Tessa positioned herself in front of the microphone and waited for Finn’s signal. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach from the nerves. This was a monumental moment. Tessa recognized she had to speak from her heart for this message to be compelling.
When Finn gave the signal, Tessa began her plea, “People of America; my name is Tessa Jones, but some know me as Joule.” She noticed the surprise in Finn’s face that she used an Evo name, but she wanted to identify with both groups. “I was human first before my Evo abilities manifested. I was never so scared than the day I realized I was an Evo. I didn’t feel any different, but realized I was different. I wasn’t sure where I belonged. I wanted to stay with my family, but this world doesn’t allow for that, so I was torn from everything I had ever known.”
“I was taught from a young age that Evos are terrible and dangerous creatures that can’t be trusted. Well, it’s true to an extent. Our abilities can be dangerous, but we aren’t terrible. At least not all of us. Most of us just want to live our lives, settle down, and start a family like everyone else.”
“I was recently detained at a H.I.V.E facility where my mind was hijacked, and I know other Evos were subjected to horrific experimentation. I discovered something while I was there. We all notice this Earth is dying. It won’t be long before everything burns, and nothing will survive. H.I.V.E has a plan for what happens next, but they won’t share their plans with you. I’m prepared to tell you the truth.”
Finn began typing on a keyboard, and lights on the control panel flickered. H.I.V.E attempted to intercept the transmission. Tessa had to finish her message. “H.I.V.E is building an arc spacecraft to transport people to space and escape the destruction of Earth. It’s a good plan. The only problem is they are only taking people they approve, which means no Evos only humans. If you’re human, you might think that’s a fine choice, but if you’re a family supplying H.I.V.E with food, you won’t be going either; but they will take your food to supply their mission. If you’re a teacher spreading their agenda, you won’t be going either; but they appreciate you spreading their lies. If you’re a doctor or scientist trying to help heal humanity, you won’t be going; because they have already chosen their top tier scientists for the job. If you’re an engineer, you can work on their projects; but you won’t be granted a ride on what you created.”
“H.I.V.E plans to leave us behind to die, and I can’t stand by and watch that happen. I have their plans, and we are building another ship, and although not everyone will be granted a ride, everyone gets a fair shot at a ticket out of here. H.I.V.E has kept us divided for too long. Evos and humans can join forces, and we can save all of humanity. We can build a new world free of hate and persecution. We only need to be brave enough to put our differences aside and fight tyranny together.”
Finn gave her the signal to wrap it up. “Our base is at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Join us, and we can offer a chance at a future.”
“That’s it; they cut us off.” Finn knew that H.I.V.E would eventually cut them off. “That was great. You did a fantastic job.” Finn pulled Tessa in for a hug, and it wasn’t until then that she realized how violently she trembled with nerves.
Tessa turned to Arica, “Tell Sam that we are on high alert tonight. I don’t think H.I.V.E will attack tonight, but I don’t want to leave anything to chance. They will wait until we have enough numbers to become a credible threat. They think we are just unorganized rabble right now. They will come, but I would rather be safe than sorry.”
Tessa turned to Finn, “Assemble the council; we need a game plan.”
The council members assembled and applauded Tessa for her broadcast message. The group discussed expanding security and preparing for an influx of people. They tasked Sam and his crew with bolstering base security. Finn would back him up now that the control room was running. Finn could monitor the entire complex from the control room as their eye in the sky. His mind was always jacked into the control computer.
Cyclone and Shadow agreed to reach out to the Wildings gang. They wanted to be the ambassadors to extend the olive branch. The gangs had fought each other for so long the leaders now wanted to untie on a more peaceful front. Tessa was glad her message of peace was rubbing off on them. She hoped it stuck. Arica and Norine would stay at base and prepare for the new arrivals and together they would expand their scavenging and continue to collect supplies.
Tessa realized what she needed to do next but wasn’t sure the group would agree with her decision. She announced to the council that she would return to her hometown of Stillwater. There were several objections, and after the chatter died down, Tessa explained her reasoning. Their base needed food, and there wasn’t enough to scavenge. They required human farms as allies, and the best place for Tessa to start was where people knew her. She hoped to convince farmers of Stillwater or at least her father to funnel some of their harvest off to their base.
The council worried about base security. With Tessa gone, so was their most powerful Evo, but there were plenty
