“I was not aware that was protocol, Ma’am.”
“It’s common sense, General!” She pounds her fists on the com console, then raises a hand, pointing an accusing finger at the screen. “You have compromised an important objective by executing Thomas Chopra. He was the son of Captain Chopra, of our Mars shipyard, and the same man sailing to earth with three of our new warships to assist in the fight against rebel Hosts and Chimera.” She takes a pause. “Do you think he’s happy to help us now; that we’ve murdered his thirteen-year-old son?”
“Ma’am, I – I feel awful for my choice.” He pauses, looking down a moment at his feet. “I know of Captain Chopra, of course.” Of course he does, Chopra is one of the top performing military minds and heavily decorated. It’s why he is in the position he is. General Seaton’s head shakes and he looks back up at Fran’s disapproving glare. “I take full responsibility. I had no idea,” the general stammers out.
“Promote the ranking officer below you and report to First City.” She has nothing left to say to the man and closes communications. She runs a hand through her increasingly greying head of hair. “I’d hang him if it wouldn’t give the wrong impression.” She tells the room. They are silent. “Back to work! I need updates on rebel Host activity.”
Her EC chimes and she swipes to reveal Meiser’s tired eyes. “Good news, I hope.”
“Very, Ma’am. The Lifi lights are being reproduced in every Country State, and our troops being outfitted with them,” he allows himself a dramatic pause. “In other news, our volunteer Host has retained its reboot command and requesting it be returned to its designation.”
“Excellent. I’m eager to put this portion of our fight behind us. Has there been anymore progress in discovering who Allfather is, and where he might be located?”
“No, we’ve hit a wall there. Whoever it is, they’re not giving up their identity or position easily.”
Fran’s jaw clenches and she sucks her teeth, frustrated with this unseen enemy, but she does not allow her mood to be felt through the EC. “Very well, keep at it and continue monitoring your volunteer there. We need to be ready to act if anything changes or reverts back to the previous coding.”
“Understood, General.” Meiser ends the communication. Fran watches her earth holo spin and orange dots populate where public upheaval is occurring. These offer company to the red dots which showcase the rebel Host activity, and the recent yellow dots which represent the concentration of Chimera activity based on arrests. Many of these activities share space and overlap in cities around the globe. Chimera are fast becoming the larger threat, but each yellow dot represents a captured Chimera, Fran knows, so how many are truly out there, remains unknown.
She walks to her media platform where a military banner now covers the earlier United Earth banner behind her, leaving little room for debate on who was governing the public now. Fran motions for her com officer to start the feed.
“Understand one thing,” she decides a blunt response to the chancellor’s condemnation of the executions is her only play now. “The United Earth government is no longer that which it once was. Your military has assumed command over all government agencies including AI Host production, which will cease immediately until the current threat has been dealt with. Executions are not this government’s preferred tactic in dealing with dissidents, but an example of our resolve to fight this new enemy had to be tendered.
“Any civilian found to be participating in the cover-up of rebel Hosts or Chimera, as the chancellor has suggested, will be dealt with in a similar manner to the one you have witnessed at your city gallows. Furthermore, if you do not remove yourselves from the protests, we will be forced to fire upon you. Civil liberties were cancelled once Radical Lockdown was initiated. Return to your homes and await further instructions via these feeds.”
She walks off the podium and attempts to message Captain Grumman at Luna Base. Again, nothing. What’s happened to Grumman, she wonders?
allegiances
“Chancellor,” Darla enters the command room. “The rebel Hosts are nearing completion on their repairs.”
“Good news,” with a grunt, he pushes off from his chair where he realises he’d nodded off. It seems to him his body is protesting the stresses he’s under by seizing key muscle groups at the most inopportune moments. “We need a plan of attack, Commander.”
“Against the Chimera?”
“Yes, but our move against General August and her troops will require a much more comprehensive assault. Right now, we have the support of the majority of senators on earth, but many of their powers have been usurped by the military leaders Fran has placed in their stead. They want to help our cause, but are powerless to act.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t much of a mind for war, Chancellor.”
“Nor do I, Darla. But I have been inundated by requests for instruction by my Senators. They will be able to rally the public behind us. Some have even suggested turning military personnel over to our side. Others have already done so. The scope of this war is so vast, it’s beginning to terrify me.”
“Sir, you’ve led the world to great things in your term. I know you will lead us again to better things.”
“I had a system then, Commander. I had an organized government and a public who enjoyed easy, adventurous lives. I won’t pretend it was a difficult position to hold.”
“Still, you held it and earned the public’s respect. You are a leader, Raymond.” That she addresses him by his first name is not lost on him. “Perhaps you can take counsel from Captain Chopra when he arrives?”
“Yes, I plan to. I just hope he has the wherewithal to approach this delicately. We cannot act rashly or emotionally. He will want to.”
