When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars)

by Korenman, Adam

  Markov was especially thrilled by the facility. He’d only seen vids; never had a chance to visit before taking on the position. Blackstar represented the best training location for the project. Known only to a handful of scientists and top military officials, the site incorporated state-of-the-art equipment and laboratories with a staff of well paid, brilliant minds. The team had been hard at work for almost a year, working on some of the new designs Markov had sent along. All in all, it was the perfect base of operations.

  Unlike many asteroid belts, Colorum was tightly packed. Early in the systems development, a rogue planet had smashed through a large gas giant, breaking up into a cluster of Earth-sized chunks. One such piece of rock collected enough material to become a terraformable moon. Circling very close to the brown dwarf Hathor, and hidden by the remains of its parent, this planetoid was a lucky find for humanity. Designated“Omega”by the founders from the UEC, it had become a legend for conspiracy theorists around the galaxy. Common knowledge placed most covert operations at the Top Secret labs on nearby Irwin Cove, but an elite few knew the truth. Blackstar, built only seventy years before, was the primary research and development station for humanity.

  Discovered over a hundred fifty years before, Colorum was the richest reserve of metals in the known universe. Mining operations ran day and night, based out of the funnel-shaped Green River Station, the sister to the military post Irwin Cove. Given the immense size of the asteroid chain—over nine hundred million kilometers—detection of Omega was statistically impossible. The various dampening equipment staged on and around the moon prevented any electronic surveillance, and the orbiting chunks of rock and metal prevented unwanted neighbors from sneaking a peek. It was as though nature had designed the perfect hiding spot.

  The facility was built near one of the many lakes on Omega. Terraforming had created enough atmosphere to allow humans to breathe on the surface without the need of a respirator, and the lake was often used as a running path for those training at the complex. Laid out like a giant cross, the building and surrounding housing units marked the only major structures on the entire surface. Large science facilities were buried underground around the moon, barely staffed for most of the year.

  Inside the barracks at the far end of one of the facility’s four arms, Sasha waited impatiently for his soldiers to muster. Josh, as usual, was the first one dressed and ready. He’d taken quickly to his role as officer, though he flinched whenever any of the soldiers referred to him as“sir.”His time as an NCO had done him well, making him quick to lead the soldiers into every test chamber without hesitation. Markov was proud of his choice, indeed of all his selections. Not one candidate stood as anything other than exceptional.

  The test chambers were a marvel in their own rights. Designed by the team of lab rats Markov had hand-picked for the project, each room contained a puzzle that needed complete cooperation to solve. Some were combat environments, others merely mind games that bordered on the ridiculous. Even with the soldiers coming from different Companies in the Battalion, they had thus far been able to navigate each challenge. The lectures were another story. In the two short weeks since arriving at Blackstar, Josh and the candidates had gone through a crash course on xenobiology, alien tactics and a complete background on the ranks of the Red Hammer. It made for an exhausting course load.

  Josh stood in front of Sasha as the rest of the soldiers took positions in front of their bunks.“Sergeant, the squad is ready.”

  Sasha looked at his watch and frowned. He’d been hoping they would be late. Oh well. To be burdened with good troops.“Lieutenant, Mr. Draper is leading physical fitness in the training area. Afterward, breakfast will be served in the mess hall. We have classes and a physical today, but no chambers. Overall, a pretty light load. Do you have any questions?”

  “No, sergeant.”Josh turned to his soldiers, smiling. He dreaded the workout Draper had planned; the man had inhuman stamina and expected the same from them. Still, a leader always put on a brave face.“Another day in paradise, folks.”

