by SD Tanner
Stopping mid step, he grabbed his brother by the arm, pulling him so that they stood face to face. “What? Who said he could do that?”
“He doesn’t need permission. He’s the head of CaliTech and the Guild, so who would he ask?”
“The Guild. It’s supposed to represent all of the countries and they have to approve that sort of action.”
Dunk Three snorted cynically. “No, they don’t and even if they did then they’d fold faster than a bad hand.” When he stared back at him in horror, he added dryly, “If they don’t do what they’re told then Dunk Two withholds medical supplies. Surely, you know that.”
He did and he didn’t know that. It was one thing to know that Dunk Two could deprive other countries of medicines if he wanted to, but another to watch him use that power to do whatever he wanted. Developing a virus that only destroyed the enemy DNA on a planet might seem like a logical thing to do, but in practice, it was selective genocide. Thinking about the bird’s primitive society made him wonder what right they had to interfere. Since he’d arrived on their planet, all they’d done was to kill them and kidnap one to study. Now Dunk Two was about to destroy the species based upon their DNA rather than anything they’d done. It was a preemptive strike against a species that had done them no harm.
“He can’t do that. The Guild might be spineless, but you and I have a say.”
“It’s too late. A pod with the virus is already in flight.”
Turning to face Tank, he gave him a questioning look. “Tank, did you know about this?” Tank merely shrugged his heavyset shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know you cared.”
Glaring at him, he said sharply, “And I don’t know why you don’t.” Spinning on the heel of his heavy boot, he snapped at Dunk Three, “Where’s Dunk Two?”
Appearing unfazed by his anger, Dunk Three waved his hand at the main building. “In his office.”
Grabbing Mariana by her long and lean arm, he propelled her forward as he strode towards the building, with Tank and Dunk Three following him. Seeming to object to his rough handling, she babbled something he couldn’t understand. Flicking on the AI unit, it translated her words. “Why angry?”
He could hardly tell her that they were about to destroy the home planet of a species he’d kidnapped and sent to CaliTech. She would only ask why and he didn’t have a good answer to give her, other than they were so frightened of the enemy aliens that they would wipe out the entire universe to avoid another war.
“I’m…I’m frustrated.”
“You worry.”
Mariana said she could read feelings and not thoughts, for which he was grateful. If her cells contained too much enemy DNA, Dunk Two now had a virus that could destroy her entire species. Not only had he taken her away from her home, his people might destroy it without even bothering to go there. Taking the elevator to the top floor of the main building, it opened into Dunk Two’s large office. This was his home and he couldn’t help comparing it to hers. His was a bedroom, lounge and kitchen next to a large office, which represented the real power behind the Guild. Hers was a beautiful garden with a city underneath it.
Dunk Two stood up and walked across the wide floor to greet him. “Ark, you’re back. How was your trip?” Seeing Mariana, he stopped and studied her. “So, this is the one you found on the planet in sector Forty-two F?”
Wincing at Dunk Two’s cold study of her, he replied sharply, “She has a name. It’s Mariana.”
Circling her much like the shark he was, Dunk Two nodded approvingly. “Advanced species.” Fingering the fitted outfit she was wearing, he added, “I assume she came wearing this. Modesty is a sign of intelligence.”
“Or cold,” Tank added dourly.
Dunk Two gave Tank a surprised look. “No, it’s always a sign of intelligence. Animals physically adapt by growing fur or they die out in cold weather.”
Annoyed by their casual conversation about someone they should be seeing as their guest, he asked accusingly, “Why have you sent a virus to the planet with the birds?”
Clearly hearing the aggression in his tone, Dunk Two raised one eyebrow. “I want to test it. I can do that here or there. Which would you prefer?”
Despite every fetus being tested for the enemy DNA there were still humans born with more than was considered safe. A person could choose to live within the security of the United Guild or go renegade, but that meant living without medical supplies and farmed food. By surviving on the fringes of civilized society, the renegades never caused much trouble, so he saw no reason why Dunk Two would want them gone.
“What have you got against the renegades?”
“Nothing other than they don’t belong on the planet. If they turn into critters then we’ll have to deal with them and that’ll be a nuisance. They’re not supposed to be here, so if I can get rid of them without jeopardizing the other species on earth then I will. That said it’s not a test I want run on our own turf.”
“You’re not in charge of the whole universe.”
Dunk Two smirked at him. “Not yet, but Dunk Three will be.”
Taking control of their world and others had seemed like a reasonable objective, but it demanded repression and suppression, which wasn’t resting well with him. Man was born free and then held down by whichever society was in control. What was freedom worth if the price was exclusion? Providing people fit the mold and did as they were told then technically they were free, but were they really? Had they just traded one master for another? According to his tutors, once upon a time, it was color, country and money that determined where a man fit, but nowadays it was based on how much enemy DNA they were born with. It was only another way of categorizing people, placing some above and others below. The system was unfair. No one could decide on their DNA any more than they could predetermine their color.
“You don’t get to decide what makes one person better than another. You’re not God.”
Dunk Two laughed. “What is God other than an all-powerful being? If I, and therefore you, have the power of life and death then who’s to say we’re not God?”
