The Circadia Chronicles: Omnibus: The Complete Colonization Sci-Fi Series by Heather Heckadon (books to read to get smarter .txt) 📗

I knew what he would say. I knew he was right. It didn't stop the pang of unfairness and frustration that hit me, though. I sighed. "I know."

"How do you think it will go?" he asked.

"Not good."

He laughed. "Not good? How so? Explain, please."

I shook my head. I'd pondered it a lot, and no matter what I thought of or what new ideas I had, it all came back to the same place. "They're not going to back down. They won't back down because that would mean relinquishing power. Even if they compromised, they would have to possess less power than they have now, and that will never happen."

"Why not?"

"Because power is addictive. You can't simply let go, and they won't either."

"So what are we going to do if it's hopeless? Why waste our time and effort?" he demanded.

"Because there's a chance, Smith. That's all I need. I need to be able to tell myself that I tried."

"Tell yourself you tried?" he asked.

"Before I threaten to use the god rod, I want to be certain I plan to use it. Of course, I hope the threat alone will be enough to open their eyes that they won't get their way and there's no option, but if it isn't enough, I plan to use it."

His eyes widened in horror. "You said you didn't want to become the monster you're negotiating with. What happened to that? You know, you made some really good points about the guns. Might even have changed my mind. There’s power in having power and still choosing not to use it. Using the god rod takes away any defense they have. How are you any different than them?"

Not knowing how to answer, I stared at the wall in thought once again. I bit my lip and picked at my nails. Was I a monster? Was I going about this all wrong?

After he realized I didn't have an answer, he stood. "I hope you think about what you said. If you still think what you said is right, count me out." He walked away.

"Count you out?" I called after him. "What does that mean?"

He turned to look at me and pursed his lips. He looked at me for a moment, then down at the floor, and turned to leave the room. The door closed behind him with a small click and left me alone with my thoughts. What had I done?

I laid in bed, eyes filled with tears. I felt so lost. When I said what I did, it felt so right. No one had truly challenged my opinions in a while, and it sucked, but was he right? I thought about it all night until I drifted off to sleep on my tear-soaked pillow.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The next morning, we all sat at the conference table upstairs. "He said he'd call," Ross said.

"We can't wait around for him, though," Jane said. She shifted uneasily in her seat. "We have to be proactive. I've been watching the news all morning, and things are getting worse."

"Everyone, take a device from the middle of the table. Let's find another unbiased journalist. There has to be more than one," Herrold instructed.

"There isn’t more than one that people listened to," Smith mumbled under his breath.

Herrold slapped the table, which madeSmith's and everyone else's eyes jump up from their tablet or phone. "Try!"

The room grew quiet as everyone set to work on their devices. People trickled out of the conference room with their faces still glued to their tablets. After two or three people had exited, I left the room too. I grabbed some food, then went down to my room to relax in bed during my search. The space was vacant and dark. I surfed the web for what felt like days. I was still searching late in the night when a video chat request from 'Unknown' popped up on my device.

I paused for a moment, then accepted. A man's face appeared on the screen. Axel Cason. "Hello, Aella." His cool demeanor echoed through the glowing screen.

I grinned. "Hello, Axel. How did you get hold of me? This isn't the device you talked to Ross Herrold on."

"I have my ways." He shot me a wink. "I need a favor from you."

"From me?"

"Yes. You see, I'm not exactly a fugitive, but there are people in this world who despise my honest interviews and exposés. I don't want any attention drawn to me unless I want it. You understand?"

I nodded.

"By the time your interview hits the internet, I want to be very far from Mumbai. I have no doubt you have people watching the compound where you're staying. I don't want an inquiry into why so many people are coming and going. It needs to be discreet, and it needs to be now."

I was confused. "So what do I do?"

"You need to come alone. Not totally alone because it's dangerous... Bring one person with you. I need you to get out of there without being noticed. Think you can do that?" he asked.

"I'll see what I can do. Where will I find you?"

He smiled. "Are you familiar with Mumbai?"

I gave a nervous laugh. "Not at all."

"Me either, but I hear there's a flora fountain near the center of the city. Meet me there."

"How will I know how to get there?"

"Google it." He ended the chat.

I quickly typed Flora Fountain into the Google search bar. A beautiful photo of a monument appeared. The description mentioned that an old horticulture society built the landmark to commemorate the goddess of flowers. How appropriate. Axel knew I was an agronomist. The search history would show an agronomist, someone interested in horticulture and science, googling a monument erected in its honor in the city I'm calling home. He knew it wouldn't throw up any red flags to anyone interested in our browsing. Smart. I caught on and searched a few more landmarks and monuments in India related to agriculture to cover my tracks. Now, who would I get to go with me?