Forge of War (Jack of Harts)

by Pryde, Medron

  Charles walked to the back of the store, Dorothy at his side, to where the previewing rooms stood, and scanned the room numbers. Some of them showed green status markers, proclaiming them open for people to use. A few were red, declaring they were occupied. A small number flashed between green and red and Charles smiled as he found the one he wanted. His reservation for room eleven was ready, and nobody had arrived yet.

  “Dorothy?” he asked with a nod towards the door.

  Dorothy smiled in response. “The store tells me you can enter now.”

  “Thank you,” Charles said to both Dorothy and the store, and stepped forward to open the door. He walked into the previewing room, Dorothy following, and scanned the clean white walls with a nod.

  “Please load the simulation. Place me on Upper Baker Street near 221.”

  “Of course, Master Hurst,” the store’s artificial intelligence answered in a suitable old English accent. “Loading now.”

  The cobblestone street appeared first, followed by a flagstone sidewalk, and a stone fence next to him. Grass and flowers and trees flickered into existence, along with houses and sky and clouds. Finally people walking down the sidewalk and a single horse drawn carriage appeared, and Charles found himself looking on a high-class residential neighborhood in London of the 1880s.

  “Would you like to begin the narrative, Master Hurst?” the store asked.

  “No thank you. I am meeting someone here. Please let him in when he arrives.”

  “Of course, Master Hurst.”

  Charles opened a gate next to the number 221 and walked onto a flower-lined footpath not that different from the one he had grown up with outside Philadelphia. He carefully stepped over the flowers and walked across the immaculate yard to a private sitting area he knew well. He had explored these stories for most of his life, and enjoyed simply sitting and watching the world much more than following the stories. The London of the 1880s was so interesting to visit.

  Charles sat down on a wooden bench, leaned back into it, and breathed deeply of the flower-scented air. It smelled good, very different from the smells of New Earth. Dorothy sat down next to him and he blinked as the bench shifted from her weight. He realized the hum of his holoemitters were gone and smiled at her. She was using the previewing room’s emitters.

  Dorothy answered him with a self-satisfied smile, lifted herself up off the bench, and sat back down with a firm motion that moved the bench again. She enjoyed having a real interaction with her surroundings. He did not blame her. He tended to take that interaction for granted.

  Charles patted Dorothy on the shoulder, feeling her as real as the bench he sat on. She grasped his hand with one of her own, holding it in a firm grip. He closed his eyes and they sat like that for what felt like a long time, listening to the sporadic English banter on the other side of the wall. He did not mind waiting. This was a beautiful place. Finally, the gate creaked open and he opened his eyes.

  “He is here,” Dorothy announced.

  “Thank you,” Charles answered and turned to watch his old friend walk into the yard. “Hello,” he called out with a wave of his hand.

  “221 Baker Street?” Malcolm asked with a smile and stepped over the flowers.

  “It is an old favorite,” Charles returned with a shrug. “Never fails to remind me to study the smallest details, for they are often important.”

  Malcolm stopped, placed his hands on his suit’s pockets, and looked up at the magnificent house with an intrigued gaze. “Do you think he was based on someone real?”

  Charles nodded. “It is possible. The more I learn, the more possible I begin to believe it is.”

  Malcolm nodded, walked over to Charles and Dorothy, and held his hand out to her. Dorothy smiled and raised her hand for him to take. He grasped it, leaned over, and kissed the back of it in a gentlemanly way. “My lady,” he whispered. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Malcolm.”

  Dorothy glanced at Charles for a moment, who cleared his throat and covered his mouth to hide a smile. The twinkling of his eyes betrayed him though, and her smile grew as she turned back to Malcolm. “Dorothy,” she proclaimed in a regal tone. “I have heard so much about you,”

  “All scurrilous lies, I assure you,” Malcolm said with a wink. “Unless it speaks well of me of course.”

  “And then it is a complimentary lie?” she asked without missing a beat.

