What Needs Defending

by Hiroyuki Morioka

  “Okay,” said Jint, “we’ll try our best.”

  “You’ll try? Is that all?”

  “That is all,” said Jint. “I don’t know how the situation with the supply ships is going, so I don’t know whether we’ll be able to relocate everyone who wants to go by the time we retreat.”

  “Please, let us on and relocate us!” insisted Maydeen.

  Jint sighed. “I honestly don’t know what you’re so afraid of, Lonh-Saimr Sosr (Your Excellency the Landworld Citizen Representative). Only part of the personnel has relocated, but that’s because you prioritized the people that needed it less than others. I think you’re more than capable of maintaining order on this landworld for a period of around two months with the people who are still here. And we’ve carried in plenty of consumer goods, too. So what exactly isn’t good enough for you?”

  “There’s no guarantee we’ll last two months.”

  “It should be enough to last the planet a year.”

  “So you’d have us separated from our families for a whole year? This is no normal period of absence; I placed my family on the migration ship, too, and now I’ll have to sit here worrying my head off whether the prison camp is really as habitable as Your Excellency claims. To endure that for a year...”

  “It’s not going to take us a whole year to come back.”

  “But we don’t know that. You say two months, but it could be a year or more.”

  “You can’t take me at my word?” said Jint, knowing full well what the answer would be.

  “No,” he said, as bluntly as Jint expected. “Your Excellency, you yourself said moments ago that you can’t say for sure when you’ll return.”

  “Well, sort of.” There’s such a thing as too honest, man. “But I really don’t think it’ll take a year.”

  Why did he have to hold the demands of the residents of this landworld in such esteem, anyway? Would it really be so wrong to just coldly lay down the facts? Sure, it may be, as Maydeen asserted, a feckless approach. But the Empire only felt so much responsibility toward its landworlds to start with.

  “Shall I tell him what the Chief Executive is so afraid of?” said Dohkfoo.

  “What’s this now?” asked Jint.

  “Be quiet!” said Maydeen sharply. “I’m planning to designate you as the Citizen Representative after me. Think of this planet’s honor.”

  “This planet’s honor!” Shungarr laughed shrilly.

  “Oh, I know what to ask,” said Dohkfoo, eyes calculating. “Your Excellency the Lady Agent Adjunct, what will you give me in exchange for that information?”

  “Well, I mean, I don’t care that much to know...”

  “Shame,” said Dohkfoo. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to let it slip, either. He averted his gaze from Jint as though he’d lost interest. Then he changed the subject. “By the way, Chief Executive, I can’t help but notice you seem averse to being called the Citizen Representative?”

  “If I’m to be handing over the office of Chief Executive and all its authority to you, then I’m ready to see myself as the ‘Citizen Representative.’ Not that I will be for very long.”

  “Then you do believe me.” Jint was relieved — this had to mean Maydeen trusted that the Star Forces would, in fact, come back soon.

  “That’s not what I mean. I mean that even if the Abh don’t come back, I will be freed from the title of ‘Citizen Representative.’ Though in exchange, I’ll have to be away from my family for the rest of my life.”

  “I see.” Jint shrugged. “In any case, we’ll do our best. That’s all I can tell you for now.”

  “I suppose there’s nothing for it. You lot are our rulers.”

  Are we now? He’d almost forgotten.

  Chapter 6: The Lomtuchoth (Setback)

  Look at that. It’s a web out there, thought Lafier, as she floated through space. Her gaze was directed at the big orb of blue and white — at Lohbnahss II.

  The assault ship was cramped, even to a member of the race that lived on spaceships. Of course, assault ships weren’t built under the assumption that their passengers would be aboard for long stretches of time. Whenever circumstances confined crew to an assault ship, tobiac (orbital quarters) would be attached. These orbital quarters were the “web.”

