The Blue of Antyllus

by Michael E. Gonzales

  “General Steinherz figured it out.”

  “The general, by virtue of his rank and position, was privy to information denied to you. Was he not?” Sir Gawain folded his arms and his countenance became firm.

  “Young man, the time for self-recriminations is past. Do you want proof? Look at the breathtaking beauty on your arm and look where you are. Captain, this colony is in greater need of leaders than it is janitors. And that void will soon become more apparent than it has been since the battle.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Just remember my words. Now, remove the yoke you’ve built yourself and enjoy the time, the place and of course, the company,”

  Sir Gawain paused, his glance shifted from Nash to Tanny, he lifted her hand and kissed it gently. Then, to Nash, he said, “The students at the Fish miss you,” he then looked at Tanny again and added, “Nash is wonderful with children.”

  Sir Gawain then bowed to Tanny, kissed her hand again, and left.

  Nash glanced at Tanny who was watching Sir Gawain walk away. “Students at the Fish?” she asked.

  “Oh, ah, the folks at the Fish run a school for the E’meset. Adults and children attend, that’s why so many of them speak so many earth languages.”

  “And you’re good with the E’meset children?”

  “Hey…kids love me.”

  ○O○

  As Nash and Tanny moved through the crowd toward the dance floor, several people spoke to Nash, “Hey Nash…good job on those plasma inducers. Thanks for your help!” said an engineer.

  “Nash, I appreciate your help with that inventory. Thanks,” an officer from supply noted, smiling.

  “Nash, come see me, will ya?” A communications officer came up and shook his hand. “I’m trying to get a hundred-and-seventy-five-year-old radio transmitter receiver to work. I have all the parts, and then some, but I’d like you to look at it.”

  A man from manufacturing shouted from the bar, “Nash, we got your order for that furniture. The boys in construction tell me you’re third in line.”

  Tanny turned to Nash. “Furniture? You’re replacing the issue items in your Q with made-to-order stuff?”

  “I’ll tell you about it later,” Nash answered, and blushed.

  ○O○

  They stepped out onto the dance floor as a slow, romantic song began. The woman singing was fabulous; the song she sang was new, something original to these artists, Tanny figured. Nash took her into his arms and they danced. He slowly pulled her close to him, and she let him. As she sank into his chest, the tightness in her shoulders faded away. She seemed to melt into him, and she exhaled deeply.

  Nash’s arms remained solid and strong. He supported her, and they moved with the throng of dancers around the floor. Tanny and Nash, however, saw no one else. The floor was theirs alone, as was the city and, indeed, the entire black-and-blue world.

  Tanny recalled the words of the woman in the dome that night at the party as they watched Cindy dance with the E’meset, “Surely you are aware that human dancing is part of a fertility ritual as well. Our gyrations are just a bit more…subtle.”

  Tanny dismissed the memory and listened to the words of the song as she laid her head on Nash’s shoulder.

  “Your love is my road from the land of ice, your love is the warmth missing from my life. I offer my love, and together we’ll live in paradise.”

  At the conclusion of the song, the crowd signaled their approval with thunderous applause.

  “That was so beautiful,” Tanny said.

  The woman singing then announced into the mic loud enough to be heard above the din, “That was You Saved Me, words and music by Mr. Nash Rastaban.”

  “Nash!” Tanny was stunned. “You write music?”

  “Ah…I wrote that,” he responded, blushing.

  “It’s wonderful! You’re missing your calling!”

  “Seems that you and Sir Gawain are of the same opinion.”

  Tanny averted her eyes a moment. “Have you written anything else?”

  “Many years ago…that was my first attempt in ten years. I was fortunate that Ms. Mequashia, up there, thought enough of it to sing it. I wish she had left my name out of it, though.”

  “Why?” Tanny asked.

  Nash only smiled and led Tanny back to their seats. They had no more sat down than Major Mitchel stepped up.

  “May I join you?” he asked.

  Nash rose, stunned, “Yes, sir, please.”

