“The mine was working but not at any great rate. I had orders to get as much ore as possible. I asked the colonist to help, they refused, so we had no choice but to move some of them out. Take jobs from others, make life difficult. But they dug in. Then some fights escalated between my men and some of the locals. Some of the women came over to our side. They didn’t like that.
“A scuffle broke out on more than one occasion. People started to get hurt. We moved the people back, took control of this building, set up security. Put in a curfew. Laid out some basic rules. Some examples were made. They didn’t like that either and fighting broke out. People got hurt. It happens, its war. Then we woke up one morning and most of the civilians had gone. Left. Gone to the hills and we’ve been fighting them ever since, taking prisoners and making them mine for us. We kept to the quotas Earth Corp wanted. When are we leaving?” He looked at Hawk with hope in his eyes.
“You’re not leaving Commander. Not yet. You know what we are?”
Confused he nodded at Hawk. “We are free Cyborgs and you have waged war on a mate of the Cyborg Empire. That carries a heavy burden but regardless of that, you have committed crimes here, in the name of Earth Corp. You will all have to answer for that. Earth Corp are under investigation for genocide and abandonment. What they did here was illegal, what you did here was illegal. Those crimes will be answered.”
Shock slowly crept across the elder’s face. “You can’t be serious. We were on a mission here. Sanctioned and ordered by Earth Corp. We did our jobs nothing more. Your Cyborgs you know this.”
Hawk gazed at the male. He didn’t understand the difference between them. “You freely chose to carry out those orders, even though you were causing harm to others and had free will. We were not free to choose back in the wars and we live with the results of those orders daily, we can never forget them.” Hawk tapped his temple. “They are forever stored here. Now we are free men, free to take orders or not. We do what’s right, not what’s ordered.”
The male spluttered, “you can’t blame a soldier from doing his duty.”
Hawk shrugged. “Maybe, in the beginning. But once it was clear you were on your own, you had a choice and you choose unwisely and was led by power and greed. You and what is left of your men and those that support you, will be returned to Old Earth for the Intergalactic Laws of Justice to hear your case. They will decide your fate, if, Earth Corp allow you to live that long to give testimony. People with evidence against them, tend to go….. missing.” Hawk stood, he didn’t want this male on this planet any longer. “Secure him back on our ship.” Hawk told his men.
Where’s the son?
On house arrest in his house.
I will be bringing the mother and brother with me.
Affirmative.
Hawk had the mother and son escorted into the house before he entered. He gave them time to talk, the mother telling what she’d heard, while he caught up on the reports from the other teams. Soldiers were coming in from all sectors of the town and being held in the command building. D923 had successfully cleared the mining area and the compound with prisoners in it. Several of the females had been harmed. There attackers had been separated and would face justice from the civilians.
Hawk bent and entered the house, the doorway a little too small. Two of his men stood guard over the male and female and their two children. Hawk smiled at the mother and children. “I apologise for this intrusion female, we have no wish to disturb or upset you further. Your husband is the real commander here and it is important that we speak with him and there are things you should both hear.” He turned to the mother and son. “Did you explain what you heard.” The mother held back tears and nodded.
Hawked turned back to the male and knelt in front of him. “It is important that you know the truth. We are not here to relieve you, or take anyone back to Earth Corp. Earth Corp are finished. They are under investigation for crimes against humanity, for which they will answer. They left the original colonist here without support. Brought soldiers to take this world from them. Then left you all to your own fate. To die. It is a miracle that you are all still here. However, the behaviour of the soldiers sent here, once they understood there would be no rescue ship is a serious matter. They chose force over reason. Greed over living well. Your father has admitted as much to me just now, it is all recorded and he will go back to Old Earth and answer for his crimes, he has blood on his hands, so do many of his men. The second generation, your generation, look like you fell in line with him. If you didn’t and had a more reasonable moral compass, then we will investigate that and a decision on your future will be made. We will cross reference al your records with ours and find the truth. Cyborgs have the ability to tell if someone is lying to us. Anyone who has committed a crime, or used misguided orders and work to accomplish those crimes, will be punished accordingly. Do you understand?”
Hawk guessed the male to be in his 40s. His children looked to be teenagers. He looked confused, angry and belligerent. He was used to being in charge and just found out he wasn’t, and all he’d ever been told was a lie. He’d worked all these years for whatever his father had told him would come. When actually, it was all for nothing.
“This is our world, you can’t make decisions about us.” He told him. Hawk shook his head and looked at the mother, she seemed shamed. Hawk guessed her life here had not been easy. He turned his attention back to the older son.
“You see son, that’s that problem,” the male looked confused at him. Hawk looked younger than he did. “I am older than your mother and this world was never yours to start with. It belonged to your mother who was part of the original colonists who were contracted to seed this world. Your father was never meant to be here. You and the whole second and third generations of soldiers, were never meant to be here. This world belongs to the original colonists and their husbands and wives, those registered on the contract with Earth Corp, and their, children. It was never your fathers. He came here to strip this world and do a corporations bidding, hoping to go home to his ‘real family’ as quickly as possible, no matter what the cost.