  - II -

  Aboard Irwin Cove, Cameron had quickly become restless. It wasn’t that there was nothing fun to do, it was that there was a plethora of boring tasks to be done. Repairing and refitting the Fleet was a painstaking process, and as a veteran pilot he was needed on the front lines. Until his paperwork cleared, however, he was still assigned to the Berlin. And since the carrier was destined to become a permanent resident of the station, he was stuck. He’d spent his first week tracking down each and every airman from the carrier to see who had survived. Most nights he’d had at least two beers bought for him, which he humbly accepted. During the days he made himself useful in the dry docks and hangars helping with repairs, and at the same time learning the basics of aerospacial engineering. At night, he would message different Wing Commanders operating in Eros in search up updates and, he hoped, an opening on the line he could take. Each time he was surprised that no sighting of the Boxti had been made.

  There were perks, of course. After teaching a few classes to new fighter pilots and getting in his daily workout, he had more than enough time to himself. The physical therapy was more fun than he’d expected, mainly because of his classmate. He’d recognized Kaileen as soon as she’d been dragged into the recreation room. Two male nurses had to monitor her, lest she try a daring escape. The pilots had become kindred spirits, both longing to flee the droll existence they’d lucked into. It made the time pass more quickly, and more enjoyably. She’d often accompany him to the flight deck to chip in on repairing the dozens of shattered fighters and bombers. Other times they’d steal pudding from the nurses station and hand it out in the children’s ward.

  Today they walked the hall together, heading toward the dining area. The food had been surprisingly good for the military, and it was one of the few places they could interact without being monitored by doctors, so long as they sent in their meal receipts. The recovery diet was, in Cameron’s opinion, the worst form of torture. Cameron picked up two trays as they entered the room, handing Kaileen one and letting her step ahead in the line. He eyed the menu, the aroma of spiced eggs, hash browns and crisp bacon filling his nostrils. With a sigh he scooped a tray of oatmeal and dried fruit. Once they’d filled their plates, they took a seat by one of the expansive windows. The view was impressive, with nebulae lighting up the horizon billions of kilometers away, and the endless expanse of shimmering rocks.

  “Any word from Fleet yet?”Kaileen asked. She shoveled a forkful of vegetable mush into her mouth. She avoided the greasy foods as much as possible after a nasty bout of food poisoning a month before.

  Cameron prodded his watery oats.“Still no sightings. On the plus side, they’re sending me orders to see a shrink.”He took a tentative bite. No matter how often the cooks got it right, he was always wary around mess halls.“Maybe I should just play along until they ship me out. I’d be surprised if I didn’t head right back to New Eden.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Midwaywas out there. My standing orders are for Sector, but my Squadron’s been rolled up into Seventh Fleet.”He bit into a bread roll, savoring the taste of processed wheat.

  “Might as well enjoy your time here while you can, then.”

  “I guess,”Cameron said. He looked at her, smiling.“It’s either that or they’ll send me back to Luna to train more pilots, at least until a ship opens up with an Ace slot.”

  Kaileen rolled her eyes.“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you’re a big bad ace.”

  “That’s why I keep reminding you. It’s important you know. What if a groupie comes up to me?”He pointed his fork at her.“It’d be up to you to have my back, be my wingman.”

  “Wingman?”She raised her eyebrows.

  Cameron dropped his fork dramatically.“Exactly. That kind of reaction could get us both killed. Or at the very least, keep me from getting laid. That’s why these drills are so key.”

  “You’re an idiot,”she said with a smile.“Why do
I still hang out with you?”

  He made a face.“Um, saved your life? And I’m ridiculously good-looking.”He turned his head.“Seriously, look at these cheekbones. Like a Greek god.”

  That made her laugh. She put a napkin to her mouth, turning red.“You want to catch a movie after this? I saw the theater got something new in.”

  “New? Well, then we should conduct a recon, make sure it doesn’t have any of that foul language or smut. It wouldn’t be right to leave that to an impressionable cadet.”He stood, striking a heroic pose.“We’ll watch it, so they won’t have to.”

  Kaileen tugged on his shirt.“Sit down, Superman. I’m still eating.”

  He dropped back into his chair.“I know.”He popped another forkful of dry melon into his mouth.“I was just making a wildly ridiculous point.”

