Second Planet

By Shelby Merry

   The Earth is dying. The world runs under one central government known as The Union, a ruthless and desperate organization on a search to find another planet for colonization. When Earth receives a mysterious signal from a neighboring solar system, Harper along with five other prisoners are given the option for early release if

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shelby Merry
• Release date: Jun 10, 2017
• ISBN: 9780999010112

Book preview

Chapter 1

…Second Planet isn’t a likely possibility. The signal was received just three days ago by the Union Penitentiary, the Science Division in Florida State, but no other reports have been issued about what is without *static* major question: Where did it co- The radio signal began to cut in and out.

"Turn that piece of junk off, Jim. I will pay you to buy a new one."

Yeah, yeah, quit your whinin’ Skyler. I’ll get a new one when I see some cash, the man scoffed back at her. He turned to walk away and swiped up the radio, smacking the sides of it as he left.

Harper wasn’t the least bit interested in their banter. She sloppily pulled her brown hair back in a bun and tried to steer the conversation back on course. So, what do you make of all this signal stuff?

Skyler turned her attention back to the girl sitting across from her, absentmindedly pulling the crust off of her sandwich. You’re a space tech engineer, you should know better than anyone that it ain’t nothing. Could be an old satellite coming back to life, could be that crap equipment in the control room. Who knows, maybe it’s the infamous Ghost Ship…there are around ten thousand possible explanations.

Harper shook off the persistent thoughts running through her mind. She knew Skyler was right. Speaking of shit equipment, our lunch break is over and I want to get that hunk of scrap metal running before sundown.

Skyler groaned and shoved the last of her sandwich into her mouth, crumbs flying out with every word, "I don’t wanna even have to look at that thing. Why do we get pawned off with the bad jobs? Just cause we’re young or something…"

The two girls stood up and returned their trays to the window in the wall. Harper was still curious about the signal, it a small but annoyingly persistent thought in the back of her mind.

If you keep thinking that hard, your forehead is gonna wrinkle that way permanently, Skyler said without turning to look at Harper.

Harper rubbed her eyebrows outwards with the pads of her hands. Look who’s hilarious today, she retorted. She held her wrist up to the guard to be scanned and followed behind Skyler.

The two passed through the cafeteria doors and into the hallway. Everything was so familiar to Harper: white paint chipping off the cinder block walls, turn left down the long corridor, another right, roar of machinery from the open door on the left, another left turn, through the break room on the right, smell of burnt coffee, cut through the offices, dart across the hall and back to their realm for the second half of the day. The monotonous repetition of the route was burnt into Harper’s senses.

They swung the lab door open and saw a man leisurely sitting against one of the desks.

Harper smiled. So…what did I do this time, Charlie? she asked in a dull tone, playfully putting her wrists out as if to be cuffed.

The man crossed his arms and dropped his head to the right, eyes peering over his glasses. You’re just too cute when you’re sarcastic. Charlie was a young man with black, well groomed hair and green eyes. At first glance he looked small, but you could tell he was in great shape under his bulky guard uniform. Harper thought of him as the adorable little brother, something that was a stark contrast to his position. One he didn’t truly belong in.

Skyler came through the door late behind Harper, looking at Charlie through squinted eyes. I actually didn’t do anything this time, believe it or not.

Charlie dropped the playfulness in his voice. I’m not here to detain you, actually. I’m under orders to escort you.

You’re going to have to be more specific than that, Harper said. She savored these moments, for she could cross the line a bit with him and no one else. A small stretch of freedom.

Charlie leaned up off the desk and motioned to the door. That’s all I know. Guess you’ll just have to find out when we get there.

Chapter 2

Harper and Skyler followed close behind Charlie, almost as if they were willing him to walk faster. The halls were flooded with people after lunch and everyone passing by was staring at them. Even for a prison, it never looked good being escorted by a guard. Especially without handcuffs. That either means you are on your way to rat someone out or you’re getting special treatment. Harper and Skyler weren’t liked very well anyway, being the two youngest in the Space Science section of the Penitentiary. This certainly didn’t help.

