by Chris Burton
“I am sure when you do see her, she will on her way to recovery.”
“God, I hope so.” Hoskins paused briefly as he reflected and then as if deliberately to lift Obeya from his mind; he changed tack.”I want to see some of the charges, their storage, and it would be a good idea to speak to John Arnold. Which ship is he on?”
“He is on the Halo. Although we have no charges aboard. His lab is here. We figured it would be wise for him to use the next two to three months wisely; looking at ways to enhance the radiation charge’s capability. His lab is on deck two, just below the main hanger bay.”
“Curious place to put a lab, where volatile materials are in use?”
“We are limited on space; especially with the command team now aboard. But given that, the Halo did seem the obvious ship.”
“Yes, I agree. Okay. Let’s go and see him.”
* * * *
Jake Carter had just stepped down from a ten hour shift. The CO had been tied up with the new command team and the XO had just been absent. Where and why was not clear, but the XO should have come on shift three hours ago. He arrived shortly after 8:00 p.m. and said nothing. Jake simply handed over the con and signed off.
He headed for the officers mess. He was looking forward to a quick bite to eat, a shower, and a few hours rest before he was due back on shift. He did not count on Maria Shavenosky being there to greet him.
“Hi Jake.”
He was not surprised to see her. He knew Admiral Hoskins was on board.
“Maria. Good to see you. How long have you been back?”
“We arrived today. My God, Jake. You look well and it’s good to see you. Can I join you?”
“Sure. Although this is a quick meal, I need to get some rest.”
“Some wine?”
“No.”
There was no way he was going there again. Not, when he just a few months away from seeing Carla. The relationship with Maria should never have happened.
“Ah, come on Jake. It’s been a long time. We need to catch up.”
“Not tonight. I just pulled a ten hour stint and am back on in six. Maybe another time.”
“Soon, Jake.”
“Soon.”
Jake was annoyed with himself for even suggesting they could drink wine together again. He would let it drop for now.
They talked for ten minutes as Jake ate, updating each other on the events of the last few months. Jake excused himself as soon as he had finished his meal, hurriedly heading for the exit. He arrived at his quarters a minutes or so later, entered and took a quick shower. He was just about to turn in, when the door comm sounded.
Ah Christ. Why won’t she let it go?
“Come.”
The door opened and Jonathan Hoskins entered.
“That’s okay. Don’t get up, Jake.”
He was relieved it wasn’t Maria, but slightly surprised to see an Admiral at the door of his quarters.
“Admiral Hoskins, sir. What can I do for you?”
“I can see you are in need of some rest Jake; so I won’t keep you. I just wanted to talk to you about our journey back to Earth and what will happen to you when we get there. It must be likely the Kryl will try to force you to leave the ship again, especially given the Queen’s prediction.”
“I try not to think about it, sir. The reality is somehow I will see the Queen again. There is no guarantee that it has to be now. It could be two years or even five years. We just don’t know.”
“I have taken the added precaution of placing you on a flight ban. I hope you understand the reason why?”
“Is this off the record, sir?”
“Of course.”
“I am not happy, sir. Notwithstanding the recent Malchian attack; there are no Kryl in this sector of the galaxy. Unless you feel my going AWOL is down to my personal actions; it is not logical for me to serve a flight ban. I’m probably the best reserve pilot you’ve got.”
“I have no issue with your personally. Maybe you should look at this from a different angle. It is possible you will play a very important part in the events that unfold when we reach Earth—perhaps even a critical one. If we allow you to fly, then what happens if you have an accident? You would no longer be able to fulfill your role. If we keep you within this ship and out of harms way, we are protecting our asset. A far more significant reason; I am sure you will agree.”
Jake remained passive. He didn’t want the Admiral to see his true feelings. He was still angry he was banned from flying; but he did not want to jeopardize his relationship with the Admiral. He owed him a great deal.
“You are looking at this as if my visit to the Queen could only be positive. What happened if my visit is ultimately a bad thing for Alpha?”
“What do you think?”
“I have no idea and that is the paradox. I don’t know whether to prepare for death or something else. All I know is the Queen expects to meet me again some day and we don’t know when…”
“Okay I accept that. But on balance my instinct is…if we allow your visit to happen, it will be a positive thing. I also feel it’s likely to happen during or after the forthcoming battle with the Kryl. Weighing all these things together has led me to my conclusion; we should protect you. Do you understand why now?”
“I guess. I don’t agree with it. But I will accept it. I am pleased to hold a position of responsibility aboard this ship.”
“And so you should be. You are still so young. But your knowledge of the Kryl remains critical and Commander Jacques needs you on the bridge. And as I have chosen this ship as the command ship for the radiation attack, then so do I.”
“It is appreciated, sir.”
“Good. Okay, I will let you get some rest. Perhaps tomorrow you could find some time to see me on the new fleet command bridge. I would value your opinions.”
“I would be happy to ,sir.”
