Page 10 of Jameson

I gave her a chin lift. Mom and I walked down the street. Colorful flowers filled some of the garden beds. My guess was they were the doing of Kai’s sister. The woman loved flowers and had a green thumb. She worked on the agricultural team, growing crops.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” Mom asked.

“I’m fine, Mom. I promise.”

She patted my arm. “It’s my job to worry about you. I did it when you were a baby, and when you were a fearless toddler who climbed everything, and now, even though I know you’re an adult, I’m not going to stop.”

I dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

We reached the entrance to the Enclave base. We passed some people coming out, who nodded and said hello, then we headed down the stairs.

The Enclave didn’t feel like an underground base. Built in an old coal mine, it had touches of luxury, including priceless art on the walls that had been saved during the invasion. There was a swimming pool that was popular with the kids and a state-of-the-art lighting system that mimicked natural light. Large skylights had been fitted as well, which Mom had told me hadn’t been there in the early days. Most of it was offices for people from all jobs—power generation, medical, teaching, law enforcement, government.

We followed the corridor to the creche. Workers left their kids here when they were on shift. Through the glass wall, I saw a bunch of them of various sizes in lots of different colors. They were running around, squealing and laughing.

Mom pushed the door open, and waved at some of the staff. Then the kids spotted her.

“Ms. Elle!” a little girl cried.

A group of them ran at Mom, throwing their arms around her jean-clad legs.

“Hello, my munchkins.” She ruffled hair and smiled. Then I saw her sign hello to a little boy. I spotted a small cochlear implant on the side of his head. “Who’s ready for story time?”

I leaned against the doorframe and watched as she settled into a chair. She was so good with them. She had this calming aura that I’d loved as a kid. But she still had a spine of steel. She stood up to my dad and could dig in when she wanted to.

The kids all dropped to sit on a large, colorful rug. Some of them were solely focused on Mom, while others fidgeted and twitched. That had been me as a kid. Sitting still had not been a skill of mine.

“Ms. Elle, can you tell the story about the invasion?” a girl asked.

“Yes, the Gizzida invasion.” A little boy curled his hands like claws and let out a small roar.

Mom smiled. “I’ve told that story so many times.”

The little girl pouted. “We want it again.”

Another girl clasped her hands together. “Pleeeeease.”

“All right. Many years ago, a huge alien ship appeared in the sky. Bombs fell and the Gizzida tried to take our planet.”

“They looked like dinosaurs,” a boy added.

“That’s right. They were reptilian, and led by the raptors.” Mom’s voice deepened. “But, humans weren’t going to give up.” She looked at the kids one by one. “We wanted to protect our family and friends, we wanted to fight for our home. We wanted to survive.”

“Hell Squad protected people,” a boy piped up. “They fought the aliens.”

“Yes,” a girl said. “Marcus, Cruz, Gabe, Reed, Shaw, and Claudia.” She recited the names, ticking them off on her fingers.

“That’s right,” Mom said. “Hell Squad was tough. They were brave and selfless and never backed down from a fight.”

“And Squad Nine helped too,” a girl said. “They had lots of lady soldiers.”

A boy bounced up and down. “And the Berserkers. My dad said they were rough and wild.”

I fought a smile and saw Mom doing the same. “Your dad is right, but those wild berserkers also were tough and courageous. But it wasn’t just the squads who helped us survive. It was the pilots, the mechanics who fixed things, the technicians, and the engineers who kept us with power and water. It was the doctors and nurses and teachers. The brave people who scavenged for food and supplies, and the people who cooked the food. Everyone was brave, even when they were afraid, and did their part. Eventually, a weapon was designed. One that defeated the Gizzida. Then, we were safe.”

The kids cheered.

“But the monsters stayed behind.” A little girl shivered.

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