The Last Revolution

by Carpenter, R. T.

  “They became billionaires overnight. Through a series of successful acquisitions and growth phases they became the first individuals with a combined net worth over one trillion dollars. They were so well capitalized that each of the Three Nations began coming to them for loans, real estate developments, and massive military contracts.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “The governments became increasingly unhappy with the amount of money they were being forced to pay, and the amount of power they were transferring to private enterprise. In order to control them, the various governments imposed restrictions and reduced their allowable profit margins. Towards the twilight of the twenty first century, as the nations began to merge, they started nationalizing the West Corporation’s various holdings on Earth until the family barely controlled anything off surface. Caleb’s parents resisted as well as they could, but it didn’t take long after that.”

  “What do you mean?” Alden leaned forward.

  “They were killed in a tragic commuter plane accident. Something went wrong and their cabin lost pressure, vented all oxygen out to space. They died instantly. It was deemed a hardware failure by the investigators, although no one really believes that.”

  “You think they were murdered by one of the governments?” Alden asked.

  “I’m just telling you what I’ve heard. The accident devastated Caleb. He was only a child when it happened. It’s been nearly twenty years since the accident, and I’ve never heard him mention it once.”

  “So, how did you come to know him?” Alden asked.

  She was silent for several moments as she picked at the loose polish on her nails. “I’ve known Caleb for a long time. He’s gotten me out of a lot of trouble over the years. My business is rather lonely and I don’t see a lot of people. I work with him regularly. Occasionally he needs certain items sent or delivered from Earth that are easier to move without anybody knowing about them.”

  “So you trust him then? We could be in a lot of trouble if he decides to give us up.”

  Kira shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that. In fact, he’d probably give his life for me.”

  Alden could tell that her tone was genuine. “So what happened between the two of you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You obviously have a history. Why aren’t you together?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “Don’t be so defensive, I’m just asking. It’s not like we don’t have some time on our hands.”

  Kira sighed. “We grew apart. I guess you could say we were on different paths.”

  Alden leaned back into his chair and took a calculated risk. “So, what did he whisper into your ear?” Kira looked shocked.

  “What do you mean? He didn’t whisper anything.”

  Alden raised an eyebrow “I could have sworn I heard something.”

  “No! And what’s with all the personal questions? How would you feel if I started asking you a bunch of random questions?”

  “Fire away. I have nothing to hide.”

  Without missing a beat she said, “On Earth, you mentioned that Khasim had killed someone you were close to. Who was it?”

  Now it was his turn to look out the window. He regretted having pushed for information on Caleb so bluntly; a miscalculation.

  Alden stared at the silvery craters that dotted the landscape and could feel himself standing over Father McKinley’s body once more, blood staining his hands and a knife dripping red in the street. “I grew up in a very isolated place, I didn’t have many friends. There was an old priest, and for whatever reason, pity or charity he looked after me. He was one of the only people I was ever close with…or cared about. He was like a father to me.”

  “And you think Khasim killed him?” Kira asked.

  “No, but I think he ordered the attack that cost him his life. I couldn’t get there in time. I’ve run over the scenario a million times in my head. I’d do anything to be back there again. I’d kill the attacker before he had the chance to pull the knife out.”

  “I’m very sorry.” Kira leaned across the table for his hand. “How do you know he was behind it?”

  Alden pulled his hand free. “It matched his pattern.”

  “What if it was somebody pretending to be him? You heard Caleb; he’s the one behind the lunar revolution. I find it hard to believe he’s planning inter-stellar war, yet still finds time to order attacks on isolated military locations.”

  “How dare you!” Alden shot back.

  “I’m not attacking the memory of your priest. I’m just trying to clarify that you’re hunting the right person.”

  “The last thing he said to me before he died was Khasim,” Alden responded. “Besides, he wasn’t the actual target—he just got in the way.”

  “What was the actual target?” Kira asked.

  Alden hadn’t really considered how much information he was willing to share with her until this moment. He desperately wanted to tell her about the fusion reactor and the horrors that it could unleash. The horror it had already unleashed. She had proven herself twice; if he was going to get Khasim he was beginning to realize that he couldn’t do it alone. Yet her lie was still unnerving. It was too early to tell how far or deep it went.

  “I think he was after some high value intelligence on the resistance.”

  “I’d already figured you were in the military, but you didn’t seem to have any connections to the Western Coalition, and you don’t look like you’re from either the Central or Eastern Nations. If you really believed Khasim was there, that means you’re probably from higher up than all three, which really leaves…”

  “Go ahead.”

  “The Council. So now the only question is what did you do for them?”

  Really big miscalculation...Alden sighed.

  “You’re young, but obviously more accomplished at fighting than anyone I’ve ever seen. Your wounds have already healed from the blast.”

  “So have yours,” Alden reminded her.

  “If I were to guess, I’d say you ran secret ops for the Council.”

