Steven Gordon 3: The Modloch Empire

by J W Murison

  ‘Go ahead.’

  ‘I think I may well have found a solution to the problems they are having.’ He hesitated for a second, ‘The one with the banks. I’m not sure what to do next. I have a good idea, but I want to talk to him about it, and discuss the implications.’

  ‘I will pass it on,’ Howe nodded.

  ‘Thank you gentlemen.’

  He was about to turn away when Beaver stopped him.

  ‘Sergeant, a bit of advice.’

  ‘Yes sir?’

  ‘You are far too regimented for your own good. One of the first things the Captain told us when we came on board was that if we saw a job that needed doing, then do it. It is as simple as that. As long as you let him know somewhere along the way what you are up to. In my experience, if it is to the benefit of the crew, or the ship, then there will be no problem.’

  Charlie looked from one to the other and nodded. ‘I will bear that in mind sir.’

  They watched him walk away. Beaver shook his head, ‘Like a fish out of water. If no one tells him what to do he’s lost.’

  ‘Give him a break Beaver, he is just a grunt. You know what it’s like. Give him time. You never know, he might become more than the sum of all his parts.’

  ‘He is a nice guy and a great soldier sir, but I think he has been a grunt far too long. Completely regimented, unable to think for himself. He hasn’t done a thing since joining the crew. Nothing other than what he has been told to do. It ain’t really enough.’

  ‘Maybe he doesn’t really need to do anything other than what he has been ordered to do. With all these youngsters on board, there is no real slack to pick up. Not like when we first arrived. The Captain sees something in him, so maybe we should give him a chance.’

  ‘He is the Captain’s childhood friend,’ Beaver shrugged. ‘Figures he owes him something.’

  Howe shook his head, ‘No: he was smart enough to realise that Orlath was something different, and the danger they were about to place him in. It was Charlie who set the whole ball rolling. Let’s not forget that he paid for it as well.’

  ‘That’s true. They say there is very little left of him.’

  ‘Not much more than his internal organs. I believe. No one is really saying all that much about it.’

  ‘You going to tell the Captain?’

  ‘Oh hell no. Let’s see if the Sergeant can begin to pull his own weight around here.’

  ‘Sounds good to me.’ Beaver agreed.

  Charlie returned to his bunk more than a little confused. Even a lengthy argument with Babes did no good. He felt like he was on a precipice, and felt the truth in Beaver’s words. He was swimming outside his own element. If he had been out in the field, in barracks, or even on a battlefield, Charlie knew he could trust his instincts to make the right decision. Twenty years of continuous training and fighting gave him that confidence. But this was no battlefield that he recognized, this was the kind of thing that even his own officers would know little about. He was smart enough to realise that it was his mind reading abilities that had prompted Steven to make the decision he had. Obviously what was happening now in the higher echelons was top secret and Steven felt a responsibility to that. Charlie knew it wouldn’t take much for him to find out those secrets, but he respected Steven’s decision.

  He took out an old jotter he was once going to use to write out lesson plans for his NCOs. He made a number of careful lists: what he knew, and what he didn’t know. The what he knew list was almost blank. From there he went up to one of the briefing rooms. They had the computers and information systems he required. It didn’t take him long to hit a blank.

  ‘Babes.’

  ‘Yes Charlie.’

  ‘Do the Modloch have internet, and can you plug into it?’

  ‘They do have something similar.’

  He read out a list of the laws he needed and quickly discovered that he would need a copy of the same laws from Earth. He felt a headache coming on but stuck with it. It would take two days for the information to arrive from Earth. That would give him time to go through both the Modloch and universal laws. Babes helped him understand the legal jargon from both worlds and the galactic laws. He also had Babes search through her musical database for anything that sounded similar to Modloch music.

  Her analysis was very quick. In reality there was very little commonality between the two cultures. However, the Modloch were very fond of woodwind type instruments. They had instruments that sounded very similar to the clarinet, obo and bassoon. It gave Charlie an idea.

