by Ryk Brown
“It could be a ruse,” Jessica suggested. “They could be trying to convince us that they don’t care about Ursoot, so that we’ll feel comfortable going there.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Nathan agreed.
“There is one other thing,” the lieutenant commander said. “We received intel from General Telles’s contacts on Takara. There has been a sudden increase in underground projects all over the planet. It appears they are drilling, or possibly making tunnels under the surface.”
“Any idea why?”
“Not yet,” the lieutenant commander admitted. “We’re not even certain the projects are related. Speculation ranges anywhere from a new subway system, to a network of tunnels that connect military assets, to just routine infrastructure upgrades. The odd thing is they’re not using Takaran contractors to do the work. They are doing it with their own engineers. The general’s contacts are keeping an eye on their progress, and will report if they learn anything further.”
“I’m guessing a new planetary defense system,” Jessica said. “After we kicked their asses, they’re probably afraid we’re coming to take Takara next.”
Nathan thought for a moment. “Any reports of similar activity on Corinair?”
“Negative,” the lieutenant commander replied. “However, our network of contacts on Corinair is much smaller.”
“Keep me updated if anything changes,” Nathan told him.
“Yes, sir.”
“Anything from Telles?” he asked Cameron.
“Marcus delivered the weapons this morning,” Cameron replied. “The Corinari are now armed and patrolling the streets of Orswella as we speak. General Telles expects to begin his campaign to eliminate the planet of Dusahn operatives later today.”
“Any projections?” Nathan wondered.
“Negative. He only knows they exist, but has no knowledge of numbers or capabilities.”
“Telles will wipe them out,” Jessica said confidently.
“Let’s just hope he does so before the people of Orswella lose faith in us,” Cameron said. “According to Telles, they’re not happy.”
“Perhaps regular visits by the Aurora will give their confidence a boost,” Nathan suggested.
“It couldn’t hurt,” Cameron replied.
* * *
General Telles headed down the corridors of the hospital’s critical care ward, still uncertain of why he had been summoned.
“General,” Master Sergeant Willem greeted as the general approached.
“Master Sergeant,” the general replied, pausing in the corridor to speak with him.
“My men have swept the entire hospital. The building is secure, and no explosive devices have been detected. I have guards on all entrances, on the rooftop, and along the rooftops of all the surrounding buildings. We also have both Diggers circling the area, scanning for any suspicious activity.”
“Very good,” the general replied. “Does the hospital staff have any idea why I was summoned?”
“Negative,” the master sergeant replied. “They’ve had seven new admissions since yesterday, three of whom have not yet been positively identified.”
“The mystery deepens,” the general commented.
“There’s more,” the master sergeant warned. “Commander Andreaola and the other Orswellan captains have also been summoned. They’re waiting at the nursing station.”
“And we still don’t know who summoned us?”
“All we know is that one of the nurses made the call. He won’t say from which patient, not until everyone is here.”
“Am I the last one to arrive?” the general wondered.
“Apparently.”
“Then let’s get this over with,” the general decided, continuing down the corridor.
General Telles and Master Sergeant Willem made their way to the nursing station at the middle of the ward, where Commander Andreola and the other Orswellan captains were waiting.
“Gentlemen,” the general greeted.
“Sir, everyone summoned is present,” Master Sergeant Willem told the charge nurse. “Can you now tell us which patient summoned these men?”
“I apologize for being so adamant in my refusal,” the nurse said, as he rose from his chair. “You will understand why in a moment. Please, follow me.”
The nurse led the group down the corridor to the room in the furthest corner of the ward. Once at the door, he stepped aside, gesturing toward the door.
“I’ll clear the room,” Master Sergeant Willem insisted, stepping in front of the general. He raised his weapon, readying himself, then pushed the door slowly open, stepping into the room.
Inside was a frail-looking old man lying in the bed, eyes closed, with tubes and wires connecting him to a collection of devices designed to keep him alive.
The master sergeant looked left, then stepped inside, pivoting right to check behind the door as it closed. Satisfied that the old man was the room’s only occupant, he pulled out his scanner and swept for signs of explosive devices or any other threats. Finally, he stepped up to the old man and studied him.
The master sergeant returned to the door, pulling it open. “All clear, sir,” he reported.
General Telles and the others entered the room.
“Oh my God,” Captain Yofferst exclaimed in disbelief.
The other captains had similar expressions of shock.
General Telles looked to Commander Andreola, who looked equally surprised. “Commander, do you know this man?”
“I do,” the commander admitted. “This man is Huzza Roland. He was the Minister of the Treasury at the time the Dusahn invaded. He was believed to have been killed, like all the other leaders of Orswella.”
“The Minister of the Treasury,” the general said, unimpressed.
“You do not understand, General,” Commander Andreola said. “This man is the sole surviving member of the ministry. That makes him the legal acting Prime Minister of Orswella.”
