by T. Y. Carew
“Nathan? Is it?” Davies reached over and gave his co-pilot a shake.
“Yeah… It’s a hive ship.” Nathan turned to face Davies, his mouth agape and eyes wide. “How? This isn’t what the Beltine do.”
***
“A few years ago, scientists discovered a unique world in Beltine-controlled space, which our great enemy showed no interest in mining for resources. Alone amongst all the planets under Beltine control, this one was left well alone. Indeed, hive ships make colossal course corrections just to avoid passing close to this world. For a time, our scientists thought we had discovered an ideal world for colonization, but the truth was far more interesting.”
Matt’s nostrils flared, and her eyes glared from the back row, not that Dr Cardew seemed to notice. She could feel the tension in the others, too. Trey actually stood and stalked down the row, disappearing out of a side door. Matt was tempted to join him. She swallowed the lump that'd grown in her throat and noticed another figure move into Trey’s empty chair.
“You okay?” Xander was at her side in an instant. His hand rested on top of hers. She was grateful for the reassuring and unexpected touch.
“Did you know?” she whispered.
“Not a thing. Doggett’s orders, Kelton, no one mentioned anything about Anathema when we were sent out here.”
“…It was during the initial scouting of the planet that our science teams made a discovery about the world. Its atmosphere contains a chemical previous undocumented to science that actually inhibits the higher functions of living creatures not native to the planet. To the Beltine, it shuts off the links to the hive mind and sends them into a stupor. They become unresponsive to all outside stimuli and will even let themselves starve to death if left alone for long enough. For a time, Doctor Archer and the other explorers looking to colonize the planet thought they had found an ideal world for humanity to hide away on, a planet where the Beltine could not touch us. Unfortunately, the scientists on Anathema did not reckon on the effect the planet would have on human physiology.”
Matt began to pick at a loose cuticle as she tried to block out the memories. No, they weren’t even memories. Most of what she thought she remembered from her time on Anathema were hallucinations and madness.
“To humans, Anathema’s atmosphere creates an instability in the subject's brain that is less debilitating than what the Beltine experience, but still deadly. Humanoids start to experience bouts of extreme paranoia as well as vivid hallucinations. Footage from the station’s security cameras shows examples of how such behavior manifested.”
The holo image of the planet melted away and was replaced by a recording that Matt remembered. Her eyes could hardly stand to watch as a younger version of herself was captured talking to empty space on a corridor, seeming oblivious to a pile of dead bodies that lay in heaps nearby.
“We are fortunate to have the survivors of the event on Anathema with us today, and I would encourage you to ask them about the effects of the planet’s atmosphere on them.”
Matt glanced at Xander. Even through his suit jacket, she could see the way his body was tensing. He looked like he wanted to throw a punch, and she would have been right behind him if he decided to storm the stage and deck the woman speaking so casually of that mission.
“Since the Anathema incident, my team of scientists have been looking for ways to redeem the work of the scientists who died on that outpost. Today, I am happy to say, we have achieved that goal. I am proud to present to you today the Anathemic Rain.”
Behind Dr Cardew, the plating of the white wall moved and opened up to a view of the outer world. A row of five missiles all bearing the title Anathemic Rain were lined up like soldiers.
“She can’t be serious,” Xander spoke in a low growl. “That’s a chemical weapon, and well outside the bounds of all war treaties the military has ever signed.”
“She seems serious to me,” Matt replied, shaking her head.
Several hands rose from near the front, and Dr Cardew nodded to the suits flagging her attention.
“Allow me to anticipate your question: if the compound in Anathema’s atmosphere is as dangerous to humanoid bodies as it is to the Beltine, how can we safely use it as a weapon? My team have spent months isolating the compound and engineering it to a form that is safe, even beneficial to humanoid forms. The natural atmosphere of Anathema creates feelings of doubt, paranoia and extreme suspicion in humanoid forms. However, through our efforts, the gas released in Anathemic Rain produced a soothing effect on our humanoid test subjects, and filled them with a sense of reassurance—and this is without the hallucinations, of course.”
Another holo image displayed above the crowd, this time showing the evacuation of a planet during a Beltine invasion. People were scrambling over ruins, shouting and screaming. A massive crush of desperate men and women were surging on a carrier shuttle, fighting and struggling to get aboard. The carrier attempted a take-off with its doors still open, people clinging desperately to the hull and throwing the balance of the ship. The bird was only in the air for a few moments, then it fell to the ground in a fiery explosion.
“…Imagine a weapon that not only neutralizes the enemy but keeps civilians and soldiers calm in the heat of battle. With the Anathemic Rain, we could prevent all too familiar scenes like this from occurring. Civilians complying with evacuation procedures, military personnel allowed to do their jobs without people begging for their attention or obstructing their work.”
“That’s just mind control. This is a whole other level of ridiculous.” Matt shook her head. “The doctor made a mistake inviting us here. If she thought I’d approve of this, she made a serious miscalculation. Once this farce is over, I am going to let every suit here know how dangerous this is.”
“I don’t know, some of the stiffs look pretty convinced,” Drew whispered.
