The Last Revolution

by Carpenter, R. T.

  Alden was surprised as Thereon cleared his throat and stepped forward. “How do we do that?”

  Everyone quieted down and Richardson looked over at him, “When the time comes, I’ll call an emergency session of congress. We’ll dissolve the old senate and vote on a temporary constitution that has already been written. It’ll grant the new senate authority over the colonies. We’ll formerly declare our independence from the Three Nations and revoke the Council’s lunar authority. We already know who our greatest enemies are. They’ll need to be removed from power immediately.”

  One of the delegates from New Beijing stepped forward, “What type of government do you plan to create?”

  Richardson smiled. “Great question. It’s not the government I want to create. I’ll help provide the tools, but ultimately it’ll be up to the colonists to decide what type of government they want. To speed up the process, we’ve drafted three different political and economic systems that will be put up to vote. The choice will be purely democratic. Every citizen of voting age will be allowed to weigh in.”

  “Who will lead this new government?” asked an anonymous voice.

  Richardson turned and looked in their direction, “That is something we’ll have to decide when the time comes. The last thing I want is the appearance of another corrupt system. When this is all over, we’ll hold open elections. All of you hold clout amongst your people and would make great political candidates. I would encourage each of you to serve and help us build our new society.”

  Solana raised her hand. “It took everything we had to put up a brief fight at Traterous. The Council isn’t going to let us just leave. How do you propose we actually make this happen?”

  “Let me start by saying thank you for your service. We all owe you a debt of gratitude. You’ve also hit on the main question we’ve arrived here to discuss. To answer your question, allow me to introduce someone who needs no introduction: General Jacob Stone.”

  Stone stepped forward and took Richardson’s place at the middle of the command center. He was no longer wearing the faded clothes he’d received upon arrival. Instead, his clothes were clean-cut and crisp. They resembled a military uniform, except for the lack of medals on his chest.

  “We have suffered for a long time at the hands of the Council, but we will never win if we continue along the same course. Little attacks here and there. Our enemy views us as a single unit. They attack us as a single unit. When one group acts unilaterally, everyone deals with the repercussions.”

  Viktor was still obscured by the shadows. If he thought Stone’s rhetoric was aimed at him, he didn’t act like it. Thereon, on the other hand, showed obvious signs of strain.

  “There is also a benefit to this. We can be in multiple locations at once. We’re spread out, hard to pin down and able to disappear. However, we lack a centralized structure to coordinate the actions of each group and then defend ourselves accordingly. If this rebellion is to be successful, we must re-open the lines of communication. The only way we’ll succeed is if we stand together! Does anyone deny this strategy?”

  Alden scanned the crowd to see if anyone would challenge him. No one flinched.

  “When freedom becomes treason, then only traitors will be free. Here and now, with all of you as my witness, I’m establishing the first Colonial Liberation Army!”

  A joyous round of applause erupted from the group.

  General Stone waited for several moments before he continued. “Thereon Colwyn of Apollo City, please step forward.”

  Thereon moved away from Alden and stepped towards the center. “Li Tao Ming of New Beijing, Demetrius Romin of Prebeo, and Viktor Zola of New Tranquility, please step forward.” One by one, the leaders of the four resistance movements stepped forward. “Will you join me, will you help me remove the Council from power and establish a new, free nation?”

  All but one responded in unison with “Aye!”

  Viktor slowly clapped as he moved further into the center. “That was a great speech you gave. Except I’ve never met you before. I suppose you want me to turn over our entire operation to you? A stranger?”

  “Viktor! What are you doing?” Li Tao snapped. “You know who he is.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve heard stories, but I’ve always preferred evidence. We’ve been fighting and dying for as long as he’s been gone. We’re only further from our goal. What is an added line of communication against a fully trained military? Against four fully trained militaries, if you count the Council. They have soldiers, tanks, mech warriors, space fighters…battlecruisers.”

  The tension between Viktor and Stone was palpable. “What makes you think we’d be interested in taking orders from you? I know what happened to the last group of people that followed you.”

  Alden held his breath, as did the rest of the crowd. For a moment it looked like they might pull their weapons on each other.

  “Viktor, I remember your father fondly. He had the same passion I see in you. What happened to him,” Stone shook his head, “is unforgivable, and the Council will pay.”

  “As a military leader you know that if you didn’t coordinate the activities of your men, it would be chaos. Well, our enemy is larger than the Council soldiers stationed in New Tranquility. If we are truly going to win this battle, then we must work as a team, as a single unit.”

  Viktor glared at Stone for a few moments longer. “We’ll join, but don’t expect us to take a bullet for you.”

  Stone turned to the other three. “Each of you will remain the top lieutenant in charge of your respective city. Thank you.” With that, they all dropped back into the crowd.

  “Viktor made a great point,” Stone continued. “We will never win this war if we’re forced to fight four different militaries. It’ll be impossible to destroy enough tanks or carriers before we’re completely wiped out.” He pressed a button on his new wrist deck and the lights dimmed inside the room. “To discuss our military strategy, I’d like to turn it over to someone else that needs no introduction.”

