“Thank you. You made it all possible.” Wren thought Jarden looked at least ten years younger since finding his family. He’d do well with them, even at his advanced age. There was a lot of spring in the old man’s step.
“Regardless of the lab being built, you did the work, as I knew you could years ago. I’m thoroughly impressed,” he said.
Despite herself, she warmed at the praise. “The odds are against us, aren’t they?”
Jarden sat down on a chair beside a long table that was filled with test tubes and a variety of recently sterilized beakers. “There have been countless tales of invasions over the course of our existence. Back then, it was always man versus man, and as often as not, the victor was the defender. There’s no greater power than that of a human with their back against a wall. As much as I stand against the Earth Fleet when I have to, they are necessary, and the very reason they were started in the first place was for the eventuality of being invaded.”
Wren hadn’t heard that. Jarden continued. “Three hundred or so years ago, the world leaders needed something to distract the people. War was prevalent, as it always has been and always will be, but when it was announced that there might be life out there seeking us, our ancestors started Earth Fleet.”
Jarden leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. His eyes were alive with intensity as he regaled her with the story. “The Fleet began to control most things, and in the late twenty-third century, we experienced a lot of martial law, as it were. But the people were behind it because we needed the Fleet to be strong, to succeed. Fast forward another couple hundred years, and the people distrust the Fleet, poverty is at an all-time low, and the colonies are a failure.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be so much more,” Jarden said.
“Couldn’t you have helped?” Wren asked. “You had influence, money.”
“I squandered my chance. My wife left on that colony ship, setting my course on a new path, and one that I can’t let myself regret, because here we are. Today we have a chance to redeem ourselves by killing the Watchers, and giving humanity a chance in the universe.”
“There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?” Wren asked, suddenly feeling hopeless.
“I think it happened for this reason, and I’ve done my part now. I needed to come here, to bring you all together. Charles, Flint, maybe even the kid. You can join the Pilgrim and get your revenge on the Watchers for what they’re doing to our people as we sit here talking. It’s been a few weeks since the Rift opened, which means it’s been almost two years for them back home.
“I don’t know what’s transpired, but you’ll have your work cut out when you return.” Jarden sat back up, his face grim.
“You’re staying, then?” Wren asked.
“I am.”
“Does your family know?”
“They do in a roundabout way, yes.”
“What do the kids think?” Wren pried.
“They’ll be fine. Nik will do his duty, and Oliv… well, the girl’s even more of a daydreamer than ever. Leona tells me Oliv’s been training on the fighter simulators every day for the last year. She’s getting a wealth of experience.” Jarden looked proud but afraid at the same time.
“She’s going to want to leave.” Wren knew it wasn’t her place, but she felt a kinship to Jarden at that moment, something she couldn’t place.
He nodded. “I see it, damn it. The way she looks at Ace too. I thought I’d have more time than this, she’s so young.”
Wren cracked a smile. “You expected to come and find her in her seventies.”
“Touché. I just found her, Wren. I don’t know if I can let go.”
“You might have to. For her sake,” Wren said.
Jarden was about to say something else, when the sensors attached to the Watcher’s bio readouts started to chime. He was dying.
“It’s time,” she said.
Jarden stood up and Wren tapped an icon, notifying Charles of what was happening. The android wanted to be there. So did the captain, but Wren thought it was better if Heather didn’t see this part. Wren was happy to have Jarden there with her instead. Let the old man observe what the virus was capable of. He was the one who’d brought her into the fold, and in a twisted way, she was grateful he’d contacted her all those years ago.
If he hadn’t, she would never have wasted years on the project before being sent to prison. But she might have married that fool fiancé of hers, and for all she knew, she’d have fallen victim to the Watchers’ inevitable attack on Earth.
The doors slid open, and Charles ran inside. If he was human, he’d have been panting from the run down the halls.
“Is he...?” Charles asked, peering through the viewer.
“Not yet.” Wren watched as the alien fought for breath. It had lungs, large powerful ones within its chest cavity. They were failing, and she closed her eyes, turning as it struggled for life. Moments later, the sound of it flatlining beeped from the sensors, and Wren found herself exhaling a flurry of emotions.
Jarden’s face was impassive. He surprised Wren by nodding to her, and walking away without another word.
“Are you okay, Wren?” Charles asked. His empty voice lacked compassion, but she could sense he wanted to comfort her.
She didn’t know. No matter how terrible the things the creature had spouted to her, she wasn’t sure she would have done any different if in his position. A part of her would feel sorry for him, but it didn’t stop the fact that she needed to destroy them where it hurt the most. At their own planet.
“I’m fine, Charles. Let’s clean up and see if Heather and Harry want to have dinner with us tonight.”
An hour later, Wren stopped at the doorway, eyeing the laboratory as she turned out the lights. She was done with one small part of the plan and worried it would only get harder from here.
17
Flint
Dinner turned into much more. It became a feast, a celebration of the virus working, a toast to the Eureka finding a way for the Pilgrim to leave Domum behind and get into the fight for survival back home. Everyone from the surface was down below on Pilgrim, joining in the festivities, and it was more fun than Flint remembered having in a long time.
