When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars)

by Korenman, Adam

  Alexander knew he wasn’t going to win anything today. He closed his eyes and waved a hand to ward them off.“Make it happen. Just wake me when we get home.”

  - V -

  February 17, 2237

  Josh took his usual spot in the class, posted on the far left side of the room. It wasn’t a large space, but he felt more comfortable with a wall at his back. He massaged his temple, fighting a headache. There’d been a lot since he’d awoken. Dax dropped down in the chair to his right, rubbing his shoulder. Pierre had managed to land a pretty hard takedown during combatives, and the big oaf was still feeling the impact. The soldiers stood as Dr. Markov and a pretty young assistant walked into the room. Sasha entered last, closing the door.

  “Good morning,”Markov said with a smile.“I trust Mr. Morris wasn’t too rough?”The soldiers groaned in response.“Excellent, then we can begin. Today begins phase three of our great experiment. You have all recovered from the nanomachine fusion better than we had expected. As I’m sure many of you have noticed, the union has brought some advantages. Mr. Cho can attest to that.”He pointed at the young soldier, whose broken arm was already healed enough to lose the sling.“The bone enhancements are due to continue. We’ve monitored the MCUs’commands inside each of you, and it looks like they have decided to continue reinforcing all of your vital areas. Something you probably haven’t noticed is the webbing the little bugs built around your organs. Or the increase in adrenal gland production.”

  Dax raised his hand and waited for the doctor’s acknowledgement.“My gingivitis is gone.”He grinned as the room laughed.“Hell, I’ll take the extra help. My dentists have always complained I don’t floss enough.”

  Markov nodded.“The machines are going to continue their housekeeping duties without your input. Today, we are going to start using them for their designed purpose. To that end, I have brought one of our lead engineers, Dr. Claudia Cheney.”

  Claudia stepped up to the podium. She wore small reading glasses, despite only being in her late twenties. Her red hair shimmered in the bright light of the classroom. She coughed into her hand before beginning.

  “Thank you, Dr. Markov. My name is Claudia Cheney, but you can all call me CC. Everyone does. I’m the lead designer of the Phantom Mark III.”She pointed a wand at the wall behind her and the screen changed to an image of a backpack worn by a computer generated soldier.“The Marks I and II were based on the Drop Kite glider packs used by airborne forces during the late twenty-second century. They were designed for short term use over difficult terrain, or for insertion from Tricoptors.”The shot changed to video from a special forces unit during the First Eden War. Guerrilla forces had captured an embassy and were threatening the hostages inside. An enormous Tricoptor, a super-sized transport supported by three evenly displaced fans, hovered just outside of small arms range while soldiers leapt down to attack. Their gliders allowed them to safely and accurately land on the rooftop and begin a quiet takedown of the insurgents.

  “As you can see,”Claudia said after the video ended,“the old tech did offer some control for direction and speed. Still, it was cumbersome and didn’t allow for orbital deployment.”

  “I’m sorry,”Cho said.“Orbital?”

  Markov stepped forward.“Most special forces units deploy using HALO jumps, or high altitude low orbit. It’s a traditional way to insert soldiers without being detected. Or it was, until the latter part of the twenty-first century. Radar can pick up the gliders and provide reasonably accurate firing solutions for anti-air. The Drop Kites allowed faster evasion, but didn’t allow for actual orbital deployment from outside the atmosphere. Essentially, it lost the element of surprise.”

  “The heat shields broke down,”Claudia said.“Didn’t last more than a few minutes. Dozens of volunteers died during the testing. The Phantom Project was started to fix that problem.”

  Dax squirmed in his seat.“It took a hundred years to come up with something better than the DKs?”

  “Not exactly.”Claudia typed onto the podium’s computer and the image changed to images of military parachutes.“The Imperial Army used the Phantom’s predecessor, the FoxTail. It was little more than a parachute with guidance wings. That turned into the wingsuit, which gave way to the Sky Rat. Each generation took a decade to complete or more. By the time Phantom Mark I was designed, enough research had been done to return to a more traditional glider look. And the ability to store the package in a pack rather than a separate jump bag saved each soldier from having to carry another forty pounds.”

