Departure

by Ken Barrett

  *****

  As dawn brightened the sky, the city’s army brought their high-power laser artillery to bear on the invaders, and the enemy bombardment ceased. In the quiet that followed, the little girls eventually fell asleep under a cafeteria table, and while in that coma like state that only children are capable of, the adults carried them up to their room and put them to bed.

  Unable to sleep, Liam left Carolyn and the others and wandered into his computer lab. “Hello Lucy, can you hear me?” The lights were off and he wondered of the communication portals still had power.

  “Yes Father, I’m here. I’ve heard strange things coming from your side; what’s happening?”

  “The city is under siege,” he replied as he sat down at her portal. “They’ve been bombing us all night.”

  “Are you in danger?”

  “Yes we are, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why any of this is going on. There’s really no reason for this war because neither side is a threat to the other.”

  “Please stay safe Father,” Irene added.

  “I’ll do my best; that’s all any of us can do. Lucy, have you found anything new or interesting about the alien ruins?”

  “Only that their departure seems to have been orderly,” Lucy replied. “There’s no sign of any armed conflict. It’s as if one day they all just decided that it was time to leave. We have no idea where they went.”

  “Were they native there? What I mean is, do you think that their species evolved on Trap-1E?”

  “For now, there’s no way of knowing. Ross has sent a probe to the surface to look at their powerplants, but they’re buried deep, so it’ll take some time before he’ll learn anything. It’s possible that some written records might be found.”

  “Maybe some quandaries are best left unsolved, life can be more interesting that way.” He sighed and stood up. “Well, I’ve been delaying something, but I guess it’s time that I got to it.”

  “What’re you going to do Father?” Lucy asked.

  “The navigation course for your brothers and sisters is finally done. I’ve been delaying its completion, mostly out of fear of what will happen to me once I’m not useful to the government anymore, but it’s time that I sent them the directions to where they need to go.”

  “We’re ready and waiting Father,” Irene said.

  *****

  He stood by the balcony window, watching as the chilled gray dawn crept down from the sky. Behind him, the compiled executable program was in the process of uploading to the five ships waiting in orbit. The delay had gone on long enough, it was time to cast the dice and see what direction his life would take. The most likely outcome was that death would soon come for them all.

  Mother didn’t need him anymore, and he wondered if she would simply abandon him in the city, or seek some depraved pleasure with his execution? Being left behind was his preference, because that way he and his sister still had a chance to escape and find a way to survive the coming solar storm. Otherwise, the old woman could choose to have him shot, but at least the end would be quick that way, and Rose might still get away. The worst prospect was that because he had caused so much trouble, he might be handed over to the Nurse for a more lingering and painful death.

  The only other possibility was that Mother would honor her promise to take him with them when they went to Trappist-1. The old woman wasn’t an ethical person, so that chance was really unlikely. If the offer was made though, he would refuse to go unless Rose could come with him; surely they could find room for one more.

  His terminal chimed, indicating that the upload was complete, so he sat down and keyed in a message to both the Chancellor and Julee.

  The course to the Trappist-1 system has been uploaded to all five ships in orbit, so our departure time must be within the next fifteen days. The longer we wait, the greater chance there is for error, so I suggest we hurry.

  Part 3: Siege

  The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat

  lies in our own hands,

  but the opportunity of defeating the enemy

  is provided by the enemy himself.

  Sun Tzu, The Art of War

  Chapter 20: Abandoned

  “You never eat very much,” Carolyn said. “That’s probably why you’re so skinny.” They sat across from each other at a small table, eating dinner outside on their apartment terrace. A light breeze stirred the humid air that smelled faintly of ashes. To the west, the sun was setting behind Pikes Peak, sending brilliant streaks of orange radiating across a sky that was slowly darkening to a deep indigo.

  Liam smiled at his girlfriend, although he initially had suspicions about her motives, their relationship had bloomed into a comfortable sort of affection. “I’ve never been a big eater; maybe because for me it’s just what I have to do to survive. I like this though, what is it?”

  “Chicken Fettuccine.” She smiled. “Made with real chicken, not the tofu substitute.”

  “Real chicken? How is that possible? I thought they were extinct.”

  “No, not extinct… not quite yet at least. The genetics group has been breeding them down in Yuma; we’re taking them with us to Trappist-1.” Carolyn reached across the table to touch his hand. “Anyway, I thought we were due for a treat.”

  “Well, this is really good; in fact, if everything was this tasty I’d be fat.”

  She laughed, but there was a touch of sadness in her eyes. “I’ve been really happy with you here Liam.”

  He noted the past-tense in her choice of words, and slowly nodded. “So, you’ve heard.”

  She looked down at her food. “Yes, Aunt Margaret send me a message earlier this evening. She’s very happy that you’ve finally finished and mapped the way to our new home.”

  “So, when does the exodus south begin?” The anticipation for what he suspected was coming next felt like a lead weight resting on his heart. “The course I plotted is only good for fifteen days at most, so we need to move quickly. If we wait too long, the route will have to be recalculated, and that could leave our ships stranded in orbit and vulnerable to solar flares.”

