S1, 16 New Year, Old Faces (FB) (January 9, 2015)

Corresponding text underneath each picture.

**8th January 2095: Present Day**

It had been a couple of days since we blew up the Imperial Communications outpost and since then, Jakor and I had gone our separate ways. Yesterday he had paid us well, as promised, and I had loaded the goods into the storage compartment in the Viper.

I had wanted us to make a quick getaway, however, with Track’s leg situation and the fact that the Viper still wasn’t fully fixed from our crash landing, the fact was that we were still stuck here; stranded on Earth.

Earth. My home planet.

I knew that we needed to get away as soon as possible though and so after we had stashed our goods, we headed out to find a suitable location nearby to hide out in until I had fixed Track’s leg.

There was a small rural village nearby. There were a few people around but they were all engrossed in whatever it was they were doing. I picked a house at random and after propping Tracks against a wall around the corner, out of sight, I peered through the front window. I couldn’t see any movement and so, using the butt of my rifle, I smashed through the glass and climbed swiftly through. I froze, listening out for any movement elsewhere in the house but there was none. Empty.

For now, at least.

I popped back out and helped Tracks climb in. We were in the living room of the house and I sat Tracks down on the sofa. The house was a decent size. Nothing huge but it was by no means small. It was well furnished too.

I checked that the house was in fact empty and then took some food from the kitchen cupboards. Jakor had only just given us supplies but I wanted to save those for times when there was nothing else around.

I had no idea when the house’s owners would return, but I decided that I would just have to deal with that issue when it arose. For now, we needed some place to stay.

After resting for a couple of hours, I decided to head out and see if I could find any scrap metal to start re-building Track’s leg with.

A couple of hours later, I returned to our hideout with some parts that could be useful that I had found in a scrap heap. I hauled them through the broken window and piled them in a corner.

It was at that moment that I heard a voice outside.

I crouched down and drew my pistol. I crawled over to the window and hid beneath it.

Voice: “… the blazes did this? I bet it was those poxy Imperials again….”

The voice was certainly that of a man and it sounded like he was getting on in years too. I didn’t want to have to hurt anybody and from what I overheard, by the sounds of it, he didn’t like the GI. If that was the case, then maybe I no harm would come to him. *But* if it came to it, I would simply have to knock him out for a bit.

I heard scuffling as the swipe key was used on the entrance door. I stood up and crept over to the doorway, putting a finger to my lips at Tracks as I passed and he nodded silently in understanding.

I put my back to the door and waited.

Voice: “Hello? Anybody here?” the man’s voice called.

Footsteps slowly began to head my way and I held my breath as I waited. Then I could see him; the man must have been in his late 60’s, was a fair bit shorter than me and had balding, grey hair.

Before he could see me, I jumped him. I grabbed him from behind and got his arms locked behind his back, my gun to his head.

Tank: “Easy! Easy!” I shouted as he yelled out both profanities and calls for help.

Man: “F\*\*\*\*\*g imperials!”

Tank: “I’m not Imperium!” I shouted back at him.

Man: “What?”

Tank: “I’m not Imperium!” I repeated and the man relaxed ever so slightly.

Man: “Well if you were GI, I’d know what you want, but if you’re not, what the hell are you after? Money? Take it! What is it you want?” he begged.

Tank: “I’m not after anything!”

Man: “Then why have you broken into my home and why do you have a gun aimed at my head?”

I didn’t answer right away and thought. After a moment I tossed the pistol aside so that he could see me do it.

Tank: “There, better? Look, I don’t want to hurt you. It’s just, my companion and I needed a place to lay low.”

Man: “Lay low?” he asked after a moment. “Are you in trouble? Are you criminals?”

I thought for a second.

Tank: “I suppose you could say that. But yes, we’re in trouble. Look, you said you could understand it if we were GI, why is that?”

Man: “I, I protest against them sometimes. I run a website that supports the Aurelians. They’ve cautioned me in the past but that hasn’t stopped me.”

Tank: “Then we have something in common.”

Man: “We do?”

I let the old man go and he staggered forwards before turning to face me, holding his hurt wrists.

Tank: “Yeah. The GI are after us both. Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you and I promise no more harm will come to you. Just… please… let us stay here for a while. Just until my companion’s leg is fixed and our ship is repaired.”

