2400 AD

Jacob cried like a baby when the wall slid open. Constance Malope and Jack Langley entered his quarters; both looked as though they hadn’t slept for days.

Covering his face with his hands, Jacob wept and cowered in a corner. Constance knelt before him and noticed his fingernails broken and bleeding. The walls, scratched and bloody where he tried to find a door mechanism. Constance felt the lump in her throat grow harder and almost choked when she spoke.

“Jacob, we need you.”

“Get out of here,” he shouted through the sobbing.

“Jacob,” she said, “the government is rounding up all the children in the cities. They’re being taken to the Xenocon buildings and are being used as human shields. We need you to save them. Please help us.”

Jacob responded with wild sobs.

“Some of these children have families,” Constance continued. “Mothers and fathers. Siblings. Their lives have been turned upside down. Please help us, Jacob.”

“You’re lying,” Jacob said, removing his fists from his eyes. “I know why you want my help. I know all about Gideon. You’re only trying to save him, not the children.”

“Yes, Gideon is there. He gave himself up to Xenocon to save you and Thespian. Now he needs you to save those children.”

“It’s not my war,” Jacob said. “My war is figuring how to get out of here to replace Lillian. She’s dying. And when she dies, another catastrophe will hit the earth somewhere and hundreds, maybe thousands of people will die.”

“We can help you with that, Jacob. But first we need to secure all those children and bring Gideon back. I promise, we’ll get you to Lillian.”

“Her name is Lillian and time is running out.”

“I promise we’ll get you to her as soon as the children are safe. Will you help us, please? Please.”

Jacob turned to face the wall, thought for a moment and said, “Yes, I’ll help you, but I want something in return.”

“Name it,” Constance said with a sigh of relief.

“Thespian.”

“What about him?” Langley asked.

“I can’t do this without him.”