Darkness and silence greeted the viewers for several seconds until the flicker of overhead lights came on one by one starting from the closest to the camera. Once on, they illuminated a long hallway filled with six large concaves. Each filled with large dioramas depicting large-scale battles on Angel-1 and its surrounding space.
Centermost of the hall was a carved wooden double door on the right wall between two exhibits. It opened to allow a Hi ‘Ri woman dressed in a flowing white robe with brown leather on her hip and other soft adornments.
The camera changed, showing the woman’s right profile as she stared into one of the exhibits towards the farthest end. At its center was a large tree, planted with large still flames that exhausted large pillars of smoke. At the top, it thickened to the point that the top half of the tree was no longer visible. Many of the Hi’ Ri homes were simple, carved-out holes in the tree trunks. With modern advances, those “caves” were covered with half-circle bubbles with small landing pads with the winged race to fly from and land.
At the bottom of the screen, a name was presented. Senator (Gardenmaster) Monefi, the last surviving Senator of the Hi’ Ri.
“We didn’t understand the humans when they came. We first took them in with the expectation that they would be similar to the warrior species that populated the Union’s armadas. We could house them for several years and give them space to decompress.” Monefi spoke softly as her eyes slid down the trunk of the tree until it stopped at its roots. There, at the bottom, a firefight was depicted. Six humans returned fire against tens of Bakri battle drones along with several Bakri controllers - Bipedal creatures the humans said looked like extremely tall and slender baboons.
She continued. “Loss. Grief. Emptiness. As they say, the only guarantee in life is death and taxes. But we did not understand the depths of which these went. To have one's back against the wall at every turn.”
The scene changed back to the exhibit with the armored humans. Their stances were defensive with their fake weapons pointed outward and backed to each other. “We pitied them for they were always heavily armored. Always armed. And only a few of us saw their children as they kept them deep in the bowels of their territory. It was rare to see an adult human smile. Even rarer to hear one laugh… The depths of terror and loss the Bakri had struck in them… We would find out soon enough.”
The camera panned down her right side. Her body was what the humans called “Elven”, though the out-of-place part of her outfit was a distinctly human attachment. A leather holster with a human pistol. The holster itself appeared to once have a stamped design, but it was aged. A keychain dangled off the holster’s front. Attached to it was a ring, several white feathers, and a human dog tag.
“I used to wonder why the humans were always armed when they were around. But… After the invasion, I found myself unable to leave with this weapon…” Monefi said.
“And why is it battered?” The narrator asked.
“Ah,” Monefi let out a sad chuckle as she delicately unholstered the battered 2011 with a red dot. She cleared the weapon by pulling out a double-stack .45 magazine before racking the slide. She turned it sideways to reveal the worn finish. Several haphazard engravings that depicted leaves and flowers danced down the slide. “It was the personal sidearm of a loved one. He once joked that hoped to pass it down to his kids, whenever he had one, or maybe his wife if he ever married… It was the only gift I ever received from a human... He was also the person who once joked about calling me Gardenmaster...”
The camera now showed her forlorn smile as she caressed the pistol, her eyes soft… “He was a kind, strong human…”
----------------------------------------
… 13 months before the Battle of Angels…
~
… Capital Tree of Hope, Angel 1 …
Senator Monefi stared across her desk at five intimidating armored creatures. Her mind swirled with a mixture of fear, curiosity… And sadness.
The creatures before her were “Humans”, however, their appearances were far different from the picture on her terminal’s screen in front of her which showed them in casual clothes; these wore thick vests with several pouches, weapons on their hips and across their chest, and thick helmets. All colored to match the leaves outside her office window. Three of them held thin weapons that were “rifles”, while one held an elongated one that was a “marksman rifle”. The last one held a larger, bulky one that was called a “Squad Automatic Weapon”.
It was a menacing weapon that looked to be half her height if it stood on the butt of its stock…
“Why are they so heavily equipped?” Monefi asked “We are on a paradise planet. There are no creatures remotely hostile enough to warrant this kind of security – and the Hi’ Ri are at the bottom on the aggressive index.”
The question was aimed at the Union Steward for their planet. He’d guided this particular set of humans to her office on the capital tree. “The Humans have informed us that this is the normal uniform for their soldiers. For now, we have listed them as average on the aggression index as a Hybrid species.”