“That explains all the cloak and dagger stuff,” Master Sergeant Willem surmised.
“Somehow, he has managed to evade capture for more than two decades,” the commander continued. “This is incredible.”
“Impressive, yes, but far from incredible,” the general replied.
“Again, you do not understand,” the commander insisted. “This means that we have automatic continuity of government.”
“One old man is hardly a government,” General Telles insisted. “He is not even conscious.”
“He asked that I put him out after requesting that I summon you all to come here,” the nurse explained. “He is in grave condition, and is not expected to survive. The act of waking him will likely hasten his end.”
“He must be saved,” Captain Yofferst insisted.
“His injuries are severe,” the nurse warned.
“How was he injured?” General Telles wondered.
“He was pulled from the rubble of the Perlan building attack,” the nurse told him.
“That was more than a week ago,” Commander Andreola exclaimed.
“He gave me explicit instructions to wake him upon your arrival,” the nurse told them.
“Did he understand that doing so might kill him?” Commander Andreola asked.
“He did,” the nurse answered. “He was quite adamant.”
“Minister Roland was known for his decisiveness,” Captain Yofferst said, “and for his inability to accept no as an answer.”
“Well, he must have called us here for good reason,” General Telles said. “Wake him,” he instructed the nurse.
“General!” Captain Yofferst argued.
“He is correct, Marlon,” Commander Andreola insisted, “and as officers of the Guard, we are sworn to uphold the orders of the ministry.”
Captain Yofferst hung
his head, knowing the commander was right.
The nurse stepped over to the control station next to the minister’s bed, and entered instructions. A moment later, the minister’s eyes fluttered and slowly opened.
Commander Andreola and the other captains snapped to attention as their sole surviving minister regained consciousness.
Minister Roland looked at General Telles and Master Sergeant Willem, both of whom were standing at ease. He then looked at the officers of the Guard, standing tall to his left. “Is this all that remains…of our once…proud…Guard?”
“It is, Minister,” Captain Yofferst replied respectfully. “If I may ask, how did you survive all these years?”
“It is a long story,” the minister replied, his voice unsteady and strained, as if every word was an effort, “one that is not relevant to our current situation.”
“What are your orders, Minister?” Captain Yofferst asked.
“I am dying,” the minister stated plainly. “Perhaps this day, perhaps the next. One of you must take my place. One of you must lead the people of Orswella out of the darkness, and back into the light.” He looked to captain Yofferst. “Are you senior among them?”
“I am,” Captain Yofferst replied.
“Then you are next in succession.”
“With all due respect, Minister, that would be unwise,” Captain Yofferst insisted. “I am soon approaching the age of retirement, and will be too old to legally act as Prime Minister.”
“I am too old as well,” Minister Roland replied, “yet I am still legally minister.”
“Only because you have not been able to pass that responsibility onto another,” Commander Andreola reminded him.
“You can serve until you reach the age of retirement,” Minster Roland pointed out. “At that time, you may pass the responsibility to another.”
“Recovery will take years,” Captain Yofferst argued, “perhaps as much as a decade. I have but three years left.”
“The age requirement can be suspended under times of emergency,” Minister Roland insisted, waving Captain Yofferst’s concerns aside.
Captain Yofferst looked down, concern on his face.
“There is another reason?” the minister asked, noticing the woe on the senior captain’s face.
“There is more to being a good leader than just being senior,” Captain Yofferst replied. “I am not the man for the job.” He looked at the other captains, who nodded their agreement. “We have already discussed this topic amongst ourselves,” he continued. “We believe that Commander Andreola is the best qualified to lead our people back to prosperity.”
Minister Roland turned to look at Commander Andreola. “You appear too young, Commander.”
“I am fifteen years from mandatory retirement,” the commander replied.
The minister looked back to the other captains. “You are all in agreement? You all wish to pass leadership on to an officer junior to yourselves?”
“For the good of Orswella, yes,” Captain Yofferst replied, the other captains again nodding their agreement.
Again, Minister Roland turned his gaze back to Commander Andreola. “The office of Prime Minister is an all-consuming responsibility,” he warned, “one that is more than most men can shoulder. Are you certain you are up to the task?”
Commander Andreola looked at Captain Yofferst, then to General Telles, and finally back to Minister Roland. “In all honesty, I am not.”
A feeble smile passed across Minister Roland’s face, pushing away the pain for a moment. “Then you are the right man for the job. Self-doubt is what keeps our egos in check. It makes us question the sanity and logic of our decisions before we commit to them. Without it, we become dangerous beings.” Minister Roland looked to General Telles. “You are the leader of those who are currently protecting our planet?”
“I am,” the general replied. “I am General Lucius Telles, leader of the Ghatazhak, in the service of the Karuzari Alliance. My men and I are tasked with protecting your people, until such time as they can protect themselves.”
“The people of Orswella owe you a debt that will be difficult to repay.”
