When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars)

by Korenman, Adam

  * * * * *

  They walked through the winding corridors, taking turns seemingly at random until they ended up at a nondescript door in a dead end. No signs or symbols marked the room. The door didn’t even have a keycard lock.

  “What is this?”Josh asked.

  Alexa took his arm and pushed his hand against the door. She rubbed her fingers on the molded metal.“Feel it. It’s warm. This is composite duranium polymate. Why the hell would you need CDP in a secret base?”

  “CDP?”Josh racked his brain, trying to remember where he’d heard the acronym before.

  Alexa rolled her eyes.“You must have been asleep that class. CDP is the primary alloy used to protect the engine compartments on cruisers. A thin layer is added to the ballistic shielding for added protection.”

  Josh rapped his knuckled against the door.“It’s strong?”

  “Nearly indestructible. It takes months to smelt and mold. If you have a thick enough patch, you’d need a PAC to bust through.”She leaned against the door, folding her arms across her chest.“Too bad it’s more expensive than the ship it sits in. So I ask again, why use the most valuable metal in the galaxy for an unmarked door on a secret planet?”

  Now Josh was excited.“Certainly deserves a little investigation. But we have no way to get access.”

  Dax scoffed.“Come on, Josh. You’re sounding like a shavetail.”He lifted up a plastic card about the size of a quarter.“Lifted it off Sergeant Otto during the lesson.”Save Markov, no one at the facility could pronounce SGT Otravlyatovich’s name with any ease. Dax tossed the IDA to his lieutenant.“We figured you should do the honors.”

  “And take the blame if we get in trouble,”Alexa added.“I can’t stress that enough.”

  Josh rolled his eyes, but moved toward the door nonetheless. There wasn’t a visible panel for the card. It was common to blend the tap pad into the nearby wall to serve as an additional security device, though it was more of a hindrance than a real block. Josh looked around for a raised surface, anything that stood out from the rest of the hall. Nothing seemed to jump out. All three soldiers felt along the panels, searching for a clue. Minutes passed with nothing to show when a cough caused them all to suddenly turn.

  “You’ll never find it like that,”a voice said. Dr. Markov stepped out from behind a column, smiling pleasantly. He still wore his white coat, the fabric neatly pressed.“I suppose it wouldn’t change your minds if I told you that room was strictly off limits to candidates, and most of the personnel on this planet.”He threaded his way through the speechless group, plucking the IDA from Josh’s fingers. Without looking, Markov tapped the card against a random section of wall on the right side of the hall. The door unlocked with a series of metallic clicks and a long hiss. The doctor turned, his boyish grin easing the tension.“Well, are you coming?”

  They descended a series of wide staircases, each lit by the barest amount of blue, bioluminescent moss. When they’d first arrived on Omega the“living lights”had seemed more gimmicky than amazing, but their usefulness couldn’t be understated. They gave off no emissions, effectively hiding the electrical signature of secure corridors. After what had to have been at least forty feet below the surface, the group emerged into an immense and bright room.

  A crew of at least thirty scientists busied themselves at stations around a central spire. Ground vehicles were retrofitted with thick slabs of armor and enormous cannons. A Valkyrie, stripped down to the chassis, was slowly being rebuilt into some sort of monstrous utility transport. On the far side of the room, separated by walls and thick glass, a team fired a sleek and unknown rifle at a target. Josh could barely take it all in. He grabbed Dax’s arm, shaking with excitement.

  “Welcome,”Markov said.“Welcome to the lab. I’m afraid we’re not yet ready to bring in the rest of the team, but I think a quick preview won’t hurt anyone.”He leaned in close, whispering.“Just don’t tell Sasha. He gets so mad when I have my fun.”

  Alexa laughed, practically skipping as she discovered each gem hidden beneath their barracks. Nearby she saw the scientist who’d demonstrated the Mark III showing off a breathtaking flare, free falling from a tower and stopping inches from the ground. She caught herself staring more than a little. At the firing range, a modified DaVinci HMG tore a concrete wall to pieces.

  “Doc,”Dax said.“What is all of this?”