Monefi did not respond and only stared at the Steward. In doing so, inferred she wanted a straightforward answer to her question, not just a random answer. The Steward made a sound akin to a sigh. “It's their chosen equipment. That is a question for them, but we can promise you that they will be adequate guards. Highly trained, have the ability to respond to situations quickly, and most of all, have the ability to back down as quickly as they can escalate…”
The Senator continued to stare with her arms folded in annoyance before she waved out her office window.
It overlooked a large swathe of farmland that danced in the morning breeze. Their edges butted against the roots of the massive gargantuan trees - trees whose ages were surpassed a thousand years of age. The fields themselves were laid out amongst the relatively large spans of open fields between each tree. Enough light made it through the tall canopy to grow it all. Not a single armed Hi’ Ri could be seen flying around outside. It was a garden world hidden far from the frontlines. Out of reach unless the Bakri knew where to strike and spent months of travel to get there.
He continued. “I understand the parameters regarding your world and your race. I have requested them to demilitarize.. But those requests were denied. Their reason being that we are still at war and this planet is considered a high-value target.”
Monefi was not a warrior, and the notions that the warrior species had toward war, conflict, and aggression in general were foreign to her. It went as far as politics as well. The Hi’ Ri had no side dealings, secret pacts, or even political enemies. Their people did not dabble in the economy, nor did they show themselves at hearings unless it was a mandatory emergency meeting. Or at least, the annual senate meeting the week after new years on the Standard Union Calendar.
The Hi’ Ri grew food as their passion. The union requested plant-based foods from their people, and in turn, they were given “protection” as well the equivalent in matter back - weighing no less than 1 ton above what was shipped out. The only real hard clause in their contract with the union. And as far as protection… Monefi could not think of one species that has made any moves to harm them… In fact, she heard that her people were treated with great care when off world.
Monefi came back from her thoughts when she realized the room was quiet. The Steward seemed to wait on her. She turned to the humans before her. They didn’t stare at her, but at something over her shoulder. She turned and found there was nothing of interest.
As if noticing, the Steward re-introduced the humans to get them back on topic. “Since that’s over, the leader of your detail is Special Officer Leon Renaldo. Following after is his second in command, Communication specialist Jay Wilkin. The man with the abnormally large weapon is Sa— Sa —”
“Corporal Santiago Hernadez, Sir!” Santiago answered
The Steward nodded his head “Thank you – and finally, the last man is Corporal Damien Walker, the Marksmen. These four make up Fireteam Onyx. A special human detachment for your protection… And I would like to stress this is optional, and the rest of your team has refused it.. But I recommend doing it for them. I get the feeling that purpose will be good for them.”
She sighed as her hands tapped anxiously on her wooden desk. She wasn’t sure if this would go over well. A garden world hidden from the frontlines… There was no need for such a heavily armed presence on land or space. That was not to consider the extended issue of human “trauma”. An aspect foreign to her, so she didn’t have a clue how to tackle this issue as well. Though, upon further thought, she considered that if she allowed this, it would help them ease up; with a high possibility that they may shed those black rifles and ballistic vests.]
So the logic went in her head – a plan was formed.
“I see… Mister Leon,” Monefi finally addressed the human team leader using the honorifics written in the file. “Do you need to be this heavily armed? Would it be too much to ask to at least slim down your packs?”
All of them nodded in unison - but leaving Leon to answer. “That would be too much. We are here on a security mission at the request of the Union. We appreciate you taking us in, but we are a pack animal. We require a purpose – a “load” per say – and thus the Union asked us to be your spears so you do not continue on without protection.”
Monefi only nodded her head in acceptance. There was no point to argue this further. She already concluded she would accept the team and did not want to come into conflict with them so soon.
----------------------------------------
… 5 Months before Invasion …
~
… Half-mile Outside USS Haven Controlled Zone …
A high-pitched shriek broke the silence.
Senator Monefi's entire body tensed up as she felt the small hands on her shoulders. The Hi’ Ri woman for once, felt like prey. The feeling of hopelessness was too much and her mind went blank. It wasn’t until her brain registered the last human weapon pointed in her general direction, his confused expression; and the sound of breaking thicket, and human shouts, did she snap out.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” The human child who’s small hands who gripped her upper left arm cowered behind Monefi. Her insistent apologies poured out in an unending stream as the rest of her guards appeared around them. Each pointed their weapons into the creek Monefi had hid in.
Everything had happened quickly, and Monefi hadn’t properly processed it all. However, she felt warmth swell in her chest as she saw the man with the largest weapon, Santiago, take off the strap that allowed him to carry it. The weapon was discarded into the dry bank before he came forward.
