Alone in the Night

by Richard Tongue

  “I know that,” he said. “Just be careful.”

  “Major?” McBride said.

  “Coming, sir,” the agent said, flashing a smile to Carter as he hurried off down the corridor. Mathis shook his head, watching him leave, then turned to her with a smile.

  “At least we get a chance to talk. Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?”

  “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”

  Chapter 5

  The airlock slid open, and Corrigan watched as Commodore McBride stepped out onto the deck, followed by a tall, blonde woman wearing an unfamiliar uniform and a shorter, slighter redhead sporting a battered technician’s jumpsuit, both of them with pistols ostentatiously at their belts. Major Rojek came last, closing the hatch behind him as he entered the ship.

  “Commodore, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Corrigan said. “I just wish that the circumstances were less critical.”

  “Me too, Bill, me too,” McBride said. “May I introduce Captain Helen Harrison, commander of the good ship Icarus, and Sarah Todorova, one of the leaders of the Atlantean Freedom Party.”

  “My pleasure,” Corrigan said, noting the scowl from Harrison. “This is Lieutenant Alexander Dixon, my second-in-command. Our briefing room is ready, sir, unless you’d like…”

  “I think we should get this over with as soon as possible,” Harrison said. “We’ve got an enemy cruiser hanging close by, and the faster we can return to our mission, the happier I will be.”

  “A sentiment we all share, Captain,” McBride said. “Lead on.”

  Corrigan led the party along the corridor, a door opening at the far end to admit them to the spartan briefing room, holodisplays flickering into life as they entered, showing the local tactical and strategic view. He took his seat at the head of the table, McBride dropping down next to him as the others took their places.

  “So, Commodore, what is all of this about?” Corrigan asked.

  “How familiar are you with Atlantis, Commander?” he replied.

  “I’ve read the reports. One of the Belt’s most profitable extrasolar resource worlds, originally settled by a consortium of Terran corporations before a hostile takeover handed them to the Belt. Population about thirty thousand, mostly second- and third-generation settlers.”

  “More like fifty thousand,” Harrison said. “You call it a hostile takeover. I call it chattel slavery. The colonists were stakeholders, but that didn’t mean a damn thing. They stole our world from us and turned us into serfs, working on their mines, their factories, their dockyards. They pay us next to nothing and force us to work with outdated, dangerous equipment. Tell me, Commander. What’s the average life expectancy on Earth these days?”

  “About a hundred and twenty,” Corrigan said.

  “On Atlantis, it’s nearer forty. Infant mortality is ten times higher than it was before the takeover, rations sixty percent of their previous levels, and everything’s getting worse, not better, especially with the war. As long as they keep the resources flowing, they don’t give a damn about us.”

  “Then you’re hoping we win,” Dixon said.

  “We want to be independent,” Todorova replied. “The last thing we want to do is trade in one dictator for another, and no matter how benign your intentions might be, that is precisely what will happen should Earth take over Atlantis. We’re going to set up as a Free Republic.”

  “How can you…,” Dixon began.

  Shaking his head, Corrigan interrupted, “Never mind that now. I’ll work on the assumption that you realize just what an enormous task you are setting for yourselves, but on the principle of first things first, you’ve got to actually overthrow the local garrison.”

  “We’re almost ready,” Todorova said. “We have agents scattered in key locations, and we’ve suborned the local computer network. All that we’re missing is the weaponry to complete the takeover, and we can wipe out every bastard Belter on the planet. Secure our independence.”

  Frowning, Rojek replied, “You said you needed weapons. Earth would be more than happy to provide suitable equipment from our storage depots, and there’d be no charge, no commitment to anything post-war other than the knowledge that we’d helped you out when it mattered.”

  “And more up-to-date than anything you’ll find out here,” Corrigan added. “I’m guessing that this depot you’re heading for is from the Late Nationalist era? Fifty or more years old? That’s a long, long time in weapons technology. I’m not saying they won’t work, but I think we can do better.”

