Hopefully, an evacuation plan

Twenty-four hours until rescue ship arrival

I was surprised to find the Overseer's airlock open. Everything seemed normal as I approached the door, but both airlock doors were slightly ajar. It raised some worrying questions. Did an angry mob visit the Overseer after yesterday's confrontation?

"Hello?" I knocked twice against the inner door before moving past it. "Is anybody here?"

"Oh, Ms. Vega!" A white suit housing the Overseer's wife stepped around the corner. "There you are."

"Just Vega, ma'am. Is everything alright? Did somebody forget to close the doors?"

"We're fine," she said with a smile. "The airlock batteries have run out. Zalat and I opened the doors to ensure we didn't get locked in."

"Shouldn't the batteries last a week?"

"They should, but that's assuming they work. I told Zalat to get them fixed more than a year ago, but the man is always so busy."

"I understand. Speaking of, he called me over?"

"Ah, yes. Zalat said you're going to visit. You'll find him in his study, as always." She shook her head in mock exaggeration. "Forget picture frames and priceless books. Zalat will bring his table and chair when the rescue ships arrive. Mark my words."

"Hopefully, he won't forget his wife." I smiled.

"I might be third in the list." She grinned at the joke. "Now up you go, dear. It's best not to keep the old man waiting. He might forget about you too."

The walk to the Overseer's study was more chaotic than before. All the paintings hung askew. Many were kept in place by small sections of tape. I saw various objects piled in the corners. I guess expecting them to stay in place with the lower gravity would be a fool's wish. Still, a housewife's instincts wouldn't be denied. The Overseer's wife had probably spent many years ensuring her house was as neat as possible. She would most likely continue doing so while she had four walls to call home. A woman's home is her castle, after all.

"Come in." The Overseer spoke when I knocked on the door.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" I closed the door behind me as I stepped in. I couldn’t resist a glance at the chair Cymmand sat in the previous time. A part of me hoped to find her there, nodding her greetings before returning her attention to her display.

"Ah yes, Vega. Thank you for coming." He gestured to one of the chairs. "Please, first let me offer my-"

I held up a hand to stop him. "Thank you, sir, I know. Just as I know you're both thankful and sorry for what happened yesterday. I'd rather discuss the situation at hand."

"Of course." He nodded. "I guess you've heard similar statements since you woke up."

"Nova's loss is a bitter pill to swallow. I'd rather not be reminded of it."

"Of course. Regarding the matter at hand, we are waiting for one--" A knock against the door cut the Overseer off mid-sentence.

"You called for me, sir?" Engineer Bootes peeked around the door.

"Yes, please come in." The Overseer gestured to the last empty chair. "Please, sit."

"I'd rather not." Bootes moved to stand beside me. "My suit is as far from clean as you can get."

"It matters not. I doubt the chairs will evacuate with us."

"Still, I'd rather not."

The Overseer nodded as he leaned back in his chair. "Then let us move on to business. Three hours ago, I received a message from the incoming rescue ships."

"How?" I caught Bootes narrowing his eyes. "Asbestos' long-range antenna's are destroyed."

"I didn't expect one either. Imagine my surprise when Cerviel relayed the message to me."

My heartbeat increased at the anticipation of bad news. "What did it say?"

"That all is going according to plan. The rescue ships have started their final jump to the Asbestos system. I'd imagine we'd already see the exit of their wormhole come night-time."

"That's good news," I said.

"Indeed. I'll be sharing it with the colony shortly after our visit."

"Then forgive me for asking." Boots said as he scratched his head. "But I don't quite know why either Vega or I are here?"

"I would like your assistance during the evacuation."

"What do you mean?" Bootes asked.

"While Cerviel is watching for the next wave, something I'm very thankful for, she can only give us a couple of hours' warning at best. We won't have much time to prepare should the demons attack. As such, I would like the evacuation to be as quick as possible."

"What would you have us do?" Bootes asked.

"During the broadcast, I will announce that all citizens from the Kaif and Muthafa domes are to start gathering in the Patlix dome twelve hours before rescue ships’ scheduled arrival. Everybody should be here at least six hours before the scheduled time, upon which we'll wait for the ships. I need your help to ensure that everybody gathers inside the Patlix dome during the allotted time. I'm aware that many citizens have gathered some personal belongings. I’m not unsympathetic. I, too, have things carrying sentimental value, but we cannot risk delaying the evacuation. I believe one carry-on bag per person will be sufficient."

Bootes narrowed his eyes. "Sorry for saying, sir, but do you think that's wise?"

"What do you mean?"

"Considering yesterday's accusations, gathering everybody in one place might seem suspicious."

"I have chosen the Patlix dome as the gathering point for that reason. It ensures I'm in the same situation as everybody else. I'm also planning on a more hands-on approach this time. I assume the rescue ships will evacuate us via shuttles. That would require dividing the colony into groups so we can easily board the ships. I plan on assisting the group responsible for this."

"I see." Bootes nodded. "You say you want to start twelve hours before the rescue ships arrive?"

"Yes."

"That doesn’t leave much time for my team to start preparing. If you'll excuse me?"

"Of course."

Bootes greeted the Overseer with a nod before turning to me. "I'll reach out to you once we've made a plan."

"Sounds good." The Overseer and I listened as Bootes walked out of the room. "Is there anything else you'd want me to assist with?" I asked once I was sure Bootes didn't forget something.

"No, but I would like to request that you remain close to Cerviel during the evacuation."

"Why? Did she say something else?"

"No, but I'd not leave anything to chance. I'm sure the demons would’ve taken note of the wormhole's exit. They might act because of it. I'd like you to be ready if they do."

"I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do against an attack," I said.

"We'd only need you to buy us time while we evacuate. Can you do that?"

I blew out a breath to calm my heart. "I'll try my best. That's all I can give."

"I'll take it," the Overseer said. "This is the last stretch. Hopefully, it will all be over in a day."

I nodded as I moved to stand up. "Just one thing before I go." The Overseer raised an eyebrow when I stopped. "While I don't think you made a deal with the demons, I do have to ask if there's something on that cartridge that can cause problems in the future."

"Rest assured. There is nothing on the cartridge that can put anyone at risk."

"I believe that, but if another situation like yesterday's were to pop up, then I'd rather know what I'm defending instead of doing so blindly."

"I see." The Overseer nodded. "While I won't comment on its contents, let's say that I, too, was once young and made some foolish decisions. The cartridge is a reminder of something I did but sadly cannot erase. I hope that will help you feel more at ease."

I couldn’t prevent the wry smile. "That is all I needed to know. Thank you, sir."