“You are part of this world, because you were born here, as your children were, but that does not give you title or rights to be here, or to wage war on your friends and neighbours, create forced labour, allow injustices to occur and women to be raped. That is about your morality. What your willing to do and the lengths your prepared to go to. Someone is responsible for allowing all that to happen and the reality is, your father is too old to have held that much sway in recent years, so, who leads them now?” He asked.
As reality sunk in, the males features froze. He looked to his wife and children. Hawk could see genuine concern for them. At least that was something, thought Hawk. He turned back to look at him. “I’m responsible. I took over 20 years ago and I have allowed things to remain the same. I will answer for that. What about my wife and children?”
Hawk looked sadly at the male. He’d just done what he’d always been told to do and not thought about there being any other way. “I do not know. That will be up to the civilian council. They may decide that families can stay, or need to go. They could allow the men to go and do their sentences and come back, or agree to have those sentences carried out here. There is much to discuss and resolve. For now, you and your men, will be held in the command building. This is for your protection, there are many who are angry and wish you harm.” Hawk looked at the males son, he looked to be in his early 20s. “If he is a soldier, he will need to go too.” The mother started clinging to the young man and he pushed her off.
There was steel in his eyes. More his grandfather than his mother Hawk guessed. “A word of warning,” he told him pointedly. “I know you are aggrieved but do not misplace that anger. We are not men, we are Cyborg. We do not lie. We live long lives and we we’re created to stamp out armies. We’re faster, bigger, hear and see further, even in the dark, can fight harder, have better weapons and our nano’s prevent us from going d
own from a bullet.” He looked hard at the young man, “if you’re thinking of fighting us, you will die.”
The boys father reached out and grabbed his son’s arm pulling him down. At least the father had some sense. “Take them to the others.” His men escorted the males out and the young female stood. Hawk turned to her.
“I work in the offices, so I am to blame too.” She told him.
Hawk nodded. “I see, thank you for your honesty. You may stay here until you are called.” Her mother grabbed her. Hawk gave a nod and walked out into the fresh air.
He engaged his optic for updated reports. His men were now going house by house, bringing soldiers out. He pinged the central computer on his ship. It opened a link.
General alert, message to D923 ships and ours, relay to men in the field. Females work for them also, be aware.
Affirmative, came the computers reply.
Hawk didn’t believe it was over. People who were this convicted, who had much to lose, didn’t go down without a fight.
***
Franny woke slowly. She could feel herself rising from the sleep, could hear voices around her starting to penetrate her mind. The words made no sense. Their war was over. The soldiers captured. People were excited about the possibilities of change. Franny wondered if she was still dreaming. She blinked and pulled her eyes open. They felt a little dry, she yawned, and someone called her name. Franny looked over in the voices direction and realised the lid on the bed thing was already up and she was still in it.
“Hay, how are you feeling?” Lorraine asked, the medic was hovering next to her.
Franny nodded slowly and swallowed, the medic moved to help her up and passed her some water. She drank and handed it back. “I’m good, feel ….. great actually.” She looked around at all the excitement. “What’s going on?” She asked moving to the edge of the bed ready to get down.
“The war’s over. Your Cyborg took control of everything. Brought his men down to take the mine, the compound, the town and their command centre. They’re all rounded up in there right now under guard, waiting to go back to Old Earth or face sentencing here.”
Franny looked up as her feet touched the ground. “He did what?” She wasn’t sure she’d heard right.
Lorraine was nodding and smiling. She spent the next half hour hearing all the news while she showered and changed. Hawk appeared to have singlehandedly changed everything. Well, him and his men and D923’s men. After dressing, she went in search of her own command centre and looked at all the reports coming in. Somehow Hawk had managed to infiltrate their electronic data storage and communications. It was all working now and carried up dated information on what had happened. Franny sat stunned. He’d achieved in one night, what they couldn’t in decades. It made her realise one thing, Cyborgs were not an enemy you wanted.
Her guard stood in the doorway. He’d been there when she’d gone into the healing sleep, he was in the background when she’d woken up, he’d shadowed her when showering and dressing and he was now, standing in the corner of the room watching the doorway. Franny guessed they didn’t talk much.
“Guard,” she called, and he turned towards her. “Update on the current situation.”
He started speaking as if reading a report. Franny leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes and listened. They’d gained access to the soldier’s records and all those recorded as working for them were also being rounded up. Franny realised that was going to upset a lot of people. Wives, children, brothers and sisters, they’d have to find a way to make this work and that wasn’t going to be easy. He moved on to troop deployment and casualties. The number of skirmishes that were currently active. The number of civilians injured, he didn’t mention any Cyborgs she noted. He gave the current number of prisoners and those that needed treatment. Then the number of civilian prisoners released and their condition.