“You good, Monny?” He said as he quickly checked her over. His eyes were full of concern for both her and the child behind her – human child.
“Y-Y-es…” She answered timidly as embarrassment followed the warmth. “We.. We were just playing tag and.. I didn’t hear her and… She startled me.”
Santiago let out a sigh after he checked her for injuries. He then turned his attention to the child. Kneeling, he lowered himself to her level and spoke in a far more softer tone. “Its okay little one. You’re not in trouble – we just thought that something had happened to you two.”
It was now that Monefi noticed that the rest of the human children, all of which were dressed in similar garb compared to her guards. Only, none of them carried weapons and only carried small packs for food, water, and medical supplies. Their childish faces out of place beneath the small ballistic helmets. They kept their distance from the senator as they stood above the creek. The fauna slightly obscured their figures as if they were predators lying in wait to pounce.
Officer Leon was the second to approach. “We’ll call off the game. I was already skeptical if Tag would be compatible to begin with.”
His eyes landed on her wings, clearly suggesting the different evolution lines between an avian line and a ground omnivore. At least, that was the connotation she decided to pin to that look.
“It.. It was just.. I didn’t hear her, and suddenly I was in the sand with her on top of me…” Monefi tried to explain.
Damien spoke up from his position beside several children, his marksmen rifle trained down creek. “The kids are trained to be stealthy.”
Monefi thought she caught the beginnings of a grin before he pulled up his face covering. Santiago had thrown him a withering glare that brought a visible smile to Jay. The comms specialist only grinned and commented “Calm down lover boy” before he called into his radio to end the game.
The little girl continued to apologize for ruining the game until Monefi assured her that she was just getting tired. Adults needed to save their energy and that the children would get to play later. Only, the child’s comment chilled her.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Mommy said today I have weapons class today.” She looked down at her feet as Monefi held her hand. They walked side by side up the creek back towards the docked human ship. “It takes all day and its too loud. I don’t like it.”
The senator wanted to tell her that children should spend their time playing. Only… She looked to Santiago, who also looked as if nothing was out of the ordinary. She wondered if human children played rather than trained for war all the time… Or was that their version of playing?
“How about this, I’ll have Mister Jay here call in to give you guys fruits! Do you like fruits?” Monefi asked.
All the children grew excited at the thought of fruits. Jay did as requested and the children surged forward a few minutes later once they came into sight of the USS Haven. Its imposing frame broke the tall canopy of the titan trees.
“Things weren't always like this.” Santiago stated as he moved closer to her. An answer to a question she hadn’t asked, which prompted her to look at him inquisitively. “It was written all over your face.”
Monefi nodded. “Ah…Did… This change with… You know what…?”
Santiago shrugged. “Kinda. Look, Monny, I don’t know how much you read into the files, but Earth… Wasn’t a paradise. Our world was already a dangerous environment. Us adults were always on edge against each other. The weather. The universe. Everything, and anything could go wrong at any moment. When these asshats hit us, it ripped whatever facade of safety we had left.”
“Does that mean that they suffer from mental instabilities?” Monefi asked. “I read that traumatic events can negatively affect individuals.
A land mine.
All the humans paused momentarily, each tensed. Monefi only went two steps, and by the time she noticed she’d stepped on it, they all were moving and back at her pace.
“S-Sorry…” Monefi said. “I just… I was wondering how even children could look so militarized… So predatory…”
The heavy machine gunner took a death breath as if it’d suck in the right words. In his place, the fireteam leader answered. “Our kids always used to play games like this, but always in schoolyards, playgrounds, or in safe neighborhoods. There isn’t a safe place outside of the ship now for children. Especially since we’re still on alert for an attack.”
Santiago finally gathered his words. His voice was quiet and almost… Vulnerable. “No one is safe from nightmares…”
The air around their group was oppressive now. Monefi could tell the mention of “nightmares” meant something larger. Something that the humans were intimate with. But the aura strangled the air out of the conversation. And the questions she still had were buried in her throat as the soldiers continued their march towards the road.
It was only ten minutes later that they reached the edge of the compound. The road was loaded as the rumble of “APCs”, and “Light tanks” rolled in and out in between supply trucks. Several aerodynes, flying cars as explained to her, came in and out. The bustle of activity stretched up across the face of the ship until she found herself looking at the sky. It was then she noticed it was already noon.
