Flint found all of that hard to believe, but maybe he was telling the truth. Jarden Fairbanks had gone to a lot of effort to get him to pilot the priceless Eureka. He wouldn’t have done that without urging from some strong rumors or tales of heroics. Flint had never done anything that amazing.
“You were a Marine, I assume?” Flint asked.
“You nailed it. Joined when I was eighteen, ten years after this crap all began. If you were on Earth and were my age, you enlisted. There was no question about it. I watched most of my friends rise through the ranks with me, and eventually, they were each killed, one by one. Until I was the last of my original gang, and here ends my story.” Tag waved a hand, showing off his lovely washroom.
Flint imagined there were thousands of retellings much like this, even among the other people in the same compound. “It doesn’t have to end, Tag.”
Tag disregarded the comment. “There’s something bothering me, Flint. Why are you using a legend’s name? Are you using it to rally the troops behind you so you can get everyone killed with an insane plan, or are you seriously that delusional, that you think you’re the Flint Lancaster?”
Flint sat down at a dilapidated table and kicked his feet up. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. “Do you like stories, Tag? Because I have a good one for you. Have you ever heard of Councilman Jarden Fairbanks?”
Ace
The stunner felt out of place in Ace’s hand as he followed Charles into the control room. It was dark, but Wren was right. There was something inside, shuffling beyond the large open room. Charles took the lead, a rifle raised up, ready for action if necessary. The android used his left hand to activate the room’s lights, and they flickered on, shining brightly before settling to a soft yellow glow. Panels lined the walls on three sides of the space, lights blinking and text scrolling across the console screens. This was the room that controlled many of the dome’s functions. Charles had said there were three such stations around the colony, each with the same capabilities.
“I don’t see anything,” Ace said, peering over Charles’ shoulder.
“Shhhh.” Wren shushed them. She pointed to a door at the opposite end of the room.
“Serina mentioned there was no one left below,” Oliv said. Her voice was light and scared. She was tough when it came to the cockpit of a fighter, but ground combat on a derelict colony with an unseen enemy was a whole different thing.
“How could she really know?” Wren asked.
Ace’s mind was racing with what could be behind the door. “Maybe it’s rats. Flint said they had a lot of rats here.” He wished the man was here with them now.
“Could be. Sounded bigger,” Wren said.
“What do we do?” Oliv asked, almost in a panic now.
Ace motioned her toward the exit. “You go out there and guard our backs.” He assumed that was a safer spot for her to be in, and it gave her a purpose without leaving her in as much danger; at least, he hoped that was the case. Surprisingly, Oliv didn’t argue, leaving the control room to stand in the street, her stunner firmly in her hand.
Wren gave Ace a grin and started forward.
“What are you doing?” Ace asked.
“I’m going to see what’s inside there,” she said, stating the obvious.
Charles finally spoke up. “Allow me.”
Wren stopped, letting Charles take the lead. Ace stayed behind the android and to his left as he walked across the room to the door.
“Do we surprise them or let them know we’re here?” Ace whispered.
Charles answered, “I imagine the element of surprise is lost at this point.” He reached for the door panel and tapped the controls. The door slid open, and Ace’s heart pounded in his chest as it revealed another great room. The lights were off inside, adding to the ominous feeling.
Charles walked into the room first, and Ace heard a door slide shut in the dark corner of the space. Three long tables sat in the center of the room, odd tools and supplies sitting in resin baskets along their surfaces. Ace pointed toward the door and followed Charles to it. Wren stayed behind, keeping watch.
The android opened the door to reveal a staircase.
“I’m not going up there,” Ace said, glimpsing at the darkness beyond. Footsteps echoed down the steps.
“It’s definitely not rats,” Wren said behind them.
“Can we shut them in and get out of here?” Ace asked.
Charles shook his head. “They could tamper with the control room if we do. The Grand Admiral wants to ensure the colony stands. She thinks we’ll be able to use it if needed.”
Ace knew what that meant. If Earth fell, Serina wanted a backup for the Fleet to hide out, and they couldn’t do that if someone was here ruining the dome by playing with its controls. “Fine. Let’s check it out.”
Charles was already slowly plodding up the steps, and Ace stayed close by. The stairs led to a hallway with half a dozen individual doorways lining it. They stepped to the first one and opened it, finding three cots on the ground, the blankets stripped from the mattresses. The next room was much the same, and Ace’s heart was still pounding with unease.
The third room, however, was locked, or something was blocking their way. Charles motioned for Ace to fall back, and he kicked out with one metal leg, sending the door flying inward on its thick hinges. Ace saw it before he heard it.
“A Watcher!” he shouted, aiming his gun.
“Don’t shoot!” it cried out in English, but it was too late. Ace’s finger had already depressed on the trigger, causing it to freeze in place. The gun was set to a full minute, so they didn’t have much time. Charles moved quickly as they entered the stale room.
The Watcher was standing frozen in time, its enormous two-digit hand stuck straight out in a feeble attempt to stop his stunner. Charles ripped a sheet from the bed, rolling it together, and he used it to tie the alien’s hands together. Ace saw it was a female, wearing human clothing that was too short for her tall features.
