The Ghost Fleet

by Trevor Wyatt

  I guess I could kill two beds with one stone. We could have our special night right where she’s always dreamed of spending some time with me.

  “I guess we can go to the waterfall,” I say, grudgingly accepting.

  “See?” Peter says. “Told you it’s okay.”

  I growl. Peter has this notion that it doesn’t matter what he does that it would always turn out great. He is the kind of guy that pretty much does whatever he wants and still ends up on the right side. It is annoying sometimes, especially when I’m trying to get him to do the right things the right way.

  “The means don’t always justify the end, Peter,” I say.

  “Whatever rocks your boat, Jake,” he replies. “I say live life to the fullest. You don’t know when the BFs are going to appear at the edge of your star system and come knocking for you.”

  “You don’t really think they’ll stray this far, do you?” someone asks from behind us.

  Peter and I turn at the same time to see who has been eavesdropping on our conversation. It’s Anthony, the lanky and nosy fellow occupying the sit directly behind me.

  I scowl at him, but Peter indulges him.

  “Why wouldn’t they?” Peter says.

  “Why would they?” I ask, now genuinely interested. The Cold Moons of Latrellia aren’t exactly border settlements. We are well within Terran Union space. Even though we don’t have any Armada vessel protecting our system or a space station within running or protective distance, we don’t need it. The war thus far has been localized at the border. Hence, I’ve never really thought of the war as more than a distant occurrence.”

  “Because their ships are ten times bigger than ours,” Peter replies with an awed expression upon his face. “And I heard that it takes at least three of our ships to bring down one of theirs and that’s not even talking about their dreadnoughts.

  “It is said that when the dreadnoughts appear, death and destruction is imminent and inevitable.”

  I am now trying to maintain my composure. Fear is having a field day with my mind. I am also finding it difficult to reconcile the picture of the war being painted by Peter and the one the President paints when he gives us a brief of the war effort every Saturday evening.

  “President Harmon says differently,” I reply, trying not to sound terrified. “He wouldn’t lie to the whole Terran Union now, would he?”

  Peter doesn’t reply. He only looks at me as though I am naive.

  “He wouldn’t would he?” I press.

  “Of course, he would,” someone replies.

  I look over Peter to Brad who has joined our conversation.

  Peter nods solemnly.

  I swallow hard. “Why would he lie to us?”

  “Because the cost of this war in the past six months have been catastrophic,” Brad says. “I know because I talk with my dad almost every day. If it’s not a slipstream transmission, it’s a message. But we find time to communicate every day.”

  “Hey, Brad, isn’t your father working aboard a ground troop transport?” Anthony asks.

  Brad shakes his head. “He was, before the war. But when the war started, he was posted to Armada Intelligence because of his unique skillset. Don’t ask. He wouldn’t tell me what those are, just don’t ask.”

  I am struck with awe.

  “It’s bad out there,” Brad continues in his low tone. I realize that everyone around is looking at us, listening quite intently.

  “Almost every day that passes by the border is receding,” Brad continues. “The Sonali have a far superior military, with far superior weapons and equipment, and far superior starships. My dad says we never should have gone to war with them.”

  “Your father doesn’t know what he’s saying,” says a tall, plump girl in the row in front of us. “The war is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. It was either bow to the Sonali or stand our ground. If your dad thought it was a fool’s errand to do to war, then your dad is a coward.”

  I freeze in my chair, hearing Brad’s breathing increase. He must be burning with rage now as I observe the sneer he’s flashing the girl.

  “Just because your dad is dead doesn’t make him a hero, Tasha,” Brad spits.

  “You son of a bitch,” Tasha says. She tries to rise up, but her friends are pulling her down. They tell her to be calm.

  Peter says, “It doesn’t matter whether we should have gone to war or not. What matters is that we are at war and we are sucking at it.”

  “Well, we are a defenseless colony,” I say, trying to console myself. “There are rules in warfare. I am sure the Sonali, since they are an advanced race, being space capable and all, would refrain from unnecessary destruction and carnage. I’m sure they’ll leave us alone.”

  I wait for some support, but it doesn’t come, which surprises me.

  “If you really believe that, Jake, then you are more foolish than I imagined,” Brad replies.

  No wonder he doesn’t have any friends.

  “What’s he talking about?” I ask Peter.

  Everyone draws in closer to hear Peter talk. Peter hesitates at first. He’s looking across the fire. I follow his gaze. Tiffany and Kendra and the entire section on the other side are all looking at us. The priest, too, is looking at us.

  I motion for those still drawn into our conversation to look up ahead. Once it becomes clear that our private conversation is no longer private, everyone sits upright and focuses on John.

  “Would you like to say something, Peter?” John asks aloud.

  Peter doesn’t reply. He only shakes his head.

  This surprises me. I have never known Peter to be someone who shies away from hugging the spot light. Also, there is no greater spotlight in this colony than the spotlight of being singled out during the campfire.

  “Anthony, stand up.”

  Anthony rises up behind us.

  “Kindly brief us all on what the conversation was about.”

