A sudden jump brought him back to reality. They were clearing the cloud cover, exiting into the skies over the still raging battlefield. The once-green landscape resembled the surface of Luna. Fires burned all around the clearing. The forest on the far side, already scorched, had been leveled by a rolling tank battle that had carried down into the nearby town of Paradise Point. From his perch, Josh could see smoke rising in thick black pillars between high-rises. They were miles above the ground, hidden in the thunderhead and awaiting their deployment order.
Dax cleaned and cycled his weapon. Their equipment was all new, experimental rifles and pistols and heavy machineguns. Every soldier carried a katana on their back. It was drawn by reaching under the arm, rather than over the shoulder. This allowed them to carry HALO chutes as well. But all of it paled in comparison to the suits themselves. Josh, Dax and Alexa had gotten a sneak peek back on Omega, but nothing compared to actually wearing them.
Markov had been correct in calling them minor augmentations, but had left out the specific details of the suits’make-up. Built of carbon-ring with a diamond-honeycomb frame and CDP sheeting, the armor was nearly impenetrable. Compared to the heavy-plates they were used to, the thirty-pound kits were light as a feather. Each section contained five separate layers of forged metal, divided by folds of ballistic gel. Underneath their suits—either a heavy or light model depending on preference and mission—the soldiers wore KevTek body sleeves with integrated carbon nanoweaves. Every soldier had custom-made gear that fit like a glove.
The molded plates and pads were coated in specially-designed paints to deflect heat and laser imaging. Each section fit seamlessly into the next, leaving no vulnerable areas. Joints and flex-spots were covered in triple-woven KevTek, enough to stop conventional rounds. The camouflage pattern was rather basic—they weren’t designed for scouting so much as assault work—but the Archangels all agreed that the armor was damn impressive.
But it was in the helmet that the doctor had achieved something genius. Running along the inside of the woven balaclava was a SQUID network, a series of fiber optic cables that connected via the soldiers’nanomachines to link them to the suit’s various systems. Satellite comm links using sub-harmonic frequencies allowed the teams to maintain constant communication, even on opposite ends of the planet. The integrated Heads Up Display, or HUD, provided tactical information in real time. It was a self-contained system, allowing work in or out of atmo, with better physical protection than most armored vehicles.
Josh had to concede that the gear was well worth the secrecy. Back on Omega, they’d watched a mocked-up armor set take unbelievable punishment from a Mack Daddy, the MKD .80 caliber gatling gun. After a few seconds, most people would be pulp. The suit, amazingly, had held. Josh had chosen the lighter armor, mostly for its low profile. He was still getting used to the added few inches all around his body; he’d banged his head three times coming into the shuttle. Dax wasn’t having it any easier in his heavy suit. It took Alexa and Josh ten minutes to talk him through the narrow opening.
“Two minutes to drop zone,”the pilot announced. The soldiers had never met their chauffeur, but he’d set to impressing them early. They’d exited Blue Space outside of the aerial battle, only an hour from the planet. Flying without linkup was incredibly dangerous, as any passing ship could run into them without realizing. The bus driver weaved in and out of still-burning derelicts to hide their signature until they broke atmo. Now, despite the chop, he held them on course for their DZ.
Josh slipped his helmet on, pulling it down until the seal snapped shut. For a split second it was pitch black, the only sound his steady breathing. Air rushed in as the atmosphere inside the armor stabilized and the systems activated. The visor depolarized enough for him to see clearly. After a moment, the HUD powered on, the left side of his vision a scrolling list of tasks run by the onboard computer. It took less than seven seconds for his armor to be completely online and link with the MCU inside his body.
“Archangels,”he said, his voice carried to every earpiece in the shuttle.“We’re going with the secondary target. Cloud cover’s pushing friendly air over the canyon. Ground forces are keeping the enemy busy, so we should be able to infiltrate without incident. We’ll set up camp at the tertiary rally point and plan our infil.”