  Malcolm laughed and released her hand, stepping back to sit down on the bench facing them. “You’re a good one,” he finally said with an elaborate wave of a hand.

  She smiled and nodded, accepting his compliment in graceful silence.

  Malcolm turned to Charles with a smile reserved for old friends. “For what it’s worth, Chuck, I think you made the right decision.”

  Charles nodded in return and patted Dorothy’s shoulder again. His decision to volunteer for the military had not been approved of by his family. Hursts were expected to lead from business or political positions, not fight like a common born brat after all. “That is why I wanted to talk to you,” Charles said with a smile. Malcolm cocked his head to the side, inviting Charles to continue. “I need someone with far more time than I have. I also need someone with your contacts,” he finished with a chuckle.

  Malcolm chuckled back and relaxed into his bench. “My contacts? I’m afraid I have no idea what you mean,” he returned with a perfectly straight face.

  Charles sighed. Back when they were kids, Malcolm had always been the person anyone talked to when they wanted to get anything they couldn’t get by walking to a store. And according to his reports, Malcolm was still the go to guy.

  “Malcolm, I plan on establishing a new colony, and I need someone to organize the planning for it.”

  Malcolm blinked in surprise and stared at Charles. “A new colony. Just like that? In the middle of a war?”

  Charles smiled and relaxed back into his bench. “Just like that.”

  Malcolm shook his head. “You don’t think small, do you? How do you intend to fund this?”

  Charles chuckled. “I am a Hurst, remember? My budget is the closest to unlimited that you’ve ever had the option to work with before,” he said with a pointed look.

  Malcolm swallowed as the realization that Charles was not joking sank in. “Why me?” he asked with a shake of his head and let out a long breath. “I mean, you have people in the family who do planning like this already, right?”

  Charles shook his head. “The family has grown complacent. They do not see the big picture anymore. All they see is the profits they can squeeze out of what little thing they want to do. Everybody capable of big plans like this has long since left for greener pastures.” He aimed a finger at Malcolm. “That is why you never accepted a position in the family, right?”

  Malcolm nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right there. Although I wouldn’t have said it as bluntly as you just did.”

  Charles spread his hands out wide to show he was not hiding anything. “And that is why I said it.”

  Malcolm scratched his chin and let out another long breath. “Fine. I’m interested,” he finally said in a determined tone. “But I need to know something before I decide.”

  Charles pulled in a long breath and held his smile. “Ask.”

  Malcolm nodded. “How determined are you to see this through? Establishing a colony is not cheap. What are you going to do if your father finds out?”

  Charles chuckled. “Trust me, Malcolm. My father will find out. That is part of the plan, you see.”

  Malcolm blinked and his face went slack for a moment before he shook his head. “Oh. He’s really not going to like you after this.” He brought his eyes back up to stare at Charles. “How much do you plan on leaving him with?”

  Charles gave him a confident smile. “As little as possible.”

  Malcolm shook his head and Charles saw that he was getting ready to walk. “Look, Chuck, you’re talking about something other than just a colony here. T
his is the kind of family infighting that gets people killed when it hits the surface. I don’t want any part of a civil war like that,” he finished and started to stand.

  “I know,” Charles said with a calming gesture that stopped Malcolm. “And I never would have called you if it was a simple fraud and family infighting. This is much more important than any family, even mine.”

  That got Malcolm’s attention, and the man turned his head to the side, studying Charles with a careful expression. “What’s going on, Chuck?” he finally asked in a truly confused tone.

  Charles spread his hands out wide again and gave Malcolm a confident smile. “What is going on, Malcolm, is that I am sick and tired of alien civilizations coming into our territory and making Contact with us. We know there are other races out there, beyond the Peloran, the Arnam, the Shang, and the Roderan. We are a backwater, Malcolm. A local power. To them, we are just some backward race of humanity that needs uplifting to galactic standards the way we uplifted dogs,” Charles spat out.

