“Breaking news out of Ou-4 today. Representatives of the Birnsteins, Kelkers, and Humans, along with the galactic government, concluded their talks regarding the future of Ou-4 and its inhabitants after coming to an agreement. The plan announced this afternoon will lead to the abandonment of Ou-4 by all galactic beings to ease the tensions amongst the governments. In the coming weeks, all beings, regardless of their status, will be transported off planet and back to their native governments. By removing all beings from the planet, the galactic government can more easily examine all claims on the world and look at galactic boundaries to determine who has the rightful claim on the planet. This will end the long debate that led to the military occupations all this time.”
***
“Reporting at this time, the mighty Birnstein Empire has accepted a weak and desperate deal from the Kelkers, Humans, and the rest of the galactic governments to end the settling of Ou-4. The others cried foul for hours over the last several days, and the Birnstein representatives could no longer listen to such groveling. In order to end it, the powerful Birnstein Empire decreed that all beings currently living on Ou-4 must be returned to their respective governments, and the planet will be abandoned, even by the Birnsteins. The glorious Birnstein Empire will grow stronger by ending this mission. We will strengthen our hold on our other worlds and force those on the fringes of the empire to fall in line with our universally accepted superior way of life and galactic dominance. More details coming in the following hours of the planned departures from the planet.”
***
“The growing ecological concerns in the western quadrant of the Birnstein territory is not expected to impact the agreed upon plan to abandon Ou-4 at this time. The Birnstein soldiers have not shared too much information with the rest of the inhabitants within their territory, but we’ve learned through multiple sources that the first Birnstein cruisers will arrive in two days to transport all non-combatant Birnsteins off world. Once that is done, which we’ve heard is planned to take about a week, other species will send transports to collect their beings. The Humans and Kelkers have not yet been told when their transports will be given permission to enter the Birnstein territory, but Szeckxs and Naptela representatives have stated their transports have already been given permission to land for their citizens in a week’s time. What we’ve been preparing for the last few days has finally come. The Days of Dispossession are here.”
***
His name is Admiral Redum Worc, and he continues to change the universe.
He watched the multiple news reports come in for the Dispossession. He sat behind his desk in his dimmed office, looking up at the monitors hanging from the ceiling. He peered up at them through squinted eyes with his chin resting in his palm.
What Worc saw disturbed him. All his work leading the Birnsteins to the planet and combating the Kelkers and Humans all of these years seemed to be coming to an end without Worc capturing the planet for the Birnstein Empire. But what more could he do now? He’d done all he could, and he took silent satisfaction for one quiet victory he’d obtained here.
A buzz came from the door, stirring the admiral. Worc sat up in his chair and increased the brightness of the lights.
“Enter,” said Admiral Worc.
Bin Veer entered with a cup of birnset. The lieutenant brought the steaming liquid to the desk and set it within the admiral’s reach. Veer bowed his head and stepped back before looking up at the monitors.
“Anything new?” asked the lieutenant quietly.
Worc took a sip of the drink.
“We’ve lost the planet, Bin,” he said. The admiral still wore his smug look in contradiction to his words. “The last decade wasted on this world. What a shame. It was so beautiful. And now the vile Humans and Kelkers think they’ve won. Disgusting.”
“There are no further reports from the Empire either?”
Worc shook his head.
“I wasn’t expecting any. They barely gave us warning of this announcement. Clearly the Emperor’s negotiators considered our occupation a failure here and didn’t feel the need to include us--us, the ones who spent the most time dealing with these furry beasts--in this year’s meeting. We failed them.”
“Admiral…,” mumbled Veer as he looked distraught.
“But don’t fear, lieutenant,” said Worc as cheerfully as he could, standing up and bringing his drink with him. “What news from the other front?”
“The...survey teams report everything as normal, and they shouldn’t have any problems as the Dispossession proceeds.”
“Don’t sound so bothered, Lieutenant Veer!” said Worc as he glared at his aide. “I’m sure this world will be given to the Kelkers, and if there’s one thing I’ve made clear from the start of this campaign, it is this….”
The admiral trailed off and looked back at the news reports. After looking them all over and skimming the tickers, Worc walked toward the window to look out. Below, he saw Birnstein soldiers hurrying around as they got ready for evacuation. In the distant city, Worc knew the specks he saw were beings of all kinds standing around trying to comprehend what was happening and what it would mean for them.
Worc smirked and let out a chuckle before mumbling to himself.
“If we can’t have this world, no being will.”