  - III -

  The day had gone to schedule, and now the candidates all sat in the small auditorium they had set up for lectures. Josh took his place on the side of the hall, his phone on his desk. Sasha stood near the door, smoking a cigarette. Dax settled into the seat next to his new LT, sighing deeply.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever been this sore.”

  Josh rolled his eyes.“This is worse than grudgeball?”

  Dax nodded.“I never had to have endurance like this. Or pull three-a-days. I’m exhausted.”He drank from a bottle of water.“At least the weather is pretty mild. If we were running ourselves like this on Kronos, my lungs would explode.”

  “That would have been something to see. And from what I hear, winter can be a bitch.”Josh tapped on his phone, opening the note taking application.“What do you think this class is going to be? More tactics?”

  The big man shrugged.“Honestly, this whole thing has been weird from day one. I was expecting...well, I don’t know what I was expecting. Just not this. The workouts, sure, but hours of class every day? The chambers? And we haven’t even been to the field yet.”

  “And why only take seven soldiers? Aren’t they expecting some sort of attrition?”

  Dax made a face.“I’m going to start charging you for all these big words. You’ve been a louie for two weeks and already I can’t understand you.”

  “I’m serious, Dax. This doesn’t add up. We’ve been here a few days and we still don’t know why we were chosen and not the rest of the battalion. Our individual scores were good, but not the best. I wasn’t even in the top ten.”

  Alexa moved from her chair across the room to sit next to her squadmates.“I think I know why.”Josh looked at her quizzically.“Because we’re awesome. I mean, to go from losing the entire unit to taking down every other soldier?”

  “Actually,”Josh said.“We missed two scouts from Delta who were lost in the field. They basically spent the last week wandering around the training area.”

  Alexa hit his shoulder.“Doesn’t matter. We won, so we get the prize.”

  “I’m just not sure this is a prize we want.”

  Markov walked into the room and the soldiers stood. He motioned for them to be seated and took his position at the lectern. His usual exuberance was replaced with a somber and distant face. He’d been dreading this particular speech since the beginning of his stay on Kronos, but it couldn’t be put off any longer. Now, staring at these seven warriors, he regretted what had to come next.

  “All right, candidates.”He smiled, but there was nothing behind it.“Today is the first step in your new training program. Everything you’ve done over the last two weeks was part of orientation. The physical fitness will of course continue, and will become progressively more difficult as time goes on.”The group groaned as one.“Don’t worry, you will become hardened warriors. We just don’t want to take the challenge away yet.

  “I know that we didn’t get off on the best foot. I had to tell your commanders some white lies to bring you all the way out here. And, as I’m sure most of you can guess from the surroundings, there aren’t any more special-forces soldiers here to train you. In fact, almost all of your combat classes are civilian led. Granted, each one of my staff has more combat experience than you all combined, but I digress. Ten years ago, I made the mistake of trying to build a suit that required a super soldier to operate. Now, with your help, we are going to make super soldiers.”

  Josh looked around, suddenly worried. He didn’t see any guards materialize out of the walls, nor any men in white lab coats rushing toward him with a syringe.“Doc, what does that mean?”

  Markov smiled at his favorite student.“There will be no surgeries, if that’s what you’re wondering. Nor any biological modifications. In fact, you will remain yourselves in every way. I don’t want to take anything from you. I’m going to add something to you.”He held up a small glass vial containing a silver and blue liquid.“My failure was trying to incorporate a SQUID interface on soldiers who had never had to use their brains in such a way. Thankfully, a new solution has presented itself, and in an antiquated technology. Does anyone know what this is?”

  Pierre Roman raised his hand. He’d been born in rural Jon du Range—a French colony on New Eden—and his thick accent hadn’t faded with age.“That is a sample of nanomachines.”

