by J. Benjamin
“Oh, no. No, no, no!” Matt said.
“What’s wrong?” Kiara asked with deep concern in her voice.
“Something is happening to Leon, and it’s having an effect on the sequence,” Matt explained. He then dove to the ground. “Talk to me, doc.”
“My heart. I think it’s my heart,” Leon said.
“Leon, hang in there,” Matt said. “Stay with me, buddy. Don’t die on me. Breathe deep.” Matt then realized that Leon’s breathing in the sequence was useless since his physical body was unconscious.
The shaking worsened. A weary-eyed Leon looked up at Matt.
“This is not good,” Matt said. Kiara stared at the scene unfolding before her in total shock.
“Matt…” Leon said. “I’m sorry. I am so very sorry,” Leon’s head collapsed back, and he passed out. A split-second later, his body completely vanished, and in his place was a silhouette filled with the type of static one would expect to see if an old television lost its signal. The entire staging area shook so violently that it knocked Kiara to her knees.
“I think he’s disconnected from the sequence!” Matt shouted.
“That’s not good,” Kiara said. “That’s not good at all.”
Before Matt could respond, he too turned into a static silhouette. Random explosions occurred all around Kiara. The portal disappeared. Space Station Sagan vanished. The glass vanished. Kiara felt everything fade to black…
***
Katelyn was shaking hands with Beijing residents alongside the Chinese president. She looked to a young girl, no more than ten years old, who held a bouquet of flowers in her hands. She smiled and presented them to Katelyn.
“Oh! That’s too kind of you. Thank you, young lady,” she said to the girl. “You like space?” Katelyn asked.
“I do. Someday I hope to fly through the clouds of Saturn and get a closeup look at the rings,” the young girl said.
“Do you now?” Katelyn asked her. “Well, it just so happens that China and GSF are investing in a joint program for just that. If you study hard in school, pass some rigorous tests, you can do that when you turn eighteen.” She turned to the Chinese president, who smiled and nodded along.
Several yards away, Thomas frantically searched for Katelyn but couldn’t see her. She was surrounded by a cavalcade of the press, SPG agents, Chinese security, and event-goers out to greet her. Two SPG agents flanked Thomas. They both quickly noticed the panic on his face.
“Is everything okay, boss?” one of the men asked him.
“Active security threat! I’ll explain later. Initiate lockdown protocols. Get the secretary-general out of there!” Thomas said, screaming at the security detail.
The agents immediately drew their guns while the same agent held his finger to his right ear and shouted in the intercom to his fellow soldiers.
“Initiate lockdown! Secure Nightingale! I repeat! Secure Nightingale! This is not a drill!”
Katelyn felt several tugs from behind.
“Madam Secretary-General, we are in lockdown! We have to get you back to the limo immediately!” One of the female soldiers shouted in her ear.
“Lockdown?” Katelyn stammered. Before she knew it, several SPG agents huddled around her and ripped her away from the crowd.
Thomas ran towards Katelyn.
“Mr. Secretary! Stop! Get back in the limousine.” One of the agents shouted at him. Thomas didn’t listen. He kept running. Several GSF soldiers who clearly received the orders came running from the opposite direction toward Thomas Adler and grabbed him by the arms. He tried freeing himself from their grip and screamed at them.
“Let go of me this instant, or I’ll have you all court-martialed!” Thomas shouted. “I’m not getting in there until the secretary-general is safe.”
“No can do, sir!” one of the soldiers shouted back. “We’re in lockdown, and you’re getting in that limo either voluntarily, or we can shove you in there ourselves.”
“I ordered the lockdown, you idiots!” Thomas shouted back.
Katelyn suddenly felt the adrenaline rush through her veins and felt total panic. She tried turning her head and saw that the Premier was being rushed in the opposite direction by his own security forces. Meanwhile, she felt herself being lifted from the ground and quickly rushed back in the direction she came.
She could barely see past the flood of agents surrounding her. Their guns were drawn as they scanned the perimeter. Amid the chaos, she felt the world go silent.
Katelyn peered through the forest of agents holding her. Beyond the red carpet and her own GSF bubble, she saw the faces of the people. Katelyn saw confusion and fear. She knew just as much as they did, which was nothing. Hence why she shared their fear. The limo was now mere meters away.
Through the wall of scared faces, Katelyn caught one particular face that stood out. While everyone else showed panic, the face of this young woman showed confidence and determination, as she stood at the edge of the rope line. The woman did not look terrified.
The young woman wore a dress made of beads, except Katelyn quickly realized they were not beads. They were titanium ball bearings. She looked Katelyn directly in the eye, and Katelyn looked back. The woman’s skin turned a glowing, iridescent blue.
“Fuck,” Katelyn muttered to herself.
As Thomas continued to try fighting off the agents, they successfully threw him into the limo. One man jumped on Thomas to pin him down.
Before Thomas could react, a near-blinding flash erupted outside the limo.
22
December 17, 2081 - Space Station Sagan, Deck 40
Admiral Perez said nothing. She stared at the footage on the holo-screen from her office on the Command Deck. Down the hall, a makeshift gathering of the Sagan’s crew awaited her presence.
