by Jay Allan
Then, he recovered, at least partially. He turned back toward Til, much more quickly than last time…and he was glad to see his friend was also coming out of the malaise. It was possibly too late, and on some level he was glad he didn’t have time to calculate the odds of victory. All he could think about was whether his ship had either of its two functioning—previously functioning—guns left. He tended to doubt it, realized that he had taken his ship, the last survivors of Linshire…and he had thrown their lives away.
Then, Til spoke. “We still have one laser, sir…targeting now.”
He felt a rush of satisfaction, but it quickly faded. His own calculations told him the odds weren’t good, but then he remembered the last hit, the damage done to the enemy…and he clung to hope.
The enemy fire was coming in close, but it didn’t score another hit. His own single gun fired as well, also missing. The two ships got closer and closer, the enemy clearly giving up on its escape strategy, trying to destroy its enemy before it continued its departure.
The distance between the two vessels was down to short range…very short. Gosnard looked on, realizing that whether or not his vessel took out the enemy depended almost entirely on Til. He wanted to say something, but he kept quiet, not wanting to distract his friend.
The ship fired again…and just missed. Two enemy shots came by seconds later, even closer. Gosnard knew he had committed his ship, and all its crew, the only survivors from Linshire, to this desperate chase, and he realized he hadn’t really checked with them, run a poll, or any other method of determining their true position. He had just made the choice, pursued the enemy…and perhaps cheered himself on by the lack of audible complaints. But he realized some of his people could be silent out of fear more than determination, and he knew he had made the choice for them all. They would win, or they would die.
His eyes moved to his screen, checking the distance. He knew the fight was almost over, that the range was tiny, that one of the two enemies would score a hit soon. But he didn’t consider what was truly going to happen.
He felt joy, for perhaps half a second, as Til’s latest shot hit the enemy…apparently dead on. Then, almost immediately, his own ship shook hard, and he realized that it, too, had been hit. Badly.
His eyes riveted back and forth, trying to split between analyzing the enemy vessel and his own, trying to figure out which was hit the worst. Both shots had been dead on, he realized, and he wondered, for a few seconds, whether either ship would be lost. Then, he saw the enemy ship erupt into a ball of fire, and he had time, just, to smile, to feel a second of joy.
Then his ship exploded, too.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Bunker Under Cutter Research Compound (Home of the Mules)
Ten Kilometers West of Victory City, Earth Two
Earth Two Date 04.25.63
Achilles was tired. No, that didn’t even come close to describing how he felt. He was the leader of humanity, at least temporarily, and while he knew he had numerous challengers out there, no one had dared to rise up. Not yet anyway. The people were just too tired, too worried about their next meal or where they would sleep to allow them to even think about such things. It had been two weeks since the end of the battle, and all had been quiet, at least in terms of no more enemy, no more attacks.
He knew that would pass, that sooner or later, someone would begin raising various issues, but for the moment, most of the people were more concerned with eating and worrying about how many would still die from wounds and radiation.
Despite the terrible cost of the fight—and at least a hundred thousand of their people had died, and perhaps it would be two hundred thousand before it was done—they had actually won. He knew that would be temporary, that there was no way his people could possibly build facilities to construct ships, not in the time they would have. As much as the victory went, and despite the immense cost, he knew the only hope of true survival, rested with Harmon, and the small group he had led to destroy the Regent. He couldn’t imagine they had actually succeeded, but still, he found himself hoping, thinking that the new sensor devices installed in the ships could have been decisive.
He turned and looked back at his desk, at the almost limitless amount of work he had to do. The Mules were in their underground facility, short on space compared to their old quarters above ground, but definitely tolerable. The rest of the population was much worse off. Their underground facilities were vastly larger than the Mules’, at least in gross terms. But the space per person was a fraction of that Achilles people enjoyed, and even worse for the fact that close to half of what they’d had was destroyed in the battle. One of the shelters that had been evacuated was almost repaired now, but the other two were basically lost.
“How are you?” Achilles was so focused on his work, he hadn’t noticed her coming in, but he recognized the voice right away, and he looked up, and even tried to smile for Callisto. He knew the Mules were supposed to be above the kinds of relationships the regular humans indulged in, but somewhere along the line, he had realized that she was all he wanted, that even though there was no such thing as marriage among the Mules, she was effectively his wife.
“I’m fine.” Achilles said it, but he realized almost immediately that Callisto knew better. “Not really, though. I appreciate the time with no one leading a rebellion or trying to organize the NBs or the Tanks…but the only reason for that is the conditions, and the likelihood that the enemy will be back, while we are still trying to produce enough food and basics. We should feel good about the victory, certainly, but everyone knows it won’t mean anything…not unless Harmon…” He let his voice trail off. In spite of the fact that he believed there was a chance, that Harmon could actually succeed, he felt foolish even saying it.
Callisto just nodded. He thought she, too, believed Harmon had a chance, but she had never really spoken about it. “Can you take a break…even for a few minutes?”