  The green hologram of a man appeared above the console in the center of the room. He wore a lab coat and had a short white beard. Despite the slightly fuzzy reception, Alden instantly recognized him from the security briefing he’d attended on the Island. Darar Khasim.

  “Alexander Hawkins,” Stone finished.

  It was as if the temperature inside the room increased a hundredfold. His vision blurred, it was all he could do to keep himself erect. Alden stared at the man, the pure embodiment of evil. He had craved this moment for so long. The concealed pistol in his back pressed up against his skin, as if to remind him that it existed. If it were the actual man instead of the hologram, he would have shot him where he stood.

  “I remember some of you from before,” Alexander said. “But most of you I’m meeting for the first time. Right now, you all want to know how we plan to defeat four nations simultaneously. The truth is…we can’t. It’s impossible. Their combined militaries outnumber our entire population 100 to 1. They have 22 active Battlecarriers. We don’t have a single one.” A single silent gasp was released from the collective.

  After the last few days of non-stop euphoria it was about time someone brought them back down to reality. Alden could still picture the massive battlecruiser they’d passed on the way out of Earth’s orbit. It had blocked out every star in the night sky.

  “What we do have is an unlimited supply of helium-3, a substance the Imperial Sino-Russian Federation, the Islamic Empire and the Alliance of Democratic Nations are hopelessly addicted to. Their entire military and civilian infrastructures require a constant stream in order to function. If our exports were to drop by even 5%, we’d be at war with every nation by nightfall. If the supply were to drop by 10%, nations would begin to fail.

  “While these weaknesses will undoubtedly play a role in their eventual defeat, I believe historians will credit their cold war as the ultimate cause. We’ll use these advantages and their own hatreds against them.”

/>   Wait, what? Did he really think they could defeat the Three Nations because they didn’t like each other? Their militaries were gargantuan, and the entire surface would be invaded within a night if they stopped the H-3 shipments. There was no way they’d be able to hold them off long enough to cripple their militaries. Not to mention the Council had its own massive military presence…

  “As I said, we’ll never win if we fight all three simultaneously. So we’ll get them to fight each other. Once this happens, the first thing they’ll do is recall all of their soldiers and equipment on loan to the Council. Their entire military is comprised of conscripts from one nation or another. Within a fortnight the entire Council army will disappear.”

  Alexander surveyed the room as he spoke. “In order to accomplish this, we have to do three things. First, we need to hack the Council’s lunar communication array and plant a virus. It’s critical that once we launch our offensive, all of their communications fail. This will cut off their ability to coordinate a counterstrike. We must then gain control of the lunar defense system. From here, we can repurpose the anti-meteorite turrets to fend off troop reinforcements.

  “Second, we must neutralize the Council military base. General Stone believes that a highly skilled strike team can space jump in from several kilometers above the base and detonate an electromagnetic pulse bomb. This will fry any electronics in use. It’ll destroy their entire system. Finally, we’ll need to have all of you in position to attack at the same time. One group will take on the military and police. The second group will sack the leadership and government offices. They’ll arrest any official that opposes us.

  “Most importantly, we must silence the newly elected Polemarch Enkara, the ViceCouncilman in charge of all military and lunar affairs.”

  Newly elected Polemarch…Enkara. The words reverberated inside Alden’s head. So Vasentus truly had perished in the attack on the Island. Alden felt his breath strain under the weight of the news. No one else seemed to pay any attention to Alexander’s comment, but it changed everything for him. Vasentus had known he wasn’t a traitor and would have supported his return to the Council.

  Alden had hoped it would be his link to lead an army back to the lunar surface and suppress the resistance before there was any more bloodshed. He didn’t know anyone else in a leadership position within the Council. None of the other Councilmen had even visited the Island. He’d heard rumors a few years ago that the Archon, the grand leader of the Council, had toured the facility. But no one seemed able to substantiate it. ViceCouncilman Kalligan Vasentus had been his last hope.

  “This will decimate their chain of command,” Alexander continued. “Without their leadership, capability to communicate, or military base, we’ll be able to take total control of the lunar colonies. We’re calling it the Cronus Contingency.”

  “What will we do with the civilian and military leaders once they’ve been disposed?” Viktor asked.

  “We’re not going to kill them, if that’s what you’re asking. Most will be forced to stand trial for crimes against humanity. Those who are found to be innocent will be allowed to return to Earth or stay and join our new civilization.” He turned back to the main group, “I’ve explained the plan to the best of my ability, but do not expect it to be easy. I’ve worked on this for the better part of my life. All it takes is one mistake, and this whole thing falls apart.”

  “That’s it?” Viktor cut back in. “Why don’t you tell us where you’ve been for the past two decades?”

  Alexander was noticeably irritated with the question. “I’m not here to discuss the past two decades. Only what comes next.”

  I know what you’ve been doing, Alden thought.

  One of Li’s soldiers gingerly raised their hand.

  “Yes?” Alexander said.

  “Do you plan to join us at some point?” the soldier finally managed to get out.

  Alexander smiled. “I’m on my way as we speak. It’s been a long journey, but once I’ve returned I’ll never leave again. With that, I’d like to turn it over to Caleb West.”