Matt turned to look at the faces most visible to her. There were some smiles, and several were nodding their heads in approval as Doctor Cardew continued to espouse on the virtues of her new weapon.
“Bet a few of them are liking the idea of a weapon that makes civilians compliant and calm. Imagine how many of their big-time corporate investors would like to imagine themselves firing such a missile at protesters outside their officers.” Tyra scratched her cheek, shaking her head at the thought.
“As I said, it contravenes so many treaties on chemical weapons, psychotropics… there’s a litany of crimes here that could shut this project down in minutes.” Xander sounded confident in his words, but Matt couldn’t swallow the line.
Studying the doctor at the front, Matt knew the military was choosing to ignore the usual red tape and moral compass that surrounded such matters. Doctor Cardew was charismatic and driven. Worse, she was the type of scientist who believed in progress at any cost. Matt had encountered such people before—men and women so obsessed with their research and the idea of what they could achieve that they never stop to think about the implications of their research. If she had to guess, Doctor Cardew’s life motto would probably be a variation on ‘the ends justifies the means’ adage. Indeed, against an enemy like the Beltine, it was easy to see how the woman could have come to adopt such a philosophy.
***
The cruisers were in disarray. None of the five ships orbiting the planet were responding to hails save for a few shuttle crafts here and there. The pattern was evident and worrying. To have crippled the systems of so many cruisers, the Beltine had to have deployed some kind of EMP device. Though, even this was conjecture.
As the various pilots aboard their shuttles grappled with what to do, it was noted that any EMP used on the cruisers should have taken the shuttles out with it. Many questions were left open, but none of them really mattered. At that moment, there were only two questions that the pilots had to answer. How could they open the shuttle bay doors with the power down, and how could they alert the planet below to the hive ship bearing down on them?
“Laser fire; it’s
the only way.” Nathan sat reclined in his chair, staring at the illuminated bulkhead door ahead of them.
“Are you insane? You’re talking about blowing a hole in our own cruiser, leaving a gaping hole for any Beltine forces to exploit. If they went for the cruiser, they’d rip their way through the ship in minutes if we open it up to them like that.”
“They're going for the planet, though. The hive ship is pushing straight for Icarus. This is an evacuation protocol, Davies. We need to get airborne and lift as many off-planet as possible.”
Davies shook his head. “No… It’s not an evacuation protocol until we receive the order. Icarus is a military world. If the hive ship is going for them, they have the firepower to resist an invasion force.”
“Unless their systems have been taken offline, too.”
Davies' nostrils flared, and he rocked backwards and forwards in his pilot's chair. He kept his eyes on the bulkhead door, watching the shadows as other mechanics and engineers scurried about in the dark.
“We wait a little bit longer. See if you can send a long-range transmission to the surface of Icarus. Maybe someone down there can give us orders for the situation.”
Chapter 3
Something had happened.
All at once, the metal shutters began to close, drawing a curtain over the missiles Dr Cardew had been showcasing to her guests. Dr Cardew turned, the first time she had been distracted from her speech. That she continued to stare at the closed shutters was a clear sign that this was not part of the planned proceedings, and Matt sat up in her chair. Her eyes flickered to the sides of the room.
She noticed Private Stern and several others of the reception staff moving to the doors, in quickstep. One amongst them climbed the steps to the raised podium and whispered something in Dr Cardew’s ear. The investors and dignitaries began exchanging doubtful looks.
“If any sales pitch deserved to suffer a technical hitch, it’s this one,” Tyra said with a chuckle.
After a moment of confidential whispers with the officer at the front, Dr Cardew straightened her back and returned to the mic. The smile was gone from her face, and her spine was held straighter than a ruler.
“Honored guests, I regret to report that there has been an incident. A Beltine hive ship has breached atmo on the far side of the planet.”
A unified cry came from the assembled guests, and many were on their feet almost instantly.
“People, please, I ask you to remain in your seats. While we do not yet know how the Beltine were able to breach planetary defenses undetected, we cannot let ourselves give way to panic. For the time being, please contain your fears and remain in your seats. I ask all the dignitaries and guests of military rank to join me in the annex room for debriefing. We shall assess the situation and determine our next course of action.
***
Xander took a deep breath as he looked at the surveillance monitors around the station. The Beltine had poured out of the hive ship and on to the surface en masse. He shook his head and looked over to the officers nearby. “Where are the planet’s defense systems, anti-air fire support?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. The Beltine must have found a way to disrupt our systems. It would explain why we can’t reach the cruisers in orbit,” General Tallow, the planetary commander, spoke up.
“If the Beltine have found a way to manipulate our ships' systems and defense protocols then it would mark a new leap in their fighting capabilities.” Dr Cardew stepped forward, hands held behind her back in a formal and dignified fashion.
“What planetary defenses do we have under our control?” Matt asked, looking to the highest ranking military official in the room.
“It’s hard to know for sure. Anti-air is offline, and our hails to the cruisers in orbit are going unanswered. Longer-range transmissions seem to be down for the moment. About all we have are the lights, doors, anything that wouldn’t pose a threat to the invasion force.” Tallow’s face did not inspire confidence. He wore a kind of gritty determination that expected nothing but the worst of their situation.