“You can’t blame him.”
“No, but I can’t allow emotions to play into our battle plan.”
“Commander, Chancellor, we’re receiving a message from the fleet.” Announces the com officer. Two faces of decorated captains materialize on the main holo.
“Chancellor,” one says. “I am Captain Mann.” The other introduces himself next. “And I am Captain Juravinski.”
Mann’s appearance immediately reminds Raymond of his late sister’s late husband; older, a flat face and Roman nose. Thick, dark eyebrows separating forehead from face. Juravinski is thin, almost fragile looking, not the image he’d have conjured for a captain of a warship, but Raymond wasn’t one to lay judgement before interacting with the personality.
“Captains,” Raymond acknowledges.
“Sir, we’re travelling with Captain Chopra’s fleet to intercept the Chimera threat in orbit around Earth’s Moon,” says Mann.
“We would like to discuss our fleet leader’s earlier conversation with you,” Juravinski adds.
Raymond doesn’t like how this is sounding out. Will they renege on the offer Chopra put forward in his moment of grief? Do they have the clearance to disobey their commanding officer’s ruling?
“Jim Chopra has been detained by his Commander after a secret conversation with General August, sir. We understand his son was executed, and that he is in a fractured emotional state. Our question is this: had he learned of Thomas’ death after he’d offered his ships and services to your cause?” Mann is very pointed, and Raymond does not get the feeling he is going to honour Chopra’s earlier dedication.
“That’s surprising to hear, Captains.” Raymond puts his Chancellor voice on. “Yes, he’d known of his son’s murder when he’d pledged your ships.” Tell the truth, he tells himself. They could easily pull the time cards for any of their communications.
“I know Captain Chopra,” Commander Darla interjects. “He is not a man who would make a decision like this lightly. He is a moral man with a family to protect and General August must be stopped!” Her face reddens. “He knows that!”
“On that we can agree, Commander.” Juravinski tells them. “We have followed the feeds from Mars Station the past two weeks and find ourselves torn whether
to blindly follow orders, or desert the general’s personal war and join a side with integrity.”
“Jim thought you’d shown integrity, Chancellor,” Mann adds. “yet, you’ve fled to the moon.”
“I fled because of the circumstances Fran – General August – placed me in. She was hunting me with her G-class and a group of rebel Hosts saved me. Then the Chimera rounded us all up and brought us here. I have been an involuntary passenger on a very difficult journey, but have landed squarely on my feet, as the people’s choice to lead against this military coup.
“I’ve also been contacted by countless Senators all over the world who want to help, but at this time can only act in a passive-aggressive manner. They assure me my posts are gaining more and more followers. We’re making a difference from up here.”
“Impressive, Chancellor. We will contact you soon with an answer as to whether we will follow your lead, or remain in the charge of the general.”
The ParaCom holo ends and Darla looks to Raymond. “Why does it have to be so difficult with soldiers?” She asks.
The chancellor shrugs and sits again. “I’m famished. Could we get something to eat down here? Do we have any eyes on those Chimera yet?”
“Still hiding in the shadows, Chancellor,” an aid offers. “We’ll should know the moment they leave the dark-side of the moon.”
“Let’s hope they stay there until we have some guns on our side.”
______________________________________________________________________
With suits and propulsion packs appropriated from the ruined shipyard, Chimera leave the safety of their corvettes to retrieve food and water still stored on the drifting, orbiting bits of ships the general had targeted.
“We’re bringing a galley to the bay doors,” says Forge, pushing the separated room through the empty space between ships. “It looks to have lost half of its contents, but the remaining half should keep us flush for weeks.”
“What of the washrooms?” Ginny sends from the control module. “The piping was included in these ships as part of the infrastructure.”
“Those are next. We can weld everything in place once they’re aboard. Water filtration and water collectors will also follow.”
“This is good,” Tobias reasons, flashing a toothy smile at Ginny. She smiles back.
“I really have to pee again,” she tells him.
“Suit system full?”
She nods and opens the bay doors for Forge and his team. There is an audible thump and the ship trembles slightly. Forge tells her to seal the bay and the others rush in to collect the goods.
“What’s next, Tobias?” She asks, head focused on the panel in front of her. “I mean, how will we take the destroyers when they come?”
“I’m working on a plan,” he assures her. “I’d like a better idea of their size and capabilities, but since all of that is beyond our reach, we may have to improvise when they arrive.”
“They’ll be here in a couple of days.” She says nervously. He places a hand on her shoulder and lightly squeezes.
“I’m wondering whether we go another way on this.”
“Run?” Her tone suggests she will not support that path.
“Not quite. But, perhaps a fight against three destroyer class ships is unwinnable. Maybe I believe that. So maybe we go to the source?”
“You want to go to Mars!” She exclaims. Tobias laughs at this.
“I hear it’s nice this time of year,” he jokes.
