Resurrection: Book II: Settlement Chronicals

by W. J. Rydrych

  Takai suddenly looked over at Kevin, “I can't stand for it, I won't stand for it."

  Staring at Kevin, "I'll not be a part of genocide. And I won't be part of contaminating and making unlivable a planet that so many have died for. Even if it means we lose more colonists, a lot more, it’s still not right."

  Takai looked speculatively at Kevin for some time, "are you sure of Colonel Kelso's support? If not, there's not much chance."

  Kevin shrugged, "no, I discussed that with Sophie. We think he'll stay loyal to Mark for now, or rather, he’ll stay loyal to whoever leads the government. We thought it too dangerous to contact him. Without his initial support it makes it more difficult, but not impossible. We both agree, however, that if it comes to an armed confrontation his support of Mark will be half-hearted.”

  Takai said nothing, waiting for Kevin to continue.

  "While we can't depend on Kelso, we can get other support from within the armed forces. Captain Lopez commands the New Orleans contingent, with Master Sergeant Steiner in active control. Both were under my command in the earlier days and they're willing to act. Sophie being involved turned the trick."

  "How would we proceed?" Takai asked.

  "We place both Mark and Kelso under arrest and appoint you to head a new government. Sophie would take over the armed forces. If it's going to be done, we only have a few hours, the planes will be leaving to release the virus by mid-morning. Sophie, Lopez, and Steiner are standing by waiting for your decision. They've moved some troops they can trust off the line and assigned them to replace the guards at the operations bunker, and assigned others near Kelso's headquarters. As soon as I give them the go-ahead, they'll move. And you'll have to be there to take active control. When Takai was silent, Kevin added, "you're the only one with enough prestige to make it work."

  Just then Kevin's phone rang, and he took it out and listened, then put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Mark's just ordered our arrest, you and I, but not Sophie; at least not yet. Sophie needs your decision."

  Takai looked at Kevin, and nodded.

  Releasing his hand from the mouthpiece, Kevin said, "it's a go," then listened for several seconds before hanging up. Getting up, "we have to leave right now, troops are on their way and should be here in under 20 minutes. Lopez is sending a small boat. It'll meet us in about an hour a kilometer west of here where the deadfall extends out from the bank. Are you up to a nighttime stroll?"

  "Sure," Takai responded, rising, "the excitement makes me feel young again."

  CHAPTER 21: Aftermath

  (October 5, Alpha Year 35): Kevin and Annette strolled slowly along the deserted beach. The night was without sound except the faint lapping of the waves and the background of insect sounds, occasionally punctuated by the sound of some nocturnal animal in the darkness shrouded forest. Except for the existence of the two moons in the sky, and the resulting 'dual' shadows projected by objects on the beach, this could have been a deserted beach somewhere in the Pacific. It was deceptively peaceful here, where the beach and bordering forests were deliberately kept in their pristine condition to mask the frantic activity of the headquarters about a kilometer inland. No roads, no buildings, no human activity anywhere near. To the Gath the area must be kept to look totally unoccupied.

  Santa Cruz, this largest of the islands, was the center of activity of their final refuge, where what remained of the colonist's government was located. While many of the surviving colonists and Torgai lived in well camouflaged locations here on the island, most were dispersed over nearby islands from which they would spread to additional islands, until so spread out the Gath would find total annihilation prohibitive. It was only due to the limitation in boats capable of inter-island travel that delayed that dispersion.

  The surviving colonists just waited. They accepted as a given that the Gath would attempt to kill all survivors on the islands once the mainland was secured, and now resistance there had stopped. Already bombardment from Gath ships had become a daily occurrence, but with the population dispersed and hidden, damage was slight. But while many might be killed, it was essential that some hang on until a rescue mission arrived; if one arrived.

  Midway up the chain of islands the warming currents gave Santa Cruz a climate much like that of the Hawaiian Islands, and its rough, mountainous terrain, which it shared with many of the other islands, also exhibited some of the volcanic characteristics of its Earthside sisters. Even now, in the distance, the glow of an active volcano on the smaller island of Dominica to the southeast lit the horizon.

  The evacuation of the mainland was complete, and if any colonists remained who had not been killed by the Gath during the desperate rear guard activity their time was numbered; all ocean going ships and most of their VLVs had been destroyed and many key people had lost their lives. The only reason they had been able to save as many as they had was because the Gath largely ignored the ships until late in the campaign; either not understanding or not caring about the evacuation. Only when New Orleans was completely encircled and about to fall did they shift their attention to the ships.

  This error in judgment by the Gath would allow them to keep the colony alive; the many islands were so scattered, and the terrain so rough, that completely wiping out the scattered colonists would be a long, drawn out affair.

  The ceremonial island off the delta had not proven to be the temporary refuge they had hoped for. The Gath had landed before those who had been ferried there could be evacuated, and over 1,000 humans and Torgai had been massacred, with few managing to escape. Now those who had made it to the relative safety of the archipelago must find ways to survive.

