by Mark Tufo
“Sir? What—” the private began to ask.
“Private!” Paul shouted. The young man ceased talking and asking questions. “Do it. Do it now,” Paul said with as much determination as he could without yelling.
The private knew something huge was going on but, he could not grasp the meaning. All he knew was that if Major Wagner didn’t have this message in the next five minutes, he most likely would be facing a firing squad, he was halfway down the corridor before he realized he had forgotten to acknowledge the general. “Sir!” he screamed, to no avail, the General had left the hallway almost as quickly as he had.
***
Ground Headquarters Eastern Region
“Devastator Commander Turval.” Troop Leader Urlack stood in the doorway, his hulking mass nearly taking up the entire doorframe. The commander could not stand the abomination that stood before him, half Genogerian half Progerian, it was a wonder he had been let into the officer ranks. If Urlack's father had not been a high cabinet member it would’ve never happened. He would have died long ago in the games to one of his bigger cousins on the geno side.
“What do you want, Urlack?” The lack of proper rank identification a definite insult.
A small snarl spread over Urlack’s snout. It was something he had been working on for years, to not show the insults got under his hide. In the early days, he had attacked his then commanding officer nearly ripping his arm off before being subdued. That stint had cost him nearly a partring (a Progerian year) in jail even with his father’s influence. Any lesser Geno he knew would have been unceremoniously shot in the head. The commander who had gotten nearly nine hundred brave soldiers killed was not worthy of his title and if they were not in the midst of a war he would openly challenge the useless svark to a duel. Not a ceremonious one; no, it would be the kill or be killed variety.
“Commander,” Urlack snarled, “do you want me to call in an air strike on the location that the hu-man circled on the map?”
Devastator Commander Turval almost paled his huge maw opened in a show of aggression. Urlack did not submit, which further infuriated his commander. “You will do no such thing, underling!!” Turval spat. “I will not let those air dogs claim victory when I am so near to eradicating this troublesome species!”
Urlack knew his boundaries. He also knew when he stepped over them. “Eight hundred and ninety-two dead and another hundred and twenty on an emergency ship does not sound like a near victory.”
Turval stood, rage emanating from features. “Abomination! I will not have you speak to me like that!” he spat. “Your mother I can understand for wanting to procreate above her station. Your father, however, should have drowned you as a whelp!”
Urlack launched himself in the air before the mood dampeners he had set in his mind all those years could even begin to take effect. Turval was a huge Progerian by any standard and had been in the military almost his entire adult life but he quickly found himself on the losing side against an opponent nearly half again his size with an unchecked rage. Urlack paused as the first of the stun rays impacted his body. It took eight more before he finally collapsed in a heap. Turval’s bodyguards stood in amazement, the most any geno had ever taken was four stuns and that had nearly killed him. A human couldn’t take even one full charge without most of his major muscle groups shredding apart from the shock. But there was Urlack on the ground looking at them all with a ferocity that still burned in his eyes. Turval pulled himself off the desk he had been slammed upon and walked over to Urlack. “You know, I was going to have a couple of gunships hang back and use them if the hu-mans proved to be more resilient than I think they are. But instead, just for you,” he emphasized. “I am going to amass the largest geno army yet on this planet and march them straight into the teeth of whatever defense these hairless apes have left and you will lead them. I will win, but it will be a costly battle with thousands upon thousands of brave Genos dying. I will be considered a legend by the time this is over. Thousands of your half brothers will die because of your stupidity and I will be doing everyone a favor; ridding the earth of the lice that now inhabit it and reducing the numbers of our lesser cousins. That we share even some of the same genome disgusts me. When my people had the opportunity, those partrons ago they should have taken a lesson from the hu-mans and just eradicated your kind.”
Urlack struggled to get up, his muscles still spasming from the after effect of the shock. Turval involuntarily backed up. A small victory, Urlack thought, but a victory nonetheless.
“They will sing songs about me, Urlack, when word of this battle gets back to our home planet. I will probably become a Supreme-Commander when this is done. And all at the expense of the Genogerians!” Turval roared in laughter. “Put him in jail, unharmed. I want him to live long enough to lead his men and watch as I rise on the broken backs of his kindred.”