Franny was concerned at the number of injuries, some people were badly damaged. Some of the females were the worst. Franny opened her eyes as he stopped talking. “How many of those medical beds do you have?”
“In both fleet ships, 15.”
Franny nodded. “Bring them all down. They are to be spread around, the most serious treated first. Triage the rest.” Franny had no idea if he’d take her orders, but she thought it was worth a shot. The Cyborg glazed over for a second then gave her a nod. She guessed that meant yes.
“Can you communicate with my father?” she asked him. He gave her another nod. “Tell him to start playing the historic records on the takeover of the community by the soldiers on all vid screens. They need to see them.” He glazed over for a second then gave her another nod. “Take me to my father.” Franny got up and walked towards him. The Cyborg walked outside, and she followed him. She took several steps before she realised she had no pain. No aches pulling on her. No throb in the back of her head. She didn’t have to concentrate through anything. For the first time in a long time, her mind was clear. Franny stopped and breathed in the cool fresh air. Everything seemed clearer, fresher, it was another reminder of how much her senses had been dulled.
The Cyborg looked at her curiously not sure why she’d stopped. Franny picked up the pace and joined him. At they walked to the edge of the plateau, an off-worlder lowered into view and remained in the air, off the edge of the drop off with its ramp lowered. Franny looked at the Cyborg, he stood waiting for her to make a decision. Franny looked back at the ship. It was clear that if she was going to meet her father, she’d have to get on it. She wasn’t sure she liked that idea much, nothing seemed to hold it up. It came nearer until it stood a foot off the ground. Franny stopped thinking and jumped aboard, then walked up the ramp, curious about what she might find. She wasn’t about to let a little thing like gravity, keep her from talking to her father.
***
The off-worlder lowered in the town square. Cyborgs milled about mixed in with civilian colonists. As the ramp lowered Franny made her way to the doorway while it started to descend to the ground. There were plenty of people standing around staring at her. Franny didn’t like all the attention. She turned to say something to her guard and realised she’d picked up 5 more. Seriously? “Guard,” she asked to the one she knew slightly in front of her. “Why do I have 5 more guards?” She gritted out. No wonder everyone was looking at her.
“Commanders orders. This area is not secure.”
Franny bit back an expletive, following him down the ramp and over to the soldiers command centre. Her father was sitting at a desk going over something. “Hay Dad.” She called out as she entered and moved towards him as he got up to give her a hug.
“You ok?”
She nodded. “Better than. That bed is a miracle. I’ve asked for all 15 to be sent down so we can use them. Did you get my message about the vid’s being played? People are going to be angry about families being slit up. It might help for them to understand.” Her father placated her and indicated the seat. She took it.
“Yeah, we’re playing them. I’m having a vid put up in the square, so we can play them there too and I’ve added in the Commanders own words about this world that Hawk got out of him and his originals. It’s a massive wake up call to most of the people here but some, don’t believe it, don’t want to.”
“Truth will out, right?” she told him smiling.
He gave her a sad nod. “May be. You look good. That bed thing worked then?”
Franny nodded. “You went to war without me Dad.” She tried hard to keep her annoyance out of her voice.
“Yeah I did, to prevent you getting hurt again or killed.”
“You should have waited.”
“No, he shouldn’t.” His words had a finality about them she didn’t like. Franny turned towards the door, knowing the voice already. Hawk. “I am glad to see you up and well mate,” he told her. “My men kept me updated, you did well ordering the med beds down and the vid messages. It is changing minds and healing wounds.” He came towards her and leant down to lightly kiss h
er.
Franny leaned back and raised an eye brow at him. He spoke the first words like an order, then tried to placate her with the ‘well done’ shit. She wasn’t having that. “O yeah? I’d like to know how you roped my father and my people into a war they weren’t ready for?”
“There’s no need to get all bent out of shape.” He told her standing back up. Franny raised both eyebrows and narrowed her eyes as she heard him say that. Hawk paused for a second realising his mistake from her body language and scent, he was pissing her off.
Franny held back a smile. He seemed to take a step back and gave a nod. “Your right, I apologise.” He told her, “we should have involved you in the process. That is my fault. My need to protect, pushed me to make the right decisions without you.”
Was that an apology? She couldn’t tell and it grated. It sounded like he was, then he’d said he was right, Franny didn’t like it or his ‘I’m in charge attitude’. “Listen bud, you walk in here, think you know it all, take over and start making decisions that have, NOTHING to do with you. You don’t need to protect me, I can protect myself, been doing it a fucking long time.” She sneered at him.
Hawk exploded. Dealing with all his emotions was taking its toll on his control. He didn’t mean to, but she was pushing all his buttons, her words had no logic to them and from what he’d seen, they were not based on fact.
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