  Markov led toward a marked off area near the firing range. Their footsteps echoed in the cavernous space.“Our project is about more than just the soldier. It’s about the Army. As humanity spreads further and further around the galaxy, the military stretches itself thin. Look at us now: an intergalactic war destroyed a planet and occupies another, all while home-grown threats stage a coup on Earth. The sad truth is that mankind has reached too far too quickly.

  “The only way to protect ourselves and our interests is to redesign our special forces. Team Hercules is beyond reproach, don’t get me wrong. But they use the same gear and have the same weaknesses as any human. That’s why I tried to help with CROWN. Now, after learning from my mistakes, I have this. The program is bigger than just testing new equipment, or experiments with nanomachines. You seven are special, and the universe will see that. I was tasked with outfitting an army.”He stopped suddenly, turning to face them. His eyes were distant, as though lost in another time and place.“I’ll show them what I can do with a handful of soldiers.”

  Josh struggled to keep pace as the doc took off again. There was simply too much to see.“Sir, why haven’t we trained with some of this stuff? I mean, this is all incredible. We’d be the best equipped unit in the military.”

  “It’s not all ready yet. Some of the vehicles require a specific interface, and your nanomachines are only so capable. We needed them to communicate with the controls, but first you’ll need some augmentation.”

  Alexa froze.“More surgery?”Her recovery had been long and painful, though not as bad as Josh’s own experience. Still, no one relished the idea of going back under, even if they came out even stronger than before.

  “No, absolutely not.”Markov shook his hands.“I won’t risk your lives any more than I already have. These will be traditional augments. Something that only provides a little boost.”A look came over him, like a child with a secret.“Would you like to see?”

  He pointed to a cordoned off section of the floor, roughly one eighth the size of the room. Josh led the way, pushing aside a thick canvas to reveal the area beyond. He stopped with one foot inside, his eyes as wide as they’d ever been.

  “Holy shit,”he said.

  Dax grumbled, pushing past his friend.“Josh you shouldn’t swear so much,”he said. The next sentence caught in his throat. It felt as though the butterflies in his stomach had been joined by a team of eagles.“Holy shit.”

  Josh let out a chuckle.“You said it.”

  - V -

  It was almost time for the big speech. At a cue from the band, the crowd began to muddle toward the wall of windows on the far side of the gallery. Alexander focused on keeping his eyes forward as each Council member laid into him about this issue or that. In every corner of the universe, despite an intergalactic war and billions dead on a scorched planet, the petty squabbles and party politics continued. Colorum had a miner’s strike pending and the union leaders were stalling for time. Saturn’s Trinity station was still in recovery from a devastating solar storm. One engineer had badgered the HC for almost an hour about a deep mining platform that went dark a month before. By the time the music started, Alexander swore he’d met with all one hundred members of the Council for some private business. A thousand problems that, of course, needed the attention of the most powerful man in the galaxy.

  But he couldn’t even call himself that anymore. That was the point of his position; the High Chancellor was meant to be a figurehead. The majority of power remained with the Council, just as it had under the UEC. It was a sad fact that the Federate was mostly window dressing over the old government. The
re hadn’t been time during the Last Congress to even dream about a change to the system, and the Treaty of Tseang was barely a puppet show. Truth be told, Alexander had as much control over the fate of the human race as the waiter serving drinks. That didn’t stop the fingers from pointing his way every time someone needed to be blamed. Sure, he knew the right words to whisper to the right ears, but there was nothing to enforce the demands.

  Not that anyone was listening anymore. Humanity had become so jaded to war that, even with the death toll climbing, it was barely seen as a bother to everyday life. New Eden had rekindled their attention for a few weeks, but already support for a counteroffensive was nonexistent. Earth was in the middle of a political coup, Mars was still digging itself out of an incredible recession and most of the galaxy had more to worry about than a brushfire conflict that didn’t want to end. The current attitude in the Marble Gallery was one of appeasement and cultural sensitivity. If a few million humans had died to cushion the arrival of possible alien allies, the Council was willing to accept that end.