Urlack was helpless as he was dragged away from Turval’s office. He was two hallways away before he couldn’t hear Turval’s echoing laughter. Hatred boiled over, but he tried to relax as much as possible. To fight the shock was the worst possible solution; let it course through him and out was the only way to be rid of it. He had practiced more than once, realizing that this day or at least one like it was only a matter of time for someone like him. He calmed himself even further, going as limp as was Genogerianally possible, his dead weight making matters difficult for the guards. Urlack waited until the hallway was clear before he made his move—the speed in which he moved completely caught the guard to his left by surprise, he never had a chance as Urlack reached one hand behind his neck and the other around his jaw, the short quick movement was punctuated with a loud crack as the guard’s neck snapped. The guard dragging Urlack’s right arm found himself against the far wall before he was able to take his next breath. One of the rear guards had just brought his stun weapon up to the ready when Urlack brought his mighty fists to bear on the somewhat sensitive snout. The guard crumpled to the floor without ever firing a shot. The second rear guard was attempting to figure out which of the three stun weapons he was carrying could be fired the quickest. His thoughts were completely interrupted as the first blast caught him center mass. Urlack shot him twice more for good measure. The guard against the far wall was beginning to stir when Urlack shot him in the head effectively scrambling his thought processes for the rest of what would be a short existence. Urlack cursed himself for what he done as he surveyed the damage around him. He had let his emotional geno side take over from the cold calculating Progerian side. He had no plan, he had just made damn sure he couldn’t stay there. It didn’t matter now that his father was a supreme ruler, Urlack would be shot on sight. But where was he going to go? The planet was as hostile environment as he had ever stepped foot on. In the end, he had to take the only chance available to him. He grabbed some weapons and headed for the outer perimeter, concocting a viable story as to why he needed to leave the safety zone. He was no more than fifty yards from the make-shift demarcation zone when the alarm was sounded.
Well, no turning back now, he thought as he casually strolled on. The guards were focusing all their attention on the perceived hu-man threat they thought was approaching rather than the lunatic officer that was rapidly retreating from view.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Tracy waited in her quarters until she just couldn’t take it anymore. Mike hadn’t come at all, was he with Beth? Already? She couldn’t believe he would just abandon her—could he? She wanted to go straight to his quarters but she didn’t think she could take it if he wasn’t alone. She went to the cafeteria first and bought a cup of coffee, trying to make it look like she had come specifically for that and wasn’t wandering around aimlessly like a lost puppy. She hated herself for having those feelings, but there they were and she couldn’t do anything but deal with it. She was attempting to cool the coffee off when she spotted Mike at an intersection right outside the eatery, her heart skipped. He was clearly talking to someone, but she couldn’t tell who because the
person was in the other hallway. She walked as casually as she could which more resembled a speed walk. Mike never turned, he hadn’t even noticed her. She was close enough to hear him now.
“I love you too,” she heard him say. Her coffee splashed to the floor as Mike turned her way.
“Oh, hey Tracy. I was just coming to see you,” Mike said with a genuine smile on his face.
That caught her off guard. She hadn’t seen a genuine smile from him since she’d known him.
Did Beth give him that smile? She was furious and confused. Confused because he honestly looked happy to see her, he didn’t look like someone who had just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
“Who were you talking to?” She tried her best to not let the rage that threatened to overtake her show in her words.
“Huh? Oh, that was my brother.” He smiled.
Her face flushed with relief. Mike stooped over to try to salvage some of her coffee, but it was to no avail.
“Come on, I’ll buy you another cup. Figuratively, we don't have to pay for shit here.” He answered when she looked at him strangely.
“Don’t bother, I didn’t really want that one,” she said. Mike looked at her quizzically.
“Well, then come on I’ve gotta get some napkins from the counter so I can clean that mess up.”
“Uh-huh,” she managed to get out.
Mike finished picking up the spillage. "Come on let's go to my quarters I've got some things I'd like to discuss with you."
After five minutes of talking with Mike, Tracy’s mood did reach the rage threshold, but not for the reason she would have guessed.
“Don’t think I’m stupid, Mike!” she yelled.
Mike backed up a step, wary of her fury. “Hold on, hold on,” he said putting his hands up for emphasis and partly for defense should he need to. “I never said you were stupid.”
She didn’t let him finish. “Just because the orders are coming from General Ginson—” Her tone getting angrier—“this idea reeks of you!” she said and violently thrust her finger toward his sternum. He was glad that he had the foresight to back up, he was pretty sure she put enough force in that finger to lodge it up to the first knuckle in his chest.
“Hold on,” he pleaded again. “I came up with that idea, but there were a few other people at the table. Paul, I mean, the general had to pick the one that made the most sense for everyone.”
Her edge didn’t ebb in the slightest. “This doesn’t make the most sense for me!” she yelled even louder. “The heaviest resistance battle this planet may ever see and you want me to lead a legion of doomed refugees to where? To what?” she screamed.
“That’s only if my initial plan fails. Tracy you’ve got to take it down a notch,” Mike tried.
“Don’t tell me what to do,” she said as Mike tried to draw her close. Partly to calm her down but mostly to try to quiet her down. Him she could yell at, but to take away what little hope the civilians had was unacceptable. “And speaking of your ‘initial plan’,” she spat the words out. “What are you thinking?”
“I do what I have to, Tracy. You’re an officer, you’re a leader. Now is your time to lead these people to safety. I told you what is going on. If I should fail, to stay here is absolute suicide. Those ‘doomed refugees’ include my brother. I am putting my family in your hands.”
“Don’t try to turn this,” she said, her posture easing. “This has nothing to do with protecting these people, it has to do with you trying to get rid of me.” A small tear began to form in her eye—that pissed her off almost more than Mike.
“I’m not trying to get rid of you, Tracy. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Ah, so the truth comes out.” Almost making good on her threat to put her index finger through Mike’s sternum. “I don’t need your protecting, Mike,” she said. “I’m a big girl now. I made it all this way all by myself.”
