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DEATH OF A PLANET
#TheWritingProject
(Sequel to Aftermath of the Water Wars)
Waiting for water rations was always the start of my day. The machine dinged and filled the jug with noticeably less liquid than yesterday. I knew it wasn’t an oversight. The rations were slowly decreasing.
Still, we were privileged to get what we did. We moved to the inner ring of the city when my mate was chosen as captain of the cross-galaxy ship, The Aquanox, to retrieve water from the distant water-rich planet called Salvation. It was the largest vessel ever constructed in the fleet. I was also promoted to commander when the interstellar project began. My assignment: head of mission control. The best perk of my higher rank was extra food and water rations, but it was never enough.
I separated our water into individual bottles and set them aside for the kids. My youngest wandered out of her room early. She sat at the table and reached for her share.
I noticed, and quickly grabbed her arm. "Ah ah! You remember what I told you? Small sips to last all day. Morning to nighttime!"
"I know mommy. I want some now,” she said.
"Ok, small sip!" I let go of her arm and she lifted the bottle and gulped. I snatched it away from her and hissed, "I SAID SMALL SIPS!" I looked at the bottle. She went through nearly half her daily ration.
She flinched. I felt awful for yelling at her. A young reptile her age needed plenty of food and water to grow up strong. It wasn't her fault for wanting more. I wish I could give it to her.
She scrunched her nostrils and looked up ashamed, "But I'm thirsty."
I knelt down beside her. "I know sweetie. I promise one day you'll be able to drink as much as you want."
"When daddy comes back?"
I paused, looking into her big yellow eyes, she was waiting for an answer. I swallowed. "Yes, when daddy comes back."
"Will he be back soon?" she asked.
I truly didn't know. It had been thirteen days since the last transmission from the Aquanox. Mission control couldn't provide the answers to its status or whereabouts. The mounting tension building day after day was unbearable.
I looked at my daughter, and the hope radiating from her face. She was too young to know the inner details surrounding the mission. All I could say was, "Yes, soon."
I finished getting ready for work, leaving the children in the hands of their caretaker who would send them to school. I left our high-rise apartment and made my way through the winding tunnels passing the billboards that I used as waypoints. I turned left at the glowing public service announcement, Conserve Energy, Save Water. Another billboard in the distance indicated I was close to the transport station. It glowed with an impressive photograph of the massive Aquanox reading, Find Salvation! Join the Interstellar Core!
The inner-ring tubes were much cleaner and less crowded than the middle ring’s—where you couldn't take two steps onto a transport without someone stepping on your tail. I couldn't even imagine what the outer ring was like. I was fortunate to have never ventured that far. The tubes protected the inhabitants from the acid rains and choking air that filled the atmosphere, and I heard rumors there were constant leaks and breaches out there.
The air and water purification technology was lifesaving. The acid rains could be purified in the reservoirs, but it hadn’t rained in years. Not just here, but everywhere on Drova. So much for that impressive, expensive, investment. Luckily the tubes still constantly recycled and purified the air, preventing us from choking on the smog that blanketed the city. It was an ingenious system, but the water issue still plagued everyday lives.
As I sat in the high-speed transport, I let out a deep sigh and pulled out my tablet. No high-level messages about the mission, no missed calls. Every day that went by without contact from Aquanox just added to my stress.
When I arrived at the office, I received the daily report from the department heads. I scrolled through, nothing new. My meeting with the admiral about mission status was tomorrow! Coming up empty handed was not ideal. I sunk my head into my hands and closed my eyes. My thoughts went to the captain, my mate. Where could he...
(Sequel to Aftermath of the Water Wars)
Waiting for water rations was always the start of my day. The machine dinged and filled the jug with noticeably less liquid than yesterday. I knew it wasn’t an oversight. The rations were slowly decreasing.
Still, we were privileged to get what we did. We moved to the inner ring of the city when my mate was chosen as captain of the cross-galaxy ship, The Aquanox, to retrieve water from the distant water-rich planet called Salvation. It was the largest vessel ever constructed in the fleet. I was also promoted to commander when the interstellar project began. My assignment: head of mission control. The best perk of my higher rank was extra food and water rations, but it was never enough.
I separated our water into individual bottles and set them aside for the kids. My youngest wandered out of her room early. She sat at the table and reached for her share.
I noticed, and quickly grabbed her arm. "Ah ah! You remember what I told you? Small sips to last all day. Morning to nighttime!"
"I know mommy. I want some now,” she said.
"Ok, small sip!" I let go of her arm and she lifted the bottle and gulped. I snatched it away from her and hissed, "I SAID SMALL SIPS!" I looked at the bottle. She went through nearly half her daily ration.
She flinched. I felt awful for yelling at her. A young reptile her age needed plenty of food and water to grow up strong. It wasn't her fault for wanting more. I wish I could give it to her.
She scrunched her nostrils and looked up ashamed, "But I'm thirsty."
I knelt down beside her. "I know sweetie. I promise one day you'll be able to drink as much as you want."
"When daddy comes back?"
I paused, looking into her big yellow eyes, she was waiting for an answer. I swallowed. "Yes, when daddy comes back."
"Will he be back soon?" she asked.
I truly didn't know. It had been thirteen days since the last transmission from the Aquanox. Mission control couldn't provide the answers to its status or whereabouts. The mounting tension building day after day was unbearable.
I looked at my daughter, and the hope radiating from her face. She was too young to know the inner details surrounding the mission. All I could say was, "Yes, soon."
I finished getting ready for work, leaving the children in the hands of their caretaker who would send them to school. I left our high-rise apartment and made my way through the winding tunnels passing the billboards that I used as waypoints. I turned left at the glowing public service announcement, Conserve Energy, Save Water. Another billboard in the distance indicated I was close to the transport station. It glowed with an impressive photograph of the massive Aquanox reading, Find Salvation! Join the Interstellar Core!
The inner-ring tubes were much cleaner and less crowded than the middle ring’s—where you couldn't take two steps onto a transport without someone stepping on your tail. I couldn't even imagine what the outer ring was like. I was fortunate to have never ventured that far. The tubes protected the inhabitants from the acid rains and choking air that filled the atmosphere, and I heard rumors there were constant leaks and breaches out there.
The air and water purification technology was lifesaving. The acid rains could be purified in the reservoirs, but it hadn’t rained in years. Not just here, but everywhere on Drova. So much for that impressive, expensive, investment. Luckily the tubes still constantly recycled and purified the air, preventing us from choking on the smog that blanketed the city. It was an ingenious system, but the water issue still plagued everyday lives.
As I sat in the high-speed transport, I let out a deep sigh and pulled out my tablet. No high-level messages about the mission, no missed calls. Every day that went by without contact from Aquanox just added to my stress.
When I arrived at the office, I received the daily report from the department heads. I scrolled through, nothing new. My meeting with the admiral about mission status was tomorrow! Coming up empty handed was not ideal. I sunk my head into my hands and closed my eyes. My thoughts went to the captain, my mate. Where could he...
