Space Chronicles: The Last Human War

by Dean Sault

  “Noran Three! Got Slegs on me. Rear shields failing.”

  A loud burst of static punctuated the pilot’s comm link. At the same instant, a small white dot on one of the telemetry screens vanished.

  “Take that, Hep! Kutt Six. I just flamed a Sleg. Form up on me Kutt Five. Let’s fry some more zards! Kutt Five? Kutt Five . . . where are you?”

  Another blast of static.

  “Command, this is Deep Space Starship Sladu. Taking heavy fire. Lost our perimeter ships. Can’t defend this sector anymore. Request permission to reform with the Tanno wing at the First Radial.”

  “Permission granted.” Admiral Paad knew this fallback position would better concentrate his forces.

  “Command, this is the Arplee. Primary drive failure, repeat, primary drive failure. We’re dead in space. Still got all our guns and shields. We’ll hold em back as long as we can. Sending our light ships to join the Sladu/Tanno wing. Out.”

  General Tragge fully understood the consequences of the Arplee’s action. One monitor provided chilling witness to her last moments as she sat motionless in space, firing all her weapons, in ferocious defiance, at four attacking Heptari cruisers. Three of the Heptari vessels disintegrated under deadly accurate fire from the Arplee’s crew. They fought the remaining enemy spaceship right up until their ship vanished from the tactical display in the massive flash of an uncontrolled antimatter breech.

  The Arplee’s heroic spacers bought enough time for her medium and light combat ships to escape to the safety of the newly formed Sladu/Tanno Wing.

  “General, you have an urgent message from Wallow Minor. It’s on your personal command channel. Shall I route it to your dactah?”

  “Negative. Put it on open comm.”

  “This is Admiral Lu on the Bawtru, Deep Space Battle Group Two. We’re under full-scale attack. Heps jumped us with a huge fleet. No warning. Space station and all its support facilities have been destroyed. Looks like they’re trying to isolate Tanarac by engaging us out here. Battle Groups Three, Four and Twelve have lost all their heavies. Mediums and lights are combining with the remaining Battle Groups. We’re holding our own now, General, but if we release our heavies for the run to Tanarac, as you requested, then our mediums and lights will have no protection. They’ll be annihilated. Your call. Do you want me to leave our small ships behind?”

  “Do you have all eleven Battle Groups?”

  “Negative, sir. We have nine groups. Battle Groups Ten and Eleven had not arrived yet when the Heps jumped us, so I sent them an encrypted message, ordering them to bypass Wallow Minor and go directly to Tanarac. They’ll be almost out of fuel when they arrive, but at least you’ll have a lotta firepower.”

  “Good decision. Thank you. What’s their travel time?”

  “Sorry, General, I’m not sure. I ordered them to run flank speed with complete comm blackout. Didn’t want Heps to intercept em. My best guess is the heavies should be there within a day, and it’ll take another half day for their light ships to catch up.”

  “Thank you, Admiral Lu. Keep your heavies at Wallow Minor until you can safely leave your small ships. Heps are known for faking withdrawals to get their enemies to lower defenses. When you release your heavies, have one battle group double back, and hold just out of sensor range. Make sure your light ship commanders understand they are acting as bait. Have them lure the enemy out to our waiting heavies. That ought to shock a few lizards. Keep us informed.”

  Chapter 28

  Everyone in the Council took seats when Benjamin appeared at the door.

  “Simon will answer your questions now. Please maintain formal protocol. Haleb, you are senior among us. You may speak first.”

  A very old man struggled to his feet directly across from Simon.

  “Young man, you have woven quite a tale for us. It seems almost impossible to believe. How shall we know you speak the truth?”

  Simon never considered they might doubt him.

  “I . . . I don’t know,” he stammered. “I didn’t ask to be pulled through that wall, and I didn’t ask to be trapped in that command chair. I don’t know how I can prove any of the things I saw. All I know is what I told you.”

  The old man persisted.

