by T S Paul
~~~~
Onboard the Vindex Admiral Kane watched her plots carefully. This system was a complete unknown to her. They were one of the last planets in this sector of space to join the old Empire. Her fleet records were incomplete and only showed the resupply base.
“Admiral!”
“Yes, Captain Moore?”
“Ma’am, we have just been lased by a communication laser. We have the following message from the planet.”
“Put it on screen.”
The vid screen lit up with the head and torso of a man dressed in a military uniform of some kind. He had very pale skin and almost white hair. “This message is for the fleet that just entered the system. Identify yourselves or prepare to be destroyed.”
Emily stared at the screen. “Hmm, that's a bit ambitious of them don’t you think? Contact them for me, please...”
Chapter 5
It was dark on Capital planet. But a thousand fires illuminated the night. Occasionally bright sparks and flashes of light popped into the dark sky as underground storage tanks caught fire. The grand city was a total loss. The bright lights of the landing field drew refugees and survivors like moths to the flame. The winding columns of humans searching for help and relief poured right into the hands of the waiting Zeta’s and their extermination camps.
Alpha 222 stood at the entrance to the newly constructed Command Center. It was inside the former Imperial Spaceport. Gazing out the empty windows he could see the bright lights of the Zeta camp. From here you could almost hear the screams. Smiling, he turned and stepped into the room. Gammas and Betas hunched over computer consoles. A lone Delta stood in front of a massive battle plot tracking troop movements; a Theta stood beside him pointing at the screen. The Alpha ignored all the other clones and focused on the Delta.
“Delta 2955, do you have anything to report?”
“Sir. Our troops have run into resistance here and here.” He was pointing to the hilly and mountainous regions. “There was a training facility and an equipment depot at those locations. Our initial bombardment missed them. Don’t blame the Epsilons as those locations were not included in the data dump from the Cabal. Either they forgot to add them or thought them unimportant. I believe it is the latter. Regardless, those two locations have become central to the resistance.”
Alpha 222 studied the two locations. “Send a message to the Fleet. Use my authorization and schedule kinetic strikes for those two locations. I would suggest placing troops here and here to catch those who flee.” He pointed to the two passes through the mountain ranges.
“It will be done as you instructed.” The Delta commander stepped over to one of the Beta consoles. The shiny bulbous head of the Beta flashed in the light as he nodded and began issuing the orders.
The Alpha looked at the Theta clone. “How go your operations?”
Theta 100 glanced up at his commander. “Sir. The operation goes well. We have already processed three-hundred thousand of the cities refugees. We have begun construction of three more centers. Another one nearby; one in the mountain region to assist the Delta’s; and the third near the industrial complex.”
“Excellent. What of the intelligence gathering operation?”
“The civilian population are sheep. They follow but have little ability to understand how their government even works. It’s fascinating really. How can a people not understand the workings of their own government? As this was the governmental center, we are finding a low percentage of trained military. Cadets and retired officers are turning up.”
“Do not use the cadets for breeding stock! You will only foment revolution and strife.”
“On that we agree. All military are drained then exterminated. We have the last war on Earth to use as an example of how far we can trust these humans.”
The Alpha glanced at the Zeta sharply. He tended to forget that the Zetas took part in that conflict. “What did they do?”
The Zeta answered eagerly. “As you may already know the conflict was over control. The human leaders of the Program wished to remain in charge, and the clone program itself was in its infancy. The Program wished for the Gen-mods to take the place of its creators and run control on all operations. The humans rebelled. The Gen-mods were split down the middle as to who should rule. As the war raged, the treacherous humans began to lose. As their deaths approached, they took a scorched earth approach to warfare: if they couldn’t have it no one would. Our industrial nodes burned along with all educational resources. It was years before we could regain any terrestrial industry. Only our space-based industry survived.”
The Alpha nodded his head thoughtfully. Asking questions of the Council of Ten was not encouraged, leaving gaps in his knowledge. Hearing about this history first hand was a bonus.
“After the dust settled, the decision was made to eliminate humans as a race. A breeding stock was retained. This was not for their sake but as raw material for the Thetas. Sometimes new genes are needed to improve our lines. We have already found enough to use here.”
“Keep up the good work. If you or your commander need something let me know. Before we start construction of the new Theta facilities, we need to eliminate all threats.”
The Alpha stepped over to one of the Beta’s and passed a message on to the fleet. He then stepped back outside. For some reason he enjoyed watching the Zetas at work.
~~~~~
Miguel 009 woke in pain. He looked around at his cell and groaned in dismay. For just a moment he had thought it was all a dream. His hands and feet were chained to the wall. He shouldn’t have tried to run. If he had stayed maybe he could have thrown the invaders off the planet. Damn them all! Why was the Program doing this to him?
