Book 3: Chapter 16: The Departed
Marcus
March 2215
Poseidon
An angry mob faced off against the security personnel. “You do not have a right to prevent us from leaving!” someone yelled.
The security squad stood squarely between the citizens and the parked flyers. They weren’t quite pointing their weapons at the crowd, but the threat was definitely there.
It seemed the Council had finally gotten their act together. Within minutes of my announcement that the fourth aerial city, Thark, was taking immigrants, security squads had moved in and cut people off from the flyers.
I’d been expecting them to come up with something eventually, although they seem to have figured it out a little more slowly than I’d have given them credit for. But that was okay. Time for phase 2.
Behind the crowd, opposite the security forces, a half-dozen cargo drones landed. I floated my observation drone up high enough to be seen and heard clearly, ordered the drones to open the cargo bay doors, and announced, “Buses for Thark are now loading. Please move to the back of the bus.”
Within seconds, the crowd had loaded into the cargo drones. The security personnel gritted their teeth, and several of them made as if to point their weapons. The squad leader growled an order and they desisted.