Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

sky turn white and then pale pink, light orange, to dark red. The green sky isn’t too far off. Kind of like wearing lowlight goggles. Cam climbed down and gathered his gear. As he emerged from the grove, he was struck by the contrast the churning gas giant created against the deep red of the sky. Even on a cosmic scale, the planet was massive, looming over its tiny satellite, which barely qualified as a moon.

Being in the northern hemisphere, where the pole was pointed at the Ophelia, at any time, day or night, the green gas giant was visible. Only during the white light of the rotation was it low on the horizon. Lingering a moment longer, Cam reached into his pack to retrieve his personal recorder.

Pointing it up at the planet, he tapped it on. “Will you look at that Tomas?” The churning greens of the gas giant were swirled with pale yellow-white striations, like clouds in a sky. I don’t know, but I’m sure you do, so… What‘s that swirling going on up there? Whatever it is…” Cam lowered the lens and captured the expansive field. The green light reflected off the red grass and a strange yellow hue hovered over the ground. “…what it does down here is amazing.”

Cam started walking across the field, the auto-stabilizers kept the recording from bouncing. “I hope you like these videos of all the places I go and things I see. I know I haven’t been around.” He bit his cheek trying to choose his words. “I need you to know I want to be there, with you, your brother, and your mom. I know you know what I’m trying to do, but I… I never really asked what you thought about it. Never asked if you wanted to go to a new world. It occurs to me that I probably should. And I’m going to when I see you.”

Swallowing, he continued, “What I see when I’m on Earth… It scares me, Tom…Tomas. People have nothin’ and no how of getting something. Desperate and hopeless. It ain’t right Tomas, it’s not how we were meant to be. There’s something deep inside of us, inside humans. It’s the thing that catches our breath when we see a sunset…” Cam smiled, “…or the love of our lives. We seem like individuals, but really Tomas, we’re all the same and we’re all connected. If I don’t get us away from that planet, I’m afraid of what it’s gonna do to us. To you and your brother. I want a better life for you boys.” Turning the lens onto himself, he spoke directly to the camera, “I’m sorry I haven’t been there, Tomas. I aim to be a better father and a better husband. I love you boy.” Cam forced a smile before turning the recorder off.

Stowing the device, Cam licked the sourness in his mouth and checked his GPS. He corrected his course and continued toward the pickup point, still over two hundred and ninety kilometers away. If I do fifteen or sixteen kilometers a day I could get there early for a day or two of R and R before the Po’olu’u gets in orbit. Wonder if this place has space-trout. His stride slowed for a moment as a thought struck him. That‘s it!

Thinking of Calvin, he realized that other than enjoying a bit of mayhem and being a constant cause of mischief for his mother, Cam did not know what interested his son. Was he smart like Tomas and his mother? Before Cam left, he and Calvin had spent time together learning about the animals that used to live on Earth. He liked animals.

Cam smiled. Maybe we can get a pet. Maybe a cat. Gwen would never go for a dog. He could hear her say, “It would just be another kid, and I’d be the one taking care of it.” If we get our homestead, we’ll get a dog.

As he progressed across the valley, the sky started to turn deep pink and the red grass got taller, the blades getting thicker—and sharper. He noticed red grooves on his knee pads and realized the blades of grass would slice fabric or flesh easily. He knelt to inspect his combat armor. The red left behind was just a fine powder. Iron. Cam stood and started to take a step, but something caught his eye.

About four hundred meters away, a swath of ground had been churned in a long row. He was not sure, but he thought it might end near a grouping of the hemp-like trees. Now, what could that be? It was not far off, but it was not the direction he needed to go. Shrugging, Cam started forward, a few strong steps, then he slowed and stopped. He felt a tug in his gut telling him to check it out. Only one thing I know can cut the ground like that. At the same time, his brain pulled him forwards. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. In tight-lipped determination, he took three steps before grumbling, “Damn it,” and changed direction toward the strange group of trees at the end of the scarred ground. “This is a bad idea.” And the right thing to do.

  8: Ace

The clock ticked down to two minutes. Just one more minute. Just one more minute. Ace repeated it over and over for the last hour and fifty-eight minutes. Forcing herself to remember that the moment would end. That the cold was uncomfortable, even deadly, but with self-control and determination, she would endure.

Even so, knowing it would end did little for the deep ache in her bones and tight constriction in her muscles that screamed for relief. As much as it hurt, the look on Cadet Smith’s face hurt more. The look of fear. The look of betrayal. The look of hate. Smith was shouting words, but Ace could not