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"Is that you?" Captain Grendel asked.
"Yes, father," she said.
"How are you doing this? I'm not a magic user."
Marlena felt the magic of the white crystal ebbing a little.
"Father, I have a magical crystal boosting my power. Are you okay?"
Captain Grendel told her about Yaddle, and also about the ship. He ended by saying the ship's engines were not damaged, but offline. He didn't have the expertize to fix it. He needed Yaddle.
"So," Marlena said, "when will Yaddle be conscious?"
"I'm not sure. The medical computer said several cycles. Yaddle is a tough dwarf."
She explained to her father about her talk with Duke Volterus.
"How can the Duke do this to his own people? I don't understand him," the Captain said.
"Something about evolution. The Duke didn't seem like himself. He was delirious."
"Wait... before my ship was destroyed, my second-in-command, Commander Daryl, was analyzing some Vvong alien fragments in space, and she found out the Vvong fragments were mostly composed of Elves, Trolls, and other magical races mixed in the structures."
Marlena felt the power of the white crystal dissipating further. Yet, she knew the implications. The Vvong were actually the magical races, like the Elves and trolls. The scene changed again. Marlena stood in an empty room and for a few seconds didn't know where she was.
"Marlena?" a man said. He was pointing a weapon at her.
"Balthazar, it’s me. I'm fine. I have things to discuss with you," she said.
"Good. You disappeared and then you reappeared. I was afraid for you. Come, let's get you some water. You look sick."
Marlena handed him the white crystal. "Please keep this safe. I’m already holding one secret thing. I don't want to hold another."
Balthazar placed the crystal in his jacket. She knew he was a good man.
He led her out of the room and back into the main headquarters of the shelter. Marlena saw the other members of their small group sitting in the chairs and talking. She wanted privacy, but also knew this information wouldn't harm them.
Balthazar grabbed a cup and poured her some water. She sat and told him everything from the Hive and about the disease and who was causing it.
Balthazar didn’t comment until she was done. She was almost breathless by the time she was finished.
"I am too far away from the Hive to tell anybody," she added.
"What about the white crystal?" Balthazar asked. "We can try to contact somebody else."
"No, Duke Volterus would have already blocked the magic. He’s a powerful wizard. He can do that," she said.
Balthazar said, "How about your father? Can he fix the ship and go back?"
"In time," she replied, "but I'm not sure if we will get there in time."
The rest of the survivors in the small group sat and listened to her tale. Nobody said anything, all mesmerized.
"Marlena, you're going to leave us?" Beth finally asked.
"I don't think I have a choice. I need to warn them, and my father needs all the allies he can get. The Duke is a powerful man," she said. "But we're waiting for Yaddle to wake up."
Balthazar said, "What can we do?"
"Nothing for now."
"What about the Alphas?" Balthazar asked. "Can we help them?"
"I want to help them, but I don't think it is time," Marlena said.
"I monitor what I can on my computer. The only things I see which are still working are the NATO computers. I don't like that we have Nukes that are unprotected."
"Nukes?" Marlena asked.
"Nukes are missiles of mass destruction that can destroy the Earth twenty times over," Balthazar said. "I'm surprise none of the missiles exploded during the world wide catastrophes."
Marlena took another sip from her cup. The water was cold and tasted like minerals. "Did the Military or the Illuminati have a contingency plan for this catastrophe?" she asked.
"Yes," Balthazar said. "I was trying to find the head of the Illuminati so we could start this plan."
"Can't you start it yourself?"
Balthazar must have felt all the eyes of the room looking at him. "Sorry, I don't have that authority. I was not one of the top leaders. There were only two people in the Illuminati who could commence with the plan, and both of them are dead. They were the Grandmasters of the Illuminati. Only they have the passwords and controls."
"So, that is what you’re doing in the control room."
"Yes," Balthazar said. "I wish we could help you, but we cannot even help ourselves."
"It is not all bleak,” Beth added. “I think I can patch myself into the NATO computers through the Illuminati network."
"I also wish I could help you," said Marlena.
"Well," Balthazar said, "we will keep working."
"I’d never met humans before I came to Earth. I was also taught humans were a warrior race that craved destruction and greed. But you are not. Balthazar, you and your crew always seem to see the best in dire situations."
Beth said, "You are right. We rise and become better when we’re confronted with difficult situations."
"Yes, nobody is perfect,” added Balthazar. “We had many wars, and had megalomaniacs who wanted to subject their people for their own prejudices and sense of entitlement. But we have tried to create justice and fairness for all."
Marlena said, "I wished we had your wisdom and faith."
