by Magus Tor
The time they decided to attack was somewhat irrelevant, since it was daylight all the time and most of the men by this point were exhausted. But they all knew that this attack could be the turning point, and it could lead to the Dome light’s finally being dimmed, so everyone was dredging up their last ounce of strength.
Aurelia watched Mattias, who in turn was watching the men drilling. As Nicholas had promised him, no one had tried to persuade him to join the Resistance. But privately, Aurelia was a little concerned that after weeks of being surrounded by them, Mattias was still showing no interest at all in their opinions or beliefs. If pressed, he would spout the same Worker propaganda that he'd been taught at school, and she supposed she couldn't blame him. She probably would have been the same if she'd lived his life. On the bright side, he was getting closer to Elza, despite his reluctance to have a family of his own. He spent many days in the hospital tents with her and proved a dab hand at wrapping bandages.
“You okay, Matt?” she asked him.
He started at the sound of her voice, but turned and nodded. “Just tired, that's all. It would be nice to have a real night for once.”
“Well, that's what all this is about,” she said.
He shrugged. “I'm just waiting for it to be over,” he said. “Then I can go home.”
“Home” was a strange word for a training academy. But then, he probably didn't remember anything resembling a real home. Once more she was struck by a pang of pity for the child. He was young—she just hoped that he could learn differently, that the Elite brainwashing could be undone.
The men marched out of the shuttle bay compound as they had done every other day. But today was different. Today was the day. Shuttles were already underway, bringing in reinforcements from 01 to occupy the territory they were going to take today. Bryn and his men were in the tunnels. All Aurelia could do was wait for the air filters to be turned off. She sat with Jonathon and Nicholas, breathing mask in hand.
“Not long now,” said Nicholas. “Another ten minutes or so for the men to get into position, then it starts.”
For a while after the machines were switched off, Aurelia felt nothing. It wasn't until she got up to get a drink that she found her breathing was more laboured. She couldn't imagine having to run or fight with the air feeling heavier and heavier in her lungs every moment. After she drank, she put on her breathing mask, and immediately the chemicals in the device began reacting with the air she breathed in to add more oxygen. Jonathon and Nicholas both worked on, unimpeded by the masks they were wearing. Com reports started to come in. The Elite Army were falling back and had yet to figure out what was going on.
An hour later, the machines were switched back on as arranged; and as an experiment, Aurelia took off her mask. It was like trying to force honey into her chest, the air sticky and so heavy now that it took conscious effort to breathe it in. She could breathe, but it was hard work. Slipping the mask back over her face, she was glad that she wasn't forced to do without one.
It was another hour before she removed her breathing mask for good. The air still had a strange tinge of syrupy-ness about it, but she could breathe normally. More to the point, Nicholas's plan had come off without a hitch. When all the final reports came in, they learned the Resistance now held over half the City. Nicholas marked out on the map which areas were safe, a large swathe of land in the shape of a crescent moon.
“Now we need to concentrate here,” he said, circling the area between the points of the crescent. “Once we capture that, we'll have them surrounded. We can fortify the edges of the Dome, then turn our attention to those few central blocks.”
Jonathon clapped him on the back. “Congratulations,” he said. “I could never have done this without you.”
The Clone smiled shyly. Aurelia thought back to the first time the two had met. Nicholas had been trying to assassinate Jonathon, which rather obviously had started their relationship off on the wrong foot. Though to be truthful, Nicholas had managed to save Jonathon's life at the same time. Then Nicholas had thought himself in love with Aurelia, and Jonathon had seen him as a rival. In fact, it had been hard to believe that the two would ever become friends. And now, now they were even more than that. They were comrades in arms, and Aurelia knew that not only did Jonathon respect Nicholas, but he genuinely liked him. She smiled to herself and quietly slipped out of the tent, allowing them to have their moment of celebration together.
Finding Elza in the hospital tent was no problem at all, and Mattias was, as ever, close by too. Scoping out the patients, Aurelia saw that there were very few indeed, particularly when compared to the casualties that had been brought in during the last few days.
