It was strange how Lorenzo heard the church bells. The bombardment caused a cacophony of sound that would distract most anybody, but he still heard them crisply through the noise. The clanging reminded him of home, their town in the distant hills, so far away from here. However, in this city they only served to remind him of the urgency of the situation.
“Hurry, Alessandra! We must go now!” he yelled, as another explosion rocked the small room. They were in a sparsely furnished apartment, one of the few that remained intact in Calyppo, the largest city on Pluto. The Coalition had been pushing hard, and this was expected to be the final stand by the Alliance in their last stronghold. In mere hours, the sleeper ships were to be launched as a last-ditch effort to preserve the remnants of the Alliance.
“But I can’t find Fluffy!” cried his little sister, her eyes already tearing.
Lorenzo cursed silently, wishing that his father had not gone with the rest of his squadron to stand as the city’s last defense. His father knew how to pacify Alessandra, holding her while whispering sweet nothings into her ears until she was calm. Still, he had to make do with his own efforts. He tried again: “I promise I’ll buy you a new one once we reach Sirius.”
“I don’t want a new one. I want Fluffy!” she cried, her melodious voice rising to another octave. Her arms waved wildly, one of them knocking their bag onto the wooden floor. He sighed, and as he bent to pick it up he spotted the offending toy. “Yes!” he crowed. “I found it! Here you go, Alessandra. If we don’t leave now, we’re going to miss the launch!”
“Father will be there, right Lorenzo?” she asked, her tear-stained face still looking like an angel.
“Yes. He will be there, sister” he lied.
“Good. I miss him.”
“I miss him too” he replied, as he took her hand in his, reached for their belongings and with one final look at the apartment, shut the door for the last time.
There has to be darkness, before dawn can arrive..
La Famiglia Malvasi: Fiorentino - Lothario - Santino - Silvana - Luciana - Raffaele
The siblings hurried down the underground corridors, explosions still shaking the city. They were making their way towards Docking Bay 3, from where the Hispania was to be launched. The sleeper ships had a finite number of available chamber open to the general public and for middle class citizens such as the Malvasi family, it was near impossible to gain passage. However, since their father was a member of the bomber squadron defending the city, his family had received automatic permits to leave with the sleeper ship.
BOOM! The corridor shook again, bits of plaster falling from the ceiling. “Come on, Alessandra, we need to hurry.” He said glancing at his timepiece. They would be cutting it very fine indeed. Rounding the final corner, they at last reached the boarding gate to the Hispania.
The staff at the counter looked to be in the process of closing down the gate, as brother and sister ran at full pelt towards it. “Wait for us!” bellowed Lorenzo, scooping up his little sister as they dashed on. The man at the desk looked up with a worried frown, as the duo arrived panting at his feet. “We thought you two weren’t going to make it, and your father would have been extremely angry with me. Luckily we still have but a few moments spare. Hurry on through the door and turn left. There, you’ll find a pretty lady in a green suit that will direct you to your chamber. Buona fortuna Lorenzo and you as well, little one!”
“Thank you, Signor Clemenza. You are coming with us, yes?”
“I will board shortly, son, but you must hurry now. It is getting late.”
“Again, thank you Signore.”
As they walked through the door, Alessandra now panting a little less, piped up. “Where’s father, Lorenzo? You promised he would be here! You lied to me, didn’t you? Didn’t you?” Lorenzo grimaced at the accusation in her voice. “Alessandra, listen to me carefully. Our father is a great man. He is fighting for us, so that we can live to see a place without war and suffering. He is doing this for us and for the rest of the Alliance. You must be proud to be his daughter, and you must also be strong. Strong to keep fighting for what you believe is right. Always remember him and his sacrifice for us.” He carried her on into the ship, holding as close to him as possible.
She buried her face in his shoulder, crying softly. Lorenzo turned around the corner and found the lady in green waiting for them. She was the most beautiful lady he had ever seen, with soft brown hair framing her flawless face and hazel eyes. She didn’t look much older than he was either, maybe in her early twenties. He gazed awestruck at her, speechless. She smiled warmly at them. “Finally! You have arrived.” Her voice was smooth yet delicate, a harmonious melody in Lorenzo’s ears. “We were getting worried about you. Come on, follow me. I’ll show you to your chambers.”
She glanced worryingly at Alessandra as they walked. “Is she alright?” she asked. “Ye.. yes, thank you” replied Lorenzo, finding his tongue at last. “She will be fine. She’s just a little sad that our father won’t be coming with us.” The woman sighed. “Your father is a great man whom we all look up to. He is a lion amongst men and we shall miss him greatly.” She reached into one of her pockets. “Let me see.. Yes, I have some left. Here you go, little princess, have some of this chocolate. I promise you will like it.”
Alessandra sniffed, half turning from her position in Lorenzo’s arms. She reached out with a hand, took one of the sweets with a brief “Thanks” and turned back to his shoulder. The lady smiled once more, providing Lorenzo with another vision of perfection. “What she needs is some rest. Ah, here we are, chamber 16970-M-L/A.”
They had arrived at what seemed to be a bay of elevators. The one they had stopped in front of was painted a dull blue. “This is your elevator. It will take you directly behind your individual chambers. All you need to do is walk into the chamber, fasten your straps and place the helmet on your head. Everything else will be automatic. Do not be worried when you start to fall asleep, this is only natural and is part of the journey. Buona fortuna my dears. I shall be waiting here after we land.”
“Thank you for your help and the sweets, Signora. We are very grateful.” said Lorenzo.
“Think nothing of it. But don’t call me Signora any more, it makes me feel old. You can call me Adriana. Have a nice rest, the both of you.”
“Thank you again, Adriana. Goodbye for now.”
With that, the siblings entered the elevator. Once they were in, they turned and waved to Adriana as the doors closed. Lorenzo placed Alessandra down gently. Her eyes were still puffy and red from the crying, but the tears had stopped for the moment. “We will be just fine” said Lorenzo, reaching down to grasp one of her hands. “Why don’t you eat that chocolate you have there. We are almost at the end now.”
Alessandra nodded slowly, and started to unwrap the sweet. Lorenzo sighed as he looked down at his dear little sister. He reached down to hug her, murmuring “Everything will be just fine.” Just then, the elevator beeped as the doors started to open. Lorenzo stood straight, grasped his sister’s hand in his, and stepped forward to their chambers. He opened hers first, and waited for her to enter. “Come now, this is it, Alessandra. Let’s get you tucked in.” She stepped into place, while Lorenzo fastened her straps and placed her helmet gently on her head. “I am right next to you, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.” She nodded and held her arms up for one last hug. Lorenzo obliged and with a final look at her sad face, closed the door.
As he stepped into his own chamber and fastened himself in place for the long sleep ahead. The ship rumbled to life, engines powering up. This is it, he thought. Our lives are now in the hands of the pilot and this vessel. His father had always been highly religious, and this had rubbed off onto his son. And so, as he felt the acceleration from lift-off, he prayed. He prayed for his father to escape unharmed. He prayed for his sister and himself, that they would find a world without suffering. He prayed…
There has to be darkness, before dawn can arrive..
La Famiglia Malvasi: Fiorentino - Lothario - Santino - Silvana - Luciana - Raffaele
