A Hero

by Stephen Arseneault

  "What?" A little light went off in my head. Surely it would be enough to pay for sending Denise and Pea home to Demos. "That is fantastic! I can tell you flat out I would rather have found nothing. But this is a big mistake, and it’s what you're paying us to find."

  "You will have the bonus for this in your account by the end of the workday. And I'd like to pull you from the checker group and place you as a supervisor overseeing this work. If that effort is satisfactory, I will look to place you in a permanent supervisory position. If not, you will be back at the checker desk the following day."

  I nodded. "I appreciate your confidence in me, and I assure you I will do the best I can to speed these alterations through and save the company money."

  "See Mrs. Bartholomew upon your return. And then take the remainder of the afternoon off."

  TC pressed a button under his desk. I glanced up at a clock on the wall and noted I had already been working 9 hours. By the time I got back to my desk I would be leaving an hour early at best.

  Two guards came through the door. I was practically lifted from my chair and dragged to the hall before I could get my feet untangled and moving. They dropped me at Bartholomew's office. She immediately escorted me to a new desk in the same room I had been before. She authorized a new user, and I was told to authenticate.

  When the work surface responded with my name, Janet pointed toward the exit. "Go home. The corporation requires supervisors to be in a half hour early."

  I received several dirty looks from the other checkers as I left the floor. It was their mistake not mine. And I wanted to shrug off their discontent. The result though was a feeling of being isolated and alone.

  I startled Denise and Pea when I opened the door to our apartment. Pea ran to me—hugging my leg. I gave Denise a quick kiss.

  "You're home? What happened? Did you see the latest?"

  "Had a big day." I grinned. "And Danny told me about the diplomats."

  "Did he also tell you about the Starn?"

  "The what?"

  "A warship. One of ours. They destroyed the Starn, Ray, a heavy cruiser—when our fleet engaged. It's time our people started kicking some ass."

  Goosebumps stood up on my arms. Losing diplomats and a shuttle was bad news, it made you angry, but a full warship? It was like a sword through my chest. "What? What happened?"

  "During the fight... five hundred and seven lives lost. The entire crew and a contingent of Marines."

  For a moment I felt nauseous. I had big news of my own, but such a loss... it struck at the pride one had of being a human. We revered our military, even though they had not seen war since the Union came together several centuries before.

  "Two other warships were heavily damaged. The aliens limped away, but at a speed that was faster than our ships could manage. Ray, we've got to get out of here. This is beyond serious. This is all-out war!"

  "What do you think it would take for a private charter? Even if it was just someone coming out in their own shuttle? How much would it cost?"

  "I've heard of two such offers. But I also heard there was a scam going around. Someone posing as a pilot with a ship asking for half up front, then disappearing. People here are eager to pay, Ray. They want to leave. Such a horrible thing to do during such a desperate time."

  I growled. "I hadn't even considered theft as a possibility. So, did you hear a price or not?"

  "I heard some were paying as much as thirty thousand credits. That's six month's wages. Or three year's savings if you consider corporate deductions."

  "Not an issue."

  "What?"

  I took Denise by the hands as I sat across the table from her. "I found an error in a drawing today. And it was a big error. It had been propagated more than two thousand times. I just came from TC's office. I wasn't sure if he was going to congratulate me or have me beaten and thrown outside. The errors are going to cost him millions."

  "Your bonus won't be that much."

  "Millions? No. But about the same as a year's salary." I grinned to let it sink in. "Which is why I brought up the charter. I was told to expect that bonus tonight. As soon as that hits our account, I want a charter contract signed and a ship on its way. I don't care if we have to spend the whole amount. And we'll make the pilot prove they can deliver before they see a single credit."

  I leaned back in my chair. "I just wish it didn't take so long for word to get out for them to come, whoever they end up being."

  Denise sat forward with an excited tone. "There are pilots right here on Echelon who are asking forty thousand. They can leave immediately."

  I felt as though a five-hundred-kilogram weight had been lifted off my shoulders. This was it. My wife and child, at least, would be safe. And leaving tomorrow? It could not happen soon enough.

  "See if you can contact whoever it is that made one of those offers. We'll take it. And as soon as the credits are in our account, we'll move them to a joint account that requires both your signature and theirs. When they have Demos in sight you can sign off on the transaction."

  Denise turned to face Pea. "You hear that, sweetie? We're going back to see grandma and grandpa."

  "Is daddy coming with us?"

  It was like a knife through my heart. I suddenly realized I was not going to see my wife and daughter again for at least six months. And knowing TC, he would have quietly rescinded the six-month travel offer when I accepted the new position. But my family would be safe. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

  We started packing up what little clothing and gear we had brought with us. I was excited and at the same time apprehensive and remorseful. I would miss them both—terribly. And now, with my discovery of the errors and my new position, I no longer had anyone at work to call a friend. I doubted Danny would want to talk, nor would he be allowed to if he so desired. I was certain Siegfried already considered me dead.