***
It was another somber moment at the mission. Diplomatic representatives from Temnosia had arrived after dinner to pick up Spass and two other young residents. The mission's residents had already gathered and said goodbye to four kids, and Joe and the others gathered once more to say their goodbyes to the Temnosians.
“If you ever need anything, call us on the Laurel homeworld,” said Sister Gotuh after hugging Spass. “Don’t ever hesitate to contact us, you hear?”
Spass nodded and tried to be brave. However, her skin grew darker with fear and concern. Joe watched Sister Gotuh give Spass one last hug, and then the sister stepped away for the others.
Kalli quickly ran forward to give Spass a hug. Joe and Caracal followed her and waited their turn.
“This isn’t goodbye, Spass,” said Kalli as she tried to fight back tears. “We just have to remember everything the sisters taught us, and remember what we had here on Pturllel. Stay strong, Spass.”
“You too, Kalli,” muttered Spass softly.
The two embraced each other for several moments before Kalli stepped back and it was Joe’s turn.
Joe wasn’t sure what to do. Spass was the first of their close group to be leaving, and Joe had a whirlwind of emotions going through him as he thought about this moment all day. And now it was here, and he didn’t know what to do. But when he saw Spass’s sad eyes turn to him, Joe reacted. He stepped forward and hugged Spass. He had never done something like this before.
“Thanks for everything, Spass,” said Joe quietly. He didn’t say much more as he felt his eye water and heard his voice start to crack.
“Thank you, Joe,” said Spass, her voice much more steady than Joe thought it would be, and more so after she added, “And stay strong.”
Joe held the embrace for a moment and then stepped back. Spass blinked and gave Joe a reassuring nod, her skin turning back more to its natural greenish color.
After Joe stepped back, Caracal moved forward and also gave Spass a hug. As a Kelker, he was taller than her, and Caracal nearly got down on his knees to hug her. He said something to Spass, but Joe couldn’t make it out. Caracal soon stepped back and then several other kids moved forward to say their goodbyes to Spass.
“Ready?” said one of the Temnosian representatives once everyone had said their goodbyes. Spass and the others nodded and followed the representatives to the door. However, they looked back once more to wave goodbye before stepping out the door.
Everyone at the mission stood at the door and watched the Temnosians get into a vehicle parked outside and then start away. Joe could see hands waving from inside the vehicle, and he joined everyone on the doorstep in waving goodbye again.
The Dispossession seemed more real now than the day before.
***
A week after the Temonsians departed Pturllel, the Humans arrived. The tension across the Birnstein occupied city was at a boiling point as the Human transports landed and sent vehicles out to gather all Humans in the area. This was a big moment for the Dispossession: would the evacuation be peaceful or would war erupt again?
While the tension was making headlines across the galaxy, Joe only had one thought going through his head: this is the end. Everything he knew was about to be gone. What would life away from the sisters be like amongst the Humans? The thought filled Joe with fear and anger, but on this morning, farewells would be filled instead with sadness.
A Human personnel vehicle pulled up in front of the mission shortly after the sun rose. The younger kids peering out the window all morning alerted everyone to the vehicle’s arrival. Joe was upstairs and went to the nearest window to look out. Two Human soldiers exited the vehicle and maintained constant surveillance on everything around them. Two more soldiers exited the vehicle and started for the mission, one consulting a tablet as she approached.
“Joe, they’re here,” said Kalli from behind him. She had her bag over her shoulder and was fighting back tears.
“I know,” said Joe, reaching down to grab a bag holding the few possessions he had. “Let’s go.”
“Joe, Kalli, come on,” said Sister Gotuh from downstairs.
The Human soldiers knocked on the door as soon as Joe and Kalli came into the room. Sister Gotuh gave the two a sad look before she motioned for the younger ones next to the door to let the soldiers in.
“Good morning,” said the first soldier when her eyes saw Sister Gotuh. “Joe and Kalliope?”
“Just a moment,” said the sister, and Joe could tell she was having trouble. It didn’t make Joe feel confident he’d be able to put on a strong show either.
Kalli stepped forward first and hugged all the kids before hugging the sisters. With his focus on controlling his emotions, Joe didn’t hear many of the things exchanged between them all. He soon saw the kids look up at him, and Joe hugged those who wanted one, before he came to Caracal.
The Kelker suddenly gave Joe a hug, which Joe wasn’t expecting. After the surprise wore off, Joe returned the embrace and said, “We’ll always be friends.” Caracal nodded but couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Joe broke away and said farewell to the other sisters before finally coming to Sister Gotuh.
