The Refugee Caravan
By J. L. Young

At last, we have broken the shackles of our oppressors and sought refuge among the stars. Because of our evolutionary gifts, we humans have learned to operate our makeshift caravan. We have secured our freedom at a substantial cost, losing our planet.

In the middle of the twenty-first century, they came. At first, they were benign. They saw we had an eagerness to learn and showed an equal eagerness to teach. Teaching us how to reign in nature, to quell the quakes, and the runaway weather. They were using our willingness to create a paradise for their gain. Once we had made our home to their liking, we were useful no more. They targeted humans for genocide.

They underestimated our resilience and resolve.

A light knock came at the Captain’s stateroom hatch. Much can be said about a person by their knock. He pulled myself from a meditative state with a deep, controlled breath and opened the hatch. “What is it, Veda?”

“We’ve found an anomaly. I think it’s what you were looking for,” she replied. “Sensor readings match the intel we’ve collected from them.”

We arrived at the bridge and hovered over the science station. The sensor readings and presented an object self-illuminated. The data gathered streamed on an adjacent screen. “It’s the Nexus Gate.” He raised his head toward an officer on the other side of the bridge, “Comms, send ship to ship message to the caravan, ‘we have found the Nexus Gate,’ send instructions on how to open it.”

“Package sent.”

“Open the 1MC.” He waited for the comms officer’s nod. “Attention, this is your Captain speaking. Due to everyone’s efforts, we have succeeded. We have found the Nexus Gate. Beyond this point will the galaxy’s superhighway. A current flowing with the galaxy’s spin. The gravitational anomalies present in this flow will push us to greater and greater speeds. Beyond this point is where we find our new home. Make ready.”