Page 35 of Moon Tamed

For the most part, it worked.

I would end up spending a great deal of time pondering the consequences of our meddling.

It also made me wonder if Earth’s wonders had been helped along by some other species wanting to preserve humans until humanity had joined the rest of the universe, equipping themselves with space travel and learning how to make use of the portals linking habitable space.

I’d never had reason to put much thought into it.

All my life, I understood I could leave if I wanted to, but that had been the one change I’d never been willing to pursue.

Calden sighed, pushing his food around his plate. “Earth had enough warning to gather as much vital records of people and animals as possible, which they transmitted through the portal. We’ve lost a lot, because there was only so much they could do with the warning they did have, but it was enough to get people through the next few months with minimal overhead. Birth records, death, marriage, and other civil records were prioritized. After consultation, it was decided that all criminal records would be last on the priority list, with the exception of sexual offenders against minors. That list came with the primary vital records. Excessively violent crimes came over, too, but anything deemed to be minor is being expunged. The survivors are mostly being given a fresh start, and the violent criminals and sex offenders will be exported as soon as the quarantine period lifts to finish serving time for their crimes.”

“They evacuated the prisons?”

“We estimate five thousand of our new residents came from a prison near the portal. Only a hundred or so of them were transferred directly back to incarceration, deemed too dangerous to be set free among our people. Dad thought the rest of them should get a second chance.”

“Wait. Only a hundred of them are truly dangerous criminals?”

“Earth had strict criminal policies, so the majority of those incarcerated were due to petty crimes. Dad is arranging for them to be put through rehabilitation and integrated into factions. The punishments didn’t fit the crimes—although the punishments ultimately resulted in their salvation.”

“They probably wouldn’t have been evacuated otherwise?”

“Correct.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That must have been terrifying.”

“They didn’t know what was going on until the prison guards transferred them to the portal,” Calden admitted. “The initial plan had been to let the prisons be buried with the inmates perishing without any idea on what was going on. Dad pushed fairly hard for receiving refugees. Earth thought they’d have another few weeks, but it didn’t work out that way.”

How horrible. “And so your dad became a hero.”

“Basically. He thought it through and made the judgement call that we would rather risk plague than let thousands die without doing anything. And in the long run, we’re not even risking much. We know about the illnesses coming through, we can vaccinate and treat them, and there will be minimal deaths. More will die from the portal crossing, than from the actual illnesses. We won’t even be challenged much. The neighboring city-states are sending supplies, and the drivers are planning on quarantining with us. They received first crack at vaccinations while their vehicles were being loaded.”

As Calden didn’t seem to mind my questions, I braced to ask the most important one of all. “Do you think everything will be okay?”

“I do. Vaccinated doctors are coming along with the supplies, and they’ll teach the healthy how to care for the ill. Your mom will handle your family, I’ll keep an eye on you, and Dad’ll oversee everything. I’ll end up operating a daycare for displaced cats while you recover from being ill, but it won’t be too bad.”

“Those sound like famous last words,” I informed him.

With a laugh, Calden shrugged. “Well, it won’t be too bad for me.”

“You win that round, Mr. Stephans.”

Within twenty minutes of waking up the next morning, the first of the symptoms struck. It began with a chill, which sent me on a mission to find a sweater. The fatigue came hot on the heels of the chills, but rather than crawl back to bed, I ventured downstairs to discover Calden in the kitchen.

“As we went from betting if you slept through your alarm to concerned when no one saw or heard from you, I volunteered to do a check-in,” he announced. “You slept through me taking your temperature. You also snoozed through a visit from your mother, who is more experienced with your behavior when ill.”

Crap. I hadn’t noticed anything amiss when I’d gotten up, although my cotton-filled brain held some responsibility for that. “Should I be asking which day it is?” I headed for the counter and slumped over it, not bothering with one of the kitchen stools.

“Not quite yet. If you don’t want to go back upstairs, find somewhere comfortable to take a load off. I’ll bring you some soup in a few minutes.” Calden made shooing motions until I dredged up the energy to get up and leave the kitchen. “If you need a blanket or pillow, I’ll fetch.”

Confused, but unwilling to argue with him, I headed into the sitting room to discover Lucky strutting across the room. He spotted me, fanned his tail feathers, and screamed to usher in yet another apocalypse.

Calden snickered.

“I see my mother arranged for revenge.” I took over the couch, debating if I wanted a blanket and pillow.

Lucky charged, hopped onto my lap, and settled onto his living throne.

Calden poked his head into the sitting room. “The hen is a lot less social than Lucky, and your mother’s the only one at her place feeling well, so Lucky came with me so he can have attention. Upon learning your initial name for him, he’s officially Lucky the Doom Bird, Herald of the Armageddon. Lucky for short. That scream is something else.”

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