Resist the Red Battlenaut

by Robert T. Jeschonek

  At least they'd pulled a curtain around Donna's bed. The room was still noisy, but Scott had a modicum of privacy for his visit.

  Standing beside Donna's bed, he took her hand. "Looks like it's time for another mission," he told her. "So how much longer are you going to lie there and keep slacking?"

  Donna gave no response. If anything, her body seemed more still than ever.

  "Well, you better get up off your lazy ass soon," said Scott. "The squad needs you. I need you." He squeezed her hand. "So get a move on."

  Just then, Beauchamp pushed through the curtain. "Her condition has not changed, Corporal. No improvement."

  "But she's not getting worse?" said Scott.

  Beauchamp shook her head sadly. "I do wish we would see more responsiveness, though. I wish she would squeeze someone's hand again soon. The longer she remains comatose..."

  "I understand." Scott gently touched Donna's forehead. "At least you don't need to inoculate her."

  Suddenly, Beauchamp frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe I do." Reaching up, she stroked her lower lip with one fingertip. "Maybe that is not such a bad idea, actually. She could awaken at any time, in which case she should be prepared to identify the enemy." Without another word, she flowed back through the curtain and was gone.

  Scott bent down and kissed Donna's cheek. "Take care of yourself, okay? I'll see you as soon as I can." He kissed her other cheek, too. "Who knows? Maybe next time I see you, you'll be up and around. Maybe you'll dance your way right out of here."

  Scott walked out through the curtain just in time to see Perseid getting his shot, which surprised him.

  "Hello, Corporal." Perseid smiled as Tourmal held up a loaded hypodermic.

  Scott frowned. "You weren't in line, were you?" He wondered if he'd walked past Perseid in the corridor without noticing him.

  Perseid shook his head. "I cut line. One of the perks of command." Just then, the hypo hit his bicep, and he winced. "But medicine is still the great equalizer, isn't it?"

  "Yes, sir." Scott managed a smile.

  "How is she?" Perseid bobbed his head toward Donna. "Any improvement?"

  "Negative," said Scott. "But at least she hasn't taken a turn for the worse."

  "Damn." Perseid rolled his sleeve down and stepped away from Tourmal, making room for the next man in line. "I know Beauchamp's doing everything she can for her."

  "I think she might have just gotten an idea," said Scott. "She said something about giving Donna the antiviral inoculation."

  "But how would that..."

  Perseid was interrupted by Rexis' voice over the P.A. "Major Perseid, report to the Command Deck. Major Perseid, report to the Command Deck immediately."

  Perseid's manner changed instantly from easygoing to intense. He stiffened, standing straighter, and his friendly smile became a grim stare. "Corporal Scott, you're with me." Spinning on his heel, he headed for the door.

  Scott did as he was told, falling in step behind Perseid. When they reached the corridor, they both broke into a run.

  En route, Perseid didn't say a word--and didn't have to. The way he'd been summoned suggested that something serious had happened. Speculating about what it might be would be a waste of time.

  There was also no need for Perseid to explain to Scott why he needed him along. Scott was still the only person aboard the Sun Tzu who could see one hundred percent of Red materiel and personnel all of the time. If the Reds had made a move, of course Perseid would need his only certified Red spotter at his side.

  There was nothing to say until they reached the Command Deck and saw what awaited them. It was that simple.

  *****

  The door to the Command Deck swept open, and Perseid ran right through. "Report!" he snapped in mid-stride, before his feet had stopped moving.

  Scott ran in next and stopped sooner, hanging back to assess the situation. In the view ahead, visible through the transparent prow of the ship, he saw the orange and yellow sphere of Oberon, poised between the binary stars that kept it bathed in perpetual daylight. The planet was still small, in the distance, hours away.

  "Sir!" Rexis, who was standing up front with hands clasped behind her back, looked tenser than Scott had ever seen her. "We've detected a vessel in orbit around Oberon." She paused. "A Commonwealth vessel."

  Perseid came to a stop in the middle of the deck and planted his hands on his hips. "Which Commonwealth vessel?"

  "The Samuel Nicholas," said Rexis.

  Scott was surprised. The Samuel Nicholas--named for the ancient founder of the United States Marine Corps--was the flagship of the Commonwealth Marines.

