Colony Chapter Eleven

Starting Work chapter of work in progress by Iris Carden

Angela had received an email from Jamie, and read it out to the group.

Hi Angela,

Good luck on your first day at work, for you Maria and Martha.  It sounds like you’re going to be doing something important, right in the heart of the Zaratin administration.

If you really want to kick your party off with a bang, my friends have party supplies.

Since I’m not home, I wondered if you could pick up a parcel for me after work?  You won’t have to go too far to get it, it’s quite a pleasant trip, like going on a cruise.

Oh, I heard something I thought you might be interested in.  Knowing your love of sports, I knew you’d be pleased to hear the Anzacs are back together. They’re training hard, and preparing for the new season.  People here are saying they really could win the finals.

I told Eric about all our adventures together.  He agrees with me that we should ask you and Martha to be godmothers to the twins. I’ll let you both think about it.  We can talk it over when we get home.

Lots of love

Jamie (and Eric, Esmerelda and Phoebus)

“Why would she have you as godmother to her children?” Mary asked.

“Yeah, that’s the most important part of the message,” Adam said.  “Anzacs back together is promising, especially if they think they can defeat the Zaratins. I hope having help from the Kiwis will make a difference.  I suppose having time to plan instead of being taken by surprise by a giant spaceship will make a difference too. Where is this parcel that needs to be picked up?”

“I’d guess the cruise ship terminal at Portside,” Martha said.  “That would explain the reference to a cruise.”

“And they’re going to get us bombs or bomb-making materials to blow up the Zaratin administration,” Angela said.  “Hopefully they’re going to give us instructions on how to avoid blowing ourselves up as well.”

Angela drove the minibus, dropping Maria at the hospital before she and Martha wen to Parliament House.  Angela was glad of the GPS, because the city centre was still a chaos of destroyed and damaged buildings.

Martha sighed, “So much destruction, and so much more damage is going to happen before this is over.  We’re planning to blow up a building ourselves. We have to win.  If we’re adding more damage on what’s already happened, it needs to be worth something.”

“I know what you mean,” Angela said, as she found a parking spot.  

They walked slowly towards the entrance, to find themselves greeted by a group of about twenty protestors.  People yelled at them that they were “collaborators”.  A woman with a megaphone appeared to be leading them.  Angela made a point of making eye contact with the woman, and holding it until the woman awkwardly looked away.  

“Did they get work orders?” Martha whispered to Angela as they passed.  “The Zaratins don’t seem to me to be likely to put up with disobedience and protest.”

“Not for long, I’m sure.” Angela said.

They were both assigned work places.  

Martha’s plan for teaching Zaratins was to begin with world history starting with Greek and Roman Empires, not explaining how long ago that was, and going as slowly as possible, so as to avoid giving them any useful information whatsoever for dealing with the modern world.  

Angela was surprised to find she was the only accountant in the building, but such a huge area had been devastated, perhaps accountants were in short supply.  

Some “people who recorded trades” were being assigned to warehouses, where remaining stock from shops and warehouses were being transported.  

Zaratins did not use currency, but their “trade” was simple barter.  People who were assigned work by the Zaratins, would be “paid” by being able to collect items of food clothing, or whatever else they needed from the warehouses.

Angela had no idea how to record barter agreements, but decided it didn’t really matter, since the Zaratins would soon be defeated and sent on their way. She spent most of her working day familiarising herself with the building and with where the highest-ranking officials worked.

Please note: these chapters are the very raw first draft, what appears in the final book may be different. The working title has changed from Survival to Colony, as has the draft cover art, and they may or may not change again before I finish writing the book..

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