They both shared a laugh and finished their coffee while watching the sunrise.
CHAPTER 33
The gathering of uniformed troopers, representing all branches of service, was on a scale Roman had never before witnessed. Massive foundations of white stone appeared at regular intervals across the parade grounds. Protruding out of the foundations were forty-foot swords, constructed out of a smooth rock resembling obsidian. Members of the various divisions of the military stood in mass block formations in front of the stone foundations. A wide pathway passed through the middle of the great assembly, ending in front of a giant platform. Flanking the platform on both sides were the great eagles of the United Consortium of Planets. Large torches burned with bright red flames on either side of the stairs up to the main platform. The entire spectacle took place on green grass beneath a humongous bioshield that protected the greenery, rarely seen on the planet, from the polluted air.
Roman stood at the head of a company of newly recruited police cadets that was a part of the XXX Corps. The company all but vanished among the many thousands of military and police forces that had come from all over Hellenheim and the nearby planets still subservient to the supreme chancellor. Over the next hour, the remaining divisions marched into their designated positions. As the last of them found their positions, the supreme chancellor finally appeared, followed at a respectful distance by Marshal Von Jesonik; Chuikova, dressed in full regalia, including his jeweled baton; and three other high-ranking officers. The military leaders walked purposefully toward the platform. As they passed the assembled men, the divisions raised their standards in honor. The standard bearers began to pound their standards in a rhythmic manner.
When his group reached the base of the main platform, only the supreme chancellor, dressed in a simple black suit, continued up the giant steps. Red flames licked up out of the torch dishes lining the stairs, like great wispy fingers. The supreme chancellor reached the platform and turned to face his massed armies. He raised one hand, and the rhythmic pounding of the standards ceased. He slowly lowered his hand. After surveying his commanders below him, at the base of the steps, he began to speak into the voice projector, in powerful, deep tones appropriate to the solemnity of the occasion.
“Throughout the twenty-two years of this war, we have all suffered. The trooper has suffered at the front; the civilian has suffered at home. Today begins a new era in which our grand empire is once again reunited. I speak to you as our troops stand along a great line from Hellenheim to the capitals of the conquered planets, and as columns of the defeated enemy march as prisoners. They are giving up by the thousands. Throughout this long war, I know that one thing has remained true: I have shown our people the light and the path to victory. At this moment, our thankful hearts go to our noble troopers. We have conquered, and we have prevailed!”
Cheers erupted from the formations. The supreme chancellor stepped back and pushed a couple of strands of hair off of his face. He nodded and stepped back to the voice projector. Raising his hand, he quieted the masses and continued.
“I did not want this war. It was propagated by greedy and corrupt governors of the outer worlds of the empire, as I have said time after time. Those of you who have been with me from the beginning know that I have tried to achieve nothing but peace and good relations with our outer world governors. I say again that I tried, in every possible way, to bring about the end of this terrible war.” The supreme chancellor paused briefly, taking a deep breath. He continued in a calmer, quieter tone. “Justice will be served to those who are guilty. The people of these regions have suffered much, and I do not desire to prolong their suffering. Today is a day of celebration and remembrance. Today is a day for heroes. With that in mind, I request that Ground Marshal Chuikova join me on this platform and receive the empire’s highest award, the Star Cluster of the Empire.”
The standard bearers resumed the rhythmic thumping of their standards as Ground Marshal Chuikova ascended the steps. He bowed before the supreme chancellor and accepted a brilliant blue medal, beset with eight jeweled stars, hanging on the end of a gold braided necklace. As the supreme chancellor hung the medal on Chuikova’s neck, the masses erupted in cheers. A few moments later, while the cheers continued, a curious entourage of black-robed figures seemingly appeared from nowhere at the base of the steps. The supreme chancellor and Chuikova descended the steps, joined the robed figures and other military leaders on the ground, and began the long walk out of the grounds.
“Are you ready?” Natasha’s voice broke the silence of Roman’s apartment later than evening. She entered the apartment and replaced the key card in her overcoat pocket.
Roman stepped out from the bathroom, adjusting his black bowtie. “Just let yourself in and make yourself at home, why don’t you?” He grinned at her, and she smiled back as he struggled with the tie.
“Dammit,” he swore at the strip of cloth.
She walked toward him, grabbed the tie, and within minutes fixed the problem. She took a step back and looked him over. His knee-high leather boots were mirror polished, as were his belt and shoulder strap. He adjusted his badge and grabbed his peaked hat off of a nearby table. Turning around, he finally took in Natasha.
“I … wow.”
Natasha looked herself over, trying to see herself through his eyes. “Is there something wrong?” she asked nervously.
“No. Quite the contrary. You are absolutely stunning.” Roman smiled as he complimented her. She wore a long, black flowing evening dress complete with gloves that went up her arms, covering the bionic appendage. Roman was surprised to see that she’d gone as far as applying makeup, fairly generously. He had never seen her wear it before. The scar on her face was barely noticeable. She blushed from his comments.
“Thanks, Johnny. It’s been a while since I’ve been out to anything nearly this formal.”
“No prob. Let’s go, shall we?”
