by Kelly Curtis
“I don’t know,” Alma admitted. She couldn’t imagine anyone being so evil that they would kill so many of the twelve on Earth and in such a brutal and terrible way. But, she remembered pictures from her schooling. Pictures and videos from the Library of bombs being dropped, so she knew humans were capable of this kind of violence and tragedy. Of destroying each other over ideals.
“What if we were to just let them pass? What do you think the likelihood that they do nothing is?”
“What would be the point of sneaking those weapons to Earth if they were going to do nothing with them? At some point they will be used by someone,” Alma said while looking at the readouts again.
“How do we stop them? Their ship is better and Mars One is complicit.”
We will try talking to Mars One again.
Alma went out on the bridge and asked Selma to arrange a communication with the Mars One Station Master and to Afia to use their long range sensors to look for any friendly ships that might be of some help nearby either JC or others. Then she went to the conference room alone to take the call with the Mars Station Master again.
Xavier was frowning, “Captain, I’m not sure why you are calling again,” he couldn’t keep the irritation from his voice. “There’s nothing more I’ve to say to you but to leave orbit.”
“Thank you,” she said in false politeness. “I’m calling again, to directly ask what you are doing about the Alba. I don’t want to leave until I’m sure that I’ve made myself completely clear.”
“What do you mean?”
“As I mentioned before, we picked up some strange readings from the Alba, radiation of all things, and now I’ve been informed the radiation was coming from a nuclear weapon onboard. We’ve come to the conclusion that the Alba’s crew are members of Terra Nova and are planning on using the weapons on Earth.”
The Station Master laughed, “Captain, I’ve never heard such nonsense in my life. Do you have proof of this?”
“I’ve my chief engineer’s word and my science officer’s scans.”
“That’s not good enough for me. As far as I’m concerned you’re a very young Captain who is too inexperienced to even keep her crew under control. They’re making all this up to have you demoted I’m sure. They want to make a fool out of you.”
Alma took a deep breath and said evenly, “Under article 22 of the Mars One Accord you must investigate any substantial claims made by a JC officer about people or devices that could be potential threats to the JC government.”
“I’m not investigating this. My people already cleared the Alba when she arrived and once again the other day, as you well know. True that they’re a strange bunch, but aren’t all crews of wealthy people who dream of the exciting life of being a space pirate?”
“Station Master, please have a look again. I think…”
“No Captain, listen to me. We’ve investigated them and found nothing out of the ordinary. Now, I’ll not allow your ship to dock again or to stay in orbit. I’ll see you on your way with or without force.”
“If I’m right, you’ll also be held responsible for this. This will be seen as a treasonous act.”
Xavier gave her a strange look then and replied, “If you’re right, neither one of us will be responsible.”
Alma gave him a quizzical look, but he quickly cut the transmission before she could ask him about his last cryptic statement.
She looked at the empty screen and said out loud, “Damn, damn, damn. Come on, think Johnson. What can we do?” Her mind was racing through everything again. The Station Master was complicit either by happenstance or by actual planning. The Alba was definitely carrying a nuclear weapon and it made sense such an eclectic crew was brought together through Terra Nova. She needed to stop them from reaching Earth?
Alma put her head on the table and was trying to think when there was a chime at the conference room door. She raised her head thinking it would be Afia or Christopher and said casually, “Come on.” However, when no one entered, she went to the door and opened it.
Junior Doctor Julia stood there quietly. Her long red hair tied up messily. Her green eyes were tired.
“What is it?” Alma asked impatiently. She didn’t have time for anything else but sorting out the Alba now.
“Captain, I’ve to tell you something,” Julia spoke softly, but confidently.
Alma nodded and moved aside so she could enter the conference room, “Sit down and tell me then.”
Julia sat and then said quite strongly, “You must stop what’s going to happen.”
“Excuse me?” Alma asked.
“Those old men, they have built a terrible weapon that is capable of raping the Earth.”
“Wait, start from the beginning, who’s going to do this and how do you know? Do you know someone on Mars One you have been in contact with? Or do you know someone on the Alba? Did Galen tell you what was going on?”
Julia shook her head, “No, no one told me anything.”
Alma sat back, “Julia, I need to know how you know this. I can’t just believe you. That’s not how these things work.”
Julia looked at Alma, “Captain, I’m clairvoyant just as my mother was before me and her mother before her.”
“’Your mother’? It says in your record that you have no mother.”
“You and I both know that’s because she’s still living in the Ethereal.”
“Look up at me,” Alma commanded and Julia obeyed. “Were you born in the Ethereal?”
Julia held Alma’s brown eyes with her own but didn’t answer.
“I won’t send you back. You’ve my word. But answer me.”
“I was born there.”
“How did you get out? No one leaves. Children born outside the twelve die in the Ethereal.”
“I’m sure my family considers me dead, if that’s reassuring?”
“How did you escape? Where is the hole? We can’t have all of you escaping.”
“There is no hole and I went out the front entrance,” Julia said quietly.
Alma was just about ready to ask her how when Selma said over the internal communicator, “Captain,” Selma said, “I’ve been monitoring the Mars One communications and the Alba is set to leave.”
