Page 31 of Moon Tamed

He activated the portal’s self-destruct protocol, forever closing our route back to Earth.

“We were the last.”

Later, there would be time to mourn. Until then, I would do my best to keep from drowning in the torrent of grief sweeping through Moonriver.

Under normal circumstances, vaccines were paired to mitigate symptoms. Due to the flow of people to and from Earth, I’d only needed three shots. For the most part, we’d already passed around most of our diseases. Once I received my vaccinations, I dove into my work, making arrangements for the displaced and reminding Allasandro Stephans to sell himself off for charity to settle the refugees.

As planned, he made a statement. Like everyone else in his faction, I stopped working to watch the broadcast.

He wore a black suit and appeared tired and worn. “A few days ago, due to increased volcanic activity, Earth began to evacuate people and animals. Initially, Moonriver received shipments of animals. This morning, we welcomed a total of thirty-six thousand refugees. Earth, prior to the portal being shut down and destroyed, sent its remaining vaccine supply, which should be sufficient to vaccinate the entirety of Moonriver. As the sole city-state to receive refugees, we are temporarily closing our borders, which is estimated to last for a period of two months, to give us time to cope with the initial wave of illness while everyone else around the planet has a chance to vaccinate and prepare.”

He went on to detail the current cordon, where vaccination clinics were in process of opening, along with information on where to go if anyone wished to volunteer to house refugees until permanent arrangements could be made. The list of expected symptoms boiled down to a cold with a painful rash and temporary paralysis.

While treatable, the paralysis required hospitalization, which was when Moonriver’s ruler informed everyone the city-state would pay for all costs of care for the vaccinated. Vaccination remained optional, but hospitals and care facilities would charge a set amount per treatment for any diseases contracted as a result of the exodus.

Then, to soften the blow, he announced the charity drive to help the refugees settle on our world. Any donation of five dollars or more entered the contributor in a raffle to go on a date with him. Every hundred thousand earned would add another date into the pool.

I suspected he’d earn far more than a hundred thousand dollars, as the charity drive would be open to everyone on the planet.

I turned off the feed and returned to work, using my tablet to begin my evaluation of Moonriver’s ruler, beginning with his response to the evacuation and the unexpected influx of people and animals. The entry would likely become one of many illuminating how the man served without benefit to himself. While corruption inevitably existed somewhere in the system, I gave Allasandro Stephans credit.

He would make me work to find where he abused his power.

As Allasandro Stephans needed to work on his delegation skills, I made a note to create an actionable list of ways he might improve upon what he already did for Moonriver. One man couldn’t conquer that mountain of responsibilities alone.

The evacuation and ultimate demise of Earth made prioritizing my work simple. I would begin with researching every emergency to hit Moonriver since Allasandro Stephans had risen to power. After I finished researching his emergency response work, I would delve into our city-state’s economic situation, evaluate our levels of civil unrest, and treat our home and its governor like I would a thesis.

It intrigued me that I, an unaffiliated, might influence Moonriver’s future.

What was best for us?

What was best for the Stephans family?

I understood what Calden hoped for and why. He loved his father.

The weight of responsibility settled into place. I needed to uncover the truth to build and release my report, but I worried about what I would find. Earth’s evacuation told the story of a man prepared to do everything necessary to help others—not just his people, but the refugees fleeing from a dying world. I’d lived my entire life embraced in comfort and security, even as an unaffiliated lacking the same opportunities that those within factions enjoyed.

Before Allasandro Stephans had become the ruler of Moonriver, everyone had been forced into a faction, like it or not. Temporary firms like mine hadn’t existed thirty years ago. They hadn’t existed twenty years ago, as it had taken the man over a decade to legalize the changes the people had demanded of him.

Too many had protested change to how power worked in the city for too long.

I made a note to investigate the other changes he’d implemented since his rise to power.

When I wasn’t taking care of the cheetahs, I bounced between my assignment and helping with the staggering chore of arranging homes for the displaced.

Twelve hours into my eight hour shift, my father showed up with a yawning Calden, who carried his kittens in a larger, soft carrier with a shoulder strap. “I was sacrificed to warn you we’ve taken in a family of refugees, so we cleared out your old room. Your stuff is in my SUV.”

I could accept my limited things I’d left at home would be moving back in with me. “That’s great. How did you get in here?”

The Hunters did a decent job of stopping anyone from leaving the lobby when they didn’t belong or weren’t escorted.

My father pointed at Calden. “I asked him nicely since we’re here to pick our refugee family up. Allasandro then asked me to make certain all children leave. He can’t go home until all of our children have left the building.”

Home, especially the new one down the block, sounded good. I captured the cheetahs, an easy task thanks to their sleepy state, and put them in their carrier. “The litter box will only take a minute. They used it today without issue,” I reported.

Litter training the cheetahs had come in as a top priority, especially knowing they’d be indoor cheetahs for a while. I hoped they’d get a habitat that either mimicked the outdoors or let them roam, but the way I figured, being stuck indoors beat the alternative.

They could have been left to die on Earth.

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