  Perseid scowled. "What the hell is the Sam Nicholas doing here? It wasn't mentioned in any of the fleet movement bulletins."

  "Unknown." Rexis' voice tightened. "But it shows signs of having taken heavy fire. So does the Rightful ship orbiting nearby."

  "Holy flux." Perseid blew out his breath and ran a hand over the black bristle on his scalp. "Have we hailed the Sam Nicholas?"

  "Yes, sir," said Rexis. "No reply. No transmissions of any kind."

  "You said she shows signs of taking heavy fire," said Perseid.

  Rexis raised her voice to be heard clearly by the Command Deck control A.I. "Maximum magnification on the Samuel Nicholas."

  As soon as she called out the order, the view zoomed in on a wedge of Oberon. The massive bulk of the Samuel Nicholas drifted at the edge of the atmosphere, listing precariously to one side and spilling black clouds into space from gashes in her hull.

  Without thinking, Scott stepped forward, mesmerized by the sight. The flagship was the mightiest vessel in the Commonwealth fleet; it must have taken extraordinary firepower to wreck it like that.

  One thing was clear to him: the Rightful ship had not done the damage. It was smaller than the flagship and looked like it was in far worse shape. Something had snapped it in two down the middle, leaving splintered halves open to the vacuum of space, barely held together on one side.

  "They didn't do that to each other," said Rexis. "Damage patterns aren't consistent with Commonwealth or Rightful weaponry. The sheer scope of the destruction suggests an overwhelming ambush by superior forces."

  "What the hell are we flying into?" said Perseid. "These ships shouldn't be here, and they sure as hell shouldn't be blown apart like that."

  "Looks like Cairn gave us accurate information." Rexis looked at Scott when she said it.

  Scott nodded.

  "Smashing up the Sam Nicholas like that would be next to impossible," said Perseid, "unless the attackers were undetectable."

  "Like the Reds," said Rexis.

  "Which still doesn't explain why these ships were here at all." Perseid frowned and rubbed his chin. "Why would the flagship of the Commonwealth Marines be in the same place as a Rightful vessel if they weren't shooting at each other?"

  "I wish I knew," said Rexis. "Marine H.Q. has no comment."

  "I guess we'll find out soon enough." Perseid clapped his hands together and spoke loud enough for everyone on the Command Deck to hear. "Has everyone been inoculated against the firewall virus?"

  His question was greeted by a chorus of affirmatives. Scott was the only one who didn't join in, since he had no need for the antivirus countermeasure.

  "That's good, because we're going in." He turned in a circle, surveying his crew in their antigrav harnesses, surrounded by holographic controls. "Be alert to any sign of Red activity, no matter how small. Don't hesitate to issue an instantaneous warning. If the bastards come at us like they did the Sam Nicholas, every second will mean the difference between life and death." He stopped turning when he got to Scott. "In fact, I want you on the Command Deck from this moment on, Corporal, just in case the viral countermeasure takes a while to kick in. You're the only one aboard guaranteed to spot Reds without delay or distortion whether you've had an inoculation or not."

  "Aye, sir," said Scott.

  "Set him up with full access to visual feeds and sensor data,"
Perseid told Rexis.

  "Yes, sir," said Rexis.

  "Now then." Perseid flung out an arm and pointed at Fong the helmsman. "How fast can you get us to Oberon?"

  Fong manipulated holo controls and checked readouts. "Just under five hours, if I step on it."

  "Then do it," said Perseid. "Direct heading for the Sam Nicholas."

  "So we're going straight in?" said Fong. "No roundabout approach in case the Reds are waiting?"

  "Absolutely not," said Perseid. "I've got a feeling time is of the essence. There might be survivors in need of help." He glared at the view of the devastated ships in orbit. "If the damned Reds want us, let them come and get us. We're ready for them this time."

  *****

  Chapter 28

  For the next five hours, Scott watched carefully for any sign of the Reds in the vicinity of Oberon...and saw none. The planet drew closer, the Samuel Nicholas and Rightful ship drifted brokenly, but no Red vessels appeared nearby. If the Reds were still around, they were so well hidden that even Scott with his Red spotting abilities could see no trace of them.