“Can the systems be brought back online?” Xander asked, his face twisted into a grimace.
“Given time… but I fear we don’t have that luxury. The Beltine are already swarming the planet. We’re a military outpost, but our men won’t last long in a ground war without the proper backup.”
“Then we focus on evacuation as a standard procedure,” Tyra offered.
“Tyra’s a pilot and can get us off-world if you have the craft,” Matt said.
“But if the cruisers in orbit are downed… We will need to get a message out to the military. Our shuttles won’t get far out into space under their own power, and we’ll need to be picked up.”
“Then that’s our plan,” Xander cut in before the general could dampen the hope in the room further. “We need to reach the planet’s communications array and see if we can start her up again. Drew, we’ll need you for that. Once communications are up, we can hail the military for assistance and then break for the shuttles.”
“You know,” Doctor Cardew interrupted, “this plan serves only a select few of the soldiers on the planet. “There are not enough docked shuttles to evacuate even a tenth of the personnel on Icarus.”
“Trying to make sure your boarding pass is stamped before we draw lots?” Trey asked, leaning into the doctor.
“Not at all. I am merely saying we have another option at our disposal here.”
“And that would be?” Matt asked, her eyes narrowing.
“The Anathemic Rain prototype rockets, of course.”
“Not an option,” Xander said at once. He moved his body between the doctor and the general in charge. “Sir, I was on Anathema and know what the powers of that planet can do. It is not some magic silver bullet for killing Beltine. It is a weapon that is indiscriminate. You launch it, and your men are just as liable to wind up dead as the Beltine themselves.”
“An uneducated answer made by a man prejudiced by past experience,” Doctor Cardew interrupted. “General, let me remind you that your options in this matter are slim. If you wish to cling to some moral high ground and deny us our chance of survival to satisfy some treaty on weapons violations, then be my guest. However, if you desire to save the soldiers under your command on this planet, then I recommend you take a more progressive view of things. The Anathemic Rain missiles are loaded with a compound different to that encountered by Colonel Finlay and his team. The Beltine will continue to suffer the negative effects of the compound, while our own forces and minds are left unharmed.”
Xander pursed his lips and Matt could see the frustration in her commander’s eye. At the same time, she could see the general looking past Xander to Doctor Cardew. She had him.
“Very well, Doctor, we will try things your way. If those missiles out there on the observation platform can be fired manually, then you have my permission to proceed.”
Tyra and Drew exchanged glances, Trey turned his back on proceedings, and the color left Xander’s cheeks. “General, if that’s your order, let me give some advice. Order everyone you can to equip oxygen masks, protective suits, anything you have. I admit I have no idea what the doctor has done to make these missiles safe to humans, but if she’s wrong in what she believes they’ll do—”
“Yes, very well. We don’t have enough suits and gear to cover even a quarter of our staff on the planet, but I will order officers and key personnel to protect themselves.”
“I’ll go get ours now,” Trey said, pushing past a few of the other officers in the room and out.
As soon as Doctor Cardew was out of the room, Matt moved to Xander’s side. Her hand moved toward his shoulder, wanting to reassure him, but she held back. His lip was curled almost to a snarl, and the veins on the side of his forehead were showing. She knew he did not need sympathy right then.
“I swear, when all this is over, I am going to make sure a military tribunal strips that general of his rank for this. Even if
the doctor says this is going to save his men, what kind of general agrees to drop an untested chemical agent on his own troops?”
“The desperate kind,” Tyra answered. “I know what we experienced on Anathema… the hallucinations… but the general didn’t have to live through that. All he sees is the lives of his men. If Doctor Cardew can make him believe he has a chance to save them, rather than abandoning them to die in an attempt to evacuate the science teams, you know he’ll take it.”
Xander rubbed his temples and nodded. “I get it, I do.”
“Look, Trey is getting us breathing apparatus, and we have our own work to do.” At last, Matt put her hand on Xander’s shoulder, feeling some of the tension in his body releasing. “Regardless of what happens with the missiles, we need to get the communications online and get a message out to the military. After that, the best thing we can do for the people on this planet is to get as many of them off-world in the shuttles before they breathe in too much of the foul air from Anathema.”
Before anyone else could speak, a loud concussive sound echoed through the facility. It was a sound all of them knew too well—a missile had been fired off nearby.
“Looks like the doctor didn’t waste any time,” Drew said.
“Probably excited to show off what her toys can do,” Xander replied. There was numbness in his voice as he spoke. “We’d best catch up to Trey and see if he’s had any luck sourcing our gear.”
Chapter 4
Matt tried to ignore the questioning faces looking at her as she returned to the auditorium where the investors and dignitaries were being held. She found her gaze moving to Private Stern, the young officer who had offered to act as a waitress just for the chance of meeting with her. The girl wore no face mask and was probably breathing in the foul compound Dr Cardew had created even now. Matt took a deep breath and forced herself to look elsewhere, unwilling to think about what might happen to the private.
