“Good thanks.”
“You had one like that before. Is it what you always drink on the beach?”
“It’s what my carers gave me when they took me to the beach when I was a child.”
“Carers?”
“That’s what they were called. They were always armed.”
They sat in silence for a while longer.
“Your race puts an arm round someone when they need to be comforted, don’t they?” Mike asked.
“Yes, they do.” Mark answered, wondering why she asked such a strange question. Then he realized why, and shuffled up to her, so he was right up against her side and put his arm round her shoulders. Mike leaned into him and sighed. They stayed sitting like that for what seemed like a long time, but Mark was happy to sit with his friend in the warmth of the artificial sun in the artificial sky, listening to the artificial waves lapping on the artificial beach.
Chapter Twenty Five
Review
Sally and Orange were sitting at the small conference table when Mark returned to their quarters. “Did you have a long talk with Mike?” Sally asked.
“No, we hardly spoke.” Mark said as he sat down with them.
“What were you doing? I know you weren’t shagging. You’re not morphologically compatible.”
“How old were you when you joined the army?” Mark asked her.
“Old enough. What’s that got to do with it?”
“Sometimes you are very coarse. I thought you must have become a soldier at an impressionable age. What do you think Orange?”
“My race isn’t like either of yours. I don’t know what you expect from each other.” Orange said.
“Are all the Aarnth like you?” Mark asked.
“What do you know about the Aarnth?” Sally asked coldly.
“Only that you are one. No one will tell me anything about them and the Aarnth archive is locked to me. It’s quite surprising how much is kept from me, considering I am a Friend of the People.”
Sally relaxed a bit, “No, none of the Aarnth are like me. I hope not anyway.”
Mark raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“We’ve just about finished here.” She continued.
“Have you changed the mission plan?” Mark asked.
“Only slightly. Touren and Bekkreshan will be carrying missile launching rail rifles in case the Herassans have any heavy mechanized armor there. I need you to tell your quartermaster AI to make the rail rifles, I don’t have access to that level of weapon systems.”
Mark told his AI to have them made and to upgrade Sally’s authority so she could have them made in the future. “OK, I’ve done that. What are rail rifles?”
“Your Earth military use ship mounted rail weapons. Ocean going ships of course, you use different weapons on your satellites. Rail rifles use electromagnetic fields to accelerate the projectile instead of explosive chemical propellants which KE weapons use.”
“If you have rail rifles, why do you use bullets in KE weapons, or guns as we call them on Earth?”
“Rail rifles have limitations. They need a powerful electric charge to make them work and even with our technology they couldn’t maintain a good rate of fire. And they get very hot after a few shots, but the biggest problem is recoil. There are no gasses coming out of the muzzle so normal anti-recoil mechanisms don’t work. So all in all, it isn’t practical to use them as KE weapon replacements. What they are good for though, is to give a small rocket propelled missile an initial acceleration so it doesn’t need a big engine or to carry as much fuel as it would if the rocket engine was doing all the work. It’s a hybrid solution that can fire small unguided missiles at a fairly high rate with enough power from the rocket motor to get them up to hypersonic speeds over short distances. The missiles will take out heavy mechanized armor however well protected they are.”
“Wow. That’s impressive. I didn’t know weapons like that existed.”
Sally grinned and said, “Wait until you get onto a battleship. The weapons on them will blow your mind!”
“Do we have weapons like that on the Swift?” Mark asked his AI.
“The rail rifles are ingenious and quaint, but we have nothing like them. The weapons on People’s craft, including the Swift, are more powerful than you can imagine. Hopefully you will never see them in action.”
“You can tell me about them though.” Mark said.
“If you knew what the Swift was capable of, you would have trouble sleeping at night.”
“Is that it? You’re not going to tell me?”
“No Mark. The People have weapons developed over billions of years that would give you nightmares. Remember what Alan told you about the AI war? There have been nine billion years of development since then. I would prefer not to discuss this anymore. Just be reassured that nothing in the known universe could stand against the People, or the Swift.”
“Do you have any of the People’s weapons you can contribute?” Sally asked.
“Apparently not.” Mark answered. “Unless we get really stuck, then we can use weapons that will give us nightmares.”
“I get enough of those already. Let’s hope we don’t need them. Orange, I want you to make sure everyone knows the details of the mission plan and fully understands their role in it. Confirm to me as soon as you have agreed with the Herassans the timing and arrangements. Simon is going to be squad leader when we land. Seltet will take charge of logistics. I’ll work on strategy with Mike.”
Orange stood up and blinked out.
“Anything for me to do?” Mark asked.
“Yes, you can help me with Mike. What’s your assessment of her state of mind?”
