Void Contract

by Scott Rhine

  Bella and Omar looked at each other for a long moment, considering. Finally Bella shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t think we’re going to find a better deal than that.”

  “Too true. Pulan, welcome to the crew.”

  “Excellent news. May I ask the name of your ship organism? We wish to utilize it so that we may transfer our nutritional requirements to its hold.”

  “The ship’s name?” Bella asked. “I don’t think we’ve actually decided.”

  “The Moving Finger.” Omar said with a finality that surprised Bella. She glanced at him, an eyebrow raised. “I’ll explain later. Trust me.”

  “Moving Finger.” Pulan said. “We are pleased that we could be present at the naming of the organism Moving Finger.”

  Chapter 11

  The next months were a bit of a letdown for Bella, who had been eager to experience new worlds. It turned out that travel between the stars was slow and pretty uneventful. By the time the Fleet entered a new system Bella was quietly going stir crazy. The system was pretty primitive by her standards and Omar appeased her by taking the newly modified Moving Finger out for a spin. He landed the ship on an unoccupied island so that they could stretch their legs as it were.

  Though the atmosphere was suitable for humans, it had a green tint which Bella found fascinating. The life which populated the island was somewhat similar to that of her homeworld, both having been seeded by organisms from old Earth. There were some sharp differences though, creatures which held only a rudimentary resemblance to their forbearers. While the Fleet restocked its tanks of biomass and other essentials, Bella climbed trees and reveled in her newfound strength. Other days she simply basked in the green tinted sunlight, giving her skin a dusky tone that began to approach that of her companion. They returned to the Fleet a happy crew, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

  Bella noticed that Omar seemed more at ease once the Moving Finger docked at the Sikorsky. She attributed it to a new sense of independence. He volunteered the Finger for assignments whenever the Fleet moved into a new system. For her part, Bella was eager for any opportunities which promised action. She wanted to get into the thick of things, try out her new strength in real life situations. Much to her chagrin, real combat was dirtier, rougher and more lethal than anything she could have imagined. She might never have had time to learn that lesson if her body had not been augmented to triage itself. Bella knew she would never forget the face of the first man to slide a blade between her ribs. His cold expression never changed as he killed her. Nor would she forget his look of surprise as she rose from the ground and snapped his neck. Some part of her regretted his death even with the full awareness that he had had no compunction about killing her.

  Bella knew this was the price of traveling the stars with the Fleet. Some part of her was happy that she had chosen to work with Omar, whose ethical boundaries kept them out of the less savory combat missions. She was reasonably certain that the men and women whose deaths she was directly responsible for deserved what they got. She could not help but hear, however, of other missions the Fleet carried out. The easy manner in which her fellow soldiers spoke of civilian massacres kept her from forming any deep bonds with them.

  She found that she preferred the systems which provided more pleasant memories, high tech worlds where the Fleet was welcomed with open yet cautious arms and alien worlds where philosophical dirigibles drifted across vast wildernesses, sending out swarms of young. Those which survived would be welcomed into adulthood and taught language and math. Other species whose nurturing instinct extended unto death, with children never fully maturing until the eldest in their lineage passed on. Every system offered new challenges and adventures.

  Bella was always eager to see the next world. She could tell that Omar seemed less enthusiastic but she didn’t let that rain on her parade. He had been in the Fleet for years before her arrival and his cynicism could be excused. She felt that in most other ways they were much the same. That changed when they entered the Jain system and received their orders from the Fleet captains.

  “Bella, this system is pretty heavily armed and they are in the middle of a revolution of sorts. The Fleet was contacted by the rebels and we drew the short straw to go and negotiate with them.”

  “This is a pretty high level job. Why are they sending us instead of someone from the big ships?”

  “A couple of reasons.” Omar replied with a grimace. “One, the big boys are going to negotiate with the ruling authority. We are more of a backup plan than anything else. Two, we’ve got a ship capable of landing on the planet which can also skirt the central government’s tracking equipment. Last, the rebels are reportedly quite dangerous and we’re expendable.”

  “Nice. So we get the suicide duty.”

  “The Moving Finger is still the newest ship in the fleet. We’re low man on the pole. As you said though, this is a pretty high profile mission which can make or break us. Before we leave I need to reiterate that if I give you an order down there it must be obeyed without hesitation or question.”

  “Copy that. I know the drill.”

  “I need to hear you say it.” Bella felt the hair on her neck raise and she bit it down an angry retort.

  “I will obey all orders you give me while we are on the planet without question.” Omar almost looked saddened by her response but he nodded once, accepting her answer. Bella wondered why he was acting so strange.

  Omar landed the ship in what appeared to be a wasteland far from any city. She stood to one side of the ship with Pulan on the other as they were received by the rebels. Things did not look good for them. The two men who arrived looked more like beggars than soldiers. The bedraggled scouts led them into a system of caves. Bella tried to keep track of which turns they took but was lost by the time they reached the base, deep underground.

