Bab 10: Chapter 10: Minnesota
Although Minnesota was a practical girl, she couldn't help crying as she watched the small ships bombard her colony with fire. But she just as quickly recovered when she noticed none of the flames seemed to be doing as much damage as she first thought. In fact, the glow of the attack faded almost immediately after each shot was fired, as though the bolts themselves were only cover for something more sinister.
She wiped at the tears with her dirty sleeve and studied the attacking ships as best she could from such a distance. Minnesota knew immediately they were like nothing she had ever seen, nor like anything anyone she had talked to from off-world had seen, either. As friendly with many of the crews of the cargo ships making the rounds as she was, Minnesota knew if anything like this happened before she would definitely have heard about it.
She watched, fearless in her curiosity, as the ships buzzed by overhead, spinning past the colony ship before arcing high over the planet. She dove for the hatch to watch them leave, small pinpoints of light blazing bright then flickering out as they left the dense atmosphere.
Without thinking, she turned and marched back toward the colony, determined to get to the bottom of this. She was so focused on her goal she was shocked when a heavy hand grasped her shoulder and spun her around. Quinn scowled at her, the twins hovering behind him. They all looked scared. It was only then Minnesota realized she should be frightened too, but couldn't quite muster the emotion. All she felt was anger.
"We can't go back yet," Quinn hissed at her. "What if there are still some waiting for us?" She frowned and shook his hand free, planting both fists on her hips.
"You saw them leave as clear as I did, Quinn Piers," she snapped. "I'm not waiting around here any longer. I need to know what happened." Minnesota paused, heart clenching. "And if my parents are all right."
They just had to be.
She spun again, not caring if they followed, intent on understanding what had so abruptly shaken her universe. She always secretly believed there were other intelligent races living in the
galaxy, but after over a hundred years of space exploration and no contact, the powers that be evidently became complacent about first contact.
Minnesota had a feeling that was about to change dramatically.
By the time she reached the edge of town, most of the fires were gutted or had gone out. As she suspected, there was little real damage done. Most of the homes and storage areas still stood. The large patches of scorched earth made her wonder as to the motive for the attack. She breathed a deep sigh of relief none of the strikes hit the open mine hole. Siminite was so volatile, had a stray shot gone down to the core of the deep, there was a very good chance the whole planet might have exploded.
She was so intent on the condition of the place it took her a few minutes to realize there was no one about. When she did, she froze in mid-stride, spinning a slow circle in the middle of the main road, listening. No cries of terrified children. No calls for help or shouts of anger. Nothing. Only the soft hiss of the wind over the dirt, stirring up a haze in the rising moonlight, obscuring detail. Once the last of the fires died, the darkness was so deep if it hadn't been for the moon she would have felt lost.
Minnesota knew, when it came to the colony, getting the power up and running again was first priority. But as she absorbed the absolute silence and lack of other souls in the place, she felt her fear return. Not for herself, but for her family. She ran for home before her head knew her feet were moving.
She burst into her house, calling for her parents, met with stillness. Minnesota turned and spotted the faint glow of a bulb in the food heater and eased the door open. There was enough power left in the unit to keep her dinner warm.
She choked back a sob and raced for the back of the building. Her small hands flung open her parent's door and she froze, all thought, all emotion coalescing into a burning ball in the center of her stomach. The back wall of her parent's room was missing, their slept-in bed empty, a stray pillow hunched on its side, spilled stuffing mixing with the dust blowing in from the jagged hole.
Minnesota stared out the gaping wound in the back of her house for a long time, her heart beating faster and faster. She wanted to scream, to cry, to somehow expel the core of searing pain in her gut, but she was unable to move. Only the flicker of approaching light far above broke her loose of the hold fear and grief had on her.
At first, she was grateful for the distraction. A bright white and orange light twinkled in the distance, far too vivid to be a star, too stable to be a meteorite. The thought struck her as the light grew more and more brilliant.
They were coming back for her.
***
Hadiah
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Power 
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