“That’s good news,” Trent looked around. “We can contact them and they can meet us halfway with one of the Pills while they rush the other to the ship attacking them.”
Hal shook his head.
“Now what?”
“The Pills cannot be transported separately. The device containing them prevents their decay. Once removed from the casing, their half-life is measured in your hours.”
“Christ,” Simms muttered. “We can only attempt to save one home world at a time. Still, the Bearcat home world is much closer to a gate. They could launch their counterattack while we’re in transit. That way, we can maximize our time.”
Hal twisted his lips. “You could take that course of action, but I’d strongly recommend against it.”
“Why?” Amanda crossed her arms. “They are our friends and allies. They deserve a chance to save their world, and they might as well do it while we’re on our way.”
“I have an intimate understanding of both your species. After all, I’m entangled with every atom that makes up every member of your races.” His head flipped from side to side. “And I know your histories better than you know them. Using this data, I’ve calculated that if the Bearcats attempt to eliminate the Keeper vessel attacking their home world first, there is a ninety-seven percent probability that they will destroy the device holding the Pills without eliminating the ship over their planet. Thus, if they go first...”
“We’re both dead anyway.” Trent sighted.
“Precisely.” Hal stopped and pointed. “If you go first, I’m confident there is only a fifty-six percent chance you will lose both Pills during your attempt. It’s a matter of ingrained mentalities as well as strategic and tactical history. Remember, after all, you were winning the war between your peoples, despite beginning the conflict in a far weaker position. There is a greater chance of success if humanity is the vanguard in this counterattack.”
“You realize what you’re saying?” Trent swallowed. “They’re not just going to hand over the Pills and let us go first while their home planet dies.”
“Indeed. I believe your intentions will be deduced before you can peacefully acquire the Pills, which have been studied for several years by a team of gifted scientists. You will have to fight to gain control of them.”
“Wait a second.” Trent pointed at Hal. “If you’re entangled with every atom in the galaxy and you want us to destroy the Keepers, why didn’t you warn us about them or give us this information once they presented themselves? This side trip is costing us a lot of time...and lives.”
“Simulations require data and can still only tell so much.” Hal shrugged. “I didn’t want to reveal my existence until I found a race I believed could defeat my enemy. I’ve held hope for centuries that humanity would be that people, and your war against the Bearcats and invasion of Kitright Prime convinced me that you are.”
“Okay, I can understand that.” Trent held his hands wide. “But why make us come here?”
“He needed us.” Amanda crossed her arms and stared at Hal. “He was under siege by a group he couldn’t trust and needed us to free him. Isn’t that right?”
“Nothing in this universe is free, Sergeant Roth. I required your aid to ensure my own survival. I will not apologize for that. If I’d given you what you needed and asked for your help to clear my chamber of that veil filth, I doubt I would’ve been a high priority.” He shrugged. “Now I am happy to tell you everything you need to know to save your people. Information is only part of the equation, though.” He narrowed his eyes. “You must be willing to do what must be done to secure the Pills.”
“Trent...” Amanda said before a raised palm shut her down.
A sudden migraine injected a terrible pain into his skull. Trent hung his head as he massaged his eyes, temples, and neck. When will this end? I’m tired of war, of death. Sick of it! Every step forward is another two back. Now I have to go to war against the Bearcats. Against my Clan! More innocent blood. But what choice do we have? What chance do any of us have if we fail? He let out a sigh thick with disgust and steadied his stance. “Okay, tell us what we need to know. We’ve got a mission to get to.”
“Listen carefully.” Hal’s eyes narrowed. “There is much I need to tell you, especially about what will happen when you enter the containment field aboard the Keeper ship.”
Chapter Nineteen
Heavy is the Head
Trent bolted from the chamber, heading for the nearest building. Each step slammed into the gravel, stirring the pebbles, broadcasting his anger and frustration. Amanda hurried to keep pace while the rest of the group held back. He entered a storage shed and stood still until Amanda closed the door behind her.
Out of sight, he moved toward a long table and flipped it over. Containers flew everywhere, crashing onto the floor with clangs and bangs.
He carried on, venting a mountain of rage and pent-up stress by kicking and punching everything in reach. Finding the exercise futile, he circled and tipped his head back, letting loose a terrible roar.
Amanda had stood by the door, silent and motionless until he finished. “Now that that’s out of the way, what’s the plan, general? Are we really going to attack a Bearcat colony?” She crossed her arms. “I’m not comfortable with that.”
His sharpened gaze cut into her. “You’re not comfortable with that!” He gasped. “How the hell do you think I feel? Hido gave his life to save Susan and now I might have to kill God knows how many of his people to save Earth. To save us both!”
“I’m sorry.” Her eyes lowered. “I didn’t mean to sound judgmental or imply that this is easy for you.”
He kicked a box across the room. “I’m so tired of this shit! It’s just one crappy choice after another. Humans fighting humans and now, after we’ve managed to make peace with them, it’s going to be humans fighting Bearcats again.” He flopped onto the floor.
Amanda approached. “Do you think he’s right? I mean, can we really trust this Hal AI anyway?”
