The doors opened. Mayor Spencer walked in quickly. His hair was grey with age, and he wore something akin to a robe. It had sleeves and pant-legs, but made of fabric that wrapped around him. It was white. He halted in the doorway, his eyes wide. A paper was clutched in his hand.

    As soon as he had entered the room, it was as if he had opened another door. His thoughts wafted into my head, making me wince. "Holy Solar System . . . It's true. They've arrived at last. The picture is identical."

    He held up the paper in his hand, whispering, "You're identical. You must be Genevieve Autumn. And you--" He turned to Officer Peterson in excitement. "You're Quinn Peterson! Where's your glasses, son?"

    Officer Peterson blinked slowly, touching his face. I'd forgotten that he needed them. He clearly had too. The Mayor whipped to me, beaming. He shook my hand vigorously. "It's amazing to see that you're actually here, First Officer Autumn. You're here."

    I shook slowly, trying to sort out his thoughts against his actual words. With the other two soldiers in the room, a headache was building. I jerked my head toward them, and the Mayor understood. He dismissed them. They were further away, and their mental voices distant. Officer Peterson visibly relaxed. How we were able to hear thoughts was still beyond me, but we'd figure it out later.

    "What happened?" I asked. "We were supposed to land at the same time of the Pioneer. Is it true we took off five hundred years ago?"

    He nodded. "The original Captain Spencer always said that he met you fellas when you became the crew of the Patriot. Seeing as no one aboard the Pioneer had ever seen the Patriot with their own eyes, you guys became a myth."

    "Why did you not see us? Where was the Patriot?"

    The Mayor told us exactly what he was thinking. I could trust what he was saying. "According to my grandfather, he was a boy when his great-grandfather was still the Captain. The original Captain was always worrying that it looked like the Patriot was falling behind. By the time my great-great grandfather took over, the Patriot had disappeared."

   "Disappeared?"

    "Fallen behind, according to the log. By the time I was born, no one alive had ever seen the Patriot. The Captain was old enough to be considered crazy, and my grandfather took over. The Patriot became a myth." He got a faraway look. "The Patriot was always told as a ship carrying frozen warriors meant to protect our journey. No one knew what happened to you. If the ship had failed, if you ran into something, or if aliens had found you. The Patriot just disappeared from history."

    I soaked that in. The blood had drained from my face. "Officer Peterson, is it possible that the power failure started as soon as we took off from Earth?"

    Officer Peterson twisted his fingers. "I don't know, First Officer. I'd have to check the program room. That would explain why we fell behind. I can also check the computer log to make sure."

    Mayor Spencer turned toward me, excited. "So where is the infamous Captain Sleek Thorn? And the rest of the crew? You likely need medical attention after being frozen for so long." His thoughts matched. He had no ill intentions.

    "That's the problem. We are the only ones awake." I rubbed my bare head. "The Patriot might have had only enough power to wake the two of us and land safely. We need a power boost to wake the rest of the crew."

    "They're the only ones awake? How is that possible?" Mayor Spencer blinked. "How can I help?"

    "There's a way to power the Patriot safely," said Officer Peterson. "On the Pioneer. Where is it?"

    "Oh dear..." I shared a look with Officer Peterson at that thought, dread tightening my heart up. That was a poor sign. Regret oozed off of Mayor Spencer as he twisted his hands. "The Pioneer landed here two hundred and forty-nine years ago. It's a relic of the past, stored away. I'm not sure if it would work for you anymore."

    I didn't let myself start to doubt anything and turned to Officer Peterson. "That's for my Technical Officer to decide. Could it still power us?"

    "I'd have to check the power systems and programming, First Officer."

    "Then let's get to it." I turned to Mayor Spencer. "Could you have someone take us to the Pioneer? And yes, I think a medical check-up would do us some good."

    Mayor Spencer nodded. "I certainly can. It was my great-grandfather's duty to see you to safety, and now it is mine. Until the crew of the Patriot is awake and well, I am here to help you." True to his word, he lifted his wrist and tapped it. There was a beeping sound. "This is Mayor Spencer of Mirah. I will be traversing back to my quarters. I need a doctor waiting for me."

    "Copy that, Mayor. Are you alright?"

    "I'm perfectly fine. I've merely got two people with me who need medical attention." His eyes shifted toward us. "The public is going to go berserk once they hear of this... I need time to prepare or I'll have a riot on my hands."

    There was another beep from his wrist communication clasp as the person replied. "Are they severely injured? I can send an ER pod."

    I shook my head at the Mayor's glance. "That won't be necessary," he said. "Please make sure that my way is clear, however. I want privacy."

    "Copy that, Mayor." It went quiet and he lowered his hand. "Now, excuse me, I need to talk with the guards. I don't want them blabbing about your arrival." Officer Peterson stepped aside as the Mayor walked past. I watched him go. The doors slid shut after him, and Officer Peterson turned to me. "First Officer..."

    "Yes, Officer Peterson?"

    He hesitated. I understood. He was in shock at recent events and was trying to find a way to express it. I gripped his shoulder and forced him to look at me. "We'll talk when we're safe."

    His eyes widened. "Are we not?"

    My smile was dry. "The camera in this room, hidden in the corner to my left, was all that the guards were thinking about when they left." His lips parted at my blunt statement of being able to hear them, but I added, "They weren't very subtle at looking at it. I suspect they were listening to us the whole time."

   His mouth worked slightly. Finally, he dipped his head in respect and stepped back. I let go of his shoulder in time for the Mayor to stomp his way back in, his thoughts filtering in our ears as if he were speaking. "Bloody fools! Sitting in the security room, listening in like a bunch of younglings! I'll have to talk to the General about this!"

    "Something wrong, Mayor Spencer?" I asked pleasantly. Officer Peterson snorted aloud and clapped a hand over his mouth. Mayor Spencer looked toward him curiously, the creases on his face easing.

   "Just some rather nosy guards is all," he said shortly. "The pod will be here soon." Then he smiled.

    I smiled blandly back – the equivalent of lying straight through my teeth. "Excellent."