  They were received by the leader of the resistance, a man named Travers. Looking at the young man grown prematurely old y stress, Bella felt instinctively that he was one of the good guys. Hearing him speak of fighting oppression was like watching vids of historical heroes. There was an intensity in his manner which infected all around him. Bella found herself liking him.

  She didn’t really listen to the negotiations between Omar and Travers. She watched the rebels around her going about their business. They were in a sorry state, their equipment and clothing on the verge of falling apart. She noticed one of Pulan’s atomo as it darted down a side corridor and felt more comfortable at once. She had come to realize that the alien was a marvelous scout and any doubts she had about getting back out of the caves disappeared. Bella sat for a while before becoming bored and decided to explore for herself.

  Much to her chagrin she was lost in minutes. Bella wandered the tunnel system, hoping that she would be found before too long. Instead, she found herself inside a large cavern which housed dozens of refugees, obviously the families of the rebels. They welcomed her and Bella spent time playing with the children, one of whom reminded her of her own daughter. Children never changed, across the whole of the galaxy. It didn’t matter that hers had grown up in an advanced culture and these poor children lived under an oppressive regime countless light years away. They still laughed and played games with each other. Bella had forgotten what it was like to spend time with children. The Fleet traveled light and those who wanted children tended to stay behind when the Fleet found some idyllic world where a few trinkets could ensure a financially happy life.

  After some time, a man came and led Bella back to Omar. Bella could see worry clouding Omar’s face. She waited until the man left and they could speak in private. Omar activated a small jamming device, more than adequate considering the tech level of the rebels.

  “What?” She asked. Omar hesitated before speaking and when he did his words sounded hollow and far away.

  “The rebels are too poor and ill equipped to be strategic partners. The Fleet Captains will never side with them against the dominant authority.”

  “S
o, what? Do we just leave?”

  “I told Travers that we would be in contact soon. Pulan has done what we came here to do and is already waiting aboard the ship. We’ll be leaving as soon as our guides return.”

  “Is there nothing we can do to help these people? There are children here, living in the darkness.” Omar turned away before answering.

  “It is not the Fleet’s job to fix things on this or any other planet. We were sent to determine the viability of backing the resistance as an alternative to working with the local government. The truth is, they don’t stand a chance and the Fleet would never consider giving them the resources they would need to make a real difference.”

  “Ok, boss. I trust you to do the right thing.” Omar looked pained by her statement but said nothing. Before she could inquire the scouts returned and the conversation ended. They returned to the Moving Finger without incident.

  Once the ship was in orbit above Jain, Omar turned from the ship’s controls toward Bella. His hair disengaged from the systems and settled behind him.

  “Bella, our mission had two possible outcomes. If we found that the rebels could be backed successfully, we were to arrange to arm them and plan a two pronged attack. They would lead a ground assault and we would aid them with orbital bombardment and air superiority. If they proved too weak to prop up, I was given a secondary objective. Pulan placed tracers throughout the rebel’s cave system.” Omar paused, his words coming from clenched jaws. “The Fleet will gain the trust of the dominant government by eliminating their opposition for them. The Damascus is going to shell the area from orbit as soon as we make our report.”

  Bella stared at Omar blankly, barely able to comprehend what he was saying. She opened her mouth to speak but all she could think of was the children in the cave, screaming in terror as their world collapsed around them. She thought of Travers and his heroism, snuffed out by the Fleet.

  “Why would you agree to this?” She asked.

  “There was no other alternative. The Fleet expects results. If I could have made an argument to back the rebels, I would have. I was hoping they would prove to be a strong fighting force. You saw them though, they were barely surviving down there. There is no way they could have mounted an offensive.

  “Bella, you have to know that I didn’t have any choice here. I have few friends among the captains. This mission is the first real assignment we’ve been given. If everything goes according to plan, we’ll be given more important assignments in the future. Once I have more influence, we can try to change the way the Fleet does business, curb the violence.” Omar was almost pleading with her but Bella was unable to hide the venom in her voice when she replied.

  “I’m sure that will be a great comfort to the widows we make today.” Omar reeled as though struck. Silence filled the cockpit, ominous in its intensity. When he finally replied, there was weariness in his voice.

  “Like it or not Bella, we are a part of the Fleet. You know what they are. Turning a blind eye to what was going to happen here wouldn’t make us any less complicit.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to be complicit at all.”

  “I understand.” Omar stopped and rubbed his temples, running his fingers through the wiry braids of metal which had long ago replaced his hair. “Bella, you never asked why I was standing alone in the darkness on the night we met. I was done with the violence and death brought by the Fleet. I was leaving that very night, to remain among your people. I hated what the Fleet had made of me and saw no other way out.

  “You offered me another choice, another chance. As a captain, I have a small say in everything that the Fleet does. Every time we prove our value to the Captains, my influence will grow. It is my fervent hope…” Bella was surprised to see Omar almost shaking with pent up emotions. “That one day I can use that influence to save more lives than I’ve taken in my years with the Fleet. I feel every one of the deaths as a debt I can’t ever hope to repay. Those that die today only add to that debt, a burden that grows with every passing day, threatening to break me with its weight.