  Anduin’s speech has to be explosive, Alexander thought. He hadn’t sat down to talk to the Nangolani leader in weeks, but he had emphasized the importance of bringing the plight of the alien race to the forefront of the Terran psyche. It wouldn’t be enough to simply recite the numbers. Lenin had been right about that. Humanity couldn’t understand death on such a large scale. There needed to be an emotional connection, and the alien leader could do just that. It was why Alexander had brought so many survivors from Tallus, to join their stories of loss with the Emperor’s.

  The assembled guests were all career politicians, men and women who had dedicated their lives to becoming the embodiment of objectivity. The toll of human life had no effect, nor did playing to their party’s preferred motivations. It seemed the only thing they understood was which side was currently winning the fight. Alexander’s chief of security often said that if the politicians cared as much about the war as they did about reelection, the fight would already be over. Donald wasn’t at the High Chancellor’s side, but Alexander new the old hound wouldn’t let him out of sight.

  A commotion on the far side of the room caught Alexander’s attention and he felt his blood pressure rise. Kerrigan, surrounded by his entourage of thugs, entered the hall to a smattering of applause. He was a modern day Yasser Arafat, the terrorist turned leader. Jerry grabbed ahold of the High Chancellor’s arm, pulling him close.

  “Don’t say a word,”Jerry said.

  “Excuse me?”

  The Chief of Staff squeezed his hand tighter.“Any move you make will only give him more ammunition. Let Anduin speak and we can fight this battle another day.”He pasted on a smile to hide his sneer, ineffectively.“The Hammer has enough good press already.”

  Alexander fumed.“He makes a mockery of the entire process.”His jaw clicked as he clenched his teeth.

  “I know that. You know that. But right now, he has popular support. If we do anything, we’ll be seen as the paranoid big brother striking out at a freedom fighter. And this is supposed to be about the war, not New York or Earth or any of that.”

  “Jesus, Jerry. What would you have me do?”

  His friend sighed.“Nothing. Please.”He released Alexander’s arm.

  “High Chancellor Burton, a moment?”

  Alexander and Jerry turned to see Adeline approaching, dragging a young officer along. The young man looked even more out of place than the rest of the assembly. He was clearly uncomfortable surrounded by so many high ranking politicians. He snapped to attention once the High Chancellor caught his eye, lifting his arm in a crisp salute. Alexander returned the gesture weakly.

  Adeline smiled, gently pushing the young man forward.“High Chancellor Burton, allow me to introduce Lieutenant Cameron Davis of Lunar SP. He is being considered for a Meritorious Service Medal for his actions during the Tallus evacuations.”

  “High Chancellor,”the man said.“I wanted to thank you for the invite. It’s an honor.”

  Alexander read the pilot’s nametape.“The man who survived the deep blue.”He saw the black and orange ribbon halfway down the row of awards. It was worn by all Fleet personnel who had watched the planet burn. Just looking at the bit of woven string sent a shiver down Alexander’s back.

  Cameron blushed.“I’m just a flyboy, sir. Got lucky.”

  Jerry smirked.“From what I hear, you’ve been instrumental in the cleanup on New Eden. Helped save a group of engineers from some monsters. The Colonial Federate owes you a debt.”

  Alexander laughed.“And we dragged him into a political circus? No wonder the military hates politicians. This is how we repay them.”

  “I wouldn’t say‘hate,’”Cameron replied.“Always nice to show off the uniform.”He brushed off the silver bars on his shoulders. It was unnecessary; they were already gleaming.

  Alexander smiled, but without any joy. It made him miss his old life, down in the dirt with the rest of the miners. So much simpler then.“It must be past time those turned to railroad tracks.”He clapped the young man’s arm.“Captain Davis just sounds right.”He looked around suddenly.“Where’s Arthur?”

  “Back on the shuttle,”Jerry said.“Complained his stomach was acting up again.”

  The High Chancellor scowled.“He’d better not be getting sick. I can’t lose the only allies I’ve got in this damned room.”

  Jerry shook his head, downing what little he had remaining of his drink.“Just nerves. He’s been a bit jumpy this whole week.”

