ToxicHaven by Gabriella Bradley Page A

to disengage herself, she looked at him. He hadn’t changed a whole lot, either. Some years older, but he was still the handsome strong man she remembered. But she’d never seen her father cry. Until then.
    She stayed with them for two days before returning to Anat. They’d hardly slept. Her father stayed home from work and they’d talked deep into the night. Before she headed back to her flyer, her parents told her they’d move to wherever she and her husbands decided to live.
    It was a tearful, reluctant goodbye, but all the same, Haven’s heart sang.
    * * * *
    “Where are we going?” Haven asked her two husbands. “Why did I need to be blindfolded?” After two years, they’d finally brought about the downfall of the Drakhar mine and the governing officials. It had taken months of planning, dozens of attacks and, of course, had resulted in the loss of lives, but mainly the enemy’s. During the last battle, the planets had banded together in a final effort and it had proven fruitful.
    A new resource for the settlers to use as fertilizer was found and Pierre and his scientists had produced enough serum for the settlers of all the colonies to be inoculated against the effects of the toxic slag. They’d also distributed tons of the liquid that detoxified the remaining slag dumps on the various planets. The farmers had destroyed their crops and started from scratch after they received deliveries of food that was clear of poison, taken from the storage facilities of the head office of the Drakhar mine.
    The prison was empty of prisoners, the building transformed into an office building and directed by management that could be completely trusted, that set as a priority the welfare of the settlers. New laws were set in place. Marijuana would still be grown, but utilized the same as on Anat, for oil, paper and medicinal use. It would no longer be the main crops grown. Groups of people were flown to each planet to help the settlers develop their new worlds. Earth had become a number one priority. Surviving humanity were to be relocated and treated.
    Now that their war was behind them, they could all finally settle down.
    Haven, Isan and Josias, had decided to settle on Anat. Haven welcomed the chance to help develop the planet and its resources, as did Josias and Isan. The three of them liked the idea of growing with its tiny settlements. That their names were to be forever engraved in stone on a large statue erected in their honor, irked her. She’d never dreamed of being famous, or written into history. But what could she say when the settlers had surprised them with the statue? It was one of liberty, a tall, metal statue made from the molten metal of the defeated drones, standing as tall as a building. It depicted a fighter with three figures standing on its nose, their arms held up in victory. A large metal plate on the base told the story of their victory, their fight for freedom for all. Below it was a list of all the fighters who had lost their lives.
    “Okay, we’re here,” Josias said and removed her blindfold.
    Blinking for a moment against the bright light, she looked and gasped. Facing her was a house. It was beautiful. Built from the same mudsmith bricks as the other homes in the village, it stood apart because the walls were whitewashed and the roof made from bronze metal tile. The yard was landscaped. Green lawns grew lush and flowerbeds sported an array of flowers, some alien, some old Earth flowers that she’d only seen pictures of. Where they’d found the seeds or plants, she didn’t ask. She looked at each of their proud faces. “You did this?”
    “Welcome home, milady,” they chorused. Josias picked her up in his arms. Isan held out his and Josias set her on both their arms as they walked to the front door. Using his foot, he pushed and it opened to reveal a large welcoming living room, completely furnished. They set her down and with her heart beating so loud, she thought her ribs would