Minerva: An Alicia Jones Novel 06

by D. L. Harrison

  He squeezed my hand and said seriously, “I love you, I can’t even imagine what you’re going through, but I’m here.”

  “I love you too, I’m just dreading this.”

  I sighed, and we left the ship and tracked down everyone. Maybe I was a coward, but I wanted everyone’s opinion of my plan. I also needed to give them a chance to go home, or decide to stay here. Joe and Kristi had been onboard with my plan, but only because they’d anticipated being able to return home eventually when things calmed down, at least to visit.

  Now… no one would be visiting, Earth would be quarantined. Their fifteen colonies would be waiting for them when they were allowed back out again. I sent them all messages, and not just Kristi and Joe, but my and Bill’s parents, and Tina. I also included Nadia, Karen, Caroline, and the other remaining Earth scientist on the station, Ken Brooks. In short, all the humans on this station.

  I smiled faintly when they’d all arrived, and took the next half hour to explain everything that happened and what was going on. And to give them a choice, make a home here, or go back to Earth, tonight.

  Caroline frowned, “Can’t you make them go easier on Earth?”

  I sighed, “Sure, I could also rule the galaxy. No thanks. Quarantining Earth will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I won’t become a power mad ruler and start making demands of the galaxy. Did you miss the part where Earth tried to kill the scientists and families from over thirty worlds, just to get me?”

  She sighed and looked sheepish. “I suppose I’ll stay.”

  Ken said, “I’m staying too, my work is important to me, and I’ve made a lot of progress. I assume I can still talk to people on earth, and give them my findings along with the other worlds?”

  I nodded, “Sure, that shouldn’t be a problem. The quarantine doesn’t include communications.”

  Tina shrugged, “I’m staying too,” and she gave Ken a surreptitious look.

  I frowned, Ken was single from what I remembered. I’d had no idea my sister had even met the guy, but it looked like they had something going. To be fair to myself, I’d been fairly distracted with Bill of late, being newly married and all.

  My parents shrugged and my father said, “We’ll stay. Especially if you’ll let us borrow a shuttle and take a second honeymoon. We can find new jobs here, or even on another world. There’s no point in going home if our two daughters are here.”

  I smiled, and turned to Bill’s parents.

  One by one they all said they’d stay. Nadia, Karen, Kristi, Joe, and Bill’s parents. It was an overwhelming moment for me, I knew they weren’t just staying for me, but for a vision we all shared.

  “Thanks everyone, Nadia, Karen, Kristi, and Joe, can you stay a minute?”

  The rest of them left at that point, and I went over my plan. No one seemed to think Earth would back down, but a few of them agreed that was probably the best way for a chance to make it happen.

  It wouldn’t be long before I found out. With six hours or so to go, Bill and I went back to our suite and had dinner. Then we made love with a desperate edge. I wasn’t afraid that I’d die on the upcoming mission, but I was afraid that a part of me would die, and I’d never be the same again…

  Chapter Nineteen

  It was Bill, Nadia, and myself when we left the station five hours later.

  Kristi stayed behind to run things, and I was glad.

  I didn’t want her to go through what I was about to. It was enough that she supported my decision and would have come.

  Nadia had insisted on coming, or I’d have left her behind too, but she was convinced she might be able to make a difference during the talking part. There was a human saying, those who fight and run away live to fight another day. I hoped Admiral Abramov took that to heart once he saw they didn’t have a chance. I hoped that he wouldn’t just throw soldiers away for no reason.

  We were all meeting up a few light years from Earth, the worlds would use my wormhole taxis to get there at the appointed time. I felt a bit like I had no control, as if I was on a runaway train and I had no idea how to switch tracks. I could arbitrarily decide, demand a lesser sentence for the world I loved, the world I called my own, until I was disinherited by its leadership, but that would make me just as bad if not worse than the president.