  Orbital quarters were ships without propulsion methods, and they could self-compress, allowing them to be stored in the hold of a small ship. The orbital quarters connected to the Basrogrh were of the lowest feature build, and as such lacked a gravity control system. All of the rooms were under microgravity, so the NCCs, who hailed from landworlds, didn’t seem to like staying in them. On the other hand, they were taking turns to descend down to the landworld (as was technically their mission), so they weren’t too dissatisfied. When the fleet command center gave her not a magistrate but orbital quarters instead, Lafier steeled herself to the fact that she would have to stay here for quite some time.

  Two months had passed, two months in orbit over Lohbnahss II. Their orders were to temporarily withdraw from there. Lafier had had every mind to discontinue the annoying relocation operation. She wanted somebody, anybody else to take her post. But the landworld administration had made a fuss over getting the asylum seekers out by the time they withdrew. Or so she’d been told; it had been her adjunct, Jint, who’d heard out their demands.

  It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, she thought as she continued staring at Lohbnahss II. She spoke to him almost every day over the communication line, but it wasn’t the same as seeing him face-to-face, and over the comms, he never called her “Lafier.”

  The fleet command center, it had to be said, was doing well by them. Personnel supply ships were being dispatched more frequently than she’d expected, and so the relocation was proceeding apace. Only the armed guards, and the prisoners that sought to escape, were left to take.

  She gently spun in place, and the Lohbnahss Portal placed in orbit over Lohbnahss II came into view. At present, multiple ships were breaching through it. Five were Cetairh-class ships, around as big as battle-line ships. Three were amphibious ships (capable of entering the atmosphere), carrying even more migrants from the surface. The scale of the operation had never been bigger, and with this, they’d have them all shipped out in three days’ time.

  “Captain.” Ecryua’s hologram came up. “A message from the transport unit command center.”

  “I’ll receive it on the bridge,” said Lafier, who then faced the exit and drifted off toward it.

  Jint was, as ever, on the surface.

  The island of Rajay had beautiful beaches, too beautiful for a landworld with an attitude like Lohbnahss II’s. Jint liked taking strolls on the sands, especially at night, when he’d listen vacantly to the melancholy sound of the waves and come close to forgetting what had happened during the day. Which mainly entailed listening to Maydeen’s angry tones and Dohkfoo’s pleading. Jint had grown accustomed to Maydeen’s harsh words, but he still felt a visceral revulsion to Dohkfoo’s clinging stare.

  The wavelets sparkled under the phosphorescent glow of the Lohbnahss Portal above. Samson and the NCCs spent a lot of time swimming in this sea, though of course, not at this hour. They’d invited him to join a handful of times, but Jint had always turned the offer down. He’d never swum in the ocean before, so his mind couldn’t help but dwell on what might be lurking beneath the waves. He was, frankly, phobic. Regardless, he liked looking out on the sea: the smell of salt, the sound of the waves... how the impression it gave shifted with the time of day.

  I’d love to show this to Lafier, he thought. The most puzzling thing about the Abh was how they’d voluntarily discarded gazing across broad panoramas like this.

  He casually looked up at the phosphorescent portal, and witnessed points of light drawing away from it. Naturally, he knew what they were. He’d been informed of the arrival of the transport unit.

  His joy surpassed Lafier’s. Though this wouldn’t free him from his position as Lady Agent Adjunc
t, he’d at least get to leave the surface. The inauguration of the new Citizen Representative was set to take place after the last of the asylum seekers arrived in orbit. And if everything went according to plan, that would be four days from now.

  They had to hold that ceremony no matter what. If they failed to, the enemy would darken their doorstep. The enemy might just pass through, but he wanted to avoid any unnecessary stress.

  Needless to say, Jint would be there for the ceremony. But after that, he’d never take another step on this land, even if he were to be appointed Lady Agent Adjunct once again.

  Dohkfoo would take over for Maydeen, as anticipated. In the end, there was no election; instead, the current Citizen Representative simply designated his replacement. Jint had no say in how the landworld chose its representative, nor did he really care.