  ‘Babes, do you have any Glen Miller on board? Nineteen-forty, the big band era.’

  ‘Not much Charlie, but I know Sergeant Kelly has a large personal collection.’

  ‘Where is he just now?’

  ‘He is on board the freighter Lexington, training a new detachment of marines.’

  ‘Could you ask if I can go talk to him please?’

  He didn’t have long to wait for a reply. ‘He says yes, no problem, but if you do come then come in working dress.’

  Charlie sighed, ‘Did you tell him I needed a favour?’

  ‘Yes, but not what it was.’

  Charlie dug out a clean uniform, ‘It looks like he wants a favour back.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Well if he had said uniform, I would have put on our pretty blue one, but Kelly has been around us Brits long enough to know what we mean by working dress. That would be combat boots and Denims.’

  Once Charlie was dressed she beamed him over to the freighter’s reception area. He was welcomed aboard and taken to see Kelly. The freighter had been converted into a training ground; it was an instructor’s dream. There was even a full assault course on board the large ship.

  They shook hands and Charlie’s escort left.

  ‘Hey Sarge.’

  ‘Nice to see you Charlie,’ he grinned, ‘I see you got the message.’

  ‘Yup.’

  ‘Hear you want a favour?’

  ‘I hear you have a shit load of big band music. I want to borrow it.’

  ‘What for?’

  ‘Have you heard the fleet’s in trouble? They won’t let us open any bank accounts, won’t accept our gold or anything else and we are strapped for cash.’

  Kelly nodded, ‘You know how it is Charlie, shit flows downhill at the same rate as bad news. These marines call it scuttlebutt. They reckon the brass are running round in circles chasing their tails.’

  ‘That’s about the measure of it.’

  ‘You been taken off guard duty?’

  ‘Yup, Howe and Beaver have the duty now.’

  ‘Must be serious then. What do you think?’

  ‘There’s a couple of options. If the whole fleet bolted for the barrier we could leave the Modloch standing. If we managed to avoid conflict on the way out then we should be home and dry.’

  Kelly shook his head, ‘Yeah that might work for the battle fleet. We have the same craft, and if we get even a twenty minute head start then we will beat them to the barrier. But not with these freighters. They will slow us down and the Modloch will be able to catch us with ease.’

  ‘That’s why I said there was a couple of options. The first is to leave the freighters and the second is to take them with us.’

  Kelly took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘If we take them, how would we get away?’

  ‘There is only one way if the brass thinks they won’t let us go peacefully.’

  ‘Hit them first.’

  Charlie nodded, ‘Exactly.’

  ‘Shit! It would be like Pearl Harbor all over again, only this time we would be the Japs.’

  ‘Couldn’t have put that better myself, and look how that turned out.’

  ‘Yah ain’t shitting.’

  ‘There are a lot of parallels Sarge.’

  ‘I see it, but could they chase us across the barrier?’

  ‘Remember the Ambassador.’

  ‘Yeah, they have a whole da
mn planet of Modloch that could chase us all the way home. A few months to train them and we would be up to our armpits in blood again.’

  ‘That’s the way I see it.’

  ‘Do you think they will do it?’

  ‘All their plans are being put down on paper. Eyes only. In the event of a crisis point being reached, all captains will receive their orders in written form and by hand. That’s as much as I know.’

  ‘It ain’t looking good. Is there another option?’

  ‘That’s what I am exploring now.’

  ‘On your own!’

  ‘Yup, no bugger will listen to me Sarge.’

  ‘So what are you doing?’

  Charlie explained it to him as best he could. Kelly thought it over before replying. ‘I don’t know Charlie, it sounds a bit thin.’

  ‘I know, but what the hell.’

  ‘You can have the music.’ He grinned, ‘But I want a favour.’

  ‘Aye, I thought as much. What is it?’

  ‘I want you to show these bloody marines how an infantry soldier can handle an assault course.’