This is a breaking news bulletin. I am Veronica Rios, and this is United California News. We are currently watching live footage from Shanghai. At 3PM China time, a massive explosion ripped through the crowds of people gathered at China’s government annex in Shanghai. This was just five minutes ago. Ninety-six people are confirmed dead, and the number is rapidly rising.
It was an overcast afternoon in Shanghai. The occasion was supposed to be a watershed event for both China and the Global Space Federation. Hundreds gathered for this special occasion and… Wait a second.
Isla stared curiously. It seemed the anchorwoman was about to make a big reveal.
Oh my. I am getting confirmation that both Secretary-General Katelyn Lew and Defense Secretary Thomas Adler were killed in the explosion. While nobody has claimed responsibility at this time, there couldn’t be the slightest bit of doubt that this was a deliberate act of war against both the Global Space Federation and China. We have confirmation that China’s President Li Zhou has survived the blast, although he has suffered serious injuries.
Katelyn Lew is survived by her husband of forty years, three children, and six grandchildren. Thomas Adler is also survived by his husband and their two daughters. Both are expected to be buried at Sally Ride City. This is such a tragic day for the Global Space Federation.
Captain Cade Starling entered the office while Isla’s eyes were glued to the news. She turned to face him.
“Are they ready?” Isla asked him. He nodded his head.
“Admiral. Everyone is awaiting you in the press area.”
“Okay then,” she replied. “Let’s proceed.”
Captain Starling led her out of the office. They silently made their way down the hallway of Deck 40. They proceeded past the offices of several other high-ranking officers on the Sagan. As they moved along, people stopped in their tracks, turned to Admiral Perez, and saluted her on the spot.
They reached the press area, which was a semicircle room on the edge of the station with five rows of chairs facing a grand view of the void of space. It was dark and dimly-lit, like most of the station, due to the spacetime sequence.
However, on that day, it was to serve a much different pu
rpose for a far more somber occasion. As the captain opened the double-doors, dozens of soldiers, government officials, and members of the press waited on the other side. Every eye immediately turned to Isla. As Isla observed the men and women of the Sagan, she could feel their emotions.
Captain Starling led Isla to the glass wall before the crowd, which awaited her arrival. An older man in dark robes waited for her at the clearing. It was the Judge Admiral, the highest-ranking legal authority on Space Station Sagan. Next to him stood a young man holding a copy of the Global Space Federation Constitution. The secretary-general and defense secretary had just been assassinated. According to the GSF’s Constitution, this left the line of succession to the highest-ranking military official.
The judge turned to Isla as she approached him. The young man to his side stood at the ready.
“Admiral, would you please stand here,” the captain said, motioning Isla in between the man holding the Constitution and the older man waiting. She took a quick look at the faces. This was a history-defining moment.
“Admiral, welcome,” the judge said.
“Your Honor. Thank you for being here under such horrific circumstances,” Isla replied.
“Shall we begin?” he asked.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
“Okay then,” the judge said. “Admiral, place your right hand on the Constitution and raise your left hand.” She did accordingly.
“Repeat after me. I, Isla Natalia Perez,”
“I, Isla Natalia Perez,” she replied.
“Do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of Secretary-General of the Global Space Federation.”
“Do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of Secretary-General of the Global Space Federation.”
“And will to the best of my abilities, preserve, protect, and defend, the Constitution of the Global Space Federation against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“And will to the best of my abilities, preserve, protect, and defend, the Constitution of the Global Space Federation against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“As secretary-general and beyond my term of duty.”
“As secretary-general and beyond my term of duty.”
“Until the day I die.”
“Until the day I die.”
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the judge said. “I present to you, the eighth secretary-general of the Global Space Federation, Isla Natalia Perez.”
“Thank you, your honor,” Isla said. She then turned her focus to the Sagan press pool and cameras that were recording her every move.
“To the crew of the Sagan, armed forces, civilian leaders, to the people of Earth, and to the greater solar presence, at this moment the Global Space Federation is in a state of emergency. The enemies of the Federation struck at our government and in doing so, successfully assassinated both Secretary-General Lew and Defense Secretary Adler.
“There are simply no words to express the shock of what we have just lost. The world was robbed of two of its greatest leaders, and the GSF was robbed of its democratically-elected government. For me, this is especially personal because I have lost two of my best friends. In the coming days, the world will come together to honor these two heroic souls.
“And to our adversaries, let me make myself crystal clear. We will not rest. We will not waver. We will not relent, and we will not cower until you have been dealt our harshest, most unforgiving wrath. Wherever you hide, we will find you, and we will follow you to the gates of hell.
“There are those who wish to see the first, true, global democracy crumble. Those who seek to intimidate us as a stress test of our resolve. Just remember this. It took less than fifteen minutes, from the heinous attack on Shanghai to my swearing-in, to reestablish our government structure. Their attempts to decapitate our leadership failed.
“And so today, the Global Space Federation has been wounded, but we will recover. We will emerge from this, stronger than ever. May God look over the souls of Katelyn Lew and Thomas Adler, and may God bless the fallen from today’s horrific event. Lastly, we will reveal more information as quickly as it becomes available. Thank you.” She proceeded out of the room with Captain Starling by her side.