  Cameron looked between the two men, shifting from one foot to the other. Politicians always confused him. They talked about allies and enemies as though the room might erupt into a fistfight at any moment. He sipped at his glass of water, trying to inconspicuously shuffle backwards. Jerry stopped him with a withering look.

  “Don’t mind them,”Adeline said, as though reading his thoughts.“Boys always have to put things in such dramatic tones. Honestly, you’d think the world was ending every time an Attachélost public support.”

  Cameron leaned in and spoke softly.“I’m starting to wonder why I agreed to this.”

  “Oh really?”

  “I’ve never been good around politicians. I prefer that they don’t know my name in case I get on their bad side.”

  Adeline smiled sweetly.“Then how do you ever expect to build a successful military career? At some point, that next rank will depend on an ally from my world.”

  “Sector was never going to be a career,”Cameron said.“I mean, it wasn’tgoing to be.”

  “Then why are you still in uniform?”Adeline asked.“What changed?”

  Cameron didn’t answer for a moment. He stared across the room in the direction of the Nangolani entourage.“Everything.”He caught a drink off a passing waiter’s tray and took a long swig.“Is it weird that I’ve never spoken to one of them?”

  “The Nangolani?”Adeline looked over her shoulder at the alien politicians. A small group chatted with part of the Cabinet, though from the way the human’s gestured it was becoming a rather heated debate.“They’re not so scary once you get over the complexion. Most of them just want what we all want: peace and quiet and maybe a little sex.”

  Cameron nearly spat out his drink. He coughed into his hand, attracting a few scathing looks from the Chief of Staff.“You haven’t...I mean, you couldn’t have. Have you?”

  Adeline shot a knowing look, then broke in a giggling fit.“Oh my god, you should see your face.”She covered her mouth and wiped away a stray tear.“Of course not. But I have talked with a few of the Emperor’s aides at length. What can I say, it seems girls of all species enjoy a little bedroom gossip.”

  Cameron’s mouthed opened and closed, but no sound came out. After a moment he shrugged, downed his drink and waived over the waiter for another. A pretty brunette approached, holding out a glass of champagne. Jerry intercepted the flute and threw it back, dropping the empty glass back onto the tray. He stared at Cameron with a mixture of amu
sement and exhaustion.

  “We’ll have you stand next to the High Chancellor while the Emperor gives his speech, which means you need to be able to stand.”He turned to Adeline.“No more for you, either. This is an extremely important evening, and I won’t have you two giggling like schoolgirls around the leaders of the free worlds.”

  “Yes, sir,”Adeline said soberly.

  Cameron nodded.“OK, sir.”

  “And stop looking so sour. This is supposed to be a party.”

  - VI -

  Hiro walked down the corridors of Midway as fast as his legs would carry him. He’d been called to the bridge only minutes before, roused from sleep at some ungodly hour. Not that it mattered; he’d barely been able to manage any rest since the siege began. A message had blared over the intercom in his room demanding his presence for the Fleet Commander. After throwing on his combat uniform, Hiro sped toward the bridge.

  When the Commodore arrived, he’d found Admiral Walker waiting. The FleetCom seemed energized by this new conflict, but even he seemed loathe to rise for the emergency call. A skeleton crew manned the various stations of the supercarrier, monitoring the repairs that had dragged on in the last few weeks.

  Hiro made a point to stop by his Engineering officer, stifling a yawn with his fist.“What’s the update on our status?”

  Unlike the two older men, the Engineering leader seemed bright and chipper for his shift.“Hull is back up to eighty percent. Kinetic barrier won’t hold a charge, though. We’re completely rearmed and double stocked on flak ammunition.”

  Hiro nodded. Munitions weren’t the junior officer’s responsibility, but Midway’s Armorer had died during the first attack. His curiosity satisfied, Hiro walked over to greet the Admiral. He rendered a quick salute, accepting a steaming cup of coffee from a smiling aide.“What did you need to see me about, sir?”

  Walker’s face was drawn and pale. Huge bags hung under his heavy-lidded eyes.“Hanweh Shodon is on the line. I wanted you here to listen to this.”He gestured for the communications officer to connect the transmission. Within seconds, the alien commander’s face appeared on the nearby monitor.