  “Sit back down, Captain,” Dave said as he pulled out a chair.

  “Sir, I don’t go by the rank anymore.”

  “Okay, fine. I’ll call you Nash, you call me Dave. How’s that?”

  “Sir…I’m sorry, Dave, I’d like you to meet—”

  “Dr. Eltanie Austrini, exobiologist. If you recall, Doctor, we’ve met before. You were concerned for the condition of certain patients you’d cared for after the battle.”

  Tanny shot Nash a glance. “Oh, yes, I do seem to recall that. Thank you again, for listening.”

  “So, Nash, you wrote that song? Outstanding. Sounded like you really poured your heart into it.”

  Nash swallowed. “Yes, I did,” he said.

  Tanny looked quickly at Nash.

  “I’m happy you liked it,” Nash went on to say.

  “It was truly beautiful, Nash; you were obviously inspired. I hope you’ll write more.”

  “Dave,” there was urgency in Nash’s voice, like he desperately wanted to prevent Dave from leaving. “Dave, you know what I was, what I did. Don’t you?”

  Unruffled, Dave replied, “Yes, Nash. I know.”

  Nash swallowed hard. “Can you forgive me?” He looked directly into Dave’s eyes and set his jaw.

  Dave adjusted his seat to better face Nash. “For the first weeks after the war, during all the funerals, I wanted all you mercs and IIEA dead. And I would have been happy to do it myself.”

  Dave lowered his head a moment before continuing.

  “But…Nash, we as a people must heal, and though we can’t forget, we must forgive. We are, all of us, dependent on one another now. This community must become a family, or we are all going to die here.”

  Dave paused and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “Nash, have you considered the size of the human population of Antyllus? With every death, we grow weaker. We have stopped dying, for the time being. The time of killing has got to be over. It’s time to start new life.

  Dave leaned back again in his seat and smiled.

  “Kathy wants us all to be happy. I want that dream of happiness to become a reality for every member of the colony. For you, too, Nash. The past is done. We are all starting new here. It’s like I told you last year— we will all be judged on what we do from this point on.

  “Nash, I’ve dedicated my life to our extended family, here. Their defense, their propagation, their happiness. I want you to be part of that effort.”

  Dave offered his hand to Nash, who gripped it firmly.

  Just at that moment, Kathy came up behind Dave, put her hands on his shoulders, and bent down to whisper in his ear. She then looked up. “Hello Tanny, good to see you again. You look beautiful!”

  “Thank you, Kathy, I’d like you meet Mr.—”

  “Captain Nash Rastaban, yes, you’re the talk of New Roanoke. You’re the man that got the power restored to all the residences in level two. You got the water running in sector nine, you found the atmosphere leak in maintenance bay seven, and you’re the man who—”

  “Ma’am, I didn’t do those things alone.”

  “It’s Kathy, and that’s not what I hear. Now, I’m sorry to have to pull Dave away from you, but—”

  Dave smiled and rose, nodded at Tanny, then said to Nash, “I’ll see ya again.”

  As the two walked away, Tanny took hold of Nash’s upper arm and laid her head on his shoulder. “It’s all over now, honey. It’s all over.”

  ○O○

  A week after the opening of Rick’s,
Nash was up working on his condominium project. It was 22:45, very late for a man whose day had started at 05:30.

  The inspectors had signed off on his repair to the observation dome and he’d re-pressurized the rooms with breathable air, so now he was really making good progress. He had, however, decided to call it a day as soon as this wall was painted.

  It was then that there came a knock at the door.

  “I’m coming!” he shouted. But as he rounded the corner, the door was already opening and into the room stepped Major Kuriko.

  “Hello, Nash,” she said softly.

  “Hello, Major,” Nash’s voice was low and monotone.

  “The old gang misses you. We don’t see you anymore,” she said, as she glanced around.

  “First off, I was never one of your mercenaries, I was with the IIEA. Second, I’m a very busy man these days.” Nash stood still, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, as if he were expecting an attack.

  “Yes, I hear there’s plenty of work for janitors.” Kuriko stepped over a small stack of lumber.

