by Ray, Joseph
Xavier looked up at the Corporal, noting the tension in her muscles as she held the weapon to his face.
“You can ease off your weapon, Corporal,” he stated. “No one’s coming for us.”
Janys watched as Bearden lowered his weapon, taking a seat in the empty chair across from the Major’s desk. The grizzled vets seemed out of place in the sterile environment of glass walls. She took the notion, lowering her weapon to a more comfortable position though her mind told her to remain ready.
“That’s right,” the Major continued. “They’ve lost enough men trying to bring the two of you in. So, they’re just gonna sit back and wait for you to make for the exit. We got all day to just sit here and chat.”
He turned his focus on the Sargent, his stern expression melting away.
“Looks like you two have seen hell. I’m not sure what happened to you, exactly, but it looks like I made the right decision when I recruited both of you. Wish the situation was a little different. Maybe you should consider surrendering and I’ll see if I can put in a good word for both of you.”
“What, so we can murder innocent people?” Bearden snapped. “Fat chance of that, Sir.”
The Major sighed, closing his eyes as he lowered his hands, palm down, on the top of the glass desk. The shadows from the overhead lights enhanced the faint wrinkles, making him look like a prune that was becoming a raisin. He took two more deep breaths, then snapped to attention.
“You two don’t seem to appreciate the depth of your predicament. You just see it as a company slaughtering some civilians and wannabe soldiers. You need to look at it from THEIR side, son. Until you can grasp what those men in tight little suits are up to, you’ll never know just how deep your boots are in shit.”
“Then why don’t you tell us?”
“Not my job. I’m just here to control the company’s security. Right now, I have two huge threats sitting in front of me. I could call those guards in, maybe have another shootout with you, but what would be the point? We have the numbers, the supplies, and just about every advantage you could imagine. So, we’ll just sit here and wait for you to get tired, or hungry, and make a mistake.”
“We’ve been through worse.”
“You THINK you’ve been through worse. There’s no armory for you to break into here. No tanks sitting outside, waiting for you to take another joyride. Hell, there isn’t a ship for miles that can break the atmosphere, not that either of you are pilots.”
Bearden sat still, quietly contemplating the situation they found themselves. It was true that they had no food, no water, and little ammunition. Sooner or later, their battle-weary bodies would cave, and the guards could simply walk up and wash away the dirt. Still, there had to be a solution to getting off Parasus, something that didn’t involve Divinity technology.
“I can see your wheels turning. You know I’m telling you the truth. Do you think I’d even be sitting here if I didn’t think we could resolve this quickly, and peacefully? Hell no. I’d send a squad of Cybers in here to finish you off if I thought you were a REAL threat. There’s no escape for either of you. You need to come to terms with that, Sargent.”
“Don’t buy his crap,” Janys snapped. “We’re getting outta here, no matter what that slime tells you.”
“She is a pretty thing, isn’t she?” Xavier continued, looking the Corporal up and down. “What do you think she’d fetch on the Mesa market? A thousand credits? Two thousand? Never indulged in the vulgarity myself, but I’m sure there are those whom would pay quite a bit to taste strawberry.”
Bearden resisted the urge to raise his gun and blast a hole through the Major’s mouth. He wasn’t a high-ranking officer, but he recognized mental tactics when he saw one.
“You piece of….”Janys started, raising her gun.
“At ease,” Bearden muttered. “He’s trying to get under our skin. Just let him talk.”
“That’s right, strawberry, put that gun down and listen to the Sargent. Now, I’m not at liberty to discuss what’s really going on here, but I want you to consider what I just said about Mesa. Now there’s a planet that knows how to live, am I right? They sit around in their own filth all day, scurrying into houses built into cave walls, all to keep that blazing sun from burning their skin. Animalistic conditions breed animals. You treat a man like an animal, and sure enough, he’ll start acting like one. That’s what Divinity sees when they look at planets like Mesa and Taryon. Nasty, filthy places that should be wiped off the face of their planets. Just terraform the whole thing over and try again. How much peace do you think we’d enjoy if those two, nasty little planets, didn’t exist?”