“Where to?”
Selma hesitated, “Earth.”
“On my way to the bridge,” Alma looked at Julia, “Tell me quickly, what you have seen in your vision, if that’s what we are calling it?”
Julia answered evenly, “Destruction on Earth, many lives lost and the reemergence of Terra Nova. Humanity becoming only a shadow of its true self. We cannot fall back into the shadows.”
“Destruction on Earth?”
“Yes.”
“And from a weapon of some kind?”
Julia nodded, “A manmade explosion. Quick and terrible. It’s not organic. Nothing in nature looks like it.”
“Are you sure this is not an old memory of something you’ve seen before?” Alma questioned, she herself had seen the old footage of a nuclear weapon being detonated.
Julia gave her a sidelong look, “Would I risk telling you where I’m really from and what I can really do, both of which could have me imprisoned, sent to a MAC or returned to the Ethereal if I didn’t truly believe this myself?” Julia stood up and put both of her hands on Alma’s shoulders and said adamantly, “I’m from the Ethereal. I’ve never seen such evil. All I know is that you have to stop it. Captain, you have to do it. It’s who you are meant to be.”
Alma looked into Julia’s green eyes and believed her, although her mind struggled at first to allow her to accept it.
Chapter 9
July 7th, 2635, JC Starship Indy, Mars’s Orbit
Alma confidently entered the bridge and took her seat in the captain’s chair, “Afia, bring up the stats on Mars One. How many people are on that station?”
Afia brought up the schematics of the station and the breakdown of the station’s population at that moment, “Over 300 people, no c
hildren.”
“And there are children on Earth,” Eito said quietly, thinking of his own daughter.
Alma opened her communications, “Rups, I need you on the bridge now.” Then looked at Christopher, “No other ships to help us? No word from HQ or the Admiral?”
“We’re still being jammed. Not a word from anyone and we are the only ones out here besides some small civilian vessels.,” Christopher reported.
Rupert arrived on the bridge and Alma asked, “How sure are you that they have a nuclear weapon?”
“Captain,” he said irritably, “I’d bet my life on it. I know what I saw.”
“And the lives of all of the people on the station? Would you bet their lives too?”
Rupert didn’t answer her.
“Afia, Would you bet all the lives of the station on your belief that they are carrying a nuclear weapon?” Alma asked.
Afia stared at the Mars One Station readout and replied, “I don’t know.”
Alma glanced at Christopher and he looked down at his feet.
Alma then looked at the screen and said, just as much to herself as the bridge crew, “But one thing we are sure of is their ship is better than ours and their weapons are better. If we confront them head on, they will destroy us or disable us. And their ship is faster than ours, we cannot beat them to Earth to organize a defense there. Nor can we hide lure them in for a surprise attack.”
“We could pretend to be in distress and ask for assistance and then board them and take over the ship,” offered Eito.
“No, they wouldn’t be that stupid. And we’ve made ourselves clear to the Station Master, who has no doubt, made it clear to the Alba we know what is going on. Most likely, they are so arrogant they will just pass us in space, rather than destroy us, and then finish their mission. And we cannot get through to anyone on Earth to guide us, so this means to me, it’s clear we are here either by convenience or coincidence, and if by convenience why?”
“Because you are young and HQ thinks you’ll do exactly what they want without having to order it, as what they want goes against the JC,” Afia supplied.
Alma wasn’t sure, “We break the rules all the time. It would be no different now.”
“This is not about looking the other way when some pirates pass with small technological devices,” Christopher said looking at the screen. “That is a potential nuclear weapon headed for Earth with ties to Terra Nova.”
Everyone was quiet.
“Rups, what would happen to the nuclear weapon if we fired on the Alba while they were still in Mars One?”
“Most likely, unless we were really unlucky, the nuclear weapon would not be set off. However, it is likely that the whole station would become contaminated with radioactive material,” Rupert explained.
“Selma, open communications to the Mars One Station Master and tell him we are preparing to fire on the Alba unless they put the Alba under arrest.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Do you think he will believe you?” Christopher asked.
“He better believe me as we are still here. Jason, arm torpedoes and aim them at the Alba.”
“No answer Captain, should I keep trying?” Selma asked.
“Yes, and continue to monitor their internal communications. Make sure they aren’t trying to shut them down and just ignoring us. And try to contact the Alba too.”
Everyone was quiet listening to the sound of Selma’s steady voice and her message being sent over and over again, “Mars One, this is the Indy, we believe that the Alba is carrying weapons of destruction to Earth. We are preparing to fire on them. Please reply. Alba this is the Indy, we believe you are carrying nuclear weapons to Earth. Stand down or be prepared to be fired upon.”
Selma broke the rhythm of her repeated messages after five minutes, “Captain, the Alba has been cleared to leave Mars One.”
“Sensors show they are preparing to leave. Mars One outer doors are opening,” Afia added.
Alma knew what she had to do then, “Jason, fire on the Alba.”
“Captain?” Jason turned around bewildered. “We can’t fire at our own station? We’ll kill people. They’re all part of the twelve.”
“Do it Lieutenant or you will be relieved.”