Harper sighed and leaned up closer to Charlie's ear. I swear you’re doing this on purpose.

Why, what could you possibly mean? Charlie retorted through a suppressed chuckle.

Harper pinched him in the back of the leg. Why do you insist on making me suffer?

Charlie jolted forward and turned around smiling. Okay now, who’s the one here with the stun gun? He playfully reached for his belt holster and cocked his head at Harper.

How did someone like you even get this job? They clearly didn’t know what they were doing, Skyler said not so under her breath.

Harper sighed as if agreeing and continued to follow the guard.

The three walked through the halls until they were empty again. Harper had only been to this part of the penitentiary once before, but she was actually in trouble then. Today, they had walked so far that she couldn’t recall the way back. The whole situation started to become more unsettling. They turned around another corner and met a glass door. Charlie waved his hand over a light emitting from a panel and it clicked, the door immediately sliding open and retracting into the wall. He motioned the two through and it slid closed between them, locking back in place. Harper looked back at Charlie, still confused about what they were supposed to do.

Charlie smiled at her and said in a sarcastic tone, You’ve got this, right lil lady? In one swift motion, he raised his eyebrows twice, pivoted on his heel, and disappeared back around the corner.

What an asshole… Skyler mumbled under her breath.

In an effort to snuff out the anxiety building up in her, Harper turned and marched down the long hallway. She convinced herself that whatever was beyond those doors, it was no big deal. She was Harper Novak, the youngest space tech engineer in the entire penitentiary. Whatever was waiting for them, she wasn’t going to let it intimidate her so soon.

Skyler followed close behind, visibly tense. There was a dull looking sign ahead that read Authorized Personnel Only Beyond These Doors. The red, iridescent lighting seemed to get more menacing the closer they got to the doors. Without slowing down, Harper swung them both wide open and stepped through.

She was now standing in the middle of a conference room with a long, dark wooden table in the center. The lighting was warmer compared to the rest of the penitentiary, and the walls weren’t cinderblock, they had actual wallpaper. It felt cozy and inviting, something Harper wasn’t used to. She hadn’t seen anything like this since she was a child. It made her feel uncomfortable that a room like this was ever a part of the penitentiary. It didn’t seem natural. What else did she not know about?

Harper realized she had been standing there staring and quickly looked back to the table. Not a single person looked up from their seats. All the confidence she had built up moments ago instantly vanished. She turned and awkwardly closed the doors behind Skyler.

Way to make an entrance Miss Novak, now could you please sit down? The older woman didn’t even look up from her papers as she pointed to the end of the table with the tip of her pen.

Harper and Skyler made their way down the side of the room and sat in the only empty chairs. Harper knew she had done nothing wrong, yet she felt guilty for some reason.

I do not think we’ve officially met before, my name is Ina Sloan. I am the Chief Administrator of the Science Division of the Florida State Penitentiary. It’s nice to officially meet you.

Harper didn’t know how to respond to such formalities, so she said the only thing she could think of. Why are we here?

A flash of something came across Ina’s face, only momentarily stopping her from scanning the papers in front of her. Straight to the point, I like it. As you’ve probably noticed in the news lately, our department received an unknown signal from our neighboring solar system. We need the equipment in the main control room surveyed and in perfect working order. As you can imagine, the origin of this signal is an important matter and we need the best people to ensure that it was not a malfunction. Ina wasn’t looking at her papers anymore. Instead, she was looking straight at Harper. Everyone else in the room seemed more preoccupied with their coffee and their notebooks. The compliment from Ina immediately faded with Harper’s observations. She looked to Skyler for the final verdict.

Skyler gave her a smile, just shy of being completely convincing, and nodded.

Harper put on a fake smile, turned to Ina and said, Point us in the right direction and we’ll get it done.

Chapter 3

Computer fans…we’ve been reduced to cleaning out computer fans. I am actually disgusted right now. Skyler blew her hair out of her face, dislodging a piece of dust from it.