  We finished the packing and checked at the bank for the funds. They were pending. We hurried over to the cafeteria for our dinner. I was smiling, even though my insides were now in knots thinking about what tomorrow would bring. But I would be strong for Denise. I didn't want the thought of staying to enter her mind, not even for a fleeting moment.

  When we returned to our apartment, Denise got on the comm and got a connection to the charter pilot who was looking for an expensive fare. His eyes lit up when she mentioned she was ready to pay his full price for herself and her daughter. The pilot eagerly accepted, sending the data we would need to open the joint transaction account. I told him to expect confirmation of the transfer shortly. He only gave a two-hour window after which he stated the seats on his ship would again be first come first served.

  "Denise. I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm going out to set this up at the bank."

  I hurried down the hall, quick-stepping my way to the bank only to find a long line of patrons standing in front of the single teller. Most had ambivalent expressions. They had nothing else to do, so standing in line was as good as it got. And it was free.

  My nervous energy and impatient demeanor drew several odd looks. I continuously glanced at my comm to check the time. Ten minutes turned into thirty and then into just over an hour before I got my turn. I explained my needs to the teller.

  Her initial response was a frown. "Sorry."

  — Chapter 10 —

  * * *

  "What?" I pulled my head back in confusion.

  "You don't have the funds, sir," The teller replied.

  "Are you sure? Please check again. They should have been in there by now."

  "It says... hmmm. A deposit was made just over an hour ago. And then withdrawn."

  "Withdrawn? By who?"

  "Whom."

  "What?

  "The proper grammar is by whom."

  "What do I care about that for? Where's my money?"

  "The corporation has it, sir. Aarlis Mining made the deposit and the withdrawal."

  The guy behind me grew agitated. "Hey buddy. Hurry it
up. We've all been waiting."

  I turned and got in his face, something that was utterly out of character. "You got somewhere you need to be?"

  I had never been one of those aggressive people that everyone loved to hate. The man backed down, taking a step backward with his hands raised.

  I spun back to the teller. "So it's gone?"

  "Must have been a mistake. You need anything else?"

  I held up a finger as I opened a comm to TC. "Give me a sec."

  The teller shook her head. "Next!"

  The crowd moved forward, pushing me to the side.

  TC answered. "I thought I might hear from you."

  "What happened to my bonus? Why was it pulled back?"

  "It had come to my attention you were about to use those monies to charter a private craft."

  "How would you know that?"

  "This is my business, Ray. I make it a point to know what my people are up to. I could not risk you using those credits to buy your way home. As I stated earlier, we have a mine to run and important military contracts to maintain. We must retain all employees."

  "I wasn't leaving! I was buying passage for Denise and Pea. I want them off this planet! Why didn’t you just ask me?"

  "If that was the case, you have my apology."

  "So can we get the credits transferred back?"

  "I will have that reversed, but I am sorry to tell you your charter will no longer be available. It has been taken by your former boss."

  "Siegfried?"

  "I terminated Mr. Malonza's contract. He was a few thousand credits shy with his savings, so I made up the difference with a corporate loan. If I'm not mistaken, he will be departing in the next fifteen minutes. Which is just as well, I despise keeping fired employees here any longer than necessary."

  "That ship was for Denise and Pea."

  "Again, you have my apology. I would suggest you purchase the next one in line, but I'm afraid that was the last available. At midnight tonight, a travel curfew goes into effect for all vehicles that are not of a government or military nature. This is not my order but is an order from the Union in response to the attack on the Starn. We are now officially at war."

  I was stopped in thought for several seconds. "Wait. That just happened. How would you get word of such an order out here so fast?"

  "That happened four days ago, Ray. We are just now hearing about it. And the travel alert arrived two hours after that news brief. And I know this will not be welcome news either, but non-governmental and non-corporate communications to and from this colony have been officially shut down. Now. I'm tremendously busy, given the situation. I'll ask you once more to please limit these comms to corporate business."

  The comm closed. I walked back toward my apartment, shuffling my feet. How was I going to tell Denise? She would be livid. I opened the door with a sheepish frown.

  "Something happened?"

  I sighed. "TC happened."

  "What?"

  "He pulled the funds back before I could use them. He was afraid I would be on that charter too. When I told him I wasn't going, he apologized, and then told me the charter was gone. Taken."

  "We missed the window?"

  "Our contract was only verbal. And to top it off, TC gave Siegfried, my former boss, a loan so he could purchase immediate passage on our charter. He also informed me we are now at war and all personal travel between the colonies is being shut down, Union-wide, as of midnight tonight. So, your flight in the morning would not have happened anyway. And to add fuel to that fire, personal comms coming to and going from this colony have been shut down."

  "I'm gonna so kick his ass when I see him." Denise clenched a fist.

  I gently took her by the arms and pulled her close. "Nothing we could have done about it. We're stuck. But I'm not giving up. TC assured me the credits would be back in our account. If the government eases restrictions, I'll get the two of you on the first available shuttle."