  “Our most ancient writings from Johan Frumm predicted there would be a revelation. It will contain a code to protect against false messengers. Only a few Elders have seen those words. If you are telling us the truth, you should know the key to the revelation. What is the code?”

  “I don’t know.” Simon thought back. “Dr. Boroski didn’t tell me anything about a code.”

  “Did this hologram tell you anything about Johan Frumm?”

  “Yeah, lotsa stuff. He told me all about the texts. He told me about establishing the Council of Elders.”

  “What did it say about the first text?”

  “If I recall correctly, there were eighteen chapters. Most of them were about surviving on Tanarac. The last chapter was a set of predictions. Dr. Boroski told me a little about each chapter. Do you want me to describe each one?”

  “What you have shared so far is common knowledge among free humans. Did The Wall give Johan Frumm anything besides the texts in his first meeting?”

  “No, just twelve texts. Wait,” Simon wracked his memory for detail, “Dr. Boroski said something about a ring. Yeah, he gave Johan a ring. He said it was his wedding ring. Is that important?”

  “Simon, think carefully. Did this hologram tell you what was inscribed on the inside of the ring?” The room went silent.

  “I love you, Ella.” The words flowed from Simon as if spoken by Dr. Boroski, himself.

  A low murmur built in the room. Even Benjamin was taken aback by what he just heard.

  “Those are the code words.” The senior Elder verified the authenticity. “Johan Frumm wore that ring on a necklace until the day he died. It was placed in his grave with him. He wrote those words on the first page of the original first book from The Wall. The books have been reproduced many times, but those words were intentionally omitted. When the truth-bearer appears, he will speak those words. They have never been uttered outside the Council of the Elders. You were given those words by The Wall to authenticate your claims.”

  Benjamin resumed control of the meeting.

  “Gentlemen, it seems we have decisions to make. A human space ship, capable of trans-galactic travel, is available to us. It can carry one thousand of our people, and we have the opportunity to build a new human world. Who should go in the initial voyage? Who will stay behind? This will be the toughest decision of our lives.”

  An Elder at the back of the room passed out from excitement. He slumped to the floor and was quickly attended by several men. Another man at the far end of the table lifted his staff of office and was quickly recognized.

  “I have lived my entire life praying for this moment. Now, it is bittersweet. We can only accommodate one thousand of our people on this space trip, so we must choose wisely. Long-term survival of our race demands we only offer those places to our young. Reproductive capability and genetic diversity must be prime considerations for those selected to leave.”

  Another Elder joined in. “I agree, but young people require leadership. I nominate Benjamin to accompany our children on this journey.” Several Elders seconded the nomination.

  “Thank you, my friends. I value your confidence.” Benjamin sighed. “However, I must decline. I will stay here with the rest of our people. It may be possible to build a new human society somewhere else, and we are fortunate to have this opportunity, but I have only begun dialog with the Tanaracs. I intend to spend the rest of my life nurturing seeds we have sown here. However, I do agree, we should send leadership with our youth to guide them in our values and culture. Haleb, you are senior among us. Your knowledge would be of great benefit to a new colony. Are you willing to go to a new world?”

  “No, my friend. Like you, I will not make this journey. I am an old man. I do not have many years left,
and I will spend them here on Tanarac. I volunteer to head the selection committee that decides which of our people should make this journey. We should send one of the younger Elders with them, someone who can provide knowledge and vigorous leadership for many years to come. Perhaps, Shilgar?”

  The room buzzed with excitement at the prospect of Shilgar’s leadership. While only recently appointed to the Council, he chose to remain in the field, saving runners. His strength of character was unquestioned and knowledge of the twelve books rivaled that of many Elders. Discussion was brief. The Council voted Shilgar as Head Elder for the new colony. He would not be given a choice.

  Elders began working on the task of creating a profile for those who will be eligible for a place in the new colony. Benjamin left to inform Shilgar of his new assignment. Dr. Hadje followed, but when Simon rose to join them, he was asked to remain behind. There was still much they needed to know from him. How would people enter the spaceship? What should they bring? What will be their circumstances during the long voyage?

