Book 7: Decisions
Prologue
The Weller family has given me permission to fling them out into space to settle a new planet that is supposed to be “Uninhabited.” Since they arrived, they have met the Dragon Clan, the Others, and the Merpeople!
The Dragons are not the firebreathing scaled beast of earth fantasy stories but intelligent beings. Donzereli, the son of Rainbow and Sunset, is best friends with Ruby and Nolan. The Others are a race of people that only look like fierce “Yeti’s” when they wear their white fursuits to keep them warm in the frigid south climate. However, the Merpeople need no explanation. As the result of the last adventure, Ruby and Nolan are now Merpeople, permanently! Nolan is thrilled that he can’t drown, but Ruby not so much. What young woman wants gills on her neck?
Remember, in the last book, our adventurers settled down to accept their punishment for deciding to “visit” Bri and Tig’s home under the sea. This time we will focus on the adult problems a little, but we won’t forget that teens will be teens.
Things are heating up between the Consortium and the New Earth. Hopefully, before it reaches the boiling point, all parties can come to an understanding. Just what that will be is up in the air.
The youngsters want nothing to do with adult problems. Donzereli asks permission to explore the continent across the ocean as a summer project. He had the support of Councilor Klethand, who was enthusiastic one day and the next, saying, “It’s too dangerous!” Donzereli is not going to let anything stop him from a fun summer! He plans the trip and invites all the youngsters to go with him.
Donzereli’s perfect plan goes off without a hitch. Hang on, this is gonna be a bumpy ride!
Chapter 1. The meeting before the meeting.
Maps, surveys, and inventory lists haphazardly stacked in separate piles covered the Wellers kitchen table. Floor retrieval was a frequent form of exercise and exasperation.
“Figuring a way to fit the representatives from Old and New Earth into our existing meeting house is an unsolvable problem! Expanding the building is impossible; we just don’t have the time. In less than two weeks, the ship will arrive!” Ty said, running his fingers through his hair.
“I have shuffled sleeping arrangements until I am blue in the face. If we knew how many are arriving, it would make it easier? Somehow, we are going to have to make do with what we have!” Said an equally exasperated Robin!
“The meeting in the too-small meeting hall will cause tempers to flare to the burning point! We should expand the meeting room and make adequate sleeping arrangements for the representatives. But there is no time!” Ty said.
“We will have to give up our three bedrooms and camp out with the teens in the fort or pitch a tent,” Robin said.
Laying their heads in their hands on the table, they lapsed into silence.
The dragons and the others of New Earth were listening. Everyone becomes telepathic to some degree after living on New Earth for a few months. Sunset and Rainbow heard their friend’s thoughts; another perk, done only under dire circumstances. Hearing the exasperation in their friend’s voices Sunset and Rainbow decided to help.
“Hello, friends, how are the preparations coming?”
“Oh, Hi Sunset, Rainbow, good to hear from you,” Ty said. Ty related an edited version of what they already heard telepathically.
“Our workers are fabricating tents to house our attendees. Would it be helpful if we added a temporary expansion to your meeting house?” Sunset said.
Before Ty could answer, Councilor Damon of the “Others” asked, We would be happy to contribute a 4 bedroom house to accommodate the visitors from Old Earth?”
“Thank you, friends! Your help is a lifesaver. We were just talking about how could we would keep tempers in check in our crowded meeting room. But you heard us, didn’t you?” Robin and Ty laughed.
Sunset and Rainbow, Donzereli’s parents, were leaders of the Dragon clan, which meant that Donzereli, Ruby, and Nolan’s best friend, would be coming with them. Councilor Armando Klethand and Councilor Juger Walkegon completed the attending Dragon Clan. The Dragon’s work crew had already assembled a massive “tent” made of thin metal. Upon entering the structure, one would think they were inside Sunset and Rainbow’s home in the north mountain
Unlike the fire-breathing carnivores in Old Earth’s literature, these Dragons are an intelligent, industrial clan. They invented and built solar-powered flying cars, driven by Artificial Intelligence, that park themselves in the garages. If you recall, the younger dragons flew four youngsters and Dr. Allen to the North Mountain home of Donzereli in Book 2 called Dragonflight.
The Others Clan, the race from another galaxy, were constructing tents of snowy white fur-like material. The material was similar to the suits they wore in the frigid south where their spaceship crashed. The Dragons of the north saw the crash and did not offer assistance and were surprised they survived and flourished despite the severe climate. The weather would seem balmy to the Others, and theywould not need their natural white fur body-garments nd eye shields. Those outfits looking like Snow Yeti’s and scared the bejesus out of the youngsters and
Dr. Allen, when they were netted and hauled up into the Other’s skyship in book 4 called “The Others.”
Their tents featured a meeting area and accommodations for Damon, Jazz, and Angel. Councilor’s Octavius and Maridan accompanied Damon, who had not yet been voted in as Councilor. Angel begged and was allowed to sleep in Ruby and Nolan’s fort. Jazz, taking the role of Angel’s protector, insisted she stay in the fort, too!
The Merpeople, Master Cyraeneus, and Mistress Marinella decided to attend. They were pleased with the invitation to stay with the Wellers. Ruby and Nolan would be staying in the fort; they insisted that they had plenty of room for Briauna and Tigran. Since the children’s bedrooms would be empty, the Wellers intended to invite Xavier and Janet to stay with them.
The Merpeople (book 6) had no need for flying ships and shared the trip with Others. Ty and Robin came to terms with Bri’s “gift” to Ruby and Nolan, making them Merpeople. When Bri realized her “gift” was irreversible, she was afraid she would never be forgiven by Ruby and Nolan. Mistress Marinella showed the Wellers that Merpeople were humans, evolved into sea dwellers. She showed Ty and Robinhow her gills closed, looking like tiny scars on her neck.
Robin and Ty envisioned hundreds of people camping at their house and by the landing strip. They politely tried to convince the settlements not to attend the ship’s landing. They promised the meetings would be recorded and sent live to each colony. Angus and Isabella McPherson decided to bunk in the meeting room. Nolan’s best friend, Shamus, their son, would be staying at the fort. Shaunesy and Marguerite O’Flaherty were bunking with the McPherson’s in the meeting room. Their daughter Bonnie, Ruby’s best friend, would bunk at the fort.
It would be interesting to see the reaction from Old Earth to the latest inhabitants, the Merpeople! Hendricks met the Others and the Dragons with disdain at his last visit. The teenagers were not attending the meetings and were looking forward to camping in the fort more than the adults were attending the big meeting.
Ty and Robin planned a meeting the day before the ship would drop out of orbit from the Wormhole connecting Old Earth with the New Earth. The colonists were anxious for the Dragons to reveal their plans to protect New Earth. They knew the Dragons could collapse the Wormhole temporarily or permanently if it became necessary. That would not prevent Earthlings from traveling to their planet, but it would increase the travel time to years.
Fredrick Hendricks staying and overseeing the colonization was not an option! He had made his intentions plain when he was overheard talking to Dr’s. Schmidt and Mayweather. Ty and Robin had never revealed the telepathic ability or reading of thoughts to Hendricks. That secret would not be revealed now or any time in the future! It would be advantageous during the meeting.