  He had a feeling that could change very soon, though. The Sun Tzu was only a few thousand meters away from the wrecks and closing fast. When she got in good and close, the time would be perfect for a Red sneak attack.

  "Take us in on thrusters, Lieutenant," said Perseid. "One quarter speed, nice and easy."

  "Aye, sir," said Fong, playing his bank of holo controls like a virtuoso on a grand piano. "One quarter thrust."

  "All hands to battle stations," added Perseid. "Condition Red."

  "All hands to battle stations," repeated Rexis, announcing it over the shipwide P.A. "Condition Red."

  The Sun Tzu's approach slowed. The wrecked ships, framed against the orange-yellow backdrop of Oberon, grew larger at a slower rate.

  "Red activity?" Perseid asked the question without taking his eyes off the forward view.

  "Nothing at this time," said Scott.

  "They could be hiding behind one of the derelicts," said Fong. "Or behind the planet, for that matter."

  "Very true," said Perseid. "Keep monitoring all likely avenues of approach."

  As the drifting ships expanded, the tension on the Command Deck ratcheted up like a reactor building toward critical. There wasn't any of the usual chatter or noise--just silence as everyone watched and waited. Scott imagined the whole ship was probably the same way, though he hadn't left the bridge in over five hours.

  "Life signs?" said Perseid.

  Khalil was manning the science station from an antigrav harness hovering near Scott. "One life sign in proximity to the Sam Nicholas." He worked the holo controls some more and nodded. "It's coming from a lifepod, sir."

  "What about the Rightful ship?" said Perseid.

  Khalil worked for a moment. "No life signs," he said finally.

  Perseid cleared his throat. "And what's the standard crew complement of the Sam Nicholas?"

  "Two hundred and eighty-five," said Rexis.

  Everyone was quiet as the implications settled in. Then, in a hushed voice, Khalil spoke for all of them. "One survivor out of two hundred and eighty-five."

  "Unless some of them got away," said Perseid. "Scan for life signs on the planet's surface."

  "Scanning," said Khalil.

  "Meanwhile, let's bring in that lifepod," said Perseid. "Get a retrieval team out there ASAP."

  "Already on the way," said Rexis.

  "Still no sign of the Reds," offered Scott.

  "Other than the demolished warships in orbit." Perseid folded his arms over his chest and shook his head slowly. "The bastards must have some kind of firepower."

  "Retrieval team has eyes on the lifepod," said Rexis. "They report minor damage to the exterior, but life support does not seem to have been compromised."

  "Good news from the planet's surface, too," said Khalil. "Multiple life signs detected. Fifty-nine signals, all told."

  Scott's heart beat faster. Maybe Bern had survived after all and escaped to the planet's surface.

  "I'm picking up weapons fire down there, too," said Khalil. "Looks like a firefight in progress."

  Perseid nodded and unfolded his arms. He paused a moment, gazing at the view of the shattered ships and the planet's giant disk...and then he spoke. "Prepare drop ships for launch. Alpha and Beta Squads, report to launch bay for immediate departure. That includes you, Corporal." He looked at Scott.

  Scott nodded. "Aye, sir."

  "We're going down," said Perseid. "In force."

  "'We?'" said Rexis.

  "'We' but not you," said Perseid. "You're in command of the Sun Tzu until I get back."

  Rexis frowned. "Do you really think that's a good..."

  "No argument." Perseid chopped his hand through the air, cutting her off. "If what I suspect is true, there's no way I'm not leading this expedition." He headed for the door, waving for Scott to follow. "But first, we're going to talk to that survivor."

  *****

  By the time Scott and Perseid reached the landing bay, the retrieval team's skiff had returned. The lifepod they'd recovered lay on the deck in front of their boxy little craft, encircled by crewmen in red jumpsuits.

  As the crewmen parted to let Perseid through, Scott saw Chief Azimuth and Doctor Beauchamp working on the pod. Azimuth was prying with his big silver wrench at a clamp bolt near the base of the pod, while Beauchamp was busy running a diagnostic wand over the hull.

  "His vitals are strong," Beauchamp said when Perseid approached. "Elevated, but you would expect that after the kind of stress he must have been through."

  Perseid touched the skin of the pod. "How long until we get this thing open?"

