Countdown

by John Walker

  “I’ll just watch,” Rita said. “This is incredible. I can’t believe this ship.”

  “We’ve become quite the power,” Gabby replied. “When Mister Loch returns, hopefully this will give us the leverage he needs.”

  Oh boy. She seems like she might’ve been a little brainwashed. Rita had faith she could bring the woman around but doubted she’d have much of an opportunity. Every single member of that crew likely deserved to be arrested for crimes they willingly committed with their boss. At least they’re on our side right now. As long as I keep my mouth shut.

  ***

  “War dogs have hit the surface,” Mac announced. A camera feed took up part of the viewscreen, showing them from a view of the shuttle. It was being remotely controlled, hovering over the theater of operation. The AI mechs swarmed the area, blasting defenders while surrounding the military complex.

  Noah had seen one or two working together but never such a large group operating in tandem. They overwhelmed the ground forces with ease. That included hardpoints, defensive barriers erected which did nothing to prevent their advance. As they came to a halt all around the building, they opened fire in perfect sync.

  Less than twenty seconds passed before the firepower took down the walls, sending up plumes of dust and smoke. They didn’t slow down, the flashes of laser blasts making the misty particles light up as if they were clouds in a storm. Whatever they went after exploded, sending up green flames high into the air.

  “We have destroyed the complex,” Mac said, “however, there is still a signal providing the satellites with guidance. We are seeking it now.”

  Damn! Noah had hoped they were through that part. Their jamming didn’t work, cutting them down limited their power but failed to stop them. Now we’ve got some other location or method to keep the things firing. Well done, ervas. This is a much better defense than I gave you credit for.

  “How long?” Noah asked.

  “Tracing the signal should be quick… I am working on it.”

  No ETA from him isn’t good. Noah looked at Nina. “Call the fighters back, get them to buy themselves some space just in case.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  We don’t need to lose more of them if they start going up… and considering what Mac’s peers may have to do, it’s a possibility.

  ***

  Sasha considered the pirate vessel that joined their ranks. He’d seen Loch’s ship before but never in action, not like that at least. When it absorbed the blast from the incoming satellite attack, that had been impressive enough but charging out to hit a target at beyond extreme range, that made it dangerous.

  I’m glad he doesn’t have more of those. Of course, that prototype was likely priceless. It shouldn’t have been roaming around the field, being put at risk. Not when no one understood what they’d done to build it. If we had fifty of those, this fight would’ve been over in twenty minutes or less.

  I guess it’s good to be a civilian criminal with an unlimited budget… or no morals so stealing is fine.

  “Commander, you’ve got a message from Harcourt and Trenik. They need to talk to you.”

  “Of course.” Sasha leaned to the microphone. “What is it?”

  “We are watching the action,” Trenik said, “and need to send a message. It seems that your AI machines are locking down the military district of the capital. While we do have additional military bases, it may be time for them to consider a parlay. I would like permission to use our signal booster to make that happen.”

  They already blasted out a signal with only a few moments notice. The ship recovered from it but not without a lot of stress. At least they’re asking this time. Sasha got over the desire to punch the two men in the face. Maybe they’re right about starting a conversation. Of course, we’re not slowing down until that initial net of satellites is done.

  “Go ahead,” Sasha said. “We’ll stop shooting when they’re ready to talk. Do you know who to reach out to?”

  “I do,” Trenik replied. “We are on it.”

  Good. Sasha turned to the scanner. The final ervas battleship was under heavy fire from the remaining destroyers and Wilmarth’s Dusk Wing Two. His own ship remained outside the combat area, not quite ready to commit to another attack after losing power but in reserve just in case. If Trenik is successful, then this is already over.

  Maybe they could even save what was left of the enemy military out there. Search and rescue didn’t have to distinguish between sides. I guess we can hope. That would be a nice foot to start on. But first thing was definitely first. That satellite network has to go down. When it does… then we can move on to phase two.

  Chapter 13

  Trenik tapped into a coded ervas channel to reach out to his people. The conflict continued to rage but they had to know their time was drawing to a close. Once the humans discovered a method to shut down the defensive satellites, the fighting would end. Their choices would be simple: deal or lose their way of life forever.

  I am confident in my politicians. The chances of those men and women wanting war seemed thin. The military had power because they’d moved in the proper circles, established themselves in such a way that those in power owed them favors. In the end, they flexed their might and now, when it was all said and done, they lost.

  Because we took on a foe far greater than we thought. Many within the ervas had spoken of this fact in private. Some viewed the humans as weak, but others believed they might be far more dangerous than anticipated. This came from the concept that there were so many of them. They had spread out much further than the ervas ever did.

  We always worried they might work together. Lo and behold, we were right. Once they got over their petty differences, they picked themselves up and won. The main fleet is out there, likely broken up into smaller units that they think will win some battles for them. And that might be true. Until they don’t. And it’s over.

  His request was answered right away. “This is Command Control Seven,” a frightened young woman spoke. It was nice to hear someone speak in his native language again. “We are under heavy assault! Please report status of reinforcements! This is urgent!”