Man: “Your friend’s leg is broken? Then he needs a doctor!”

I smirked.

Tank: “You could say that. Look, will you help us? Please? I can offer you money if that’s any incentive.”

Man: “Ah! Keep your money.” He turned and started walking into the kitchen. “Anybody who hates the Imperials is a friend. Stay as long as you need.” He said with his back to me.

Tank: “Thank you. It really does mean a lot.”

Man: “You can pay for a new window though.” He grumbled as he started heading back towards me with a three bottles of beer in his hands.

Man: “Here.” He said as he handed me one. “Now where’s your injured friend?”

Tank: “Through here.” I said and led the man through into his living room.

Man: “I had some basic med training when I was younger, let’s take a look at your friend’s leg and see if….”

It was at that moment that he saw the huge metal robot that was Tracks, sitting on his sofa.

Man: “….. Well buggar me……”

Tracks casually gave a small wave in greeting and I could have sworn the old man was about to feint. Luckily he composed himself.

Man: “Guess he won’t be wanting this then…” he muttered and placed the third beer bottle on a side table as he sat down in an arm chair close to the TV.

**The Next Day…**

After we had boarded up the smashed window, the three of us spent the evening in the old man’s living room, discussing our situation while I began making components for Tracks’ new leg. The old man told us his name was John and he went into more detail about the website he ran and why the GI had cautioned him in the past. When he went to bed, I stayed up a little later finishing off part of what would become the knee joint and then Track’s plugged himself into a wall socket and I went to sleep in the armchair.

The next day, John offered to go and find more scrap metal for me so that we could stay hidden inside and spend more time working on the new leg.

We did just that and I spent the whole day working on Tracks’ new leg.

As I worked, I couldn’t help but think about our situation. Fugitives on our own planet. Wanted by the biggest organisation in the galaxy. Nowhere to turn, no friends, no family. Just the two of us.

And yet here we were, sitting in a house with heat, food and for the time being, relatively no worries about the GI finding us. It was nice to be able to relax. I missed having a normal life.

Later that evening, I had taken a break from working on Tracks’ leg as it was nearly finished now. I sat on the sofa with the big guy and John sat in his tatty armchair and together we watched the TV. I realised that this was the first time in a very long time that I’d watched the television and that filled me with a mixture of sadness and contentment. Sad because it had been so long, but content because it felt good to properly relax at last.

The program we were watching ended and was followed by the news.

Robert: “Hello, good evening and welcome to Imperium News Central. I’m Robert…”

Carlie: “And I’m Carlie. Our top story tonight;”

Robert: “A band of space pirates seem to have been amassing over Etrion. A large number of ships have been seen gathering over the past few weeks but it is currently unclear as to why there is such a large gathering. Reports suggest that there has been a dramatic rise in raids on the planet and in the past few minutes, it has been confirmed to us that the infamous Hammerjack gang are among the pirates gathered over the system.”

The report continued but we began chatting and didn’t take very much notice of it.

However, our attention returned to the screen a short time later when something came up on the news;

Carlie: “Um, okay, this just in folks. We’re about to go live to an undisclosed location, where the Galactic Imperium council is about to make an announcement.”

John: “Ooh, an official Imperial announcement? Must be something important.”

Tank: “Yeah, did she say that it was coming from the council?”

John: “Bloody ‘ell. *Really* must be important!”

Robert: “We go now, live, to this official announcement.”

The feed cut to an official looking Imperial office. Two guards stood in the background, one either side of a door. But the camera’s focus was on a smartly dressed man of around forty, stood in the centre of the room.

Man: “Ladies and Gentlemen of the Galactic Imperium.”

John: “S\*\*t me!”

Tank: “What? What’s wrong?”

John: “That’s Worthington!”

Tank: “And? Who’s he?”

Man: “I am Councillor Sorrin Worthington. Now, I know that it will be a surprise to a lot of you to see me again after so long. So firstly I would like to assure people that I am still here and still active in the running of the Galactic Imperium.”

John: “How do you not know who he is? He was President when the GI was formed! He was the first leader of the Imperium!”

Tank: “Well that’ll be why I don’t remember it, I was only a kid. Why are you so surprised to see him?”

John: “Nobody has seen him for, well, about a decade! Let’s see….” He paused to work it out. “Yeah, eleven years!”