“She’s struggling. For years she’s had to deal with the knowledge that the Herassan state wanted to get her back any way they could, and that factions of the rebels wanted her dead and put a price on her head. It’s not surprising she was difficult when she was in the army. When she left and came onto the Swift with me, it lifted a huge burden from her shoulders, and she reverted to an almost childlike, carefree attitude. Now she’s suddenly facing the fact that she may have to accept the fate that she’s been escaping from for most of her life. I don’t know what we can do to help her, but if there is anything, I want to do it.”
Sally smiled at him. “You really like her, don’t you.”
“Yes. Maybe it’s because she’s as messed up as much as I am.”
“It can’t be just that. We’re all totally messed up. None of us would have chosen a life in the army if we weren’t.”
Mark leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s like the sassy little sister I never had. I know she can look after herself in a fight, but the forces moving round her now are more than any one person can deal with.”
“It’s just as well she’s got friends like you and me.” Sally said. “Let’s go and talk to her.”
Chapter Twenty Six
Reconciliation
They blinked onto the beach where Mike was still sitting and walked over to her.
“You said you were going to the bar.” Mark said.
“I changed my mind. There’s a bar here.”
Sally sat next to Mike on the sand. “We need your approval for the mission plan, and we need to know what you expect to achieve from the meeting, so we can plan our next moves.”
Without looking up, Mike said “I’ll stay here while you decide what you want to do. I’m too childish to get involved with you grown-ups. Tell me what to do and where I need to be.”
“OK. You need to decide what to wear so you look the part during the visit. You need to brief us all on how your people expect us to speak to you and how to behave toward you. Our mission plan at the moment has you unarmed, but Mark can hand you his pulse rifle if it goes bad. Do you want to go in armed?”
Mike looked up. Feeling she was being taken seriously by Sally, she said, “No, I’ll have a sheathed blade on show and another one concealed. Let’s go to the meeting ro
om and you can tell me the mission plan.”
Sally sprung to her feet and held her hand out to Mike, who grasped it and pulled herself up. Mike smiled at Mark and gave him a friendly punch on the arm as she walked past him, then blinked to the meeting room
◆◆◆
Sally outlined the mission plan to Mike, who nodded and listened quietly. When Sally finished, Mike looked at her and said, “It all sounds good, but where do we stand now? One moment you’re bollocking me like some junior officer who’s just had a shit on your desk, the next moment you’re giving me tea and telling me to grow up. Now you’re talking to me like I’m an adult again.
“Things have changed now Mike. You’re not in my army, but with our history and the situation we find ourselves in, I expect you to treat me like your commander. But it’s more complicated than that.” Sally reached out and put her hand on Mike’s arm. “We’re friends too.” Nodding at Mark, she continued, “He says you’re the best friend he’s ever had, but with his social skills that’s not saying much. And I hope he means apart from me.”
Mark smiled and winked at her.
“Is there something wrong with your eye?” Sally asked.
“No, I winked at you. It shows – uh, something.” he continued slowly and carefully, aware that he was standing at the edge of a deep hole and that if he fell in he would be in a world of pain, “It shows that Mike is my best friend, but that you are more important because we are… because we love each other!” he finished triumphantly, pleased with himself for handling a tricky situation so well.
“Don’t do it again.” Sally told him. “It makes you look like you’ve got something wrong with you.”
“He has got something wrong with him.” Mike said, tapping her head. “Do you want me to make the arrangements with the palace?”
“No, Orange is doing that. In your position as First Born of the First, you have staff to do that sort of thing. At least, you do until you’ve got this sorted out and we leave here.”
“But when we leave I’ll still have Mark as my personal bodyguard.” She smiled.
Mark rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“You’re beginning to look like you’re brain damaged.” Sally said, “Screwing your eyes up, rolling your eyes and shaking your head. Isn’t your AI monitoring your health?”
Mark stood and said, “I’m going to find Touren and ask her to give you some guidance in interpersonal relationships.” and blinked out.
“He is so easy to tease.” Sally said to Mike, winking at her.
“Yeah, it’s my main source of entertainment. If we’re friends again, come and have a swim with me.”
Sally stood up, “You swim, I’ll lay on the beach and watch.”
Mike quickly stripped off and ran into the water. Sally lay on her side, enjoying the heat from the artificial sun and watching Mike splash around like an excited child. She wondered if the responsibility she would soon shoulder would change her permanently.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Tefran
The team assembled in Dock One by the new lander. Sally gave Mike a nudge and she stepped forward to speak.
