by Ryk Brown
“Even if they’re trying to kill us?” Dylan asked.
“They aren’t our people,” Mori commented before Vladimir could respond. “And technically, we don’t answer to Scott, just Telles.”
“We also have a shield problem,” Vladimir added.
“The shields are working fine,” Dylan argued.
“Except they don’t have the ability to drop one section,” Vladimir pointed out. “We’d have to drop all our shields to get them aboard.”
“Whose dumbass idea was that?” Marcus complained.
“It was on my list,” Vladimir defended.
* * *
Jessica sat at the darkened living room window, peering out at the street and the fairway on the opposite side.
“Is there some reason we turned off all the lights?” Lynne wondered.
“It’s nearly twenty-three hundred,” Nathan replied. “Most people are in bed by now.”
“What planet are you from?” she chuckled.
“Besides, we can keep watch covertly this way,” Nathan added.
“Who exactly is after you?” Lynne wondered.
“Admiral Galiardi,” Nathan replied.
“Why?”
“For a number of reasons, actually.”
It suddenly dawned on her. “If you’re Dayton Scott’s next of kin, then you’re technically president.”
“What?” Nathan stated, shocked.
“Yeah, what?” Jessica echoed.
“Earth’s constitution states that in the event of an assassination of a duly elected public official, that official’s next of kin will assume office until the next regular election.”
“Are you certain?” Nathan wondered.
Lynne’s eye’s widened. “How could you be the son of the president and not know this?”
“I spent my life avoiding the family business,” Nathan admitted, somewhat embarrassed.
“Jesus, Nathan,” Jessica scolded. “Seems like a pretty important fact to have overlooked.”
“You didn’t know, either,” Nathan defended.
“Poli-sci was never my thing,” Jessica replied.
“Well, it was mine,” Lynne insisted. “It was my major, in fact. You being alive means that everything Galiardi is doing is illegal, assuming he knows that you’re alive.”
“Oh, he knows,” Jessica assured her.
“My God,” Lynne exclaimed. “This could change everything! Half the world hates Galiardi. The nets are full of blackboards where people are talking about an armed revolution. The only thing stopping them is that it would likely plunge the entire planet into chaos and destroy the economy. As you well know, it took us years to rebuild after the Jung invasion, none of which would’ve been possible without your father. If the people knew you were alive, Galiardi could be defeated without firing a shot.”
Nathan didn’t look as enthusiastic. “There may be one little hitch in that plan.”
“Like what?” Lynne asked.
“He’s a clone,” Jessica stated.
Lynne looked at Nathan, unable to resist the urge to study him more carefully, as if she might find something in his face to confirm Jessica’s claim. “Is that true?”
“Yup.”
“Is that why you didn’t know about the next-of-kin provision?”
“No,” Nathan replied. “I still have all the memories of my original body, all the way up to the night before my execution on Nor-Patri. At least, most of them.”
“Most of them?”
“A few memories are still out of focus, so to speak.
“I’m not sure that you being a clone matters,” Lynne stated. “I mean, there’s nothing in the constitution about clones specifically.”
“But it could be an issue,” Nathan pointed out. “In fact, if played properly in the media, which I’m sure Galiardi controls, it could be enough to plunge Earth into a civil war. That’s a chance I cannot take.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Lynne admitted.
“Actually, it’s not an issue at all,” Jessica said. “Granted, political science was one of my favorite classes to skip out on, but I seem to remember that the next-of-kin provision went to the spouse first, then to the children of the deceased, in order of age. Am I right?”
“You are.”
“Well,” Jessica said, looking at Nathan.
“No,” Nathan objected. “The risk is too great.”
“Shouldn’t that be her decision?” Jessica challenged.
“She can barely make it around the house without getting winded, Jess,” Nathan argued.
“Maybe not now, but…”
“No,” Nathan repeated, insistent.
“If you make a claim to the presidency without disclosing that you’re a clone, then you’re asking for another mess once the truth is discovered, and it will be discovered. Nothing stays secret forever.”
“You’d be surprised,” Nathan replied.
“Your sister is alive, isn’t she?” Lynne surmised. “Other than your father, hers was the only body they couldn’t find any evidence of. Vids of the event showed her standing next to your father when the bomb went off, so everyone assumed that she was vaporized along with your father. But the conspiracy boards claim that the vids were doctored; that people in attendance say your sister left the stage just before the explosion. The fact that no one can find her children adds to those conspiracies. They even postulate that the Jung kidnapped her and are brainwashing her, to return her later and put her in charge of Earth as their puppet leader.”
Jessica laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, I miss Earth.”
“This is precisely why she can’t come back,” Nathan told Jessica.
“Then she is alive,” Lynne surmised.
“Yes, and so are her children,” Nathan confirmed. “And they are about as far away from Earth as they can get, which is where they are going to stay,” he added, looking back at Jessica.
“If Miranda is alive, she is the solution,” Lynne insisted.
“To what problem, precisely?” Nathan asked.
“Galiardi has the Earth in a death grip,” Lynne explained. “And he is systematically exterminating the Jung.”