They passed through the heavily manned checkpoint, of which, Monefi only spotted a few other Hi’ Ri entering and a few union species that all looked to be dignitaries. Most likely here to meet with the Shipmaster. Her group left them all behind after taking a reserved truck parked behind the checkpoint.
USS Haven was the last surviving human capital ship. It bore the majority of the remaining human population of 65 million. To compare it to the Hi’ Ri, the Haven was their Tree here on the planet. It was their home and sanctuary as far as you could call it. And in the time she had spent with this team, she had gotten closer with them over the months. It had given her insights into humans in a way that… Broke her.
One of the members she had grown particularly close to, Santiago, had told her the most. He spoke to her how humans had constantly been at war. Death, destruction, and loss were as familiar as was the air they breathed. Yet… In the carnage he spoke off, she saw it had blossomed senses of honor, courage, and sacrifice. Things she only saw as concepts within stories that were fiction stories on the union net… To the humans… that was their reality. There were vast cultures that had in themselves, even vaster moral codes and senses of value. It fascinated her. It was then that Santiago had shown her pictures of Earth. While it was beaten over the centuries from war, there were vast stretches of land that remained untouched – or was rejuvenated. That was what broke her heart. Humans had been unwinding down, truly putting their weapons down one by one to fix their home… And that was when the Bakri appeared.
Monefi stood on the cusp of the aerodyne to take her and team back to the Capital Tree but found herself frozen with one foot in.
Her eyes turned upwards to the human ship. The ship was nearly as tall as the thousand-year-old trees around them. Docked permanently in there, before, only port. The Union had finally built the Hi’ Ri a spaceport, though it was mainly for the Union cargo ships to dock far easier. Thus, it wasn’t something Monefi had bothered to care about. Rather…
She heard the stories of Earth, but what she never heard from Santiago was...
“Officer Leon.” Monefi turned towards the Team Leader who stood next to Santiago. Both men always boarded last. “May I enter the Haven?”
The question made the men tense up. Leon was the first to speak. “Why?”
“Santiago has told me many stories of your… Old home.” Monefi explained. “But he hasn’t even spoken about life in the Haven.”
“Fucking muscle head.” Jay quipped before turning to Santiago. “Told ya’. She was gonna eventually want to see inside.”
“Leave the Loverboy alone,” Damien chuckled.
“It's not pretty, Monny,” Santiago said. Monefi nodded that his eyes were hard. Absent of the usual mirth, replaced with a seriousness that made her want to stand. “I don’t want you to get scared of us.”
“I want to know more about humans… More about You, Santiago.” Monefi said with all the strength she could muster.
The reports the elders gave from their brief trips into the ship was nothing short of… Terrible. Cramped halls, terrible smells, and a sense of forlorn seemed to pervade the entire ship. She wanted to see it for herself. Rather… She hadn’t had the courage to enter it until now.
“If that’s what you want, then yeah… We can do that.” Santiago agreed.
The aerodyne powered down as Jay radioed in their change of plans. With Leon, they took the truck and headed towards the center of the zone where one of four entrances into the Haven rested. Monefi noted that the buildings the humans had set up had become sparser. A closer glance told Monefi that they were far more heavily fortified than the outlying ones as well.
“This is no man’s land.” Santiago, who sat next to the senator, leaned close and whispered. “One path in, one path out. Mines the rest of the way. I don’t think you will, but just in case, don’t exit the truck until we’re inside.”
At the mention, Monefi did notice the sudden break from the fortified buildings a minute ago. All around them was cleared, dead earth. Just months ago, this was a large field of flowers, ferns, and berry bushes. Now, it was just barren dried-up dirt that created a mile-wide buffer between the ship and everything else. The land had been leveled during the construction of the port, but the absence of… life in general, saddened her greatly.
She also saw that there were two lines of traffic; one going in, one going out. Each following a strict beaten path through this buffer zone. The entire crossing was an uneventful trip that ended as they pulled into what Santiago explained was once the main hangar, which had been converted into their motorpool. It was a large cavernous room that opened into the world on the other side. Mammoth machines slid slowly across the expansive ceiling with platforms full of vehicles and equipment. The walls were pocketed with bays that the Hi’ Ri woman identified as ship bays.
The amount of logistics was awe inspiring.
They pulled into one particular bay towards the center minutes later. It was sparsely filled with only transportation vehicles. No tanks. No other human vehicles she may not be able to identify. Just trucks similar to the one they drive in on. The group offloaded, filed through another checkpoint before they entered what was labeled as “Main Hall - L0”. The words were painted over another set of poorly covered wording, “Hangar - L56”.
