by Ken Lozito
Nathan and Savannah took an ATV to the CDF secure location outside the encampment a hundred kilometers from where Sierra had been. With the threat of the Vemus lessening as the days passed, colonists were being transported from the bunkers to the encampments near the decimated cities. The “clean” nature of the fusion bombs used to destroy the cities allowed for immediate reconstruction, and temporary housing had already been established for the surviving colonists. They were starting over, but the colony had paid a terrible price for the privilege. Nathan suspected that some of the new structures would incorporate a way to reverently honor the sacrifice of all those who had died in the war against the Vemus.
They went through the security checkpoints to enter the CDF base and drove to a secluded, heavily guarded warehouse. The driver of the ATV stopped near the entrance and Nathan and Savannah climbed out.
Standing outside the warehouse was a short, muscular CDF captain Nathan had come to know recently.
“Colonel,” Captain Diaz said and saluted Nathan and Savannah. While Savannah’s pregnancy had prevented her from service aboard Phoenix Station, she was still part of the CDF and a ranking officer, the same as Nathan.
Standing next to Captain Diaz was an older Asian man.
“Captain,” Nathan said and turned to the other man. “Dr. Kim. Thank you for your discretion in this matter.”
“I only hope that after all this time we get some good news,” Dr. Kim replied.
Dr. Kim had been with Connor’s assault team and had stayed behind on a combat shuttle. During the battle, when the CDF bombs were about to detonate, Dr. Kim had flown the combat shuttle away from the Vemus Alpha. He’d waited as long as he could, but Connor and his team hadn’t returned.
It was Dr. Kim who’d detected the active combat suit signals from among the wreckage of the Vemus Alpha. CDF rescue operations had recovered nearly sixty CDF soldiers from the wreckage, including General Gates. Some of the CDF soldiers had been encased in the Vemus exoskeletal material and were in a state of being absorbed into the Vemus collective when the toxin had been released. There was nothing they could do for those soldiers. They weren’t quite dead, but they weren’t fully alive either. They were a biological contagion and had to be destroyed, so when the survivors had been discovered, Nathan had ordered it kept secret. The families of those soldiers already believed their loved ones were dead, and to reveal what had really happened to them would have been cruel. But for Connor’s body it was different. His combat suit was perfectly intact, with only some minor damage, but the suit itself had been directly exposed to the Vemus collective. Nexstar combat suits were designed to keep their wearers alive through the harshest conditions. When exposed to a prolonged harsh environment, it would administer medicine that reduced the consumption of life support. The best way to achieve this was to put the wearer of the suit into a temporary coma.
Nathan had had Connor’s body quarantined and made the knowledge of his survival confidential. Only a select few knew the CDF general was alive, but whether he was free of the Vemus was another matter entirely. They’d kept Connor in a medical coma while in quarantine. Ashley Quinn had injected nanobots into his system to evaluate Connor’s cellular structure. They needed to know whether his suit’s exposure to the Vemus had left him infected. The evaluation had taken weeks, and today they would find out whether they would lose one more friend to the Vemus.
They went through another security checkpoint. Even the CDF soldiers serving in this facility weren’t aware that their commanding officer was being held in quarantine, fully sedated.
Dr. Quinn stood at the medical capsule, speaking with her son.
“You know him. If we wake him up and he suspects he’s been infected, he’ll take matters into his own hands,” Sean said.
Ashley glanced at Nathan as he and Savannah walked into the room, navigating among the monitoring equipment that was connected to the capsule. Captain Diaz and Dr. Kim followed them inside. They were the only people who knew Connor was alive.
“Today is the day,” Nathan said.
Ashley looked at Savannah and gave her a warm smile. Then she turned back to Nathan. “I was just explaining to Sean that no matter what these results show us, there’s no way to know for sure whether Connor’s exposure to the Vemus will have lasting effects, or even latent effects.”
“And I was saying that when we do wake Connor up, we’d better be sure of the results or he might do something rash,” Sean said.
“He’s right,” Diaz said.
“So what are you suggesting?” Nathan asked.
“That we don’t make any snap decisions once we get the results,” Ashley replied.
“I think it’s time we find out the results of the test,” Nathan said.
When they’d decided to run the full spectrum of tests, with the nanobots essentially examining every part of Connor’s body, they’d used a lockout protocol that required all six of them to be present to get the results.
Ashley went to the capsule and opened the console. She inputted her own authentication and stepped aside so the rest of them could do the same. Nathan went last, but before he inputted his credentials, he whispered a silent prayer that the results would be positive.
Connor felt a jolt and then something tugged him from a bottomless sleep. He became aware of the deep void he’d been in and felt as if he were being pushed through a doorway to the frigid outdoors. He felt a tingling pain in his hands and feet. There was something hard in his throat and he heard the sound of muffled voices speaking. Connor tried to cough as his throat muscles worked to expel the hard rod from his mouth. Then he felt the tube in his throat slowly being pulled out. He winced and coughed weakly, spitting out a foul-tasting liquid as someone helped roll him to his side.