  Kevin's mind wandered, bringing back the events since he and Takai had escaped the attempt to arrest them at Takai's home. It had been a close thing. They barely eluded Colonel Kelso's troops and made it to the river; but succeeded in reaching New Orleans and there found Sophie Gardner, Lopez, and Steiner had already moved and taken Colonel Kelso and Mark Johnson into custody.

  In a way it had been easier than they expected. As soon as Mark was placed under arrest Kelso had ordered the units still loyal to him to lay down their weapons and give no resistance. To him, while he wouldn't disobey a direct order from the recognized government, it was a relief to see Mark overthrown and Takai take his place. Colonel Kelso had only stayed in custody for a short time and was soon returned to duty by Sophie. Perhaps as a penance he requested that he be placed in charge of the rear guard, where, along with the others, he was killed in the final assault.

  Mark Johnson found any support quickly dissolve. Once the evacuation of the mainland was complete he was released, and, as a condition of his release had moved to one of the islands to the south far from the center of government.

  Days after the overthrow of Mark's government the threat from the Kraa had disappeared. Caught between the advancing Gath and the defending humans and Torgai they had been slaughtered. But it was but a temporary respite for the colonists; as soon as the Kraa were eliminated the Gath were upon them.

  Kevin still had nightmares about the last days while the Gath advanced relentlessly against their last-ditch defensive lines. The confusion of the attempts to evacuate as many as possible, the continuous air attacks, the fighting on the lines; the bodies of the dead and the cries of the dying. Kevin had been there to almost the end, leaving on the last of the VLVs. Behind only the hundred man rear guard remained, all volunteers, and all left with little hope of escape.

  Part of the nightmare of those final days were the Gath themselves. They had killed many and captured a few wounded, and under their armor their very ‘alienism’ was a shock; much more than they had experienced with the Kraa. The colonists had a difficult time accepting the Kraa as little more than animals, but with the Gath? In combination with the heavy, strong bodies developed under their home planet's oppressive gravity, they exhibited a flat, snouted face, and small, weak eyes. This appearance, which disgusted the colonists, coupled with the knowledge that they were
actually members of an advanced, intelligent civilization, had special impact. Few of the rear guard would have willingly submitted to capture by the aliens, choosing death instead.

  With the new government came changes. The strategy for defense of the islands was in a state of evolution. The construction of large underground shelters came to a halt, replaced with more emphasis on dispersion of the population in small, localized shelters, where their presence would create a minimum footprint. Now the plan called for a complete dispersal of the colonists, and abandonment of any attempt to oppose Gath landings; instead, they would flee and harass them at every opportunity.

  Heavy weapons manufacture would be abandoned with concentration on manufacture and repair of small, hand-held weapons, communication equipment, and medical supplies. The dispersed population would have to ‘live off the land’, with agriculture limited to small plots hidden from Gath ships, supplemented by the abundant sea life. The goal was not to defeat the Gath, since that would be impossible, but bloody and harass them during any attempt they made to gain control of the archipelago, while leaving them undisturbed on the mainland. The hope was that, if an attempt to occupy the islands met with sufficient resistance, the Gath would take the easiest path; concentrate on development of the mainland, and expend little energy on the islands.

  The tactics were molded to fit that strategy. The colonists and Torgai spread out in small family groups or villages hidden in the forests, and organized into guerrilla units. Adults were given necessary weapons training and leaders developed and schooled in how to wage the type of warfare planned. The limited manufacturing capability was dispersed to small underground facilities and converted to the weapons and equipment needed for a guerrilla war. The boat building activity was immediately converted to building small canoes, such as the old fashioned outriggers, which could be easily fashioned on the various islands and didn't require fuel. Additionally, they would be less likely to be detected by the Gath.

  However, Takai insisted on maintaining and protecting one piece of advanced technology. The narrow-band radio system used for transmitting appeals to Earth. He would not let them forget they were here. What they needed was to discourage the Gath for the roughly 20 years before any relief expedition from Earth could be expected to arrive.

  Whether Earth would send a relief expedition was open to conjecture, but the story for public consumption had to be that it would come. Without that the remaining colonists would lose hope. But even if they came there was serious doubt if they could prevail over the rapidly expanding Gath presence.

  Kevin glanced at his watch and stood up. "I have to get back," he said, "my shift is due pretty soon."

  Annette nodded, and got up also as they walked slowly back in the direction from which they had come. "How's Takai holding up?" she asked, "he doesn't look well."

  Kevin glanced over, "not good. Jose and I do what we can to relieve his load, but he won't rest. He's burning himself out. He's at the headquarters 12 to 14 hours a day, and I know he works more than he rests when he's at home. At his age he can't keep that pace up for long, and his health isn't the best in any case. We've prepared a room for him at the headquarters where he can rest when needed."

  Adding, after a pause, "if we lose him I don't know if we can hold the colony together; 20 years is a long time. He's the one person who holds the loyalty of all the factions, plus," he added, "he has the experience in how to wage a war of this kind. Nobody else here does, not even Sophie, and certainly not me."

  "How old is he?" Annette asked.