Harper was just as confused as her. What the hell was the point of all that? Being escorted, meeting all the higher ups…there has to be a point to this.

Skyler was laying on her back, her hands up working under the main board. I’ll jar up all this dust if it’s so freaking important to them.

There was a guard standing at the door, silently enduring their conversation. Harper was trying to be more careful with her words, but to her it seemed like Skyler was kicking it up a notch just to make a point. Or maybe she was trying to get the guard to pitch in, spill something he wasn’t supposed to say. Either way, it didn’t look like he was going to talk, and Skyler seemed to have put that together.

Harper, can you hand me another can of compressed air? This is all just looking real hunky dory under here… Skyler said.

Harper grinned when she heard the code words. She knew exactly what she needed to do. She looked over her shoulder to see if the guard was watching. He was leaning against the door frame, inspecting a scab on his hand too close to his face for comfort. Harper thought to herself, I don’t even wanna to know, dude…

Harper looked back to where the two fresh cans of compressed air were and slid them into her work bag. Then, she reached for an empty can, shook it, and pushed the nozzle for effect. She looked to the guard at the door, who had thankfully stopped staring at his hand. Can you go get us some more compressed air? We’re all out, she asked. Harper’s voice cracked on the last word and her heart thumped harder in her chest.

Without even looking up, the guard grumbled and rolled off the door frame and into the hallway. Harper’s head whipped back to Skyler who was already out from under the control board. What’s wrong? Harper whispered.

Skyler looked pleased with herself. I got the board cleaned out ten minutes ago, I’ve just been inspecting whats under the hood and it’s an old system. You know how to hot wire these, right?

Harper knew exactly what Skyler was implying, and she was already on board with it. You wanna know what this signal is, too, huh? She motioned for Skyler to scoot over and slid herself under the board. Oh, I can hack this in five minutes tops. Hell, make it th-

The sound of the door swinging open startled Harper, making her jump and smack her head against the board. She clutched her forehead and rolled onto her side, trying to muffle her groans.

Skyler was too startled by the guard returning she didn’t have time to laugh at Harper’s pain. She tried her best to recover the awkward moment. Where are the cans, man?

He sighed, clearly over playing baby sitter. I’m going to need you to come with me to sign for the supplies.

Skyler winked at Harper. I’ll go. Get that wrapped up before I get back.

Skyler left the room, the guard locking the door behind him. Harper only had a few minutes. She breathed in and exhaled deeply, still on her back looking up under the board. She took a second to survey, and then she got to work. She had to get past the hard drive with the security software on it and connect directly to the private network. Private information was never kept on a physical hard drive anymore. It was all kept on one network of drives somewhere in Arkansas. With the old computer systems, especially wired through a control board, everything was manual. She popped off the last of the panels and started pulling out clumps of wires. A couple of minutes later and it was done.

Harper heard the screen above come to life. She flipped her head over the board and saw what she was looking for: The Union emblem was on the screen, already on the home screen. This is so ridiculously easy, they’re practically asking me to do this, Harper thought to herself. She nervously wiped the sweat from her forehead and started digging through the information. Her eyes darted from file to file, looking for anything to do with the signal when she came upon a strange folder. Red Planet… she whispered in awe. Her heart started to pump harder in her chest. She looked back to the door, knowing her time was almost up. If they got caught, it would be over. They’d be deported, somewhere far worse than the crap jobs they were getting. They worked hard to get into the Space Program. Getting caught wasn’t an option. But still… she wanted to know. And if there was one thing Harper was good at, it was getting away with things.

Hands shaking with adrenaline, Harper opened the file and reports flooded the screen. She scanned page after page, reading in her head, …possible relocation habitat…Alpha Centauri…inhabitants unknown…what the hell is all this…

The lock of the door clicked behind her and her veins turned to ice. It was too late.

The guard came through the door first, his eyes going straight to the screen. What the hell…?

