The Genesis Sequence Books 6-10

by Mackenzie Morris

  "You think Rav will kill him?"

  "He will do something much, much worse. I'm ninety-nine percent sure of it. Even though I haven't been a father to Nemo like I probably should have been, he knew me as Uncle Vance. I want him to know that I love him. I'm proud of him. Most of all, I want him to know that if I could travel back in time, I would have raised him as my own. I wouldn't have given all my parental rights to Rav. I missed so much in his life. I want to be a father, Ben."

  Ben smiled when he thought about the fifteen children he adopted. "You are a father."

  "Not to the Nemo clones. They're already seven. I want to hold a baby and have him look up at me and know that I helped create him. I want him to be young and learn from me, do things like me, and talk like me. I want to raise him. Hold his hands as he learns to walk, give him bubble baths, and read him bedtime stories. I want to cuddle him while I feed him a bottle and then sing him to sleep in my arms. I wasn't able to do any of that with Nemo because Rav wouldn't let me. I wouldn't let myself. I didn't want to get attached to him because I knew how much Rav wanted a child. Little did I know that I would want one now."

  "You could adopt."

  Vance shook his head. "It's not the same."

  "You could . . . use a female surrogate."

  "Ben, that's not the point here. I don't have time left to do anything. It's over." Vance slid off the bed then crawled over to kneel in front of Ben and took his hands. "You're not listening to me. You're not hearing what I'm trying to say. I know how much time I left to live. I know it down to the minute. The Hive Queen told me. I'm trying to straighten out a few things before I can't anymore. This is the closest thing I'll have to a will and testament, so please take it to heart. I die in exactly six days."

  "What? No. That's not right. That can't be right."

  Vance reached up to placed his hand on Ben's face. "It's right. I don't know how, but I do know when. I have six days to live, Ben."

  Ben cried out as the pain tried to escape through his lungs. "No . . . no!"

  "I'm sorry, but it's true. There's nothing I can do to change it now. Today is Monday. On Sunday, I won't be here anymore."

  "I can't lose you. I can't! Vance, no."

  "I need to know that you're going to be okay without me. I have to know. Don't let me die without knowing that you're going to be strong enough on your own. Those boys need you. You have to keep living for them. You can't give up. Do you hear me? You can't join me yet. That's all I ask of you. Once I'm gone, you have to stay alive. You're not done yet. You have so much to live for. You can't give up."

  Ben's throat knotted as he forced back tears. "No, please . . . don't leave me. Don't leave me!"

  Vance took his husband in his arms and slowly rocked him back and forth as they both broke down. "I'm never leaving you. Even if I'm dead and gone, I will always be with you. Remember that. When you find yourself alone next Sunday, remember that I'm with you, my love."

  * * *

  "You have a warrior's soul, Ishmael."

  Ben stood in front of the mirror in his uncle's room and did his best to remain still as the white turban was wound around his head. "My name is Benjamin now."

  "There was nothing wrong with your name to begin with."

  "Please don't fight me over this. My name is Benjamin Trainor. Vance gave me that name."

  "I see." Tamir finished then stepped back. "There you are. Handsome as always. My family has worn these for thousands of years. Even the nonreligious ones and the ones who weren't of Arab descent. It has become something of a symbol more than anything. It is a symbol of strength, of resilience, and the ability to stand with your head held high, no matter what adversity you face."

  Ben stared at his reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing himself below the twisted white fabric. "I don't feel strong. I don't think your magic hat is working."

  Tamir smiled as he placed his hand reassuringly on Ben's shoulder. "I'll let you in on a little secret. The turban does nothing on its own. You have to plant the seeds inside yourself before you'll feel them growing on the outside. Vance told me what he gave up for the Hive Queen. I want you to know that you're not going through this alone. I'm here for you in whatever way you need me. I don't necessarily understand or approve of your choices in a partner, but I can see that you do love him. I won't lie to you and say this is going to be easy, because it won't be easy. But know that we are going to end this war. Know that the dawn always comes brightest after the night that nearly devours everything."