“Can we really afford not to? Our intel said we’d find answers here and we have. He’s given us our only chance to defeat the Keepers. We can’t ignore his advice, no matter how disgusted it makes us feel. The stakes are too high. Morals are a luxury in this situation. Our souls are forfeit if that’s what it takes to save humanity.”
He hammered a fist onto the floor, rallying his own nerve. “We’re Earth legionnaires! We do whatever it takes to achieve victory, to protect our species. We don’t give out medals in the Legion, because nothing is above and beyond the call of duty!”
She snapped into rigid attention, trying to show her support. “What are your orders, sir?”
“Cut the crap, Amanda. I’m still me.” He picked himself up. His clenched fists relaxed, breathing returned to normal and he cleared his throat. “We’re packing up and moving out ASAP. Start ferrying troops back up to the Fist. We don’t have many shuttles left, so it’ll take longer.” He paused, sinking into deep thought. Sighing, he continued. “Of course, we don’t have many troops left, either. We don’t even have the forces we’ll need to secure the Pills. We’ll have to make a pit stop to reinforce.”
“What are we doing with the research staff, POWs, and the armed enemy?”
Trent waved off the questions. “They’re all staying here for now. We’ve disarmed the POWs and will do the same to the other soldiers. They’re listening to that York guy well enough to keep them in line. The staff is still well-supplied, and besides, now that Hal is talking, I doubt we could get them to leave at gun-point if we tried.”
He shook his head. “No, they’re not our concern. We’ve got bigger issues to deal with. At best, it’ll be going on two years before we can relieve Earth. Even longer to save the Bearcat home world. We need to move as fast as we can. Every day we delay means more die.”
She nodded. “Let’s get moving, then.”
***
Acting-Sergeant Braun hurried to patch together his Super Heavy unit well
enough for it to walk onto a shuttle. If it couldn’t move on its own power, it would be left behind. To him, that was not acceptable. It would be almost like cutting off a leg to save time. The neural-interface between man and machine made super heavy drivers oddly attached to their equipment.
Private Tanya Lee slapped a panel in place on her unit and reached for a can of sealant. “I can’t believe we’re just bugging out of here. After everything we went through to take this place, we’re what, here half a day? Not even. It’s bullshit.”
“We didn’t come here to take a planet.” He tested a circuit. “We needed information to help Earth and the fact that we’re leaving so quick is a good thing. The general found what he was looking for and there’s no point in wasting time here.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” She applied a streak of foam along a crack, playfully flipping the can in her hand when finished. “I’m just in a bad mood. I’m still not over these assholes we had to fight to get what we needed. I say we nuke ‘em on our way out. Why should they get to live after committing treason?”
“Above our pay-grade, private. Start focusing on things that affect you directly.”
“Like what?”
“Like having to go up against the Bearcats again.”
She stared straight at him. “You really think those rumors are true? Didn’t we just finish fighting a whole bunch of battles with them? Isn’t Maxwell like one of them, or something to do with joining some Clan of theirs?”
Braun kept his eyes glued to the task at hand. “All I know is I’ve been ordered to adjust our squad’s friend or foe systems to categorize Bearcats as foe.” He locked eyes with her for a second.
“Holy shit.”
“Yep, so get to work. If you thought those Kitright drones or the Krakens were tough, you’ll have a surprise waiting for you when you go toe to toe with a main battle tank. I only had to face the Bearcats in my first deployment, and I thanked God when I learned about our alliance. Those bastards are just as tough and five times as smart as anything you’ve fought.” He sucked in a breath and paused. “I can’t imagine what the hell is going on that we’re now fighting them again. “
She turned her full attention to her unit. “It’s a fucked-up universe, sarge.”
“It sure is.”
***
Gabriel was on a delicate mission, assigned to him personally by Amanda. He found his target exactly where he expected, on a desolate ridge spotted with the fresh scars of battle. He approached quietly but harbored no illusions he was actually sneaking up on the objective.
“You’ve been sent to fetch me, I take it.” Simms didn’t bother to turn around.
“More like to make sure you’re okay.” He came closer but stopped a meter back. “We’re getting close to pulling out, though, and Amanda wanted me to find you without making a big deal about it.”
Simms remained a silent statue for a minute before Gabriel spoke again. He’d have liked to give his friend all of the time in the world, but war waits for no man. “I’m going to miss her. She was a good friend and one hell of a soldier.”
“She died right here,” Simms blurted out with a frightening lack of emotion. “I held her right here as the life slipped from her body.” He looked at his hands. “I could feel her slipping away. I held her tighter, but I wasn’t strong enough. I almost got my cohort wiped out because I wasn’t strong enough to deal with her loss.” He turned his upper body to face Gabriel. His cold gaze burned with sadness. “Am I strong enough to live without her? Forever? For the next three hundred years of my life?”
Gabriel fought the urge to call for a med team. He didn’t want to stain Simms with the perceived shame of a mental health check. Even after centuries of understanding the scientific realities of battle-stress, the misplaced social stigma of a soldier getting help had never fully vanished. “You’ll find a way. People like you, like us, we always find a way. Look at the general. He lost everything dear to him and he found a way to carry on. I know you can, too. Do it for her.”