The soldiers’visored faces stared back at him. Despite the armor blocking out any identifying features, Josh knew his team by their body language. Each suit was matte black with red markings, designed to look intimidating. Granted, that was based on human psychology, but Markov had hoped it would translate over to their new threat. Subtle differences in the patterns made each set of armor unique, and the soldiers had already started customizing their new gear. Fares had carved Islamic symbols onto his shoulders and above his visor. Liane scratched Samoan tribal glyphs into her gauntlets.
Pierre raised a hand. He was leaning back against the wall of the shuttle, his long rifle resting on his lap. His family crest had been airbrushed onto his shoulder: A simple rosette underneath a silver sword. The same sigil was embossed on the hilt of his katana.“Rules of engagement?”
“Execute with extreme prejudice.”
The New Eden native nodded. He didn’t need to be told twice. Dax leaned forward, sliding a box of ammunition onto his new Ragnarok HMG. He looked more like a mountain than ever in his bulky gear. Liane uncapped the sight on her DSR 520 sniper rifle, wiping the IR lens with a soft cloth from a pouch on her forearm. Alexa cycled and recycled her new assault carbine, the G&R 45. Everyone went through their own personal ritual, whispering prayers or just banging their helmets against the bulkhead.
Josh knelt down by Dax, using his carbine to keep his balance.“Dax?”
The massive helmet turned toward the lieutenant.“What’s up, buddy?”
“Could you say a prayer? For me?”
If Dax was smiling, it was lost behind the tinted visor.“I don’t know any Jewish prayers, man. Would one of the psalms be okay with you?”
Josh nodded.“Hey, it’s all going to the same guy in the end.”He lowered his head and gripped his friend’s gloved hand. When the prayer was finished, Dax gave him a squeeze and helped him stand.
A tone sounded inside the cabin and a red light lit up by the open door. The altimeter by the portal read 10,120 m above ground level. Wind pulled at Josh’s body as he inched closer and closer to the edge, supported by the troop straps hanging off the ceiling. He pointed his arm out, palm facing the ceiling.
“Stand up,”he shouted. The stereophonic microphones on the suit gave him complete auditory awareness, which didn’t do anything to alleviate the roar of rushing air. As one, the Archangels stood and shuffled into a tight line. Weapons were strapped tight to chest harnesses to keep them out of the way, and to prevent a rifle butt from cracking someone’s jaw. Josh made a hook with his finger and held it over his head.“Hook up!”One by one, they attached tethers to a runner overhead. The Phantom Mk II could be activated manually, but Sasha hadn’t wanted any risk of human error on this, their first real mission. The tow lines would activate the deployment switch at the proper altitude, and the soldiers could glide down under their own stead. Each soldier checked and rechecked the lines and harnesses of the soldier in front of them, making sure the equipment was set and would function properly. Markov had wanted them to try to newer Mark IIIs, but until they could control the jets it was an unnecessary risk.
Alexa rocked in place at the front of the line. Josh could feel the excitement bleeding off of her. It was infectious. He squeezed the inside of her elbow, the only place where the suits were thin enough to recognize any outside contact. On his HUD, a small box appeared next to her helmet with a blank space where a Federal ID would usually display; Markov had told them that their military files had been classified. Underneath the box, her call sign floated in glowing orange letters. Firestarter.
“I’ll see you on the ground,”Josh said. The light turned green and Alexa shoved him aside, throwing a t
humbs up over her shoulder as she slipped out the door and into free fall. The Archangels chased after her, no hesitation as they dropped down into empty air and charged toward the grounded carrier below. Josh was the last to go, sweeping the cabin with his eyes before gripping the outer frame of the exit.“This is Shogun. Angels are flying.”He took in a deep breath and fell forward into the fight.
