by David Nash
“Tell, you have met my creator, he was is the rider that met us at Kernel Prime.” With that Marvin, simply rose and left my cabin.
I was floored. The Kernel holds they hold their law inviolate and sacred, yet they enslaved the being that wrote the law. They hold their god as a prisoner. No wonder they have become corrupted.
The rest of the trip was filled with my processing of that revelation, but eventually we arrived at out destination. Some of the Captains were assigned to the shipyard to be available as soon as the replacement ships came of the line. The majority of the remaining Captains and their Seeds went into combat suits and began the process of training to man busses. A small number of Captains personally chosen by Commander Askew remained with me.
I went to Earth. To be honest, I was very concerned with the reaction I was sure to receive. The entire reason for the Legion was to prevent Earth from being attacked, and my rush to the offensive caused an entire state and parts of several more to be obliterated. Millions of American’s were dead because I did not want to wait a couple years to formulate a better plan.
“Marvin, please locate commander Hall and find out where we should land?”
“Yes sir, Commander Hall is in New York at the United Nation’s building and he said they are ready for you.”
“Lieutenant, plot a course for New York, there is no sense to cloak, as Earth’s protected status is lifted and I assume everyone saw the fight anyway. We will hover above the UN building and hover-shield down.”
“Yes sir.”
Crowds gathered and massed around the United Nations. Traffic was at a standstill. I prepared to be torn limb to limb, but at least I would not show fear. When Marvin hovered the destroyer, we prepared and jumped together and hovered toward the surface.
Once we landed, I was amazed at the crowd. True, about half wanted to murder me, but the other half screamed and shouted their support. I do not have time to process the mixed emotions or think about why, I have to go in and see where we stand.
Commander Hall met me at the door, and we were led right past security. I could not fit through a metal detector in my suit, and regardless of the rules, no security on Earth could stop a Legionnaire in a battle suit. As we were rushed through the building, my intelligence director briefed me.
“Sir, the movie worked wonders, Sabol already was a household celebrity and with his name and the marketing campaign, the movie was a blockbuster hit. Of course, people panicked when the attack came, but when everyone realized the movie was actually more of a documentary than an action flick you became a household name.”
“Commander Hall, how did they find out the movie was based in truth? That alone could have cause Earth’s destruction.”
“Well sir,” Hall stated unapologetically, “three things: First, the people were panicking, we were having riots throughout this country and it was starting to spread. We had to do something. Second, We all believed you would trick the Kernel into deciding to do what you wanted.”
I could not believe my ears, Hall is my best friend, more like my brother. There is no-one I trust more, but this idiot placed the fate of the planet on a contest between a race of hyper intelligent supercomputers that rule the galaxy and a 35 year-old Marine Deserter.
“And last Commander” I gave him my icy command stare and my old Sergeant voice.
“Well, Sir” Hall shrugged “We figured who would tell on us, and we killed all the snitches.”
At that point, we entered the meeting room and I was ushered up to the podium. The room was pandemonium, delegates were shouting over each other and it looked like the room could devolve into violence at any time. I stood motionless and stared straight ahead until gradually the room quieted, as they wondered why I did not move.
“Alright folks, I don’t have a lot of time nor patience to deal with anything not related to preparing for the coming invasion.” Oops, wrong thing to say. This time, when pandemonium broke out, I hovered above the crowd and had Marvin hack the speakers and amplify my voice to painful levels.
“I SAID I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT!”
The room turned quiet as all in the room looked up toward me floating in the center of the room.
“We had two more years before our protected status was up. But we could not keep up with entire civilization building an invasion force when we only had staff smuggled piecemeal off planet every year or two. We took a chance on a good plan and better soldiers. It did not go as well as we planned, but for the first time in recorded history our planet is free from alien influence.”
I looked around, some were still openly hostile, a few were supportive, but frankly most of the delegates in the room looked either scared or calculating.
In a matter of days, the Barkun will send a fleet to try to destroy earth so they can claim the mass and try to curry favor with the computer intelligence that runs the galaxy. If the legion is going to have a chance to stop that from happening, every human on Earth needs to get into the game. I do not need anything other than the total support of the countries you each represent.
Now, that sounds harsh, but the Legion has won every battle we have ever fought with the Barkun aliens, we have a fleet of battleships throughout space, and while everyone in the Galaxy knows where Earth is, only the Legion knows where our planets are.
The Legion has been protecting the Earth for a long time; we have died for you throughout the star system and beyond without Earth ever knowing we exist. I am going to leave the room and give you 10 minutes to decide if you are with the Legion or not.”
I hovered to the door, stepped off my shield, deftly snapped it to my back with a practiced flick, and walked out the door without a look back.
When we got outside the room Commander Hall shrugged his shoulders and said, “Boss, you sure don’t fuck around do you?”
“No buddy, unlike some of us, I haven’t done that in about 14 years.”
“TMI Boss, but I have a feeling, if we survive the next 14 years or so you won’t have a problem finding companionship.”