  Charlie laughed, ‘Is that fair?’

  ‘Don’t whop them too badly.’

  ‘Aye OK. Just enough to shred their dignity and make them beast themselves half to death.’

  Kelly laughed, ‘That should just about do it

  ‘Let’s get it on then.’

  Kelly stepped forward and began to scream commands. Men rushed from all over the assault course to join them. They lined up in ranks before the two sergeants.

  ‘I have never seen such a pathetic bunch of assholes in all my days. I wouldn’t have you in the infantry.’ He stalked up and down. Some he noticed were throwing curious glances at Charlie. He smiled, ‘Today I have decided to give you all a little demonstration as to how it should be done. The man you are eyeballing is a sergeant from an infantry regiment. A Scottish infantry regiment. He was one of the first men on the city ship during the assault and was our guide up to our forming up point. We met on the beachhead. He showed us how to gain entry and then led half of my platoon in an assault to out flank a heavily defended enemy position. The men he fought alongside said they would fight by his side anytime. There can be no greater accolade for any fighting man from other fighting men.

  ‘You pukes think you are the best of the best. You think you are better than the infantry soldier. You look down your noses at the infantry soldier. You do so because the people who instruct you also look down their noses at the infantry soldier.

  ‘Because you passed basic training back on Earth you believe you now belong to a brotherhood of heroes: go getting, ball kicking hard asses that believe that they are at the top of the fucking fighting tree. You are not. The infantry is.’

  That brought forth a roar of good-natured derision from the assembled men that made both sergeants smile.

  ‘You don’t agree?’

  ‘Sir No Sir!’ they cried out in unison.

  ‘I see, a bunch of disbelievers. Today I will prove to you that you most certainly are not at the top of the fighting tree. You are specialists who should stick to the bloody jobs that you were created to undertake and leave the bulk of the fighting to the real men in the infantry.’

  They replied with a roar. Now they were fired up he turned to Charlie. ‘Sergeant Murison, do you fancy showing these boys how to take an assault course?’

  Charlie stepped forward, and looked the assault course over. ‘That’s hardly fair Sarge. They are a bit green behind the ears yet. It would be a bit like giving a child a spanking.’

  They roared their objection. ‘They would seem to disagree with you.’

  Charlie shrugged, ‘In that case, the six fastest step forward if you think you can beat me.’

  Kelly burst out laughing as they all stepped forward. ‘Just the six fastest.’ He looked down at a tablet and read out the six fastest times over the assault course and the names of the men who achieved them.

  They stepped forward. ‘Sir, the infantry sergeant has no equipment sir.’

  ‘What’s all this “sir”, “sir”, shit?’ Charlie asked.

  Kelly shrugged, ‘Some kind of hang up from the island. I gave up trying to correct them. Want to pick some equipment Charlie?’

  ‘Aye OK.’ Charlie picked a man about his size. The man handed over his webbing and Charlie made a few adjustments. ‘I tell you what, to make it a bit fairer, I will take the section weapon. Oh and the rest of you take your equipment off. Feel free to strip down to your t-shirts.’

  They howled with laughter. ‘Shut the hell up,’ Kelly ordered, ‘do you actually think he is joking?’ The laughter began to die.

  Charlie took off his bonnet and shoved it inside his combat jacket. ‘I can assure you gentlemen, I am not joking.’

  Kelly point to one individual, ‘Asswipe, give the sergeant that M60.’

  The man stepped forward and tried to hand the weapon to Charlie. Charlie growled, ‘What the fuck do you think you are doing Soldier? Were you so badly fucking trained that you don’t know how to present a weapon to a senior NCO?’

  Kelly stepped in, ‘Clear that fucking weapon asshole or I will shove it so far up your ass you will have to squeeze the trigger with your dick.’

  The marine took a step back, ‘Yes sir, sorry sir.’

  Kelly stepped back and addressed the six men, ‘Strip to your t-shirts.’ They obeyed but looked confused.

