The Stars Came Back

by Rolf Nelson

  CUT TO

  EXT - DAWN - Tajemnica topside

  Allonia and the CM stand atop one of the grav tank turrets looking out over the unfolding battle. The dead are already in the thousands, but only a single Plataean shield can be seen on the ground. The army is now moving away from the ship, headed counterclockwise around the mob, having a devastating effect on them, leaving piles of bodies heaped in their wake as they slowly rotate along the edge of the masses, surging in, then falling back, pulsing like a single living organism that kills everything it touches. In the middle of it, there are a few hundred men in reserve. Several organized formations of soldiers can be seen amid the masses heading for the Plataean army, running over some of their own fanatical fellows in their urgency to reach the unbelievers. The difference in numbers makes it look like a giant armored amoeba fighting mightily against the endless waves of an ocean. Allonia stares in horror.

  Allonia: Oh my god. How can they…

  CM: I don’t know. I didn’t know. I’m… I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.

  High overhead, the hazy sky is becoming increasingly cloudy.

  Chaos

  CUT TO

  EXT - DAWN - Battlefield, between the reserves and the main formation of the shield wall

  The line moves on, the multitude of spears flickering death in the early light. As the army moves forward many bodies litter the ground behind them. As the line passes, a corpse is pushed aside, and a boy springs to his feet with a knife in his hand, and leaps to stab a shield-wall soldier in the back. Two of the reserve soldiers from the middle leap forward, spears lowering to impale him just as he stabs a Plataean. The ragamuffin collapses, dead or dying fast. The soldier steps out of the line, flexing, determining damage, and goes back to the reserves, while one of the reserve soldiers steps up to take his position.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Geminorum Fleet Carrier bridge

  Spacious and busy. Everyone is now wearing light space suits, helmets on, visors up, a consequence of having the conflict grow into a real shooting war. Admiral Flicker is talking to the very angry captain of the Hussein on one screen and a couple of other captains on other screens.

  Captain of the Hussein: I demand that you destroy the ship that attacked me and killed my pilots! If you don’t, I’ll order Darius to fire on it where it sits!

  Captain B: (on another screen) You’ll do no such thing, you inbred lunatic! YOU fired on them FIRST! If you take another shot at anything but yourself, I’ll nuke your sorry ass personally!

  Flicker: GENTLEMEN! Please! They are not going anywhere until we sort this out, so-

  CUT TO

  EXT - DAWN - Battlefield, just behind the shield-wall line

  The noise is tremendous with clashing metal, grunts, screams, and men moving. The spear arms of the army move fast and easy. As they walk forward, they wade across a carpet of bodies, men and women, most with obvious major head or neck wounds that killed them promptly. The back ranks of men hold their spears angled high to keep them out of the way of the men in the front ranks, and the sickly sunlight reflects dully off the polished backs of their armor. In the near distance many irregularly spaced spears and other weapons have points glinting as they move about. A deadly chaos thrives right in front of the shield wall, hands and heads are briefly seen grabbing at or above the shields, only to meet a spear swiftly driven home and pulled back. A screaming shape is thrown up in the air, cartwheeling over the shield wall toward the mass of soldiers behind the deadly front, and it is caught on a long spear from the rear. The shape shrieks and goes limp, and it can now be recognized as a small child of two or three. As a few men see it and freeze in shock, a long, simple spear comes in from across the line, driving into a Plataean helm, killing the motionless soldier instantly. Another small, screaming form is tossed high in the air across the line.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Earth Fleet Admiral’s quarters

  A modest room with simple, almost Spartan, appointment. Bishop Fettig is wildly agitated but not getting any sympathy.

  Fettig: You let them pass! For the love of God, WHY?

  Admiral Hawke: (Quietly) Quite against my wishes, you were very specific in your demands that you give the order to fire. I received no word of any sort from you.

  Fettig: I was held hostage! You should have known something was wrong when you didn’t hear anything.