  "Why give it to me, then?"

  "Because you are and always have been a part of my family, whether your father wanted to acknowledge that or not. I know what he did to you. When I found out he was going to sell you to that man, I did everything in my power to gain custody of you. I wanted to raise you as my own. I tried. I was halfway through the process, but your father caught wind of it and appeared before the courts to override my attempts. With the church backing him, his authority overpowered anything I tried to do. I wanted to help you. I did. I'm so sorry I failed. I know I haven't been in your life, but you've been a part of mine. I have pictures of you hanging in my house and I would look at them every day. You were never forgotten, Benjamin."

  Ben could not think about the past at that point. He had to focus on getting through the present and the all-too-painful future he knew was quickly approaching. "We should get going. We've already landed and I'm sure the other rebels are dying to see me. Time to put on a brave face and pretend that I've got everything under control."

  "Don't do that. Don't fake your feelings, Benjamin. Even a leader can feel pain. Let your followers know what you're going through so they can hold you up when you need them."

  "All right." Ben held out his hand to his uncle. "Stay with me?"

  Tamir took his hand and walked with him towards the hallway. "Every step of the way."

  * * *

  Rav walked down the ramp of Sandra's ship, his head still throbbing and the light irritating his bloodshot eyes, but he was sober. The coffee, the beating he took from Kalimis, and whatever concoction had been loaded into those syringes had a profound effect on his condition. Hearing his son crying down the hallway and asking why his daddy did not love him anymore was the most sobering. Now here he was, still not having had a chance to apologize to Nemo, and coming face to face with their guests.

  His sneakers hit the pavement, he locked eyes with the blond man in the tattered jeans and tank top with the metal arm, and his heart stopped. Rav did not care about the fact that Ben was alive and well or about the presence of the Azimandian he had regarded as his enemy. Instead, he focused on those mismatched eyes as he pushed through the crowd of rebels that had already gathered ahead of him and who had been talking with them for a few minutes.

  Rav's fists clenched at his sides when he stopped merely inches in front of the man who had stabbed him in the back and nearly killed him. Despite the frigid winds whipping around them, both men stayed perfectly still and silent, their eyes doing their talking for them. It was a conversation that transcended any explanation, any outward emotions. Neither of them so much as blinked, the silence of the group only growing deeper below the howling of the wind and the light from the nearest star cascading in a blue haze like breathable water over them.

  Rav made the first move. Without a sound, he raised his fist and sent it slamming into Vance's jaw, knocking him off of his feet.

  Vance hit the pavement then sat up and rubbed his lip where bright blood bubbled to the surface. "I deserved that, mate. Nice hit." He stood to his feet and held his arms open. "Again. I deserve more than one."

  Rav drew back to swing again, but he stopped. Instead, he stepped closer and took his dearest friend in his arms. "I hate you. I hate you so much."

  "I know." Vance embraced him back. "You were right all along. I'm an idiot."

  "Shut up, Vance." He held onto his friend and breathed deeply of the scent he knew so well, the scent he had missed for so long. All t
he pain from being betrayed left him. Just having Vance back, the real Vance who was not overcome with power or addicted to those mind-altering chemicals and warbringer hormones, was all he needed. "Remy told me about what happened on Dualictum. She revealed herself to the others and told us a little about your plan. I know you weren't yourself when you said the things you did. I forgive you."

  "I don't deserve forgiveness, mate."

  Rav let him go then stepped back, holding him at arm's length. "But I'm giving it to you. The others aren't as eager to accept you back." He motioned behind him where Lucas, Kalimis, and Visht were holding laser rifles at the ready. "They want the truth, the whole truth. They deserve to know about your plan. I talked them into hearing you out before they put you in handcuffs and locked you away. Tell them. They're waiting."