- VIII -
Jerry was fading fast, and there was little Cameron could do to help. The medical kit on board lacked any supplies for gunshot wounds, and had rudimentary packs for stopping blood loss. Jerry rested against the passenger seats, paler than any person had a right to be. Cameron ran back and forth between the cockpit and the cabin, making sure the autopilot had maintained course. Several systems were damaged during the attack on Imperion One, and Cameron had to scramble to keep things moving.
Blue light filtered in through the small round windows along the port and starboard sides, the shadows constantly moving along the walls. Cameron fell into a seat, sweat dripping down his face. He’d shut down most of the automatic programs including the temperature and lighting, trying anything to maintain a steady flow of power to the engines. So far it worked, but the transport had become a sauna.
Adeline had long before ripped her jacket into strips for bandages. Sweat made her white blouse cling to her small frame. The shock had started to wear off, and the aide was quickly making herself useful as a medic. While Cameron kept the shuttle flying, she worked at keeping Jerry alive.
“You’re doing great, kids,”Jerry said. His voice came out weak, almost a whisper. He coughed, softly at first then growing into a series of body racking hacks that left him hunched over.
Cameron dropped to his knees, wetting the sleeve from his jacket and pressing it against the Chief of Staff’s forehead. He helped the old man lean back, wiping the blood and spit from his chin.“Doesn’t feel like it.”
“Arthur didn’t plan on anyone walking away from that one. We’ll have the element of surprise on our side.”
Cameron smiled, shaking his head.“And what good will that do? The senior members of the Council were all aboard that ship.”He lifted a small cup so Jerry could drink some water.“Who’s going to believe us anyways?”
Jerry nodded appreciatively, liquid spilling from the corner of his mouth and down his blood-stained collar.“It’s about saying the right words to the right people.”He shifted, making an awful face as pain wrenched his gut.“I’m going to tell you something I’m sure you already knew. The Council was never the real seat of power in the Universe.”
“Yeah, they’re just one part of the governing Pillars.”Cameron struggled to remember what he’d been taught years ago in high school, but found it hard to focus.“The Mayors of each city work with the Governors, who elect the continental Presidents. The Presidents report to the Planetary Ambassador and their local Council.”
“And all of that is under the Colonial Delegation,”Jerry said with a weak smile. It was nice to die knowing there were still educated members of society out there.“But all of that is only half the story. You’re too young to remember the New Eden Secession, but it was one of a series of fights regarding the unification of mankind under one flag. The rights of many being controlled by the few never sat well with those who called themselves the‘many.’Ever since Norton died, it’s been a never-ending struggle. Years of constant, unending conflict take their toll. When I was a younger boy, I had to learn six different anthems to sing at the beginning of each assembly.
“It took a long time, but eventually I think the leaders of the free worlds grew tired of looking over their shoulders, waiting for the next shoe to drop. They banded together about a hundred years ago, forming out of necessity a secretive group of men and women with one ultimate goal: To maintain peace and order in the universe. There first member was a man named Calvin McMallen.”
“That’s the guy who started the Division, right?”Cameron was happy to have remembered anything useful from his history class.“Held in a Legion POW camp for sixty years before starting the rebellion against the Empire.”
“And he paid for it with his life, but not before starting up a second movement. Most of his recruits were the same people he’d been with for the past half-century. They called themselves the Foundation.”
Adeline laughed. Her lips were cracked and dry from the warm recycled air, and a sheen of sweat reflected light off her forehead.“Jerry, I’ve worked with you for over a year. You’re telling me you’re a closet conspiracy theorist?”
“Let me finish,”he snapped.“This isn’t some group of robe-wearing cultists making sweeping changes in the background. This was a cabal of advisors, scientists and doctors all working together to devise a system in which the human race could survive the great divide of space. They weren’t looking to rule the galaxy, just make sure it didn’t fall apart on them. And so, at the end of the Empirical War, they put into place a framework for the government you see today. All the wars fought and won by countries and planets around the known universe were all a part of bringing this dream to fruition.”