“No tears here,” Jessica commented, returning her attention to the street outside.
“Half the planet feels the same,” Lynne said. “The other half, myself included, thinks this war can only end one way…with the destruction of both our worlds. That’s the side that’s calling for the overthrow of Galiardi.”
“How likely is this revolution?” Nathan asked Lynne.
“If they can recruit enough people, it will happen,” Lynne assured him.
“Galiardi will squash them,” Jessica stated.
“He’d be firing on his own people,” Lynne pointed out.
“Trust me, that won’t bother him at all,” Jessica insisted.
Lynne looked at Nathan. “Then you must tell the world you’re alive. It’s the only way to avoid the bloodshed of your own people.”
Nathan sighed. “You’re right,” he told Jessica. “You should have left me on the Voss.”
“I’ve got movement in back!” Kit called from the back room. “Four, armed, coming over the fence!” he added as he came down the hall. “Safe bet they’re preparing to hit the back door.”
“They could be coming for the windows,” Jessica said.
“Too many bushes in the way,” Kit insisted as he moved to the kitchen.
“How did they find us so fast?” Naralena wondered.
“Not hard if they have access to all the security cameras in the city,” Jessica said. “I’ve got movement on the far side of the fairway as well. Four more; armed. Two to the right, two to the left.”
“I didn’t see any cameras,” Naralena stated.
“Not much use if you can see them,” Jessica replied.
“But here?”
“Her car was a rental,” Nathan standing. “They’re all tracked.”
“Which means there were cameras in the parking lot,” Jessica stated. “I guess I fucked that one up.”
“Let’s just concentrate on our next move,” Nathan insisted.
“Let the first ones in and take their weapons?” Kit suggested from the kitchen door.
“That was my thinking,” Jessica agreed.
“Please try not to kill anyone,” Nathan reminded them.
“No promises,” Jessica replied, moving into position between the front door and the window.
“You might want to get down on the floor,” Nathan told Lynne and Naralena.
“Nathan, be ready,” Jessica warned.
The door burst open, and a small object was tossed inside.
“COVER!” Nathan yelled, closing his eyes and covering his ears.
There was a flash and a blast of ear-splitting sound meant to incapacitate anyone caught unprepared. Even with his eyes closed tightly, the flash was near blinding. Even with his ears covered by his hands, the sound was still deafening.
For a moment, Nathan felt unsure of himself. He had lost touch with everything and everyone around him. He could hear men yelling at the top of their lungs.
Two seconds later, his senses returned.
For Jessica, it was an entirely different experience. She didn’t have the luxury of being able to cover up. She had to fight. But she also had the advantage of having been trained to resist the sensory-numbing effects of stun grenades.
She waited for the first two men to charge through the door, then kicked her leg out to trip the third, sending him tumbling into the first two. She then grabbed the gun of the fourth man, who probably thought his cohort before him had simply tripped.
She twisted the weapon toward the man’s thumb, breaking his grip. She twisted the weapon around, wrapping the sling around the man’s right arm and yanking it downward. At the same time, she drove her knee into his groin, causing him to drop to his knees in pain.
The fourth man’s rifle still slung around his shoulder, Jessica raised it slightly and squeezed the trigger, sending two bright red blasts into the backs of the first two men.
Nathan’s vision returned just in time to see two EDF marines in full urban assault gear drop in front of him with smoking holes in their backs. The sounds of energy weapons fire and the thuds of falling bodies sounded from the kitchen, causing him to instinctively look behind him, half expecting marines to come charging in, having overrun Kit.
“NATHAN!” Jessica barked.
Nathan looked her way as she took the sidearm from the third soldier’s now lifeless, smoking body.
Jessica dropped to one knee, grabbing the dead man’s knife from his thigh sheath, slicing through the sling on his rifle, freeing it from his corpse.
“DUCK!” Nathan warned, raising the sidearm he had just caught in midair to take aim out the front door.
Jessica fell forward, rolling and firing her energy rifle into the other man, who had been rising to his feet.
Nathan fired four times, his own bolts of bright, red energy barely missing Jessica’s head. The first shot found the leader of the second group of four men just outside, the second landing in the face of the man next to him. He had no idea where the other two shots landed, as he was already diving for cover behind the couch.
Jessica rolled again, taking the sidearm off the nearest man’s body as two more marines hit the front porch, scrambling over the bodies of their fallen comrades.
The next man at the door stuck his rifle around the door frame and fired blindly in Jessica’s direction.
Jessica dropped to the floor and rolled the body of the dead soldier onto his side, using his corpse as a shield against the incoming fire. As the bolts of red energy slammed into the body shielding her, she returned fire, sending multiple bolts of energy slamming into the doorframe and blowing it apart.
Nathan rose, continuing to fire at the doorway, but the two men outside were not making themselves easy targets.
Jessica took advantage of Nathan’s cover fire, quickly rising. She took two steps toward the center of the living room, then turned and charged toward the window, assault rifle in hand.