  The marine cleared the weapon and Charlie checked it was clear. The M60 was handed over. Charlie adjusted the sling.

  ‘OK, I’m ready.’

  ‘Would you like to take a walk round the course first Charlie?’

  ‘No that’s OK, it looks fairly standard.’

  ‘OK line up,’ Kelly roared. ‘Charlie take the left hand lane.’

  They lined up in their lanes. The marines were fairly cocky and began to shout their encouragement to their friends.

  ‘Get ready, go.’

  Charlie went over the first obstacle neck and neck with the fastest of them. He stayed there until they were under the barbed wire entanglement. At the six foot wall he simply vaulted over it and got a short lead of about a meter. At the twelve foot wall he swung wide and then seemed to run up and over the wall.

  There were shouts of disbelief from the watching marines as their comrades reached the wall and began to help each other across. By the time the first hit the ground Charlie had a good ten meter lead and slowly began to increase it. The men screamed their encouragement, but about halfway round it began to peter out.

  Charlie went up and over the cargo nets, high walks and rope bridge, then over the six and nine foot leaps as though they were two. The last hundred meters was supposed to be a sprint but Charlie was so far in front he merely trotted to the finish line.

  It was all Kelly could do not to burst out laughing at the looks on the marine’s faces. ‘How was it Charlie?’

  ‘It’s actually quite a nice course. Half a dozen times round should build you up a nice sweat.’ He cleared the M60 and handed it over to the slack jawed marine.

  The first of them came in gasping for air and collapsed in a heap. The rest weren’t far behind. Charlie, who hadn’t even broken a sweat, sniffed loudly at the sight. ‘Are you sure they are fully trained Sarge?’

  ‘That’s what they told me,’ Kelly mused with a sigh.

  Charlie put his bonnet back on and took off the webbing, ‘I don’t know. I expected to beat them, but not by so much. Your guys were in much better shape.’

  Kelly shrugged, ‘These guys aren’t infantry Charlie.’

  ‘Aye that’s true. Still I think you need to bring the standard up a bit.’

  ‘Yup, I reckon so. Want to help?’

  Charlie’s head came up, ‘Love to. Let me get this little job done first and I will be right with you.’

  ‘Great. I will tell Babes to give you access to my room, so you can get those CDs.’

  They shook hands and Charlie left. Kelly
turned back to the despondent marines. They had all managed to get back to their feet. He shook his head sadly, ‘Anyone here still think they don’t need any more training.’ There was silence. ‘OK, any of you fellas fancy another crack at the assault course?’

  There was a great roar from the assembled men. Kelly lined them up and set them off with a smile. Motivation was a great thing and so much easier than screaming at the top of your lungs all day.

  CHAPTER 14

  Steven folded the latest set of plans up with a groan. Komoru, seeing he was finished, got up and placed the next set in front of him. Alongside she laid a set of notes she had taken.

  Steven looked through the notes first, ‘You believe this one is unworkable?’

  ‘Yes I do. It is far too complicated to work.’

  He just wanted to sign the plans and send them back but knew Komoru wouldn’t allow him to. She had taken much of the burden off his shoulders by looking over the plans first and making notes. He ploughed into the documents. An hour later they joined the growing pile with the recommendation that the plan be destroyed. Komoru had been correct.

  She laid another in front of him. ‘No, I’m sorry, I need a break. Why do you look so fresh?’

  She smiled, ‘I find the process invigorating, don’t you?’

  ‘No. I find it depressing.’

  She shook her head, ‘Steven, you are looking at this with your heart. You must stop. There is a chance none of these plans will come to fruition.’

  ‘I am sorry, I just can’t seem to detach myself. How do you do it?’

  ‘Years of abuse and ridicule for agreeing with the scientific papers of a fourteen year old boy.’

  ‘Ah! I see. Was it really that bad?’

  ‘They were vicious and vile. Now, of course, they are all on board. You would think that... what is that British saying? Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths?’