  Nodding, Dixon said, “Not to mention perishable items. Medical kits, ration packs, combat suits. There’s a whole plethora…”

  “We’re not here for hand weapons,” McBride said. “Captain Harrison, they need to know. They’re going to be involved in this, whether you like it or not. You trust me. Trust him.”

  “I’ve got a reason to trust the Commodore,” Harrison replied.

  “Just how did you get involved in all of this, anyway,” Dixon asked. “At last report, the Triton Convoy was scattered to the solar winds, and we haven’t heard anything from any of you for months. You were written off as lost.”

  “We were,” McBride said. “Someone betrayed us to the Belt. I still don’t know who. The convoy was wiped out. We never had a chance. I gave the order to abandon ship, and the Belters picked up the escape pods.”

  “Among other things,” Harrison added, “the Belters decided to use Atlantis as a prison camp for high-priority workers. We managed to sabotage the shuttle they were using as a transport. As far as the Belt know, everyone on board was killed in the crash, the shuttle burned up, but we managed to rescue a few of the prisoners before the end. Including the Commodore.”

  “I’ve been working with the local resistance for the last three months, culminating in the capture of Icarus for this mission,” McBride said. “And to put your mind at ease, I have not made any commitments to the future of Atlantis, though I do intend to speak on their behalf to the Senate when all of this is over. If we follow the same course as the Belt, this war is pointless.”

  “Where do you stand, Commander?” Harrison asked. “Be honest. What do you think about our plans for independence? Before I share with you the full details of the mission, I’d very much like to know what you think of it.”

  “Bluntly, Captain, I think you are out of your mind. You are totally dependent on an interstellar supply chain, and without access to any one of a hundred resources that you can’t get on Atlantis, you’d be dead in a matter of years. At best. Independence might be a goal for the future, but in practical terms, I just don’t think it realistic. Nor do I think you could possibly make your independence stick in the short-term. Not with a collection of decades-old hand weapons to work with.”

  She smiled, then said, “Ah, you have identified the flaw. What if I were to tell you that we had figured out an answer to that?”

  “You’ve got a fleet of starships in your pocket somewhere?” Dixon replied. “If you’re hoping for reinforcements from Earth, I think you’re being wildly optimistic. The Interstellar Squadron is still building up, and they won’t risk it on a long-shot mission like this.”

  “Tell me, Lieutenant, what do you know about the Russian Remnant?”

  “Say that again?” Dixon asked. “Sounds like a prog-rock group”. “I take it history isn’t your specialty,” Todorova replied.

  With a smile, Corrigan said, “One of the last of the Nationalist groups to fall during the wars, based around parts of the old Russian Federation. They had a very active space force, and carried on fighting for months after they lost the last of their holdings on Earth.”

  “That’s about right,” Todorova replied. “What isn’t in the history books is that they were planning to continue the fight into extrasolar space. Atlantis was one of the worlds settled by their people, and some of them ended up there after the war. They left the depot we’re out here to find. More importantly, they left an inventory.”

  “
And just what gifts did your illustrious forebears leave you?” asked Dixon. “It can’t be…”

  “A complete orbital defense system.”

  “What?” Rojek said, eyes wide. “You can’t be serious. Those cost a not-so-small fortune, and to leave one cached…”

  “The Remnant forces were planning to set up operations on a world somewhere out in the dark. I don’t know where.” Todorova frowned, then added, “Possibly they didn’t either. Their efforts came to nothing after the last of their forces were defeated in the Battle of Titan. And the satellites, as well as a few other interesting items, have been sitting in storage since then.”

  “Just what sort of network are we talking about?” Corrigan asked.

  “Six missile satellites, a fabricator, six sensor satellites and everything required for planetary installation. All up to the state of the art. Of fifty-five years ago, anyway. Which I suppose is about the best we can hope for. We can load it onto Icarus, and once we free Atlantis, deploy the network to hold out against any attacks from the Belt. That’s why we’re here.”