“Oh, Jake…before I go, I wanted to just make some kind of observation about Maria Shavenosky. It is no secret that she is seeking to develop a relationship with you.”
Jake was suddenly embarrassed. This was not an area of conversation he had expected to have with an Admiral. He decided denial was the best course of action.
“Really, sir…I am flattered. I have a relationship with Carla…”
“Come on, Jake. We both know Maria and you have history and that she wants more. I have become quite close to Maria in her capacity as my personal aide. All I can say is ,she could become an unwelcome distraction. I have a feeling it could be a dangerous liaison.”
Jake blushed. Obviously Maria had discussed their relationship with Jonathan Hoskins. That was unprofessional and embarrassing.
“I will accept we have history and unfortunately relatively recently…but it is just that, sir. I have already spoken to her today. I will not go their again.”
“Not my place to get involved Jake. Just a few words from the wise. Remember I have a track record in this area.”
Jake suddenly realized who the Admiral was referring too and was then embarrassed that he forgot to ask. He stuttered out his next sentence.
“I am sorry, sir. Yes, of course. Obeya. I forgot to ask how she is doing. I was devastated when she became injured. In a way, I feel responsible.”
“I have spoken to her surgeon this evening. The cryogenic thaw and the operation went well and she is recovering. There is a long way to go. She was lucky to survive…but you are not responsible.”
“I am glad she is doing well, sir. We all miss her here.”
“Quite…I think that is enough for now Jake. I wanted to clear the air and make you aware of where I stood. You remain integral to my plans. I just hope it will all come together as we plan.”
“So do I, sir. So do I.”
*
* * *
Thirty-two hours later, The Halo 7 and her accompanying fleet set forward from the Rymanian Abyss on their return to Earth; armed with enough radiation charges to destroy the entire Kryl fleet.
Chapter Fifty-Three
The Revolt
The announcement when it came was greeted with dismay. A new list had been published and individual messages were distributed to over two hundred million persons across the globe. One hundred and fifty million of those selected would be sacrificed. The people of Earth were in no mood for further unnecessary and pointless deaths. The reaction was swift and widespread.
In the continental North America, rioting had been the worst, with large areas of New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago now effective no go zones. Crime was rife, with loss of life running into the thousands. Throughout the world, rioting followed in all the major cities. The ECG lost control and The Kryl just sat back and watched it happen. Rather than try to curb the anxiety by culling a mass of rioters as they had done before, this time the Kryl Governor elected to hold off and allow the disturbances to follow their natural path. Instead of petering out, it escalated, with smaller and smaller populations taking to the streets in protest, with the inevitable bloodshed that followed.
The security forces did not know how to respond, largely because they felt the same way. The rioters lacked direction and leadership. There was no one to fight and once the inevitable looting and pillaging died down, the urban landscape became deathly quiet, no one daring to come out.
President Thomas Roslyn was in crisis talks with Alpha’s official Commander in Chief, Admiral Yamoto on how the ground, air and sea forces of Strategic Earth defense should respond. Admiral Koenig had remained in the background. His responsibilities had not yet started. Yamoto had tried to engage his forces and to get troops on the ground but the consensus of the population was simple: destroy the Kryl or we will destroy you. Roslyn’s worst nightmare had come true.
“This is ridiculous, Ryoichi. We cannot have this happen now; not when we are so close. How can we engage the support of the SED forces if they no longer trust us?”
“I fear there is only one solution, Thomas. The situation has deteriorated far too quickly to contemplate any other. We must reject the agreement and turn and fight the Kryl. We must give the population a direction to fight for. If they know who there enemy is, they will join us.”
“Yes, but how can we get our message across? I am totally sold on the idea of rejecting the agreement; but with so many of the population now taking matters into their own hands we no longer have control.”
“We can exercise control via the social networks. We don’t need to say much; simply that the Kryl are now the enemy and we must turn and face them together. We must only have a matter of hours before they intervene anyway. Their lists are due to be fulfilled tomorrow. You must engage the media and announce that the agreement is over…we will then launch an offensive against those Kryl on the ground. We will be outnumbered but as word gets out we will gain support.”
“I am sorry to have to ask you this…Thomas Koenig is now back. Who is in command down here?”
“I am. Thomas is responsible for the invasion fleet. When this is all over, we will fight it out to see who remains CIC. Rest assured, SED is under my control. I understand your reticence. Remember, only a few people know Admiral Koenig is even alive.”
“Okay…thanks for the reassurance. We will draft a suitably assertive and unambiguous statement and will release it to the networks and other media this evening. Thanks for your help Ryoichi. I will see you on the other side.”
* * * *
“The Earth/Kryl agreement has ceased. There will be no more human sacrifices and the list published and distributed is no longer valid. Those selected should NOT travel to the collection centers. They are closed and will remain so. The Kryl have been advised that the agreement is over and that they are no longer welcome on Earth. I know you will join me in helping to remove them from OUR planet.”