  Admiral Hawke: I’m not a mind reader. If I went against your wishes, you wouldn’t be happy. Now that I have done what you asked, you are not happy… Perhaps these are not the abominations you were looking for.

  Fettig stares at the admiral blackly.

  Fettig: You will destroy them when they finally come up, if you know what’s good for your career. They are evil, and more dangerous than you can imagine.

  Admiral Hawke looks at him piercingly, a slight, grim smile on his scarred features.

  Admiral Hawke: Oath, then orders. I will do what is in the best interests of humanity, Earth, the fleet, my command, and my career. In that order. Your demands align with none of those at this time. I believe you know the way to your quarters. That would be the safest place. Good day, Excellency.

  Fettig’s eyes widen as he realizes he’s being summarily dismissed. He pivots angrily, robes flying, and storms out.

  FADE TO BLACK

  FADE IN

  INT - DAY - Cargo bay deck

  It is now clean and tidy. Stacks of water bottles, food bars, and medical supplies are ready for the returning survivors. Bipasha stands silently, face a mask of worry, staring at the ramp door, nervously, slowly, rubbing her hands together.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Officers’ Mess

  Helton, Sar, Quinn, Allonia sit silently, picking at their scant plates of food, pushing it around, going through the motions, appetites gone with the tension of the wait.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Geminorum Fleet Carrier Bridge

  Crowded and busy. In the background, there are several pairs of people in each other’s faces arguing, both on screens and in person, and between people on the bridge on screens. Admiral Flicker looks frustrated and worn. She’s talking to a media personality on a small side screen.

  Flicker: No, for the last time! You may not launch anything down there to drop a camera drone swarm. If you ask again, I’ll be tempted to launch a not-drone at YOU. Capiche?

  The media personality throws her hands in the air, the screen goes blank, leaving just the news company logo.

  A bridge tech assistant comes up to her.

  Assistant: Cloud cover density still increasing. Nothing on visual, and still haven’t got enough of the independent idiots to shut their stuff down so someone can get a good synthetic pic on another band. The New Africa ships all just want to nuke everyone after losing their L1 cruiser. The Niven cruiser has been disabled, and Darius blew up a Venaticorum frigate; its deployed interceptors are asking for assistance and asylum from the Colonial Powers fleet-

  Flicker: Are they offering?

  Assistant: Not saying a word either way. Intercepted traffic says the New Syrians are planning on launching nukes if Lag and the Plataeans win, and the New Russia cruiser pair appear to have orders to nuke a winning Mahdi army.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Unidentified Cruiser Bridge

  The captain, a big, bearded, dark-skinned, man, is quite angrily talking to his second in command.

  Captain: If they launch anything toward the ground fire everything you have at them, by GOD! They’ll PAY if they interfere!

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Tajemnica Bridge

  Quiritis and Helton sit at their stations, talking. The Compliance Monitor sits silently on the side, eyes down, looking shaken.

  Quiritis: Crowds are getting nasty up there. A half dozen interceptors destroyed, three more cruisers and a frigate disabled or destroyed.

  Helton: Any obvious sides lining up?

  Quiritis: At least four, but Earth Fleet
seems pretty reticent, which is pissing everyone else off. No one can plan for shit with that much uncommitted firepower just hanging out.

  The two of them pause, looking at readouts and displays. Helton looks at the CM.

  Helton: Any ideas how we get out?

  The CM looks up at him, the displays, back to Helton, a despairing look on his face. He shrugs and shakes his head slightly. He quietly speaks.

  CM: Insane. It’s all insane. Hopeless. Madmen on every side. I’ll never live to write the report. There is no way out. Hopeless.

  Quiritis: Report? Or see your family.

  Helton: That’s why civilization will win. It’s creative. It never gives up. It makes a way where there isn’t one. I suggest you write now, while you have time. We’ll be busy soon enough.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - News Media Ship Video room

  Everyone is on a screen with at least one com unit, talking, trying to find out any scrap of information. They are tired, frustrated, and not making progress.

