Fall of Terra Nova

by Michael G. Thomas

  Fall of Terra Nova

  By Michael G. Thomas

  CHAPTER ONE

  The great world of Terra Nova gained its importance and notoriety during the Great War. The fighting ended in 239CC and left the world as the single strongest colony in Alpha Centauri. The old planet and colony of Carthago was left a smouldering ruin. From its ashes arose the new Confederacy based around the shinning capital of Terra Nova and its surviving allies. Few realised then that the rise of the colony would also be instrumental in the downfall of the newly created Confederacy.

  The Downfall of Terra Nova

  Dr Hamis indicated for the press and colonial dignitaries to take their places. They complied with a short chorus of scraping chair and aching joints. The meeting was taking place in the restored Central Plaza, the scene of the most violent part of the battle to retake the station by the Confederate Marine Corps. The plaza on the Titan Naval Station was almost fully repaired, and to most onlookers it was as if the epic infantry battle had never taken place. For the more alert, there were still the signs though. Some of the more fragile buildings and structures had been pulled down, and multiple security points had sprung up throughout the base. Hundreds of military personnel worked away to provide the most thorough security presence in the Confederacy. This was no ordinary meeting as it was the first official public statement from the new regime based on Kronus. The moon, the largest that orbited the planet Prime, had been built upon over generations with shipyards, repair bays, barracks and warehouses, as well as housing and public buildings for hundreds of thousands of people. It was more than a base. It was an orbiting fortress and headquarters for Proxima Centauri. Dr Hamis smiled at his audience.

  “My fellow citizens. It is with both joy and sadness that I come to you today on this first public address from my office. Our struggle has been a long and difficult one. It was sixteen months and eighteen days ago when we witnessed the start of the violent Proxima Uprising. Yes, there had been suicide attacks and assassinations before, but it was the seizing of the Bone Mill on the surface of Prime below us that was the flashpoint. From that day, we all watched as enemy factions emerged from the darkness preaching hatred and intolerance to those that would listen. Who led them? What was their goal? We still do not have the answers. I have a suspicion, perhaps wrongly, but I believe it was always the intention of a small group to utterly ruin the Confederacy. Why? Who knows? Maybe they wanted revenge for some unknown slight? More likely it was their plan to weaken us so badly that they could institute their own programme of dictatorship or ethnic cleansing.”

  A few of the cameras in the background flashed as some of the attendees snapped their photographs, but most simply watched and waited. It had been months since any of the colonies had seen anything remotely resembling a government, yet alone one that seemed to have any kind of control over what was happening. Dr Hamis continued.

  “Like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand that started the First World War through to Pearl Harbor for the United States of America, the attacks on Prime has been the trigger for this bloody war. A war that none of us ever sought. Ground battles with thousands of warriors and space battle between capital ships have torn our fifty-year old Confederacy to pieces. We never gave it the chance it needed to enforce peace and stability following the Great War.”

  He looked over to a number of Generals and senior commanders from the various parts of the Confederacy. Some of the commanders were from the recently liberated colonies of Euryale.

  “I am proud to say that in the last three days a combined assault team of marines and army personnel, supported by a company of Jötnar infantry, have recaptured the Skylla Research Base. Casualties were light, though I understand thirty-one Jötnar were killed or wounded storming the main enemy compound. I think we should all take a moment to consider the effort and sacrifice they are making on our behalf. This was a secret operation spurned on by critical intelligence received prior to the defeat of the Echidna Union at Euryale. This is another victory along the road to peace.”

  An image appeared of the research base on Skylla. The planet was a dead husk with no atmosphere or any ability to sustain life. The base was substantial and the home to almost ten thousand colonists. Two landing craft could be seen near the buildings where they must have crashed on the surface. The news that Biomechs in the service of the Confederacy had been instrumental was not lost on Dr Hamis. He was all too aware of the hostility and rapidity in making use of their numbers in the war. In an ideal world he would rather have seen them settled somewhere safe and away from the Confederacy, but this wasn’t an ideal world. They had boosted troop numbers sufficiently that an offensive campaign could be possible. No Biomechs would have meant a defensive campaign only, and that was a sure fire way to lose the war. Before the audience had too much time to consider the Jötnar, he moved the conversation quickly to another equally interesting area.

  “Many have asked about Alpha Centauri. What has happened to Terra Nova, Carthago and Paradiso? Where are our fleets? Only a handful of ships managed to make it to us from these worlds, and since their arrival we have seen no more. Why have we been abandoned to our fate against the plague of brainwashed synthetic creatures that seem to want nothing other than our total destruction?”

  He paused and the effect was electric. In the last six months very little information had been heard throughout the colonies. The audience waited in fateful anticipation, hoping for the juiciest piece of gossip or news they could take back to their departments or superiors. The small number of military personnel at the conference had already been well briefed, but even they were intrigued by the speech.