  “Correct,”Markov said.“Old-school, as they say. But nanomachines are the perfect tool to allow you, organic creatures, to interact with the final design. And we won’t just use them for communicating with equipment. These robots are programmed to replicate your cells if they are damaged, enabling them to instantly repair cuts, bruises, broken bones and even gunshots wounds. In fact, it may even be possible for them to regrow lost limbs.”

  Josh didn’t like the sound of that. Something about a robot trying to build an arm out of nothing disturbed him.

  “Your muscles will grow faster, and your synapsis will react to data almost instantly. No one will ever sneak up on you again, as your senses will be heightened dramatically. All of this is based off of enhancing abilities you already posses, rather than trying to redesign your bodies like some aftermarket Frankenstein creation.”He paused, gauging the soldiers’reactions. Thus far, no one had called him a monster and run away, so things were going better than planned.“I’m sure you all are full of questions. I intend to answer most today, though there are still secrets that must be kept. I will say up front that there is a reason we chose only seven of you. The power that will come with these suits is extraordinary, and of the hundreds of soldiers we tested, you were among the top scorers in our psychological exams. Only you seemed capable of taking on such a daunting responsibility. Also, despite how old this technology may seem, each dose is remarkably expensive.

  “However,”he said, his face sympathetic,“I cannot force someone to subject themselves to this kind of treatment. Therefore I am offering you an out. Thus far has been a test for you, to show you the level of dedication needed to succeed. The implantation process is not painless, and the road to recovery will require you to relearn how your limbs function. And once the nanomachines are inside of you, there is no going back. Removal is almost impossible, and there are inherent risks in every step. I promise you, though. If you stay here, you will become the greatest assets the Colonial Federate has ever known.”

  Alexa raised her hand first. Josh smiled. She was always the first to volunteer, and the first to question.

  “What is the procedure like?”

  Markov looked off into the distance, weighing his response.“You will all be taken to the medical ward of this facility. You’ll need to fast for 24 hours and take six full programs of antibiotics followed by immunosuppressants. We will introduce the nanomachines over the course of seven to ten hours, depending on your body size, and then wait for the results.”

  “What about the Master Controller?”Pierre asked. Of the candidates he was the oldest, and the only one with a P.H.D.

  The doc didn’t miss a beat. In fact he looked pleased that someone understood the process.“Each of you will be assigned an MCU. For those of you unfamiliar with modern cyber-organics, the MCU acts as
the liaison between your mind and the trillions of machines inside you. The masters are loaded with unique AI personalities matched by psychology.”

  Liane raised her tiny hand.“Is that safe?”

  “Perfectly,”Markov answered.“They use MCUs on children with autism, and to great success. The neurological bond allows the AI to connect synapses that fire incorrectly based on a given situation.”

  Josh wrinkled his brow. So the machine will make the decisions for me?He didn’t like that one bit.“Doctor Ivanovich, I thought the problem with CROWN was a physical impasse. The human body couldn’t keep up with what the machines asked of it. How is this any different?”

  Here was the elephant in the room. Markov’s face betrayed him for a fraction of a second, then he smiled.“The nanomachines will make it work.”And he would say no more.

  The room went silent. No one knew what to say. That this had been more than a simple training camp had been obvious from the start. But this was something else. To rewire their systems from within, what would they have to give up? Would they still be themselves when the process was over? Would they still be human? Josh looked over at Dax, but his friend was in deep thought. Each soldier went into their own heads, seeking the answer to the great riddle. What were they willing sacrifice for the greater good?

  And what were they willing to become?

  - IV -

  January 2, 2237

  The time passed without notice, and Cameron found himself caring less and less about leaving the station. The lack of a Boxti armada in Eros had backfired on him, and it seemed he’d been relegated to the bench. His last foray into the personnel office had been a waste of six hours. Fleet continued to promise that a new assignment was just around the corner, but he no longer cared. Irwin Cove needed trained pilots to work the newer flyers through their kinks, and he was more than willing to do so. Cameron had to admit, there was another reason he enjoyed the teacher’s life: he was too scared to fly.