  Markov motioned to Sasha who opened the door. A scientist walked in wearing a small kit on his back. Pads covered his elbows and knees, and he carried a helmet under his arm. The man took up a position in front of the podium facing the soldiers.

  Claudia continued.“Our Mark III is vastly different from the Mark II, while maintaining its simplicity. The wings are polymylar over carbon ring, making them light and durable. The pack is reinforced carbon-carbon with diamond whiskers, enabling it to handle the rigors and temperatures of an orbital drop. Folded ceramic bars deploy out to a total wingspan of fourteen feet, which allows for extreme maneuverability. But what makes it even better are some of the more elaborate enhancements.”

  She motioned for the test pilot to begin. He stepped forward, pressing a button on a device strapped to his wrist. Instantly, two wings snapped out from the pack. They spread seven feet in either direction, but didn’t seem to weigh the scientist down at all. He donned his helmet, gave a thumbs-up, and pressed a second button. Suddenly he was airborne, hovering several feet above the ground. Two small jets on the bottom of the pack fired low-powered bursts of air.

  “Based on micro-scram designs from Fleet, the Phantom Mark III allows the user to actually control their flight in or out of atmosphere.”Claudia had to speak up to be heard over the roar of the jets.“The engine is a microcell low heat vibram, which means you won’t burn your legs off if you go full-speed. The wings have flaps built in that link to your neural interface to allow easy movement in all directions. And the specially designed boots provide aileron control.”The test pilot moved to the left and right, small flaps popping out from the wings and boots with just a thought.“We won’t demonstrate flaring here, but trust that the Mark III can stop a free fall in only thirty feet.”

  The engines cut off and the pilot landed softly on the stage. After a moment of silence the room exploded in applause. Dax hollered and shouted. Josh couldn’t help but marvel at the incredible technology. He had seen and experienced a lot in the past few months, but it seemed every day he found something new to blow his mind.

  Markov took back the podium.“The Mark III is only a small part of the arsenal you are privileged to call your own. I must admit, we cheated on this test a little. Simon, our pilot, is actually using a SQUID interface to control the suit. You should all find it even easier to manipulate once we have you fitted. As I said before, today is the beginning of the next phase of your training. We’ll start with the theoretical, let you learn the physics behind the Phantom and everything you’ll need to stay alive while using one. This afternoon, however, you’re going to begin earning your wings.”

  The soldiers talked eagerly amongst one another, imaging the fun they could have flying over a battlefield. Josh wanted more than anything to lose himself in the discussion, but something nagged at the back of his mind. He raised an arm and waited for the Doctor to calm the room.

  “Yes, Josh?”

  He stood, crossing his arms.“Doc, what’s the story with New Eden? It sounds like they need us out there to help.”A few of the candidates nodded and murmured their agreement.“Hell, Earth might turn to shit in a few months. How much more training can we really need?”

  Markov shared a look with Sasha.“I don’t know why we even bother attempting a media blackout.”He smiled at his soldiers.“You are all clearly healed enough to enter combat, I agree. And New Eden is degrading in a manner that, sadly, I saw coming weeks ago. This negoti
ation, when it finally does get off the ground, is going to end poorly. Frankly, I’m surprised the powers that be are even entertaining the idea of peace with the Boxti. That said, there is still one more piece of the puzzle left before we deploy.”

  “What?”Josh asked.“What else could you have up your sleeve?”

  Markov bared his teeth in an expression that wasn’t entirely warm.“Trust me. You’ll want to keep this one a surprise.”

  - VI -

  Cameron eased his foot off the brakes and let the Phoenix roll forward onto the track. He felt the lock snap down over the wheel and the entire ship moved toward the rear of the hangar. After a moment he shut off the radio and reveled in the momentary silence. Then he ripped his helmet off and begin sucking in huge gulps of air. His heart beat furiously in his chest and all his muscles spasmed. Sweat dripped down his face, burning his eyes and filling his mouth with salt.