The gymnasium’s equipment was moved to the side of the space, blankets hiding it from sight. The crew had brought in as many folding tables as they could find, and to everyone’s surprise, the gym held all two thousand of them when half were standing and the other half sitting. They were already used to eating and doing things in shifts, so it wasn’t hard to make it work.
Flint found himself enjoying the camaraderie of being with other people again. When he’d been with Earth Fleet as a young man, he’d had such a chip on his shoulder that he’d never spent time socializing, and now he realized how much he’d missed out on.
These people were good people, worth fighting for. Earth and the colonies were worth fighting for too. Flint had an idea what they were up against. He’d seen the massive war machines that had entered their space. He’d seen the destruction the Watchers wielded as they made quick work of the Earth Fleet’s attempts at defense, but they still had to try.
“Want another beer?” Kat asked him, shaking him free from his own thoughts.
“Just assume the answer to that question is always yes,” he said. “Let me get them, though. I don’t want you thinking I’m not a gentleman or anything.”
“Don’t worry, Flint. No one would accuse you of that.” Kat rolled her eyes and went back to talking with Karl. The bearded colony leader had apparently taken a shine to Flint’s co-pilot, and he was glad for it. Kat looked happy, really happy, as she talked to the man.
“Anyone else?” Flint asked, shaking his empty glass for them to see.
The rest of the table raised their hands, and Flint could only laugh. “I’ll see if they’ll let me take a keg.”
He headed away from the table, catching a wave from Ace, who was
sitting with Jarden’s family. The councilman wasn’t present, since he’d gone up to the Eureka. He’d be heading back down in the lander as the Distractors were on, and it was up to Flint to bring the lander quickly back up after. He didn’t like the job, but no one else was better suited to the task, at least in his own neutral opinion.
He wound his way through the crowds, stopping to avoid someone stepping on his lucky boots. He finally reached the makeshift bar and motioned to the tender. Flint craned his neck as someone tapped him on the shoulder.
“Kat, what’s up?” he asked. He instantly knew something was wrong. You didn’t spend so many years beside someone without picking up on their moods, and this face meant bad news.
“Can we talk in the hall?” she asked, tugging at his arm. Flint waved the bartender away and followed her out of the loud room. Retro synth music chased them out the door, and they walked down the corridor, away from the tune.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
She motioned for them to sit, and they found a set of crates used to haul chairs to the gym.
“Flint, I don’t know how to say this,” Kat said, eyes averted from his gaze.
“Spit it out. I’m worried now.”
“I’m not coming with you.” Kat leaned forward. “I’m staying.”
Flint knew this was hard for her, but he’d guessed she might stay. Hell, he’d been considering trying to convince her to. What they were heading into wasn’t going to be fun. It was going to be hard, and a lot of them were going to lose their lives. Maybe all of them. “Good,” he said.
“Good? That’s what you have to say after I drop that bomb on you?” Kat was furious. She stood, pacing in front of him. “God, you are the most blind man in the universe, Flint Lancaster. Why did I waste so many years chasing you around like a puppy dog in love?”
This caught Flint a little off-guard, but not completely. “You knew we were never going to be more than co-pilots, friends, even family.”
The wind was blown from Kat’s sails and she crouched down, setting her hands on his knees. “I know, Flint. I do love you, though. Look after yourself out there, for me. And take care of Wren. She’s a good woman. No, a great woman, and I think she’ll make you happy.”
He gave her his patented grin, the one that she usually couldn’t help but smile back at, but this time, she didn’t. She looked so sad and forlorn.
“I don’t know what Wren and I have, but thanks. They’re lucky to have you, Kat. Really, I mean it. You have such a brilliant mind, so quick to solve problems. I’d be dead five times over if it wasn’t for you,” Flint said, meaning every word. “And that Karl. Not a bad-looking man. What do you think?” He raised his eyebrows as he said this.
Finally, her walls broke down, and she let out a laugh. “You’re so embarrassing. You are like an older brother, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. If he hurts you, tell him I’ll come back in thirty years and still kick his ass.”
Kat stood, and he joined her, enveloping her in a big hug. “You’ll always be my co-pilot, Kat. If we figure this all out, we’ll send someone back here. And just think, it’ll only be a year later for you. How unfair is that?”
“I’m sure you’ll be alive, and even more cocky than you already are. Thanks for everything. And by the way, I saved you at least six times. Don’t forget it.” Kat punched him on the arm and started back for the gym. “Coming?”
“I’ll be right there,” Flint replied, and he watched his protégé walk back into the party. Suddenly, their whole plan seemed crazy, and he wondered why anyone had let him call the shots on it. He was too impulsive, always ready to dive head-first into a situation. Only this time, he wouldn’t have the common sense of Kat beside him to help. “Flint, buddy, you better be able to pull this off,” he whispered to himself as he walked back into the gym, music wafting around him.
Ace
Today was the day. Ace was excited and nervous for everything that was about to occur. It was going to happen so fast, and he’d be up in space once again, leaving their temporary home behind. The whole ship was in a frenzy, and Ace headed into the simulator room, hoping that one last practice mission would let him blow off some steam.