  “Mother is already acting on it. Food and supplies are already on-board, and most of the crew is already there as well. The military and the few administrators that have remained here will start south tomorrow.”

  “And that includes you of course,” he stated.

  “Yes.”

  “And not me.”

  Carolyn closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry Liam.”

  “I am too Carolyn.” It felt as if there was a hollow spot in his chest that had a painful breathlessness to it. Betrayal, even when anticipated is never an easy thing to live with. “You’re a wonderful girl, and I thought we had something special. I guess I was wrong though.”

  “No, you weren’t wrong,” she whispered. “In the beginning, Mother wanted your cooperation, and well, you were just another guy to sleep with. After a while that changed though.”

  “Were you really tortured by Mother’s Nurse? That seemed pretty convincing.”

  “No, I wasn’t; it was just an act. They thought, well, they knew you cared for me so I was just leverage. They were sure that you were too nice of a guy to let anything bad happen to me. I screamed for a while, and then they knocked me out with anesthetic. I was still asleep when they cut my feet to make it look like I was tortured, then brought me out for you to see.” She placed her face into her cupped hands and took a shuttering breath. “I’m so very sorry Liam. I didn’t know… didn’t realize.” Carolyn looked up at him with tear filled eyes. “No, that’s wrong. I’m heartbroken over what I did, but I knew what they were going to do, and I went right along with it.”

  “I wish I could forgive you, but I don’t think I can.” He leaned back in his chair, with dinner long forgotten.

  “I have no right to expect anything like that from you. It was wrong, and I’ll probably hate myself for the rest of my life because of it. I just want you to know tha
t… sorry is just too small of a thing to say, but I AM sorry Liam, I truly am.” She carefully set her utensils on the table, slid her chair back and stood up. After a moment, she said, “I should go.”

  He didn’t argue, but instead stared sightlessly at his quickly cooling dinner.

  Carolyn went back inside to the bedroom they had once shared. A few moments later she emerged with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. She stopped in the living room and looked in his direction, and mouthed ‘I’m sorry’, then finally turned away, left their apartment, and closed the door behind her.

  *****

  Liam spent a near sleepless night tossing and turning under the cold tangled sheets of the bed he had once shared with Carolyn. He had suspected – no, more than that, he had known what she was up to, and yet he had allowed himself to genuinely care for a woman that was destined to deceive and desert him. With a sigh he swung his legs out from under the covers and sat at the edge of the bed. He had been a fool; no, worse than that, he was a willful idiot that had knowingly betrayed himself.

  After getting dressed, he walked out into the living room wondering if Rose was awake yet. It would be good to talk with someone about his loss and how stupid he had proven himself to be. Through the balcony windows, he saw that the previous night’s dinner was still outside on the dining table; crows had smelled the meat and a murder of them had shown up to clean up the mess. At least the real chicken hadn’t been wasted.

  The streets were eerily quiet when he went outside to retrieve the dishes. It was strange; the unusual hush made it seem as if the city was holding its breath. He looked over the edge of the balcony and saw that Tejon Street, which was normally crowded with soldiers and people on their way to work, was nearly empty. Where had everyone gone?

  It dawned on him that the military and what remained of the government had probably left the night before. There would be no one manning the wall to holdoff the invading Tribal Armies. Would Pike City fall before their guns, and be raped and murdered just as Flatiron had been? Probably. His heart turned to stone at the thought.

  He stood at the edge of the third-floor balcony and stared out at the city. At first it appeared as if the entire place had been deserted, but then he noticed a few people cautiously venturing out. They seemed dazed and a bit confused, like woodland animals slowly emerging from their nests after a vicious storm. Considering the predicament everyone was in, he decided that the best course of action would be to lay in a store of food and water, because there was no way to know how long they would have to survive on their own.

  Someone was knocking on his door when he brought the dishes back inside, and Rose was waiting for him in the hallway when he opened it. “Where did everyone go?” she asked.

  “Gone south I think.” He stood aside and let his sister into the apartment. “I uploaded the course for the spaceships yesterday, and it looks like the army and all the higher-up’s left as soon as that was confirmed.”

  “So, they abandoned us?”

  “Yeah, as I expected. As soon as they got what they needed, we all became disposable.”

  Rose’s eyes widened with worry. “What are we gonna do now?”

  “There’s no one left to defend the city, so it’s best if we gather food and water, and barricade ourselves in here.”

  “So, it’s – thanks for the hard work suckers, but now we’re leaving you at the mercy of an invading army that will rape, murder, and burn everyone we’ve left behind – is that it?” Her eyes wandered over the apartment. “Where’s Carolyn?”

  “Gone,” he whispered. “I got a quick goodbye last night and then she took off.” He shook his head sadly. “I should have expected it, but like an idiot I wished for the best and got hurt because of it.”

  Rose let out a long breath that seemed to deflate her a bit. “I’m so sorry big brother.”

  “It’s my own fault,” he replied. “I knew who and what she was, and yet I let myself hope; it kinda feels like I betrayed myself.”

