by Saxon Andrew
Blake looked at the two sitting in the chairs on the bridge and the male said, “Please provide a chair for our guest, Ana.” A chair rose out of the floor and Blake walked over and sat down. He looked at them for a moment and smiled, “I know you’re young but you look younger than I thought you would.”
“How would you know our age, Admiral?”
“The subject matter on you is rather extensive in my databanks. It took one of my officers to ferret out that you could be reconstituted if a small piece of you survived. It appears a part of each of you was taken from your ship just before we destroyed it.”
“How would you know that?”
“There was a hole burned in the landing bay door. It was large enough for one of those eight-legged animals you used to attack the Raiders to escape.” Cinny and Grant remained silent. Blake said, “It was the beam from one of those creatures that killed the Dragons.”
Grant smiled, “It appears you are up to speed on current events. Why did you come here?”
“First things first. My name is Richard Blake and I currently command Earth’s Fleets.”
Cinny smiled, “I’m Cinnamon and this is my partner Grant.”
“You don’t have last names?”
“If we do, we don’t know them.”
Blake smiled, “I find it hard to believe just how dangerous the two of you are. You don’t appear to be any different from a normal human being.”
Grant shrugged, “Appearances can be deceiving, Admiral.”
“Indeed they can. For example, why am I here?” Cinny and Grant stared at him and Blake said, “You might be thinking that I’ve set up a trap to capture or kill you.” Grant nodded. “Or I could be here to join you in your efforts to stop the conquests of civilized planets.” Blake watched their expressions and said, “Ahhh, now that one surprised you, didn’t it?”
“Admiral, I’ve seen you bombard planets.”
Blake’s smile disappeared and he nodded slowly, “Yes, you have.”
“How do you reconcile that with working with us?”
“I was operating under a lie. I believed Avalon was attacked for no good reason and that the only way to achieve peace was to force it on other civilizations. You allowed me to understand that the Raiders had a good reason for their attack. I’ve also seen that the Raiders had reached equilibrium with other intelligent civilizations. They did not attack every society they encountered. I now see that the real threat to peace is Earth.”
“Are you willing to destroy Earth?”
“Are you?”
Grant stared at Blake and after a moment the Admiral said, “It’s hard to consider destroying the only place in the universe where humans live. I would rather do something to get it under control.”
Cinny shook her head, “And just how would you accomplish that?”
Blake tilted his head, “You don’t need sarcasm to make your point. It may come down to defeating Earth’s Military and quarantining the planet. It was my hope that the two of you have come up with a plan to do just that.”
Grant slowly shook his head, “Actually, we’ve only thought about removing Earth’s Military. We haven’t decided what to do about the planet yet.”
“You can’t do one without making plans for the other or you’ll just have to keep doing it over and over.” Blake leaned back in his chair and sighed, “I’ve honestly thought about refusing to follow my Commander’s instructions but all that would accomplish is my execution by my superiors. I may very well have to bombard another planet before this is settled.” He looked them in the eyes, “I just think that I could make a bigger contribution to your efforts from my current position. The High Priest thinks I should just consider doing nothing.”
Cinny sat up straight, “You’ve spoken with him!?”
“Twice. He told me the first time that the Raiders were justified in attacking Avalon and then shut off communications. I went back to see him today and he says that perhaps my best efforts would be in doing nothing.”
“Why would he speak with you? I understand that you attacked their Central Monastery Planet.”
“You didn’t hear the details of that attack?” Grant and Cinny shook their head. “When my fleet arrived, we saw thousands of structures rising up out of the planet’s surface. A force field appeared around the planet and I must confess that I was shocked at what I was seeing. I’ve been told in the past that the Choten-Zan were not a technological species. They had to hire starships to move their priests to that planet.”
“What happened?”
Blake looked at Grant and shrugged, “I sent in a Squadron of three thousand warships and they were blasted out of space. My ships stood no chance against those structures.”
Grant looked at Cinny, “I’ve never seen anything like he’s describing while we were there.”
“Grant, we never left the Monastery. We wouldn’t know about them.”
“Where did the Priests get those weapons?”
Cinny shook her head and looked at Blake, “Admiral, what’s your take on those weapons?”
“They’re as far ahead of us as we are to the cavemen. If the Zan had warships, this fight would be over.”
Grant’s eyes narrowed, “Someone had to give them those weapons, Admiral. I don’t know who it could have possibly been.”
Blake listened to Grant but saw something in Cinny’s expression, “You know something.”
Grant looked at Cinny and she sighed, “What if they were put there to protect us?”
Grant shook his head and then stopped, “That would mean they came from Avalon.” Cinny nodded. Grant thought, “We’ll discuss this later.” He turned to Blake and said, “You’re serious about helping us?”
“I am. I don’t know what I can do without being executed for treason.”
“Admiral, how many in Earth’s armed forces would feel like you if they knew the truth?”
