credit more than the drink's cost. Ana had a sure, but quick glance around the room, satisfied that there was no grey guards around she sat down. A drink arrived, her favorite boysenberry juice with a shot of moon water. She pulled an R-Diaps stick from her purse; she dipped it. It was clean. She would have been surprised if it hadn’t. There were some habits that she could not shake. She smiled as the fiery liquid, slid over her mouth and burned all the way to her stomach. Licking her lips as set the glass down hard on the table to indicate she wanted another.

Another one arrived at the same time as Yael, she was exactly on time.

“What’s that you’re drinking Ana?” asked Yael as she reached forward and picked up the glass and emptied it in one long gulp.

Ana laughed as she took the glass from her, and thumped the table twice.

Yael coughed and spluttered. Moon water took some getting used to.

“How was your tete a tete with him?”

"He chose as we predicted he would.” Ana smiled;

"It was too easy to feed his paranoia. Jensen's death intensified this. Staging the fire at his home would have only exacerbated this.

“So everyone wins; we get his mind, and you get his information. He will feel safe for now—he has family who will protect him. Is he secured? ”

"Yes, he is well hidden."

"Good, ignore him for a while. Let him feel neglected."

They fell into silence as their drinks were served. They waited until the waiter was well out of earshot.
Yael leaned forward and whispered in her Ana’s ear.

"Is it true? Ana. . . Humans live on earth?”

Ana only nodded; watching her as the information sank in.

Yael dropped her head as if in disbelief, then as the realization of this sunk in, she lifted her head, a huge smile spread across her face.
Ana had the same reaction when Anatoly brought back the proof of their existence.

“I knew it.”

"Listen closely Yael, we only have a small window to help these people. Who knows when the federation council will meet to start debating the plans to blow Earth out of its stratosphere—Rumor's abound; they will meet for the first time in a decade. This meeting is imminent."
Yael hung on to her every word.

"Tonight, Anatoly has gone there to bring their leader back. A man called Crataniam. They have met several times on Earth. Now he has earned his trust; he has consented to come. I want you to gather up the five heads of the organization and bring them to us at twenty-two hundred hours.”

Yael only nodded her compliance. The enormity of the words Ana spoke rendered her speechless.

“I must go; I have a few appointments here. I will see you later tonight.”

Yael stopped her from walking away. She grabbed Ana's hands and placed her own over them.

Somehow, this is an omen for me; by some means, I will be re-united with my brothers. This is my confidence, my hope; since they were taken.

Ana looked into the child's eyes, chiding herself to stop thinking of her as that. She had grown into a smart beautiful young woman.

"Times are a changin’ Yael… Get ready."

“I have never heard you speak the words of the great prophet, Bob Dylan before…,” said an astonished Yael.

Ana only smiled at her, then turned and walked out the bar.

Yael turned back to the table and picked up her untouched drinks and drank it. This time she did not cough.