“What about the military presence there?”
“I doubt there are many. Mars is so far removed from their normal operations, I’ll bet it’s a minimal crew at best; just there to oversee that the AI Host don’t screw anything up. If they can make three, that means they can make more, and likely are. So, maybe we pay them a visit and get one of our own?”
______________________________________________________________________
“I feel awful for Captain Chopra, Nick,” Lieutenant Drake confesses to Commander Wilkes. “He’s a good man with a dead son. I don’t think you needed to be so insensitive.”
“He’s a traitor, Ursula,” Nick explains to his com officer. “There are rules in place to prevent this kind of behaviour. We’re part of something bigger than his son. Do you know how many people have died since this war began? Over two-million. You just have to watch the feeds we’re putting out to know. General August has to act on her suspicions, regardless of who they are.”
“So, if she had hanged your parents, Nick, you’d have supported it?”
“An unlikely hypothetical, but yes, I would have.”
“Is it then fair to say; you’d support anything that got you promoted?” He sees the disapproving look she’s given him multiple times during their tenure on Mars Station. Always the prude, he thinks. Never accepting his romantic overtures. Well, maybe that all changes now.
“I’m your Captain now, Lieutenant,” he expresses with disdain. “I don’t appreciate your tone. This was done in support of the general’s war. I am a patriot. Nothing I’ve done was for personal gain.”
“You have a love-affair with power, Nick, always have. But I hope you’re telling the truth; that you didn’t do this to win the general’s favour, and find yourself leading this fleet.”
It irritates him that power is not an aphrodisiac for her. So, what is it about this girl, he wonders? Does she simply need to be taken? “Why don’t you like me, Ursula?”
“Nick, you know I have a boyfriend on earth and I only want to be faithful.”
“I have a wife on earth,” he reveals. “Neither one of them were on mars! Neither are here now.” He stands.
“Well let’s just say you’re not my type, Nick, and clearly you have no issues with infidelity, whereas I am loyal to my partner, myself, and my Captain.”
Oh? “Let me stop you there. Go back to where you said you were loyal to your captain,” he walks slowly, but purposefully, closing on her position.
Yes, my captain. Captain Chopra. You are not my captain, Nick. You are a temp in a position you have no business holding.”
“Yet, here I am,” he says, hands up and turning to embrace the bridge as his own. “And there you are. You, Ursula, who at every advance made me feel insignificant.” He’s a mere metre away now.
“Don’t start this again,” she warns. “You’ve always known my stance on you. Your ego is maddening!”
He takes her wrists from their place on the console roughly. He is only slightly stronger then her, he realizes. She squirms to escape his tightening grip. A leg comes over the side of her terminal and slams down on both of Wilkes’ forearms hard. He reels back in pain. She is full of surprises, he thinks, playfully.
“We have twenty-eight hours to fill,” he explains. “Imagine how we could spend them.”
“You come at me like that again and I will put you down, Wilkes.” Her brow furrows and he finds it absolutely adorable. She’s standing now, taking the stance. A fight could lead to sex, he muses, moving toward her.
A pain the likes of which he has not experienced since hand-to-hand combat training at the academy a decade ago overwhelms his senses as he sinks to his knees with his hands protectively, albeit uselessly, groping at his crotch. His eyes water and he reasons that a fight might not lead to sex, after all, or ever again.
“I’m sorry, Nick, I understand how that must hurt, but if you try that again I will put you down again.”
Stunned at her obvious fighting skills all he can manage is an “Ugg.” Ursula throws something cold next to his head.
“Put that on your balls. You can fill a few hours icing them.”
Captain Mann hails their ship and Nick scrambles to his feet. His face feels warm as he works to remove the pained expression he wears. “Not yet,” he orders Ursula. “Give me a minute here.” He shifts his balls and breathes through each new shock of pain. He turns back to her. “Why the nuts?!”
Ursula shrugs and smirks. “Easy target, optimal da
mage.”
He turns back to the main screen and straightens himself out. “Okay, receive him.” Ursula does so, and Captain Mann requests an audience on Wilkes’ ship. He and Captain Juravinski would like to shuttle to him at 0900.
“We’ll have to slow our progress for a shuttle dock,” Nick states. “Can we not do this over the com?”
“We’d like to do this over dinner,” Juravinski says. “Also, I have a bottle of wine I’ve been holding onto since my last trip to earth, and would like to share it with you both.”
Nick is weary of excepting the offer. It seems unnecessary. What would they gain by boarding my ship, he wonders? Once they’re on my ship they could over-power me and put Chopra back in the captain’s seat.
“No,” he tells them. “Anything you’d like to discuss can be accomplished via the com.” He doesn’t want to seem suspicious of the men, so creates an excuse. “We will fall behind on our timeline if we stop for this formal engagement.”
The General's War Page 28