“Are you awake, little Gen-Mod? We see movement in there.” There was that voice again. The clones that captured him as he boarded his ship were all of one kind. This clone was not the same as them.
“Look to the screen, little Gen-Mod. See what your treachery has reaped.” The vid set into the wall lit up showing the city he had just left being destroyed in a massive nuclear explosion.
“The extermination has begun, soon only we will rule your planet.”
Miguel shouted at the walls. “Why? I’ve been a loyal servant!”
“But whose servant? That is the question you should be asking. The Council of Ten have requested your presence before them. When the Program calls, you answer.”
“I met with them. They gave me this assignment. I built the Cabal under their orders. Why kill my people?”
The screen went dark and so did the cell. Miguel sat in the dark wondering what he had done wrong to deserve what was happening to him.
~~~~
Hong Kong was in the midst of a widespread mobilization. They were preparing for war for the first time in over twenty years. For the Militia it was an all hands on deck effort. Recruitment was up as the masses joined the war effort. Farmers were laying in increased crops and construction was booming. This sleepy farm planet wasn’t sleeping anymore.
Minerva Lee was on board the newest flagship in Hong Kong’s Navy for an inspection tour when the news came in.
“Minerva I have bad news to report.” The voice came from below. Merlin the CATT was staring up at her. She still wasn’t used to having him actually talk to her. Sometimes she wished that Katie had never suggested the speakers.
Looking around at the other officers and minor dignitaries she asked. “Is it something I need to keep private?”
The CATT nodded, adding. “Mostly. They will need to be informed. Maybe a conference room?”
She looked around the reception room for a moment. “If I may have everyone's attention, please? I need all officers over the rank of lieutenant and any planetary Senate members to come to the main conference room please.”
The attendees just stood there goggling at her for a moment. Using her command voice she barked. “Now!”
Leading the group, she entered the large room and sat down. “I’m sorry to pu
ll everyone from the party, but I was told this was urgent. Merlin?”
The large CATT shed his disguise and jumped up on the table. Many in the room were used to seeing the CATTs around the station, on ships, or in the cities. Very few ever saw them in their natural metallic state. The vid conference screens silently descended from the ceiling and locked into place along the walls. His voice magnified by the room's acoustics, Merlin began to speak. “The progenitor, my creator, has passed a message on to you from Mars. A large Earth fleet of over nine-hundred vessels has entered Imperial space. They were welcomed by the Cabal leaders with open arms.” The vid screen lit up and showed images of the fleet in the Capital System.
“But the Earthies immediately double-crossed the Cabal and attacked the planet.” The screen images changed to one of fighters of an unknown design attacking military bases and shooting down civilians.
“Capital City was nuked from orbit with an extremely large yield weapon.” The audience watched in horrified fascination as the city was consumed in a massive fireball. Earth ships could be seen offloading armored vehicles and large masses of troops in other pictures.
“The planet is lost. Civilian and military survivors are being rounded up and exterminated.”
Minerva stared in shock at the destruction playing on the screen. She looked at the CATT. “Merlin, what about the Cabal’s fleet and the Space station?”
The images changed to internal scenes of corridors and stairwells. Black-clad troops were everywhere killing unarmed humans. In many cases they were extremely brutal, beating helpless people to death. The scene switched to the command deck. There was thankfully no sound but Minerva watched as everyone was killed.
“The Fleet suffered the same fate. The Cabal ordered them to prepare for visitors and instead they got commandos.”
“Merlin, did Wilson say when this happened?”
“It has been less than twenty-four hours since the fleet appeared. They are in complete control of the planet now.”
“Thank you.” Merlin resumed his camouflaged appearance and jumped down to the floor. With considerable understatement she added, “We appear to have a problem.”
The room burst into shouting and confusion.
Chapter 6
Take a group of politicians, stick them in a room and show them something Top Secret. Someone will leak it. It happens that way every time. Twenty-four hours was all it took before newsies were pounding on Minerva’s door. Not literally of course. That was one thing large Militia members were good for, crowd control. The images they had were second-hand ones from the Secretary of the Interior, the former Secretary. He was out on the street and being investigated by military intelligence for espionage as soon as he sold them. But the damage was already done. Cries of genocide echoed across the planet and soon the galaxy at large. Outrage was building and the Hong Kong Assembly was torn at what was to be done. Who exactly was the enemy here?
“Damn it Major Lee we have to do something!”
