Valentin said nothing but moved a step closer.
“Someday we’ll sit around and have a good laugh about it. Right?” Without a response, he continued: “You’re pissed. I totally get it. I’d say you ought to shoot me in the head just for the hell of it, but that would cost us about ten minutes. At least, I think that’s my recovery time. If you let me explain …”
“You look nothing like the scrawny boy I met on Earth.”
Michael’s heart did a somersault. “Not the first thing I expected you to say, but it’s better than a flash peg between the eyes. So, that was three years ago, and you knew me for like five minutes, give or take. Quick update then. I was an assassin for the Solomon movement, worked out, got buff, did the Guard thing, killed a few hundred Mongols, almost finished Tier III and got super smart, learned I was immortal, folded space, came here to rescue Sam, and learned the Jewels are gonna wipe out the hybrids, immortals, and Chancellors unless I do something to change the equation. Any of that ought to make for good conversation. Where do you want to start?”
Valentin lowered his weapon and told the AI to close the bulkhead. It pixelated shut. He turned to the ship’s pilot, sitting inside a navigation cylinder Michael knew well.
“Col. Joosten, take us to the NR7 site.” Valentin holstered his rifle. “Your presence here is not possible, Mr. Cooper.”
“You got that right. But I am, and the fact you didn’t shoot probably means you already have intel confirming some of what I said.”
“How do you know about the Jewels?”
“They told me. Not in so many words. In fact, damn few. Been talking to you, too?”
“No.” Valentin fell into the captain’s chair. Michael looked around, saw nothing else but still-seats. Never much liked them.
“Then who?” Michael asked.
“Your Samantha.”
Hearing her name gave value to every agonizing moment of the past four months. A weight fell. Confirmation. Finally.
“She’s doing OK then? Wait, what? Sam gave you the intel?”
“This morning, before you killed six of my soldiers.”
“Temporarily killed. Again, my apologies. I assume that’s where we’re headed now?”
Valentin’s expression shifted with a sudden realization.
“Did you say you’re immortal?” He asked.
“Yeah, although I’m surprised you didn’t pick up on that nugget right away. Look, it’s a long story and I only learned about it yesterday. I didn’t come by it the same as you and the others. But trust me, I’ve been killed a few times. So has Sam. She might not realize it yet. Did she say how the Jewels contacted her?”
“Yes. It appears they have an agent of sorts on Aeterna.”
“Aeterna? What’s th …” He understood. “New planet name? Not bad, especially in our case. Aeterna. Eternal. I can live with it.”
“And you? How did the Jewels contact you?”
“Last night. Entered my mind. Came from one of those towers.”
Valentin stiffened. “The towers? What do you know about them?”
“You sound like you don’t know much yourself. The towers are a defense system, but specifically to defend against Berserkers.”
The Admiral sighed. “Are you going to tell me a story about the Jewels’ creators, and how one brother betrayed the other a million years ago?”
Holy shit. “I will. The story ends with the younger brother begging me to save him. It’s why we’re talking now.”
The Scramjet set down on land.
“How did you get here, Mr. Cooper?”
“First of all, it’s Michael. And for the record, I’m not Guard anymore, but the body armor makes me feel safe. Although I figure my armor ain’t as strong as yours. Second of all, I expected that to be your first question. But there’s a lot to take in. I get it. Like I said before, I folded space. New tech.”
“Is this how the Guard will attack?”
“Pretty much. They’ve been building a jumpgate.”
“When?”
“Tomorrow. Today. Fifteen minutes. They’re close. Good thing you’re prepared, not that it’ll do much good.”
The bulkhead pixelated. Michael looked outside to the scene of his most recent massacre. The bodies still weren’t moving.
Valentin left his chair. “Follow me, Michael. Col. Joosten, be ready to leave in a rush.”
They stepped outside. In the greater light, Michael despised what he saw. The idea he could kill kids with such nonchalance – even if they were bound to recover – disgusted him. Valentin bent over a girl whose eyes stared toward the sky.