“Hall, I don’t have a problem finding companionship, I have a problem finding the time. I don’t have a boss that orders me to work in close proximity with smart and beautiful women.”
“General, we let you be the godfather to our boy to thank you for that. Hell sir, I gave you my sister’s address. What more do I have to do? Do you want me to explain how it all works? I can find a picture book with crayons if that’s what a Marine like you needs.”
“Commander, the address you gave me was on written on a post card on which you had written, ‘Sis, I gave this postcard to my boss, the asshole can’t find a girlfriend, say hello so he will leave me alone.’ Not to mention that you gave me on a planet 6 light years away from the nearest post office.”
I would have liked to continue the private banter, as I needed the stress relief, but security called us back into the room and the United Nations surrendered Earth to me. That should have made me happy, as now the legion did not have to mess around getting permission, but frankly the action disgusted me. I do not want to be the king of Earth, but I did call for a massive call up of Earth’s resources. Later, we will find a new solution, but I did not have the heart or the time to argue with petty bureaucrats.
After the surrender I had Marvin take over Earth’s communication network. I was broadcast live on every computer, smartphone, TV, and radio in the world. I had him record and rerun the message every hour for 48 Hours.
“Citizens of the world, it is regretful that you learn that we are not alone in the galaxy on the eve of invasion. I mourn with you for the lives lost during the Battle to free Earth. As you are now aware, the brave volunteers that form the Legion have been protecting you for some time now. The Alien race known as the Barkun had infiltrated your government’s, created disasters, and hatched plots to hasten the Earth’s destruction. The legion, as well as our alien allies have worked to foil their plots. However, it is not over, I assure you the Barkun a
re on the way as we speak with a massive invasion fleet.
Legion ships guard the approaches into our system, but we lost much during the last battle, and the Barkun have had thousands of years to create fleets of ship capable of sterilizing planets and mining them for mass.
We have a chance to survive as a species, but no group can do it alone. Today we are not a world of countries, or groups of races or religions or creeds. If we are to survive, we must unite as humanity. We must take the fight to them.
The Legion is dropping off a wondrous tech as we speak. It is as much a part of our victory as the Legionnaires themselves. We have a device called a replicator. It can break down any mass fed into it and then use those atoms to create weapons and technology. I do not have the time to explain the science, but it works similar to a 3D printer at the sub atomic scale printing electrons and protons to create whatever design it has programmed.
What we need is staff to feed the replicators so we can rebuild the ships lost in the last fight. We need troops to fight and pilots for our ships. If you understand computer programming, are willing to provide labor with the replicators, have infantry experience, have skills as an aircraft pilot, or have naval command experience please report to the nearest military installation.
In the coming fight we need everyone, some will man combat installations on the moon and Mars, some will be sent to Legion bases on other planets, but the majority of volunteers will serve here on Earth.
Once we face this new threat and show why Humanity is the dominant species on Earth and not talking lizards, we will teach the Earth how to navigate the galaxy and allow qualified individuals to become citizens in the Legion. However, know that right now, the only future comes after this fight. Everything rides on the next hours or days.
That is all.”
To the credit of the people of Earth, the world’s military bases were swamped. I did not think that with the time we had to prepare, the untrained masses would make much of a difference in the fight. However, I knew that giving those with the will to fight some means to contribute would allow them to keep their dignity if the Legion could not pull this off. Besides, if by some miracle we did pull this off, I would know exactly who I would allow to join the Legion.
While the first battle for Earth did not go as smoothly as we had desired, we did foresee the results. My command staff were all experienced military commanders, during the planning phase they demanded options and backups. The mitigated the potential of loss as much as possible, and in the end their plan worked.
Now we were ready to move to phase-two. Admiral Johns was rebuilding the fleet as fast as he could. Hickerson, Hall, and Farholm were fortifying Earth. The rest of us were going to throw a wild Hail-Mary pass and hope to win the game by defying the odds.
Admiral Volk, Commander Askew, LT Jones, Marvin and myself were going to attack the Barkun home world with a cobbled together strike force of 5 destroyers, 2 rams, and a couple of assault ships in orbital bombardment configuration. I really wanted a mothership with those ship killing fighters, but they were needed to protect Earth, so we went with the smallest force that gave us some chance to win. Like always, this went against established military strategy, but our opponents had been manipulating Earth long before we had the ability to strategize so I put all our hope into our improvisation skills.
Just in case, the three Sangren citizens left to try to gain us support from their former compatriots. I was hoping that the millennium of Barkun abuse may stir them to action once they saw the primates kick ass. I know the Sangren have disavowed military violence, but I was assured by Commander Aegeus that they retained the ability.
Part IV
The Birth of the Republic
32
With the improved cloak and the ability to detect the Barkun, Admiral Volk poured on the gas. We would transit as fast as we could and only slow when we approached the next transit point.