Roslyn sat in silence as the short broadcast ended. The broadcast networks had agreed to air the message continuously for the next twenty-four hours. His job was done. Now it was up to the people.
* * * *
The Kryl Governor was angry. He just received word of Roslyn’s broadcast, which reaffirmed the earlier communiqué received from the President’s office; “The Kryl/Earth Agreement is null and voided and the Kryl are required to leave Earth within forty-eight hours.”
Safrec had assembled his senior commanders and was about to address them. He would not stand and wait for Alpha to dispatch their radiation weapon and he would not be remembered as the Kronan who resided over the death of the Kryl. He would keep the radiation threat to himself; his commanders would work much better if they did not think that their very existence was in jeopardy.
“My fellow commanders; the agreement is no longer in place and the humans once again stand against us…but we will not crush them…not yet. The agreement was put in place as the best method of extracting humans for relief. With their consent we can live side-by-side, allow the disease to be managed and continue to seek a cure. We have seen rebellion against us before and we have removed the threat and returned to a good relationship with our food source. A symbiotic relationship is the best one. We will hold off any action for one day and if the agreement is not returned, we will take one hundred and fifty million humans ourselves. However, we will do this within the framework of the agreement. We will not take lives indiscriminately and we will keep within the stipulated number.”
Safrec waited as the five senior commanders surrounding him digested the information. No one would say anything until invited to. To do so would be disrespectful and a strong Kronan would act immediately by killing them where they stood. He had never been interrupted.
“Are we quite clear on what terms we will be acting?”
This was the opportunity for his commanders to respond, but they still needed to maintain decorum and respect in their comments.
Deshler was the first to respond.
“My Kronan. I think I speak for all of us here. We will conform to your instructions and to the agreement. But, if we take humans forcibly, there will be indiscriminate loss of life. We will kill far more than those required for relief.”
“Yes, inevitably. But you, Deshler, know all too well, that without a firm hand your drones will rampage first and answer to crimes second. I will hold you and your colleagues responsible if the number of battle kills is too high.”
A second Kryl commander now had the confidence to speak.
“My Kronan. I feel compelled to ask—respectfully—why we should wait twenty-four hours? We need to send a cold hard shock to the people of this planet, that we are still the masters and they are the food source. We can do this by extraction of course; but we must show them why we rule and they don’t.”
There was silence in the room now as the second commander Methos waited for Safrec to respond. This comment was a calculated and dangerous strategy. If it went wrong and was badly received, then he could well be breathing his last breath.
Safrec knew he must be strong, but he needed his commanders. Too soft an approach now could have a material impact on his leadership quality. He stood and approached the viewing window, which looked out over the huge hanger bay of the Queen’s ship. From here he saw every ship that came and went. He needed to be strong…
“Methos. Your responsibilities lie elsewhere with the estranged Alpha Fleet. Why do you question my judgment?”
Safrec held his hand aloft and Methos brought his hand to his throat. The Kronan was squeezing the life out of him…he yelped out in pain and fell to his knees. Safrec brought his hand down again and allowed the commander to live and Methos fell to the floor gasping. A few second more and Safrec would have killed him. Safrec still attached some value to his command
er’s abilities.
“You have your orders and you have each received your individual commands. I expect all of you to comply.”
With a wave of his hand, the meeting was over and the commanders left Safrec’s throne room in silence.
Safrec smiled. He enjoyed the power he held over them; but he wanted to kill Methos. He held back because Methos was important. He was tasked with stopping Alpha’s rogue fleet. Now it was time to speak to Roslyn.
* * * *
They took him directly from the Presidential Office. Six drones had marched across the Palace lawn through the main entrance hall and corridor and into Roslyn’s office without any resistance. He expected them and they were allowed straight through.
Less than a minute later, he boarded the shuttle alone.
The shuttle took off immediately and after clearing Earth’s atmosphere and shields it headed straight to the Queen ship. Safrec watched the shuttle arrive from his throne room.
* * * *
“Why have you terminated the agreement between us?” Safrec stood in the corner of the room and spoke as soon as Roslyn was ushered in.
Roslyn had obviously been expecting a visit or summons and had been contacted within an hour of the Kronan receiving the communiqué. When the Kryl drones arrived, he asked they be allowed to collect him, without contact or harassment from his security division. Now, he regretted that decision.
“I warned you, Safrec, that one hundred and fifty million people on the HSL list would not be accepted and so it has panned out. Once the rioting reached pandemic proportions, I had no choice to act.”
“A foolish decision. Without the agreement, your people will be pulverized into nothingness.”
Roslyn couldn’t help but smile, even though expressing amusement was far from the sentiment he felt. The Kryl had a manner, when they spoke English, that was almost quintessential and traditional Anglo Saxon English, like something out of a Pathe news reel from two hundred and fifty years ago. It was always a source of constant surprise that so many Kryl understood Earth’s Key languages. Most were fluent, even to the point of portraying humor and irony, accurately and fluently.