  He checked his wristgear for the time. He should probably go to bed. The next day doubtlessly had many an opportunity for boredom in store for him, too. He about-faced and strode for his lodging — he’d been allocated the swankiest room on the entire planet. The room was built for when big shots came to inspect the place, and it was much more spacious than his Basrogrh living quarters. Yet he pined for the Garich Dreur (Count’s Manor) that was only two beds’ breadth wide.

  It wasn’t that Lohbnahss II had no ground vehicles. Jint simply chose to walk.

  Once he’d neared the halfway mark of his way back, his wristgear beeped. A new call. And he didn’t think it could be good news, a premonition that quickly turned to certainty once Maydeen’s hologram popped out.

  “Your Excellency?” Maydeen looked on tensely. “They’re revolting. Come at once.”

  Jint replied that he copied, muttering to himself: “And there it is.”

  The Office of the Chief Executive was virtually buried in window-screens. Buildings spewing black smoke. Walls lying in ruins. Gun turrets squashed and dented. Men firing their primitive firearms at random. Explosions one after the other. Each screen was a window into another scene of tribulation.

  “The East Zone is attacking the Central Zone,” said Maydeen without preamble, pointing at the largest of the window-screens. It was a map. The line dividing the two zones was playing host to a whole herd of red blips.

  “What are the armed guards doing?”

  “They’re fighting back, of course.” Maydeen moved his pointer finger to another of the screens. Around ten guards were firing something with weapons that looked to be lightguns.

  “Then there’s nothing to be worried about, surely. They may be packing some serious heat, but their weapons are still bootlegs in the end. They can’t be a match for regulation—”

  “They’re also in possession of regulation weaponry.” Maydeen pointed at yet another screen. Somebody was holding a lightgun while surrounded by inmates wildly firing their handmade powder guns.

  “How’d that happen?”

  “There was a traitor!” Maydeen spat. “Someone among the personnel who wished to stay funneled arms to Anguson’s faction. More unbelievably still, there are some who’re even trading fire with their former coworkers.”

  “How many are we talking?”

  “I don’t know. As far as I can see, at least five hundred.”

  “That’s... that’s not good.”

  “Aren’t you being a little overly calm?” said Maydeen, irritated. “This is a grave matter.”

  “I understand that. How did we get so many insurgents on our hands?” Jint knew that hearing the answer to that wouldn’t serve them in any way, but he couldn’t help but ask.

  “Well...” Maydeen faltered. “Maybe it’s out of loyalty to the UH.”

  “But how can that be?” Jint cocked his head in puzzlement. “I don’t fault them for any loyalty they might have, but if that were the reason, why would they join the inmates and fire at their colleagues?”

  “How am I supposed to know!?” Maydeen turned away with a huff.

  “What is going on!?” The door opened, and Shungarr stormed in.

  “I’m just as in the dark as you are,” said Maydeen. “What is going on...”

  “You’re still in charge of the place. Irresponsible much?”

  “Call me irresponsible or whatever you want, it won’t change the fact that I don’t know,” he said, glaring at her. “Why on earth is Anguson acting this way? I just can’t fathom what’s running through you inmates’ heads.”

  “Don’t lump me in with Anguson and his boys.”

  Jint cleared his throat. “What we know is that you have an extremely serious emergency to resolve. And if there’s a way I can assist you, I will.”

  “We have an emergency? Why are you putting it like it’s not your problem?” Then, with a start, she realized: “Is it not your problem?”

  “I’m not under obligation,” said Jint. “At base, this is a problem for the landworld administration. But as I stated earlier, if you request assistance, I will look into it.”

  “Then assist us!” said Maydeen.

  “All right then, what sort of assistance would you like?” Jint replied with a businessman’s detachment.

  “Quell the uprising, and quickly.”

  “That isn’t happening. As I’ve already told you many times over, the manor of our Lady doesn’t have ground war capabilities.”

  “Then you’re all useless,” said Maydeen.

  Jint pretended not to hear that. “Have you already contacted orbit?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “Okay, I’ll tell them myself.” Jint dialed the Basrogrh’s call-code into his wristgear.

  “This is the Basrogrh,” came Ecryua’s voice.