  Denise turned to face the display. The expression on her face was anything but healthy. I glanced over at Pea. She was asleep on one of the bunks. I thought about how great it would be to only have the understanding of a child, sweet dreams and no stress. I was envious.

  Before I knew it, almost two weeks of refit effort had gone by. There had been no additional alien incidents. I was up early and in the office by the ordered time. I struggled to convince the people who would be performing the retrofit work to agree to a schedule. Half wanted to push forward with their current active installs, because bonus payments were based on their progress. I had to be the bringer of bad news.

  When I took lunch, I found myself sitting alone. The other checkers were at their usual table, passing the occasional nasty glance my way. Except for Denise and Pea, I was on my own for the foreseeable future. I felt as though the situation on Echelon was only going to get worse.

  It was midafternoon when an image of TC popped up on everyone's display. "Employees of Aarlis Mining. We have good news. As most of you know, the alien raids on the Union have been quiet for several weeks. Four days ago, our forces were in a fight with a group of smaller ships. We disabled one. Our fleet moved in and was able to capture the ship and its crew. It seems we now have a face and a name for our enemies."

  An image of one of the alien creatures appeared on the display.

  "This is a Togmal. They are bipedal with an outer shape that is not too dissimilar to that of our own. As you can see, their skin is a dull, scaly gray, their eyes are wide-set, and they appear to have little hair. At this moment, our knowledge of them, of why they are here, and why they attacked, remains extremely limited. We just don't know what they want, but rest assured our best people are pursuing answers."

  TC shifted in his chair, moving closer to the camera. "What we do know is they are intelligent. They are intelligent enough to build the warships that brought them here. And they are intelligent enough to hide their numbers. Our military has collected data on at least sixteen ships. We also believe they are testing our defenses... and our responses. I can assure you our military is doing all they can to neutralize this threat.

  "Now, I've made this broadcast today to let you know the corporation takes your safety seriously. In four days we will have our own private security, here, defending this colony. We have hired a group who call themselves the 'Eagle's Wing' to protect us. They have highly trained personnel and will be piloting their own warships. I've spoken directly with their CEO and can tell you I was impressed. These are professionals. They will give their lives, if necessary, to protect us all."

  He leaned back in his chair. "I am also here to ask for your re-commitment to our endeavors. The materials we are pulling from these mines are crucial to the defense of the Union. As you know, war against the Togmal has been declared. With that declaration we have seen almost a doubling of the contracts for new ship builds and updates. Some of you may have interest in changing positions, going back to the colonies where these programs will be getting underway shortly.

  "Unfortunately, I can tell you that will not happen. Our government, seeing the urgent need for these materials, has authorized us to keep you here for the foreseeable future. Again, the materials these mines are generating are crucial to the war effort. We are now doing this for the safety and security of the Union and hence—that of our families. All employee contracts that reach their end will be renewed and will remain open-ended until such time as the government lifts this decree. We are officially at war and we expect all citizens to do their part."

  When I arrived back at our apartment, Denise was sitting at the table with her head down. Pea jumped up from the floor and raced to me for a hug. I picked her up for a squeeze and then moved over to the table.

  "What's wrong?" I sat beside Denise with Pea clinging to my chest.

  "I had visitors about an hour ago."

  "Who?"

  "From Aarlis, the Corporation."

  "What'd they want?"

  "A contract."

  "A co
ntract? For what?"

  "For me to become an official employee of the mines. They were adamant that I sign."

  "And did you? Please tell me you didn't."

  "I didn't. But they said they would be back and that I would be signing like everyone else."

  At first I wanted to laugh. I could see TC trying to pull something like this to lock family members into contracts so they would not have the choice of leaving. My second thought was to go directly to the first floor, force my way into his office, and punch him in the face. Instead I took the option of opening a comm.

  TC connected. "Please tell me this is about corporate business."

  "It is. It's about why you sent your goons to harass Denise into signing a contract."

  "Did she tell you this was for her own benefit? And for yours?"

  "And just why would that be?"

  "Because as an employee, an Aarlis Mining life insurance policy will cover her, equal in size to yours. The prior spousal benefit was only five thousand credits. Not even enough, should something awful happen, to send her remains back to Demos for internment."

  "I see it more as a ploy to force family members to stay."

  "I can see your viewpoint, but I can assure you that is not the intent. Read the fine print. I wanted to do something for the families, something that might lessen their stress about our current security situation. I thought this effort might help ease the tension over the four-day gap that remains before the Eagle's Wing arrives. Apparently my 'goons' did a poor job of explaining this. You have my apologies."

  "She won't be signing. Regardless of any phony policy. I'd like your people to leave her alone."

  TC sighed. "Very well. I'll see to it your family is not to be contacted again. Is there anything else?"

  I glanced at Denise for several seconds. "You mentioned before you were working on an evacuation contingency plan. Certainly by now you must have something in place."

  "We do."

  "Then it might serve you well to let the people know. At least so any such evac would happen in a fast and orderly manner."