Blake shook his head, “I have no idea. I do believe that if they thought Earth was in danger, they would do what was necessary to defend it.”
“How do you feel about us killing your ships and warriors?”
“They’re doing the same thing to thousands of innocent planets. If the only way to stop it is to destroy Earth’s ability to wage war, then so be it. I would have killed the Dragons myself if it wouldn’t have endangered my crew.”
Cinny looked at Grant and then turned to Blake, “I don’t know how we’re going to be able to trust you.”
“I put myself here where you could kill me. Would you be willing to do the same?”
“No, I wouldn’t.”
“Think about that when you doubt me. However, if I can only move ships away from the places you need to go, that should be at least something that would be of benefit.”
“How do we contact you?”
“That’s where the real issue exists. Anything broadcast over our frequencies is monitored.”
“How were you able to contact us?”
“My Executive Officer figured out that it was your four ships that delivered the message to my communicator. Contacting a Free Scout Wing is within the normal range of my communications.”
“What gave us away?”
“He pulled up the data on every ship that came near my Flagship for three months prior to its delivery. He examined the personnel on those ships looking for a male and female about your size. He finally deduced that it was the two scouts that came to be resupplied that sent that message. He felt that if my idea that the two Genetics had survived was true, then the real Scout Wing had to have been eliminated and you took their places.”
“He sounds like a pretty smart officer.”
“You have no idea. He’s a huge pain in the ass but he is invaluable in finding the unfindable.”
Grant shrugged, “What about just talking in the open.”
Cinny and Blake looked at Grant and he said, “Hey, we’re part of your fleet and communicating with us shouldn’t be something that would draw attentio
n.”
“What are you thinking, Grant?”
“Simple. We’ll just report in occasionally and inform the Admiral about where we’re scouting. That will tell the Admiral that we’re planning something in that area and he can remove his ships for a short time while we do what needs doing.”
Blake put his hand on his chin and narrowed his eyes, “And if I know a planet that is going to be attacked, I can request you go there and gather information.”
“What do you think we could do about an invasion?”
“I’m going to assume the animal that fired the blaster beam at the Dragons is not the only one you have to use. Perhaps they might make a difference. They could at least draw the attention of the troops from the locals.”
Cinny nodded and then said, “What if there is an emergency and we must contact you?”
Blake pulled a card out of his pocket, “This is my Communications Officer’s private frequency. His name is Aubrey and use it when you call. He’ll get it to me and do his best to scramble it. Don’t do this often, it would be picked up by Fleet’s Computers that analyze all of our communications.”
Grant stood up and held out his hand, “Welcome to our little revolution, Admiral. I think we should take you back to your ship.”
Blake tilted his head and nodded, “You’re right. If questioned about this meeting I can tell them that I’ve been impressed with your performance and wanted to see if you would work closer with my scouting efforts.”
Cinny nodded, “If we’re asked why we’d do it, we could say you have promised us supplies at any moment we need them without delays.”
Blake nodded, “That is when we could meet if necessary.”
Grant lifted his communicator, “Whippet, Slippy, come and join us. We’re taking the Admiral back to his ship.”
“YOU’RE WHAT?”
“Just move in formation and be ready to jump.”
• • •
Channing waited in the library and viewed the history recordings of Avalon’s destruction. He heard the narrator say that Earth would avenge Avalon and make the Aliens pay for their crime. “You look like a bum.”
Channing looked up and smiled, “Hello, Father.”
“What’s going on with your planned disappearance?”
“You look angry.”
“The Prime Minister has accused you of treason.”
He picked up a remote and said, “Sit down and tell me what you think about this recording.” The wall monitor illuminated and Tatum Stockard saw the image of Avalon appear. He remained standing until the Raider Colony appeared. He slowly sat down. When it was over, Channing said, “Why do you think the Prime Minister accuses me of treason? Could it be that he can’t allow what I know to become public knowledge?” Channing pointed at the monitor, “I was targeted by Earth’s Military for assassination.”
“But…”
“FATHER, I WAS SHOT IN THE CHEST JUST LIKE THAT VIDEO SAYS!” Tatum was silent and Channing fought to remain calm, “I was warned before I went to a meeting to wear armor. That was the only thing that saved me.”
“Who warned you?”
“I’m not saying, Father.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t know that you didn’t take part in this plan.”
Tatum’s face turned red, “HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!? YOU’RE MY SON!”
“Ambition will eat a man’s soul.”
Tatum blew out a breath and looked back up at the image of Avalon on the monitor. “Do you believe this is true?”
“I’ve had an analysis of the colonists that left for Avalon done by our computer. Ninety percent of them were people who opposed the Government’s removal of property rights on Earth. The other twenty percent were voters who voted against the Prime Minister. Those people were sent there to die. You are one of Earth’s top officials. How can you not know this?”
“I…I’ve never seen this.”