  Ironically, humans had taught me that integrity, which seemed to be lost on the rest of my family on Knomen, and the leaders of my adopted planet. What worried me the most, was that there might have been a way out of it, one I didn’t see because a part of me, very deep down, was happy that the people hunting me were about to get their comeuppance.

  What’s the saying? I’m only human after all.

  We took the ship to the rendezvous point and waited…

  “Nadia, Bill, can either of you see a way around this, that the other worlds will accept?”

  Bill shook his head, but Nadia seemed to be truly thinking it through.

  After a minute or so, she said, “Maybe. If the…” she cut off with a confused look on her face when I raised my hand.

  “Let’s only hear it once, we don’t have a lot of time before they get here. Al, get Dral on the line.”

  I explained, “If Dral goes for it, most likely the rest will.”

  Nadia smiled faintly, “I wouldn’t get my hopes up, I don’t think they’d agree.”

  Al said, “Dral in three, two, one…”

  “Hello Dral, might we speak with you a moment?”

  Dral replied, “I will hear your words.”

  I almost smiled at his as usual, interesting turn of phrase.

  “This is Nadia, she is my… advisor on things. I would ask that you listen to her words, and if her idea has merit and satisfies honor, that you consider it. If honor would not be satisfied, we’ll proceed with the plan as specified with no further debate.”

  Nadia cursed under her breath and said, “No pressure or anything Alicia.”

  I smothered a giggle, which made her glare harder.

  “Very well,” Dral said slowly.

  Nadia looked thoughtful a moment, “Earth is young, perhaps too young and too split to be trusted, yet it was only four dishonorable people who gave the orders for the unfortunate events at Minerva. I would suggest perhaps a compromise, if they agree, so the whole planet is not punished for the few.

  “One, that those four leaders will immediately renounce their office, and submit to an off world criminal trial. Two, that no Earth warships will leave the solar systems of Earth and its colonies for a period of fifty years. Three, all Earth based stealth technologies will be discontinued except the sensor net, and all offensive stealth ships will be immediately destroyed. Four, which ties into two, unarmed Earth ships may engage in trade at a penalty, and travel freely. Five, the Earth will voluntarily pull out of the treaty for fifty years.”

  She took a deep breath, “If they say no to any of those demands right now, we go forward as planned. If they violate any of those demands over the next fifty years, we go back to plan A, which is to remove humans from space.”

  Dral turned to me thoughtfully and asked, “Do you believe that to be sufficient?”

  I considered my answer and said, “Maybe, but only because they can be watched. I admit I feel stirrings of loyalty to my old world and people, if not the fools that run it. I don’t believe I can judge impartially, which is why I will defer to your decision and sense of honor.”

  A part of me thought that was wise, another part thought I was being a coward and trying to wash the blood off my hands before any blows were even struck. It did sound fair to me, but would it be setting a dangerous precedent? The threat of being removed from space is what kept the peace after all, if the races started to believe they could talk their way out of it, or just throw a few people to the wolves, it would snowball. Did I have the right to risk worse in the future for a lesser penalty for Earth now?

  I was too emotionally involved to see it clearly, I was right the first time, it was wise to let
Dral and his impeccable sense of justice and honor decide.

  Dral crossed his arms, all four of them, “No warships. There must be a bite to the penalty to assuage their treachery, and the fact that they cannot be trusted. Their military must learn how to think for themselves, and not blindly follow corrupt and dishonorable orders from their supposed leaders. So Nadia’s words, except for the second, which should read all Earth warships shall be destroyed.”

  Nadia blew out a breath, and nodded.

  Dral grunted, “I will pass on our words to the rest of the worlds, we will know soon if they agree.”

  The transmission was cut off from his side.

  I had serious doubts Earth would comply, especially because of number one. A world leader taking personal responsibility? That… would be a miracle. Four of them doing so at once? No doubt a sign of the imminent apocalypse.

  Nadia sighed and echoed my own thoughts.