  Alden lowered his head slightly in acknowledgment. “Alden Connors, first lieutenant, at your service.”

  She studied him for a few minutes before continuing, “Can I ask you something?”

  “I would prefer you didn’t.”

  “Why did you choose to work for the Council?”

  Every ounce of his background and training was confidential. Acknowledging that the Angele Dei even existed was enough to be court-martialed. Kira had proven that she couldn’t be trusted, yet she already knew so much about him. He wanted to hold back, but there was something about the way she looked at him; he wanted to impress her.

  “I was raised by the Council. I was never given the choice to work for them, I just did.”

  “What do you mean you didn’t have a choice? Everyone has a choice, you have a choice now.”

  “What choice? I’ve been framed for murder, I’m on the run for my life, and I’m hunting the most dangerous person alive. I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got, trying to stop events like the one that took place in New Tranquility.”

  “How can you be so certain you’re accomplishing your goals? How do you know that person in New Tranquility was really bad?”

  “You have to be kidding me! If walking into a room filled with people and blowing yourself up isn’t wrong, I don’t know what’s right!” Frustration bubbled in his blood. How could she be so ignorant?

  “Are you sure you saw what you thought you did? In the suicide bomber’s mind those troops were there to continue the tyranny she’s been living under. Who knows what horrors and tragedies brought her to the point that she was willing to sacrifice herself.”

  “Sociopaths have no feelings.”

  “Look, you’re probably right. I’m just trying to stretch your perceptions a bit. I saw her running directly into a group of soldiers with a bomb meant only for close quarters. In return I
saw an entire group of soldiers unload their weapons into a group of civilians. When the final body count is tallied, how many civilians do you think will have died from a bullet versus the explosion?”

  “Who cares? They would never have had to fire their weapons if the terrorist hadn’t shown up. And civilians weren’t the only ones that were in that room. There were hundreds of soldiers as well. I’m supposed to believe their lives don’t count?”

  “No. Their lives do count, but if you continue to think like a soldier, you’re never going to get near Khasim. You have to think like they do. To that bomber, the soldiers were the enemy. The same as if they were standing on a battlefield, rifles pointed at each other. At that point, the rules go out the window. You win based on the number of them you’re able to kill before they get you.”

  “A battle doesn’t happen when you’re surrounded by civilians.”

  “A battle always happens when you’re surrounded by civilians. The atomic bombs weren’t dropped on military bases. During the Helsinki invasion of 2085 it was the cities that were targeted, not the military structures. You could say that both of those acts were acts of terrorism. The bomber, on the other hand, only targeted military personnel.”

  Alden just shrugged. The Helsinki invasion was fueled purely by greed for power and resources. The bombs that had been dropped on Japan were horrible, but it stopped a greater atrocity from occurring and saved millions of lives as a result. The needs of many had to outweigh the needs of a few.

  “Are you listening to me?” Kira gave Alden a friendly punch in the shoulder.

  “Honestly, no.”

  “Well, you need to. I don’t know what you think is going to happen. But if you imagine that we’re going to walk up to the pub in Apollo City and they’re going to lay out the red carpet and point us the direction of Khasim, you’re sorely mistaken. You realize that in order to get close to him you’re going to have to join them, right?”

  Alden chortled. “I’d never…”

  “Do you have any better ideas?”

  Alden sat silently for a few minutes, staring at the lunar craters whizzing past below. “No.”

  “I’m just trying to help you, help both of us,” Kira said looking into his eyes. “If you are to succeed, you’ll have to play the part, convince them to trust you.”

  Alden hated to admit it, but she was right. He was never going to get past an incomprehensible shroud of secrecy as an outsider crusading towards the destruction of their leader. He was good, but not that good. He let out a sigh and said, “Okay, I’m in. You’re right.”

  Leaning back into the chair, he closed his eyes and rested in quiet contemplation. He had been trained since birth to handle infiltration missions, specifically the lunar colonies. It came as no surprise now that he had been training for this one mission his entire life. No matter how things had played out on the Island, this was exactly where he was supposed to be.

  ***

  Arakiel pulled back on the controls of his craft until it came to a stop at the basin of a tiny crater. He looked out the windows for any sign that he’d been followed, nothing. The black bag was neatly tucked in the seat behind him. Picking his helmet up, he placed it over his head and sealed it to the rest of the suit. The craft depressurized and the door opened.

  Stepping out into the soft lunar dust, he made his way up the side of the crater until he stood above the bleak landscape. He pressed a few buttons on his wrist deck, the green hologram blinked to life. He’d never had a call answered so fast.

  They stood shoulder to shoulder, on the edge of the crater, looking out over the vast lunar surface. “What’s the status of the mission?”

  “Mission is moving forward as planned, sir. There was a slight hiccup in New Tranquility, but I’ve handled it. I followed your orders and I’m at the designated coordinates now.”