  Doctor Chong said the the attacks would subside, but they never got any easier. Sometimes Cameron could go a whole week without issue. Other times the shakes came while donning his flight suit. Like always, the panic ebbed after a few seconds. Cameron did a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, then flipped his radio back on.

  All around him, the Eros Interceptor Wing buzzed with activity. Phoenix III fighters, Sparrows and Seed bombers packed on heavy armaments and launched out to provide a constant display of power to the enemy armada. Griffin bombers, normally considered too large for orbital platforms, occupied the floor below and launched every hour. The sky was filled with pilots aching for a chance to earn payback for New Eden.

  Primus, the Fleet Deployment Center, shared an orbit with New Eden Nodes. Designed much like Irwin Cove, the funnel-shaped station supported all operations in the system. Even TSI had a few hangars for their scientific expeditions. Living quarters were as bare-bones as possible, saving room and power for the vital functions of the structure. Even more unlike the Colorum station, Primus was built as a defensive platform. Each level housed several gun batteries arrayed in sets of two every hundred feet. The FDC could serve as an area denial platform should the need arise. Most of the full-timers agreed that had the battle been a few hundred kilometers closer, Primus would have stopped the Boxti invasion before it started.

  Cameron and Kaileen had transferred with the newly pinned pilots of Colorum after the invasion. It had been a bittersweet return to action, though the only real fighting they’d seen happened during a drunken brawl at the station’s pub. The standoff had reached far beyond mere tension. Every day it was expected that the order to attack would come, and every night the crews bedded down disappointed. The brass had their work cut out trying to maintain order among the wings, and each morning at muster fewer faces remained. The Boxti had taken so much from the humans in under a year, and yet were afforded every opportunity to rest and rebuild. And it wasn’t just the enemy that earned the Terran’s hatred.

  At first, there had been a contingent of Nangolani pilots and crew working side-by-side aboard the station. But after several violent attacks and a death, the aliens had withdrawn to their ships and left. No one received any punishment for the outbreaks. There was too much happening, and too few who truly cared about the allied race. As it was, most of the security resources on the platform had been shipped down to the surface to quell the growing riots within the quarantined zones. Those that remained held the stone-colored creatures as only slightly better than pests.

  The plague weighed heavily on the minds of the pilots. Long after the red bruise had dissolved from the planet’s atmosphere and settled on the ground, the memory of their failure lingered. Had strike force been able to stop the carrier’s descent, none of the lives on the ground would have been lost. It had been a surprise attack, no one could argue, but they had let the enemy get a foothold on a prime colony. It was the lowest point in the history of the Federal Fleet. But from the monumental mistake came resolve, and through that determination the crews of the various ships and shuttles set out to right the terrible wrong.

  Rescue missions were as standard for the wing as recon and support. Valkyrie shuttles raced down through the atmosphere, engines glowing, and pushed through the clouds of toxic spores to find pockets of life hidden in the relentless pink fog. The military had their front line well established after only a few weeks, fighting back the tide of mutated creatures and scorching the ground after. Civilian population centers had no such infrastructure, and the going was more than tough. The spores had grown unchecked in the cities, thriving in the chaotic aftermath of the invasion. Wherever they took hold in enough numbers, they dispensed a cloud of vapor that clung to the ground as an opaque mist.

  Inside the haze, twisted creatures roamed in small packs. There seemed to be intelligence in their behavior, as though the spores had a collective mind. The mutated animals and people weren’t trying to spread the disease or even feed. They launched coordinated attacks against the flimsy defenses erected by the civilians, slaughtering anyone they came across. During sweeps of the area, the Valkyrie pilots had witnessed entire buildings be massacred without a prayer. It was hard on the crews of the shuttles, having to watch time and again as the same story played out. Often they would arrive to find little left but bits of clothing and rivers of blood.