“Less than ten percent of what we'd have expected under normal circumstances,” Elza said. “And a fair few of these were either breathing masks that malfunctioned, or those who already had an underlying breathing problem. There are a couple of respiratory infections over there. But all in all, it looks like a success to me.”
Aurelia briefly saw Mattias's face darken, but the boy said nothing. He'd obviously heard the news and knew that things weren't looking good for the Elite Army. Before she could go to speak to him, however, she heard a loud rumbling coming from outside. Rushing with both Elza and Mattias to see what it was, they left the hospital tent and found everyone looking up at the sky.
If she squinted, she could barely make out a long, narrow shape, a ring of fire burning behind it. And then two smaller shapes beyond it, and maybe something beyond those as well. She didn't realise for a moment what they were, until she heard men around her begin cheering. Reinforcements.
One by one, the shuttles broke through the Dome and landed. Only when they were all down did the massive cargo bay doors open. As men began to troop out of the ships, Aurelia suddenly found it harder and harder to see them. She looked around, confused, then, following everyone else, looked up again. The Dome. The solid bright blue was fading into purple. Once more, the men roared with approval. The lights were going off. They were going to have a real night.
And it was a night of celebration. Jonathon released synth-alcohol supplies to the men who had fought, and the evening rang with the sounds of laughter and shouting. Even Aurelia, curled up in bed beside Jonathon, couldn't help but smile to herself in the darkness. For the first time in a long time, she actually thought that the War could be over soon.
With the Resistance Army now outnumbering the Elite five to one, and with the troops on Earth finally capturing and closing the shuttle bay in City 04—meaning no reinforcements for the Elite—the battle for Lunar City proceeded apace. Day after day, men streamed back into the encampment after capturing streets, buildings, and whole blocks. Now that nearly the whole population of Lunar had been evacuated out, there was no need to worry about civilian casualties. The Resistance even requisitioned some of the residential buildings for Army use, so the soldiers could have hot beds and warm showers, though they were all under strict orders to treat the homes as their own. Jonathon swore the most painful of punishments on any man who disrespected a home he was assigned to.
Slowly the circle around Lunar City closed, until eventually the Resistance held all but the very central blocks of the Empire's capital. These were the most symbolic of blocks, those where the parliamentary and ministry buildings stood; and though the Elite Army must know that they were beaten, they still stood firm. For three days, the Resistance bombarded these blocks with everything they had and got nowhere. Jonathon and Nicholas tore their hair out every evening trying to find a way to penetrate the centre of the City.
It was on the evening of the third day that the com call came. The statement was recorded and brief. It requested a parley. Jonathon listened once, then beckoned over the others in the command tent and pressed the icon to replay the message.
“The Supreme Commander of the Elite Army requests parley. One hour after noon tomorrow. Safe passage is guaranteed. Message over.”
“Well, what do you thi
nk?” Jonathon asked, turning to Nicholas.
Nicholas pushed his chair back from the table and crossed one leg over the other, tapping his fingers on his thigh. Then he nodded. “I think we go. We have no choice.”
“We can keep fighting,” Jonathon pointed out.
“But we're getting nowhere, and we're not likely to. We can't clear the City and bring civilians back in until we hold the entire City, and this could go on for weeks and weeks. They're defending a small, enclosed area. Besides, it's a parley, not a truce. You're committing to nothing other than speaking to them.”
Jonathon nodded. “Fine. I will go.”
Nicholas grinned. “Not alone, you don't. We make this a family occasion.”
“And why would I want to do that?” Jonathon asked.
“Because I don't trust your father in the slightest, and that's who sent this message,” Nicholas said. “You alone in there make a ripe target. You with your wife, your right hand man, your right hand woman, and even, yes, why not, a child... That's not a good target at all. That's a lot of accidents that have to happen all at the same time to get rid of us.”