Harper dove back under the board, ripping out wires in an attempt to hide what he saw. The guard reached for the stun gun on his side, and in an instant Skyler was in front of him pointing a can of condensed air at his face. A blast of cold air shot directly into his eyes. He shrieked, swinging his arms wildly, and knocked the can from Skyler's hand. She reached out to grab the gun on his side, but he connected his elbow with her jaw, knocking her to the floor.

It was already decided now, Harper didn’t have a choice. She sprang to life.

Harper launched herself across the room, tackling the guard through the door and into the hallway. She was on top of him now, trying to hold his arms down. He shoved her to the left, rolling over on top of her and pinning her to the ground. Then, he reached to his side for the gun when Skyler came through the door, pouncing on his back. He screamed, reaching back blindly trying to get a hold of her. Harper tucked her legs up under her and with full force, kicked him in the torso. They toppled backwards into the control room, Skyler still keeping her death grip around his neck.

Close the door! Skyler shrieked. Harper leaned up off the floor when a figure appeared above her, and everything went black.

Chapter 4

Oh good, you’re still alive.

Harper groaned. She could feel each individual cell in her body flare with pain, it coming in a wave as she came into consciousness. One eye was all she dared to open.

Everything above her was white. Slowly, she lifted her head to look to her left. Skyler was across the small room, leaning against the wall, her hand cuffed to her bunk. Not such an uncommon sight, she thought. Harper plopped her head back down on the pillow and a sharp pain cut through her skull. She squeezed her eyes shut and winced at the discomfort, holding a groan in her lungs.

Nice to see you, too, Miss Sunshine, she heard Skyler snort.

Without opening her eyes, Harper pulled her left arm up in the air until it caught. She rattled the hand cuff clasped around her wrist for effect. I’m gonna go ahead and guess that we got caught.

Ten points for Gryffindor, Skyler replied in a dull tone. Harper heard her plop her head down on her bunk across the room. For a few minutes, they laid in the cell without saying a word.

Harper broke the silence. A can of condensed air…just…

The two giggled until it evolved into laughter. Yeah, yeah, not my proudest moment… but it worked until you decided to get knocked in the head. Please tell me you at least remember what was on the computer.

Harper’s eyes shot open. The folder! She jumped up a little too quickly, the blood rushing to her head and causing her to become dizzy. Instantly, a wave of nausea overcame her. She dove off the bunk, arm still attached at the wrist, and hurled her head over the toilet, releasing everything in her stomach. Once she was done, she rocked back into a sitting position, her arm still pitifully hanging in the air. She felt better, but the searing hot pain still cut through her head. She held her breath, like it would somehow cut off the pain and make it die. Once the room stopped spinning, she slid backwards until she hit her bunk. She leaned against it, her head tilted back to look up at Skyler.

The folder…as I was saying. She wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand dramatically. It’s not old equipment like everyone is saying…there was a folder labeled ‘Red Planet’ that was talking about the signal. I didn’t find out if it was a message or what, but it was pin pointed back to a planet in a neighboring solar system.

Skyler stared at the ground, gears turning in her head. Could be an old photo tracker, not that a signal that far could still reach…is that all you saw?

Yeah, that’s all I got a glimpse at… or all I can remember, anyway. How hard did that guard freaking hit me in the head?

Skyler shook her head. You’ve been out for at least three hours now. I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up. I know we’re like, criminals and stuff… and we broke into private government information…and assaulted a guard…you know what, I’m just going to stop talking.

Harper gave her a cheap smile, like it would somehow sooth her mind. Not our best day, to be honest…we’ve done worse though, right? Harper meant it as a friendly joke, but as soon as she said it out loud it took a different meaning. They didn’t have the best records, granted. They had gotten into their fair share of trouble together. What they got caught for, anyway. But they had never done anything this bad. For the first time, she felt a pang of regret.

Skyler rang her hand around the cuff on her wrist. We really screwed up this time, didn’t we? This is all my fault…if I hadn’t suggested it…

Don’t go pulling that shit with me, Skyler. Equal game is equal pay. Harper withdrew, feeling that she had been too harsh. Sky, we are in this together, partners in crime, whatever they do with us. Just like always.