“How’s she coming along?” Michael asked, feeling stupid.
“The wound has nearly vanished,” Valentin replied, scowling at Michael. “After this, you expect me to trust you?”
“I could say the same, if we’re being honest, Valentin. Your people – hell, maybe this girl was one of them – invaded my base on Tamarind. They killed members of my team. Sometimes, a little payback is good for the soul. Yes?”
“So, you were on Tamarind? You jumped here from the base?”
“I did, along with two others. But don’t worry, they aren’t a threat.”
Valentin moved to the next dead child. “How did you know this was a graviton weapon?”
“Like I said, I’m super smart now. Been doing lots of reading.”
“You’ve also used Guard synthetics to build yourself out. That rate of growth is unnatural except among Chancellors.”
“So they tell me.”
“Why do all this, Michael? Just to be with Samantha?”
“No better reason.”
Valentin laid two fingers over a boy’s bloody neck.
“A heartbeat. Progress.”
“Great. I’ll be happy to smooth things over when he’s awake.”
Valentin rolled his eyes. “You and Samantha are asking me to kill my brother and the other hybrids. While I will admit your presence is remarkable, and your ability to confirm each other’s story is compelling, I have only your words against my brother’s. He’s been our guide. He has seen the future. We’ll form an empire. He says the Jewels showed him this future. Who am I to believe?”
“In other words, who are the Jewels lying to? Him or us?”
Valentin moved to the third child, a boy with waxen hair intermixed with blood.
“You’re an efficient soldier, based on the precision of these shots.”
“Stone cold.”
“And you have reasonable intel regarding the invasion?”
“I have some ideas.”
“I’m correct in assuming you’d like to kill my brother yourself.”
“Aside from putting my arms around Sam, I haven’t thought about much else.”
“Will you have a problem killing soldiers of the Guard?”
“Like I said, I’m not with them anymore. I’ll take out as many as I can. Just out of curiosity, how much stronger is your armor?”
Valentin smiled, but not for the reason Michael thought.
“This one is coming around. His name is Rikhi Syed. You can apologize to him first.” He stood. “Our armor is much stronger, and the helmet AI is a generational leap.”
“Upgrades are good.”
“I see. You believe I’m making a proposition.”
Michael shrugged. “Way I see it, there’s two ways this ends. One, we live forever. Two, we’ll be crispy critters. Either way, Valentin, those fucking hybrids are doomed. Time to take a stand.”
“Hmm. Has your newfound immortality lifted your confidence?”
“Doesn’t hurt.”
“I assume you’re eager to see Samantha.”
“Can’t happen fast enough.”
Valentin smiled when the boy, Rikhi Syed, rose in a daze.
“If you’re wrong about this,” Valentin said, “I’ll bring you both before my brother and watch him incinerate you.”
Michael had not felt this at ease in months.
/> “Sounds like a plan.”
His eyes locked onto the awakened child. Michael thought of the best way to apologize for killing him.
59
Project Drawbridge staging area
Star system NP-44
T ENSION PRECEDED EXHILIRATION onboard the Praxis command bridge when the news arrived: The jumpgate was activated. Maj. Aiden Nilsson shared their cautious exuberance that the most dramatic moment in human history had arrived. Bigger than the original Anchor tests, this would prove the viability of instantaneous mass transit across the galaxy. He heard the whispers about what it meant, far beyond the imminent invasion. Before long, they said, the Chancellory would not be bound to the Collectorate. Assuming, of course, the gate worked as advertised. Nilsson hoped he didn’t kill Frances Bouchet too soon.
“Prepare for the test sequence,” Supreme Admiral Poussard announced. “Anchor crew, initiate your device.”
The last of the Anchor prototypes, identical to the ones destroyed on Tamarind and Euphrates, was visible on a holowindow from its position in the landing bay. Capt. Delano Forsythe commanded the team on that end while Poussard directed the big show from the captain’s dais. Nilsson stood at Poussard’s side, by her invitation.