  "Ask Mr. Celebrity!" Azimuth pulled hard on his wrench, grunting and scowling with the effort. When he let up the pressure, the bolt hadn't moved a centimeter. "The longer he stands over there like a lazy ass instead of helping me, the longer this stays sealed!"

  Scott wanted to punch him in the face, but instead he went over and took hold of the wrench. Together, the two of them cranked the wrench back harder than ever...and the bolt moved half a turn before locking up again.

  "Come on!" snapped Azimuth. "Put your back into it! Grandma Hellcat can't help you with this one!"

  Scott's temper flared, and he poured it into his effort. This time, the bolt turned all the way, and the clamp came loose with a loud crack.

  "There!" said Azimuth. "See what you can accomplish when you stop waiting for Granny to come to your rescue?"

  Resisting the temptation to take a swing at him, Scott pulled the clamp free, releasing the lid. As the lid swung upward, the man inside the pod shot to a sitting position.

  Breathing hard, gripping the sides of the pod, he gaped at Scott--his uniform, specifically. "Semper fi!" Relief flooded his face. "Thank God!"

  "That's right." Scott saw the survivor was wearing a Commonwealth Marine uniform, too. "Semper fi."

  "What's your name, Marine?" said Perseid.

  The man in the pod looked like he was in his early-to-mid twenties. His round face was smudged with grease and blood, and the brown stubble on his scalp had been singed black on one side. "Sergeant Pylo Brahma of the Samuel Nicholas, sir." Brahma saluted as Beauchamp pushed in and waved her diagnostic wand over him. "May I ask what ship this is?"

  "The Sun Tzu." Perseid stepped closer and bent down to fix Brahma in an urgent stare. "Now tell me, what was the Sam Nicholas doing out here with a Rightful warship?"

  "That's top secret, sir." Brahma squared his jaw, then frowned and slumped. "Though I guess it doesn't matter much now."

  Perseid looked at Beauchamp, who finished checking the readings from her wand, then nodded and stepped away. "Get to it, Sergeant," said Perseid. "We don't have much time."

  "Secret peace talks with the Rightfuls," said Brahma. "That's why we were here. High-level talks to end the Civil War."

  "I had a hunch." Perseid glanced at Scott, then returned his gaze to Brahma. "Who was
aboard, Sergeant? What Commonwealth dignitaries were present?"

  "The Undersecretary of State, Trellor Gulack," said Brahma. "Defense Minister Byron Clay. And the Marine Corps Commandant." Brahma lowered his eyes. "Commandant Bernice Chalice."

  Suddenly, time crashed to a halt for Scott. His stomach twisted in a painful knot, and his heart seemed to stop beating.

  He understood why Bern hadn't been taking his calls. He knew where she'd been all this time when he'd been trying in vain to reach her. It made perfect sense, now.

  There was just one thing he didn't know, and the thought of it froze his blood. There was one question he needed to ask, and he was afraid to hear the answer.

  Maybe it was just as well that Perseid did the asking. "Where are they, Sergeant? What happened to the dignitaries?"

  "Gulack and Clay died in the ambush," said Brahma. "The ambush by invisible ships."

  Though Scott dreaded hearing the rest of the story, he couldn't help jumping in. "What about the Commandant?"

  "I don't know." Brahma shook his head wearily. "I don't know if she's alive or dead."

  Time continued to stand still for Scott as Brahma's words echoed through his head. He felt the pressure of eyes on him and looked around--saw stoic grimness from Perseid, supportive concern from Beauchamp, and mortified guilt from Azimuth, who moments ago had referred to Bern as "Grandma Hellcat" and made fun of Scott for waiting for "Granny" to come to his rescue.

  Meanwhile, Brahma kept talking. "These ghosts who attacked us, they ripped through our defenses like a chain saw through tissue paper and boarded the Sam Nicholas. The Rightful ship, the Augustus, didn't fare any better. None of us could see or detect them. It was a bloodbath."

  "What do you mean you don't know?" Scott said it a little too harshly. "What happened to Commandant Chalice?"

  "A squad of Marines put her in a drop ship and got the hell off the Sam Nicholas. I was part of the rear guard action that helped them get away." Brahma shrugged. "I don't know what happened to them after that."