by Richard Fox
Carson stood near the center of the capsule, holding one of the metal support rails that ran along the upper edge. “Where are we going exactly?”
The metal hatch at the end of the tube by the platform’s edge spiraled open as the capsule neared, then closed behind it. Their momentum slowed briefly, then an orange indicator light at the front of the pod flashed green and a second hatch spiraled open in front of them.
“You might want to hold on,” Jena said.
Without further warning, the capsule shot forward into the tube, turning the outside station into a blur. Carson grunted, grabbing the rail with both hands to keep from falling over.
Nunez laughed. “Oh, shit, yeah! I like this.”
The transport tube angled down as it left the station, descending to a meter above the ground. Within seconds, they’d left the spaceport behind and were zipping through a lush landscape of colorful flowers, emerald-green brush, and tall, tropical trees with wide, sweeping leaves.
Carson found herself smiling as she took in the beautiful scenery, thinking it would be a wonderful place to spend some leave.
At the front of the pod, Nunez leaned forward, putting a hand on the glass. “Uh, are we…”
“It’s fine,” Jena said.
Carson leaned to one side, looking around West to see what Nunez had seen.
The transport tube curved around a large rocky outcropping, continued across a rocky coastline, then dipped under the ocean’s surface about thirty meters out from the water’s edge.
Nunez turned to face Jena. “Are you kidding me? We’re going under?”
Senior Voidman Vishnya Popov laughed. “What’s the matter, José? You don’t like water?”
“Oh, I like water just fine,” Nunez said, “but I prefer to be on top of it.”
“That’s what she—” Jerry started to say but cut himself short when he caught Carson’s reproachful stare.
“It’s just like being on a starship,” Moretti said, stepping aside as Nunez moved away from the front.
“It’s nothing at all like being on a starship,” Nunez said, sitting. “At least in space you don’t have to worry about getting eaten alive by sharks. Do you people have sharks here? I bet they’re huge man-eaters too. Ugh.”
Nunez covered his eyes as the capsule dipped below the waves, plunging them into a world of blue and gray. The transparent ceiling gave the tube’s occupants a spectacular view of the ocean scenery around them.
Carson caught glimpses of fish analogs swimming in schools around the tube, seemingly unbothered by the intrusion into their world. Colorful mounds of coral stretched away from the tube in both directions, angling around the island.
“It’s beautiful,” Popov said as she punched Nunez in the arm. “You’re missing out on some great views, man.”
Keeping his eyes shut, Nunez shook his head. “Nope. Not interested. Tell me when it’s over.”
Every fifty meters, they passed large pylons, stretching up from the seafloor to hold the tube in place. Stenciled on the side of each one were large white letters, though Carson couldn’t read the markings, and patches of algae and coral dotted their surface. Carson tried to count the pylons as they went by but quickly lost count, becoming distracted by the hundreds of species of sea creatures moving around them.
“How far does this thing go?” West asked.
“The entire network stretches across the planet,” Jena explained. “The port is a nexus for this hemisphere. This particular tube is private and takes us to my family’s compound in Angea.”
“And we couldn’t just fly there?” Nunez asked without looking up.
“Flying is extremely regulated on the Angean Continent, as it’s a biological preserve for the caldryls. My family spearheaded the campaign to save them from extinction. Our compound is the headquarters for all operations on the continent—as well as my family’s home.”
A soft chime echoed through the pod’s interior.
“Ah,” Jena said. “Here we are.”
The transport tube angled up, and their pod rose out of the ocean. Two hundred meters ahead, waves crashed upon the base of a massive expanse of white cliffs that stood a hundred meters high and stretched along the coast as far as Carson could see. Thick jungle covered the top of the cliffs and spread across hills and valleys beyond.
“Finally,” Nunez said, looking up.
The tube turned and ran along the base of the cliffs for several kilometers, weaving in and out of jagged rock spires jutting from the waves. They passed through a natural stone arch before angling inland through a saddle between two jungle-covered hills.
“Holy shit,” Popov said, pointing. “What the hell is that?”
Ahead, a four-winged creature lifted out of the jungle, its wings beating furiously to lift the massive thing into the air, its scaled hide almost glistening in the sunlight. As it pushed off the top of a tree with its larger hind legs, two muscular forearms seemed to reach upward. Large round eyes on either side of its triangular head locked on to the pod as it neared. Opening its long, yellow-and-black spotted beak, which was twice the length of its head, it revealed rows of sharp teeth and let out a high-pitched roar.
Seconds later, it was gliding through the sky, away from the tube.
The Pathfinders turned to Jena, all sharing the same expectant expression.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Nunez said.
The Zeis woman grinned. “That’s a caldryl.”
Chapter 2
Governor Ken Hale felt his stomach tighten as his wife shook her head.
“They’re not going to like this,” Marie said, not taking her eyes off the uniformed doughboy in front of her.
Agate 1-1-1 stood at perfect attention, eyes locked on some unknown point down the hall, his blue and gold uniform pulling against his muscular frame. If the doughboy’s exceptionally large frame didn’t readily identify him as not exactly human, his green-and-brown mottled skin would.