“These are the moments I miss,” she said. “Out here in space, preparing for combat, commanding a fleet. A far cry from an office in the GPM. A word of advice, Major. If you ever advance to Admiral, remain with a fleet. If you’re appointed to a position in the GPM, retire or kill yourself.”
“I’ll keep that under advisement, Admiral.”
She laughed through closed lips and threw open a wide-scope view of the jumpgate.
“It’s impressive how quickly we built it,” she said. “Efficiency has not been our modus operandi for decades.”
Nilsson agreed, but he also realized its simplistic design features made quick construction possible. The gate resembled the superstructure of a space station in the first months of development. The lateral members formed a perfect square at eleven hundred meters across. Two identical frameworks, separated by a hundred meters, were joined by a series of trusses. The foci arms which opened the aperture on the Anchor prototypes were replaced by dish stations at the center of each side, projecting inward. Four more dishes on the second superstructure controlled the destination quantum signature and created the Void effect, allowing space to be folded. Shipboard commands sent holographic pattern sleeves to the appropriate dishes.
Poussard turned to her lead navigator.
“Col. Johansson, open the gate aperture. Capt. Forsythe, prepare to receive.”
The four dishes on the forward superstructure blasted green, focused light into the center, creating the illusion of four equal mini-gates. The anterior superstructure exploded with similar special effects, but the results morphed in a matter of seconds. They formed a bright green funnel which lost its color and became a black, pulsating storm and finally, a whirlpool.
“Amazing,” Poussard said before looking around the bridge. “Is this what was supposed to happen?”
No one disagreed, but this was the first live test.
“Send in the drones,” Poussard ordered.
Four AI-piloted vessels the size of refrigerators initiated enough thrust to cross the threshold.
Results were, of course, immediate.
The first drone arrived instantaneously in the Praxis landing bay via the Anchor. Another exited into open space ten thousand kilometers beyond the gate. A third hit its mark by rendezvousing with a fast-moving asteroid six million kilometers out.
“As long as we have a signature,” she told Nilsson, “we can go anywhere anytime. Does this seem like a fantasy come true?”
“It does, Admiral. I think I might invest in the jumpgate industry.”
“Is there one?”
“No. Want to go in with me, fifty-fifty?”
They shared a laugh. Poussard ordered the gate powered down and opened a shipwide comm.
“On behalf of the Admiralty, and for that matter all of civilized humanity, I offer congratulations. With practice out of the way, it’s time for the main event. Prepare your stations. We jump in one hour.”
Nilsson’s exuberance returned to apprehension. Poussard must have seen his grimace.
“Concerns, Major?”
“I’m used to having time to celebrate achievements. Admiral, we’re flying blind into this mission. The terrorists … Salvation … whatever you want to call them. We underestimated them for years. Look at us now. If this goes sideways, there’s no obvious retreat. No jumpgate on their end, and we don’t know how long it will take to dismantle their Nexus blockade.”
Poussard nodded. “True on all counts, Major. But no battle is without risk, even with superior forces. We understand what’s at stake. If we lose today, we quite possibly lose forever. And I’m not just talking about the primary attack. Yes?”
“Yes, Admiral.” Nilsson felt dirty at the prospect. “I selected two soldiers I can trust. Both spec-ops. They’ve done nastier business.”
“Good. I want you in and out of there before we burn it down.”
He sighed. “Let’s see what the scouting turns up first. I hope it’s as straightforward as you theorize.”
“It will be. After studying James Bouchet’s CVid propaganda, it’s clear to me what we’ll find. Is your team onboard?”
“They’ll be en route momentarily.”
“Excellent. Major, you do understand? I can’t give you more than an hour’s lead time.”
“I know, Admiral. And if Praxis should be compromised, we may have far less.”
“Hmmph. The joys of flying blind.”
Nilsson left the command bridge to rendezvous with his team and run every potential scenario through his mind. He grabbed a quick meal from a kiosk. Was it his last? He banished the thought as soon as it arrived. Among the many scenarios, Nilsson considered the most unlikely of the lot: An encounter with Lt. Michael Cooper.