“Ok-ok,” he plead. “This is about me.”
She looked at him waiting for him to clarify. Mike’s mouth went dry as he fought to find the words to explain what he was feeling.
“Tracy, you and I both know the odds of my raid aren’t good, it isn’t quite a death sentence but I wouldn’t put any money down on it, either.” She nodded minutely. “There is no way I will be able to be an effective part of the mission if I’m constantly thinking about your safety. I need to know that if push comes to shove you will get out of here, that you will survive. That means more to me than anything else.”
“Mike.” Her tone softened as she watched the pain cross his face. She grabbed his face in her hands and stroked him softly. “I was a Marine before I met you, I’m a Marine now, and I want to go out a Marine. There is no way I would be an effective part of the mass exodus if I had to constantly worry about you. If you die, I die.” Mike nodded. He knew he had lost, the only way he was going to get her to leave with the civilians was in chains.
“Fuck,” Mike said softly.
“I knew you’d see it my way.” Tracy smiled.
For nearly an hour and half they explored each other's bodies in a tantric bliss, almost in direct contrast to the loud fight they just had, their lovemaking was quiet, part need, part desire. They held each other long after their climactic ends. They both knew this was most likely the last time and they both wanted to savor it like a vintage French wine.
Tracy left an hour later. Mike had almost finished dressing when there was a knock on his door.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO - Mike Journal Entry 19
“Did you forget something?” I said as I opened the door. My expression froze. Beth stood in the doorway. Recognition flashed across her eyes, but she moved on as skillfully as a cat skirts water.
“Expecting someone else?” she asked sensuously.
“I—ah—hey, Beth. What brings you this way?” I asked, knowing I had done nothing wrong but still feeling like I was guilty of something.
“I came to see you. Do you really need to ask?” she asked, looking hurt. "And what’s this rumor I’ve been hearing that we’re leaving?”
“That's classified information Beth." I told her shock in my voice.
“So it is true.” She smiled. “Give me another chance, Mike,” she pleaded.
I tried to stay stone-faced but it was no use, I was a person who had worn my heart on my sleeve since I could crawl, changing now was not going to be an option.
“You know, Mike, people can say a lot when they say nothing at all.”
I still was unable to form anything reasonably coherent. Beth reached out and grabbed my hand. I didn’t resist, but I didn’t help her, either. This was driving me nuts, less than five minutes ago I was holding the girl of my every dreams in my arms, the complete love I felt for Tracy couldn’t even allow the thought of Beth to creep in, so why now was Beth the only thing I could think of?
“Beth, I don’t want you here,” I said woodenly.
Something akin to pain flitted across Beth’s features. She moved past it with alarming speed. “I know that’s not what you mean, Mike. I can tell by the pulse racing through your hand.”
I pulled my hand back like electric current was running through it. “Mike, we were meant to be together.” My face softened. Beth pressed her attack. She was in a winner take all battle with Tracy and she was determined to win. What she wasn’t taking into account was I was not the boy she had first fallen in love with. The two years of constant battle had hardened me, well maybe not my heart but definitely my psyche. One thing that I did not respond to well was attack. The fight or flight hard wiring was tuned to the max in me, unfortunately I was woefully short in the ‘flight’ part, My first and only instinct now when attacked was: fight. And my instinct was beginning to hum with the high voltage coursing through me. But this wasn't a traditional fight, I didn't know what my next course of action should be. I didn't want to argue or flee, but I couldn't risk being with her.
“We had something special, Mike,” Beth said moving past the doorfra
me.
I held my ground, if she was able to cross the line the battle might well be over before it began.
“Beth, I can’t do this now,” I offered.
“If not now, when?” Beth asked, knowing full well that our time together was going to be measured in days at best, hours at worst.
“Beth, I’ll never be able to repay you for the strength you gave me on that ship. You’re the reason I made it through.”
I was unable to finish as Beth cut in. “Stop it, Mike.” Her vehemence made me give a step. “I am not some mystical figure who granted you some super powers!” she screamed. What you did, you did on your own.” I was stung taking the wrong meaning from her words. Beth must have seen the confusion in my eyes and explained further. “No… no, Mike, not what you’re thinking. I’m saying those things… wait, it’s coming out wrong. The determination, the strength, the will to survive—that came from within you. If you used me as a focus for that, I’ll take credit, but everything else was you and you alone. Nobody could have done what you did and come out even half the man they were when they entered, but not only did you survive, you grew. People can feel it radiate off you, they see you and they see hope. They see what we can all become, what we can all overcome. If one person could take on an entire starship and survive what are the possibilities of three thousand. Even your big green friend—”
“Drababan,” I interjected.
“Right, Drababan,” she continued. “Even an alien life form can see something different in you. Can’t you forgive me for taking longer to see what everyone else does? I knew you before the transformation, I guess I just didn’t know what I was looking at. While everyone else was watching the butterfly I was still looking for the caterpillar.”
“Listen, I’m not so sure about the analogy, but I’ve definitely changed. And at a time when I was clinging to my sanity, you abandoned me.” Beth kept eye contact as long as she could before erupting in tears.