Studying Dunk Two’s tall and lean body with its long face and thinning grey hair, he didn’t believe he was a god of any sort. His education had covered the various religions, including the ones that had sprung up since the alien invasion. One thing his tutors had never done was draw a conclusion as to which one was right.
Sneering at Dunk Two, he replied, “I don’t know what God is, but I’m confident you’re not it.” Leaning close enough to make him pull away, he added, “You’re a lunatic with a God complex and that’s a very different thing.”
Dunk Three had been listening intently to their quietly spoken argument, but now he let out a burst of delighted laughter. “He’s right about that, but in the absence of a clear competitor then I guess we’re as close to God as anyone is ever going to get.”
Glaring at his brother, he said firmly, “You’re a clone of him so your judgment is as flawed as his.”
Quickly sobering, Dunk Three eyed him worriedly. “Space travel has changed you, brother.”
“No, it hasn’t.” Taking Mariana by the arm, he said, “Finding people like her has.”
Dunk Two took Mariana by her other arm, shaking his head firmly. “She’s not a person, Ark. She’s an alien species and you have no more in common with her than a flea.” Patting his shoulder with his other hand, Dunk Two glanced across at Tank. “You should teach him to keep his emotional distance.”
“I teach him what he needs to know. The conclusions he draws are his to make.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Enemy of mine (Dunk Three)
Knowing she would be taken to the medical center, he left Mariana with Dunk Two, following Ark Three into their shared living quarters. Firmly closing the door behind him, he turned to face him. As his closest friend and all he could call family, he was worried about his mental health. Ark Three had left earth excited about his future, only to return frustrated and
disillusioned. His brother wasn’t usually so much of a thinker as he was a doer, so this bitter young man was someone he’d never seen before.
“What was that all about?”
Throwing himself onto the well-used sofa, Ark Three stared out of the window. “I think we’re psychopaths.”
Taking the seat opposite him, he studied Ark Three’s handsome face. “The universe is an unforgiving place. It’s survival of the fittest out there.”
“So, you think it’s okay to wipe out another species to maintain our power?”
“We’re not doing that.”
“What do you call the virus Dunk Two just sent to the planet in sector Eight FC?”
“It’s only going to kill the enemy DNA.”
Leaning forward on the sofa, Ark Three said intently, “That DNA is buried inside of another living creature. It’s not okay to kill a whole species just to get rid of a small part of them.”
He shook his head at his naivety. “That DNA makes them a potential weapon against us. We have no choice.”
“There’s always a choice. A preemptive strike against an entire species is not acceptable.”
Neither of them had ever questioned whether the United Guild should control the resources of earth, so Ark Three’s new attitude was catching him by surprise. “We have an obligation and a promise to keep earth safe. You used to agree with that, so I don’t understand why you don’t anymore.”
Ark Three’s shoulders dropped and he sunk into his chair. “I…I don’t know. You didn’t see the planet. They’re a species that’s…developing. If we wipe them out then we’ve destroyed something that was…” He sighed before finishing his sentence. “… peaceful. I’m not sure we have the right to do that.”
“But the enemy aliens have attacked your ship twice so you know they’re back. What else are we supposed to do, let them create more ships until they can attack earth? Or worse still, wait until they transform the renegades into weapons and attack us on our own planet.”
“We could build a bigger army and fight them wherever we find them.”
“That would result in the death of millions of our own people. These planets and the species on them are in effect the enemy army in waiting. If you found an enemy cache of weapons, wouldn’t you destroy it? These planets are exactly that.”
“No they’re not. They’re as much a victim as we are. They don’t know they carry the enemy DNA. They don’t know they can be transformed and used to attack us.”
“It doesn’t matter that they don’t know. We know and that’s enough.” Staring at his brother, he frowned at the direction his thinking was taking. “What happened out there?”
Appearing to be at a loss for words, Ark Three finally said, “You weren’t there. I’ve walked on alien planets. I’ve seen their homes. They’re not much different to us. They have families and traditions. They…they’re like people with feelings and plans for a future. It’s not their fault they were seeded.”
“I hear you, but what would you do instead?”
Sitting up again, Ark Three frowned. “I want our people and planet to be safe, but I don’t want to kill the innocent. Every person and species should have the right to be born and to live.” He waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the medical building. “Those jerks don’t get to decide who lives and who dies.”
“That’s very altruistic, but what are you going to do when the enemy use our people against us like they did last time?”
“We have an army of Navigators now. We have a space fleet. We can stand our ground and fight for everyone, no matter what their DNA is.”
He shook his head. “It’s not as simple as that. You can’t just throw soldiers and weapons at the problem. Our own people can be used against us and were.” Also waving his hand at the buildings surrounding them, he added, “If they have too much enemy DNA then they can turn into critters. In effect, we’d be harboring our enemies, enabling them to attack us on our turf.” Shaking his head firmly, he added, “No, Ark, what you’re suggesting is insane. We need somewhere we can be safe and we aren’t if we harbor the enemy behind our borders.”