He was aware that he hadn’t had much rest since the battle, and none at all in at least three days. But the more work he did, the more it seemed he had to do. “Just that, maybe…a few minutes. There is just too much to do.” He paused for a few seconds, and then he added, “We’ve got three hundred thousand people living on the surface, in tents and hurriedly constructed shelters…and in some cases, nothing at all. The rest are still in the underground bunkers, and the sick and dying are everywhere. I thought for many years about what it would be like to be in charge of the whole thing…but it was never like this.”
Callisto didn’t respond. She just walked over to Achilles and put her hand on his shoulder. Finally, she said, just, “You’re doing everything possible…for everyone.” Then she just stayed where she was, close to him, and silent.
A moment later, the comm unit buzzed. Achilles looked at Callisto for a few seconds, and then he flipped the switch. “Yes?” he said softly.
“Achilles…we just received transmission from a ship that has entered the system.” A short pause. “It is from the mission to the Regent’s planet. There is only a single vessel left…but they have transmitted that they…destroyed the Regent.”
Achilles listened, not quite believing what he had heard. Not until it was repeated. “The Regent is gone, Achilles…it is gone.”
He looked up at Callisto and then down again toward the comm unit, not sure what to say. Finally, he just uttered, “That is wonderful news.” Then he turned back toward Callisto, and he actually managed to smile. The future was still very rocky, the civilization blasted to ruins, with seemingly nothing but challenges ahead…but given enough time, he was sure they could rebuild. And if the Regent was actually destroyed, he believed they would get that time.
* * *
Leigh stood on the bridge, looking out at Earth-2, almost thinking she was dreaming. She had been very aware of her chances, of the fact that she likely wouldn’t return from the mission…but she had. She had escaped, with a small group of survivors, and they had made it home. Almost.
She had been excited when she had been contacted, when she had realized that the people on Earth-2 had prevailed as well. But then her scanners reported the damage, the absence of anything on the surface save a few camps. Nothing built by man had endured, and the location of the city, the center of Earth-2 for her entire life, was nothing but a mass of destruction. She had known very well it was possible, in fact, probable, they would return to nothing save a dead world, that her news of the Regent’s destruction wouldn’t have been delivered to any people. She realized, ultimately she would see the good in all of it, the joy that the enemy had been defeated, that mankind would survive…but for now, she was just sad and exhausted, and only her position as the ultimate acting commander kept her going.
“I will be down in sickbay,” she said, mostly to her tactical officer, but actually to everyone else on the bridge. “Call me immediately if anything happens.” It would take at least ten more hours for her ship to reach Earth-2…and she had nothing to do in that time. Sleep was an impossibility, and besides, she wanted to go down and check on Harmon. She knew she would be notified immediately of any change…but she just wanted to go there and see him. She had definitely been one of the many—most, in fact—of those who had seen him as harmful, his power at best as something that may have been useful once, but now existed only to serve him. But she had seen him push hard, to go along with the force that had made the desperate attempt on the Regent, to push forward every step of the way. And she had seen him injured, multiple times, and press on, somehow.
Still, she hadn’t realized just how badly he had been hurt…not until the Regent was destroyed, until they had returned to the ship and escaped. He had climbed aboard the vessel, and then he had collapsed. And he had been in sickbay since.
Dying.
He had been expected to pass en route, to die before they had gotten back to Earth-2…but something had kept him going—barely. And she knew what it was. He wanted to speak with Achilles, of course, to provide some input into the future of Earth-2, no doubt, but she had come to believe he most wanted to speak with his family, and most of all, with Mariko, his wife. And she’d found herself doing everything possible to make that happen. She had never hated Harmon, not exactly, though she knew a lot of people who had, but she had disliked and disapproved of him…and now, she was rethinking everything she had thought. Despite the odds, the incredible opposition presented by the Regent, Harmon had pushed forward, strived to the end. She, too, had pushed hard, and destroyed the small enemy fleet, but she knew the mission couldn’t have succeeded, that the Regent wouldn’t have been destroyed, without Harmon’s incredible effort.
She took the lift to the infirmary deck, and she walked, silently, down the corridor. She stared inside, seeing the beds all filled, and then some, with people sitting on the floor, looking out, stunned, aware that they had been wounded in a victory, and now also assured that the fleet that had attacked Earth-2 had been defeated. She could see the look in their eyes, the realization that they had won, though they had paid just about every price it was possible to pay.
She walked through the small infirmary, and she opened the door. There hadn’t been a private room in the hospital, but she had ordered the storage facility turned into one. The people outside of it were hurt, some badly, but they were all likely to survive. But the man inside, alone, was barely conscious…and he wasn’t going to live, not much longer at least.
She stepped inside, pausing for a moment, unsure whether he was awake or asleep. Then, he spoke. “Captain Leigh…it is…good…to see…you again.” Harmon sounded as though every word caused pain, and she felt he sounded even worse than he had the day before. But he was still awake, and that was all she could hope for.