Roman offered her his arm, which she accepted without hesitation. He secured the apartment on the way out, and they made their way to the busy street below. Nightfall had set, but the streets still teemed with activity.
After a short walk, they arrived at the number seven light rail station. Sifting through the dense crowds entering and exiting the light rail, they boarded for the trip to the government section. They attracted quite a few stares in the light rail, but no one said anything. The daytime assembly and the gathering at the supreme chancellor’s residence had been the talk of the town, but only a relatively small number of people had actually been invited, and their fellow rail passengers could only guess that Roman and Natasha, dressed as they were, were among those lucky few.
The light rail stopped at the government section a few minutes later, and Roman and Natasha exited. The government section truly was a separate section of the city, walled off from the rest, housing various government bureaus, both military and civilian. Through one of the gates, Roman and Natasha saw the supreme chancellor’s residence illuminated by several columns of white light that split the night sky. The brilliant columns reached upward and touched the bottoms of the clouds overhead. After a short time, Roman and Natasha reached the first set of security checks, where a long line of similarly dressed guests waited to get in. The security guards had been trained well to handle the crowd efficiently, and Roman and Natasha soon reached the front of the line.
Roman showed his paper invitation to the private manning the security station. The private nodded and said, “Please submit a retinal scan.” He lifted a small scanner to Roman’s face. Roman looked down into the screen and waited. The scanner beeped once and announced in a robotic voice, “Roman, John J., lieutenant, sector 7 police administration. Confirmed.”
“Go ahead, sir,” the private said. Roman nodded and took a few steps forward, and waited for Natasha to clear the retina scan. After a few moments, she joined him.
They followed the crowd toward the main structure that served as the chancellor’s residence, at the end of a
half-kilometer pathway, lined on each side by alternating shimmering mirrors, stone columns, statues, and sculptures. The columns and the pathway were constructed out of bright red stone, inset with lights to help show the way. Guests stopped every so often to admire the beauty and workmanship of the artwork.
When they reached the steps into the main building, Roman and Natasha found another security checkpoint. Several armed troopers lined the steps. They submitted to another retinal scan and were scanned for weapons or any other contraband. After the second scan was completed, he again showed the paper invitation he had received earlier in the day, imprinted with his name and Natasha’s. He nodded in acknowledgment when the private waved him through. He stood at the top of the steps, watching Natasha look down into a scanner. She undertook the same contraband scan.
As another private passed a scanner over her body, the machine beeped rapidly. The private waved the handheld scanner to clear it, targeted her upper thighs and forearms. Two more troopers, holding large rifles at the ready, approached her.
“Is there a problem, private?” a soldier with three chevrons on his sleeve asked.
“I have a positive scan, Sergeant.”
The sergeant looked at Natasha and asked, “What do you have?”
“Bionics.” Natasha pulled off her right glove, exposing her bionic arm.
The private waved the scanner over it, confirming the positive reading. The sergeant nodded and pointed to her right leg. Natasha leaned over and raised her dress over her thigh boots, exposing part of her upper thigh and the bionic plate. The sergeant reached out to touch her thigh and found his wrist gripped tightly.
“Is there a problem, sergeant?” Roman sneered. Security was one thing, harassment was another. “I have no problem having you arrested for your unprofessional behavior.”
“No, lieutenant,” the sergeant said, recognizing Roman. “No problem here.” The sergeant nodded nervously to the other troopers, who cleared the doorway. Roman had made a name for himself in his short time on the planet, and his closeness with some of the most powerful men in the military was well known. Natasha dropped her dress back down and walked up the stairs with Roman in pursuit.
“I am so sorry about that,” he told her. “It’s OK. Let’s go in, shall we?”
Nodding, Roman took hold of her hand, and they walked into the main building. Two attendants ushered them through the massive double doors into the ballroom, which already held several hundred guests.
“Wow, this is impressive!” Natasha noted. “I’ve seen this building before, on news feeds, but I never thought it was this big in person.” She looked around in awe, especially at the geodesic dome above. A mural painted on the ceiling of the dome depicted naval fleet ships, once numerous but now depleted by war. Roman found himself caught up in the grandeur as well. He managed to grab two glasses from a passing waiter and gave one to Natasha. As he sipped the bubbling liquid, he heard his name called from behind.
“Johnny.” The low voice was almost imperceptible over the crowd noise. Roman spun around and saw the familiar face of Sebastian Cruwell, who had a plump blonde woman in tow as he made his way toward Roman. Roman extended his hand, which Cruwell shook.
“It’s been a while, Sebastian.”
“Indeed it has. Listen, we need to talk.” Cruwell’s hushed voice had a sense of urgency.
Roman nodded quickly. “Sure, whenever you want.”
Cruwell looked around the crowded ballroom. He told his companion, “We’ll just be a moment.” She nodded and took Natasha by the arm and led her off, as if on cue, as Cruwell guided Roman toward a nook in the wall. Natasha looked back over her shoulder at Roman. He nodded and waved, giving Cruwell his attention.
“We need to talk right now?” Roman asked.
“Listen, there are a lot of things going on that you are not aware of. I know you think you are working for the good, but be warned.” Cruwell paused, turned, and scanned the crowd once more. “All is not what it seems.”