Ark Three leaned forward again, now glaring at him. “You’re using security as a reason to commit genocide.”
Holding out both hands as if to ward off his words, he pulled back in surprise. “Woah, I’m not doing anything. This is the system the original Dunk put in place.”
“And where’s that idiot now?” Ark Three spat angrily. “Sleeping in a cryogenics chamber because he’s too cowardly to face death. That fool was willing to send good men and women into battle to die, but he hides from his own death.” His face twisted into a sneer. “What kind of leader does that make him?”
His words were treason, and if he were anyone other than the grandson of the first Ark, he would have been arrested. Speaking softly, he said, “You need to reel it in. We don’t live in Utopia and we never will. That’s not how life works. We have to make compromises and sacrifices to keep the upper hand my predecessor gave us.”
“I’m good with making sacrifices, but I don’t have the right to sacrifice others. That’s not how life should work. Who’s to say the original Dunk was right?” Sighing fretfully, he shook his head. “Maybe he was right in his time, but things have changed. We’re finding other species now. Real planets with real lifeforms and they’re humanoid. Maybe if your predecessor was…awake then he might draw a different conclusion.”
It was true they’d now found sentient and advanced species, but the enemy had finally made an appearance. The course the original Dunk put them on was designed to keep earth safe. Was it right to change direction at the last minute, just when the enemy aliens had shown up again? If anything, the recent attacks proved that Dunk was more right than he was wrong.
“I am Dunk inasmuch as I’m his clone. Even if we woke him up now, I don’t think he would suggest we do anything different to what we’re doing.”
“How sure are you about that? Maybe you should wake him up and ask.”
In theory, he could pull Dunk out of the cryogenics chamber, but he wasn’t fond of Dunk Two and doubted bringing back the original would improve their situation. Dunk Two was raised by the first Dunk so he was a chip off the old block. He didn’t need to wake up Dunk to ask his opinions when he could just as easily ask himself or Dunk Two.
“We wouldn’t say anything different.”
“What about growing the fleet?”
The mix of cells greatly changed the outcome of the ships, potentially making them faster and more intelligent. Once they’d cleansed the gene pool on alien planets, finding new and viable cells would only improve what they could create. With the additional research into different methods for space travel, there was a good chance they could use the fleet and their troops in very different ways.
“We’re working on it. I think we might be able to ramp up production. We’re also looking at faster methods of space travel.”
“And more Boms?”
Eyeing his brother skeptically, he asked, “Are you suggesting we lift the cap of two thousand?” With a slight shrug, he added, “I’m not even sure we have that many more people who’d even qualify to become Boms.”
Ark Three snorted in disgust. “And whose fault is that? We keep the population dumb and dulled. Maybe we should turn off the Network and take away their meds.”
“Oh, you’re just full of good ideas today,” he replied sarcastically. “That’s treason. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
“Why should speaking my mind get me killed? What’s wrong with having an opinion?”
“Nothing providing you’re prepared to pay the consequences. Are you?”
Without replying, Ark Three walked to the window, staring beyond the walls of CaliTech at the small houses that lined the streets. Getting up and standing by his side, he asked, “Why do you want to change what works? What happened in space?”
With a deep sigh, he sounded distant when he replied, “You di
dn’t see the fear in their eyes.” Turning his head so that he could see his face, he added, “We’re not the good guys. I think in trying to find a solution we’ve made ourselves part of the problem.”
“How do you figure that? We’ve made sure we’re powerful in a dangerous universe. How can that be wrong?”
“With power comes responsibility.”
“That’s a cliché, but what does it mean?”
“By becoming strong enough to kill our enemy we’re also capable of killing everything else. We might have the right to kill our enemies, but that doesn’t mean we can kill our own, or anything else just because it’s weaker than us.”
“Is that what we’re doing?”
“When we order mothers to abort their children then yes. When we alienate and victimize our own people because of the DNA they were born with then yes. When we infect planets with diseases that selectively kill then yes.” Leaning into him with an almost hurt look in his eyes, Ark Three added, “I think we’re the bad guys. I never knew that, but now I know…” With a deep sigh, he added firmly, “It has to change. I can’t be this guy. I won’t be this guy.”
He’d been taught that treason was a rot that once started would escalate until it undid everything they’d built, and his spine stiffened with worry. Dunk Two wouldn’t hesitate to kill Ark Three no matter what his heritage was. He was talking treason, and he’d be in trouble for not reporting it, much less agreeing with it.
Fearing for his brother, he said intently, “You can’t talk about this with anyone else. I won’t tell anyone what you’ve said, but there are plenty who would.”
He would have said more, but at that moment, Tank chose to walk into their living quarters. With its simple furniture made for humans, his enormous frame dwarfed the room as he stalked across the lounge.
Standing nearly seven feet tall, Tank looked down, flicking his oversized thumb in his direction. “You look guilty and Ark looks pissed. What have you two been up to?”
Gruff, barely approachable and never warm, he couldn’t understand Ark Three’s attachment to his mentor. Not wanting his brother to say anything that could get him into trouble, he replied with uncharacteristic jovially, “Just catching up on your adventures.”