  Reporter1: -but they said YOU had the best lidar for this sort of thing, and COULD track their motions.

  Reporter2: -we lost everything, even the big pan-zoom post-mounts.

  Reporter3: Our synthetic aperture setup is getting jammed, so we-

  Reporter4: If I can get anything before the other morons do, I’ll at least still have a job when I get back, but otherwise-

  CUT TO

  EXT - DAY - Low orbit

  A pair of long, sleek interceptors float in space near one another. They are similar size and shape, but different designs with different markings. The two pilots can see one another. One of them flips off the other one, and receives a pair of middle fingers in return.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Allonia’s cabin

  She talks to one of Tajemnica’s avatars on the screen, the old monk.

  Allonia: They change?

  Ship AI: Close combat, any life-and-death experience, can change a person. In something as vicious and close as this they will all come back changed. Expect them be different. The drugs will help with the post-event psych issues, but expect anything. Moodiness. Suddenly being interested in family and kids, or just lots of sex. Losing interest in sex or family altogether, fearful of loss. Becoming an adrenaline junkie. Becoming hyper safety conscious. Night sweats. Sleeplessness. Sudden anger. Obsession. Many things can happen. The brain isn’t wired for that level of brutal insanity. Even an electronic brain can only take so much.

  Allonia: Any way to predict what?

  Ship AI: None known. Just knowing what can happen helps, as does being there for them. You’ll make it through. You’re tough, they’re tough. Remember: you have the most experienced post-battle counselor in existence on hand. We will make it through. Together.

  DISSOLVE TO

  INT - DAY - Earth Fleet Admiral’s quarters

  Costello (male, slim, black, educated tones) talks to Admiral Hawke. He wears the robes of a bishop’s assistant.

  Costello: The Bishop extends his deepest apologies for his unrestrained words this morning. He is resting. It’s been a trying voyage. He humbly requests that you allow him the peace of mind that comes from knowing what your plans are should the abominations return to space intact, if you could be so kind as to at least offer a hint.

  The admiral smiles a small, politically correct smile that conveys nothing.

  Admiral Hawke: I have my oath and orders, and I will carry them out to the best of my abilities, as the situation allows and dictates. I’m sure you understand that I cannot divulge classified directives.

  Costello: I understand that you may not directly tell me anything, but any hint would be most graciously appreciated, Admiral.

  Admiral Hawke: Fighting in the dark with swords is difficult. I expect we’ll hear something soon. Then, we’ll both know more than we do now. Convey my regards. If you’ll excuse me.

  He waves toward the door, dismissing him.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY - Geminorum Carrier Fleet Bridge

  Admiral Flicker sits at her command station, watching the bustle around her silently. One of the com techs perks up, waves at her urgently.

  Com Tech: Ma’am! High Priority from Earth fleet!

  Flicker: On screen!

  The main screen lights up. There is the Earth Fleet Admiral, waiting patiently for his signal to begin. He gets it from off camera and nods.

  Admiral Hawke: I know everyone wants to know what’s going on down there. So do I. However, no one knows anything because everyone wants to be first. The sun is setting on the battlefield below, and they can’t fight at night. Tajemnica is still there, and they know more than we do. So, everyone, military and civilian, please turn off all jamming, radar, lidar, and all other active measures. Just listen. I’m sure they will be calling soon. Everyone has thirty seconds to go active measures quiet or we start putting holes in electronically noisy ships so we can sort this out. That is all.

  Flicker: You heard him. I think he’s serious. Everything active to standby. Now.

  The various techs on the bridge burst into hurried motions, shutting things down.