  Malcolm’s eyes narrowed and Charles knew he had the man. But he needed to say just a little bit more to make certain that Malcolm stayed had.

  “We need to change the playing field,” Charles said in a passionate tone. “If we stay here, in our little corner of space, and wait for them to come Contact us, we are never going to be a galactic power. We have to go out there,” he said, waving a hand at the sky. “We have to establish colonies in their neighborhoods. We have to sail our ships over their worlds. We have to join them out there, or we will never be one of them. And once we are out there, Malcolm, the things we will be able to buy, the things we will be able to discover…a man with the right connections…” Charles let his voice fade away and winked at Malcolm. “Forget the sky, Malcolm. Forget the few pitiful worlds we own here. The galaxy is the limit to what a man with the right connections could do out there.”

  “My God,” Malcolm whispered in shock, his eyes glittering with the idea of just how much money he could make. Charles smiled. He truly had the man. Then Malcolm shook his head to clear it and let out a long breath. “How long have you been planning this?”

  Charles shrugged. “Honestly, my entire adult life. Contact made all of us look at the worlds differently. I have spent the last century planning and helping people into positions where they could be ready when it came time to pull the trigger.”

  Malcolm frowned and looked at Charles for several seconds. “So why do you need me to be in charge? Why aren’t you doing this? Why did you…why are you fighting?” he finished in a tone that showed he really did want to know.

  Charles sighed again. “Because, no matter how much I planned, there were still some contacts I needed to make the plan possible.”

  Charles turned to Dorothy and swallowed. A part of him had hoped that Malcolm wouldn’t ask that question, but he’d known it was a possibility. And whatever the cost, he wouldn’t lie. He gritted his teeth in anticipation of her displeasure and spoke. “I have studied Aneerin, Dorothy. Anyone else would stop my plan if they discovered it. I needed to contact him, to get his support, but he does not trust my family and would not meet me. So I had to take…extraordinary measures to contact him,” he finished, keeping his gaze on her, and waited for her response.

  He did not have to wait long. She smiled. “I know.”

  Charles blinked in confusion. He had expected…anger…something…for using her. Not…that. “What?”

  Dorothy pulled in a deep breath and gave him a proud look. “My mother studied you extensively before she chose you.” Dorothy spread her hands out wide and her smile grew. “I was born to help you.”

  Charles felt his mouth fall open in surprise as he wondered just how much they knew.

  “I love you.”

  The words broke Charles out of his confusion and he turned to see Malcolm beaming at Dorothy, his face showing he meant all three words. Charles’ eyes narrowed.

  “Excuse me?” he growled.

  Malcolm turned back to him with a smile. “Seriously, do you know how long I’ve waited for someone to outthink you so profoundly that you’re speechless?” the man asked in an amused tone. He turned back to Dorothy and waved a hand at her in a debonair manner. “Thank you, my lady, for such an amazing sight.”

  Charles saw Dorothy straighten in her seat and smile at Malcolm. “You are welcome.”

  Malcolm pulled in a long breath and sobered as he looked back to Charles. He nodded in understanding. “So…you’re willing to risk your own life to make this plan work?”

  Charles swallowed before nodding back. “Yes,” he said, keeping his response short and to the point. Nothing more really needed to be said after all.

  Malcolm nodded slowly, deep in thought. “Then I’m in. What do you need?”

  Charles smiled at his old friend and collected his thoughts. “I need freighters and transports, rugged ones that can take a hit and keep on flying. They have to be at least first generation gravtech. Rockets will not fly where they are going.”

  Malcolm nodded in understanding. “Got it.”

  “I also need supplies. At least one full class one colonization package. No cutting corners on that regard.”

  Malcolm nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”

  “I need man portable small arms, security AIs, and fighters. Maybe even some combat ships if we can find them. Most systems have old patrol boats that they were looking to unload on some private corporation back before Yosemite. I honestly do not know if any still are. I do have contact information for the places I was planning on purchasing from though. Some may still be willing.”