Nathan’s eyes widened as he watched Jessica jump through the front window, shattering it. “JESS!” he yelled, charging toward the door, still firing away. Shots sounded from outside, and flashes of red lit up the front yard through the shattered window.
Nathan reached the door frame, pausing momentarily before peeking around it. He ducked back immediately, expecting a barrage of incoming fire, but it didn’t come. In fact, everything was surprisingly quiet. He peeked around the door frame again and then stepped out.
Jessica was outside, already gathering guns and knives from the collection of bodies lying dead or injured in the front yard.
“Jesus Christ!” Nathan barked. “I thought we weren’t going to kill anyone!”
“All their weapons were set to kill,” Jessica told him. “The gloves are off. KIT!”
Nathan turned around as Kit came out of the kitchen, his own collection of weapons in hand. “I got six.”
“Same here,” Jess reported. “I think Nathan got two.”
“Oh shit,” Kit exclaimed, dropping his weapons and running over to Lynne and Naralena.
Nathan followed, scrambling over bodies to join Kit. He came around the couch, unprepared for what he saw.
Lynne held Naralena in her arms, blood and bodily fluids oozing from the still-smoldering wound in Naralena’s chest.
Naralena’s eyes were wide and pleading, in a combination of pain and disbelief. She grasped at Nathan as he fell before her.
“Captain…” she gasped, barely able to find the breath to speak. “I don’t… I’m sorry… I thought…”
“Don’t speak,” Nathan urged, taking her hand. Jessica came around the couch, spotting Naralena and the others. She looked at Kit, who shook his head. “Fuck.”
“I’m okay…” Naralena insisted. “I’m okay…” She gurgled, something unexpected in her throat. “Oh God…”
Distant, pale blue flashes lit up the yard outside, the light spilling into the room.
“We gotta go,” Jessica said.
“We have to take her with us,” Nathan declared.
“Nathan.” Jessica’s tone spoke volumes.
“She’s right…” Naralena barely managed to say. “Oh God…” she cried, overwhelmed with pain.
“They’ll take care of her, right?” Lynne said. “You all leave, and they’ll take care of her. I’ll make sure of it.”
Naralena looked at Nathan, squeezing his hand. “Do it,” she gasped, looking at Jessica. “You must.”
Nathan looked confused. “Do what?”
“Kit,” Jessica said.
Kit pulled Lynne away from Naralena, taking her place and kneeling behind Naralena. He propped her up, put his arms around her neck, then leaned down so that his head was next to hers.
“What are you doing?” Nathan asked in disbelief.
“I’m sorry,” Kit whispered into Naralena’s ear.
Naralena squeezed Nathan’s hand with everything she had.
Kit made a quick twist, snapping her neck and ending her life instantly.
“NO!” Nathan screamed as Naralena’s hand went limp in his own.
Lynne gasped in horror at the brutal act.
Nathan grabbed Kit’s collar with both hands and yanked the Ghatazhak toward him and yelling in his face. “What the fuck did you do!”
“What I had to,” Kit replied calmly.
“You son of a bitch!” Nathan yelled, raising his right hand to punch Kit in the face.
Kit didn’t flinch, nor did he move to defend himself. Instead, he just stared into his leader’s eyes. “Go ahead if it will make you feel better.”
“What’s wrong with you people!” Lynne cried.
“They would have learned everything from her,” Jessica explained.
“We could have brought her with us,” Nathan replied, releasing his hold on Kit.
“She would’ve died, and we’d all be dead or captured,” Jessica stated calmly and without compassion as she removed knives from the dead marines nearest her. “Which we’ll be anyway if we don’t get the fuck out of here.”
Nathan rose to his feet, his eyes still locked on Naralena’s lifeless body, as Kit gently laid her down.
Kit took several of the confiscated knives for himself, then offered one of the captured assault rifles to Nathan. “We good, sir?”
Nathan took the rifle from Kit. “No,” he replied quietly, also taking one of the knives from the Ghatazhak. “But we will be.”
Kit patted Nathan on the shoulder, nodding respectfully before returning to his preparations.
“Let’s go, Lynne,” Jessica said, sticking several of the dead marines’ combat knives into her belt.
“What?”
“You’re coming with us,” Jessica told her.
“Why?”
“Trust me, you’re safer with us,” Jessica insisted, grabbing her arm to help her up.
“Are you kidding?” Lynne contested.
Nathan stopped, turning around to face Lynne, anger in his eyes. “Time is short, so listen up. Life as you knew it is over. If you stay here, you’ll suffer endless interrogations, and eventually you’ll be executed.”
“But I didn’t do anything,” Lynne insisted.
“You know I’m alive,” Nathan replied, “and that knowledge could lead to Galiardi’s demise,” Nathan explained. “You said so yourself.”
“But my family…”
“We’ll find a way to get them later,” Nathan assured her, knowing full well that he was promising something he might not be able to deliver.
* * *
Josh’s Lightning buffeted violently as it again jumped into Earth’s lower atmosphere. This time, he was not in clouds, but a canyon a thousand kilometers from Monterey.