Tank: “Whoa. So where’s he been?”

John: “Nobody knows. There were all sorts of rumours flying about. That he was secretly killed off by other high-ranking members of the Imperium who wanted to take charge. That he ran away with some famous actress. That he became one of the councillors when that secretive council took charge in the re-shuffle – that seems to be the case then. Mystery solved after all these years.”

Tank: “I wonder why he’s chosen now to re-appear?”

Worthington: “I am here today to make an important announcement, or rather to give an important message. But firstly; It has been just over a year now since the event that has come to be known as ‘The Shift’ occurred. I know that for those of you who hail from Earth, it has been a very trying time. This past year has been one of the toughest, if not *the* toughest year in our planet’s history. But as always, we have survived. We have endured, survived and even thrived. Our new galaxy, our new home, has given us many reasons to be thankful for our current situation.

We have discovered that we are not alone in the universe; in fact, there are a multitude of other species and races out there and we have now made contact with them! Who knows how many more races are yet to be discovered! We have established trade with other planets, planets with already thriving populations and economies. We have even welcomed several of our new planets into the Imperium and we are learning so much from our new friends and neighbours.

And it is to those new neighbours I speak now and say, thank you. Thank you for welcoming us into your lives, into your system. For co-operating with us and for aiding us in our search for answers.

As of yet, we have not discovered those answers, but I promise you all, one day we will. One day we will discover how and why planet Earth found its way into another galaxy and then maybe, just maybe, we will be able to begin working on finding our way back home.

But of course, all of that can only happen with co-operation, teamwork and if everybody gets along and helps out. We will never be able to find the answers we all seek if we are fighting among ourselves.

And that is why I am here today, talking to you. To send a message to the so-called freedom fighters; the Aurelians.

Is this what you really want? All-out war? Our numbers greatly dwarf your own and we have access to more sophisticated technology, more weaponry, more of everything. We should not be fighting! We need to be working together!

Do you really want to spend your lives as wanted criminals? On the run? Because that is your life at the moment. You have chosen to fight us. Fight we who hold command. We who make the decisions for you the people.

You have decided to murder, rob and pillage your way throughout the galaxy. You started with Earth and now you have spread. Like a disease!

But I send this warning to you now. You may be a disease; but you are a disease with a cure. And I promise you that cure is coming. *We*, the Galactic Imperium, are that cure.

So you have a choice. Either lay down your arms and return to your lives as ordinary citizens under Imperium rule…. Or be wiped out. It’s that simple.

To the rest of the galaxy I promise you this; we will not rest until these… terrorists, are brought down. We are going to continue to fight them. We are going to continue hunting them. And we will, **not**, **give in**. You have my word. But we need your help in this cause. *I* need your help. Do not show them any sympathy. Do not show them support. Do not join up with them. As citizens of the Galactic Imperium, you must show strength, as we always must, and join forces. Join us in our fight *against* Aurelia. Enlist today for a taste of what it is like to be a *real* hero! Enlist, and help our mighty nation rid our new galaxy of the scourge of our planet.”

Councillor Worthington stared dramatically into the camera for a few seconds, his hand clenched in a fist before him, and then he lowered his arm.

Worthington: “Long live the Galactic Imperium. Long live planet Earth.”

And with that, the broadcast ended and the TV returned to the news studio.

John: “They must be startin’ to get desperate.”

Tank: “I’m not surprised, the Aurellians do seem to have been gaining a lot of support recently.”

John: “Good! The Imperium ain’t doin’ jack s\*\*t for this galaxy.”

Tank: “And you really think the Aurellians could do a better job?”

John: “Of course I do! Who’s side are you on, anyway?!”

I shrugged.

Tank: “Was just wondering.”

I sat back in the sofa and let my thoughts drift to what I imagined a galaxy controlled by Aurelia would be like. I faintly heard John mutter,

John: “…long live the Galactic Imperium…. **HA!**”

before my eyes began to droop, I realised just how tired I was and then I passed into the realm of dreams.

**BONUS PICTURES**

The outside set.

An alternative picture of Councillor Worthington.

And another.

The house set.

The TV studio set.

The announcement set.

TV studio and Robert were created by Griffin.

As my series is going to be jumping around though time, I will include a date on each episode and add it to the timeline at the end of each episode so that you can follow it.

TIMELINE