  Caleb stepped forward; his pressed shirt and slacks were a far cry from the grime and dirt that stuck to everything else.

  “Thank you, Alexander. I’m glad to see that you haven’t forgotten us after all.” There was a slight chuckle from the audience. “Ladies and gentleman,” Caleb started, as if he was addressing a boardroom. “Once we’ve declared our independence from the Three Nations, our first goal must be to build a strong and sustainable economy. We must show our countrymen an immediate improvement in their lives. With this need in mind, I’m happy to announce that the West Corporation plans to begin construction on a fifth lunar colony!”

  Caleb pressed a button on his wrist deck. Alexander’s hologram disappeared, replaced by the model of the domed city he’d seen in his office. “I’m calling it Capernica.”

  Alden sensed the excitement in the room. It had been several decades since New Tranquility had been built. It wasn’t hard to imagine that when you lived in a closed ecosystem things could get dull pretty quickly.

  “This city will be a monumental boost to our collective ego. It’ll be the epicenter of the solar system’s newest and most advanced civilization.” He expanded the view to show a large round structure in the middle of the city. “I present to all of you: the new seat of Lunar Government and the future home of our Senate.”

  Applause broke out across the room.

  Caleb waited several moments before he continued. He was a natural showman and appeared to relish the attention. He held up his hand for silence. “As many of you know, our current homes are rapidly running out of space. Capernica will have enough room for two and a half million new residents. This will increase the habitable space on Luna by over a third. After we’ve secured our freedom, we can renew our focus on innovation and commerce. This will feed into a phenomenal period of growth, unheard of in previous centuries. Those inhabitants of Terra that want to break free from the bonds of tyranny and start a new life on the moon will find ample space available to them.

  “The construction of Capernica will create jobs, help people build wealth, lead to increased spending, tax revenues, and new business development. Each of the topics covered this morning are integrated and crucial to the development of our new nation.”

  Caleb pressed another button and the city disappeared. Alexander’s hologram reappeared.

  General Stone stepped forward once more. “In order for the Cronus Contingency to succeed, we must all work together. Thereon, your team’s mission will be to infiltrate the lunar command center. The only way we can commandeer their communications network is if we hack the system from that location.

  “Demetrius, due to Prebeo’s proximity to the Council military base, your team will be in charge of detonating the electromagnetic pulse. Viktor, since the senate is based in New Tranquility, your team will handle the government transition. I want you to speak with Representative Richardson. He’ll tell you which members are the biggest threats. Have them followed. Remember: don’t move until the other teams are in position.”

  Stone slowed his speech so every word would be understood around the room. “Due to the unrest and my escape from Traterous, the Council is pushing for more boots on the ground. For our plan to work, we must be able to seize control before the Three Nations decide to send in reinforcements. In order to do this, we need soldiers. Spread the word, recruit as many people as possible. When the order is given, our supporters must overrun the cities.”

  “Hell, yeah!” one person cheered.

  Thereon whispered to Alden, “We shouldn’t have any problem with recruitment. We’ve already got more people than we can handle.”

  Stone nodded. “Good luck out there, and may history be on our side.”

  The frenzy that had engulfed the room before returned as the various groups mobilized.

  “Alden.” He looked up and saw that General Stone was addressing him. “I’d like to speak with you
for a moment. Demetrius, you too.”

  “Demetrius, meet Alden. He’s the one who helped me escape from Traterous.”

  “Pleased to meet you.” Demetrius shook his hand.

  “Alden will work with your team. For the attack on the military base you’ll need someone with exceptional zero-gravity combat and training skills. He’ll also have the blue suit. Combined, he should be an invaluable member of your team.”

  “We’ll appreciate any help we can get.”

  “Alden, once you’ve made the jump you’ll need to turn off the power in your suit. You should have enough oxygen to sustain life support systems while it reboots. If that EMP goes off while you’ve still got power, it’ll fry your entire system and they’ll never be able to get you out in time.”

  “I’ll get it done.”

  Stone nodded. “I know you will.”

  Alden remained behind to discuss the details of their assault on the Council military base. Slowly the room emptied until everyone had gone. Once he’d received enough instructions from Demetrius, Alden departed the command center for the hangar. The Prebeo delegation would be on their way within the hour. He needed to prep the blue suit for the trip across the surface.

  “There you are.” Kira walked across the hangar floor. She’d changed outfits and now had a sidearm securely hung from her waist.

  Alden lowered the top hatch of the crate that held the zero-grav suit. “I’ve been assigned to the Prebeo mission. Stone wants me to do the zero-gravity jump.” He locked the lid in place.

  “I wanted to stop down because—”

  “Hold on,” Alden said without looking up.

  “I’m trying to talk to you, don’t be rude.”

  “No, I mean hold onto something.”

  “Oh.”

  He pressed a few buttons on his wrist deck and the artificial graviton particles dissipated. Weightlessness set in and his body started to float off the floor. He grabbed the corner of the containment tube and lifted it up. In gravity it weighed over four hundred kilograms, but in zero-gravity he was able to lift it with ease.