  “What is it you want, Kuriko?”

  She strolled slowly around the room, glancing about, stepping over tools and paint cans. “You used to head security out at the factory, didn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “You conducted patrols of up to a hundred kilometers in all directions.” She slowly bent over and picked up a hammer.

  “So?”

  “Well, you must have gotten to know the factory and the area around it very well.” Kuriko pretended to be interested in the hammer.

  “Yeah, I guess so. Why?”

  “You’ve been to the mines and quarries to the far south, then?”

  “Yes, I have. What’s this all about?”

  Pointing around the room with the handle of the hammer she said, “This all looks like you’re planning to homestead?”

  “Well, like it or not, this is home now. There’s no way to get back to Earth, so might as well be comfortable here, don’t you think?”

  “Comfortable, Nash? Here? You must be joking.” She let the hammer drop from her hand. “This place could not be more uncomfortable. This planet is as inhospitable as Oceania. There are monsters, real monsters, all over the damn place. There are viruses and bacteria that will eat you from the inside out. Hell, even the air is poison. And don’t fool yourself; the so called humanoid population is just waiting to turn on us.

  Kuriko turned to glance out the huge window. “Look at us Nash — we’re living inside a glorified sardine can surrounded by giant walls and gun turrets. This isn’t a city, it’s a prison.”

  She turned quick around to look squarely at Nash.

  “On top of all that, there is nothing here for people like us. There’s nothing for us to do but sit and wait to die. And now, thanks to the miracle water, that could take ninety years. I’m going mad now, Nash. Imagine what we’ll be like in twenty years, or so.”

  She looked Nash up and down, evaluating his reaction to her unintended outburst. “I hear you’re spending a lot of time with a certain lab coat.”

  “How did you hear that?”

  “People talk, you know. I guess…if there was a way back home, you’d want to stay here with her. Is that correct?”

  “Why do you ask? You know there’s no way back.” More than ever, Nash was sure something was up.

  “Just being hypothetical.”

  “Major, I think you’d better explain your interest in me and my personal life — right now.”

  “Hey, Nash, old comrade-o-mine,” Kuriko said. “Don’t get upset. Here’s the deal, as I just said, there’s nothing for us former soldiers of fortune to do here. We think we’ve found something.

  “New Roanoke is on the mend and they’re going through spare and surplus parts like crazy. They’re going to have to start up the factory again. I’ve rounded up some investors, and we’re planning to do just that. To supplement the recycling, we’ll start up the mines again for raw materials, so, we’re on the hunt for anyone with practical knowledge and experience out there. The factory is a long way from here, and there are no coms out in the blue. So, we’re looking for the best people. The pay is going to be…well, let’s just say significantly more than a janitor makes. Enough for you to hire people to finish this place for you.”

  “Kuriko,” Nash said, “I’m a maintenance engineer, not a janitor. And I have a sweet deal here now, one that would be ruined if I were to relocate to the factory. Besides, I heard the E’meset destroyed that place years ago.”

  “No, Nash. It’s still there. It just needs some TLC, some capital, and some brains. It’s going to be exceedingly profitable. This city is going to grow Nash, and we can make all that they will require. Many of your old friends are in on this. I do wish you’d join us.”

  “Thanks, Kuriko, but no thanks.”

  “Nash, let me ask you…if there were a real chance to go home, would you be interested?”

  “There is no chance, Kuriko. I’ve come to grips with that reality ― you should, too.”

  She walked slowly up to him and placed her fingertip on the cleft in his chin. “Too bad, but then…one never knows. Remember my offer, Nash; you may yet change your mind.” She turned and started out purposefully exaggerating the motion of her hips as she walked. At the door, she stopped and glanced back at him.

  “See you soon, Nash.”

  As the door closed, Nash slowly shook his head. She was not adapting at all. No doubt, she’d surrounded herself with homesick people. All those mercenaries who thought this was a five-year commitment that would see them return home to a pile of money and the good life.