“Sir…I just wanted to tell you. We have entered Earth-2’s system, and the fleet has prevailed. They have defeated the enemy.” She paused, for a few seconds, considering lying to him about the horrendous cost. But she felt he deserved the truth. “The city has been destroyed, and we lost close to two hundred thousand people…but the others are still alive. I won’t lie to you, almost everything we have built was destroyed, and it will take years for us to get back to where we were…but we will get back.” She stressed on the last bit, and she meant it. They would get back, and they would push farther than they had gone before.
Harmon turned his head, slightly, and he smiled. “That is…wonderful…news…” He coughed, several times, and then he said, “Please…I must…speak with…Achilles…and Mariko…” His voice was low, softer than it had been before. “As…quickly…as…possible.”
She nodded, thinking for a moment about offering radio contact, but she knew Harmon meant in person…and that meant he had to wait, at least ten more hours. He had endured the trip home, made it to Earth-2’s system, and she had been hopeful he would survive, long enough, at least, to see the people he wanted to see. But now, looking at him, she found her resolve faltering, and she just wasn’t sure he would survive long enough.
She thought about trying to increase the ship’s speed, but she realized that her approach vector was as aggressive as she dared make it. He would just have to survive, to hang on long enough. She reached out, put her hand on his face. He had slipped back to his sleep, and she let him continue. He would need whatever energy he could have…soon.
* * *
The ship hadn’t docked in orbit. There were no more stations, no place it could dock…no choice but landing on the planet’s surface. Fortunately, it was a relatively small vessel, capable of operating in an atmosphere. At least when there was a pad to accommodate it. But this ship was coming down to nothing, landing on a flat section of natural ground, and there was some chance—a strong one perhaps—that it would wipe out, that most or all of the people aboard would die. But everyone aboard realized that there was no other option, and they all craved to land on Earth-2, no matter what awaited them.
Earth-2, everything above ground and built by man, at least, was gone. But the ship was almost out of power, and it didn’t have the resources to stay in orbit, certainly not for long enough for something to be built for its landing. It was somewhat of a miracle it had made it all the way back…and the crew was confident they could clear this last hurdle, that they could get back and connect with any family that had survived.
Achilles had thought about the landing bay in his own underground lair, the home of the ships he had fought to keep his people from taking just a couple weeks ago. But that docking bay had been damaged, something he hadn’t even known when he had gone down and urged the people not to try to use it. The likelihood of successfully launching was very poor, and had been, even when he had argued his case. He wondered how different it would have been had he been arguing that there was damage, that the ships couldn’t launch. Would it have helped…or would it have hurt, replacing his urgent words with ones that might have seemed made up. He realized it might have backfired, that they might not have believed him, and the fight for positions aboard ship would have happened…only for the victors to die in their launch attempts. He was glad he hadn’t known then, that he had just convinced them all to stay.
The chance of landing something in the underground bunker was even less than that of lifting off, almost zero. For better or worse, they would have to come down on the surface, somewhere flat. He knew it was a poor decision, but it seemed the best that was available.
He had selected a location, one relatively close to both the ruins of the city and the area where he had moved some of the people. It was flat, relatively, and the best location he could find. He looked up, aware that the ship was already on the way down, that whether or not be believed in his choice, it was already done. In just a few moments, the ship would be on the ground…one way or another.
He stared up, at the sky, looking, realizing that he would have a view of the ship as it landed. All of his people, including Callisto, had urged him to remain underground, at least until the ship came down. But he knew Harmon, better than anyone per
haps, and he was determined to be there as quickly as possible. It wasn’t logical. There was nothing material Harmon could say, nothing he could tell him of note that someone else on the ship couldn’t share. But he had worked with the man his entire life…and he just wanted to see him one more time.
To say goodbye.
He was becoming emotional, much more so that usual, and he realized that Harmon had been more than a co-worker, more than a leader. He had been a friend…and a close one. That was true even though they very well could have ended up on opposite sides of a power struggle.
He saw something, a blip in the sky. It came down, quickly, and within a minute, he could see it as the ship. It was coming in, fast but not too fast, heading for the spot he had selected for its landing. He watched, fully aware that there was nothing he could do…nothing except look and hope for the best.
The ship blasted its retro rockets, cutting its speed almost to nothing. For an instant, he thought he saw it shake, and he imagined all sorts of problems, of watching it crash and explode. But a few seconds later, he saw it come down, slowly and controlled…and make an almost perfect landing.
He stood for a moment, pondering the situation, realizing the intensity of it all. The Regent was gone, and its fleet was destroyed. There was much left to do, rebuilding the society, hunting down the Regent’s facilities…but right now, this instant, there was only one thing to do, and one alone.
He had to go and see Harmon…and he had to do it now.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
New Victory Plain
Sixty Kilometers East of Victory City, Earth Two
Earth Two Date 04.25.63