The minute ended, and the stunner wore off. The Watcher came to, struggling against the newly tied bindings.
Something struck Ace then. The alien had spoken to them in English. How was that possible?
“Stop struggling. We’re not going to hurt you,” Ace said, thinking it might do the trick.
She obeyed and slumped forward, resigned to her fate.
“Did you speak English?” Ace asked her.
Black eyes looked up at him as she sat crouched on the floor. “I did.” Her voice was thick, like she spoke with two tongues.
“How did you learn?” Charles asked.
“Better question: are there more of you here?” Ace asked, worried about retaliation from her friends.
She shook her head, a human-like motion. “No. It’s just me. Ober has cursed me with surviving.” Again with this Ober character.
Wren was shouting from the stairwell, and Ace ran to let her know it was okay. “We’ll be right down. Keep your guns to yourself.”
“Why?” Wren shouted the question, but he didn’t respond as he ran to Charles and their newly found Watcher.
“Let’s get her downstairs. We have a lot of questions that need answering,” Ace said, and Charles reached to help her to her feet.
Flint
Tag stepped to the side, making room for Flint at the trough. Slop poured in waves, and they seemed to have settled into some semblance of humanity again in recent days. The Boss credited Flint with bringing hope back to the group, but she also warned that hope could be more dangerous than despair. He didn’t care to agree with her on that one.
“Ever notice how the food tastes a little different each day?” Flint asked as he scooped some of the bland slop with his hands.
Tag shrugged. “At this point, I can hardly taste it at all,” he said.
Clark sidled in beside the two men, reaching for some food. “I think you’re right, Flint. What I wouldn’t give for a piece of freshly cooked fish… and a beer.
” He grinned at them, slop stuck on his teeth.
It was sometime in the afternoon, if there was any reason to judge the time, and Flint looked down the trough. Everyone was getting food today, and no one was fighting over it. That was a good sign. A few more weeks of building trust and planning, and he thought they might be able to pull one over on the captors. Still, it was going to be a long shot. A very long shot.
The doors opened, and three guards entered. Oh no. Not now. Flint wiped his hands on his pants and turned to watch as the three large Watchers walked toward the humans while they ate. A few started to cry out, either in despair or hoping to be selected. Flint couldn’t tell.
The lead guard was holding his gun up as always, and Flint watched closely as the other two continued as if they didn’t care one way or another what occurred. They were just there for the ride, a show of force. He tried to take in every detail, like where their guns were on their bodies. He spotted a knife strapped to each of their legs, long blades with swirling designs on the handles.
One of them caught his eye, and he averted his gaze, staring at the ground like his life depended on it. They rarely came during the day, and never while the humans ate, or so Flint had been told. Why today? Why now?
The guard said something in his native tongue, and Flint recognized the words for Ober and then Faithful. He stepped forward, pointing his gun at the Boss. She wordlessly walked toward the Watcher, and the rest of the captives all started speaking and shouting at once. This was their unofficial leader, and she’d been here longer than most. Every instinct told Flint to make the signal and attack now, but she turned toward him, giving him the subtlest of head shakes. She was right. They weren’t ready.
“Damn it,” Clark said quietly beside Flint.
The lead guard pushed the Boss in front, and the four of them left the training grounds through the doorway.
The only way in or out.
Wren
“What do we do with it?” Oliv asked.
“Her. It’s a female,” Ace said.
Wren watched her closely as Charles got to work. He’d been sent there to make sure the dome stood longer, and to fix any issues with it.
Oliv asked another question. “Do we tell Serina?”
Wren let them deliberate back and forth while she thought. She crouched in front of the Watcher. The alien’s skin was dark gray, hairless, and she was far less imposing wearing a large pair of men’s sweat pants and a sleeveless hooded sweatshirt.
“Tell me how you came to be here,” Wren said softly. Ace and Oliv ceased their conversation and listened for the reply.
“Ober has already banished me, that much is clear. Why keep anything from you?” she said.
“Do you have a name?” Wren asked, hoping to make a connection to the Watcher.
“I am Larspen in your tongue.”
“I’m Wren, and these are my friends, Oliv, Ace, and Charles.” Wren motioned to each of them as they were identified.
“That is a mechanical being,” Larspen said, referencing Charles.
“Yes, and our friend,” Wren replied.
“How odd. Humans are not like the Faithful.”
“We’re not so different,” Wren said, keeping her voice friendly and light. “Tell us how you came to be here.”
“Ober ordered us to this red planet. We arrived to find the humans waiting for us. Many lives were lost on both sides. We crashed to the surface, and I used the last Breather to make it inside the domes. I have been here ever since.” The story was reasonable, but it had been years since the last battle for Mars, according to Serina.
“Where did you learn our language?” Wren asked Larspen.
“We all learn it now.”
“Where did you learn it?” Wren asked again, thinking of their own captive, and Charles deciphering their speech from him.
“We have humans teach us.” The words sent a shiver down Wren’s spine. Humans teaching them. Maybe Flint would be found at one of these places. She didn’t want to press the issue, not now. Larspen would be able to share a lot of information if they could keep her talking. She wasn’t like the captives held aboard Serina’s carrier.