Bearden tried not to think about it, knowing that Janys had been born on Taryon. She’d told him the stories, and he’d been deployed enough times to Mesa to know that the lowest of mankind dwelled in their shadows. Still, the Major had provided him with a few more pieces to the puzzle. Perhaps, if he kept his mouth shut, another piece would be offered.
“I forgot, you fought on Mesa, didn’t ya Sargent? How’d that go for you? Did you enjoy that sun bearing down on you? Did you like seeing those slavers selling off little boys and girls to perverts? I know you better than that. You shot a few of them slavers, in cold blood. It’s all over your record. That’s why you had to come to me for a job, instead of climbing the ladder in the military. Just couldn’t let them little girls have their cherries popped by those nasty, filthy, worthless sons a bitches, could ya?”
The Sargent thought back to the past, the vision of those girls, dirt caked on their faces except for where their tears had washed the skin clean. They kept looking at him, desperate for a savior.
“Divinity means to make the galaxy right. I can’t make many promises, but I can promise that I’ll do my best to keep you two alive. You spend some time in the brig, keep your noses clean, and maybe you’ll become part of the cleansing. You’d be the right man for the job, Sargent. Hell, after seeing what you two have managed to accomplish, I’d keep the two of you together. You can tear through those nasty shits on those third-world planets and liberate ALL the slaves. Pay ya top credits for it too. What’d ya say to that?”
Check. One more piece and Bearden would have all his answers. Right now, the only thing he needed was how Divinity proposed to cleanse the lesser planets. If he could manage to keep the Major talking, maybe that last piece would slip from his tight lips.
“How do I know you won’t just kill us?”
“Are you fucking mad?” Janys snapped, her jaw dropping in horror. “Maybe you’re just stupid.”
“Nah, I’m not either,” Bearden replied. “Just like to know all my options before I make a decision.”
“That’s good,” Xavier continued. “I like that. You always had a strong mind. Never pictured you as a leader, but the last two days have proved me wrong on that account. I can tell you’re thinking it through, so I’ll just give ya a minute to finish your thought.”
Bearden leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. They burned with dryness and fatigue, begging not to be opened again. His mind drifted, putting together the pieces from the last two days along with the new information the Major was telling him. The man was a hardened salesman, he’d give him that. There were too many gray lines that divided the truth from the fiction. Why would the Major bother telling them the information if they planned on killing them? Either the information was false, or they actually stood a chance of getting out of the building alive. One was the truth, the other was a lie. If he was telling the truth, then Divinity was desperate for soldiers that could carry out missions with a high success rate. Their actions since the start of the attacks had proven their worth to the company. Was this whole thing a test? Was Divinity having them audition for the role of their soldiers? Either way, he had all the information he required.
Bearden’s eyes snapped open as he lunged over the desk, striking the unsuspecting Major in the temple with the butt of his pistol. Xavier’s head snapped back, the wheels o
f the front of the chair lifting up as the man lost his balance. The back of the plastic chair crashed against the floor, as did the back of the man’s head.
“Time to go,” he muttered.
Janys followed him out the door to the office, her mind trying to grasp what had just happened. She was nearly convinced that the Sargent was about to turn traitor when he’d smacked the Major with his pistol. The rest of her thoughts jammed inside of her brain, leaving no thought capable of reaching her consciousness.
“So what’s the plan here?” she asked, still looking through the clear walls to the collapsed Major. “You think he was lying?”
“Nope. I think he meant every word he said.”
“So they’re just sitting out there, waiting for us to leave?”
“Yup.”
“You got a plan you’d like to share with me? I swear if you say, ‘need to know,’ I’ll shoot you in the back.”
“I’ll tell you, just not here.”