“It is what the Ghatazhak do,” the general explained. “It is what the Karuzari Alliance does. No repayment is necessary.”
“Truly noble men are few, and never fully appreciated,” the minister said, closing his eyes.
“Are you alright, Minister?” the nurse asked, checking the medical displays next to the minister’s bed.
Minister Roland opened his eyes again, but with great effort. “I fear my time has come to an end.” He looked at Commander Andreola again. “What is your first name, Commander?”
“Stethan. Stethan Andreola.
“If you are willing to assume the position of Prime Minister of Orswella, raise your right hand, and repeat after me.”
Commander Andreola looked at his old friend, Captain Yofferst. “Are you certain of this, Marlon?”
“I am,” Captain Yofferst replied. “We all are.”
Commander Andreola took a deep breath and sighed, then raised his right hand, looking directly at the dying minister.
“I, Stethan Andreola…” Minister Roland began.
“I Stethan Andreola…” the commander repeated.
“Do hereby swear to uphold the constitution of Orswella…”
“Do hereby swear to uphold the constitution of Orswella…”
“And protect the welfare of its people…”
“And protect the welfare of its people…”
“Until legally relieved of my responsibilities as Prime Minister of Orswella,” Minister Roland concluded.
“Until legally relieved of my responsibilities as Prime Minister of Orswella,” the commander repeated.
After the minister failed to speak for nearly a minute, Captain Yofferst asked, “Is that it?”
“It is enough,” Minister Roland replied, closing his eyes again. “Congratulations, Commander, you are now Prime Minister of Orswella.” Another smile crept in, just as Minister Roland drew his last breath.
They all stood silent, showing their respect for the old man who had managed to remain alive throughout the occupation, only to die after his world had finally regained its freedom.
“Orswella has known no greater leader than Minister Roland,” Prime Minister Andreola stated. “We shall bury him with honor, and make certain that all our people know of his sacrifices.”
“Not exactly what I was expecting when I was first summoned,” General Telles admitted.
Prime Minister Andreola looked at the general. “Nor I.”
* * *
Nathan stood in the corner of the room, watching in silence, as Miri underwent one of her many daily treatments at the hands of Doctor Symyri and his staff. The look on his sister’s face broke his heart. She was obviously suffering, but he knew she would not complain. She had always been his toughest sibling. In fact, she had defended him during his first fight as a child, stepping in and bloodying the nose of a boy twice Nathan’s size. At the time, it had embarrassed him, but it also showed him how to fight back. Despite that embarrassment, the moment had changed his life as a child. Growing up, she had always been there to take care of him. Now, it was his turn.
As the treatment cycle ended, Miri’s expression relaxed, turning to one of relief. She turned her head and spotted Nathan, making her best attempt at a smile.
Nathan stepped forward, as the technician operating the treatment device stepped away. “Looks like fun,” he told her.
“Oh, loads,” she replied, forcing a small chuckle. “I was wondering when you would return.”
“Sorry I can’t come by more often,” Nathan apologized, stepping up to the side of her bed.
“What new and exciting things have you been up to?” she asked, as the nurse helped her slide up i
n the bed a bit.
“The usual. Firefights with police, flying car chases, space battles, oh and I did crash the Aurora and die, so that was different.”
Miri looked at him, confused.
“Turned out to be a simulation, so nothing lost.”
“What?”
“Long story. How are you doing?”
“The usual. Pain, discomfort, treatments, laying about, feeling sorry for myself. At least I get to talk with my kids whenever I want, so there’s that.”
“Are you making progress?” Nathan wondered.
“They tell me I am, but I don’t really see it.”
“They did say it would take months,” Nathan said.
“Don’t remind me. The thought of being stuck here for months is depressing enough.”
“Look on the bright side. Doctor Symyri did say that your odds of a full recovery are better than fifty-fifty now.”
“Would you bet on even odds?” she asked.
“No, but those odds are better than they were a few weeks ago,” Nathan replied.
Miri sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I guess I should be happy that I’m eating solid food again.”
“You are? That’s great!” Nathan exclaimed.
“If you tasted the food here, you might not say that.”
“She’s exaggerating,” the nurse insisted, as she adjusted the bed to put Miri in a semi-sitting position.
“How are things going with the Dusahn?” Miri asked.
“Better than before,” Nathan replied. “We actually had a couple of major victories recently, and even added two new worlds to our alliance. One of them hasn’t officially signed on yet, but they are providing us with technology that we desperately need. In fact, we’re almost to the point of being able to go on full offensive, and bring this all to an end.”
“I hope your strategy is better this time than it was before,” she joked.
“Yeah, it is,” Nathan promised, smiling.
“Then you are confident you can defeat them?”
“It’s no longer a question of if, but when,” Nathan stated confidently.
Miri looked shocked by her younger brother’s confidence. “That is good news.”