  “Alpha Centauri has been a sleeping giant, dormant and cut off for the entirety of this crisis. The binary star system that is the heart and soul of the Confederacy is almost a year away for even the fastest ships, yet it contains the most populous and well-developed worlds in the Confederacy. The last information received was that all transportation routes and communications were being cut. Any ships already due to arrive were impounded and their communications shut down. We have sent scout vessels on the journey but all have vanished without a trace. We understand from the final words received by our relay stations that we were being placed under quarantine until the emergency had been dealt with. The 13th Fleet is the only major group of ships to have returned in this time, and Union forces ambushed it en route. It is therefore with great trepidation that we make slow steps towards Terra Nova.”

  He turned to an assistant who pressed a button and brought up an image of a large cloud-like anomaly in space. At first it looked like an electrical storm until it was clear that several ships were stationed away from it. It had the look of a slowly spinning tunnel full of debris and clouds.

  “This is the Anomaly. It was recently discovered by our military forces, and it would appear to be an instantaneous transit point from there to a point six hours from Terra Nova. A trip can be made in three to four weeks to the site. Signals are being blocked through the area, so we are in process of establishing a relay point on both sides to allow more constant communication. This point in space was not spotted for two reasons. One, it is in an area of space previously scouted and two, because it wasn’t there two years ago.”

  Hands flew up from the scores of guests. Dr Hamis was drowned out by the noise of so many people trying to speak or ask questions at once. Though the Anomaly was now known to be the worst kept secret in the sector, the fact it had been made public opened up all kinds of questions and issues. He shook his head in annoyance at the interruption and signalled towards the security staff with his hand. One of the officers stepped out from the side and shouted out for quiet.

  “Thank you,” said Dr Hamis and the noise
level abated slightly.

  “I have not yet finished with my briefing on the Anomaly or the state of the sector. I would appreciate it if you would wait until I have finished before I take questions.”

  The audience, now pacified by the offer of questions and more information, waited like panting dogs anticipating for their food.

  “The Anomaly is the single most important point of space in this sector and must be protected, no matter the price. Admiral Jarvis has already dispatched forces to ensure it is kept safe. Trade, travel, migration and communication between the two halves of our great Confederacy will be eased. But there is a price, and it is a heavy one. The more we rely upon the Anomaly, the more we will become dependent upon it. I have therefore authorised a team of our best scientists and engineers to study it to attempt to understand how it came into being. Is it natural or artificial? If the latter, then who built it and why? Our first diplomatic mission is due to travel through to Terra Nova in the next twenty-four hours. I hope to receive information shortly after with news on what has happened there. I am sure we all pray that Alpha Centauri has been spared the scourge of the Echidna Union, the Zealots and their unholy creations.”

  Dr Hamis looked around the room, satisfied that his comments had been understood and well received. In a matter of hours, his speech would be made available to every citizen of the Confederacy. Even more would see illegal copies distributed by resistance movements and the underground on those colonies that had fallen or seceded. More importantly, was that is showed that the Confederacy was permanent, powerful and based around the most well defended point in the entire sector, the Titan Naval Station and now the Presidential Capital.

  “I will now pass you on to my Minister for Defence who will give you a short briefing on the political and military situation in Proxima Centauri.”

  A slightly balding, slender man approached. He had been a candidate many years ago for President on Terra Nova, and the years of political manoeuvring had taken its toll. His face was lined and his receding hairline suggested stress and difficulties in his career. Nonetheless, he was one of the most highly educated and experienced politicians alive.

  “Thank you, Mr President, and thank you to all that have turned out to listen to these important messages. It is clear that with our recent success, we are seeing the beginning of the end for the pseudo religious insurgency that began below on Prime. As we obtain more information, we are learning that the Union is in fact controlled by a handful of powerful individuals, such as the man we know as Typhon. These war criminals have abused their positions in peaceful organisations to incite hatred and violence against our institutions and bring about their collapse. Our best estimates suggest there are between three to six leaders who have been driving this unholy crusade against our citizens. Typhon is one, and we will find him, and the others soon enough.”

  He motioned to one of the technicians who switched on the three-dimensional projector just in front of him. With three flickers, it displayed a model of the entire Centauri Confederacy including the distant colonies of Sol, Epsilon Eridani, Gliese 876 and Procyon.

  “The Confederacy is the largest and most populous civilisation in the history of humanity. Our colonies are spread throughout Sol, Alpha Centauri and Proxima Centauri, as well as the new colonies being established out on the frontiers. Just centuries ago we struggled, fought and survived on a single world. Now we travel the stars.”

  The shape of the map changed so that the distant colonies vanished, and only the triple stars remained.

  “Proxima and Alpha Centauri are the new cores of our worlds, three stars and twenty-four planets. Our population is now in the tens of billions, and yet half of these worlds have been torn apart by war. Each of the eleven planets in the Proxima Centauri Star System has witnessed their share of bloodletting. The four habitable worlds of Kerberos, Prime, Agora and Orthrus have almost entirely seceded and formed their own faction, under the guise of the Echidna religion and its various militant bodies. Intelligence studies suggest Typhon is in nominal control of these worlds. The remaining seven gas giants and dead planets stayed loyal to us although their much smaller population, spaceports and stations are nothing compared to the might of the populated worlds.”

