by Shawn Jones
Dave saw the two go down. Dropping to his knees, he scrambled into the terminal module and pulled Mike out. Once past the airlock, he ordered Kay to close the doors.
“What about...” Kay started.
“Dead. Close the doors, dammit!” After the airlock was closed, he disconnected the two modules. “Full disconnect. Go get ‘em, Grandpa!” Everyone on the comm channel could hear the grim humor in his voice.
Mai felt the two modules begin to move. What the hell? Oh, shit. “Prepare to repel boarders!” He had the feeling that the predators had just become the prey. He fired off a burst transmission to the other two Diomedes modules.
Cort pushed the two modules five meters away from the rest of the colony. Then he climbed up to the top of the terminal module. Let them listen to their deaths approaching.
“What is that, Sarge?” Corporal Kind asked Mai as they heard heavy metallic footsteps move down the top of the module.
“Bad news. Turn on your atmosphere. It’s coming in.”
Cort reached the end of the freighter and jumped down. He activated his vid and started recording visuals from the suit as well as his own audio. “What you are about to see is what happens when you invade our sovereign nation. Let this be a lesson to you all.” As he finished speaking, he forced the doors open.
Mai stood in front of his men as the doors opened. “Kill me if you have to, but they are just following orders. Let them live.”
“A noble sentiment, Sergeant. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We can’t take prisoners because we could never trust them. And here on Mars, trust is why we survive. Their deaths will be reasonably painless. Yours will not.” Cort tore the man’s head from his torso, then he raised a sidearm and killed the others.
--
Inside again, Cort took off his helmet and surveyed the dead and injured. Kay was crying next to Dr. Wills. “Why haven’t you woken him?” he asked.
Rand said, “He’s dead. We don’t know why. Tom Depp is dead also. He took a prowler hit while immobilized. It probably killed his synthetics. Mike is going to be okay. He pissed himself from the electrical shock. We don’t know what killed Doc though.”
Cort put his hand on Kay’s shoulder. She looked up through her tears and said, “Make them pay.”
“I will.” I promise. Turning to Rand he said, “I want the schedules for all en route freighters. And I want to talk to Dar.” Cort looked at Kay again and said, “After you are done here. Right now, Kay needs you, and we have at least a week or two.”
--
“They tried to get off a transmission. It looks like it was just as you pushed them away from the colony. It did not go through. Still, someone somewhere, on Earth or on their way here, is wondering why they haven’t heard from these guys.” Rand had been with Cort for the last hour. Kim had arrived from Oxia Palus and was with his mother now.
“According to the schedule, there are two other shipments that Dar can’t verify. He’s working on it though,” Cort said. “Both are headed for the other colony. But they can change landing sites if they have personnel on board. So that means three possibilities. Here again, Argyre, or Oxia. My money is on Oxia. I would have sent one here, then one to the main colony, and finally one to secure Argyre. If they follow standard invasion and occupation tactics, that’s how they will play it. The third module is back up unless all goes well. In that case, it becomes a remote garrison.”
“Seems reasonable, but that is your area of expertise, not mine. What do we do about it?” Rhodes asked from his own office at Oxia Palus.
“We have thirteen days until the next one arrives. I’m going to be there when it does. In the HAWC.”
“The hawk?” Rhodes asked.
“You haven’t met him yet, Chief,” Rand said. “Hell, I’ve only seen it. But I’m looking forward to seeing what it can do.”
Cort continued, “In the meantime, I want a communications blackout with Earth. No one sends outgoing messages until I approve them. Dar is aware we’re doing this. He doesn’t expect to hear from us until after this crisis is over. He’s also making a bid for the launch facility. If he can buy it out, great. If he can’t, we are building our own. Moving forward, I hope to eliminate this kind of threat.”
Earth
“Now, Mr. Alt. Tell me about the three launches on these dates.” Dar pushed a piece of paper across the table.
“Mr. Sike, I appreciate that your trust now owns this facility, but I cannot talk about matters of military security.”
“Who ordered the launches?”
“I cannot share that information with you.”
“Mr. Alt, I very much admire your discretion. My trust has benefitted from it on several occasions. However, in this case it is misguided. I’d like to show you a video. It was compiled from Aeolis colony security footage and from the men involved. Men on both sides of what you are about to see.” Dar turned a video screen around to face the launch director.
Argyre Site, Mars
Cort’s companions had finished packing the last of the backup site’s supplies into its transport modules. Six MELFs had a pair of modules each. The Mars Environment Light Freighters were the planet’s version of a semi truck. Each tractor was able to pull two transport modules once they were lifted from the rail system and fitted with wheels. Normally preparing the modules for ground transport was a slow process. However, by using the HAWC suit, Cort was able to assist. Lifting the ends of empty modules allowed techs to fit each unit in less than an hour. Then they were filled to capacity with supplies from the rest of the site.
Once all twelve units were moved away from the site, six more pairs of modules were prepared. Then the process started over. When they were finished, a total of 18 pairs of ground transport modules were assembled.