“Do what Governor? Technically, we are already at war with them! We declared war on them for the unprovoked attack by Commodore Vakulinchuk and the destruction of the James Cook by the combined Imperial and Earth Fleets. They tried to kill both my sister and I. Dad died in an assassination attempt on you. The Cabal is reaping what they sowed.” The Governor winced at my classic farmer pun. “Cry me a river, Roy! I don’t care about the Cabal. Yes, there are innocents on that planet. Many of them came from here. I know you haven’t forgotten the several thousand we shipped to them just last year? Can I help them? No. I can’t. Our fleet is two light carriers, an untested new battle cruiser, and a few destroyers. All of them are older first or second Interstellar war models. We have modern fighters but the Earth fleet numbers in the hundreds! Even with Mars and New Texas’s help we are severely outnumbered. Tell me what you want me to do?”
The Governor hung his head. “Minerva. I care for you like a daughter. You have to see that the pressure for me to do something is building.”
“Roy, I know. But we would be throwing the lives of our people away for nothing. What happens to our planet after our fleet is destroyed? We would be next for that horror. I would not be able to live with myself if that happens. We are working to find a solution, OK? My sister is conferring with Mars and New Texas over the same thing. Some of our neighbors might be able to assist too, but we are on our own here.”
“I’m sorry Min. I really am.”
“Roy, we warned you that something like this was coming a year ago. We shared the intel with you that our clone prisoners told us. We will do what we can.”
Minerva watched her father’s oldest friend leave. She really wished they could just go charging in and do something. Unfortunately that would just get them all killed. She sat back down at her desk and laid her head down for a moment. It was just too hard running the entire military by herself. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes and stared out the rare window in her office. The artificial spin of Freedom station brought the Fooey Shipyard into view. Gods what a stupid name that was! That is what happens when naming is left up to schoolchildren. Her sister told her that Wilson laughed when he heard the name. Something about a song. When she asked about it he told her he hoped that Chief Engineer Tad was a super guy if he was going to work there. She asked Merlin the same thing, and he laughed at her. Speaking of Merlin.
“Merlin, has your boss heard from his contact on the Capitol Station?”
The large CATT sat up from the chair he was lying on and stared at her. Sometimes he looked and acted just like a normal cat. “Is there something you wish to know?”
“What are the Earthies doing? Are they making any attempt to leave the system?”
“Not yet. They have landed all of their troops and scientists. There are some resistance forces still fighting them but the Earth ships are using kinetic strikes to stop them. The domination of the planet is almost complete. Some of the industrial facilities were damaged in the fighting. At the moment we are unsure how much that will upset the plans of the Clone leader. As you know Earth is technologically inferior to us at the moment. With the resources the Cabal had they might be unstoppable. Wilson and your sister are working on the problem with Amalie.”
“I hate to ask this, but have him send more vid footage from the invasion and of the camps. I need to make those idiots down there understand this upcoming war.”
The CATT bowed his head at her and went back to pretending to clean himself. Minerva closed her eyes and said a prayer for the needless deaths. “Merlin, is there a priest on the station?”
He opened his eyes just a slit. “Yes, Father Kluski is performing a wedding in the chapel tomorrow. He is staying in the chapel quarters section.”
“Thank you.” She stood up from her chair and stepped out of her office. Merlin was right on her heels. He was one of her bodyguards after all. The other guards fell in line as she passed through the office.
The Chapel on Freedom Station was a new addition. It was built where the former Mile High Club had been located. The panoramic views of the system were still there but interspersed with stained glass representations of the Gods. It was very beautiful. No one religion used it exclusively. The Neodruids preferred to use their groves but occasionally held services here. Father Kluski was a regular visitor. The Pastafarians on board the Station enjoyed his services.
Faint music was playing in the background as Minerva entered the chapel. Wedding decorations covered the pews. Someone was going all out. “Father Kluski?”
The portly man emerged from behind the altar with a smile on his face. Minerva explained her issue and quietly asked for forgiveness and asked for a blessing. She was not a strong believer, but just being heard was enough. As she stood to leave Father Kluski tossed a handful of noodles at her and cried “Ramen!”
The CATT looked at her funny as they walked back to the office. “Did that make you feel better?”
“Surprisingly it did. His only advice however was to travel to
the Factory shrine and ask for absolution.”
The CATT giggled. Minerva stopped suddenly and stared at the Robot. One of her human bodyguards almost crashed into her. “You have to explain this time. Why do you find that funny?”
If a CATT could make a shrugging motion, that was what he made. “In your office please.”
“Fine.”
Back in her office she confronted the CATT again. He chuckled and told her a story about a practical joke gone wrong.
Her office staff just stared at the door as howls of laughter could be heard from the office of the commander.