  Kevin thought for a moment, "in Earth years? Over 72 I think. In fact, he is 72; he commented on that when I met with him before the takeover."

  Annette nodded, and said quietly, "he looks much older. He's aged even since last winter. But," she added, "I suspect he knows what he's doing; he's using what time he has to see that everything is prepared for when he's gone."

  Adding, "he has more faith in you and Jose, and Sophie and some of the others, than you realize."

  After a time Kevin responded quietly, "I wish I shared your confidence, and his if he has it. Nothing can replace what he brings to the table."

  Alpha Year 36 - Beta 3

  Gath-1 looked around at the assembled council, which consisted of the heads of the leading clans, and the invited commanders from Tuk, Gath-Tuk-1 and Gath-Tuk-2. The meeting of the Grand Council had been called to obtain a status report of the operations on Tuc and to approve future plans. This was the first return of Gath-Tuk-1 and Gath-Tuk-2 to Gath since the Tuc expedition had been initiated years before; with round trip travel time nearly a year calling them back had been a major decision. But it was necessary. Communication by radio, with over 6 hours for a message and response, was totally unacceptable for the dialog required for these important decisions.

  The council was well satisfied with the progress, although some had grumbled about the heavier than expected loss of Gath ships and lives, and had commended Gath-Tuk-1 and Gath-Tuk-2 on their success. They had also voted to elevate the status of their extended families in the stratified Gath society; an unusual event. As he had listened to Gath-Tuk-1 present the overall status of the Gath colonization and submit a set of recommendations to the council, Gath-1 was reinforced in his desire to keep Gath-Tuk-1 at a distance. He was an impressive speaker, and had clearly much impressed the council.

  Gath-Tuk-1 had reported that the main landmass of the planet was now pacified, and the construction teams were busy preparing the appropriate environment for Gath immigrants. On the mainland the most primitive of the native races, the one called the Kraa, had retreated to the eastern side of the mountains, and a few of the other native race, the Torgai, remained in the mountains. These remnants were harmless and would be hunted down when convenient. Only a few of the aliens from elsewhere remained alive, isolated on the islands in the large ocean.

  While the first of the Gath colonists had already arrived and were adequately housed in the early caverns, construction of additional caverns for housing the future colonists, and time to prepare the manufacturing and food growing chambers, would be an ongoing effort, continuing until the entire planet was saturated. He also reported that the exploration teams had been pleasantly surprised by the abundance of raw materials on Alpha 2, since the surface of Gath had been largely depleted of metal ores many years before. While their sensors before the invasion had verified minerals were present the actual quantities were much higher than anticipated. Soon they would be able to begin shipments back to Gath, and he had suggested certain modifications to the freight transports to increase the capacity.

  Gath-Tuc-1 had also raised an interesting question for their study, which could considerably speed up the migration; whether surface living should be considered. The Gath had evolved and always lived underground on Gath, and had planned for a similar existence on Tuc. Gath-Tuc-1 had, rightly, pointed out that the surface of Tuc wasn't hostile to Gath life, but in fact quite benign. The main problem was the bright sunlight to which the skins and eyes of the Gath weren't adapted, but certainly protective clothing and glasses when outdoors during the day could solve those problems. Additionally, nighttime activities could be carried out without these precautions.

  This suggestion had intrigued Gath-1. He, himself had never been even to the surface of his own world, but it was well known to be a very unpleasant place. The thought of actually living on the surface of a planet seemed to be a strange concept, but on Tuc all the native species apparently had. If some such approach could be developed it would be very advantageous.

  Not only would population pressure be reduced more rapidly, but the return flights loaded with the abundant mineral supplies of Alpha 2 would ease their current shortages. Gath-1, and also the rest of the council, had agreed that this was a question that should be presented to their specialists for study. But in the meantime they had approved Gath-Tuc-1's request to experiment with some limited above ground living facilities as long as essential personnel weren't pl
aced at risk. Some food growing on the surface might also be appropriate; how successful this was, and the problems it caused, was of great interest.

  The most controversial issue had been the islands and what to do about them. Some on the council had expressed concern about the lack of progress in conquering these islands, and argued that the population that had fled to them for safety should be rooted out, but Gath-Tuk-1's arguments were persuasive. Why waste resources and suffer loss of more Gath life in pacifying the islands when they had all they could do to prepare the mainland for the expected flood of Gath colonists? The few natives left lived hidden in the forests, making them very hard to root out, and as long as they were left alone they were harmless to the Gath. There were no plans for use of the islands now in any case. Even when the western side of the mountain range was saturated, there was still the much larger eastern side to colonize.

  It would be dozens, if not hundreds of years, before they needed the islands, so for now why bother? It was across vast distances of water, something they had never dealt with before, and why take on the problem before it presented itself? Later, when they had built up population and resources on the mainland, it would be a simple matter to finish the job.

  A consensus had been arrived at, but one question remained that Gath-1 had not brought to the council. While both of the original indigenous species on Tuc were primitive, Gath-1 felt a nagging concern about the species from the distant star; while they had been few, their level of technology was nearly on a par with their own. They had come two times now, would they come a third?