When the Stars Fade (The Gray Wars)

by Korenman, Adam

  “Josh?”Dax’s voice came in at barely a whisper.“What are you doing?”

  “Waiting for that shoe to drop.”

  * * * * *

  Captain Grahams ducked into his turret just as an incoming round tore through the surrounding trees. The shrill whistle of mortars and artillery rattled the dawn’s silence, sending what remained of the wildlife scattering in every direction. To his left, Charlie three-two exploded in a pillar of purple and yellow flame. Metal shards pinged off the tank’s front slope, some sticking out like darts. Smoke billowed from the nearby wreckage blotting out what little light filtered down through the dense canopy.

  It had been a bold attempt at flanking the enemy, but technology had triumphed over tactics. The enemy had seen them coming a mile away, and now they found themselves on the defensive. Grahams had never seen anyone this devoted to the fight. It was remarkable, though it had a demoralizing effect on him and his remaining soldiers. They were losing the war of attrition, with only four tanks and scant fuel to spare.

  Another artillery shell vaporized the towering sun-oaks ahead of Charlie’s position. That was enough for Grahams. They had been cut off from friendly support for over a day, forced to watch the fall of New Eden over their internal net. The battle for their home planet was lost, but there was still time to hurt the enemy, and that was all that mattered. Grahams stood in his hatch, hand on the trigger to his personal machine-gun mount, and sized up the enemy.

  Across the field drove a full company of Scorpion tanks, turrets glowing with a full charge. Alongside rode four-wheeled trucks carrying anti-armor soldiers and riflemen. Pills rolled out front, scouting the terrain. The humans were outgunned and outmanned by a significant margin. But despite the odds, Grahams couldn’t help but smile. This was his turf, and he had the home court advantage. Eighteen miles away, Fort Metts lay burning. Before the war, it had been an ideal place for military families. One of the major perks was that, given the ample space provided to the base by the governor, ordnance ranges could be kept far away from the living areas. In this particular case, the Unexploded Ordnance Disposal site was moved to a clearing just outside of the forest that surrounded the site.

  Grahams reached into his pocket and felt the remote detonator. It was a crude device, hacked together by his driver in a matter of hours after they’d arrived at their patrol base. It needed to be well within the blast radius to activate the buried warheads, but it wasn’t meant as a trapdoor. It was a last resort. A final“fuck you”to the invaders. If he couldn’t fight them off, Grahams was damned sure he would make them pay for every inch of ground. Putting a hand on his crew helmet, the captain toggled the radio.

  “Cavemen,”he said.“Tank and trucks, front. Fire and adjust.”

  The command was executed seconds later. Each gunner sighted a target, called out range and awaited release. Tank commanders listened for their loader’s cry of“up”to signal they were clear of the main guns’recoil before giving the command to fire. As one, the Shiva tanks spewed flaming Sabot rounds at the arrayed enemy. Each dart tore into the enemy at mach four, the kinetic energy generating enough heat to melt through the armor like butter. Though most of the Scorpions shrugged off the attack, one took a round in its ammunition storage rack and split inside out with a fiery boom.

  Each tank split off in its own direction, following tried and true doctrine to move as a platoon and disrupt a superior force. Still standing in his hatch, smiling and burning with adrenaline-fueled anger, Captain Grahams stared down the enemy.

  - V -

  Cameron stood in front of the mirror, checking the fit of his flight suit. It was a newer model, complete with molded armor plates and extra cushioning. It added some bulk to his shoulders and arms, which to him was a fine thing. As he drank in the image, Kaileen walked up behind and handed him the last piece: his new rank. The small square clipped onto the front of his suit easily.

  “Now that’s dashing.”He smiled, turning to catch a kiss.

  Kaileen put her hands on his cheeks and pull him down to her face. He was only a little taller, but the flight boots added an inch.“Are you ready?”

  “I better be. I’m leading a ground run in twenty.”

  She kissed him again.“Any word from Josh?”

  He turned away, crossing his arms.“Still nothing. I’m getting a little freaked.”