Joe tried to avoid looking at her since he was convinced he’d break down if he did. Sister Gotuh embraced Joe, and pulled him in close.
“When you’re settled, let us know,” she said. “We’ll be returning to the Laurel homeworld once we’ve seen all the others off safely. Remember above everything else that you can get in touch with us there. Understood?”
Joe couldn’t speak, but he nodded.
“Stay strong, Joe,” she continued. “Never forget what we had here, and what Pturllel was meant to be.”
“I won’t,” mumbled Joe, who then took a deep breath to recompose himself.
After being let go by Sister Gotuh, Joe started for the door with Kalli. The only ones not crying or sniffling were the Human soldiers.
“Joe and Kalliope: let’s go, then,” said the first soldier, and she stepped aside to let them pass.
Outside, one of the soldiers surveying the area opened the back door, and Joe and Kalli got inside. The soldiers all followed in behind them. Inside were an additional two soldiers and two more Humans. They were rugged and older, and Joe recognized one from the market he’d seen from time to time. No one said anything as the doors locked and the vehicle started moving. Joe looked out the window and watched the mission fall away into the distance, everyone standing out front and waving farewell at the departing vehicle. Joe then went back to looking down at his bag between his feet, and he wouldn’t look out the window again until they arrived at the Human landing zone.
***
“And that’s all you can tell me?”
Joe was frustrated. Not only was this aide having him say the same thing over and over and over again, but apparently expecting Joe’s answer to change. It didn’t help that Joe was also irritated by the jumpsuit he was now wearing. After having his hair all shaved off as part of the decontamination process the Humans made him, Kalli, and everyone else who’d been living on Pturllel go through, Joe felt cold and uncomfortable. He still wore his eye patch, though.
“My name is Joe Steel. The sisters found me after Pturllel was invaded by the Birnsteins. I’m from Pturllel and have no idea who my parents were.”
“And you’ve always lived in Aitupo?” said the aide.
“Yes. The sisters’ mission has always been there, even before the invasion. Have you found anything yet?”
“I’m afraid not, but we’ll keep searching.”
“I could go back to the sisters.”
“As per galactic treaty, that isn’t a legal option. If I find anything, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, if you think of anything, even the slightest detail, please let me know. Any guard here at the camp can get you in contact with me.”
“Sure,” said Joe. “We done?”
“We’re done,” said the aide, and he got up and left the room.
Joe got up and exited behind the aide, but a soldier directed Joe the opposite way, back to the common area.
The common area was filled with Humans of all ages dressed in the same jumpsuits and as bald as Joe. All of them were waiting for the military to determine where they’d be going next. The aide had told Joe in their first meeting a couple days ago that the government was working on finding the families of everyone who’d come to Pturllel. They'd then be sent back to their homes when the government made contact. The government wasn’t having any luck finding Joe’s family, if he even had any left in the universe.
Kalli sat at a table near the center of the room. She looked distraught with her blonde hair gone, and Joe had trouble recognizing her when they’d first seen each other after decontamination. Joe made his way over and took a seat across from her.
“What a waste of time,” said Joe. “They just ask me the same questions about my family. Why can’t they just let us stay with the sisters? This sucks.”
Joe looked around the room, not recognizing anyone else. Everyone looked uncomfortable and lost, and that made Joe feel more frustrated. After looking around for a few moments, Joe realized that Kalli hadn’t said anything to him. He turned back to her and saw her looking down at her hands.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“They found my family,” she said.
Kalli looked up as she spoke and she looked devastated.
“They did?” he said. “Where are they?”
“On Gemma. My mother’s sister. My aunt, I guess.”
“Gemma?”
“It’s a trading world towards the galaxy’s core.”
“T-That’s good, right?” said Joe, unsure what to say.
“It means I’m leaving tomorrow, Joe,” said Kalli. “We may not see each other ever again, just like the sisters.”
Joe got up and circled the table to sit next to Kalli. The two embraced, and neither one could hide what this news meant.
Joe’s mind raced in many different directions. This was his last connection to his previous life and it was about to be severed. He also saw how upset Kalli was about the news, and there was nothing he could do to reassure her everything would be fine. All they knew was Pturllel, the sisters, and everyone at the mission. The unknown was frightening. But then he thought about what the sisters taught them, the others at the mission, and many in the community. So many different lessons he’d learned came to mind, but the most painful one felt sore under the eye patch.
“Listen,” said Joe quietly, “we'll see everyone again. Remember what Sister Gotuh said before each of us left: if we need something, we contact them on the Laurel homeworld. We can’t forget that. Once you get to Gemma, let the sisters know. Once I’m wherever they send me, I’ll do the same. We won’t lose touch. Right?”