Cort spoke to Kim. “If I’m right, you have three weeks to get all this gear out of here. Everything goes to Oxia Palus. If you approach and see a firefight going on, turn for the Aeolis site. Then come back for all the spares. How long do you think it will take you?”
“Four men are staying behind to continue loading. I’m leaving a MERV with them in case they have to run. The rest are moving out right behind you. I wish we didn’t have to leave so many good modules behind. We could use them if we’re about to be cut off from Earth,” Kim said. “I know you have to destroy whatever we can’t take, but I don’t like it.”
“Okay. Keep working. I’m leaving now. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Whatever we can save, we will. But I won’t let them take the facility. Under any circumstances.”
“Understood. And for what it’s worth, I agree,” Kim said.
Earth
“General Taps, will you come with us, sir?”
Taps looked up to see three security officers standing at his office door. He had been going over reports all morning. “What can I do for you, Lieutenant?”
“Come with us please, General Taps. It is my duty to place you under arrest.”
Oxia Palus
Cort arrived four days later in a MERV. The lighter and faster MELT wasn’t able to tow the HAWC suit safely. He arrived with just three hours to spare. “If this really is their target, I’ll be ready. But right now, I’m starving.”
Two hours later Rhodes commed him. “It looks like you were right, sir. The second module is in synchronous orbit above corridor three.”
“Okay. I’m suiting up. Get my people to all the airlocks.”
“Yes, sir.”
--
“Oh my Gods. What is that?” Keen asked, pointing at the monitor. The external camera from corridor three’s terminal module showed a man ten meters tall with a long spear like weapon mounted to his shoulder.
“I believe that is a ‘hawk’, Governor,” Rhodes said as the man looked up. The long weapon on the shoulder of the power suit grew much longer.
--
“Okay people. We’re going in hot. Prowlers only. No prisoners,” Captain Jon Tyre told his troops. Without having heard from
Diomedes One, protocol required him to treat the landing zone as ‘extremely hostile’. That meant lethal force.
--
Kim Point was in the front passenger seat of the MELF when the Oxia colony came into sight. She saw Cort standing at the end of corridor three looking up at the sky. There was something on the shoulder of his HAWC suit. She followed the warrior’s gaze to the vessel that was slowly descending.
--
“Is the corridor three area evacuated, Rhodes?” Cort asked. The freighter module was approaching five kilometers altitude. Cort wasn’t going to let it transition to ‘colony module’.
“Yes. Everyone is moved to other quadrants. All airlocks are sealed. Hopefully it won’t matter though. If you can hit it as hard as you claim, any debris should land downwind of the colony.”
--
“Activate your atmosphere. We are at four kilometers,” Tyre said to his men in the descending module.
--
Cort acquired the freighter. His railgun was in Fractional-mode. The extended rails would accelerate the slug to a fraction of the speed of light, and once the round left the magnetic containment of the rails, it would convert to plasma. Cort fired the weapon.
--
Kim and her convoy had stopped one kilometer from the colony. The ones who were looking at the descending freighter were not able to see anything for several minutes. It was as if a sun had temporarily blinked into existence. The sky was pure white for thousands of meters in every direction. It would be an hour before the convoy could continue because of the drivers’ temporary blindness.
--
“What have I unleashed?” Keen asked no one in particular.
“My guess would be Ares himself,” Rhodes answered. “Thankfully, we are in his domain.”
“What do you mean?” Keen looked at Rhodes.
“Ares, or Mars, depending on the myth you read, was very protective of his family and children. I think Addison has that quality. Think about it. When we were not in his ‘fold’, he had no mercy or feeling toward us. Once we threw our lot in with him, he has protected us as well as he does Aeolis.”
“Yes, that’s true. I’m going to have to study up on that mythology of yours,” Keen said.
Earth
“General Taps, we have restored communications with Mars,” Dr. Pan said to the man in shackles and an orange tunic. Would you like to explain your actions? Or should we should use disruptors to question you?”
“I would like…” Taps began.
“I have a better idea, General,” Pan interrupted him. “How about I show you a vid we received?”
The video began with the battle at Aeolis. After that battle, the videos of Diomedes One and Diomedes Two being destroyed played. No hint of the HAWC suit or the technology used to destroy the vessels was visible. After the last explosion whited out the video screen, an image of Cort’s FALCON suit appeared.
“My name is Cortland Addison. I am the leader and protector of the Pack Addison. Since my trusts legally purchased the Aeolis site from the Atlantic Alliance, Atlantica has launched five separate attacks on both Aeolis and Oxia Palus.”
Cort’s image was replaced by Keen’s. “I am Dave Keen. I am the legally elected Governor of the Mars colony Oxia Palus. As a result of the first two attacks Mr. Addison mentioned, I exercised my authority as Governor to enter into a mutual defense pact with the Aeolis colony. That pact was then ratified by a near unanimous vote of our colony. Following the three later attacks by Atlantica, another emergency vote was held.”