“That makes no sense,” she snapped. “Why the hell can’t you just tell me now?”
“Because they’re listening.”
4 CHAPTER FOUR
The journey to the throne had been long, leaving Nathan with a grand desire to rest a spell. The conversation on the way to the Eden throne persisted of Nathan asking about more of the planet’s history, as well as how he should address the Queen. He was informed that, since he was an outsider, that he was under no expectation to address her by any special title. Calloway had been thankful for that, his mind racing to the few fantasy novels he’d read, all of which used strange terms like ‘your grace,’ when referring to those Kings and Queens.
The throne room was immense, stretching upwards to fifty feet in height, and just as wide. It stretched out, with multiple rows of wooden pews lining the center aisle. It reminded him of a church, the way that the pews were all pointed towards the front though he was certain that no sermons were uttered in this hall. The interior design was much the same as the exterior, the grand visuals of the windows able to be seen clearly from the inside, and the same light stone structure that made the walls. Massive pillars raised to the dome ceiling, a mural was painted on it of a war-torn scene, branching down onto the pillars. The first King and Queen were in the center, surrounded by the Overseers. Simply dressed people, whom he assumed to be the villagers, stood behind them as they walked over mounds of dark figures, their features made to look grotesque, with pointy tails and ears. The dark figures had green eyes in tiny slits, above a wide mouth full of sharp teeth. The murals on the pillars were the ground, tiny flowers and seed sprouting to indicate that new life could arise from the darkness.
“Agent Calloway, I am pleased to have you in my company,” Queen Reanna Devin called out as the duo reached the center of the room. “Tell me, have you enjoyed your time in our city? I pray that everyone has been courteous to you.”
Nathan’s jaw dropped open to speak, but he didn’t feel like shouting. The thoughts of the prisoners, and their execution, still boiled in his veins. He looked Queen Devin up and down, his eyes drawn to all the details she presented.
Reanna was dark of skin, her hair black as onyx, flowing in waves over the back of her head and down her back. Her eyes were large, with dark iris’ that welcomed his presence. Her nose was wide, pointed upwards, but with a little bridge to be seen. Her white and gold gown flowed down her elegant body, forming a puddle at the base of her throne. Two guards, dressed in gold armor, stood to her sides. Their rifles were held fast against their shoulder, their free hand remaining firm against their sides. Their capes were black, with gold trim, looking similar to the Commander’s in design. Their eyes looked dead ahead, paying no attention to the men as they approached.
“I have been in awe of your hospitality,” Nathan stated, trying to sound formal. “I thank you for seeing me on such short notice. I hope that I don’t take up too much of your time. I’m certain the people need their Queen.”
“They do,” she said, a strong smile on her face, her high voice blowing across the room. “However, I feel compelled to grant this audience. I’ve never met with an I.I.U. Agent before. I must admit that my curiosity got the best of me when the Commander informed me of your request.”
Nathan felt embarrassed as he looked down at his simple attire. Sure, his gray jacket was pressed and brushed clean, his dark pants and shirt were free of stains, yet he felt a mess compared to the beauty of the room.
“I’ll try to be mindful of Eden’s laws,” he started. “But I’m not comfortable with the execution you’ve scheduled for tomorrow.”
“I see,” she replied, the smile fading from her flawless face. “Tell me, why do your superiors deem the life of slavers worthy of mercy? Are they better people than I have thought them to be, or are your superiors simply too scared to execute the wicked?”
The words made a sharp dagger, stabbing the Agent in his lungs. He’d made the request out of anger, but had given little thought as to what he would say to the Queen that would sell his case.
“It’s common law,” he replied. “We do not execute prisoners until there has been a fair trial. While I must abide by your laws, I would not be performing my duty if I didn’t inform you that the Geneva Convention prohibits the execution of prisoners from other planets.”
“And does this Geneva Convention say anything about the lives the slavers attempted to destroy? Does the lawmaking council that sits in their little room have anything to say on THEIR behalf?”