  “You know that they’ll never do it, the leadership of Earth I mean. Not even if we prove beyond a doubt we could win. They’d no doubt rather rule over a quarantined world than give up their own power for the benefit of the population, and all those new businesses that will go under. Not to mention all the people that are preparing to start a colony. They’ll be between seventy and a hundred by the time that fifty years passes.”

  I nodded reluctantly in agreement and asked, “Then why make the offer?”

  She shrugged, “To soothe your conscious, and mine. Because we should make sure that what we are about to do was the last resort, and something they themselves must take the blame for. They have this coming, and there’s nothing either of us can do to stop it.”

  “Yeah, I get that.”

  Most depressing honeymoon, ever…

  Chapter Twenty

  Al said, “Several civilian ships have been detected leaving Earth’s solar system.”

  I blew out a breath, and smiled.

  Nadia asked, “What’s that about?”

  I replied, “I was worried about sanctions when I reported what happened with the stealth ship to the countries on Earth and the media, although I didn’t expect a full quarantine to come about. I sent a few personal messages to some of the exploration companies that were formed years ago. When I was relieved of my fleet command, I knew most of them were ready to go out to planets ready to terraform but were waiting. It seems they took my warning and ran with it. Even if Earth is quarantined, there will now be a larger number of human worlds we can interact with, and support if necessary.”

  Nadia frowned thoughtfully, “That helps me feel a bit better about things.”

  I nodded, “They’ll have a harder road with terraforming still ongoing for a few years, and be stuck in ships until they build a space station, but at least they won’t grow old being in quarantine and have their dreams stolen.”

  Nadia asked, “What else have you done?”

  I smiled, “I took a few precautions, hopefully unnecessary ones, but I know how ruthless Earth’s leaders are.”

  We were quiet after that, and thoughtful. Things had really come full circle.

  It was almost twenty minutes later, and we were gathered in the kitchen drinking a coffee, when ships started to show up through wormholes.

  Al said over the speakers, “Dral has transmitted a demand for Earth’s surrender, with the terms discussed. He also specified the offer of terms will change to the quarantining of Earth should they not accept in the next eight hours, or if they open fire.”

  Bill started to massage my shoulders, I sighed and some small amount of the tension left me. I didn’t know what I’d do without him, and I wondered how I got along before he’d arrived in my life.

  It felt surreal as we waited for a reply. I tried to think of what Sergei would do, but came up with nothing.

  Nadia said, “They’ll take advantage of the eight hours to plan, expect the unexpected. Also, I’m starving.”

  I nodded, it was hard to think of food at a time like this, but Bill and I started to prepare a meal as we waited for Earth’s response. I suppose I was very naïve, because I kept hoping they’d take the chance Nadia and I had provided. I knew they wouldn’t, but I hoped anyway.

  After our meal, and some six hours later, we finally got a response. It wasn’t the one we hoped for, or even one we had guessed at as we’d discussed several responses.

  Al interrupted our conversation, “Transmission from Admiral Abramov.”

  Al brought up a hologram of the stern older man, “We do not recognize the sovereignty of a world formed by a wanted criminal. Our operations were to bring that criminal to justice. If you don’t pull your fleets from near Earth space, we will not be responsible for the deadly response to this unearned treachery of the other worlds.”

  Nadia snorted, “Did he forget about all the scientists from the other worlds? Typical denial of responsibility, with a threat. It always worked on Earth, I’d never realized how stupid and petty it was. It was acceptable because no one really ever expected for those in power to be culpable for… anything really. You’re right, business as usual doesn’t work up here at all. No one up here gives a shit about Earth’s so called political realities.”

  “Any idea what he’s up to?”

  Nadia shook his head, “No. As far as politics I’m your girl. I’m afraid what Sergei’s tactics will be is beyond me.”

  I brought up a hologram of the solar system and just beyond. The fleet was deployed around Earth, the command ships were awfully close to it, almost too close. The defensive plan was pretty clear, the just over a hundred unmanned defensive missile and turret emplacements would be the first hurdle, and then the fleets, along with millions of Shield defense missiles surrounding Earth. Not to mention the three thousand or so unmanned platforms.