  ○O○

  Major Kuriko exited the door and turned left into the hallway beyond. A few meters down she joined several of her fellow conspirators. “We’ve lost Nash; we can count him out.”

  “You didn’t tell him anything?” A brute of a man with a scarred face asked.

  “Don’t be an idiot. I fed him the cover story. But Nash is a smart cob; he suspects. Best keep an eye on him. If he starts getting nosy, I’ll take him out myself. Another thing…he’s in there fixing a nest for himself and his girlfriend. She is his weak point, something to keep in mind.”

  ○O○

  Several weeks later, back down in the tunnels, Kuriko had everyone review the plans again. They were about ready to move.

  “Ma’am, we’ve stolen all the arms we can without causing an alarm, but we’re still far from having weapons for everyone,” a captain of mercenaries reported. “The food and other supplies are in place. Additionally, we discovered a cache of emergency food and medical supplies still in the factory. There is also water purification equipment on site. With a few more weapons and ammunition, we can be independent of the colony from here on out. We can easily weather the years needed for the ship to get here from Earth.”

  “We’ll get the weapons,” Kuriko declared. “We’re going to have to coordinate three actions.” She unrolled a hand-drawn map of the city out on the table.

  “One, capture all the operational PCs and destroy any that are inoperative.” She pointed out the three functioning parking garages under the city.

  “Two,” like a dagger she thrust her finger to a spot on the map. “Break into the armory and take what we need. Mr. Jackson is now a trusted member of the CDF; he has a plan to get us in. Once everyone and all the weapons we can carry are on board the PCs, we head out.

  “Number three, I want all the vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, as well.” With that same finger, she circled the two hangers. “That will put us in command of all the transportation on the planet and give us total dominance in the air. With that kind of fire power in our possession, they would never think of attacking us, and they wouldn’t have the ability to do it if they wanted to. We have pilots to fly them all out. The problem is that neither the PCs nor the V-tols will get far once Indra targets them from the defensive towers along the wall. We have to prevent Indra from fi
ring on us. It’s not possible to evade or fool Indra, so—”

  “So, how do we get past Indra, Boss? Do we take out the mainframe?” a large, mercenary with a scarred body interrupted her.

  “Kyle…why take the hard road when the easy road is so…easy. The mainframe is too hard to get at, and it defends itself. The answer is obvious — hostages. If Indra and the CDF know we have hostages, we can just walk out of here. Then, once we get to the factory, we demand they transmit a signal to Earth to come get us. They’ll transmit it, or we start killing the hostages.”

  Chapter 4

  REVOLUTION!

  On 20 February at 02:45 Local, Major Kuriko and her mercenaries made their move.

  It started with Mr. Jackson calling the armorer, Master Sergeant Lavet, over his COMde and awakening him from a sound sleep.

  “Sarge, this is Jackson.”

  “Jackson? Do you know what time it is?

  “Listen, we have a situation here. I found a rifle hidden in a junction box near gymnasium twenty-two.”

  “What? Did you report it to security?” Sergeant Lavet was awake now.

  “Yes, then I got a call from Major Mitchel himself. He asked if I’d run the serial number against the inventory. Of course, I’d already done that. The computer reports the weapon is locked up in the arms vault ― your arms vault, number sixteen. Mitchel want us to visually confirm that report. In his words, we have a serious problem here.”

  “Well, that’s the understatement of the year. Bring the weapon, I’ll meet you at the vault in fifteen minutes.”

  Mr. Jackson was standing at the vault door with the mystery weapon when Master Sergeant Lavet arrived.

  “This is the damnedest thing I’ve ever heard of,” Lavet said. “I think it must have been stolen and hidden, but how, and by whom, and why? I just can’t see anyone getting a weapon out of my arms room without me knowing it,” Lavet concluded as he unlocked the massive vault door.

  “Sarge, you’d be surprised what gets past you,” Jackson said as he butt-stroked the sergeant in the back of the head. After he had fallen unconscious to the floor, Jackson dragged him into the vault then proceeded to crush the man’s skull.