  Benjamin arrived to find Shilgar telling one of his many entertaining jungle stories. Kelly straddled a bench behind Adam, leaning against his back and looking over his shoulder, as she had done so many times before. Her arms draped loosely around his torso.

  “Don’t stop on my account. Finish your story.” Benjamin motioned for Dr. Hadje to join him at the table while Shilgar resumed his story, complete with overly animated gestures.

  “And, the Tanarac scout glider passed right over me, twice! Each time, they detected the heat image of a freshly killed chukka bear. Little did they know, I was curled up in a tight ball right below. Kerl-Ga sat next to the Chukka, so the pilots thought it must be her kill. Stupid Tans are so easy to fool.”

  Adam and Kelly listened in rapt awe, savoring the jungle prowess of the legendary scout. Even Jix was mesmerized by the chilling exploits. Benjamin felt a mild wash of embarrassment by his subordinate’s obvious contempt for Tanaracs and spoken in front of their guests.

  “Shilgar, please temper your opinion of Tanaracs with our guests sitting here,” he cautioned.

  Dr. Hadje smiled, and waved his hand to indicate he was not offended.

  After the story ended, the free human leader got on with his distasteful task.

  “I hope my good friend’s storytelling was enjoyable. I’m afraid I need to kidnap him for a few minutes. Doctor, would you and Jix please stay here? Shilgar, let’s step outside.”

  An awkward quiet filled the room after the two Elders left. Two humans and two Tanaracs sat quietly looking at each other. Adam broke the silence.

  “Hadje, you guys really gonna let us humans live free on Tanarac?” As usual, Adam was undiplomatic and blunt.

  “I hope so, but it will take time, perhaps even a generation, before old prejudices die.” The older scientist pointed at Jix. “His generation may be quicker to embrace change. Things are happening fast, and although there’s no telling what the future will hold, I’m optimistic.”

  Adam continued to explore his new freedom of expression.

  “Dr. Hadje, you aren’t like the Taskers. You’re nice, and they’re a buncha stiffs.”

  “Please don’t judge your Taskers harshly, Adam. When we first began our quarry camps, we thought humans were emotionally unstable and that aggression was a natural part of your genetic makeup. Taskers have been trained to give no emotional stimuli. In reality, Taskers laugh with their children, and cry when they lose a parent. They get angry, fall in love and enjoy beautiful sunsets. When I think about it, there’s really not much difference between our two races.”

  For the first time in his life, Dr. Hadje began to understand why humans became runners.

  Shilgar walked back into the room with a somber look on his face.

  “I’m afraid I must go,” he said and explained about the space journey and his newly assigned role. He invited Adam and Kelly to join him on the trip.

  “You both have a lot to offer,” he said. “We could use your mechanical know-how, and you will widen the genetic pool. Will you join us?”

  Kelly assumed to speak for Adam as well.

  “Yes, we’ll go to be with Simon.”

  “Wait a minute,” Adam protested. “What’s this ‘we’ stuff? I’m not sure I wanna go anywhere. If Hadje’s right, our people might be freed right here on Tanarac.”

  The doctor felt compelled to set the record straight.

  “That change may take a generation to accomplish,” he cautioned. “My people need to be educated to alter old attitudes. Besides, one of our generations is equivalent to almost three human generations. You might not live long enough to enjoy your freedom on Tanarac.”

  Adam thought for a moment.

  “This is all too new for me,” he said in frustration. “I was happy in the quarry. If I go, can I at least say goodbye to my friends back in the worker quarters?”

  Shilgar spoke this time. “No, Adam. Nobody outside of our community, and our two Tanarac friends here, can know of this space journey. The ship does not have enough room for everybody, so free humans who remain behind on Tanarac will still be divided into two groups. A thousand thousand will return to Tanarac custody where they will live in special quarries that are being set aside for them. This will give the appearance to the Tanarac government that all free humans have surrendered and left their Central Jungle. The second group is going into deep-hides, much as our forefathers did. If you choose to go back into a quarry, you cannot return to your old friends. Your choice is simple. You may go into space, return to captivity with our surrender group in a different quarry, or, you are welcome to go into deep hiding.”