  Something in me doubted he would fight completely defensively however.

  Al said, “Dral is responding.”

  Dral’s transmission came in, “Your lack of honor, and your lies, has removed any chance for clemency for your world. Listen to my words carefully, you will surrender, or there will be war.”

  I frowned, “Any response from Earth?”

  Al said, “Close to a thousand platforms have activated their wormhole drives. Their destinations are the other worlds in both treaties, twenty platforms each.”

  Holy shit, the bastard was going to hold all their planets hostage. Like a junkie holding a gun to a hostage’s head, except whole planets. I shuddered, there was no way I’d have anticipated that. I wasn’t nearly evil enough to even think of it.

  The time for my hesitation had passed, I was just glad I’d been forward thinking enough to recall my hundred snoopy drones six hours ago. That was the precaution I had mentioned to Nadia.

  My hope at the time had been a kind of shock and awe campaign on the unmanned defenses in earth’s solar system, to convince them to surrender before anyone had to die. It had never actually occurred to me that I’d need more than just this one ship to do the job if it became necessary. No vessel, or thousands of vessels stood a chance against it, but even my home ship couldn’t be in fifty places at once, apparently something that Sergei had been depending on.

  No doubt he’d have demanded my surrender and my technology, or he’d destroy one of those planets. It probably would have worked too, even with the six platforms I already had in this galaxy, plus the shuttle, this ship, and the two lab ships, that was only ten places at once.

  “Al, split our forces, send a probe to each world, destroy those platforms and leave the Snoopy probes behind for now as protection. Use the other half to destroy every unmanned emplacement, platform, Shield missile, and anti-FTL missile in Earth’s solar system, unless it’s impossible to do so without destroying a ship or harming Earth.”

  I knew I’d had to act, but I still wasn’t prepared to take a life. Not yet. Although, I’d be lying if I’d said I didn’t want to destroy Sergei’s ship. In fact, doing that to Sergei sounded like a really good idea after what he’
d just tried to do. Following orders wasn’t an acceptable defense for what he had just threatened.

  It only took seconds for the fifty Snoopy probes to destroy all the platforms and emplacements in Earth’s solar system. The missiles took longer, they were too close to Earth to use a subspace wave, but the tighter targeted subspace aperture that took out anything ten miles in front of it slowly destroyed all the missiles. That destruction sped up considerably when all fifty probes worked on it, opening several apertures each they scoured Earth’s orbit clean.

  As far as the platforms sent to other worlds, they were destroyed by the probes as they emerged from the wormholes. I felt rather conflicted, as I’d just decimated every defense I’d given Earth.

  “Al, can you connect me to Anthony, without the rest overhearing?”

  Al replied, “Not with quantum frequency transmission, but yes. The direct quantum entangled communications between all command ships are still active on your old one. I can use our quantum entangled connection this ship has with lab ship two and then route back to his ship. Do you wish to open that connection now?”

  Nadia asked, “What do you have in mind.”

  I replied, “Not yet Al. I’m not sure Nadia. I’m hoping Sergei will stand down now. He has nothing left to fight with except his manned ships. That’s not true, I know what I was thinking. If he doesn’t surrender I was hoping Anthony would, when I destroy Sergei’s command ship.”

  Nadia raised an eyebrow, “You can tell them apart? They all look the same on sensors.”

  I smiled, “On Earth’s sensors they do. I can not only identify his ship, but I can identify where he is specifically. So even if he’d secretly moved his flag I’d know where he is. He hasn’t though, he’s on his command ship.”

  Nadia nodded slowly, “Let’s find out, if he’ll surrender I mean.”

  I nodded, I’d been procrastinating. There was no longer a need to hurry, I was sure the Admiral was reeling from my counter and thinking what step to take next.

  “Al, hail the Admiral.”