  Nodding, Harrison added, “We stole the ship right out of an orbital dock, and we almost managed to get clear of the system before anyone could follow us. I’m afraid that Ajax was quicker than we thought. She came after us, and you can bet that they’ve already called for reinforcements. We’re going to have to move, and quickly.”

  “Not only that,” Dixon mused, “the Belters will undoubtedly throw more forces into the defense of Atlantis, strengthen the garrison, update the local computer network, a thousand other things that will make your revolt that much harder to pull off. This is a hell of a gamble, Captain.”

  “We’re all aware of that, but given that the lives of our children are at stake, we’re willing to take the risks. We all know where this is going, sooner or later. We’re just cattle to the Belters. Trained slaves. It will get worse, and life on Atlantis is going to be more and more unbearable. We can’t let that happen. We can’t.”

  “And we won’t,” McBride said. “Commander, up to this point I have accepted your conditions on the basis of security. I presume that you have already run a full check on the people I brought with me, as well as running lie detector programs on the recordings that according to regulations you are not meant to be making.”

  With a thin smile, Corrigan replied, “I’ve got a job of my own to do, Commodore, a big one. To disrupt Belter supply lines, to hit them hard in unexpected fronts, buying time for us to win the war.”

  “This seems like as good a way as any of completing that mission, Commander,” McBride replied. “Taking Atlantis out of the war will do serious damage to the Belter economy, as well as set up some potentially strong diplomatic and trading relationships with a friendly power in the post-war environment. We’ve got to think about tomorrow as well as today.” He paused, then said, “I’m still your superior officer, Bill. I’m afraid this is the way that things are going to be.”

  Nodding, Harrison added, “Icarus will retrieve the cached equipment, and our engineering teams, working with your liaison, will work out whether it can be quickly placed into a usable condition. Assuming that is so, we will then leave the system under your protection and return to Atlantis, launch our revolution and free our people.”

  “You, Commander, will then be responsible for the installation and testing of the defense network, and the protection of the planet until that is completed. After which you can continue your mission as before. Is that understood?”

  Corrigan glanced at Rojek, and said, “Up to a point, sir, but I want to make one thing clear at the outset. I think this plan is extremely risky, and while I admit that the potential payoff justifies it, I will not place my ship at extreme hazard if there is no chance of success. What that means, sir, is that if I think the mission has failed, that there is no chance of securing the independence of Atlantis, I will pull out and leave without a second thought.”

  “Coward,” Harrison spat.

  “It’s a big galaxy, Captain, and this war is being fought across dozens of light-years. My job is to buy time for Earth to mass a large enough fleet of ships to defeat the Belt. If this is going to help that happen, then I’m in. If not, then I must think of my mission first.”

  McBride cracked a smile, and said, “You really haven’t changed, have you. Thank God.”

  “Neither have you, sir.”

  Nodding, he replied, “Then I think we have an understanding. We proceed as planned, and see how the dice fall. Maybe we can shave a few months off this war, right here. In any event, we’re going to try.”

  Chapter 6

  Carter and Mathis walked down the long central corridor of Icarus, coffee in hand, each waiting for the other to open the conversation, both reluctant to take the first move.

  “How did you…,” he asked. “I knew you were assigned to Avenger, but I thought that was a shipyard appointment. I figured you’d be stuck in that orbital madhouse for the duration.”

  “I might have been,” she replied, “if Commander Corrigan hadn’t, well, stolen her.” At his stare, she added, “It was a deep-cover Intelligence mission. The idea was to convince the Belt that Avenger was outside Fleet control. It worked, as well, after a fashion.”

  “So you’re working for Fleet Intelligence now?”

  “No more than the rest of the crew,” she replied. “They didn’t actually tell me what was happening. I tried to stop Corrigan and the others from taking the ship, but I ended up going along for the ride. I’m Second Officer and Chief Engineer now. Which is a damned sight better than I’d expected.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “I never thought I’d ever see you again. When they caught up with us at Triton…” His face darkened, and he added, “We were betrayed. Someone leaked our flight plan to the enemy. I only hope that they paid for it with their lives. More than a thousand people on those ships, and I don’t think one in ten made it out. And all of us captured.”