“Just take it easy for a moment. You’ve been in a medically induced coma.”
He recognized Ashley’s voice and did as she said. Connor lay on his side and took a few breaths.
“Where am I?” Connor asked, his voice sounding hoarse.
“You’re on New Earth,” Ashley said.
Connor opened his eyes and blinked several times before his vision began to clear. The bed began to lift him into a sitting position so he was more upright and that helped clear his head. He looked around and saw Ashley standing near him. He glanced behind her and saw Sean, Nathan, and Savannah. There was a clearing of the throat to his left and he saw Dr. Kim standing there, smiling.
“Either you’re all dead or I’m alive,” Connor said.
Ashley smiled at him. “You’re alive,” she said.
Sean gave him a measured look. There was a hardness to his gaze that Connor recognized as something that came with the burden of command.
“Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?” Connor asked.
“Barely awake for a minute and he already wants a mission report,” Diaz said and grinned.
“The Vemus are gone,” Sean said.
Connor tried to remember his last moments on the Vemus Alpha. “Were there any other survivors? Wayne Randle was with me.”
Sean shook his head. “No one else aboard the Vemus Alpha survived.”
Though Sean met Connor’s gaze, he had the impression there was something they weren’t telling him.
“You all suck at poker,” Connor said and frowned. “Am I infected?”
There was a deafening silence in the room and their expressions became somber.
“According to the nanobots, there are no biological contagions in your system,” Ashley Quinn said.
Connor gave her a level look. “But there’s no way you can be sure,” he said.
He looked at Dr. Kim. “What do you think?”
Dr. Kim sighed. “There’s strong evidence that supports your continued health. But there’s also a lot we don’t understand. We only figured out how to stop the Vemus. We’re not adept at detecting whether someone is infected.”
“Well, if I were infected, wouldn’t symptoms start to show
by now? How long have I been in a coma?” Connor asked.
“Yes, they would,” Sean said. “And you’ve been in a coma for two months.”
Connor took a moment, considering. “So monitor me. Have the nanobots continue to monitor me for as long as it takes until we’re sure. Any deviation and we’ll deal with it then.”
Sean’s eyes widened and Connor watched as he glanced at his mother.
“They were worried you’d find a more permanent solution to the problem that involved you removing yourself from the equation,” Ashley said.
Connor’s mouth hung open as he looked around at all of them. Then he started to laugh—a chuckle at first and then a full-on, hearty bellow of a laugh.
“Maybe at one time I might have, but . . .” Connor shook his head. “No,” he said and frowned at the thought. “No, definitely not.”
He swung his legs off the bed and stood up. Ashley was closest to him, and he reached out and pulled her in for a hug.
She hugged him back and then pushed him away. “You need a shower.”
“Where’s Tobias?” Connor asked.
A pained expression showed on Sean’s face. “He died fighting the Vemus.”
The momentary elation he’d felt diminished. “I’m so sorry,” he said.
Ashley gave him a nod and he finally noticed the pain in her eyes. She was still grieving. Sean met his gaze and Connor leaned on the bed.
“Alright, tell me the rest of it,” Connor said.
For the next few hours, they brought Connor up to speed about what had happened since the Vemus Alpha had been destroyed. More than a few times he found himself glancing at Nathan. If there was anyone he’d appointed to the right post, it was him. Connor suspected there was much more they hadn’t told him. He had the distinct impression they were pacing him in regards to how much information they were sharing.
“General, we’ll need to tell everyone you’re alive,” Sean said.
Connor pressed his lips together. “That would be good, but you shouldn’t call me that anymore.”
Sean frowned. “What do you mean?” he asked and glanced at Nathan.
Connor shared a look with Nathan. “I can’t be the general of the Colonial Defense Force.”
“There is ample evidence that you’ve not been infected. The colonial government would certainly approve it,” Sean said and glanced at his mother.
Connor looked at Ashley. She’d been his friend since he’d woken up from stasis all those years ago. “I know, but I’m resigning my commission.”
Their reactions ranged from complete surprise from Sean, to relief from Nathan, and then to intrigue from Ashley. The others in the room had varying degrees of the same.
“But—” Sean began.
“Any one of you,” Connor said, pausing to look in turn at Sean, Nathan, and Savannah, “are more than capable of taking command of the CDF. I’m going to take some time off.”
There was a loud snort from Diaz. “Take time off? I didn’t think you even knew how to say that, let alone do it.”
Connor smiled. “I’m going to start right now, assuming I’m free to leave this place.”
Nathan stood ramrod straight and saluted Connor. He was quickly followed by Savannah and then Sean. Diaz renewed his stoic features in an instant and followed suit.
Connor’s throat thickened, and he returned their salute.
“I’ll handle all the formalities of your . . . retirement,” Ashley said with half a smile. “And there’s a Hellcat that will take you anywhere you’d like to go, but I do suggest you put on some clothes. You can find them over there.”