  “How long do I have to make this decision?”

  “An hour. Dr. Hadje and Jix are returning to the quarry to prepare for the arrival of our surrender group. Before they leave, you must choose.”

  Shilgar was perplexed by the young man’s attitude. It was difficult for the senior scout to comprehend why any human would not jump at the chance to be free.

  One of the Elders waited for Benjamin’s return outside the door to the conference room.

  “We contacted our field masters,” he said. “Offers have been presented to our people. We have a problem. There aren’t enough young people willing to volunteer for space journey. Many are not willing to leave their families, even for the chance to build a home on a new planet for our people. The spaceship will not be filled to capacity, and there is not enough genetic diversity to assure a healthy population. We need another four hundred unrelated people.”

  Dr. Hadje interrupted the discussion.

  “Ben, do you have the technology to perform artificial insemination?”

  “We’ve never done it before, but I assume The Wall, uhhh, the space ship will have that knowledge.”

  The doctor turned to his assistant.

  “Jix, when we get back to the quarry, contact the lab and have them deliver five hundred, unrelated human zygotes to the quarry.” Dr. Hadje addressed the Elder’s concern. “It should be easy for you to introduce genetic diversity into your new society. We don’t keep more than five hundred fertilized eggs in storage, but we can send more in the future as we prepare them.”

  Benjamin thanked the Tanarac scientist and entered the meeting hall.

  “May I have everyone’s attention please?” He waited until all conversations subsided.

  “Simon must return to the ship to prepare to receive the first of our people. In a few hours, our society will separate into three groups. One will live in captivity, another in hiding, and the last will venture into space under the care of our trusted Elder, Shilgar. Our goal is the same for all three groups. Freedom. May we all walk in the sun.”

  He stopped for a moment to wipe his brow. His audience dreaded the words they knew were coming next.

  “The time has come for me to leave. I will accompany Dr. Hadje to the quarry to prepare for our surrender group. Hopefully, we will be reunited during our lifetimes, but some of u
s may never see each other again. Thank you for the friendship we shared. Doctor, it’s time to go.”

  Benjamin left the room without looking back. The Tanarac scientists and Shilgar quickly followed, but Shilgar went to the room where Adam and Kelly waited. He poked his head through the door to their chamber.

  “Benjamin and Dr. Hadje are leaving now. Have you made your decision, Adam?”

  Kelly looked anxiously into Adam’s eyes.

  Her friend and team member said, “I’m not ready to leave the only home I’ve ever known. I’ll miss you, but this is where I belong.” Adam turned to the scout. “I’ll join the guys in the new quarry. Maybe I can help them adjust. You know, quarry life is really not so bad.”

  “I’m sure they can use a good man like you,” Shilgar said. “You’d better get going if you don’t want to walk back to the quarry.”

  Adam hugged his birthmate before running off to find the scout glider.

  “He’ll be okay.” Shilgar wiped tears from Kelly’s cheeks with a small towel that hung from his knife belt. “I’m going to need your help organizing the folks we’re about to take down to The Wall. Are you going to be alright?”

  The experienced scout knew the best way to get her past her disappointment was to keep her busy. He would put her in charge of shuttling groups down to the waiting spaceship.

  Dr. Hadje took the controls of the glider while Benjamin said a final farewell to a few close friends. The glider door began closing automatically after he stepped into the scout cabin. The scientist-pilot energized the antigrav engines, producing a vortex of dust around the ship, and it lifted a few inches off the ground.

  “Wait, wait for me!” Adam shouted, as he burst from the cave entrance at a dead run. Afraid of being left behind, he dove through the closing hatch door.

  “What are you doing?” Benjamin asked. “Aren’t you going into space?”

  “Naw. You guys don’t know squat bout stripper plows. Guess that makes me your senior loader. Hey, I got seniority over you, old man!” Adam laughed, his old sense of humor completely restored.