Hale crossed his arms. “We don’t have much choice, Marie. As it stands now, we don’t have anywhere near the manpower we need to repel an attack.”
“They’ll help on the ground, sure, but what about in orbit? The Spirit’s in no condition to defend itself, much less the rest of the planet.”
“Another thing on my list I’m still working out,” Hale admitted. “This, at least, solves one of them.”
Marie sighed. “I don’t like it, but you’re right. I don’t see any other solution.”
“Can you say that again, and a little louder?” Hale grinned.
“Don’t press your luck, Governor.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Beside Marie, Handley cocked his head to one side. “I never thought I’d see another one of these things. Never could get over the skin pattern, always reminded me of a snake. Gives me the creeps.”
“Is not snake,” Agate said. “No creepy,”
“See,” Hale said with a chuckle. “Not creepy at all. I’m going to go prep the council. I’ll call you out after I’ve got them warmed up.”
“Good luck,” Handley said.
“You’re going to need it,” Marie added.
“Thanks.”
When Hale entered the auditorium, the council were already in their places, sitting on a raised, curved dais, looking down on rows of empty seats. As governor, Hale had a permanent seat, which was empty today, and he wondered if that was a sign of things to come. He was glad the auditorium was empty, though. He thought he already knew how the council would receive the information, and if he didn’t have their support, he wouldn’t have a chance with the rest of the colonists.
“Governor,” Elizabeth Tanner said as he neared the dais, the engineer’s eyes filled with nothing but contempt for Hale. He could’ve been giving them the news that they’d defeated the Triumvirate and that they were no longer a threat to the colony and she still would’ve hated him. “I trust you have good reason to call an executive session at this late hour.”
“I’m sure the governor has his reasons,” said Allison Trumble, one of the original colonial directors who did not share Tanner’s disdain for Hale.
Tanner gave her colleague a sidelong look. “I’m sure he does.”
Hale stopped at the podium centered on the dais and looked up at the council. Don’t screw this up, Ken, he told himself, resting his hands on either edge.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for calling you all here so late, but I believe this is imperative to the survival of the colony and cannot wait.”
Tanner leaned back in her chair, rolling her eyes. “Your flair for the dramatic does not impress.”
“I assure you, Councilwoman, I am not trying to impress. In truth, I would rather not have to bring this before you at all, but you know better than most the precarious situation we face and the implications for humanity in this galaxy if we fail.”
“You mean if you fail.”
Hale ground his teeth together, forcing himself to remain calm. “Our survival out here depends on everyone, Councilwoman, not just me. If we don’t come together to defeat the Triumvirate, our petty differences of opinion will mean nothing.”
“What is your proposal, Governor Hale?” Trumble asked.
“Yes, I’m curious,” Tanner said before Hale could speak. “Very curious to know what half-cocked idea you have to push the colony further over the edge.”
“I push nothing. And I didn’t start this war. But I can assure you, Councilwoman, one way or another, I will end it.” Hale let his words hang in the air for a few moments before continuing. “I think we can all agree that building defenses for the colony should be our number-one priority right now. Equally important is having the manpower to crew those defenses, which—it pains me to say—is something we’re severely lacking. And unless Chief Carson returns with a handful of allies to reinforce our line, without drastic measures, we won’t stand any chance against a full-on invasion.”
“Yes, I’m sure we’re all aware of the gravity of our situation, Mr. Hale.”
“I have no doubt,” Hale said. “As I’m sure you’re equally aware, we’re in desperate need of infrastructure for the colony—housing, basic necessities—that should and must be provided.”
Tanner’s eyebrows arched as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table in front of her. “What’s this? Ken Hale thinking about someone besides himself?”
“The survival of the colony is my number-one priority, always has been.”
“Even more so than getting your children back alive?”
The retort Hale had prepared stuck in his throat at the mention of Jerry and Elias. He considered the councilwoman for a moment, trying to read through her professional poker face. She really did have a face for politics. Leading expert on experimental physics or not, this woman belonged in the political arena—an arena Hale hated.
“My children are not part of this conversation, Councilwoman.”
“Oh? Well, I think they certainly should be, since they were seen boarding the Valiant with the rest of the Pathfinders. Couldn’t risk the team making decisions without part of you with them, Governor?”
Hale fought to keep his expression passive. “Where did you obtain this information?”
“A very reliable source,” Tanner said, allowing a grin to form at the corner of her mouth.
“I see,” Hale said. It was all he could say. He couldn’t afford to lose his cool in front of the council, not now. The information about Jerry and Elias was supposed to have been classified. Marie had assured him the footage had been wiped and the witnesses ordered to silence. We’ve got a rat in the house, he realized.
Hale lifted his chin slightly before continuing. “Yes, that’s right. The boys are on the Valiant. But—” he raised a hand before anyone could cut him off, “it was not my doing. They were not sent on the mission by me or anyone else.”
“Oh, come on,” Tanner said. “You can’t possibly expect us to believe they simply walked onto the only warship the colony possesses and stowed away? That ship had to have been the most secure ship on the planet before it left…or are you saying that you failed to provide adequate security for the colony’s only form of effective space travel?”