  Malcolm nodded and gave him a sly smile. “I might be able to find something. Weapons are going to be tough now of course. How…aggressive do you want to be about getting them?”

  Charles shook his head, recognizing the real question. “We can not afford to hurt The War effort. Nothing that is going to the military can be touched.”

  Malcolm nodded. “Understood. We can’t get top line equipment then. The best I can manage with that restriction is old surplus stuff that nobody wants anymore.”

  Charles smiled. “I guess that makes me nobody then.”

  Malcolm laughed at the joke. Then he paused and tapped his chin for a few moments as his eyes flickered back and forth in thought. “I remember some old first generation gravtech fighters that were up for sale a few months back. I think they were Blackhawks. I can see if the seller has more he’d like to unload.”

  “Please do.”

  Malcolm nodded slowly and considered Charles for a long moment. “Knowing you, you have plans in very complete detail saying what you need and where you need it.”

  Charles smiled. “I do.” Then he shrugged. “Of course, I never planned for Yosemite though, which makes things…difficult.”

  Malcolm pursed his lips. “Maybe not.”

  Charles cocked his head to side. “What do you mean?”

  Malcolm shrugged. “It’ll be harder to get the equipment, what with The War, but it will be easier to hide what we’re doing from your father.”

  Charles smiled in approval at how Malcolm’s mind worked. “Very true.”

  Malcolm held a hand out. “Well, if you’ll give your files, I can get started working on this.”

  Charles turned back to Dorothy with a smile. “Dorothy?”

  Dorothy gave him a curious look. “Yes?”

  Charles let out a long breath. “Could you send him the appropriate files?”

  Dorothy blinked and cocked her head to the side, examining him for several seconds. “I am afraid I have never accessed those files, Charles. They are behind a wall.”

  Charles smiled. “Well then, I suppose you will just have to go through the wall.”

  One of Dorothy’s eyebrows rose. “Are you certain?”

  Charles nodded. “Yes.”

  Dorothy pulled in a long breath and her holoform flickered for a moment. “Wow,” she whispered, her tone impressed. “You had a good AI running
your privacy screen.”

  Charles frowned. “Had?” he asked in a concerned tone.

  Dorothy shrugged. “Well, she actually trapped me and then began trying to shred my code. I really could not allow that.”

  “Oops,” Charles whispered with a wince. “I forgot she was supposed to do that.”

  Dorothy smiled and brought a hand up to pat the pocket of his jacket that held his private personal computer. “Well, no worries. That instance of her program will never get another chance to do anything. I took the liberty of replacing her with more secure privacy code. I hope you do not mind?”

  Charles shook his head rubbed his temple in amazement. “You realize that was the best privacy AI my family has ever written?”

  Dorothy’s smile took on a proud look. “Yes. I do.” Then she blinked in surprise. “Charles. There are millions of folders here, each one named a different random number.”

  Charles chuckled. “Well then. Maybe you should not have destroyed that privacy AI. She had the algorithm. Now you will just have to scan every folder the old fashioned way,” he said with a wicked grin.

  Dorothy gave him a disapproving frown. “Am I going to find any nasty surprises in there?”

  Charles sighed. “Well, my diary is there.” He smiled at her. “I may have admitted my true feelings for you in there.”

  Dorothy’s eyes narrowed. “Fine,” she finally whispered. Then her holoform flickered again and she stepped back from him in alarm. “Ouch! There are datamines on that thing!”

  “Oops,” Charles repeated and let out a sigh. “I suppose you should hurry then. If you activated one of them, the automatic scram program would have kicked in. You only have seconds to save the data before it is all gone.”

  “Do not look so smug,” she returned in a tart tone. “I have already disabled that program.”

  Charles shook his head in surprise. “Well, I guess that proves I was right. I always thought it was stupid not to hire a cyber to encrypt our information. Now I know it was.”