“And now your government has used this justified attack as an excuse to enslave thousands of planets and manufacture events to kill innocent civilians.”
“I thought you supported this?”
“I supported a lie. I was led to believe that most of the civilizations out in the stars were dangerous. I’ve discovered that they’re no different than us and have been living in a state of equilibrium for thousands of years. The Raiders wouldn’t have attacked us without our provoking them.”
Tatum stared at his son, “Do you have the analysis you’ve done on who was sent in a form that can be delivered quickly?”
“I do.”
“So you could add it to the video I just saw?”
“I could. What are you thinking?”
“If I tried to get this out, it would be still born and I along with my family would be killed for treason. I don’t know how to make it happen but this has to be revealed.”
“Father, are you being honest with me?”
“I must confess that I am tempted to turn you in but that’s the side of me that’s driven by ambition. I’ll allow you and Amy to escape in the event I give in to that demon.”
Channing stared at him and said, “We will leave now.”
“Where will you go?”
“Father, the only way to hope to live is to not tell you.” Tatum stared at his son and after a long moment nodded.
Chapter Eight
Blake looked at the small computer chip and knew that this was his Rubicon. The computer program being used by the Genetics suggested he use it when he returned to his ship. It was actually the young female who suggested the idea. She said that if his ship’s computer was not controlled, it would inform his leaders of his treachery and there was no way to hide from it. He sat in his Combat Chair and stared at it for an hour. He pressed a button on his panel and said, “Cleve.”
“Yes Sir.”
“I want you to make a trip to the planet’s surface with me to get something to eat.”
“I’ll meet you in the landing bay, Sir.”
Blake nodded and looked at Captain Holmes, “You have the Bridge.”
“Yes Sir.”
He met Cleve in the landing bay and saw his eyebrows were up. He shook his head and Cleve nodded. “Sir, do you require an escort?”
“No, we’re going down in armor.”
“Yes Sir.”
They landed at the spaceport and Blake motioned Cleve to join him on a bench. He explained all that had happened and Cleve listened in silence. He showed Cleve the computer chip and said, “Before I insert this in my panel, I need to know what you think about this.”
“How do you really feel about all this, Sir?”
Blake looked out as the spaceport and was silent for a moment. He looked at Cleve, “I really bought into the idea that the way to ensure peace was to follow the path the Romans used with the ancient Mediterranean Civilizations.”
“I’m not that good with ancient history, Sir. What about the Romans did you like?”
Blake chuckled, “Cleve, you probably know more about them than I do.”
“Then humor me, Sir.”
“They conquered every civilization and imposed peace on them. They taxed their conquests but they allowed them to pretty much rule themselves as long as they remained peaceful and didn’t revolt against Rome. Until the Romans, every city was built with walls around them to prevent attacks from aggressive civilizations. Once the Romans took power, all those walls disappeared and it was safe to travel on foot throughout the empire. It was the most peaceful time in human history. When Rome finally fell, the empire descended into the dark ages and every city was built with massive walls around it. It was no longer a safe place to live and commerce and travel came to a stop.”
“Why do you think Rome fell, Sir?”
“Because they became decadent, lost their morals, and paid others to do their fighting for them.” Blake paused and sighed, “Once I learned that four billion humans were sent to Avalon to die I knew our leaders have no morals. They us
ed the attack on Avalon to justify their aggression against all civilizations have shown me they have absolutely no regard for anyone’s lives. I can’t in good conscience continue to fight for their goals. They aren’t doing this to impose peace on the galaxies; they’re doing this to expand their power.”
“If you’re caught, you probably won’t be the only one executed.”
“That’s why I wanted to discuss this with you.”
Cleve tilted his head, looked up, and then shrugged, “Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
“What do you mean?”
“That Genetic was right about the ship’s computer seeing right through anything you try to do to assist their efforts. I’m sure they’re programmed to report any treasonous behavior to Fleet. That computer is too smart to miss anything out of the ordinary. If you think you can work around it, you’re wrong.”
“What would you do?”
“This is not my fight, Admiral. I decided a long time ago that I was in a supporting role to you. Where you lead, I will follow. I have no doubt about your morals, Sir.”
“It could get you killed.”
“Admiral, you are a prime target for any enemy. That holds true whether or not you decided to do this. I suspect those Genetics have the capability to destroy the Triton if they choose to do it.”
Blake shrugged and said, “What if I insert the chip and it fails?”
Cleve took a breath and after a few moments said, “Then we’ll evacuate the ship and you’ll order it destroyed. You’ll tell Fleet that your ship’s computer was taken over by a virus and it was attempting to self-destruct with all the crew members on board.” Cleve stared at Blake and said, “Do you really think this needs doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“If you remove the Genetics, I’m reasonably certain that we will win and take control of all the known civilizations.”
Blake shook his head, “Would you want your descendants ruled by a Government that had four billion of its citizens murdered?”