  Kaileen rubbed his back, squeezing at his shoulder where the armor separated and only the flight suit remained.“I’m sure they moved him. It’s dangerous for a those special-forces units to be in high profile facilities. Josh and the rest are probably hiding out in one of the capitals and waiting an evac. And that’s if they haven’t left already.”

  Cameron shook his head.“I don’t think he’s dead.”He faced her, taking her hands in his own.“I’m just worried. I’ve been thinking about George.”

  “Oh, baby. You can’t keep torturing yourself.”She pressed his right hand against her cheek.“George wouldn’t want you to think this way. He was a pilot, just like you. He knew what it meant to leave the hangar.”

  He bit his lip.“So many people are dead. And this war is just starting.”Cameron looked at her, his jaw clenched.“I can’t lose you.”

  “You won’t,”she said.

  He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing hard.“I can’t lose you, Kaileen.”

  She held him back, staring into his eyes.“You won’t, Cameron. I’m not going anywhere. I just got you back, and that would be a little hypocritical of me.”Her hold tightened.“I know its been a lot for you. I can’t believe you’ve held together this well.”

  “Thanks,”he said wryly.

  She smacked the back of his head.“You know what I mean. You’re stronger than you realize. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever met. We’re going to get through this, together.”

  That got him smiling, weakly but still better than nothing. She kissed him, soft at first but then harder. She was driven by an ache in her chest, the fear at having come so close to never holding him again. They pulled at each other, like teenagers, eager. Cameron suddenly held off.

  “I’m supposed to lead a patrol.”

  Kaileen grinned mischievously. She pulled her top off over her head.“Like you’ve never been late before.”

  - VI -

  Staring out at the sea of broken vessels, Ray couldn’t help but feel lost. He had been working on the Luna mission for so long that he’d forgotten the war would continue in his absence. How many lives had been lost in the last year? Millions? Billions? At that number, his brain simply couldn’t process the staggering cost. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he’d lost friends. His cousin was a banker on New Eden, in the capital city. Some of his friends from university served with the military at various outposts or aboard cruisers. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t face the reality. It always seemed too horrific to actually be real.

  Blake appeared beside him, skimming through the pilot’s report. He’d sent in the most important information, namely the survival and suspected whereabouts of the High Chancellor. Still, there was a lot he had left to do in the system before he could leave. As far as Ray could tell, the agent was responsible for documenting the strategic mindset of the alien races. He’d asked some pointed questions when they’d first met, namely Ray’s sexual preferences and if they involved members of the Gray persuasion. The scientist had been insulted, though he blushed a terribly guilty shade of red. He couldn’t pretend the thought had never crossed his mind. But what was more shocking was Blake’s insistence that the Nangolani intended to use seduction as a means to an end. All in all, the man was a bit crazy.

  “Do you want a ride back?”

  Ray didn’t turn away from the vista.“Doesn’t matter. There’s a war going on back there too.”Minutes after they sent their findings, General Titus of the Federal Army base in Newark announced his intention to stage a coup against the terrorist leader Jonah Blightman. The Hammer denied any responsibility for the High Chancellor’
s disappearance, but immediately went into lockdown at the Galactic News Building. Now, all across the planet, the military had begun an open war against the so-called“New Earth”security forces. Red Hammer never took to the field. They fought inside cities and buildings, using citizens as human shields. It was the beginning of a long and bloody conflict, of that Ray was sure.

  Blake pulled a cigarette from his jacket pocket, pressing a button on the side to light it. He took a long, satisfying drag, letting the smoke drift out through his nostrils.

  “A rock and a hard place.”The agent laughed. The sound was so foreign that Ray almost fainted.“You have to wonder if this is it. The end of the world.”

  “The end of one, at least.”

  The FAID“ghost”shook his head.“No. I mean THE end. As in no more humanity. Wiped off the history books.”He took another drag.“Could happen. I’ve done the math. We’re outnumbered, far outgunned, and we lack the will to keep fighting forever. Eventually, no matter what the outcome, we’ll just stop defending ourselves.”