Now that he realized Jerry was serious, Cameron began to worry. It was more than just a tough pill to swallow. He shook his head.“But not all of those wars went right. The Empirical War may have pushed us along the right path, but what about the Emigration War? Or the Tokyo Revolution? Or Mars?”
“Mars wasn’t the first hitch, just the most visible. The first members of the Foundation began to die off, and those who replaced them didn’t see the dream with the same eyes. Each person had been carefully selected, but there was always a chance for a wild card. In this case, that card was a man known as Zacharia. He opposed the concept of remaining the hand behind the curtain. Part of being a secret organization meant no recognition for great deeds, and no compensation either. The Foundation was funded by a careful application of personal funds and skimming from government coffers, but it was still in a constant state of financial demise. Zacharia had plans to change that.
“First, he began bringing in more and more outsiders. He built relationships with politicians of United Earth. Over the course of a decade, Zacharia orchestrated coups in over a dozen different countries. Kingdoms fell to bring him more and more power, until he had created a nation of his own design. And when he needed a distraction to hide a few trillion credits moving from one bank account to another, that nation rattled its sabers and started a shoving match.”
A tone sounded from the system alert box. Without looking, Cameron reached over his head and shut off the alarm.“How do you know all of this?”
“My father was a doctor with the Foundation, one of the replacements brought in after a founder had passed.”
“I can’t believe this,”Adeline said.
Jerry sighed, his breath devolving into a fit of coughing.“I didn’t either, when my father first told me. It seems unreal, but then the pieces fall into place.”
The aide stood, holding onto the bulkhead for support.“So all this time, what were you doing working for Alexander?”
“Adeline, let him speak.”Cameron gestured for her to sit.
“No, this is crazy. Cameron, are you buying this? Seriously?”
The pilot rolled his eyes and stood. He took Adeline by the arm and drew her into the cockpit.“Listen to me. Jerry’s not doing well. Do you see the black stuff on his bandages? That’s bile from his liver. If we don’t get him help immediately, he’s going to die.”He held her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.“Do you really want to be interrogating him right now?”
Adeline softened, her lower lip trembling.“No.”She struggled against a shiver climbing up her spine.“I don’t want to die either, Cameron. I’m not ready for that.”
Cameron nodded.“Why don’t you stay up here for a bit. Watch the console and let me know if a message comes though. Is that okay?”
She smiled, slipping into the pilot’s seat.“I can do that.”
Cameron squeezed her hand and walked b
ack to the cabin, sliding down next to Jerry. He took a sip of water from a bottle on the ground, savoring the feeling on his dry throat. The air had become almost painfully arid.“Alright, Jerry. Answer me this. If the Foundation had all this power and control, how did Zacharia hide what he was building?”
Jerry took in a deep breath, releasing it through gritted teeth.“He took his nation to Mars. Started a series of unions to keep his actions hidden behind legitimate businesses.”
“Miners,”Cameron said.
The Chief of Staff nodded.“Miners, steelworkers, pipe-fitters, electricians and every other blue collar on that planet. Zacharia’s nation had its own infrastructure, a strong economy and, most importantly, an army to defend it all. Mars became self sufficient almost overnight. Where the Foundation had pushed terraforming for the red planet, Zacharia drove the citizens into underground dormitories that blossomed into the thriving subterranean megapolis existing today. Burton’s project was the fastest success story any of the Foundation members had seen.”
“Wait,”Cameron said.“Burton?”
At this, Jerry took a moment to adjust the bunched-up jacket behind his back. He gritted his teeth at the wave of pain and nausea that followed.“Yes, son. Zacharia Burton. Better known to the public as Professor Zach Burton, father of the current High Chancellor.”
- IX -
The room wasn’t just dark, it was pitch black. At first he’d thought they’d left the bag over his head, but as his senses returned he could tell that wasn’t the case. A slight breeze passing over his ankle reassured him that at least air was flowing, but no light penetrated that abysmal darkness. Alexander Burton, the most powerful political figure in human history, was cut off and completely alone.
When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars) Page 46
