Exodus of Evil by James Flynn

Author:James Flynn [Flynn, James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

‘This is Planet’s Reach. Do you receive?’

There was no video link; Dolph could only hear a voice emanating from the speakers.

‘Loud and clear.’

‘Switching over to video link.’

One of the large monitors flickered into life, and two men became visible. One was blonde and well groomed, and the other was bespectacled and awkward-looking.

‘You must be Mr…Veale?’ said the blonde man, looking down at a piece of paper.

‘Yes. Very nice to meet you.’

‘Nice to meet you. My name is Paul Tringley. I’m the CEO of The Universal Mining Agency. And this is Adam O’ Donnell, department manager.’

Instinctively, Dolph sized both of the men up, watching their body language and mannerisms. It took him less than ten seconds to see that the two men were in contrast to one another, and it took him even less time to ascertain that there might’ve been some tension between them.

Something to work with.

‘We appreciate you volunteering to take the call,’ said Paul Tringley.

Dolph smiled, with unwavering eye contact. ‘It’s the very least that I could do.’

‘We wanted to ask you a few questions regarding life onboard the ship,’ said Paul. ‘You will all be independent very soon, so you can think of it as a final checkup.’

Laughing obligingly, Dolph replied, ‘I think it’s a marvellous idea. It’s a pleasure for all of us to be part of such a pioneering venture like this, and we’re willing to do whatever we can to make it work.’

Paul Tringley would be easy, Dolph decided. He didn’t come across like a CEO; there was an air of informality about him. Winning him over would be no problem at all. The second man, Adam O’ Donnell, was different. Despite his inferior position, Dolph sensed that he cared more about his duties.

‘So, Dolph,’ said Adam. ‘After studying the cultivation figures for some time now, I can see that crop production is OK. But tell me: what’s the morale like up there?’

Here it is. Cool, calm, collective.

‘We have formed a very tight-knit community up here, as you might expect. We try our best to function as a well-oiled machine, and for the most part we succeed.’

‘That’s so good to hear,’ said Adam, squinting over his glasses. ‘I mean, our main objective is to keep morale high at this point.’

If Adam O’ Donnell had expected a reply to this, he didn’t get one. What he got instead was an intense stare, along with the feeling that his very soul was being penetrated. Caught off balance, the department manager adjusted himself in his seat. ‘Erm, how is the rota schedule working?’ he asked, finally.

The man’s pathetic question reached Dolph’s ears like a fragmentary echo. There was something else occupying his thoughts now, something far more visceral: images of the bloodshed and carnage that was probably taking place outside by now, the prospect of war and toil.

Snapping himself back to the present moment, Dolph said, ‘The rota schedule? It runs like clockwork. Let me explain…’

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