“I'm not sure...” said Jonathon, looking at Aurelia.
“I am,” she replied. “He's right. You can be easily taken out—a whole group of us is much harder. Besides, this should be a ceremonial occasion, right? You can bet that we'll be filmed. The Elite will want to show that they still have the power to order you to be where they want you to be.”
Jonathon was not happy, but he relented under the badgering of both Nicholas and Aurelia. Nicholas hurried off to explain to Elza, leaving Jonathon and Aurelia alone.
“Elza is fine,” said Jonathon. “But I don't get why he wants Mattias there too.”
“I do,” Aurelia said. “Because he's getting attached to the boy. And the only real thing standing between them is Matt's dedication towards the Elite cause. I think he's hoping that if Mattias sees the Elite for who they really are, then he might change his mind.”
“He might just become stronger in his beliefs,” said Jonathon. But he made no more objections to Mattias’ coming along for the ride.
They were ready to leave. Lukas had arranged for a transport pod to be painted with the Resistance Army colours, making it clear that this vessel was designated for safe passage. Troops had not gone out that morning, instead being posted to guard the perimeter of the parts of the City held by the Resistance. Aurelia was nervous and could see that Jonathon was too. In fact, the only one who looked happy was Mattias. Aurelia wondered if he was planning on trying to negotiate for his own release once he was confronted with the Elite, but Nicholas assured her that he'd spoken to the boy and had reminded him of the rules of war.
As they approached the pod, Nicholas's hand went to his side, then he shook his head.
“Hold up a second,” he said. “I must have forgotten to pick up my stunner from the command tent. Let me just run and get it.”
Jonathon looked at his time reader and nodded. “Make it fast.”
Nicholas ran off, and Jonathon opened the pod doors. Elza climbed in, followed by Mattias, and Aurelia got into the passenger seat. They'd all already fastened their security belts when Nicholas returned.
“I grabbed a spare. Sorry about that. Stupid to go around unarmed.”
“Are you allowed to go into a parley armed?” asked Aurelia.
“Mmm,” said Nicholas, fastening his belt. “It's a sign of trust. That both sides carry weapons but neither will use them, or something like that. Old tradition. Anyway, it never hurts to have a stunner, right?”
She smiled. “I guess not,” she said.
“Are we all ready?” Jonathon asked, pressing the control icons. “Then let's go.”
The pod hummed, hovered, and then took off, banking slightly over the sprawling military camp before righting itself and heading towards the centre of the City.
“Are we clear on what we're asking for?” Nicholas asked Jonathon.
“Yes. Total surrender,” said Jonathon, turning in his seat to face him. “There's nothing for them to negotiate about. We hold all the cards here. I will, however, repeat my initial offer that any Elite who wishes to stay in Lunar and become a part of our new society is welcome to do so. No one is to be excluded.”
“Fair enough,” said Nicholas with a grin. “What interests me is what they think that they have to offer to us.”
He has a good point, Aurelia thought. With the majority of Lunar City under Resistance control, forces had moved back to Earth, and those already on Earth who had been held in reserve in case needed on Lunar were released back to their commanders. City 03 had been taken in just a day, though Nicholas had always said that it was the easiest of Earth Cities to capture. And even as they flew, troops were descending on City 04, expecting to meet little resistance with most of the Elite Army now on Lunar. That meant that Earth was almost entirely Resistance controlled, not giving the Elite much to offer them in terms of negotiation.
Oh well, she thought, as the pod began to descend. We won't have to wait much longer to find out. The parliament building was rapidly approaching, and inside would be what remained of the Elite. Including Jonathon's father.
Chapter Twelve
The City was eerily quiet as they walked across the open space in front of the parliament building. Aurelia could hear every step, her breathing seemed louder than normal, and her heart was beating rapidly. In single file, they mounted the stairs and went through the already open door.