Skyler didn’t smile, only looked at the floor with dead eyes. Just like always, she whispered.

The clicking of boots echoed from down the hall in their direction. Harper didn’t even bother to get up from the floor.

Good to see you’re awake, Miss Novak. Ina Sloan appeared in front of their cell, two guards standing next to her.

Wrist check, one of the guards said, both walking into the cell. Harper and Skyler pulled their sleeves back to their elbow and held out their wrists, a routine done dozens of times a day. Then, the guards removed their cuffs. Harper stood up and stumbled forward, grasping her head in agony. She pulled her hand away, only to see it covered in blood.

Please take Miss Novak to the infirmary to get that looked at, Ina said without readable concern. When you’re done, bring her into the conference room to join us.

* * *

Harper was ushered through the halls and into a small room. A nurse appeared from behind a curtain, holding a tray with gauze and tools on it. Without looking up, she informally motioned for Harper to sit down on the bench. A bit apprehensive to the situation, she sat down anyway, knowing she had no choice in the matter.

The nurse handed Harper a clean towel. Hold that there for a few minutes to stop the bleeding. Depending on how straight the gash is, we may have to shave some hair away. Oh, and take this while I get everything ready. It should help with the pain.

The woman handed Harper a pill with a cup of water. She stared at it in her hand before throwing it back and swallowing it down.

The woman returned with gloves, picking up the tray again before she sat down on the stool in front of Harper. She gently wiped away the dried blood with a wet cloth, pushing the hair back to reveal the gash. They got you good, didn’t they? They weren’t supposed to hurt you this bad. Oh, that’s not a good thing to say right after looking at it, it’ll only be a couple of stitches, honey. No worries.

Hurt me that bad? What did she mean by that? Harper thought to herself.

I can get this without losing any hair. This’ll sting a little, but just try to hold still dear. The woman pushed the needle through and Harper’s fingers dug into her legs.

All done, that wasn’t so bad now, was it? She popped her gloves off and into the trash like she’d done this a thousand times before. It’ll get itchy here in a few days, but please refrain from scratching it. I’ll see you in a week to take those out.

Do I at least get a lollipop? Harper thought to herself. Thank you for fixing me, ma’am, and for the pain meds.

The nurse gave a fake polite smile and said, No scratching, seven days.

As quickly as she had come, the guard ushered Harper out of the room and into the hallway. They weaved through the back halls of the building once again, it endlessly going on like a maze. Every door had the same sign: Authorized Personnel Only Beyond These Doors. Harper had spent ten years in this facility, and yet she still felt nervous being in the restricted areas. They came around a corner and Harper saw the double doors to the conference room. The guard motioned her through and closed them behind her. Indeed, it was the same room she was in before, and with the same people. Except this time, everyone was looking at her. She hated the attention. She just wanted this whole situation to be over with. Harper walked down the long table and sat next to Skyler. She leaned over and whispered, This is so awkward.

Try sitting here in total silence for thirty minutes waiting on you, Skyler grumbled.

A man halfway down the table coughed. Harper couldn’t tell if it was meant as a cue for them to stop talking, but it still made her face flush red with embarrassment.

Ina broke the tense silence. Happy to see you better, Miss Novak. Thank you for joining us. Now, you can imagine what this meeting is about.

Words started flashing through Harper’s head,…deportation…extended sentences…permanent to your record…

I won’t waste any time. The incident this morning cannot go without proper punishment. Ina placed her pen on her papers and looked straight ahead at them. The guard you assaulted isn’t filing chargers, but that still leaves the information security breach. Please understand that this matter has not been taken lightly and is of a very serious nature. Ina paused, looking around the room to the other higher ups in attendance. Harper was now holding her breath, waiting for the woman to declare their fates.

We have carefully talked over options of what to do with you and have reached a verdict. We have decided not to deport you to another penitentiary. You’re young, but you have proven yourself to be of value to the Space Science program. However, punishment cannot be waved completely in this matter. Our decision was unanimous and will not be withdrawn. Your sentences have been extended from the current remaining five years to life, without the option for early release.