  The display zoomed in tightly around the main planets in the System.

  “Of the four primary planets, only Prime still maintains any kind of link with the Confederacy. Six of the seven colonies on its surface have seceded, leaving just Avagana loyal to the Confederacy. Although there are rumours of growing bands of freedom fighters waiting for the signal in the six that have fallen.”

  The Minister of Defence extended his arms and looked about the open plaza. His gaze followed the contours of the buildings and the many columns and weapon platforms array across the moon.

  “The jewel of our Confederacy is this massive orbital defence station and fortified facility. Our best engineers built directly into Kronus, the largest moon. This is a testament of our skills and perseverance. The Titan Naval Station is the most important and most powerful orbital platform in the entire Confederacy.”

  He pointed his hand at the four primary worlds and each was instantly surrounded by a blue glow to help identify them.

  “Of the four main worlds taken by the Echidna Union, none has been so fully indoctrinated as Kerberos. As you know, the planet is well named after the fabled multi-headed dog of myth. If you know any Kerberons, you will already understand that they are a strong, resilient people with a fearsome bite! The planet was a shining beacon of civilisation and industry, until now. Due to its unusual continental layout, there is just a single colony on the surface, and this is the megacity called Yama. Kerberos has been under the control of the Echidna Union for many months now, and little information is reaching us about the welfare of our citizens trapped inside. It was the first major colony to have seceded from the Confederacy, and the most populous after Prime. Most of the government facilities have now been shut down, and a permanent curfew seems to be in place in all urban areas. It had been relatively well defended by garrisons and forts, but even those garrisons remaining were quickly overrun. The Union has built up substantial numbers of militia, turncoat army soldiers and legions of synthetic Biomechs. This is an important planet, but it will take people, resources and a considerable amount of planning before our forces can even consider an operation to retake it.”

  The highlighted planet shifted to Prime, the planet around which the Naval Station orbited.

  “Now, we will move onto Prime. Originally the capital of this sector, but now a planet locked into a dangerous cold war.”

  * * *

  Kerberos was cold today. It wasn’t just the temperature. It was the fact that very little seemed to be working, so the cold and rain simply added to the misery on the surface. The streets and buildings showed a colony that should have been packed with people and vehicles, but instead it was an abandoned wasteland. Images of nuclear accidents in cities on Earth hundreds of years ago looked very similar. In those cases, whole towns were evacuated and never returned to.

  Confederate military personnel had stayed on the planet even after the government had fallen following the presidential assassination. With the breaking of the armistice, the defences had lasted just days, and in some cases they could hold only for hours. Only a handful of the surviving personnel remained at large.

  The colony’s only major city wasn’t completely hostile to the survivors though. As the population came to understand the real motivations of the Union, many had changed sides or looked the other way. It wasn’t much, but it was a start, and it had allowed a small but growing band of citizens and soldiers to survive against all odds. Within this dark and secretive world moved two men, both in urban camouflage pattern clothing and travelling on foot through the streets. From the way they moved, they were certainly not civilians, and the backpacks strapped carefully to their bodies gave them the look of travelling hermits or raiders searching for supplies.

/>   Captain Sanlav Erdeniz and Special Agent Johnson kept low to the ground, and they slipped past the four guards. This part of the city was under a nighttime curfew. In the last hour, they had counted over a dozen patrols in this area. There was little damage here, but with the number of lights no longer working, it wasn’t always easy to tell. Yama City wasn’t the safe, thriving metropolis it had once been. Like many cities in human history, it had turned to a much darker path. Government troops and militias were now in charge, and everyday truckloads of prisoners were sent away from the urban areas. Johnson lifted his hand, and the two men instantly stopped, moving back into the shadows.

  “Over there,” whispered Johnson.

  Captain Erdeniz followed his glance to spot another group of people moving in parallel with them. He watched carefully, noting they appeared armed, yet they were also avoiding the armed Union forces. In the darkness he couldn’t make out their faces, but their body language suggested caution rather than violence.

  “Who are they?” he replied as quietly as he could.

  “No idea. Maybe another underground group like ours.”

  They waited, watching the street for any further surprises. There were a number of vehicles parked up or possibly abandoned. On the street corner, not far from the other group, was a military transport. It was the type of wheeled vehicle used by local firearms teams like the ATU special units. Its logos and detailing had been recently painted over with nothing but the Echidna motif showing. One of the people in the other group waved over to them, and then moved into one of the side streets.

  “What do you think? Check them out?” asked Erdeniz.

  Agent Johnson nodded slowly.

  “Look. If they are doing the same thing as us, we can pool resources and assets. Just remember what we are here for though. Our objective is to seize control of the broadcasting station in the main plaza. Don’t get distracted.”