“You have obviously not met my children,” Hale said, fully understanding how Elias would’ve been thrilled to know the true measure of his exploit. “Believe what you will, Councilwoman. I can tell you unequivocally, my boys were not acting on my orders or with my consent. They obviously had no idea the Valiant was preparing to leave on the mission and were probably as surprised as everyone else when the ship left.”
Brandon Phelps, one of 2nd Fleet’s chief logistic officers and the most junior member of Terra Nova’s Colonial Council, raised a hand. “Excuse me, please, but I believe the governor called us here for a reason, and while I’m very concerned for the well-being of your children, I’m sure Chief Carson will do everything in her power to keep them from harm.”
Hale forced himself to bite back a sneer. I’m sure she will. He nodded at the councilman. “Thank you, sir.”
“It’s very interesting that you say that,” Tanner said, “because all the information I’ve seen points to the fact that you have a very deep-seated, antagonistic relationship with the chief. In fact, the way I understand it, you were very much against her even joining the mission.”
“My personal feelings about Chief Carson are irrelevant here and do not influence my decision-making. She and her team are the only ones I would trust to carry out such a vital mission. They are the only ones capable of rendering a favorable conclusion to this entire mess we’re in.”
Tanner crossed her arms. “Yes, well, you’ve painted a very dire picture for us, Governor Hale, but I haven’t heard you say anything about how you intend to solve our problems. And where exactly are your Pathfinders? I would’ve thought they understood the importance of bringing back help sooner than later.”
“This galaxy isn’t the Milky Way. Contacting and recruiting allies is a much different prospect here. My guess is they are still out there looking.”
“Or they’re dead and they’re not coming back at all.”
“That’s enough of that kind of talk,” Hale retorted, pointing at her.
Tanner remained stoic. “Regardless, you yourself just said we lack the manpower to maintain an effective defense. We don’t have a navy and wouldn’t have the bodies to crew the ships even if we did. It’s not like you can just snap your fingers and create help out of fresh air.”
Hale couldn’t help the grin turning up at the corner of his mouth. “Actually, Councilwoman, I can.” He tapped his wrist comm, sending the signal to his wife. A moment later, Marie Hale and Captain Handley were making their way down the center aisle, toward the dais, Agate 1-1-1 in tow.
“What is this?” Tanner shouted, leaning forward as the rest of the council erupted in shouts and questions.
“A doughboy?”
“This is outrageous!”
Agate 1-1-1 showed no emotion as he approached the dais, and Hale stepped aside to allow Agate to move past him, resisting the urge to put a reassuring hand on the doughboy’s shoulder. You’re becoming a softy in your old age, he told himself.
Trumble stood and moved behind her chair, eyes wide. “W-what is the meaning of this, Governor?”
Agate stopped without a word, immediately going to parade rest, eyes staring straight ahead.
“You have tubes!” Tanner shouted, pointing. “It’s the only explanation. Brought back from Negev. You of all people! You, the one who led the coalition to remove all traces of those…” She hesitated, eyeing Agate, as if considering the doughboy’s response and whether or not he’d rip her head off. “Those things. You practically sent Marc Ibarra into exile. Now you’re playing God! Unbelievable.”
“I negotiated the end of Earth’s creation of procedurals with the rest of the Milky Way,” Hale retorted. “I’ve never been against doughboys. These constructs are a viable militar
y option. Without them, we would not have saved Earth or defeated the Xaros. Right now, we have barely ten thousand capable fighters to protect the colony, minus those qualified to pilot fighters or drive tanks, or provide any number of services only true-born humans are capable of performing. Realistically, we’re looking at eight thousand, maybe nine.
“We can make the doughboys in a matter of minutes. They can perform basic tasks, follow orders, and fight.”
“So you’ve already made the decision,” Tanner said. “You’ve already started to play God, just like Ibarra did. Without the consent of the council, without any oversight. This is how dictatorships start, Hale. And I for one will not allow that to happen.”
“Without them, we will not be able to defend the colony.”
“I would rather the colony be wiped from existence than to have you turn it into some kind of military totalitarian regime.”
“That’s not what I’m—”
“You’ve had your chance to speak, Hale,” Tanner barked, cutting him off. “I believe I know how the council is going to vote on this, and I don’t want to hear any more of your grand schemes.”
“They aren’t schemes, Tanner. They’re battle plans. We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
Councilman Noack shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Barring any emotional arguments, what are your plans with these constructs?”
“I think it’s quite obvious what his plans are,” Tanner said, folding her arms across her chest.
Still standing behind her chair, Councilwoman Trumble raised her hand. “The gestation tubes, you brought them back from Negev?”
Hale nodded. “That’s right.”
“The same gestational tubes Kyrios used to create the Netherguard?”
Tanner pointed. “You see? He’s starting the cycle over. The occupation his brother started years ago.”
“Now hold on—”
“The Netherguard were vicious and merciless,” Trumble said. “They all but wiped out the colony the first time. We’re still killing feral ones we find in the wilderness. How can you say for sure these new creations can be trusted?”