“They do though I fear you will not care to hear it,” he stated, instantly wishing he’d chosen his words more carefully.
“Really?” she snapped. “Do you think I cannot comprehend their message, or do you think I am so set in my ways that I cannot conceive a thought that is not my own?”
Nathan felt the trap the second his mouth uttered the words. The eyes of the two golden armored guards had shifted towards him, indicating that he’d just insulted their Queen. He decided to atone before continuing with the argument.
“My apologies, Queen Devin, it is not my intention to insult you,” he started. “I merely mean to state that there is a thick wall between our cultures. Your Commander has spoken to me with words that I cannot argue, though the customs of my planet, and my government, have trained me to think otherwise. Our mother world has learned over the years that even the guilty must be treated with respect, in order to show the same courtesy to all the people, equally.”
“Tell me, do you believe those words? To you not hear how ridiculous they sound? The guilty waived their rights the moment they landed on our planet. They spit on those rights the moment they touched our citizens. They welcome death with open arms when they attempted to corral them onto their ships, like cattle being ushered to their slaughter.”
“I understand how the words sound. Believe me, I am in no position to argue right versus wrong when it comes to a death penalty, and I don’t mean to undermine your laws. However, why else would you have summoned an I.I.U. Agent if not for such a reason?”
The Queen changed her focus, her eyes drawing upon the Commander in distaste. A frown formed upon her plump lips and thin brow before she returned her gaze to the Agent.
“I apologize, Agent Calloway. I had assumed that my Commander would have informed you. I understand that you are an investigator, a lawman of sorts, and it isn’t your duty to think past what your job requires of you. However, I beg you to consider the history of our worlds. The years have shown us that, when the Cyber’s presence is no longer felt, that our peoples seize the lack of intervention and choose to war with one another. The attacks on your courtroom have created such an event.”
“We can’t fault the Cybers for that.”
“No, we cannot. I know you had a friendship with Joseph. I had met the Cyber many years ago when other slavers came to our world and escape with some of our citizens. I learned to admire the man. He was formal, direct, and he played his part in returning our citizens to their homes. He brought th
e slavers to our justice, and he did so with a compassion that I thought could not exist within an artificial mind. I was happy to have been proven wrong. He was a friend to you, and I honor that friendship today. I know the Cybers could not be blamed for their actions. Their minds had been controlled by an unseen hand, forcing them to do their treacherous bidding. However, without their presence, I fear the worlds will soon renew their hatred, and war will spread like cancer.”
The mentioning of Joseph forced his chest to grow tight though he managed to avoid an emotional display. It was true that it was not his place to consider what possibilities lied ahead, but he realized he needed to consider such events.
“So continue your enlightenment.”
“The execution of the prisoners will be a warning to those whom would aim to take what is ours. As we speak, my armies prepare for a war that is yet to be declared. If Mesa thinks they can send slavers to test our capabilities, then the execution will stand as a testament to our strength.”
“I see. Have you considered the other angle in this mess?”
“What angle?”
“That executing these prisoners without conversing with the government on Mesa could wind up causing the very war you’re preparing for?”
Reanna’s mouth snapped shut as she forced herself to look away from the Agent. The accusation that she was attempting to start a war was appalling to her, forcing her blood to crash in waves of anger. Her eyes narrowed, then turned back to the Agent before her.
“You think that I’m trying to start a war, Agent Calloway?”
“No, I’m merely suggestion that Mesa may think so.”
“Even the dim minds of the Mesa Overlords know that I would declare war directly, rather than hide behind something as derivative as an execution. Do not insult me with such suggestions when you know nothing of such things.”
“I understand.”
The Agent and the Queen locked eyes, neither willing to concede defeat to the other. The guards shuffled on their feet, their minds racing at what was to come. The duo nearly leapt from their skin when Commander Dayne broke the silence.