Harper’s lungs stopped working all together. She couldn’t tell if it was the pain medication kicking in or the shock, but her entire body went numb. She couldn’t will herself to move. Skyler sat completely silent next to her, just as stunned at the declaration.

Ina seemed unaffected by their reactions, glancing down the end of her bird nose at her papers. Good to see you are taking this seriously. Now, in regard to what you saw in the control room this morning, we are required to debrief you before you leave here today. Ina finally brought her eyes up to look at Harper, indicating for her to start talking.

Harper couldn’t look at her. She dropped her head and stared at her limp hands in her lap, trying to gather her words. She felt pitiful, like just telling the truth was the only card she had to play. Defeated, she folded. I saw the Red Planet folder. I know that the signal came from another planet, and I know that you’re curious as to whether you can relocate people there. That’s all I saw. She didn’t dare look up, like a dog put in its place.

Ina never took her eyes off of her, Harper could feel it. Miss Fletcher, you can leave now. A guard stood next to Skyler and swiftly escorted her out of the room.

Harper suddenly felt even more pathetic with her friend no longer by her side. But she swallowed her fear and decided to speak up. If I may ask, Miss Sloan, why am I still here?

Ina’s tense stare at Harper softened into one of surprise. She leaned back into her chair and paused, contemplating her next words before looking up. I’ve always liked you, Harper. You are smart, the youngest to ever get into our program. You know we only take a hundred and thirty applicants a year to our penitentiary? We only take the smartest individuals in the world. And even then, it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll stay. Most get sent off to corn fields, and that becomes their grand contribution to The Union. You’ve fought to keep your place here since you were thirteen. And yet, you still try to give me every reason to kick you out.

Harper tightened her jaw, her face flushing with heat, but she never broke her eye contact with Ina. She had a history with this woman and didn’t even know it till today. It made her feel uncomfortable.

I know that you’re capable of great things. Please prove to me that I am right. I will make this short for you: as you read, we found another planet. The number one goal of the Union right now, in relation to the Space Division program, is to locate other survivable habitats. The decision has been made and we have been given permission to send a team of individuals to locate the source of the signal, survey the planet for possible relocation, and return with their findings. We have chosen you as one of the team members to go on the Red Planet mission, along with five others. Return with the required information, and both your and Skyler’s sentences will be wiped with the option of staying in the Space Division as a free citizen.

Harper was taken aback from the sudden rush of information. She was risking her hide just this morning to get the tiniest bit of what this signal was about, and Ina just spilled everything to her in one minute. Her mind was a whirlwind, everything starting to turn. For some reason, what the nurse said came rushing back to her. There was something there. And all of a sudden, it clicked.

This was all planned.

Everyone in the room immediately looked to Harper in surprise, like the grand charade had been revealed. She waited for Ina to say something, but she just sat in silence. Harper never broke eye contact, didn’t even dare to blink. She spoke with more confidence now. Assigning Skyler and I to the main control room, the fight with the guard, everything was planned. You knew we’d hack the computer.

Ina smiled. Very perceptive of you, Harper. I wasn’t expecting you to put it together. Nonetheless, this doesn’t change anything.

Harper’s anger grew into full fledged fury. You… She placed her hands on the table, slowly rising out of her chair. You did this to us. You forced me into a corner just so you could get what you want. You didn’t have to do this to Skyler, you cold hearted bi-

Ina cut Harper off, her expression was concrete. But we did. Without you, this team isn’t complete. Besides, you could have chosen not to break into the file, but you did. Your record in this penitentiary speaks for itself. We are not to blame for this, Harper. You are.

Harper’s hands balled into fists, her nails scratching against the wood of the table. In a desperate moment of disbelief, she shrieked, Don’t sell me that bullshit, you would have done it another way! Harper began to panic, the brief moment of power she felt fading away. You…you can’t do this!

Ina stood up out of her chair and walked down the length of the table, her very presence turning into something menacing. She leaned in close to Harper’s ear, her voice lethal and low. "You’re a convict. I