Ashley pointed to a metallic footlocker by the wall and the others left the room while Connor put on some fresh clothes. He walked out of the room and Sean was waiting for him.
“I can’t believe you’re going to just walk away from all this,” Sean said.
“I’d like to think of it as walking toward something. The CDF is in good hands. You’ve exceeded all my expectations and I have no doubt that you’ll continue to do so,” Connor said. What he didn’t say was that he needed to put a lot of distance between himself and the CDF. They hadn’t shown up yet, but Connor knew that the ghosts of those who were no longer with them would be felt in earnest before long.
“Thank you, sir,” Sean replied.
“Your father was really proud of you,” Connor said.
The skin around Sean’s eyes tightened. Connor knew that, with time, the grief wouldn’t sting quite so much as it did now. There was no shortage of that going around, judging by the somber expressions of those around him.
Sean escorted him out of the secure warehouse. The CDF soldiers had been dismissed so Connor’s return wouldn’t become public knowledge just yet. Ashley had assured him that they’d wait a few days to announce his miraculous recovery.
Sean walked with him to the Hellcat and went right for the cockpit, taking the pilot’s seat.
Connor arched an eyebrow at him.
“You’ve been in a coma for two months. I’m not going to let you fly one of our Hellcats. Just tell me where you want to go,” Sean said.
“I retire just a few minutes ago and you don’t trust me anymore?” Connor asked.
Sean calmly waited for Connor to tell him their destination. Connor did.
The Hellcat landed at a remote site about as far away from the colony as they could get. Scorched craters could be seen from the sky, marking where the battle had been fought at Sanctuary. Connor saw the wrecks that had been the Vemus troop carriers, and Sean filled him in on the battle here. One day he’d return to Sierra, but right now he just wanted to be here.
“There’ll be a supply run here in a day or so and I’ll make sure there’s a package for you,” Sean said.
“I expect your mother will want me to return to the encampment in a few days for the formal announcement,” Connor said.
“They might want to make you governor,” Sean said.
Connor winced. “I hope not,” he said.
“Good luck, sir,” Sean said and made a show of looking past Connor. “You’re going to need it.”
Connor walked down the hatchway and stepped onto the ground. The hatch closed and Connor watched as Sean flew the Hellcat away. There were a few temporary structures, and the archaeological team had gathered outside. There were a few CDF soldiers there with them and one noticed Connor’s approach.
Connor smiled as Noah walked over to him, grinning. “You’re alive!” he said in a tone that sounded as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
“They had me under lock and key for a while,” Connor said.
Noah shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t believe it.”
Connor looked around at the people, searching.
“She’s not here. She’s in the dig site. They found a new chamber . . . well, one of the refugees did. I’ll take you down there,” Noah said.
Connor followed Noah into the alien city. There weren’t many people there, but the few they passed gave Connor strange looks, as if they thought they recognized him from somewhere. They went down into the central city, and he heard Lenora’s voice.
“. . . and now that the refugees are finally gone, we can get back to our work here. We’re a bit shorthanded with the new chamber, but the data archive we found should help us figure out who used to live here,” Lenora said, speaking to a small group of people who looked over at Connor and Noah as they approached, and Lenora turned around.
Connor just stood there, taking in the sight of her. Her long auburn hair was tied back and her hands had dirt on them. She must have been digging. From the corner of his eye, Connor saw Noah motioning for the others to leave them alone.
“I heard you were looking for an extra pair of hands,” Connor said.
Lenora narrowed her gaze. “It’s been months and you show up now as if nothing has happened?”
She stalked toward him and then stopped. “You . . .” she hissed. “You’re still alive?” she said acc
usingly.
“I was in a coma. They only just brought me out of it today,” Connor said.
Lenora’s mouth opened and she licked her lips. “That’s crap. Ashley would have told me if you were alive,” she said and walked away from him.
Connor sprinted after her. “I swear to you, it’s true. They didn’t know if I’d been infected.”
Lenora rounded on him and shoved him away. “If you’ve come here to tell me you’re dying, I swear I’ll shoot you myself.”
Connor shook his head. “I’m not,” he said and then repeated himself. “They found me in some wreckage and kept me in quarantine.”
Lenora glared at him. “And you thought what? You’d come back here and we’d patch things up until the next crisis?”
Connor had known she’d be angry with him, but the level of fury in her eyes wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “I had to see you,” he said.
Lenora held up her arms. “Great, you’re alive. You’ve seen me. Now leave me alone,” she said and started walking away.
Connor stepped toward her and grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry,” he said.
Lenora snatched her arm away from him.
“I should have listened to you sooner. I’m sorry for leaving, for not being able to let it go. For everything,” Connor said and reached out, taking Lenora’s hand. “You were the first person I wanted to see when they woke me up and you were the last person I thought about when I thought I was going to die on that ship. You might hate me now, but I’m not leaving. I don’t care how long it takes. I’m staying.”