  Ray was disgusted by the idea. He looked at the fed, struggling to find the words.“That’s ridiculous. Mankind won’t just roll over and die.”

  “We barely lasted a week against their forces on the ground. Things are a little less one-sided in orbit, but not by much.”As he spoke, the blue light in the distance grew exponentially, flooding the hall with a sapphire glow.“And, of course, there is that.”

  The analyst couldn’t help but stare. He was drawn to the aura like a moth to flame. All down the corridor, people stopped in place to witness the largest vortex into Blue Space in recorded history. It had begun hours before, and held steady ever since.

  “What do they think it is?”Ray asked.

  Blake gave a half shrug.“An asteroid, hopefully. Come to crash headlong into New Eden and turn it into New Hell. But no one is betting on hope anymore. It’s one of theirs, something we’ve never seen before. Maybe the last thing we ever will.”He finished his cigarette, putting it out on the metal sill.“Listen, Mr. Lee. Do yourself a favor. Head to the recreation deck and find yourself a young cadet who just passed her flight exam. Get her drunk—won’t be hard—and have some fun. We don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring, but I can almost guarantee it won’t be as nice as that.”

  He didn’t wait for an answer. Grabbing his briefcase from the floor, Agent Blake walked down the hall and disappeared around a corner. Ray stayed at the window, watching the ethereal funnel finally reach its zenith. At the center of the swirling mass, a singularity formed, opening the gate between opposite ends of the galaxy. The lights in the station flickered as a massive pulse of electrons flooded the area. Ray shook his head, his scientific mind still working despite the horrific beauty of the spectacle. There was still so much they didn’t know about that place, that world in between reality.

  An alarm sounded. They’d be scrambling fighters to intercept whatever came out. If they were lucky, it was just an asteroid the size of a small moon. That, at least, could be dealt with. If they weren’t lucky, well Ray didn’t think about that at the moment. He stuck his hands in his pockets and pointed his feet in the direction of the elevator. It was just about nine o’clock, Primus time, and he was pretty sure he knew where the best bars would be located.

  - VII -

  As he descended below the clouds, Cameron’s heart nearly stopped. It had only been a week since he’d left for Imperion, but New Eden had transformed into a whole new planet. The once-green grass was nearly all burnt away. Forests had been cleared by constant bombardment from bombers and artillery. The flight passed low over the ruins of three cities, each more desolate than the last. It was horrible.

  “Torch four,”Cameron said.“Keep an eye on our flank. I’ve got gremlins.”He looked down at his radar, eyeing the flickering red dots with some alarm. He was used to fighting in zero gravity, where the bulky Phoenix excelled. Down here was a whole different ballgame. Planetary physics made piloting heavy ships a more difficult challenge, and all reports put the advantage clearly with the Boxti.

  His flight was much larger than he’d expected: a full fifteen Phoenix IIIs. The pilots were young but capable, and handled their ships with great skill. They had run the last hundred kilometers at treetop level without incident. Still, he had no idea how they would handle themselves once they got into the shit. About five minutes behind, and gaining fast, Kaileen and her Seed bombers prepared for contact.

  Captain Donovan had been explicit in his orders. Cameron and Torch flight were to provide air support for the bombers near the remains of Fort Metts. They needed to buy time for the civilian evacuations, which were still floundering under a heavy Boxti blockade. If alien air showed up in any great number, he was to bug out immediately. Fleet’s attempts at starting a war of attrition had backfired, and now the risk of losing another good pilot and ship outweighed the possible reward. Cameron hated the thought of leaving men to die on the ground, but what could he do? As far as he was concerned, he’d used up his nine lives in record time.

  The fighter bucked and shook as it soared through over flaming buildings, catching the thermal like a surfer finding a wave. It had been a while since Cameron had dealt with updrafts. He remembered quickly why he hated them.

  “Flight leader, I’ve got a visual on enemy ground forces.”

