V_The 2nd Generation

by Kenneth Johnson

  He touched her forehead. "You're going to be okay, Mary . . . The doc said you'll be okay."

  Mary spoke without opening her frowning eyes. Her voice was thin and faint, but certain. "No. I won't."

  She turned her head slightly away. Charles and his father watched her, not knowing what they could ever do to overcome the bleakness in her heart.

  EMMA SAT ALONE IN HER LIVING ROOM STARING BEYOND THE WALLS of her home, trying to comprehend all that had happened and what fate might conceivably await her. She still wore her dress from the previous night's rally. The pale February sun did not warm her. When her phone rang she jumped slightly. She stared at it through three rings and decided to let her machine answer.

  It was Mark's terse voice that she heard. "Thought you'd like to know we found a little nuclear missile that your friends were obviously planning to use on all of us at Candlestick. Including you. How does that make you feel about them?"

  He hung up. And Emma continued to stare at nothing.

  IN THE POTRERO SECTION, WILLY WALKED CAREFULLY PAST THE TENement that had been his home with Harmy and Ted. His soft eyes looked up sadly at it and he breathed a long and plaintive sigh.

  When he looked back down he came to an abrupt stop, startled to see, standing directly in front of him, a Teammate: Ted. The boy's expression was unreadable as he said, "I've been waiting for you."

  ON THE OAKLAND SIDE OF THE ARID SAN FRANCISCO BAY VALLEY THE Resistance survivors had sought sanctuary in an abandoned factory that bordered the former waterfront in Alameda. More claustrophobic than their San Francisco headquarters, it was depressing in the thin sunlight that filtered down through the dust in the chilly air from a row of grimy skylights on one side. Several panes were broken and pigeons fluttered in and out. Residue from them and other birds dotted the floor of scarred concrete. Several large and greasy lathes for the working of heavy mechanical parts were bolted to it. The building had an oily, musty smell.

  It had been previously designated as a safe rendezvous point so Ruby guided Kayta and Mike there. Gary and a few others were already present. By the time Robert Maxwell arrived, Mike was in the midst of furiously confronting both Ayden and Kayta. "How do you expect us to feel when you lied to us about your true intentions! You've got to call off your fleet!"

  Ayden was calm and resolute. "No. The Visitor Armada must be attacked and destroyed here."

  "Along with our whole planet!" Gary couldn't believe it.

  Kayta was sincere. "We are truly sorry."

  "Sorry?!" Mike blurted with an incredulous laugh. "You get to just walk away while our whole fucking planet dies? And all you can say is you're 'sorry'?!"

  "Kayta and I will not be leaving," Ayden said. "We will remain here as forward observers."

  All the humans stared at them. Robert finally spoke, "You mean to say that you've called in the fire on top of yourselves?"

  "Of course"—Kayta nodded—"it was a natural course of action for the greater good of our race."

  "So, wait a minute . . ." Ruby wanted to be sure she understood, "you're gonna stay and die here beside us?"

  "Yes, Ruby," Ayden stoically confirmed. "We are as loyal to the Zedti cause as you are to yours."

  For a long moment there was silence in the old factory as the Resistance team weighed Ayden's words. Then Mike dropped to a lower, less confrontational key. "Look, Ayden, God knows all of us here understand loyalty, but there's got to be some way we can—"

  A door creaked open and the entire group spun onto the alert. Guns were raised and aimed. Then Willy appeared. "Don't shoot! It's me. It's . . . us."

  The gentle Visitor opened the door wider to reveal his son, Ted. His former anger and belligerence were absent as he looked contritely at all of them who were staring at him. "If you don't want me to stay, I'll understand. But I came to tell you"—he paused as his mismatched eyes sought out the two who had the same sheen to their skin as had Bryke—"particularly to tell you two . . . that I didn't want to kill your friend. When the Leader put that weapon in my hand and I looked into your friend's eyes—" His voice choked off momentarily as he remembered it. Then he continued, "I suddenly understood everything my mother and father had tried to teach me. I realized my loyalty was to the wrong side. I know I can never make up for what I've done, for the mistakes I've made, and certainly not for your friend's life. But if you'd let me fight beside you, beside my father, it would be an honor."

  There was a pause and finally Ayden nodded. Then the Zedti commander added, "But I'm afraid there is not much point now."