  Star Power

  DISSOLVE TO

  EXT - DUSK - Atop Tajemnica

  Helton, Allonia, Bipasha, the Compliance Monitor, and Kwon stand, looking out over the carnage spread across the plain. There is a vast trail of bodies, winding about thither and yon, leading into the low hills in the distance, showing where the two forces had collided as the Plataean army moved, trying not to get buried under a living tidal wave. The sun is only barely visible through the heavy haze as an amorphous blood red blob on the horizon, low in the sky on the opposite side of the field from where it started. The height and width of the path of bodies varies, showing how the battle ebbed and flowed, surged this way and that as it moved. In places, bodies are thinly scattered, other places they are stacked five or more deep. No movement can be seen. The five stand silently, statue-like, staring into the distance for a sign. The faintest flicker of motion is seen on a hill, a flare shoots into the air. They all sharply inhale.

  Helton: It’s over. They won.

  Kwon: Now we have to see what we lost.

  CUT TO

  INT - DAY -Tajemnica Bridge

  Helton, Allonia and the CM walk in and go to their normal spots. Quiritis is at the controls.

  Quiritis: It got all quiet up there. Like they are just listening and waiting.

  Helton: Let ‘em wait.

  He looks at the countdown timer, now at 00:14:13

  Helton: Gotta go see what they are waiting on.

  CUT TO

  EXT - DUSK - Small, shallow valley

  Two low rolling hills near the battlefield plain are less than 20 meters high, and the valley between them is about 300m wide, fairly even and smooth. The line of carnage leads over one ridge and down into the bottom of the valley, where there is a small hill totally covered with bodies. At the top, a pike sticks straight up, impaling a round head-sized object on top. A short distance away is a cluster of men looking almost like dead bodies themselves, stretched out on the ground in utter exhaustion. They sit or lay about without order or heed, simply dropping after dragging themselves away from the battle and corpses. In the gathering gloom, everything looks shades of reddish gray. There are not nearly as many as marched off the ramp that morning.

  Over the hill and into the valley flies Tajemnica. She glides in, glowing faintly, orients along the valley near the men, and sets down gently, ramp already lowering even as the landing struts settle in. Three men stand up, slowly, carefully. They speak, hoarsely, with a cough and rasp, in voices that tells of going on will alone.

  Lag: One last move. Fifty steps to water, food, and sanity.

  Tokarev: Gotta walk in, gents. Not enough of them to carry us.

  The three start walking slowly, stiffly, toward the bright lights on the ramp, where Allonia, Helton, Bipasha, Kwon, Sar, and the CM stand. They look at the gore-covered men sh
ambling toward them in shock. They are entirely red, covered in blood, dried and still damp, from head to toe. Armor is dented, battered, bent, torn. Slowly, the men rise to their feet behind the three, and follow them aboard. Faces are ashen, eyes sunken and dark. They stagger as though drunk, listlessly, utterly without any extra motion, like zombies. Even the joy Bipasha has at seeing Harbin alive is shushed into silence by the empty look of crushing weariness his face shows as he leads the men up the ramp. Harbin walks a bit past the middeck, drops his helm, shield, weapons, and starts slowly, clumsily taking off pieces of his blood-drenched armor. Everyone else does the same; shuffle to a bare spot, strip off the big pieces, collapse in place, completely on mental autopilot. Tajemnica’s crew hurriedly passes out water bottles to the men that have reached a place to fall to the deck, so they can drink and fall asleep where they are. Slowly, they all come aboard. All 511 of them.

  Lag stands, in a half stupor, watching them come aboard. Helton stands next to him, silent for minute, watching them pass.

  Lag: (Hoarse whisper) He is no more.

  He nods faintly toward the hillock.

  Lag: Was no hill there. Last stand.

  Lag starts stripping off his armor, and after a few pieces he pauses, and Helton hands him a water bottle. Lag drains it, then sits down.

  Lag: (Quietly) The rest can wait.

  He leans back where he sits, closes his eyes, and falls asleep. Or maybe he passes out. Helton hears a gasp from Allonia, and he turns to see Kaminski wobble past. He looks totally drained, eyes blank, without recognition, his thousand-yard stare reaching forever. Allonia steps up beside him, helps him walk in silence, heading for a bare patch of deck. As the remaining men shamble in, Helton turns and heads for the bridge.