“Madam Secretary-General, the Joint Chiefs await you in the situation room,” he said as they made their way down the hall.
“Has anyone claimed responsibility for the attack?” Isla asked Captain Starling.
“Not yet, but Intelligence has confirmed that daemonide was the weapon used in the attack. So that boils it down to one suspect.”
“Of course, it was Terra Rebirth,” Isla replied. “Who else would it be?” They continued proceeding down the halls when suddenly, the main-lights flickered back on. “I thought the spacetime sequence limited the station to low-power mode.”
“Let me look into it,” Cade replied. He put his right index finger to his ear. “Dr. Srivastava, come in.” Twenty seconds went by before he heard a response.
“What’s happening?” Isla asked.
“Doctor. Talk to me… Oh my! That’s horrible. I’ll inform Secretary-General Perez immediately… Yes, she is the secretary-general right now. Turn on the news. I’ll brief you later. In the meantime, keep an eye on things down there,” Cade said to Dr. Srivastava.
“What’s going on with the gammanauts?” Isla asked.
“Leon Esposito went into cardiac arrest, moments before they were expected to cross the entry bridge. Dr. Srivastava did a hard-abort to save Leon’s life. Luckily, all of the gammanauts survived.”
Though the highest-ranking GSF official on Space Station Sagan had the authority to initiate a spacetime sequence, the chief administrator of dream-sequencing technology had the approval to shut it down, so long as the gammanauts had not crossed the entry bridge.
“Jesus,” a stunned Isla replied. “Can this day get any more disastrous? No matter. Now that we have full power back, we should divert it toward defense weaponry. I trust Gurmeet knows what he is doing. We’ll deal with them later. Come on.”
Isla marched past the very office she stood in just a few minutes prior. It was no longer her office. She would now move into the secretary-general’s private suite.
They headed to the double doors at the highly-secured Sagan situation room. It was a restricted area accessible to only the highest levels of GSF command. Cade observed as Isla made swift motions with her hands, clearly making commands to her smart lens. She stopped and looked to Cade.
“Effective immediately, you are relieved of your duties as captain, and you are officially chief of staff. I just granted you clearance. You’re along for this ride now,” she told him.
“Thank you, Madam Secretary-General,” he replied. “I accept.”
“We’ll see how proud you are after a full day on the job,” Isla replied.
She put her hand on a scanner panel by the door. It lit up green. An ocular scanner above the doors read her eyes and face and confirmed her identity. The metal doors immediately opened. They walked through.
Inside the Sit, the walls were filled with news footage from Shanghai, various screens of satellite feeds, and an interactive map of Earth. In one corner, time-delayed footage of the various GSF outer-solar colonies occupied an entire wall.
Four of the highest-ranking military leaders aboard Sagan had already been seated and were in the midst of a fierce discussion about emergency operations with three more of the joint-chiefs on holograms. As soon as they saw the newly-minted secretary-general, they immediately stopped, stood to attention, and waited for her to take her place at the head of the table.
“At ease,” she commanded. They all sat down. Isla looked down, took a deep breath, and then turned her attention to the stoic faces before her.
“Moments ago, I was informed that the blast residue from the Shanghai government annex included high concentrations of daemonide,” Isla said. “The death toll is rising. Many of our member states are going to ask if we are c
apable of holding it together and maintaining global security. I need not remind you that at this very moment, the GSF, our credibility, and everything we have fought to protect with blood, sweat, and tears hangs in the balance.
“So, please. Let’s start by figuring out how a Terra Rebirth operative managed to slip past the world’s most advanced security and ignite an explosive, capable of assassinating the leadership of our government.”
“Madam Secretary-General,” said one of the admirals. “Intelligence has submitted footage that I believe you need to see right away.”
“Do it,” Isla commanded. A three-dimensional hologram filled up the center of the table. The admiral removed a green laser-pointer from his jacket.
“What you see here is drone footage of the Shanghai government annex, moments before the explosion. Let’s zoom in.” The hologram view shifted inward into the crowds. Now it showed a playback of the familiar scene where Katelyn Lew met fate.
“Play,” the surveillance hologram started playing like a theater production. “Pause,” the hologram paused. “There! Secretary-General Lew in her final moments right before the terrorist ended her life.”
“Why is she being rushed away?” Captain Starling asked.
“This is where things get interesting. Secretary Adler initiated lockdown protocols just moments before the explosion. Madam Secretary-General, it is my assessment that Thomas Adler was informed of the imminent threat, but by the time he found out—”
“It was too late,” Isla interrupted.
“Precisely.”
“Well, this begs the deeper question,” Captain Starling interjected. “How did Thomas Adler know that Shanghai was under imminent attack? Clearly, Intelligence hadn’t flagged it. Otherwise, our executive leadership wouldn’t have been anywhere near there.”
“We are working on that,” Commander Jackson said. “If someone in Intelligence was working directly with Thomas, they must have been acting covertly. Thomas has had friends in the spy community since the very founding of GSF. If any such individuals know more information that can help us prevent another attack, we need to know it.”