  Cameron scanned the bleak landscape for movement. He found it right away. There, near a thicket of sun-oaks, a thundering tank battle was underway. The enemy Scorpions had already decimated the assembled humans, but one company fought on. As the flight drew closer, Cameron could see fleeing tank crews gunned down by waiting Pills and alien rifle squads. It made his blood boil.

  “Eagle one, this is Torch one.”

  “Send it, Torch.”The leader of the bomber group was some captain Cameron had never met. Kaileen hated her, but that was to be expected. Kaileen didn’t like many people.

  “Clear skies,”Cameron said.“Eager is free to saunter up and engage.”

  “Roger, Torch. Eagle is en route.”

  Cameron switched to his flight’s frequency, his finger snapping toggles and switches as he searched for any signs of hostile aircraft. So far, thankfully, the Boxti had been absent. He knew it wouldn’t last.“Torch, this is one. Bandits are sure to crash this party, so stay frosty.”He switched his missiles from safe to armed, hearing the alarm come to life. A small green diamond appeared on his HUD, tracking his eye movement.

  As his Phoenix banked away from the flight path, Cameron saw a single Seed charge in ahead. The black seven on its side made him smile. He could imagine Kaileen at the stick, her copilot gripping the walls with white knuckles. The almond-shaped Seed turned hard, and Cameron could just make out the small black bombs falling toward the earth.

  The ground rumbled as the first strike hit. Three Scorpions erupted in geysers of flame and metal, spraying red-hot debris down onto the muddy field. Seconds later, a dozen screaming missiles found homes inside other alien vehicles. Explosions rocked the human tanks as more and more Boxti went up in flames. Dozens of fighters and bombers crisscrossed the sky, reaping vengeance on the invaders. Payback had arrived.

  Rallying around the sudden support, the tanks turned toward the dispersed enemy and went on the offensive.

  - VIII -

  Josh found himself at a loss. Not long had passed since they’d assumed a defensive position, but the time for action was now.

  “How much is there?”

  Dax hadn’t moved from his spot against the wall. He looked up from his seat, his visored face blank.“Lots.”

  Josh sagged.“Thanks, big help.”

  “At least twenty pools,”Pierre interjected.“There may be more. The shape of this room is repeated five times around the circumference of the hangar.”He projected a 3D map from his wrist. The structure of the Hive begged for symmetry, and it looked like there were at least eight breweries on this level, and several other below.

  Alexa leaned past the corner, starin
g into the darkened space.“This is the same agent they sprayed into the air when they first landed?”

  “Yes,”Dax said. He barely looked up.“My filters caught a whiff and went crazy. Thankfully the suit has its own oxygen supply.”

  Josh could tell something was bothering his friend.“What is it, Dax?”he asked.

  “We have to shut this down.”

  “We are. The bomb is going to—”Josh caught himself. The bomb. How much of the Scourge would be released when the entire carrier went up?“We’re going to release it. The thermobaric explosion—”

  “Will send it all over the planet,”Dax finished the sentence.“There’s still four billion people waiting for evac. Any of them who breathe it in will be infected.”

  Cho held up a hand.“Woah, the doc said this bomb would take down just about anything. It’s got to be enough to vaporize this shit.”

  “No,”Josh said.“It’s thermobaric. Makes a crazy big shockwave and brings this whole place down, but doesn’t generate nearly enough heat to cook all the poison in this carrier. It’ll still push it into the atmosphere.”He took a knee, resting his rifle against the fleshy wall. Tapping a control panel on his gauntlet, he brought up an active hologram of New Eden. Friendly forces were represented by blue, the enemy in red. Most of the glowing sphere showed red. No time!

  “Josh,”Liane said, waving the officer over.“You need to see this.”

  He snuck over, careful to avoid line of sight with the thus far oblivious landlords of the cesspools.“What is it?”

  She lay down a small tablet and opened her map. Liane grabbed at the image, pulling and stretching until they saw a wireframe of the room in which they sat.

  “This is where we are, at least I think.”She pointed to a series of similar rooms all around the structure.“We thought they were launch engines. Why else did it make sense for them to run four stories down?”