  Vance took Ben's hand and squeezed it as he spoke. "I apologize to all of you for my behavior these past two years. Please know that everything I've done, aside from my mistake with the warbringer hormones, was part of a plan to end this war once and for all. From Camille's ship being taken over and the Red Sand Rebels being taken prisoner, to the events on Earth, to me and Slayven being left on Dualictum, I have had a plan the entire time. I lied. I stole. I hid things from people and from myself. But know that I had to do everything I've done in order to get both Azimandia and Elysia to want me dead."

  "What about the execution on Star-World Delta?" Kalimis asked. "We lost so many good people."

  "Yes, that was part of my plan, but it did not go the way I thought it would. I thought that everyone would agree to save their lives and join Tirlmayn, only for a bit. I would then free them in time. However, I underestimated the hatred some of our friends had towards the idea of being slaves. They were killed because of my oversight. I take full blame for that. I was able to arrange, with the help of the Azimandian Underground, the revitalization of two of our most valuable allies. Remy, who you have already met again, and Camille, who is currently working undercover for me on Elysia. We will be in contact with her shortly."

  "And this person on Odyssia's moon, the mystery man? Who is he?" Sandra asked.

  "I don't know his identity, but I have it on good authority that he is an ally. He wants to meet above ground with Rav in particular. I don't have any reason to suspect that this is a trap or an ambush."

  "What is your plan to end the war, then?" Lucas asked, already looking defeated. "Why did you have to put us all through this mess?"

  "All right, I will tell you, but only if this is a secure area."

  Sandra snapped at him. "It's secure. Get talking."

  "Right. The end of the war begins and ends with Odyssia. It's where my and Rav's story began and it's where it will come to a conclusion. Deep below the sludge pits, in the lowest levels of the planet's crust, there are maintenance elevators that have been abandoned for centuries. I sneaked away one night and made my way down as far as I could go. What I found was phenomenal. Miles below the surface, near the planet's core, there are twenty nuclear reactors, both Vitalanum and uranium. They were abandoned after the initial construction of the colony. However, they are all still very much alive and operating. The slightest earthquake or explosion positioned in the right place would set them all off."

  "So what does that have to do with ending the war? I don't get it."

  Vance nodded to her. "Using bait, we will lure both Elysia's military and the Azimandian warbringers who oppose me to Odyssia. Little will they know that deep below their feet, a team of specialized rebels will be hard at work overloading the computerized containment mechanisms that keep the abandoned reactors stable. The rebels on this special squad will cause the simultaneous meltdown of at least four reactors on the deepest levels that will then trigger a chain reaction. Odyssia has an unstable magma core with pockets of highly pressurized flammable material to begin with. I believe that the explosion resulting from the meltdown will be enough to destroy all of Odyssia and everything within its atmosphere. That will take out the main forces of both Elysia and Azimandia, leaving the capital of Elysia and Star-World Zero Alpha defenseless against our assassin teams who will already be in place to kill off Jonathan Brightman and Congress as well as the faction leaders of the warbringers. With significant losses to both sides, my good friend Tobias Desruisseaux will seize power on Elysia and Krisharn here will take the Azimandian throne. The end."

  The crowd of rebels was silent as their faces ranged from confusion to disbelief to eagerness.

  Sandra stomped her worn combat boots against the pavement as she paced back and forth with her hands clenched around her red suspenders. "I like your plan, I do, but what about Olonictu? They're the wild card in all this. They could pop up at any moment and destroy this."

  "I have made an alliance with the Hive Queen herself. We will have her full support as well as a contingent of hive warriors at our command to destroy any troops that are left behind on either Star-World Zero Alpha or on Elysia. We have gathered our allies. Now is the time to strike."

  "And what do you possibly have that will make both sides send their forces to Odyssia at the same time? What are you going to use as bait?" Sandra asked, her eyebrows raised.