  Anthony tells them everything. Everyone listens with rapt attention. I watch as their facial expressions turn from interest to anxiety to terror. Anthony ends with my assertion of the notion that the Sonali would not destroy a defenseless colony and Brad’s repulsive response to it. I do like how Anthony describes Brad’s offensive statement, though.

  I glance at Kendra. She is looking at me, but her expression is hard to read. I try a smile, but she just keeps looking at me.

  “Jake!” the priest calls.

  I jerk up to my feet, all eyes on me.

  “Do you believe the Sonali wouldn’t harm us here?” John asks.

  I nod.

  “Why?”

  “Because there are laws in war,” I reply. “There are principles in war. While it’s important to defend one’s territorial integrity, it is also important to defend one’s inner integrity. The Terran Union has principles set down for how Armada conducts its warfare. When we fought the Outers, everyone steered clear of colonies.”

  I know I wasn’t so coherent, but I have passed the basic ideas that reinforce my beliefs.

  The priest nods with a smile. He shifts his gaze to Brad. “And you think otherwise?”

  Brad remains seated. “I know otherwise,” he says. “Jake’s just saying all that because his family is here and they’re living their normal quiet lives. He doesn’t know just how brutal the war is and what both sides are doing to ensure they win. He and many people here don’t know that we are losing the war and losing ships and losing people…and losing colonies.”

  A whisper strikes in the campfire and spreads around like a ripple.

  I glance at Peter. Peter remains impassive.

  “What do you mean losing colonies?” someone asks from the other side. Before I can look, the person is done talking. I can’t tell who asked the question, but I can tell from the looks on the faces around that they want to know the answer as I do.

  The priest climbs off his stone and approaches us. He wades into the crowd until he’s standing above us. He’s wearing a cotton robe
that’s tied around his body. He smells of an aromatic smoky substance, which wafts into my nostrils as he bends to pick up Peter.

  Peter willingly follows the priest back to the camp fire, where the priest leaves him standing and inches away from him until he’s at the edge of the central space, blocking my view of Kendra.

  “Tell us, Peter,” John says. “Tell us what you know. Knowledge can be a burden, when it is held alone. However, when it is shared, it can be relieving.”

  Peter thinks long and hard on this before he agrees and begins to speak.

  “The Sonali aren’t what we think they are,” Peter says. “They don’t give two shits about morality or about the means. They only care about winning this war and so far they have been effective in their tactics.”

  Peter sucks in a deep breath before continuing.

  “They don’t care that a planet is defended or not defended,” Peter says, “they don’t care that a ship has weapons or not. They destroy everything in their path and law waste to colonies.”

  Terror sweeps across us like a powerful wave.

  “They come like raiders in the night,” he says. “Most times they remain in the comfort of their ships and bombard the colonies. They target houses, utilities, structures that are standing, human settlement, densely populated or sparsely populated, they fire their weapons of mass destruction from above.

  “They use gases that render whole planets uninhabitable. Millions have died so far. Millions more will die. Billions, in fact will die. And they keep pressing deeper and deeper into Terran space. So no, guys. No one is safe. No one. No colony is safe from the Sonali. If they appear in our scanners, we are gone. Just like Planet Beruit. Just like Planet Manliwa. Just like Planet Soshunaka. Just like the numerous colonies that have fallen to these blue freaks.”

  Peter walks away from the center of the fire and comes to sit down beside me. I don’t realize that I am holding my breath until my vision begins to double. I let go and breathe easy.

  There is a severe pounding in my chest.

  John retakes the center of the camp. “You are possibly wondering if what Peter has said is true…”

  His question is greeted by many nodding heads. I don’t nod, because I know it’s true. It has to be. How else could he have been so detailed? I could almost see the death and carnage and wastage.

  “He is,” John says.

  There is a cold silence.

  “That is the reason for this campfire meeting,” John says. “You parents have been aware of this imminent danger. So they have asked me to inform you. Be diligent. Be prepared. We might be far from the border, but it doesn’t make us far from danger.”

  He pauses and smiles—the kind that is sad and born from pity.

  “You know,” he says, “knowledge is not always freedom. Sometimes it is a burden. We have carried this burden for a while, now you must carry this burden yourselves. There is nowhere to run or hide. With this knowledge, perhaps you can prepare for the inevitable.”

  “What’s the Terran Armada doing to stop these fuckers?” someone yells from behind me. I don’t need to look back to recognize that it’s Blake’s voice. Also, only he would curse in front of all our teachers. Only he would be so stupid and irresponsible.

  “The Armada is fighting as well as it can, giving the circumstances,” John replies. “If you’re asking if we are destroying colonies like the Sonali, the answer is yes.”

  “What?” another unplanned outburst. It’s a girl near Kendra.

  “That’s against the Terran Armada’s charter,” Tiffany points out.

  “Indeed,” John replies. “But, Article X1 as presented by the Terran Council and signed by President of the Terran Union permits any and all acts to be carried out by the Terran Armada in executing its primary function of ensuring the survival of our and the integrity of our galactic space.