Bright lights illuminated gray halls, marked by its inhabitants through its wear markings. Crude childish drawings had been scribbled here and there. What intrigued Monefi was that the humans she passed were dressed down, but still wore their vests and sidearms. All the rooms they passed appeared to be administrative rooms – similar to the offices back on the Union’s Capital world. Just that these are heavily militarized office workers…?
Yet, the entire time Monefi could not shake a feeling in the pit of her stomach. And it wasn’t until they’d passed into the residential section that it became obvious. There was no laughter. No children running freely with glee. Not a single human had a smile. Body language had been a large part of her data docket. Humans expressed many things through these cues. In all her time she walked these halls, all of the humans walked head down, shoulders slumped and carried on without a word.
It was also then did the smell of the ship hit her. Decay. It reminded her of when she was a child with her friends, out exploring where she was not supposed to. She had come across a large cave and stood on its edge. At the time, she was not confident in her wings. She had always been slower in the physical aspect, her flight abilities being one of them.
They had come across an opening in the ground. A new opening into the cave system in the area. Children knew they were barred from this area because of the caves. Yes, it was a garden world, but being they relied heavily on their large wings, caves were naturally not a great place for them.
Her friends took turns jumping into the opening and flying out immediately. She, however, stood on the precipice. The yawning void of the seemingly bottomless cavern started back up. One of the children had reached out to her, maybe to comfort her, but she had been startled and slipped into the void…They had caught her immediately, of course. Children with good flight abilities were capable like that.
However, the point – standing on the precipice – staring into the void. It stared back as if it could reach out and swallow you. The way it suffocated the mind and made her knees weak then. A sensation she vividly remembered. It was here that the feeling premeditated the air itself.
As if the void lurked behind every corner. It’s dark fingers waiting to grasp you with one wrong move.
“Monny?” Santiago grabbed her hand.
She tensed up, her eyes wide with fear as she looked up at the muscular support gunner. Her eyes searched his worried ones. It was then that she felt a sense of safety. A sense she didn’t know she had lost here. “S-Sorry… I.. I don’t–”
Santiago shook her head. “We know. We all know…”
Monefi gaped at his words. For several seconds, she wondered if he had the ability to read minds. She quickly came to her senses. “How did you know?”
“We’re good at sensing vibes.” Damien said. “But yeah, it’s always suffocating to be here. It gets worse in the housing section.”
Santiago then asked if she wanted to continue. She did. She wanted to know what conditions the humans lived in. So far? She didn’t like what she saw. It wasn’t until they came by the “Nursery” did she call it off.
Monefi stared through the window separating her from rows of human infants. Cute bundles of fertile dirt brown, caramelized sugar, white beach sand, and other human shades she couldn’t think of a comparison too. She could have, but she had noticed a female breast feeding one baby in another room across. Wall to ceiling glass that exposed the intimate moment with two female soldiers bare handed beside her. Monefi had been about to ask why they were there when it happened.
She noticed the feeding woman becoming agitated at the baby’s fussiness. Within a few seconds, her expression displayed an emotion she only saw in the data pack. Rage. Her features contorted, her eyes honed in on the baby as it refused to… do whatever the woman wanted it to do. A snarl appeared on her face and she began to raise her voice – the baby disappeared. Spirited away by one of the soldiers next to her. The other pushed the woman back in her seat. The two women snarled at each other.
“Oh great tree…” Monefi gasped.
Santiago nudged her gently. “C’mon, its… Its not pretty. Let’s give them some privacy.”
“No!” Monefi whirled on the large man who was half a foot taller than her. “What in the stars was that?!”
“The demons,” Santiago said, his expression stony – yet his eyes betrayed him. There was pain in those eyes. “Let’s just move on to the—”
“I refuse to move further until you explain!” She dug her feet into the floor panels.
An impasse was reached.
Monefi had a notion that Santiago had been careful not to encroach on her person. From treating her aides, or the other personnel kinder, or just in general attempted to give her personal space. While she had assumed that would have been a given, she later learned through the few who’d accepted protection details that this was not the norm. All their teams invaded their spaces. Their teams were treated coldly and they butted heads dailey over the things she had taken for granted.
That’s where the problem came in. Santiago, even his team, took pride in keeping her safe. From whatever threats they had perceived, and over the months, she had heard many tales of Sol – Earth specifically. She had heard a few terrible things that had happened to Santiago, but very little from the rest of the team. Damien had confided in her one night that this was Santiago’s “trust fall”. A concept foreign to her.