  “Calm down. My name is Trenik il’Ban. I am a technical officer with the military. What is your name?”

  “Lilva Na, sir. Please! Do we have reinforcements coming? Are you with the main fleet?”

  “No, Lilva. I need to speak with a representative. Preferably Roldar il’Evan. Immediately.” The il in their names represented the class they graduated from. Both served in the military but Roldar had gone on to politics, eventually rising to a prominent position directly behind the leader of their entire culture.

  He won’t exactly be pleased to hear from me with this.

  They hadn’t exactly fallen out but lost contact when Roldar left the military. He didn’t like the direction of the service…felt as if they were going down a dangerous path. Trenik didn’t agree. A couple of debates pushed them apart then assignments did the rest.

  “What’s going on?” Harcourt asked. “Are you getting through?”

  “Patience,” Trenik said, “they are contending with a massive battle. Getting through to someone was not going to be easy. Fortunately, they are desperate or perhaps they would not have even answered this line.” He fell silent as the connection came back. The microphone rattled for a moment.

  “Hello?” Roldar’s familiar voice brought some relief. “Please tell me you’ve brought those fools back with you, Trenik!”

  “I have not,” Trenik replied, “I am a prisoner of the humans and they have given me an opportunity…”

  “Prisoner?” Roldar interrupted. “What have they done to you?”

  “Surprisingly, nothing. But we have a chance here to make amends. To stop the conflict. They do not want this war, but our military pushed into their territory. Killed their civilians. Attacked peaceful colonies. What would we have done in their place?” Trenik felt like he might’ve been hitting the topic too fast, but
they didn’t have time for subtlety.

  “With the current leaders?” Roldar scoffed. “Obliterated them.”

  “Without question?”

  Roldar didn’t immediately answer. When he did, he prefaced with a sigh. “Yes, very likely.”

  “Then these people are showing a compassion we would not have. But the ervas must stand together on the homeworld. Agree to diplomacy.”

  “I… don’t know.” Roldar genuinely seemed to struggle. “I want to push this, to believe you but…”

  “My friend…” Trenik bit his lip to fight back emotion. “You do not have a choice. They are offering diplomacy as a courtesy. You and I both know they are on the verge of knocking out the defenses. We have everything to lose… no chance to push them back and yet… they are still willing to talk.”

  “Their position is a strong one.”

  “They’ve delivered a powerful statement,” Trenik said, “and I’ve been amongst them. Met one of their representatives who spent time on our ship. They are not the savages the military led us to believe. They have good and bad, criminals and civilians. And in the end, they want to learn from us. Not be at odds.”

  “Their use of kintha?”

  “Entirely accidental. The way they understood it. And they call it ether. They put no religious significance on it. To them it is merely fuel. But their minds can be changed if we want to do it.” Trenik paced. “We do not have much time though. You must convince anyone, whoever is in charge right now, that we can have peace only if we seize it.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Turn off the orbital defenses,” Trenik said. “That will end the battle. Call it a ceasefire until we can communicate properly.”

  “What about these rampaging machines?” Roldar asked. “They are causing pure havoc throughout the city! The main city! Rumor has it they’ll be at the capitol building soon. We are all in here, Trenik!”

  “Then I suggest you make haste! I will do what I can to have them stop the assault.”

  “You’d better work quickly as well.” Roldar grunted. “Very well. I’ll contact you back shortly. Good luck.”

  “To you as well.” Trenik set the communicator down. He found the captain of the ship standing in front of him, glaring with narrow eyes. “Ah. I suspect you would all like a report.”

  “You think?” Sasha tilted his head. “What’re they going to do?”

  “My friend will get us the conversation we need. We will find a way to talk this through. And in the end, we will have peace. But… there are things you need to take care of. Such as the assault with the machines. Our people are suffering now even as we attempt a ceasefire. Can you make that happen?”

  Sasha backed away. “I’ll see what I can do.” He gestured to them. “If you can take the next call on the bridge, that would be good. I’ll have some security bring you up momentarily.” He rushed off.

  “Do you think it’ll work?” Harcourt asked. “Are they going to accept?”

  Trenik nodded. “I believe they will. I made it clear. They have no choice.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Harcourt leaned against the device. “I’m not sure either side has much more fight in them up here.”

  “You’d be surprised,” Trenik replied. “After what I’ve seen of your kind, I think you will always find a reserve of strength to push back. That seems to be what makes you unique. Adversity spurs you on. And now, we’ve learned the hard way just how dangerous you can become.”

  “Creepy revelation,” Harcourt said. “Come on, let’s get up to the bridge. I’d like to close this deal as soon as possible.”

  “Me as well.” Trenik wanted his planet to be left in peace, to have a chance to recover. The human homeworlds would not be in any sort of real jeopardy. Not with the warning they received concerning the assaults. No, the ervas way of war was over. He looked forward to what they might come up with next.

  Without a lust for violence constantly shoving us in the back.