Jason just sat there shocked, “I can’t…”
Christopher got up and pushed him out of the chair, “You’re relieved.” Then Christopher readied the torpedoes and after five seconds said, “Armed and ready.”
“Fire,” Alma replied.
Christopher obeyed.
“The Alba has taken off, this is going to be close,” Afia said.
They all waited breathlessly to see if they had been successful. Alma probably imagined it but she felt the ship move a little.
Afia said quietly, “The Alba has been destroyed.”
“And?” Alma asked, guessing there was more bad news to come by Afia’s tone. She was looking at her own readouts, but didn’t trust her eyes.
“Some of the station has also been damaged.”
“And? Come on Afia,” Alma was impatient.
“Radiation from the weapon has spread throughout the station.”
“Can we go back and save those people?” Alma asked.
“No, we’ll die too. They’re all lost. There’s nothing we can do,” Rupert said sadly.
“That’s not good enough,” Alma said. “Get Galen on internal communications.”
Selma nodded.
“Galen, what can we do to save those people? There must be something.”
“Captain, I’m sorry, we’re not equipped to rescue people like this. And we would risk all of our lives and probably not be able to save anyone. It’s too late. I’m sorry.”
Alma stared out in front of her and her eyes blurred at the computer screens. She had just killed 305 of the twelve. She closed her eyes and tried to steady herself. She remembered Julia’s words to her then, ‘Captain, you have to do it. It’s who you are meant to be,’ and she held on to them like a buoy in a turbulent ocean of emotions.
The bridge was quiet for many minutes as they all looked somewhere else than at each other.
Alma said finally, “I mourn with you. We all mourn together.”
The rest of the bridge crew answered her, “We all mourn together.”
“Selma, once we aren’t being jammed, send a message to HQ. Eito take us home,” Alma said.
The bridge was quiet with the grief of what they had just done. They had committed the worst act of any JC citizen. All of them would be tainted with this, but most of all Alma.
Alma sat on the bridge looking at all the screens wondering how her life went from normal to murderer. She had just killed 305 people, most of whom were innocent. And she had never killed anyone who was part of the twelve before. Alma tried to comfort herself by telling herself the Alba’s crew, working for Terra Nova, had been taking those weapons to Earth with a plan to overthrow the JC. And she had no doubt that they would have been detonated on Earth sooner or later, killing more than 300 people and destroying more than just a small station, if she had not acted now. But none of this took away the sinking feeling she felt throughout her body, the gravity of the lives she just ended, all weighing on her, demanding answers from her conscience. Their ghosts already whispering other alternatives she didn’t explore.
After about 45 minutes of silence on the bridge, Selma announced, “Captain, we are being called back in to be court marshalled.”
“Understood,” Alma replied and then stood up and picked up the old fashioned phone from its holder. “Crew of the Indy, we have fired and destroyed a Terra Nova vessel carrying nuclear weapons bound for Earth. Unfortunately, we inadvertently destroyed some of Mars One Station in the process and contaminated the rest with radiation. There were no survivors. As your captain, I take full responsibility for these actions. Johnson out.” She sat down returning the phone to its cradle. She could feel Christopher’s eyes on her, but she didn’t look at him. She just loo
ked at the computers in front of her wondering if she was going to lose her ship and spend the rest of her life at a MAC because she chose to save the JC instead of letting Terra Nova win. Or letting someone else take this victory. It was bothering her that she was left all alone to make this decision and she still could not work out why.
Chapter 10
July 10th, 2635 Earth Space Port One, Earth
When the Indy docked at Earth Space Port One and the crew disembarked, Alma was met by the military police and she and her senior officers were arrested. “I’m the only one responsible for these actions,” she told the officers and it must have been what they had been expecting her to say as they released everyone else.
Alma was taken to a cool pink holding cell. Everything was pink inside and she was left alone in the quiet for a week before transport guards appeared and the glass cell door was opened. She was escorted then to the main court house. It didn’t surprise her that things were moving quickly. She had killed 305 of the twelve. People would want swift justice of some kind. And she knew she would be the last to be called to defend herself.
July 18th, 2635 The Joint Confederacy High Court, Atlanta, Georgia, North America
Inside the High Court, Alma was lead through the angry crowd up to the front. It was obvious that this case had already been going on for some time. Her crew was there, Admiral Jackson and Vice President Bloom. Everyone’s face expression blank except for Christopher who gave her a sympathetic look. Alma was lead up to a stand and stood there. There was a microphone somewhere so her voice was amplified.
“Please state your name and rank,” one of the ten judges said to her.
“Alma Hattie Johnson, Captain of the Indianapolis.”
“And how long have you held this rank?”
“Three months.”
“Do you feel that you that you possess the skills to make the kind of decisions that is demanded of this rank?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about Mars One Station. Tell me what happened from the beginning in your own words,” the eldest judge asked of her.
Alma took a deep breath, “We arrived at Mars One. We were just doing a routine supply drop off when we noticed a ship, also docked at Mars One, that matched a description of another ship, the Yomi, which might have been carrying illegal goods originally transported by the Dante. And we had reason to believe they were connected to Terra Nova. This ship that fit the Yomi’s description was called the Alba, .”