“Before we leave I want to thank you all for volunteering to risk your lives for my sake, although some of you know that I would willingly risk my life for you. Kar Fen, we have never been part of a mission team before today, but we know each other and with your reputation I wouldn’t hesitate to risk myself for you. Touren, Bekkreshan, Seltet, we have never met before, so I am especially grateful to you for volunteering. Ranesh, you are such a miserable bastard that I doubt I would put my life on the line for you, but you are a scary looking fucker, so I’m glad you’re here.”
“Fuck off, you scrawny little lizard.” Ranesh said.
“An inspirational speech.” Sally said, rolling her eyes, “For the Herassan’s sake, I hope you never take on the position of First of the First. Everybody, double check your kit and make sure you’ve got everything you need. Those with KE weapons make sure you have plenty of ammunition. Touren, Bekkreshan, have you got as many missile magazines for your rail rifles as you can carry?” They both nodded. “Simon, Orange, take the demolition charges out of your backpacks and leave them here. You are not using them today, whatever you think.”
Simon and Orange took out the demolition charges they had packed and dropped them on the floor.
“All set?” she asked, as nobody answered, she continued: “All aboard. Mark, you’re navigating.”
They all took seats, Mike making a point of sitting next to Ranesh. Mark’s role of navigator meant he had to tell his AI to take the Swift to Tefran and hold station fifty kilometers above the palace, blocking the sun and plunging the Palace and city into twilight, then taking the lander down to the landing site just outside the entrance to the palace. It didn’t tax him too much.
As soon as the lander had settled in the landing space kept clear for them in front of the palace, the door opened and, as the ramp slid down, a cloud of drones flew out and got into position along the route into the Palace, and as far as the throne of the First of the First. Another unseen cloud of cloaked People’s drones dispersed throughout the Palace and the surrounding area. The team disembarked from the lander in formation and lined up in front of the landing ramp in the space kept clear of the crowd by Herassan armed police. Orange looked up at the circle of the pitch black underside of the Swift. The whole city had been plunged into gloom by the shadow cast by the huge ship, and the street lights had now come on, despite the fact that it was midday in Tefran. “Now that’s what I call establishing power before a negotiation.” he murmured.
Major Bryd Sa Dett led an honor guard of soldiers dressed in ceremonial uniforms and stopped in front of Mark and Sally. He snapped to attention and saluted.
“It is an honor to have you visit the Palace, General Sah Lee. We will escort the First Born of the First from here, your squad may follow behind.”
Sally smiled at him. “Thank you for your cordial greeting Major. We will proceed as we communicated, in the formation we are in now, with the First of the First under our protection. If you doubt our ability to protect ourselves, just look up. Now please lead on without interference, otherwise it will get very bloody.”
The Major returned Sally’s smile. “Of course General. I trust you understand the need for me to make my demand, as I understand why you have declined to comply.”
He turned and marched between his soldiers and as he continued toward the palace, they fell in behind him, Mark, Sally and the rest of the team followed on.
“Everything seems to be falling into place.” Mark said to Sally as they marched toward the palace. “This should all be wrapped up in a couple of days. We’ll drop off anyone who doesn’t want to stay with us and then go somewhere relaxing. We need to think seriously about where we’re going.”
“I’ve had an idea about that. I’ve got just the place in mind.”
As they walked toward the Palace entrance the crowd grew noisier and wilder, with cheering crowds pressing to get closer to the First Born of the First. Flowers and herbs were thrown in their path from the crowd, their sweet and pungent scents released as they were trodden on. As they passed through the throng, the police cordon fell back behind them, so the adoring crowd could follow them – at least as far as the entrance to the Palace where admission was strictly by invitation only. Mark frequently glanced behind at Mike during the march to the palace, to ensure her safety. He noticed that despite the crowd’s adulation, she kept her eyes forward, looking neither to the right or the left at the people surrounding them.
They entered the grounds of the Palace through wide decorative gates set into a stone wall two meters high with metal railings on top. A small party of soldiers in ceremonial uniform prevented the public from entering, and closed the gates as soon as they were inside. They entered a wide empty paved area in front of the Palace building, which to Mark looked like an empty car park. The procession continued straight towards a
wide, four storied building ahead of them. A tall arched entrance opened into a broad hallway that passed through the building and ended at an enormous square encompassed by the Palace. Without pausing, they crossed the square and ascended broad green carpeted stairs that led inside.
They entered the Palace through a set of high and wide wooden double doors into a large room about sixty meters long and thirty five meters wide, which was packed with people, many of them wearing uniforms of varying cut and color. Mark estimated there were over a thousand people packed in. A buzz of excitement ran through the crowd as they entered, but the pathway down the center to the far end was kept clear for the procession.
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