Roman set his glass on a small table. “What do you mean ‘all is not what it seems?’ Are you OK?”
“Look, Johnny, I won’t talk about it here. There are eyes and ears everywhere. But I need to speak with you. This is just a heads-up. I’ll get in touch with you and set up a meeting, OK?”
“OK.”
Cruwell was about to speak when an attendant approached. “Sirs, your presence is requested upstairs in the supreme chancellor’s study, if you will follow me please.” Roman looked at Cruwell, who nodded and shrugged. They both followed the attendant. Roman spotted Natasha and gave her a small wave to let her know that he was leaving the main ballroom.
Roman trailed behind Cruwell and the attendant as they ascended the staircase to the second level, which was off limits to the guests except by special invitation. They passed through a large passageway coming to a stop before a large door. Two ceremonial guards heavily armed with red plumes sticking out of their helmets stood outside.
“This way, please,” the attendant requested. The guards stepped aside in unison as the attendant pushed upon the door into the chancellor’s study, a massive room that appeared even larger with its furniture all placed near the walls. The supreme chancellor sat behind his large desk, which had the words “blood, honor, loyalty” carved boldly onto its side. Ground Marshal Chuikova and Sergeant Matthias were already seated in large chairs in front of the desk.
The attendant bowed and left the study, closing the door behind him. Chuikova and Matthias stood up and looked at the new visitors.
“My friends,” the supreme chancellor spoke, “please come in.” Roman and Cruwell approached the desk. The supreme chancellor smiled and held up his right hand, acknowledging his new guests. He quickly dropped his left hand below the desk, out of sight.
“Please come in, yes.” The supreme chancellor repeated himself and stood up. He placed his left hand behind his back and walked to the front of the desk. The only insignia was a gold cross bearing a silver eagle on his left breast pocket. Roman, who had never met the supreme chancellor, found himself surprised. The man’s voice seemed a little weak and quavered slightly, very much unlike his presentation at the afternoon’s assembly. Roman supposed that his voice had been altered through the public address system.
“I thank you for coming,” the supreme chancellor said. “You have each played an important part in the conclusion of the war, and I wanted to thank you personally.” He reached over the surface of his desk and picked up two medals by their neck chains. Roman noticed that even though the supreme chancellor held his left hand behind his back, the arm trembled slightly. “Major Cruwell, please accept this medal of bravery for your actions on the blue planet.”
The supreme chancellor placed the medal over Cruwell’s lowered head. It was the same design as the insignia on the chancellor’s jacket. Cruwell shook the supreme chancellor’s hand and stepped back. Roman noticed with keen interest that Chuikova looked coldly at Cruwell, his eyes piercing him like two daggers. The supreme chancellor interrupted Roman’s quick observation.
“I have wanted to meet you for some time, Lieutenant Roman. I have heard a great many things about you and your work helping to rebuild the police force in sector seven. That is a noble task.” the supreme chancellor shook Roman’s hand and continued, “I am especially interested in hearing about your home planet, but for now, I wish to recognize you for your service toward our victory.” Roman lowered his head, and the supreme chancellor placed the second medal around his neck.
“Keep up the good work, and enjoy the rest of the banquet.”
As if on cue, the attendant opened the doors to the study from outside. Cruwell came to attention, executed an about face, and exited. Roman looked at his old friends, but they said nothing. Matthias nodded slightly, but that was it. Shrugging, Roman exited the study and caught up with Cruwell, who was waiting outside. Once they were out of earshot of the guards, Roman asked, “What the hell was that? They totally ignored us.”
“I’ll try to explain later, when we meet again. It’s not safe to talk here. Enjoy the rest of the evening, but be very careful of your surroundings.” He paused, as if considering his words, and asked, “What time do you have?”
Roman looked at his wristwatch. “10:15.”
“Remember that time Johnny, remember.”
Cruwell said nothing more and walked toward the stairs leading back to the ballroom, leaving Roman looking at him curiously. He followed Cruwell, a few steps behind, and they soon found their female companions chatting with a group of half a dozen other women. Natasha immediately noticed Roman’s medal and congratulated him on it.
The two couples enjoyed the rest of the evening together, through the cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. A few hours later, after the chancellor gave his final speech of the day, the four left with the main crowd of guests. As Roman and Natasha exited the government sector and headed toward the light rail station, Roman found himself looking over his shoulder more than a few times. Cruwell’s words had spooked him.
They boarded the light rail. When it was in motion, Natasha whispered into Roman’s ear, “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?” The others in the carriage did not seem to notice the sharpness and volume of his response.
“You keep looking around. You seem very tense.”
Roman looked Natasha directly in her eyes. “How do you know all that?”
“Trust me,” she said. “I know.”
“Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling something. I can’t explain it now. I don’t know what to think.”
Natasha said nothing more but gripped Roman’s hand tightly. Within moments they arrived at their destination. A short walk brought them to Roman’s apartment building. He retrieved his access card from his pocket and swiped it at the terminal, opening the door to the ground floor. Still holding Natasha’s hand, he said, “Do you want to come up?”
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