  “The only thing that keeps me going is the thought that I might someday be able to put down that burden, that one day I might feel that I have paid my balance in full. I don’t know if I even believe that day will ever come. I grieve that because of me, you have become as complicit as I. I did try to warn you away from the Fleet.”

  “I do. You told me I didn’t understand what I was asking. I guess you were right.” Bella left the cockpit.

  As soon as the Moving Finger docked with the Sikorsky, Bella left the small ship. She did not know where she was going as long as it was far away from Omar. She felt the weight of his words hanging over her, his guilt matching that which she now felt. She had turned a blind eye to the actions of the Fleet because she had wanted adventure and excitement. She had known there would be times when the Fleet would see combat but had naively assumed they would be on the right side.

  Bella found a terminal and read through the history of the Fleet. Over and over, she saw it kill and dominate weaker systems, take the most pragmatic side in conflicts with no regard for the people who suffered as a result. It was a long and bloody history.

  On a whim, she accessed Omar’s service file. As a pilot he had personally racked up hundreds of kills, mostly against ships unable to defend themselves against the Fleet’s superior weaponry. His last combat action recorded him destroying an entire orbital platform. He had received a medal for meritous conduct. The next log was his resignation from the Damascus, no reason specified. It was filed the day she had met him, but she couldn’t tell if it was before or after.

  Bella thought about Omar’s words, his conviction that by sacrificing the people in those caves he was buying influence. It seemed monstrous, callous beyond belief. She knew that she could never accept being a part of a life like that. In that moment, she made a decision.

  Bella made her way to the Sikorsky’s communication systems. The room was unguarded, there being no need for any. She subdued the technicians in the room easily, her speed and bulk making the process almost painless. Long months familiarizing herself with the systems onboard the Moving Finger made finding the appropriate system a breeze. It took a little longer to find the landing site she had so recently left. Bella prepared a message of warning for Travers. She hesitated for only a moment, aware that she was signing her own death warrant and sent the message. She felt relief as the confirmation message came back.

  Knowing that it was just a matter of time before she was discovered, Bella tried to think of what to do now. Her mind was a blank. She could think of nowhere in the Fleet that she could hide. Fleeing to the planet was her only option now. She would have to convince Omar to bring her there.

  Even though she had purchased the ship herself, it felt wrong to force Omar to fly the ship for her. Instead, Bella decided to try to reason with him. She returned to the Moving Finger and waited in the cockpit for him. Pulan was lounging around the ship as usual when his full intelligence was not needed, atomo engaged in a variety of mundane activities. Knowing that her betrayal could e discovered at any moment, Bella sent a private message for Omar to join her on the ship.

  He arrived only a few minutes later, clearly out of breath. With only a glance she could see that he already knew.

  “What have you done?” He exclaimed between breaths.

  “I did what I had to do. Saving those people was the only moral choice. I wish that you could see that as well.”

  “Save them? Before this is over there will be more blood shed than you can imagine.” Pulan, sensing that there was conflict, began to quietly assemble in the corner of the cockpit.

  “Omar, it’s over. I need you to bring me back to the rebel camp. I’m going to do what I can to help those people, those children you were going to let die.”

  “That’s not possible Bella.”

  “Listen to me, I’m not going to drag you down with me. You can have the ship. I’ll record a confession that I wa
s acting alone.”

  “None of that matters. I can’t bring you back to the caves because they don’t exist anymore. The moment the Fleet received the confirmation message from Travers the Damascus began the orbital bombardment.” Bella reeled from the news, even as Omar continued. “The local authority, not being alerted to the reason for the bombardment, began a counteroffensive. The Fleet captains have agreed that the situation cannot be salvaged and have rallied behind Captain Conrad. He has ordered that the Fleet begin exterminating all resistance. Thousands are dead already and countless thousands will be dead soon.”

  Bella shook her head in disbelief. Omar motioned to the viewscreens which filled with images of the planet below. She had not seen the full firepower of the Fleet in action before now. Her eyes widened as entire military bases flared and disappeared in a red haze. Maps showing missile launches from the planet flickered between videos of impact collisions on Fleet ships.

  “This is all my fault?” Bella sagged and slowly fell into a seat. She stared at the screens, numbed beyond speech. They flickered out and she felt a hand on her shoulder. Omar turned the seat to face him. Bella tried to face away, unable to meet Omar’s gaze. He reached out and took her head in his hands. She looked up at him and saw tears floating in the air between them. With a flash of realization she saw that they were not only hers.

  “I’m so sorry Annabella.” Omar said. “This isn’t your fault, it is mine. I’ve tried to shield you from what the Fleet really is. They… we are monsters, wolves hunting in the darkness. You only tried to save a few poor sheep from our slavering jaws. Do not blame yourself for what happened here today.” Omar sighed and turned to Pulan, who waited in silence, observing.

  “Pulan, gather your things. The captains are too busy right now to find out who is responsible but they will. If you leave now and return to the Rchald you should be safe. From what I know even Conrad will not attempt to attack that ship.”