  “It means they can do whatever they want,” John ends by saying. “It’s not at all ideal. History will definitely make us pay for it, but all is fair in war. Return to your various homes and think on this. Some of you are old enough to go off to fight in this war. You may want to consider what you’re walking in. Good night.”

  Everyone stands at the same time. The area quickly descends into a disarray with chatter and uncoordinated movement. However, the general mood is silent and restrained. I traverse the area to Kendra’s last known position, hoping to God that she would still be interested in going out with me to the waterfall. I know I no longer have any desire to go, though I know it’ll probably return in about an hour, when my mind has rationalized some of the things I’ve heard.

  Some people want to talk with me, but I wave them off. I find Kendra hanging on the very edge of the expanding group of people. She’s carrying a backpack, where everything we’ll need is packed.

  She manages a smile when I walk up to her.

  “Hi,” she says.

  I hug her first. She hugs me back and sobs lightly.

  “Come on,” I say. “Let’s get out of here.”

  We wait until no one is looking at us before we slip away from the group of people.

  The town is dead asleep. We are the first ones to leave the center, so we surreptitiously traverse the tiny streets, with terrifying silence everywhere. We get to the edge of town, walking straight into the woods without a second thought.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I know Rufus is out there fighting. I’m sorry that you had to hear all of that.”

  “It’s okay, Jake,” she replies.

  We make our way deeper into the woods. The trees are mighty tall, thin and well-spaced. A carpet of leaves, dried, flaky leafs cover the ground. They crunch as me walk further through. The light the moons provide is sufficient for us.

  Even though I know the woods are totally safe as there are no wild animals or killers around here, I am still unnerved by the eerie silence. What if the Sonali have managed to sneak up behind us and sent a patrol to watch our town? They may be watching us right now, waiting for the right time to pounce.

  The crunch under our feet suddenly becomes so loud.

  “He’s serving with one of the best pilots in the Armada,” Kendra says. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

  “He’s serving with Captain Jeryl Montgomery?” I ask.

  Kendra lets loose a clipped burst of sarcastic laughter. “You think I’d be worried sick for him if he were serving with the Avenger of The Mariner?”

  I feel stupid again. I shake my head.

  “No, he’s not serving aboard The Seeker,” Kendra says. “He’s serving on The Celestia. He’s their chief medical officer.”

  “I hope he’s alright,” I say.

  “That makes two of us.”

  When we get to the waterfall, I already know it’s not going to work. We are both too tensed to feel anything between us but fear. Nevertheless, we go through the motion of setting up. The inflatable bed goes up first. Then the light bots fills the area with incandescent light and warmth.

  I set up the music player with a smooth R n B song by some guy on Earth. There’s food in the back. However, we decide to forgo that.

  While Kendra crawls into the bed, I walk to the cliff (we set up ten yards away from the cliff, just on the edge of the woods). The waterfall looks amazing, but its roar is quite deafening. Somehow, this reminds me how absolutely far we are now from the town—just me and Kendra.

  This night was supposed to be peaceful. But I can’t seem to shrug off my thoughts about the war.

  The cliff is about a hundred yards in the air. The water is deep enough for someone to survive the fall…in theory. Nobody has ever tried.

  “Jake?” Kendra calls. “Aren’t you coming?”

  I join her in the bed. She curls up into my chest and we remain like that, staring at the stars. I realize that she didn’t even notice the waterfalls. She’s been bugging me for three weeks now to take her to the waterfalls. Now we are here and she so absorbed with the terrible news we both heard tonight to thin
k about anything else.

  I don’t blame her, because all I’m thinking about is the war. It almost makes me mad at Peter for bringing it up earlier. And the fact that he got his quality time with Tiffany right before mine and ruins mine makes me all the more incensed. But I realize the importance of all I’ve heard today.

  Joining the Armada is not something I’ve even considered. However, it’s something I will consider once I return to the house. If mom agrees, I’ll sign up. It takes three months to go from sign up to the front lines. If I’m going to die, I might as well die on my own terms and not as some hapless bugger on some colony world the Sonali bombarded to smithereens.

  After staring at the sky for so long in silence, I begin to feel sleepy.

  Kendra puts her hand around me possessively and tightens it.

  “Promise me that you’ll never leave me,” she whispers. Her voice vibrates in my chest and soothes my heart.

  “Promise me,” she says again.

  “I promise,” I say.

  She exhales audibly and her body relaxes in mine. It feels so good to have her lie on me the way she’s doing. My mind begins to relax. Soon, we are in total sync our hearts beating as one.

  Kendra falls asleep first. I follow seconds later.

  I only close my eyes for what feels like a minute when I am woken by an impossibly loud explosion that causes the ground to tremble severely.

  Kendra screams.

  I jump out of the bed. My heart is hammering against my chest.

  Above, I can see a massive ship in low orbit. Missiles rain down on the moon. It’s not just our settlement that’s being targeted. There are about seventeen settlements on this moon, all of which are being bombarded.

  Another explosion—and then another. Kendra and I collapse in a heap at the thunderous report of the explosion. We look with horror as columns of smoke and raging fires erupt in the sky from where our town is.

  I shoot to my feet and break into a run towards town.

  “Jake!” Kendra screams from behind.