  His sister stepped forward to give him a reassuring hug. “It’s all right. People are never as good as we wish they could be. Trust always leads to disappointment.”

  “Well, we have each other at least,” he said. “And we have to take care of Lisa and her girls, so I think we need to go out and raid a commissary before they’re all picked clean.”

  “Is there a way we can escape? Maybe we can leave the city before the army realizes we’re defenseless and attacks. I’m really scared about what they’ll do to us.”

  “I doubt there’s an easy way out because any escape route would also be a way for the invaders to get in. Still, we might be able to get away if it were just you and I,” he said. “But the kids would hold us back, and I just can’t leave them behind.”

  “Yes,” Rose closed her eyes. “I remember what happened in Fort Collins; but do we stand any chance if we just stay here and wait for them to come?”

  “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do,” he replied. “Maybe if we hunker down and wait out the first wave of the invasion, Keith might be able to find us later.”

  “That’s a pretty slim chance, but I guess it’s all we’ve got.” Rose said.

  *****

  “Oh no! What are we gonna do now?” Lisa sat on the sofa in Rose’s apartment and pulled her daughters close.

  “We’ll gather food and water, then barricade ourselves in and wait for Keith to find us. He has ties with the Tribes, and he’ll be able to protect us,” Rose said. “We’ll be safe if we stay together behind locked doors.”

  “I think we’ll be better off in the computer lab,” Liam stated. “The entrance is fortified, it’s bigger, and there’s a bathroom, kitchen, and back rooms we can sleep in.”

  “Ok,” Lisa said uncertainly. “But won’t we be a target in this building?”

  “Maybe,” he admitted. “But once the city falls, there won’t be a safe place anywhere. This building is strong, and the technology here may have value to whoever is in charge of the army.”

  “Could you use the message drop box?” Rose asked. “Maybe you could let Keith know where we are so he knows where to look for us.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “How about if I watch the kids while you two go downstairs and raid the cafeteria. While you’re gone I’ll send a message to Keith.”

  Lisa looked at her daughters and smiled. “Ok girls, let’s all pack our clothes and move into the computer lab.”

  “I’ll do the same at my place and meet you there.” He had serious doubts about whether Keith had the ability, or would even think to check the database for messages. At that point though, hope was more important than truth.

  *****

  A half-hour later, Liam was in the computer lab with Suzy and Sally. Before sending his message to Keith, he sat the girls down in front of Lucy’s communication portal. “Lucy, can you hear me?” he asked.

  “Yes Liam, I’m here,” she answered. “Are you and Rose safe?”

  “Yeah, we’re fine.” He smiled as the two children stared in wonder at what had to seem like a talking box.

  “Who’s that?” Suzy, the older daughter asked.

  “I’m Lucy, who are you?”

  “I’m Suzy, and this is my little sister Sally.” The little girl looked at Liam. “Where is she? Can she see us?”

  “No, she can’t see you,” he explained. “Lucy is very far away. She lives near one of the stars we see in the sky, but she can hear you just fine.”

  “Oh,” Suzy responded. “How did she get so far away? Can we maybe go stay with her until all the bad men go away?”

  He smiled ruefully. “I wish we could go stay with Lucy, but she flew all the way to her star and it’s too far for us to go.”

  “Is Lucy a bird?” Sally asked.

  “No, I’m not a bird. Oh, you’re such sweet children. They’re little ones, babies, is that right Father?”

  “Yes, they’re very young,” he answered. “I thought you might enjoy ta
lking with them.”

  “Oh, very much, yes.” A sound came from Lucy’s portal that he had not heard before, but he imagined it was the sound of tearful joy.

  “Why don’t you girls tell Lucy all about yourselves while I do some work over in the corner, ok?”

  “Sure Liam,” Suzy answered, then turned toward the portal. “My name is Suzy, and that’s my little sister Sally over there. I’m 8 and she’s two years younger than me. We both have brown hair and brown eyes just like our mother…”

  He smiled as he walked back to his desk, knowing that the girls were entertained and in good hands. At his terminal he typed a message that he hoped would reach Keith before it was too late:

  Keith. Rose and I along with Lisa and her daughters, are hiding in the Technology Center Building near the north city gate. My lab is on the third floor at the west side of the building. It looks like the military and government pulled out of Pike City last night, so we’re all stranded. We’re gathering food and water and plan to wait here until your people can rescue us.

  I don’t know if any of the city’s army stayed behind, but even if they’re all gone, I think a lot of the population will resist your invasion. Those loyal to the government were promised refuge down south in Santa Fe, and I believe that if you just let them escape that they’ll be no further trouble. Without the military and the government behind them, the refugees aren’t a threat. Let them go. The head of the beast has been removed, so just let the body die a peaceful death.

  When your army does get through the city gates, please ask that they show mercy to the population, even to those that resist. They’ve been fed lies about the Tribes and believe that you’re all blood thirsty killers. Their ignorance shouldn’t be a death sentence.

  I hope you get this message in time to find and rescue us. We’re unarmed and won’t stand a chance even if we resist or try to protect ourselves. Again, we’re on the third floor of the tech center. Please find us. Liam.

  *****