Simms returned his dead eyes to the horizon. “We were going to quit. After Earth was safe, we were going to leave the Legion. Live boring, normal lives.”
Gabriel inched closer. He decided that baring his soul to Simms might help. “I wish I knew what to tell you. Fact is, I’ve lost many friends, but I’ve never suffered a loss like you or Trent. Honestly, I think that’s why I prefer jumping from woman to woman, never staying with one long enough to get too close. I’m afraid, I guess.”
“Living your life in fear, avoiding love to avoid pain, is no way to live.”
Gabriel extended his hand, placing it on Simms’ shoulder. “Neither is letting grief consume you. I’m not saying you need to pull yourself together and just get over it. I’ve lost enough friends to know that’ll never happen. But you do need to find a way to move forward, and I’m sorry, but you need to start doing that now. Millions, billions, are dying on Earth. Jane wouldn’t want her death to take you out of the fight as well.” He came alongside, staring straight ahead.
Simms lowered his head. “Duty.”
Gabriel sighed. “It seems that’s all our lives are about.”
***
York bolted from the command tent, whipping his head side to side in search of his objective. “General!” He turned to intercept Trent. “Request permission to accompany you on your mission, sir! I...”
“Permission denied.”
The whites of York’s eyes grow large. “But...but I can be of use. I have contacts scattered throughout human space. You need someone like me.”
They came to a stop. Trent faced him and jabbed a finger into his chest. “You are the last kind of person I need on this mission. I’d already be well on my way with most of my men still alive, if not for assholes like you.”
“I helped you.” York’s escape from this dreaded planet and its cavern was slipping away. He knew that if the task force left without him, it would be at least another year or two before any help arrived. Help might never come if Trent failed in his quest. Off-planet, he had options if things went south for humanity. A resourceful man could find plenty of places to hide in the vastness of the universe. But, he needed to get off this rock! “We had a deal!”
“I appreciate you seeing the light, Mr. York, and I will keep my word, but not at the expense of military operations. I will send a transport as soon as I can. Until then, I need you here to keep your comrades in line.”
Sweat poured down York’s forehead. “When will that be?”
Trent shrugged. “It’s frankly not a priority. You have protein re-sequencers, water recycling, and fusion generators that will outlive us both. You’ll be safe here for some time. Safer, in fact, than just about anyone else in the galaxy.”
Noooooo! “You can’t do this! You can’t just leave me here!”
A pair of legionnaires came up behind York. Trent looked at them and jerked his head. Strong hands took hold of the exiled man. Suddenly he felt entombed in his own environmental suit. He swore the fabric tightened and his helmet stifled his breathing. Nightmares of enduring the chamber, the dungeon below, infested his mind. He kicked and screamed against his captors but that only caused his tiny world to shrink.
“Get him out of here.” Trent turned his back.
“No! You can’t do this to me!” A cloud of madness descended over York’s mind as he was dragged away, toward the elevator that would take him down, down, deep into the pit.
Chapter Twenty
Not Without a Fight
Supreme Commander Walker’s morning alarm sounded off promptly at oh-four-hundred. Eyes already wide open, staring at the ceiling, she reached out and deactivated the annoying screech. Pulling herself to the edge, she sat for a full minute with her face buried in her hands. She needed a pep talk to start the day.
The war, if you could call it that, on Earth against the Silver Horde had been waged for going on a year, now. It had taken on a sickening predictable pattern. The Keeper vessel
would select a target bunker and assault it until everyone inside was dead. Simple and effective.
The enemy controlled the sky, isolating the installations. This had been expected. The plan had always been for these secured facilities to face the enemy by themselves as mass reinforcements weren’t a possibility. Still, seeing the horrific effects of a plan, no matter how sound and necessary, ate at Walker’s soul. She hated herself every time another bundle of civilians fell, and she was powerless to do anything about it.
The strategy of a planet dotted with strongholds was intended to drown the enemy in a quagmire of global scale. However, the Keepers didn’t care about losses and they steamrolled any opposition. Rarely did a bunker require multiple drops of troops to exterminate.
The cleansing of Earth was progressing too quickly. Time was their only hope and Walker needed to find a way to get more of it. Fortunately, she had a plan and it had already been in motion for some weeks.
Willing her body up, she prepared to perform one of her least pleasant duties, updating Chairman Dalton.
She found her journeys to his office suite depressing. Truth be told, she found any time spent outside her command center to be a letdown. Inside her bubble of responsibility, she could forget that she hadn’t seen the sun for months on end. The bleakness of her existence couldn’t be ignored in the dreary hallways.
The passageways were dark, narrow, and no one she passed smiled anymore. More than one resident of the VIP hole in the ground in upstate New York had experienced a mental breakdown. She often wondered how long she had until hers.
General Wills, Legion Chief of Staff, stood by the chairman’s door. “I thought you might like a wingman for this mission.” He tried cracking a smile but it was an empty gesture. Joy had died there a long while ago. She appreciated the effort anyway.
The Last Charge of the 1st Legion (The Last Hero Trilogy Book 3) Page 14