  “This is the Lady Agent Adjunct. Please pass me to the Lady Agent.” Jint faced Maydeen: “May I send the feed of the footage being sent to this room to orbit?”

  “Just do whatever you need to,” he answered exasperatedly.

  “Information link, please,” Jint spoke gently into his wristgear. “The code is...”

  “Chief Executive, this is the Foreman of Gatehouse 28, Kenny.” A man’s hologram appeared from within the crowd of window-screens. “Mr. Dohkfoo is asking to be allowed entry to the Administrative Zone.”

  “Allowed entry? But he’s always allowed to enter the Administrative Zone.”

  “It’s not just him, sir. He’s asking for every inmate in the Central Zone to be allowed entry...”

  “You must be joking!” shouted Shungarr. “If that happens, then there’ll be nothing left between the West and East Zones. Anguson’s crew will just march on us unimpeded!”

  “And my people are working to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he told the representative of the West. “Besides, the Administrative Zone isn’t large enough to accommodate them all. Tell them that the walls are there to protect them. Actually, never mind, I’ll tell them myself.”

  But before Kenny could respond, the hologram of Maydeen’s successor as Citizen Representative emerged.

  “I’m aware the Administrative Zone is small, but this is a state of emergency. I ask that you provide us immediate shelter.”

  “That’s not necessary. We’re fighting the East Zone in a manner advantageous to us.”

  “But stray bullets are peppering our residences as we speak,” said Dohkfoo. “Multiple people have died.”

  “So clear out of the range of stray fire.”

  “Around how far is the bullets’ reach?”

  Maydeen didn’t have a response to that.

  Dohfkoo continued: “I’m not asking you to let us live there. I’m asking for temporary shelter.”

  “It’s just not feasible. The Central Zone is plenty big enough. You can find places to hide from oncoming bullets.”

  “Then you’re not budging.” Dohkfoo bowed, and disappeared.

  If only they were as on the ball as him, thought Jint as he stared at Maydeen and Shungarr.

  “This is Gatehouse 28!” A different officer came on the line.

  “Now what? What happened
to Kenny?”

  “Mr. Dohkfoo and his people are trying to force their way through the gate!”

  Maydeen’s expression turned grim. “Can you keep them at bay?”

  “No, sir.”

  “Why not? Give me video.”

  Several new window-screens opened up. There lay Kenny, bloody and still. The solid metal doors were open wide, with the inmates passing through.

  “Mr. Dohkfoo’s bodyguards suddenly attacked him and opened the gate. All we’ve managed to keep is this control room, and then there’s no telling how long we can hold on...” Those last words were spoken through tears.

  “Chief Executive, this is Tomasov.” Video of yet another guard had appeared. If Jint had it straight, Tomasov was the head of the guards.

  “What is it? More bad news, I imagine,” said Maydeen.

  “Bingo. My subordinates are under threat of attack by the Central Zone.”

  “Dohkfoo must be a conspirator to the uprising.” Maydeen’s face turned strangely refreshed.

  “What do we do now?” fretted Shungarr.

  Maydeen promptly began issuing orders. “Ms. Shungarr, go back to the West Zone and have your backers board ship. Tomasov, rioters have penetrated the Administrative Zone. There’s no point defending Wall 2. Have everyone evacuate at once, and expel the insurgents from within the Administrative Zone, before focusing all your efforts on defending Wall 3. Your Excellency...”

  “Yes?” Jint took a step toward him.

  “Is it possible to board ship from the West Zone?”

  “If there’s a sea port or a conveyance ship, then yes, it’s possible. An amphibious ship can land anywhere on the sea.”

  “Okay. There’s no pier, but I’ll send the marine guardship. It can’t hold too many people, but a boat’s a boat. Direct your ship to land as close as possible to the coast.”

  “Understood.” Jint now saw the Chief Executive in a new light. “But as long as the sea port is in our hands, we should have one ship sent there, right?”

  “You’re right; please do so.”

  “Wait, so you’re letting us board first?” asked Shungarr, hardly believing her ears.