Chapter 21: The Endearment

To say the starship Endearment was a large ship, would be an understatement.

Once the shuttle carrying David, Julie, and Gunner landed in the docking bay, the hugeness was truly revealed.

Hallways full of bright, colorful lights adorned the area. Doors leading to offices opened automatically.

The bridge of the ship was technically advanced, complete with probably forty crewmembers, all wearing similar jumpsuits.

The trio was given a nice warm bath and fresh jumpsuits, all skintight.

David was happy to look 'official'. Strutting around the ship like he owned the place.

Julie, David, and Gunner were sent to a medical bay after bathing, all three had separate doctors and nurses looking over vitals

As Julie sat on the large bed, she looked around, marveling at how many instruments there were. How close this looked to a doctor's office on earth.

Dr. West had to be brought in special for Gunner. She knew the ins and outs of Barg biology. She'd been studying creatures at Area 51 before the alien take over.

The alien sat in a white room, legs hanging over the side of a long leather bed.

A doctor with long blonde hair and a lab coat investigated him with a few tools. Poking him gently.

"You're a strong, healthy Barg. With a few scrapes and bruises. That cigarette wound on your leg healed up nicely. Must have hurt."

"Alright, I'm done being poked." Gunner hopped off the bed and stretched.

"You're not quite done yet, but I understand it's a long process." Her British accent sounded pleasant to his ears.

Slipping on his blue uniform, he sighed. "So, we can stay here? No tricks? No slavery. No hurting of my people. No hurting Julie or David?" He stared at the doctor.

"What? No. Our mission is togetherness. We thrive on newcomers. You're the first Barg we've ever had here. You're a marvel. Someone to be admired for accomplishments on earth. Protecting a mother and son." She smiled.

"Yeah. Okay. Thanks. I'm gonna take a walk." He nodded, not sure how to react to a string of compliments.

Julie's eyes shined with light as a male doctor surveyed her corneas.

"You've got a bit of nerve damage from whatever the Barg did to you. But you're looking good!" He smiled.

Julie stayed on the bed, looking to the white floor beneath her. Her hospital gown felt cozy.

"We're going to leave earth, for good? How did you guys even get up here?"

The doctor washed his hands in a sink. "We've been up here long before the Barg invasion. We've been surveying the stars. The government paid us good money to be up here. Exploring new worlds."

"So, you had no idea the Barg invasion was happening?"

"We knew. But at the time, we were far away from earth. We really couldn't do anything. Sad. Horrific. But it's the truth."

"Now what? You gonna leave them to rot?" She hopped off the bed.

"I don't know, Julie. I gotta ask the captain."

"You don't have loved ones down there?" Julie approached the doctor slowly.

"I-I do. I think about them every day." He frowned.

"Sorry for being so snippy." Julie nodded and exited the doctor's office, the door automatically opened and closed for her.

David and Julie walked casually on treadmills, getting blood pumping and legs moving. Felt nice to move around after all the sitting in the shuttle.

"So, David, you like it here?"

"Yeah, mom! It's great. Fresh food, water, no worries about Gunner being hurt. Made some new friends with the ensigns on here. The captain is cool too. She's kinda like you." He chuckled.

It's weird. To finally feel at ease. I almost expect something horrible to happen. Like, we'll hit an asteroid or we'll come careening back to earth. It's weird to be able to just nap and go for swims in the large pool of the ship and to eat at a café with food replicators. Such amazing technology on this one ship.

David is happy conversing with everyone he can, he's so much more open now and smiley.

I suppose Gunner is happy as well, he must be. Not being chained and able to roam freely whenever he wants. I bet he's on the bridge, investigating how this ship would move, how it operates.

Nightmares are frequent.

Therapy sessions are twice a week. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I let myself scream for the crap they did to me and my son.

After the sessions, I like to sit and eat lunch with David and Gunner. Sometimes the various crewmembers sit with us. They love to know stories of how we escaped earth.

Sometimes, they ask how normal lives were. What was driving to a store like? What was going to see a movie like?

Some of these people are quite young, they have no idea what life was like on our little blue planet.

It seemed that scientists were after Gunner mostly for biological questions and questions about his people. He donated blood, he rarely shied away from anything humans wanted to know.

He was popular, the first Barg visitor ever to be recorded.

David stuck by him. I wasn't sure if Gunner's welcome would wear off. It seemed it never would.

I could tell Gunner liked it even if he hid behind words of mediocrity. I know Gunner was happy when my son was around.

Exercising. Eating. Watching the stars go by. That was our two weeks.

I talked to the captain of our ship, Miss. Weaver. Told her that earth hadn't perished entirely. Didn't take much talk to convince her to turn around. Yeah, it would take a long time, but the idea that even one human was stranded on that planet with no food or water, haunted me.

Maybe it's good David and I ended up on a huge spaceship. Maybe we were destined to meet Gunner and fly off with him. Seems weird, but now I can't imagine my life any other way.

My home had been invaded by Barg.

Little did I know, the destruction of my home would be the beginning of something so much better.

END OF TRANSMISSION.