“R-Right,” mumbled Kalli before she cleared her throat and repeated, “Right.”
Kalli leaned back and nodded her head. Joe nodded back.
***
Joe stood and watched Kalli board a passenger carrier the next day. When the doors began to close, Joe reached out and rested his hands against the force-field fence, the soft energy of the field causing his palms to feel mildly numb. The carrier's engines roared to life as it prepared to launch, and a few moments later, it lifted off and rocketed into the sky.
Even after the carrier disappeared from sight, Joe continued to look up. He felt alone.
"Joe, we need to speak."
Joe recognized the aide's voice. After silently saying goodbye to Kalli, Joe turned around and made his way over to the aide.
"No luck," said Joe.
"Unfortunately no," said the aide, who started walking towards the main building of the base. Joe fell into step next to him. "And because we are running out of time here, I've scheduled you to be on a personnel carrier late this afternoon. I'll be on it, too. We'll be heading to Perdu. It's on the edge of Human space, and we'll continue to try to locate your family from there."
Joe nodded but didn't say anything. After a long silence, the aide continued.
"I know this is frustrating, but I need to ask if you've remembered anything else--anything the Ethiek sisters might've said to you over the years."
"I haven't," said Joe with a shrug. "I need to get my things."
"I understand. I'll see you on the shuttle then."
The aide stopped and let Joe continue on his own.
***
The personnel carrier was packed. A handful of soldiers occupied the craft with 30 others sitting shoulder to shoulder, including Joe. When he boarded, Joe saw the aide--was his name George?--sitting near the front, and that was the only person Joe recognized.
Joe had never flown before--at least that he remembered. When the craft started its engines and throttled up after the boarding door closed, Joe felt slightly ill. He figured sitting by the viewport and looking out probably wouldn't help, but he was also curious to watch.
After a few more moments, the engines revved up even more, and the carrier lifted off. It ascended straight up until it was higher than the three-story base, and then the nose of the craft turned to point up and accelerated higher into the atmosphere.
It was fascinating for Joe. He watched the people and the base grow smaller. When he saw Aitupo outside, he tried to look for the Laurel mission one more time, but the buildings quickly blurred together and he gave up. The carrier cut through the clouds like they were nothing and soon rose above them.
The view of Pturllel was much different higher up. The planet looked more blue and green with whole landmasses and oceans visible. Joe couldn't identify where cities were anymore, and white clouds cut across the area.
"First time flying?" asked the passenger to Joe's right.
"Yeah," said Joe, turning his head briefly to look at the person.
The passenger was older than Joe with a rugged face and deep wrinkles. His eyes looked sad and distant, nodding with Joe's answer.
"It's been years since I last flew," said the man. "I came here for a better life. It didn't really work out." He chuckled as he turned away.
Joe turned to look out the viewport again. His eyes scanned the surface, already getting homesick as the planet fell away. However, as he looked toward the west, he saw a dark swab amongst the green and splotches mixed into the ocean by its currents.
"What's that black area? Looks like something going into the ocean,” said Joe.
The man looked out the viewport briefly, shrugged, then looked away without a care.
“Something not good,” said a woman across from Joe. Her features looked even more depressed than the man’s as she looked up from her tablet.
“What do you mean?” said Joe, confused.
“A disease eating away at the ecosystem,” she elaborated. “To give you an idea of how fast it's spreading, it wasn’t there two weeks ago. It’s now visible from space and invading the oceans. I hope whoever gets the planet can take care of that before it gets anymore out of control. I’d planned to get a team together to look at it, but then the Human ships came to take us away. I wonder if we’ll even hear anything about it after this. The rest of the galaxy doesn’t care about Pturllel.”
She then went back to looking down at the tablet. Joe found her words disturbing, and he turned to look out the viewport again. He stared at the dark spot for several moments and even convinced himself he saw the swirl in the ocean grow larger.
“Hold on, everyone,” said a soldier from the front of the carrier, “we’ll be jumping out of the system in a moment.”
Desperate to see Pturllel until the end, Joe continued to look out the viewport. He heard the engine make a new sound as it prepared to jump.
As a vibration ran through the ship, Joe saw a flash of light near the planet that drew his attention. It had been a reflection off a ship--a Birnstein ship based on its design. The dark gray ship hovered amongst a small fleet over Pturllel, a crest with three slashing claws visible on their hulls.
A moment later, the carrier made the jump and left Pturllel behind.