“Ace?” a small voice said from her usual pod.
“Oliv? I thought you’d be with your mom and Nik aboveground.” He’d already said goodbye to her last night after the party, both of them shy about saying it.
“I told her I’d be up after the rest leave, to make sure everyone gets off.” Something about the look in her eyes told Ace it had been for other reasons.
“You’re staying on board, though?” he asked.
“I am.”
“I’ve seen your skills. We can use you out there,” Ace said, knowing that when the time came, she’d have to practice in the real fighter before being able to have a shot against the Watchers.
“How about we don’t talk, and we fight instead?” Oliv loaded a mission, and Ace got into the simulator. He could feel her intensity as they went through the motions, racing through a major battle between some Earth Fleet corvettes, a warship, and a large fleet of enemy vessels.
Oliv’s ship exploded, getting tailed in a dogfight. Ace hadn’t been able to get to her in time.
“I’m scared,” she said, her viewscreen going dark.
“I know. So am I.”
Jarden
The halls felt wider, the corridors longer as Jarden made his way toward the hangar. He’d slept terribly in his suite aboard the Eureka, in the bed he used to have no issues sleeping in whatsoever. A lot had changed since then. Against all odds, he’d found his family, and now he was returning to be with them.
Part of Jarden ached to get into this upcoming fight, but he’d committed himself to the colony. He was far too old to be heading into clandestine missions, trying to trick, coerce, or outright kill the enemy. It was a younger person’s game, and he knew that Barkley, Tsang, Lancaster, and Sando were up to the task.
The pack on his back was light, carrying the tablet that held all his family images from over the years. He had hundreds of pictures from his and Leona’s wedding, the kids being born, and their little birthday parties. A card full of video of their first steps, most of which he hadn’t been around for. That was going to change. He’d be a part of their lives now. This was the opportunity he’d always wanted but had squandered as a power-hungry young man.
The hangar sat to his left, and he took one last look down the halls, where a few crew members strode by, the last recognizing him and saluting him. “Councilman. It’s been a pleasure,” the tall man said.
Jarden waved a dismissive hand. “It’s just Jarden. I’m no longer a councilman for the Earth Fleet.” The man kept moving, and Jarden noticed how his words had a sense of finality to them. It was as if he’d spoken them, and suddenly, he was no longer that man. He was just Jarden Fairbanks, a man over one hundred years old, about to start the last years of his life on a new world with a family he hardly knew.
As he stepped through the doors, he was sure this was a chapter he was ready for.
The lander was prepped, the lights glowing from inside. Jarden stepped into it, greeted the pilot whose name he didn’t know, and sat back, ready to reach the surface once again.
Wren
Things felt different now. Each hour was a slog as they waited for this moment.
Wren was more impressed with Captain Barkley every day. She constantly seemed surer of herself, stronger as the tough calls needed to be made. Wren felt confident they were in good hands, and that was important as the Resistance formed. They had a meeting planned for the next day, once all of today’s stress was in the past.
“Launch the Distractors,” Heather said, and the right corner of the bridge’s viewscreen showed five flashing yellow icons heading toward a computer-generated image of the planet. They raced toward their final destinations, forming a circle, each a hundred kilometers away from the lake the Pilgrim was drowned under.
>
“Good luck, everyone. You will succeed. I’m sorry I won’t be there when you return,” Jarden’s voice carried through the speakers, and Heather tapped her finger on the captain’s chair’s arm.
“It’s been a pleasure, sir. Be well. Remember, none of this would have been possible without your foresight. Permission to launch the lander. Captain Barkley out.” Heather’s words were formal, but Wren heard a slight crack in the woman’s voice as she spoke to her boss.
Wren watched the hangar’s camera as the lander vacated, leaving through the containment field and into space, quickly orbiting until it was at the proper location to dive into Domum’s atmosphere.
Harry Tsang looked back toward Heather. “The Distractors are in place.”
The Eureka’s Chief Engineer Tomas was in the co-pilot seat, and he spoke up. “Captain, on your word.”
Heather stood, and Wren joined her, noticing her stiff legs. It felt like she’d been sitting here forever, waiting for this moment. The lander was two minutes from entering atmosphere. Heather was sure cutting it close.
Wren was about to say something, when Heather directed the command. “All Distractors to full power.” Their icons lit up on the viewscreen.
“Pilgrim, this is Captain Barkley. The Distractors are operational. You’re a go. I repeat, you’re a go,” Heather said.
The bridge was filled with nerve-racking tension, and Wren shifted from foot to foot.
“Thank you, Captain Barkley. We’re a go. Heading out of the lake now.” Captain Aldene Hawk’s voice carried through, and Wren could hear excitement behind the words.
The lander was heading for the surface, where Wren knew Flint was waiting for the ship so he could get back up and out with it. They’d considered leaving the lander behind, but it was useless with the Suckers on the planet, and their group was going to need every operational vessel for the upcoming war. Of course it had been Flint who’d volunteered. Wren just hoped he’d be okay and make it up safely.
Everything was going smoothly until Wren saw one of the Distractor icons flash brightly, then disappear.
The Resistance- The Complete Series Page 38