  “Are the others on Atlantis?”

  “No, they sorted out anyone they thought might be of special use, special importance, something like that. Department heads, key personnel, that sort of thing. They shipped us out to Atlantis to some special camp they were setting up for senior officers.”

  “The technician…”

  “Anyone with mining experience went as well. I think they were going to put them to work with the rest of the population. There were ten of us on that ship. Eight officers, two enlisted. Four of us made it out. The resistance hit it. Trying to free us. It didn’t go well.” He sighed, and added, “Not that I blame them for it. They did what they could, and I hate to think what Commodore McBride might have leaked under interrogation.”

  “Four of you? Where’s the other one?”

  “She died last month. Engineering Officer from Endurance. She was on a hit and run raid to take out a sensor relay. She didn’t make it back.”

  “And the rest of you?”

  “We help out where we can. Though we’re a little limited in what we can do. Old Mac’s been spending most of his time working on planning this operation. He couldn’t exactly work out in the open. I was doing some raiding, training auxiliaries, that sort of thing.” A pair of technicians walked past them, glaring at Carter.

  “They seem friendly,” she quipped.

  “You can’t blame them if they aren’t in a particularly trusting mood,” he replied. “They’re fighting for their lives, and they don’t trust Earth much more than they trust the Belt. Under the circumstances, trust is a very precious, very expensive commodity. They’ve got to be careful.”

  She looked at him, then said, “They tried to hold Major Rojek and me hostage, Claude. That’s a little more than just normal care.”

  “They’re overzealous. I agree with you on that. It wasn’t called for. Captain Harrison’s one of the worst of them. She lost her husband and her daughter in a mining accident last year. Old equipment, unsafe conditions. They’ve been through the sort of hell we ca
n’t even imagine, Cat. And they’ve come out fighting.”

  “You admire them?”

  “Damn right. There’s a lot to admire, and we’re going to give them the freedom they want. Atlantis is going to be a free planet, no matter what the Belt, or for that matter Earth think about it.”

  She frowned, and said, “That sounds as though you’re giving second thoughts to the oaths we both swore. Remember?”

  “Of course I do, and I’m still loyal to Earth, still loyal to the cause, but that doesn’t mean I can’t work for the freedom of Atlantis as well. They’ve got the right to determine their own destiny. I think they’ve earned it.” He paused, and he said, “It must have been tough, back on Earth, when you heard…”

  “Oddly, it wasn’t,” she replied. At his expression, she added, “I knew you weren’t dead. Don’t ask me how, I just knew it. Though I figured you were probably in a prison camp somewhere. What happened to the others?”

  “Like you said, a prison camp, but I don’t know where. They split us all up at Triton, when they captured the escape pods. There didn’t seem to be that much logic involved. Just expediency. I’ve tried to find out more details, but I can’t get anything. I do know that the idea of a prison camp at Atlantis was canceled, though. There’s just a big empty building that they’d almost finished converting, before they gave up. Maybe we’re having some impact. Though it’s hard to tell.”

  “I’m sure you are,” she replied. “I’m sure you are.”

  “So,” he said, “how goes the war?”

  “In general?” she asked, “Nowhere. Earth’s firmed up its defenses, and is working on building up her ships, but you know that much, I guess. There haven’t been any major offensives since you were captured, and until the odds are more in our favor, there aren’t going to be, either.”

  “Except for your mission,” he replied.

  “I can’t go into details on that, Claude. You know that.”

  He shook his head, and said, “I don’t think anyone around here is going to talk, but I suppose rules are rules, even when we’re fighting for our lives.” They reached the end of the corridor, an observation port that looked out into the billions of drifting rocks, and he continued, “Tell me about Corrigan.”