  Mike found himself echoing Julie's words to him, "Ayden, we can't just lie down and die without a fight."

  Little Ruby concurred, "Yeah. There's got to be a way."

  The Zedti commander said, "I appreciate your sentiments, but look at the reality of the situation. To conquer the Visitors before the Zedti fleet arrives we'd have to take control of all the Motherships. To do that we'd need a massive army and a way to get that army aboard all the Motherships simultaneously."

  The group stood in frustrated silence. Victory had evaded the Resistance for over twenty years and they knew Ayden was right: now it seemed more impossible than ever.

  But then Ruby saw Mike's frowning expression slowly change as though a cloud was passing and the sun was brightening his face. He whispered, "Wait a minute." He was piecing something together. "Wait just a goddamn minute."

  Robert also realized that Mike's eyes were focusing on a new possibility that was dawning on him. "Mike? What is it?"

  Donovan's voice was low as he looked up at Ayden and the rest. "We've got that army! And they're already aboard!"

  "Oh, my God!" Ruby understood immediately. "The prisoners in storage up there!"

  "Yes!" Gary exclaimed. "Julie and our whole gang—!"

  "Plus international leaders, military commanders!" Robert chimed in.

  And Willy added, "Plus regions of others!"

  "Legions," Ruby corrected enthusiastically.

  "Legions, yes!" Willy nodded. "In capsules on all the Mother-ships!"

  Kayta was slowly thinking it through. "They would be in a perfect position to lead an attack, if they could be alerted to the plan and set free."

  "But they can be alerted! Don't you see?" Mike was on a roll now. "Ayden, you told us prisoners can be instructed inside their capsules! Right?"

  "That's correct." The Zedti leader understood Mike's idea. "So if we could tap into the communications circuits . . ."

  Willy jumped in, "Our friend Jon knows the capsule operations very well."

  Kayta was shaking her head. "But wait: if any of their chemical weapon is transported to a Mothership that escapes, our people would still be in grave danger from it."

  Gary had an answer, "So some of us hit the factory to destroy or neutralize that chemical."

  "That scientist Charles Elgin will work with us." Robert's dark eyes were intense. "He's got access inside there and his scientist friends in the ghetto could help Kayta develop a neutralizing agent."

  Ayden recognized the possible validity of the developing plan, but would not be rushed to a judgment. "We must prevent any export of the chemical weapon for duplication and mass production. I must be certain of that."

  Donovan turned it back on him. "Okay, Ayden, then you handle that mission. Only your airbike has a prayer of dodging their fighters to do the job, anyway."

  "May I go with you?" Ted asked of Ayden.

  The Zedti looked into Ted's mismatched but sincere eyes, considering, "If you can learn to fly an airbike."

  Then Mike turned to Ayden to press the key question. "And if we succeed, you'll call off your fleet?"

  Ayden returned his potent gaze and spoke emphatically, "If."

  29

  DIANA GLANCED SIDEWAYS AT HER AIDE. "WHAT KIND OF 'PERSONAL information' are you talking about, Shawn?"

  The lean, narrow-eyed Visitor stood subserviently before the desk in Diana's private chambers. "Information I felt you should be made
aware of in case you felt it important for our Leader to know. About the relationship between a certain Wing Commander and Commandant Jeremy."

  Diana studied Shawn with her sloe eyes. "Continue."

  "Out of a desire to be useful to you I put myself at considerable risk to obtain the intelligence, because I thought it might prove helpful to you."

  "And to yourself as well, no doubt," Diana chided.

  "My first thought was of you, Commandant, as indeed my loyalty has always been to you." He clicked his heels and nodded respectfully.

  Diana had risen and was slowly walking in a circle around him, her keen eyes upon him. "So you've always said, Shawn. But as you doubtless know, our Leader is a creature of many appetites herself. Why should she be concerned about some casual sexual tryst which is, I presume, what you are implying?"

  "That is only part of it, Commandant." Shawn knew he was venturing out upon a minefield and he did so cautiously. "In addition, there have also been certain statements made."

  Although Diana maintained her outward coolness, Shawn correctly sensed the slight amplification of her interest. "Statements about what, Shawn?"

  "About our Leader's future fate. And your own."