  “I feared the worst when the initial reports began coming in. What’s the status of the package?”

  Arakiel glanced over at the Guardian. “Secure. I reinforced the casing before making the trip to the surface.”

  “You altered the casing? Are you a physicist? Do you understand the intricacies of how the various components interlink and the rating of the resistors?”

  “Well. I didn’t think…I was just trying to conceal its structure.”

  “Not only did you fail to think, but I’ve also been told that a soldier was found unconscious near the launch complex in Munich. An investigation has been opened into the possibility that an undocumented is loose in the colonies! Are you going to tell me that you didn’t have anything to do with that either? I keep hoping I made the right decision choosing you, but your careless actions bring great doubt to my mind.”

  “Sir, I can promise you the soldier didn’t get a look at me. I know I was supposed to eliminate all witnesses, but I couldn’t bring myself to kill another member of the Council.”

  “That’s your problem, Arakiel. You’re so focused on the individual that your small thinking is keeping you from seeing the bigger picture. What is one man’s life worth if the Three Nations go to war with each other? How many lives will you be responsible for losing at that point? You’re better than this, now start acting like it.”

  Arakiel nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry, sir.” He had only been trying to conceal its identity. He couldn’t believe how stupid he’d been. If he was identified and the package was taken, how many more countless soldiers would die? He wouldn’t let the Guardian down again.

  “I’m going to provide you with another opportunity to prove yourself. There is a secret Council installation buried below ground, ten kilometers from here. You are to infiltrate the structure and download all schematics for the ADNV Testament. I’m sending you the computer program required to hack their system now.”

  That seemed to be an overly complicated solution. “Couldn’t we just—”

  “Did I make myself unclear?”

  Arakiel shook his head. “No, sir.”

  “Each of these installations is hard wired into the central command; it’ll be the easiest way to acquire the information. When you’re finished, initiate the self-destruct sequence. You are to leave no trace of your presence. I cannot tolerate any more failures.”

  “I won’t let you down. However, we might have another problem. When I was in New Tranquility, I think I saw Alden running from the destruction. He was with some woman. They were being chased by several officers. Do you think he was responsible for the bombing?”

  The Guardian stood in silent contemplation for several moments before responding, “No. Forget about Alden for now, focus on your mission. I know your desire for revenge, but there is too much on the line. If we’re going to stop this war we must not waver from the path. Once you’ve acquired the schematics, encrypt the file and transfer them to my personal deck.”

  “I won’t let you down.”

  My contact will be waiting for you at 0200 in the H-3 processing facility just north of New Tranquility. I must go now. Do not fail me again.”

  Arakiel could feel the locket under his clothes, pressing against his chest. Alden’s very existence was an insult to her memory. He would have his revenge.

  ***

  Kira squeezed Alden’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

  They had landed inside a giant hangar where dozens of other ships sat awaiting passengers. Several dozen mechanized warriors stood lined up against the back wall. Lifts were being used to replace broken guns, fix blown engines, and repair the damage done by the razor sharp lunar dust. A scattered, leaderless enemy didn’t provide much use for weapons of this size anymore. Relics of previous wars improperly suited and outdated for modern conflicts.

  He followed her lead as she pushed through the crowds that flowed around them. Apollo felt far different than New Tranquility. It was obvious that it was the oldest city. There were no windows or sweeping vistas of the lunar surface.

  Everyone lived several hundred feet below ground in order to
seek natural protection from the harmful rays that bombarded the surface. There were several floors visible above their heads. Colonists could be seen walking between the shops, restaurants and bars that lined the walls.

  “Hi.”

  Alden was surprised by the sound. A young man in his mid teens stood before them. His clothes were well worn and appeared to be smeared with dirt.

  “Mr. West asked me to escort you to the pub. I’ve been waiting for you. My name’s Tex.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Tex.” Alden shook his hand.

  “Do you have something for us?” Kira asked.

  “Terrans. You’re always so needy.” He gave a suspicious look around. “I can’t give it to you here. Follow me.”

  Kira didn’t seem the least bit suspicious and followed Tex into the crowd.

  “That was an impressive amount of soldiers stationed upstairs,” Alden said, attempting to make conversation.

  “Oh that? That was nothing. It’s just a small fraction of the force that’s on the lunar surface. Most of it is located outside the city at the Council’s Coalition Military Base. It addition to the soldiers that occupy the city, we’re also home to most of the Terran government bureaucracy. If you actually needed to make any important decision, you’d go to the base, but if you wanted to get a license to sell products on Earth, which is nearly impossible, you’d come here.”

  “You said occupy,” Kira said. “Didn’t you mean stationed?”

  “Ha. Would you like working in the mines for scratch? I’m not sure what it’s like in the other cities—but the government runs everything here. You can’t even buy a home without a friend in the right place. You have to work for any freedom you want. Those who refuse disappear. I help Caleb because he makes my life easier and pays a better wage than the government.”