We had sent fighters into the system in the past to map out the Barkun defenses and were well aware that we were headed into a fortress. With time, and the mass of hundreds of planets raped of their existence the Barkun created massive orbital fortresses that surrounded their home planet of Cecrops.
However, a weakness in the Kernel’s reproductive system gave us a tool. Every Kernel is born with the knowledge known by its parent. Eventually we captured enough Kernels so we could dissect the schematics of the fortresses and determine their weakness.
We developed a plan based on our knowledge of the forts and the species that created them. Our plan was only possible because no other civilization treated the Kernel as an equal. All other species looked at them as either supreme rulers and near deities or as something to owned or commanded. We were the only people to learn why they preferred ship form and offer something else.
Without that relationship, no other species, including the Kernel itself, could get a Kernel to serve onboard a non-motive structure like an orbital fortress. Without our unique relationship, no other species could risk their survival on what a Kernel would do. You see, our plan, and the only real hope for the survival of humanity was the evolution of an annoying little computer named Marvin.
“Marvin, are you ready? Are you convinced the seeds will listen to you and not self-destruct upon implanting?
“General, I have run simulations on every conceivable variable and discussed the plan in depth with Pytheas, Isotita, Eleutheria and. I cannot guarantee an outcome because each Seed forms with a blank personality, however, the Seeds all trace their lines to a Kernel that chose to serve as a Legion Citizen and are aware of our Articles of Understanding. Additionally, they have Confederation law hardwired into their base code. Altogether I calculate acceptable odds of our success.”
“Well old buddy, you showed me something at Kernel Prime, and we have built a friendship and trust. I am sure I do not need to bribe you, but if it helps, I will promote you to Captain and give you your own ship if we pull this off. Heck, if we survive I will give you the biggest and gaudiest medal in the history of the Military.”
“General, neither will help the odds, but I will collect of these promises should we beat the odds.”
“Beat the odds Marvin? Did you not just say this plan had acceptable odds of success? Please explain.”
“Sir, do you want to know the odds of success or survival?”
Oh, I do not want to know now….
“Success. What I want to know is why you said we had acceptable odds of success when the odds need to be beat?”
“General, it is simple, if we fail, there is virtually no chance Earth can survive continued onslaught by the Barkun. Therefore, any chance above zero is acceptable odds.”
“Well Marvin, the offer stands, but do me a favor and don’t tell me the odds next time.”
“Noted sir.”
“General, we will arrive at the last transit point in 45 minutes.”
“Thank you Marvin, I am going to the hangar bay to talk to the Captains.”
It was a short trip to the hanger, our destroyer’s packed a huge punch, but they were not even a full 150 meters long. I enjoyed the solitude. Ever since I was implanted, I always knew Marvin was in my head, and once Marvin and I left New Aubagne to form the legion, I rarely had a chance to do anything without the presence of someone from the legion. Even my nights were spent with command staff.
I took the opportunity to reflect on how all this happened. I never would have imagined seeing the stars. Hell, before the Corps I never would have thought I would have left Tennessee. I wonder what my Dad would think if he could see me now. I hope he would be proud of what I accomplished. I do not have many regrets, but I see the faces of those that died under my command and have guilt for those things I could have done that may have made the difference to their survival. I will not tarnish their achievements with regret. Every one of those brave souls made an informed choice to serve humanity as Legionnaires. They deserve remembrance and gratitude for how they lived and not regret
for how they died.
I guess the only thing I really wish I could change would be that I would not ever be a father. I learned a lot from my Dad and I wish I had the opportunity to pass that on. I arrived at the hangar bay and as I open it and see the Legionnaires that are about to make history, I realize that I did pass it on. I fathered a Legion. I took everything I was taught and paid it back in the service of something bigger. Even though I will likely die in just few short hours, I can die knowing I made a difference. Now enough self-reflection, I have arrived at the hangar door. I open it and know that it is time to remind my Captains why we fight.
“I look around the room and see the bravest men and women of the Legion. Each of you volunteered for the craziest mission ever imagined. You all know the odd, yet you all stand here ready.
Now should be the time for a pep talk, but I do not see the need. We are well beyond the need for mere words. You all know the stakes and I know you will succeed at all costs. How do I know this? I know it because we are legion and that is what we do! Legionnaires, I am going to send you to battle soon. You don’t have to like it…”
“We just have to do it sir!” they resoundingly and loudly responded to our motto.
“Yeah, we do. Now I am going to cut the crap and spend the time we have left shaking the hands of the bravest humans to ever breathe air. It has been an honor to serve with you, do your job, and survive. We have a new society to build.”
I spent the next few minutes looking each Legionnaire in the eye and shaking each of their hands. Marvin gently alerted us we are out of time. My SpecOps volunteers closed up their suits and strapped on the special harnesses we built to house their Seeds. I patted the last few on the back, wished them good luck. When they were all onboard the shuttle I started back to my battle station on the bridge.
The next few hours would spell the end of one culture or another, and even though the odds are small, I always bet on the Legion.