He explained that a “trust fall” was when one person would close their eyes, cross their arms over their chest tightly and close their eyes – then fall backwards towards their trusted person. The trust came in that they hoped this person would catch them as they would not be in a position to readily protect themself from serious bodily harm. It was further explained that for such a person like Santiago, who prided himself on his abilities to “self-save”, independence, and warrior skills.
The trust fall was the opening up to her.
Another concept he mentioned but did not elaborate on was the “olive branch”. The giving of her space despite their own protocols was his olive branch. Santiago had been the one that pushed to allow her space to be alone. Her personal belongings were never searched for “safety” like the other teams did for their charges. They didn’t force her aides to run through the “hoops” the other teams forced their aides through.
To her, this was to be expected. The space, the non-harassing of her people in the name of security. Privacy in general. To these humans, none was to be expected. Over the course of these months, she had pieced together that death for them lurked around each corner. Each shadow was a possible threat. A friend today could plunge a knife into your back tomorrow. And today? She saw the end result of their story.
Pride was not a foreign concept to Monefi. She had learned through interactions of other races what it meant. The Hi’ Ri themselves were also proud of their growing abilities. Of their continuing peace. But to Santiago? He was a proud warrior. He took pride in protecting things. Fighting the shadows they saw as potential threats. Weeding out the friends turned enemies. But she learned that this was a fragile, cracked thing. An open wound. Earth had been lost. His family had been lost. His race had been ripped from their world, plunged into a galactic war they hadn’t known existed, and now resided on a foreign planet that has only known peace.
Pride in his warrior skills was the last thing he had beside his life, and even then, his skill set was not needed here.The trust fall, she formulated in her mind, was that he would not be stripped of the last remaining aspect of his identity. To be rendered useless…
One thing she had learned that was a constant across every sentient non-hive race was their identity was everything. Without it, they would fall into the void.
The wails of the baby could now be heard. Both the humans and Hi’ Ri woman looked back through the viewing window. The soldier who snatched the baby away looked at them. She looked shocked to have one of their benefactors present. Monefi only assumed this because the soldier looked ashamed. She grew smaller, placed the baby in an empty cradle before spiriting away into a different room opposite of the other room.
No more was the confrontation between the other soldier and woman going on. Instead, the soldier was comforting the woman who was now sobbing violently. The previous soldier returned with a bottle of white fluid and stuck a nippled cap in the baby’s mouth. Its cries ceased after a few moments. Monefi could not find the woman’s eyes as the soldier refused to meet her eyes again.
“Fuck, Monny…” Santiago said before turning to the rest of his team. They all found interest in the walls suddenly. “I’m not a shrink, or even a smart kid, aight?”
Monefi didn’t know where he was getting at but his team nodded absently. Which earned each of them a withering glare from Santiago.
“Look, we humans… We can handle boat loads of shit when we’re prepared, or if we have a support system for after but…” He rubbed the back of his neck and paused. He sighed and continued after he appeared to think what to say next. “When we lost Earth, no one was prepared. And no one is in a position to help each other mentally process that shit. PTSD – you know, trauma…”
Monefi bit her lip, her expression betrayed that she didn’t know.
“Fuck’n hell, Monny.” Santiago grew slightly agitated. “Just… Just understand all that tender shit that we used to have. Love. Compassion. Sensible shit that you would normally expect to get, yeah its fucked. Post Traumatic Stress. It’s like a spectrum, but everyone here went through it. Everyone has it cranked hard, but a lot of us are just tougher cookies. But what you saw – we can’t raise our kids properly anymore because all of us are fucked. These scars are too fresh, but we don’t want to leave them kids to die…But its vicious cycle”
The pieces began to fall into place for her now.
“But how come we don’t see that out there?” She pointed back the way we came. “Everyone I’ve seen has been quite composed, if not almost robotic.”
Santiago nodded. “Yeah, that's because they have a purpose. Its easy not to lose your shit when there’s a goal in a low-stress environment. But don’t take it wrong, all of us – even me – I fight these demons. It's a wild thing and I know I’m explaining it wrong…”
“I get it…” Monefi nodded, the final pieces falling into place. “You need purpose, but more manageable purpose. And low-stress environments. I can help.”
“How?” He asked.
“First, let's start by seeing if we can bring in some of my people to help raise your children. A vicious cycle is still a cycle. That means we can break it.” Monefi beamed, which left the men dumbstruck. “Let's talk to your shipmaster!”