For most of my picture prompts, I’ll take a picture that speaks to me and write the story I see leaping from the pixels. But every so often, I have a story whirling about my mind, and I’ll discover an image that pairs with it. With this image, the story that in my mind is a bridge for two different projects, Colonization and Discovery, an upcoming collection of Flash Fiction that will be published on Wattpad. Both series center on the same strange planet, but they take place after a century of inaction from their homeworld.
I laid the initial threads for Discovery, while I worked on Colonization, but I knew I needed something to bridge the time between the narratives. While those initial scribbles mentioned the inhabitants of the homeworld grew frightened and insular when they lost contact with their ship, I knew something would have to motivate an entire planet to investigate that loss. So while Colonization drew to a close, I let a story line percolate in my mind, and Return unfurled. Pull up a chair and get comfortable so you can delve into the bridge between these two collections.
The council members sat in the hall, whispering among themselves as they waited for the session to begin. As the whispers grew, one voice sliced through the din. “There’s no scheduled vote today. Why are we here?”
“I called everyone here to discuss the failed attempt to colonize Morven.” The statement silenced the council as the lights dimmed, and millions of bluish-white spheres emerged from the central dais. When the orbs coalesced into an imposing figure, it inclined its head, pressing its hands together. “Long ago, some of our forefathers sent an expedition to our sister planet to form a colony.”
A councilor stood, clearing her throat. “Chancellor, while it’s unfortunate that some of our ancestors vanished in the foolhardy expansion, we should leave well enough alone and ignore Morven.”
The towering holographic Chancellor bowed toward the council member. “That’s been our mantra since we lost contact.”
“We don’t want to risk a second expedition to that cursed world!” Another councilman cried out as he slapped his thighs.
“Distracting our thoughts with an attempt to re-colonize our sister planet is a mistake,” a distinct voice declared. As a hush descended on the council chambers, a woman rose and leaned upon the railing. The silence lingered for an instant before she clasped her hands to her chest. “There are too many issues here that require our entire attention.”
The hologram cleared its throat as it scanned every councilor in the auditorium. When the holographic eyes latched onto the standing woman, the figure widened its stance. “We have established programs to address each of those concerns, Jasmine.”
“And you’re aware of the positive reaction to those initiatives,” she said.
The Chancellor waved her worries away and addressed the room. With a smile, the hologram lifted an admonishing finger. “It is long past the time we discovered what befell our kin. We can no longer bury our heads in the comfort of our own affairs. We must explore the planet whose orbit we share.”
Another councilor stood and clapped methodically. The mocking echoes silenced the murmurs as he offered the hologram a false grin. He waggled a finger as he descended to the edge of the dais. “However, you’re not being honest with us.”
The individual circled the platform as his gaze flicked between the other councilors and the Chancellor. When he paused, the councilman turned toward his colleagues, gripping his hands behind his back. “Syrupy words cannot sway this institution from its responsibilities. Dorian’s statement might entice us into action, but crumbles upon closer scrutiny.”
“Patton, that’s enough of your nonsense,” the Chancellor stated as his gaze narrowed.
“I meant no disrespect, Chancellor.” Patton whirled and marched towards Dorian’s holographic form with his arms raised. The man’s smile sharpened as he spun to address the rest of the council. “Despite all our progress, it’s only a small step in the right direction. Besides, they’re all under-funded. More to the point, they are more relevant to our population.”
Patton resumed his pace around the projected Chancellor as the gathered council members started murmuring. The next time the councilor stopped, he lifted a finger. “While I would agree that expanding our civilization to another planet would stimulate our economy, any financial boost would be short-lived. It’ll cause an economic depression among this population once enough people leave.”
The hologram’s lips curled up into a smile as he clapped at Patton’s speech. “As always, Patton, you’re losing sight of the bigger picture. I have never demanded, nor even requested that we make another attempt to colonize such a strange planet.”
The councilman spun toward the hologram and raised a trembling finger. “When did you abandon that idea?”
“My position on this topic hasn’t wavered.” Dorian offered Patton a warm grin and a wink as his hands latched together behind his back. “We’re here today to discuss our failed attempt at colonizing Morven. But that doesn’t mean I’m intending to colonize it again.”
“What’s your intention?”
Dorian pulled his hands out and rubbed them. “I intend to send a battalion to establish communication with whoever might still be alive. Or if they discover an uninhabited planet, they’ll determine what happened to our lost expedition.”
A chorus of agreement erupted from every member of the council.
Patton grimaced as his fingernails dug into his palms. With a huff, the councilman brushed his clothing. “How would you like to balance this fanciful excursion and the programs that keep our world running?”
Dorian shook his head and spread his arms out wide. “The priorities of this administration are clear. Our citizens’ welfare is paramount. But diverting less than ten percent of our ever-expanding budget will enable us to recover our history.”
“You cannot bleed our systems dry to fund this meaningless expedition.”
“Patton, this excursion isn’t pointless.” The hologram kneeled, bringing its face closer to the councilor. “That failed settlement occurred over a century ago. Everyone who left is long dead. We owe the discovery of the truth to those settlers.”
Dorian rose and spoke to the other council members. “It’s time we put this resolution to a vote! Do we tighten our belts for the next five years and give those pioneers their proper place in history? Or are we going to leave them in the chasm they plunged into?”
The chamber fell silent, as if the people were listening, waiting to learn whether their kin would be abandoned or remembered. After several tense moments, the council members began to vote. With each ballot, the back wall altered.
When Patton completed his selection, he glanced at the tallies and groaned. He slipped his tablet into his jacket before sauntering beside the hologram and adjusting his clothing. “You’ve captured enough to launch this ridiculous endeavor. But just because you’ve won this vote, doesn’t mean you’ll continue winning their hearts.”
Dorian shook his head as he stepped forward, ignoring the petulant councilor’s words. “So, it shall be done. We will uncover the truth of our missing brethren.”