  MARGARITA WAS EXAMINING THE HATCH TO THE DAMP, FOUL-smelling cell where she and Nathan were imprisoned. She was running her hand along the seam where it joined the cell bulkhead. She glanced over at Nathan, who was investigating a small air vent. "What happened to Ayden, anyway?"

  "Mr. Nuke-'Em? Now that's an interesting story." He was about to tell her when the hatch she was studying suddenly opened. Nathan was thoroughly amazed. "Hey! How'd you do that?" Then he saw that four Patrollers were in the corridor outside and had obviously opened it. "Oh."

  One of the Patrollers stepped in and roughly grasped Nathan's arm. "Come along." As the trooper was pulling him out, Nathan daringly grabbed for the Visitor's weapon, but another immediately shot him in the chest, slamming him backward and down. Margarita rushed to him, fearful but insistent, "Nathan! Nathan! If you die I'll kill you!"

  His eyes opened. He was severely dazed. His words slurred, "Die? Now that we've bonded? No way, José."

  The Patrollers shoved her aside and dragged him out. Margarita could only watch as the heavy hatch sealed her in the cell alone.

  IN THE FLAGSHIP CONFERENCE ROOM DIANA WAS MULLING THE secrets Shawn had told her about Jeremy, while he, Press Secretary Paul, along with Shawn, Gina, and several other aides, sat nearby. They were getting a progress report from smiling factory owner J. D. Oliver. "Our work has proceeded well ahead of schedule and the chemical essence is now ready for duplication aboard your Motherships, Commandants. The shipments can begin tomorrow."

  "Excellent, Mr. Oliver," Diana said, "I will order—"

  Jeremy interrupted, speaking to Gina as though Diana weren't even present. "Wing Commander, see to the dispersal of the new hand weapons to all of our Patrols and Teammates."

  Gina nodded. As she started to leave, Jeremy turned to Diana and said innocently, "I beg your pardon, you were saying?"

  Diana watched shapely Gina exit, then turned to Jeremy with a sly smile. "Unimportant. You're quite on top of everything. Shall we have lunch?"

  WHAT HAD ONCE BEEN THE EDGE OF LAND BORDERING THE CHOPPY water at Fort Point in the Presidio was still a favorite place for joggers and bikers even though the bay had long since dried up. People were still drawn there because of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, which stretched beautifully to Sausalito across the now-empty, 360-foot-deep chasm. The massive, foundational bases of the bridge support pillars had been entirely visible and dry for years. They were covered with sun-bleached barnacles and a few wispy fibers of long-dried-out seaweed.

  Emma had been walking there and had paused to talk to a short, uniformed half-breed worker with chestnut-colored hair who was pretending to be cleaning up along the path. Ruby was explaining the truth to Emma, "The mayor doesn't know the whole story: we all voted not to use the nuke. When Ayden tried to anyway, Nathan risked his life to stop it."

  Emma was still uncertain. "So will the Zedti fight on our side or not?"

  "Until their fleet gets here, yeah. After that we're all toast and the clock's ticking. They're already smokin' in from Saturn." Ruby turned to pick up some trash as a Patroller walked past while Emma gazed out toward the bridge and watched two Visitor patrol shuttles pass each other over the top of it. Once the trooper was well away Ruby spoke again to Emma. "We've just got one last chance, but it's a goody." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Willy learned all about Capsule Operations from a half-breed janitor aboard the Flagship."

  "A janitor!"

  "Yeah, one who could give Einstein a run for his money. The kid's brilliant. Anyway, here's the deal: the training information fed through the capsule headgear into the prisoners' subconscious minds is transmitted directly from the Flagship. And a signal from the Flagship can also open the capsules throughout the fleet."

  "So we've got to send our messages in to the prisoners and then get their capsules opened?"

  "Bingo." The twelve-year-old winked. "To do that we've got to unlock the system. There are five code keys that have to be inserted directly into the Flagship's quantum computer mainframe which, incidentally, they keep at minus three hundred degrees for superconductivity. But Willy can take the chill."

  "Okay"—Emma was getting the picture—"and those code keys are where?"

  "Locked in a vault in good ol' Shawn's chamber. Kayta has a Zedti device that she thinks can unlock the vault, but we need you—"

  "To get access to the vault?"