“But shouldn’t we tell the captain or the Grand Admiral what we’ve found?” Oliv asked.
Wren shook her head. “No. Not yet. We have to learn more. We’re going to keep Larspen here our little secret and guest. Can we do that?” Wren glanced up at Oliv and Ace, and they each nodded.
“If it helps us find Flint, then I’m game,” Ace said.
They were already planning on going after Flint together, against the Fleet’s wishes, so why not add another level of treason to the list? It was war, after all. Sometimes the rules needed to be bent.
“Very good. How are things going, Charles?” Wren asked the android.
“I’ll be another hour and forty-three minutes. Give or take,” he replied quickly.
“Larspen, there aren’t any more of you here, right?” Wren asked, hoping to build on the trust already being shown them.
“It’s only me,” she answered, eyes down to the ground.
“Ace, untie her. We’re going to have her show us around before we leave,” Wren said.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Charles asked from across the room.
Larspen met her gaze, and a silent thank you passed between the two women. “I’m sure. We have the guns, remember? And I think our guest is tired of living here alone.”
Ace hesitantly stepped behind the Watcher and removed the bedsheet hogtie.
Wren hoped this didn’t backfire.
11
Ace
“This is it,” Oliv said, pointing to the building on the right side of the street.
“You guys lived in one of the units?” Ace asked, impressed.
“No. This whole building was ours,” Oliv said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the front entrance.
The whole building. Just how rich was Jarden? “It’s nice, if you like opulence and wealth, I suppose,” he joked. They found the door wasn’t latched, and habit made Ace pull his stunner out, ready for anything as they stepped into the Fairbanks residence.
It was empty. Couches were overturned; artwork lay in broken frames on the floor. It had clearly been ransacked.
Oliv took in her old possessions with wide eyes, running her hands over the furniture as she cautiously walked over broken glass. “I remember learning to play the flute in here. I’d spend hours annoying Nik. I never did get very good at it, but Mom wanted me to learn a cultured instrument. Everyone in her family for generations could play something, mostly wind instruments.” She looked around wistfully, and Ace stayed out of her way, letting her soak it all in. “Nik could play the oboe like he was blessed with magic fingers.”
Ace had never learned how to do anything like that and wondered if he had any aptitude for much, other than flying a fighter. “You must miss them,” he said quietly.
She nodded, moving around the room with wandering eyes. “I do, but you make it bearable.”
“Me?”
“You.”
Oliv left him standing in the middle of the living space, and Ace followed her through the kitchen. Its cupboards were all flung open and empty, pilfered by a desperate Martian during the war.
He trailed her up the stairs and onto the second level. The wood floors were scratched, holes spread out in the walls along the way to a bedroom Oliv stepped into. “This was my room,” she said.
The sanctuary of her childhood bedroom hadn’t been broken, as the looters wouldn’t have found anything they needed inside. Her bed sat untouched, made for countless years. Everything had a layer of dust on it, and Ace felt like he was seeing a museum of Oliv’s past. Her comforter was pink; the pillows looked soft under white shams. It was far more than Ace had ever had, and seeing it reminded him of his own demons.
“Oh my God. It’s Hoppy!” Oliv ran to the edge of the room and picked up a stuffed rabbit. She shook the dust of
f it and squeezed the toy tightly to her chest.
“Who’s Hoppy?” Ace asked.
“Only my best friend when I was a little girl. I used to take him with me everywhere. We were joined at the hip.” Oliv was tearing up and Ace walked over to her, pulling her into his arms. He was taller than her, and he kissed her forehead.
“I think it’s sweet,” he said, sensing something was going to happen. He wasn’t crazy, was he? She must have feelings for him.
Her head tilted, and she kissed him, their lips meeting. All concern about the Watchers, or the war, melted away in the moment.
“Ace, Oliv, Charles is done. Time to board the Eureka.” Wren’s timing was impeccable. Ace tapped his earpiece, his lips freshly remembering the feeling of Oliv’s.
“We’re on it. Be there in ten.” Ace leaned down and gave Oliv another peck. “We’d better run. Thanks for showing me your old home. And…”
“No thank yous necessary. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while.” Oliv spun on a heel and headed for the doorway, where she shoved Hoppy into her backpack.
Charles
The pressure was returned, and Charles repaired a few other minor issues with the dome’s atmosphere. Should all else fail, this colony would suffice as a backup for the Earth Fleet.
Wren had left him alone with the Watcher Larspen for a while as she waited for the two youths in the street. He eyed Larspen with curiosity and decided to speak with her in her own tongue.
“You’ve been here for some time,” he said in the Watcher language. Her eyes widened, pure black throughout, staring up at him.
“I have been here for some time, yes. What are you, metal man?” she asked.
“I’m an android, but… somehow more. Where do you come from originally? The world across the Rift?” he probed.
Larspen sat silent for a moment before speaking. “No. That is not our world. We took it, as we intend to take your Earth.”
Their suspicions were accurate! The Watchers hadn’t come from that planet; they’d occupied it. “We thought so. How did you come to take it?”
The Resistance- The Complete Series Page 60