Keen’s expression became cold as he said, “Oxia Palus hereby declares its independence from Earth. All people on our planet hereby renounce our citizenship of Atlantica.” Keen paused. “And Earth.”
Cort’s image appeared again. “Governor Keen has accepted the role of head of state for the Ares Federation. I am our military leader. Dar Sike is our appointed ambassador to Earth. I will leave it to others to handle the diplomacy of our actions. Keen will handle the politics of them. I will protect my planet.”
“Any vessel entering our orbit that was not launched by our facilities and inspected by Ambassador Sike’s staff will be destroyed. I will not attempt communications. I will not accept excuses. Any vessel which does not meet these requirements will cease to exist. Any satellite. Any freighter. Any colonist. Mars is now an independent planet. Further, until an approved formal agreement is ratified by all three major alliances on Earth, the Ares Federation is in a state of war with Atlantica.”
Keen appeared again. “Any questions you have will be answered by Ambassador Sike.” The video ended.
Taps stared at the blank screen in shock. Pan spoke. “General Taps, that message was broadcast to our entire planet. Both of the other major alliances have since recognized Mars as an independent planet, and The Ares Federation as an independent nation. The Asianic Alliance has already submitted a draft trade agreement and extended special diplomatic status to all of Addison’s representatives and property in Atlantica. Your actions have killed several hundred Atlantans. As Mars was the only other potentially habitable planet in our solar system, you set human colonization back by centuries, if not millennia. You have also started the first interplanetary war in human history. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
Taps was silent.
Three days later, he was put to death.
Six
Aeolis
“We need outdoor areas. Not just grow lights. And we need them for a lot of reasons. Recreation and morale, oxygen production, the wolves, and even economic factors. We have to start thinking that way. We can’t continue to rely on an external economy like we are now. We may not be at war with Earth anymore, but we have to start thinking about a manufacturing base of our own.” Keen had proven to be an excellent leader in the year since the formation of the Ares Federation.
Kay spoke. “I agree. The one thing everyone misses is open space.” Kay was head of sciences for the planetary government. I’m most concerned about a manufacturing base though. Pan has been very generous with equipment and supplies from Earth, but frankly our sciences are surpassing theirs. That means we have ongoing needs for equipment they haven’t considered yet, and I don’t want to tip them to our advancements.”
“Back on Earth, I had plenty of training room for everything but the HAWC system. My cavern was half a mile in diameter.”
Rand interrupted him. “What’s a mile?”
“Sorry. Old habit. My cavern was about eight hundred meters in diameter. I know we can’t do that here unless we go underground. But it would be nice to have a large warehouse or two. Now that we are building the CONDOR Twos, I need more training room.”
Rhodes spoke next. “Unless we can get larger freighter modules from Earth, or maybe a different design, I don’t see how we can do that.”
“It’s a shame we can’t make something like the Formvar-M barrier they put on your cavern,” Kay offered.
“Why can’t we?” Keen asked.
“That’s actually a great idea. We would need a lot of the resins, but it could be done.” Kim Point was on video from the Argyre site, where she was coordinating the preparations for a third colony site. “I’ll have some of my engineers start studying it. There will still be size limit, but I think it’s probably doable. I have enough to make a small test section. Maybe fifty meters square. Where do we want to try it?”
“Everyone will want it, but build the first one here. The wolves need to see the sun more than we do, and most of them are here.” Everyone knew that Cort’s main concern was and always would be the animals. They had talked about it once in another administrative meeting. Cort made it clear back then that he would tolerate no cruelty to the animals. The result of that meeting made negligent animal cruelty a major offense which resulted in one year of community labor. Intentional animal cruelty was a capital offense. Death was the only punishment for capital offenses in The Ares Federation. Coerced mating had also been addressed at that mee
ting, which had dealt with criminal regulations. The term was removed from use and replaced with ‘rape’. The only punishment for rape was death. The penalty had been exacted only one time since that meeting, and that death was broadcast across the planet.
“Agreed.” Kay loved the wolves as much Cort did. Especially Sköll. She reached down and stroked the big wolf’s neck. They were inseparable. Cort was happy with the loss of his wolf, though. Since John’s death, like when Cort first met her on Earth, Sköll had been Kay’s strength.
Cabinet meetings such as this one were held once a month. Most decisions were made by consensus. On occasions when a consensus couldn’t be reached, Keen would make an executive decision. Usually he sided with whoever had the most knowledge about the topic at hand. There was definitely a hierarchy though. And at the head of it was Cortland Addison. Like the namesake of the federation he had founded, he didn’t meddle in the affairs of others much. But when he did, the rest of the government listened. In all matters of security and defense, Cort had not only the final say, but the only say. In resource allotment and freighter scheduling, Cort’s requests had priority. He seldom offered more than an opinion in other planetary matters, but when he did, he was afforded that same respect. So the first park on Mars would be at Aeolis. There was no more discussion to be had on the matter.