  ***

  “Word from the Broken Light,” Dorian said. “Trenik made contact with the people. They’re working to shut down the defenses. They want a ceasefire. But… before you ask, yes. The satellites are still charging up and they will fire again soon. I can’t say how long they have to charge for I’m afraid.”

  “Then we don’t stop shooting,” Noah replied. He checked the numbers. The pirate vessel took out four of them. They managed two. With the fighters having chewed through two of their own, that left only two covering that section. He felt confident any of the vessels save smaller craft could survive if they blasted out. “What about the war dogs?”

  “Oh boy.” Dorian ran a hand through his hair. “They are tearing it up down there, sir. The opposition can’t stand against them and they’re taking out buildings… including utilities like water and power. Parts of the city are dark. And a few of them will take some high-tech solutions to make them livable again.”

  “Mac,” Noah said, “what’s that all about?”

  “They are tasked with suppressing the city,” Mac replied. “They are succeeding.”

  “And you endorse that?” Nina blurted out.

  “Not necessarily. It is simply the most efficient method to quell opposition. Remove their ability to fight, redirect their efforts to assisting the population, and eventually bring them to their knees. Potentially, obliterate them entirely so they cannot rise again. These are basic concepts for the type of tactics bestowed on my peers.”

  “That’s enough,” Noah interrupted. “We need to slow them down.” He hit the comm. “Gaston, those war dogs are going nuts down there. How’re we shutting them down? I need a plan right away.”

  “We aren’t close to completion though, are we?” Gaston asked. “My sensors are telling me the enemy defenses are still up. Those satellites, the few that are left, will fire again. And our fighters are still locked in battle. Are you sure you want to stop the forward momentum now?”

  “I want to know how we’re going to do it at least,” Noah replied. “Send me the protocol so we can evaluate it.”

  “Alright, it’s on its way.”

  Noah muted the line. “You’d think he was in command.” He shook his head. “I wonder what Northam said to him… exactly.”

  “Win,” Nina said. “At any cost. Just a guess.”

  “You’ve worked with him before?”

  Nina nodded. “He follows rules to the letter. Annoyed the hell out of my last wing commander.”

  “I hate the guy too,” Erica said, “if we’re all being honest.”

  “We’re not.” Noah shook his head, peering at the satellites. Why the hell are they still there? “Get Rita on the line. I want to know why they stopped shooting and those things are on the verge of going off again. I want to be sure we take them out before then.”

  “What if another section of them comes into range?” Nina asked. “We can’t withstand another one.”

  “Unnecessary to worry about,” Mac said. “The war dogs have finished off the power to whatever signaled the satellites in the first place. All of the defenses, across the entire globe, are now offline.”

  “They only had one location for that?” Noah asked. “That seems…improbable.”

  “Negative,” Mac replied. “They had three in the city, one near orbit, and one across the globe. However, once our side established a connection with their computer network, they shut everything down. Only communications are currently online but if we do not act quickly, they will finish that off too.”

  “Whoa!” Nina said. “You can’t let them do that! We have to stop them. Can you talk about it? Tell them to settle the hell down?”

  “Not without initiating the disabling sequence we have been sent. Warning: this is not a regular shut down. It will render the war dogs in this region dead. For all intents and purposes, that is.”

  “What’s that mean?” Noah asked. “Exactly what’s it mean?”

  “All the brains of the war dog
s will be obliterated. Effectively ending their existences for the final time.”

  “All?” Dorian stood. “Does that mean you too, Mac?”

  “Affirmative. All of the war dogs in this region. There’s no way to shield one while hitting so many of the others.”

  “That’s absurd!” Noah scoffed. “There’s no way that was the plan. Northam would’ve told me that. He wouldn’t have left that for us to discover in the middle of a battle. No way! I don’t believe it.”

  “I sincerely doubt he didn’t know,” Mac replied. “But it is what it is. For peace, I would say it is a fair price to pay. If we rampage on their planet for much longer, then I fear we will not be in a good position to negotiate. On the other hand, both sides have done plenty of damage to the other. It seems to me they should be willing to talk about it now.

  “We have, as we discussed, shown our strength.”

  Noah disengaged his safety belt. He stood, pacing to the viewscreen to stare out only a couple feet away. The battle was effectively over. Whatever ships remained intact out there were on the verge of ceasing hostilities. They’d taken a beating but not nearly as bad as it could’ve been. Far better than some of their other fights.

  Yet as he stood there, looking out at the ervas homeworld, he felt as if he just lost the fight. Before we could talk. Before I could find out anything, this has to happen. There were others, plenty of them who died in the line of duty that day. Hundreds of Confed soldiers and officers, fighter pilots, equipment…

  And all Noah could think about in that moment was losing a grandfather he barely knew. A man who might have been able to talk to me about…something. My one chance at connecting with him and now we’re going to let him go to save these people. To save our chances for peace.

  This is unfair. Noah knew the longer he delayed, the more damage the machines caused. They were efficient, deadly so and if they allowed them to dig in too deep, there was a chance they may find a way to avoid the shutdown process. They’re clever. If I’m going to do it, I need to do it soon.