  For Cameron and the fighters it was a little easier. Their missions were tied to the fire party, scorching the ground around the cities to make clean-up easier. The scientists hadn’t figured out a better way of removing the spores, so flamethrowers and napalm became the salves to put on the wounds of the planet. Inside the cities, the fight had to be on the ground and street to street. Governor Myers wasn’t yet resigned to wipe out decades of growth with a tactical strike, not while there was a chance of gaining control again. It meant hell for the soldiers, but it was the only way to find every surviving citizen.

  A crew chief grabbed the tow line on Cam’s fighter and connected it to a one-seater. The small truck pulled the Phoenix into its designated place in the hangar, back away from the launch rails. Cameron popped the canopy and waited for the chief to pull the rungs out from the side of the nose. Once he saw the thumbs-up he climbed down to the deck, the cool air chilling his sweaty face.

  “Another hot one, sir?”the chief asked.

  “Napalm ain’t getting any cooler.”He wiped his forehead with his sleeve, making a face.“We mopped up another five square kilometers around Basil Ridge. Figure it’ll be another few days to clear the rest of the Metts area. How did the rest of Olympia go?”

  The NCO lit a cigarette and took a long drag. It was beyond against regulations to smoke on the flight deck, but no one dared challenge the twenty-seven-year veteran.“Like shit in a handbag. We lost another drone to the those big birds over Rodburry, Chuck’s team broke three Vals trying to haul a goddamn train out, and I just learned we’re losing four of our best pilots to a goddamn press event.”

  Cameron raised his eyebrow at that.“Chief, I never knew you cared so much. I’m flattered.”

  “He means you break your ships less than the others,”Kaileen said, walking back from her bomber.“You’re still only barely capable.”She gave the old crew head a hug and kiss as she walked past, punching Cameron hard on the shoulder.“You need a shower.”

  “And a sling. Why do you always hit me?”

  Kaileen stopped and thought for a moment.“I don’t know. You’re just unbelievably hittable.”

  “I’ll never understand the officer courting ritual,”chief said.“They need you at deck four A in an hour for your briefing, sir.”

  Cameron nodded. He looked at Kaileen.“Walk you to the elevator?”

  “If you know the way.”She smiled and fell into step beside him. Her hand danced against his, brushing knuckles as they walked toward the far side of the hangar. Sparrows launched off the rails in pairs, roaring as they slipped through the field into space. Dozens of orange-suited crewmembers ran from ship to ship conducting preflight inspections, while those in blue coveral
ls covered post-operation rundowns. The men in brown clothing drove the fueler in a lazy circle, topping off each craft in turn. Red armorers moved the missiles and ammunition racks through the large room on self-propelled trucks. The ordered chaos ran smoothly thanks to the experienced leadership in each field, all dominated by the Master Chief standing on the platform over the room. Every so often the ancient-looking NCO would shout down an obscenity or bark an order, but mostly he spoke softly into his radio and watched the ballet unfold.

  Kaileen and Cameron reached the metal-plated elevators along the wall. He pressed the call button and leaned against the door, unzipping his flight jacket further to let out more heat. The deck was maintained at a cool sixty degrees so as to maintain the slush hydrogen used in the fighters, as well as the crystal coils in the Griffins and Sparrows. Still, after gliding low over napalm plumes, it was hard to feel anything other than the radiant heat. And he smelled like a barbecue.

  “How long are you going to be gone for?”Kaileen asked.

  Cameron shrugged, running a hand through his sweat-slicked hair.“They said it was only a few days. A week tops. They need a couple of younger officers to lower the average age of the party. Besides, it’ll be good to see how everyone’s faring over there. Kinda miss the Cove.”

  “I got a message from some of the cadets,”she said with a grin.“The new flight leader tried to break your speed run again.”

  Cameron laughed.“And how did it work out this time?”

  “A melted fusion core and three shattered cells, not to mention the Cove has a new scorch mark clear across Hammer Bay.”She watched him wipe tears from his eyes. It made her feel good, having him smile. It had been too long since she’d seen him do that genuinely.“Have you heard from Josh yet?”