  "Yeah." Ruby looked searchingly into Emma's green eyes as the young woman realized the daunting and dangerous challenge.

  MARGARITA WAS PACING AGITATEDLY INSIDE THE DARK CELL. HER palms were sweating as she had flashes of the torture Nathan was likely being put through elsewhere on the Flagship. She drew a sharp, startled breath as the hatch suddenly hissed open and Nathan was thrown back in. He had obviously been badly beaten and was barely conscious. She knelt to comfort him, swallowing hard at his condition. "Too much partying, huh?"

  His eyes wandered, trying to find her. His consciousness seemed beset by a leaden heaviness. His voice was hoarse, as though he'd been kicked in the throat. "No, they beat me. It was awful."

  Margarita looked at him carefully and tenderly stroked his bloody brow. "I'm sure it was. But you're okay now. I've got you. You just rest." She cradled him lovingly in her arms.

  In an autopsy room some distance away, Jeremy, Diana, and Shawn were conversing in front of a console that carried a vid image from a camera hidden in Margarita's cell. It showed her consoling Nathan.

  "This will be a good field test of our new voice modifier," Shawn noted.

  "Yes," Diana agreed, "if we can fool her to get information, we can infiltrate anyone."

  Jeremy turned smugly to a prisoner who was secured in an interrogation chair. "Thanks for the use of your voice . . . and your face."

  The battered prisoner whom Jeremy was addressing was the real Nathan. He was hanging tough and shook his head. "You fuckers won't fool Margarita."

  "Really?" Diana was smiling. "She's already nursing our Nathan's wounds."

  POP ELGIN CAME INTO THE TINY BEDROOM OF THEIR FAMILY'S TENEment with a tray holding a small bowl of chicken soup and a sandwich. "I managed to scrounge a little turkey from old Mrs. Kettenis."

  Mary was sitting propped up in a threadbare chair. Her hair was disheveled. She was without any makeup at all and looked years older than she had before her daughter died. She was gazing listlessly out the window as she might have looked into an abyss. "I told you I don't want to eat, Pop."

  He set the scratched plastic tray on the rickety end table beside her. "Well, maybe a little reading then."

  Mary looked down and saw that also on the tray was a small brown book. "What is that?"

  The old man shrugged. "Just something I found. I think it might have been Charlotte's." He gazed at his beleaguered daughter-in-
law for a moment, then quietly left the room. Mary watched him close the door. Then she looked hesitantly down at the book.

  IN THE SHABBY OAKLAND FACTORY KAYTA AND ROBERT MAXWELL were working at the rudimentary chemical lab she had established in one corner of the grungy place. Her entire facility sat on a couple of old doors set atop some shipping crates and had occasioned some healthy skepticism from Robert until he saw the advanced Zedti analytical instruments she had brought from her airbike. While they worked to create a neutralizing agent for the Visitors' chemical weapon, Kayta glanced over at Mike, who stood nearby on his painful, shaky legs. He was still getting used to having only one good eye, but that didn't keep him from taking stock of the weapons, which Gary had kept hidden in his apartment and now brought. Mike grinned. "Nicely done, Rumplestiltskin."

  The handsome freedom fighter smiled back. "My grandmother was a big proponent of multi-basketing our eggs." But Gary saw the frown creasing Mike's troubled brow. "You think we've got a prayer of pulling this off?"

  "Shit, Gary, I don't know"—Mike leaned against one of the rusting lathes—"and even if we do, I've been thinking about all our other people who were prisoners in the Motherships that have already left."

  "Millions of 'em, yeah." Gary ran his hand through his smooth hair. His eyes went distant as he contemplated such a huge loss of humanity.

  Kayta had drifted closer, bringing medicine for Mike. "I'm very proud of the effort you've made, Mike." She held out the liquid medication to him. "This will help to strengthen you." He took the glass and nodded thanks as she continued. "You speak of the Hive Mentality that we Zedti share, but your feelings for the Family of Man are really so very similar."

  Mike looked into her soft violet eyes. "Yeah, I guess they are." They gazed at each other and it was clear to Gary that a strong bond had developed between the blond Zedti healer and her unruly patient.

  A door burst open nearby and Ruby scampered in. She was smiling and two of her scaly fingers flipped up to form a "V" as she said cheerily, "Emma's in!"