He wasn’t about to write off the possibility Cooper escaped via the Anchor, or that he had help. He and Maya Fontaine kept close company. Aldo Cabrise did not put up a fight when he discovered the secret evacuations. But even if Cooper did reach Hiebimini, would he have arrived anywhere near the population? Perhaps he was wandering aimlessly, realizing his luck ran out.
No, Nilsson thought with a grin. Cooper works harder than anyone I’ve ever known. Hard work buys luck.
No one knew of Nilsson’s treason, and no one was left alive on Tamarind to prove he passed along the pattern sleeve. So, this was one scenario he refused to share with his team.
An hour later, he stood on the bridge with the ship’s command staff, Admiral Poussard, and three Presidium reps. Praxis stared into the heart of the jumpgate, its system engines engaged. On one holowindow, the attack fleet of twenty-five retrofitted capital and transport ships arrayed neatly in formation, well behind Praxis.
Poussard opened a fleetwide comm.
“Fleet, this is your Admiral. Stand ready. Combat status: Blue. To all soldiers of the Guard: You will soon engage in a battle unlike anything seen in the history of the human race. You will cross a fold in space and emerge in the midst of combat. Whether you attack from the air, from the ground, or in space, your fight will begin immediately. The enemy will lie before you. And the enemy, my dear soldiers, my protectors of the Chancellory, must be annihilated. No mercy. No quarter. No survivors.
“Before this standard day concludes, we will reclaim the Hiebimini system, eliminate the only serious threat to our earned status as the superior caste among humanity, and begin an exploration for new solutions to halt the genetic affliction we face. We do not fight for ourselves. We fight for our progeny. If our children and grandchildren are the last of our lines, they will cry out to us as they die, asking: Why? Why did you fail us?”
She paused then softened her tone. “To all Captains. Once we have completed our analysis, we will transmit a package of quantum signatures complete with
attack instructions through the Anchor on this ship. Maj. Burren aboard UG Transport Hummel will reset the gate and distribute attack orders. Be prepared for any scenario. Jump on her command. Poussard out.”
All eyes still upon her, Poussard offered a side-nod. Applause followed. She turned to Nilsson on her right, Capt. Forsythe on her left.
“I’ve always been quite good at motivational speeches. I have so little opportunity to use them. Yes?”
The more he listened, the more Nilsson thought Poussard was no better than any other stodgy, self-aggrandizing fool who’d been locked away inside the GPM too long. I’ll do this one thing for you, he thought, and then I’m out.
“Col. Johansson, open the gate aperture.”
The jumpgate exploded into life, its pulsating whirlpool equal parts terrifying and thrilling.
“Steady as she goes. Ramp speed only.”
Praxis pushed forward but at five percent of maximum velocity. Speed was no factor in folding space, but they did not want to enter the Hiebimini system with a bang. The longer they remained undetected, the greater their odds of victory.
Passing through the gate proved about as exciting as walking through an open doorway in a darkened house. No shutter, no jolt, no biological response as they folded space.
A blink and then …
The stellar configuration changed; holowindows tracking their position flickered in a confusing series of images and graphics.
“Col. Johansson, our GPNM coordinates?”
“Confirming, Admiral. Confirming. Yes. We’re here. Hiebimini system. GPNM axis tilts at 14.775 degrees on the Pheni scale. Mark 4.1.1.7.9 off the radial. Searching for Hiebimini.”
The visual scanners beat the Colonel to the punch, and another round of applause filled the command bridge.
“There she is,” Poussard said. “Astounding. Distance, Colonel?”
“Seven hundred thousand kilometers.”
“Hold position. Shut down system engines and pre-determined non-essentials.” She turned her attention to other officers. “Route additional power to long-range telemetry. I want to know everything about that planet, its tiny population, and all their system assets.”
The Impossible Future: Complete set Page 141