  Vance placed his hand over his heart. "Me. Elysia wants me dead. After killing a priest and tearing apart any ideas of a peace treaty in the works, they want my head on a silver platter. Yes, Ben, I am sorry, but I was planning on killing your father in that restaurant before we even went back to AX-97. I knew he would be there at the same time as we were. I did that to ensure I pissed off the right people at the right time. As for Azimandia, they have plenty of reasons to want to get rid of the half breed who dared to kill his father and take over the throne. They don't know that it was me who killed Tirlmayn. I kept that information covered up so I could reveal it as soon as we needed it to be known. I have both triggers in my hands. I only need to squeeze them at a moment's notice to set this entire thing in motion. What do you say, Sandra? Kalimis? Slayven? Lucas? Dallis? Do you trust me?"

  "This is insane. It's madness." Sandra rubbed the 'R' tattoo on her forehead then stopped and looked up at Vance. "How do I know I can trust you?"

  "I brought Ben back. I haven't harmed him. I've done all I can to make up for my mistakes. I'm willing to die for this cause. Besides, what are you going to do without my plan? Sit here on this moon and mope about while children are being slaughtered on the front lines and while families on Darkshot are being firebombed? We're running out of time. The levies are under so much pressure. Why not blow them up before the flood waters overflow? We deal with the consequences of this plan, the potential dangers of our own people and the unavoidable mass civilian casualties on Odyssia, but we prevent millions and billions of more innocent people from being sacrificed for this never-ending war. We have the chance to end this. I'm not saying it's not a risk, but it's a risk I'm more than willing to take. Who's with me?"

  Sandra glanced behind her at the other rebels then shook her head and let out an exasperated laugh. "Of all the people I thought would be a genius, I never picked you, Vance Trainor. While I still don't believe that you could have possibly been planning this for over two years, I do see the validity of your claims. There is merit to this plan. And right now, it's the best plan we've got. But I'm not the one to give final authorization for this plan of action. You will have to ask the leader of the Red Sand Rebels."

  Everyone turned to Benjamin with waiting eyes.

  Ben's grey eyes grew wide behind his pink-rimmed glasses and he nervously ran his fingertips over the folds of his white turban. He cleared his throat and stood up straight. "I think . . . I think we need to take whatever chance we have to end this war. We will follow Vance's plan, but only if every single one of you agree. This will be dangerous and costly. I do not want anyone placing themselves in harm's way if they do not fully agree with this plan. That's why I'm calling a vote. Place your hand in the air if you agree to go along with this plan."

  Rav turned around to watch the votes
come in. To his surprise, every single hand went up. Then their attention turned to him.

  Vance's eyes met his again. "Rav, what is your vote? Do you trust me?"

  Did he trust him? Could he trust someone like him? Vance had lied to him, hurt him, attacked him, left him to die, betrayed him when he needed him most. He opened his mouth to decline, but the thought of Nemo being taken away and forced to die on an Elysian battlefield flashed through his mind. After what he had done to his son earlier that day, there was no way he could risk losing him. He would do whatever was necessary to ensure that Nemo would recover and grow up in a world without the fighting and the pain. More than anything else, Rav desired peace.

  Leah gave him a reassuring smile as she spoke softly to him. "Rav? What is your vote? It all depends on you. Don't feel pressured because we've agreed to this. You have every right to not agree with us. No one will judge you for that, especially not after the day you've had. No matter what you say, we will work to get Nemo running properly again and you will be given a chance to apologize. This has nothing to do with that. Don't feel compelled either way. Make sure you weigh your options."

  With a deep breath, Rav slowly raised his hand to stand in solidarity with the other Red Sand Rebels in front of him. "Let's end this war. Let's do this right. Let's do this for the children, for the families, for the innocents. You can do this for your own reasons. You can do it for revenge, for freedom, for the ones you've lost. But me? I'm doing this for the one who deserves peace the most. I'm doing this for Nemo."

  End of the War

  The Genesis Sequence

  Book Ten

  Chapter 1

  Benjamin Trainor stood at the front of the conference room where the other Red Sand Rebels were gathered around the four long metal tables, awaiting the announcement he had called them all there for. They had stopped at a neutral human refueling outpost at a central location to get supplies and for everyone to head out to their assigned destinations. He glanced behind him at the wall of screens with everyone's names glowing in the movable slots to be placed where they were assigned for the battles to come.