Aurelia had seen this building on the screen but never in real life, and she was surprised at how small it felt. The entrance chamber was several storeys high but narrow, and the whole place smelled like dust and cleaning fluids. Waiting to greet them was an admin Worker, his uniform the only splash of colour in the small white chamber.
“I'll take you up,” he said brusquely.
Jonathon ignored the lack of respect. He was, after all, this man's President. Instead, he simply followed where the man led, up a wide, curving staircase to an ornate wooden door. He knocked once, and the door opened.
“Father,” said Jonathon, nodding at the man sitting at the head of a long table.
There were two other Elite men flanking him, so Jonathon took the chair at the foot of the table, facing his father. The others remained standing, as if trying to form a shield behind Jonathon, and Aurelia studied her father-in-law.
He had Jonathon's eyes, the deep Prussian blue that she loved so much. His nose was long and aquiline, his hair almost all white and brushed back from a high forehead. But his skin was unlined, and at a guess, Aurelia placed him in his mid-forties, maybe a little older.
“Thank you for coming,” the man said.
Aurelia searched her mind. She knew his name—she was sure it had been mentioned, but couldn't bring it to mind.
Pushing his chair back and standing, the man approached them.
“Some of you I know,” he said. “Some I don't. Aurelia, I am sorry we haven't met before. I am Jalin Hansen, Jonathon's father.”
He held out a hand, and Aurelia automatically took it, feeling crisp, warm skin as she shook it. Jalin went on to introduce himself politely to the others before resuming his seat.
“This has gone far enough,” he said.
“I agree,” Jonathon responded.
“Ah,” said his father with a small smile. “At last, something that we can agree on. So, we need to stop. Are you ready to give up this ridiculousness? I have the authority to offer you sanctuary and a pardon should you call back your troops now.”
Nicholas half snorted and half laughed, but Jonathon held up a hand. “Tell me, Father, why I should give up a winning position.”
Jalin shook his head. “Because you have caused enough damage as it is. You have sent men to their deaths, and that is something that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. You can mitigate that guilt by ending things now, before things get worse, before more die.”
This time it wa
s Jonathon who laughed. “No, Father, that won't work. I feel no guilt. I was there; I led my men. I know that every man who died did so not for me but for his beliefs—beliefs that he shared with me, true, but I didn't order him to death. Not as you do.”
Jalin banged his fist on the table, a sharp, ringing noise. Aurelia heard him take a deep breath as if to calm himself.
“You two, out,” he said to the two men on either side of him.
Without a word, they stood and left. Jalin waited for the door to close behind them before speaking again.
“Jonathon, my son, you need to grow up. It's time.”
He stood and began pacing the length of the table.
“These ideas you have, they're nothing more than those of an idealistic adolescent, and you're too old for this rebellion now. This has gone too far.”
Jonathon also stood. “No, Father, you're wrong.”
“How can you say that?” Jalin said, shaking his head. “What do you object to about our society? Do you realise how things could be? Everyone in the Empire has work, everyone has food, everyone has shelter. We have fulfilled the basic human rights of every person, and that's far more than any other civilisation has ever done before us. Do you seriously want to take that away from people? Do those who fight with you understand this?”
Aurelia saw Mattias nodding in agreement with this. She also noticed that he had his hand in his pocket, a little casual for a kid facing the commander of an Army he claimed to be a part of. It struck her as odd, but she didn't have time to think about it before Jonathon began speaking.
“What do I object to?” He laughed. “I object to the inequality, firstly. Yes, everyone can eat, but only the Elite get real meat, only the Elite get champagne. These are things that Workers don't even know exist. I don't deny that you're running an efficient factory down on Earth—you definitely are. But you're also slowly stripping the planet of all its resources, and the only reason you feed and house your Workers is because if you didn't, they wouldn't be supplying you with all those things that you need. And what happens when the resources are gone? What then? I'll tell you—you'll strand all those Workers on their dying planet. But in the meantime, you treat them like animals. You determine when or if they will breed, control their pairing, track every instant of their lives. That's what I object to. You cannot treat people this way.”
